Medieval History

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that 476 A.D. marks the beginning of ancient Rome's decline into provincialism and the onset of the "Dark Ages," when the people of Europe lived in ignorance because of the loss of precious documents and writings by many notable Roman authors, historians, and philosophers. The author points out four major events between the years 1200 and 1400 A.D. that demonstrate the interconnections of the Europe and other global regions: the Viking conquests and explorations of northern Europe and the shores of North America; the social and political effects of the Crusades; the explorations and discoveries of Marco Polo; and the widespread consequences of the bubonic plague, the Black Death. The paper relates that, in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses, a list of grievances against the Roman Catholic Church, to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany, initiating almost three hundred years of strife within Europe and opening the minds of common people to the true nature of the Catholic Church, which allowed them to ponder their own destinies outside the control of the Church.

From the Paper:

"Thus, the Crusades helped to bring Western Europe into the modern age and changed forever the face of European society. Yet the third major event brought even more change to not only western Europe but also to Asia, namely the explorations and travels of Marco Polo (1254-1324). The account of his travels and discoveries in The Description of the World (1296), dictated while a prisoner of the Genovese government, covers much geographical area, from Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) in the Ottoman Empire to Japan, Siberia and Africa."

More papers on Medieval History:

• Term Paper # 93435 : "European Medieval History"
• Analytical Essay # 69880 : "Medieval History Through Literature"
• Analytical Essay # 39971 : "Faith and Reason: Conflicts of Authority in History and Fiction"

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