The European Voyages and How the World Changes

By Crystal Keenan

When Asia was the World Economy

Islam (7th Century) conquered much of their surroundings creating a safe route between Asia and Africa; formed a major trade system.

Luxury goods and bulk necessities were traded freely among ports; spread worldwide knowledge and products.

Portuguese tried to take control by setting up blockades at mouths of rivers and making people pay for passage and telling them to boycott ports.

They lacked power to back up the demands and blockades and forts were eventually destroyed by Turks, English, and Dutch.

Economic Culture of Drugs

Drugs used to be traded freely and viewed as medicine and”sacraments of religious rites”.

17th Century, Asian, European, & African consumers were addicted and drugs ruled trade for centuries.

Governments started taxing & cultivating drugs

Europeans forced inhabitants where plants grew to share them for a wider production range.

In 20th Century, any substance that caused a person to work less efficient was considered a “drug” and was banned; Though opium was still sold to China by some Christians.

Aztec Traders

Portuguese & Europeans moved to America and controlled long-distance trade

Most natives shad little or no interest in long-distance trade; Mesoamerican trade was isolated and was less efficient geographically and was traded by manual labor.

Trade created caste systems in Maya and Aztec civilizations.

Spanish conquered Aztecs & Mayas and controlled the trade.

Potatoes

More Europeans moved to America moving potatoes to support new found crops.

Potatoes are 2nd largest food crop only because they were easily accessible in bad times.

It’s a very hardy plant: grows in almost all conditions without much maintenance - has vitamins & high in calories - easy to store. (helped people in China move to more elevated places.)

During rebellion in Ireland 1641-1652, crops & livestock were killed, and they thrived and regrew population with potatoes.

Were mainly resisted because they were thought of as the food of the poor; were only used by British when completely necessary.

Only made its way across rest of Europe through times of war and famine.

Sweet Revolutions

Sugar started in South Pacific and slowly spread throughout Eurasia.

Venice dominated sugar trade in Middle Ages.

Portuguese enslaved Africans in Sao Tome and forced them to work on sugar crops.

Spread to North America and became an international crop. (slaves also worked on crops in North America & Haiti.)

1791-1804 slaves fought for freedom in Haiti and won, but never made it back into the world of trade. (were rich prior to introduction of sugar.)

Where There’s Smoke...

Virginia was a wasteland until European colonists began exporting tobacco & using slaves to grow.

Became largest tobacco export by 1620

Sailors imitated Natives & smoked; Other countries saw sailors and smoking caught on.

Crops destroyed forests, pushed Natives out & brought more slaves.

Mocca is Not Chocolate

Yemen’s developed coffee beverage (was a major item on Arabian Penn. 1500’s.)

1708 1st frenchmen rounded Africa to red Sea and landed in Yemen’s port; looking to purchase coffee directly.

Muslims made 1st coffeehouse & was one of few secular public places.

Europeans didn’t catch on to coffee craze until 1665-66 (Ottoman sultan poured cup for french aristocrats - Turks left sacks in Austria)

For years coffee was expensive & grown exclusively in Yemen (transported by frenchmen ‘de la Roque” to Europe.

Europeans used seeds from coffee tree and grew it in America

By 1900s’ America dominated coffee trade.

Chocolate

Cacao beans were valuable in Mesoamerica, came from lowlands & made way up to highlands.

prized for rarity, taste & pharmacological effects.

Catholics popularized chocolate in Spain & neighboring countries; Jesuits began their own cacao production.

Became Spanish America’s 1st primary agricultural export.

Cacao trees moved further to Central & South America, Africa, Indonesia and Philippines.