Sea-Based EMPIRES ESTABLISHED [AP World History Review—Unit 4 Topic 4]

Summary

This video explores the rise of European Maritime Empires and their motives: wealth, religious conversion, and global dominance. It discusses how Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, and Britain established control over trade routes in the Indian Ocean, impacting local economies and cultures. The script also covers resistance from Asian states like Japan and China, and the significant role of African states like the Assante Empire and the Kingdom of Congo. It further examines labor systems in the Americas, including chattel slavery, indentured servitude, and the encomienda and hacienda systems, highlighting the racial dynamics and brutality of the transatlantic slave trade.

Takeaways

• 🌍 European powers, motivated by Gold, God, and Glory, developed Maritime Empires, leading to intense rivalry between nations.
• 🚢 The Portuguese established a trading post empire by using heavily armed ships to dominate the Indian Ocean trade routes.
• 🇪🇸 The Spanish built full-blown colonies, using tribute systems, taxation, and coerced labor similar to their methods in the Americas.
• 🇳🇱 The Dutch, with their fluyts, quickly replaced the Portuguese as dominant traders in the Indian Ocean.
• 🇬🇧 The British initially struggled to control India but later transformed trading posts into colonies, setting the stage for future dominance.
• 🔄 European intrusion into Indian Ocean trade led to increased profits not only for them but also for local merchants, though there was significant resistance, especially from Japan and China.
• 🏯 Japan expelled Christian missionaries and suppressed the faith, while China isolated itself from European trade influence.
• 🦁 African states like the Asante and Kingdom of Congo grew rich and powerful through trade partnerships with Europeans, but the relationships eventually deteriorated.
• 🌱 In the Americas, European colonies relied on agriculture, using systems like mita, encomienda, and haciendas, alongside new labor systems such as chattel slavery and indentured servitude.
• ⛓️ The transatlantic slave trade introduced significant changes, with a focus on male slaves for plantation labor, and the racial component of slavery led to the brutal treatment of enslaved Africans.

Q & A

What were the main motives for European states to establish Maritime Empires?

The main motives were to acquire wealth (Gold), to spread Christianity (God), and to gain glory by becoming the greatest state in the world.

How did the Portuguese establish their dominance in the Indian Ocean?

The Portuguese established their dominance by loading their caravels and carracks with large guns and using force to control trading networks.

What was the difference between the Portuguese and Spanish methods of establishing their empires?

While the Portuguese focused on setting up small trading posts, the Spanish established full-blown colonies and used tribute systems, taxation, and coerced labor similar to their methods in the Americas.

How did the Dutch come to dominate the Indian Ocean trade?

The Dutch took over from the Portuguese by using similar methods of force and control, and they became known as the kings of the Indian Ocean trade.

What was the initial British approach to establishing a presence in India?

The British initially set up a few trading posts along the coast of India, as they lacked the military power to take over from the Mughal Empire.

How did the European domination of the Indian Ocean trade affect the local merchants?

The European domination introduced significant change but also continuity, as local merchants continued to use the trade network and saw increased profits due to the European entrance.

What were two examples of resistance to European intrusion in the Indian Ocean trade?

Two examples were Tokugawa Japan, which expelled Christian missionaries and suppressed Christianity, and Ming China, which implemented isolationist trade policies and expelled the Portuguese.

How did the Assante Empire in West Africa benefit from its partnership with Europeans?

The Assante Empire became very wealthy by providing goods like gold, ivory, and enslaved laborers to the Portuguese and later the British, which enabled them to expand their military and consolidate their power.

What was the impact of the kingdom of Congo's economic relationship with Portugal?

The kingdom of Congo became massively enriched through its economic relationship with Portugal, which involved providing gold, copper, and enslaved people, and the king and many nobles converted to Christianity.

What were the four new labor systems introduced by Europeans in the Americas?

The four new labor systems were race-based chattel slavery, indentured servitude, the encomienda system, and the hacienda system.

How did the Atlantic slave trade differ from the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean slave trades?

The Atlantic slave trade was more massive in size, had a racial component where slavery became identified with Blackness, and the enslaved were treated more brutally, often with violence.