Chapter 6 - Economic TRanformation Flashcards
What sparked Europe’s interest in Indian Ocean trade?
Demand for tropical spices like pepper, cloves, and cinnamon.
Why Europeans wanted to bypass Venetian and Muslim traders?
To avoid their control of the trade
How did Europe’s trade deficit drive exploration?
They needed gold and silver to buy Asian goods.
What was Vasco da Gama’s key achievement?
Found a sea route to India (1497–1499).
Who was Prester John?
A mythical ally against Islamic powers.
How did the Portuguese establish control of the trade in the Indian Ocean?
By setting up fortified trading posts and using military force to dominate key trade routes.
How did Portuguese interactions in the Indian Ocean differ from those in the Americas?
In the Indian Ocean, they integrated into existing trade networks, while in the Americas, they colonized land and exploited resources directly.
What goods drove Portuguese expansion in the Indian Ocean?
spices like pepper, nutmeg, and cloves
How did Spain establish control in the Philippines?
Through colonization and converting locals to Christianity
What role did Manila, Philippines play in global trade?
central point for silver and goods exchange between Asia and the Americas.
How did Spain’s approach in the Philippines differ from Portuguese actions in the Indian Ocean?
Spain focused on land-based colonization and Christianization, while Portugal relied on naval power and trade posts.
How were the both British and Dutch East India Companies organized?
private companies with state support
How did the Dutch and British East India Companies differ in their strategies
The Dutch (bloodshed) used military force to dominate trade routes, while the British (bribe)negotiated with local rulers
What part Dutch East Indian Company focused on?
Indonesia
What part British East India Company focused on?
India
What goods Dutch East India Company and British East India Company focused on?
Dutch - Spices - nutmeg, mace, clover
British - pepper, indian cotton textile.
Later, both started to deal with tea and coffee
Japan and European Traders 1450-1750
First, Japan was fractioned and fight with each other and European traders were welcome and bunch of people converted to Christianity.
Then Japan united and Europeans were seen as a threat. Christians were expelled, Japanese were forbidden to travel and most traders were banned (except Dutch at a single town)
Who dominated Indian Ocean trade despite European presence?
Chinese dominated spice trade between Southeast Asian and China.
Other southeast asian merchants were also there, many of them women
How did Indian family firms effected the trade?
They controlled trade in India and provided high-interest loans to Europeans
Where was majority of silver produced?
Spanish America
Why did China become central to the silver trade?
Tax reforms requiring silver payments ( –> increased commercialization and regional specialization —> deforestation)
What was the significance of Potosí in Bolivia?
A major silver mining city, it became one of the largest cities globally
How did Spain handle its silver wealth?
rich crown, rigid economy, inflation, poverty, crisis
How did Japan benefit from silver profits?
Japan united under Tokugawa shogun
economy growths, protecting forest
Which European nations were most active in the North American fur trade?
The French, British, and Dutch
What environmental impact did the fur trade have in North America?
Near extinction of beavers, habitat loss, and significant declines in deer populations.
How did the fur trade affect Native American societies?
It caused disease, dependence on European goods, intensified warfare, and disrupted traditional hunting practices.
How did the Russian fur trade differ from North America’s?
Russia imposed a fur tax on Siberian natives, used hostages to enforce payments, and had private Russian trappers competing directly with indigenous hunters.
What were the main consequences of the fur trade for Siberian natives?
Disease, dependency on Russian goods, loss of land, and depletion of fur-bearing species
Why was Africa the primary source of enslaved labor for the Americas?
Africans were skilled farmers, resistant to diseases, non-Christian, geographically accessible, and available in large numbers
How did Europeans and Africans participate in the transatlantic slave trade?
Europeans waited on a African coast , while African merchants and political elites captured and sold slaves
Who were most commonly enslaved (in Africa)?
often outsiders, such as prisoners of war, criminals, or debtors.
What were the primary destinations of enslaved Africans?
The majority were sent to Brazil and the Caribbean, with smaller numbers to mainland North and Spanish America.
What drove the peak of the transatlantic slave trade?
Labor demands on plantations in the Americas, particularly between 1700 and 1850.
What was Palmares, and why was it significant?
Palmares was a maroon settlement in Brazil, housing over 10,000 people, including escaped slaves, Native Americans, and others.
What factors led to the decline of the transatlantic slave trade?
the trade grew rapidly due to plantation expansion, peaking in the 18th century, but declined sharply after 1850 due to abolitionist movements and changing economic systems.
What is abolitionist movement?
The abolitionist movement was a political and social movement that sought to end slavery in the United States
Consequences of the Slave Trade in Africa
- slowed population growth in Africa
- economic stagnation
-increased demand for women’s labor - men marrying multiple women
Economic Globalization Then vs now
Similarities
- Global circulation of goods like textiles, spices, and silver
- Emergence of international currency and markets
- Private enterprises operating on a global scale
Differences
- Scale and speed: Far fewer goods and slower communication.
- Reliance on preindustrial technologies (e.g., muscle, wind, water).
- Economic systems tied to slavery and empire-building.
