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Unit 1 Overview: The World in 1750

Unit 1 Overview: The World in 1750

Nobody living in 1750 could have predicted the changes that the next century or two would bring. But evidence was growing of dramatic change on the horizon.

Key Ideas

As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.

Think about the following questions as you watch the video


  1. Why, according to the video, start a course like this in 1750?
  2. What was the world generally like in terms of the production and distribution of goods, according to the video?
  3. What was the world generally like in terms of networks, according to the video?
  4. What was the world generally like in terms of communities, according to the video?
  5. The video argues that the world of 1750 was also changing. What examples does it give?
  6. How did the Qianlong Emperor and Lord Macartney have different views of the world when they met?
  7. How was Britain’s growing wealth based partly on its control of Bengal in this period?
  8. What does the map of British ship journeys around the world tell us about global trading patterns?