4.4 Maritime Empires Established

• High maintenance costs for naval fleets were a major challenge
• Name five major maritime empires of the period c. 1450 to c. 1750.

  Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, British, French
• Which empire dominated global trade in spices?

  Dutch
• What type of weaponry gave European ships a military advantage?

  Cannons and gunpowder weapons
• Order the maritime empires by their historical significance and global reach:

  1️⃣ Portuguese (early trade routes)

  2️⃣ Spanish (Americas)

  3️⃣ Dutch (global trade)

  4️⃣ British (largest maritime empire)

  5️⃣ French (resource extraction)
• The Portuguese Empire was the first major European maritime empire
• The British Empire grew to become the largest maritime empire, controlling trade routes and colonies worldwide.


  True
• Detailed nautical charts helped ships navigate unfamiliar waters
• Cannons and gunpowder weapons gave European ships a decisive military advantage
• Religious motivations for empire building included spreading faith and converting new populations
• Maritime empires opened sea lanes connecting Europe, Asia, and the Americas, expanding trade beyond regional limits.


  True
• High maintenance costs for naval fleets were a significant challenge for maritime empires.


  True
• What were the three main categories of technological advancements that facilitated maritime expansion?

  Navigation, shipbuilding, weaponry
• What military advantage did cannons provide to maritime empires?

  Effective defense
• Strategic ports managed by maritime empires enabled control over trade routes.


  True
• The spread of Christianity, Islam, and other religions in colonies was facilitated by colonizers
• European diseases caused significant population declines among indigenous groups.


  True
• Control of trade routes was a key benefit of maritime empires.


  True
• Match the benefits of maritime empires with their corresponding challenges:

  Control of trade routes ↔️ High maintenance costs for fleets

  Strategic control of key ports ↔️ Vulnerability to piracy

  Access to diverse markets ↔️ Need to manage distant colonies
• The Spanish Empire controlled trade in precious metals and agricultural products from the Americas.


  True
• Larger ships like the caravel and galleon could withstand longer voyages.

  True
• What was a major challenge for maritime empires regarding their naval fleets?

  High maintenance costs
• What were the major maritime empires of the period from c. 1450 to c. 1750?

  Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, British, French
• The Dutch Empire dominated global trade, especially in spices
• Match the navigational instrument with its function:

  Magnetic compass ↔️ Determines direction

  Astrolabe ↔️ Measures latitude

  Sextant ↔️ Calculates angles
• Improved sail designs and multiple masts increased the speed and maneuverability of ships.

  True
• Political motivations for empire building included increasing global influence and dominating strategic territories.


  True
• Sequence the impacts of maritime empires on global trade routes:

  1️⃣ Establishing new trade routes

  2️⃣ Controlling key ports

  3️⃣ Introducing new products

  4️⃣ Creating monopolies

  5️⃣ Facilitating the movement of labor
• What is the primary focus of maritime empires?

  Economic and strategic dominance
• The Portuguese Empire established control over trade routes to Asia
• The caravel and galleon were larger, sturdier ships with improved sail designs.


  True
• Order the key strategies used by maritime empires to build their territories:

  1️⃣ Military conquest

  2️⃣ Trade networks

  3️⃣ Alliances
• Match the consequence of maritime empires on indigenous populations with its description:

  Exploitation ↔️ Forced labor and slavery

  Displacement ↔️ Loss of ancestral homelands

  Cultural disruption ↔️ Erosion of indigenous cultures
• What are maritime empires defined by?

  Control of trade routes
• What was a major source of competition for maritime empires?

  Other maritime powers
• The Portuguese were the first major European maritime empire
• Order the following navigational technologies by their primary function:

  1️⃣ Magnetic compass (direction)

  2️⃣ Astrolabe (latitude)

  3️⃣ Sextant (accurate navigation)
• Maritime empires focused on economic and strategic dominance through sea power
• The Dutch established trading posts in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.


  True
• Which maritime empire established colonies in the Americas and controlled lucrative trade in precious metals?

  Spanish