Explorers, Atlantic Slave Trade, Columbian Exchange

Question 1

How did the Renaissance encourage Europeans to travel/adventure?

Answer 1

The spirit of the renaissance was about individualism, humanism, thinking for yourself, learning new ideas, all these matters meshed well with the idea of adventure and travel to new lands.

Question 2

What are the 3Gs?

Answer 2

God
Gold
Glory

Question 3

Did Europeans believe that Muslims and Christian were equal?

Answer 3

No.
They strongly believed that everyone must be Christian.

Therefore, it was one of their major missions to convert all non-Christians into Christianity whether they were in our outside of Europe.

Question 4

What type of advances in technology helped Europeans travel in the 1400s?

Answer 4

Magnetic Compass (From China)
Astrolabe (From the Arab world)
New vessel designs were created that made the ships more capable of sailing through strong wind.

Question 5

Which Portuguese monarch was one of the first to provide strong government support for travel?

Answer 5

King Henry

Question 6

What was the significance of Ceuta?

Answer 6

The city of Ceuta was a Muslim city until the Portuguese took over in the 1400s. Once the Portuguese took over they were able to gain various riches, and were now motivated to travel farther out to find greater goods.

This expedition was funded by King Henry (Portugal).

Ceuta today is part of Spain (Spain took over the city in the 1930s under dictator, Francisco Franco).

Question 7

Who was Bartolomeu Dias?

Answer 7

Portuguese captain who reached the Indian Ocean.

However, by the time they reached Asia they were low in supply, and did not have the opportunity to trade/negotiate with locals.

Question 8

Who was Vasco da Gama?

Answer 8

He was a Portuguese Explorer.

He was the first European to reach India by sea through taking the Atlantic Ocean -> Indian Ocean in 1497-1499.

His discovery gave Portugal the lead in terms of trade and global imperialism over other European countries (Although many nations such as Spain, England and France would soon follow).

Question 9

What is the significance of Cape of Good Hope for world explorers?

Answer 9

Due to its hazardous weather conditions, for many years Europeans could not sail around the southern tip of Africa (and could not make it to places like India).

Question 10

Where was Christopher Columbus born?

Who funded his expeditions? How many expeditions did he go on?

Answer 10

1. Italy (Genoa)
2. Spanish crown
3. 4

Question 11

Why are some people critical of Columbus’s expeditions?

Why do some people praise Columbus’s expeditions?

Answer 11

1. He was lucky.
2. He didn’t mean to find the Americas (He was looking for India)
3. His military massacred and mutilated many native Americans.
4. He brought with him various diseases that would kill off millions of native Americans.
5. He enslaved many native Americans.
6. He helped connect the “Old World” and the “New World”, which led towards massive economical gains for the “Old World”.
7. Through the Columbian trades the Americans now had horses to use for travel, and the Europeans had various crops that they did not have until then (Such as potato, corn, sugar).
8. He took a risk. Most people doubted that he would succeed in his voyages, but he did not listen to them. As a result, he became very rich as a successful explorer.

Question 12

Explain the Treaty of Tordesillas.

Answer 12

With the Spanish and Portuguese each successfully expanding their territory there was worry of the two nations clashing.

In order to avoid conflict, Pope Alexander VI stepped in and decided to split the two nations by the Line of Demarcation.

The line in the Americas was set so that Portugal had what would be modern day Brazil, while the Spanish took most of the Americas.

Question 13

What major changes occur in the spice trade in the 1500s?

Answer 13

The Portuguese were able to take control of the spice trade away from the Muslims.

They established posts in India and Indonesia, and were able to make great amounts of profit (Although, these posts were later taken over by the Dutch).

Question 14

Who was Ferdinand Magellan?

Answer 14

His expedition (a crew of 250) were the first to successfully circumnavigate the earth.

• However, Magellan himself never made it back, dying in the Philippines.
• Only 18 of the 250 in the crew survived in the process.

Question 15

The Spanish controlled what would be modern day Philippines in the mid-1500s to the late 1800s. What type of Spanish legacy can be seen in modern day Philippines?

Answer 15

1. The name of the country itself (Phillipines) comes from Spanish King Philip II.
2. The Philippines is a primarily Roman 
Catholic country.
3. Much of the cuisine in the Philippines is very Spanish influenced.

Question 16

Who controlled the East Indies and Sri Lankas trade in the 1700s?

Answer 16

The Dutch (who were able to drive away the English and Portuguese with their superior navy).

Question 17

When Christopher Columbus first landed to the Americas in 1492 how was he greeted by the native Americans?

Answer 17

The natives greeted him with open arms. Columbus writes in his journals, “they exchanged for articles we gave them . . . in fact they accepted anything and gave what they had with the utmost good will”.

Question 18

Who was Amerigo Vespucci?

Answer 18

An Italian traveler, credited to 
have discovered Rio di Janeiro.

He was funded by the Portuguese crown, and is best known for his name Amerigo to be used to name the Americas. (Map makers in Germany, unaware of Columbus believed that Vespucci was the first one to find the Americas).

Question 19

How were the Spanish led by Hernan Cortes successful in defeating the Aztecs?

Answer 19

1. The Spanish, despite being outnumbered were able to conquer the Aztecs in 1521 through using their superior weapons.
2. Cortes was able to get non-Aztec native groups to fight with the Spanish.
3. As battles progressed, the Aztecs grew sick. Not used to European diseases such as Measles, mumps, smallpox and typhus 100,000+ Aztecs would die without fighting.
4. Many non-Aztec groups did not like Montezuma II, and this helped the Spanish gain many allies.

Question 20

Who was Atahualpa? How does the demise (fall) of the Incan’s relate to him?

Answer 20

He was the leader of the Incan’s when they fell to the Spanish conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro.

The Spanish invited him to negotiations, but instead, tricked him, and kidnapped him. After receiving ransom money from the natives, instead of releasing him the conquistadors would go on to kill him, and take over the capital city of Cuzco.

Question 21

Describe how the Spanish used race as a way to decide ones ranking in society.

Answer 21

Peninsulares, those born in Spain who settled in the Americas.

Creoles, the descendants of the Peninsulares (So they basically look Spanish, but are born in the Americas).

Mestizos, Half Spanish and half Native American.

Mulattoes, Half Spanish and half African.

Native Americans

African Slaves

(6 levels)

Question 22

What is Encomienda?

Why did this not work?

Answer 22

Then Spanish used a system known as Encomienda, this system allowed people in the Americas to rule a certain number of Natives. They would have the Natives work for them, and in return they would protect the Natives who worked under them.

This was in theory.
In reality, it was frequent occurrence for Spanish owners to abuse their native labors and place them in very dangerous working situations.

Question 23

What did the Spanish do about native rituals and sacred objects of the natives?

Answer 23

They banned native rituals and destroyed sacred objects. This was done in order to get rid of all traditions, and to show the natives that Spanish culture was superior.

Question 24

Portugals territory in the Americas (what would be modern day Brazil) was full of various natural resources.

The most prevalent of the various natural resources was ___________, which required hard back breaking labor.

Answer 24

Sugar

Question 25

With its numerous colonies the _________ were growing stronger by the decade.

By the 16th century, _________ was at its financial and military heights.

Answer 25

Spanish

Question 26

In 1513, explorer Juan Ponce de Leon would land in modern day ________ and claim it for Spain.

Answer 26

Florida

Question 27

Why did Europeans need African laborers to work for them in the Americas?

Answer 27

The various crops in the Americas, especially sugar and cotton required heavy labor.
Originally, the Europeans were going to enslave the locals, but they were not the best laborers. Many died of illnesses brought into the Americas by Europeans, and many others would escape.

Question 28

Who started the slave trade in Africa?

Answer 28

It became very common from the 7th century when Muslims came into Africa.
In Islam, non-Muslims can become slaves. As a result, as many as 17 million Africans were sent to Muslim lands to work as slaves.

Question 29

What made Africans ideal for slavery?

Answer 29

1. Africans had been exposed to European disease, therefore had a higher immune system in comparison to Native Americans.


2. Africans had experience in plantation farming.


3. Africans were less likely to escape, because they were not familiar with the local land.

4. Africans were easier to catch, because of their skin color.

Question 30

By the 1870s, how many Africans were forcefully taken to the Americas?

Answer 30

9.5 million Africans

Question 31

What is Englands history with slavery?

Answer 31

Although the English outlawed the slave trade in 1807, in the 1700s alone, England traded over 1.5 million slaves.

Question 32

Why didn’t Africans fight back against the slave traders?

Answer 32

Although there were minor uprisings, for the most part many African leaders went along with the slave trade.

The leaders knew that they could not defeat the Europeans who had far superior military, and found slavery to be a good opportunity to expand their own wealth as well as a chance to gain European weapons (guns).

Question 33

What was the Triangular Trade?

Answer 33

A network between the colonies of the US, the West Indies, England, Europe and Africa. Roughly resembling a triangle shape.

AFRICA -> AMERICA: Slaves
EUROPE -> AFRICA: Weapons
AMERICA -> EUROPE: Sugar, Silk, Tabacco, Wood, Fur, Molasses

Question 34

The __________ _________ refers to the route that brought captured Africans to the West Indies and later to North and South America.

The conditions of the ships were terrible.
Many Africans died from the journey, others were left malnourished, physically abused and constrained in small spaces.

Answer 34

Middle Passage

Question 35

Describe the poor conditions on the ships in the Middle Passage.

Answer 35

No sanitation: buckets were used for excrements, since so many slaves were shackled many would urinate on the spot.

Suicides: Due to the poor conditions some slaves commit suicide, whether this be jumping over board, avoid eating or by asking others to kill them (through strangling).

Diseases: In the crammed and unsanitary conditions diseases became common. Small pox and scurvy spread throughout the boats.

Question 36

What was the Columbian Exchange?

Answer 36

The global transfer of foods, plants and animals during the colonization of the Americas.

Ships brought back to Europe items from various continents including tomatoes, squash, pineapples, tobacco, cacao beans, corn and potato.

Question 37

Why were potatoes such an important crop?

Answer 37

Potatoes were especially 
a great find, because they are

1. Inexpensive

2. Nutritious (Full of vitamin C, potassium and have no fat or cholesterol)

Eventually, they would become a staple crop in various parts outside of the Americas such as Ireland and to a certain degree China.

Question 38

Which products through the Columbian Exchange went from Europe to the Americas.

Answer 38

Europeans introduced to the Americas various livestock.

Cows

Horses

Sheep

Pigs

Europeans also introduced 
bananas, black-eyed peas, and yams.

Question 39

Why were horses such an important livestock to be introduced to the Americas?

Answer 39

Until then, native Americans had to carry goods on their backs. Since the only animals in the area that they could “ride” were llamas and alpaca.

Question 40

Why were pigs such an important livestock to be introduced to the Americas?

Answer 40

Pigs reproduce at a fast rate, and can create a lot of food (bacon).

Question 41

Sugar at first was not big in Europe. However it eventually became popular as people mixed it with fruits and created jams.

Answer 41

the demand for goods that need sugar increased (such as jam, candy, coffee and tea).

Question 42

This product can only be grown in tropical climates.

It was originally used as a medicinal drink.

In the 21st century, Americans consume this product more than any other nation.

Answer 42

Coffee

Question 43

What is the relationship between the Aztecs and tomatoes?

Why did Europeans refuse to consume tomatoes until the 1800s?

Answer 43

The Aztecs would consume tomatoes through grinding them with salsa to make chili.

They believed that tomatoes were poisonous.

Question 44

This product was introduced to the Old World by Christopher Columbus.

Today, it is used to create high-fructose syrup and is often used to feed animals.

Answer 44

Corn.

Question 45

What is capitalism?

Answer 45

An economic system based upon private ownership and the investment of resources such as money, for profit.

Question 46

Define Inflation

Answer 46

A continual increase in the price of goods and services.

Question 47

What were Joint-Stock Companies?

Answer 47

They were very similar to modern day corporations.

Investors would buy stocks of the company, and those involved would share the 
profit or losses.

Some of these companies would find new cities, such as Jamestown.

Question 48

Define mercantilism?

Answer 48

The theory of mercantilism is that a countries power depended mainly on its wealth.

According to mercantilism the idea is to have a favorable balance in trade, as in a country should be selling more goods than they are buying.

This concept of mercantilism worked well with European colonialism since it gave them motivation to extract as much resources as possible from conquered lands.