Triangular Trade Routes
Beginning with the voyages of Columbus and other explorers, the encounter of the Americas would soon lead to the start of increased trade between Africa, Europe, and the Americas. This immense trade changed the Atlantic Ocean from a predominantly unclaimed vast ocean into part of the growing maritime empires, booming with trade. As the region progressed, economic, political, and social changes occurred rapidly due to the emergence of the Triangular Trade Route and the Trans- Atlantic Slave Trade. By the late 1600s, the increased participation in these trade routes allowed a multitude of commodities to reach the Atlantic World, permitting Europeans to construct big maritime empires and constantly serve as the dominant countries in trade and
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Slaves became the predominant export of Africa to the Americas, and with the surplus of labor, the sugar plantations in the Caribbean thrived, enriching many European powers. There became an emergence of the European middle class in the Old World composed of merchants, traders, and artisans. Lords who needed money to buy goods would accept it from peasants, allowing them to pay their lords with money rather than labor. Thus, the traditional feudal system declined and social mobility increased. Along with decline of feudalism, the thriving Triangular Trade Route brought forth the Commercial Revolution. New methods of business were introduced and the rising middle class began forming into organizations- partnerships, joint stock companies, banking, and insurance companies. Capitalism emerged in the Western World, and Europe was growing from a basic cluster of countries and towns to an inter-dependent complex society, while the Americas and Africa were becoming renovated. With the addition of slaves, the social system of the Americas became even more complex. Along with the natives, slaves were placed at a low status. Mostly men, and women, were taken from their African cities and in return, rising African tribes received weapons. The violence occurring in Africa counter- acted the earlier period of prosperous trade. The earlier African social system was undermined, and many cities became dependent on the slave trade. Europeans, such as the Spanish, dominated social classes in Africa and the Americas. The diversity created by the multi-cultural/ ethnic change omitted another addition to the social system. Those from mixed European/ African or European/ native descent, known as mulattoes or mestizos, held a higher social status than those of pure native or African origin. The new social
Slaves became the predominant export of Africa to the Americas, and with the surplus of labor, the sugar plantations in the Caribbean thrived, enriching many European powers. There became an emergence of the European middle class in the Old World composed of merchants, traders, and artisans. Lords who needed money to buy goods would accept it from peasants, allowing them to pay their lords with money rather than labor. Thus, the traditional feudal system declined and social mobility increased. Along with decline of feudalism, the thriving Triangular Trade Route brought forth the Commercial Revolution. New methods of business were introduced and the rising middle class began forming into organizations- partnerships, joint stock companies, banking, and insurance companies. Capitalism emerged in the Western World, and Europe was growing from a basic cluster of countries and towns to an inter-dependent complex society, while the Americas and Africa were becoming renovated. With the addition of slaves, the social system of the Americas became even more complex. Along with the natives, slaves were placed at a low status. Mostly men, and women, were taken from their African cities and in return, rising African tribes received weapons. The violence occurring in Africa counter- acted the earlier period of prosperous trade. The earlier African social system was undermined, and many cities became dependent on the slave trade. Europeans, such as the Spanish, dominated social classes in Africa and the Americas. The diversity created by the multi-cultural/ ethnic change omitted another addition to the social system. Those from mixed European/ African or European/ native descent, known as mulattoes or mestizos, held a higher social status than those of pure native or African origin. The new social