Period 2 Timeline (1450-1750)

After the discovery of the New World by Columbus, slaves from Africa began to be transported across the Atlantic to the Americas. This was part of the Atlantic or Triangular trade system, and the journey of slaves to the New World was known as the middle passage. Although it obviously is a stain on world history, it did lead to the blending of African culture among religions native to that continent and European Catholicism. Examples of syncretic religions that developed would be Santeria in Cuba and Voodoo in Haiti.

In 1501, the Safavid Shahs declared independence when the Ottomans outlawed Shi'a Islam in their territory. The Safavid Empire was strengthened by important Shi'a soldiers from the Ottoman army who had fled from persecution.

When the Safavids came to power, Shah Ismail was proclaimed ruler at the age of 14 or 15, and by 1510 Ismail had conquered the whole of Iran.

On this date, Luther posted his 95 Theses or disagreements with the Catholic Church to a chapel wall in Germany. This is usually given as the traditional start date of the Protestant Reformation. Over the next century, many denominations of Christianity would spring up, which caused division and conflict in Europe and their colonies abroad.

Cortes, a Spanish Conquistador, completes his conquest of the Mexica or Aztec people. Although Spanish technological superiority did play a role in this event, Cortes and his troops were aided by disease that had already decimated the natives and infighting with the Aztec Empire. Cortes will become the first governor of "New Spain", the name given to the territory taken from the Aztecs.

After setting out on a journey to circumnavigate the globe, the Spanish (under the leadership of Ferdinand Magellan) arrived in the Philippines and claimed the islands for Spain. Although a small remnant of his crew would complete the journey back to Spain, Magellan and most of his sailors died before completing the circumnavigation.

Muslim dynasty of Turkic-Mongol origin that ruled most of northern India from the early 16th to the mid-18th century. After that time it continued to exist as a considerably reduced and increasingly powerless entity until the mid-19th century. The Mughal dynasty was notable for its more than two centuries of effective rule over much of India; for the ability of its rulers, who through seven generations maintained a record of unusual talent; and for its administrative organization. A further distinction was the attempt of the Mughals, who were Muslims, to integrate Hindus and Muslims into a united Indian state. They are also known as a gunpowder empire since they were able to expand their territory using that relatively new technology.

Henry VIII started the process of creating the Church of England after his split with the Pope in the 1530s. Henry was anxious to ensure a male heir after his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, had borne him only a daughter. He wanted his marriage annulled in order to remarry. In 1534 after several attempts to persuade the Pope to grant an annulment, Henry passed the Act of Succession and then the Act of Supremacy. These recognised that the King was "the only supreme head of the Church of England called Anglicana Ecclesia".

French explorer arrives in Canada, claiming it for France, and begins mapping out the area around the St. Lawrence River.

Also known as Ivan the Terrible, he would unite smaller kingdoms together into the modern Russia state by exerting control over nobles and expanding his power through often cruel means.

While expanding the Mughal Empire's control over most of India, Akbar created stability by creating an effectively run government (bureaucracy) and instituting a policy of religious toleration. He removed the Jizya (tax on non-Muslims) and allowed for a "Divine Faith" which borrowed beliefs from multiple religions. During his reign, the Sikh religion would form as a combination of Muslim and Hindu beliefs.

Under leadership of conquistador Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish completed the conquest of the Inca Empire. This would assert their control of most of South America.

Massacre of French Huguenots (Protestants) in Paris on August 24/25, 1572, plotted by Catherine de Médicis and carried out by Roman Catholic nobles and other citizens. It was one event in the series of civil wars between Roman Catholics and Protestants in Europe.

After years of conflict with England due to religious differences (Spain was Catholic, England had become Protestant), the Spanish attempted to invade the British Isles but were thwarted by a huge storm in the English Channel. Queen Elizabeth called the storm the "Protestant Wind". This would convince England that they needed to improve their navy.

This invention would eventually lead to the creation of the Scientific Method by Francis Bacon and Renes Descartes during the Scientific Revolution.

This Joint-Stock company would help the British Empire colonize parts of the Indian Ocean, including South Africa and India

The Tokugawa Shogunate started in Japan. It was the final period of traditional/Shogun Japan, and was marked by peace, political stability, and economic growth under the shogunate (military dictatorship) founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu.

This joint-stock company would allow the Dutch to control trade around the Spice Islands, including Indonesia.

Named after King James I and located in modern day Virginia, it would eventually become the first successful colony in North America due to cash crops like tobacco

Founded by Samuel De Champlain, it became an important French center of the fur trade in North America.

This invention would eventually lead to the discoveries of Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo during the Scientific Revolution.

a series of wars fought by various nations for various reasons, including religious, dynastic, territorial, and commercial rivalries. Its destructive campaigns and battles occurred over most of Europe, and, when it ended with the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, the map of Europe had been irrevocably changed.

To escape religious persecution in Europe, the Pilgrims (who wanted to break away from the Church of England) and the Puritans (who wanted to reform the church of England) would settle in present day Massachusetts and create a successful colony there

Although she initially collaborated with the Portuguese and British in the sell of slaves, Ana Nzinga created the free state of Ndongo in South-central Africa as a haven for those seeking to escape slavery. It was one of many examples of resistance to slavery during this time period.

An example of using religion to legitimize rule, the Taj Mahal was completed in this year. This Muslim temple of the Mughal Empire demonstrated the power of the Mughals, but eventually increased intolerance of other religions would lead to their downfall.

Also known as "The Sun King", Louis XIV is the best example of a ruler who practiced absolutism. Using the French Cardinal as his adviser, he successfully limited the power and influence of the nobility in France and became a dictator by espousing the "divine right theory" that he was God's chosen ruler of France. France thrived during his reign, but his lavish spending habits and totalitarian policies would set them up for future failure.

After a period of economic and environmental misfortune during the Ming Dynasty, the Manchus of Northern China used the Mandate of Heaven to establish the Qing Dynasty. Up until its downfall, China was prosperous. However, to assert their dominance, they repressed traditional Han Chinese culture and committed genocide against those who refused to change.

After Ivan the Terrible died without any male heirs, power would eventually shift to the Romanov line beginning with Peter the Great. Peter's primary goal was to expand Russian power by making it more like the empires of Western Europe (France, Spain, and England). He even became the first Russian monarch to visit Western Europe and would use his observations there to modernize the Russian military. He also secularized the government by decreasing the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church and improved the administration/bureaucracy of the nation.

Also known as King Phillip's War, it was an unsuccessful attempt at rebellion against New England colonists.

In defiance of attempted forced conversion to Catholicism and colonization of native tribes in New Spain (modern day Southwestern United States), the Pueblo and Apache led a revolt against the Spanish. Although initially successful, the Spanish would return and recolonize the area twelve years later.

Another example of a state using architecture to legitimize its rule, the elaborate Palace of Versailles was completed just outside of Paris, France. Louis XIV and future French rulers would reign from this location and would invite nobles to live there in order to check their power. Eventually, it would become a symbol of lavish living by the King and Aristocracy during the French Revolution.

After a period of turmoil during the rule of Catholic James II, the English Parliament conspired to invite William of Orange of Netherlands and his wife Mary (James II's daughter) to ruler England. They were able to assume the thrown without any blood being spilled. This "revolution" would mark a permanent loss of power in the English monarchy, which allowed Parliament to take control of major government decisions.

Weakened by rebellion by years of fighting against the Ottomans, rebellion by the Sunni Afghans living in their empire, and ineffective rulers, the Safavid Empire collapsed. However, its influence can be felt in Iran today, which remains in Shia control.