Chapter 13: Political Transformation
Chapter 13: Political Transformations
The early modern era from 1450-1750 was most notable for empire expansion through military force. European civilizations made their way through the Western Hemisphere, destroying established societies and mixing diverse peoples. The formation of new societies with different cultures created an everlasting change in the world. Elsewhere, Russia and China continued to expand their territory as well.
European Empires and Colonial Societies in America
European states had several advantages that allowed them to create empires an ocean away like the short distance between European countries and America as well as improvements in mapmaking, navigation and sailing techniques. They were also more driven in that the Europeans wanted a higher position in the world of commerce and they knew that America had a lot of natural resources. Individual states were motivated to get an upper hand on rival states. The Native Americans had several disadvantages in facing the Europeans like the division between certain societies which the Europeans exploited. They were also susceptible to many of the diseases that the Europeans brought with them which greatly reduced their numbers. This made me wonder if the Europeans were susceptible to any of the diseases the Native Americans had because surely the indigenous populations had some diseases that the Europeans weren't exposed to before. The diminishing population of natives created opportunities for more people from Europe to colonize America. Incoming Europeans brought with them their plant and animals thus transforming the landscape of the area. Foods from America allowed the population in Eurasia to increase. In Mexico and Peru, the Spanish created many cities and missionaries. The natives did most of the agricultural work on large estates which was basically forced labor where they enjoyed very few freedoms. The few number of Spanish women in America led to a mixed raced population or mestizo. In Brazil, the Portuguese made a profit out of sugar which was a high demand in Europe. They relied on African slaves to work in sugarcane factories. This produced a different demographic than Spanish America but it still led to racial mixing. British settlers in North America were larger in size compared to the Spanish. Families worked on their own farms and there was less racial mixing.
Russia and Asian Empires
As the Russian military swept through the steppes and Siberia, they demanded submission from the natives and they also put pressure on the natives to convert to Christianity. They required tributes whether it was money or goods. As they continued to expand, disease affected the population of the natives. Large numbers of Russian settlers moved into new areas making those areas predominantly Russian and disrupting the natives’ way of life. When Russia began making their way into European territory, their culture began to change to reflect that of the the West. During the Qing dynasty of China, they underwent military operations against the Mongols to the north. Despite taking over areas inhabited by Muslims, Tibetans and Mongolians, the Chinese didn't force the local people to assimilate into Chinese culture. India’s Mughal Empire went through intense military conquests but they exercised little control over conquered areas. They were tolerant of other religions and removed the tax on non Muslims. The Ottoman Empire continued to expand as Turkish Warriors took over agricultural societies. They were responsible for prot citing holy sites for Islams like Mecca and Jerusalem.
The early modern era from 1450-1750 was most notable for empire expansion through military force. European civilizations made their way through the Western Hemisphere, destroying established societies and mixing diverse peoples. The formation of new societies with different cultures created an everlasting change in the world. Elsewhere, Russia and China continued to expand their territory as well.
European Empires and Colonial Societies in America
European states had several advantages that allowed them to create empires an ocean away like the short distance between European countries and America as well as improvements in mapmaking, navigation and sailing techniques. They were also more driven in that the Europeans wanted a higher position in the world of commerce and they knew that America had a lot of natural resources. Individual states were motivated to get an upper hand on rival states. The Native Americans had several disadvantages in facing the Europeans like the division between certain societies which the Europeans exploited. They were also susceptible to many of the diseases that the Europeans brought with them which greatly reduced their numbers. This made me wonder if the Europeans were susceptible to any of the diseases the Native Americans had because surely the indigenous populations had some diseases that the Europeans weren't exposed to before. The diminishing population of natives created opportunities for more people from Europe to colonize America. Incoming Europeans brought with them their plant and animals thus transforming the landscape of the area. Foods from America allowed the population in Eurasia to increase. In Mexico and Peru, the Spanish created many cities and missionaries. The natives did most of the agricultural work on large estates which was basically forced labor where they enjoyed very few freedoms. The few number of Spanish women in America led to a mixed raced population or mestizo. In Brazil, the Portuguese made a profit out of sugar which was a high demand in Europe. They relied on African slaves to work in sugarcane factories. This produced a different demographic than Spanish America but it still led to racial mixing. British settlers in North America were larger in size compared to the Spanish. Families worked on their own farms and there was less racial mixing.
Russia and Asian Empires
As the Russian military swept through the steppes and Siberia, they demanded submission from the natives and they also put pressure on the natives to convert to Christianity. They required tributes whether it was money or goods. As they continued to expand, disease affected the population of the natives. Large numbers of Russian settlers moved into new areas making those areas predominantly Russian and disrupting the natives’ way of life. When Russia began making their way into European territory, their culture began to change to reflect that of the the West. During the Qing dynasty of China, they underwent military operations against the Mongols to the north. Despite taking over areas inhabited by Muslims, Tibetans and Mongolians, the Chinese didn't force the local people to assimilate into Chinese culture. India’s Mughal Empire went through intense military conquests but they exercised little control over conquered areas. They were tolerant of other religions and removed the tax on non Muslims. The Ottoman Empire continued to expand as Turkish Warriors took over agricultural societies. They were responsible for prot citing holy sites for Islams like Mecca and Jerusalem.
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