Pacific Ocean
• 400-1300, Polynesian peoples from Malay Peninsula go to:
• New Guinea, Melanesia, Easter Island, Hawaii, New Zealand
• Not accidental voyages but colonization
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)
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
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
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