Movement of People & Goods: Trade
Thematic Essay: Movement of People & Goods: Trade
Introduction
Throughout global history people have moved from place to place, traded goods and services, and as a result, traded ideas. This movement of people and goods can be traced back to prehistoric cultures and still occurs today. There are four areas to consider when studying this topic.
Migration People have been on the move since their beginnings. Sometimes people move voluntarily, as in searching for food, or a better environment. Neolithic people were nomads, constantly on the move in search of food. Sometimes a group of people is forced to move involuntarily. Both Jews and Africans faced a forced movement of their populations called a Diaspora. The Jews were forced out of Palestine by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago, and millions of Africans were taken from Africa during the slave trade of the Age of Exploration..
Trade Trade is the movement of goods between areas. It occurs because different people have access to different resources. Trade involves import, which is bringing goods into a place, and export, which is sending goods to another place.
Cultural Diffusion Cultural diffusion is the exchange of ideas between different cultural groups. This is accomplished through the movement of people and goods. An example of cultural diffusion is the spread of Buddhism from India along trade routes in Asia.
Interdependence Interdependence is the dependence of people on goods, resources, and knowledge from other parts of the world. Interdependence continues to grow today due to rapid exchange of ideas, goods, and services through advanced communications. An example of interdependence is Great Britain importing American autos, Indian tea, and oil from the Middle East.
Internet Research Links for Movement of People & Goods: Trade
Please use the following links for research for your essay. You may use other resources, but please check the validity (accuracy) of the data contained within the links.
Human Migration Research Links
Trade Route Research Links
- The Silk Road
- Triangle Trade / Slave Trade
- Trans-Saharan Trade
- Trade Routes
- Mediterranean Trade
- Hanseatic League
- British East India Company