WW: Chapter 14

     The chapter starts out discussing how Europeans wanted commercial connections with Asia. Columbus among others, tried to find a route to Asia so they could establish a connection. The explorers were mainly motivated by their desire to obtain spices from the Asians. I think it's important to note that at this point in time, Europe had recovered from the Black Death (Plague). The way the governments were run were more effective than they had been before. For example, militaries were a lot more built up and weapons with gunpowder grew in popularity. In addition to that, some cities became international trade center. Economies were more lenient towards the capitalist point of view. However, there were problems with the trade system involving the Indian Ocean network, that was controlled by Muslims. 

     The country that built an empire out of commerce was Portugal. To them the Indian Ocean commerce was extremely diverse and rich. However, they lacked goods and quality in order to compete with other countries. They resorted to piracy. Their ships were equipped with cannons and were easy to use and travel with.

     In an attempt to control commerce, the Portuguese created a trading post empire. They did not attempt to control territories or populations of people.

     The Portuguese carried Asian goods to Asian ports. However, by 1600, their post suffered through a dramatic decline in success. 

     At the same time, Spain was challenging Portugal in controlling the Asian trade. As retaliation, the Spanish set up bases in the Philippines. They remained under Spanish control until the United States took over in 1898.

     There was not nearly as much European presence in Asia than there was in the Americas or there was in Africa. They were no real threat to Asia. When the Portuguese reached Japan in the mid-sixteenth century, Japan was experiencing a civil war amongst two lords.

     At first Europeans were welcome. They were able to convert approximately three hundred thousand Japanese people into Christians. 

     When Japan unified in the early seventeenth century, many people started to see the Europeans as a threat to unity that they had just formed. Missionaries were expelled and Christians were greatly persecuted. As a result of all this the Japanese were not allowed to travel abroad. 

     The Europeans were banned from ever being in Japan, with the exception of the Dutch at a small site. Despite this, Japan was closed off from Europe for two hundred years.