January 16th European Exploration and the Contours of Contact Major Questions 1 Why did Europeans explore in the 1400s 2 What happened when Europeans met Native Americans 3 How did Europeans and Native Americans react to contact Outline 1 Why did Europeans explore a Experience with colonization b Religious warfare Peninsula i Mediterranean Sea They had already colonized a lot of land around the Mediterranean Sea ii Sugar Only the wealthiest people used it and only on special It won t grow in most of Europe because of the climate occasions 1 2 Was found on the Eastern end of the Mediterranean during the 12th and 13th centuries and moved over to Cyprus in 1300s where they start growing it there with the Orthodox Christian slaves doing the work 3 1400s Moves west and start growing in Sicily then moves west again to North Africa and Southern Spain i 1492 Reconquista Effort to drive Moors out of the Iberian 1 Century long effort 2 In the 1200s the Moors took over Southern Spain and Spain was recovered as part of the Reconquista 3 King Ferdinand funded Christopher Columbus trip to spread Christianity as part of the reconquista 4 Spain justifies wars against the Native Americans because they are non Christian infidels ii When they enter unclaimed territory The Requerimiento the requirement is read out loud and demands are made 1 Declares Spanish sovereignty over land 2 Declares all people are subject to God and the Catholic Church 3 Threatens total warfare if resistance of any kind These are all written and read in Spanish so Native people cannot understand iii 1420s 1460 Prince Henry the Navigator and Portuguese Exploration He funded exploration beginning in 1920s 1 Wants to bypass overland trade routes that go through c Trade Mostly gold ivory and slaves Muslim territory i In the 1400s there were innovations in the organization of trade 1 Specialization textiles Florence quickens the pace of trade which gives rise to merchant class 2 They develop a system of credit which makes long distance trade more efficient ii Asian markets have all luxury goods Silk porcelain and iii 1453 Ottomans conquer Constantinople and rename it especially spices Istanbul Consequences 1 Ottomans cut off European access to overland trade routes 2 Merchants start looking for new investments 3 Cut off access to European slave labor d Science and technology Caravel i Sailing and navigation Quadrants hourglasses compasses the 1 1450s Quadrant system used for first time to accurately determine latitude 2 Compasses are improved 3 Caravel Light fast ship with triangular latten rig sails which allow to sail into a headwind ii 1450s movable type early printing press is developed Christopher Columbus s two main goals To convert non Christian infidels Asian spices 2 What happened when Europeans met Native Americans a Columbian Exchange The most important event EVER in human history The reintroduction of Europe and Americas in 1492 and the exchange of plants animals and cultures that follow i 1492 Made landfall in the Bahamas and within 200 years wiped out 95 of the population ii Europe is the first power to exploit vast resources of Americas iii Epidemic diseases The most important element is the exchange of disease measles influenza smallpox1 1 Kills 95 of people Survivors are physically and psychologically scarred Once you are a survivor you acquire immunity to the disease If exposed you have an 80 chance of getting it and once you get it there is a 40 chance of death 1 Smallpox symptoms include fever backache vomiting red spots that turn into stinking pustules and can lead to blindness and suffocation 2 Virgin soil epidemics Why European diseases are so hard on native people When a disease hits virgin soil everyone is exposed at the same time 3 Mostly affects the prime age which affects everyone They can t take care of young or old can t reproduce can t work can t hunt or gather iv Plants and animals Provide farm labor meat milk and cattlery 1 Europeans take away tomatoes chili peppers pumpkins peanuts potatoes and corn 2 Corn is the most important because it quickly becomes a staple of the world which leads to a population boom v Labor Turn to Africa for labor force since most of the population in North America gets wiped out pretty quickly 1 12 million people are sent from Africa which is the largest ever forced migration vi Columbian Exchange also includes cultural conflict 3 How did Europeans and Native Americans react to contact a Indians i Death and social breakdown Death of the Indians makes it more difficult to resist colonization and communities can t make it on their own ii Formation of tribes The Native Americans did not organize themselves this way b Europeans There were two different flavors of European settlers i Bartolome de las Casas Questioned injustice of colonization Had a spiritual awakening and released his slaves and became an advocate for indigenous rights and abolition ii Christopher Columbis God s will is good Others believed that it was God s will that Europe should colonize the Americas