Why Europe Reasoning and debating the historical notion

Why Europe? Reasoning and debating the historical notion that… Western Europe was the dominant power 1450 -1750

Historical Contextualization (ch 13 in Strayer) The 15 th century • The 15 th century saw the rise of the Ming Overseas territorial expeditions under the Yongle Emperor and under the leadership of Zheng He. Navigating the very important Indian Ocean and Pacific, there was an attempt to ( for the first time) extend outwardly to the world. Islamic gunpowder Empires like the Safavid, Mughal and Ottoman were dominating the Silk Route while the Mediterranean was manipulated by the Ottoman and Italian city-states. Europe could not get their foothold into the international commercial market. So why then should they expand across the world?

Why Europe? • • • European exceptionalism? Beneficiaries of years of hemispheric developments Competition drove them Weber’s Capitalism and the Protestant work ethic Limited monarchies in England Netherlands (French? ) • Remember Grouping (at least 3 ways), meaning, and point of view

Document 1 our old friend Prof. Jared Diamond • Argues as a geographic determinist that geography played a determining role in the conquest of the Americas. Europe ( Eurasia) had large animals (which Eurasians developed immunities to their diseases) facilitated conquest of Australia and the Americas. How might you group this? Title, theme, perspective

Document 2 chart on technological advancements • China always seemed to be ahead of the maritime game advancing perhaps through state-sponsorship (ex Ming Dynasties diplomatic voyages of Zhen He: see doc #3) or perhaps their civil service administration and government efficiency or even the emphasis on Neo-Confucianism and the Mandate of Heaven’s desire to maintain power

Doc #3 Zheng He’s Junk • One could argue that China should have dominated based both by the map as well as the large “treasure ships” of Zheng He. We will see in the next document how this would be abandoned by the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The small Caravel (pictured as the smaller vessel next to the Junk) would benefit, perhaps, by China’s new (yet traditional) form of isolation

Doc #4 Hey, we’ve seen this book by world historians Pomeranz and Topik • They argue that it wasn't just the Ming Dynasty’s policy shift, but, the junk ships sailed by Zheng He were not feasible and efficient enough for trade (like the Caravel). The weather proved to detrimental to the junk as did missionary, competitive monopolizing and establishment of port cities in Oceanic trade ( China left that up to the Europeans ( remember Europeans were navigating in the Pacific and Indian Oceans as well at the Atlantic)

Doc#5 The Rise of the West: Gladstone debates the Eurocentric Historian • He initially makes mention of Landes ( a Eurocentric historian who argues of the European exceptionalism) and debates that China’s decision to cease maritime trade was a rational decision and that they maintained their dominance (hegemony) through the 18 th century. This document may be grouped as an argument with other documents (perhaps 2 and 3) that Europe was not dominant

Document#6 A historian (Dr. Franklin Knight) from Johns Hopkins University • Argues that Europe was thrust into a competitive realm where they had to fight to remain relevant. This may have begun with feudal competitions and translated into Monarchal competitions facilitating advancement in many fields (technology, enlighten, scientific inquiry, limited governments, mercantilism, etc. ) This can be grouped politically, under the competitive argument, or pro-Europe (but moderate as opposed to Eurocentric)

Document #7 another historian from a reputable University • Dr. Kennedy from Yale argues that not only competition but the driving desire, centralization of monarchs (absolutism under the word nexus of power) and the economic theme of banking and trade.

Document #8 1491 by Charles Mann The Atlantic Monthly • This illustration of the “Great Dying” in both the Aztec and Inca societies argue ( along with Prof. Diamond in Doc# 1) that is was disease which facilitated the conquest of the Americas by Europeans ( this could be environmental or biological, or even lucky)

Document #9 the only primary source we have Francisco Pissarro • Atahualpa was the last Inca Emperor who was taken by Pizarro as captive. Here Pizarro ethnocentrically looks down upon this Emperor and states that he had conquered greater kingdoms and is doing so in the name of his King, and faith. He looks down upon the faith and intention to subjugate the Incas ( a policy which would continue in the encomienda and repartamiento system)

Synthesis • Europe’s Conquest of the Americas and subsequent world domination would begin at the advent of international commercial activity. The pursuit of God, Gold and Glory would begin mercantilist methods exploiting lands for their resources, labor and markets and attempting to get their favorable balance of trade. Led by Iberian powers like Span and Portugal but closely followed by England, France and the Netherlands, the beginning of European hegemony would continue through the industrial age leading to WWI and II.

Thesis • Many scholars debate the notion of why Europe explored and would eventually conquer much of the known world starting in the 15 th century. Some argue that Europe were the beneficiaries of years of interconnectivity which they tapped into, others debate that the Ming Dynasty’s decision to isolate was Europe’s fortunate gain while still others argue that European exceptionalism came from their competitive drive forming limited monarchies and the basis for capitalism