Briefly describe what europe, east asia, or  the americas looked like going into the mid to late 18th century.

1 – EUROPE:

1.1 – In 1760, the Industrial Revolution was limited, first, to England. There were the emergence of cotton fabric industries, with the use of mechanical looms. At that time the improvement of steam engines contributed to the continuation of the Revolution.

1.2 - The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that emerged during the eighteenth century in Europe, which advocated the use of reason (light) against the old regime (darkness) and preached greater economic and political freedom.

Some thinkers became famous and stood out for their works and ideas in this period. Examples: Voltaire, Rousseau and John Locke ( considered the father of enlightment).  

2 – CHINA :

In the mid of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century, the structure of Asian trade changed substantially. Trade relations between Asia and Europe accounted for a greater volume of goods and greater financial value than Asia-Asia trade, with the opium trade in Southeast Asia (Macau) being the largest among Europeans, especially the British, and the Chinese Empire.

3 – AMERICA :

Seven Years' War

This war occurred between England and France between the years 1756 and 1763. It was a war for possession of territories in North America and England was victorious. Even so, the metropolis decided to recover the losses of the colonists' battles that inhabited, mainly, the colonies of the north. With the rise of metropolitan taxes and taxes, settlers made protests and demonstrations against England.

The British King, George III, continued to adopt increasing restrictive measures, especially after the First Congress in Philadelphia in 1774. The colony revolt was boosting, which influenced the independence process.

In 1776, settlers gathered at the Second Congress in Philadelphia aiming to achieve  independence. During the congress, Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. However, England did not accept the independence of its colonies and declared war. The War of Independence, which occurred between 1776 and 1783, was won by the United States with the support of France and Spain.

might be agreeing to participate ethically with other european nations in the slave trade

or notifying other european nations when taking possession   of african territories

porter is writing economic history because he is focusing on the cost of developing vaccines.