Continuity and Change from c. 1450 to c. 1750
The seams of [the world] were closing, drawn
together by the sailmaker’s needle.
—Alfred Crosby, historian who identified the Columbian Exchange, 1986
Learning Objectives
- N: Explain how economic developments from 1450 to 1750 affected social structures over time.
By 1750, most of the world was integrated within a system of economic,
political, and cultural connections. Better technology enabled the Eastern and Western hemispheres to connect. Meanwhile, Western European maritime powers created trading empires in the Indian Ocean trading network and in the Americas. Religions and other cultural practices continued to spread as a result of these interactions, but they also were transformed as new or syncretic forms developed. Coercive labor systems continued to exist in this newly connected world. However, new forms developed as new economic systems sought to exploit natural resources and to generate wealth for Western European nations.
Sections
Transoceanic Travel and Trade
Economic Changes
Effects of the New Global Economy
Demand for Labor Intensifies
Reflect
REFLECT ON THE ESSENTIAL QUESTION
1. Continuity and Change Identify four historical developments in the period from c. 1450–c. 1750. Rank them according to how significant they were in either 1) maintaining continuity or 2) bringing about change. Explain your rankings in a paragraph.
2. In one to three paragraphs, explain how economic developments from c. 1450 to c. 1750 affected social structures over time.