Chapter 14 Summary

European empires in the Western Hemisphere are thought to be growing out of an accident.
Commerce joined empires as twin creators of global network during these centuries.
Vasco de Gama made an important voyage where he sailed to India from Portugal for first time.
Most immediate motivation was desire for tropical spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cloves, pepper. These were widely used as condiments and preservatives.
Other products of East such as Chinese silk, Indian cottons, rhubarb, emeralds, rubies and sapphires.
European civilization generally recovered after the Black death of the 14th century.
Britain, Netherlands and Northern Italy were becoming centers of international commerce.
Eastern goods made their way to Europe through Muslim countries of the Middle East.
Many Europeans were persuaded that a Christian monarch ruled somewhere in Asia or Africa.
Few products of an economically less developed Europe were desirable in Eastern markets.
Muslim Egypt was key in the transfer of Eastern goods. But Italian city of Venice monopolized the trade networks. Circumventing these monopolies became very important.
Portuguese sailors under Vasco de Gama have sailed worlds away from what they have known.
Portuguese realized that with their heavy cannons they could dominate the trade in Indian Ocean.
Portuguese have monopolized the trading routes from Asia to Europe.
Portuguese however were often outnumbered by Asian traders and they often married Asian women.
Spain was first to challenge Portugal's position. Spanish realized they could conquer Philippines.
Philippines were close to China and Japan. Small scale military operations, gunpowder weapons, local alliances, gifts and favors to chiefs and Catholic missionary activity contributed to conquest of the Philippines by 1565. Philippines remained under Spanish rule until about 1898-1899.
Manila became a flourishing and culturally diverse city of more than 40 thousand people.
Dutch people developed a highly urbanized and advanced society at this time period.
British East India Company and Dutch East India Company received charters from their governments granting them trading monopolies and power to make war and govern peoples conquered.
Dutch also sought to control production of cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and rice.
Dutch established control in Indonesia and on the island of Taiwan.
British on the other hand wanted to control parts of India and control cotton trade there.
Slave trade was an important part of global commerce until the 19th century.
Slave trade across Atlantic was developed primarily for using slaves to grow sugarcane.