Marco Polo

Trade with China

• Before 1500, most Europeans, Africans, and Asians did not know that the Americas existed (Vikings)

First Maps of the world looked like this…. What is missing?

Primary Source:

Marco Polo Travels to China

• Marco Polo was a merchant

• When he was 17, he went from Italy to China (it took 3 years)

Venice in the late 13th or early 14th century, where Marco Polo grew up in a merchant family. / ART RESOURCE

China

• Marco Polo stayed in China for 16 years!

• He worked for China’s ruler Kublai Khan.

• He saw many amazing inventions: printing, gunpowder

Coming Home

• When Marco Polo returned home, he told about his travels in a book. This made many people interested in traveling to China.

• Marco Polo brought back wonderful goods that people were willing to pay a lot of money for

SPICES

• cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, mace, peppercorns, fennel seed,ginger

• There is great abundance of pepper and also of ginger, besides cinnamon in plenty and other spices, and coconuts. –quote from

Marco Polo’s book (primary source)

This statue of Marco Polo stands in Bangkok. It depicts him dressed and whiskered as he may perhaps have been at the court of Khubilai Khan, whom he served for 17 years before returning to Venice. VICTOR MINCA / ART RESOURCE

The Silk Road