Chapter 4: Age of Exploration and Its Impacts
The Age of Exploration significantly reshaped the political and economic systems worldwide, driven by technological advancements, economic incentives, and religious zeal. Key voyages undertaken by explorers like Columbus and da Gama opened new trade routes and led to the Columbian Exchange, which transformed the cultural and demographic landscapes of both the Old and New Worlds. The consequences for indigenous populations were devastating, marked by disease, displacement, and the emergence of the Atlantic slave trade, while European powers expanded their influence globally.
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What we have learnt
- Technological advancements in navigation and shipbuilding facilitated long-distance maritime exploration.
- The Columbian Exchange had profound impacts on global diets, economies, and populations.
- The Age of Exploration led to significant demographic changes and cultural interactions, resulting in both positive and destructive outcomes.
Key Concepts
- -- Columbian Exchange
- The widespread transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and cultural practices between the Americas and Afro-Eurasia following Columbus’s voyages.
- -- Encomienda System
- A labor system in Spanish America that granted settlers the rights to extract labor and tribute from indigenous people in exchange for protection and Christian instruction.
- -- Atlantic Slave Trade
- The forced migration of millions of Africans to the Americas to work as slaves, primarily on plantations, which became a crucial part of the economy in European colonies.
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