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Table of Contents of The Human Drama, Vol. III: From 1450 to 1900

Setting the Stage

Act One: Gunpowder Empires, 1450–1700
Setting the Stage
Scene One: The Ottoman Empire
Scene Two: The Safavid Empire
Scene Three: The Mughal Empire
Scene Four: The Ming and Qing Empires in China
Scene Five: The Russian Empire

Act Two: The Development of European Nation-States and Their Worldviews, 1450–1700
Setting the Stage
Scene 1: Europe’s Worldview Expands
Scene 2: Nation-States Grow Stronger

Act Three: Closing the Circle and Expanding Global Interactions, 1500–1700
Setting the Stage
Scene 1: The Indian Ocean Commercial Network
Scene 2: Europe, the Americas, and Africa Compete in the Global Network
Scene 3: European Colonies in the Americas
Scene 4: Plantations and Slavery Form the Economic Basis of Colonial Settlements
Scene 5: Religious Encounters in the Era of Global Interaction

Act Four: The Industrial Revolution, 1770–1850
Setting the Stage
Scene 1: How Did the Quest for Cheap Cotton Cloth Lead to Machines?
Scene 2: Who Will Industrialize First?
Scene 3: Industrialization Changes the Way People Live
Scene 4: Capitalism and Its Critics

Act Five: The Era of European Colonialism, 1600–1850
Setting the Stage
Scene One: The Dutch in Southeast Asia
Scene Two: The British in India
Scene Three: European Influence Expands
Scene Four: The Taste Revolution

Act Six: Rebellions and Revolutions, 1775–1850
Setting the Stage
Scene One: The Intellectual Background of the Revolutionary Era
Scene Two: The American Revolution
Scene Three: The French Revolution
Scene Four: The Haitian Revolution
Scene Five: The Congress of Vienna and the Spread of Revolutions in Latin America

Act Seven: On the Road to Modernity, 1820–1914
Setting the Stage
Scene One: Industrialization Spreads
Scene Two: Scientific Discoveries and Cross-Cultural Encounters Challenge and Enrich Existing Beliefs
Scene Three: National Rivalries Intensify as New Nations Are Formed

Summary of Volume III
Selected Bibliography
Sources of Illustrations