Search

1. Introduction 1.1. Europe in the early modern periodAt the dawn of the early modern period, Europe was not an integrated trade territory. Several regions of commercial interaction can be identified within it, differing markedly in population density, degree of urbanization, and intensity of processes of economic exchange. Because of the technical and political difficulties involved in overland transportation (road conditions, customs barriers; Customs duties), spheres of intensive commercial exchange …

A trade agreement – long-term and comprehensive or short-term – is a contractual convention concerning external trade relationships (Trade, external) between two or more cities, countries, or territories.1. EuropeEver since the Middle Ages, movement of goods across borders has been regulated by trade agreements, in which issues of customs law in particular played a central role. Trade agreements also dealt with the legal status of the merchants involved, especially away from home – that is, their freedom to settle abroad, …

1. Introduction Two main conditions determined the choice of sea route and the management of the movement of goods by sea in the early modern period. The first was the natural conditions governing travel by sailing ship (Deep sea navigation), and the second was requirements regarding the safety and security of transports. For covering long distances at sea, relatively steady wind and current systems, at least on a seasonal basis, were particularly useful. On longer voyages, such as betw…

1. ConceptSpices (Latin aromata) are substances that are added to foods (Dining) and drinks (Drink) in small quantities to improve their taste. They are naturally occurring plant products that contain concentrated essential oils or bitter tannins. Spices include green herbs native to Europe, and products of the tropics or subtropics consisting of flower buds, tree bark, roots, seeds, berries, fruits, or fruit hulls. Natural spices are distinguished from extracts produced at home or in industry, and…