European Exploration &
Conquest 1450-1650
Chapter 15
Key Concepts
 From ancient to medieval times, there was a
widespread and thriving network of global trade
among East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean,
the Middle East and Africa. This network was
transformed by the intrusion of new groups of
Europeans. The Portuguese and the Dutch competed
first with Muslim merchants and then with each other
in Asia. They joined the British and French in the
exploration and colonization of the Americas.
Key Concepts
 Europeans had a variety of motives as well as certain
technological advantages that prompted the
expansion of their trade in Asia and their exploration
of the New World. “Gold, God and Glory” were not
only motivators of exploration, but also led
Europeans to colonize in ways that fostered
economic development and Christianiztion.
Key Concepts
 Among the consequences of the encounter of the Old
World with the New was a rapid and thorough decimation
of the native population, the transformation of their
economic and religious lives, and an enormous expansion
of the already existing African slave trade. The Columbian
exchange of people, crops and animals led to radical
changes in agriculture and diets, as well as in values and
technology. As gold and silver infused the European
economy, inflation benefited the middle classes while
hurting the poor and those on fixed incomes. The
increasing wealth of the middle class was an important
change in the social structure. Intellectual life saw the
introduction of new ideas like skepticism and cultural
relativism as well as new forms of racism.
AP Tip
 For those of you interested in world history, the first
section of this chapter is very rich with a detailed
exploration of centers of wealth and trade around the
globe. Although most of this material would not
appear on an AP European history exam, it is
important to understand it for background and the
long-term legacy of colonalism. Pay particular
attention to those sections that deal with Europe.
World Trade Before
the Age of Exploration
 Global economic network
 Silk Road – China
 Silk & porcelains
 Indian Ocean – Roman Empire
 Indian jewels; peppers, cloves, textiles, African slaves, gold,
ivory
 Malacca – Malaysia
 connected Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean
 Multinational/Multicultural
 Euro contribution minimal until mid 1500s
 China, India, Ottoman Turkey, Safavid Persia and Egypt
held dominant roles
World Trade Before
the Age of Exploration
 Venice & Genoa
 During the Medieval period Venice became very
wealthy/powerful
 Excellent navy
 Dominated the Mediterranean and Asian trade
 Slaves
 Luxury goods
 silks
 Spices
 Played important role in exploration of the New World
 Management of commercial enterprises – Sugar Plantations
 Decline of dominance
 Ottomans overtook trade markets
 Portuguese & Dutch challenges on the other side
 Atlantic rather than the Mediterranean routes
Causes of European Exploration
 Mid-15thC
 Recuperation
 Black Death
 Population growth
 Gold
 Demand for spices & luxury goods
 More gold/silver sources to pay for goods
 New routes – bypass Ottoman held Istanbul
 Direct access to Asia
 Christian Fervor
 Victory over last Muslim kingdom in Spain 1492
 Convert non-Christians – Asia & Americas
 Glory
 Conquest/adventure
 Renaissance curiosity
 Thirst for knowledge
 Natural history
 Geography
 cosmology
Causes of European Exploration
 Technology
 Advances borrowed from the East
 Caravel – replaced the galley ship
 Navigational tools
 Astrolabe
 Magnetic compass
 Military weapons
 Cannons – made exploration & conquest possible
 Ptolemy’s Geography
 Inaccurate
 Encouraged the idea that sailing west from Eur. to Asia was
possible
Empires
 Portugal
 Prince Henry - The Navigator
 Early voyages of the west coast of Africa
 Conquered the Arab city of Ceuta – Morocco
 Initiated Eur. exploration & colonization
 Madeira
 Azores Mauritania – NW Africa
 Cape of Good Hope
 Bartholomew Diaz 1487
 Vasco da Gama 1497
 Continued on to Calicut – India

Returned laden with spices & textiles
 Trading Posts estab.
 India
 Violent conflicts with rulers
 Alfonso de Albuquerque defeated Malacca, Goa, and other trading centers – laid foundation of
Portuguese empire in Asia
 Brazil
 Pedro Alvares Cabral

Sighted Brazil - 1500


Rich mineral resources & lucrative sugar plantations
 2 million African slaves
Most important Portuguese colony
Empires
 Spain
 Christopher Columbus
 Genoese – sailed for Spain, Ferdinand & Isabella
 Hero or villain
 Experienced in seafaring
 Trade and circumventing other countries
 Devote Christian
 Missionary vision
 Report to Spain
 Conversion of natives
 Gold & silver
 Believed he reached Asia (until dying day)
 Contribution had extraordinary impact on world history
Empires
 Spain cont.
 Columbus
 Conquest and colonization
 2nd voyage
 Enslaved the people of Hispaniola


Forerunner of encomienda system
Inept at governing – led to royal control of his conquered areas
 The Treaty of Tordesillas 1494
 Made by Pope Alexander VI
 Divided New World
 Spain – everything west
 Portugal – everything east
 Imaginary line 370 leagues west of the Cape Verdes Islands
 Ferdinand Magellan
 Commissioned by Charles V – further voyages when no gold/silver found in Caribbean
 Magellan 1st to circumnavigate the globe
 Route to Asia via the Atlantic
 Horrific 3 yr voyage




Disasters at sea
Starvation
Mutinies
Death of Magellan in the Philippines
 Demonstrated the vastness of the Pacific
 Led Spain to abandon its competition win Portugal for the Asian spice trade
Empires
 Spain cont.
 Ferdinand Magellan
 Commissioned by Charles V – further voyages when no gold/silver found in Caribbean
 Magellan 1st to circumnavigate the globe
 Route to Asia via the Atlantic
 Horrific 3 yr voyage




Disasters at sea
Starvation
Mutinies
Death of Magellan in the Philippines
 Demonstrated the vastness of the Pacific
 Led Spain to abandon its competition win Portugal for the Asian spice trade
Empires
 Spain cont.
 Hernando Cortes’
 Conqueror - Mexico
 Few men – horses & cannons
 Fortuitous elements beyond his control
 Dissention w/n the Aztec empire
 Demoralized population
 Weakened leadership
 Aztec Empire – large/wealthy/sophisticated
 Montezuma & advisors made decisions logical for their culture – paved the
way for Spanish victory
 Francisco Pizarro
 Incan conquest – Peru 1531
 Incans known for engineering & construction
 Facing internal dissention
 Executed leader Atahualpa
 Took until 1570 to gain control
Empires
 Spain cont.
 New World colonies
 200,000 Spaniards immigrated in the 16thC




soldiers & drifters
Estab large agricultural/ranching estates
Sugar plantations
Silver mines – Bolivia & Mexico
 Encomienda system - forced labor
 Rapid decline of native pop
 Brutal exploitation
 Led to the death of 1000s
 Exposure to Eur disease
 Land converted from subsistence to cash crops
 Bartolome’ de Las Casas
 Empathized with natives – lamented cruetly
 Argued for the rights of natives
 Charles V responded by abolishing the worst abuses
Empires
 Holland – Dutch
 Dominated world maritime trade – 2nd ½ of 17thC
 Financial center since 16thC
 1602 estab Dutch East India Company
 Expanded their spice markets
 Ceylon
 Indonesian archipelago

Monopoly – highly profitable Asian spice trade
 New World trade
 Briefly held a colony - New York
 France & England
 Less dramatic
 Jon Cabot
 Genoese
 Explored Newfoundland & New England for British
 Jacques Cartier
 Explored Quebec for France
 1st permanent settlement for France in New World