4.1 Technological Innovations from 1450 to 1750

The centuries between 1450 and 1750 represented a turning point in world history as humanity learned to connect oceans, continents, and cultures in ways that had never before been possible. These transformations did not arise suddenly. They were the product of centuries of accumulated knowledge and cross-cultural borrowing that stretched from the Mediterranean to the South China Sea. The combination of technological diffusion allowed societies to shrink vast distances and transform geography from an obstacle into an opportunity.