The modern era would see three periods of vast imperialism and aggressive colonialism. From the 15th century to the middle of the 18th century, England, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain built empires in the Americas, India, and the East Indies. A strong negative reaction to imperialism led to almost a century of relative calm in empire building. The period from the middle of the 19th century and World War I (1914 to 1918) were again characterized by a rapid spread of imperialism.