European Expansion Flashcards
Where did Europeans obtain luxury products?
Asia and Africa
What was the name of the route where Europeans traded?
The Silk Road
Where did the majority of goods pass through?
Constantinople
What were the names of the four powerful European kingdoms?
Portugal
Spain
France
England
What products did the Europeans want to obtain?
Precious metals (gold and silver)
Spices
(cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and pepper)
Cloth
(silk and other fabrics)
What year did the Ottoman Empire capture Constantinople?
1453
Why did the Europeans have to explore uncharted waters and discover unknown territories?
The Ottoman Empire controlled a large part of trade between Europe and Asia. Some Ottoman merchants refused to trade with Europeans, or imposed heavy taxes, which increases the cost of goods from Asia.
What were the three motivations and challenges of voyages of exploration?
Economic
Political
Religious
What were the stakes for economic motivations?
Discover new routes.
Explore unknown territories and exploit their resources.
What were the stakes for political motivations?
Take possession of new territories.
Increase the power of the kingdoms.
What was the stake for religious motivations?
Convert conquered peoples to Christanity.
What is a caravel and what was it used for?
A stable, fast, and highly manoeuvrable sailing ship. Its height made it capable of withstanding strong waves, while its width gave it stability.
What was an astrolabe and what was it used for?
It measures the height of the stars relative to the horizon. This is used to calculate latitude, meaning the ship’s position relative to the equator.
What are the two types of colonies?
Trading Posts
Settler Colonies
What three continents did triangular trade go through?
Europe
Africa
the Americas
Across which ocean did triangular trade go through?
Atlantic Ocean
What were the three things that were traded through the triangular trade?
Manufactured goods
Enslaved people
Raw materials
What is a colony?
Places in the world that are controlled by mother countries and work for them.
What were the three civilizations with millions of people that lived in South and Central America before European contact?
Aztec Civilization
Maya Civilization
Inca Civilization
How were the Indigenous and European trade different?
Indigenous:
Exchanges were made by means of barter.
Trade was based on alliances, and was done only with allies.
Europeans:
Currency was used in commercial exchanges.
The goal of trade was to make a profit.
How were the Indigenous and European religious beliefs different?
Indigenous:
Spiritual beliefs were based on the interconnection of all species, the natural world and different spirits and deities.
Europeans:
Practised monotheistic religions, such as Christianity and Judaism which believed in one God.
Name one thing that lead to the decrease in Indigenous population.
Disease
Violence
Difficult living conditions forced upon them by European colonizers
What caused deadly diseases?
Europeans arriving in the Americas brought serious diseases for which Indigenous populations had no antibodies (natural protection) . Measles, smallpox, influenza, tuberculosis, and the plague took many millions of lives. Epidemics were the main cause of mortality during the early stages of colonization.
What did the Spanish conquistadors do to the Indigenous people?
They were brutally violent toward Indigenous people. They plundered riches and seized land throughout Central and South America. Already weakened by disease, Indigenous people were driven from their lands and enslaved or used as forced labourers. In just a few year, the Spanish conquered the great Aztec, Inca and Maya civilizations.
