Figure 1.--Rivers until the advent of the railroads were the major terrestrial ways of moving goods. Caravans moved goods such as over the Silk Road, but only small quantities of luxury goods. The continents varied as to the suitability rivers for trade and commerce. Here Asia (China), Europe, and North America were best situated to take advantage of rivers. The river systems were expanded by the consuction of canals. And here trade and commrce prospered. The riverine system is only part of the reason, but an important part. Today rivers ae important for receation, but have not lost their impotance in trade and commrce. Here we see a river scene in France, we think during the 1930s. Rivers have played a major role in French history and economics. It is no accident hat Pais is located on the Seine. By the time this photograph was tajken, rivers had become important for recreatinal activities.

Rivers were the craddles of civilization as a result of agriculture. They have also played an important role in trade and commerce. Once civiizations developed in the great river valleys, the surplus which developed funamentally reordered trade from a minor activity to a major activity. Civilization created demands for metals and other products which were not found locally. The problem was that there was no easy way of transporting goods long distances. This was because there was no riverine connctions. Land transport was slow and extrodinarily expensive. This was just basic physics. There is minimal friction associated with riverine/maritime transport and high friction with land transport. And there are high costs associated with overcoming friction even with he invention of the wheel. Only luxury goods and high-value material like metals could be transported overland. Local riverine commerce was important as it was so much more efficent than land transport. There were no riverine connections between Mesopotamia, Egypt, Harrapan (Indus River), and China. There was maritime commerce which gradually increased with technological developments. Rivers are sometimes thought of as barriers--such as the German 'Watch on the Rhine'. But in fact, rivers provide connections. Rivers contine to provide important trade routes, but this significantly varied among continents and countries. Here by far the most important was China which became known as the Middle Kingdom because it developed between two rivers, the Yangste and Yellow Rivers. Russian history was signifuicantly influenced by the north-south flow of most of the rivers which were not important for trade--with one exception--the Volga. This along with riverine connections to the Baltic created a major trade route to the Black Sea and Byzantium and played a central role in the developmnt of the Russian nation. Rivers were also vital in European commrerce. Rivers like the Danube, Rhine, Seine, Thames, and other rivers played key roles in trade and the devlopment of Euroopean nations. Rivers were less important in Africa becuse no great civilzations devloped and they did not provide connections with the great civilization. The Nile was an exception, but for Egypt trade with the Meditrranean world was always nore importsnt than with Africa. North and South Amrica are very different. There was no imprtant north-south flowing river. The principal South American river is the Amazon flowed eastward and not great civilizaion developed. And no river made nort-south connections or was of any great importance in trade and commrce. North America was very different. The Missisippi flowed southward providing connection with nuch of the conrinent. The tributary Ohio as especially important. The North Anerican river systems were thus of enormous importance in commrce and trade, especially before the railroads.

Cradles of Civilization

Rivers were the craddles of civilization as a result of agriculture. The basic technology of early farmers yielded the greatest yields in river valleys as a result of abundant water and rich alluvial soils. This was the pattern in both the Middl East and Asia. It was not repeated in Africa, the Americas, and Europe. But for the first time humans in the river valleys were able to produce a substantial surplus. This led to both ciuvilization and a need to trade that surplus. The first farming does not seem to have begun in the great rivel calleys, but civiization and major trading networks do appear there.

Early Trade

Rivers have played a critically important role in trade and commerce. Once civiizations developed in the great river valleys, the surplus which developed funamentally reordered trade from a minor activity to a major activity. Civilization created demands for metals and other products such as lumber which were not found locally. The problem was that there was no easy way of transporting goods long distances. This was because there was no riverine connctions. here were no roads. Land transport was slow and extrodinarily expensive. This was just basic physics. There is minimal friction associated with riverine/maritime transport and high friction with land transport. And there are high costs associated with overcoming friction even with the invention of the wheel. Only luxury goods and high-value material like metals could be transported overland. Local riverine commerce was important as it was so much more efficent than land transport. There were limits to riverine commerce because the rivers often did not flow where trders wanted to go. There were no riverine connections between the great River Valley civilizatiins (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Harrapan/Indus River, and China).

Riverine Commerce

Riverune commerce gradually developd increased with technological developments. Rivers are sometimes thought of as barriers--such as the German 'Watch on the Rhine'. But in fact, rivers provide connections. Rivers contine to provide important trade routes, but this significantly varied among continents and countries. Here by far the most important was China which became known as the Middle Kingdom because it developed between two rivers, the Yangste and Yellow Rivers. Russian history was significantly influenced by the north-south flow of most of the rivers which were not important for trade--with one exception--the Volga. This along with riverine connections to the Baltic created a major trade route to the Black Sea and Byzantium and played a central role in the developmnt of the Russian nation. Rivers were also vital in European commrerce. Rivers like the Danube, Rhine, Seine, Thames, and other rivers played key roles in trade and the devlopment of Euroopean nations. Rivers were less important in Africa becuse no great civilzations devloped and they did not provide connections with the great civilization. The Nile was an exception, but for Egypt trade with the Meditrranean world was always nore importsnt than with Africa. North and South Amrica are very different. There was no imprtant north-south flowing river. The principal South American river is the Amazon flowed eastward and not great civilizaion developed. And no river made nort-south connections or was of any great importance in trade and commrce. North America was very different. The Missisippi flowed southward providing connection with nuch of the conrinent. The tributary Ohio as especially important. The North Anerican river systems were thus of enormous importance in commrce and trade, especially before the railroads.

Canals

Rivers were major highways of comnmerce. But they often did not go whgere traders wanted to go. And gey did not cross obstacles like mountains. Thus cicilizations began to build aryifdical rivrs--canals. The most important early canal system was th Grand Canal in China. And as the Eurooeam econionmy began to grow we see important canal system develooing in there. Britain and France in particular developed major canal systems. The American colonists had no majo rivr flowing west across the Apalachins which is where they wanted to go. The Erie Canal in America played a critical role in the early-19th century American western movement and economic development.

Created: 1:46 PM 5/3/2018
Last updated: 1:46 PM 5/3/2018