Review of World History (1450-1750)

Key Themes and Developments

• Understanding major events and developments is crucial for multiple-choice questions and essays.
• Common mistake: confusing events from different time periods (e.g., Mongol Empire's rise is not relevant for 1450-1750).
• The period is characterized by discovery, exploration, and colonization.
• Next period (1750-1900): Independence movements in North America, Mexico, Latin America, and the Caribbean, followed by a new wave of imperialism driven by the Industrial Revolution.

Important Events in 1450

• Fall of Constantinople (1453):
  • Marked the end of the Byzantine Empire and rise of the Ottoman Empire.
  • Shifted trade routes, prompting European exploration for new routes.
  • Europeans sought alternative trade routes to avoid Middle Eastern intermediaries.
• Unification of Iberia:
  • Formation of Spain and Portugal as kingdoms.
  • The Reconquista culminated in 1492, leading to future focus on the Americas.

Age of Exploration and Colonization

• Key Explorers: Columbus and Vasco de Gama.
• Comparison of Imperialism:
  • Americas: European conquest and colonization with significant cultural impact.
  • Indian Ocean: Europeans became part of existing trade networks without major cultural changes.

Colonization Comparisons

• South America:
  • Colonized by Spain and Portugal.
  • Systems of labor: Encomienda, Mita, and later plantaion systems.
  • Creation of a race-based class system.
• North America:
  • Colonized by England (and some French presence).
  • Settler colonies with limited interaction with indigenous people.
  • Developed self-governance, leading to easier transition to independence.

Resistance and Maritime Empires

• Resistance:
  • Maroon communities in South America as a form of slave resistance.
• Maritime Empires:
  • Development of new navigational technologies.
  • Trade and control of ports rather than large-scale colonization in Indian Ocean.

Land-Based Empires (Unit 3)

• Required Empires: Ottomans, Safavids, Mughals, Manchu (Qing Dynasty).
• Ottomans:
  • Expansion through military conquest.
  • Used systems like Devshirme and Millet to manage diverse populations.
• Safavids:
  • Known for Shia Islam, conflict with Sunni Ottomans.
• Mughals:
  • Muslim rulers in Hindu-majority India.
  • Promoted cultural tolerance under leaders like Akbar.
• Manchus/Qing Dynasty:
  • Conquered China, established largest Chinese dynasty.
  • Used imperial portraiture to legitimize rule.

Economic Developments

• Columbian Exchange:
  • Exchange of goods, diseases, and cultures between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
• Triangular Trade:
  • Involves Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
  • Key goods: slaves, sugar, molasses, rum, tobacco.
  • Most significant trade route of the period.

Possible Essay Topics

• Comparison of European imperialism in the Americas vs. the Indian Ocean.
• Impact of colonization on social structures.
• Methods of land-based empires to legitimize rule.
• Changes in trade networks and economic systems between 1450-1750.

These notes provide a comprehensive overview of the key points discussed in the lecture and should serve as a useful study aid for understanding the period from 1450 to 1750.