We take a lot of things in our modern world for granted. One of those items is the spices we use in our foods, which were not always available in the mass quantities they are today. Cloves and nutmeg. Pepper and cinnamon. Their histories are filled with violence, colonization, slavery, and greed that many don’t realize or have given thought to.
Spice: The 16th-Century Contest that Shaped the Modern World by Roger Crowley explores these problematic issues that European exploration and exploitation caused for native peoples all around the globe. It’s a sobering look at one of the many aspects of this time in history that shaped our modern world, for better or worse.
While the spice trade is at the forefront of the book’s discussion, Crowley delves deeper into the overarching effects the Spanish, Portuguese, and eventually the Dutch had on mapping and conquering global exploration and trade. The tales within are fascinating, cringe-inducing, heartbreaking, and mind-blowing, and most of those feelings are in the first few chapters!
It amazes me how arrogant these European explorers were and how they felt entitled to lands, islands, and goods that weren’t theirs to take ownership of. The push by many of these expeditions to convert native populations to Christianity and the bloody consequences for refusal to join the faith show a level of ignorance and arrogance that still resonates in our modern world centuries later. Even with these conflicts, the goals of these explorers were clear: seek out and exploit the natural resources on these distant shores for profit and power.
And as they gained a foothold in one part of the world, global competition intensified, with warring factions and countries fighting for supremacy in the trade wars. Stuck in the middle were the native tribes and their communities, who were taken advantage of, victimized, and exterminated in the name of God, global trade, and monetary glory. You’ll see some familiar names appear throughout the book, with fates worthy of applause.
Spice also offers an intriguing look at China and Japan during this era of exploration and at how they dealt with arrogant European explorers and their demands. Let’s just say the Chinese were not willing to acquiesce or capitulate to the demands or interests of these barbaric outsiders, and they made sure future explorers knew they weren’t going to play nice.
There’s so much to learn in a short time, and Roger Crowley delivers an excellent primer for anyone who wants to take their education about the spice trade and world exploration beyond the pages of Spice. This is an unflinching look at the centuries-long consequences and generational destruction unleashed by power-mad men motivated by profit and prestige.
Spice: The 16th-Century Contest that Shaped the Modern World by Roger Crowley is a compelling and engaging read. I highly recommend it.