The Great Global Convergence

Trade Routes

The Europeans wanted to cut out the middle man (the Arabs) by discovering trade routes that were not under the control of the Ottoman Empire.

Spread of Ideas

Spreading Christianity was also a motive as many expected to be rewarded in the same way as the previous conquistadors. Explorers like Columbus, De Gama, and Diaz are an example of this

The Renaissance had fueled a thirst for knowledge about the world which encouraged many Europeans to go on these voyages to learn about the World and its inhabitants

Increased political and military power

Increase in trade and resources would bring wealth which in turn would allow European countries to develop weaponry and more powerful armies in order to gain power over other countries.

The development of seafaring skills and technologies

Encouraged many Europeans to expand their knowledge of the seas and expand their empires

Poverty

Many wanted to escape the poverty filled lives in Europe as well as the lack of opportunities

Prince Henry the navigator

Funded the expeditions which allowed for the Empire to expand

History in seafaring and navigation

Forced to find different routes as Portugal's access to Western Europe had been blocked by Spain

Found routes to North Africa, Atlantic Islands, and Brazil

Main goals

Military glory, conversion of muslims, slave trade, and gold

1433

First settlement at Arguin, North Africa

1460

Access to gold, enslaved Africans, and sugar plantations

1497

Vasco De Gama succeeded in rounding the Cape of Good Hope and reached the Calicut Port in India

Access to spices and samples of clothes to trade

1500

Gained control of gold trade

Columbus was granted funding by the Spanish crown in 1492 after he succeeded in finding a passage to the Indies

Landed in the Bahamas believing he was in the Indies and wanted to take the people as slaves and convert them to christianity. Word of his voyages spread in Europe.

Subjugated the Island of Hispaniola and enslaved the indigenous people in his second voyage

The Treaty of Tordesillas gave Spain everything in the West of the Atlantic

Indigenous people

Before Columbus there were about 35 to 50 million natives inhibiting the Americas. There were different ethnic groups, languages, and cultures.

Women

They were used as translators and were involved in forming alliances between Europeans and the Native Americans

In New France, having relationships with indigenous women was a way of forming ties with the native people whereas in British colonies keeping away from native women was a form of establishing one's status as civilized.

Germs

The Spanish were able to defend the Aztecs because of the spread of Smallpox

Guns

The Spanish had access to guns which were more affective than the Obesidien blades of the Aztecs

Meaning

Steel

The Spanish had more advanced Weaponry than the Aztecs which allowed for them to kill more people

Horses

War horses were used to stampede crowds of people as well as give the soldiers a higher fighting plane

Animals

Animals introduced to the Americas from Europe transformed the way of farming. The people could now use larger animals such as oxyans for transportation and agriculture, pigs for food, and horses to have a more nomadic lifestyle

Disease

Europeans brought diseases smallpox and syphilis to the Americas which led to most of the Native population to go extinct in the Great Dying. This also led to a decrease in farming activity causing many to also die of starvation.

Plants/food:

Food from the Americas to Europe and Asia led to a population increase as most countries now had food that could grow faster. This exchange also transformed the way we consume food today

People

The Transatlantic Slave Trade was when Africans were brought over to the Americas by Europeans to work on sugar plantation. This led to the repopulation of the world

Religious change

A large majority of the indigenous population in the Americas had been converted to Christianity

Global Economy

The trading and expansion of empires during the great global convergence led to the independency of countries' economies- Globalisation

Repopulation

The forced and voluntary migration of people during the great global convergence led to the repopulation of people across the global.