After the major population decrease due to the Black Death, and the increase in knowledge from the Nine Crusades, new developments were made. Economic and political changed the city and made them prosper. these also made cultural achievements. The Mediterranean routes improved trade and manufacturing. Many goods were exported and also imported. Many new systems have been made. Such as the standard currency became Florin. These then slowly become to Bills of Exchange and credits too. Banking was also developed which caused trade and finance to improve. The rise of wealth for the merchants also caused the nobles to lose power. These new ranks made the wealthy merchants to control the new political systems. The news system is all oligarchy. An oligarchy is when one place is governed by a small group of few wealthy people. As you can see because of the economic development, the political system started to change. This allowed a chance for commoners to be wealthy too instead of following the old caste system. The changes were all new changes of better standard which caused the development of the Renaissance, a period of rebirth.
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How Dark Were the Dark Ages? The Dark Ages was a period of suffering for the peasants. They didn’t have enough supplies, food, or security. Despite many new leaders trying to improve the kingdom, the peasants still weren’t as content as they were during the Roman Empire. The constant unrest and turmoils in Europe devastated the commoners. The Dark Ages caused a setback for all the progress the Roman Empire has made. Education and the irrigation systems were all discontinued. The lack of order and knowledge for the people was the reason why no advancements were made. The only light in the Dark Ages was Christianity. The invasions from the Vikings, Franks, Moorish kingdoms, and other groups weakened the people. These invasions were one of the darkest parts of the Dark Ages. Although the invasions were stopped in the end, there were still damages to the people. Villages were destroyed, food were taken, and many were killed. The invasions also caused military expenses to be spent. Some kingdoms couldn’t afford the costs due to low economies and this led to their falls; other kingdoms who didn’t have enough money raised taxes on the people. The peasants didn’t have much security and the huts they lived in weren't safe either. The lack of necessities for the peasants led to devastating consequences. Primarily the peasants’ education and health all declined. The decrease in these essential skills caused the kingdom itself to weaken from within. Without education, the people weren’t able to read at all and make new discoveries. The health of the people declined as well when the irrigation system from the Roman Empire stopped. No running water was available and the peasants had to drink and get the dirty water from the well. Hygiene issues caused increases in diseases and famines. The Bubonic Plague killed more than half of the population within months after it hit Constantinople. The scarring event led to the downfall of the economy and population growth. The conditions were improved after the Charlemagne started an education system, and when the Nine Crusades brought back new knowledge. Although many may consider the Dark Ages as a time of light because of Christianity, which gave the peasants hope and salvation. Christianity gave the peasants motivation to behave well in the Dark Ages. Without a motivation to achieve something, people wouldn’t care if they were doing something morally wrong. However as Christianity rose to popularity, it also caused some turmoil for the people. It gave terror to the people when Charlemagne ruled and enforced everyone to convert to Christianity. Charlemagne threatened the people to convert or die. This led to many people being executed just because they refused to convert to Christianity. Despite that Christianity was a motivation for the people, it also caused many leaders to use Christianity as power too. The power of Christianity caused many deaths through the Dark Ages. By the end of the period the darker part was more than the lighter part. Although many had the hope and motivation, they still had to suffer throughout the period. Despite that many leaders and civilians tried to improved the conditions people were in at that time, it still wasn't enough for the people. Some actions lead to major consequences like the King of York killing Ivar the Boneless's father, causing Ivar to avenge and take over York. The Dark Ages finally ended when there was a significant improvement in knowledge and supplies after the Nine Crusades. There were too much factors that made the people suffer. This is why the Dark Ages was mainly a misery for the peasants. |
JessieArchives
May 2015
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