Gain insight into the business of sea trade and a form of “globalism” that dates back to the 15th century. In this evening colored by maps and images, author Nicholas Nugent and maritime historian William M. Fowler will bring to life the seafaring pioneers and “the spice ports” that spanned Asia, Europe then, finally, America—the ports of Boston, Salem, New Orleans, and New York.

Join us for wide-ranging discussion about a fascinating period of global history as experts from both sides of the Atlantic discuss maritime commerce—the innovation, benefits, and the damages of the spice trade. Learn how the drive of sea captains, worldwide consumers’ taste, and technical innovations enabled navigation across unprecedented distances, from such embarkation points as Venice, Amsterdam, Lisbon to the exotic ports of Malacca, Goa, Bombay. Such travels impacted art, literature, and science worldwide; and they were often disastrous for local populations. Don’t miss this tour of The Spice Ports, a look at the tastes and innovations, good and bad, that eventually dropped anchor in American ports.

Nicholas Nugent, British journalist and author, worked for the BBC World Service and BBC News, specializing in reporting from and broadcasting to Asia. He is a Reader at the British Library and a member of London think tank Chatham House; also, a visiting faculty member at the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai, India, and contributor to Asian Affairs and Mizzima magazines. Nugent is the author of Rajiv Gandhi: Son of a Dynasty; Vietnam, The Second Revolution; and co-author of Culture Smart! Myanmar. He holds an MA in law from Cambridge University (Queen's College) and collects antique maps, many of which appear in The Spice Ports.

William M.  Fowler, Jr. is Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus at Northeastern University in Boston, and also the former Director of the Massachusetts Historical Society, President of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and President of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts. He is co-author of America and the Sea: A Maritime History as well as several other books, including: Rebels Under Sail: The Navy in the Revolution; Jack Tars and Commodores: The American Navy, 1783-1815; Samuel Adams: Radical Puritan; Under Two Flags: The American Navy in the Civil War; and American Crisis: George Washington and the Dangerous Two Years after Yorktown, 1781-1783. His most recent book is Steam Titans: Cunard, Collins, and the Epic Battle for Commerce on the North Atlantic. 

Presented by American Ancestors' American Inspiration Author Series in partnership with Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University and GBH Forum Network.