Lecture 2: Early Globalization: The Atlantic World

Summary

In this lecture, the focus is on early globalization and the Atlantic world from 1492 to 1650. The discussion covers early exploration, Spanish supremacy, and the Columbian Exchange. It delves into the impact of European powers like Portugal, Spain, and later England and France, on the New World. The lecture highlights the exploration journeys, the establishment of colonies, and the cultural and environmental exchanges that shaped the development of societies.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The lecture focuses on early globalization in the Atlantic world from 1492 to 1650, emphasizing the importance of understanding how and why events occurred rather than just the 'what' and 'when'.
• 🏰 The map of Europe during this period is significant as it illustrates the various powers and competing interests that led to exploration and colonization efforts.
• 👑 Portugal was the first European nation to start exploring, with Prince Henry the Navigator leading many voyages to Africa and India, creating detailed maps and learning about the local cultures.
• 🛳️ Spain quickly followed Portugal's lead in exploration, with Christopher Columbus undertaking four voyages, initially believing he had found a route to India but instead discovering the Americas.
• 📚 The script highlights the importance of examining the general themes within the time period, such as exploration, Spanish supremacy, and the Colombian Exchange.
• 🏔️ The vast landmasses of North and South America were gradually explored by the Spanish, who were the first to establish permanent colonies and exploit the resources, particularly gold and silver.
• 🤝 The Spanish crown had a monopoly on the New World for a long time, but this was challenged by other European powers like England and France who arrived later in the 1600s.
• 💼 Spain's exploration and colonization efforts were driven by competition, the desire for wealth, and the opportunity to evangelize and convert the native populations.
• 🚢 Spanish naval superiority was eventually challenged by England, leading to a shift in power dynamics and the involvement of other European nations in the New World.
• 🌾 The Colombian Exchange, named after Columbus, involved the transfer of goods, animals, and diseases between the Old World and the New World, significantly altering societies and environments on both sides.
• 😷 The introduction of European diseases to the Americas had devastating effects on the native populations, who lacked immunity to these new illnesses.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Lecture Two for History 2013 US History to 1865?

The main focus of Lecture Two is early globalization in the Atlantic world, covering the years 1492 to 1650 and examining themes such as early exploration, Spanish Supremacy, and the Colombian Exchange.

What is the significance of the map shown at the beginning of the lecture?

The map is significant as it illustrates the various powers and people living in Europe during the time, highlighting the competing interests and the environment of confrontations and competitions that led to exploration and colonization.

Who was the first European nation to begin exploring the world, and what was their approach?

Portugal was the first European nation to begin exploring the world, with most voyages led by Prince Henry the Navigator, who focused on mapping and understanding the African coast and beyond.

What was the primary motivation for Spain to follow Portugal in exploration?

Spain was motivated by the potential for finding goods, riches, and wealth, as well as the opportunity to establish a presence and compete with other European powers in newly discovered territories.

How did Christopher Columbus's voyages contribute to the understanding of the New World?

Columbus's voyages led to the discovery of the Caribbean islands and the realization that there was a large landmass between Europe and Asia, which was not India as initially thought. His voyages set the stage for further exploration and colonization by Spain.

What challenges did Spain face in maintaining its monopoly over the New World?

Spain faced challenges such as pressure from the Ottoman Empire, religious conflicts within Europe, and eventually, competition from other European powers like England, France, and the Netherlands, who began to establish their own colonies.

What was the impact of the Colombian Exchange on the Americas?

The Colombian Exchange introduced new goods, animals, and diseases from Europe to the Americas. The diseases, against which the native populations had no immunity, led to significant depopulation, while the introduction of new crops and animals altered the environment and agricultural practices.

How did the presence of gold and silver in the New World influence European exploration and colonization?

The discovery of gold and silver in the New World was a major driving force for European exploration and colonization, as these precious metals represented wealth and power, motivating countries like Spain to establish colonies and exploit these resources.

What role did religion play in the exploration and colonization of the New World?

Religion played a significant role, with the spread of Christianity being one of the motivations for exploration and colonization. Missionaries accompanied explorers and colonizers to evangelize and convert the native populations.

Why was there a shift in the balance of power among European nations in the New World?

The shift in power was due to factors such as the rise of other European nations' naval capabilities, competition for resources, and the desire to challenge Spain's monopoly, leading to a more diverse and contested landscape in the New World.

How did the Colombian Exchange affect the Old World, particularly in Europe?

The Colombian Exchange brought new crops and goods from the Americas to Europe, such as potatoes and maize, which became staples in various European diets. It also led to the spread of diseases from the Americas, although Europeans had developed immunities to many of their own diseases, which had a devastating impact on the Americas.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Early Globalization and Spanish Supremacy

This paragraph introduces the lecture's focus on early globalization and the Atlantic world from 1492 to 1650. The lecturer emphasizes the importance of examining themes and systems of power, and how things change over time. The main topics discussed are early exploration, Spanish supremacy, and the Colombian Exchange. The lecturer also highlights the significance of the map in understanding the various European powers and their competing interests. The first European nation to explore is Portugal, led by Prince Henry the Navigator, who made significant voyages and discoveries, particularly around Africa. Spain follows closely, with a focus on Christopher Columbus and his four voyages, which led to the discovery of the New World and the establishment of permanent colonies.

05:01

🚢 Christopher Columbus and the New World

This paragraph delves into the voyages of Christopher Columbus and their impact on the New World. Columbus's four voyages are detailed, showing the different routes he took, initially following the Portuguese route and eventually venturing into uncharted territories. The lecturer discusses how Columbus and his crew misunderstood their discovery, initially thinking they had reached India, hence the term 'Indians' for Native Americans. The paragraph also covers the Spanish exploration and colonization efforts, which led to the discovery of vast landmasses in North and South America. The lecturer mentions the religious aspect, with missionaries coming to evangelize the Native American population. Spain's monopoly on the New World is highlighted, with other European nations not arriving until the mid to late 1600s.

10:02

🏰 Spain's Challenges and the Colombian Exchange

This paragraph discusses the challenges Spain faced during its exploration and colonization of the New World. The lecturer mentions the constant war with England and the religious and cultural changes happening in Europe, such as the Protestant Reformation. Spain's rivalry with England is highlighted, as well as the pressure from the Ottoman Empire. The paragraph also covers the wealth and power Spain gained from its colonies, which led to increased competition from other European nations. The Colombian Exchange is introduced, explaining how it involved the transfer of goods, animals, and diseases between the Old World (Europe) and the New World (the Americas). The impact of diseases from Europe on the Native American population is emphasized, as they lacked immunity to these new illnesses.

15:05

🌱 The Impact of the Colombian Exchange

The final paragraph focuses on the long-term effects of the Colombian Exchange. The lecturer explains how the exchange of goods, grains, and animals between the Old and New Worlds led to significant environmental changes. The example of potatoes being introduced to Ireland from South America is given to illustrate how these exchanges could have profound impacts on societies and their agricultural practices. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the transformative effect of the Colombian Exchange on the development of societies in both the Old and New Worlds.

Keywords

💡Early Globalization

Early globalization refers to the initial phase of worldwide interconnectedness, primarily through exploration, trade, and cultural exchange. In the video, this concept is central to understanding the historical context of the period from 1492 to 1650, as it sets the stage for the exploration and subsequent interactions between Europe and the Americas.

💡Atlantic World

The Atlantic World denotes the network of interactions across the Atlantic Ocean, encompassing Europe, Africa, and the Americas. In the video, this term is used to describe the geographical focus of the lecture, highlighting the interconnectedness and exchange of goods, ideas, and people that shaped the early modern world.

💡Systems of Power

Systems of Power refer to the organized structures through which authority is exercised in society. The video discusses how these systems were in flux during the period, with exploration and colonization adding new layers of competition and dominance among European nations, particularly England, France, and Spain.

💡Exploration

Exploration is the act of traveling into unknown or unvisited regions to learn about them. In the context of the video, exploration is a key theme, as it led to the discovery of new lands and the beginning of the Columbian Exchange, fundamentally altering the world's geography and cultural landscapes.

💡Spanish Supremacy

Spanish Supremacy refers to the period during which Spain held a dominant position in exploration and colonization. The video script mentions how Spain, particularly through the voyages of Christopher Columbus, was the first to establish a significant presence in the Americas, impacting the course of history.

💡Columbian Exchange

The Columbian Exchange describes the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World following Columbus's voyages. The video emphasizes this exchange as a transformative event that had profound effects on both Europe and the Americas.

💡Prince Henry the Navigator

Prince Henry the Navigator was an important figure in the Age of Discovery, leading numerous exploratory voyages along the coast of Africa. The video script highlights his role in pioneering the techniques and routes that would later be pivotal in the exploration of the New World.

💡Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, opening the way for widespread European exploration and the eventual conquest of the Americas. His voyages are central to the video's narrative, as they mark the beginning of the Columbian Exchange and the era of European colonization.

💡Indigenous People

Indigenous People refers to the first inhabitants of a particular region, in this case, the Americas. The video discusses the impact of European exploration on these populations, including the forced labor and the devastating effects of introduced diseases to which they had no immunity.

💡Disease

Disease, in the context of the video, refers to the illnesses that were transferred from Europe to the Americas during the Columbian Exchange. The video explains how the lack of immunity among indigenous populations led to massive depopulation due to diseases such as smallpox.

💡Religious Involvement

Religious Involvement denotes the role of religious institutions and beliefs in historical events. The video mentions the spread of Christianity as part of the European colonization process, with missionaries often accompanying explorers and settlers to convert indigenous populations.

Highlights

Lecture two covers early globalization and the Atlantic world from 1492 to 1650.

The focus is on general themes rather than specific historical events.

Early exploration and Spanish Supremacy are the two main topics discussed.

Portugal was the first European nation to explore, led by Prince Henry the Navigator.

Prince Henry's voyages resulted in an accurate map of Africa and insights into its cultures.

Spain followed Portugal's lead in exploration, with Christopher Columbus making four voyages.

Columbus's voyages aimed to find a route to India but led to the discovery of the Americas.

Spain was the first to establish permanent colonies in the New World.

Spanish explorations extended from the Caribbean to the United States, Mexico, and South America.

The Spanish saw indigenous people as subservient, leading to their exploitation.

Religious involvement in the New World included missions to evangelize Native Americans.

Spain had a monopoly on the New World for several years, with no competition from other European powers.

England's rivalry with Spain was fueled by jealousy and competition over resources.

The Ottoman Empire's pressure on Spain added to their challenges.

Spain's naval superiority began to wane as England developed a robust navy.

The Dutch, English, and French eventually joined Spain in establishing colonies in the New World.

The Columbian Exchange, named after Columbus, involved the transfer of goods, animals, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds.

Diseases from Europe decimated indigenous populations in the Americas due to lack of immunity.

The exchange of crops and animals had significant environmental and societal impacts.

Transcripts

hello everyone and welcome to lecture

two for history 2013 US History to 1865.

today in lecture two we're going to be

covering early globalization the

Atlantic world so again where this is

going to be our first lecture that we're

looking at teams across time and not

necessarily a specific time frame last

week we did last week we talked about

um the specific time period of free

history to 1492. now we're going to

start looking generally we're going to

start looking at examining those themes

looking at systems of power what's going

on how do things change constantly

asking ourselves how and why right not

necessarily what and when how and why

generally today in this lecture we're

going to be covering the years 1492 to

1650 but don't freak out we're not going

to be like in 1493 this is what we said

right we're looking at General themes

that happen within this time period here

let's go ahead and get started by

looking at what's going on today we only

got two topics today early experience

sorry early exploration in Spanish

Supremacy and number two the new world

and the Colombian Exchange you'll notice

that Colombia in here is spelled like

Christopher Columbus and not the country

of Colombia um that's on purpose a

little bit of a spoiler alert there

all right so getting ahead and getting

started with topic one here we're gonna

start looking at early exploration and

Spanish Supremacy now we're going to

look at this map here now I'm sure

you're thinking like what the hell why

are we looking at all this I can't even

pronounce half of these

um and you're right

you're right these a lot of these don't

exist now even today anymore

um right we don't have the Holy Roman

Empire

um we don't have Castile we don't have

the Ottoman Empire right so why are we

looking at this particular map

we're looking at this map because it

gives us an idea of how many different

powers how many different people are

living and existing in Europe

and how many rulers and people are

fighting with each other have competing

interests want to get the leg up want to

get above each other here right so we

know generally that we're going to be

talking about England France and Spain

right when we talk about Spain we're

actually considering we're actually

talking about

um this country here Castile

um Spain eventually will become a

unified presence here of um Castile

naraha Aragon and Granada here that

eventually will be become the modern day

of Spain but this time as primarily here

Castile

um so why why are these three

particularly moving out why are they

going away

this is why they've got so much to

compete with here everyone's on top of

each other everyone's primed for

confrontations and competitions and

eventually like we said in in lecture

one

um exploration and then colonization

will be another layer of that

competition between them here

the first to kick us off the first

European nation to kick us off uh with

exploring is actually going to be

Portugal so going back to that map here

for a second Portugal is this really

tiny country here right to the west of

Castile they're gonna be the first ones

to actually set out and start

intentionally exploring the world here

um so these are the maps of those first

Explorations here they're all going to

be led a majority of them will be led by

Prince Henry the Navigator he is the

Crown Prince of Portugal and he just

loves to sing he loves exploration and

so he because of all his voyages and all

of his his uh findings he'll eventually

be labeled Henry the Navigator

um and So eventually he will go make

these round trips primarily to see

what's going on out here on the water

right what's going on with Africa what's

going on here eventually he will make a

round trip from Portugal all the way

around the bottom of Africa over to

India and then back

um and during this navigation

um he is encountering the people all

along this side of Africa for the first

time

ever for the first time ever

um and so bringing back a huge map an

accurate map of what Africa looks like

um as well as information about the

cultures and the people that exist in

those areas of Africa here that he had

just found for the first time

um and then Spain will be right on the

heels of Portugal

um Portugal will get through a few of

their voyages be like hey this is

actually a pretty viable way of

navigating a viable way of finding goods

and riches and wealth and Spain will be

right on their heels for it they'll just

take off right after them we actually

have here in Spain to a lot more than

this but we have four voyages here of

Christopher Columbus because he is one

of the reasons better or worse why we

are here today specifically in our

geographical locations

um and he is going to have a series of

four voyages

um we're not going to get into the

specifics of Christopher Columbus the uh

textbook does do that so in your

textbook reading you'll you'll get a

little bit more specific information

about him

um but what we want to look at here is

the the different routes that they're

taking right they're following the

Portuguese route here and eventually

they're saying all right time to do it

we're gonna go into no man's land

they thought that they would end up in

India hence you know why we refer to

Native Americans in North America as

Indians

um but we we don't know we don't know

how long it's going to take we don't

know exactly where we'll end up

um and so it is kind of lucky that he

stumbles upon these islands uh he'll

make the first route here and then

eventually turn back and go back to

Spain the second and the you'll see he's

he kind of goes a different route every

time he's going deeper and deeper down

right they don't think necessarily about

going up right they think that once they

realize that this is not India which is

pretty early on

um whenever they don't find

any Indian Goods they

know that these are a set of islands

here

they try to go past it they think it's a

set of islands in the middle between

them and Spain

uh I'm sorry between them and India so

they go they run into Central America

here then they're like oh there's

actually more land here let's figure

this out and so that final voyage is

like okay we need to go under that land

that we encountered and then they just

encounter more land and so pretty pretty

quickly pretty early on they had this

understanding that there's a huge land

mass in between them and India but I

really don't know how huge this land

mass is and they'll find eventually

Spain's gonna be the first ones to set

up permanent colonies in these areas and

from those permanent colonies they'll

begin doing land uh Explorations and

they'll go all over into the United

president United States all over Mexico

and even into South America that that

will take them a lot longer

um because of the environment in South

America

and so what we get is from 1492 when

Christopher Columbus has first contact

with the the people on the islands in in

the Caribbean

all the way through 1605. we're still

exploring this land

we're still trying to figure out how to

get to the other side of this land it

takes forever because that is how huge

the land masses of North and South

America are

and so Spain and the other European

countries it's kind of not worth it for

them except for the fact of all the

foreign Goods specifically the gold and

the silver that they find here right the

things that keep them coming back

it's also beneficial to them because

they find a race of people that they are

able to use

um and that's not me editorializing

that's direct quotes from Columbus's

Diaries and and sailors from him his um

his voyages that they don't see these

people

as real people

they see them as people that they're

able to control people that they are

able to make subservient to them and so

these are the people that are actually

doing the hard work throughout all of

this time

and eventually we get

um religious involvement as well here

um that that also comes over to uh

Mission uh and evangelize to the Native

American people here

so what does this mean for Spain well

Spain

has a pretty big majority Monopoly on

the new world for a long time for

several years they are the only ones

worried about working on trying to get

anything out of this new world remember

our uh first

um set of English and French Sailors

colonizers are not going to arrive until

the later mid to late 1600s so up until

the early 1600s Spain has free reign

over all of this territory

um they're just going everywhere they're

looking at everything they're finding

everything they're recording everything

and they're bringing it back to Europe

which gonna it's just gonna Intrigue

those other people right there's a Meme

here about that Spanish uh arrival in

the new world here with Cortez saying do

you know who just Jesus Christ Aztecs

who Cortez and there seems to be no sign

of intelligent life anywhere which is

pretty accurate right not necessarily

for that reason but that's how the the

the

um

the the

treatment of these people come from is

that they are not seen as people of

intelligence I went back to Europe for a

second so Spain has this Monopoly going

on but it also has a near constant War

uh with England

[Music]

um

it's not a good time for England and

Spain here so between the 14 and 1500s

there's a huge amount of stuff going on

uh in England we have religious uh

people in change this is the time of the

Protestant Revolution which is I'm sorry

the president Reformation which is going

to change across Europe the way that

governments are run the way that

monarchies are

selected and entrusted and the way that

all of the society the culture is run

and done

um we're going to have more and more

people here there's gonna be more

movement of people between countries and

within countries which means that we're

going to have a lack of space and

opportunity for these people so they're

going to want to start looking elsewhere

they want to go out somewhere else to

find what they can't find and get from

themselves in in their European uh uh

countries and areas finally the people

in England are going to have jealousy of

Spain they're gonna have a huge rivalry

going on during these times and that's a

historic you know going on even prior to

the 1400s they're just going to have

this lot of back and forth that

one-offmanship that competition that we

talked about in lecture one is going to

make them want to go ahead and and try

to get the jump on Spain especially once

Spain is taking over and having all the

success in the new world here they're

going to be see that and be jealous of

that

Spain on the other hand is going to have

these other problems coming in

um they're going to have pressure from

the Ottoman Empire which is going to be

increasing that influx of Islam in their

area which means that they're going to

have a lot of pushback between the the

Catholic Spain and Islamic Ottoman

Empire they're both going to be fighting

for the same territories and same people

um but at the same time we're going to

get those increased wealth and power

from the colonies in Spain that is going

to make them want to continue doing that

and to continue

um showing off to people but they want

to protect their sources right they want

to say oh look at all this gold look at

all these Goods that I have but I'm not

going to tell you where where I got it

from don't go looking over the Atlantic

Ocean right

and then eventually they'll have

dwindling Naval superiority Spain had

been the primary the biggest Navy uh in

Europe for a long time and eventually

England is going to start catching up to

them and England is going to have their

own kind of uh robust Navy that's going

to really challenge Spanish Authority

here so as we have things going on in in

Europe we have these other things taking

our attention in the new world and

eventually that's going to lead to

everybody getting into the new world

right primarily here for our purposes

the Dutch English and French are going

to join Spain here

um and and try to make their own

foothold in these areas and make it just

as successful profitable as Spain has

been doing now this isn't an exclusive

list this is just the list that we're

looking at for our purposes in early

American history but we do have other

countries Scotland tries to set up a

colony uh Portugal will set up several

successful colonies in South America and

we have these other areas of these other

countries that are also trying to do the

same thing but they don't settle in the

same places that we're looking at that

becomes the eventual United States of

America and so you can see Spain quickly

loses that that Authority that that they

have and what eventually happens with

all the European settlements here

is that we have this back and forth

going on we call it the Colombian

Exchange after Christopher Columbus

because he's kind of our guy that kicks

us off in the new world here

and we have things being brought over

from the old world from Europe into the

new world the Americas

and then things from the new world the

Americas being brought back to the old

world to Europe some of them are good

some of them are very not so good

there's a lot of disease that comes over

from Europe into America

um there are studies that the reason

that Europe has so many sicknesses is

because of the way that Europe

interacted with their farm animals and

raises those animals when you are in

close proximity to animals

you are more likely to pick up

sicknesses from them right

um so you can even look back at recent

examples of such as a swine flu things

like that that because of the way that

Europe developed and developed their

agriculture the the proximity to those

animals is going to increase their

likelihood of developing sicknesses now

the upside of that is that humans can

build immunity to it so Europe after

years of living with their animals has

that immunity to those sicknesses that

come about

in Northern South America even in the

places that we have settled

civilizations we do not have the keeping

of animals in the same way that Europe

does there is a distance between the

humans and the animals in the Americas

and the because along with that is that

we do not have that immunity we do not

have that resistance built up in the

American cultures so when diseases are

brought over from Europe it wipes out

hundreds thousands millions of

inhabitants in the Americas during this

time because they have no build up to it

right they have nothing to do with it to

prevent themselves from getting sick

um What We additionally have here is a

transplant of goods and Grains and

animals that existed at this time only

in the old world in Europe and bring

them over to the new world which causes

environmental change and we have the

opposite happening we have things that

are only in the old world or in the new

world brought over to the old world a

prime example of this is potatoes we

might we might associate now Ireland

with potatoes that's not a native crop

to Ireland that's brought over from

South America and it takes off there

because it works well with their climate

so this exchange happens back and forth

and it truly Alters the way that the

rest of development the rest of society

will develop as we go along through the

rest of this semester

with that this is going to be the end of

lecture two if you have any questions

about this lecture or if you want to see

any of the images or maps that I used

more up close please put a message in

the question form or send me an email

otherwise that's the end of lecture two

and I'll see you guys back here for

lecture three