In 1492, Europe was made up of many small states uniting into new kingdoms. Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain sponsored Columbus' voyage to the Americas, hoping to spread Catholicism and find new trade routes. China was struggling with bureaucracy and defending against northern invaders, while the Muslim Ottoman Empire dominated North Africa and Western Asia. In the Americas, advanced civilizations like the Aztecs, Incas and Mayans controlled much of the territory, relying on agriculture and trade but lacking technology like firearms that would be introduced by European colonizers.

1. The World in 1492 The Grand Tour: Europe The Grand Tour: Turkey to Africa The Grand Tour: South Asia The Grand Tour: China and Japan The Grand Tour: Western Hemisphere The Staff of life The Great Traditions The European Challenge Alison Venegas

2. The Grand Tour: Europe In 1492, many small states at the time were uniting for the beginning of a new kingdom. It was the time in Spain, the new king and queen Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile sponsored Columbus to his big voyage to the new world. Columbus’ exploration made Ferdinand and Isabella very rich with the gold of Mexico and Peru’s silver. The kings felt it was the perfect time to spread out since Italy was struggling since its leader, Lorenzo de Medici died. But eventually the wealth spread out in Europe and the dominant Spain eventually lost its domestic economy. Orthodox Christendom spread and other countries dominated the northern and eastern Europe. Peasants, the descendants of eastern Europe lost their freedom and were forced in farms to serve western Europe.

3. The Grand Tour: Turkey to Africa In 1453, the last Byzantine Empire, the last ancient Roman Empire, was taken over. In 1492, the population rose from 100,000 to 700,000 a century later. In the beginning of 1492 the Turks and other Islamic people dominated land from south of Spain across North Africa. Muslim spread all over Persia and Asia, except for Christianity, and it would seem the Muslims was the dominant religion at the time. It is said that Columbus saved Christianity by giving the Western Hemisphere to the Spanish and they would be able to spread the religion elsewhere. In Latin America the people had a great influence on Christianity, and a place where the Muslims were not planning to go. Later, the Spanish had a great population of Jews, but they didn’t want to be baptized, so the Spanish decided to push them out of the country. Eventually they ended in Muslim territory. In Africa the kingdom of Congo was influenced by Christianity, but eventually left the faith and welcomed the Portuguese trade.

4. The Grand Tour: South Asia In 1492, most of India was under Muslim rule except for the south Hindu kingdom. India was a country visited by a lot of people and eventually became versatile . Many cultures were absorbed and India became a liberal place because they welcomed any culture or religion. They welcomed Portuguese and started a big trade with them. Spain thought they were the only ones with spices, but in 1492, Vasco Nunez de Balboa would travel to the west and start his own chain of Spices.

5. The Grand Tour: China and Japan In 1492, China’s emperor was struggling with bureaucracy or governing problems, people thought he was relying on other people to think for him. Fifteen century China had the potential to expand, but when the chief minister asked to see for earlier records of the last emperor, he realized China had failed an attempt to dominate more countries. The records were hidden because many Chinese troops and equipment had gone to waste when nothing was gained, except a few gifts, giraffe and prisoners. In 1492, China had no main religion or anything to fight for, so they just expected an attack from the North and spent their money on the Great Wall of China, which at the time was the first priority. To the east Japan stayed an independent country. Columbus was hoping to find Japan when he was traveling west, but he never reached Japan because he found America first.

6. The Grand Tour: Western Hemisphere In 1492, the Aztecs ruled a successful capital with a leader who believed the way to keep his allies in line was to terrorize them and let everyone fear him. One of the Spanish’s first sight of Mexico was the city of Tenochititlan which was built in an aquatic environment and was considered an enchanting and dream like city. The Mayan culture was destroyed and only a few books remained and prevented people from learning anything about their culture. The Incas were a successful tribe like the Aztecs with the leader Tupac Inca Yupan-qui. They built many roads that would reach south were they were able to trade and pass messages a little faster since they didn’t have big animals to ride. Its said he Mayans, Peruvians, and Aztecs never tried to cross the Atlantic Ocean except for maybe a Inca leader, but returned home empty handed.

7. The Staff of Life In 1492, the Europeans nutrients and main food source was rice and wheat. The most nutritious food was the wheat, but also the hardest to cultivate especially when famines where happening at the time. The Chinese mostly grew rice because it was a little easier to grow and was able to feed more people than wheat did. In America, people would grow corn, and although it wasn’t as nutritious, it was easy to grow and could be eaten in many ways. Big animals were rare in America and didn’t allow people to eat meat. Eventhogh Europe had more animals, they struggled to feel and keep people healthy. Then the Black Death hit and many people died which caused the population of Europe to decrease. Columbus was the reason for change in all over the world because he brought many spices and different foods from America to Europe. Columbus also brought animals into America, but it didn’t turn out so well because it brought a lot of diseases and killed almost 75% of the American people.

8. The Great Traditions Every empire or country had its own way to protect themselves from invaders. Some counted on their castles and others on new inventions like fire arms. During the thirteenth to fifteenth century Turks and Mongols would try to force themselves into China, India, and North Africa. But eventually the countries being invaded learn from their enemies and began to use their war tactics against them. Civilizations were beginning to settle with bureaucratic structures, improving their cities and finding new tools, and also advancing in technology and forms of writing. Those groups of people with old fashion lives, like hunter gatherers, eventually after being invaded by more civilized groups adapted to the life style and became more successful afterwards.

9. The European Challenge Europeans were able to conquer a lot of lands because they were determined to find new sources, new land, to spread their religions and customs. Europeans at that time were a little more advanced than other countries because they had science, math, and religion to help them be more creative and improve their weapons. The Europeans also traveled a lot and took other cultures ideas, weapons, different styles and made them their own. For example their ships were not strong, but with the help of others and science, they improved their ships and were able to navigate the ocean faster. They had fire weapons to easily take over little villages. Also, their strong beliefs in religion caused them to be judgmental with other religions and encouraged them to kill those with another god. Europeans fully used all their sources to improve and expand their lands which made their European challenge a success.