James Thorup
DBQ Essay
2A
11/22/10
The social and economic effects of the global flow of silver from the midsixteenth century to eighteenth century were: What the governments of Asia and Europe
wanted, The way goods were transported and who does the transportation, and the Social
status of peasants and elites.
Documents 2, 7, & 8, demonstrated the impacts of global silver trade in the early
modern period in what the governments of Asia and Europe wanted. An excellent
example of what the governments of Asia and Europe wanted is document 2. The reason
why is because document 2 tells that Europe wants goods from China and other Asian
countries, and China/Japan wants silver from Europe. This is because Europe can’t make
goods as well as China/Japan can, and so they pay China/Japan to obtain them. Document
8 is interested in addressing the flow of silver and goods, and where each is going, from
and to Europe. The author is probably concerned with this because he’s a British scholar
who’s grown accustomed to luxury and wishes for England to not ban it. Document 7
explains that Spain has tons of silver, and China wants to trade with them now. An
additional document that would clarify document 7 would be a document by a Japanese
Governing Official such as a Shogunate or a Bushi. This would tell us whether Japan is
for or against trade like China is against it.
Documents 3, 5, & 4, demonstrate the impacts of global silver trade in the early
modern period by the way goods were transported, and who transports them. In document
3, in China, the Emperor was demanding silver for taxes, and not buying much to send it
back out to the people. As a result of the frugal empire, the farmers, already poor, were
becoming even poorer from the lack of profit. Many farmers quit farming seeking after
more benefiting jobs. The reason why this transportation was important was that silver
was being transported from the Philippines to Chinese for goods. This happens because
China wants silver for taxes and Spain wants Chinese goods. Document 4 is explaining
how much of the silver in Japan is going to Portugal to spend on luxuries in China
(there’s a lot of silver going to Portugal). Document 4 is interested in transportation of the
silver because he is a British merchant and would rather have the silver going to his home
in Britain, than to the Portugese. Document 5 describes the conditions that the Chinese
residents had to live in with having to pay silver for dying their cloth and not being able
to barter or trade for what they needed. An additional Document that would clarify the
opinions expressed by document 5 would be a document written by a cloth maker. This
would help us understand if document 5 is telling the truth about the whip tax (the tax
having to be paid in silver instead of livestock, agriculture, etc.)
Documents 1, & 6 demonstrate the impacts of global silver trade in the early
modern period by social status of peasants and elites. An excellent example of social
status of peasants and elites is document 1. The reason why some people were poor in
China was because some would spend lots of money on unnecessary luxuries, while
people with enough money were just being frugal. China was interested in telling all
Chinese to spend less so that they would have more silver for when the whip tax was
needed to be payed. Document 6 explains the poor conditions that Native Americans
have to work in to mine silver and ore for Spain, China, and the Phillipines. Document 6
is interested in addressing the poor conditions such as having to climb up ladders loaded
down with as much ore as they could carry. of which Native Americans had to mine
silver because he is a Spanish priest and as such is supposed to care about the welfare and
well being of other people.
The social and economic effects of the global flow of silver from the midsixteenth century to the early eighteenth century were: What the governments of Asia and
Europe wanted, The way goods were transported and who does the transportation, and
the Social status of peasants and elites.