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Jan 1, 1000
The Rise of Guilds
Guilds were organizations of artisans and craftspeople who often controlled trade in a particular town. After feudalism broke Western Europe into a plethora of different groups, trade began to increase rapidly, as each region could export a particular good, whether it be an art, food, or luxurious resource. Prior to the black plague, trade flourished, and the guild system worked well. The guild system was a premature legislature, as it also organized a justice system and provided little defense. -
Jan 1, 1300
The Renaissance Era Part I
The renaissance was essentially a revival of art and learning. After the plague when European economies began to stabilize, many felt that a fresh start was in order. Scholars hoped to bring back the life and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. This was especially viewed in art, as it suddenly took a more realistic view with many masterpieces from Michaelangelo, Donatello, and Brunnelleschi. Learning also greatly improved, as the invention of the printing press led to rapid idea spreading. -
Jan 1, 1300
The Renaissance Era Part II
Narrowing in scope, the study of math, science and logic improved also, as the technologies invented during the renaissance such as early microscopes. The effects of this however, are seen later, in the Scientific Revolution. Humanism also began to rise, as humanists began to propose reforms to society that changed views about how life should be lived. -
Feb 28, 1500
Absolutism: The Rise of Absolute Monarchs
An absolute monarch is a king or queen who holds all the power within their states’ boundaries. They control everything and backed up their reason to with Divine Right. This states that God created them to rule and they are acting through him. One of the most famous absolute monarchs in history was Louis XIV. -
Jan 1, 1510
Reformation Part I
As the Renaissance began to move people toward questioning many aspects of life, political structures and religious practices certainly were'nt left out. At the time, the Catholic Church held immense power in Europe, as many people were Catholic. Unfortunately, many Church leaders and practices had become corrupt, as the Church would sell indulgences, or monetary "pardons" that would release a sinner from any sin or wrongdoing. -
Jan 1, 1517
Reformation Part II
The Church sold these to raise money and also forced people to pay taxes to the Church. In 1517, an individual by the name of Martin Luther wrote his 95 Theses, formally attacking those who sold indulgences. On October 31st, 1517, he posted these statements on a door of the Wittenberg castle church. The ideas were spread immensly rapidly via the use of the printing press. The Pope Leo X and Emperor Charles V initially saw Luther as a rebellious monk, but quickly realized he was a threat. -
Jan 1, 1517
Reformation Part III
They summoned Luther to trial, and after refusing, the Emperor issued the Edict of Order, declaring Luther as an outlaw and virtually exiling him. Luther eventually formed his ideas into a new branch of Catholicism named Lutheran. Similar to Luther, John Calvin was a French philosophist who believed in predestination, the doctrine that God has already written out one's destiny. This in addtion to the rest of Calvin's minor teachings is called Calvinism. -
Jan 1, 1540
The Scientific Revolution
The negative side of Louis XIV's reign sparked much critical thinking after his death. The Scientific Revolution was a massive change in European thought stemming from the replacing of old assumptions with new theories. The geocentric theory was replaced with Copernicus’ heliocentric theory and the scientific method became a popular method of conducting research. With this new way of thinking, people began to question topics other than science, leading to the Enlightenment. -
Jan 1, 1550
Exploration in the New World
Imperialistic motives for exploration included economic, social, religious, and idealistic. The desire to grow rich, spread Christianity, gain new trade routes, and advances in technology fueled the age of European exploration. Countries such as Portugal explored Africa and Spain discovered America using Christopher Columbus. As territories expanded to sizes never seen before and wealth grew, rulers found it necessary to tighten control over their country, resulting in Absolutism. -
Achievements of Louis XIV Part II
In addition to this, Louis XIV also introduced the concept of casinos and gambling to France on a mass level. The Sun King's largest achievement however, was the Palace of Versailles, arguably the most luxorious work of architecture of the period. Unfortunately, the near 2.5 billion dollars needed to pay for such a masterpiece was just the beginning of a debt plunder for the French nation. -
Achievements of Louis XIV
Louis XIV brought fame and glory to France. While in power, Louis XIV made France the strongest force in all of Europe. France also ranked above all other European nations in art, literature, and statesmanship under the Sun King's reign. With France being the military leader within Europe, its influence developed a strong empire of colonies, yielding additional resources and trade. Louis XIV also developed night life in France, improving fine arts performances such as various plays and operas. -
Weaknesses of Louis XIV
Unfortunately, Louis XIV's legacy did not come cheap. By the end of Louis's reign marked by his death on September 1st, 1715, France owed nearly 22 billion dollars, adjusted for today. The constant warfare and construction of the Palace of Versailles plunged France into staggering debt. This resulted in massive inflation and poverty for the French people, which ultimately had impacts in the upcoming century. -
Enlightenment
In the wake of the Scientific Revolution, scholars and philosophers began to reevaluate society. The Enlightenment was a new intellectual movement that stressed reason and thought and the power of individuals to solve problems. Various new theories were created by different philosophers, an example being Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who believed that the the only good government was one that was freely formed by the people i.e. a direct democracy. -
The French Revolution
Poor harvests, inflation, high taxes, and Enlightenment ideals all contributed to the French Revolution. The Old Regime, the social and political system of France, was abolished and the people of France were split into three estates called The Clergy, The Nobles, and The Third Estate, comprised of a middle class and peasants. When gathered to vote, however, the 1st and 2nd estates could always outvote the much larger 3rd estate. This led to the 3rd estate forming the National Assembly. -
National Assembly
On June 17th, 1789 the National Assembly was made by the Third Estate, eager to make changes in political representation. They proclaimed the end of absolute monarchy and the beginning of representative government. When delegates were locked out of their meeting room, they pleged to stay on a tennis court until the draft of a new constitution. Rumor spread that the monarchy was sending troops to dismiss the National Assembly, so on July 14th, citizens searched the Bastille prision for weaponry. -
Reign of Terror
The violence did'nt simply stop at Bastille. King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were charged with treason. The reign of Terror started with a conflict between rival political parties, the Girondins and the Jacobins. They began executing people who were suspected of being enemies of the revolution by guillotine. The purpose was to rid and protect the counrty from foreign invaders. Robespierre was the main person in charge of these mass killings for treason, and was publically executed. -
The Rise of Napoleon
Napoleon and his troops stormed the national convention and took over France and in 1804,as he crowned himself emperor of France. Napoleon tried to stay with revolutionary principles so that the people would support him. His system of laws became known as the Napoleonic Code which eliminated many injustices, through the promotion of order and authority. Napoleon is best known for his military leadership, as by the end of the first decade of the 1800s, France had control of most of Europe. -
The Fall of Napoleon Part II
Many citizens volunteered to be in Napoleon's army, and he ultimately became emperor of France again. The English were going to invade France, so Napoleon attacked them in Waterloo, Belgium. He lost the famous battle of Waterloo by a sizeable margin and was exiled to the island St. Helena where he died 6 years later. -
The Fall of Napolean Part I
Napoleon quickly rose to power, and fell soon after. The fall of Napoleon started when he invaded Russia. He entered with 240,000 troops and left with 10,000 due to starvation, desertion, battle casualties and wounds, and the freezing Russian winter. He was forced out of France through a peace treaty and into exile on the Italian island elba. The peace treaty also put Louis XVIII in power but the people hated him, so Napoleon escaped and returned to Paris. -
Feudalism Develops Part I
Before the feudal system, circa 800 AD, Western Europe was being invaded from nearly every angle, by the Vikings, Magyars, and Muslims. People quickly realized that they could no longer depend on a central ruler for their security. The widespread disorder and suffering forced much of Western Europe into the feudal system, a political and economic system based on land ownership along with personal loyalty. Ultimately, many people turned to social rulers who had their own armies for defence. -
Feudalism Develops Part II
In the feudal system a monarch would allow for his land to be organized by nobles, often wealthy individuals. The land was given to peasants and knights, but both were indentured. The peasants had to work long hours in the fields in order to generate food and cash crops, often recieving little to no pay. The knights, which were indeed higher socially than the peasants, simply protected the noble's land, and were granted a piece of land for their family. -
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Feudalism - The Fall of Napolean
