Although European colonialism traces its roots from the classical era, when Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans established colonies of settlement around the See more

Other European powers began to establish factories in the 17th century along the trade routes explored by Portugal and Spain, first the Dutch and then the See more

• Braudel, Fernand (1992). Civilization and Capitalism, 15th–18th Century: The perspective of the world. University of California Press. See more

During the territorial and economic expansion of the Age of Discovery, the factory was adapted by the Portuguese and spread throughout from West Africa to Southeast Asia. The Portuguese feitorias were mostly fortified trading posts settled in coastal areas, … See more

The American factories often played a strategic role as well, sometimes operating as forts, providing a degree of protection for colonists and … See more

• Wisconsinhistory.org definition Archived 2017-03-17 at the Wayback Machine
• Chicago History See more