This will focus on Barbadoes in  "The Royal Exchange" by Joseph Addison. At the time of this text, Barbadoes was an economy based on sugar and slavery. Now, Barbadoes is an independent British commonwealth nation based on tourism, light manifacturing, sugar, and assembly. It is also known to have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

"The fruits of Portugal are corrected by the products of Barbadoes: the infusion of a China plant sweetened with the pith of an Indian cane"(para. 4).

England, as mentioned in The Royal Exchange, is the center of the world for commerce. The Royal Exchange was published in 1711 at a time in which the British Empire was the world's superpower. One of the many traits of the world's largest empire is that it became the center for trade and commerce amongst all other nations.

Portugal is located on the Iberian Peninsula. It is the oldest continuously existing nation state on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in Europe. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal established the first global maritime and commercial empire becoming a large power of the time.

"The fruits of Portugal are corrected by the products of Barbadoes" (Addison Pa. 4).

Here, Addison is discussing the unity that the goods of countries are bringing to England. Without the goods of another country, the goods from one are not as good.

In 1711, the year Royal Exchange was published, Japan was in the Edo period, known for the wavering political unity and the policy of “sakoku,” or a closed country. The era lasted over 250 years and there was quite a bit of economic growth at this time with financial aspects. More Western practices were adopted in infrastructure and banking.

Historical Background 

Montserrat is a British territory located in the Caribbean. Irishmen from nearby Saint Kitts settled the island in 1632. Shortly thereafter, they were followed by settlers from Virginia. And in 1661, the Island was captured and duly claimed by the English — their control was codified under the Treaty of Breda. The English used the island for a nefarious purpose: to transport Sub-Saharan African slaves.

Falmouth is a small port town located where the river Fal meets the sea in Cornwall, on the very Southwestern tip of England. In the 18th Century, it was known for the Falmouth Package Service, which served publically as a mail service for the British Empire and privately as a smuggling operation, as they were exempt from customs searches due to being employed by the government. Additionally, Falmouth was one of the ports in Cornwall where slave traders would bring their captives.