hen Columbus landed in the Americas in 1492, he and his European crew were barely aware of the existence of half the world. Yet by 1565 the so-called ‘Manila Galleon’ trade route established by the Spanish between Acapulco and Manila finally connected every ocean on the planet. Linking those oceans was a web of maritime commerce that created a recognisably modern world map and the conditions under which western economic globalisation has flourished. The transformation in knowledge, trade and imperial aspirations in fewer than 80 years is remarkable, and
Europe's taste for power
Apr 11, 2024
3 minutes
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