Strayer, Introduction to Part 5 & Chapter 17 (pp. 491-504)

Countering Eurocentrism has at least five answers to any dilemmas they have.  One, was how brief the Europeans were in history and how long it has been since they have been a part of it.  Two, is that the rise of Europe and an international context.  Three, the rise of Europe to a position of global dominance was not easy to get to and was not an automatic process to the top.  Four, many people all over the world used the Europeans ideas to create their own conditions, which led to new conditions for many other states and countries.  Five, Europe realized that they had made it to the top and went through struggles, but they were not the only ones who wanted the power and knew how to get it.  The American Revolution did not grow out of social tension, Britain's global struggle with France drained its treasury and ran into national debt.