In North America, the European colonisation started during the 17 th century, mainly led by England and France, before undergoing a rapid expansion during the 18 th century, an era also marked by massive importation of African slaves. * These two figures include Indigenous Americans, European settlers and African slaves brought by force.Ĭalculations of Eric Toussaint based upon Angus Madison, 2001 Comparison between evolution of the population in Western Europe and Latin America between 15 (in millions) A convenient justification for exploitation and extermination. It is worth recalling that during a long period of time, Europeans, supported by the Vatican, did not consider indigenous people from the Americas as human beings. In the case of most islands of the Caribbean Sea, the whole indigenous population had been wiped out. One century later, only around 8 million inhabitants were left (including European settlers and the first African slaves). In 1500, just at the beginning of the brutal intervention of the Spaniards and the Portuguese in Central and South America, this region had at least 18 million inhabitants (some authors put forward much larger figures of close to 100 million ). Struggle for the abolition of illegitimate debt.Public debt has been and still is systematically used as a means of grabbing (.).Capitalism has continued its offensive against collective commons.Latin America’s external debt crises: 19 th-21 st century.External debt as a means of domination and subordination.The destruction and grabbing of collective commons.
Intra-Asian trade before the European powers burst onto the scene.In 1500, standards of living were comparable.Maritime Chinese expeditions during the 15 th century.Second intercontinental voyage of Vasco da Gama (1502): Lisbon - Cape of Good Hope - Eastern (.).For his contributions he was named in 1524 as the Governor of India, under the title of Viceroy, and given the newly created County of Vidigueira in 1519. Gama headed two of the armadas destined for India, the first and the fourth, the biggest armada, only four years after his arrival from the first one. These spices were mostly pepper and cinnamon at first, but soon included other products, all new to Europe which led to a commercial monopoly for several decades. Reaching the legendary Indian spice routes unopposed helped the Portuguese Empire improve its economy that, until Gama, was mainly based on trades along the Northern and coastal West Africa. The route meant that the Portuguese wouldn't need to cross the highly disputed Mediterranean nor the dangerous Arabia, and that the whole voyage would be made by sea.Īfter decades of sailors trying to reach India with thousands of lives and dozens of vessels lost in shipwrecks and attacks, Gama landed in Calicut on. This discovery was very significant and paved the way for the Portuguese to establish a long lasting colonial empire in Asia. He is one of the most famous and celebrated explorers from the Discovery Ages, being the first European to reach India by sea. Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira, was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India.
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