The Europeans

Trade
Trading took place mainly towards the east and Africa. Many European
Traders were very interested in trading with the Arabs and the Muslims,
since it was they who controlled the trade routes into areas that the
European did not know about. Trade routes stretched from the interior of
Africa to the East Indies.
The route of the Arabs and the Muslims were dangerous, yet a few
Europeans would risk their lives by trying to cross the Muslims’ lands.
By purchasing merchandise from these Arab merchants and returning to
Europe with them, Europeans were able to enjoy a taste of what the
Indies had to offer. For the first time they were being introduced to
goods such as ginger, nutmeg, pepper and other spices and unique
eastern textiles, gems, gold, ivory and leather goods. Trading was
dangerous because of the high chance of being robbed, hijacked or
killed. In addition to this was the exorbitant prices, Europeans had to pay
for the goods.
It was with the all these in mind, that the Europeans embarked on
finding a new channel i.e. a new route to the East. The Portuguese first
charted a route around the coast of the African continent and this later
attracted many seafarers and mariners who were interested.

Religion
During the 15th Century, everything revolved around the pope. With
Johann Gutenberg inventing the printing press, information was printed
for everyone to read. With persons now being exposed to science and
scientific explanations, persons were not in agreement with the pope’s
way of life (ruling). As result, individuals started breaking away from
the Roman Catholic Church and protestant churches began to form.
Because the pope was no longer in power and control, persons of the RC
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faith sought new lands so as to spread the catholic faith to them i.e. to
convert them. The Roman Catholic Church fostered a desire to spread
Christianity abroad.
With the recon quest of Grenada by Isabella ad Ferdinand and with the
unification of Spain, individuals sought new opportunities in the
Americas. There they would be able to find non-believers to convert to
Christianity for example, or even again (access to) possession of
encomiendas.

Forms of Government
Up to the 15th Century, the form of government present in Europe was
referred to as feudalism. This was the political and economic system
during the relationships of lord and vassals. During feudalism, those
who owned lad automatically became a leader (power).
In the feudal society, the structure of society was as follows:
Clergy- Christianize and help the poor and sick

Noble- governed enforced laws and protects the people

Peasants- who made up the majority of the society- they farmed the land
and provided services for nobles as well as the clergies.
When the feudal system was abolished, city-states ad nation states were
established. These included England, France, Spain, Portugal and Italian
city-states. Italian city-states were the first and leading city-states of the
Renaissance. They included Florence, Venice and Papal states.

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Feudalism was replaced with nationalism where persons desired to elect
people to govern. In England e.g. Henry VII founded the Tudor Dynasty,
which re-establishes law, order and prosperity with the help of a thriving
merchant class. In Spain, the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and
Isabella of Castile completed the unification of Spain and established
Europe’s most absolute and catholic monarchy.

Social Relations
During the 15th Century a new class of people had replaced the feudal
societies that once existed in Western Europe. This new class was a
group of persons referred to as merchants and tradesmen. This middle
class evolved as a result of the decay of feudalism which witnessed a
more personal enquiry and enterprise within the society. Within the
society was the ruling class.
(Bourgeoisie)

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Factors motivating Europeans to explore and settle in the
Caribbean up to the end of the 17th Century.
Since the collapse of the Roman Empire, the civilization of Europe had
remained dormant up until the Renaissance. With this “rebirth of
learning”, new ideas in science, philosophy, literature, politics and
religion, led Europeans to discovering the Americas and the Caribbean
(West Indies).
There were several factors that motivated the Europeans to explore and
establish settlement in the Americas.

Technological Changes
The technological changes which took place in Europe during the 14th
century, allowed (encourage) Europeans to become exploratory.
Encouraged by new and improved travel aids, as well as other desires
and their safety in conducting trade, the search for new routes to the east
began. This was made possible by the improvements in ship building
and cartography (map-making), and the invention of navigational
instruments such as the quadrant, sundial and astrolabe.
Note that the technological changes however, were not enough to
encourage the Europeans to explore and establish, as they were
influenced by other factors which were either of an economic, social or
political nature.

Economic gains
The development of a new and improved way of doing business played a
significant role in the new exploration. Developments in the use of
money and the services provided by banks, helped to accommodate the
needs of exploration.

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Before the 1400’s, the value of certain coins would change depending on
the amount of precious metal used to make them. The scarcity of
precious metals from which coins were made, the great variety of coins
in use and lack of a fixed value for money handicapped Europeans.
Thus, the 1400’s saw the development of a standardize system of money.
This allowed for more reliable economic transactions and in turn
encouraged the growth of international trade and banking.
Individual merchants often combined their business in a new type of
business organization called a Joint Stock Co.
Such a company raised money by selling stock or shares in the company
to investors. Joint Stock Co. raised large amounts of money from people
willing to invest their activities. Therefore, with standardized money
monarchs financed over-seas trading and colonial settlement.

Political systems
In Europe, in the 1400 and 1500s, money that was provided by the
stronger and more ambitious monarchs, financed overseas expeditions.
Dynastic ambitions and rivalry between countries often made the central
government enthusiastic and supportive of new exploration and
colonization. Gaining riches from overseas exploration was one way a
country could become more powerful than its rivals. As a result,
European governments financed voyages and controlled exploration in
an effort to build overseas empires.

Social Conditions
After the 1500s, Europe experienced harsh living conditions as there was
a population increase. Some urban areas became very over crowded. The
desires to have a better life led to adventurous individuals seeking
settlement overseas.
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Some people went to the colonies hoping to reap quick profits. Tales of
gold, jewels and riches of famous cities as well fertile soils, persuaded
thousands that easy wealth laid overseas.
Others however, such as the French Huguenots and English Puritans,
went overseas in an effort to escape religious or political persecution at
home. Others went to convert the ‘heathens’ and spread Christianity.
Often a combination of reasons caused people to desire resettlement in
new lands.

✔ Development- cartography, vessels, instruments

✔ Religious- Muslims vs. Christians (Moors and Spain)

✔ Competition- fore runners of exploration (Portugal and Spain)

✔ Improvement of weaponry- guns, muskets, pistols (discovery of

gun powder by the Chinese in the 14th Century).
✔ Search for new route

N.B Turks were Muslims.

Wind System and Ocean Currents

The Europeans’ arrival to the Caribbean was spurred by winds and
currents of the Caribbean. Their return and continuous voyages was
determined by the flow of the wind. During the 15th Century, the early
stages of voyaging were slow and clumsy, due to designs of the ships.
Ships depended mainly on their sails which in return was dependable
on the wind speed at the time. Given the dependence on the flow of
winds and currents voyages were planned in conjunction to them. The
winds and currents particularly on West Indian routes were very
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constant and strong. As a result, failure to comply with its flow would
have made certain directions rather impossible to go in.
It was the trade winds and ocean currents in the Atlantic that
contributed to Europe having an impact on the West Indies during this
time. From Europe, the north east (NE) trade winds brought fair
weather into the Caribbean for 80% of the year. The wind that is
blowing in the tropics goes from east to west into the Caribbean,
having turned after reaching near the equator.

NORTH POLE N
(East)

Equation

(Blowing into high pressures)

(Equator)

(After reaching equator winds

turn towards the west)

The ocean currents follow basically the same direction as the winds. The
two currents that flow towards the Caribbean in the Atlantic are the
North Equatorial Currents and the South Equatorial Current.
North flows from East to West and is met by South flows from East
South East meeting north of Tobago.
In the Caribbean, the currents flow in a clockwise direction round the
Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Having the same direction as the
trade wind makes it hard to sail from West to East.
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North East (NE) trade winds were boosted by the North Equatorial and
South Equatorial current in the Atlantic.