Unit 4 Transoceanic Interconnections Study Guide

Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections Study Guide c. 1450 - 1750 Topic 4.4 Maritime Empires Established Learning Objective Historical Developments Explain the process of state building and expansion among various empires and states in the period from 1450 to 1750. Europeans established new trading posts in Africa and Asia, which proved profitable for the rulers and merchants involved in new global trade networks. Some Asian states sought to limit the disruptive economic and cultural effects of European-dominated long-distance trade by adopting restrictive or isolationist trade policies. Asian states that adopted restrictive or isolationist trade policies: ● Ming China ● Tokugawa Japan Driven largely by political, religious, and economic rivalries, European states established new maritime empires, including the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, French, and British. The expansion of maritime trading networks fostered the growth of states in Africa, including the Asante and the Kingdom of the Kongo, whose participation in trading networks led to an increase in their influence 1. Describe European trading posts in Africa. Europeans began setting up trading posts on the coast of western Africa in the mid-1400s. The result was a string of European settlements from present day Senegal to the coast of modern Nigeria. Centuries later these trading posts became the bases for European colonial claims in western Africa. 2. Describe the isolationist policies of China and Japan. Why did they enact these policies? What were the long-term outcomes? The Japanese only allowed trade with the Dutch. The Chinese became isolationist by focusing their attention on building protections from invaders in the North 3. Describe European maritime empires: a. Portugese: As Europe sets off to expand across the oceans. They are super far away from any trade route. Not isolated, but but out there. So, it makes sense that they would lead the way in seeking out new trade routes and peoples to convert to Catholicism. b. Spanish: Spain and the Dutch are the most important of these Maritime Empires. Portugal set it off. But, Spain hit the jackpot. Portugal may have lead the way around Africa, but Spain essentially takes the New World. Portugal was the 21st largest empire c. Dutch: The Dutch Empire is one of the most successful stories in history. Think of them as the Mongols of this period. They arise from an obscure location on the map to dominate a huge chunk of the globe. Their empire size itself is not massive. But, the Dutch aren’t here to take over the world. They have one thing on the mind, trade. d. French: The French Empire is by far the least influential of the 5 Maritime Empires during this era. The French will end up losing much of her empire in the next era to the British while gaining the majority of their African & European Empire. For 1450-1750, they are in direct competition with the Dutch and British in the second wave of European colonization. e. British: The final Maritime Empire to emerge during the Early Modern period will go on to become the greatest. This First British Empire laid her foundation in this period. They are part of the second wave of exploration and discovery. The first wave was dominated by Spain & Portugal. These two were quickly surpassed by the Dutch and British Empires. 4. How did the Asante benefit from participation in trading networks in this time period? The kingdom of Asante grew significantly because of the trade relationship they built with Europeans Learning Objective Historical Developments Explain the continuities and changes in economic systems and labor systems from 1450 to 1750. Despite some disruption and restructuring due to the arrival of Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch merchants, existing trade networks in the Indian Ocean continued to flourish and included intra-Asian trade and Asian merchants. 5. What continuities in economic and labor systems existed in the 1450 to 1750 time period? -Labor needed -Europeans in charge -Chattel slavery - slaves have been imported out of Africa into the muslim world for centuries, and various forms of domestic slavery existed across africa as well -Indian Ocean trade Indian Ocean Asian merchants: ● Swahili Arabs ● Omanis ● Gujaratis ● Javanese 6. What changes in economic and labor systems existed in the 1450 to 1750 time period? -The type of labor used -Which europeans were in charge -West africans enslaved -Portuguese and armed trade Newly developed colonial economies in the Americas largely depended on agriculture, utilized existing labor systems, including the Incan mit’a, and introduced new labor systems including chattel slavery, indentured servitude, and encomienda and hacienda systems. 7. Describe colonial economies in this time period. Many asian and african states continued to gain wealth through trade in the indian ocean, but others adopted policies of isolation. 8. What is the mit’a system and how was it exploited by the Spanish empire? The spanish adopted this system that already existed in the Inca empire. This system is something like a tax or tribute of a set of days of labor each year 9. What factors drove the demand for chattel slavery? Sugar plantations demanded exceptionally difficult work 10. Describe indentured servitude. Who were typically indentured servants in this time period and how would that change in the 1750-1900 time period? The system where land owners would pay transportation costs for migrants in Africa and Asia to come to the Americas or sometimes other parts of the Maritime empire. In exchange, these migrants worked essentially for free for usually around seven years. 11. What is the encomienda? Similar to European serfdom, food, shelter, and "protection" granted for labor, but living and working conditions were brutal and often fatal. This system was often used in mining for gold or silver. Landowners allowed indigionous people to live on their land in exchange for labor 12. What is a hacienda? A system were indigionous people lived on a land owners land, but it was used for cultivation of cash crops Learning Objective Explain changes and continuities in systems of slavery in the period from 1450 to 1750. Historical Developments Slavery in Africa continued in its traditional forms, including incorporation of slaves into households and the export of slaves to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean regions. 13. What were the impacts the trans-Atlantic slave trade on West Africa? The overall population in Africa grew during this period because of new food crops introduced by the Columbian exchange. The gender imbalance due to the demand for male, african slaves led to to polygamy. The growth of the plantation economy increased the demand for slaves in the Americas, leading to significant demographic, social, and cultural changes. 14. What were the impacts of the trans-Atlantic slave trade on the Americas? In the Americas, slavery played a significant role in shaping social classes that existed long after the abolition of slavery in the 19th century. 15. How was the use of slavery in this time period different from slavery in previous periods of history? In the past Europeans would use indiginous people as slaves, but because of the Great Dying and other diseases, indigenous people were soon killed off. As times grew, slavery also began to be associated with race. Indentured Servants a form of labor in which a person is contracted to work without salary for a specific number of years Chattel Slavery the most common form of slavery known to Americans Zheng He Zheng He was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty Treaty of Tordesillas signed in Tordesillas, Spain on 7 June 1494, and authenticated in Setúbal, Portugal Encomienda System a form of forced and unpaid labour used by Spanish authorities and settlers in the colonies of the Spanish Empire Hacienda System similar to the feudal system in Europe. It functioned by keeping the people Discovery of Silver Silver was first mined around 3,000 BCE The precious metal helped early civilizations in the Near East, Ancient Greece to flourish. Colonies a country or area under the full or partial political control of another country, typically a distant one, and occupied by settlers from that country. Middle Passage The Middle Passage was the stage of the Atlantic slave trade in which millions of enslaved Africans were transported to the Americas as part of the triangular slave trade.