Unit 4 - Sea Based Empires and Transoceanic Interactions

Question 1

Seabased empires

Answer 1

A sea-based empire, also known as a maritime empire, is a type of empire that derives its power and influence primarily from its control over maritime trade routes, ports, and naval supremacy. Mainly located in Europe in 150 - 1750, marking a significant change in Europe’s power. The global power balance now shifts to these see based empires.

Question 2

How did the global power balance shift to European Seabased Empires in Europe in 1450 - 1750 ?

Answer 2

Through adopted maritime technology

Question 3

Maritime technology of sea based empires in 1450 - 1750

Answer 3

The mainly European sea based empires did not invent any new technology, but rather developed them from other cultures for themselves. These technologies were: Magnetic compass, first developed in China. Astrolabe, to determine latitude and longitude by measuring stars, not developed by Europeans. Lateen sail, triangular sail developed by Arabs merchants for more precise sailing. Improved astronomical charts of stars and constellations, developed by Muslims. Gained these technologies through trade routes discussed previously and the Pax Mongolia.

Question 4

European innovations in Maritime technology

Answer 4

The Caravel from Portugal, making an intentionally smaller ship to allow for more navigable and nimble ships, but were equipped with cannons to allow them to be very good for fighting. The Carrack from Portugal, a very large ship for carrying storage and guns to help Europe gain dominance in the Indian Ocean trade. The Fluyt from Dutch (Netherlands) was a ship designed for trade only to carry massive cargo and only need a small amount of crew people, so they could take over Portugal’s dominance in the Indian Ocean trade.

Question 5

State Sponsored Exploration

Answer 5

The new era of sea based empire building for the Europeans was state sponsored, which is a result of the significant difference in power in the European states. Monarchs started to gain more control than the church/pope and the population was beginning to grow after the black death. European monarchs were able to build up their militaries and learn to use gunpowder weapons, as well as using efficient methods to tax their people to help build the economy. A huge motivator for state sponsored exploration was the increasing desire for Asian and Southeast Asian spices, notably pepper.

Question 6

Motivationfor European trade

Answer 6

Wanted to gain Asian and Southeast Asian spices but the trade routes were dominated by land based empires, making the spice very expensive for them. Thus, decided to look for sea based trade routes instead as European states grew in power.

Question 7

Portugal’s trade post empire

Answer 7

Had no way to expand except through sea based trade due to their land being surrounded by larger places like Castille and Aragon, both Spanish property. Prince Henry the Navigator from Portugal sponsored the first European attempts for expanding through sea based trade. The motivation to do all this was because of innovations in technology like the astrolabe and carrack, being economically motivated to gain resources like Gold from the Trans-Saharan trade as well as spices, and the growing desire to spread Christianity after the Reconquista and to find a new Chritisian monarch named Prester John (who was a myth, but Prince Henry was still motivated in finding him to connect west and east Christian states for more economic and political power.) The result of this entire escapade was known as the “Trading Post Empire” around Africa and the Indian Ocean.

Question 8

Portugal (Portuguese) trading strategy

Answer 8

To cover the expenses of building new colonies/expanding, Portugal built self-sufficient trading posts around the places they traded in to facilitate trade and built their empire. First major trading post established in West Africa, who were very eager in trading with the Europeans. More trading posts were established by Vasco da Gama all around the West and East coast of Africa. When he traveled to Calicut , he discovered the riches from the Indian Ocean Network were greater than the ones Europe would get from trade in Africa, so trading posts were also established in the Indian Ocean Network all the way to Southeast asia. Because of this, Portugal was determined to forcefully own the Indian ocean network, which was easily done due to their technological advantages.

Question 9

Spain’s trade post empire

Answer 9

Spanish monarchs wanted to gain similar wealth and power like the Portuguese. This is where Christopher Columbus comes in, it’s important to remember him! He was a huge part in Spanish trade.

Question 10

Christopher Columbus

Answer 10

Was an explorer and navigator from genova, Spain, and gained experiences by sailing fleets for the Portuguese on the African coasts. He got the idea that it would be easier to dominate the Spice Islands in the East by sailing West across the atlantic. Tried to get Portugal to sponsor this, which wasn’t sponsored by the Portugal crown but King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella I sponsored his quest to find a westward route to the Spice Islands. In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue to the Caribbean Islands, which he thought were the Spice islands. Other explorers quickly realized they ended up in new continents no one in Europe knew about, the Americas. Spain sponsored other explorers to actually go to the East indies instead of making stupid trips to America. However, the Spanish also started sending fleets to colonize the Americas and take all the resources. This opened up the Trans-Atlantic trade, which became even more powerful than the Indian Ocean Network Europe was trying to take over

Question 11

Other states trade post empires

Answer 11

Other European countries tried to join the fun due to political rivalry, envy, desire for wealth, and a need for alternative routes for Asia. France sponsored expeditions for a westward route to the Indian ocean, which they didn’t find because it didn’t exist. They did establish themselves in North America and got involved in fur trade in those regions. The French colony of Quebec was established in America, but Europans had a habit of dying in large numbers because of diseases from battles with the natives in Quebec so just stuck to establishing trading posts. England aso got into the trade, but pretty late because they already were investing too much money in their textile industry. After QUeen Elizabeth rose to power and fought Spain and weakened them significantly, she sponsored sea based expeditions and had Sir Walter Raleigh establish Virginia, the first European colony in the Americas. Was a disaster at first but got better when Jamestown was established. The Dutch (Dutch Republic) gained independence from Spain and became the most wealthy country in Europe, and used this power to take over trading posts in Africa that Portugal set up.

Question 12

Columbian Exchange

Answer 12

The transfer of new diseases, food, plants and animals between the Eastern and Western hemispheres. Created a massive change in World History. This exchange happened due to Europe expanding in sea based empires to find water routes to the East Indies for spices. Christopher Columbus facilitated contact with the new world (the Americas) and the old world (Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa etc.) that was able to start the Columbian Exchange.

Question 13

Effects of Columbian Exchange

Answer 13

New diseases made due to the people in Afro-Eurasia who made frequent contact with each other and became immune to diseases they had, interacting with the Americas and bringing disease vectors (rats and mosquitoes) to Americas, which devastated their populations because they never made contact with those diseases before. Plants and foods were shared between Europe and Americas, diversifying the diets in both continents, increasing population growth and making life spans longer. Animals were exchanged both ways, but the animals Europe traded had a bigger effect.

Question 14

Diseases spread from Columbian Exchange

Answer 14

Malaria was carried from mosquitoes from transported enslaved Africans. Measles was also spread fast, and most devastatingly, smallpox. Spread to Mexico and Central America, and South America, killing half the population in what was known as the great dying.

Question 15

Foods and Plants from Columbian Exchange

Answer 15

Plants and foods were brought to the Americas, specifically the staple foods of Europeans like wheat, grapes, and olives, as well as Asian and African foods like bananas and sugar. Native Americans were thus able to diversify their diets and increase life expectancy. Foods from the Americas like potatoes, manioc and maize were then brought back to Europe. Some foods were also grown as cash crops only, which is a method of agriculture to grow food primarily to export to other places to get super rich from agriculture. Europe created massive plantations with coerced labor, such as sugarcane plantations enslaved Africans were forced to work on, and that sugar was exported to Europe. Enslaved Africams also brought foods like okra and rice.

Question 16

Animals traded from Columbian Exchange

Answer 16

Europe brought domesticated animals like pigs, sheep and cattle to the Americas, and these animals were able to multiply in number because they were in a place with no natural predators to them. However, the animals caused dire environmental consequences putting strain on indigenous farmers. The animals would eat all the grass, making erosion a big problem. However, the horse was also introduced and was really helpful, and was beneficial for hunting buffalo for the Americans.

Question 17

Motivation for Development of Maritime Empires

Answer 17

Europe wanted to start developing maritime empires for themselves through imperialism efforts in sea based trade for “gold, God, and glory”; aka to gain more money, spread Christianity, and gain more power.

Question 18

Development of Maritime Empires

Answer 18

Portugal was able to use technological advancements + guns to eliminate weaker enemies around them, and forcefully inserted themselves into the Indian Ocean trade. Spain developed colonies as opposed to trading posts and forcefully controlled people in those colonies. The Dutch were able to use their Fluyt to become powerful in the Indian Ocean Trade, even more powerful than Portugal, while using their methods for control. Britain however, wasn’t able to gain as much power because they couldn’t overtake India at the time, so they just established trading posts in the Mughal empire.

Question 19

Continuity in Trade with Non Europeans

Answer 19

Middle East and Asian merchants continued to use the trade networks the Europeans took over, because it actually increased profits for them. Merchants like the Gujaratis in the Mughal Empire are a good example of this, and were able to increase their power and wealth.

Question 20

Asian Resistance to Europeans taking over trade

Answer 20

Tokugawa Japan, once weakened by internal conflicts, were united by a Shogun from the Tokugawa clan, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who once was okay with European trade but then quickly saw it as a threat. In the mid 1600s, Half of Japanese converted to Christianity because of trade, and were scared of cultural fracturing, and expelled all Christianity missionaries from Japan with force. In Ming China, Zheng He’s voyages tried to process most of the maritime trade in the Indian ocean through the Chinese state, led to isolationist trade policies that shut down trade in China, so when the Portuguese came they could only trade through bribery, which led to them being expelled and further isolationist trade policies being established in China.

Question 21

Expansion of African States due to European Trade

Answer 21

The Asante Empire traded with the British and Portuguese for gold, slaves, etc, making the Asantes very rich, allowing them to expand their military, later using their power to prevent British colonization. The Kingdom of the Kongo traded with the Portuguese who wanted to gain gold, copper and slaves. The Kingdom converted to Christianity because of this. The Kingdom gained more power but ended their relationship with Portugal later on.

Question 22

Labor systems Europe enforced on the Americas

Answer 22

to help develop agrarian colonies developed in the Americas by the Europeans to help better facilitate trade, old and new labor systems were enforced. The Spanish used the old Inca mit’a system, where subjects of the empire were required to provide labor for state projects for a certain number of days per year, and enforced that on the people for their silver mining operations. The first new labor system they implemented was race based chattel slavery, so the laborers were “owned”, making slavery hereditary. The second one was indentured servitude, a contract a laborer would sign where they would work for a certain number of years to pay off debt, then go free after they did so. The third one was the encomienda system, to coerce indigenous Americans to do labor in exchange for protection, similar to feudalism in Europe. The fourth one was the Hacienda system, where big fields were owned by the Spanish and laborers would work on the fields so the crops could be exported for money,

Question 23

Development of Slavery in this period

Answer 23

he African Slave Trade existed way before the 1450, so when it continued, there was still cultural assimilation with slaves, domestic work slaves still had to fulfill in the house, and some slaves were still able to hold military power. Some major changes, specifically in America, male slaves were brought way more, and the Trans-Atlantic Trade made by the Europeans was way larger in scale compared to the Indian Ocean Network, and the racial prejudice was now a more prominent part of slavery.

Question 24

Commercial Revolution

Answer 24

The Commercial Revolution, marking a global shift towards a trade-oriented economy fueled by the acquisition of gold and silver, stemmed from four primary factors: the establishment of European colonies overseas, the opening of new trade routes across the Atlantic and Pacific, population expansion driving heightened demand for goods, and inflation spurred by increased mining activities. This epochal transformation witnessed a surge in trade and commerce, accompanied by innovations in credit and currency systems, as well as the proliferation of urban centers and cities. Its ramifications were profound within European society, catalyzing the emergence of a burgeoning class of merchants and entrepreneurs, and engendering the evolution of a more intricate and interconnected economic landscape.

Question 25

Price Revolution

Answer 25

As a result of increased trade and mining, prices also increased across the board. Ths is also known as the Price Revolution. As prices increased, more people went into debt, which was a recipe for revolution in the upcoming century.

Question 26

Mercantilism

Answer 26

an state driven economic theory that advocates for a positive balance of trade, where exports exceed imports in order to gain more mineral wealth than others. It encourages government regulation of a nation’s economy to augment state power at the expense of rival national power. It became a powerful motivator for state building during this time period.

Question 27

Joint-stock companies

Answer 27

To keep up with the new global demand, joint-stock companies were formed. Privately funded state businesses chartered by the state owned by shareholders/investors who each contribute some money to the company’s capital. Profits and losses are shared among shareholders according to their investment, meaning an investor could only lose the money they invested. Rather than one investor risking everything if a ship was destroyed, many investors could split the risk thereby increasing the number of new businesses. This created a relationship where the state relied on the merchants to expand influence while the merchants relied on the states to keep their money safe and granting monopolies, allowing empires to further expand. States like Portugal and Spain were undibg their economic ventures through the state

Question 28

British East India Company

Answer 28

A group of English merchants formed a joint-stock company, meaning investors pooled their money to fund the company’s ventures. It was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874.[4] It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia), and later with East Asia and gain their spices. The company gained control of large parts of the Indian subcontinent and colonized parts of Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Question 29

Dutch East India Company

Answer 29

The Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC) was a megacorporation founded in 1602. It was one of the first multinational corporations in the world, primarily focused on trade, exploration, and colonization in Asia. The VOC played a significant role in the Dutch Golden Age and was instrumental in expanding Dutch influence in the East Indies (present-day Indonesia) through the establishment of trading posts and colonies. It was granted a monopoly on Dutch trade in Asia, which allowed it to amass enormous wealth and power. The company’s activities included the spice trade, particularly in cloves, nutmeg, and pepper, as well as textiles and other commodities. The VOC also had its own military force and was involved in conflicts with other European powers and local rulers in the region. Despite its initial success, the VOC eventually faced financial troubles and was dissolved in 1799

Answer 30

The Atlantic system of trade, initiated by Christopher Columbus’ westward voyage, brought about significant changes in global trade dynamics. Europeans gained dominance through increased trade with the Americas, driven by the demand for sugar and silver. Silver mining boosted European economies and facilitated trade with Asia, fulfilling Chinese demand for silver and enabling the purchase of luxury goods like silk and porcelain. Coerced labor systems, particularly race-based slavery, were implemented to support the booming trade. Despite these changes, Afro-Eurasian markets continued to thrive, leveraging established trade networks and benefiting from increased European merchant traffic. Overland routes like the Silk Roads remained influential, and artisans from Asia profited from the demand for their goods. Overall, the Atlantic system transformed Europe into a dominant power while maintaining continuity in existing trade networks and markets.

Question 31

Social Effects of African Slave Trade

Answer 31

Gender Imbalance: The majority of enslaved laborers were men, leading to a shortage of men in West African states
Changing Family Structures: The depletion of male populations in West African states led to changes in family structures and a subsequent increase in polygyny
Cultural Synthesis: Enslaved Africans developed Creole languages, a synthesis of European, African, and indigenous languages when they were placed into the Americas.

Question 32

Belief Systems effects on this new Society

Answer 32

Spain and Portugal sent missionaries to their colonies and spread Christianity to indigenous populations, and spread rapidly with the printing press. In some cases, indigenous groups pretended to be Christian but would practice their own religions privately. Some priests like Las Casas argued a defense of indigenous Americans to help protect their rights to practice their own religions and protect them from abuse for colonial authority. Spread of Christianity was very slow.

Question 33

Local resistance to European trade and colonialism

Answer 33

The Fronde was a resistance movement in France against emerging absolutism during Louis XIV’s reign, marked by wars of expansion and increased taxes. Lasting six years, it involved spontaneous rebellions by French nobility and peasants, ultimately strengthening the monarchy. Queen Ana Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba resisted Portuguese interference in African trade by allying with the Dutch. In the Americas, the Pueblo Revolt saw indigenous peoples protesting Spanish oppression and coerced labor, resulting in temporary success but eventual Spanish control restoration. Throughout, various groups globally revolted against European states with varying degrees of success.

Question 34

Enslaved resistance to European trade and colonialism

Answer 34

Maroon societies were established in the Caribbean and Brazil, which were societies of free black people that slaves would run away to. Europeans were not okay with these maroon societies and tried to crush them, but the maroon societies fought back. Maroon societies were in deep forests covered by mountains and trees, so the Europeans couldn’t fight back. British colonies in North America also fought back in the Stono Rebellion of 1739. In South Carolina, there were enslaved laborers working for rice and indigo, who rioted against their enslavers and killed them.

Question 35

Responses to Ethnic Diversity

Answer 35

After the Reconquista, Spanish forces defeated Muslims, emphasizing Christian dominance and expelling both Muslims and Jews to protect their Christian rule. Conversely, the Ottoman Empire welcomed expelled Jews, albeit with non-Muslim taxes. In the Qing Dynasty, there was stark discrimination against the Han people, with top positions reserved for the Manchu and forced adoption of Manchu hairstyles. Meanwhile, the Mughal Empire exhibited remarkable ethnic and religious tolerance, providing space for diverse groups within its territories.

Question 36

The Rise of New Political Elites and Hierarchies with The Spanish casta system

Answer 36

The new economic opportunities of increasing global trade and the increased political power of imperial ventures led to the rise of new political elites. The Spanish in America had the Casta System Spanish conquistadors enforced on the Americans based on race and heredity.
The Casta System was as followed:
1. Peninsulares: Spaniards born in Spain, who held the highest social status and had access to political power and prestigious positions in colonial administration.
2. Criollos: Spaniards born in the New World colonies. While they were of Spanish descent, they were considered inferior to Peninsulares and faced restrictions in political and social advancement.
3. Mestizos: People of mixed European (usually Spanish) and Indigenous ancestry. They occupied an intermediate position in society and often worked as artisans, laborers, or small landowners.
4. Mulattos: Individuals of mixed European (usually Spanish) and African ancestry. They faced discrimination and were often relegated to lower-status occupations or slavery.
5. Indigenous: Native peoples of the Americas. They were at the bottom of the social hierarchy and were subjected to forced labor, exploitation, and cultural assimilation by the Spanish colonizers.
6. Africans: Enslaved Africans brought to the Americas to work primarily in agricultural labor, mining, and domestic service. They had no legal rights and were considered property.

Question 37

Struggles of Existing Elites

Answer 37

The Russian Boyars, the aristocratic landowning power in Russia, lost their power as a result of the rise of Absolutism with rulers like Peter the Great. While they did protest, the Boyar class system was eliminated as a result. The Ottoman Timars, land grants made by the Ottoman state to an aristocratic class, grew exceedingly rich due to taxing the people on the lands they owned, however, the state started taking over these lands, so the Timars couldn’t make money.