Why did Europe become the most powerful continent in the period after 1500?

well the simple reason is that the countries within Europe went through industrialization before any other. also the usa and Canada were inhabited by Indians then and so there was almost no economic competition. and now of course recent economic surveys have shown that Europe has overtaken the North America as being the most powerful continent in the wold once again (in terms of worth and economy) as it is worth over $3 trillion more.