European overseas expansion in the early modern era (ca. 1500–1800) had profound social and economic consequences, both for Europe and for the rest of the world. European expansion accelerated the integration of the world’s regional economies, changed the global balance of wealth and power, and led to the movement, both voluntary and forced, of vast numbers of people from one part of the world to another. It also led to the first true world wars, as competition for colonies and profits around the world fueled a prolonged imperial conflict between France and Great Britain. The two rivals fought over North America, the Caribbean sugar islands, control of the Atlantic slave trade, and trade with India. The eventual outcome was the establishment of British rule over most of North America and much of India. The documents included in this chapter explore early modern efforts to describe and understand the dynamic global economy that emerged during this period. As you examine them, think about the ways in which European expansion changed both how Europeans lived and how they saw themselves and their place in the world. ■