GINS 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Mercantilism, Spice Trade, Columbian Exchange

• School: Carleton University
• Department: Global and International Studies
• Course: GINS 1000
• Professor: Candace Sobers

Document Summary

Columbian exchange of biological material (incl. disease) Trading post - conquest - settler colonialism. New new world: consequences of early colonization. By 1600, potosi is one of the largest urban centres. Mexico + peru provided 85% of world silver from 1500-1800. 40% of global silver goes to china. Institutions created to facilitate, manage risk of global trade (i. e piracy) Corporation - collectivity that functions legally as an individual. Monopoly - control by one agent, therefore high barriers to access. Joint-stock company - issues shares to increase profit, mitigate risk. Quasi-governmental powers: armed forced, treaties, mint coins. Expelled the portuguese took over many ports in indonesia. By 1669 - 150 merchant ships, 40 warships, 50,000 employees, a private army of 10,000. Exotic drinks arrive in europe roughly 1500-1600s. All three originally thought to have medicinal properties. Overcame skeptics to become fashionable = cultural, dietary shifts. Slavery itself is not new nor unique to african continent (but there were rules!)