England in the 1600s: The Beginning of England's Rise to Global Power and Wealth
INTRODUCTION In 1600, England had been an insular and agricultural nation, trading primarily with nearby northern Europe. By 1700, England’s commerce was complex and global, as London competed successfully with Amsterdam for American produce and Asian luxuries. Alan Taylor, American Colonies: The Settling of North America, 258. England's rise to global power and wealth depended on new sources of trade in the 1600s. In Asia, this was a result of trade developed by the English East India Company (EIC). In America, new sources of trade were created by the English settlements in North America and the West Indies. Because of these developments, total tonnage carried in English ships doubled between 1660 and 1688. From Asia came pepper and other spices along with Indian cotton cloth. From America came tobacco and sugar. The rapid increase in sugar production after 1660 in the West Indies led to slave trade with Af...