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.
Circle one: True False
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