Unit 9: Global Trade

(look under Unit 9 on the left for more information)

In the 1200's global interactions increased. During the early Ming dynasty in China, trade thrived and cities grew. The population of Europe began to grow, leading to a revival of European trade. In time, Portugal found a sea route to Asia, providing Europeans with easier access to the spices from Asia. In the latter half of the 1400's, seeking a greater share of the rich Asian spice trade, Europeans began to make oceanic voyages of exploration.  Benefiting from new technology, the Portuguese and Spanish were the first to establish global trade empires in the 1500's. The Dutch, French and English soon joined them, competing for colonies in the Asia, the Americas, and Africa during the 1600's and 1700's. These interactions had a great global impact as food, people, plants, animals, technology, and diseases passed from continent to continent.