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When Columbus first sailed to the Americas in 1492, Queen Isabella did not think that Columbus would be successful. When he returned, she was surprised at his arrival. She sent him back in 1493, in hopes to set up a trading post, which did not work but they found natural resources to trade with.
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Spaniard Hernan Cortes, left from Cuba to find the Aztec Empire. The wars between the Spaniards and Aztecs started in 1519. Finally, the Spaniards took complete control of the territory in 1521.
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The indigenous people of Potosi, were already extracting silver before the arrivals of the Spaniards. It was not until about 1545, when the Spaniards started to extract silver from the land.
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Spain began slowly trading with China. Having silver, made the Chinese more willing to trade with Europeans. This allowed the Portuguese to open trading post in areas such as Macau in 1557. Between this time and the 1800s, China became the biggest market for American silver.
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In 1641, Japan limits imports from Europe to only the Dutch. Japan stays nearly completed isolated until the age of Industrialization.
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The 13 colonies struggled initially to develop a constitution that would fit there ideas of a sound nation. When the Articles of confederation failed, they drew up a U.S Constitution in 1789, to build upon the Enlightenment ideas of equality.
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Haiti was destined for independence as tensions between wealthy and poor whites increased. The differences among the classes made it easy for colored people to rise up and take control. Some of the rebels were also provided weapons by the Spaniards, who sought to undermine the French.
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After Mexico's independence in 1821, Mexican citizens seemed to fall in to despair. The economy got worse as their system of silver trade declined. Mexico was destined for more wars and Revolution
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Still upset with China for not be so willing to trade with them, Britian starts another Opium war with China. After wining this war, they were able to gain more access to China' resources
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In the 2nd Berlin Conference of 1884, Europe sought to further their expansion. At first, as we have seen it was initially about the Latin American Territories. This conference focused on the African territories and which European country would lay claim to that territory.
