IMPERIALISM Flashcards
(14 cards)
Imperialism
The policy of extending a country’s power and influence beyond its own borders by acquiring partial or full control over another country
Old imperialism
The policy of extending a country’s power and influence beyond its own borders by acquiring partial or full control over another country
Countries involved:
- Britain
- Russia
- Germany
New imperialism
Late 1800s to Early 1900s
To build vast empires based on economic, military, political, religious and social reasons
First conquests (Canary Islands)
Motivations:
- Direct access to highly profitable Eastern spice trade
Guanches:
- 1402 - 80,000 guanches
- 1541 - 0 Guanches
Key events:
1402 - French forces land in lanzarote and seize island from 300 natives
1415 - Portuguese join the assault
1420 - Europeans in madeiras / unleashed rabbits that reproduced and ate all crops
1439 - AZORES / Europeanizing begins / Sheep, cattle and goats were put on the land which reproduced quickly
1475 - Spanish forces take over from French and seize all but 3 islands
1480 - the island was producing more than 1.5 mil. Kg of sugar to European countries
1496 - Europeans capture the Canary Islands
African coast
Portuguese -> first to arrive (prince henry the navigator)
Established fortified trading posts -> west African coast (Elmina)
Focused on gold, ivory and slaves
Populations of fishing villages (on Gold Coast) increased a LOT
Creoles:
Half African, half European
Known as “geniuses” (because of common characteristics)
- Spoke Variety of languages
- Good tradespeople
- attended church
Exchanged European:
- textiles
- guns
- ivory
- Pepper
- Beeswax
Valuable
Volta do mar
A type of wind pattern which helped sailors to understand wind patterns
Ships:
- New cannons
- More storage space
Caravels:
- Maneuverable
- Speedy
- Durable
Bartholeumeu Dias
- Portuguese Explorer
- 1488 - First EU sailor to Africa and back
Vasco da gama
- 20 days (Africa -> India)
- 95 Days (Return trip / alone)
- Lost 2/4 ships
- Lost 80 - 100 men
- Spices were bought back
Coloumbus arrival
Captured slaves from the arawaks
Demanded gold and riches from them
Mid-17th century Est population - 500
Arawaks Traded everything they owned
- Bought parrots
- Cotton
- Spears
Colombian Exchange
The exchange of native plants, animals and diseases between the old world (Eurasia and Africa) and the new world (americas) after 1492 (Columbus arrived)
What happened during the Colombian exchange
OLD - NEW:
- smallpox
- bananas
- coffee beans
NEW - OLD:
- pumpkin
- turkey
- squash
Impact of Disease
Island of Hispaniola:
- Est. Pop. 60,000 - 8 mil
- 50 years of contact VIRTUALLY EXTINCT
Native Americans:
- Est. 80-95% of pop. Wiped out within 100-150 years (epidemics)
Central Mexico:
- EST. Pop. <15 mil (1519)
- Pop. Fell to 1.5 mil (1619)
Spice islands
Spice islands - Malaku
- Largest producers of mace
- Nutmeg
- Cloves
- Pepper
Banda islands
PORTUGESE COLONIZATION
1511 - PORTUGESE attack and take over malacca (in Malaysia) for spices
1512 - PORTUGESE reach Banda islands and ternate (seize loads of spices)
1522 - PORTUGESE build their 1st spice island fort on ternate
1529 - Treaty between Spain and Portugal gives spice island to Portugal in return for gold
1545 - PORTUGESE becomes primary European power in the spice islands
1570 - PORTUGESE murder sultan of ternate
1575 - starving PORTUGESE flee from ternate -> Ambon
1576 - PORTUGESE build a fort in Ambon
Dutch colonization
1599 - Dutch arrive at the spice islands for the first time
1602 - Dutch form Dutch east India Company (VOC)
Dutch massacre the natives
VOC was trying to take over the Banda islands (to control the nutmeg trade)
1621 - Dutch leader led an armed assault against the Banda
- Natives fought back, Dutch leader order the army to kill and behead all Banda males >15
When VOC arrived - Native pop. 15,000
- Fifteen years later - 600
British arrived in Spice islands
1621 - British took control of Run and claimed their first colony
