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

Causes of European Expansion

Technological

• Adoption and innovation of maritime technology were crucial.
  • Adopted Technologies:
    • Magnetic compass from China.
    • Astrolabe from Greece and the Arab world.
    • Lateen sail from Arab merchants.
  • Innovations:
    • Shipbuilding advancements, e.g., Portuguese Caravel.

Political

• Growth of state power with European monarchs becoming more powerful.
  • Centralization led to significant roles in economic decisions.
  • Motivation for new trade routes to Asia due to high prices via land routes controlled by land-based empires.

Economic

• Mercantilism
  • State-driven economic system aimed at accumulating wealth through a favorable balance of trade.
• Joint Stock Companies
  • Limited liability businesses funded by private investors.
  • Notable example: Dutch East India Company (VOC).

Key Maritime Empires

Portugal

• Initiated maritime expansion with trading post empires.
• Developed fast ships like the Caravel for exploration and control.

Spain

• Sponsored Columbus's voyages, leading to colonization of the Americas.

France

• Explored North Atlantic and established presence in Canada for fur trade.

England

• Established colonies in America, like Jamestown.
• Interested in India but initially had limited success.

Dutch

• Gained control over the spice trade in the Indian Ocean through the VOC.

Effects of Maritime Empire Building

Columbian Exchange

• Diseases:
  • Smallpox, measles, and malaria were introduced to the Americas.
• Food and Plants:
  • European introduction of wheat, rice, and sugar.
  • American crops like maize and potatoes introduced to Europe causing population growth.
• Animals:
  • Introduction of livestock by Europeans, notably horses which transformed Plains cultures.

Resistance and Interactions

• Asian States: Tokugawa Japan resisted Western influence.
• Local Resistance: Fronde in France against absolutism.
• Enslaved Resistance: Maroon societies resisted European colonial power.
• African States: Asante and Kingdom of the Congo grew through trade cooperation.

Change and Continuity in Exchange Networks

Indian Ocean

• Continued use by Asian merchants despite European presence.
• Increased profitability even with European competition.

Atlantic System

• Goods: Dominance of sugar plantations.
• Wealth: Silver from the Americas fueled European wealth.
• Labor: Heavy reliance on coerced labor, especially enslaved Africans.

Changes in Labor Systems

Americas

• Mita System: Adapted by Spanish for mining.
• New Systems:
  • Chattel Slavery: Hereditary and race-based.
  • Indentured Servitude: Labor contracts for specific periods.
  • Encomienda and Hacienda Systems: Labor and land control mechanisms.

Cultural Syncretism

• Blend of Christian beliefs with indigenous practices.
• Emergence of religions like Vodun.

Changes in Social Hierarchies

Response to Diversity

• Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal; welcomed in the Ottoman Empire.

New Political Elites

• Casta System: Hierarchical system based on race in Spanish colonies.
• Qing Dynasty: Reserved top bureaucratic positions for Manchus.

Struggles of Existing Elites

• Russian Boyars: Lost power under Peter the Great.

These notes summarize the key points discussed in Unit 4 on Maritime Empires, highlighting the causes of expansion, main players, effects, and the resulting changes in global dynamics during the period 1450-1750.