Atlantic Trade

8/3/2019 Atlantic Trade

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Atlantic Trade

Significance and Methodology


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Origins

Innovations of the Age ofExploration Caravel- sails windward

Celestial navigation/Astrolabe

Axial Rudder

Push for colonies and gold betweenPortugal and Spain

Searches for trade routes

Patronage of monarchies

Strong, centralized state


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Colonies

Territory under immediate politicalinfluence of home nation.

Importance: Raw Resources

New Markets

Naval Bases

Nationalistic Pride


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4

Rise of Portugal

Prince Henry: first school for sailing

West Coast of Africa + India: 100%

return on profits Trading choke points

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5

Rise of the Spanish

Sponsored expeditions to NewWorld

Encomienda system: grants of landand native labor

De las Casas/New Laws

Decimation led to African slavery

Viceroyalties and audiencias

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Treaty of Tordesillas

Divided the newly discovered landsoutside Europe between Spain andPortugal


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Triangular Trade

Between Europeanpowers andcolonies.

Operated during16th-19th centuries

Steady flow ofgoods/money

stimulated colonialeconomy.


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Goods

European ports: supplies to barterin Africa (copper, cloth, guns,ammunition)

African ports: slaves for MiddlePassage (replacement labor)

New World ports: cash crops

(sugar, rum, molasses, tobacco,hemp)


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Privateering

Authorized by government to attackshipping.

Disrupted Atlantic trade Britain against Spanish ships

carrying specie, taking wealthbefore Royal Navy grew

Easy to maintain, hard to combat.


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Plantation Economies

Agricultural mass production ofcash crops (very labor intensive)

70% of slaves imported to worksugar planations

Coffee = popular drink;Enlightenment

Slaves = one time payment


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Middle Passage

Heaviest activity: Portuguese andBritish

Asiento: license to export 4 million deaths directly attributed

to slavery

Slaves were prisoners ofwar/convicts/political dissidents


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Middle Passage

One to six months

One meal a day,cramped living

conditions

Crew receivedpreference.

Terror tacticsagainst resistancemovements


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Middle Passage

15% of slaves died at sea Disease (scurvy and dysentery)

Starvation

Suicide/Depression They were all branded, like sheep, with

the owners' marks, of different formsNoentreaties, or threats, or blows couldrestrain them; they shrieked, andstruggled, and fought with one anotherfor a drop of this precious liquid, as ifthey grew rabid at the sight of it.


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End of Colonial Atlantic Trade?

Royal charters granting monopoliesto citizens

Monopolies = mini-governments

Mechanization = reduced value ofhuman labor

Increased costs of shipping

slaves/effects Induction of African goods markets

rather than slave markets.


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End of Colonial Atlantic Trade?

Abolitionist movements:

British: Slave Trade Act 1807 (slaving= piracy)

West Coast of Africa Station

Against African rulers as well

American Independence from

Britain

Documents

Atlantic Trade