The Spanish Empire's
conquest of much of Mexico and South America during the sixteenth century
initiated multiple global processes. Probably the most noted is the
exchange of flora and fauna across the Atlantic Ocean that forever linked
the environments of the Afro-Eurasian and American worlds. But along
with the exchange of plants, animals, viruses, and bacteria there was another
equally intricate phenomenon relating to the Spanish conquerors' export
of American silver to the rest of the world.
To first explore this phenomenon, view the map by
clicking the icon below.
Use the following essays and descriptive narratives
to understand and explain the process the map reveal.
Where did silver originate in the Americas?
Where was it exported? How did this process transpire over space
and time? How did it shape cross cultural contacts? How did
it link various societies, cultures, and places economically?
For further insight, explore the remains of ship
wrecks found at The
Last Voyage of Eastindiaman Götheborg and Pillars
in the Sea. How do the artifacts from these ships tell the
same story of the map you observed above?
After completing these exercises, describe the impact
of silver across time and space between 1500 and 1800. How did the
flow of silver affect various peoples and societies across the globe?
How did it shape spatial connections between peoples?