Along the Silk Roads, China traded goods such as silk, porcelain, gunpowder, textiles, precious metals, and paper.
The primary commodities exchanged on the Trans-Saharan trade routes were gold from West Africa and salt from desert mines. Other traded items included textiles and slaves.
The Mongol Empire, particularly during the Pax Mongolica, significantly influenced trade by making the Silk Roads much safer. This increased safety led to a boom in trade and facilitated the diffusion of technologies and ideas across Eurasia. However, this increased connectivity also led to the rapid spread of diseases, most notably the Black Death, across the continent.
This video serves as a Gen-Z focused recap of Unit 2 for AP World History, primarily covering the major trade networks of the era: the Silk Roads, the Indian Ocean trade, and the Trans-Saharan trade routes. It also discusses the Mongol Empire, the consequences of increased connectivity like disease spread (specifically the Black Death), and a comparison of economic exchanges. The video uses contemporary slang and references to make the historical content more relatable to a younger audience.
The "Goods and Exchange" section of the video highlights several key aspects of historical trade networks:
Silk Roads:
Indian Ocean Trade:
Trans-Saharan Trade: