Colonial Expansion and Columbian Exchange Practice Test

Rising feudal dues in eastern Europe reduced long-distance commerce, so American silver circulated mainly within local barter economies rather than global markets.

The decline of Ottoman power made Asian markets reject silver entirely, leading Europeans to pay for spices only with woolen textiles and grain exports.

The abolition of maritime insurance ended overseas shipping, forcing Spain to transport silver overland to Asia via Russia and the Silk Roads.

Manila galleon trade linked New Spain to China, exchanging American silver for Asian goods that then entered European consumption through Atlantic and Mediterranean routes.

Spanish bans on foreign trade ensured that nearly all American silver remained in Castile, financing domestic manufacturing and eliminating reliance on Asian luxuries.