Crash Course European History: European Expansion and Its Impact

Introduction

• Hosted by John Green.
• Focus on European expansion and its global impact.
• Exploration led to the discovery of new worlds and cultures, bringing both devastation and opportunity.

Impact of Iberian Expansion (16th Century)

• Destruction and Disease: Massive loss of Native American lives due to European conquest and diseases (smallpox, measles).
  • Native population decreased by 90% within a century.
• Empire Building: Spanish utilized existing local political structures for control.
  • Example: Incans' roads and communication networks.
• Spanish Wealth: Seizure of precious metals and use of Native know-how led to significant wealth influx into Spain.

Methods of Extraction and Exploitation

• Labor Systems: Encomienda system granted Europeans the labor of local populations.
• Critics: Bartolomé de las Casas, a former encomienda holder turned advocate for indigenous rights.

Christianity's Influence

• Cultural Syncretism: Indigenous beliefs blended with Catholicism.
  • Example: Our Lady of Guadalupe, a blend of Aztec and Catholic imagery.

Rise of European Competitors

• Privateers: Figures like Francis Drake attacked Spanish ships, capturing wealth.
• Other Explorers: John Cabot for England, establishment of the East India Company.

Slave Trade

• Origins and Growth: Initial capture of Africans by Portuguese; expanded into a significant trade network.
• Shift in Labor: African slaves replaced Native Americans in labor systems due to disease impact on indigenous populations.

The Columbian Exchange

• Biological and Cultural Exchange: Introduction of new crops and animals across continents.
  • Examples: Potatoes, tomatoes to Europe; bananas to America.
• Impact on Societies: New foods supported population growth and changed cultures.

Environmental and Economic Changes

• Deforestation: Driven by sugar production and other colonial enterprises.
• Luxury Goods: Increased wealth led to the consumption of sugar, chocolate, tea, coffee, and tobacco.
• Colonial Expansion: European powers increasingly established colonies.

Legends and Misconceptions

• The Black Legend: Propaganda portraying Spanish as brutal conquerors compared to English settlers.

Conclusion

• Globalization Beginnings: Colonization laid the groundwork for modern globalization.
• Historical Legacy: Modern inequalities and global abundance are rooted in this history.