Why did so much American silver flow to China?

• Silver swam east by itself
• China sold prized goods and taxed trade in silver
• Europe banned silver entirely

Which dynasties ruled China in this period?

• Ming 1300s-1600s, then Qing 1600s-1900s
• Only one dynasty for all time
• No dynasties at all

China was fully closed to all outside contact before 1800.

The court stops the great fleets to fund northern frontier wars. What does that show?

• China forgot how to sail
• Home borders and order outranked sea power
• Silver lost all value

What did Zheng He's voyages prove?

• China could not build ships
• Oceans were impossible to cross
• China could sail further than anyone

Foreign ships trade at Canton under licensed merchants. What does this prove?

• China never taxed trade
• No foreigners ever arrived
• Contact was supervised, not absent

A textbook says China was closed, yet maize spreads inland. How do you assess the claim?

• Accept closed: crops move by magic
• Ignore the crops entirely
• Reject closed: crops and Canton trade show managed contact

Silver dug in Peru ends in a Chinese vault. Which chain best explains it?

• Peru ships silver randomly each year
• Peru silver buys goods the world wants, taxed in silver
• China mines all its own silver