Why_Europe_

Why Europe' DBQ Before the Age of Exploration, Europe was viewed as the underdog. The rest of the world was uninterested in what little the Europeans had to offer. China and India had been trading along the Silk Road for many years and had all the raw materials they needed. China was also much more innovative than Europe. The Chinese acquired axial rudders, compasses, along with other advancements many years before the Europeans. Despite Europe’s disadvantages, they managed to become the leading force in Exploration. Europe may not have had the same force as China, but their “desire for profit and power” (Doc 7) was greater than anyone else’s. China had all of the necessary tools for world conquest years before the Europeans. It seems that there would be very little reason for China to have backed out of this chance for exploration and allowed Europe to take the wheel. China had access to many technological advances such as multiple masts and sails, leeboards, magnetic compasses and axial rudders many years before the Europeans. (Doc 2) China also had access to the majority of the trade routes across the Indian Ocean. (Doc 3) The Chinese could have easily sailed through the oceans and discovered new territories and goods. One reason that the Chinese may have excluded themselves from this new trade market could have been the high cost associated with sea travel. “By the eighteenth century the cost of building a boat on the central China coast had risen about three times as fast as the price as rice” (Doc 4) China was loosing more money from exploration than they were gaining. “The further China sailed, the poorer and more barren the lands that they found. Goods of value came mainly from India and the Middle East, and they had already been pouring into China by established land and sea routes for hundreds of years.” (Doc 5) It would not have been sensible for China to continue looking for new land. Not only was exploration incredibly high in cost, but it could be incredibly dangerous as well “Shifting monsoon winds could strand a ship for months.” (Doc 4) Monsoon winds were another key reason that China ceased exploration. Far ports were nearly impossible for Chinese merchants to safely reach. Another document that could be used to show this would be a chart depicting the profit verses the cost of exploration from china. This document among the rest would further prove that it would not have been practical for China to explore past its current boundaries. Though Europe would seem at a disadvantage against China, “Europe’s small area…forced it to become competitive.” (Doc 6) This competition allowed Europe to become better at war which will benefit them greatly while conquering other nations. Also, Europe was one of the first nations to participate in plant and animal domestication. This allowed for “the development of a settled, politically centralized, socially stratified, economically complex, technologically innovative society.” Europe had more of a “desire for profit and power” (Doc 7) than china did. The Europeans were eager to get out of the dark ages and find new materials and land. Another aspect that aided the Europeans in their conquest was disease. Wherever the conquistadors went, they brought diseases such as smallpox and typhus with them. Smallpox was responsible for eliminating “more than half the population of the Incan empire.” (Doc 8) With such a drastic population decrease, the Incas were and easy target. A final reason that Europe had so much success in conquering foreign lands was that they had ulterior motives. Not only were they interested in profit, but the Europeans also planned to convert the native peoples to Christianity. “God, the creator of heaven and earth and of all things in them, permits this, in order that you may know him and come out from the bestial diabolical life that you lead.” Francisco Pizarro said this to Atahualpa of the Incan empire while holding him prisoner. (Doc 9) If the Europeans did not have this increasing desire for wealth, power, and converting foreign nations to Christian faith they never would have achieved the same success in exploration. Though the Chinese may have seemed to be the prime candidates to be successful in exploration, they would not have benefited from the long costly journeys anymore than trading within their boundaries. Europe on the other hand, takes charge of exploration and becomes a leading force in creating a new world economy. Europe was able to do this because of its strong desire for power and wealth.