Abi Madrid

Emami

Humanities I

Due: 3/29/19

3/29/19

The Impact of Interconnectedness

Throughout time and history, many things have changed such as beliefs, technology, languages, etc., but one thing that has not changed is trading amongst countries. The impact of interconnectedness is an enduring issue because along with the goods being traded there is also  beliefs, diseases, people and wealth being traded as well. The impact of interconnected really showed in Europe, Asia, parts of Africa, and the Americas.

One way beliefs were spread through trade routes was the spread of Buddhism. Buddhism originated in India and was founded by Siddhartha Gautama. The silk roads played a major factor in the spread of Buddhism, and according to Facts on File, Inc. from the NYS Global History and Geography Regents examination from January 2012, Buddhism spread from India to Sri Lanka and through the Himalayas in 1st century AD. From there, the religion was altered and added onto from other people, followers, and learners original religions. Mayana Buddhism spread from India to Java, the Himalayas through China to Korea, and then to Japan in 5th century AD. Then in 6th century AD Theravada Buddhism spread from Sri Lanka to Java.

A prime example of diseases spreading through trade is the Black Death. The Black Death was a disease that spread to the Middle East, Europe, and small parts of Africa through infected rats from Asia. According to Melissa Snell’s, “Origin and Spread of the Black Death in Asia,” from the NYS Global history and Geography Regent Exams from June 2014, the Black Death originated in Asia sometime around the 1320s. From there it spread to Kashgar and lasted from 1338-1339. Through sea trade routes from China to India, in the 1340s, India was hit with the Black Death as well. From land trade routes from Kashgar, Sarai and Astrakhan were hit with the Black Death as well in 1346. From India the Black Death made its way to Mecca in 1348. In the end, around 75 million people died because of the plague, which is about ⅔ of the population.

Christopher Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean and landed in the West Indies. This trip led to the colonization of the Americas by Europeans which sparked the trading between the Americas, Europe, and Africa that then led to be called the triangular trade. In Steven Goldberg and Judith Clarke DuPré’s, In Brief Review in Global History and Geography from the NYS Global History and Geography Regents Exam, they state that Christopher Columbus’ expedition led to Europeans colonizing in the Americas, then developing trading routes with Europe and Africa which formed a triangle shape (where the name “triangular trade” comes from obviously). In this triangular trade, the Americas were trading with Europe goods such as whale oil, furs, iron, lumber, ginger, silk, rice, indigo, and tobacco and in return Europe was giving the Americas typical manufactured goods and technology. While the Americas were trading those goods with Europe, they were sending things like rum to Africa. Africa sent slaves to the west Indies, from there the west Indies sent slaves to North America along with sugar and molasses in exchange for fish, grain, lumber, livestock, and flour. With all of these complex trades happening all the time came great money. It cost money to have people make all of these things, it cost money to buy slaves, and it cost money just to make all of the trades happen.

In conclusion, trade and interconnectedness will always be a part of our lives because ideas, beliefs, the economy, and goods are constantly changing. From spreading religions like Buddhism through trade routes, spreading devastating diseases like the Plague through trade and interactions, trading goods, and even trading people, the impact of interconnectedness will always affect us because everything is constantly changing.