Notes from August 25

Maritime Revolution

Polynesians settled west into the Pacific
Little is known; few records
Descendants live in places as far apart as New Guinea, Hawaii, and Easter Island
Malayo-Indonesians settled east into the Indian Ocean
Descendants live in places as far apart as Madagascar and China
Evidence that colonies were planned, not discovered by accident
Why were these groups better at seafaring?
Technology was simple but effective

Zheng He (1371-1435)

Chinese Muslim explorer under the Ming Dynasty
The early Ming Dynasty wanted to “re-establish China's predominance and prestige abroad”
Zheng He travelled to important ports in the Indian Ocean
Explored the coasts of the Middle East and Africa
Brought lavish gifts to foreign rulers
Diplomacy
Created demand for Chinese goods
Stimulated interest in the Chinese empire

Atlantic Exploration

Vikings attacked ships and shores throughout northern Europe
Warmer temperatures made navigation easier
Settled Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland before 1000 CE
Mansa Muhammed of Mali reportedly died trying to cross the Atlantic in the 1300s
Amerindian voyagers settled the Caribbean Sea (Cuba, Jamaica) by 1000 CE

Why Explore? (Spain)

Iberian rulers (Spain and Portugal)
Money. Trade between port cities and foreign lands
Religion. Competition between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism
Curiosity.

Ferdinand and Isabella, 1492

January 2: Kicked out the last Moorish (Muslim) king of Granada
March 30: Ordered all Jews out of Iberia unless they become Catholic. Many leave for Ottoman Empire
August 3: All Jews officially expelled. Christopher Columbus begins his voyage
October 12: Columbus lands in West Indies
Why Explore? (Portugal)
Wanted to protect strong fishing economy
History of anti-Muslim warfare
The fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the Muslims
In 15th century, Morocco was politically weak

Henry the Navigator wanted to:

Make Africans Christian
Join up with Christian leaders already in Africa
Start an awesome Crusade against the Ottomans
Henry also started an important navigation school, bringing together centuries of technology and knowledge

European Navigation

Ships: caravel, possibly from the Arab qârib or Roman cara bella
Cartography (maps):
Technology: instruments such as the astrolabe
Exploration made profit through the trade of slaves and gold
Eventually Portugal landed on the eastern tip of Brazil

Intro: The World Before 1500
3 Major Periods:
Antiquity
Middle Ages
*Modern Times (1500-present)
“All historical periods were shaped by natural environment and human technology”
“The capacity to create and change material and intellectual culture marked the beginning of human history”

Atlantic System:

Also known as the Triangular Trade
System of moving goods and people between Europe, Africa, and America
Includes food, slaves, gold
Chartered Companies
Companies got a monopoly in one part of the world, while empires were guaranteed the companies would eliminate foreign competition
Dutch West India Company; Royal African company
Merchantilism:
Colonies exist for the mother country's economic benefit
Capitalism: financial institutions lend money to make profitable investments

Agricultural Revolution:

Americans began to grow their own crops instead of foraging for them.
Led to permanent settlements, population growth
Unlike Europeans, Americans domesticated few animals.
Did lack of exposure to animals make Americans vulnerable to European diseases?

Columbian Exchange:

An ecological transformation (interaction between organisms and their environment)
Europeans brought pigs, sheep, cattle, horses, bananas, oranges, sugar
Americans introduces corn, squash, tomatoes, potatoes to Europeans

Reconquista:

Reconquest of lands in Iberia that used to be Christian. Used similar POV to convert Americans
Conquistadores:
Spanish troops (conquerors)

Creative Adaptations

Americans and Europeans both found advantages for trade
Rare metal goods for Americans
Rare furs for Europeans
Disease may have killed 95% of Americans
Americans unsuitable for slave labor
Left behind large, empty tracts of arable land
American cultures were politically unstable
West African slaves were brought in for slave labor

Ethnocentrism:

1. the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture
2. the tendency to view alien groups or cultures from the perspective of one's own
Both groups thought the other was boorish, savage, dim
Europeans tried vigorously to “civilize” and Christianize Americans; “White Man’s Burden”

French Claim Canada

French and Americans worked as codependents for trading
Harsh winters
French unaccustomed to fur hunting practices
Difficult terrain
Fewer French settlers than Spanish
French in 1700: 15,000 settlers
Spanish in 1650: 250,000 settlers
French were more successful than English in converting Americans to Christianity

Fun Facts
Some Americans thought Europeans were gods because they weren't interested in having sex with their women
Some Europeans compared Americans to the Irish because the Irish were the most uncivilized people they could think of
Americans tried showing respect for Europeans by carrying them on piggyback
Pipe smoking parties lasted about three days
Americans who had never seen swords before often grabbed them by the wrong end
Europeans remixed Indian war dances with fiddles

Imagining the “Other”

“Other”
Different from “us”
Similar to other “others”
What to compare “them” to?
--Marco Polo and the East
--Africa and the Canary Islands
--Classical mythology
--Biblical literature
--Past and modern “barbarians”
“While Europeans found “others” to be different and usually inferior, the “others” the Indians knew tended to be similar or superior.”

Interaction

N. Europeans may have been fishing off the coast of Newfoundland for over 1000 years
Religious beliefs lead to desires for different goods
Pirates worked privately or for government organizations
Both native Americans and Europeans traded objects of lesser value in their society for objects of greater value
The arrival of European fur traders did not create internal trade systems, transportation routes, or trade alliances. They simply turned regional economies into globalized ones

Interdependence

Kidnapping and forced acculturation occurred at the same time as voluntary cultural exchange
Interdependence led to the destruction of distinct “Indian” and “European” identities
If you want to be on good terms with anyone, give them a gift
Water transportation is the most conducive to trade
Demands for goods traded between Indians and Europeans were often created by 3rd parties 1000s of miles away

Most exchanges were completed by experts in trade, facilitating the efficiency and economy of suppliers and customers
All people are inherently greedy, corrupt, curious, and racist
Governments and companies reform themselves to improve their competitive edge

When learning a language, it's best to know the words for:
--Greetings
--Finding things and locating leaders
--Buying/selling
--Getting directions
--Getting laid and swearing
Their stuff is always cooler, and your culture is always the best. None of it lasts long.