ABSTRACT
One cannot normally trace the origin of a major phenomenon in economic history, such as the transition from feudalism to capitalism, the price revolution, or the Industrial Revolution, to a specific place or time. Historical eras are multifaceted, convoluted, and therefore generally defy scholarly attempts to specify dates of origin. The birth of Pacific Rim trade is an exception to this rule: it dates from the founding of the city of Manila in the year 1571.1 Substantial, continuous trade between Asia and the Americas did not exist prior to the founding of the city of Manila; Pacific Rim trade began in 1571, not earlier and not later. It seems strange that we are entering an era dubbed the “Pacific Century” in which trade around the Pacific Ocean has emerged as a dominant force in the world economy at a time when the academic world seems so disinterested in how Pacific Rim trade originated.
