Trade and Empire in the Atlantic 1400-1600

Historical thinking on the subject of empire is naturally controversial as is shown by this survey of the first four stages of early Atlantic colonization from the conquest of the Canary Islands to the creation of slave plantations in Brazil.Trade and Empire in theAtlantic 1400-1600provides an accessible and concise introduction to European expansion overseas during the early modern period. It explains why and how seafarers visited the Caribbean, South America, and Africa and looks at the history of the communities that lived around the ocean as they responded to the challenges and opportunities that sea trade opened for them.

David Birmingham is Professor of Modern History at the University of Kent at Canterbury.