European Expansion Timeline by Samantha Fernandez Nunez

Colonization of South American (1500s)

20267082 — 2025-02-04 01:11:40 UTC

Europeans found a lot of resources in South America, and they needed people to help them cultivate these resources. They used African Americans and Native Americans to complete these jobs for them.

Fall of the Aztecs (1519-1521)

20267082 — 2025-02-04 01:21:21 UTC

Hernan Cortes was able to conquer the Aztecs due to their empire being quite unstable already and he took advantage of the rivalries that the Aztecs had to turn the other tribes against them. The main causes for their fall were due to guns, steel, and germs.

Fall of Constantinople (1493)

20267082 — 2025-02-04 01:48:19 UTC

The Fall of Constantinople was so important because it became a turning point in history for the reason that Europeans were outraged at the Ottomans for making them pay taxes so the Europeans decided that they were going to find their own way to Asia and India. This sparked the Age of Exploration.

The Mughal Empire (1526)

20267082 — 2025-02-04 02:09:14 UTC

The Mughal Empire united a majority of India due to their military and their exceptional leadership. Under Akbar's leadership, the empire thrived and were known for their religious tolerance and buildings such as the Taj Mahal were left behind in its wake. However, internal strife and British colonial pressures led to its decline in 1857.

Fall of the Incas (1438-1533)

20267082 — 2025-02-04 02:46:50 UTC

The Inca Empire quickly became one of the largest empires for its time. The Incas excelled in engineering and architecture, with feats such as Machu Picchu. However, when Francisco Pizarro conquered the empire with the help of diseases, new technology, and the help of enemy tribes, the Inca Empire fell in 1533.

Devastation of the Indies (1552)

20267082 — 2025-02-04 03:05:23 UTC

The novel by Bartolomé de las Casas is a firsthand account of the brutal treatment of Native Americans by Spanish colonizers in the Americas. Las Casas documented the widespread violence, slavery, and destruction that occurred as the Spanish sought wealth and power. His book aimed to expose these atrocities and advocate for Native American rights, highlighting the devastating impact of European conquest on their populations.

Rise of Qing Dynasty (1644)

20267082 — 2025-02-04 03:16:40 UTC

When the Ming Empire fell, the Manchus took control over China and began imposing their own way of life onto the Chinese people. The Qing stayed in power because they got to keep the Ming style of government, but the Manchu made men dress in their formal way of dress and wearing their hair in a style known as "queues."

Qing Dynasty Began Trade with Europe (1680s)

20267082 — 2025-02-04 03:20:32 UTC

The Qing Dynasty began trade with Europe which initially allowing limited exchanges through coastal ports. Then, trade expanded under the Canton System, which restricted foreign merchants to Guangzhou (Canton) and placed strict regulations on commerce. The Qing primarily exported tea, silk, and porcelain in exchange for silver. This system allowed China to control trade while benefiting from European demand.

Tokugawa Shonugate (1603)

20267082 — 2025-02-04 03:25:17 UTC

The Tokugawa family took over Japan after having 100 years of instability. The Shogun was more powerful than the actual emperor. The Tokugawas were worried about the people of Japan being converted into Christians and they feared that European missionaries would bring in armies to take over Japan. They expelled the missionaries and ordered all Japanese people to stop practicing Christianity. By 1640, it stopped. They then enforced Sakoku, also known as the "Closed Country Policy."

Closed Country Policy (1636-1863)

20267082 — 2025-02-04 03:29:05 UTC

The people of Japan were forbidden from leaving their own country, and no one was allowed inside the country either. Severe punishments awaited those who failed to acknowledge the rules set in place for the policy, such as imprisonment or execution. Every other non Japanese person was ordered to leave, except the Dutch who were allowed one trading post in Nagasaki which unloaded one ship per year. The Japanese still traded with Korea and China and the policy stayed in place until 1863, which was when Japan noticed that they were way behind everyone else in technology and other advancements.

Works Cited

20267082 — 2025-02-04 03:29:14 UTC

Cartwright, Mark. “Pizarro & the Fall of the Inca Empire.” World History Encyclopedia, https://www.worldhistory.org#organization, 21 July 2022, www.worldhistory.org/article/915/pizarro--the-fall-of-the-inca-empire/.