In the 16th century, the Spanish Empire produced unprecedented amounts of silver. Much of this silver passed through a vast trade network and eventually arrived in Ming China, the greatest producer of consumer goods in the world. Develop an argument that compares the extent to which increased global connections affected the Spanish and Ming empires in the 16th century.

In your response, you should do the following:

Respond to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis or claim that establishes a line of reasoning
Describe a broader historical context relevant to the prompt
Use specific and relevant evidence to support an argument in response to the prompt
Use historical reasoning (e. g., comparison, causation, or continuity and change) to frame or structure an argument that addresses the prompt
Use evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify an argument that addresses the prompt