Middle Ages DBQ

Just because there is not a lot of documented evidence during a certain time, does that mean that nothing happened? The Middle Ages were once called the Dark Ages because not many events happened, leading some to believe that nothing happened during this point in time. “The Dark Ages” is not an appropriate term to describe The Middle Ages because this time period did not just stop, it simply was a transition between powerful eras in which dramatic events did not occur but smaller beauties flourished such as the arts, music, and literature.

In the 1300's, an Italian scholar named Petrarch used the term, "dark ages" to describe Europe in the middle ages.People think that Petrarch used this term to describe Europe in the middle ages, because it seemed as if everything was turning/going bad. Not everyone agrees with him, some people think that the middle ages in Europe was in a growth age instead of a dark age. There were good events, like economic growth and education got more significant. But, there were lot's of bad things like, government order and the Black Death, so it is a debatable topic.

In 476 CE Odoacer overthrows Romulus Augustulus, finalizing the end of the Roman Empire. After the Roman time, the dark age took over, it was called the dark ages not only because of the lack of written sources but also because of the nasty short and brutal lives of the time. Some thought that the dark ages were a necessary evil, to get rid of slavery. The Eastern half not only survived after the fall of Rome but flourished. The Eastern empire continued to thrive and build monuments under the rule of Justinian Ⅰ. Even though no longer part of a Roman civilization, western people still thought of themselves as Roman.

Europe was in a dark age during 500 AD to 1500 AD because of the Black Death, The Crusades, and the way the government was being functioned at the time in Europe. The debate is about whether Europe in a dark age or a growth age. Based on the evidence below Europe was in a dark age. The term dark ages came from the Italian scholar named Petrarch. He was comparing the Middle Ages to the classical era.

The Dark Ages “According to their custom the Northmen plundered…and burned the town of Dordrecht…the Northmen, with their boats filled with immense booty, including both men and goods, returned to their own country “(Document 3). This was from a chronicle of articles written by the Anglo Saxons who inhabited great Britain in the 9th century. The chronicle of Anglo Saxons was a book of their history and what happened during their lives. The Middle Ages was a time period between the 5th and 15th century. The age started after the Western Roman empire fell and ended when the Eastern Roman Empire fell.

This trade route definitely made it possible for the religion to diffuse as goods moved between territories and populations, but more importantly they facilitated the movement of these items to otherwise isolated locations, like small towns and villages, consequently exposing millions of these areas to ideas and religious ideologies from which they;d been oblivious to be beforehand. After a while, merchants weren’t the only ones who would exploit the kickoff of trade routes; warriors and proselytizers (people who were dedicated to converting others to a religion) also joined them. These routes were critical in the integrating of peoples of different cultures, religions and philosophies. The merchants would practice their religious traditions routinely, which created a strong influence on the non-Christians and induced them into advancing the spread of

In the mid 1700s America was considered a __________. Between the mid 18th century and the late 19th century, America transitioned from a newly developing country to a dominant world power. Background information:_____________________________________________ Various factors contributed to the rapid growth of the United States.

The Early Modern Times took place from the 1300s to the 1800s. It began with the Renaissance, a time of creativity, rebirth and change in the way people viewed themselves & their world, and the scientific revolution. It also consisted of the search for spices, trade, and the first global age. During those times, developments, exploration, and trade became important and advantageous aspects in constructing the early modern world. Developments had a critical impact on the emergence of modern Europe.

Many people cannot agree on whether the European Middle Ages were “Dark Ages” or an “Early Renaissance”. A Dark Age is a time during which a civilization undergoes a decline, while a Renaissance is a new period of growth or activity. Even though there is an equal amount of evidence for both the Dark Ages and the Early Renaissance, some pieces were more effective than others. The European Middle Ages were an Early Renaissance because citizens started to begin new lives as different roles, the feudal system was slowly being forgotten, and the Magna Carta was published.

Were the Dark Ages really dark? The Dark Ages are thought to have started at the fall of Rome, in the year 415. The Dark Ages ended at the first crusade where armies tried to recover the holy land of Jerusalem in the year 1095. Many people think that the Dark Ages weren't as dark as most people thought they were. Sarah Pruitt made a “History” article talking about why the dark ages weren't dark, and instead a period of time where there were many discoveries. In her argument, she stated that the idea of the dark ages came from later scholars who were heavily biased towards Ancient Rome, the time was a boom for agriculture, there were great advances in science and math, and the Carolingian Renaissance saw a flowering in art, literature, architecture, and other cultural realms. That is true, all that happened in the time of the dark ages and the name “Dark Ages” were named by biased scholars. But during the dark ages, there were Warlords and their struggle to be Emperor, outside forces raiding and/or attacking Europe, and the worse being The Bubonic Plague, or also known as the infamous Black Death. The Dark Ages were centuries of chaos, destruction, horrible plagues, and stagnant population growth.and it should be considered one of the worst periods in human history to live in.

After the Fall of Rome, the Dark Ages occurred during the Middle Ages in Western Europe, France, Germany and Italy. The term “Dark Age” is an accurate description for Western Europe despite the formation of feudalism and the united church. The severity of disease, such as the plague, killed millions of people and lead to society not having the desire to prosper with education . These reasons, among others, demonstrate that Western Europe was truly a Dark Age.

The “Dark Ages” means a time of violence, no innovation, lack of educated people, small population and isolated communities, lots of disease, no new building projects, war, lack of trade, chaos and anarchy, famine, and political instability. The person who coined it was Petrarch, a french scholar who compared it to the classical period. The beginning of the dark ages was during 500 AD which lasted until 1500 AD. During this time period the most famous events was the “The Crusades” and “Black Death.” During this period Europe was clearly in a “Dark Age.”

Europe fell into the Dark Ages on August 24th, 410 A.D. Rome was one of the greatest empires at the time. That is, before August. It controlled most trade routes, and a lot of land. Then came the day where the Visigoths invaded the Visigoths were western branches of the nomadic tribes of Germanic. Famine, plague, persecutions, and persistent warfare followed. Half of the healthy people living in Rome died. The thugs looted markets, causing a downfall in supplies such as food and clothing. After that, traders brought rats over to europe to the crushed, once powerful empire.

The Feudal Period in Japan ended in a decline of central power, which led to the centralized feudal system of government in the Tokugawa Period in late 1500. There were three main leaders who helped reunite Japan including Oda Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Oda Nobunaga was successful to an extent, but was not successful in uniting the entire country. After the country once again became reunited from Tokugawa Ieyasu, a second wave of cultural diffusion occurred from the Europeans. They introduced guns and Christianity in early 1600.

The Middle Ages was a very important time in history. Some historians considered it The Dark Ages because they didn’t have the information they needed to provide for that era. I believe that The Dark Ages is not a correct term to describe the Middle Ages.