The Age of
Exploration Chapter 17
European
Exploration and
Expansion 17-1
How it Starts…….
Around 1400 large increases in overseas
travel.
Beginning with Portugal and Spain,
Europeans begin to travel through the use
of advanced ships. (ex. Caravel)
They want to advance their trading
economies.
This was possible due to technological
advances, and increased government
wealth.
Motives Europeans were searching for better
routes to Asia.
1. The expansion of the Ottoman Empire made travel to the East difficult by land.
2. The East was a source of spices, and teas that were in large demand.
3. Europeans also hoped to find precious metals on their travels.
The overall goal was economic gains!
Non- Economic Missions Those who were traveling the world
in the 16th century were said to be
serving Gold, Glory, and God
missions.
1. Some traveled to spread the word
of God (Many Jesuits traveled the
world on these missions) The
Catholic Church
2. Others traveled for the glory of
conquering new lands.
The Race For Riches
Includes many European nations.
Most notably Spain, Portugal, England, France and the Dutch.
These countries colonized many parts of the world in search of riches, and expansion of trade.
Colonies are created in Asia, North America, and Africa.
Europe 16th Century
The Spanish Empire
Ruled by Spanish
Conquistadors
Was the first true overseas
empire.
Ruled over much of South, and
Central America.
The power of disease aided the
expansion of the empire
without their knowledge.
The First Global
Economic
Systems 17-2
European Expansion
In fewer than 300 years of exploration
Europeans had changed the world.
Many native cultures in the Americas, and
other parts of the world have been
destroyed by colonialism.
European trade has expanded greatly.
Trade designed to extract wealth was
rapidly changing the world economy.
Mercantilism
The prosperity of a nation depends on a large
supply of gold and silver.
This theory dominated world economic
thought in the 17th century.
Nations tried to create this by excelling in the
trade market in hopes of creating a positive
trade balance.
To encourage exports governments would
use subsidies to create industrial growth.
Taxation
To maintain favorable trade balances,
nations used high tariffs to discourage
importing.
Colonies were viewed as a way around
importing raw materials, and were used to
import without importing.
The Columbian Exchange
The exchange of plants and animals
between Europe, and the Americas.
Had very good, and very bad effects on
people around the globe.
Some things that were exchanged
include: Horses, Corn, Tobacco, and the
Small Pox virus.
European Rivals in the East
The Dutch, English, and French.
These three nations competed over
territories in the Americas, Asia, and
Africa.
This competition was done through the
use of trading companies, rather than
involving the actual government of the
countries involved.
The Slave Trade
European Slave Trade
Begins to increase heavily in the early
1500s.
Plantation agriculture created a heavy
need for labor. This need was filled
through the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.
Over 10 million slaves were transported
from Africa to the Americas between the
16th and 19th centuries.
The Middle Passage
Refers to the journey from Africa to the
Americas in slave trading ships.
At least 2 million Africans died on this trip.
This accounts for around 15-20% of those
being transported.
Many Africans also died within weeks of
arriving in the Americas as a result of
diseases contracted during the voyage.
Sources of Slaves
The slave trade in Africa dated back to
ancient times.
At the beginning of the slave trade, most
slaves were prisoners of war.
However, with an increase of demand,
and profit from the sale of slaves, many
slave traders began raiding defenseless
villages, and stealing people in the night.
The Abolition Movement
Sadly this movement doesn’t start until the
1770s.
Slavery is abolished by one nation at a
time for the next 100 years following the
start of the movement.
The United States doesn’t abolish slavery
until the 1860s.
Colonial Latin
America 17-3
Social Classes
European colonies imitated the culture and social patterns of their parent countries.
In Latin America classes were based on status.
The top two classes in Latin America were peninsulares, and creoles.
Racism in Colonial Latin
America Colonists viewed connection to
Europe as the key to social class.
The further a person was from
European, the lower their class was.
People of mixed backgrounds were
considered lower members of
society.
Despite this intermarriage was
permitted in order to grow the
population.
Economic Foundations
The main source of wealth from
Latin America was the extraction of
gold and silver.
Farming was a secondary source of
wealth that was growing rapidly.
With increased demand for labor,
slave like systems known as
encomienda and mita were used
to force Native Americans into
labor positions.
The Catholic Church in Latin
America
The Catholic Church gained control over
many parts of colonial Latin America
due to the determination to Christianize
the native population
Jesuits formed missions in Latin America.
These Missions acted as both Christian
missions and profitable businesses
The church also built Cathedrals,
hospitals, and schools in Latin America.