Let's practice what we know about Thinking Historically by showing not only what we know about Medieval Times, but also HOW we know it. Use this space to discuss our Essential Question: Even in the Dark there is light....What grows out of the Dark Ages? Remember as you use primary sources, video, lecture and other forms of evidence to make your claims cite from where your evidence has come.
Your 2-3 paragraph piece should have a minimum of 4-5 citations.
55 comments:
I believe that there was more growth in the “Dark” Ages than dark. During this time, new ideas were created and shared, which shows cultural growth. An example of this would be the formation of guilds. When guilds were created in the Middle Ages, they were a great way to help create jobs and get more goods to more people. Guilds accomplished this by creating plans to train new workers and participating in both local and long-distance trade (Beck et.al., 388). More cultural growth occurred during the revival of learning. This expansion of knowledge helped to share and create more ideas. The main cause of this revival was when works by philosophers such as Aristotle were translated into Latin, which helped Europeans acquire more knowledge (Beck et.al., 391).
Unfortunately, growth was not the only thing that occurred in the Middle Ages. Tragedies such as the bubonic plague set Europe back generations, killing approximately one-third of its population (Beck et.al., 399). Other failures include the Crusades, of which only one was successful (Beck et.al., 383). As you can see, the Middle Ages were a time of good and bad, but it is not fair to only acknowledge the negative side of this age.
One major growth during the Dark Ages was the three field system. The three field system allowed farmers to grow more crops because they had a larger amount of land to work on (Beck et. al., 387). This gave more food to the villages. Another growth during the Dark Ages was the guilds. Guilds were a group of people who came together to fight for their jobs (Beck et. al., 388). The guild systems definitely helped to improve the economic and social conditions. Since the guilds allowed the economic and social conditions to grow, they eventually led to the Commercial Revolution. The Commercial Revolution is the expansion of trade and businesses (Beck et. al., 389). The changes that the Commercial Revolution brought had a major effect on the lives on the Europeans. Also, love is a major growth that came out of the Dark Ages. The men and women of the Dark Ages learned what love actually was (Andreas Capellanus 1185).
The Dark Ages also brought along tragedies. One tragedy was the Black Death. The Black Death was a terrible illness. Unfortunately, the people who were affected by the plague didn’t have much time to live. The Black Death wiped out most of the population considering it traveled from place to place. The trade declined, and the prices rose (Beck et. al., 399-401). Another tragedy is the Crusades. The Crusades caused many violent deaths and had people questioning their religious ways. Was God really on their side? The Pope began to lose power. The Crusades broke people and families apart. Many left their homes and loved ones behind (Beck et. al., 382-385).
There are definitely a lot of things that grow out of the Dark Ages to where I wouldn’t think it would be fair to call this time period “Dark”. Sure there were a bunch of things that contributed as a negative during this time, but there are also more positive effects that helped mold the world we live in today. First thing that had a significant effect in the Dark ages were the guilds. This was definitely a good thing because this was the first chance of organization, work and doing what you wanted to do (having more opportunities than farming) (Beck et al, 388). I also believe that growing out of a state of feudalism is a great thing because you can now make a living to buy what you need ( with a coin currency), instead of hogging all of the land and having people slave for you, not letting them have an opportunity to accomplish anything in their lives.
Another significant player to this question is the Magna Carta. I say this because it was the first valid form of democracy by having a form of government, people having certain rights and juries held for valid cases (Beck et al, 394-395). It also gave people the right of choosing their own religion and fair treatment to both the barons and citizens (Portico 1995). This is definitely “light coming into the darkness” if you ask me. Finally the last point to bring up are definitely the Crusades. I say this because it finally gave people something to fight for (other than the king that some people didn't even know), and that something is their God and their place in Heaven (Beck et al, 388). This gave people a more intimate connection with God and with their spiritual practice. Trade in Europe was also benefited in the time of the Crusades by the spread of trade to all places between Europe and Southwest Asia (Beck et al, 385). Therefore the term “Dark Ages” is not entirely correct on account of all of these good and positive things happening.
The Dark Ages is a historical period that focuses on the cultural and economic downfall that took place in Western Europe following the end of the Roman Empire. The Dark Ages lasted from 476-800 or 500-1000.
The Dark Ages started with The Crusades. The Crusades dealed with strong beliefs, religion, bravery, and thirst for bloodshed (kill). The Crusades were not successful except for a select few. Feudalism was also a big thing during The Dark Ages because it was unfair to the peasants who did nothing wrong, but who were merely born into a poor family.
Something that grew out of The Dark Ages are faith, religion, and politics. Also things such as trade (Commercial Revolution), The Crusades (Holy War), lay investiture, and the fact that Islam matured.
Many events/concepts, both positive and negative, had grown out of the “Dark Ages.” Personally, I believe the Dark Ages were rather a period of light. I do not believe it is totally fair to call the Dark Ages a “dark” period in history. For instance, one major event that had grown was the reformation of the Church. There had been many problems in the Church in the beginning of this era, so in order to create structure, it needed to be reformed. As a result, Cathedrals had been built with Gothic art to enlighten the role of religion (Beck.et.al., 380). Another example had been the formation of the concept of “Courtly Love.” The idea of Courtly Love had been expressed through romantic poetry and literature, often with lovers trying to impress their spouse and promising to stay faithful to them (Andreas Capellanus, 1185).
Now on the other hand, many events had occurred that may persuade people to call the Dark Ages a “dark” era. One example had been the bubonic plague. This epidemic killed ⅓ of Europe’s population and destroyed many of its villages. People had to live in fear daily and knew that once they became a victim of this contagious disease, it was the end of their life. Only few people had survived this plague, those affected going through a series of “steps” until they eventually died (Beck.et.al., 401). Another disappointment in this era had been the Crusades. The Crusades were a series of battles and expeditions for Christians to claim the “Holy Land.” What had actually happened was that the purpose shifted from being about religion, to being about profits and having income. Not to mention the countless lives that were lost in the battles (Beck.et.al., 382-385).
Living in the Dark Ages was definitely gruesome for people. Even so, for every fall, there had been a growth. For example, after the plague had struck Europe, the surviving peasants felt they could live their own lives and for once have the opportunity to be free and that is exactly what they had done (Beck.et.al., 401). Love, freedom and new understandings of religion had all grown out of the Dark Ages and that is why it should be considered more of a prosperous or “light” period rather than “dark.”
Victoria Granton
The dark ages is another word for describing the events that occur during the middle ages. Some events are when religion was revived and when the crusades began. Agriculture had big advances such as using horses to plow fields. (Page 387)( "For hundreds of years, peasants had dependent on oxen to pull their plows." "As a result, horses gradually replaced oxen for plowing and pulling wagons.") There was also a three system group which was a system of farming developed in medieval europe, in which farmland was divided into three fields of equal size and each of these waa succesively planted with a winter crop, planted with a spring crop, and left unplanted.(Page 387)(Under this new three field system, farmers could grow crops on two thirds of their land each year, not just on half of it. Villagers had more to eat. Well fed people, especially children, could better resist disease and live longer, and as a result the european population grew dramatically") The guilds helped groups organize and share some ideas.
Trade and buissness increased during the commericial revolution.( www.regentsprep.org)( "As a result of the Crusades, trade increased, which also increased cultural diffusion between Islamic world and Europe. As this trade flourised and grew, new practices in buissness were developed, and a fundamental change in European society took place.") The revival of learning formed new technology and helped express ideas. Englands goverment evolves. The darkness that came out of the dark ages is that most of the crusades failed invasions.(Page 393)(" In 1016, the danish king Canute conquered England, molding Anglo-Saxons and vikings into one people. In 1042, king Edward the Confesser, a descendant of Alfred the Great, took the throne. Edward died in January 1066 without heir. A Great struggle for the throne erupted, leading to one last invasion.")
The english suffered a period of internal turmoil. To live in the middle ages is i think good and bad. In the middle ages seemed entertaining and romantic. But then at the same the middle ages harsh, dangerous and lots of times very uncertain.
There are many things that grow out of the Dark ages. When I think of the dark ages, I have many key events that come to my mind automatically. I think of the Magna Carta, Black Plague, and Crusades. The name “Dark Ages” can have a negative effect on any time period. So many good things grew from this time period. Love, romantic poetry, 100 year war, and the field system also played a role of the Dark ages and what grew out of it.
In my eyes, there were more negative then positive effects of the Crusades that can come out of the dark ages, but I still consider this period not a dark time. Out of all the Crusades, only one was considered to be successful. Many people lost lives, including small women and children. Acts of cannibalism occurred and trade declined. I think that the fighting during the Crusades was more spiritual then physical. The Crusades gave people purpose. Crusaders were told they would go straight to heaven if they participated. (Beck et.al. 382). The Crusades also expanded trade between Europe and Southwest Asia. (Beck et.al 385). A chance of hope, purpose, and strategy grew out of the Crusades during the dark ages.
The Magna Carta, made by English nobles and approved by the king, gave us a democratic government, and also led to a parliament or legislative group. The Parliament also provided a check on loyal power as well as the Magna Carta did. (Beck. et.al 395). Political rights were given the people had a right to make their own decision by juries, which didn’t give all the power to the King. This was the start of equality. A democratic government, equality and a loyal law system, freedom of speech/voting and parliament or legislative group grew out of the Magna Carta during the dark ages.
During the black Plague, 33% (Beck et.al 399) of the population was wiped out, and trade declined. However, so many jobs opened up, surfs had much higher wages, and those who survived the plague believed that there was a God keeping them there to stay. Even though many that did pray passed and their faith of religion and God declined, the percentage of survival was much more then those who passed, so therefore people believed there was a God watching over them to keep them safe, even if a relative passed away. A new population, more jobs available, higher wages for surfs, and eventually a cleaner living area grew out of the dark ages.
The Dark Ages is a name given to the period of time between around 800 -1500 known as the Middle Ages due to the events that have occurred (Wikipedia). The Dark Ages may have been as seemed ‘dark’ but growth and development have occure in this period.
The period was also called the Age of Faith because Monasteries and religion led the spiritual rival. (Textbook pg. 379.) The faith of people was brought out during the Crusades, better known as ‘holy wars’ or to Muslims, ‘jihad’. Economic and political growth also occurred in the Middle Ages. Three-field systems and guilds were created to improve farming and social conditions.(Textbook pg. 388) Aslo the document named the Magna Carta was written during this time. Approver by the King in 1215, this document guaranteed certain basic political rights. (Textbook pg. 395)
Now the moments that made this period known as the Dark Ages. The Crusades that have erupted during this period all had different goals and none of them were successful. Also the Great Schism occurred, when Pope Gergory XI died, Pope Urban VI became pope. Unfortunately, most didn’t agree so another pope was chosen, Pope Clement VII. Each declared the other to be false. Then a third pope emerged, this caused the Church to break into Orthodox East and Roman Catholic West.
Then the deadly bubonic plague occurred, and about 1/3 of Europe’s population died. Populations fell, prices arose and trade stopped. Then there was the Hundred Years’ War. A battle for the French throne between Phillip IV and Edward III. It last from 1337 to 1453. It ended but the son of Charles VI, Charles VII claimed the throne. It’s pretty safe to say that the Middles Ages were both Dark and growing.
Claire Miller 2-19-14
Growth out of Medieval Age
Many good things have grown out of the Dark Ages, so i believe it is unfair to call them the Dark Ages. Religion was revived during the Dark Ages. Monasteries were very popular at that time. The crusades began and lasted a very long time. The Crusades might not have been the most positive event in these times but they were very important and taught a lesson.
Agriculture made significant advances throughout the Dark Ages. People started to use horses to plow fields and they used the three-field system. This made agriculture blossom. Guilds were a big part of the Dark Ages. Guilds were groups/ associations that were important to the city. They helped similar groups organize and share ideas.
Commercial Revolution made trade and business increase. There was a revival of learning in these times. It formed new technology and helped express ideas throughout the age. Lastly, England’s government evolved. The Magna Carta became popular.
(Beck et al., pg 377-403)
Many things, both good and bad, came out of the Dark Ages. The Dark Ages, I believe, were mostly good. One of the good things that came out of the Dark Ages was guilds. Guilds were a group of people in the same profession who worked to improve their living conditions and fought for their rights (Beck et.al., 388). Guilds brought trade expansion as well as an organization for individuals of all classes. This brings on the topic of Commercial Revolution, which was the expansion of business and trade and the founding of different and more efficient ways to bank (Beck et.al., 389). Another good thing was the switch to horsepower. Instead of using oxen to pull plows, peasants started to use horses and were able to plow three times as much land (Beck et.al., 387). Before the Dark Ages, the Church had many problems and not everyone apart Church had the abilities and morals to be there. During the Dark Ages the Church was reformed and some new rules were made, changing the Church for the better (Beck et.al., 380). Also, Islam matured and expanded during the Dark Ages as well.
Even though there was a lot of good in the Dark Ages, it has enough bad to live up to its name. For instance, some bad things that happened were the Hundred Years' War, the Crusades and the Bubonic Plague. The Crusades were holy wars against Muslims and Christians over the Holy Land, or Jerusalem. There were four Crusades total, only one of which was successful (Beck et.al., 382-385). The Bubonic Plague started in Asia in the 1300s, killing millions of people. It continues to travel throughout Europe and North Africa killing about 20 to 25 million people in Europe and about 25 million people in Asian countries (Beck et.al., 399-401).
Then there is the Hundred Years' War, which, as the title suggests, lasted approximately for a hundred years from 1337 to 1453 (Beck et.al., 401). This war between Europe and France marked the end of medieval Europe's society and the Middle Ages (Beck et.al., 401-403).
In my opinion, I think that there was more growth than darkness in the Dark Ages. Even though tragic events occurred during the Dark Ages, in some ways, people benefited from those times. An example of this is the Bubonic Plague. The Bubonic Plague killed one third of the population and trade routes became infected (Beck et. al., 401). Even though these effects were very tragic, there were many positive effects from the plague. Because many people died, many jobs opened up. Also, this contributed to society’s culture and many debts died off with creditors (Jobs, 2014).
Another positive effect from the Dark Ages is guilds. Guilds helped to organize members with the same job and also, the economic status improved (Beck et. al., 388). Guilds led to the formation of unions, which help to organize ideas and people. Many teachers, carpenters, and other people involved in a union, would not have jobs today if it weren’t for guilds. Lastly, the Commercial Revolution was a positive effect of the Dark Ages. More jobs and more cash was available because of this. Also, merchants increased the king’s power and business and trade expanded (Beck et. al., 389).
As you can see, the dark Ages weren’t just dark, they were successful too. In my opinion, they were more successful than they were dark. I do not think that it is right to call the Dark Ages dark because of these reasons.
The Dark Ages began in the year 410 and it lasted until 1095 when Rome fell with the launch of the First Crusades. The Dark Ages were a period of strong and violent change, constant war, horrendous plague, and death. But It also set the stage for agriculture, trade and finance. (Beck et. al., 387) All of this is something that is still with us today. As trades took off and grew, new businesses developed the merchants and craftspeople of medieval towns did not fit it. (Beck et. al., 391). This brought resentment and interference in their trade and commerce. (Beck et. al., 391). If that wasn’t enough as cultures were suffering they were hit with the Bubonic Plague, most catastrophes pull communities together, this epidemic was so terrifying that it ripped apart the very fabric of society. (Beck et. al., 399) The plague killed tens of millions of people It was a disease that wiped out much of the population. When all was said and done the Church suffered a loss of prestige when praying failed to stop the bubonic plague and priests abandoned their duties. (Beck et. al., 401). This destroyed all their hopes and kept everything in chaos for several more centuries. After all was over and if you survived it allowed for new forms of trade, commerce, government and religion to be born. It allowed the people who were nothing to belong to a society where they weren’t welcomed. It was a time to start over.
The Dark Ages did have a lot of bad effects but at the same time it did shed light on a new way of life for the people who survived. It started new ideas and new cultures. Today we still feel the effects of these changes of the Dark Ages. We have a society that has a strong trade and commerce industry that supports a secure lifestyle for millions of people. The Dark Ages were a very difficult period in the story of humanity. It is estimated that 100 million people died because of war, poverty, and plague. The ones that did survive had the opportunity of dealing with better living conditions. Wage increases started to come back and it would never go back to the old ways where the lower class didn’t matter. They got to maintain their new freedoms. All these new ideas like the power to choose your religion, career and your freedom is exactly what we believe in today’s society.
http://medieval.stormthecastle.com
http://science.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.lordsandladies.org
There were certain things that grew out of the Dark Ages. The first growth that I thought of was the jobs people were able to get. With a 1/3 of Europe's population gone from the plague it gave the people of Europe a more greater chance of getting a job (even the poor) and the job's is what made Europe's economy grow. Another growth of the Dark Ages was the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta was a law made by the nobles to limit the king John's power against the nobles and the people since he acted so harshly to the people. So the Mgana Carta's Purpose was to keep Europe peaceful and not in a state of war.(Beck et al 395) One law from the Magna Carta was "To no one we will sell to no one we will refuse or delay, right or justice" ( 40). Another law from the Magna Carta was "No freeman shall be taken or imprisoned… or exiled or in any way destroyed, nor will we[the king] go upon him nor send upon him, except by the lawful judgement of his peers or by the law of the land" (39).
Although there was growth in the Dark Ages there were also very "Dark" times during the period. The black death was definitely one of them. It killed half of its population and people grew insane to the point where they blame god saying that it was a punishment from them.(Beck et.al 400). In the video "An International Crisis" The black death had actually started from an infected rat with the deadly disease sneaking on the trading boat from Asia that was giving goods to Europe in Sicily. The Crusades was another very dark time in the dark ages. The crusades had more bad than good effects.The Muslim and the Pope fought against each other and no side won. People during the crusades were either fighting for whatever side that they were on or finding jobs that were not so easy to get especially if you were poor. All of the people that went to war basically risked their lives for a battle that they couldn't win.
The Dark Ages were not dark, in my opinion. In comparison to the positive and negative events that happened during this time, there are way more positive events. There were growing moments like the Magna Carta (395, McDougal Littell), guilds (308, McDougal Littell), and common law (394, McDougal Littell) meanwhile there were few dark moments like the Crusades (382, McDougal Littell). This was definitely an age of growth overruling the moments of darkness that did happen. Titling the Dark Ages dark is like getting a stain on a shirt and immediately calling it dirty.
The moments of growth and improvement were plentiful. There were political advancements like the Magna Carta (a document giving more power to the people), common law (judging laws still used today), and parliament (395, McDougal Littell). Also, improving in the Dark Ages were community structure and the way people were acting and handling themselves. Workers built guilds to construct a better business financially and just as a whole. A new wave of learning was brought back when fighting in the Crusades (391, McDougal Littell). Philosophy was brought back and Muslim libraries were a place of discovery for the Christians (391, McDougal Littell). A farming innovation was created called the three-field system allowed crops to grow more efficiently and quickly by letting the nutrients revive in another section of the field (387, McDougal Littell). Chivalry, a set of ideals showing a knight’s devotion to his lord, lady, and God, was respected and practiced throughout the Dark Ages especially during the Crusades (The Art of Courtly Love, Andreas Capellanus 1185).
The Dark Ages did have some “stains”, about three. These negative times were so devastating I can understand why this darkness is so persuasive in the titling of the era. One of them being, the Crusades; a tug of war for religious power of Jerusalem between the Muslim and Christians (382, McDougal Littell). Next, the Black Plague; killing one-third of the population with the torture of buboes (399-400, McDougal Littell). Lastly, the Hundred Year War; a struggle between England and France for French rule (403, McDougal Littell). These are the three main dark moments in the Dark Ages.
Considering the miniscule but overwhelming darkness, I still call the Dark Ages an era of growth and change, positive change. The people of the Dark Ages advanced in many fields such as politics (Magna Carta, common law), education (philosophy), farming (three-field system), and business (Guilds and the Commercial Revolution). The Dark Ages was an Age of Growth.
Many things grew out of the dark ages. Currency became meaningful. before hand peoples "money" was land. but the concept of currency happened. this was all part of the commercial revolution. (Beck et.al., 389) The catholic church also became the most popular branch of church at the time. (Beck et.al., 379) and being the most popular kids in town the catholic priests ended up getting extreme authority in the political world as well. soon the catholic church became corrupt with power and when currency came along they got corrupt with money as well! And if that doesn't sound bad enough The catholic church started the crusades! (Beck et.al., 382) a completely useless war that ended up doing nothing and killing a lot of people. and just when things seem like they couldn't get any worse a very large amount of plagues slapped everyone in the face with a killing blow. (Beck et.al., 399) yet on the bright side of all the war and death England and France developed which awesome! (Beck et.al., 393)
Although many wonderful things grew out of the Dark Ages,I think there were more bad things than good that occurred. Since we had a few different sources it brought many different viewpoints on the Dark Ages. This was a difficult decision because a lot of bad things that happened brought up good events. The Black Plague says a lot about how the Dark Ages could have gotten its name and the idea of this time being dark. Since about one-third of the population was wiped out from this disease it brings up the idea of death being very dark (Beck et al; p.401). Also, the Black Plague literally says a dark word in it…“black”. Now on the other hand I can see how people might get the idea of the plague being helpful because it did open up a ton of jobs for people (Jobs 2014). But, so many humans had to die for something good to happen...now that doesn’t seem very bright and happy does it?
Other tragedies like the Crusades contributed to the Dark Ages being considered “dark”. Now the Crusades did bring more trade with the West, because European merchants who lived in the Crusader states would trade there and then expanded, but the amount of downfall that came from the Crusades is quite sickening. Not only did the Crusades tear apart families, religious groups, and bring many brutal deaths but it even had people questioning what they believed in and who they believed (Beck et al; p. 385). Yes, the pope did say that those who died in the Crusades went to heaven (Beck et al; p.382) but in the end the pope lost most of his power anyway so many people steered their beliefs away from what the pope was saying. Also, if torturous devices made out just for people to suffer in and be killed by isn’t dark then I don’t know what is! The video that Mr. Jobs showed us on 10 torture devices was gruesome and insane. I personally think that it is fair to call the Dark Ages dark.
The many things that grew out of the dark ages came after the darkness of that time. In the textbook on page 400, it states that the Bubonic Plague came and stayed in Europe for four years and it killed more than 25 million in other places too. The plague died and returned several times, but it was not as severe as the very first one. With the population reduced, many jobs were opened. More jobs means more money being made. Though the plague was dark and it killed many people, opportunities opened as said on charts made by fellow students. The guilds was an organization with groups of people with different jobs to help improve the economy. The union is similar to guilds. Both offer protection. Courtly love grows. People learned to express their love public to win the hearts of those they have fallen for.
Commercial Revolution was when trade and business started to grow. As trade grew money did as well. Cities have grown in the process as well. Feudalism ended and the king gained power. In banking the coinage problem is fixed and the merchants developed notes of credit. (found from notes and powerpoint)
Religion was infectious and a habit. The crusades(holy war) happened because: of the thrill and pleasure for adventure and kill, the strong believe in God and to follow what was taught that seemed right, and to become famous and rich from the bravery of fighting. But the many attempts of the crusades grew weaker and weaker and the goal of taking over the holy land lost focus.
Magna Carta were the laws and rights for all people. A representative was chosen for the people like a democracy. There are no taxes that haven’t been voted upon. The subjects became citizens and they cannot be imprisoned without evidence to support the cause. People’s voices emerge and political actions against the king. ( based on notes + discussion in class)
A major thing that grew out of the Dark Ages was the three fields system. The three fields system was something that helped with the growth of crops. Farmers were allowed to grow crops on 2/3rds of their land each year ( Beck et.al.,387). People had more to eat and food production increased. This helped hold off some diseases. Something that was also major were guilds. Guilds are an organization of individuals that work together to benefit the economy and the social conditions of the other workers (Beck et.al., 388). Guilds made the life of workers easier to people’s needs.
The Magna Carta was a huge part of the growth out of the Dark Ages. The Magna Carta gave nobles a voice that they never had. The Magna Carta gave out a sense of stability and law for everyone. “No freeman shall be taken or imprisoned… or exiled or in any way destroyed, nor will we [the king] go upon him nor send upon him, except by the lawful judgement of his peers or by the law of the land” (Beck et.al. 395). This quote from the document means that you must have evidence to imprison someone. Also it means that you need a fair jury or fair witnesses.
Even though the Black Death did cause a lot of damage to Europe, after it was over people who survived did get a lot of the jobs that people no longer had. Jobs opened up, so people who were not really working before had many jobs to choose from. A lot of money for many people was made this way (Jobs 2014). At the end of it all, the Dark Ages made life hard and easy per say.
I believe that the Dark Ages isn't that dark. I think that it is unfair to call it dark because many things grew out of the Dark Ages. Some examples would be Islam, Crusades, guilds which led to the Commercial Revolution, and the Bubonic plague. One thing that grew was the Islam religion. It matured during the Dark Ages and was introduced to more people. Then, the Crusades happened where the Muslims and the Christians fight for the Holy Land. It was also called the jihad or holy war. (Beck et. al., 382) Some Crusades were successful but some were not at all. But, on the other hand, there were guilds that changed the European economic state. Guilds work with other people of the same occupations to improve the community and businesses. Trade was growing during this time. They also influenced the economy and the government. (Beck et. al., 388) This led to the Commercial Revolution. The Commercial Revolution was the expansion of business and trading. Goods were traded throughout Europe and other lands too. It was a good influence on Europe. (Beck et. al., 389-390)
A disease also grew called the Bubonic plague or the black death. It killed about one-third of Europe's population. The plague killed millions and millions of people in Europe, China, India, and other Asians. There were many bad effects to the plague, The trading business fell and there were lower populations.(Beck et. al., 400-401) This was one of the devastating things that grew out of the Dark Ages. Not only a disease fell upon Europe, but there was a war called the Hundred Years' War. It was between France and England. They were fighting for French soil but this war ended the Middle Ages. (Beck et. al., 401)
The Dark Ages wasn’t a completely dark period. Although there was a loss of learning, things were able to grow out of this period. One thing that grew out of the Dark Ages was a new idea of love. “Love is a certain inborn suffering derived from the sight of and excessive meditation upon the beauty of the opposite sex, which causes each one to wish above all things the embraces of the other and by common desire to carry out all of love’s precepts in the other’s embrace” (Andreas Capellanus, 1185). Love wasn’t just about politics. Knights also contributed to this evolution of love. They were loyal to their lady and would even write songs or poems expressing their love for her. “A knight’s love for the lady inspires him to do great deeds, in order to be worthy of her love or to win her favor” (Jobs, 2013).
The Crusades were wars to recapture Jerusalem. Many things grew from being in these wars. They increased trading, which helped businesses flourish, and that lead to the Commercial Revolution (Jobs, 2013). Also, for those who survived the bubonic plague, they were able to have a fresh start. There were hundreds of jobs available and they could leave behind old debts when the collectors died (Jobs, 2013). Guilds also come out of this time period. Guilds allowed businesses to grow, and improved conditions for workers (Beck et al 388). Another major thing to grow out of the Dark Ages was democracy for England. They established courts with judges and juries and created a parliament (Beck et al 394). They created the Magna Carta, which is a document that guarantees all people a certain set of rights, such as no taxation without representation and a fair trial (Beck et al 395). I think it is fair to say that while these times were dark, culture still found a way to grow during this period.
The Dark ages was a period of war,trade advancement,democracy growth, a grotesque amount of death, and the age of faith.All those elements allowed things to grow and are essential in modern day living. During the medieval times, the church was apart of daily living." In early 1200s, wandering friars traveled from place to place preaching and spreading the church's ideas"(pg.380).The church was anti-Muslim and against the Muslim Turks having dominion over the Holy Land. The rivalry between both religions led to the Crusades;for generations the crusades went on and there was no outcome to them, they were unsuccessful." The crusades weakened the feudal nobility and increased the power of kings". Guilds were also important to the dark ages growth, guilds were essential to helping people with the same jobs come together and work to enhance the economic conditions. " The guilds set standards for quality of work, wages, and working conditions"(pg. 388),even today unions work together for the same accomplishments.
Another key component of the dark ages was the Bubonic plague also known as the " Black Death". This was a disease that wiped out 1/3 of Europe's population; the plague catapulted the economic system."Trade declined, prices roses, nobles fiercely resisted peasant demands for higher wages, causing, peasant revolts"(pg. 399).Lastly the Magna Carta was important to life for citizens because it gave political rights." The nobles wanted to safeguard their own feudal rights and limit the kings power"(pg.395);the magna carta stated rights like no taxation without representation, a jury trial, and the protection of the law.All of these gathered citations conclude the fact that the Dark ages were filled with calamity and strife; but have impacted the way we live today.
Gi’ovonna Jernigan 2/19/14
Growth in the Medieval Times
Plenty of aspects have grown out of the Dark Ages, and are helpful, useful resources in today’s society. I do believe it isn’t completely legitimate to call the Dark Ages completely dark. Yes, the Dark Ages has some hardcore brutality in it, but there is another side to it. The Muslim Connection I’d say helped quite a bit. In the 1100s, Christian scholars from Europe began visiting Muslim libraries in Spain. The problem was that, Western scholars didn't know Greek as well as they knew Latin. The problem was resolved when Jewish scholars living in Spain at the time, translated the Arabic text, to Latin ( Beck et.al., pg. 391 ). While this was happening, unintentionally, the scholars acquired a new knowledge of science,law,math, and
philosophy.
Though, there was the Bubonic Plague ( Black Death ) --which started in China--, it was called Black Death because your tongue turned black. People were executed if your tongue turned black, to prevent the mysterious disease from spreading ( [Song] Black Death, Youtube ). The plague killed ⅔ of the population ( Black Death, Youtube ). The Bubonic Plague is called bubonic because the fleas and bad hygiene caused the rats to carry the fatal disease ( Jobs, 2014 ). If they Europeans or any had the germ theory back then, they might’ve been able to spare more lives. Merchants were guilty, unintentionally, of carrying deadly cargo ( hidden rats ) and disputing it ( The Black Death : An International Crisis ).
Medieval times were a time of darkness. It was the time that sparked the standards of the modern western civilization as well. Without strong holding government or a set of enforced laws, medieval times offered the most favorable events that partake the the shape of Western Europe today. What grew out of medieval times? Modern Impacts. Medieval was a cycle of bad and good. The crusades killed a lot of people, yet it had a favorable outcome for the trades (The crusades). Trades expanded due to the crusades: it gave access to a new world, culture, food, and materials (Mcdougal 385). The crusade also led to the growth of trade, towns and universities during medieval Europe (Mcdougal 385).Trade, towns and universities are present in modern day western societies.After the crusade, Western Europe had an interaction with the Muslims and Byzantine. The interaction led to a revival of learning, in which Muslims had access to Greek knowledge and historical records. The Greek knowledge, philosophy, and scholar was adapted by Westerners.
The changing climate brought so much changes to the medieval time, with a combination with other agricultural events that took place it created the commercial revolution (Mcdougal 389). The warmer climate made farming better, faster and larger. Farmers invented the three-field system during this time that helped them grew larger amounts of food. As economics grew and trade expended, guilds were developed. The guild is present in modern day as Unions, an organization of individuals in the same business or occupation working to improve the economic and social conditions of its members (Mcdougal 388). This helps them control their working conditions (workers), and gives them a voice. As trade grew and traveling increases, businesses started using banks in order to make trading easier. The crusade, the new-fields system, and new weather all lead to commercial revolution. As trades also expand towns were developed and became common. The concept of a town was present during this time, and it is a common method of community in the modern western world. Big cities also grew from all these trades and fairs.
The pope was the power of the Catholic church. The Pope held a lot of power during medieval times within politics as well. The Pope played a big part in people’s everyday life. The Pope motivated the crusaders to win back Jerusalem with its common God preaching (382). As the plagues hit, The Pope and the Catholic church was weakened due to The Pope not talking to God about saving them. People also started questioning The Pope and the church as universities and scholars reform. The plagues were the last big event of medieval times. As the plagues hit, ⅓ of the population was killed (The Bubonic plague). The outcome was that town populations fell, trade declined, but the plague also paid a positive impact on the cities. Jobs were available and debts died. After the three division of Carolingian England and France develop (Mcdougal 393). The 100 year war was fought between England and France, it helped them unite as a nation. As they became a nation, the germanic feudalism disappears. England and France both developed Common law including Magna Carta. These early laws played a huge role in modern democracy. As the plague killed ⅓ of the population, Germanic feudalism was broken down, and learning and questioning revived. Medieval died, instead, leading into The Renaissance, the time of establishment and rebirth of learning.
As we went into chapter 14 The Formation of Western Europe we came across the words a “dark age”. This period was between 500 and 1000. When people see the word “dark” they might think of the topics war, battles, or even death. Historians tell us some good came out this time. We are introduced to the Crusade. The Crusades were issued by Pope Urban II. The Crusade or holy war was created to gain control of the Holy Land. They were not just made of men but young boys. The Crusades had economic, social, and political goals as well as religious motives.
Also at this time religion was an important part of society. Monasteries became important. The pope began to reform the Church. This time was called the Age of Faith.(Textbook pg. 379). As everything was progressing trade and business also. Commercial Revolution gave businesses and industries an opportunity to trade and exchange many types of currencies. The Magna Carta was drawn up by the English nobles and improved political rights.(Textbook pg. 395).
As we see how many things had been improved and created in this era, there were major events that brought Western Europe down. The Black Death hit Europe in 1347. Bacteria swept across the continent, killing 1/3 of Europe's population by 1351. The revile of trade and commerce increased the potential for the spread of communicable diseases. (www,bbc.co.uk/ hisotory.com) There became a shortage of wood fuel, due to cutting of forests for agriculture. Not only did these people deal with disease, but also war. The Hundred Years War impacted the English, they began suffering from a period of internal turmoil.Democracy became into questioning, peaceful or violent?
During the Dark Ages, many things have grown and prospered which makes us question if it really is a "dark" period of time. One example would be the Crusades, which was a forceful example of power of the Church during the medieval period. The call to go to the Holy Land, to claim it back from the Muslims, prompted famous Voyages discovery and for those who stayed home, they had a chance to manage affairs on the estates or to operate shops or inns. European merchants who lived and traded in the Crusader states expanded their trade towards Asia which benefited both Christians and Muslims (textbook).
The Dark Ages also brought along an idea of set standards for their professions and protected the interests of their members, which was called guilds. A higher social status could be achieved through guild membership, and feudalism encouraged people to do this. There were many advantages of becoming a member of a guild. Guild members in the Middle Ages were supported by the Guild if they became sick(lordsandladies.org). You can see that the idea of guilds in the Medieval time period was a root for modern day labor unions.
Another significance during the Medieval Period was the Black Death. As it is mainly known as a tragedy during this period of time, it has also brought along positive effects to the mentality of European merchants. The Black Death killed a third of the European population, however, this awakened a change within the people. More people had a recognition for the importance of religion. Perhaps individuals saw that all people were essentially equal, if not in life then in death. They took the bones of the plague victims and jumbled all the bones together and used them to decorate churches. The idea of the bone decoration was to show that all people are equal from the richest kings to the poorest peasants(Youtube video: The Black Death: The Greatest Catastrophe ever). As you can see, there has been many positive effects from the "dark" ages which makes us question why it was even considered to be called a dark period of time because quite evidently, we can see that there has been a great amount of prosperity growing in this period of time.
The dark ages was a very terrible death and life threatening time period, but from then we have been able to grow from it. although the dark ages had very some very troubling things to even discuss during this time period there were great things accomplished like the three field system, to grow more crops over the large amounts of land(Beck et. al., 387). another accomplishment in this time period was guilds, which were groups of people that would fight or protest for their jobs. the greatest accomplishment to me from this time was the commercial revolution, which helped to improve trade and business.(Beck et. al., 389).
But along with these great things here comes the dark part of the dark ages like the black death. the black death was a very serious and very well populated illness that would kill their victims in short periods of time. the crusades was another serious of killers that killed many people. the crusades were a series of attempts to try and capture the holy land to make it become one religion based.
Some good things grew out of the dark ages. For the most part, the Bubonic Plague also known as the Black Plague was not one of them. It had some advantages and disadvantages. There were low survival rates, a diminishing in trade, and the Jews were blamed for the Black Plague (Beck et. al., 401). The Jews were kicked out of their homes and towns and even killed (Beck et. al., 401). There were a few good things about the Black Plague. One of them was that if you had a debt, and you died, your debt died off with you (Class discussion 2014).
The Magna Carta was definitely a good thing from the Dark Ages if you ask me. King John had too much power so there was a document (The Magna Carta) that gave less power to him and more power to the people. It “guaranteed certain basic political rights” such as how we now have democracy and juries (Beck et. al., 394-395). King John didn’t want to sign the Magna Carta, but he did. It led to many good things in politics.
Nothing could happen without the people. The Black Plague, the Magna Carta, the Crusades, and many more things. Without people, they wouldn’t even exist. The people had many good achievements in the middle ages. The three-field system increased money. “Farmers could grow crops on two-thirds of their land each year, not just on half of it” (Beck et. al., 387). This means that more crops could be grown, so more crops could be sold. If more crops are sold, then more money is made.
What grew out of the Dark Ages? Is it fair to call the Dark Ages dark? I am currently on the fence about this question. I feel that an even amount of growth and dark cane out of this era. There were many positives and negatives.
One major growth that came out of the dark ages was the establishment of the guilds.
Guilds provided people with organizational structure to improve the economic and social conditions of its members (Beck et.al., 388). The merchant guild was one of the most successful because it controlled the number of goods and the pricing of the goods that were being traded. Another major growth that came out of the dark ages came from our primary source, "The Art of Courtly Love". It states that love is not easy to find. It is a tough road of extreme choices that you have t make and you can only hope for the best that you have made the right one (Andreas Capellanus 1185). The last thing that I am going to talk about is the idea of the three-field system. This new way of growing crops gave farmers the opportunity to make more money faster. They are able to now farm 2/3 of their l/2 of it (Beck et.al., 387). There are many other things that came out of the dark ages such as the Magna Carta, the revival of religion and learning, and the Commercial Revolution, but I felt that the three that I talked about were the most important aspects of the growth.
Not only growth came out of the Dark Ages. There was also many dark things. One of the most devastating dark times was the Black Death/ The Bubonic Plague. This plague wiped out 1/3 of Europe's whole population (Jobs 2014). This plague was spread by infected fleas on rats, and when the rats came into your home, you were most likely going to get bitten. Another major dark aspect of the dark ages were the Crusades. Out of seven Crusades, only one was successful ,and that was the firs one (Jobs 2014). Since religion was a major part of people and their lives at that time, capturing the holy land (Jerusalem) was extremely important. The Christians were only to accomplish their tasks once. The big reason of why this was a dark time is because of all the blood shed during the Crusades. People were killing each other, torturing each other, and eating each other (cannibalism) as a tactic to scare their opponent away (Jobs 2014).There was also the Hundred years war where the English suffered a long period of internal turmoil which means that they were unbalanced and chaotic among themselves (Beck et.al., 403).
As you can see, there is both growth and darkness that comes out of the dark ages. If I had to give an answer, I would probably pick growth coming out on top mainly because of all the agricultural and religious advances happening during this time. It is that basis for what we use today as far as eating right and following a faith.
Is it fair to call the dark ages dark? I think not. What grew out of the dark ages? Many things, things that are still seen today and without them our lives would be different.
Out of the dark ages society changes, grows and peoples wealth prosper. Before commercial revolution( Beck et al c. 2005 pg.390) there were two main classes, the very poor(serfs) and the very rich(nobles/kings), but after commercial revolution more classes were able to develop. With commercial revolution merchants gained wealth, extending the barriers of class( Beck et al c.2005 pg.389-390). Because of the commercial revolution more money was being made, and because of this loan were able to be given out.
Rights of people and law grew out of the dark ages. In the United states we have something called the Constitution of Independence. The Constitution of independence(Oak Hill Publishing Company) is a document that states the rights of the people, because of this people aren’t taken advantage of, but if it weren’t for the Magna cart we probably wouldn’t have such a document(Maggie Galehouse 2014 ). The Magna carta influenced the make of the Constitution , and they contain similar rights such as a person on trial may have a jury. During the dark ages the Magna carta created more boundaries for what civilization requires.
It’s not fair to call the dark ages dark. it is not fair to call the dark ages dark because wealth, freedom, and law prospered during this time, and contributed to ideas we see today.
There are many things that grow out of the Dark Ages which is why I call this period “Dark” because some events were good and some events, honestly like the Black Plague were negative and full of torture but there were more good events that helped create a variety of historical artifacts in our world today. The Guilds had a wide spread effect in the Dark Ages. They were good because it organized a group of people to do work to make money by doing stuff you want and for the noble and his land or to fight for your country (feudalism and its system). The Crusades were also a positive effect because of Christians getting a place for heaven and to save Jerusalem also known to Christians as the “Holy Land from the Muslims, mainly the Seljuk Turks (Youtube Video – History of Europe Parts 6 and 7 by MapAnimator) (Crusades Documentary shown in class).
The negative events cause severe problems for the countries and its people that existed in the Dark Ages. One negative event was the Black Plague spreading across the world killing many people by flea infested mice that was already infected with the plague biting on humans which gave them the plague. The plague’s symptoms were to give humans large bubble shaped pimples called buboes and causing humans to sometimes vomit, cough, etc. (Black Plague Documentary shown in class) During the time of the plague, people tried to cure themselves since medicine never existed by burning wood or even themselves but nothing worked. Town populations fell, Jewish people were blamed for this, and many had a small chance to live if they survived the plague or never got it. (Ms. Bankert when she taught us about the Plague). The Crusades were also a negative event because many innocent people were killed or separated from their families (Crusades Documentary shown in class). People were also either tortured badly or killed by many methods (Youtube Video – 10 Medieval Torture Methods by AllTime10s).
Even though the Dark Ages were a tough time, many people helped their country, noble and leader by making a lot of money (Capitalism) to make sure they are treated well by their leader and well fed. They also worked very long hours to make their leaders happy with what they expected to happen even though the Black Plague made things difficult for citizens to do things.
Olivia Siegel said
The Dark Ages is known as the medieval times, and a period or stage that is marked by repressiveness, a lack of enlightenment or advanced knowledge and was about 500 to 1500
[ dictionary.com and page 353].
I think mostly of what grows out of the Dark Ages is the Age of Faith because [ page 379] It was influenced by the religious devotion and reverence for God shown by the monasteries, the popes began to reform the church. They expanded it's power and authority. The Three field system helped farmers to grow crops on a two thirds of their land each year. It resulted a food population increased, so that there was less disease and most of the people would have longer lives [ page 397]. The Commercial Revolution expansion of trade and business so that it increased at the merchants willing to take changes on buying merchandise that they could sell at a profit [ page 389].
The Bubonic Plague was know as the Black Death, was a disease that had effect about almost 25 million Europeans, many of Asia and North Africa. The systems of the Bubonic Plague had painful swellings called buboes in the lymph nodes, sometimes in the armpits or the groin, purplish or blackish spots on the skin. and extremely high fever, chills, delirium, and most of the cases were death. Some of the Effects of the plague were good but mostly bad. The town populations had fallen, trade declined with prices rose, the serfs left the manor in search of better wage, nobles fiercely resisted peasant demands for higher wages, causing revolts in England, France, Italy, and Belgium. Most of the Jews were accused or blamed for bringing the the plague, so most of them were driven out of their homes, or massacred. And the church suffered a loss of prestige when its prayers failed to stop the onslaught of the plague and most of their priests abandoned their duties [ page 400 and 401].
So in my conclusion, the Dark Ages were good but mostly bad in the beginning and the many deaths from the Black Death.
Are the Dark Ages actually dark? I don't I don't believe so. I think a lot of good came out of the Middle Ages. This era lasted from after the fall of Rome to about the 11th century. There were many downfalls in this time period, even so with that they had many positive outcomes. For instance, when the Germans adopted Christianity. (Chp. 14 ) There was conflict with in of it but, eventually it ended on a positive note. Along with Christianity spreading through cultural diffusion, many other cultures were being spread. Religion played a very good role in many aspects, it gave people a social uplift, self knowledge morality, and especially education. (Jobs 2014)
Another good thing that came out of the “Dark Ages” was Feudalism. Feudalism is a political system in which nobles were granted the use of land that legally belonged to the king. This was helpful because it broke down all the classes and created a land grant system. (Jobs 2014) It was based on loyalty and morality. Catholics also rose to power and trade increased. Trade changed many aspects of society including where people lived and how they earned a living. (390 pg.) Finally, the middle class grew during this period.
Many things grew out of the Dark Ages. Some things are love, war, peace, and death. Even though it is called the “Dark Ages” it does not mean that it was all “dark”. In fact, it all is not dark. A lot of light shines through all of this darkness.
There is a lot of darkness in the Dark Ages but there is also a lot of growth that sometimes overrules the darkness.
Love was one of the many good things that were brought out of the Dark Ages. Love influences a lot of plays and songs. Love was probably a way for people to get away from all the drama of war and death. But not all love was good. Sometimes you would be left with “bad love”. There is one main thing that I wanted to consider as “bad love”. That is something called “single love”. Single love is a kind of love that is a suffering in which one person cannot “tell the truth or no one can number the fears of one single lover”. (Andreas Capellanus 1185) Another good thing that grew out of the Dark Ages is the increasing in jobs. But as you know there is always a bad side. There is an increasing in jobs because people are dying and those spots needed to be filled. Also with the jobs you get to make money. This is helpful now and was then. Something else is a guild. A guild is an organization of individuals in the same business or occupation working to improve the economic and social conditions of its members. (Beck et. al. 388) There is also a revolution called Commercial Revolution. Commercial Revolution is the expansion of trade and business that transformed European economies during the 16th and 17th centuries. (Beck et. al. 389)
On to the darkness of the Dark Ages. The deadliest part of the Dark Ages to me was The Black Death. The Black Death is also called “The Bubonic Plague”. This plague started in Asia when flees bit black rats. These black rats got onto boats where we did trading. So while we traded we brought the infected rats with us and they infected everywhere we went trading with. The plague killed 1/3 of Europe’s population. This disease gives you huge lymph nodes called “buboes”. These “buboes” are filled with infected puss and they are usually found on your armpit or on your groin. Symptoms for this is high fever, chills, delirium, a black tongue, and in most cases death. (Beck et. al. 399-400) More darkness is something called the “Hundred’s Years War”. This war was a war that King Edward III launched for the French throne. This lasted from 1377-1453. (Beck et. al.401) there was a huge part of the Dark Ages that grew good and bad. This is the Crusades. The Crusades was the age of faith that also inspired wars of conquest. Also it was one of the expeditions in which medieval Christian warriors sought to recover control of the Holy Land (Jerusalem) from the Muslims. (Beck et. al. 382)The last thing I want to mention is the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta was a document that was guaranteeing basic political rights in England, drawn up by nobles approved by King John in A.D. 1215.
The Dark Ages are a period of time in the past that led up to the Renaissance. There were many good things and bad thinks that happened in the Dark Ages. In my opinion, the Dark Ages weren’t really all that “dark”. When I think of dark I think of evil and bad things. The Dark Ages did have some dark events in it, but it also has good things like the Magna Carta and the Three Field System. This period of time seemed to be worse than it actually was because of the deaths and events like that. I believe it got its name as the Dark Ages because of how people describe the events in it and also the fact that these events led up to the renaissance. Many things grew from the Dark Ages.
One important thing that grew from the dark ages was the three field system. This system was for farmers or people who grew crops. It gave them more land and allowed them to make more money. “The three field system allowed farmers to grow more crops because they had a large amount of land to work on” (beck et. Al. 388). By them getting more land they grew more crops, made money, and fed people in their town. Another positive growth in the Dark Ages was love. In class we discussed the idea of love and chivalry in this period of time. “Courtly love refers to a code of behavior followed by aristocratic lovers in Europe in the middle ages. Courtly love required that lovers show their devotion by writing romantic poetry, performing heroic deeds, and remaining utterly faithful to one another” (Andreas Capellanus, 1185). This idea of love was something that grew in this time period and other periods to come.
One bad thing that grew out of the dark ages was the crusades. “… he termed the “holy war,” a crusade, to gain control of the holy land” (beck et. Al. 382). The Christians and Muslims fought over the holy land, or where their god was from. The deaths were out of control and so many people were killed over nothing, in my opinion. No one really won the crusades because no matter what both teams lost so many lives. They wanted to control the City of God. “The Crusades had economic, social, and political goals well as religious motives” (beck et. Al. 382). They wouldn’t stop until they reach their goal which was getting the holy land. Another bad thing was the Bubonic Plague. This was a deadly disease that came from rats from other countries. “Approximately 1/3 of the population of Europe died of the deadly disease known as the bubonic plague” (beck et. Al. 399). The plague killed you within a week. Even though the plague almost wiped out the population, it also brought jobs because so many people died jobs became open. The plague was still bad in my opinion even though it helped the economy.
I believe that the Dark Ages weren’t really dark because its was a very cruel but prosperous time. Even though the Dark Ages lasted five hundred years many thing grew. During the Dark Ages, the Age of Faith occurred during this dark period of time and when “Monasteries led the spiritual revival (McDougal Littell 379).” Many reforms were made to show their devotion to God.
But not only was the church a main front for prospering in these slow times. Many agricultural things prospered like the Three field system when farmers would “organize
their lands into three fields instead of two. Two of the fields were planted and the
other lay fallow (resting) for a year (McDougal Littell 387).” The economics had changed also by the creation of a guild. Now a guild was “an organization of individuals
in the same business or occupation working to improve the economic and social conditions of its members (McDougal Littell 388).”
But what really was a great turning point of the Dark Ages was the Commercial Revolution was around the time when “just as agriculture was expanding and craftsmanship changing, so were trade and finance. Increased availability of trade goods and new ways of doing business changed life in Europe( McDougal Littell 389).” and really this is what was hidden in the bad name of this time period being “dark”.
The Dark Ages was a medieval time period of Western European history. The dark ages really couldn’t be considered dark. During the dark ages, the population fell rapidly because of the plague that killed many people. This time period was a very enlightened time. There was very little literature and arts during this time. There was frequent warfare and virtual disappearance of the urban life. The dark ages was basically considered dark for the lack of light of civilization but replaced by feudalism and religious dominance. There were many outcomes from the dark ages. (www.britannica.com) (hnn.us/article/142449) (www.softschools.com>Timelines)
During the Dark Ages, there were many religious conflicts. One of the most successful fails of the medieval time period was the Crusades. The Crusades were holy wars to reclaim Jerusalem from Islam. (Textbook, Chapter 14 Section 1) Trade growth was important because it led to the Commercial Revolution. Results of the Commercial Revolution were business growth, end of feudalism, trade increase, and growth of merchants and the middle class. (Textbook, pg. 389-391) Feudalism was a land grant system or the division of classes. It was based on rights and most power lied with the king. (Textbook, pg. 54) A major legal code set by the bible guiding action and interaction was Canon Law.
Also, during the Dark Ages, a guild system was established, which meant more money. Some of the results of the guild system were increased power for merchants and the growth of cities. (Textbook pg.388) Many other major elements include the fixation of baking, democracy/monarchy, and women’s rights.
I believe there was more good in the "Dark Ages" than there were dark. One major good thing during this time was definitely the three field system. This allowed farmers to grow more crops because of a larger amount of land to work on which later helped in feeding the community around them (Beck et.al., 387). Another major good thing during this time were guilds. A guild was an organization of individuals in the same business or occupation working to improve the economic and social conditions of its members. This helped the dark ages a lot, because they provided protection that no one else could really give the people (Beck et. al., 388).
Major good things that still happened during this time would be the commercial revolution (Beck et. al., 389) which is where they had an expansion of trade and business. One last good thing that happened during the Dark Ages would be the whole revival of learning (Beck et. al., 391) scholars would go out and they would study on cultures and come back with great amounts of knowledge.
This was the important good that I found out of the Dark Ages.
Its not fair to call the Dark Ages dark. To me it seems that more light/good came out of the Dark Ages than dark. There is certain evidence that will make my reasoning believable.
Guilds were an important part of city and town life (Gloria J. Betcher). They helped a lot throughout the dark ages (Guilds=Union) (Jobs 2014). They helped keep things organized and contributed new ideas (Becketal, pg. 388). There are two types of guilds that were important during the dark ages merchant guilds and craft guilds. Merchant guilds helped bring in money and controlled the number of goods being traded. Craft guilds were groups of tradesmen or craftsmen engaged in the same profession joined together.
Field systems are also something positive that happened in the “Dark Ages”. Field systems save more space to grow crops, and that means they gain more money. Farmers could now grow crops on ⅔ of their land each year (Becketal, pg. 387). Because of this food production increased. The villagers had more to eat, and the children had a lower outcome of getting any diseases. This caused population increased.
A major event that broke out in the Dark Ages was the Bubonic Plague. The Bubonic Plague was a disease where rats got bit by fleas.The rats got onto the boats they used for trading and spread to the people. This disease gave you purple or black boils on your skin. If you got it , you died. It struck parts of Asia, North Africa, and Europe (Becketal, pg. 399). It spread along trade routes. One-third of the population of Europe died (Becketal, pg. 399). People were dying and that opened opportunity for other people that did survive to rebuild and get jobs (With the Crusades Comes the Black Death PPT. in class).
Do you think it’s fair to call the Dark Ages dark?
In my opinion during the Dark Ages, otherwise known as the Middle Ages, there was more growth then there was darkness. The Middle Ages were known as one of the best time periods, not only for the Europeans, but the entire world (The Interesting History). Some good things that came out of the Dark Ages were guilds, and Commercial Revolution. Guilds were a group of individuals in the same profession who worked together to improve their living condition, and fought for their rights (Text book page 388). The commercial revolution increased the availability of trading goods and finding new ways of doing business changed life dramatically in Europe (Text book page 389).
Religion was also another very big thing that happened during the Dark Ages. Cathedrals were also very big at the time for Catholics. (Text book page 380). Cathedrals were looked at as the City of God (Text book page 380). The Crusades was not one of the most positive events of this time period, and they happened for nothing. The Crusades lasted a long time and only made the death rate for Christians, and Muslims.
I think that the Dark Ages were more growth than dark. Many ideas that were made during this time are ideas that we use and benefit from to shape the society we live in today. Even though there have been unfortunate events during this time, there is always a positive side to them. During this time, guilds have been created thus giving more organization to people such as merchants. This helped provide security in trading and kept prices of items up (Beck at al, Pg# 388). Business in Europe changed after the Commercial Revolution as well. This expanded trade giving more items to more places that needed them. Wider trade also helped in giving more knowledge to more people. (Beck at al, Pg# 389).
A big growth was when the Magna Carta was made. This document that was made by English nobles and approved by King John is a big influence on our democracy that we live in today (Beck at al, Pg#394-395). My last point is that the three-field system has arisen. The three-field system is when a farmer could keep two-thirds of their land each year instead of only half. Because of this, food increased and so did population. People also lived longer and better to resist disease (Beck at al, Pg# 387)
What grows out of the dark ages ?
The dark ages was a part of the Medevial time period in western Europe. Between 500 and 1000 was a dark age. I have learned that what happens in the dark come to light. During the age of faith there were problems in the church . A spirit invaded the church causing a spritual revival in clergy. Problems that occured in the church are as follows. Many priest married and had families against church rules , kings appointed church bishops using lay investiture. This is what caused the debate between Pope Gregory and emperor Henry the fourth. In 1075 a major battle broke out between the two. Pope Gregory believed that Henry should not have control over the church . Pope Gregory stated that the emperor should be forbidden from investiture. Henry of course disagreed and thought that the emperor should have power over the church and the land. ( Littell , 2007), (Pope Gregory , and Emperor Henry the fourth, 1000's)
The Crusades was a huge part of the dark ages. The crusades is a holy war. The whole point of the Crusades was to capture the city of Jerusalem from the Muslims. (Littell,2007) There was a lot of excitement , adventure and riches that came out of being a part of the crusades. That'swhy most people during that time considered it. What lead to the Crusades is when the emperor Alexius Comnenus sent someone to declare help to go against Muslim turks. Pope Urban the second termed as being "the holy war" . ( Littell,2007) The crusades went on for many years after that. Their were at least 8 crusades.
The commercial revolution was a big part of this time. Commercial revolution opened up a big opportunity that expanded agriculture and trade. They called this expansion of trade and business the commercial revolution. The commercial revolution equaled money. There was also an organization called guilds in which individuals worked in the same business. Unions are a resemblence of guilds. When the commercial revolution began it ended Fedualism. This caused the growth of merchants , trading increased , business growth, and banking is fixed.
In this time period it was a democracy which equaled violence. A democracy involves freedom , equality, privacy, sharing, voting, laws, debating, organization and representation. Women didn't have a lot of equal rights. The Magna carta helped with this situation . The Magna carta guaranteed certain political rights. ( Historyforkids.com). The dark ages was a very hard time , and it was filled with many different complications. The reason for the major fall in population during this time was because of the black plague. Many people were killed during that time.
In conclusion , these are all the things that grew out of the dark ages. This really makes me think about how things have changed now . In medieval times so much went on in this period of the dark ages. I'm happy to say now that things have been solved and that women now have equal rights. That there's not as much war and we don't have trade. Things are really different now . Even though there still is violence going on ; you can still feel some love. " Love is derived from the opposite sex , and embraces you". (The art of Courtly Love , 1185).
There are many things grew out of the Dark Ages. I don't believe that the Dark Ages is "Dark". For example one growth during this time was the guild. The guide helped similar group organize and share ideas. The guide also protection for workers and protection for consumers. (Beck et.al.,388) Which is the good thing that growth out of Dark Ages or Middle Ages. Another example is the commercial revolution, the expansion of trade and business (more jobs, more cash, and merchant).Increased availability of trade goods and new ways of doing business changes life in Middle Ages. (Beck et.al., 389)
The Crusade also grew out of the Dark Ages.The Crusade began 1096-1204,the reason for the war was between the Christians and the Muslims. Most of the crusades failed and caused many violent deaths, separate families (Beck et.al., 379-385).The Black Death or the Bubonic Plague was a killer disease that swept repeatedly through many countries of the world.1/3 of the country died, trade routes were infected.(Beck et.al., 400) Middle Ages or Dark Ages growth out a lot of good things that effect the society but there also bad things that happened too.
When people think of the Dark Ages nothing positive normally comes to mind. After researching and learning about this “dark” time, i have come to the conclusion that it is not fair at all for it to be called the Dark Ages. So much grows out of this period that in my opinion it is crazy that it has such a negative connotation.
One very important thing that grows out of this period is Guilds. A guild was “an organization of individuals in the same business or occupation working to improve economic and social conditions of its members” (Beck et. al., 388). Guilds were great for the community and is what leads to the Commercial Revolution. During this time business was booming, trading was huge and paper money was finally introduced.
Another very important event was the formation of common law, the Magna Carta, and parliament (Beck et. al., 394,395). Even today we use these types of systems (constitutionally based government, congress etc..). This was a time for great learning, and even love. The code of chivalry developed making love now not only political but spiritual and mushy much like it is today. Chivalry is a complex set of ideals that makes a man bravely defend three things; his heavenly lord, his feudal lord, and his lady of choice (Beck et. al., 365). Love also changes from picking someone with wealth and “willingness to grant one which one is sought” to forgetting these two things completely and loving someone for looks, personality, and readiness of speech (Capellanus, “The Art of Courtly Love”).
Many things grow in this era and this is why i think it is unfair to call such times “dark.” Huge advancements take place and i feel that should be noted more often while teaching history to others.
During the Dark Ages, many historical events occurred that impacted the world in which we live in today. There were many dark and unfortunate events in this period which is possibly why it was named the Dark Ages. Starting with the downfall of the Roman Empire, trade, learning, government, and common language started to decline gradually due to Germanic invasions. Cities were destroyed and the people fled the collapsing Roman Empire without any powerful leaders, as if the whole society was being torn apart to form something new. (Beck et al, 353). Soon, a new structure and idea of Churches were introduced which lead to some conflicts of power between the Emperor and Pope. (Beck et al, 372) Then, during the Age of Faith, some unfortunate things happened such as the holy war, the Crusades. From what our class watched about the video on the Crusades, we learned that even though Jerusalem was reclaimed, it came at a high cost. During the long journey to Jerusalem, many crusaders died of fatigue and hunger. Then, many of the Crusaders lost their lives fighting so that their reward would be “heaven”, according to what the pope said. (Crusades Video in class) It was all in Pope Urban’s greed. Was it really worth the risk of death? After the failures of the Crusades, the Church grew weak. The Crusades left behind a conflict between the Muslims and Christians that still stands today. Finally, during the 1300s, a devastating plague swept through parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe wiping out one third of the world population. At this time, the parts that were affected weren’t really developed enough to have sewage systems in order to keep the streets sanitized. (Beck et al, 400) As you can see, many dreadful events arose during the Dark Ages. The outcome was a lot of death and just plain atrocity. Many people think of only the bad things that happened in the Dark Ages, but there were good things too surprisingly.
As the Roman Empire collapsed, a new empire, known as Germanics, emerged. (Beck et al, 354) They accepted Christianity and the idea of Churches, left behind by the Romans. Christianity has spread like a plague to many different places till this very day. As monasteries developed in Western Europe, popes took the opportunity to spread the faith. The inspirations soon lead to the Crusades. There may have been brutal bloodshed, but these wars had an impact on the people. It gave them a reason to live for and stay true to their faith. If they died, at least they died for God. (Crusades lecture in class) Trade started to expand between Europe and Southwest Asia in result of the Crusades. Between 1000-1300, Europe was starting to flourish once again with the development of trade, learning, and farming. Oxen were no longer used to plow fields, for horses replaced them. Then, instead of using two fields, farmers started to use three to harvest more crops every year. More food increased the population of Europe. (Beck et al, 387)
Guilds were introduced to the society which united people interested in the same jobs to benefit each other. (Beck et al, 388) Trade started to expand during this time known as the Commercial Revolution. The outcome of the Commercial Revolution was an increase in trade, which lead to the expansion of jobs, wealth, and banking services available. (Beck et al, 390) England adopted documents such as the Magna Carta and Parliament which contributed to a democratic form of government. (Beck et al, 394). Many things grew in result of the Dark Ages.
In conclusion, although the Dark Ages had some downsides, it allowed other results to grow. Our form of government wouldn’t have originated from England and our rules from the Parliament. Christianity wouldn’t have spread so widely if it weren’t for the Romans and Crusades. Thanks to the unfortunate events that occurred, they allowed other opportunities to be seized in order to make this society what it is today. The outcome of the past shapes the present and future.
The Dark Ages is period in history during the early medieval time period of western European history. The Dark Ages lasted from 476 to 800 or 500 to 1000 when there was no Roman Emperor in the West, because the Roman Empire fell. Britannica.com.
The Dark Ages were dark, but some growth did come out of it. Growth came out of the Dark Ages such as Islam matured, trade or commercial revolution which is trade that began to expand and businesses began to grow, Crusades(Holy War), lay investiture, faith, religion and politics. The Crusades made the Dark Ages dark because they had a thirst for adventure or they had a thirst to kill. (my notes)
The Dark Ages was a period of constant war, a terrible plague, and stagnant cultural growth. Throught the difficulties new ideas and a new culture was born. (medieval.stormthecastle.com)
Out of the Dark Ages religions and the economy matured. Christian beliefs inspired the Crusades, a holy war to gain control of the Holy Land. New places of worship were being created for people to go to their respected places to worship. (Chapter 14, Section 1) Trade began to expand and business grew which led to the Commercial Revolution. Feudalism started to have an end because of the growth of agriculture, trade, finance, towns, and universities. (Chapter 14 notes, Section 2)
There was also cultural diffusion in the Dark Ages. Cultural Diffusion is when different ideas from cultures are used in other cultures. In the 1100's, Christian scholars from Europe began visiting Muslim libraries in Spain. Jewish scholars living in Spain translated the Arabic versions of works by Aristotle and other Greek writers into Latin. Crusaders brought back to Europe superior Muslim technology in ships, navigation and weapons. (Chapter 14, Section 2)
The Dark Ages shouldn't really be called "dark" due to the fact that the time period had some light. Out of some of the bad, came good.
There are a lot of different things that came out of the “Dark Ages. Some of the things that had come out of these times were a new religious feeling, using horses instead of oxen, the creation of the Magna Carta, and using the longbow instead of a crossbow. The new religious feeling was also called the Age of Faith. Monasteries had started this new age. The Church begun to increase its power and along with that was authority. (Beck et. al., 379)
The use of horses and the replacement of oxen had begun in 900 A.D. Plowing fields had become easier to do and was more time efficient. Farmers could plow three times as fast with the use of horses compared to the time of using oxen. Horses were harder to maintain since they needed better food and better places of shelter. (Beck et. al., 387)
The Magna Carta, or Great Charter, was a way to guarantee basic rights for nobles and citizens. It had been drawn up by nobles to limit the power of the king. It had given rights to every single citizen. Some of the guaranteed rights were no taxation without representation, a jury trial, and protection of the law. It is now considered the basic legal rights of England and the United States. (Beck et. al., 395)
The longbow was a cheap, powerful weapon that could take down a horseman easily. The English would level armies by shooting thousands of arrows into the sky. It was cheap, easy to carry, and was extremely deadly. It could pierce the armor of calvary. The longbow was nicknamed the “machine gun of the Middle Ages.” (Beck et. al., 402)
Jade Jefferson
In my opinion, I don’t think that it is fair to call the Dark Ages “dark”. I believe there was much more that happened through this era. I admit that yes, during the Dark Ages not a lot of people were happy and there was a lot of death, but there was definitely some growth during era.
I agree that there are some things that might lead people to calling the Dark Ages “dark”. One event I thought had a bad impact on Europe during this era was the Bubonic Plague. The Bubonic Plague killed about one third of Europe’s population which was a major decrease in population. Another event that might lead people to call this era was the Hundred Years War. The result of this was the french driving English out the country. The last event that might lead people to call this era dark was the Crusades. As a result many people lost lives due to cannibolism and this also caused a decrease in the population.
Even though these three events had a major impact on this era, there was a whole lot of growth that came out of these events. The decrease in population from the Bubonic Plague led to more job opportunities and increased income. The death due to the Crusades later led to increase in trade . There was also some additional growth that was part of this era. A big example of growth was the three-field system. This system increased space for crops which increased the amount of income.
In conclusion, this is why I don’t feel it is fair to call the Dark Ages “dark.
1) http://www.themiddleages.net/plague.html Wide Open Doors. copyright 2011
2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-field_system Wikipedia. copyright 2014
3) Beck et.al.page 401
4) Beck et.al.page 394
5) Beck et.al.page 387
Mark Hoochuk
The Dark Ages was a time of great upheaval discord and chaos. With the fall of the Roman Empire, many changes were brought about. Trade was disrupted and commerce collapsed. With the trade and commerce breaking down the cities began to fall apart and become abandoned. As more and more families left the cities for more rural areas, the learning centers were no longer important. The level of learning and number of people learning how to read and write sank to levels so low that the learning centers just closed down. 700 wars were fought during this time. There was a constant struggle for power which also lead to the chaos of these ages.
Then if the wars and suffering wasn't bad enough the Bubonic plague hit and this killed tens of millions of people too. The Catholic Church became a major power during this time. Christianity became the unifying force of the entire European continent. Everyone in the villages went to church together. It was the social center of their lives and was the one thing that they all believed in and the one thing that they had in commom. When the Crusaders returned with a wealth of information the Catholic Church set up learning centers. The priests set up schools for the boys to learn and pray. The nuns and sisters set up schools for the girls to learn as well. The Crusaders brought back with them information about architecture, philosophy, mathematics, medicine and much more. The Dark Ages were a very difficult time filled with death from wars, poverty and plague. Over 100 million people died. However along with this darkness came some light. The light of education and new ideas that laid the foundation for the life we are all enjoying right now. So out of this great suffering came the light of faith in God and the birth of knowledge and a lifetime of growth that is still alive today.
1.) hnn.us/article/1422149
2.) softschools.com
3.) www.learner.org
4.) World History, McDougal/Littel
The Dark Ages is a name given to the period of time between around 400 -1500 known as the Middle Ages due to the events that have occurred. The Dark Ages may have been as seemed ‘dark’ but growth and development have occure in this period. This took place when the last Western emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed by Odoacer, a barbarian. AD 476 was the time of this event. (Allabouthistory.org)
The period was also called the Age of Faith because Monasteries and religion led the spiritual rival. (Textbook pg. 379.) The faith of people was brought out during the Crusades, better known as ‘holy wars’ or to Muslims, ‘jihad’. Economic and political growth also occurred in the Middle Ages. Three-field systems and guilds were created to improve farming and social conditions.(Textbook pg. 388) Aslo the document named the Magna Carta was written during this time. Approver by the King in 1215, this document guaranteed certain basic political rights. (Textbook pg. 395)
Now the moments that made this period known as the Dark Ages. The Crusades that have erupted during this period all had different goals and none of them were successful. Also the Great Schism occurred, when Pope Gergory XI died, Pope Urban VI became pope. Unfortunately, most didn’t agree so another pope was chosen, Pope Clement VII. Each declared the other to be false. Then a third pope emerged, this caused the Church to break into Orthodox East and Roman Catholic West.
Then the deadly bubonic plague occurred, and about 1/3 of Europe’s population died. Populations fell, prices arose and trade stopped. Then there was the Hundred Years’ War. A battle for the French throne between Phillip IV and Edward III. It last from 1337 to 1453. It ended but the son of Charles VI, Charles VII claimed the throne. It’s pretty safe to say that the Middles Ages were both Dark and growing.
An edited version with more citation
There are many things that grow out of the Dark ages. When I think of the dark ages, I have many key events that come to my mind automatically. I think of the Magna Carta, Black Plague, and Crusades. The name “Dark Ages” can have a negative effect on any time period. So many good things grew from this time period. Love, romantic poetry, 100 year war, and the field system also played a role of the Dark ages and what grew out of it.
In my eyes, there were more negative then positive effects of the Crusades that can come out of the dark ages, but I still consider this period not a dark time. Out of all the Crusades, only one was considered to be successful. Many people lost lives, including small women and children. Acts of cannibalism occurred and trade declined. I think that the fighting during the Crusades was more spiritual then physical. The Crusades gave people purpose. Crusaders were told they would go straight to heaven if they participated. (Jobs, 2014). The Crusades also expanded trade between Europe and Southwest Asia. (Beck et.al 385). A chance of hope, purpose, and strategy grew out of the Crusades during the dark ages.
The Magna Carta, made by English nobles and approved by the king, gave us a democratic government, and also led to a parliament or legislative group. The Parliament also provided a check on loyal power as well as the Magna Carta did. (Beck. et.al 395). Political rights were given the people had a right to make their own decision by juries, which didn’t give all the power to the King. This was the start of equality. A democratic government, equality and a loyal law system, freedom of speech/voting and parliament or legislative group grew out of the Magna Carta during the dark ages.
During the black Plague, 33% (David Perlin says “the Italian plague of 1630 claimed 33% of the population) of the population was wiped out, and trade declined. However, so many jobs opened up, surfs had much higher wages, and those who survived the plague believed that there was a God keeping them there to stay. Even though many that did pray passed and their faith of religion and God declined, the percentage of survival was much more then those who passed, so therefore people believed there was a God watching over them to keep them safe, even if a relative passed away. A new population, more jobs available, higher wages for surfs, and eventually a cleaner living area grew out of the dark ages.
Post a Comment