European EXPLORATION and EMPIRE-BUILDING [AP Euro, Unit 1 Topic 6 (1.6)]
Summary
TLDRThis video explores the motivations behind European colonization and empire-building from 1450 to 1648. The classic reasons—gold, god, and glory—are examined through the lens of mercantilism, the economic system driving the quest for wealth. Colonies were seen as a means to accumulate gold and silver, while also providing raw materials for trade. The script discusses the influence of the Catholic and Protestant churches in spreading Christianity, and the competitive drive for glory among European states. Technological advancements in cartography, shipbuilding, and navigational instruments facilitated the establishment of maritime empires.
Takeaways
- 🏴☠️ European exploration and colonization from 1450 to 1648 was driven by the pursuit of wealth, religious expansion, and the quest for glory.
- 💰 The economic system of mercantilism, prevalent in Europe during this period, emphasized the accumulation of wealth, particularly gold and silver, through a favorable balance of trade.
- 🌍 Mercantilism led to the establishment of colonies as a means to acquire more gold and silver, as well as to provide raw materials for trade and industry back in the imperial state.
- 🛳️ Technological advancements in shipbuilding, such as the development of the caravel, and improvements in navigational instruments like the magnetic compass and astrolabe, facilitated maritime exploration.
- 📚 The influence of the Catholic Church and later the Protestant Church was significant, with the spread of Christianity serving as a motivation for exploration and a tool for control over indigenous peoples.
- 🛍️ European demand for luxury goods from Asia, such as porcelain, spices, and tea, was a driving factor, as the high prices due to Ottoman control of land routes necessitated the search for sea routes.
- 🗺️ Advances in cartography resulted in more detailed and accurate maps, which were made widely accessible through the printing press, aiding in navigation and exploration.
- 🛃 Jean-Baptiste Colbert's mercantilist policies in France, including the abolition of domestic tariffs and the imposition of steep tariffs on imported goods, exemplify the economic strategies of the time.
- 🏛️ The Reconquista and the Protestant Reformation influenced Spain's motivation to spread Catholicism and assert its dominance over Protestantism through exploration and colonization.
- 🌐 The concept of glory and state power competition led European nations to establish empires as a means to score points in the global power hierarchy.
- 🏝️ The European empires that emerged were maritime in nature, relying on sea-based trade and colonization, which required new technologies and strategies for success.
Q & A
What was the time period of European exploration and empire building discussed in the video?
-The video discusses the period from 1450 to 1648.
What were the classic reasons given for Europeans to explore and establish colonies?
-The classic reasons were gold, god, and glory.
What economic system was dominant in Europe during the time of exploration and how did it influence exploration?
-Mercantilism was the dominant economic system, which saw the world's wealth as a fixed pie and motivated states to acquire more gold and silver by maintaining a favorable balance of trade.
How did colonies contribute to a state's wealth according to mercantilism?
-Colonies provided raw materials that could be shipped back to the imperial state, made into goods, and sold back to the colonial people, thereby bringing gold back to the state.
Who was Jean-Baptiste Colbert and what was his role in French mercantilist policy?
-Jean-Baptiste Colbert was France's Controller General and a key figure in implementing mercantilist policies, such as abolishing domestic tariffs and enacting steep tariffs on imported goods to promote French industry.
What was the European demand for luxury goods from Asia and how did it influence exploration?
-European elites craved luxury goods like porcelain, spices, and tea from the East. The high prices due to Ottoman control of land routes motivated European states to find sea routes to Asia for direct trade.
How did the influence of the Catholic Church and Protestant Church affect European exploration?
-The close intertwining of culture and faith in European states led to a desire to spread Christianity to distant lands, which was a motivation for exploration and the establishment of colonies.
What was the role of missionaries in the context of European exploration and imperialism?
-Missionaries, such as Jesuits, were sent to convert indigenous people to Christianity, which was often used as an instrument for control and subjugation by imperial states.
What is the significance of Bartolomé de las Casas in the context of European exploration and indigenous peoples?
-Bartolomé de las Casas was a Jesuit priest who defended the rights of American Indians and worked to improve their conditions under the imperial regime, although he did not extend the same sympathy to enslaved Africans.
What was the third motivation for European exploration mentioned in the video?
-The third motivation was glory, as European states competed with each other for power and the establishment of empires became a measure of state power.
What technological advancements facilitated the establishment of maritime empires by European states?
-Advancements in cartography, shipbuilding such as the caravel, sail technology like the lateen sail, and navigational instruments like the magnetic compass and astrolabe were crucial for the establishment of maritime empires.
Outlines
💰 Mercantilism and the Quest for Wealth
This paragraph delves into the primary motivation behind European exploration and colonization between 1450 and 1648, which was the pursuit of wealth, particularly gold and silver. The economic system of mercantilism is highlighted as the driving force, with its belief in a finite global wealth and the need for a favorable balance of trade. The paragraph explains how establishing colonies was a strategic move to increase a nation's wealth by exploiting natural resources and creating a trade surplus. Jean-Baptiste Colbert is introduced as a key figure in French mercantilist policy, emphasizing domestic production and high tariffs on imports to bolster the French economy. Additionally, the paragraph touches on the European demand for luxury goods from Asia and the challenges posed by the Ottoman Empire's control over land trade routes, which spurred the search for sea routes to Asia.
🚢 Technological Advancements in Maritime Exploration
The second paragraph focuses on the technological advancements that facilitated European maritime exploration and the establishment of sea-based empires. It discusses improvements in cartography, leading to more accurate and detailed maps that were widely accessible due to the printing press. The development of the caravel, a fast and navigable ship designed specifically for trade rather than warfare, is highlighted as a significant innovation. The introduction of the lateen sail, which allowed for more efficient use of wind from various directions, is also mentioned. Furthermore, the paragraph covers the adoption of navigational instruments such as the magnetic compass and the astrolabe, which were borrowed from Muslim and Chinese navigators, and their importance in maintaining direction and calculating latitude during sea voyages.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡European Colonization
💡Mercantilism
💡Balance of Trade
💡Jean-Baptiste Colbert
💡Caravel
💡Latin Sail
💡Magnetic Compass
💡Astrolabe
💡Reconquista
💡Jesuit Missionaries
💡Maritime Empire
Highlights
Europeans established colonies and built empires from 1450 to 1648, driven by motivations such as wealth, religion, and glory.
The classic answer for European exploration is 'gold, for God, and for glory'.
Mercantilism was the dominant economic system in Europe, viewing world's wealth as a fixed pie to be divided.
Wealth was measured in gold and silver, leading to the goal of accumulating as much as possible in national coffers.
A favorable balance of trade was essential, meaning more exports than imports to bring gold into the state.
Colonies were seen as a means to acquire more gold and provide raw materials for trade.
Jean-Baptiste Colbert exemplified mercantilist policy, aiming to reduce imports and promote French industry.
European demand for luxury goods from Asia was high, but the Ottoman Empire controlled the land routes, inflating prices.
The desire to spread Christianity, especially after the Reconquista and the Protestant Reformation, fueled exploration.
Jesuit missionaries were sent to convert indigenous people, but attitudes towards them varied.
Glory and state power competition led to the establishment of maritime empires as a measure of success.
Maritime empires were sea-based, requiring new technologies for exploration and trade.
Advancements in cartography made maps more detailed and accurate for better navigation.
The caravel was developed for fast and navigable shipping, distinct from warships.
The lateen sail allowed ships to take wind from any side, improving maneuverability.
The magnetic compass and astrolabe were adopted for more accurate navigation and latitude measurement.
European exploration and empire building were facilitated by a combination of economic, religious, and political motivations, as well as technological advancements.
Transcripts
so eventually europeans went out all
over the world establishing colonies and
building empires from 1450 to 1648 and
in this video we're going to consider
why they did it and how they did it so
if you're ready to get them brain cows
milked then let's get to so first why
did europeans go out in this age of
exploration to conquer lands and set up
empires well the classic answer is this
they did it for gold for god and for
glory so first let's talk about gold as
a motivating factor for exploration you
know silver was in there too but you
know the point is they went out
exploring because they wanted
wealth boom shut up gorilla anyway in
order to understand this motivation you
have to know about something called
mercantilism which was the dominant
economic system of europe during this
time period the controlling idea behind
mercantilism is that it saw the world's
wealth as a pie and that has two
implications first there's only a fixed
amount of pie therefore second if i want
a bigger slice of that pie that means
somebody else has to get a smaller slice
of that pie and that makes sense when
you realize that they measured wealth in
terms of gold and silver and of course
there's only a finite amount of gold and
silver in the world and so the goal of
mercantilism then was to get as much
gold and silver into the national
coffers as possible so in order to do
that states had to maintain what was
known as a favorable balance of trade
and that meant that a state needed to
have more exports than imports and it's
easy to understand why if a state is
importing a lot of goods then where is
that gold going it's going out of the
state but if the state is exporting a
lot of goods to other places then where
is the gold going it's coming into the
state now what does this have to do with
european exploration well to put it in
proper academic historical terms a
metric butler during this period
european states began to recognize that
establishing colonies was a sure means
to getting more gold not only did
colonies themselves have deposits of
gold and silver but they also provided
raw materials which could be shipped
back to the imperial state made into
goods and sold right back to the
colonial people and if they're selling
goods to the colonial peoples what's
coming back into the country any guesses
yes that's right it's gold so the point
is mercantilism was a major motivating
factor for european exploration and if
you want an example of this and i know
that you do then let me introduce you to
my boy jean baptiste colbert who was
france's controller general and kind of
the poster child from mercantilist
policy colbert aimed to create policies
in france that enabled french industry
to create everything the people needed
so they didn't have to import those
goods from elsewhere and in order to do
that he abolished domestic tariffs and
enacted steep tariffs on other imported
goods if you're scratching your head
wondering what a tariff is it's just a
tax on imported government so colbert
raised taxes on imported goods like a
madman and that means the french people
will be more likely to buy french-made
goods since they were cheaper
additionally under colbert's guidance
france claimed a bunch of territory in
north america the most significant of
which was quebec and the louisiana
territory now briefly the other thing we
need to talk about under the heading of
gold is the european demand for luxury
goods from asia elite europeans had a
craving for eastern porcelain and spice
and tea the problem was that the muslim
ottoman empire controlled the land
routes over which those luxury goods
would travel into europe therefore the
prices of those goods were exceedingly
inflated that became a motivation for
european states to try to find a sea
route to asia so that they could trade
in that market on their own terms okay
now the second motivation for european
exploration was god and it's hard to
overestimate just how much influence the
catholic church and the later protestant
church had over european states their
culture and their faith were bound so
tightly together that it was difficult
to tell where one stopped and the others
started and so that made certain states
want to spread christianity into distant
lands case in point spain so by 1492
they had completed the reconquista in
which they were able to drive jews and
muslims from their land and by the time
of the protestant reformation there was
a desire to see catholicism in the
ascendant position over protestantism
and that provided a motivation for the
exploration via the sea and as they
found their way to the new world they
sent jesuit missionaries to convert
indigenous people but you should know
that many of them thought of the
indigenous people as lesser humans and
thus suitable for forced labor that way
christianity became an instrument for
control and subjugation in the hands of
imperial states but not all jesuits held
that belief for example jesuit priest
bartolome de las casas mounted elaborate
defenses on behalf of american indians
and worked to make their life under the
imperial regime less harsh a sympathy
that he did not hold for the enslaved
african people that would show up later
but we'll talk about that in another
video all right third motivation for
exploration glory the idea here is that
european states were in competition with
one another in terms of power and once
the establishment of empires became the
scoreboard for state power european
states tried to grab as many of those
points as possible okay now these
empires that were born out of european
exploration were a new kind of empire
namely maritime empire and that just
means they were sea based and not
land-based as so many empires in world
history had been up to this moment if
you're going to build a sea based empire
you're going to need new technology and
so let's talk about a few of the big
tech advancements during this period
first were advancements in cartography
which is to say map making up to this
point maps especially for navigating the
sea were kind of vague and in some cases
inaccurate but by this period maps were
becoming far more detailed and accurate
and thanks to the printing press
becoming widely accessible second were
new kinds of ships for example the
spanish and the portuguese developed the
caravel which was very fast and highly
navigable prior to this ships kind of
did like double duty like they could
carry cargo but they also had to be able
to be converted into warships as well
that meant that they didn't do either
particularly well but the caravel was
made only for shipping and trade
although they you know could be armed
but that wasn't their purpose and these
ships were fast because of new sail
technology namely the latin city this
was a triangular sail that could take on
wind from any side not just from the
back like a square third were more
accurate navigational instruments for
example europeans adopted the magnetic
compass and the astrolabe from muslim
and chinese navigators the compass
helped sailors to keep their direction
true while the astrolabe helped give an
accurate reckoning of latitude so all of
that put together is how and why
europeans began exploring via the sea
and establishing maritime empires now
click right here to keep watching more
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catch you on the flip-flop heimler out
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