Final answer:
The development of the steam engine facilitated overseas expansion by revolutionizing transportation and creating economic motives for European nations to seek new markets and resources on other continents.
Step-by-step explanation:
The event that made overseas expansion possible was B) The development of the steam engine. By the nineteenth century, steamships and other steam-powered technology had significantly reduced the time required to reach distant ports, which opened up overseas markets.
Additionally, the steam engine facilitated other forms of transport and machinery that played a key role in the Industrial Revolution, creating a need for new markets and resources found on other continents, inspiring economic motives that drove European nations to expand their empires overseas.
The event that made overseas expansion possible was B) The development of the steam engine. The steam engine, invented in the late 18th century, played a crucial role in revolutionizing transportation and communication.
It powered steamships, allowing for faster and more efficient travel across oceans, and also facilitated the development of railroads, enabling easier access to inland areas for trade and colonization.