The Swerve: How The World Became Modern

The printing press and the mass production of books forever changed the way society receives communication. The ability to produce books in a person’s native language allowed average people the ability to read and interpret the bible on their own. It allowed scientists around the world to study theories and experiments of scientists working in the same field and helped them build upon the work of others. Additionally, the printing press led to the dissemination

The Origins of the Modern World by Robert B. Marks is a book about the historical changes that have happened in the period of 1400-1850. He shows that how Asia is the center prior of the 1800s not the standard Eurocentric and it 's a polycentric world in term of the world trade. In the Origins, he focuses on the economic history where geographical on China, India, and England. In the beginning of the book he starts with a summary of "Rise of the West" where he say " the west as dynamic, forward looking, progressive, and free, and Asia as stagnating, backward, and despotic. After that he started building up or narrating the historical events in five-chapters based on an his vision of the world history, and he does it in a way that makes the reader agree with him to get the main key of the historical concept such as conjuncture. Also he takes about the most advanced societies across the Eurasian (China and England) and the two economic structures ( biological old regime and trading networks). He also takes the importance of the Indian ocean and he sees it as the "most important crossroads for global exchanges of goods, ideas, and culture" when Europe was " a peripheral, marginal player trying desperately to gain access to the sources of wealth generated in Asia. He brings a very good evidence that pictures the traditional China 's technological and Naval superiority, of the "well-developed market system" in Asia. Also he showed he superior quality of the Indian cottons and the

The author, Robert B. Marks introduces the book, The Origins of the Modern World by introducing the reader to a global narrative of the origins of the modern world starting from 1400 to the present. The book presents the rise of the west as an issue of globalization of Asia, Africa, and the New World. Throughout the book, we see the connection made by the author between the environmental condition and the present economic status of a particular place. By the end of the book, readers are able to understand and reason out what created and solidified a gap between the east and the west, industrialized and non-industrialized and parts of the world that today are defined as the modern world.

In this essay, I will outline the details and advancements of the Reformation and Exploration, along with my view on which was the most important consequence of the printing press. Document A shows two maps of Europe. One of the maps shows how many printing presses there were and where they were located in 1471. The second map also shows how many and where printing presses were, but during 1500. The first map has very few dots indicating that during

Johannes Gutenberg, a German craftsman, invented a piece of machinery that would later revolutionize the world in the 1450’s which was the wooden and later metal printing press. Before Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press, there was the development of language, writing with hieroglyphs, the alphabet and then printing. After Gutenberg finished this project, the printing press spread throughout the region at a very quick pace. Gutenberg's invention made the printing of lengthy texts possible by continuing to use existing materials. Because of how easy it was and how much faster and efficient this invention makes printing documents and books, this allowed more people access to these texts. Because of this, the most important consequence of the printing press itself would be the ease at which knowledge and religion could be spread. Knowledge is power in this time and is one of the most valuable tools.

There are thousands upon thousands of books in libraries spread all around the world. Some of those books are newer than others; some are thicker; some are about history, geography, economics, or engineering. No matter the type of book, it took just a couple hours to print them. It is incredible to think how it is possible to have so many books available for us, and we can have access anytime we want. Although, many centuries ago books were very different from modern books. In fact, the earliest books were written on scrolls. In the Middle Age, books were produced by monks who copied them with pen and ink to study them later. Even a small book with just less than hundred pages could have taken several weeks or maybe months to be completed. A longer book, such as the Bible, could have taken years to copy. This tedious and exhausting process ended in 1444. In 1471 there were about 15 printing presses open. Mainly in the area of Germany because that was where Gutenberg invented the press. Also in the center of Italy because that’s where trade was made and the printing press was used by the pope and the church. [Doc.2] In 1500 over a 100 printing presses were being used mainly in Germany and in the center of Italy.[Doc. 2]

By the end of eleventh century, Western Europe had experienced a powerful cultural revival. The flourish of New towns provided a place for exchange of commerce and flow of knowledge and ideas. Universities, which replaced monasteries as centers of learning, poured urbanized knowledge into society. New technological advances and economics transformations provided the means for building magnificent architectures. These developments were representative of the mental and behavioral transformations that the medieval world underwent and the new relationships that were brought about between men, women and society in the twelfth century. As in technology, science, and scholasticism, Literature was also reborn with a new

Martin Luther, essentially a nobody with credentials, grew to become one of the most influential persons in the 16th century. Though his message was fought off by the Catholic church, with the help of the printing press and his followers, Luther’s message was able to spread throughout Europe. Similarly, taking a look at the message of “may your brief candle shine brightly” from Once Upon a Timepiece by Starr Wood, both messages of history traveled through time due to the unforeseen circumstances one calls history. By examining the choices each individual made, it is clear to see how greed and circumstance play a deep role in both Andrew Pettegree’s Brand Luther and Starr Wood’s Once Upon a Timepiece.

The "Modern Era" starts in the early 1500s with the rise of Protestantism, started by Martin Luther, and the further decline of the power of the Catholic Church. It is the part of history where science begins and people become more curious about the world around them and the real reasons why. People in general begin to think more for themselves in the aspect that they've been listening to the Church about everything ever since the Church became a thing hundreds of years ago. When thinking about the "Modern Era" this is the question that is sparked, what started the "Modern Era"? What started the "Modern Era" was the decline of the Catholic Church, Humanist ideas, and new technologies that had been formed in the early Renaissance.

In Jorge Luis Borges’ short story “The Library of Babel”, the author depicts the entire universe in the form of a mysterious and intricate “Library.” The author gives life to the library by describing the fruit- like “bulbs” that emit light, as well as a vestibule which contains two compartments for “sleeping and satisfying one’s physical necessities.” (Borges 112) This library is lined with “an infinite number of hexagonal galleries,”(Borges 112) containing bookshelves with an immeasurable amount of books. However, most of these books are indecipherable, and therefore, meaningless. Borges’ characterization of the library leads the reader to believe that he is alluding to the numerous books of the Bible. He questions the Bible’

Beginning with the Renaissance (1400-1600) we see a change in the subject matter being portrayed by artists of the time. We can attribute this change not only to the change in patrons, from the Christian church to wealthy bankers and politicians, but also to the growing body of scientific knowledge. “The Renaissance was

For example, literature was greatly affected by the invention of the printing press, so that knowledge could be more readily accessed and spread. Whereas in the middle ages only the rich, and certain church officials could read, now even commoners had the access to this information, which allowed them to develop their own opinions about subjects, and allowed people to begin thinking for themselves. In fact, many people had views that differed from the previously widely accepted beliefs of the church. The printing press even helped spread these new controversial views. Document B on literature portrays this shift from the views in the middle ages to the renaissance views. The first piece of literature which sports a medieval worldview is focused on heaven, as well as the afterlife, saying that while the material world is filled with misery and suffering, after one dies they will be judged by god as to whether or not they will go to heaven, where there is eternal happiness. In contrast, the second text that is taken from the renaissance explains all the wonders of mankind, and focuses on

The invention of moveable type revolutionized the distribution of knowledge. It made it possible to produce several accurate copies of single works. Since the process was very streamlined, many people called the process, “the art of multiplying books”. The process spread through Germany, Italy, France, and Europe. Come to the end of the fifteenth century, many books were being made on machines like Gutenberg’s ("The Gutenberg Bible").

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

The Making of the Modern World by Erik Ringmar, an overview of the events in history that have led to the modern political scene. Diplomacy by Stephen McGlinchey, the evolution of diplomacy and big events that have showcased the power of diplomacy. One World, Many Actors by Carmen Gebhard, the transition of global relations from international to trans-national focused on the role of individuals and groups. As a scholar, these three texts have changed my present thoughts on how the world’s international relations and diplomacy have been an integral part in making the global market. I am an economics major with an international trade and development concentration, learning about how the politics affect trade and businesses, is amazing. My