Maritime empires ap world history
How the Maritime Empires Were Maintained and Developed for AP World History
The Age of Exploration led to the establishment of maritime empires in Europe. Over time, these maritime empires were maintained and developed in different ways. Read the Google Slides to learn about the maritime empires maintained and developed during the Age of Exploration below.
Illustrative Examples
Muslim and European Rivalry in the Indian Ocean
Moroccan Conflict with the Songhai Empire
Increased Peasant and Artisan Labor
The Mercantilist System
The mercantilist system was an economic philosophy and practice characterized by the belief that a nation’s wealth and power were determined by the amount of precious metals it possessed, particularly gold and silver. This period, often referred to as the Age of Mercantilism, witnessed the emergence of powerful European maritime nations such as Spain, Portugal, England, and the Netherlands, each vying for dominance in global trade and colonial expansion. Mercantilist policies focused on promoting a favorable balance of trade, where countries sought to export more goods than they imported. To achieve this, governments implemented protectio
Trading-Post Empires
Maritime Empires
Unit 4: c. 1450-1750
Main Ideas:
Europeans developed trading-post empires, which used mercantilist principles & were run by joint-stock companies, facilitated by the global circulation of silver
Colonial economy was based on agriculture, which relied on the use of various labor systems, mostly African slaves; This also led to cultural and religious synthesis
Europeans partnered with some African kingdoms to get slaves (triangular trade), which made some kingdoms very powerful at the expense of others; Also led to widespread use of polygyny (man with multiple wives)
Europeans Built Trading-Post Empires based on Mercantilism
Key Ideas:
Spanish, French, English, and mostly the Dutch & Portuguese built global trading post empires based on mercantilism
Mercantilism: The idea that there is a fixed amount of wealth in the world, and the wealth is measured in gold → Europeans wanted more of this gold
Dutch & Portuguese had many trading posts throughout Indian Ocean
Portuguese also had many trading posts in West Africa
Joint-stock companies profited these trading p
Between 1450 and 1750, European powers expanded beyond their borders to build maritime empires that transformed global politics, labor systems, and economies. Fueled by trade, colonization, and competition, empires such as the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, British, and French carved out territories across the Americas, Africa, and Asia—often reshaping the lives of Indigenous populations and enslaved peoples. These global connections also influenced emerging powers within Africa and Asia and led to profound demographic, social, and economic changes.
European Expansion and Trading Post Empires
European states expanded their reach primarily through maritime trade and established strategic
trading-post empires
in coastal regions rather than deep territorial conquest—at least initially. These outposts facilitated long-distance commerce and imperial control, often backed by military power.
Africa and the Slave Trade
European powers like
Portugal, Britain, and the Netherlands
established ports along the West African coast, where they traded firearms, textiles, and goods for
enslaved Africans
.
West African kingdoms such as the Asante and Kingdom of the Kongo grew in power by i
AP World Maritime Empires Overview | Complete Study Guide
Introduction: Why Maritime Empires Matter in AP World
The period between 1450 and 1750 was one of the most transformative eras in world history. Known as the
Age of Exploration
, this era gave rise to powerful maritime empires that reshaped global trade, politics, and cultural exchange. For AP World History students, understanding maritime empires is essential—not just because they appear frequently on exams, but also because they connect key concepts like
economic systems, state expansion, and cultural diffusion
.
In this guide, we’ll break down the
major maritime empires
, their strategies of expansion, their impacts on world history, and how to study them effectively using
RevisionDojo
.
What Are Maritime Empires?
A
maritime empire
is a state that gains power primarily through control of
sea trade, naval power, and overseas colonies
. Unlike land-based empires, maritime empires relied on ships, exploration, and naval technology to expand their reach.
Key features include:
Control of
trade routes
across oceans
Establishment of
colonies
in distant lands
Development of powerful
naval forces
Economi