The Atlantic Connection: A History of the Atlantic World, 1450-1900

Description

Focusing on the interconnections of the Atlantic world from 1450-1900, The Atlantic Connection examines the major themes of Atlantic history. During this period, ships, goods, diseases, human beings and ideas flowed across the ocean, tying together the Atlantic basin in a complex web of relationships. Divided into five main thematic sections while maintaining a broadly chronological structure, this book considers key cultural themes such as gender, social developments, the economy, and ideologies as well as: - the role of the Atlantic in ensuring European dominance - the creation of a set of societies with new cultural norms and philosophical ideals that continued to evolve and to transform not only the Atlantic, but the rest of the world - the contestation over rights and justice that emerged from the Atlantic world which continues to exist as a significant issue today. The Atlantic Connection is shaped by its exploration of a key question: how did Europe come to dominate the Atlantic if not through its technological prowess? Adeptly weaving a multitude of events into a larger analytical narrative, this book provides a fascinating insight into this complex region and will be essential reading for students of Atlantic history. Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 List of figures......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 11 Preface......Page 12 Introduction......Page 14 The dominance of the West......Page 17 PART I Explorations and first contacts......Page 20 1 The Atlantic world before 1492......Page 22 2 Europe: a new age of trade and travel......Page 24 The voyages of discovery......Page 26 Portugal and Africa......Page 27 New European navigational technologies......Page 31 3 Medieval Africa......Page 35 African trade......Page 36 African society......Page 37 4 The Americas......Page 41 Mesoamerica......Page 43 The Mexica (Aztecs)......Page 44 The central Andes......Page 45 Semi-sedentary and non-sedentary populations......Page 46 The Caribbean......Page 48 Eastern coasts of North America......Page 49 PART II Colonization and conquest......Page 52 5 The voyages of Columbus......Page 54 Columbus’ mistake......Page 55 The first voyage......Page 56 First contact......Page 58 Later voyages......Page 59 The legacy of Columbus......Page 60 Voyages after Columbus......Page 61 Timeline: early explorations......Page 63 6 The Columbian Exchange......Page 65 Disease and the New World......Page 66 7 Earliest encounters......Page 70 The conquest of Mexico......Page 71 Spanish victories in other parts of the Americas......Page 76 The Catholic Church......Page 78 The Spanish debate on tolerance......Page 81 New ethnicities and identities......Page 83 Voices of dissent......Page 85 New social patterns......Page 86 Silver mining......Page 88 Timeline: early encounters......Page 89 Trade and the economy in Spanish America......Page 90 The decline of Spain......Page 91 9 The colonization of Brazil......Page 93 10 Colonial settlements in northern America and the Caribbean......Page 95 French colonization......Page 96 Early English colonies......Page 99 Dutch and other European colonies......Page 104 Witchcraft panics......Page 105 Colonial economies......Page 107 Sugar and the Caribbean......Page 108 PART III Connections, journeys, and war......Page 112 11 Atlantic trade and empire......Page 114 The rise of the British Empire......Page 116 Indentured servants......Page 118 Native American struggle and accommodation......Page 119 12 Slavery......Page 122 New forms of slavery......Page 124 The slave trade in Africa......Page 125 The Middle Passage......Page 127 The experience of slavery......Page 129 Legal status of slavery......Page 131 Regional variations......Page 132 Cultural resistance......Page 135 Consequences of the slave trade......Page 137 PART IV The age of ideas......Page 140 13 The Enlightenment......Page 142 Religion......Page 143 Economics......Page 144 Intellectual and political changes......Page 145 The Dutch Revolt (1568–1648)......Page 148 The Civil War and Revolution in England (1642–51 and 1688)......Page 149 The American Revolution (1775–83)......Page 151 The French Revolution (1789–99)......Page 155 The Haitian Revolution (1791–1804)......Page 158 Consequences of a revolutionary era......Page 159 Nineteenth-century Native American resistance......Page 162 Revolution and independence in Latin America......Page 164 The expansion of rights......Page 167 Moral outrage......Page 171 Economic causes......Page 176 Slave revolts......Page 178 The American Civil War......Page 181 Emancipation in Latin America......Page 183 Timeline: abolition......Page 185 PART V The paradox of modernity......Page 188 17 Industrialization......Page 190 Timeline: industrial inventions......Page 195 18 Migration......Page 196 Asian laborers......Page 198 Expansion of the United States......Page 200 Latin America after independence......Page 202 Africa and the end of the slave trade......Page 204 20 Continued colonialism......Page 206 Colonialism in Africa......Page 208 Motivations......Page 209 Consequences......Page 211 The paradox of modernity......Page 213 Sources for further reading......Page 216 Index......Page 232