What was the most important consequence of European overseas expansion between 1492 and 1700
During the early modern period, there were two major changes that were important. ... There are 6 main countries that were affected by overseas expansion. ... There were many reasons why these countries were affected by the expansion and this comes down to a few factors: war; economy; society and the desire to own more land. ... Their overseas empire remained unharmed even with the problems at home, which included a forced union with Spain between 1580 and 1640. ... The Spanish Habsburgs were a major power on the European continent but were weakened by a long series of wars with France; the Treaty of the Pyrennes in1659 marked the end of the Spanish dominance. The last Habsburg king of Spain died in 1700, and the collapse of the Spanish Empire was accelerated by the War of the Spanish Succession from 1701 to 1714. ... A long series of wars and costly efforts to create a northern European empire reduced Swedens influence and power. By the end of the Great Northern War, noble and parliamentary forces had placed limits on the powers of the monarchy internally, and the rise of Russia and Prussia ended Swedish expansion. ... After its successful revolt against Habsburg control at the beginning of the 17th century, the Dutch Republic emerged as an important commercial power. The Dutch created a large overseas empire with holdings in North and South America, South Africa, and the Indian Ocean basin, especially in Southeast Asia. The Republics wealth made it an important political force in Europe. ... The Parliamentary state in England provided the effective support that was needed for expansion into other lands. With the English colonial settlements in North America and the expansion of the East India Company in India, England quickly created a global empire. Many of the conflicts among the European powers involved clashes beyond the European continent. They were primarily European wars fought on a global scale, with two chief lines of conflict: the struggle for continental domination in Europe and the battle for control of overseas colonies and naval access to them. ... European colonies in the Western Hemisphere effectively eliminated the independent native societies. Local populations decreased disastrously during the 16th century, and European immigrants and African slaves became important essentials in the emerging societies.