P1252109391MpyPI

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• BEGINNINGS OF EUROPEAN
  EXPANSION
• How W. European countries reached point at which
  they
• could expand overseas
• Population growth, 900-1300
• A. Improvements in agricultural technology
• (1) Moldboard plow, horse collar,
  3-field crop rotation

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(2) Watermills and windmills for grinding
increased supply of grain (3) More
food?increased population B. Population also
increased with end to barbarian invasions (Huns,
Germanic tribes, etc.). W. Europe was not
directly affected by Mongols.
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II. THE PLAGUE (1348-51) and its bright side
A. Killed 20-50 of W. European population
buboes
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Lübeck (Germany) Dance
of Death
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B. Reduced population combined with technological
advances leads to agricultural
surplus?growth of cities C. Labor shortage in
cities because of plague?peasant migration to
cities?breakdown of feudalism as peasants leave
hierarchy of obligations D. Growth of
cities spurs overseas expansion. (1)
Manufactured goods that can be marketed abroad.
(2) Demand for foreign goods (3) Capital to
invest in voyages
Avignon, France
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III. Trade as source of unity and spur to
overseas expansion A. Champagne Fairs B.
Northern European port cities form Hanseatic
League, 1159.
CHAMPAGNE
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C. Trade increases power of merchants. (1)
Merchants lend to feudal lords in return for
privileges for towns. (2)
Towns run by merchants eventually displace old
feudal authorities.
Remember him?
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IV. Manufacturing as spur to overseas expansion
A. Mining silver and other metals, salt for
preserving meat on long voyages
B. Watermills for cloth manufacture wool
exported overseas
16th-century silver mine in Potosí,
Bolivia still in operation!
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V. New ocean transportation technology adopted
during Crusades A. Compass and
multi-masted ship adopted from Middle
Easterners, who had earlier adopted them from
Chinese

lateen sail
B. Astrolabe and lateen sail adopted
directly from Middle Easterners
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VI. Religious/political disunity as spur to
expansion Pope vs. kings again A.
Babylonian Captivity, 1309-77 (1) King
of France tries to arrest Pope for claiming that
papacy is superior to humankind,
forces next Pope to relocate to Avignon,
France. Next 6 Popes reside in Avignon.
(2) 1377 Pope moves papacy back to Rome.

Avignon
Rome
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• GREAT WESTERN SCHISM, 1378-1415 New Pope
  alienates French cardinals, who
  excommunicate him and elect own Pope
• in Avignon?2 Popes (1 in Rome, 1 in Avignon)
  till 1415

Avignon
Rome
Avignon
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C. Protestant Reformation, 16th c.
Martin Luther (1483-1546)
In the absence of spiritual and political unity,
European kingdoms are inspired to compete for
territories overseas.
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VII. From internal to external expansion A.
Clearing of forests after 900 (1)
Robinhood legends reflect threatened forest
lifestyle. (2) Agriculturalists expand
into former forests.
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B. Regional expansion of peoples Germanic
expansion into C. Europe
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C. Norse expansion, ca. 1000 Vikings from
Norway and Denmark to Iceland,
Greenland, N. America lasting impact in Iceland
but not in Greenland or N. America (1)
No technological advantage over natives (2)
Native American diseases
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• D. Crusades, 11th 13th c.
• (1) Prototype for mobilization against
  outsiders
• (2) Exposure to eastern luxury goods?desire
  for direct access
• to them
• Reconquista in Spain, ca. 1085-1492
• 1492 Ferdinand and Isabella capture
  Granada, expel Jews from
• Spain, say Good-bye, Columbus.

GRANADA
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F. Portuguese expansion (1) Prince Henry the
Navigator, early 15th c. (2) Trading posts in
NW Africa tap into W. African trade, including
trade in SLAVES. (3) Vasco da Gama
finds Cape Route to Indian Ocean, 1498.
Henry
Henry the Navigator (l.) with nephew