The Silver Way: China, Spanish America and the birth of globalisation 1565-1815: Penguin Specials

Download or read book The Silver Way: China, Spanish America and the birth of globalisation 1565-1815: Penguin Specials written by Peter Gordon and published by Penguin Group Australia. This book was released on 2017-01-09 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Long before London and New York rose to international prominence, a trading route was discovered between Spanish America and China that ushered in a new era of globalisation. The Ruta de la Plata or ’Silver Way’ catalysed economic and cultural exchange, built the foundations for the first global currency and led to the rise of the first ‘world city’. And yet, for all its importance, the Silver Way is too often neglected in conventional narratives on the birth of globalisation. Gordon and Morales re-establish its fascinating role in economic and cultural history, with direct consequences for how we understand China today.