AP World History: Unit 4 - Maritime Empires (1450-1750)
Causes of European Expansion
Technological Advances
- Adoption of Maritime Technologies: Europeans adopted technologies like the magnetic compass (China), astrolabe (Greece & Arab world), and lateen sail (Arabs).
- European Innovations: Shipbuilding advancements such as the Portuguese caravel, allowing for navigation in shallow waters and equipped with cannons.
- Understanding Wind Patterns: Improved knowledge of wind patterns in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
Political Causes
- Growth of State Power: European monarchs gained power, impacting economic decisions and facilitating trade.
- Trade Routes: Desire to find sea-based routes to Asia to avoid high costs of land-based routes controlled by other empires.
Economic Causes
- Mercantilism: Aimed at accumulating as much wealth (gold & silver) as possible by favoring exports over imports.
- Joint Stock Companies: Limited liability businesses funded by private investors (e.g., Dutch East India Company), vital in European expansion.
Key Players in Maritime Empires
Portugal
- Prince Henry the Navigator: Initiated exploration along the West African coast.
- Trading Post Empire: Set up trading posts (factories) to control trade.
Spain
- Christopher Columbus: Sponsored to find a western route to Asia, leading to the discovery of the Americas.
- Colonial Expansion: Established colonies in the Americas and the Philippines.
Other European States
- France: Focused on the fur trade in Canada.
- England: Established colonies in North America and trading posts in India.
- Netherlands (Dutch): Dominated Indian Ocean trade through the VOC.
The Columbian Exchange
Disease
- Introduction of Diseases: Smallpox, measles, and malaria devastated indigenous populations ("The Great Dying").
Plants and Crops
- From Europe to America: Wheat, olives, grapes; later rice, bananas, sugar.
- From America to Europe & Asia: Maize, potatoes, leading to population increase.
Animals
- Introduction of Livestock: Pigs, sheep, cattle, and horses transformed agriculture and hunting practices.
Resistance to European Influence
Asian Resistance
- Tokugawa Japan: Limited European influence, expelled Christian missionaries to maintain unity.
European Internal Resistance
- The Fronde in France: Rebellions against absolutism and increased taxation.
Resistance from the Enslaved
- Maroon Societies: Communities of runaway slaves in the Caribbean resisted colonial powers.
African States and Maritime Networks
- Asante Empire & Kingdom of Kongo: Benefited from trade, providing gold, ivory, and slaves.
Change and Continuity in Trade Networks
Indian Ocean
- European Entrance: European states entered the trade network, increasing profits but not full dominance.
Atlantic System
- New Trade System: Focused on goods (sugar), wealth (silver), and labor (enslaved Africans).
Labor Systems in the Americas
Continued Systems
- Mita System: Adapted by the Spanish from the Inca for mining labor.
New Labor Systems
- Chattel Slavery: Race-based, hereditary slavery.
- Indentured Servitude: Labor contracts for passage to the New World.
- Encomienda System: Forced labor of indigenous people.
- Hacienda System: Land-based control using indigenous labor.
Social and Cultural Changes
Change in Belief Systems
- Syncretism: Blending of indigenous beliefs with Christianity, emergence of new religions like Vodun.
Changing Social Hierarchies
- Ethnic and Religious Diversity: Expulsion of Jews from Spain, acceptance in the Ottoman Empire.
- New Political Elites: Casta system in the Americas, Manchu dominance in the Qing dynasty.
- Struggles of Existing Elites: Decline in power of traditional elites, e.g., Russian boyars under Peter the Great.
These notes cover the main points and significant developments in Unit 4, focusing on the causes and effects of Maritime Empires from 1450 to 1750. They capture the technological, political, and economic dynamics of European exploration and colonization, the interactions in the Columbian Exchange, and changes in global trade and societies.