Lynda Shaffer, a famous world historian, has brought up a strong argument in her article entitled “Southernization”. Shaffer points out that the major reason for the advancement of Western Europe as a global, economic, and military power after the 1450’s was not due to their own strength. Shaffer states that this superiority in these areas was due to the technological advancements, crops, corporations, and other trade goods. However, according to Shaffer, these objects were borrowed from Asia and the Middle East.
The collection of the technologies, crops, industries, and other trade goods were being used in Western Europe to help them rise to supremacy. Throughout her article, Lynda Shaffer makes a very strong controversy. Based on the information that I have acquired from my textbook, as well as the information presented in this article, I have concluded that this is a valid argument for many reasons. Knowing what I know now about this topic, I would agree with Shaffer’s argument. To begin, Shaffer backs up her reasons with cold, hard facts.
Shaffer brings up many reasons to be a foundation for her argument. In her article, Lynda introduces too many justifications to explain each and every one. Nevertheless, the evidence that Lynda Shaffer brings into her passage is reinforced with even greater detailed and more substantial information. Shaffer makes a good habit, starting just towards the beginning of the article, of coming out with the topic of her next reason, and following it up with particularized information. This is one way that Lynda Shaffer did an acceptable job with proving her point throughout her article.
On the topic of technologies, Shaffer moves on to give examples of the types of technology transferred and how they affected the areas of Western Europe. One of the examples of the technological advances that moved from Asia to Western Europe of which Lynda Shaffer included in her article about southernization is the printing press. Johannes Gutenberg, a German man, is often given the credit for the invention of the printing press. However, the Chinese were the ones who originally came up with the technology. Over time, it eventually spread to Europe and caused major changes.
These changes included an increase in literacy, the spread of religions, and the quick and simple spread of information. Technology also included the compass, gunpowder, and much, much more. Lynda explains, throughout her article, that these technological advancements caused large changes throughout the entire area of Western Europe. Shaffer describes each of these technological advancements, as well as their effects on Western Europe, in extreme detail throughout her article. Crops and other trade goods were also a large topic that Lynda Shaffer focused on.
These objects include sugarcane, spices, rice, specifically Champa rice, silk, porcelain and much more. These goods were traded between an abundant number of merchants at multiple different trading ports. Eventually, after long periods of time, these trading goods reached Western Europe. The increased amount of trade occurring in the area of Western Europe caused an economic boost throughout Europe. Lynda Shaffer continues to further discuss the other effects that this increased amount of trade had on Western Europe.
The main significance of the trade goods transferred between Asia and Europe was the economic bonus that Western Europe acquired, pushing them higher and higher up the ladder to a higher dominance in the world. Throughout her article, Lynda Shaffer describes, in much more detail, the economic increase in Europe because of these trade goods increasing. Lynda Shaffer also touches on the topic of industries as a factor in Europe’s rise to a higher power in the world. Over time, African slaves were being transported all around the world, New and Old.
When they first appeared in Europe, the Europeans took as much advantage of them as they could. The slaves were used in the fields of Western Europe to produce sugar, cotton, and other important, intensive agricultural crops. Not only did the Europeans become introduced to slave labor, but they were also acquainted with gold and silver mines. The Arabs that were sent to the Americas by the Europeans coined so much silver and gold that its value had actually fallen. Through the mining of gold and silver, as well as slave labor, the Europeans had increased their industrial knowledge.
During the whole of her piece, Shaffer goes into much more detail about the greater effects of these industrial improvements had on Western Europe. In short, Lynda Shaffer put up a convincing argument all through her passage. Shaffer states that Western Europe’s growth to a global, economic, and military power after the 1450’s is from its usage of technological improvements, crops, industrial advancements, and other trade goods from Asia and the Middle East. This claim is supported very well throughout the article. Technological advancements included the printing press, the compass, and gunpowder.
Silk, porcelain, sugarcane, and spices are involved in the topic of crops and other trade goods. Industrial improvements enclosed slave labor, as well as silver and gold mining. Each of these factors had their own major impacts on Western Europe and its ascent up the ladder to dominance in the world after the 1450’s. Knowing what I now know from my textbook and from this article, “Southernization”, by Lynda Shaffer, I would agree with her statement. I believe that Lynda Shaffer proposed a greatly influential argument throughout her article.
