Causes of European Expansion

Causes of European Expansion

• European exploration was driven by a combination of technological advancements, political motivations, and economic incentives.
• Advances in shipbuilding, such as the Portuguese Caravel, facilitated exploration of coastal and inland waters.
• Improved understanding of Atlantic and Indian Ocean wind patterns aided navigation.
• European monarchs strengthened central power, allowing for greater control of economic and political resources.
• European monarchs sought alternative trading routes to Asia, bypassing the high prices charged by existing land-based empires.
• Mercantilism, prioritizing a favorable trade balance, encouraged exports and limited imports to accumulate gold and silver.
• Joint-stock companies, like the Dutch East India Company (VOC), were integral in funding and managing overseas ventures.

European Maritime Expansion

• Portugal:

  • Prince Henry the Navigator spearheaded exploration down the Atlantic coast of Africa into the Indian Ocean.
  • Portugal established a trading post empire, controlling trade routes through fortified "factories."
  • Portugal's superior ships and cannons allowed them to dominate Indian Ocean trade.

• Spain:

  • Christopher Columbus's westward voyage to Asia resulted in the discovery of the Americas.
  • Spain established extensive colonies in the Americas and the Philippines, employing tribute collection and forced labor systems.
  • Spain's expansion opened the transatlantic trade route.

• France:

  • French exploration sought a North Atlantic route to Asia, but they focused primarily on the fur trade in Canada.
  • France maintained small-scale trading posts in the Americas.

• England:

  • Queen Elizabeth I sponsored exploration in the Americas, leading to the establishment of colonies like Jamestown.
  • England aimed to establish trading posts in the Indian Ocean, including parts of India.

• The Netherlands (Dutch):

  • The Dutch East India Company (VOC) secured a monopoly over Indian Ocean spice trade.
  • The Dutch challenged the dominance of Spain and Portugal in the Indian Ocean.
  • The Dutch established colonies in the Americas, notably New Amsterdam.

Colombian Exchange

• Transfer of Disease:

  • Indigenous Americans had little immunity to diseases brought by Europeans in the eastern hemisphere.
  • Smallpox, measles, and malaria decimated indigenous populations.
  • This period is sometimes called the "Great Dying."

• Transfer of Food and Plants:

  • Europeans introduced crops like wheat, olives, and grapes to the Americas.
  • African and Asian crops like rice, bananas, and sugar were also introduced.
  • Indigenous Americans incorporated some European crops, but maintained traditional diets.
  • The opposite exchange occurred, maize, potatoes, and other crops were introduced to Europe, Asia, and Africa which contributed to global population growth.

• Transfer of Animals:

  • Europeans introduced animals like pigs, sheep, cattle, and horses to the Americas.
  • Horses drastically impacted indigenous American hunting and agriculture.

Resistance to European Imperialism

• Asian Resistance:

  • Tokugawa Japan initially welcomed trade, but became wary of the spread of Christianity.
  • The Shogunate expelled Christian missionaries and largely eliminated Christianity from Japan.

• Resistance in European Colonies:

  • The Fronde in France was a series of rebellions against increased taxes and centralized monarchical power.
  • Maroon societies in the Caribbean and Brazil were composed of enslaved Africans who escaped and formed independent communities.
  • Queen Nanny successfully led a Jamaican Maroon rebellion.

• African Participation in Trade:

  • Some African states benefitted economically from trade with Europeans, but also experienced increased influence from these interactions.

### Assante Empire

• The Assante Empire strategically located themselves amidst trade networks in West Africa.
• The Assante profited from trade in gold, ivory, and enslaved people bolstering economic and military strength.

Kingdom of Kongo

• The Kingdom of Kongo forged relationships with the Portuguese, supplying gold, copper, and enslaved people.
• The Kongo king converted to Christianity for better trade ties.

Indian Ocean Network

• The Indian Ocean trade network continued to thrive with the entrance of European powers.
• Established merchants in the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia maintained their roles.
• European involvement increased profits for existing merchants, solidifying their positions.
• Gujarati merchants played a significant role despite European competition, contributing to the Mughal Empire's wealth.
• European powers failed to gain complete dominance in the Indian Ocean.
• Overland trade routes, like the Silk Roads, remained largely controlled by Asian land-based powers.
• Increased trade demands strengthened peasant and artisan economies in various regions.

Atlantic System

• The Atlantic system emerged from European arrival in the Americas.
• The trading exchange within the Atlantic system produced considerable wealth for European states.
• European demand for sugar increased the production of sugar on colonial plantations in the Americas.
• Silver mining in the Americas, primarily by the Spanish, generated wealth.
• Silver from the Americas was exchanged for Chinese goods and re-invested in the Atlantic system.
• Coerced labor, including indigenous labor, indentured servitude, and African slavery, drove colonial economies.
• African slavery became the dominant labor force in the Americas and the transatlantic slave trade emerged.
• State-granted trade monopolies and the flow of silver played a crucial role in maintaining the balance of the Atlantic System.

Labor Systems in the Americas

• Existing labor systems, like the Inca's mita system for communal labor, were adapted by Europeans for private ventures in mining and farming.
• Chattel slavery became a prominent characteristic of the Atlantic system with ownership of slaves based on race and inheritance.
• Prior to the 1500s, slavery existed in varied forms, but these forms didn't rely on race or hereditary enslavement.
• The transatlantic slave trade transported millions more enslaved people than in other regions with an emphasis on male laborers.
• Slavery linked to perceptions of Blackness and further justified brutality in the Americas.
• Indentured servitude was a new labor system, which involved contracts for a set time bound to a specific employer.
• The encomienda system, employing indigenous labor, was structured similarly to feudalism and eventually declined because of abuse and exploitation.
• The hacienda system was very similar to slavery using forced indigenous labor.

Social Effects of the African Slave Trade

• The transatlantic slave trade created gender imbalances in West Africa.
• This imbalance led to changes in family structures and increased the prevalence of polygamy.
• Creole languages emerged in the Americas mixing European, African, and indigenous tongues.

Religious Change and Syncretism in the Americas

• Catholic missionaries aimed to convert indigenous people to Christianity, motivating the justification of European conquest.
• Some indigenous groups converted outwardly, while secretly practiced their original beliefs.
• Syncretism, the blending of Christian and indigenous beliefs, emerged.
• Indigenous and African religions blended with Christianity creating religions like Vodun.

Changes in Social Hierarchies

• States managed ethnic and religious diversity in various ways, often using different policies.
• Spain and Portugal expelled Jews due to fears of reversion to Judaism.
• The Ottoman Empire welcomed Jews.
• New political elites arose in different societies.
• The Castas system in Spanish colonies classified social hierarchy based on race and ancestry.
• The Ching Dynasty favored Manchus for bureaucratic roles.
• The power of established elites, like Russian boyars, was challenged with the growth of centralized monarchical rule.

Explore the driving forces behind European expansion during the Age of Discovery. This quiz covers technological advancements, political motivations, and economic policies that shaped maritime exploration. Test your understanding of how these factors influenced European global dominance.