Between the 1500’s and the 1900’s European

nations controlled much of the world.

European culture has spread to every corner of

the earth.

WHY EUROPE?WHY EUROPE?

How were the countries How were the countries on this continent, much on this continent, much of which is north of 50of which is north of 50°° N. latitude, able to N. latitude, able to conquer and control so conquer and control so many lands around the many lands around the world?world?

Europe is Europe is composed of the composed of the westward-westward-projecting projecting peninsulas of peninsulas of Eurasia and Eurasia and occupying nearly occupying nearly one-fifteenth of one-fifteenth of the world's total the world's total land area.land area.

Peninsula of Peninsula of peninsulaspeninsulas

Most of the Most of the continent's continent's drainage drainage finds its finds its way to the way to the Atlantic Atlantic Ocean via a Ocean via a number of number of master master river river systems, systems, whose whose watersheds watersheds interlock in interlock in a most a most complex complex manner. manner.

Europe’s riversEurope’s rivers

Bristish NavyBristish NavyAn irregular An irregular coastline has many coastline has many natural harbors.  natural harbors.  This feature This feature  allowed the British  allowed the British to develop a strong to develop a strong Navy, trade and Navy, trade and culturally diffuse culturally diffuse with the world. with the world. 

Humid Humid ContinentContinentalalThough much Though much of Europe is of Europe is above 50above 50°° N., N., the coastal the coastal climate is climate is moderated by moderated by the the combination of combination of the warm the warm North Atlantic North Atlantic Drift currents Drift currents and the and the prevailing prevailing easterly winds.easterly winds.

What allowed Europe to conquer and What allowed Europe to conquer and control so much territory?control so much territory?

East/West Axis

Eurasia provides the word’s widest band of land Eurasia provides the word’s widest band of land at the same latitude. This allowed agriculture, at the same latitude. This allowed agriculture, technology and culture to spread quickly.technology and culture to spread quickly.

Eurasian plain

Plains generally have fertile soil and are attractive to Plains generally have fertile soil and are attractive to settlement as they are easy to reach, provide good road settlement as they are easy to reach, provide good road building, and have good farmland.  The negative aspects of building, and have good farmland.  The negative aspects of plains as a geographic feature are that they are hard to plains as a geographic feature are that they are hard to defend as they are easy to reach. defend as they are easy to reach. 

This gave Europe several advantages:

Domestic Domestic AnimalsAnimals• HorsesHorses• PigsPigs• SheepSheep• cowscows

Rotherham Rotherham ploughplough In the mid 1600s the Dutch attempted to make improvements to In the mid 1600s the Dutch attempted to make improvements to the plough, however a capital improvement in the plough was the plough, however a capital improvement in the plough was the invention of the iron mould-board and landside by Joseph the invention of the iron mould-board and landside by Joseph Foljambe from Rotherham who built and patented what was Foljambe from Rotherham who built and patented what was described as, the described as, the Rotherham Swing PloughRotherham Swing Plough , in November, , in November, 1730.1730.

Medieval farming

Traditional farmingA farmer in Germany works the land in the traditional way with a horse (draught animal) and plough during a plowing competition.

Political OrganizationPolitical Organization

• The ability to store food led to large, dense, complicated societies that stayed in on place. This led to writing and complex political organizations.

Spanish galleonscarried New World plunder

The Mayflower brings Pilgrims to the Americas

Dutch ships arriving at Cape Town, South Africa

The warfare technology lead The warfare technology lead enjoyed by the Europeans enjoyed by the Europeans allowed them to allowed them to conquer and control millions of people of many different cultures

Technology leadTechnology lead

They acquired new subsistence crops from the New World

hueyzahual

•New World Crops Maize (corn)New World Crops Maize (corn)•White Potatoes, Sweet PotatoesWhite Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes•Potatoes helped feed the starving in Potatoes helped feed the starving in

Europe because they could grow anywhereEurope because they could grow anywhere

maize

potatoes

Epidemic Diseases

• The Europeans brought with them diseases that wiped out native populations.

Diseases decimated Diseases decimated AmericasAmericas

The Old World had more infectious The Old World had more infectious diseases native to the land diseases native to the land because:because: – Humans had been present longer Humans had been present longer

and densely populated and densely populated

– They had domesticated animals which They had domesticated animals which are rich in disease and micro-organisms are rich in disease and micro-organisms

Smallpox microbes

Syphillis

Together, these factors led to Together, these factors led to Europe colonizing most of the world. Europe colonizing most of the world. The effects of this The effects of this dominance can still be felt today.

European Colonies in 1938

Their Their intentions intentions were to make were to make money, money, expand expand empires, and empires, and convert convert heathen, not heathen, not to spread Old to spread Old World DNA; World DNA; but if we take but if we take the long view the long view we see that we see that the most the most important important aspect of aspect of their their imperialistic imperialistic advances has advances has been the been the latter.latter.

"We are world-travelers, trekkers of deserts and crossers of oceans. . . . Humans have in the very

last tick of time reversed the ancient trend of geographical biodiversification."

Today’s Commonwealth is an association of 53 countries. Its 1.8 billion citizens, about 30 percent of the world's population are drawn from the broadest range of faiths, races, cultures and traditions. Members range from vast countries like Canada to small island states like Malta.

The Commonwealth

Commonwealth countries

DemocracyDemocracy

The ancient Greeks and Romans both practiced a form of democracy providing the model for America’s Founding Fathers.

Direct participation Direct participation was the key to was the key to Athenian democracy. Athenian democracy. In the Assembly, every In the Assembly, every male citizen was not male citizen was not only entitled to attend only entitled to attend as often as he pleased as often as he pleased but also had the right but also had the right to debate, offer to debate, offer amendments, and vote amendments, and vote on proposals. Every on proposals. Every man had a say in man had a say in whether to declare war whether to declare war or stay in peace. or stay in peace.

China had many of these advantages as well. Why didn’t they experience the same sort of success?

Use a Venn diagram and an atlas to compare the physical geography of China and Western Europe. How are they alike? How are they different?

Natural barriersNatural barriersThe geography of China The geography of China plays a key role in her plays a key role in her development.  Long development.  Long distances and natural distances and natural barriers--the Gobi Desert barriers--the Gobi Desert to the north, the to the north, the Himalayan  Mountains to Himalayan  Mountains to the south, the Pacific the south, the Pacific Ocean to the east, and Ocean to the east, and more mountains and more mountains and deserts to the west-- deserts to the west-- limited Chinese contacts limited Chinese contacts with outsiders. with outsiders. 

Gobi DesertGobi Desert

Mountain rangesMountain ranges Kunlun MountainsKunlun Mountains

Qinling rangeQinling range

The western relationship with China can be The western relationship with China can be traced back to Marco Polo's journey to China traced back to Marco Polo's journey to China in the thirteenth century.in the thirteenth century.

Marco PoloMarco Polo

China shuts its doorsIn the late Ming Dynasty In the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the (1368-1644) and the major part of the Qing major part of the Qing Dynasty(1664-1911) Dynasty(1664-1911) before the Opium War, before the Opium War, China was a country, China was a country, isolated for the most part isolated for the most part in its satisfaction with its in its satisfaction with its ancient brilliance of ancient brilliance of culture and ignorant of culture and ignorant of the arrival of the modern the arrival of the modern Europe civilization which Europe civilization which had been ushered in by had been ushered in by the Industrial Revolution .the Industrial Revolution .

The The NemesisNemesis was the first steam-powered warship to be was the first steam-powered warship to be used in action by Britain. With a shallow draught, and able used in action by Britain. With a shallow draught, and able to be independent of winds and tides, the to be independent of winds and tides, the NemesisNemesis was a was a devastating weapon in the rivers and estuaries of southern devastating weapon in the rivers and estuaries of southern China during the First Opium War.China during the First Opium War.

Opium WarsOpium Wars

Chinese view of western influencesChinese view of western influences

China became involved in the Korean War (1950-53) against the West .

And in intensive political strategies to remove western and Soviet influence (1954-76).

LinksLinkshttp://www.nmm.ac.uk/searchbin/searchs.pl?exhibit=it0334i&axis=985776279&flash=false&dev=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Commonwealthhttp://regentsprep.org/Regents/global/themes/change/ind.cfm