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The Influence of European Colonialism and Trade on Global Power Dynamics

In "The Invention of Yesterday: The eighteenth and nineteenth chapter of “A 50,000-Year History
of Human culture, Conflict, and Connection” by Tamim Ansary focuses on the impression that
colonialism left globally between 1500 and 1800. According to the author; warriors, missionaries
initiated European penetration into Americas, but it was the commercial men; who realized the
opportunity of producing tobacco to sugarcane and even cotton that kept their mission alive. Such crops
were an integral part of European trade and a source of slave labour. These crops gave birth to a
plantation system in agriculture that ultimately changed the social and economic life of the Americas,
and even some parts of Africa and Asia.

It shows by how the Europeans struggled for their colonization in the New World, focusing on the
contribution by environment, positioning, and navigation customs to growth of the Netherlands and
Britain to the sea powers. The above mentioned countries possessed seafaring tradition, capable
merchants and residing far away from productive areas of classical times. This provided their inhabitants
the most possible reason for going to those far and bringing back trade goods. The text also introduces
new concepts like the corporations that became a legal personality during the Queen Elisabeth’s reign
and limited liability company.

Though the economic and political experience of colonization has its attraction, it is equally very
tragic. Plantation economies in the Americas have left millions of African slaves with untold sufferings
during colonialism as well as other cultures which were destroyed by European greed for profitable
colonies all over the world. The brutality, corruption and cut throat competition as witnessed during this
period is aptly captured by Tamim Ansary.

In addition, there is a very clear sense in which the style of his prose does justice to that of those events
which occurred at this time. He illustrates how these world-historical monads overlapped upon one
another and resulted to our present universe by painting. The change agents met as catalyzed by
momentum as each of them had something to bring into the encounter. This resulted into a radical
change in the world’s economy, geography, and cultures. However, Ansary represents a struggle between
the two last desirable colonies that both France and England had struggled for in various parts around
the world prior to forming the British Empire.

Lastly, chapters 18 and 19 from “The Invention of Yesterday” highlight the chaos caused by
colonialism and slavery in the world. Despite not being a happy part of history, it is important for current
understanding of societies’ traditions and cultures.- Through this vivid description, Anssary educates his
readers on crucial fragments of the past that continue affecting events happening at present throughout
our planet.