There were many changes in the city states that caused the development of the Renaissance. The Black Death killed off almost half of the population, but the remaining half that survived easily found jobs and occupations. Because of the low population, a specialization of labor led to trade, which eventually led to a monetary system, banking, and credit. Guilds and cottage industries were born, and the economic development resulted in a growth of towns. Those who were once poor because of Feudalism could now be wealthy.With the economy thriving, there were quite a lot of social changes. During the periods of Feudalism, it was always the lords with all the power. But as merchants became richer, they started buying their freedom from lords, and eventually started a oligarchy, a government system run by a few wealthy people. The lords were no longer in power, and the wealthy started to rule the towns. This was known as merchant capitalism. These political and economic changes in city states stimulated the development of the Renaissance.
0 Comments
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Dark Ages were quick to come, a period of time in which there was a decline in culture and economy. However, many believe that the “Dark Ages” were actually not as dark as they were made out to be, and refused to acknowledge this period of time as the Dark Ages. But how dark were the Dark Ages? It actually varies quite a lot, depending mostly on which role one played during that time. Those who were poorer and with less power, particularly the workers, had an extremely dark Dark Ages, though regardless, had the light of Christianity to guide them. If one was a worker during the Dark Ages, life probably wasn’t very bright for them. A worker may not have been able to obtain a doctor, running water, or have proper hygiene. As a result, workers were some of the first to die in outbreaks of diseases. In 540 AD, the Justinian plague killed around 25% to 50% of the population in the eastern Mediterranean, more than 100 million people in total. At a point, there were no places to bury the dead, so the bodies were piled up all around the city of Constantinople. The enormous population loss stopped further developments in the fields of economy and culture. This proved to be one of the darkest periods of the Dark Ages. Charlemagne believed heavily that everyone should convert to Christianity, and as a result, the Bloody Verdict of Verden, also known as the Massacre of Verden happened in 782 AD. The Saxons were massacred because they rebelled against the idea of turning from their religion of Paganism to Christianity. But the Saxons were not the only ones who were killed for their religion. If anyone under the rule of Charlemagne were not Christian and refused to convert, they would immediately be beheaded. This proved to be quite scary for the workers and peasants who did not want to convert, and for those who watched their neighbors and friends beheaded for sticking to their own religion. The Bloody Verdict of Verdan was a fairly dark time for the workers. However, if one was a worker who strongly supported Christianity, this period of time may not have been as dark. In 800 AD, Charlemagne was crowned the emperor of Rome. During his reign, Charlemagne strengthened the kingdom and became the first emperor in Western Europe since the fall of the Western Roman Empire. This was one of the lights of the Dark Ages, as the kingdoms were finally united as one. When feudalism came around, the workers had an especially hard time. They were forced to work for their lords while they lived in terrible conditions, working hard daily only to receive little reward and food. Around 990 AD, the knights of the local lords would terrorize and attack the peasants. The peasants and workers lived in absolute fear of the knights until the Catholic Church stepped in and placed limits on the knights. The Truce of God was established to help out those who could not help themselves. However, not all of the Dark Ages were spent in utter darkness. There was one light that many people seemed to look to for help and guidance. Christianity was the small hope left in the world. It promised an afterlife of eternal peace, something many were willing to work for to achieve. Christianity helped out with the hard times, and gave hope to all, even at their darkest. Without Christianity, Europe would probably not have made it out of the darkness. The Dark Ages weren’t as dark as it was made out to be. Of course the outbreaks of diseases, wars, and attacks were extremely “dark,” but most of the time, there was a light beside them for help. Throughout the Dark Ages, Christianity stood by, one of the only lasting lights during this period. This proved that though it may seem like the Dark Ages were extremely dark, there was still a strong beam of light in the darkness. |
AuthorHi! I'm a freshman, and this is my blog for my World History Honors Class. Archives
May 2015
Categories |