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In Ming China during the early 15th century, a fleet of approximately three hundred ships went on a series of seven voyages commanded by Admiral Zheng He. The goal wasn't to control territory, but instead to control political and economic control of maritime trade networks. This would ensure that these "treasure-collecting tasks" were successful as needed for supporting the Ming dynasty.
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When Columbus landed somewhere in the Caribbean Islands, he sparked and exchange of trade on an unprecedented scale.
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After a fourteen year old named Ismail seized the city of Tabriz, he became the leader of the Safavid Empire that developed into an economic success story for over two hundred years.
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Because of the millions of African slaves being traded to the Americas, Brazil became the the largest sugar producer by 1600.
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In 1786, John Fitch successfully launched his steamboat engine, technology that would eventually lead to the steam locomotive that transformed economic development in the United States during the 1800s.
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The Opium Wars that were fought between the Britain and China were the result of China wanting to stop Britain from secretly trading highly addictive opium to the Chinese with highly sought-after tea to the British.
