LECTURE 9 HST 111 9 26 12 CLASS NOTES The Portuguese were keen on exploring They came in contact with Muslim traders on the African coast who traded slaves Slavery was a common feature of cultures than interacted with Africa Europeans had a theory that slavery by capture was legitimate Muslims were dependent upon slaves for their armies Two way street sometimes Muslims would barter for European slaves sometimes Europeans would barter for Muslim slaves Within Africa people were captured and enslaved then sold these slaves were captured in tribal wars The papacy which allowed Portugal to explore allowed slave trade Africans coming into European countries were a novelty and were often purchased and enslaved by wealthy families European white people were curious about the African slaves The discovery of the Azuls and the Canary Islands changed things The economic value of these islands made slavery a wholesale commercial exploitation business instead of just a small trade Both these islands were very hot so the Europeans found the slaves well fit to perform agricultural labor in these conditions The expansion of the sugar trade continued to grow dramatically which further made slaves a commercial business The effects of the slave trade on Africa varied from area to area Certain areas were depopulated Tribes and cities lost their strongest men and women a whole generation lost Because of the price of slaves and the need to keep a supply line led to increased tribal warfare in Africa In Bnin in the 16th century this nation was a great cultural treasure of Africa Gradually Bnin was drawn into the slave trade the population declined warfare increased the Bnin peoples lost faith in their gods artistic achievements diminished and turned more to human sacrifices When the British arrived at the end of the 19th century to colonize Bnin they found a violent unreligious and uneducated society It took decades to discover how great Bnin used to be Contact with Asia was very light Asia was too far away to send many armies troops or supplies So Europeans could not colonize Asia Spices were thought to have medicinal powers By 1650 four large trading posts had been established This was the start of a world economy developing Indian made cotton goods were carried to the East Indies there they were bartered for spices which were then taken back to Europe The East India Company was so successful because it was backed so heavily by the government The Columbian Exchange Crops from the Americas exported to Europe Plants and animals exported from Europe to the Americas Plants native to the Americas transplanted to Europe Imported animals chicken cow became important foods in the Americas Most plants in the Americas are only a few hundred years old Much of the European diet became dependent on New World foods plants Spain was trying to create a new Spain in South America Contact with the new world created intellectual and philosophical problems for the Europeans Spanish set out on making a new world created 190 new cities all modeled on cities from Spain In Mexico City and Lima the universities founded were pretty much equal to those in Europe 30 40 of native populations in the Americas were wiped out due to European disease Key points Initial phases of exploration Asia trading Americas conquest Africa importance of slavery A New World Order Columbian Exchange Views of indigenous peoples ungodly devils demons cannibals Recreation of Europe in the New World