...one that in no time would become so powerful, high on demand and connect people of Asia, Europe, The Americas, and Africa, silver. Spanish Colonial American and Tokugawa Japan, were the ones to lead into the silver production. However the urge for silver in Ming China was why it all began. The source of economical and social change was due to the flow of silver from the 16th to 18th century, causing major effects such as inflation, deflation, alteration on consumer's and producer's’ relationship. Enormous deposits of silver were found in Spain “So huge is the wealth that has been taken out at of this range that according to most accounts in the Spanish royal records, 36.000.00 silver coins have been taken out” said Antonio Vasquez, a spanish priest(Doc 5). Little did they know that what once was an undeniable victory for the Spanish would soon become its economic instability.Silver was far from rare in Spain, “The Spanish have silver mountains, which they mint into silver coins”(Doc 6). Nevertheless, its same overabundance of silver was the cause of inflation.Spaniards soon began to feel the effect of it when everyday necessities became overpriced....
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...South America, claiming precious minerals and treasure for the Spanish crown. Mining was the basis of Spanish rule in the Americas as its precious metals allowed Latin America to enter the world economy. From the mid-16th century to the early 18th century, the effects of the global flow of silver included the European exploitation of Native American populations (3,4,6), the increased value of Asian goods (2,7), and Chinese political reforms (1,5). From the mid-16th century to the early 18th century, the global flow of silver resulted in European...
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...The Silver Trade The Silver Trade was a large, and popular process that began in the mid-sixteenth century that lasted for a very long time. It had major impacts on countries like Spain, Japan, and China. These countries had many social and economic changes that would change the people and the government. Silver was very valuable during these times, and caused economic changes, like decreasing the value in grain, and allowing the Portuguese to excel economically during these times. Despite the economic changes, there were many social changes like causing the Indians to work vigorously in silver mines. These economic and social changes the silver trade caused helped shape society into what it is today. A big social change that occurred from the Silver Trade was the demand for more Silver, and on how important it was. For instance in document 4 He Qiaoyan, a ming dynasty court...
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...From the mid sixteenth century to the early eighteenth century, the global flow of silver socially and economically affected many peoples including the British, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, and even Native Americans in many positive and negative ways. Group one contains documents 2, 5, and 6, the focus of which being the negative effects of silver on generally low class people. Document 2 was written by a Spanish scholar to inform merchants of high silver prices in Asia that cause Spain to lose silver to China, resulting in trade imbalance. The scholar, Tomas de Mercado, spotlights the inflation in Spain but is disconcerned with high prices in Asia. In document 5, a Chinese writer’s article to the general public describes the changing economy. After switching from a barter system to a system that focuses on silver coin, the lower classes’ access to goods seems to be more limited. Document 6 focuses on a Spanish priest, de Espinoso, who wishes to inform the Spanish interested in the Caribbean of negative consequences in the colonies of the New World. As a priest, he’s concerned with moral issues...
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...Effects of the Silver Trade With the extensive mining in Japan and the colonization of Central and South America by Spain came a huge industry of silver for the entire world. This industry effected many countries, and even dominated a few socially and economically. At first glance, all seemed good. But in reality, only the middlemen were profiting from the large industry. The suppliers, Japan and Spain, as well as the receiver, China, were hurt in the entire process. The economies of the major players in the silver trade eventually suffered. The Europeans traded a valuable, lasting resource for perishable items, like silk and porcelain (Doc 8). The silver basically flowed out of Spain for these luxury goods (Doc 2). Being a scholar, Tomàs de Mercado saw the effect of the trade on the streets of Spain every day. This gives him a good point of view in the manual about business that he wrote. China was also hurt by the loss of silver that the middleman took as payment. In china, the government forced people to pay taxes in silver, so the government could get more. This hurt the people of china that didn’t have any silver to pay with, but rather only rice and grain (Doc 3). Wang Xijue, a court official in the Ming Empire, was writing this to the emperor of china. he was basically saying that the public needs more silver in order for the economy to fix itself. Ironically enough, the gaining of silver by the government was what led to an even worse economy. The concept of losing...
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...From 1500 through 1750, the global flow of silver socially and economically affected Tokugawa Japan, Ming China, Spain, the Spanish Colonies, and Portugal. The global flow of silver negatively and positively affected the economy of Tokugawa Japan, Ming China, Spain, the Spanish colonies, and Portugal. Document 1 claims that the richer someone is the greedier he becomes. For example, Spain’s abundance of silver attracted expensive Asian commodities, which Spain greedily and lavishly bought, resulting in Spain’s bankruptcy (doc 2). Kingdoms also suffered from inflation, which is silver, in this case, being less valuable in the places where it is more bountiful. For example, in the Philippines, which have a plethora of silver, Chinese silk yarn costs 200-300 bars of silver;...
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...colonies followed by the English, French, and Spanish? By Columbus’s discovery, Spain got a religious justification fro conquest and an army of seasoned soldiers, named conquistadores. Also, rulers in Spain developed efficient techniques for controlling new colonies. The conquistadores left a trail of destruction by attacking native villages and killed or captured the inhabitant since they preferred seeking gold and slaves to creating permanent settlements. In 1519, some Spanish soldiers landed on the coast of Mexico. Three years later, these Spanish soldier conquered Aztec empire. The three factors of Spanish victory were technological advantages, division within the Aztec empire, and disease. Later, some other Spanish soldiers conquered a richer empire, Inca empire. By 1550, Spain’s New World empire, which stretched from the Caribbean through Mexico to Peru, was administered from Spain by the Council of the Indies. The council enacted laws for the empire and supervised an elaborate bureaucracy to maintain political control and extract wealth from the land and its people. Then, two expedition went to north America to find gold and silver but they did not find any gold and silver. So Spain stopped to extend its empire and just maintained two precarious footholds in north of Mexico. By a large number of gold and silver flowing into Spain, it became the richest and most powerful state in Europe. However, these American treasure undermined Spanish predominance. Many leading merchants who...
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...Spain. Spain started their incursion into Asia in order to establish trading posts to commercialize the silver brought from the colonies in the New World (Mexico and Peru), in exchange for porcelain and lacquer as well as spices. On the other hand, Spanish missionaries were also determined to convert to Christianity the people from Asia. The outcome of the introduction of huge amounts of silver into the economy in Asia, in particular in China, affected profoundly the economy. The introduction of the Manila Galleon trade magnified this effect. Ming China was transformed into a dependency on the export of luxury goods for silver, and that dependence was the downfall of the Ming dynasty, which was one of the most powerful governments of the region. Japan. Japanese people were less impressive than Chinese and the rest of Asia, but were also very curious and willing to learn. After missionaries started arriving to Japan, their influence was considered disruptive and a limited accessibility was allowed. Europeans seemed dirty to the Japanese, which were used to daily bathing as a purification ritual. The main ports of trade were located in Nagasaki, Osaka and Edo. Japan was in a process of recent reunification and reestablishing order in social, political, and international relations. After observing the colonization of the Philippines by the Spanish, the Japanese political leaders were suspicious of the missionaries, regulating the missionary activity (page 247). ...
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...Chapter Summary: The Spanish took over the Caribbean, Mexico, and Peru. They also wanted to conquer the Americas. Most of the native people were forced into slavery or they were swept away by the smallpox. Colonies were made in North America. The Europeans were beginning to mix with the indigenous people, even though there were still social and sexual hierarchies. Silver became quite important, so laborers were sent to mine for silver. There were three different labor systems; one came right after the other. Until the free laborer system got set in place. Europeans began settling in Australia, even though there wasn’t much trade going on at the time. Many more people traveled to the Pacific after Magellan and Captain Cook. I. Colliding Worlds...
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...Columbus's discoveries, the Spanish claimed the New World for themselves. Stories were told about great treasures in Mexico. Spanish colonists decide to go and search for them. While they voyage westward into Mexico, they come across a sophisticated society known as the Aztecs. The Europeans repercussions affected the Aztecs. They settled on the Islands of the Caribbean and began exploring the same route as Columbus did, on his second voyage, moving westward into Mexico. “ Hernando Cortes led a small military expedition of about 600 men into Mexico”. After the Europeans conquered the Aztecs, the Southwest cultural regions were affected the most because European Missions were converting natives to Catholicism. “ They tried, in short, to eliminate the underpinnings of existing native civilizations so as to bring the Indian population fully under the Spanish control and to remove all obstacles to the spread of Christianity”. The Europeans had a major impact in these areas because of the discovery of silver, which lured them to go on a search for fortune. “ The news that silver was to be found in Mexico attracted the attention of other Spaniards”. The initial exploration allowed future explorers to settle easier in the areas because the Europeans had already colonized there. Also because of European civilization that altered both the landscape and the social structure. “The Spanish migrants began to establish a colony, modeled roughly on those the Spanish had created farther South”...
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...Portuguese and Spanish, from 1500-1700, changed the character of both old and new societies. In the fifteenth century, European global expansionism was the driving force that kept the English motivated to expand. Europeans set out on a cycle of overseas voyages that would lead to the organization of European trading posts and colonies in both the Americas and the East. Colonialism is defined as a structure in a colony with a specific linkage; meaning economic, political, cultural, and social ideologies. The colonies linked England to the United States. England, being the mother country, also had a very important role play. The mother country was responsible for providing money for supplies for voyages such as ships, food, soldiers, and weapons etc. Also, England was responsible for the processing and manufacturing of raw materials. Settlers of the colonies needed markets to sell their goods and labor. They also needed a source of labor for the production of raw materials. This new labor force was made up of Native Americans, indentured servants (white slaves who served terms of up to seven years as slaves), and Africans. Columbus and his crew stated that when they arrived in the Americas they found Africans already there. In 1502, the Spanish were the first Europeans to enslave Africans in the Americas. Yet the local population died from European diseases like smallpox and from overwork. Thus in 1502, ten years after Columbus' landing, the Spanish brought the...
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...of 1500 to 1750, Spanish colonial America and Tokugawa Japan were the leaders of the silver production. The Ming Chinese government made it mandatory for all taxes and trade fees to be paid for using silver in the early 1570’s. Because of this, many changes came about, which involved social and economic changes to the flow of silver. Changes occurred that changed the way silver was used and thought about during this time. This included increase in trade, adjustment of price, and self-centered use of silver. Documents 4, 7, and 8 describe the increase in trade during this time period. Document 4 written by Ralph Fitch talks about the different merchandise that was received from many places through trade. This included silk,...
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...Continent. He discusses the events in history that have led to Latin America be in the state it currently is in. Galeano argues that because of both European and U.S intervention, Latin America has been led down a path which has caused damage to its politics, its society and most importantly its economy. The book begins with the arrival of Christopher Columbus, the Spaniard who tried to find a faster passage to Asia but instead would discover by accident the Americas. Columbus would get started with his voyage after asking the Queen and King of Spain to fund his expedition so he could bring wealth to the Spanish Empire. During this time, the Spanish had been fight a war to expel the Moors out of its Kingdom and all those who were not of catholic faith. This included people of Islamic religions and Jews. But the cost of this war was increasing by the day and the Spanish crown was running out of funds to continue this war. But even with the necessity for income, Columbus still needed to convince the Crown to fund his voyage even with the promises of bring riches to the Kingdom. Eventually, after convincing the crown, Columbus would set sail on a voyage that would lead to a great discovery in history. Columbus goal for his voyage was to discover a western route to Asia and he would believed to have found the...
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...From 1500 to 1750, Japan as well as the Spanish Colonial America took control of the silver production. The government would take people’s money by obligating them to pay tax fees and domestic services in silver. By doing so it caused several issues to disperse both economically and socially. Individuals began to struggle financially because of the government’s necessity towards their silver (documents 3, 5, and 6). High officials also felt the need to take the people’s money in order to benefit them and the population itself became obsessed in obtaining luxurious items; they both grew to become greedy (documents 1, 7, and 8) and trade was economically impacted as well (documents 2 and 4). In documents 3, 5, and 6 showed that...
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...The Atlantic Trade Networks, also known as the Triangular Trade, consisted of multiple international networks where goods and materials became interchangeable between countries and regions around the world. The Triangular trade amended previous complication involving trade imbalances and created a unified, connected world through the means of trade. The Atlantic Trade created a new global network that drove a new form of a global economic system and impacted multiple countries through the commerce of silver and fur. Silver impacted the countries of China, Japan, and Bolivia while the fur trade changed the economic and social structures of North America and Russia. The economic structure, political system and agricultural system...
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