Ways of the World: Chapter 14 Summary

Europeans and Asian Commerce

• Europeans wanted commercial connection with Asia
• Columbus+Vasco De Gama both seek route to asia
• SPICES

Portugues Empire of Commerce

• Indian Ocean commerce highly rich and diverse
• Portuguese did not have goods for effective competition  → Portuguese began piracy
• Portuguese created "trading post-empire"
• wanted to control commerce not territories
• operated by force of arms
• many settled in Asian or African ports

Spain and the Phillipeans

• Spain first to challenge Portugal's control of Asian trade
• Establishment of Spanish base in Phillipeans
• Spain introduced forced relocation, tribute, taxes, unpaid labor

East India Companies

• dutch and English entered Indian ocean commerce
• soon displaced the Portuguese → competed with each other
• both dutch and English organize private trading companies  to handle Indian ocean trade
• chartered by their government
• had power to start war and govern conquered people
• Dutch focused on Indonesia
• English focused on India

Dutch East India Company

• controlled shipping and production of: cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace
• seized small spice producing islands and forced to sell only to dutch
• Dutch killed / enslaved almost entire population → replaced with Dutch planters and slaves

British East India Company

• not well financed, not as good as Duch E.I. company
• couldnt get into spice islands
• major trade settlements in India

Silver and Global Commerce

• china → growing demand for silver
• value of silver skyrocketed
• silver centeral to world trade
• bulk of worlds silver supply ended in China
• Spanish silver brought to Europe used to buy asian good
• silver bought African slaves and spices
• "piece of eight"
• silver enriched Spanish monarchy
• ***caused inflation in Spain

The "World Hunt": Fur in Global Commerce

• Europes fur bearing animals diminish
• intense competition for furs in N. America
• French  → great lakes, St. Lawrence valley, Mississippi river
• dutch → New York

NORTH AMERICAN FUR TRADE

• Europeans traded with indians for furs or skins
• beavers+others driven to near extinction
• trade profitable for indians  → received goods of real value
• fur trade  → higher levels of inter-Indian warfare

** Native Americans became dependent on European goods → many traditional crafts lost

The Atlantic Slave Trade

• 11 million Africa → Americas
• millions die in process
• led to mixed societies
• metaphor for social oppression
• slave status inherited
• driven by European demand
• Europeans traded with African merchants

Sugar

• sugar production work was difficult and dangerous - perfect job for slaves