In 1500, Europe was composed of hundreds of statelets and principalities, with weak central authority, no monopoly over … the legitimate use of violence, and multiple, overlapping levels of jurisdiction. By 1800, Europe had consolidated into a …

Europe and former European colonies grew rapidly after 1800, while other countries grew much later or stagnated. What is less … well-known is that a "First Divergence" preceded the Great Divergence: Western Europe surged ahead of the rest of the world … long before technological growth became rapid. Europe in 1500 was already twice as rich on a per capita basis as Africa …

Black Death thus set into motion a virtuous circle of higher wages and fertility decline that underpinned Europe’s high per …