Geography played a key role in the economic growth of the West. Europe had always been politically fragmented due to its geography. There were no enormous plains or broad rivers. The landscape was mountain ranges, large forests and the population was centered in the valleys. This made it hard to gain control of and encouraged growth and the continued existence of decentralized power. Even though Europe had previously experienced steady growth, it soon gave way to famine and plagues. The Black Plague encouraged a radical transformation of the economy. Europe was neither the most fertile nor the most populous area in the world. However, due to the decrease in population, land became more plentiful and labor more expensive. Urban …show more content…
Water transport of these goods was so much more economical and being surrounded by water led to their industry of ship building. Since there was no government authority that could control this commercial development it thrived. The evolution of new and lethal weapons like the musket and cannon facilitated the expansion on both land and sea and as a result the arms race began. “The impact of the gunpowder revolution at sea was even more wide-ranging” (Kennedy, 1987). This influenced and helped advance the future of maritime development. The development of long-range armed ships advanced Europe’s ability to control the oceanic trade routes. Even though “the revolution in military technology ….had implications for the organization and capital costs of warfare” (Tracy, 1991), the profits and benefits from this expansion were vast. They were able to procure gold, silver, and spices. Being able to access the Newfoundland fisheries brought about an abundance of food and oils. Employment to facilitate bulk trade helped to boost the economy. Ship building stimulated the economy and brought about the need for craftsmen, dealers, and suppliers, as well as insurers. Gold and silver were used to purchase spices and silks and timber was used to purchase iron guns from England. These economic advances coupled with technological advances interacted to drive the rise of Western Europe. Even though China had been disrupted by Mongols and the
i. After the Black Death had wiped out much of the population in Europe, the working class was left smaller. Too much surprise, the Black Death left Europe in the poor/peasant/ working class’ favor. Before the plague, working conditions were poor, and wages were low. With the working class expanding in Europe, it was easy for land owners to find servants and pay them very little. After the plague however, it became increasingly hard to find laborers.
millions of deaths from infection . The bubonic plague was so devastating to Europe because the disease was very contagious and no known medicine or medical advice given by doctors would help relieve the sick which caused Europe to decline in many aspects. The Bubonic plague was said to bypass some and affect others, some victims of the plague were children and many of them died the few that managed to survive weren't able to take care of themselves. Europes economy also began to decline as a result of the immense population decline , fewer people meant fewer workers producing food and other products, ports, and trade routes began close. The few
In this essay studies have shown that commerce and foreign trade during 1789-1815 has a high trade level. Sailors would dock ships in United States Harbors from foreign places for trade. During this time period people didn’t have transportation such as cars, train, etc. Congress during this time had to vote for approval of laws. They had wanted to align themselves with France to defeat Britain. They signed two treaties one with Europe and another with France.
Development in the West did not occur until later in American History. Although the West was seen as a large desert, the West quickly became the target behind the expansionist campaigns of the United States during the 18th century. Many settlers travelled to the West, dreaming of the idea of opportunities. Although factors such as Native Americans, motivations and railroads played a large role in shaping the West, their influence came about only as the result of the inherent economic potential of the region, as well as the incredibly diverse climate which outnumbered all else in the development in the West.
A major impact for this period of time was the “Black Plague” or also called Black Death. This Phenomena was a bubonic plague that wiped out 1/3 of Europe’s population. The plague was considered one of the deadliest pandemics in the history of humankind. 75 million people around the world lost their lives to this plague noting the biggest number of people being located in Europe. The “Black Plague” played a major role in the economic history of the Western Civilization due to so many people dying, Europe was declining rapidly. There were shortages of labor providing a fertile ground for economic diversification and innovation in technology. There was famine and pestilence, which would eventually lead to the capital accumulation intensification in the urban areas, stimulating the growth of trade and industry.
Before the Black Death, Europe was already facing difficulties with the growing population. Due to the
Another reason the Black Plague affected the economy was how so many people died. The continent had enjoyed some 200 years of prosperity, and then 70 of cold. Result: too little food for too many people. By 1350 one-third of them, especially in the swollen cities, would be dead. In Europe in three or four years, 50 million people died. The population was reduced from some 80 million to
This essay deals with the three shortages of masts and timber in the 1770s, 1803, and 1808, and considers how the navy dealt with these shortages. In the War of American Independence and the Napoleonic Wars, the Royal Navy often faced the risk of the shortages of these goods. In the second half of the eighteenth century, Britain gained the maritime supremacy in the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean, and constructed many ships both for the navy and for the merchants. However, as Britain could not produce the sufficient quantity of naval stores in her own country, Britain depended on the import of naval stores from several areas. Masts from Norway, Russia, and New England, pitch and tar from Carolina, iron from Sweden, and hemp from Russia greatly contributed to British naval power in the long eighteenth century. The dependant position
The price revolution in Europe was another contributing factor giving Europeans cause for concern. Europe’s population grew after the Black Plague, yet the growth of food remained constant, which led to higher food prices for the large demand. While the price of food increased, the rate of wages did not match the increase. Additional factors was the surplus of bullions
Edward, I highly agree with your opinion. The epidemic Black Death that struck Europe in the fourteenth century eradicated almost half of the population but also had a major impact on the further development of the European society. The sudden depopulation caused by the increase of the disease, brought about important economic changes. The peasants were forced to stay on their land and became tenant farmers due to the shortage of cheap labor. Moreover, the big cities had shortages of food and other products as workers died in the fields and crops were abandoned. All that time of death and misfortune also brought something positive. The labor shortage that left behind the Black Death provided an incentive for innovation, breaking the existing
The plague of the black death was a panic and disaster in Western Europe because it leads the death of ⅓ of the population. It quickly spread all over the continent, destroying full towns and cities. Moreover, the plague reached its peak of destructions in 1349, which was a “wretched, terrible, destructive year, the remnants of the people alone remain.” Life before the black death arrived for the serfs it was unpleasant and short. Nevertheless, Europe before the black death arrived was successful and the trade at the time was strong. The spread of the plagues was traumatic and unexpected because it spread so quickly.
The introduction broke down the agenda of the paper very smoothly. The authors agenda is to present findings and connections from studies conducted of shipping, distribution, and overseas trade, with an emphasis upon the the future later years of colonial America. This paper is laid out in three detailed sections. Part 1 explores patterns and magnitudes in colonial overseas trade. Part 2 talks about the the model underlying our analysis of improvements in distribution. It then talks about evidence pertaining to the magnitudes of the costs of distribution followed by our explanation of the decline of these costs over time. Part 3 talks about the significance of the the authors findings for interpretation of early American growth and development. The thinking style of this paper is modern regardless of it being published more than 40 years ago. This article discusses oversea trade which is very common today. Improved transportation methods have made shipping voyages much quicker
"The Black Death" alone was not the only factor that was responsible for the social and economic change although it was the most important (Ziegler 234). Even without "The Black Death" continued deterioration in Europe would have been likely. The social and economic change had already set in well before 1346. For at least twenty-five years before "The Black Death," exports, agricultural production, and the area of cultivated land had all been shrinking. "The Black Death" contributed a large part to all of this destruction and led to important changes in the social and economic structure of the country (Ziegler 234-235). The plague touched every aspect of social life (Herlihy 19). There was hardly a generation that was not affected by the plague (www.jefferson.village.virginia.edu). Families were set against each other - the well rejecting the sick (www.byu.edu). Families left each other in fear. Many people died without anyone looking after them. When the plague appeared in a house, frightened people abandoned the house and fled to another (www.jefferson.village.virginia.edu). Due to this, the plague spread more rapidly because people were not aware that being in the same house with the infected person had already exposed them to it. Physicians could not be found because they had also died. Physicians who could be found wanted large sums of money before they entered the house (www.jefferson.village.virginia.edu). When the
The late middle ages appears to be when the most devastating effects on population occurred, therefore resulting in what is known as one of “the deepest ever recession in history…and consequently the reason the Middle Ages come to an end” (Galan, 2013). Agricultural supply became problematic because the fields on which it grew were not farmed and what was growing there began to rot. This in turn led to an increase in the price of the products and only those with sufficient money could afford them, while the others had to suffer. Another impact the plague had back in the early years was the reduction in amount of people who worked. Everyday so many people were dying, which led to the workforce having a shortage of
Europe is given special consideration thus far in this class. What made Europe or European civilization unique in the perspective of some authors? It went from ‘marginal’ status to powerful region in a few hundred years. What did this process look like? Be sure to address this at the various levels (ideological, behavioral, institutional, material etc.). Are there reasons for this dominance that are more important than others?