INTRO So the Silk Road didn't begin trade, but it did radically expand its scope, and the connections that were formed by mostly unknown merchants arguably changed the world more than any political or religious leaders. It was especially cool if you were rich because you finally had something to spend your money on other than temples. But even if you weren't rich, the Silk Road reshaped the lives of everyone living in Africa and Eurasia as we will see today. Let's go straight to the Thought Bubble. As previously mentioned, the Silk Road was not a road. It's not like archaeologists working in Uzbekistan have uncovered a bunch of yield signs and baby on board stickers. It was an overland route where merchants carried goods for trade.