"Silver has always been the redheaded stepchild of gold throughout human history (Simpson)." This is due to the fact silver is not as rare as gold or as highly regarded. However, silver has still made a large impact to the economy and population of today. As a large factor in world trade, globalization is due partly to this metal. Today, silver is not only used as an accessory but in many useful things we use day to day. The history of silver encompasses many years, countries and people and is still ongoing today.
Silver started as an element created by an explosion of a high mass star. It was then spread into the universe and was used to form planets by accretion , including our own planet , Earth. The atomic number of silver is 47 and the abbreviation is Ag. It has many positive and useful properties such as being ductile, malleable and conductive for electricity. Although a common method of using silver is to melt it and pour it into molds to form different shapes, silver, in its natural state, is found as a solid.
Silver's history began in the Mycenaean and Minoan civilizations around 3000 BC. Money that occurred from the silver industry led to the stability of civilizations and allowed them to stay in a area and farm instead of living as nomads. It started to be used for plates and silverware around 2500 BCE. During Ancient Greece, silver was harvested in abundance from the Laurium mines, which were near Athens. However in 100 A.D, Spain became the main producer of silver. They supplied the Roman Empire and the silver from Spain was a main component in trade on the Silk Roads. Silver was used not only to make coins for trade but also products made of silver were traded. From 500 AD to 1500 AD, a large growth took place i...
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...cy that led to expansion and trade and finally a commonplace material today. Silver will always be known as an element that is a building block of todays world.
Works Cited
"Early Global Commodities: Silver Connects the World." Bridging World History: Unit 15: Early Global Commodities: Video Segment. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.
"The History of Silver." The History of Silver - at 925-1000.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.
"Silver." - Chemical Properties, Health and Environmental Effects. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.
"Silver as an Anti-Bacterial." The Silver Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.
"Silver In History." The Silver Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.
Simpson, Stephen. "A Brief 2000-Year History Of Silver Prices." Commodity HQ. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.
"Spanish Silver Video." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.
Around the beginning of the sixteenth centruy, many countires had started to explore farther away and finding new territories. New products like sugar and taobacco began to emerge around the world in many places. Many countries in Europe were gaining power due to the control of colonies in the Americas. Asian countries did not explore as much, but still managed to remain large and powerful for a while. The global flow of silver had economic effects on inflating prices of goods and stimulating econimic policy of mercantilism, and social effects on negative effects on the lower class around the world during the mid-sixteenth century to the early eighteenth century.
Before the Modern Era, international communication was not prevalent. Many factions were present between distant regions in the world, and regional trade flourished between lands that were close in proximity. Lands in the Americas or South America did not experience a strong connection to lands further east due to these gaps in communication. However, due to the emergence of silver, regional economies all combined to form one global economy. In this global economy, different, distant regions interacted through a common trade. Silver production, common from the 1500s to 1750, helped global interactions flourish. Different regions, specifically China and the Philippines, Spain and its colonies, and England collectively experienced shifts in their societies and economies through a combined need to interpose themselves in this global flow of silver, that was then expanded upon through different methods of gaining silver.
Edwards, B. (1998, January 2). Revere Foundry and Copper Mill. Retrieved from Paul Revere Home: http://www.paulreverehouse.org/bio/coppermill.html
Gold has been valued in our cultural history for as long as societies have been able to adopt this valuable metal’s unique properties. Gold is unique in its inherent marvellous glossy shine. Gold is particularly malleable, conducts electricity, doesn’t blemish and blends well with other metals. Because of these exclusive properties, gold creates its ways in our everyday life in many ways or form. Gold has always had remarkable significance, shown by most civilizations as a symbol of wealth and power. Gold has captivated most of cultures around the world and the passion for it brings to the extermination of some cultures and the growth in condition of others. This essay explores the use of gold over time and perception of the cultures that surround by gold.
Yushao Wu, Junwu Dang, Fang Liu, Tong Au, & Lili Wang. (2014). China Report of the Development on Silver Industry. Beijing: Social Science Academic
When Spaniards traveled west in the 16th century, they were able to find extensive amounts of silver in the Americas. At around the same time, the Japanese were also able to find great deposits of silver in their homelands as well. As such, the silver trade started, or as some may say, the start of global economy. With this trade, places like Europe that had little to offer to major civilizations were able to get more involved with trade being that they now could produce silver that was highly sought after. As it was in such high demands, especially in places like China, the global economy rose. Not only was silver used in making jewelry and weapons, it was also used as currency, however, it wasn’t just normal currency, it became currency that
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