GEO 206 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: The Columbian Exchange, World-Systems Theory, Merchant Capitalism
Document Summary
A society with a single cultural base and a reciprocal social economy . Each person specializes in a task and any resulting surplus from that task was given away in exchange for others" surplus (reciprocity) Higher population densities and growth of villages. Different social organization (from communal to kinship) Specialization in non-agricultural labour - pottery, textiles, jewelry and weaponry. Mini-systems that have been absorbed into a common political system while retaining their fundamental cultural differences ie. based on political (and military) domination redistributive-tributary. Hierarchy of large capitals, smaller cities and towns. Colonialism: establishment and maintenance of political and legal domination by a state over a separate society. Expansion of resource base for population improved transportation network. High population density and limited agricultural land for food impoverished aristocrats needing land technological innovation for navigation. Exchange of crops, animals, diseases, people and ideas between the old world and the. In mid-1500s silver was discovered in the americas (first south america then mexico).