Unit 4 Review: Maritime Empires (1450-1750) for AP World History

Causes of European Expansion

Maritime Technology: Adoption and innovation of maritime technology were crucial for European exploration. Europeans adopted the magnetic compass (from China), the astrolabe (from the Greek and Arab world), and the lateen sail (from the Arab merchants) for navigation. Innovations in shipbuilding included the development of the Portuguese Caravel, enabling inland navigation and armed conflict at sea.

Growth of State Power: The rise in monarchal power at the expense of the nobility led to states taking more active roles in economic decisions, driving exploration for trade routes to Asia to bypass costly land routes controlled by land-based empires.

Mercantilism and Joint Stock Companies: Mercantilism viewed global wealth as finite, pushing states to maintain a favorable balance of trade. Joint stock companies, like the Dutch East India Company, allowed private investors to fund overseas exploration and trade, significantly impacting the expansion of European influence.

Led by Prince Henry the Navigator, Portugal established a "trading post empire" along African coasts and into the Indian Ocean, leveraging fast ships and armed conflict to control trade.

Sponsored Christopher Columbus's exploration, leading to the discovery of the Americas and subsequent transatlantic trade expansion. Spain established colonies in the Americas and the Philippines, employing various labor systems including tribute collecting and coerced labor.

Entered the competition for maritime empire building, establishing joint stock companies, engaging in trade, and eventually establishing colonies in both the Americas and Asia.

Refers to the significant environmental and societal changes due to the transfer of diseases, food, plants, and animals between the Eastern and Western hemispheres. Notably, European diseases devastated indigenous American populations, while the introduction of new crops to Europe, Africa, and Asia led to population growths.

Isolated itself from European influences, especially Christianity, to maintain unity and control over internal affairs.

A series of rebellions against increased taxation and the growing power of the monarchy, ultimately crushed by the state.

Communities of runaway slaves in the Americas that often resisted colonial authorities and preserved elements of African culture.

Maritime empires and the expansion of trading networks affected global economic linkages and led to the growth of some African states like the Asante Empire and the Kingdom of the Congo.
Changes and continuity in networks of exchange, labor systems (e.g., chattel slavery, indentured servitude), and belief systems (notably the spread and syncretism of Christianity) altered social hierarchies and fostered new political and economic elites across the world.
Resistance and adaptation to European expansion demonstrated the complexities of global interactions during this period."