ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a number of relevant questions concerning the relationship between Europe and the remainder of the world. One important issue was why the wider world was unable to sustain the momentum it once generated and maintain the lead over Europe it once enjoyed in a number of endeavors. The very first issue of importance was the agricultural revolution and its flowering in the wider world. In large parts of the Americas, Africa, and Asia, agriculture was developed to the extent that it became extremely productive. The Black Death represented an opening rather than a cul-de-sac for European society. By increasing Europe's needs, material growth acted as a stimulant to intercontinental trade and overseas expansion. One of the main outlets for merchant capital was in transporting goods from abroad to satisfy the demands of a growing European market. Regions of western Europe were able to make the transition to capitalism and industrialization more successully.
