The age of discovery had many aspects that made it unique from other time periods. During this time period the networks of trade were formed between people who wanted similar goods. There were religions discovered that did not resemble the religion of the Europeans. Trading also differed for some countries such as Africa, who used the barter system. In the end, the Europeans were appealed by countries that allowed them monetary gain rather than countries who would not serve a purpose for profit.
During the early 16th century the networks between Asia and Europe were based on trade. In fact that was the only reason for the networks between people during this time. It was based on interest. For instance, if the Europeans found something that they liked they would look at other countries to fulfill that desire. This need was fulfilled in Asia. Two countries specifically gave the Portuguese an advantage in trading. These two countries were Japan and China. The Chinese had lots of silk available and the Japanese had silver. The Portuguese wanted silver but the Japanese wanted silk. In order to fulfill this need the Portuguese bought silk from the Chinese and then they sold it to the Japanese for silver. This not only allowed the Portuguese to get the silver, which was in high demand, but they were also able make a profit from the trade. This mentioned when “The Japanese much preferred Chinese silk, weather raw or woven, to their own, as it was of superior quality (C.R. Boxer, 63).”
The trade network involved more than just a few commodities. Aside from trading for silk and silver the Portuguese were also interested in spices. During this time period the spice trade was in India, and the rest of the world did not have access t...
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...people were all about making their money for themselves. The did not care about other people . Even though They have lost many members they just want a way back home. When a child approaches them and tells them that “the goods you stole belonged to my poor unlucky father (Pinto, 102),” they don't care about what he has to say. They just tell him that children should not act like that.
The age of discovery was a time when the Portuguese nations were involved in trade with nations in Asia. While trading they encountered religions that were completely different from their own. Those who had resources that the Portuguese wanted were considered sophisticated nations. As far as sailing goes the Cape of good Hope was a spot that had worked in the crews favor when sailing to India and against them when sailing to Portugal. Piracy was also common around this area.
As shown contextually in document 5, Asia was replacing their barter and tax payment from goods and services to silver. Such a change requires and very large supply and circulation of said precious metal. China was willing to pay a lot for said metal as its new economic system depended on it. In order to cash in on this potential gold rush, for lack of a better word, european nations sought elsewhere for a supply of silver they could control, ultimately leading to the colonization of the Americas and military conquests of isles like the Phillipines and Indonesia. The pattern of the silver trade shifted as Europeans now expanded it to reach more of the western hemisphere by establishing mines in Brazil and other areas. Documents 1 and 3 showcase in detail how connected the west and east now became because of the silver trade, which previously resided in Asia predominantly. Silver went from the mines in the east (Japan) and sometimes isles (Philippines), to the colonies, and ultimately China after the chinese merchant ships would travel to said colonies and pick up the silver. Such an increased connected between the west and east is seen again post-Renaissance. As Europe is going through a revival, it seeks wealth elsewhere, like european nations in the later centuries. Europe begins expeditions and forges relationships with eastern nations
Before the Modern Era, international communication was not prevalent. Many factions were present between distant regions in the world, and regional trade flourished between lands that were close in proximity. Lands in the Americas or South America did not experience a strong connection to lands further east due to these gaps in communication. However, due to the emergence of silver, regional economies all combined to form one global economy. In this global economy, different, distant regions interacted through a common trade. Silver production, common from the 1500s to 1750, helped global interactions flourish. Different regions, specifically China and the Philippines, Spain and its colonies, and England collectively experienced shifts in their societies and economies through a combined need to interpose themselves in this global flow of silver, that was then expanded upon through different methods of gaining silver.
Throughout the Middle Ages, cities in Afro-Eurasia grew as trade centers due to advantages such as faster transportation from the waters of the ocean. Calicut brought merchants together from all around Asia because the government protected them through laws and policies, also of their spices exclusively pepper. As a result of the exchanges happening in Calicut, there was a war between Calicut, Portuguese and Chinese forces heavily armed with men and many lethal weapons. People from China and Portugal wanted to trade for Calicuts specialties, specialties like spices especially pepper that made them more wanted than others. From trading people inherited culture, religion, and ups and downs from trade.
As new ideas traveled main trade routes, such as the Silk Road and the Mediterranean, the effects of such were felt through an influx of contact between countries due to increased desire for new information and countries gaining a larger presence on the world stage. This phenomenon can also be seen through the lens of cultural exchange that took place during this same time period in Eurasia. A major component of the Eurasian trade networks, such as the Silk Road and Indian Ocean, was that they fostered interregional contacts that had ceased to previously exist. When a country had a desire for study or technology, they earned more respect on the global stage. This can be further examined by looking at Marco Polo’s voyage into Asia.
During the 15th century Europe had numerous changes. The population expanded rapidly which gave rise to new classes of merchants. European nations were very wealthy when it came to spices. Therefore, they traded them on the land route from Asia. These land routes were controlled by the Turkish Empire, which lead to many problems for the countries who were trying to trade these spices and acquire other valuables. This then steered them to begin searching for other routes of trade to essentially cut out the “middle man”. A race then began to erupt between many European countries such as Portugal, Spain, France, and England. These four countries all wanted to be the first to discover new land. However, Portugal pulled ahead and sailed along
During the European exploration, which was in the 15th and 16th century, explorers were sailing around to explore, trade, spread, or get new things. These places were throughout Europe (Spain, Portugal, etc.), America (The colonies), and through Asia. These explorers were sailing through the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. These explorations started from Portugal with Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco da Gama and this time of exploration spread to different countries and other explorers such as Christopher Columbus, Hernando Cortez and more. All this exploration was all done with new sailing innovations and navigation schools (which was created by Prince Henry) which taught people to explore and sail across the sea. Some major points of European exploration were the discovery of the new world (America), which was a new place never explored by the Europeans. The exploration of the coastlines of the Indian Ocean and the China Sea, as well as explorers trying to find new and faster sea routes to different places, which was also important. European exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries was motivated by God (spreading Christianity), gold (wealth), and glory (becoming glorious for your country
To begin with, the Age of Discovery started during the middle of the fifteenth century and concluded during the late seventeenth century. It was named so, because much of the previously inaccessible and unknown lands were discovered by European explorers during this time and immense knowledge was added to the realm of geography (Parry, 1). Perhaps just as important, the marriage of science and technology to the workforce and the subsequent victory of thought over authority led to many discoveries unknown at that time (Parry, 1). Much of what was discovered during this time would help lay the foundation of what today is considered the modern western world (Parry, 1).
2. The events that led up to the Age of Exploration and Discovery included improvements in technology and the seeking of Gold, God, and Glory. Now that europeans had invented boats like caravels that could sail in shallow waters, and better navigation tools, that had all that
The age of exploration brought many different experiences/consequences to the conquered countries of Mesoamerica and the conquering countries of Europe. These experiences include the consumable items traded, the cultures that were exchanged, and the ideas that were shared.
The immediate cause of the European voyages of discovery was the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks in 1453. While Egypt and Italian city-state of Venice was left with a monopoly on ottoman trade for spices and eastern goods it allowed Portugal and Spain to break the grip by finding an Atlantic route. Portugal took the lead in the Atlantic exploration because of the reconquest from the Muslims, good finances, and their long standing seafaring traditions. In dealing with agriculture, The Portuguese discovered Brazil on accident, but they concentrated on the Far East and used Brazil as a ground for criminals. Pernambuco, the first area to be settled, became the world’s largest sugar producer by 1550. Pernambuco was a land of plantations and Indian slaves. While the market for sugar grew so did the need for slaves. Therefore the African Slave start became greatly into effect. Around 1511 Africans began working as slaves in the Americas. In 1492, Columbus embarked on his voyage from Spain to the Americas. The Euro...
Age of Explorations was a time of discovery of the new world during the 15th through 17th century. Many Explorers were in search for new passage ways, new trading ports, new land, new spices, and riches. The three explorers discussed in this paper is Henry Hudson, Jacques Cartier, and Francisco Pizarro. Henry Hudson was an explorer whose main purpose was to find a route to Asia from Europe, he had a series of three voyages trying to achieve this. Jacques Cartier was sent to find riches and a route to Asia as well. Francisco Pizarro served on an expedition, which he discovered the Pacific Ocean.
And finally, during the Reformation, it was a time of religious conflict that shaped Europe into what it is today. The Age of Exploration was one of the World History’s most important turning points. Before the Age of Exploration and right after the Crusades, trade between Asia and Europe had increased. However, there was a major setback and that was the prices of the goods that were traded. Starting from China, an object could be traded into India (for example) and then traded into Saudi Arabia for a higher price.
The Age of maritime exploration in Europe represented a new era of global inter-connectivity and interaction. Due to technological development, Europeans were capable to forging into new and formerly undiscovered territories. The Europeans growing desire to satisfy their demand for luxurious good as well as the desire to discover precious materials like silver and gold served as a particularly crucial motivation for maritime exploration. Maritime exploration also introduced Europeans to new culture, foods, and peoples.
In 1803 Portuguese exports to England were worth more than 10 million escudos, and the average worth of exports per year between 1800 and 1807 was 8 million escudos. Imports were also high, and part of these imports was sold to France and Spain. In 1810 a treaty was signed which opened the ports of Brazil to trade with Britain. Portugal was therefore cut out of the ‘trade triangle’ that it had previously monopolised.
Throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, radical and controversial ideas were created in what would become a time period of great advances. The Scientific Revolution began with a spark of inspiration that spread a wild fire of ideas through Europe and America. The new radical ideas affected everything that had been established and proven through religious views. "The scientific revolution was more radical and innovative than any of the political revolutions of the seventeenth century."1 All of the advances that were made during this revolutionary time can be attributed to the founders of the Scientific Revolution.