Peer to Peer Chapter 1 and 2 Hist 1102

1. Why was Portugal able to take an early lead in the exploration of the Indian Ocean? How did such a tiny country gain supremacy over the trade in that region? When and how did they lose that supremacy?

2. What was Columbus's goal in setting forth across the Atlantic in 1492? Was his voyage successful?

3. What were some of the new trade goods entering the world markets in the sixteenth century? How would European demand for these products affect overseas trade and colonization?

4. What were some of the positive aspects of the Columbian Exchange? What were some of the destructive aspects of this exchange? Give some specific examples.

5. To what extent did Martin Luther create the Protestant Reformation? Or was he simply the right man at the right time?

6. How does the Enlightenment alter perceptions toward the natural world? Toward religion?

7. What are some the reasons suggested for the widespread persecution of suspected witches in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries?