Unit 4
With the Ottoman sack of the Byzantine capital of Constantinople in 1453 European powers were forced to find new trade routes to the east. Within a century European explores had developed overseas empires in the Indian Ocean region and in the “New World” with the accidental discovery of the Americas. When the Europeans arrived they found thriving empires such as the Aztec and Inca. Soon the Spanish would establish a large wealthy empire in the new world; however, they would be quickly followed by other nations. The Europeans exploited the resources of the New World including human labor. When the natives died the Europeans turned to Africa as a sources of cheap labor. The Atlantic slave trade witnessed the forced removal of millions of individuals to the New World. This is the period in which Europe begins to dominate the geopolitical landscape on a global scale
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