CLIL

Humanities and Social Science 5

The spice trade

A The island of Manhattan in New York is one of the most expensive

neighbourhoods in the world, but did you know that it was once swapped for some
spices?

B Five centuries ago, spices like pepper were worth more than gold and the spice
trade was the cause of many 1feuds between the world’s nations. One of the most
valuable spices in the 1600s was nutmeg, which we use to flavour desserts like
rice pudding. This spice was so important to the English and the Dutch that they
fought to conquer regions where nutmeg grew, like the tiny Indonesian island of
Run. In an effort to end their disputes, England agreed to give Run to Holland in
exchange for Manhattan. Of course, at the time nobody knew Manhattan would
become a world-famous landmark and that the island of Run would be almost
forgotten.

C Spices were such a valuable 2commodity to our ancestors because refrigeration

had not yet been invented, and they helped preserve or cover the taste of rotting
food. They were also used in medicines and luxury perfumes. Unfortunately, these
plants grew in Asia, so in the 1300s European aristocracies would import them
from Middle Eastern and North African merchants at great cost. By the 1400s
though, navigational methods had improved and Europe’s royalty decided they
would seek new routes to sail to these spice-rich zones.

D However, as the Europeans sailed the world, they found not only spices, but also
new continents, peoples and cultures. Spain and Portugal played a major role in
these discoveries, and when Christopher Columbus set off on his 3voyage in
search of India and the spices that grew there, he accidentally stumbled upon the
Americas. Later, in the 16th century, Vasco da Gama was the first to go round
Africa and Ferdinand Magellan the first to fully 4circumnavigate the world, finding
the Philippines and ‘Spice Islands’ in the process. Britain and Holland also wanted
access to these spice routes, so in the following years they battled for a share of
the territories in the Indian Ocean.

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 E Within a couple of centuries though, the fight for spices came to an end as the
British and Dutch realized that they could be grown in other parts of their
5
empires, such as their Caribbean colonies. Improved transport methods also
meant spices could be transported more economically, causing them to drop in
price.

F The spice wars may be over, but the next time you put some pepper on your
steak, remember that the spice trade was also a trade of culture, language and
religion that forever changed the map of the world and was the first true example
of globalization. That should give you some food for thought!

1 Answer the questions in your own words.

1 What was the spice trade?

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2 What were the secondary effects of the spice trade?

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2 Are the statements true or false? Quote words from the text to support your
answers.

1 The island of Run was once worth as much as Manhattan.

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2 Spices helped to keep food in good condition.

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3 European royalty would not buy spices from middlemen.

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4 The British and Dutch had colonies outside the Indian Ocean.

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3 Match words 1–5 in the text to definitions a–e.

___ a long trip, usually by sea

___ b disagreements between two groups

___ c groups of countries ruled by one government

___ d travel around a continent or island in a boat

___ e product that can be bought and sold

4 Find words in the text that mean the same as …

1 to take control of a country by force. _________________

2 to bring products from a foreign country for resale. _________________

3 people who buy and sell goods. _________________

4 move across the surface of a sea, lake, river, etc. _________________

5 countries that are controlled by another country. _________________

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd, 2010