thomas+garcia

 //**DBQ :)**//

From around the mid-fifteenth century to the eighteenth century, the world had seen silver as a revolutionary object. It had transformed much of European, Asian and Spanish economy by introducing the silver coin. A majority of these documents are from Asia, Europe or Central/South America so a document that could help give another perspective would be from the Americas (North America, including Mexico). That way the indegeouns people would have stated their opinion as well and how it affected them. Documents1, 3, 5, and 7 are all from a person of the Chinese Ming Dynasty, and all their reports on silver have a mixed text with their religious beliefs and their work environment. __Document 1__ simply states that one who has more silver will not flourish in happiness compared to one with just one piece of silver. The author, a county official, has much more respected and important point of view because he is an upper-class man. __Document 3__ explains how a Ming Dynasty court official does not take pity on the national government because they require so much silver for taxes, yet those who slave in the fields all day receive lower returns on their labors. __Document 5__ is written several years later, and introduces the fact that silver was to be used to pay taxes. Even though he is a writer his opinion does make an impact on this cultural custom. __Document 7__ is written by a court official who mentions the Spanish and how they obtain so much silver. He also mentions Chinese trade with other Asian countries and how they highly desire Chinese goods such as porcelain and fruit, and that they are currently expensive in those areas. His point of view has much more greed on silver trade in China with countries. Documents 4 and 8 are now from the English points of view on silver trade. They simply reflect on other trading countries instead of their own [England]. For __ document 4 ,__ a British merchant describes the Portuguese and their relationship with Japan and China. He acclaims that the Portuguese have a much wealthier commerce with Japan, because they bring back more than 600,000 silver coins, yet with China, only bring back material and luxury good. The Portuguese economy must have grown with all that silver, especially since they used it to their advantage in China. Document 2 and 6 make the final group from the Spanish perspective, and they both have separate views on the matter. __Document 2__ does not support the silver trade, while __document 6__ proclaims wealthy Spain with the silver.