Improvement in understanding of regional wind patterns.
Political Factors
Growth of state power, centralization of power by monarchs.
Motivation to control trade routes due to high demand for spices.
Economic Drivers
Mercantilism: State-driven economic system aimed at accumulating wealth via favorable balance of trade.
Joint Stock Companies: Limited liability businesses chartered by states (e.g., Dutch East India Company).
Main Players in Maritime Empires
Portugal
Led by Prince Henry the Navigator.
Established a trading post empire along Africa and in the Indian Ocean.
Spain
Sponsored Christopher Columbus, leading to the discovery of the Americas.
Set up colonies in the Americas and the Philippines.
France
Established trade presence in Canada and focused on the fur trade.
England
Established colonies in the Americas (e.g., Jamestown).
Interested in Indian Ocean trade.
Dutch
Independent from Spain, established dominance in the Indian Ocean with the VOC.
Effects of Maritime Empire Building
Columbian Exchange
Diseases: Smallpox, measles, malaria devastating to indigenous populations.
Food and Plants: Transfer of wheat, rice, sugar, maize, and potatoes between hemispheres.
Animals: Introduction of pigs, sheep, cattle, and horses to the Americas.
Resistance to European Expansion
Tokugawa Japan: Limited European influence, expelled Christian missionaries.
Frond (France): Nobility-led rebellion against absolutism.
Maroon Societies: Resisted European colonization in the Caribbean.
Impact on African States
Asante Empire: Grew rich from trading goods with Europeans.
Kingdom of the Congo: Engaged diplomatically with Portugal.
Changes and Continuities in Trade Networks
Indian Ocean: Continued use by Asian merchants despite European dominance.
Atlantic System: New trade network introduced, enriching Europeans.
Labor Systems in the Americas
Existing Systems: Adaptation of the Mita system for mining.
New Systems: Chattel slavery, indentured servitude, encomienda, and hacienda systems.
Changes in Belief Systems
Christianity in the Americas: Conversion efforts led to religious syncretism.
Impact on African Beliefs: Blending with Christianity led to new faiths like Vodun.
Changes in Social Hierarchies
Ethnic and Religious Diversity: Varied treatment of Jews in Spain vs the Ottoman Empire.
Rise of New Elites: Casta system in Spanish America, Manchu elite in Qing China.
Struggles of Existing Elites: Decline of Russian boyars' influence under Peter the Great.
Conclusion
European maritime expansion during 1450-1750 reshaped global trade, power dynamics, and cultural exchanges, setting the stage for modern global interactions.