Chapter 15 Global Commerce

In today's world we take a lot of things for granted because we are all accustomed to these things being an ordinary part of our lives. Things like spices and sugar are a normal part of people's kitchens. Around the 1500's this was not the case. Simple things like nutmeg and sugar were luxuries that were perceived to be important enough to kill thousands of people to obtain it. Commodities such as sugar and fur led to the corruption of the cultures of many people and enslaved millions. The Portuguese were not as interested in the actual products as they were in power. The Portuguese wished to control the trade empire in the Indian Ocean. They did not have anything to offer in return so instead they took it by force. The Portuguese would destroy cities leaving only enough people alive to warn other cities of their treachery. The Spanish looked to control the people more than trade. They wanted to spread their religious beliefs and gain control over the communities as well as the products they produce. The Philippines were named after the Spanish king Phillip II for this very reason. The Dutch were mainly pirates in their actions because they were private companies as opposed to groups sent by the government. The Dutch companies killed 15,000 people for nutmeg. I would rather go my entire life without tasting nutmeg than to hurt another person. Although the situation was different back then. Many European countries did not have any sort of spices to flavor or preserve their food with. I'm guessing their very bland culinary life is what lead to their obsession for spices. The Brittish were much more peaceful in their trade with India for tea. They would actually work with the native government t a certain extent to minimize bloodshed. The Europeans did not stop at spices, they also wanted fur, for it was a great luxery. The Europeans would trade with Native Americans for furs because the Native Americans were experts in hunting. The Europeans ended up corrupting the Native American culture by influencing them to kill more and more animals and by introducing them to alcohol, which lead to innapropriate behavior. Not only did commodities during this time in history corrupt cultures, it enslaved millions of people. The Europeans would take African people and force them into slavery to produce the much wanted commodities. It is incredible to look around our kitchens today and think of how many people were killed for each of the spices in our cabbinets.