The Atlantic World
Chapter Four
1300s-1800s
The Age of Exploration
► What
was the Age of Exploration?
 A time period when Europeans began to explore the
rest of the world
► How
was this possible?
 Improvements in mapmaking, shipbuilding, rigging, and
navigation made long voyages possible
► Why
do European countries explore?
 Policy of mercantilism drives exploration
 Finding new trade routes and trading “partners” were
paramount
What is mercantilism?
► Policy
that stated there was a limited
amount of money (gold and silver) in the
world
 Each country needed to grab what they can
before it is gone
 Export more than you import in order to create
a favorable balance of trade
► Colonies
and markets were needed to keep
everything in the system
Why did explorers explore?
► Many
reasons
 Some reasons include:
►To
find a sea route to the spices of Asia
►To find gold, silver, and precious stones
►To expand their knowledge of the world
►To control a larger empire
►To expand Christianity
►To find animal furs
►“Gold, God, and Glory!”
The Explorers
► Portugal
 Vasco de Gama
►Landed
in India in 1498
►Established an important trade route from Europe to
India and the East Indies
 Ferdinand Magellan
►His
crew completed the first circumnavigation of the
world in 1525
►Magellan was killed in the Philippines
Voyage of Vasco de Gama
Magellan’s Voyage
The Explorers
► Spain
 Christopher Columbus
 Believed he could reach the Indies faster by
traveling west…found North America instead
 Established the Columbian Exchange
►A
massive exchange of goods, plants, animals and
diseases
►Exchange between New and Old Worlds
Columbian Exchange
The Struggle over the New World
► European
countries fought for control of the
New World and its natural resources
► New World provided for opportunities for
great wealth
► Colonizing European powers:




France
England
Spain
Portugal
Struggle Turns to Conflict
► England
World
wanted more land in the New
 First defeated the Dutch
► Dispute
over lands in the Ohio Valley led to
a war in 1754
 This began the Seven Years’ War with France
►The
battle in the New World was known as the
French an Indian War
The Conquistadors
► Spain
 Hernan Cortes in Mexico
► Able
to defeat the mighty Aztec Empire
► Used superior weapons, allies, and disease
► 96% of the Aztec population died from 1500-1620
 From 25 million to less than 1 million
Cortes and the Aztecs
► Montezuma
believed
that Cortes was a god
► Invaded Aztec capital
of Tenochtitlan in 1520
► Was aided by Malinche
a native woman
translator
The Conquistadors
► Francisco




Pizzaro in Peru
Arrived in South America in 1532
Defeated the Incan Empire (80,000 soldiers)
Ambushed and kidnapped the Incan ruler
Received a ransom then strangled and killed
him anyway
Pizzaro and the Inca
► Incan
ruler was
Atahualpa
► Spanish ambushed
unarmed Incan soldiers
and captured Atahualpa
► Pizarro was offered a
room full of gold and
silver, which he
accepted
► The Spanish then
strangled Atahualpa
The Death of Atahualpa
Francisco Pizzaro
Europeans in North
America
► 1524
- Italian Giovanni de Verrazano
discovered New York Harbor
► 1607 -The English settle Jamestown in
Virginia
 England’s 1st permanent settlement
► 1608
- Frenchman Samuel de Champlain
founded “New France”
 Today it is Quebec
► 1609
- Henry Hudson finds the “Hudson
River”
 Claims Manhattan Island for the Dutch
The Atlantic Slave Trade
► Europeans
needed slave labor in their
colonies to grow crops, mine, etc.
 Native Americans were used, but many died
due to disease
►Death
rate due to disease was extremely high
 Africans replaced the Natives as the main
source of slave labor for the Europeans
►Completely
changed the trade relationship between
Europe and Africa
The Atlantic Slave Trade Timeline
► 1500-1600s
 Spain and Portugal began the
trade
► 1600-1700s
 Slave Trade grows dramatically
► 1690
 England increases the Slave
Trade
► 1870
 The Atlantic Slave Trade ends
Atlantic Slave Trade
Effects
► Begins
a system of “Triangular Trade”
 Africa, Europe, and Americas all participate
► African
rulers and traders made deals with
Europeans for slaves
 Introduction of guns into African continent
 Western African economy and empires
crumbled
 Slaves are transported through the “Middle
Passage”
Triangular Trade
The Middle Passage
The Middle Passage
► The
Slave Ships
 The captain could be a “tight” or “loose” packer
► “Tight”
meant slaves would be placed lying on each other
► Typically 20 percent or more Africans would die on the way to
the New World
► Disease, malnutrition, beatings, suicide
► Once
in the New World
 Slaves were auctioned of to the highest bidder
 This could easily separate families
 Slavery was a life-long condition, as well as hereditary
The Middle Passage
Slavery in the New World
► Slave
Resistance
 Slaves tried to keep their cultural
heritage
 Musical traditions
 Ancestral stories
► Slave
Rebellion
 Often broke tools or worked slowly
 Many ran away
 Numerous revolts throughout the
years
The Growth of Global Trade
► Economic
systems of Europe drastically
changed
► Colonial empires that stretched through
multiple continents led to a new business
and trade practices
 Capitalism
 Joint-Stock Companies
What is Capitalism?
► Economic
system based on private
ownership and the investment of resources,
such as money, for profit
 Economic system where things are owned by
people or an individual, not by a government
► Profits
allow individuals and businesses to
become extremely wealthy, not just the
government
What is a Joint-Stock Company?
►A
business in which a number of investors
combine their wealth for a common purpose
 Very similar to a modern-day corporation
► Early
on in the 1500-1600s the purpose was
colonization
 Overseas colonies were very expensive, but
could be very profitable
Changes in European Society
► Exploration
and colonization led to an
economic growth and boom in Europe
 Spurred the growth of towns and cities
 Rise of the merchant class with great wealth
 European nations became very wealthy
►Power
monarchs increased greatly
► Majority
of Europeans still remained poor
and rural
► THE
END