Continuities Of Trade

Trade has been practiced since the beginning of time and is traced back to the early civilizations of Earth. It is a method of buying and selling to gain wealth and resources necessary for survival. When trade caused European pioneers to explore the rest of the world around them, they found the Americas. Then, they realized that the indigenous people of the New World had resources that the settlers needed so together the two communities bartered. Later on, trade branched out and became a system between the Americas and other countries like those in Africa and Europe. Multiple systems of trade were introduced to the world by different people from diverse countries which made their communities more connected. They led to new theories, battles,
and invasions in the New World which either helped or hurt European countries. Trade systems also led to movements like slavery. The different systems had multiple defects but the overall outcomes involved economic growth for the world. Trade systems positively affected the economy of multiple countries from the 15th century foreword.
Among the first countries to set sail for the Americas was France. The Spanish, who had previously settled and pushed the French out of the south, found gold and silver. However, further North in New France, abundant resourced like gold were not as common so the French traded with the native Americans for fur. England was disinterested with overseas trade until the mid-16th century. This acknowledgement of possible trade led Queen Elizabeth to grant charters to Humphrey Gilbert and Walter Raleigh so they could colonize the New World.
Upon their arrival in the Americas, European explorers noticed that they were lacking certain skills and materials.
They encountered the native tribes and saw an opportunity for survival. The Spanish viewed the natives as inferior and enslaved them in the encomienda system. The French and Dutch, however, took a different approach which was to trade with them to develop a friendlier relationship. They traded weapons for food and fur. The British colonists traded with the native Americans, and quickly made efforts to enslave them. This was because they were very vulnerable with less weapons and soldiers. Also, the labor was much cheaper than the previously utilized indentured servants. This caused tension between the civilizations leading to uprisings and battles. King Philip's war was one of the last major wars between the natives and colonists, resulting in the deaths of many from both sides. The British kept some trading relationships with tribes alive which strengthened alliances and added to their fights over territory with the French and Spanish. Native Americans took to different sides of wars due to their economic alliances and fought with different European countries. They played a key part in gaining land for Britain after the French and Indian war. This war led to Britain's control of Canada and Florida, clearly increasing the strength of the colonies and economy in
England.
After the initial trading with native Americans, Europeans sought to make their trading more widespread.
Thus, the Columbian exchange was created. This was a trade path between Europe and the Americas. The people in the Americas sent goods like corn and tobacco to Europe. The people in Europe sent things such as livestock, oats, and barley to the New World. The animals that were shipped overseas brought diseases that decimated the native American population in the Americas. This outbreak was caused due to the fact that the natives were not previously exposed to the diseases so they were extremely susceptible to them. Later in time, triangle trade was initiated. This trade pattern was influenced and facilitated heavily by the increasing rate of exploration. The Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa were included to trade goods, ideas, and slaves. African slaves were of high demand to be sent to the Americas to work on sugar and tobacco plantations. This labor was inexpensive compared to the native Americans and indentured servants. The African slaves were sent along the middle passage, also known as the trans-Atlantic slave trade, which was an arduous journey across the ocean in which many Africans died on poorly maintained ships. This whole trade-based process led to the increase of slavery, crop production, wealth, and slavery in Europe and the
Americas.
Among the many positive effects of trade during colonial times was an increase of wealth for Europe, specifically England. Following their New World colonization and enslavement of native tribes or Africans, some settlers found that trade was necessary for surviving and gaining power through wealth. The economical system of mercantilism was adopted by the European countries. Mercantilism is the method of trading facilitated by a government, which focuses on selling more than buying to boost a country's overall profit. This was Britain's way of forcing the colonies to buy goods and increasing taxes on those goods. This caused tension between the colonists and their home country as they paid more for items than those living across the sea in England.
As proved by its effects of slavery, mercantilism, and wars, trade was a momentous process used by people all around the world to share their goods and ideas. The need for power and wealth caused European pioneers to enslave those societies that they felt were their inferiors. Many nations have thrived due to the wealth that they acquired through trade. Some would not still be standing strong to this day if not for gaining tools that were vital to their survival that they otherwise would not have collected.