The European expansion in the fifteenth
century can be considered as the first step towards economic, social cultural and
biological globalization.
It is therefore important to be characterized
in detail to a correct understanding of this phenomenon and that follow the timeline.
Normal presentation of this historical phenomena
has been made with the omission of important and relevant historical facts t,
leading to distorted conclusions about the process of " European expansion
", as well as in historical periods sequent .
Here are historically significant events presented in an synthetically
analysis characterized in 5 videos, which are:Discoveries (Part V) EN - Conclusions
his part summarizes the analysis made in Parts I to IV , as well as the most relevant aspects of the findings . ( we suggest you start here ) .
Conclusion
1.
Columbus arrived Caribbean Islands (1492),
thinking he was in India. Vasco da Gama arrived
India (1497) establishing the spices rout by sea.
2.
In the sixteenth century, we can say that
the European expansion in Asia, led by the Portuguese, controlled Indian trade
during one century, then followed by the British, Dutch, and others, in the
seventeen century that take control of several areas, represented the first
steps towards economic globalization . The
Spanish and the Portuguese made the same with North, central and South America
and Brazil.
3.
The European expansion altered the success
factors of the economic model based on land and slavery, by complementing it
with large scale trading, creating a new paradigm.
a.
In ancient times: the conquest of fertile
lands and slaves to work.
b.
In feudalism: access to land and servile
labor;
c. In the mercantilist period: access to new products, markets and financial resources.
4.
The gold and silver changed the field of
wars from land to the seas.
5.
America becomes a huge world asset that would
be revealed in the following centuries.
Discoveries (Part I) EN
- Historical Background (9M06)
We
have to emphasize that the frame of reference of the European Middle Ages, the
end of the Byzantine Empire and especially the spread of Islam to the Iberian
Peninsula , which conditioned the initial Spain involvement in the discoveries
. (http://youtu.be/qxbi6Jkavjw video)
Discoveries (Part II)
EN - Reasons, motivation and preparation.
In this part , it is
characterized the basic motivation for expansion, including the opulence of the
Italian city-states and the consequent discovery of the spice route .
It is worth to emphasize
important aspects related to the preparation of Discuveries, namely:
• The involvement of
the of Spain in conquest of the south of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors
until 1492 , which reduced their capability to engage more deeply in the Discoveries
till that period;
• The navigations made
by the Portuguese for over 100 years , identifying current and sea winds -
important factor for ocean navigation .
• The Portuguese
discovery of Canary Islands, in the fourteenth century , around 1336, but Pope
Clement VI , assign the same to Spain. Although
diplomatic complaint from the Portuguese, the situation remained unchanged .
• When starting the
period of effective discoveries in the mid- fifteenth century and in order to no
more misunderstandings arise and demands , the Portuguese propose to Spain a
treaty ( signed in Alcaçovas and Toledo in 1479 about 13 years before the
discovery of Caribbean by Columbus) that defined recognition
of all lands to discover east a meridian passing 100 leagues west of Cape Verde
would belong to Portugal, and everything to be discovered west belonged to
Spain.
• According to
historical references, Colombo lived in Lisbon for more than a decade. He made a proposal to D. João
II (King of Portugal) to discovering India by sailing west, which was rejected.
This led to the supposition that D. João
II, has ordered Duarte Pacheco Pereira for a recognition of the existence of
land to the west.
• Duarte Pacheco
Pereira identified " major mainlands " as he reported in his travel
diary , ie Brazil, but that keeps confidential , because if it becomes public
the discovery of these lands would belonged to the Crown of Spain in accordance
with the Alcaçovas treaty .
• Gave rise to the
renegotiating the Alcaçovas treaty, leading to the Treaty of Tordesillas in
1494 , passing the meridian to 370 miles west of Cape Verde involving the lands
of Brazil to be owned by Portugal. In
accordance with the new treaty, Pedro Alvares Cabral in 1500 navigates throw,
in order to a formal recognition of the discovery of Brazil .
Discoveries (Part III)
EN - Sailing westward (to America) in search of India
This part identifies
the strategy followed by Spain to reach India following the guide line of
Columbus, sailing westward. Columbus
reaches the Caribbean Islands in 1492, thinking he was in India. Although
it was a technical error, it was the discovery of a new continent , later
identified by Amerigo Vespucci and called America in his honor by cartographer Martin Waldseemuller in 1505 .
But most of all is the
enormous potential in gold and silver, the Aztecs and Incas, who comes to give
Spain a strategic priority to its implementation in the Americas. All framed in the
Treaty of Tordesillas / Toledo.
The objective of strategic
discovery of the spices rout by Spain was long and painful . After
Columbus (1492 ) have discover the West Indies , Ferdinand Magellan ( 1519 )
have crossed into the Pacific Ocean , Andrés de Urdaneta only managed to find
the way back ( 1565 ) which linked Manila to Acapulco . Only
about 70 years after the Portuguese had arrived in India. At
that moment, the interest in spices by the Spaniards was completely overpassed because
the enormous wealth in gold and silver that was regularly taken from Americas
to Spain.
The Portuguese arrive in India in 1497 by the commanding of Vasco da Gama . On the one hand , Indian Ocean , Arabian and Red, as well as the spice trade with the west , are totally dominated by the Arabs , on the other hand, Indian territory was ruled by the Sultanate of Dili since 1206. This means that the Portuguese have taken important local battles with the Arabs, then the control seas and Indian soil, to establish factories.
For nearly 100 years the Portuguese dominate the spice trade with Europe until the arrival of the British and the Dutch.
Nearly 30 years after the arrival of the Portuguese in India is invaded by the Mughals, who become to dominate the entire territory and become the dominant land power, with its base centered in Agra (about 100 years later to build Taj Mahal) . India was dominated by the Mughals , for over a century , after being dominated and integrated in the British Empire .
(8m08 video http://youtu.be/g9IMnHMGLAM )
