Peoples and EmpiresPeoples and Empirespt. 3pt. 3

David RoperDavid RoperHistory 140History 140

Chapter 6Chapter 6 The economy went into stagnation.The economy went into stagnation. What resources there were went increasingly to What resources there were went increasingly to

protecting Spanish and Portuguese overseas protecting Spanish and Portuguese overseas possessions, and Spanish and Portuguese shipping, possessions, and Spanish and Portuguese shipping, from attack by the new contenders for control of the from attack by the new contenders for control of the world’s oceans, the English and the French, and the world’s oceans, the English and the French, and the Dutch.Dutch.

Spain lost all its remaining European possessions, Spain lost all its remaining European possessions, and the empire was reduced in effect, to the and the empire was reduced in effect, to the Americas and the Philippines.Americas and the Philippines.

By the beginning of the nineteenth century however, By the beginning of the nineteenth century however, the Spanish colonists, as the English had done the Spanish colonists, as the English had done before them, began to resent the autocratic before them, began to resent the autocratic presence of a remote and declining European power presence of a remote and declining European power with which few of them could now identify.with which few of them could now identify.

Between 1808 and 1826, in a series of bloody wars, Between 1808 and 1826, in a series of bloody wars, the Kingdoms of the Indies, as they had been called, the Kingdoms of the Indies, as they had been called, were finally extinguished.were finally extinguished.

In their place there arose a number of competing, In their place there arose a number of competing, mutually hostile, and internally unstable republics, mutually hostile, and internally unstable republics, which have remained divided and unsettled.which have remained divided and unsettled.

In 1898, the United States occupied and “liberated” In 1898, the United States occupied and “liberated” the Philippines and drove the Spanish out of Cuba the Philippines and drove the Spanish out of Cuba and Puerto Rico.and Puerto Rico.

Chapter 7Chapter 7 Britain, which had begun by Britain, which had begun by

condemning the Spanish and by condemning the Spanish and by insisting that its empire was to be insisting that its empire was to be one of trade to be governed in the one of trade to be governed in the name of liberty, had ended by name of liberty, had ended by becoming among the most becoming among the most aggressive, the most rapacious, of aggressive, the most rapacious, of imperial powers.imperial powers.

Yet, the vision of empire as the Yet, the vision of empire as the expansion of civilization, of the expansion of civilization, of the benevolent rule of the more gifted benevolent rule of the more gifted and more able, of a duty as well as and more able, of a duty as well as a right, survived the trial of Warren a right, survived the trial of Warren Hastings. By the nineteenth Hastings. By the nineteenth century what Napolean could call century what Napolean could call the “civilizing mission” of the the “civilizing mission” of the European powers came to be European powers came to be looked upon as an integral part of looked upon as an integral part of the culture of Europe.the culture of Europe.

Chapter 8Chapter 8 All empires in history up to the beginning of the All empires in history up to the beginning of the

nineteenth century were slave-owning nineteenth century were slave-owning societies.societies.

Slaves were everywhere, the silent and Slaves were everywhere, the silent and silenced masses, the people whose labor silenced masses, the people whose labor Athenian democracy and Roman republicanism Athenian democracy and Roman republicanism had been created.had been created.

In Antiquity, “the people” meant only the In Antiquity, “the people” meant only the citizenry, and that excluded all slaves, as well citizenry, and that excluded all slaves, as well as all women and children.as all women and children.

In the end, even field slavery was driven out by In the end, even field slavery was driven out by the spread of feudalism, the expansion of an the spread of feudalism, the expansion of an agrarian economy, and new agricultural agrarian economy, and new agricultural technologies.technologies.

It was sugar that was responsible for the It was sugar that was responsible for the massive growth in slave trade between the massive growth in slave trade between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries, and it was fifteenth and eighteenth centuries, and it was the value of sugar to the economies of the the value of sugar to the economies of the slaving nations that made the abolition of slaving nations that made the abolition of slavery at the end of the eighteenth century slavery at the end of the eighteenth century such a protracted and uncertain business.such a protracted and uncertain business.

Chapter 8Chapter 8 Between 1492 and 1820, five or six times as Between 1492 and 1820, five or six times as

many Africans went to America as white many Africans went to America as white Europeans. Modern slavery shattered entire Europeans. Modern slavery shattered entire cultures within Africa and constituted new ones cultures within Africa and constituted new ones on the far side of the Atlantic.on the far side of the Atlantic.

It contributed to the creation of interracial It contributed to the creation of interracial communities that had once been, or had communities that had once been, or had believed themselves to be, solidly endogamous.believed themselves to be, solidly endogamous.

It also provided vast fortunes for those who lived It also provided vast fortunes for those who lived by it and turned otherwise small, unremarkable by it and turned otherwise small, unremarkable seaports– Liverpool and Nantes, Bristol and seaports– Liverpool and Nantes, Bristol and Newport– into thriving, wealthy, sometimes Newport– into thriving, wealthy, sometimes sophisticated metropolises.sophisticated metropolises.

In 1686, the Holy Office actually went so far as In 1686, the Holy Office actually went so far as to condemn the slave trade (although not to condemn the slave trade (although not slavery as such). Since it took no action against slavery as such). Since it took no action against the slavers themselves, the injunction was the slavers themselves, the injunction was wholly ignored.wholly ignored.

The first European state to outlaw the slave The first European state to outlaw the slave trade was Denmark in 1792. British involvement trade was Denmark in 1792. British involvement in the trade ended in 1807, and by 1824 slaving in the trade ended in 1807, and by 1824 slaving had become a capital offense.had become a capital offense.