History

In the early modern period the regions of Asia, Islamic Empires, Europe, Africa and the Americas all became connected by either one or more of them wanting to explore the new lands of the east, west, north and south. With the expansions of new lands came the opportunities for trade of new commodities and economic growth for these regions, which created connections with the nations and their people economically. In the region of Asia, Japan and China was presented new opportunities, but they closely watched traders from Europe, the Asia region had a restrictive trade system with Europe. The regions of Asia had tea, sake, and silk, cotton and spice to offer as exports, commodities that areas of Europe, the Americas were all interested in, but Europeans did find it very difficult to keep an equitable system going, which ended up costing the Asia region failure. The region of the Islamic Empires was able to “prosper from the trade and the empire granted trade privileges to Europeans in exchange for naval support.” (Bulliet, 438) With this region being open to the “trade expansion, the Islamic region was able to develop commercial empires around the Indian Ocean.” (Bulliet, 443) The Islamic Empire felt a hit to their economy due to the decline of overland trade, along with the high cost of the military and there was not much economic or political order in the different empires within the Islamic Empires, so many of its people ended up suffering. Africa was a region that welcomed trade; trade gave them new opportunities for their exports and to receive imports cheaper. Africa’s trade in slaves seemed be a profitable export for them, as did gold, ivory, sugar, and chocolate and forest products. Africa was one region that its imports had to be exactly what they wanted; they were not ones that could be taken advantage of. Africa was also one of the regions that Europeans had much less political and economic impact on; they were one region that also kept control of their land. Africa was a major stop on the trade route - The Americas, north, south and central offered a variety of commodities; from furs timber, tobacco in the north to silver mining, sugar product in central and South America. With growing the crops of tobacco, cotton and sugar the need for labor increased, which meant the need for an increase number of African slaves to handle the extremely hard, demanding labors. Europeans expansion to the many lands they came in contact with, appear to make them the major creator of the trading. When the Europeans crossed the Atlantic to the Americas they were able to create a route for trades. The route started in Europe to Africa, back to Europe then across the Atlantic to the Americas and back. Europeans