The Impact of Ships on Economy, Travel and Culture Essay Example

Ships are one of the biggest influences on all the world. This is because of its impact on the economy, travel, and culture.

The first of the ships many influences on the world are the impact on economies it has caused. One example is in source 3 about the ancient Greek trading ships where it talks about a Black Sea shipwreck in Bulgaria and where it says, “Most were produced on the Aegean Island of Chios.” Bulgaria and the island are two different countries trading with each other using ships because it is the only method they could use, without ships these places would never be able to interact with each other and that would make both of their economies smaller from not being able to interact and trade with other region. And according to source 3 where it says about a ship in Alonissos, Greece that has “Nearly 1,000 amphoras in exposed layer; probably two more layers below” this means that people were trading potentially 3,000 amphoras worth of resources in these ships which would no doubt make it a big part of their economy considering that this was only 1 ship of many that were used to trade resources among societies. Not only do ships affect economy by trade they also effect the economy by giving people jobs, in source 2 where it says, “Stout young men wanted for the whaleship HMS Miss Nelly… Apply immediately to the offices of Master Jos. Thomas Witherspoon” This source shows people being offered jobs to work on ships and in the rest of the source it talks about 19 positions needing to be filled for the ship to work. This is just one ship of many being used and it alone gives 19 people a job which is essential to the economy, but it also has them selling whale parts to people which also contributes to it also.

The second impact ships have had on the world is the way it has affected travel. Ships for as long as they have existed have connected the world across many distances that wouldn’t be possible on foot and before the existence of air travel. The first example I have of this is in source 4 where it says “…the Salish enjoyed a landscape abundant in game and natural resources. However, travel along the rugged coast, characterized by dense forests and brush, was difficult. The ocean-going canoe solved this problem.” This shows ships being used as the main method of travel for an entire society of people. But not only can ships be used to travel short distances quickly but in source 1 where it states, “The Deliverance was part of a global trading network that connected the indigenous people of the New World-and the vast mineral resources of their homelands-with Europe.” This shows ships can also be used to travel long distances too while also carrying a lot of resources.

The third impact ships have had on the world is the ways it is important to culture. The first example I have is in source 4 where it says, “Other canoes were fashioned specifically for speed, as races were an important part of Salish culture.” This shows that not only the Salish used them as just vehicles or transportation they also used them for fun and the way a culture spends their free time is probably the most important thing that defines a culture. The second example I have is in source 4 where it states “European explorers and missionaries in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries marveled on the size, speed, beauty, and general sophistication of Salish canoes.” For a much more primitive society to be able to have boats that impress people that got there on boats able to travel entire oceans shows a lot of hard work and dedication on making it the best boats it was possible for them to make meaning that the Salish spent a lot of their time perfecting the canoe, also the fact that boats were able to bring Europeans to the west side of the new world most definitely would have had an impact on both cultures. The third example I have is in source 4 where it is says that “For the larger canoes, Salish craftsmen selected western red cedar trees from 300 to 800 years old… More importantly, perhaps, the tree’s guarding spirit needed to give its approval. Only then would the canoe-maker perform purification rituals and began the arduous task of felling the giant.” This shows that even the process of making the canoe has a lot of spiritual importance to this culture.

In conclusion, this is why ships are one of the biggest influences on all the world. This is because of its impact on economy, travel, and culture.