Period 4: Global Interactions

c.1450- c.1750

Introduction

• FINALLY…a truly global time• Americas & Oceania join Afro-Eurasia

in trade• The encounters between these worlds

drastically changed societies, economies, politics, demographics and environments

European Exploration Expands

Factors that led to European Exploration

• Advances in European ship design•Technology gained from trade also a benefit• Caravel• Compass• Accurate maps• Astrolabe• Rudders & sails

Europeans desire to spread Christianity

• Competing with popularity of Islam• Reconquista• Targeted South and East Asia• Every expedition carried missionaries

• Changes in Christianity sparks evangelicalism• Incentives given to France, Spain, Portugal• Protestant Reformation split church but also added more competition

• Had to beat the Protestants

Trade as a motivator

• Europeans weren’t dumb…they could see the profit to be had with the luxuries coming out of Asia

• Trade is going to trigger the Renaissance as well as the growth of cities

• Once they understood the value of the Americas…

Why Western and not Eastern Europe?

• Russia had no warm water ports; so expanded its land empire and didn’t reach Pacific Ocean until 17th C

• European countries with Atlantic Ocean coast had advantages over land-locked countries in the east

Why Not China?• China did send fleets to Indian Ocean to trade

and explore• Treasure ships – 400 feet long• Commanded by Zheng He• Brought back animals, plants, goods & people

from Africa & India• Ming emperor cancelled the expeditions because

of great expense• Had the ability but chose not to

Portugal Leads the Way to New LandsSpain follows

Why Portugal and Spain first?

• Portugal – South, Spain – West• Geography

• Long Atlantic coastlines• Proximity to Africa

• Reconquista• Spain’s “re-conquering” of Iberian Peninsula• drove the Muslims from Spain• Gave Spanish leaders a strong patriotism were eager

to expand their influence

Why Portugal and Spain first?

• Italian trade domination in Mediterranean

• Portugal & Spain wanted to by-pass them

• Therefore went South & West

Portugal Goes South• Prince Henry the

Navigator (not a navigator but a real prince)

• Established a navigation school on Atlantic coast

• Trained sailors and sponsored many expeditions along west coast of Africa

• They “discovered” Madeira & Azores Islands

Portugal goes South

• 1488 – • Bartolomeo Dias • rounded tip of Africa

(Cape of Good Hope)

• 1498 – • Vasco da Gama

• made it to India• Portugal established link

to the east

Spain goes West

• Had no choice…the only unclaimed direction

• Believed Afro-Eurasia was the only land mass

• Made sense to them that to sail west was to find India, the Indies or China (Cathay)

• Columbus convinced Ferdinand and Isabella that he would find for them Glory and Gold and claim new “lands” for God

THE 3 G’s

•GOD•GOLD •GLORY

“VIRGINIA COMPANY”

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne2tzfxQ6T4

Spain goes West

• Spanish & Columbus thought he made it

• Area later called West Indies• The mistake actually paid off• Spain eventually accumulated great

wealth because of agriculture and mining• Sugar• Gold & silver

Continuities in the Global Networks of Exchange

Period 4 is not “all Atlantic, all the time”

Continuities in Religion

• Islam continues its spread across Sub-Saharan Africa and into East and Southeast Asia (Indonesia and Philippines)

• Buddhism moves across SE Asia and into parts of Central Asia

• Hinduism is core in India

Continuities in Trade

• Indian Ocean trade continued to thrive• European merchants could only joined if

they cooperated with the local rulers of the port cities because they couldn’t dominate this long-established organization

• Atlantic trade volume eventually surpassed the Indian Ocean trade

Continuities in Agriculture

• Most people in the world were STILL farmers – most growing just enough for their families to live on with a little left over to sell

• Others grew a single crop to be exported for food (initial commercial farming)

• Changes occurred because of the flood of new foods from the Americas

Continuities in Migrations

• Just before 1492 most mass migrations had ended• Hawaii inhabited by 900 • Tahiti by c 1300• Bantu Migration near end – built Great Zimbabwe