Research Paper proposal

Research Paper Proposal
History 433, Dr. Margolies
By John Cunningham

The Birth of Globalization in America: Virginia, England and
International Trade in the Early Seventeenth Century

When did the birth of globalization begin in America? Where did American globalization first show signs of growth? How did the early evidence of globalization first shape American culture and society? Most importantly, how did the early signs of globalization shape American political thought and foreign policy. These are the questions I will answer in my research paper.

Most scholars and historians disagree with a precise time and place of the birth of globalization in America. Some claim that globalization first occurred when early man first made contact with a neighboring tribe and diffused their different characteristics to each other. Many others look at globalization as beginning when international trade first began within the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic trade routes along the African coast. Still others look at globalization as first occurring during the late nineteenth century after the birth of rapid transport and the telegraph. Finally, many historians look at the scientific advances of the twentieth century as being globalizations birthplace. In my research paper I will examine what I consider the birth of Globalization in America. I will examine the first signs of international trade and communication within the Chesapeake Colony in today’s current state of Virginia. This trade, particularly the sale of tobacco and the influx of slavery, diffused the cultures of many different peoples that include England, Spain, Portugal, France, the Netherlands and Denmark. Additionally, once slavery was established in the Virginia colony, the influence of African societies further fused into American culture. All of this contact between different cultures throughout the world helped to bring to life the early signs of American global power and influence.

While researching this topic I discovered a variety of different sources that can be examined. I first began my research by reading Atlantic Virginia by April Hatfield. This was an excellent book that explores the exact topic that I am researching. One of the subjects I will briefly cover in my writing is the question of why did Europeans first come to the New World. There are several primary documents that describe these reasons, one of which is the first charter of Virginia. This document I will be referring to in my research paper. Another great source is Captain John Smith’s history of Virginia. This book is a wealth of information that thoroughly describes the vast resources that were found in the Virginia colony.

As described above and in my Bibliography, I will use a variety of sources to answer a few simple questions. One of which, is how, why and where did globalization first occur in America? By answering this question I feel that many people will more fully understand Americas place in a global economy.

Bibliography

Coclanis, Peter A. The Atlantic Economy during the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century. South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, 2005.

Deans, Bob. The River Where America Began. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007.

Hatfield, April Lee. Atlantic Virginia, Intercolonial Relations in the Seventeenth Century. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004.

Hawke, David. The Colonial Experience. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1966.
Kelso, William M. Jamestown, The Buried Truth. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2006.

Pestana, Carla Gardina. The English Atlantic in the Age of Revolution. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2004.

Smith, John. The General History of Virginia. Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. Bedford: Applewood Books, First published in 1629.

Virginia Company of London. The First Charter of Virginia.
http://www.lonang.com/exlibris/organic/1606-fcv.htm, 1606.