The world in 1800

The Divergence Debate Ken Pomeranz: The Great Divergence: China, Euroope and the Making of the Modern World Economy (2000) -think outside national boundaries -Europe’s access to coal and colonies -Where has the divergence debate left us? -Is this a story about China or about the Industrial Revolution?

What happened in 1800? Was this really the turning point that set ‘the West’ ahead of ‘the Rest’?

Early sixteenth-century ‘known’ world for Europeans

European ‘known’ world in 1800

Asia in 1800 Manchu/Qing in China Tokugawa bakufu in Japan

Manchu China Population of 300 million (1 million Manchu) Trade with the West No formal ambassadorial relations with West

Tokugawa Japan 28 million people Edo and Kyoto Emperor Shogun Daimyo Deshima and trade with the Dutch craftsmanship

India Various states All vying for power EIC in Bengal opium

Ottoman empire Huge geographical range, but declining Religious diversity under Muslim authority Visibility of slaves Attempt at reforms Selim III (1761 –1808) reform-minded Sultan (r. 1789 to 1807)

Africa Producer of spices, ivory, gold, tropical goods Military conflict endemic Regional differences Benin Asanta Luanda Zanzibar Slave trade, but also control over slave trade

Viceroyalty of Spain in Mexico Brazil ruled by the Portuguese crown AMERICAS   United States had a population of about 6 million in 1800, but still parts of it unexplored. Canada Large import of African slaves. Tens of thousands were brought into the United States around 1800 Spanish America Ruled from Spain Viceroyalty of Spain in Mexico Brazil ruled by the Portuguese crown

EUROPE France had population of about 20 million Great Britain about 10 million French revolution had changed everything Saw the rest of the world mainly for the goods they supplied: An industrial revolution was underway Belief in own civilization based on understanding of the world (telescope, microscope, rational thinking and logic, taxonomies of the natural world, mapping of the world).

What united the world in 1800? The key divergence in 1800 Cotton Technology Timing

Different development paths   reciprocal comparison: Gareth Austin – Africa Kauru Sugihara – East Asian Development Path Recent Globalization Knowledge economies, networks, institutions