This refers to an economic and social transition in Europe from a system where land was owned by nobles who had serfs work it (feudalism), to a system where trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit (capitalism).
Imagine you're playing a board game that starts with everyone being assigned certain roles and resources. Halfway through, the rules change, and now players can earn resources based on their strategies and trades. This is similar to the shift from feudalism, where your status was largely determined at birth, to capitalism, where individuals could accumulate wealth through trade and innovation.
Industrial Revolution: A period of major industrialization that took place during the late 1700s and early 1800s; it played a key role in shifting Europe's economy towards capitalism.
Enclosure Movement: The process in England of enclosing a number of small landholdings to create one larger farm; this led many people to move to cities for work, contributing to the rise of capitalism.
Mercantilism: An economic theory prevalent before capitalism which held that colonies existed for the benefit of the mother country.
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