Political change in Asia
East Asia has undergone dramatic change during the past 100 years. In China, Manchu conquerors toppled the Ming dynasty and replaced it with the Qing dynasty. In Japan, a warrior named Tokugawa Ieyasu ended a long civil war, united the country, and established the Tokugawa dynasty of shoguns. The new rulers of China and Japan watch foreigners closely, but they allow European merchants to carry on a limited trade. In India and Southeast Asia, the British East India Company and the Dutch East India Company conduct a flourishing business, and great merchant ships link Spanish colonies in the Philippines and Mexico.

Peace in Europe
Religious differences fueled conflicts in Europe through the mid-1600's. After the destructive Thirty Years' War, though, Europeans settled their differences and established a stable
diplomatic order under the Peace of Westphalia.

European colonies
While seeking stability at home, Europeans have continued their expansion elsewhere. English, French, and Dutch colonists all have established communities in North America. European planters have established sugar plantations in the Caribbean and Brazil, and English colonists have realized huge profits from tobacco plantations in Virginia. The colonists have begun to import large numbers of African slaves to serve as laborers.

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