During the 16th and 17th centuries, the trade networks of Afro-Eurasia expanded into a truly global economy, where once isolated civilizations were now actively involved in global relations. Expeditions, expansion, conquest, and colonization, specifically by Western Europe, brought the Americas, Atlantic islands, and West Indies into the world network for the first time. Not only did this surge bring new crops, animals, and products into the trade network, it also created new economic techniques, like slaveholding. The period also saw once economically powerful nations lag behind, as Western Europe became a dominant force after a major shift in power. The economy of the 16th and 17th centuries differed from the previous trade networks because …show more content…
Not only did these lands allow the production of familiar goods, they also introduced exchange, like the Columbian Exchange, where new crops, animals, culture, and disease were transferred between the Americas and Afro-Eurasia. Equally important was the theme of colonization and exploration; many countries, especially the ones of Western Europe, set sail to find new lands to conquer or colonize. They even set up enclaves in areas where strong control was unobtainable and established trading companies, like the Dutch East India Company. This theme led to the end of the America’s isolation and established a system of international inequality, where many areas depended on economically strong nations who made profits through their control. One last noticable difference of the world economy of the 16th and 17th centuries was the profit-making techniques; the new land allowed the expansion of the production of cash crops, which led to increased slaveholding and ultimately the slave trade, which provided unfree
The author Daniel Henry Usner Jr brings the lower Mississippi Valley before 1783 into focus and delivers a coherent story of the complex social and economic history that is entangled into the Lower Mississippi Valley region. Usner reveals in this monograph the daily interactions between Europeans, Africans, and Indians in early colonial America. The study concentrates on the region along the Gulf Coast and depicts the frequent changes of political power beginning with the occupation of the French from 1699 to the early 1760s, and then the divided occupation of the Gulf Coast between the Spanish and the British from the early 1760s until the early 1780s. Usner does a notable job of exploiting the active participation in the local and regional
The early modern era only is 300 years, but some profound and long-lasting changes happened during this time. The western hemisphere was able to be in continuous contact with the eastern hemisphere for the first time. Technological innovations, political organization were strengthened, and economic wealth all contributed to the transformation of world trade patterns. With the technology advancements and the enthusiasm of political leaders to invest in, it made sea based trade exteremely important. Soon, land based empires lost their power to the new sea based powers.
Beginning at the end of the fourth century, Germanic tribes invaded the Roman Empire, causing a decline in trade, education, and cities, along with population shifts. This time of chaos became better known as the Medieval Period or the Middle Ages, which lasted from about the 5th century CE to the 14th century CE. Europe suffered greatly from the German invaders around 400 to 600 CE. Clovis, the king of the Franks, a Germanic tribe, integrated Christianity to the culture due to the influence from his wife Clotilde. Due King Clovis’ reign, monasteries were being built due to the newly formed relationship between the monarchy and the Church.
Exploration to the New World led to greedy rulers wanting more. There were many new resources and opportunities to make money; for example tobacco, sugar, and even minerals. Because of the demand for these crops, the Europeans needed someone to do the work. With the Native American population drastically declining, the Europeans had to find another source of labor so they turned to the African Americans. This began the slave trade where millions of slaves were taken from Africa to other areas as a source of income.
Economic interactions within the Atlantic Basin changed from the trade of primarily raw agricultural goods to manufactured goods as a result of industrialization. Mercantilism was an important part of Europe’s economic interactions during the Early Modern era. Mercantilism is the action of gaining a favorable balance of trade (allowing the mother country to become self-sufficient), and in order to do so, Europe colonized the Americas to gain resources, land, and another source of income. Britain and France were able to colonize the eastern coast of North America, while Spain and Portugal were able to colonize much of the Caribbean and Latin America. Colonization gave Europe full control over the colonies’ political, economic, and social interactions.
The major theme that dominated most of the chapter was the exploration and the colonization of land. European’s endeavors to expand its state and seek economic resources in the past molded the modern day global society. Europe’s explorations were solely economic based; the will to impose their beliefs and obtain as much as possible. Europe benefited the most of all the explorers at the cost of many others.
Europe was the strongest Economic power in the 1500s because of the Age of exploration, Protestant work ethic and the Dutch east India Company . The Age of exploration began when the west European people were being heavily taxed on all imports coming from the silk through the ottoman empire, So the Europeans saw only one solution find another route to the silk road. The most influential naval Explorers at this time were the Portuguese and the Spanish or at that time know as the kingdom of castile. By the 1500s Portugal was occupying much of costal Africa they had even circumnavigated the continent of Africa where they began the slave trade giving them copious amounts of money. When both these countries reached the shores of the Americas
Throughout the Age of Imperialism, many European countries colonized other parts of the world, and in doing so, altered the social and economic stability within
Christopher Columbus’s discovery allowed Europe to trade goods that was never seen or used before and also provide the indigenous people with goods they have never used or seen before. This made European countries more profitable and the more land they acquired, the more powerful they were. Unfortunately, not all of the alter of future history is good. With the discovery of the New World, not only were things traded from Europe and the New World, but people from Africa were traded as well. This would be known as the Columbian
Marielle Apronti Prof. Oscar Williams AAFS 311 4 March 2018 The Trans-Atlantic slave trade was the most important factor when considering the early development of European capitalism. The arrival of the Portuguese to the West African Coast and their establishment of trading and slave ports throughout the continent set in stone a trend of exploitation of Africa 's labor and human resources. Europeans greatly benefited from the Trans-Atlantic trade, as it allowed them to aggregate raw materials such as sugar and cotton to manufacture products that funded the Industrial Revolution. In the book “Capitalism and Slavery” by Eric Williams he addresses the origin of “Negro” history, the economic and political impact of slavery in Great Britain, the role of the American Revolution and the decline of slavery in Great Britain.
The Atlantic world from 1492 to 1750 experienced economic and social transformations due to new contacts among the major continents that bordered the Atlantic Ocean. Western Europe, Africa, and the Americas saw dramatic economic and social changes caused by the slave trade, the increase of trade, and the Europeans “discovery” of America. The Atlantic world experienced great Economic changes created by the new global connections established between continents that allowed the expansion of trades, slave trades, and the claiming of land. Due to the new found connections the participants of trade all over the world brought home new goods, mainly from Europe, and materials previously never seen before or goods they were in need of.
• The Slave Trade was already occurring where Arab merchants and even Africans traded them o Slaves from father away were more expensive because they could not run back to their native tribes or be rescued o Slaves were mixed so they could not resist o African cultures and tribal identities were lost • Arab and African practices were learned by the Portuguese that had slaves work on sugar plantations • The plantation economy with commercial agriculture and slave labor formed the New World • The Portuguese still looked for a water route to Asia •
Labor systems have been the foundation for civilizations since the beginning of time. Who did what and how they benefited each other, in other words, specialization of labor, came to be a defining factor in whether a society was truly a civilization or not. Most great civilizations were founded on agricultural labor systems, and societies with no systematic format on their workforce were seldom able to take the main stage in world history. Between 1450 and 1750, the Americas began to mark their place in the world, proving they were just as relevant as Europe, Africa, or Asia. The labor systems established during 1450-1750 were key factors in how they were able to do so.
7. Sepoy Rebellion (542) The Sepoy Rebellion occurred during British control of India. The East India Company enforced its economic dominance and political authority with sepoys, a name for Indian soldiers. However, these sepoys revolted in 1857.
European colonization of other parts of the world was affected by mercantilism due to its ability to strengthen a nation through its attribute to increase wealth. Increased wealth always helped make a nation stronger by building a stronger military and helped it expand the nations influence and supported the lives of others. Its wealth was increased due to the new goods introduced to Europe which was able to be sold to other countries who lacked this good and was able to make a profit from it. Not only that but through mercantilism businesses of all kinds were able to expand and continued to shape up the economy.