A Brief History of Globalization

1295 Marco Polo returns to Venice after a long sojourn in China, laden with silk and jewels and tales of the fabulous wealth of the Orient. His exploits rekindle a long-dormant interest in trade between Europe and the East

1500 Chinese Emperor Hongzhi makes it a capital offense to go to sea in a ship with more than two masts without special permission. In 1525, officials ordered all large ships destroyed

1854 Donald McKay's Boston yard launches ships such as The Flying Cloud and The Champion of the Seas , the fastest clipper ever...