preview

Ap World History Research Paper

Decent Essays

One of the consistent themes of history has been the increasing connectedness of humankind. From the first river-valley civilizations to today’s intertwined world, one of the hallmarks of the past — and one that continues to this day — has been increased globalization. While the 20th century represented one of the greatest advancements in human interaction, it was not a wholly new event. Examples of globalization can be seen throughout history, like in the movement of pastoralists, Indian Ocean trade, and the Columbian Exchange. When people first shifted to agriculture, they abandoned their nomadic past in favor of a stationary lifestyle. As a result, new ideas and culture initially began to be transferred less and less. However, with the advent of agriculture also came the emergence of pastoralists. Such people became the critical vectors of cultural and technological exchange, representing one of the first globalizations of the world. Whereas civilizations had no means to establish trade routes, pastoralists naturally came across civilizations as they travelled with their grazing animals. With such …show more content…

While goods were the core focus of merchants, the items that transmitted the Indian Ocean were arguably the least important. More importantly, it transmitted new cultures, especially religion. For instance, Buddhism was able to gain a major foothold in East and Southeast Asia from its home in India while Islam flourished in Africa. Like how religion prospered through trade in the Post-Classical Era, in the 20th century the world underwent a globalization of popular culture through commerce, such as in the dominance of global brands — like Apple and Coca-Cola — throughout the world. Both of these occurrences represented a step forward in globalization, bringing the world together under similar

Get Access