Trade Empires
Read this chapter, which covers the massive shift to European society brought on by the change in the basis of wealth and power from land ownership to capital, with the rise of a "merchant class".
Conclusion
The greatest changes in world history during the early modern period have to do with the ongoing contact between the different regions of the globe that began with Columbus's (quite literally) misguided voyage in 1492. By the 17th century, the peoples of Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia were all linked by commerce, trade, politics, slavery, and warfare. Obviously, those contacts would only grow stronger going into the modern period.