The textbook is dedicated to the history of Europe and America in the 16th–19th centuries. It examines the most important events and problems of the history of modern times, analyzes the main trends in the socio-economic and state-legal development of Western society in this period, the evolution of social thought and culture. The original structure of the textbook allows it to be used both as part of the educational process and for independent preparation of undergraduate and graduate students. The textbook is published in three parts. The first part examines the main trends in the social development of European and American countries in modern times. The textbook is part of the educational set “New and Contemporary History of Foreign Countries.”