Medieval Western Europe During The 19th Century Essay

The development of Europe and Western Culture are highlighted by five key dates. The main four key dates and there are as follows:

Question: analyze the social and economic continuities and changes that occurred in Europe between 600 and 1750.

In the 1300's an Italian scholar named Petrarch came up with the name "Dark Age" to describe the time Europe was going through during the Middle Ages in 500AD-1500AD. Throughout the Middle Ages Europe was going through some rough times, but there were also moments of growth. For example the Black Death was a time of darkness but there were positive times like when universities were built. Although the dark ages were looked at as a negative occurrence, more events show a sign of growth.

Following the western expansion in the late nineteenth century, the American society and economy would experience significant growth and development amidst numerous challenges and benefits. From this, the United States would grow in geographical size and in power. This expansion started in 1860s and continued until the 1890s. Due to the discovery of gold in California, people wanted to continue and search for more riches in the West. The benefits of the expansion were mainly for the Americans because it helped the rise of industrialization and the United States economy.

The papacy – the office held by the pope as head of the Catholic Church - gained great power from the sixth through eighth centuries, and there are several reasons for this surge in influence. Starting around 590, Pope Gregory I sought to convert Teutonic invaders to Christianity. Islam was also in play, as it had taken over most of Asia and Africa. According to Earl Cairns, by trying to win Teutonic tribes to Christianity, the medieval church “…further centralized its organization under papal supremacy and developed the sacramental-hierarchical system characteristic of the Roman Catholic Church.”

Living in the medieval time period was not as glamorous as it is often portrayed; peasants and serfs led hard lives, however, kings, lords, and knights lived lavishly and at the expense of those under them. In this paper you will read about all of these lifestyles, as well as the castles in which these lords and kings lived in. Mainly castle designs, fortifications, and siege tactics will be revealed to you; yet there are several sections, dealing with the lifestyles of the above mentioned, leading up to that.

Due to imperialism the 19th Century was a time of new beginnings. European countries like Great Britain, France, and Germany took control of Africa and Asia and dominated them completely. These European forces used their modernized weapons and technology to take advantage of other continents. Industrialization gave power to the Europeans which gave them a big advantage to imperialize these continents. The rebellions held no chance against the modern weaponry that the Europeans were packing. As proud nationalists, the Europeans believed they were superior to other countries and thus had the right to expand their lands. Industrialization and nationalism encouraged the rise of 19th century imperialism for Social, political, and economic

The first factor that led to the papacy’s increase in authority is the spread of Christianity throughout the region. Coinciding with the collapse of the Roman Empire, missionaries were reaching areas of Europe not under the empire’s control. Missionaries such as Saint Patrick, Saint Columba, and Saint Columbanus spread Christianity throughout the celtic regions of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Meanwhile other missionaries including Wilfrid, Willibrord, Lullus, and Boniface concentrated their efforts in the Germania, bringing an increase to the population of Christian Saxons. In what is now France, king Clovis I converted to the faith in the late 5th century. On his insistence many of his court and peers followed suit. This strengthened the church by uniting multiple kingdoms under its control. These examples of Christianity spreading throughout Europe demonstrate the growth in power of the church. As new regions became more and more predominately Christian the number of people professing allegiance to the church also increased. The papacy had no shortage of subjects to rule over and an increasing amount of resources at its disposal. This increase in subjects and research, and the land under control of the office increasing led to a dominance over Western Europe.

The Middle Ages were a time of cultural development and lasting impacts that laid the groundwork for the culture present in Western civilization today. Several influential figures contributed to the cultural development in the Middle Ages. Hildegard of Bingen improved the status of women in her day and through her, feminism continued to progress. Next, Thomas Aquinas created a philosophy that left a lasting impression on the Catholic Church. Finally, Roger Bacon played a hand in several scientific discoveries and created a system of natural knowledge that is still used today. All three left a lasting mark on the Middle Ages in ways that have helped shape the culture of the Western world today.

During the 16th century western Europe experienced a rise in even stronger nation-states with intense religious beliefs and an increased desire to politically control populaces across the continent. This was especially evident in the Low countries where people were separated between Catholics and Protestants. Resentment between these two groups escalated with the Dutch Revolt and in 1579 the seven northern, mainly protestant, provinces declared their independence from King Phillip the second of Spain and became the Dutch Republic. Conflict between Catholics and Protestants did not only occur in the Low countries, France also fought numerous wars in their country over religion mainly between the aristocratic House of Bourbon and House of Guise.

At the turn of the 15th century, the conditions in Europe went from plague, a smaller population, a lack of knowledge, and provincial learning to economic prosperity, enlightenment, and centralized power that was brought about by the renaissance and the new monarchs. The first condition in Europe that led to exploration was the Renaissance. The Renaissance was the revival of classical art and studies of Ancient Greece and Rome. What began first in Italy spread throughout Europe, and inspired creative thinking. This was a push factor because the maps of ancient geographers and work of Arab scholars motivated Europeans to learn more about the world and lands that existed besides Europe.

Clark, Anna. The Struggle for the Breeches: Gender and the Making of the British Working

Karl Marx wrote the Communist Manifesto in order to give a voice to the struggling classes in Europe. In the document he expressed the frustrations of the lower class. As Marx began his document with "the history of all hitherto societies has been the history of class struggles" he gave power to the lower classes and sparked a destruction of their opressors.1 He argued that during the nineteenth century Europe was divided into two main classes: the wealthy upper class, the bourgeoisie, and the lower working class, the proletariat. After years of suffering oppression the proletariats decided to use their autonomy and make a choice to gain power. During the

Europe during the 16th century went through many changes. Due to the Renaissance and Humanism, Europe would see a great change in its structure, thus throwing itself into an age of creative individualism. The Renaissance infused Humanism into government and gave every man a right to his own will and future. This century also saw growth in the form of new lands, reformed government, and technological advances such as the printing press, which could not have arrived at a more perfect time. Europe was more literate and eager to learn than ever before, which can be credited to the Renaissance, and rapid growth of university. The mid 1500s also marked the beginning of the Scientific Revolution. All of these things considered, the Protestant Reformation may have been the most revolutionary event for Europe in the 16th century. It changed the way humans think about the Catholic Church and its politics. The importance of this reformation could not have been better stated than by Steven Kris in his lecture on the Protestant Reformation:

The transition of Medieval to Modern happened over a long period of time. The middle ages marked a dark time in Europe’s history, and the people were anxious to get out. The Renaissance began, and art emerged to create a brighter society. During the Reformation, the country shifted away from the Roman Catholic Church, and many Protestant religions emerged. The Scientific Revolution also marked a change in medical to modern by creating new ways to look at the world and mathematics. The Age of Discovery marked yet another change in Medical to modern Europe when new technologies emerged in order to navigate around the world. Along with many other rulers, King Louis XIV changed France into a country looking to expand, which differed from