The Early Modern Cycle, 1350–1700 .............................................
LECTURE
The ¿ rst and most spectacular change probably of all in this period
was in exchange networks. And this has to count as one of the most
spectacular changes in all of human history. What happens after the
voyages of Columbus is that the four world zones are linked, over the
next 200 years, for the ¿ rst time in human history.T
he “early Modern” Malthusian cycle lasted from about 1350 to about- By 1500, most areas of Afro-Eurasia had recovered from the
Black Death and continued to rise. In the 17th century, populations
stagnated or declined slightly in some areas, but there was no population
crash similar to that of the 14th century. Is this a hint that rates of innovation
were beginning to accelerate? How rapidly did commerce and capitalism
expand in this period? The evidence is contradictory.
The most spectacular change in this period was the uni¿ cation of all four
world zones into a single global network of exchange. This change stimulated
commerce and capitalism throughout the world as goods, crops, ideas, and
people began to circulate on a larger scale than ever before.
The linking of the four world zones was the work of European mariners,
using highly maneuverable ships equipped with cannons and backed by
aggressive, commercially minded governments. The ¿ rst captain known to
have circumnavigated the globe was Juan Sebastian del Cano, a commander
in Ferdinand Magellan’s À eet who returned to Spain in 1522. The sudden
expansion of world markets stimulated commerce and capitalism so
decisively that Karl Marx described this as one of the great turning points in
human history.
American crops such as maize, potatoes, manioc, and tomatoes stimulated
population growth in China, Europe, and Africa, where they could be
grown in regions unsuitable for local staples. Between 1400 and 1700,
the populations of China, India, and Europe all doubled. Increasing trade
stimulated commerce and capitalism. As China’s population and economy