CH 14 BLOG

Chapter 14 of Ways of the World explores the economic transformations that occurred between 1450 and 1750. Apparently, Europeans were drawn to participation in Asian commerce by their desire for goods such as tropical spices, Chinese silk, Indian cotton, rhubarb, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. I never realized spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and pepper were at once considered tropical spices, I had always considered them native to North America. Europeans also sought economic recovery following the devastation of the Black Death. It made me happy to read that Europe was beginning to recover after a time of such terrible loss. They were able to establish a better system for taxing citizens, improve military forces with gunpowder weapons, and were even able to expand their cities. The Portuguese did not not have much to offer in trade, but were able to offer their unique military advantages to the other trading countries of the Indian Ocean. The Portuguese set up several military bases, which were almost all obtained by force and overpowering smaller and weaker states. I do not like in history when the smaller populations are picked on by the larger and more powerful ones. If the Portuguese wanted to be involved in trade so much, they should have invented something worth trading or established protective bases peacefully at the least. The Spanish were able to easily  take over the islands of the Philippines because of the Philippines' lack of communal government and military force. The Spanish spread Catholicism among the Philippines. This made sense to me because I regularly attend Catholic church and notice how involved the Filipino community is in the church. It is revealed that the Filipino women who played major parts in society as ritual specialists, healers, and midwives were replaced by male Spanish priests. This was very disappointing to learn. I feel bad for the women of the society, who clearly lost some of their social status when their jobs were taken from them. I feel bad for the loss of culture when they were no longer able to practice their own religious traditions. I also wish that women were allowed to play bigger roles in the Catholic church not only in the past, but the present as well. Learning about the slave trade is always upsetting, but I am glad it continues to be taught because it is an important issue that I believe impacts our society to this day. It was disconcerting to hear that African men and women were traded for textiles, metal goods, firearms, gunpowder, tobacco, alcohol, and beads. I can not believe people actually thought it was okay to purchase people and that you could price them at the cost of some desired material good. How could a life be equated to something as trivial as some beads? It is crazy to see in the chart on page 692 that between 1776 and 1800, over 2 million slaves were imported from Africa. Two million people is a ridiculously large number and to imagine that many people suffering and being treated as objects is very saddening. I am glad slavery came to an end and appreciative that no one I know and care about will have to deal with such a burden. These were some of the parts of chapter 14 that resonated with me most.