The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art ranks among the world’s greatest. Sprawling across three locations with over 2 million art pieces, it’s the fourth-most-visited museum on the planet. Days — weeks, even — could be spent there, soaking in the sweep of human history told through brushstrokes, bronze and brilliance.

Carrie and I had just half a day. Let me say this: For $22 a head with the senior discount, the Met is the best enlightenment deal in America. If you find yourself in New York City, put it on your bucket list. If you give it time and attention, it might just change the way you see the world.

One exhibit in particular hit me like a lightning bolt. Zeroing in on the massive 1600s-1800s European and American exhibit, we didn’t have enough time — but more than enough to feel the punch.

We were walking through rooms showcasing the rise and fall of great European empires. Britain, naturally, featured heavily. The map of British expansion at its peak is staggering — how a small island came to dominate so much of the world is beyond belief.

Every section of the Met comes with a plaque offering historical and cultural context. Near the entrance to the 1600s gallery — a room dense with paintings, sculpture, household relics, and weapons — I read a panel that stopped me cold.

Here’s what it said, describing Britain’s global ascent:

“This is the story of a rising economy fueled by global trade and the expansion of the British Empire, a time when innovation and industry yielded both financial rewards and national confidence …

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