Capitalism emerged in feudal Europe in the 1300s(?). Under feudalism, peasants partially owned the land that they worked and gave a portion to their lords. But over time, these feudal lords claimed more and more of that land for themselves,
forcing peasants off their lands into small towns and villages, where they worked for middle class businessmen, known as “burghers” — the first capitalists. As these burghers grew in power, they often clashed with feudal lords, but
by the 15th century, these businessmen were powerful and ready to invest in the colonization of the newly-encountered Americas. And so from the 1500s – 1800s, capitalist businessmen — backed by European governments
and their investments — embarked on many profit-seeking conquests across the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia. These four centuries of “high imperialism” made Europe the wealthy core of world-spanning empires, setting the stage
for modern 21st century global politics.

Conquistadors and their Tlaxcalan allies enter Tenochtitlan