The making of global world

• Potatoes were a crop that significantly improved the lives of poor Europeans by allowing them to feed themselves properly and live longer
• The Great Potato Famine occurred from 1846 to 1849
• During the famine, Irish farmers, who were heavily dependent on potatoes, faced a devastating situation where 1,000,000 people died of starvation and many others had to migrate to find work
• The Great Potato Famine resulted in nearly 1 million deaths between 1845 and 1851 from starvation or hunger-related diseases
• Additionally, around 1 million Irish people emigrated during this period, leading to Ireland losing a quarter of its population
• Silk Routes:

  • One of the most important routes that linked distant places across the world in ancient times
  • Existed before the Christian Era and thrived until the 15th century
  • Example of booming pre-modern trade and growing cultural relationships between distant places
  • Used by religious preachers from Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam
  • Source of trade and culture
  • Land and sea links used for trading or exchanging crucial goods like textiles and precious metals
• Conquest, Trade, and Disease:

  • Conquest between the Portuguese and Spanish and the colonization of America
  • Spanish conquerors used smallpox germs as a deadly weapon
  • American original inhabitants had almost zero immunity against such diseases
  • America's discovery led to global changes due to vast fertile lands, minerals, and crops
  • Silver and other precious metal mines in Mexico and Peru boosted Europe's wealth and funded trade with Asian countries
  • The Indian subcontinent played a key role in the trade network, known for trading knowledge, goods, customs, and more