Ch. 14 European Exploration & Colonization

Which of the following statements accurately characterizes the Afro-Eurasian trading world before the 16th century?

• China was increasingly isolated and averse to any kind of overseas exploration due to its Confucian values

• The Indian Ocean was a cosmopolitan trading region, connecting East Africa, the Middle East, and Asia

• Islamic forces monopolized trade along East Africa, India, and Southeast Asia

• The Dutch and English controlled maritime routes through force and slavery.

Prior to the transoceanic voyages in the early 16^th century, which European regions controlled trade with Asia?

• Portugal and Spain dominated trade for most of the Late Middle Ages

• The British and Dutch controlled most of the trade with Asia due to their superior sailing vessels

• Italian city-states, especially Venice and Genoa, controlled the European luxury trade with the East.

• Due to their advantageous geography, the Ottoman and Safavid Empires controlled most trade within Europe

Which of the following was NOT a cause of European expansion in the period from 1450-1650?

• Desire for a direct route to the spice trade in Southeast Asia

• Religious fervor inspired by the conquest of Moorish Spain by Catholics

• An increased spirit of curiosity and adventure inspired by popular books written by other travelers

• Political alliances among European monarchs afforded greater resources to fund expansion

What item gave birth to a genuine network of worldwide exchange?

• Silk

• Textiles

• Sugar

• Silver

Which of the following developments facilitated the European voyages of exploration?

• The collapse of the Holy Roman Empire allowed Spain and Portugal to rise to prominence

• Marco Polo’s writings about the Inca and Mexica empires spurred curiosity about the New World

• The adoption of new navigation technologies such as the compass, astrolabe, lateen sail, and stern-post rudder

• The Black Death reduced European population levels to the point that new overseas labor was needed

In chronological order, what were the three successive commercial empires established by Europeans in the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries?

• Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch

• Spanish Portuguese, Dutch

• Portuguese, French, Spanish

• English, Portuguese, Spanish

How was Portugal able to establish a “trading post empire” in the coastal areas of the Indian Ocean?

• The Portuguese used skilled diplomatic alliances with other European powers.

• The Portuguese vessels used force and exacted tributes on local economies.

• The Portuguese abandoned Christianizing local people and dedicated its efforts purely to colonizing.

• The Portuguese made use of royal patronage through chartering joint-stock companies.

How do Spanish & Portuguese conquest compare?

• They combined a zeal for spreading Catholicism and both used joint-stock companies

• They combined a zeal for spreading the Catholic faith, but the Spanish established outright colonial rule

• The Spanish approach was less violent and concentrated its influence along the coasts

• The Spanish were more interested in spreading Christianity than in establishing commercial ties

What allowed the Dutch to establish a commercial presence in the Indian Ocean?

• Creation of large joint-stock companies, often given state-sanctioned monopolies over trade

• Mutual emphasis given to missionary activity and maintaining a balance of trade

• Vatican approved a Dutch sphere of influence over the Spice Islands

• Spread of smallpox and introduction of horses facilitated Dutch conquest

What was the importance of the Treaty of Tordesillas?

• It created a series of labor agreements between Spain and the indigenous populations of the Americas.

• It represented the first religious decree in the Americas prohibiting the practice of pagan beliefs.

• It provided a religious and political justification for colonization.

• It settled competing claims to the Americas between the Portuguese and Spanish.