Northern European Power Shift

¶ … Northern European Power Shift It seems to be a universal human trait that we are always seeking to go beyond perceived boundaries and explore the unknown. Sometimes, this is done for the sake of adventure and nothing more. Most times, however, this is done in the pursuit of wealth, whether it be in the form of land, gold, spices, slaves, or some other highly desirable commodity for a given culture in a given time.

In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the dominant explorers of the time hailed from Portugal and Spain, and these countries were made quite wealthy as a result. Their position, however, as significant empires would not last forever, and soon, the countries of Northern Europe -- in particular, the Netherlands, France, and England -- set out to take their share of the riches, too. These countries improved on the Spanish and Portuguese methods of exploration, ship building, and trade.

The English had faster, more agile ships that were more maneuverable then those of Portugal and Spain. For example, according to one scholar (Goldman), The defeat of the Spanish Armada marked the turning point between the era of Spanish world domination and the rise of Britain to the position of international supremacy. Thus this battle began the decline of Spain and the ascent of Britain -- a sea change event.

Incidents such as these, coupled with an increase in power and wealth, helped the balance of power to shift away from Portugal and Spain to Northern Europe. Essentially, the Northern Europeans' agenda when it came to exploration was no different from that of Portugal and Spain.

The New World was a land rumored to be awash in cities of gold, huge tracts of fertile land, and the freedom to do as one wished, among other things, and the countries of Northern Europe wanted a part of this New World for their own empires. However, not everyone who went to the New World went in search of adventure, wealth, or fame.

It was freedom, in particular, that drove a small band of settlers from England to come to the New World, not for riches or to help expand their country's empire and wealth, but to worship without persecution. These settlers founded what is known as the Jamestown Colony. So how did Portugal and Spain manage to lose their empires? Part of the answer lies in the competition itself. The Dutch and the English began to attack the Portuguese in the east and the Spanish in the west.

As a result, the Portuguese holdings began to diminish and they eventually had to abandon their territory in East India. Spain lost many of its possessions in the New World, specifically, in the Caribbean and North America. These two countries were forced to consolidate their holdings; unfortunately, rather than strengthening their positions, this only made them more vulnerable to attack. Another component of Spain's and Portugal's losses can be explained by the fact that their plans for colonization changed so many times.

Portugal and Spain's original plan for exploration was to find trading partners, acquire power and wealth, convert any "pagans" they found (natives who had not been exposed to Christianity), and subdue or eliminate the "infidels" and Muslims. However, each new monarch, whether in Spain or in Portugal, changed this plan with his or her succession to the throne. The result was a chaotic mess that left the field open to the Northern European countries. One of these countries, England, was particularly well-primed to take over power.

Henry VIII was the king at this time, and under his reign England experienced a tremendous surge in production and wealth. There was relative peace in the world at this time, at least in England, so "Henry VIII attempted to act as a mediator between France and Spain, playing the countries against each other in hopes of gaining power in Europe." (Encarta) But there was more to England's success than Henry's political machinations. Part of this was also attributable to the exceptionally good weather England had at this time.

This enabled farmers, especially those who raised sheep, to produce.