The Age & Impact of European Overseas Expansion

Mr. Regan

Overview

One of the most significant events in world history Forced Europeans to rethink cultural & intellectual assumptions Europeans gained access to untold wealth Balance of power in Europe shifted form the center of Europe to those

nations bordering on the Atlantic. Widespread destruction of colonial cultures

Motives Earlier “explorations”--

Crusades, Reconquista of Spain, Marco Polo’s journey to China, Portuguese exploring the coast of Africa.

“God, Gold, and glory”

Navigational & Intellectual advancements

Compass Axial rudder Quadrant, astrobale New & better maps

(portolani) New ships (caravel) Lateen (triangular) sails

Key factor supporting colonization

The strong, more centralized European states Portugal & Spain were the first to establish monarchical control over

their regions -- they lead the first voyages of exploration Many of the sailors were Italians (Columbus, Vespucci, Verrazano,

Cabot, but b/c Italy had no centralized government, Italy was not a colonizing nation.

Centralized governments had… The ability to administer bureaucracies in far off lands Armies & navies with advanced technology to overwhelm colonial opponents

Portugal

By 1510 had established a worldwide trading empire Prince Henry “The Navigator” (1394 – 1460) founded a school for

seafarers at Sagres -- trained the first generation of sailors who traveled down the West African coast

Bartholomeu Dias -- 1488 -- makes it to the Cape of Good Hope. Vasco da Gama -- 1498 -- made it around the Cape of Good Hope,

to the riches of India. One boat made it back, returning 1000% profit for its investors DaGama returned to the Indian Ocean with cannons, overwhelming the

areas they encountered Portugal’s maritime empire fed Europe’s appetite for trade with the East

Spain

Christopher Columbus (1451 – 1506) -- completed 4 voyages to the Americas. Led the Spanish monarchy to sponsor many later expeditions that would lead to the subjugation of the “New World.”

Hernando Cortes -- conquers the Aztecs through use of trickery, horses, cannons. Ferdinand Magellan -- led ships through the southern tip of South America, before

perishing in the Philippines. Crew credited with the first circumnavigation of the world John Cabot -- claimed parts of North America for England Jacques Cartier -- claimed parts of North America for France Sir Francis Xavier -- Jesuit missionary who brought Christianity to India, Indonesia, and

Japan Francisco Pizzaro -- conquered the Incas in the Andes Vasco Nenez de Balboa -- led an expedition across the isthmus of Panama to

“discover” the pacific Ocean

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) Divided the world in

half between Spain & Portugal for purposes of colonization

Leads Portugal to claim Brazil in South America

Lasting presence in the Americas proved to be Spain

Exploited native peoples The “encomienda system” -- Spanish settlers were given grants of land and native

labor in return for providing Christian instruction & protection of their workers In reality, the encomienda system brutally exploited the indigenous people, bring ing about

their rapid decline in population

Bartolome de Las casas -- Spanish priest in the Americas whose Brief account of the Devastation of the Indies (1542) highlighted the abuse & devastation caused by the encomienda system

Eventually, the New Laws were passed, reforming the encomienda system

The resulting labor shortage caused by the encomienda system led to the beginning of African slavery in the Americas -- by the early 1800’s, 12 million Africans had made the Middle Passage.

Cultural Effects of “The Encounter”

The ‘Columbian Exchange’ -- the cultural & economic diffusion of practices & goods across the Atlantic From the Americas -- potatoes,

tobacco, tomatoes, cocoa, gold & silver, beans, corn, peanuts, syphilis

From the Old World -- horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, honey bees, rice, wheat, sugar cane, diseases (smallpox, malaria, typhus)

Intellectual Effects of “The Encounter” Europeans created new maps to more accurately depict the world in

precise, scientific, and abstract space Gerardus Mercator (1512 – 1594) -- Flemish mapmaker who mass produces

globes & maps

Reevaluate / critique European society base don encounters with native peoples Michel de Montaigne ( 1533 – 1592) -- French lawyer and inventor of the essay (thank

you very much!!) -- introduced a new, skeptical attitude towards European customs -- native cannibalism no worse than atrocities committed during European wars.

Creation of entirely new cultures in the New World from mixing with the old -- mestizos, language, dialects, jazz

The Commercial Revolution, Phase I

The economic result of exploration and colonization is termed the Commercial Revolution

Definition -- an acceleration in global trade involving new goods and business techniques.

Fed many of the changes leading to modern society # 1 -- increase I Europe’s population (to @ 90 million in 1600, above pre-

plague levels # 2 -- a steady inflation, or a rise in prices. Aids in the creation of a

money oriented economy

Price Revolution

Steady rise in prices (inflation) after 1600 Attributed traditionally to the importation of precious metals from the New

World More recent scholarship has stressed population growth as a source as well With more demand chasing a supply of goods not keeping pace, inflation

was the inevitable result Benefits the landowners -- many turned to the production of “cash crops” New class of independent farmers emerges as well -- outside of the

traditional feudal structure and focused on producing for the market In England, they were called the ‘gentry.’ They attempted to imitate the lifestyle

of the lords nobles

Banking Industry

Began by merchants in cities beginning in the Renaissance Examples, Medici’s in Florence, Fuggers in Holy Roman Empire Larger banks eventually develop form the resources of numerous

investors Ex. -- The Bank of Amsterdam, founded in 1609, funded the commercial

dominance of the Dutch in the early to mid - 1600’s (Dutch Golden Age)

Development of capitalism

Features a separation of capital and labor; divergence becomes more pronounced in the 16th & 17th centuries.

Entrepreneurs begin to invest in their own manufacturing enterprises To sidestep the guilds, they used the “putting-out” or “domestic

system” -- mostly with textiles Signals the decline of the guild structure (around since the Middle

Ages) and foreshadows the factory system of production that begins in the late 18th century.

Supplies and Demands

Late 16th & 17th centuries -- Europeans develop an appetite for luxury and staple goods form overseas (tea, coffee).

These types of products eventually influence European styles and diets, beginning with the aristocracy, then seeping down to others

Potatoes & tomatoes from the New World greatly influence Europeans diets The potato, especially, will become the salvation of many nations,

especially Russia, HRE, and Ireland because of its versatility & ease of cultivation

Coffee & tea, combining with the biggest money maker of the day, sugar, drinking provide opportunities for socialization outside of more traditional networks

Imports to Europe for the Upper & Middle Classes…. China -- silks and porcelain India -- calicoes (light, brightly colored cotton cloth) East Indies -- spices

*** Key idea: Hunger for luxury goods fueled the Commercial Revolution and competition among nations that would secure access to raw materials and facilitate the amount of goods carried in their merchant marines

New businesses styles of the colonial era Joint – stock companies -- investors pool resources & share risk Dutch & British East India Companies -- the most famous and most

profitable Were granted monopolies by government charters and were expected to provide

an increase in trade as well as incoming gold & silver

Mercantilism emerges…

Guides the policies of most nations until the laissez-faire ideas of Adam Smith in the late 18th century. Key ideas…. Scarcity -- total amount of global resources is limited. Any advance by one

nation comes at the expense of another. Wealth = specie (hard money) -- real wealth equaled the amount of gold &

silver flowing into a country. Therefore, governments promoted exports through trade monopolies, acquisition of colonies. Limit imports via tariffs & trade restrictions.

Government intervention -- use the economy to promote national objectives. Governments provided key incentives to certain industries, sought new colonies, and tried to establish national markets by building roads and canals.

Goal was to create a favorable balance of trade -- more specie flowing in to your nation than flowing out.