History Timeline

Tokugawa Shogunate

1700 BCE

• Edo, Japan transformed from a small city to one of the largest cities. Population increased to over one million and became more “urban”
• Became more invested in the arts. Samurai's attended drama performances and hung painting depicting “classic literature” Also read haikus
• It was ideal to be a farmer not a merchant because they believe they should live off agriculture. They thought it would be a greater benefit

Metacom - King Philips War

1675 BCE

• (Metacomet, Metacom, or King Philip: chief of the native tribe) King Philip’s war is recognised as one of the most bloody wars
• War was between colonists and the natives in massachusetts that lasted a year and resulted in the colonists victory
• Both sides killed hundreds of people in the process. Native tribe attacked and killed 350 settlers. Deaths from war and disease forced the English to enslave Africans

Dutch East Indian Company Founded in the Netherlands

1600 BCE

• Owned the largest fleet of ships in the world—20,000 vessels.
• Had the power to mint money, make treaties, and even raise their own armies.
• Richer and more powerful than England’s company, drove England out of India

Death of Atahualpa

1533 BCE

• This individual was the last ruler of the Incan empire in Peru
• He was captured by the Spaniards due to his army of 30,000 unarmed men failing, the opposing army (Spaniards) was controlled by Francisco Pizarro (conquistador)
• The ruler (when he was captured) offered the Spaniards gold and silver in hopes of being released, after the Spaniards received the gold and the silver the Spanish strangled him and as a result that was the end of his reign (aka he died)

Francisco Pizarro's abduction of Atahualpa

1533 BCE

• With the plans to abduct the Incan ruler, Pizarro brought 200 men to meet the Incans that arrived unarmed
• Atahualpa, tribe king, was abducted and bartered for his freedom with gold and silver. The Spanish accepted the payment but did not free him. The tribe king died from strangulation and took over Cuzco without a fight from the rest of the Incan soldiers
• Eventually resulting in an “American Empire”

Hernando Cortes discovers Mexico

1519 BCE

• He was a Spaniard who had done a lot of voyaging and eventually found himself in Mexico in 1519
• When the Spanish had turned their attention to America, Cortes paraded in wanting to claim new lands for Spain (more lands for Spain to control)
• Cortes and his fellow explorers were known as conquistadors (aka conquerors of new lands)

Beginning of Centuries long African Slave Trade by the Europeans

1500 BCE

• Beginning 1500: the European colonists enslaved Millions of Africans into the Americas; Became a massive enterprise
• Needed cheap labour for the sugar plantation and tobacco farms for profit
• Between 1500 and 1600, nearly 300,000 Africans were transported to the Americas

Cause and Consequence of African Slave trade

1500 BCE

The cause of this event was the Europeans need for cheap labor, where they were going to use Native Americans but many died from disease and brutal treatment. Africans were experienced in farming and were less likely to run away due to being caught. The consequences of these actions impacted African culture which was lost in generations, families were torn apart. The African continent was introduced to guns that would lead to modern day problems for the continent.

The highly successful Exploration of Vasco de Gama

1497 BCE

• 1497 - 1499, Portuguese explorer VdG began exploring the east African coast
• He reached the port of Calicut, where they discovered spices, rare silks, and precious gems that filled Calicut’s shops
• Returned to Portugal with cargo filled with spices worth 60 times the cost of the voyage
• The Voyage of 27,000 miles gave Portugal a direct sea route to India

Treaty of Tordesillas

1494 BCE

• A document that was signed by both Portugal and Spain honoring the line that was given to the two of them (the line representing lands belonging to each of the party’s)
• Portugal complained that the line gave too much to Spain, so this document allowed the line to be moved farther west

Columbian Exchange

1493 BCE

• Ships from the Americas brought back a wide array of items that Europeans, Asians, and Africans had never before seen, including plants and animals.
• Foods such as potatoes and corn helped people live longer, as a result they played a significant role in boosting the world’s population.
• Traffic across the Atlantic did not flow in just one direction, Europeans introduced various livestock animals into the Americas, including horses, cattle, sheep, and pigs.

Christopher Columbus discovering the Americas

1493 BCE

• Columbus returned to Spain after venturing across the Atlantic ocean and discovering what he believed to be India, but was actually the Americas.
• Spain’s rulers, who had funded his first voyage, agreed to finance three more trips.
• He commanded a fleet of some 17 ships that carried over 1,000 soldiers, crewmen, and colonists. The Spanish intended to transform the islands of the Caribbean into colonies,

Cause and Consequence of the Columbian Exchange

1493 BCE

The cause of the settling of the Americas was a desire to increase wealth and trade in Europe. The results were to be that the Spaniards wouldn't be forced to pay high fees for goods from countries. On their trip the Spaniards brought not only animals but disease, where Native Americans were affected and millions fell sick, resulting in their deaths. In addition, this act lead to the oppression of culture of those who were thought to be Indians upon the arrival of Columbus.

The rise of the Ming Dynasty through Honguwu

1368 BCE

• In 1368 the Rebel army commanded by a peasant’s son, Hongwu drove out the Mongols from China. Hongwu became the first Ming Emperor
• He began reforms in agriculture; Increasing, improving and encouraging production
• Erase the Mongol’s (previous rulers) from history; Through stability in traditions and institutions
• Promote China’s power and prosperity around the World (showoff)

Cause and Consequence of Ming Dynasty

1368 BCE

A cause for the fall of the Ming Dynasty was their lack of explorations due to their fear of attacks from other countries. The consequence of this was isolation, limiting trade for the citizens. They lacked food and items, which caused unrest within the dynasty. Leading to rebel groups within the dynasty who were unhappy revolted causing the new Qing Dynasty to rise