What roles did science and technology play in Europe's conquest of the world?

Answer 1

In order to best understand how science and technology played a significant role in helping to shape Europe's conquest of the world, one has to look at the historical factors that helped shaped Europe's scientific and technological advancement. It is also important to consider that Europe's conquest of the world is a very recent phenomenon from the last 500 years. So it is important to also understand the historical time frame of when Europe's global influence took root. In addition, it has to be taken into consideration that not all of the world has been conquered by Europe for there were non-European civilizations such as the ones in Asia like China and Japan that have been largely left alone. China and Japan had the benefit of being culturally and socially isolated from the rest of the world. Much of the conquering that took place under Europe mainly happened in the Americas and later on in much of Africa, Australia and parts of Asia and the South Pacific.

The start of what would become the starting point of Europe's budding influence on the world stage was after the tail end of the Middle Ages and the Bubonic Plague. The close of the chapter of those events led to eventually the Renaissance in the 1400s. The Renaissance, a French word meaning REBIRTH was a reemergence of the renewed appreciation of the classical knowledge of Ancient Greece and Rome that were largely discontinued after the Fall of Rome that led to Europe's decent into the Middle and Dark Ages. Much of the lost. This reintroduction of the science and technology of Ancient Greece and Rome as well as the scientific and technological innovations taking place in the Arab world by way of the Moors and China through the Silk Trade also had a huge influence as well. European explorers and traders were influenced the most by way of their interactions with Arab traders and merchants as well as with their business dealings in China. The most recognized example is Marco Polo's travels to China.

The one thing that would prove to be instrumental to Europe's place on the world stage in terms of conquest and exploitation would be the discovery of gun power by way of Marco Polo in China. Gun powder in China was originally used for fireworks for celebratory purposes. When gun powder was brought over to Europe, it was eventually utilized for fire arms. These fire arms would serve as a useful tool to have an edge over other civilizations when European explorers and traders took part in the conquering of the Americas and their involvement in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Given that much of the civilizations in Africa and the Americas did not use fire arms as the mode of defense, this made European conquest across the Atlantic easier to ward of against spears and swords.

The firearm served as a building foundation for larger, more innovative and more damaging and dangerous weapons in the future that was elevated by way of the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s in the United States and in Britain. From then on by way of the Industrial Revolution a huge scientific and technological leap was made where scientific and technological innovation in Europe as well as in the United States made conquest on most of the world stage possible. So in conclusion, the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution paved the way for Europe's scientific and technological advancement in conquering much of the world at large.