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Period: Jan 1, 1340 to
Songhai Empire
The Songhai Empire pushed it's dominion into the Sahara from the south. It drew its wealth from the trans-Saharan trade and was ruled by an indigenous Muslim dynasty. Morroco's Muslim rulers sent an expedition and the Songhai could not withstand them. Morcco's destruction of the Songhai weakened the trans-Saharan trade in western Sudan. -
Mar 4, 1394
Henry the Navigator
He devoted the rest of his life, after attacking Ceuta, to promoting the exploration of the South Atlantic. He hoped to discover new places and hoped that these new contacts would prove to be profitable. Might have wanted to convert Africans to Christianity. -
Sep 17, 1445
Beginning of the Portuguese Slave Trade
The decision of the ruler of the Kongo Kingdom to adopt Christianity added cultural diversity to Kongolese society. They sought more secular aid, including the export trade in slaves. -
Period: Jan 1, 1451 to Jan 1, 1481
Reign of Mehmed the Conqueror
Mehmed put an end to Byzantine rule in 1453 using technological military advancements. This attack made the Ottomans seem invincible. -
Period: Jan 1, 1464 to Jan 1, 1492
Reign of Sunni Ali
Sunni Ali was the first king of the Songhai empire. Because of his infantry and cavalry, many cities were captured and then fortified. Under his reign, Songhair became the largest and most powerful empire in West Africa. -
Nov 10, 1483
Martin Luther
The Catholic Church authority would give out indulgences (forgiveness of sins in return for money) and Martin Luther objected to the way the new undulgence was preached. He argued that salvation didn't come from good works, but from faith. He was rejected when he confronted the Pope, burnt the papal bull of condemnation and began the Protestant Reformation. -
Jan 1, 1488
Bartolomeu Dias Voyage into the Indian Ocean
Bartolomeu Dias was the first Portuguese explorer to round the southern tip of Africa to the rich trade of the Indian Ocean. Because of his voyage, he opened up the way for a sear route from Europe to Asia. -
Aug 2, 1492
Columbus' First Voyage
Columbus departed from Mainland Spain in command of three ships: The Pinta, The Nina, and The Santa Maria.
Cause: In search for a new trade routes connecting Chinese trade markets. Effect: Discovery of new trade routes http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/latinamericatheconquest/p/Columbusfirst.htm -
Period: Aug 2, 1492 to
Columbian Exhange
The Columbian Exchange took place following the Spanish establishment of colonies in the New World. Cultural and biological exchanges took place (Animals, plants, diseases). New foods became staples of human diets. New growing regions were opened up for crops. It also caused the evolution of warfare and increased mortality rates. Because of the Native American's vulnerability to new diseases, heavy European colonization was made possible. -
Period: Jan 1, 1500 to
Russian Empire
Russia became one of the major powers of Europe by 1750. Prince Ivan IV pushed conquests south and east and further expanded Russia. Because of their rapid expansion, by the end of the 16th century, Russia has the largest state in Europe. Russian expansion produced far-reaching demographic changes and changed relationships with the tsar and elite classes. It also changed the freedom and mobility of the Russian peasantry. -
Period: Jan 1, 1500 to
The Ottoman Empire
Mamluk Syria and Egypt yielded to the Ottomans leaving them with the largest Muslim empire since the original Islamic caliphate. The empire grew because of their malicious founder, their control of a strategic link between Europe and Asia, and the creation of an army that took advantage of traditional Turkish cavalry skills and new military options made possible with gunpowder and prisoners of war. The Ottonmans put an end to Byzantine Rule in Constantinople, making them seem invincible. -
Period: Jan 1, 1502 to
Safavid Empire
At first, the Safavid Empire used land grants to support its cavalry. It focused on land power rather than sea power. Ismail proclaimed himself as ruler and declared that Shi'ite Islam would be the practiced religion.The Iranian population resisted this change. It took a century to made Iran a Shi'ite land. It created an interruption between Iran and its neighbors. -
Jul 10, 1509
John Calvin
Inspired by Luther's rejection and protest against the Catholic Church, John Calvin became a highly influential Protestant leader. He agreed with Luther's emphasis on faith over works and denied that human faith could merit salvation. He concluded that God predestined those who would enter salvation. -
Period: Apr 21, 1519 to Nov 18, 1521
Spanish Conquest of Mexico
The Spanish were welcomed in and given gifts. A battle began about the capital between the Spaniards and the Aztecs and their supporters. In 1521, after being nearly defeated by the Aztecs, the Spaniards returned and successfully captured Tenochtitlan (spread of smallpox killed defenders). After the capital fell, the conquistadors took over other parts of Mexico. -
Period: Jan 1, 1520 to Jan 1, 1566
Reign of Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman commanded the greatest Ottoman assault on Christian Europe. He conquered Belgrade in 1521, removed the knights of the Hospital of St. John from the island of Rhodes the next year, and attacked Vienna in 1529. Under his reign, the imperial system seemed to work to perfection. -
Jun 1, 1520
Moctezuma
Aztec emperor of Tenochtitlan. He sent messangers to greet Cortes and determine his motives. He welcomed Cortes into his kingdom and in turn was imprisoned in his own kingdom. -
Period: Jan 1, 1526 to
The Mughal Dynasty
Babur became the founder of the Mughal Empire because of his marriage to a descendant of Genghis Khan. His family didn't enjoy the political legitimacy that came with the Genhisisd descent. Babur defeated the last Muslim sultan of Delhi at the Battle of Panipat. Babur's grandson, Akbar, established the central administration of the expanding state. Because of him, all but the southern tip of India fell under Mughal rule and India prospered during the 16th century. Foreign trade boomed. -
Jan 1, 1545
Council of Trent 1545-1563
The Protestant Reformation caused the Catholic Church to preform it's own Catholic Reformation. The Council of Trent was the council that met at the city of Trent in Northern Italy to distinguish proper Catholic doctrines from Protestant "errors." This Council of Trent caused the pope's supremacy to be reaffirmed. -
Period: Nov 17, 1545 to Nov 17, 1563
Coucil of Trent
The Protestant Reformation caused the Catholic Church to preform it's own Catholic Reformation. The Council of Trent was the council that met at the city of Trent in Northern Italy to distinguish proper Catholic doctrines from Protestant "errors." This Council of Trent caused the pope's supremacy to be reaffirmed. -
Period: Jan 1, 1556 to
Reign of Akbar
Under Akbar rule, the Mughal Empire was a the peak of it's existence. He established the central administration of the expanding state. Under his rule, all but the southern tip of India fell under Mughal rule. He granted land revenues to military officers and government officials in turn for their service. The empire experienced peaceful confitions under his reign. -
Feb 15, 1564
Galileo Galilei
Galileo was an Italian physicist, astronomer, and philosopher that played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. He was able to study the moon and discoverthe four satellites of Jupiter, and discover sunspots. His discoveries also proved the Coppernicus System that the universe was geocentric. This got him in trouble with the Catholic Church because they believed that the Earth was the center of the universe. He was put under house arrest to avoid the spread of his ideas. -
Period: to
Tokugawa Shogunate
The shoguns created a new administrative capital at Edo which lead to trade between Edo and the capital of Kyoto. This aided in the development of Japansese economy and led to the formation of other trading centers. It gave Japan more political unity. Commercial traffic was developed and rice stimulated exchange at Edo and Osaka. The merchant family created close alliances with regional daimyo to weaken strict control of merchant activity which led to them being in charge of future modernization -
Period: to
Thirty Years War
Between The Thirty Years war caused long-lasting depopulation and economic decline in much of the Holy Roman Empire. It also produced dramatic improvement in the skill of European armed forces and in their weaponry that made them-arguably-the most powerful in the world. -
Period: to
Qing Dynasty
Because the Qing Dynasty was initially founded by the Manchu, a small portion of the population at the time, they adopted Chinese insitutions and policies. The early Qing emperors wished to foster economic and demographic recovery in China. They repaired roads and waterworks, lowered transit taxes, and established economic incentives for resettlement of devastated areas. Foreign trade was encouraged. Overland routes of communication from Korea to Central Asia were revived. -
Period: to
England's Glorious Revolution
This revolution caused the replacment of the King James II because of the fear of a Catholic tryanny. People were troubled by his Catholicism and his close ties with France. The Glorious Revolution checked the power of the monarchy. It also limited the chance of Catholicism becoming re-established in England. -
Period: to
Peter the Great
He put his effort towards turning Russia away from its Asian cultural connections and toward the west. He sent Princess Sophia to a monastery and took charge of Russia. He constructed a small navy to block Ottoman ports, went in disguise across Europe to discover how western European societies were becoming so powerful and wealthy and returned to expand and reform his empire. This made more direct contacts between Russia and Europe and established Russia as a major power for the first time. -
John Locke
Because of the power displayed by Louis XIV in his versailles, English political philosopher John Lccke disputed monarchial claims to absolute authority by divine right. He argued that rulers derived their power from the people and, like everyone else, were subject to the law. He argued that citizens had the right and duty to rebel if the monarchs overstepped the law. -
Period: to
Coucil of Trent
The Protestant Reformation caused the Catholic Church to preform it's own Catholic Reformation. The Council of Trent was the council that met at the city of Trent in Northern Italy to distinguish proper Catholic doctrines from Protestant "errors." This Council of Trent caused the pope's supremacy to be reaffirmed.
