Rivals on the World Stage, Colonial Expansion, & Columbian Exchange

My Explorer is better than your Explorer!

European exploration led to the growth of capitalism in the European nations. This influx of revenue allowed these countries to develop into world powers politically and economically. The earlier achievements of Asia, especially China, were overshadowed by the growth of European countries. However, the establishment of these trading networks and continued colonial expansion affected the relationships between the European nations as each strove to become the richest and the most powerful. These overseas empires and trade networks were not established peacefully in many cases. Instead, they were formed through coercion and negotiation.

Map of Colonial Empires in 1700

Colonial Powers

Spanish – Spain was the leader of the European Countries and the dominant state when it came to colonization in the 16^th century. They established colonies in both North and South America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.
France – In the 17^th century, France established colonies in North and South America as well as the Caribbean.
England – England established colonies in North America, Southern America, and the Caribbean.
Netherlands - The Dutch established a colony in both North and South America.
Portugal – The Portuguese established a colony in South America.

Conflict and Rivalries

All of this competition for colonization led to a competition for trade. This inevitably led to conflicts and rivalries among the European countries in the 17^th and 18^th centuries.

War of Spanish Succession – At the beginning of the 18^th century, the Spanish king, Charles II died without any children. He named the French Philip, Duke d’Anjou as his successor. Phillip was the grandson of Louis XIV. Louis invaded the Spanish Netherlands. This caused the Grand Alliance, which was led by the Hapsburgs of Austria to go to war with France. They were fearful of a French/Spanish alliance. Land was won and lost, especially in the area of the Holy Roman Empire and the Netherlands but eventually, France and Spain were defeated and lost much of their power while the power of Britain increased because France was no longer in a position to serve as a leader on the continent.

Map of the Grand Strategy of the War of Spanish Succession

Treaty of Tordesillas – In 1494, Spain and Portugal were the only European countries to have a presence in the New World. However, there were conflicts and Spain wanted to keep Portugal from claiming land. The Catholic Church, specifically Pope Alexander VI, issues a bull, or proclamation that established a line that was drawn vertically down a map of the world. Spain was given rights to anything west of the line which would include most of North America and South America while Portugal was east of the line.

Image of map regarding Treaty of Tordesillas

Making Money

With the goal of making money, it should come as no surprise that European world powers quickly set to establishing commercial networks once they were able. The Treaty of Tordesillas (mentioned above) gave the Portuguese power over Spain to create trading networks in Africa. They did this by setting up trading posts along the African Coast as well as in South America in the late 15^th century and into the 16^th century. At one time, they were the major suppliers of African slaves to the Spanish colonies, having obtained contracts, known as asiento, from the Spanish to do so. The Treaty of Tordesillas, however, did not account for later European powers who wanted to establish trading facilities in Africa, such as the English. The English will eventually replace the Portuguese as the largest transporter of African slaves to the Americas.

This growth of trade leads to a shift in dominance of the seas. During the Renaissance, one of the major training cities in Europe was Venice but later, other cities on waterways such as London, Bristol, Amsterdam, and Antwerp became major economic centers and centers of trade.

Photograph of Venice's Grand Canal

An excellent example of the impact of colonial exploration and trade on Europe would be the Columbian Exchange. When Spanish explorers, such as Pizarro and Cortes, encountered the Mesoamerican people, they were presented with an enormous amount of goods that they had not yet encountered. New foodstuffs such as tomatoes, corn, turkeys, squash, and potatoes were taken back to Europe and used to feed a growing population. Tobacco, which was plentiful in the New World, was a luxury good that was in high demand. The Europeans brought wheat, cattle, horses, pigs, and sheep to the New World as well.

infographic of the Columbian Exchange.

However, not all of the exchanges between the Europeans and the Indigenous people of the world were beneficial. The Spanish brought smallpox and measles to a population that had absolutely no immunity to them. These diseases, common in Europe, served as a death sentence for the people of the Americas. The death rate was extremely high in many places and caused the destruction of indigenous civilizations. This led to the dominance by Europeans as the indigenous people didn’t have the numbers or the ability to resist. The destruction of the native peoples of the Americas left a labor void that was eventually filled by African slaves, thereby increasing the number of enslaved people.

Watch John Green's Crash Course European History video over this time period. There is a wealth of information that will assist you in your notes. You can access the video from the links below; you will need access to Youtube to view.

Watch Crash Course European History - Expansion and Consequences

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In your notes, respond to the following questions.

Why did Europeans start exploring? What were their primary goals at first and how did they shift over time and why?

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PHOTOGRAPH OF VENICE'S GRAND CANAL BY PEDRO SZEKELY VIA FLICKR (CC-BY-NC)