Final answer:
Empires did not become rich from working hard. They became wealthy through colonization, exploitation, and extraction of resources from their colonies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The empires did not become rich from working hard. They became rich and powerful through various means, including colonization and exploitation of other societies. European countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, constructed a system of global capitalism by extracting raw materials and human labor from their colonies, which allowed them to accumulate wealth and dominate other societies.
This domination and extraction of resources played a significant role in the economic development of these empires. For example, European countries established colonies in different parts of the world, such as the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Through colonization, they seized precious metals and extended their domains, which in turn increased their wealth and power.
In the mid-1700s, the British Empire grew into a dominant superpower through trade with its colonies, victory in the Seven Years' War, and further expansion into new areas like India and China. Similarly, other industrialized nations like Germany and the United States expanded geographically and industrially, thereby becoming some of the wealthiest countries in the world by the end of the 19th century.