...trade has been going on for some time. Many are familiar with the Columbus story where he was seeking a trade route when he bumped into the New World. Arguably a short version of the true story, that is only the tip of the iceberg. During the Middle Ages, trade was important and it changed things within the European nations. This was the precursor of globalization, but the fact that Europeans would have to go out by foot or by boat to other lands did alter the citizens' minds as it respects religion, nature and the government. Their worldview would be altered as things around them changed.
Dyer writes: "The English participated in this embryonic globalization when in the twelfth century they developed trade links with Spain, where merchants found an outlet for English woolen cloth, and brought back spices, gold and fine leather" (207). This idea that trade was important, or at least enhanced the quality of life is significant to the development of the region. Of course, they...