Changes and Continuities in Labor: 1450-1800

The world’s labor systems started to change in the late 1400s. Though agriculture was still the center piece of the worlds production systems, new forms of labor began to appear. Technology reduced the number of people needed to operate a farm efficiently in Europe while the rise of the plantation economy in the Americas and South East Asia fueled the demand for cheaper labor. Spurred by the increase in agricultural efficiency and the raw materials provided by plantations around the world, a growth in manufacturing occurred which fueled massive economic growth. The workbook examines how labor changed as a result of new technology and European imperialistic expansion.   The author approaches the changes in a unique fashion. Each assignment addresses life before European involvement and life after European involvement. The author starts with a discussion of what constitutes forced labor and then identifies three types of forced labor. This allows the student to better understand the read