New France the 16th and early 17th centuries New France's economy was heavily centered on its Atlantic fisheries. This would change in the later half of the 17th and 18th centuries as French settlement penetrated further into the continental interior. Here French economic interests would shift and concentrate itself on the development of the North American fur trade. It would soon become the new staple good that would strengthen and drive New France's economy, in particular that of Montreal, for the next century. The trading post of Ville-Marie, established on the current island of Montreal, quickly became the economic hub for the
Global silver trade from the 16th to 18th centuries 100 tons of silver on average per year. A large populace near the Lower Yangzte averaged a hundreds of taels of silver per household in the late 16th century. Silver even played a large role when defending Toyotomi Hideyoshi's attemptive take over of Ming ruled Joseon Korea. The Ming Ministiry of War sent approximately 140,000 liang of silver to its soldiers and required provinces to provide silver as tax for the war effort as well. In the sixteenth century, the daimyos of Southwest Japan hoped for unhinged global trade but were stopped due to Ming China trade policies. Still, Japan