MEPX
Chapter 5 of 10All chapters
  1. 1Before writing
  2. 2Cities and states
  3. 3Classical empires
  4. 4The middle centuries
  5. 5The world connects
  6. 6Political revolutions
  7. 7Industrialisation
  8. 8The world wars
  9. 9The Cold War and decolonisation
  10. 10The recent past

Chapter 5 of 10

The world connects

1450 to 1750.

Ocean voyages

European voyages joined the Atlantic and Pacific worlds into one system of exchange, driven by trade, competition and the search for wealth.

  • The Columbian Exchange moved crops, animals and diseases in both directions.
  • Introduced disease caused catastrophic mortality in the Americas.

Slavery and empire

The transatlantic slave trade forcibly transported over twelve million people. Its economic effects and its moral weight are both central to the period.