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Period: 1300 to
Causes of Southernization in Europe
Even though the involvement in the process of southernization spread through Europe, the causes of the rise of the West can not be found in European borders. More importantly, they are as a result of the change of western Europe's relationships with other countries in the Eastern Hemisphere. Europe began to rise only after the 13th century's reorganization of the Eastern Hemisphere. The northwestern part of Europe did not rise until it was also experiencing the true profits of southernization. -
Period: 1450 to 1500
The Fall of the Mongolian Empire
During the latter part of the 14th century, the Mongolian Empire began to slowly fall apart. With the dissipation of this empire, a new power began to rise. The Turkic or Turko-Mongolian powers of the Islam spread the importance of their religion. This influence allowed the peoples of Malaysia and the Philippines to convert to Islam. -
Period: 1450 to 1500
New Oceanic Routes
The Ottoman Empire and the spread of Islam were weakened with the development of a new oceanic route. This path would allow sailors to go around the North African Muslims in search of West African gold. Before these developments, European sailors could have gone to West Africa but couldn't return. This is because winds blew from north to south all year long, so northbound winds couldn't help the sailors return home. -
Period: 1450 to 1500
Factors of Portuguese Success
In order for the Portuguese to succeed they needed to use a few technologies that were spread through southernization. These technologies included the Chinese compass, the lateen sail, Arabic tables indicating the declination of the noonday sun at various latitudes, and the Portuguese caravel, which is a type of sail that is a combination of the Atlantic hull, Atlantic square sail, and the lateen. -
Period: 1450 to 1500
Wind Currents and Patterns
The new trade route to West Africa allowed Portuguese sailors to begin to participate in southern ocean trade. While traveling to West Africa, sailors began to learn more about their surroundings. For example, they learned about wind patterns and the ocean currents west of Africa. This knowledge allowed the Columbian to happen. -
Period: 1450 to 1500
Participation in Trade
Trade relations improved dramatically, for the Portuguese were able to move sugarcane from Sicily to Madeira. They found new sources of gold in West and East Africa. In the southern or Indian Ocean, ports there was little to no demand for European goods. This plundered gold was key in sustaining healthy trade relations with Asia and their market. -
1453
Expansion of the Islamic Faith
With support from the Turkish, Islam was spreading into eastern Europe. The drastic shift in beliefs was marked by the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. The image is the Ottoman flag but during the spread of Islam through the Ottoman Empire, many people associate them with each other. The modern symbol for Islam is an adaptation of this flag. The star and crescent moon shapes are used to talk about Islam during the "pre-islamic" times. -
Period: 1453 to 1500
Iberian Expansion
The spread of Islam into Europe expedited the process of Iberian expansion. The Iberian people believed that they were the chosen protectors of Christendom, which is basically the ideas and belief in Christianity. During the 12th century, the Christian part of Byzantium had lost control of Anatolia the southern part of Europe converted to Islam. While this was occurring the Spanish and Portuguese were retaking the Iberian Peninsula for Christendom. -
Period: 1500 to
New Goods and Source of Labor
In the West Indies along the coast of South America, many European countries began to conquer lands. This meant that the Dutch, French, and English were now able to cultivate and produce larger amounts of sugar and cotton. They were not only using the resources from other countries but enslaving Africa people and using them for labor. In western Africa, the Dutch were able to take control of the Portuguese fort at Elmina. At the time, this was Portugal's most important source of gold. -
Conquering of the Banda Islands
In the East Indies, the Dutch took control of Portuguese trading posts in the Moluccas and in 1621 they conquered the Banda Islands. With this new ownership, the Dutch were able to trade the fine spices. The possession of the Banda Islands was crucial to the process of southernization because now northern Europe was able to benefit from trade, for their native countries were too far north to grow cotton, sugar, cinnamon, pepper, or fine spices.
