World History II
Early Modern Era 1450-1750
Age of Empires
The Early Modern Era, from 1450-1750 is also known as the Age of Empires.
Although empires had existed previously, such as the Aztec and Inca empires, this section focuses on empires created by European and Asian societies
The age begins with the exploration of the New World of the Americas by the British, French, Spanish and Portuguese
Great Age of Exploration
European nations looked across the Atlantic for lands that had abundant natural resources and trade goods.
The original object was not to colonize, merely to explore, but colonization followed soon after as it became apparent that great wealth could be obtained in the New World
Voyages were funded and colonies founded for three reasons….God, Glory, and Gold
“We came here to serve God and the King
…and also to get rich”
European Advantages
European explorers had improved mapmaking, navigational tools, ship design, and weapons, including gunpower and other innovations from China and the Near East.
The Spanish brought horses with them, allowing them to quickly subdue native peoples who had never seen this animal.
Another advantage was that some native civilizations had factions within them that were willing to ally with the newcomers to help destroy the existing native power structures.
The Great Dying
The biggest advantage the Europeans had over the native people was one they weren’t aware of: Europeans brought with them various germs and diseases the native people had never been exposed to and thus had no resistance against.
New World natives were exposed to smallpox, measles, typhus, yellow fever, malaria and influenza, as well as diseases carried by the livestock the Europeans brought with them.
These diseases decimated the native population by as much as 90%.
A contemporary wood cutting of native Americans dying
from smallpox, circa 1500
The Great Dying
Within 50 years of Columbus’ landing in the Caribbean, the local Caribe Indians vanished entirely.
Central Mexico’s population before the Spanish arrived had been between 10-20 million. In less than one hundred years it had dropped to about one million.
According to some accounts, the Pilgrims who landed on Plymouth Rock found a ready-made village with empty huts and some crops in the field…with the bones of the dead scattered everywhere.
“By God’s visitation, a wonderful plague!”
The Columbian Exchange
Besides diseases, Europeans brought crops such as wheat, rice, sugarcane, grapes and other vegetables and fruits, and livestock such as horses, cattle, goats, pigs and sheep.
All of these things changed the ecosystems around them.
Horses in particular changed the history of North America, as some Indian tribes became dependent on them and grew more warlike as a result.
Columbian Exchange
From the New World to the Old World, sailors brought back tomatoes, squash, beans, peanuts, corn and potatoes as well as tobacco, coffee and chocolate. New diseases such as syphilis came back with these sailors, also.
The new crops were very successful in the European climate, allowing the population to explode.
Population in Millions
Europeans 1400 1900 60 390
Empires in the Americas
Mercantilism was prevalent; the colony existed for the sole purpose of making money for the mother-country.
Natives were often enslaved, or if necessary, slaves were brought in from elsewhere (usually Africa).
Money was made from agriculture and mining
Spanish Empire
Spain took over the areas of the Aztec and Inca empires, which were densely populated. These natives were often enslaved and forced to convert to Catholicism
Spain used the hacienda system with rich landowners being in power and paying very low wages to the natives who were denied many rights.
Where the Spanish interbred with natives, a mixed-race class called mestizos resulted.
Spanish colonies focused on agriculture and mining. They send massive quantities of gold and silver home to Spain, making it the richest nation in Europe for a time.
Spanish gold coins from the New World
Portuguese Empire
Portugal found its New World fortune in the production of sugar. Because raising sugarcane and creating sugar from the juice was extremely labor-intensive, many slaves were imported from Africa to augment surviving natives.
In some Caribbean and South American areas, African populations now outnumber indigenous people.
Where Africans and Europeans mixed, the resulting class were called mulattoes.
English Empire
Colonies founded by the English were not always founded just to make money but sometimes to exercise religious or political freedom.
Because the soil and climate in the first English colonies would not support slavery, it wasn’t used. Family farms were the norm instead.
Many English settlers were Protestant and had a strong streak of independence.
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Jeanette Pellegrin (JP) -
Russian Empire
As the Mongul empire began to weaken, Russia rose as an independent state.
Russians banded together to protect themselves from further invasion. The Russian nation became the largest in the world.
Pastoral lifestyles in many areas of the empire faded away as Russian became increasingly agricultural.
Russian Empire at its height
Peter the Great’s Reforms
Peter was tsar from 1689-1725
Reforms made to modernize Russia included creating a more modern administration of government, improved educational systems (for sons of nobility; not for everyone); increase in industries
Russian nobles had to dress like and adopt mannerisms of other European nobles, including being clean-shaven- or pay a beard tax
Peter the Great
Asian Empires - China
China’s final dynasty, the Qing (or Manchu) Dynasty, ruled from 1644-1912.
The Manchus were not actually Chinese, they were Manchurian. To keep bloodlines pure, they were not allowed to interbreed with Chinese.
They practiced cultural tolerance, allowing conquered peoples to keep most of their customs, religions and languages.
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A portrait of a Qing Emperor
Asian Empires- India
In India, the Mughal Empire (1526-1707), which was Muslim, unified the area but allowed native Hindus to live peacefully.
Akbar, the empires’ best emperor, encouraged other religions to exist and gave more rights to women.
His successor, Aurangzeb, undid most of these reforms which created unrest. When he died, the empire began to fracture and eventually lost power to England.
Asian Empires- Ottoman
The Ottoman Empire was created from the Turks. Traditionally, the ruler of the empire was considered to be the defender of the faith of the Muslim religion.
Women traditionally had few rights under this empire, under Muslim (sharia) law.
The holy cities of Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem were all within this empire.
Ottoman Empire
Two differing factions of the Islamic religion, the Sunni and the Shia, could not coexist peacefully for long.
In 1453 the Christian city of Constantinople, seat of the Byzantine Empire, fell to raids by the Ottoman Turks and became known as Istanbul.
The Ottoman Empire became large enough to threaten Germany and Austria
Ertogrul, the first ruler of the Ottoman Turks
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