From China to Mexico: How Chinese Silk Connected the Early Modern World

Webinar Details

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the movement of Chinese silk across the Pacific transformed economies, environments, fashion, and cultural exchange. Beginning with the Manila galleon trade, silk connected China and New Spain through expanding commercial networks that reshaped how individuals and societies understood status, identity, and global exchange.

This webinar traces the history of Chinese silk in the early modern world to examine how global connections developed across the Pacific. Participants will explore the production, trade, regulation, and consumption of silk while considering what a single commodity reveals about early modern globalization and cross-cultural exchange. Designed for educators, the session introduces classroom approaches for teaching global history through objects, maps, and visual and textual sources, helping students analyze connections across regions and historical periods.

Instructor: Xiaolin Duan (NHC Fellow, 2023–24), North Carolina State University