The document discusses several topics in big history: - Empires rise and fall over time, and sometimes expand to spread religion or ideology. Europeans discovered commerce was more profitable than resources in the new world. - Geography influenced early peoples' food production and allowed some to pursue metallurgy, leading Europeans to develop steel first. Living near animals gave Europeans better disease immunity compared to new world natives. - Slavery has existed throughout history worldwide in many religions. African slaves provided most labor in the Americas through exhausting work, and the idea of blacks as slaves led to white racism.