Rise of the 1630s South America

Chapter 1947 Winner

196 winners

"Mr. Tripp, this is your book, thank you for your generosity." John Taylor said with a smile as he handed a Dutch version of the book to a young man standing behind him.

What he returned was a book "Principles of Mechanics" published and distributed in the United Provinces, which mainly talked about the operating principles of some common machines and the maintenance and manufacture of main parts.It is an old book on the east coast, but it is very classic and practical, and many of its contents are not outdated even now.

When the relationship between the East Coast people and the Dutch was good, a batch of so-called obsolete technologies were intensively transferred. This "Principles of Mechanics" should have been published and distributed in the Netherlands at that time.I just don’t know why, the United Provinces and England are separated by a sea, why “Principles of Mechanics” has been published in Amsterdam for so many years, but why it has not become popular in England, which is called the “hometown of machinery manufacturing” in Europe.After much deliberation, it can only be attributed to the fact that the dissemination of knowledge in this era is valuable, and books (especially books containing a lot of knowledge) are not read by everyone, and the existence of various exclusive guilds is also very important. It greatly hinders people's motivation to acquire knowledge—for example, a self-taught blacksmith cannot open a business because there is no introduction from guild acquaintances, which greatly dampens people's enthusiasm for acquiring knowledge—so the dissemination of knowledge is relatively slow.

Just like the green-faced young man in England in front of him, in order to learn this "Principles of Mechanics", he had to find a way to learn some superficial Dutch, and then rely on guesswork ("Principles of Mechanics" has more pictures than words) ), it is considered that he has eaten this book that he feels has gained a lot.At the same time, he is also more eager to see if there is any difference in the Chinese version of "Principles of Mechanisms", as well as more Chinese books similar to "Principles of Mechanics".

It's just that the cost of learning Chinese is expensive, and it's not something he can afford as an elementary school apprentice.It was already God’s blessing that a good old man was willing to teach himself Dutch for free. He really couldn’t imagine that someone would teach him Chinese knowledge for free. There is no doubt that it is a patent only for the nobles. Given the scarcity of Chinese talents today However, not everyone in an upper-class family in London can hire such a teacher, let alone a low-level worker like Taylor.

"Little John, I just don't want to waste your talent." Mr. Tripp, who is also very young, wandered in the machining workshop full of jingling sounds, while watching the craftsmen who were concentrating on processing the parts of the bolt, He said: "The steam engine in the central power workshop you are in charge of has had the lowest failure rate in the past three years. No one can match you. This effectively guarantees the production of the factory. I am very pleased, John. Starting next year, your Wages will rise to four shillings a week, and the library in my office is open to you if you need it. Your talent is unique, and I don't want it to go to waste."

John Taylor was moved after hearing this.Five or six years have passed since he was desperate to apply for a job in the factory started by this "outsider".In the past five or six years, it took him countless hard work and sweat to finally get to where he is today.He is very proud because of his achievements far beyond those of his peers, but also more humble, because he has seen a whole new world from those magical books on machinery and mathematics, and realized that there are people beyond people and others beyond the sky.

Sometimes he even rejoices.If the "good man" Mr. Tripp hadn't come to Birmingham from Amsterdam to start a business, then he might have become a dirty, hardworking and ignorant shepherd like most of his childhood friends, and spent his whole life in the countryside , see every lord prostrate on the ground and kiss his boot-toe; or become a cheap mercenary, chasing the footsteps of every war like a blood-smelling shark, and then be paralyzed by alcohol and whores down, rotting in the wet and muddy trenches.

This is the life of the vast majority of people at the bottom.They have no capital or right to receive education, and can only serve as cheap cannon fodder or labor, burning their lives and contributing their blood and sweat for the upper class, unless you can achieve a qualitative change in the process and improve your class, but how difficult is this? also.

John Taylor was undoubtedly lucky.In his boyhood he met the benevolent Mr. Victor Tripp, and an old Dutch craftsman willing to teach him knowledge and language.They are all immigrants who are tired of the endless internal strife in the United Provinces and the lingering shadow of war. They came from the other side of the sea and brought England's urgently needed capital, technology and new ideas, giving England a little There was a breath of fresh air in the stagnant air, and it was at this time that Taylor, a lucky man, seized the opportunity of a lifetime.

He vowed to work hard for Mr. Tripp's factory all his life, not only because Mr. Tripp gave himself a higher salary than ordinary skilled craftsmen, but also because the Tripp family was a well-known family in Amsterdam. It is worth following yourself.

Taylor vaguely heard that the Tripp family took over the arms and equipment business of the United Provinces Navy and Army more than ten years ago. At the same time, they also owned copper mines, iron mines, and many smelting workshops in Sweden. The business was very large. A famous industrial family in the United Provinces.However, after the Prince of Orange came to power, although the family still took over a lot of arms business-this is the benefit of betting on both sides, no matter which faction comes to power, its own benefits are indispensable-but it has also been favored by many emerging families. challenge.Therefore, after careful consideration, the Tripp family, like many Dutch capitalists at the time, began to transfer property and technology to England, which was also a Protestant country, in order to obtain greater benefits in the future.

As the country with the most prosperous industrial technology in Europe, it is understandable that England is favored by Dutch industrial capital, not to mention that this country is still a Protestant country with a strong navy and is not afraid of foreign invasion. It can be called an excellent safe haven. Therefore, from the first After the end of the Second Anglo-Dutch War, a large number of Dutch businessmen, technicians and scholars flocked to England, injecting new impetus into the development of the country.

This trend continues today.As the gap between the UK and European countries gradually widened in terms of industrial technology—now the steam engine has been widely used in England, it may be an exaggeration to say that it is everywhere, but it is worthy of the word “widely used”—and France The Dutch elites are becoming more and more uneasy about the real military threat to the lowlands, so investment and immigration to England have gradually become a trend, so that the English do nothing, and the economy can grow a lot every year, because of foreign capital and Technology pours in.

In addition, the persecution of the Huguenots by King Louis XIV of France also prompted a large number of French elites to flee to England, strengthening their strength in disguise.Believe it or not, although the Huguenots do not account for a high proportion of the total population in France, they are mostly concentrated in the fields of industry, commerce, art and thought, with a higher overall social status and more wealth.For example, Colbert once worried that Louis XIV's actions against the Huguenots might lead to a reduction in French trade revenue, because a considerable part of the import and export trade was in the hands of the Huguenots.

Therefore, when more and more Huguenots chose to immigrate to England because they were afraid of Louis XIV's religious policies, they injected a new boost to the country's industrial and commercial development.From this perspective, the island nation of England has really been the big winner in Europe in the past 20 years.Without fighting any battles or spending any money, we have obtained a large amount of capital, technology and elite immigration, as well as the accompanying overseas relations, market contacts, etc. The benefits are really hard to describe.

Compared with them, the Kingdom of France, which has killed and injured a large number of people, cost countless money, and greatly deteriorated its international relations. Although it occupies a lot of land, it is really hard to say that it is the number one winner.England will have a vague sense of the stronghold of anti-French forces in Europe, and it will naturally attract the wealth, technology and talents of various anti-French countries. It seems reasonable to say that it is the number one winner.

Of course, at the level of John Taylor, he may not be able to understand these advanced things, which are what the adult men of the Tripp family will learn.The current Taylor has only just earned a salary level that can be called a decent person in London. At the same time, he is faintly yearning for the technologically advanced and socially civilized country far in the southern New World, dreaming about the day when he will earn enough money. Just buy a ticket to the east coast, and go to that yearning place to have a look.

He felt that it didn't matter even if he didn't know the language there. With his level of maintenance and management of steam engines, he wouldn't be able to find a job if he went there.He can study while working, study freely in that temple of knowledge, and then return to England, surprising everyone who once looked down on him.

There are actually many people who have the same idea as Taylor, mostly in academia and business circles.People in the academic circles often discuss various systems on the East Coast, including political systems, economic systems, military systems, etc., and at the same time research ideas such as free trade and people's rights that this country upholds, and then use them as a comparison and reflection The country's decadent and backward system and culture.

Compared with the academic circles, people in the business circles have a deeper understanding, that is, the east coast's superb industrial technology, navigation technology, financial system, commercial system and the resulting superior trading capabilities have always dazzled them Divine move.But this kind of thing can't be copied to their country. There are no other reasons. The national conditions and social conditions are different, and the cultural traditions are also different. Forcibly transplanting them will only make the environment unacceptable.What's more, there are still many decadent traditions and system constraints in this country. It is not as easy to draw on a blank sheet of paper as the people on the east coast, and it is always very difficult to implement.

But in any case, the success of the East Coast people is beyond doubt.Now few people can pretend to turn a blind eye to it anymore. Even the most corrupt and backward Catholic world has begun to seek change after repeated beatings.It's a pity that the country on the east coast rarely accepts foreign students, and even if there are, they must approve it. Therefore, it is very difficult to systematically learn knowledge on the east coast and understand their system. It is impossible to live in their society for a long time. Dare to say that I understand, and this has also led to everyone who has lived on the east coast for some years becoming a guest of the monarchs and dignitaries of various countries. Talents are rare!

Victor Tripp has been running a rifle production workshop in England for several years. The business is good and the profits are high. He also maintains a good relationship with the traditional English nobles and merchant groups in Birmingham and even London. It can be said that the Netherlands immigrated to England. One of the more successful businessmen (of course, this is not unrelated to his strong family background).But even so, he still has the urge to put down the factory in hand and go to the east coast to take a walk and have a look, to see what is so magical about the country that has been providing a large number of cheap industrial products in the European market for a long time.

Victor Tripp thinks this is very interesting, it is a brand new experience, even if it may delay him for several years, resulting in a temporary lag behind others in the competition of the new generation of the family, but it is still worth it, because this A short career may help me break through the upper limit of the bottleneck and reach a height that I never dared to reach before.

From this point of view, Taylor and Tripp are actually the same kind of people. Even though their current identities, status, and wealth are very different, they are highly consistent in their yearning for the East Coast.And if you look at it in this way, in the decades of turmoil in Europe, isn't the East Coast Republic a big winner?They provided a safe and stable environment to attract Italian capital, through developed industry and commerce to attract businessmen, scholars and technicians from the more enlightened United Provinces, England and North Germany in Europe, and through strong sea power (this was achieved through several head-to-head naval battles) The reputation of playing) attracted a vote of cooperation from Mediterranean countries, and continued to grow itself with this, realizing a virtuous circle.

Today, the East Coast Republic has a population of more than 600 million, its economic strength is extremely strong, and its military investment is steadily increasing. The foundation of the country can be said to be solid.After struggling for decades, the Europeans finally began a painful transformation. The power of the bourgeoisie grew stronger, social thinking became more active, and they slowly began to evolve into a modern country (although there is still a long way to go) In the future, there will be an all-round competition with the East Coast. Although the odds of winning are very small due to factors such as land, population and resources, this kind of competition is inevitable, and its time span is likely to extend to Dozens or even hundreds of years later.

I forgot to modify the anti-theft chapter yesterday, and I only found out when someone reminded me in the morning. . .It is a broadcast accident. . . . . . . .

(End of this chapter)