Standard 6.3 explains how Europe changed from a region focused on tradition and religion into a global force that reshaped the world between 1450 and 1760. It begins with intellectual shifts like the Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, and Enlightenment, which encouraged people to question authority and use reason. These changes led to new ways of thinking about science, government, and individual rights.

At the same time, European nations began exploring the world for wealth, power, and trade. New technology made long-distance travel possible, leading to contact between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. This contact created the Columbian Exchange and new global trade systems, including triangular trade and the transatlantic slave trade.

These developments caused major economic, political, and social changes. Europe gained wealth and power, while indigenous populations declined due to disease and conquest, and millions of Africans were enslaved. The Atlantic World became deeply interconnected, but this connection came with both growth and long-term inequality that still impacts societies today.