Economists, historians, anthropologists (among others!) have hotly debated the definition of commodity. However, one aspect remains constant between them: exchange. The implications of such exchanges structured imperial expansion in the early modern world through labor, desire and power. From state-sponsored enterprise to private trade, commodity exchange came to define the so-called Age of Exploration and set the stage for a globalized world. Economies of greed and need thrust local products onto the global stage and disrupted the way of life and environment of indigenous communities. Enslaved labor drove production and fueled the spread of goods throughout global empires. Through exchange, consumption became a way of defining individual and group identity across race, class, nationality and gender. 

 

The commodity chains of this exhibit represent different facets of this central action. Distinct commodities entwined overlapping categories of origin, use and meaning to embed themselves in the lives of their purveyors and consumers. They came from and were redistributed throughout the "Old" and "New" Worlds. They were grown, mined, caught, and processed. They were consumed, worn, used as tools and currency, and, at times, simply revered. From these uses, commodities gained myriad meanings in political, economic and social life. Moreover, both uses and meanings changed over space and time—luxury goods became commonplace, local staples became exotic fashions. How did these uses and meanings evolve? What legacies have they left behind? By investigating the lives and particularities of individual commodities, we seek to understand the underlying relationships that shaped and connected the early modern world.