Global Maritime Expansion Before 1450

Pacific Ocean

• 400-1300, Polynesian peoples from Malay Peninsula go to:

• New Guinea, Melanesia, Easter Island, Hawaii, New Zealand

• Not accidental voyages but colonization

Polynesian Settlement

Easter Island

Indian Ocean

• Malay people settle Madagascar

• Rise of Islam gives Indian Ocean trade a boost. Networks of trade develop throughout area.

• Zheng He’s Indian Ocean voyages (reflection of Ming success)

Atlantic Ocean

The Vikings: Northern European raiders attacked coastal European settlements for several centuries.

Also settle Iceland 770, Greenland 982 and Newfoundland. Cold returns after 1200 sends these settlements into decline

• Some African voyages of exploration (Mali)

Viking Ship

European Expansion

• Iberian (Portugal and Spain) expansion overseas has several motives - religious (crusading), economic (the Italians had a much higher portion of Asian trade), and political (expand newly consolidated nations) – God, Glory, Gold

• Maritime technological advances make it possible (caravel and astrolabe)

• To this must be added individual ambitions and skill of Henry the Navigator

Iberians (Portugal & Spain) take risks (they use from China- magnetic compass & from

Greeks or Arabs - astrolabe) • Portuguese draw on Crusading tradition

• Henry is head of Orders of Christ

• 1415 Ceuta, Morocco - can’t get to trans Saharan gold trade

Portuguese Caravel

Vasco Da Gama

Spain - not planning like Portugal, but lucky

• Too busy uniting realm, driving religious minorities out & conquering Muslims

• Columbus 1492 • 1513 Balboa Pacific• 1522 Magellan circumnavigates globe sees

Moluccas (Spice Islands) are Portuguese• Lays basis for Spanish colonization of

Philippines after 1564

Encounters with Europe

• Early Portuguese exchanges with Africans on Gold Coast beneficial to both sides

• Benin & Congo (two largest kingdoms) invite Portuguese. Try Christianity - like the guns but for Kongo weakness means monopoly on slave trade lost - both limit contacts with Portuguese. Slave trade goes further South

E. African leaders suspicious of Portuguese

• 1505 bombardment of Swahili coast justifies attitude

• Weakened Christian Ethiopia assaulted by African Muslim backed by Ottomans who conquered Egypt in 1517

• Portuguese aid saves Ethiopia

India

• Da Gama makes little impression• Portuguese intend to assert control over once open

Indian Ocean - take Goa, Malacca• Attempt to force tax & Portuguese transshiping.

Emperors of China & Mughal India ignore this• Ottomans attack - fails• Portuguese never have complete control of Indian O.,

but domination of key ports & trade routes makes Portugal profit.

Americas

• Columbus to Hispaniola - 2nd trips slaughter, rape, loot, kill tens of thousands of Arawaks

• Horses, germs, body armor, steel sword, muskets• Conquistadors - 1519 Cortes - Aztecs (Montezuma)• Pizzaro - Incas - Atajualpa 1536 fall. • 50 years after Columbus, Spanish dominance complete (not

true in Asia and Africa). Forced labor, forced conversion & systems for administering conquered land developed in Reconquest

• Encomienda: Amerinidians divided among settlers and forced to provide labor or goods

Aztecs Hosting Cortes

Pizarro Seizing Inca