A: Renaissance Europe - 2. The Expansion of Trade p. 39 Flashcards
Who is Marco Polo?
- Had outrageous stories about his travels
- was a merchant
- dressed in wide pointy straw hat
- had diamonds, rubies, amethysts, and other precious stones
- wrote a book about his travels to present day China and this book was translated into many languages
- some of his stories may be borrowed from other merchants he met on the road and may not actually tell what he did personally
- travelled the “Silk Road”
Silk Road
- name given to routes that connected civilizations from the Mediterranean in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the East
Routes go through south Asia, Europe, Africa, Indian Ocean etc.
Basically not North and South America and Australia but everything else.
More than trade goods were passed along these routes - intercultural contact led to exchanges of ideas and knowledge.
Few of the travelers along the road were European.
Camel caravans travelled long distances moving goods from one region to another
There was also extensive trade by sea
What did East Africa trade?
- gold
- ivory
- slaves
What did India trade?
- pepper
- cottons
- sugar
- dyestuffs
- precious stones
What did Sri Lanka trade?
- cinnamon
- precious stones
- ivory
What did China trade?
- silks
- drugs
- perfumes
- porcelain
- ginger
What did the East Indies trade?
- spices
- camphor
What did contact with Muslim civilization bring?
New ideas about medicine, astronomy, philosophy, mathematics, and ancient literature and goods such as oil, spices, and new varieties of fruit
What started trade with the east?
The Christian military crusades
Trade between Venice and other Italian cities and the East had be established several centuries before Marco Polo started his journeys. The trade began because of the series of religious wars between Christian and Muslim forces, known as the Crusades.
Palestine contained religious sites sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims and was under Christian control for many centuries. The Turks took over in the 7th century and later became Muslims. In 1095 Pope Urban II launched a Christian Crusade to drive out the Muslims from Palestine. This was part of the story that started the crusades later. The crusades led to trade.
In the end the Muslims regained all their lands. During this time the Muslim world was more advanced than Europe. This gave Europeans the chance to learn new ideas about medicine etc.
What were two results of the Christian military crusades?
Contact with Muslim civilization
Trade
Why was Italy such a great place to trade?
It was in the middle of the trade routes and it was accessible by water
What were the most sought out goods and why?
Spices, because they added flavor to European food
Which country was collection of city states?
Italy
What is a city state?
A politically independent area and the hinterland around it
What was so great about Italy’s geography?
It was close to many countries and the sea which made transporting things easily
What was so great about Italy’s climate?
The climate was milder, so trade wasn’t interrupted
