The Age of Exploration 1500-

1800
Ch. 13; p. 428
Part one Exploration & Expansion
Spanish & Portuguese started exploring first, followed by the Dutch, French,
& English.

Marco Polo had ignited the fever in the 1200’s.

REASONS to explore/expand:
• Expanding trade

• Religious zeal: Hernan Cortes wanted to spread the catholic faith

• GOD, GLORY, AND GOLD because of an increase in resources and

advancements in technology.
 A race for riches
Portuguese: 1520; west coast of Africa looking for a route to
India, nicknamed the Gold Coast. Vasco da Gama went to India,
gathered spices, and made several thousand percent profit,
soon overtook spice trade from Muslims.
Spanish: Christopher Columbus sailed west in search of India,
thinking the circumference of the earth wasn’t as large as
everyone thought. Thought he was IN India but--1492–Cuba
Ferdinand Magellan - first person to span the globe.
Went around South America; landed and killed in
Philippines.
Florentine: Amerigo Vespucci wrote about the new land, where
we get the name America.
 ● Aztec (Montezuma) ruled
Central America but many city
states wanted independence
from them. Spanish

Spanish Empire (Cortes)took advantage of this.

● Cortes was driven back to Spain

Conquistadors: conquerors of
but left small pox, which
Americas
made the Spanish able to go
back and rule.
Conquest of the Inca Columbian Exchange:
Spanish (Pizzaro) also brought steel exchange of plants/animals
weapons, gunpowder, and horses to the
Inca. Small pox also decimated this empire. between Europe & Americas
By 1550, most terrify in Mexico, Central, & S.
America controlled by Spanish.

Queen Isabella granted Spanish landowners the right

to use native Americans as laborers--Encomienda

Many native Americans died of European diseases,

for which they had no natural resistance.

The Spanish found new rivals in search of trading rights in the Dutch, French, and
English— Caribbean Islands
Stop
Part 2 The Atlantic Slave Trade
Trade, Colonies, & Mercantilism: in less than 300 years,
EXPLORATION truly changed the world: world economy

Open books to p. 440

● Slave trade: slavery had been around since ancient times; slaves
Copy definitions of--
were usally servants in homes. America and Cane Sugar changed
Colony:
everything
Mercantilism:
Balance of trade: 1. Plantations: large agricultural estates 1st established in Brazil in
Subsidies: 1500’s. CANE SUGAR=LABOR INTENSE

2. Triangular trade: EUROPE GUNS & CLOTH AFRICA PEOPLE

AMERICA TOBACCA, MOLASSES, COTTON, & SUGAR

3. Middle passage: trip from Africa to America (high death rate)

4. Sources of enslaved Africans: at first prisoners of war were sold,

http://www.history.com/shows/root
s/season-1/episode-1/the-middle- but as demand grew, traders moved inland
passage
Effects of Slave Trade
● Depopulation of some areas

● Deprived areas of youngest &

strongest men and women

● Increased warfare due to raids

on other communities for
slaves to sell
STOP
Part 3: Colonial Latin America
● Social Classes: Peninsulares: top class/gov’t officials born in Europe.

Creoles: Descendants of Europeans born in Latin America/controlled business

Labor: Spanish & Portuguese lived with Native Americans & African people.
Intermarriage was permissible.

Mestizos: offspring of Spanish/Portuguese & Native Americans

Mulattoes: offspring of Spanish/Portuguese & Africans

● Economic Foundations: Gold & Silver sent back to Europe but Farming was long-lasting
source of prosperity.

● State and Church: Spain & Portugal had difficulty managing these empires due to geography.
They appointed viceroys to carry out policy. Spain & Portugal also were determined to Christianize
these lands.