1. During the Age of Exploration and Discovery, Portugal and Spain were the vanguards of the new era of expansion due to not one single factor, but rather several conditions that fortuitously favored them. The two primary motives behind Portugal and Spain’s expansion were the desire to spread Christianity as well as the desire to gain profit. The circumstances of the time fit these motives perfectly: not only had the two countries just ended the centuries long Reconquista, but the fall of Constantinople created the need to find different routes of profit. The geographical advantage of being a part of the Iberian Peninsula put them in a prime area for maritime trade in both the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and technological advantages …show more content…
The imperial governor or viceroy had broad powers.
c. Columbian Exchange - ecology
• Introduced rice and bananas, raised wheat, grapes and olives
• Unintentionally things like grasses came on people’s clothes
• Introduction of horses, cattle, sheep, dogs, pigs, chickens, and goats.
III. Conclusion - Conclusion
5. How was the era of global contact shaped by new commodities, commercial empires, and forced migrations? (McKay 464-72)
I. Introduction
a. The era of global contact saw the emergence of a true global economy that created new relations between societies that differed drastically. Confrontations between these nations often resulted in conquest and exploitation as well as cultural exchange. The demand for new commodities resulted in subjugation and slavery and commercial empires were perpetuated by the demand for silver.
II. Body Paragraphs
a. Commodities and Slavery
• The impact of new commodities during this time period was severe due to the fact that they created the need for slavery.
• Sugar, which was grown in the Americas required a heavy labor force. Many slaves were forcibly taken from Africa and sent to the New World to do much of the hard