Columbian Exchange
What is the Columbian Exchange?
The Columbian Exchange is the exchange of goods, ideas, diseases, and people between the Old World (Afro-Eurasia) and the New World (Americas)
What nation led European exploration?
Portugal
What was the Treaty of Tordesillas?
The Treaty of Tordesillas divided the world into Spanish and Portuguese influence. It officially granted Brazil to Portugal, while granting the rest of the New World to Spain.
Identify TWO American cash crops
- Tobacco
- Sugar
- Indigo
- Cotton
Why did Europeans seek out slaves in Africa?
European sought slave labor from Africa due to the majority of the Native American population dying out due to disease and mistreatment. African populations were also largely immune to many of the Old World diseases that so devastated the Native American populations.
Identify TWO major effects of cash crop production
- Use of coerced and forced labor (encomienda, etc.)
- Deforestation and environmental degradation
- Demand for enslaved laborers from Africa
- Creation of Atlantic Triangular Trade
Who was Vasco Da Gama?
Vasco Da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who circumnavigated Africa, became the first European to sail to India, and opened up the Indian Ocean to Portuguese (and European) trade
Describe Aztec and Incan religion and society
The Aztec and Incan peoples were polytheistic and believed in ritual sacrifice to their gods (though to greatly varying degrees). The Aztecs lived in Mexico and their society revolved around conflict and extracting tribute from conquered tribes. The Incas lived in the Andes Mountains and their society was much more bureaucratic and administrative in nature.
What is a mestizo?
A mestizo is a person of "mixed race" in Spanish colonial America, with one parent being of European descent and the other being of Native American descent
Describe the Middle Passage
The Middle Passage was the "middle" portion of the Atlantic Triangular Trade in which enslaved Africans were forcibly transported from Africa across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas
How did the New World contribute to Old World population change?
Food and livestock from the New World led to better nutrition and thus a dramatic population increase once transported to the Old World
What is mercantilism?
Mercantilism is an economic policy that supports restricting trade between foreign nations and promoting trade between nations and their colonies. Colonies serve to provide resources and wealth for the mother nation, who then use the population of the colonies as markets.
What was the cause of the decimation of the Native Americans?
Old World diseases like smallpox, influenza, measles, and plague decimated the Native American population, wiping out up to 90% of the New World's population
What is the difference between the creoles and the peninsulares?
What led to the destruction of the Kongo?
The Kongo and other major African states collapsed largely due to European slave-raiding undermining the authority of their rulers
How did the silver trade influence global exchange?
Why didn’t Europeans engage in exploration prior to the 15th century?
Europeans did not have access to the necessary navigational technology like compasses, astrolabes, backstaffs, and lateen sails until the 15th century. They likewise did not possess the necessary knowledge of wind and ocean currents, nor did they have access to modern charts and maps.
How did the Spanish conquer the Aztec and Inca people?
The Spanish allied themselves with Native American tribes and communities conquered and exploited by the Aztec and Inca empires, giving them a chance to "overthrow" their rulers. The Spanish likewise relied on their advanced gunpowder weaponry.
What was the mit’a system and how did the Spanish use it?
The mit'a system was a forced labor system originally utilized by the Inca to construct infrastructure and undertake public works programs. The Spanish used it to recruit labor in South America and force conquered peoples to work in the silver mines for a portion of the year.
Describe the African diaspora
The African diaspora was the (forced) migration of 10 - 14 million Africans out of their homeland in Africa and into the Americas. The African diaspora led to the spread and codification of African American cultural traditions and religious beliefs.
Identify THREE goods found in Old World and THREE goods found in New World
OLD WORLD: Horses, cows, pigs, honeybees, wheat, grapes, apples, oranges, peaces, bananas, coffee
NEW WORLD: Maize, tobacco, tomato, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers, beans, pumpkins, turkeys, chocolate
Identify THREE major motivations for European ocean exploration
- Access to new resources and goods
- Access to new trade routes and markets
- Spread Christianity and European influence
- Establish a nation's geopolitical power
- Earn fame and fortune for the navigator
Describe the encomienda system
The encomienda system was a system of coerced labor in which conquered Native American peoples were compelled to mine silver or grow cash crops for Spanish landowners. In return for their labor, the Spanish were supposed to Christianize and protect the Native Americans.
How was colonial society structured?
- Peninsulares
- Creoles
- Mestizos (varied)
- Native American
- Enslaved Africans
Describe the Triangle Trade
The Atlantic Triangle Trade was a trade network connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Natural resources and raw materials were transported from the Americas to Europe, manufactured goods were transported from Europe to Africa, and slaves were transported from Africa to the Americas.