The Age of Exploration

Prior to the Age of Exploration, Christopher Columbus went to explore the world to find new land. In 1492 he came across America now known as the United States. He later then brought over Europeans to the Americas to settle down, taking land, resources, and freedom from the American Indians who previously lived there. This then led to overseas exploration and expansion. Although the Atlantic Slave Trade had a significant effect on European overseas expansion on European society, it was the Commercial Revolution and the impact of new commodities that allowed great economic change from the periods 1450-1648.

During the time of the Commercial Revolution, there was great expansion and exploration, leading to rapid economic growth. Urbanization was exponentially increasing in Europe at this time due to new economic shifts and financial innovations. An example of this were the joint-stock companies and banks which allowed investors to share risks and profits and invest more with stocks. There was also mercantilism throughout Europe adopting new economic policies, such as bullionism, accumulating more gold and silver through trading monopolies. This new found sense of trade led to an increase in the economy because of the great amounts of exports that were being sent off to other nations.

While the Commercial Revolution helped the economy grow, the Atlantic Slave Trade impacted the people greatly because there was a need for labor in new productions. There was forced transatlantic migration of people for labor from and to the Americas. Because of the increase of sugar plantations, there was a need for laborers, establishing the model of slavery. European merchants traded textiles, weaponry, and alcohol in exchange for enslaved people, creating a conflict and impacted Africa largely. These slaves were then sent all over, formulating Triangular Trade. Many slaves died due to malnutrition, starvation, and disease and if someone had a sickness while on the boat, they were thrown overboard, so no one else would become ill.

Although slaves were taken across the seas, it greatly impacted Europe because they gained new commodities that they had never experienced before and reshaped individuals' daily lives. There was an increase in coffeehouses that contributed to the Caffeine Revolution where coffee, tea and chocolate arrived in Europe for the first time, introducing caffeine to Europeans. This allowed people to work efficiently and stay awake throughout the day, benefiting their work and home life overall. There was also high demand for sugar and tobacco, which were known as luxury goods. These goods became daily necessities for Europeans.

The Slave Atlantic Trade may not have seemed like the most important effect of overseas expansion, but it really impacted the trade of goods and resources. Economically, Europe grew and gained new commodities, reshaping daily lives of individuals. These events would later lead to the Industrial Revolution, where people would work in factories to create textile goods and new machinery that would change Europe even more.