Explain one way in which free-trade policies affected a cultural structure in the period 1750-1900.

A: European innovations in mapmaking, navigation, sailing techniques, and ship design enabled them to carve out huge empires far away from their homeland. Because their ironworking technology, gunpowder weapons, and horses did not exist in the Americas until people acquired them later, these technologies assisted in their expansion into the New World. Also, existing rivalries in the New World allowed them to recruit natives to fight against other natives, for divisions within local societies brought allies for the Europeans. Most significantly, the transfer of pathogens from Europe to the Americas devastated the Americas populations, for Native Americans had no familiarity with these diseases, allowing Europeans to outnumber locals within only a few decades.

A: The European empires generated revolutionary environmental and social changes to the Americas by bringing not only their germs and people but their plants and animals. The introduction of new crops, like rice, sugarcane, and wheat, transformed the American landscape and made a recognizable European diet and way of life. Further, the introduction of livestocks, like horses, pigs, and goats, made ranching economies and cowboy culture popular, causing the emergence of male-dominanted hunting and warrior activity to impact women's roles in society as the former food producer. In addition, the Columbian exchange led to crops from the Americas such as potatoes and corn to be transported to Afro-Eurasia, which allowed for population and economic booms in China and Europe.

A: Europeans wanted Asian spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cloves, and pepper, which were typically used as condiments, preservatives, medicines, and aphrodisiacs. They also wanted Chinese silk, Indian cottons, rhubarb for medicine, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. These commodities contributed to the general recovery of Europe following the Black Death.

A: Dutch didn't want to spread their religion to Japan whereas the Spanish did, so Japanese Tokugawa Shogunates (you should know this from pk so expand upon it or describe if u want) closed themselves off to them, banning most European traders all together; however, Spain proceeded to colonize the Philippine Islands, where spices were predominant. They conquered the Banda Islands (produced nutmeg), in turn killing and enslaving the natives on the island and replacing them with Dutch farmers who used slaves from Asia. While the British lacked the resources to compete with the Dutch directly, they controlled India, establishing 3 prominent trading settlements (also in PK, exception is Macao I believe).
British East India Company and Dutch East India Company (PK)

The Portuguese acted like pirates. Originally, they had intentions of peaceful trade. But, when they found out that South Asian ships weren't heavily armed, they resorted to pirating and stealing goods. They built many military bases in key locations in the Indian Ocean. Mombasa (east africa), Hormuz (entrance to the Persian Gulf), Goa (west coast of India) Malacca (Malaysia), and Macao (South coast of China) were all military bases that the Portuguese established. All the bases-with the exception of Macao, which was established through bribery- were obtained through violent methods. The Portuguese wanted to CONTROL trade

The growing demand for silver impacted China's huge economy and the overall significance of the silver trade. When Chinese authorities consolidated tax levies into a single tax, the population of China was required to pay in silver (hard currency). Because of its demand, the price of silver skyrocketed, meaning its value was far more than China's silks and porcelains. This demand set silver in motion around the world, with the bulk of the world's silver supply winding up in China. Silver that was shipped across the Atlantic often first went to Spain and used in Europe generally before going to China in routes known as silver drains. (context) The standard Spanish silver coin was used by merchants in North America, Europe, India, Russia, and West Africa as a medium of exchange (cross-cultural).
Its impact on the environment due to intensive drilling techniques
In Japan, its military rulers used silver-generated profits to defeat rival feudal lords and unify the country
In China, silver deepened the commercialization of the economy; to obtain silver, people needed to sell something through labor or products that made the region specialized

Some commodities that the Europeans shared were horses, gunpowder, rice, sugar, wheat, garden veggies, cattle, goats, sheep, etc. The Americas also shared tobacco, chocolate, fur, corn, potatoes, etc. African countries didn't share much, but they shared slaves and Muslim technology. Europeans caused some large scale transformations for native cultures because natives became dependent on the Europeans and stopped making things for themselves. Also, Native men took the top ranking in society while women's prestige was lost due to the fur trade. America did impact Europe as well. Their crops flourished in European countries and not only were they cheap but they were nutritious. Also chocolate and tobacco from the Americas was used around the world as a stimulant.

Sets with similar terms

How did the Enlightenment lead to social changes during the 1750 1900 time period?

How did European nations differ in their colonization of the Western Hemisphere?

What historical developments enabled Europeans to carve out huge empires an ocean away from their homelands?

How was the Industrial Revolution strictly an English experience?