Unit 4: Early Modern Period1450-1750 CE

By: Emily McCoy, Jaret Thompson, Michael Davidson, Melody

4th Period

Major Points-shift in power to the West-world became smaller(almost all civilizations touched by trade)-new empires(Spain, Portugal, England, France, Netherlands, Ottoman, Mughal, Ming)-age of gunpowder

Interactions and Development

-The Europeans arrived in America as a result of the Protestant Reformation.

-They were also still recovering from the devastation of the Plague, and their population was slowly increasing after a huge decline.

-When the traveling Europeans arrived in the New World, the Native American population was exposed to their diseases and was nearly destroyed.

-The Spanish Europeans colonized some of the Native American populations, such as the Incan Mita System and the Encomienda System.

-The Mita System exploited the work of peasants for things such as public projects and ideas, like buildings, roads, etc.

-The Encomienda System was a system that the Spanish Europeans used in the early 1500’s to exploit the work of Native Americans for gold.

Development & Interaction● Native Americans bartered rather than having a currency

(Europeans had a currency & traded goods)● Role of gender:

○ women weren’t seen as equal to husbands○ they were free but couldn’t vote/own property○ worked at home with corn and making clothes○ women in slavery took care of owner’s children

Coercive labor systems in Americas:● encomienda system● slavery for farming tobacco, sugar, and cotton● indentured servitude started (spread after 18th

century)

(Coercive Labor)

Global Interactions

● Depleted resources in Europe● New plants brought back from the americas to europe (potato) (Tomato) (Corn)● Indigenous people affected by european diseases- large amounts died● American diseases brought back by sailors● Slavery- displaced millions of africans

❏ Vaccines were invented by pasture❏ Scientific method came about❏ Newtons laws

➔ Philosophical ideas➔ Humans are not good or bad➔ Obey the government/don't obey the government➔ - Made people open up to new ideas and question things

★ Mughals had lots of defining architecture such as the Taj Mahal ★ Aztec and Inca Architecture and art saw by europeans★ Religious paintings

New Religions ● Protestantism- Split Europe religiously, starting The Thirty Years War. The

Protestant Reformation weakened the power of the Catholic Church.

● Vodun- Religious Cult practiced in the Caribbean and Louisiana, merged new and old Christian beliefs.

● Zen- Spread through Ming and Qing Dynasties, spread through East Asia. Preached Peace.

● Sikhism- Mixed Islam and Hinduism, emerged in India,another Monotheistic religion in India.

Creation of Economic Systems● Mita System borrowed to exploit Native Labor

● Slaves imported to work in the Americas

● Easily Replaceable Workers who gained low pay

● Early Indentured Servitude in North America

How Were Colonies Managed● All nations controlled their colonies politically

● Used methods such as tariffs to control trade and Encomienda systems to control production

● Socially, European born persons had more rights in Spanish colonies

State-Building, Expansion, & ConflictImpacts on Russian Empire:

● Political- defended powers of central monarch & secret police● Economic- Catherine the Great focused on expansion & didn’t have a merchant class● Social- noble landlords have power over serfs

Bureaucracies in Europe vs. China/Japan● Europe had a monarchy while China had a dynasty● Japan had feudalism and sinification● China had an aristocracy

Relations with the West● Ottoman- started to decline but not noticeable until WW1 (still large & powerful)● China- trades largely (benefited from World Economy) & Opium Wars● Safavid- Persia was rivals with Ottomans and collapsed in 1722 before Ottomans● Tokugawa- Dutch/English wanted to trade with them & some openness to Christian

missions● Mughal- Western traders advanced in India as empire fell & traded with English and

Dutch

Transformation of Social StructuresRole of gender in colonial empires:-women secondary status (social roles, economic opportunities, political influence)-marriage remained primarily economic arrangement -women had more freedomEurope- explorations/discoveries in Americas & south into Africa claiming landAsia- gunpowder empire (main conflict) & Mughal, Safavid, & ottoman Africa- political power shifts to Gold Coast & Netherlands developed farming plantationsAmericas- several empires set up, mixture of cultures, & fights over who owned land

CharacteristicsAsia: Ming and Qing were last dynastiesAfrica: colonization & African slavesAmericas: colonization & slave tradeEurope: expanded to Americas & imperialized

Periodization Review

-world becomes global -domination of maritime trade-decline of nomadic groups-shift in labor systems -gunpowder empire