Dennis Berk A.P. World
Dr. Andrews Summer Assignment The accelerating pace of international trade is one of the most dominating, and important features, of contemporary life. Globalization is creating widespread changes for societies, economics, and governments. Since the invention of the steam engine, transportation and communication limits have faded away and, with the development of the Internet, practically disappeared. A case can be made for the proposition that trade, throughout history, has been the main engine for the development of the world as we know it today. In his book, A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World, William J. Bernstein makes this case. The main thesis of A Splendid
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It has shown me how important trade was and how difficult it used to be compared to now. Today, many people have cell phones and even more people have access to a television, radio, or the Internet, so, for example, if an event occurs in South Korea in less than an hour news stations all over the world are reporting about it and have analysts debate about it for hours. However, back in the 1000’s and 1100’s, if you were living in France, and an event occurs in China, there is a good chance that the person living in France would never know about it. Also, in the 1000’s or 1100’s if you were born in a village in England, unless you were a merchant, chances are that you would not go further than 50 miles in any direction from where you were born. Transportation in the 1000’s and 1100’s was limited to walking and sea travel. Sea travel was very dangerous, due to pirates and poorly made ships, so many Europeans didn’t risk it. Today, with the invention of the steam engine, automobile, and airplane to go from New York to California by plane takes only six hours, although you are traveling around 3000 feet. In today’s world it’s no big deal if you travel 3000 feet in one day, but in the 1000’s and 1100’s this was such a radical thought that no one had ever even wasted their time trying to think about it. William J. Bernstein asks many questions in his novel. One of them is how goods got from China to Rome. Bernstein answers this
| * New trade routes were made, such as the Indian Ocean routes, and old routes were expanded upon, like the silk
One of the consistent themes of history has been the increasing connectedness of humankind. From the first river-valley civilizations to today’s intertwined world, one of the hallmarks of the past — and one that continues to this day — has been increased globalization. While the 20th century represented one of the greatest advancements in human interaction, it was not a wholly new event. Examples of globalization can be seen throughout history, like in the movement of pastoralists, Indian Ocean trade, and the Columbian Exchange.
The trade industry expanded as new products came in from the “Old World”. Events such as the Columbian Exchange revolutionized the trade market in the New World. Gettysburg’s article, “The Columbian Exchange” states that, “Exchanges of plants, animals, diseases and technology transformed European and Native American ways of life. The Columbian Exchange impacted the social and cultural makeup on both sides of the Atlantic. Advancements in Agricultural production, evolution of warfare, increased mortality rates and education” (Gettysburg.edu).
The movement of goods, people, and wealth in the late 17th and 18th centuries permanently changed societies across the continents of Europe, Africa, and North and South America, thereby increasing the reach of globalization in the modern age. Most influential to this movement was what is sometimes referred to as “The Atlantic Circuit”, a triangle of trade between Western Europe, western Africa, and the West Indies. Out of this circuit came the rapid growth of the Atlantic slave trade, which not only established multiple industries of agriculture, but significantly changed the economies of all countries involved. The
Europe, Africa, and North and South America societies were permanently changed by the movement of goods, people, and wealth in the late 17th and 18th centuries; by doing this it pushed the world closer to globalization. The biggest influence on this drive was referred to as ‘the Atlantic Circuit’, a triangular trade between Western Africa, the West Indies, and Western Europe. This circuit opened up so many industries of agriculture, mostly because of the quick growth of the Atlantic slave trade, but in the end drastically changed the economies of all involved. The Colonization, in combination with the agriculture industries renovated the land of the Americas, and influenced nutrition and diets around the world. Not to mention that the capitalist
Globalization is a phenomenon that has been impacting our world since as early as 114 BCE. Globalization refers to the assimilation of different economies, trade, and communication. Its origins can be traced back to the establishment of the Silk Road; an ancient trade route extending across from China to the Mediterranean Sea. Globalization, throughout history has had a positive effect in developing economies and creating trade. However, in light of recent events, many economists and leaders are describing it as a barrier to a utopian society. As civil servant and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Kofi Annan once said, “Globalization is a fact of life. But I believe we have underestimated its fragility” (Annan 1999). In many parts of the world, globalization
Generally reading about history would be torture for some who may not like the idea of sitting and reading information for 200 pages straight. However, the authors didn’t exactly have that in mind when writing this book. From the cover to the last entry in the index, The World that Trade Created is an exquisite source of information about the history of where trade originated and flourished into what we refer to as trade today. The authors, Kenneth Pomeranz and Steven Topik, have organized the sections of this book to be easily read and understood for gathering information and knowledge. An alarming quantity of information clumped together in one section can be exhausting so in the way that it’s spread out in this book makes the information
Envisioning today’s world without the events of the seventeenth century is a genuine awakening. From the conquests of the Americas by the Europeans to traditional isolationist views in Asia, one could sufficiently argue this period in history as being the catalyst that ushered in the interdependent society enjoyed by those who presently inhabit the earth. Furthermore, the integration of people and cultures led to numerous indispensable discoveries of goods in foreign lands. The global market exploded as trade became prominent, and people’s definition of amenity changed to that which meant “they needed it because they wanted it.” Slaves, blue and white china, silver, and spices are only a few examples of what was available on the global market
Since the humble beginning of America, the need for import and export has been imperative for our nations success and survival. Thus, trade became a welcome introduction where communities could gather, network while exchanging goods. This was also an opportunity to keep the thriving population informed
Commerce transformed the world between 1450-1750 because the global silver trade was one of the first major commodities to be exchanged on a genuinely global scale, it was a critical link in the emerging network of global commerce. Then the hunting and trapping of the fur-bearing animals transformed both natural environments and human societies. The fur trade allowed Europeans to participate more fully in the rich commerce
Although the history of trade in the Old world developed and adjusted greatly, there are three definite areas of the trade era that permuted the functions of this vast industry. The first
Globalization Dating back to the early Middle Ages and progressing to modern day, globalization is perhaps the heart of the world. International trade, airline services, networking, capital flows, and technological advances are just a few examples of what defines globalization. Considering that airplanes, online networking, technology, and capital flows were not thought of during the Middle Ages; one may ask, “How was globalization an important factor during the Middle Ages?” For thousands of years, individuals, groups, and territories have been conversing in trade of all sorts. Even from great distances, countries were able to discover a means of trade.
Have you ever heard of the silk road, and no, it’s not made of silk.I think that without the silk road we wouldn't have found a way to send good from one side of the world to the other, and I’ll prove that to you.People walk for months just to get from one place to the other. Today in the modern world we can ship stuff on a plane, ship, truck so on and so on. The ancient people gave us the idea of sharing goods with the whole world.On document C it says that travelers got lost and delirious and heard voices. The heat from the Taklimakan desert spoiled the fruit and good they had. They didn't have much water so they put all their stuff on a camel, so they don't need a lot of water.If we walked all the way from china to america, we wouldn't survive. So we got on ship or plane. That makes things easier and faster for everyone. If we walked all the way from china to america, we wouldn't survive. So
Trade has been an essential part of the world dating back to the Stone Ages, in which man was known to trade obsidian and flint. Trade has been the key for the human race to interact and bring together cross-cultural contact all throughout the world. Strayer and Nelson prove this point to be true throughout their book with examples like the Atlantic Slave Trade, commerce between Asia and the West and connection through agriculture. It is seen throughout history that trade is an important factor, it has helped the exchange of ideas, which we use in today’s world. Whether it be different religions, cultural change, or even technological advancement this is all a result from trading. I am going to provide evidence as to why the world from the early modern era to present day has been connected because of trade.
Though the magnitude of our trade today is unprecedented to history, its foundation can be linked to The Silk Road. The Silk Road is referred to an ancient network of trading routes that started around the 2nd century B.C, reaching its zenith around the time of the Tang dynasty (6th-9th c.) and declining in the late 14th century B.C. . Its origin dates back to the Han Dynasty where the Silk Road was used to reach out to surrounding cities and empires to develop alliances for trade. The original purpose for The Silk Road was to link China to Europe through trade and for political reasons, but later on merchants discovered that the route provided safer travel for carrying merchandise from place to place. Not long after merchants and nomads