The interconnected global economy of the 21st century has its origins in the expansion of trade networks during the Age of Discovery.
Notes on verification
Multiple independent academic and institutional sources (Library of Congress, World Economic Forum, university educational materials, sociology institutes) all corroborate that the Age of Discovery established the foundational trade networks for today's global economy. The consensus across diverse source types and the alignment of historical scholarship strongly support this claim.
Sources
- Age of Discovery (wikipedia)