Overview: This was a century in which revolutionary ideas ignited and transformed society. Western scientists undertook heroic expeditions to determine the shape of the world. People began to think about politics and society in new ways. Lisbon was destroyed by an earthquake and rebuilt following rational and human ideals now known as Enlightenment. The American War and the French Revolution transformed Europe and North America. India's wealth of natural resources brought mass production of cotton, tea and silk but British Imperialism claimed her riches. China also prospered, colonizing new territories to the north and west.