Origins and History of

Globalization

WALTER C. HORCERADA
INSTRUCTOR
 Brief history of
Globalization
 When Chinese e-commerce giant
Alibaba in 2018 announced it had
chosen the ancient city of Xi’an as the
site for its new regional
headquarters, it had brought
globalization to its ancient birthplace,
the start of the old Silk Road.
 It named its new offices aptly: ‘Silk
Road Headquarters’.
Silk roads (1st century BC-5th century
AD, and 13th-14th centuries AD)
luxury products from China started to appear
on the other edge of the Eurasian continent –
in Rome. They got there after being hauled for Silk Roads
thousands of miles along the Silk Road.
Trade had stopped being a local or regional
affair and started to become global.
Spice routes (7th-15th centuries)

 The next chapter in trade happened thanks to Islamic

merchants. As the new religion spread in all directions
from its Arabian heartland in the 7th century.
 The founder of Islam, the prophet Mohammed, was
famously a merchant.
 Trade was thus in the DNA of the new religion and its
followers, and that showed.
 Spice routes (7th-15th centuries)
 By the early 9th century, Muslim traders already
dominated Mediterranean and Indian Ocean trade;
afterwards, they could be found as far east as
Indonesia.
 Unlike silk, spices were traded mainly by sea since
ancient times.
 Chief among them were the cloves, nutmeg and mace
from the fabled Spice islands – the Maluku islands in
Indonesia.
 Age of Discovery
(15th-18th centuries)
 It was in this era, from the end of the
15th century onwards, that European
explorers connected East and West –
and accidentally discovered the
Americas.
 The Age of Discovery rocked the world.
The most famous “discovery” is that of
America by Columbus, which all but
ended pre-Colombian civilizations.
 The most consequential exploration was
the circumnavigation by Magellan: it
opened the door to the Spice islands,
cutting out Arab and Italian middlemen.
First wave of globalization
(19th century-1914)

FIRST INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

The Age of Discovery rocked the world. The most famous
“discovery” is that of America by Columbus, which all but
ended pre-Colombian civilizations.

Great Britain had started to dominate the world both

geographically, through the establishment of the British
Empire, and technologically, with innovations like the
steam engine, the industrial weaving machine, and more.
The World Wars
In 1914, the outbreak of World War I
brought an end to just about
everything the burgeoning high society
of the West had gotten so used to,
including globalization.

Millions of soldiers died in battle,

millions of civilians died as collateral
damage, war replaced trade,
destruction replaced construction, and
countries closed their borders yet
again.
The financial markets, which were still
connected in a global web, caused a
further breakdown of the global economy
and its links.
Globalization 4.0
That brings us to today, when a new
wave of globalization is once again
upon us. In a world increasingly
dominated by two global powers, the
US and China, the new frontier of
globalization is the cyber world. The
digital economy, in its infancy during
the third wave of globalization, is now
becoming a force to reckon with
through e-commerce, digital services,
and 3D printing. It is further enabled by
artificial intelligence but threatened by
cross-border hacking and cyber-attacks.
ASSESSMENT
1.What does the term "globalization" refer to?

A)The process of dividing the world into isolated regions

B)The integration of societies and economies across the world
C)The promotion of cultural homogeneity
D) The establishment of national boundaries
2. Which historical event greatly expedited the exchange of
goods, ideas, and cultures between the Eastern and Western
hemispheres?

A)The Industrial Revolution

B)The Renaissance
C)The Age of Exploration
D) The Agricultural Revolution
3.What was a major factor that contributed to the growth of
globalization in the late 20th century?

A)The decline of international organizations

B)The spread of isolationist policies
C)Advances in communication and transportation
technologies
D) The strengthening of regional boundaries
4.Which trade route connected the East and West, facilitating
cultural exchange and trade for centuries?

A)The Pacific Route

B)The Sahara Route
C)The Silk Road
D) The Amazon Route
5.What economic system played a significant role in driving
early globalization by promoting trade and commerce?

A)Feudalism
B)Mercantilism
C)Socialism
D) Communism
6.Which treaty, signed in 1494, divided newly discovered lands
outside Europe between Portugal and Spain, contributing to
the shaping of global trade routes?

A)Treaty of Versailles
B)Treaty of Tordesillas
C)Treaty of Paris
D) Treaty of Rome
7.What event marked a significant turning point in the history
of globalization by reshaping Europe's economic landscape
and leading to the emergence of capitalism?

A)The French Revolution

B)The Industrial Revolution
C)The Renaissance
D) The Crusades
8.Which international organization, established after World
War II, aimed to promote global economic cooperation and
prevent another global economic crisis?

A)United Nations (UN)

B)World Trade Organization (WTO)
C)International Monetary Fund (IMF)
D) World Bank
9.The Columbian Exchange refers to the exchange of goods,
ideas, and cultures between the Old World and the New
World following the arrival of Christopher Columbus. Which of
the following was NOT a significant exchange during this
period?

A)Introduction of potatoes to Europe

B)Spread of smallpox to the Americas
C)Introduction of coffee to Africa
D) Exchange of horses to the Americas
10.Which concept suggests that cultural globalization could
lead to the erosion of unique cultural identities and a
dominance of Western cultural values?

A)Cultural Relativism
B)Cultural Imperialism
C)Cultural Syncretism
D) Cultural Homogenization
11.What term refers to the process of increased
interconnectedness and interdependence among countries
through trade, communication, and cultural exchange?

A)Isolationism
B)Colonization
C)Globalization
D)Nationalism
12. Which ancient trade route played a crucial role in
connecting the East and West, facilitating the exchange of
goods, ideas, and cultures?

A)The Silk Road

B)The Spice Route
C)The Atlantic Passage
D)The Trans-Saharan Route
13. During the Age of Exploration, which explorer is known for
his voyages that greatly expanded European knowledge of the
world and led to increased global interactions?

A)Ferdinand Magellan
B)Vasco da Gama
C)Marco Polo
D)Christopher Columbus
14. Which economic system encouraged nations to acquire
wealth by exporting more goods than they imported, often
leading to increased global trade?

A)Capitalism
B)Socialism
C)Mercantilism
D)Feudalism
15. The Columbian Exchange refers to the exchange of goods
between the Old World and the New World. Which of the
following was a New World crop introduced to the Old World
through this exchange?

A)Rice
B)Wheat
C)Coffee
D)Maize (corn)
16. Which international organization was established after
World War II to promote economic cooperation and prevent
global economic crises?

A)United Nations (UN)

B)World Trade Organization (WTO)
C)International Monetary Fund (IMF)
D)World Bank
17: The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, divided newly
discovered lands between which two European countries?

A)Portugal and Spain

B)England and France
C)Netherlands and Italy
D)Germany and Austria
18. Which technological advancement played a significant role
in accelerating globalization by allowing for faster and more
efficient long-distance communication?

A)Printing press
B)Telegraph
C)Steam engine
D)Automobile
19. Which era marked the beginning of sustained European
exploration and expansion into the wider world, leading to
increased global interactions?

A)Renaissance
B)Middle Ages
C)Industrial Revolution
D)Age of Discovery
20: Which concept describes the blending of different cultural
elements to create new cultural forms and practices, often as
a result of globalization?

A)Cultural Relativism
B)Cultural Syncretism
C)Cultural Imperialism
D)Cultural Isolationism