Contact, Commerce, and Colonization (1450-1600)

Chapter 12: Contact, Commerce, and Colonization (1450-1600)

Transformation of Europe

• Despite wealth from American silver in the 1500s, European rulers focused on frequent warfare, with religious divisions leading to political rivalries.

Protestant reformation

• A religious movement aimed to revive ancient biblical scriptures for guidance, similar to the Renaissance's focus on Greek and Roman knowledge.
• Church laypersons began interpreting scriptures differently due to the printing press and vernacular translations of the Bible.
• Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses criticizing Church practices on October 31, 1517, initiating the Reformation.
• Martin Luther was a German monk and professor of theology.
• Luther used his Bible knowledge to critique Church practices, stating forgiveness comes from faith, not sacraments or deeds and Christians don't need priests to speak for them.
• Luther's reforming efforts focused on faith alone, scripture as key to truth, and the priesthood of all believers.
• Luther reacted against corrupt practices like selling indulgences, and posted 95 statements to the Wittenberg cathedral doors in 1517.
• Luther refused to recant at the Diet of Worms in 1521, was declared a heretic, and translated the Bible into German, encouraging local language education.
• Jean Calvin (1509-1564) emphasized moral renewal and predestination.
• Followers of Luther & Calvin called themselves “Protestants" and promised individual spiritual needs & new moral foundation for community life and appealed to commoners & elites, especially where rule by Catholic "outsiders" existed.
• German princes welcomed rebellion to gain control, while the Dutch resented Spanish rule.
• Protestant ideas gained popularity in German states, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg & Scotland.

Catholic Counter Reformation

• Many people were leaving the Catholic Church/becoming Protestants; as such, the church set fourth to reform with the Counter Reformation.
• The Council of Trent (1545-1563) aimed to educate people, prevent them from joining Protestants, reaffirmed Catholic teachings, and enacted reforms.
• Reformed Catholics actively spread their message to colonies in Africa, Americas, and Asia (Jesuits).
• Religious wars weakened the Holy Roman Empire but strengthened England, France, and the Dutch.
• Books presenting Luther's ideas sparked peasant revolts across central Europe in the 1520's.
• The belief that Luther's movement would liberate people from feudal lords led to nearly 40 years of war.
• Religious conflicts weakened dynasties, such as Spanish Habsburgs.
• Spain used wealth from the Americas to fight religious wars and the Netherlands declared independence from Spain in 1581.
• Wars greatly affected Spanish Empire (much debt; declared bankrupt by late 1500s).
• The Dutch and English exploited Spanish economic issues growing their trading networks in Americas & Asia instead.
• Religious conflicts sparked civil conflicts like the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in France in 1752 and it demonstrated high levels of religious divisions.
• Henry IV became king, converted to Catholicism, and issued the Edict of Nantes to try and unite France in 1589.
• States became identified religiously: Spain, France=Catholic; Netherlands & German states=Protestant/Lutheran.
• This intense country-building, created national identities.
• Religious conflicts intensified rivalries for wealth and territories and exploration abroad led to violence based on ethnicity & religion.

Prosperity in Asia

• While Europe experienced religious warfare, Asian empires expanded, consolidated power, and thrived in trade.
• European traders in the Indian Ocean enhanced political power and expansion in Asia's imperial regimes.
• Effective rulers were Akbar of Mughal India and Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire.
• Chinese Ming Dynasty manufactures had a great reputation worldwide, they governed diversely, and they were considered the model imperial state

Mughal India and Commerce

• Mughal Empire came to be in 1526 and it became one of Islam's greatest regimes.
• A vigorous, centralized state, covering most of modern India.
• Military power relied on horsemanship, artillery & gunpowder secured victories.
• Akbar (ruled 1556-1605) made alliances with Hindu chieftains through favors and marriage to support control.
• Mughal rulers were flexible (commitment to Islam) & maintained a religious tolerance that earned the Mughal Empire legitimacy/validity.
• Akbar studied comparative religion, hosted debates among Hindu, Muslim, Jain, Parsi, and Christian theologians.
• Expanded trade w/ Europe brought wealth, but political leaders like the Portuguese, Jesuits, Dutch, and English (mostly on coastal areas) limited European incursions.
• India remained united, monitored, and controlled Europeans, despite economic inequality and conflicts between Indian merchants and rulers.

Prosperity in Ming China

• China prospered from increased commerce in late 1500s
• Increased but confined European traders to port cities.
• Silver taken from Americas allowed employers to pay workers, motivating more people to work.
• Chinese production increased in agriculture and handicrafts grew.
• Chinese population surged with literary and theatrical societies in the countryside, but they have populations enjoyed by schools, religious societies, etc.
• Chinese cities dazzled Europeans with elegance & material prosperity.
• Entertainment districts developed arts and literature for women from scholar-official families, promoting vitality.

Asia relations w Europe

• European overseas expansion targeted the lucrative Asian spice trade, yet the spices became very expensive in Portugal due to distance.
• Portugal sponsored voyages to round Africa, which secured Portugal with wealth (b/c of Ottomans blocking land route to Asia).
• Da gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope by 1498, but soon controlled various African ports and benefitted heavily from the spice trade.
• The Spanish, English & Dutch followed the benefits that was making Portugal wealthy.
• Spain exploited Americas silver, to the Philippines, to trade. This traded created porcelain in Europe and the Spanish Americas.
• By 1571 Spanish ships circled the globe due to the link of world silver.
• 1600-English investors became to make the East India Company and gained the governments license to be the only importer of the Easy Indian good in England.
• Through the the 1600's the Portuguese was no longer traded on the Arabian Sea, but other counties follow.

Conclusion

• The 15th century world was multi centered with political/economic powers in the Ottoman Empire, European, And Asian dynasties.
• The Renaissance created a spirit of adventuring and exploration, as well as technological advances.
• When trade returned there was too much crossing over Ottoman controlled area, who exploited those traveling.
• More selling created more technological advances like maps.
• Once Europe had reached the Americas, the governments gave natives conquered lands for their abundant gold.
• From then on, those who were divided religiously now had to refocused those energies to now violently focus of Reformation/Counter.
• 2 conquests occurred, like the Ottoman’s Constantinople and, the Aztecs of Spain, that were necessary to trade in Asia.
• Atlantic System/Triangular Trade developed-Europe, Americas & Africa were financially linked; led to Africans being kidnapped and sold as slaves to plantation owners throughout the Americas, where agricultural activities were extremely labor intensive
• Encomienda System was implemented-system of formal imperial control by settlement of distant colonies whose natives were subjugated and dispossessed (property taken away)