How did Europeans acquire the technology needed for deep-sea travel?
They adopted and refined tools like the Magnetic Compass, Astrolabe, and Astronomical Charts through Silk Road trade.
What were the three main ship innovations and their specific uses?
- Caravel: Small and agile for shallow waters. 2. Carrack: Large for long-distance trade. 3. Fluyt: Cost-effective for trade with maximized cargo space.
Why did European states sponsor exploration?
To consolidate power and bypass land-based trade routes for direct access to Asian spices and luxury goods.
What was the primary goal of a ‘Trading Post Empire’?
To control trade routes and tax merchants by building fortified posts instead of conquering large territories.
What was the most devastating impact of the Columbian Exchange on the Americas?
The introduction of Old World diseases like Smallpox and Measles, which killed up to 90% of the indigenous population.
How did the exchange change diets in Europe and the Americas?
Europe gained nutrient-dense crops like potatoes and corn, while the Americas gained livestock and horses.
What is the core logic of Mercantilism?
The belief that the world’s wealth is fixed; nations must export more than they import to increase their wealth.
What were the main coerced labor systems used in the Americas?
- Chattel Slavery: People treated as property. 2. Encomienda/Hacienda: Land and indigenous labor granted to Spanish settlers. 3. Mita System: Forced labor draft for silver mining.
What was the Spanish ‘Casta System’?
A racial hierarchy organizing society with Peninsulares at the top, followed by Creoles, Mestizos, Mulattoes, and indigenous and enslaved Africans at the bottom.
Why was the Casta System implemented?
To maintain control over a diverse population by standardizing social status based on race.
How did Japan and China react to European maritime expansion?
They moved toward isolationism; Japan banned missionaries and restricted trade, while China limited maritime activity.
How did internal elites lose power in Russia and the Ottoman Empire?
In Russia, Peter the Great abolished the rank of Boyars. In the Ottoman Empire, Sultans made land into tax farms, rendering old elites landless.
