Chapter 14: Economic Transformations 1450-1750

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Questions and Answers

What motivated European involvement in the world of Asian commerce?

Europe was still recovering from the Black Plague. They knew they would receive a lot of money if they participated in the trade.

To what extent did the Portuguese realize their own goals in the Indian Ocean?

Their ships could outgun and outmaneuver competing naval forces in the Indian Ocean. The cannons onboard their ships could devastate coastal fortifications.

What was one main difference between the Spanish colonization of the Philippines and the Portuguese colonization of the Indian Ocean Basin?

The Spanish converted the Filipinos while the Portuguese blended with the local population.

To what extent did the British and Dutch trading companies change the societies they encountered in Asia?

The British were brutal in their conquest of small island economies. This left societies shattered and impoverished. The Dutch were more destructive and impactful than the British in their conquest of Asia. Signup and view all the answers

What was Japan's response to the Europeans whom they saw as a threat?

They expelled Christian missionaries and violently suppressed Christianity. They started trading with the Dutch. Signup and view all the answers

Why was the silver trade so historically important?

The silver trade commercialized China's economy and was the first direct link from the Americas to Asia. This fueled trade between these areas for centuries. Spain and Japan were transformed because they produced most of the world's silver. Signup and view all the answers

What impact did the discovery of the world's largest silver mine at Potosí have on the Native American miners?

Native American miners were forced to work to death in horrendous conditions, the exploitation of labor fueled the silver trade. Signup and view all the answers

How did the discovery of the vast silver mines in South America affect Spain's position in Europe?

It allowed Spain to finance wars, fund explorations, and support the arts during the Spanish Golden Age. Signup and view all the answers

What may have increased the demand for furs in the early modern era?

The Little Ice Age increased the demand for furs. Signup and view all the answers

How did the North American and Siberian fur trades differ from each other? What did they have in common?

North America dealt with several competing European nations who obtained furs through commercial negotiations. Siberia had no competition. Both trades relied on the exploitation of indigenous populations. Signup and view all the answers

What was slavery like in the Islamic world?

Slaves were considered people first and then property. They were regarded as productive labor. Signup and view all the answers

What was distinctive about the Atlantic slave trade in the Americas?

It transformed the economies of Spain and Japan because of the silver produced. Signup and view all the answers

What caused the Atlantic slave trade to grow? Why was slavery a source of labor?

The growth of sugar plantations and agriculture called for more slaves. The Great Dying contributed because so many people died that they needed more slaves to fill in for work. Africans were also immune to diseases, making them desirable as workers. Signup and view all the answers

Why did Africa become the primary source of slave labor for the plantation economies of the Americas?

People enslaved in West Africa became the most valuable commodity for European traders. Slavery existed in Africa long before the arrival of Europeans. Signup and view all the answers

What role did the Europeans play in the unfolding of the Atlantic slave trade?

The Europeans needed cheap labor, which led them to buy slaves from Africans. This began to balance the supply and demand for slaves. When the need for slaves increased, Europeans started to attain slaves on their own and transported them across the Atlantic. Signup and view all the answers

What role did the Africans play in the unfolding of the Atlantic slave trade?

Africans sold slaves to the Europeans because they needed cheap labor. They captured and sold their own people into slavery. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the significance of Ferdinand Magellan's round the world voyage.

Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese mariner who sailed on behalf of the Spanish crown, it was the first recorded circumnavigation of the globe. His voyage was a significant achievement for Spain, solidifying its status as a major maritime power. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the significance of the British/Dutch East India Companies.

The British and Dutch East India Companies were given the power to make war and to govern conquered peoples. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the significance of Daimyo.

Daimyo were powerful feudal lords in Japan, who controlled vast territories and armies. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the significance of Samurai.

Samurai were warriors who served the Daimyo, they were known for their loyalty, honor, and martial skills. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the significance of Shogun.

The Shogun was a supreme military commander who hailed from the Tokugawa clan, he was the most powerful figure in Japan, holding absolute power. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the significance of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

The Tokugawa Shogunate explicitly disavowed any responsibilities for or connection with Japanese merchants. They implemented strict isolationist polices to control trade and discourage foreign influence. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the significance of Manila.

Manila was the destination of annual Spanish shipments of silver. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the significance of Potosi.

Potosi was the site of a huge silver mining operation in South America. It transformed the global economy because of its abundance of silver ore. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the significance of the African Diaspora.

The African diaspora refers to the global spread of African peoples, primarily due to the Atlantic slave trade. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the significance of the Middle Passage.

The Middle Passage was the transatlantic voyage that transported enslaved Africans from Africa to the Americas, where they were used as forced labor on sugar plantations. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Chapter 14: Ways of the World - Economic Transformations: Commerce and Consequence, 1450 to 1750

European and Asian Commerce:
- Europeans were motivated to participate in Asian trade due to recovery from the Black Plague and the potential for significant profit.
- Portuguese ships, superior in naval technology, were successful in the Indian Ocean. Their cannons effectively countered coastal fortifications.
- While the Portuguese often integrated into local populations, the Spanish in the Philippines focused on conversion.
- British and Dutch trading companies had a significant, often destructive, impact on Asian societies. The British were brutal, while the Dutch were impactful in their approach.
Silver and Global Commerce:
- The silver trade was critically important, creating the first direct link between the Americas and Asia, and impacting the economies of China, Spain, and Japan.
- Potosi, a significant silver mine, led to inhumane working conditions for native American miners.
- Spanish expansion was supported by the wealth gained from silver mines in South America, enabling them to fund wars, exploration, and the arts.
The "World Hunt": Fur in Global Commerce
- Increased demand for furs was likely the result of the Little Ice Age.
- North American fur trade involved several competing European nations through negotiations.
- Siberia's fur trade lacked competition.
Commerce in People: The Atlantic Slave Trade
- Slavery in the Islamic world viewed slaves as property, but also as laborers.
- Distinctive aspects of the Atlantic slave trade in the Americas were the high numbers of slaves and the impact on various societies.
- The growth of sugar plantations and agriculture was a key driver in the expansion of the Atlantic slave trade. Africans were seen as a labor source due to their resistance to certain diseases commonly found in the Americas.
- Europe's growing need for labor in the Americas played a central role in the expansion of the trade.
- Africans participated in the trade by capturing and selling other Africans.
- The Americas, particularly the Caribbean and South America, were the main destinations for enslaved Africans in the 18th century.
Additional Concepts:
- Daimyo refers to Japanese feudal lords.
- Samurai were the warriors.
- Shogun was the supreme military commander, often from the Tokugawa clan
- Tokugawa Shogunate, in Japan, explicitly avoided interaction with foreign merchants.
- Manila was a destination for Spanish silver.
- Potosi was the site of a large silver mine.
- African Diaspora refers to the global dispersal of African people.
- The Middle Passage refers to the brutal conditions aboard ships carrying enslaved Africans across the Atlantic.
- Ferdinand Magellan's voyages demonstrated the size of the Earth and new trade routes.
- British and Dutch East India Companies were instrumental in controlling trade practices in Asia.

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Explore the dynamic economic transformations between 1450 and 1750, focusing on European and Asian commerce and the significant role of silver in global trade. Learn how different European powers approached trade in Asia and the varying impacts on local societies. This quiz covers key events and developments during this transformative period.