The Making of a Global World

1. The Pre-modern World

All through history, human societies have become steadily more interlinked. From ancient times, travelers, traders, priests, and pilgrims travelled vast distances for knowledge, opportunity, and spiritual fulfillment. The Silk Routes are a good example of vibrant pre-modern trade and cultural links between distant parts of the world.

2. Food Travels: Spaghetti and Potato

Food offers many examples of long-distance cultural exchange. Traders and travelers introduced new crops to the lands they traveled. Potatoes, soya, groundnuts, maize, tomatoes, chilies, and sweet potatoes were only introduced in Europe and Asia after Christopher Columbus accidentally discovered the Americas.

3. The Nineteenth Century (1815-1914)

The world changed profoundly in the nineteenth century. Economists identify three types of movement or 'flows' within international economic exchanges:

• The flow of trade (largely in goods like cloth or wheat).
• The flow of labor (migration of people in search of employment).
• The movement of capital for short-term or long-term investments.

4. The Inter-war Economy

The First World War (1914-18) was mainly fought in Europe. But its impact was felt around the world. The post-war economic recovery proved difficult, leading eventually to the Great Depression of 1929, characterized by catastrophic declines in production, employment, incomes, and trade.