As children, many are taught that one person can make a change. If you work hard and stay determined and dedicated, you can make a difference in the world. Such ideologies remain with us as we age. Even in fiction, it's a strong concept. “The arrival of Merry and Pippin will be like the falling of small stones causing an avalanche,” says Sir Ian Mckellen as Gandalf the White in “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.” This is an adaptation of what JRR Tolkien originally wrote, but the meaning is absolutely the same. It's telling of two hobbits, tiny in the grand scheme of things, yet they are the spark of a revolutionary chain reaction. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay This concept is so important because it has been proven throughout history. There are countless examples of one person's actions making a difference. So it's only right that groups of people, working in the same ways, for the same things, have an even greater influence in the world. This is clear in the 17th century, when the world was changing, becoming smaller and smaller as more of it was discovered. Globalization was the result of many small-scale actions that had a big impact on a larger stage. Ordinary people are the reason the world has changed. This point is evident in the pages of Vermeer's Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World by Timothy Brook. By connecting historical anecdotes to the analysis of the great painter's works, Brook shows his readers how crucial the actions of now forgotten figures were to the development of globalism, figures neither famous nor celebrated. People around the world, from different continents and backgrounds, were responsible for the world becoming more and more connected, and although this development would grow to see obstacles such as isolationism and nationalism, there would be no end absolute to the rise of globalization, an undeniable connection of all peoples and cultures on this Earth. To address the above topic, you need to ask yourself: “What if…?” This question presents itself to every single living being, multiple times, every day of their life. To see the importance of each action presented, one must ask: “What if this didn't happen?” This is especially applicable to the influence Native Americans had on globalization in the 17th century. Every time European explorers came into contact with a new group of Native Americans a choice was made. That choice was whether to befriend them or conquer them. These decisions were made strategically by both sides. Dr. Brook recounts the experiences of Samuel Champlain and his war road to Lake Champlain. By dealing with natives in what is now New York, "trade would pay the costs of his [Champain's] exploration, but war would earn him the trust on which commerce depended." This type of debate took place among the natives, in this case, the Mohawk, Montagnais, Huron, and Algonquian nations. The point Brook makes in mentioning this story is that in Johannes Vermeer's painting, "Officer and Laughing Girl," the officer is wearing a hat, and this hat is evidence that trade occurred with these Native American tribes. Champlain found conflict with the Mohawks, but formed alliances with the other named native nations. Tribal leaders' decisions to connect their people with these foreigners lead to the ability to continue expanding into America. This expansion and thesealliances led to the explosion of the fur trade. If it were not for the decision of American tribes to cooperate and coexist with Europeans, globalization in that part of the world would have been slowed. Vermeer would not have had a hat in his possession to paint in his work. It can go further, though. On Champlain's journey to China, all the while working with different tribes, he had to honor certain spiritual practices so as not to offend his gracious hosts. At times this forced his ambition to be held back by the suspicions of the natives. On the eve of arriving at Lake Champlain, the group was checked by fortune-telling, a divination performed by a native shaman. Luckily for Champlain, the result was on his side and the journey continued. The fact that Champlain's entire historical relevance, though seemingly vain at the time (he failed to find a road to China), depended entirely on the whims of Native Americans shows how much these nations, as well as other Native nations, shaped the progress of globalization. If they had been less willing, if the Europeans had been more hasty, history might have been delayed. Turning to the Pacific Ocean, there is much to be said about Asian influence on globalization. China in particular was highly ethnocentric. They had every right to be, being the creators of great things like porcelain, fireworks, gunpowder, silk, and many other things. This ethnocentrism has been the root of many events. It's what led China to despise foreigners. Europeans had to struggle to enter the Chinese trade, and very few succeeded. For this reason, goods from China were highly prized; they were rare and came from what some thought was the greatest nation of the time. A porcelain bowl is what Brook focuses on in Vermeer's painting, "Young Woman Reading a Letter." This porcelain is blue and white, a popular style that boomed in Europe. There were smuggled replicas made in Europe, because everyone needed this symbol of sophistication. If the copying wasn't bad enough (it was nearly impossible to recreate the purity of real Chinese blue and white porcelain), the specimens from China didn't even conform to Chinese standards. Less skilled craftsmen found a market for their work in demand from Europe. Brook talks about Wen Zhenheng, a “connoisseur” in his day, but otherwise an everyday character. According to Brook, Zhenheng's taste was much higher than that of European consumers. He would have despised porcelain shipped to Europe. The views the Chinese had of the outside world are why they preferred to keep foreigners out. The rest of the world was seen as beneath them, so what could anyone else possibly offer? This is what ultimately led to the fall of China. But this happens later in history, around the 19th century. Going back, because they considered themselves so high, the rest of the world fell in line, idolizing their cultures and finer things. China's contribution to globalization was instilling a fascination and desire for non-Western products in the European population, thus causing globalization. The Age of Exploration was an entire era of wanting to find an efficient way to reach China and then trade. Europe, in turn, brought something a little different to the table. In a word, the European role in globalization could be described as “ambition”. Imperialism was born from globalization. Colonialism has become a huge part of the world. And almost every colony was ofproperty of a European country. Even within the continent there were countries that sought to conquer and control other countries. Sometimes it worked, but other times it simply resulted in rebellion. Such high competition in Europe meant that people from different nations were always against each other. This is evident when Brook explains the rivalry between Portugal and the Netherlands. Portuguese traders were the first to get their hands on Chinese porcelain. But the Dutch soon became busy procuring porcelain, one way or another. The first porcelain to arrive in Holland occurred in 1602, after a Portuguese ship was captured on its way home and taken to Amsterdam instead. This wasn't the only rivalry in Europe to talk about, nor was it the last clash between these two countries. But this competition, born of European ambition, is what has truly driven the development of globalization. If Europeans had been as ethnocentric as the Chinese, they would not have understood the point of seeking better trade routes. They wouldn't have cared to find out more about the world, because what could they want from anyone else? However, this was not their attitude. Men from all over Europe sought better fortunes in lands beyond their borders. Exploration was glorified, and so the world became smaller as more and more people became dissatisfied with their homeland and the goods of Europe. In this way, globalization was fueled by Europe. The ambition of Europeans is what led to colonization, exploration and everything that goes hand in hand with globalization. Yet another important group of people to recognize in this topic are Africans. Although globalization was fueled by European ambition, it would not have been possible without the African continent and the people who inhabited it. Not only was Africa unconquerable on a large scale, but it also posed a threat to the white man's health. Since the interior lands were protected from tropical diseases, Europeans could conquer Africa only in port cities, where they traded on the coast. However, this did not stop African tribes from being brutal towards enemy tribes. The slave trade was traditionally established with Africans, and therefore it was customary for them to exchange slaves with Europeans for other goods and, in some cases, services. However, the brutality inflicted by European slave masters on their “property” was unprecedented. However, while the rest of the world raced to find trade routes, Africans literally kept foreigners at bay, and their contribution to globalization was in the formation of the Trade Triangle. The slave trade took off when plantation agriculture and cash crops became the most important part of colonialism, and thus many slaves ended up working endless hours in the sun on a large plantation. Eventually tobacco and sugar were seen as a way to make the American colonies profitable, since there was no gold or silver to be mined there. When these plantations were established, there was a system in place to make each piece of land as efficient as possible; the silver to finance it all came from South America, cash crops came from the American colonies, labor came from Africa, and trade with Asia was initiated. The puppet master was Europe. Once again, this farce would have failed if it were not for the daily conflicts between African tribes that led to slavery. This was the role they played, and globalization would not have been as successful and rapid without slavery. Or, at least, it would have been a lot,.