As a general term, globalization refers to how the world has become more connected economically, politically, socially, and culturally over time. In this general sense, its roots go back to the era of agrarian societies as empires expanded and trade networks grew. These connections really accelerated and encompassed the whole world after the Columbian Exchange. When people, plants, goods, diseases, and ideas were shared across all world zones, the lives of humans everywhere changed. After the Industrial Revolution, the world became even more interconnected, and some scholars say that globalization really began in this period. In this sense, globalization is about people around the world becoming so connected that local life is shaped by what is happening in other parts of the world. Transportation and communication advancements led to an increase in travel and the sharing of ideas (collective learning). The world wars globalized us even more. In fact, these major conflicts proved to the world that working together across global networks could be good and bad. But we also saw global cooperation for good. The United Nations, NATO, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund are all global organizations you'll learn about later in this unit.