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What a fascinating account. Thanks much!

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One key development to making colonization possible was advancing international security. In the 1200s, it was ludicrous to think that you could send a few ships halfway around the world and have your claims be respected. Low-intensity warfare between warlords slowly transmuted into legal wrangling. This allowed them to conceive of funding projects in faraway lands and getting returns on their investments. This change in international governance norms was required for changes in technology to bear fruit.

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