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

Key Concepts

• European Expansion: Driven by technological, political, and economic factors.

Causes of European Expansion

Technological Advancements

• Adoption and innovation of maritime technology.
  • Magnetic Compass from China.
  • Astrolabe from Greece and Arab world.
  • Latine Sail used by Arab merchants.
• Innovation in shipbuilding.
  • Portuguese Caravel: Smaller, more navigable ships.
  • Knowledge of Atlantic and Indian Ocean wind patterns.

Political Factors

• Growth of state power and centralization.
• Monarchs played significant roles in economic decisions.
• Desire to find new trade routes due to high prices on land-based routes.

Economic Motivations

• Mercantilism: State-driven economic system focused on wealth accumulation through trade.
  • Favorable balance of trade encouraged.
• Joint Stock Companies: Limited liability businesses chartered by states.
  • Example: Dutch East India Company (VOC).

Key Players in Maritime Empires

Portugal

• Led by Prince Henry the Navigator.
• Established a trading post empire along African coast and Indian Ocean.

Spain

• Sponsored Columbus’s Atlantic voyages.
• Established colonies in the Americas and Philippines.

Other European States

• France: Established presence in Canada and fur trade.
• England: Colonies in Virginia; trading posts in India.
• Dutch: Dominated Indian Ocean trade, established New Amsterdam.

The Colombian Exchange

• Diseases: Smallpox, measles, and malaria devastated indigenous populations.
• Food & Plants: Wheat, rice, and sugar to Americas; maize and potatoes to Europe, Africa, and Asia.
• Animals: Introduction of pigs, sheep, cattle, and horses to the Americas.

Resistance to European Expansion

Asian States

• Tokugawa Japan: Initial openness, then isolation due to Christian influence.

Local European Resistance

• The Fronde: French nobility rebellion against absolutism.

Resistance from Enslaved Populations

• Maroon Societies: Runaway slave communities resisted colonial authorities.

Impact on African States

Growth of African States

• Asante Empire: Wealth from gold, ivory, and slave trade.
• Kingdom of Kongo: Diplomatic and economic ties with Portugal.

Changes and Continuities

Indian Ocean Trade

• European entry, but continued role for local merchants.
• Overland routes still important.

Atlantic World

• New trade networks: sugar and silver as key exports.
• Enslaved African labor crucial to economic systems.

Labor Systems in the Americas

Existing and New Labor Systems

• Mita System: Adapted by Spanish for silver mining.
• Chattel Slavery: Race-based, hereditary slavery in the Atlantic.
• Indentured Servitude: Labor bound by contract.
• Encomienda and Hacienda Systems: Labor exploitation of indigenous populations.

Christianity and Syncretism

• Catholic missionaries converted indigenous peoples.
• Emergence of religious syncretism: blending of Christian and indigenous beliefs.

Social Hierarchies

Ethnic and Religious Diversity

• Expulsion of Jews from Spain and Portugal; refuge in Ottoman Empire.

New Political Elites

• Casta System: Spanish colonial social hierarchy based on race.
• Ming to Qing Dynasty: Manchu prioritized in bureaucracy.

Struggles of Existing Elites

• Russian Boyars: Power reduced under Peter the Great.

Study Resources

• AP World Heimler Review Guide: Comprehensive resource with videos, notes, and practice exams for studying.