Trade and Empire Europeans colonized parts of Asia, Africa and the Americas in the late 15th-16th centuries to gain control over the production and trade of valuable commodities like sugar, cotton, tobacco, and to reduce risks and create monopolies for profit. Colonies provided cheap resources and markets for manufactured goods, and were a source of national prestige in the "race for empire" among European powers. By the 18th century, the major colonial powers were Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and later Germany and Russia, competing violently at times over territories and trade.

1. Trade and Empire

3. Imperialism
• Europe demanded commodities, e.g. Silk, cotton, chocolate, coffee,
sugar, silk, tobacco
• None were essential for life
• Controlling production and trade routes
• Reduced risks
• Created monopolies  $$$
• Colonists, merchants, corporations backed by nation states

4. Imperialism
• Colonised lands and people became a source of cheap resources
• Colonies also provided a market for manufactured goods
• Colonies were good for national prestige
• A common metaphor “the race for empire”
• A Civilising and Christianising mission

5. World Powers
• First Spain and Portugal
• Then the Netherlands
• Then France and Britain
• Finally Russia and Germany
• Fierce, often violent competition

6. America
• Christopher Columbus 1492
• Caribbean and South America settled first. Lucrative crops of sugar
and tobacco worked by slaves. Dominated by Spain, then Britain and
France.
• Piracy and privateering flourished as a means of competition.
• 1607 first successful English settlement in North America in Virginia.
• French 1608 in Canada. Dutch settled in what is now New York.
Settlers sought land and religious freedom

7. Battle for Quebec - 1759

8. Atlantic Triangle Trade
• A million people in North America by
1750 in a sophisticated society rivalling
Europe
• The Navigation Acts prohibited trade
with British colonies in non-British ships.
• Britain’s powerful navy was vital to
domination of world trade.
• Trade brought a varied diet- tobacco,
coffee, tea, sugar, potatoes

9. America: not just raw materials
• By 1797-8, North America and the West Indies
received 57 per cent of British exports, and supplied
32 per cent of imports.
• 1700: imports 6 million pounds : exports 6. 5 million
pounds
• 1800 imports: 28.3 million pounds : exports 40.8
million

10. Slavery
• From Africa to the Caribbean and then American mainland
• Between 9 and 10 million slaves were shipped
• Up to 40% would die on the voyage
• They worked on plantations – tobacco, sugar and cotton
• Free labour brought great wealth to the colonies