Trade and empire

Trade and Empire

Imperialism• Europe demanded commodities, e.g. Silk, cotton, chocolate, coffee,

sugar, silk, tobacco• None were essential for life• Controlling production and trade routes• Reduced risks• Created monopolies $$$

• Colonists, merchants, corporations backed by nation states

Imperialism• Colonised lands and people became a source of cheap resources• Colonies also provided a market for manufactured goods• Colonies were good for national prestige• A common metaphor “the race for empire”• A Civilising and Christianising mission

World Powers

• First Spain and Portugal• Then the Netherlands• Then France and Britain• Finally Russia and Germany• Fierce, often violent competition

America• Christopher Columbus 1492• Caribbean and South America settled first. Lucrative crops of sugar

and tobacco worked by slaves. Dominated by Spain, then Britain and France. • Piracy and privateering flourished as a means of competition.• 1607 first successful English settlement in North America in Virginia. • French 1608 in Canada. Dutch settled in what is now New York.

Settlers sought land and religious freedom

Battle for Quebec - 1759

Atlantic Triangle Trade• A million people in North America by

1750 in a sophisticated society rivalling Europe• The Navigation Acts prohibited trade

with British colonies in non-British ships.• Britain’s powerful navy was vital to

domination of world trade.• Trade brought a varied diet- tobacco,

coffee, tea, sugar, potatoes

America: not just raw materials• By 1797-8, North America and the West Indies

received 57 per cent of British exports, and supplied 32 per cent of imports.• 1700: imports 6 million pounds : exports 6. 5 million

pounds• 1800 imports: 28.3 million pounds : exports 40.8

million

Slavery• From Africa to the Caribbean and then American mainland• Between 9 and 10 million slaves were shipped• Up to 40% would die on the voyage• They worked on plantations – tobacco, sugar and cotton• Free labour brought great wealth to the colonies