Global Trade

Trading networks were dominated by Muslim and Chinese merchants both overland and maritime guided by major commodities like sugar, spice and other luxury products. When Europe tapped into the markets and commodities, both by the motivations of religion, royal sponsorship and private enterprises guided them. Often referred to as gold, God, and glory.

Global trade has always moved more things than just goods. Ideas religions and ways of life have been moved as well. The map in document one depicts the large amount of silver that was moved throughout the world. This silver could be turned into luxury items such as jewelry and gifts or turned into money for trade. The many uses of silver is what made it so successful (doc 1). Silver was so prominent that it was snuck into many of China’s southern cities such as Macao and Canton. These Spanish Galleons went to other cities, some restricted in order to trade one of the biggest commodities of the time (doc 6).

Innovation and strategy was also a very big part of trading, St. Godric profited immensely by buying things cheap and then selling them where they were needed or wanted at a higher price, thus establishing a very early form of the principle of “supply and demand” (doc 4). St. Godric became very prosperous through foreign trade; the idea of foreign trade leading to wealth was something that Thomas Munn stated in a 1944 document (doc 5). Many people were motivated to explore for reasons such as gold, glory, or God. Document seven exposes the royal patronage of Spain to the private enterprises of joint stock companies like documents four and five (doc 7). Royal patronage played a big part in reasons for exploration, the map in document eight shows important explorations and motivations by primarily Spanish and Portuguese merchants to tap into Indian Ocean markets.

There were many people that had various ways of making their money whether it is by controlling the prices of goods (doc 2) or trickery (doc...