Comparative Essay: Ottoman Vs. Spain

Comparative Essay: Ottoman vs. Spain

The building processes of the Spanish Empire were similar to the Ottoman Empire's processes in that they both explored the Atlantic coast, and were different in that the Spanish were more indulged in the slave trade than the Ottomans, and the Ottomans had no clear form of succession for rulers.

The Spanish Empire was similar to the Ottoman Empire in that they both used deep-sea ocean vessels for exploration of the Atlantic Ocean. This era was filled with multitudes of the Spanish and Portuguese explorers fighting to seek dominance for their countries. The Spanish and Portuguese led the pack by first supporting the expedition of Christopher Columbus, who went to the Americas and mapped out as well as conquered a part of it. The Spanish soon followed with the colonization of Santo Domingo and some of Latin America and North America. They also conquered the Caribbean and set up mines for silver and gold in Latin America (especially Brazil), seeing as there were many pockets of these precious metals. They also went into Central America and claimed it all. The Ottomans went into Hungary and Egypt, capturing most of the lands and making Africa and its surrounding lands pause and try to defend itself. After a while, they spread into Anatolia, Syria, and Sudan, conquering most of it as well. These great empires explored the Atlantic Ocean because they wanted to find out what was beyond their lands and seek to control vast area of land.

The Spanish and Ottomans were different in that Spain had more to do with the slave trade than did the Ottomans. The slave trade affected many countries around the Atlantic coast, including Spain, Portugal, France, Britain, and especially Africa. The Portuguese set up factories, where they stored slaves until they could be loaded onto ships, and Spain, France, and Britain followed suit. These factories, or trading posts, became invaluable because they protected traders from attacks and led to fewer deaths of slaves. These slaves were then ferreted to the Americas, where they were traded for bullion, which was brought to England and other European nations. This became the basis for the triangular trade, with what the Europeans traded for bullion being brought back to Africa and the factories. The Ottomans chose not to try their hand in the slave trade, and so were fairly idle. Spain indulged more in the slave trade because it brought more money in and gave them workers for their sugar plantations and silver mines.

The Spanish and Ottoman Empires were different in that the Ottomans had no clear form of succession. How they succeeded was either by fighting off their rivals or making the throne hereditary. The second option was more likely, as many sultans did not want others to take their place except their own flesh and blood. Succeeding the throne was not easy, though; it sometimes led to warfare among