▁throughout ▁the ▁world . ▁Some ▁econom ists ▁claim ▁that ▁global ization ▁was ▁first ▁started ▁by ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁by ▁Christopher ▁Columb us . ▁This ▁assumption ▁is ▁considered ▁false ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁mass ▁discovery ▁of ▁gold ▁and ▁silver ▁in ▁mines . ▁This ▁discovery ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁decrease ▁in ▁value ▁of ▁silver ▁and ▁gold ▁in ▁Europe , ▁causing ▁infl ation ▁in ▁the ▁Spanish ▁and ▁Portuguese ▁emp ires . ▁However , ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁and ▁the ▁n atives ▁gave ▁European ▁trad ers ▁a ▁new ▁source ▁of ▁labor ▁between ▁the ▁contin ents , ▁which ▁also ▁increased ▁trade . ▁This ▁stage ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁officially ▁de emed ▁the ▁" first ▁era ▁of ▁global ization " ▁because ▁the ▁world ▁trade ▁numbers ▁were ▁not ▁increasing ▁expon entially . ▁World ▁trade ▁increased ▁by ▁ 1 % ▁per ▁year ▁from ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 8 0 0 , ▁which ▁further ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁first ▁era ▁of ▁global ization . ▁ ▁Enter ing ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁due ▁to ▁new ▁techn ological ▁break through s ▁world ▁trade ▁started ▁to ▁increase ▁rapidly . ▁The ▁first ▁techn ological ▁adv ancement ▁that ▁contributed ▁to ▁this ▁was ▁the ▁steam ▁engine , ▁introduced ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁major ▁progress ▁in ▁international ▁trade ▁among ▁the ▁economic ▁powers ▁of ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁The ▁in vention ▁of ▁the ▁steam ship ▁had ▁a ▁great ▁impact ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁wave ▁of ▁global ization . ▁Before ▁its ▁in vention , ▁trade ▁routes ▁were