Actually, I would say 18th century was definitely quite happening. Yes, we did not see much GDP growth. However, this was a century where tides shifted. While t

Actually, I would say 18th century was definitely quite happening. Yes, we did not see much GDP growth. However, this was a century where tides shifted. While the Mughal empire and Qing Dynasty accounting for probably 55% of the world's GDP at the start of the century by the end of the century we see Europe dominating the whole world (the Mughal Empire was taken over by the British and the seeds of the opium war were being sown by the end of the century). The 18th century is also probably the first time when we see the entire world as a single unit. Thanks to advances in sailing, European traders were all over the place. In the 1750s we see what is probably the first world scale conflict with the Seven Year War. For the first time in human History politics in one continent affects the politics of another continent. The fact is the world was changing faster than ever before in the 18th century. I'm pretty sure its hard not to feel the winds of change if you were alive at the time.