Essay on The Rise of European Empires - 1330 Words

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†¦show more content†¦This shift of power ushered a wave of broader taxation, organized armies, government officials rather than nobility and, a rise of power in the middle class. The thirteenth century saw the arrival of the Black Death, which was one of the most destructive pandemics to strike Europe during the mid thirteenth century. It was believed to have been brought aboard ships from Asia, it â€Å"arrived in Messina, Sicily, in October 1347 and then landed in London around 1348, without waning until the spring of 1350. It is â€Å"generally assumed to have killed between one third and one half of the populace† but being carried over to Scotland, it was being spread and began to rejuvenate its wrath â€Å"in the spring of 1350† there, before making its way over southward to Wales then back up into Ireland. The plague reappeared in â€Å"1361-64, 1368, 1371, 1371-75, 1390, 1405 and continued into the fifteenth century.† The result was a dramatic reduction in population, a surplus of luxury goods, land and money to those who would not have otherwise had access to it; and, an increased need for laborers. Because of the increase in prosperity in the aftermath of the darkness spread by the Black Death, there was a need for political change away from structures that were created during periods of great instability. Between 1337 and 1453, The Hundred Years War between England andShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Role During The Middle Eastern Modernity953 Words   |  4 PagesName Tutor Name Date The Role Played by Europeans in Middle Eastern Modernity The term modernity is widely used to refer to various changes in cultural and social norms that occurred in post-medieval Europe. The concept includes different but interrelated historical and cultural events that impacted politics, human culture, and social institutions. In simple words, modernity can be referred to as the aspect of being up to date, usually characterized by a contemporary way of thinking or living. 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