HIS120 Part 1 - Although the voyages of Christopher Columbus

HIS 120

Midterm Exam

he first part only choose 2 of the questions to respond. Each question should be about 150-200 words long.

Part One (30 points each for a total of 60 points): 

Short Answer. Choose TWO of the questions below and respond. Your answer should be about 200 words long and should draw ONLY upon the readings and lectures from this course.

1. Although the voyages of Christopher Columbus are better remembered today, the explorations of Vasco da Gama were arguably more important at the time. Why? In your response, describe the differences between the two, including the impact each had on global trade through the first half of the 16th c.

2. Thomas Jefferson and Toussaint L’Ouverture, born a year apart, were both “founding fathers,” yet their fates and that of their countries diverged radically. In what ways was L’Ouverture an Enlightenment figure? How can you explain the difference between his experience of revolution and nation-building and that of Jefferson?

3. With the founding of the Dutch East Indies Company in 1602, the global economy was introduced to a novel and very powerful form of doing business. How was this new form, the “joint stock company,” different from previous forms of conducting trade and investment? Use both the Dutch East Indies and the British East Indies companies to illustrate the rise of this modern corporate form in the 17th and 18th centuries.