The Silver Way: China, Spanish America and the Birth of Globalisation, 1565-1815

The discovery of a route East across the Pacific in the 16th century was a vital catalyst for the integration of our world. The ＂Ruta de la Plata＂ or ＂Silver Way＂ connected Asia and especially China with Spanish America. Gordon and Morales del Pino show how it furthered economic and cultural exchange, and built the foundations for the first global currency and the first ＂world city,＂ Mexico City, long before the U.S. dollar or London and New York rose to international importance.