Pygmies In The Middle Ages

Personally, when thinking of the middle Ages, I tend to have the misconception that it is a period of darkness with no progress. However, R.W. Southern’s book, ‘The Making of the Middle Ages’, offers an in depth study of the development of history in the world today. Observing that this book was published during the 1950s, Mr. Southern’s interpretation of the ‘Middle Ages’ was very distinctive in comparison to other historians of his time. He explores the significance of the Middle Ages as a separate sector in the study of history by which the audience will notice that previous categories of studied history is set aside, as we are no longer focusing on the usual ‘Classical Greece’ and ‘Rome’

In this context, Audry Smedley’s Race in North America provides the reader with a chronological approach to the concept of race that explores its evolution and their implications in the configuration of societies among the world.

The author of this book quickly and polemically describes the period from 400 A.D. to 1400 A.D. as the "Dark Ages" even though this term is not used in scholarly research. He claims that the decline in living standards are not only due to crumbling political institutions and infrastructure but to disease, isolation, and religious oppression. Manchester describes just how the medieval mindset emphasizes just how savage medieval people were and how they imposed horrific punishments on one another. Christians butchers one each other during mass. This author claims that this was not civilization but it was a shadow of the Roman empire. There are some movements that destroyed the medieval mindset and the first one was the Renaissance, where new art and ideas were widely

Document Based Question Essay, focusing on the Middle Ages The Middle Ages in Western Europe began with the fall of the Roman Empire in 476, and ended in the 15th century. At the start of this time period Europe was not perfect it was politically divided, experiencing sea raids, and not many people had the ability to read and write. Europeans struggled in the beginning of this era and were still learning how to become a unified community, Europeans were able to overcome these difficulties with a unified religion through the Catholic Church, and lastly towards the end of the Middle Ages Europe came into a new more dominant trade position.

As Europe left the Medieval Era and entered the Renaissance, its political system changed in major ways. All political power was essentially ruined by the Huns and the beginnings of Western Countries being divided into countries started. “Europe was ruled by a new aristocracy: the noble” (Manchester 41). Men would acquire a following and then make a claim to land, the greater the following the more land was earned. These land claims were bound together to unify the Modern countries of Western Countries, the same boundaries today are common, such as England, France, and Spain. Most of these men thanked the divine power and were extremely loyal to the church. “By A.D. 1500 most of these sovereign dynasties were in place” (Manchester 55). One leader ruled over all of these countries known as a monarchy. Monarchs would have complete control over the lives of the people and in turn their people would service them first and their

One historian, John Davidson (like a few others) are somewhat doubtful about the concept of race. He like many others fears that it is way too clumsy to describe as well as too complex. Many historians do not like using concepts that are fabricated. As Davidson says “race exists as a socially constructed reality.” Race however is no longer an easy way to categorize especially with newer concepts such as “identities” and “ethnicities”. This makes it increasingly difficult to use race as an organizing concept. This can be said of Latin America; due to conflicts with racial ideologies and identities many Latin American countries try to distance themselves from the black/white dichotomy. One example can come from Dominican Republic, Black Dominicans due not use the term black. Instead many choose terms mullatto or trigeño (tan) to distance themselves from the term Negro (black). Each of these distinctions has claimed to come from sources however each identity emphasizes different elements that can appeal to different historians. Many Latin American historians will use the many identities and interpretations of race; nevertheless they will all come from the same source. This includes many Latin American historians such as Alan Knight. Franklin Knight, Harry Hoetink, etc. Although they

The history of the modern world derives from thousands of years of human history. Embedded in its history are the many eras of man which have constructed our modern learning, art, beliefs, and order. The middle ages, although represented as “dark”, backwards, and idle, were in fact a bridge linking the classical and modern world. Medieval society may not have been in a sense glorious, but the era of itself was a prime foundation of the modern world’s newfound stability, a revival of the law and teachings from the classical era, a reinvestment and reform in the church, and a precursor to the golden age of art.

The current race issues in America led me to seek out the anthropological perspectives on race and ethnicity. Historically, anthropologists typically only provided research within their own cultures versus pursuing research about us all. It is important to understand the history of race and ethnicity globally. Every culture and background offer information about our beginnings are human beings. Understanding each cultures role, lifestyle and environment helps piece together details about humans as a race in itself aside from our varying differences within our species. In performing this research we are able to observe behavioral changes amongst varying cultures as well.

Through the modern eyes, history of Western civilization, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Age of Discovery, is seen through Medieval literature. Ten centuries of history are noticed, involving individual products of heroic periods and their unique era of culture. Acknowledging Medieval literature illustrates a society of heroic knights, led by a luxurious king, charging into battle, romantic connections between royalty and a common person, and new discoveries being found. As well as times characterized by feudal activity, along with the Catholic Church holding an influencing control of society, and placing heavily on the laws they laid. The Church ruled simultaneously with the government, controlling every aspect of the Medieval

Religion experienced a lot of progress and transformation throughout the Middle Ages. Christianity held consistent popularity and other religions such as Islam were on the rise in participation. After the fall of Rome, there was no unified state or government in Europe and the Catholic Church used that opportunity to become a large powerhouse. The Roman Empire had effectively split into three different worlds: Muslim, Byzantine, and western European. Various Kings, Queens, and other leaders looked to the Catholic church for power and protection in exchange for alliances. Meanwhile, the Islamic religion was growing in wealth, power, and people. With the prophet Muhammad’s death in 632, Muslim groups took under large parts of land and united them under a single caliph. The Byzantines were still operating from Constantinople, just under a smaller rule and rural life assumed greater importance in the backbone of their society. Religion was largely involved in the Middle Ages’ art and architecture. Massive Cathedrals were built and even books were a work of art before the invention of the printing press. In addition, their economy was directly affected by religious activity such as missions and conquests. Overall, the general trends marking the progress religion in the Middle Ages are inclusion of everyone, a building of a community, and the opportunity of becoming equals with other practitioners.

The Middle Ages, often referred to as the Dark Ages, was regarded to be a time of despair, disease, and death. Just as the name the “Dark Ages” suggests, this period of European history seemed to be surrounded by darkness and hopelessness. Unfortunately, the majority of people only see this side of the Middle Ages when, in fact, the Middle Ages was a much more important era. Especially during the late Middle Ages, one can find a change in orthodox social structure, political instability mostly concerned with succession to the throne, and economic changes and how those changes went hand in hand with the change in society. After certain demographical changes and turning points such as the Hundred Years’ War, Europe began to transform

Philosophers of the seventeenth century continued to pursue answers to psychological questions. **Rene’ Descartes** believed the mind and body were two separate entities that interacted via the pineal gland. His theory became known as **dualism**. Other seventeenth century philosophers such as **Thomas Hobbes** and **John Locke**, believed that human behavior resulted from physiological processes originating in the brain and nervous system. They believed when a person sees and feels things the body and mind act as one, a theory known as

The one constant theme from any period in history we examine seems to be that of change. As Europe began to take shape, it did so with an expansion and contraction rate that was dramatically impacted by changes in political organizations, positive and negative economic forces, and through shifts in social structure. The path to the creation of the European empires was a long and tedious journey. Sixth century feudalism gave way to the creation of a central authority. The thirteenth century was scarred by the Black Death but it brought about economic changes that would resonate well into the Renaissance period of the fifteenth century. Nation-states began their formation as the need for a centralized government dictated. With each step

The latin phrase “scholastic” means devoting one’s life to learning or becoming a scholar (Mastin). Scholasticism can be defined as a network of theological and philosophical teachings (based on the knowledge of Aristotle) that were taught in medieval universities during the middle ages (Mastin). Theology can be defined as the study of the nature of God and his beliefs and philosophy can be defined as the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, existence, and reality. Furthermore, scholasticism was on a rise during the middle ages, which was a time period between the 5th and 15th century, that marked the fall of Rome and the beginning of the Renaissance. Scholasticism was founded by some of the best scholastic scholars, such as, Peter Abelard, Alexander of Hales, Albertus Magnus, Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, and Thomas Aquinas, all of which taught on a basis of Aristotle's writings.

One could say that scholarly debate over the roots of race is a recent phenomenon even though its background stretches back to early anthropologists and sociologists. Franz Boas in his The Mind of Primitive Man (1911) rejects race as a determinant of culture, intelligence, or temperament (5-6). Articulating a concept of “cultural relativism,” Margaret Mead, in the year 1928, built on Boas’ assertions, articulated the idea that one must judge other cultures by their own criteria and not those of the observer’s community (234). Some anthropologists, by the 1940s, even rejected race and racism. Ashley Montagu offered such an argument in Man’s Most Dangerous Myth: The Fallacy of Race (1942). According to Anderson, the debate on the origin of slavery was a more recent ancestor of the history of race and emphasizes that “in the past, most scholars had uncritically assumed that both race and slavery had existed from the first contact of white Virginians and unwilling African immigrants. With the latter subjected to reevaluation, it became possible for the former to be questioned as well.” (91) As such, the categories of