Week 2 Journal Entry
For the first part of week 2, I learned of the European Conquests. The Europeans wanted to expand trade along the Indian Ocean. They could not sail around Africa because that took too long, and could not use Muslim-controlled territories to reach India. They stumbled upon the "New World," or the Americas as we know them today; and found a land filled with resources. Europeans gained an advantage on other explorers as they physically got there first, and had a geographical advantage.
I also learned the definition of genocide, which was the killing of specific people(s) of a group, with intent. This brought us to the Great Dying, which was when 90% of the natives of North America died from disease, battle, disruption of lifestyle, starvation, and adaptation – which led to cultural genocide. I also learned that Spanish South America was found by the Spanish, who were temporary exploring the area, and later established a silver industry with coercing natives to work in it. The Portuguese landed in Brazil and the Caribbean, and established sugar plantations. Lastly, the British, who colonized North America later on, established plantations of different kinds and imported African slaves to work in them.
During the second session of class, we explored the numbers of slaves imported to the New World, and surprisingly North America had the smallest number. With Brazil and the Caribbean having the largest number of African slaves imported, followed by Spanish South America. To end the class, we looked into the three ways Europeans tried to get in on the Indian Ocean Trade Network. One was a trading post empire which the Portuguese established first. Outright land grabs were another, practiced by the Spanish in the Philippines. Finally, private companies with governmental support such as the British East India Company and the Dutch East India Company. The Fur Trade was the last part of this assigned chapter; fur was mainly found in North America and Russia and was shipped to the French and Russians respectively because there was a high demand for it.
I also learned the definition of genocide, which was the killing of specific people(s) of a group, with intent. This brought us to the Great Dying, which was when 90% of the natives of North America died from disease, battle, disruption of lifestyle, starvation, and adaptation – which led to cultural genocide. I also learned that Spanish South America was found by the Spanish, who were temporary exploring the area, and later established a silver industry with coercing natives to work in it. The Portuguese landed in Brazil and the Caribbean, and established sugar plantations. Lastly, the British, who colonized North America later on, established plantations of different kinds and imported African slaves to work in them.
During the second session of class, we explored the numbers of slaves imported to the New World, and surprisingly North America had the smallest number. With Brazil and the Caribbean having the largest number of African slaves imported, followed by Spanish South America. To end the class, we looked into the three ways Europeans tried to get in on the Indian Ocean Trade Network. One was a trading post empire which the Portuguese established first. Outright land grabs were another, practiced by the Spanish in the Philippines. Finally, private companies with governmental support such as the British East India Company and the Dutch East India Company. The Fur Trade was the last part of this assigned chapter; fur was mainly found in North America and Russia and was shipped to the French and Russians respectively because there was a high demand for it.
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