Age of Exploration

• The Middle Ages were characterized by limited individual thought and freedom due to religious control and feudalism.
• Exploration began to increase as these limitations started to change.
• Land (Fief) was central to the feudal system of the Middle Ages.
• The Gutenberg Printing Press was invented in 1455.
• Prince Henry of Portugal helped conquer Ceuta in North Africa.
• Feitorias were trading posts protected by soldiers, where gold, ivory, and slaves were traded directly with African people.
• In 1487, Bartolomeu Dias reached the southern tip of Africa, known as the Cape of Good Hope.
• In 1498, Vasco da Gama became the first European to reach India by sailing around Africa.
• The three ships used by Columbus named the Pinta, the Niña, and the Santa Maria.
• Syncretism is the mixing of different religions and beliefs.
• Hybridity is the blending of different cultural traditions.
• Guanahani, the first island Columbus reach is known as San Salvador today.
• On October 12, 1492, Columbus landed in America.
• In 1492, Isabella the Catholic defeated the Emir of Granada and conquered the city.
• Hispaniola is also known as La Española.
• Latin America includes all countries in the Americas that speak languages derived from Latin.
• These languages are Spagnish, French, and Portuguese.
• Spanish America includes the Spanish-speaking countries in the Americas.
• A new rich trading class called the bourgeoisie challenged the old feudal system.
• After the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, traditional land routes to Asia became too costly due to Arab and Turkish middlemen.
• Before the Renaissance, knowledge was borrowed from the Middle East or China.
• During the Renaissance, Europe advanced in science, printing, and sailing, helping countries explore the world for better trade routes to Asia.
• Prior to 1492, Europe was not the center of the world.
• Europeans risked sailing around Africa to reach Asia to avoid expensive middlemen, despite beliefs about the Equator being deadly.
• Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa and started sailing at a young age.
• In 1476, Columbus swam 8 km to shore after his ship sank near Portugal and stayed there for 9 years.
• Columbus stayed in Portugal, married Filipa, had a son, Diego, and conceived the idea of sailing west to reach Asia.
• Columbus sought advice from Paolo Toscanelli, who supported the idea of sailing west and provided an estimated distance.
• Columbus left Portugal after being rejected and sought support from Queen Isabella of Spain in 1486.
• The queen did not immediately agree, delaying her decision for six years.
• The Queen's scientists doubted the plan, and they were right as Columbus underestimated the distance.
• The Spanish kings were fighting a war against the Arabs in Granada.
• Columbus sought 10% of future trade profits; to build feitorias.
• In 1492, the Spanish kings agreed to support Columbus, who gathered 90 sailors and 3 ships to sail to Asia.
• On August 3rd, 1492, Columbus set sail from Palos de la Frontera, stopping at the Canary Islands and discovered Cuba and Hispaniola.
• Columbus established the first colonial government in America.
• The Tainos, Native Americans in the Caribbean, were farmers who grew taro and yams, and used irrigation systems.
• The Tainos lacked written records; the knowledge about them is derived from their cultural practices of agriculture and food production.
• The Tainos were welcoming to the Spaniards due to religious inclusivity, shared wealth, and ignorance of European intentions.
• Spaniards wanted to convert Native people to Christianity; believed only one true God existed..
• They viewed Native Americans as uncivilized and primarily sought gold rather than building relationships.
• Spaniards valued private property, conflicting with the Tainos' communal sharing.
• Columbus initially aimed to establish trading posts (Feitorias) to earn 10% of trade profits.
• The Spanish shifted to land takeover due to limited riches in the Caribbean islands and forced Native labor through the Encomienda system.
• The Encomienda system, where Spanish settlers received land and Native laborers, was exploitative despite the premise of protection and Christianization.
• The Encomienda system led to the Hacienda system, perpetuating social inequality that still exists in Latin America today.
• The Spanish kings were officially against slavery but continued it, settlers ignored the laws.
• By 1500, Spanish rule relied on gold, slavery, and forced labor, killing over 90% of the Tainos by 1550 through war, disease, and overwork.
• Enslaved Africans were brought to replace the Tainos, contributing to the African and mixed ancestry in places like Hispaniola.
• Antonio de Montesinos, a Spanish priest, denounced the treatment of Native people in 1511.
• Bartolomé de Las Casas, inspired by Montesinos, gave up his Encomienda and fought for Native American rights.

Aztec and Inca Conquests

• In 1519–1521, Hernán Cortés led the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs in Mexico with a small force.
• Many locals survived and mixed with the Spanish, creating cultural blending.
• Francisco Pizarro led the Spanish conquest of the Incas between 1532-1535.
• A small Spanish force defeated a large empire, blending the cultures.

Examples of Cultural Syncretism

• Religious Syncretism is exemplified by the Day of the Dead in Mexico, which mixes Spanish Catholic traditions with Native customs.
• Latin American Art combines European, Indigenous, and African influences.
• South America stretches from Colombia to the South.
• Central America stretches from Panama to Guatemala.
• North America stretches from Mexico to Canada.

Historical Periods and Concepts

• The Middle Ages spanned from 476 to 1492.
• The Renaissance spanned from 1492 to 1600.
• Feudalism was characterized by an aristocracy of landlords, based on land ownership, religion was central.
• The Renaissance began in the 13th century and lasted until the 16th century.
• The Renaissance marked the rise of individuality, business, commerce, science, rationality, freedom, and adventure.