Thesis: “Is the Dark Ages’ an appropriate term to describe the Middle Ages?
The “Dark Ages” sounds like the title of a deep, dark, despairing, and desolate period of time, with gray, grim skies and little beauty. However, the “Dark Ages” is not really an appropriate term to describe the Middle Ages. Many people who hear the term “Dark Ages” often believe that this refers to a period of history that was essentially a very dark and intellectually depressed period. The term portrays a very grim and stark era, when life was very difficult and hard. Consequently, the use of the term “Dark Ages” when referring to what is actually the time period of the “Middle Ages”, is greatly responsible for much misunderstanding of this period. In fact, some …show more content…
The Magna Carta may be one of the most important historical documents to have direct influence on our modern day lives. Therefore, the education and knowledge needed to produce the Magna Carta must have come from people who were very enlightened and not living in a time of “intellectual depression”, as inferred from historians’ use of the “Dark Ages”, and as defined in the “American Cyclopaedia”. The Magna Carta provided many rights to the people and limited the rights of King John and the royals. Article 1 and Article 29 of the Magna Carta define two very significant rights that have great bearing on our modern day world. Article 1 concerns the rights and position of the Church in England, and provides freedom for the Church and allows the Church to select their own dignitaries without royal interference. Consequently, this article basically provides for the separation of church and state. Article 29 limited the power and authority of the government and gave the people rights and liberties. It promised laws that were fair to the people and guaranteed them the right to the “law of the land” and equal justice by being lawfully judged by their peers or going through a proper legal system. Correspondingly, the people were promised a “government of laws”, rather than a government of the King or other royals and close associates with their personal opinions and …show more content…
1300 CE”, it is quite obvious that the Crusades were a very important event during the Middle Ages, and were definitely not a time of “intellectual depression”. In fact, by viewing this map, it portrays that the Crusades provided the opportunity for much learning and exchange of knowledge and opened up trade routes. In response to the religious enthusiasm that was sweeping through Europe at this time, the Christians decided to unite to “liberate” the Holy Land. Of course, to “liberate” the Holy Land essentially meant that the Christians wanted control of the Holy Land and Jerusalem. Thus, the Crusades actually took place over the course of 200 years during a series of events, battles, and movements during which the Christians travelled to areas controlled by Muslims, including East Asia, Southwest Asia, Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Southwestern Asia, as well as Southern and Eastern Spain, and beyond, in their attempts to secure the Holy Land. Due to this travel, the Christian pilgrimage routes were reopened and the Europeans began to trade in the spices, silks, and other products from the Far East. As trade growth grew and people traveled back and forth exchanging products, knowledge, and customs, there were also great improvements in navigation and renewed efforts at world exploration. Accordingly, this period of the Middle Ages actually contributed a great amount of knowledge and the exchange of ideas to
The “Dark Ages” sounds like the title of a deep, dark, despairing, and desolate period of time, with gray, grim skies and little beauty. However, the “Dark Ages” is not really an appropriate term to describe the Middle Ages. Many people who hear the term “Dark Ages” often believe that this refers to a period of history that was essentially a very dark and intellectually depressed period. The term portrays a very grim and stark era, when life was very difficult and hard. Consequently, the use of the term “Dark Ages” when referring to what is actually the time period of the “Middle Ages”, is greatly responsible for much misunderstanding of this period. In fact, some …show more content…
The Magna Carta may be one of the most important historical documents to have direct influence on our modern day lives. Therefore, the education and knowledge needed to produce the Magna Carta must have come from people who were very enlightened and not living in a time of “intellectual depression”, as inferred from historians’ use of the “Dark Ages”, and as defined in the “American Cyclopaedia”. The Magna Carta provided many rights to the people and limited the rights of King John and the royals. Article 1 and Article 29 of the Magna Carta define two very significant rights that have great bearing on our modern day world. Article 1 concerns the rights and position of the Church in England, and provides freedom for the Church and allows the Church to select their own dignitaries without royal interference. Consequently, this article basically provides for the separation of church and state. Article 29 limited the power and authority of the government and gave the people rights and liberties. It promised laws that were fair to the people and guaranteed them the right to the “law of the land” and equal justice by being lawfully judged by their peers or going through a proper legal system. Correspondingly, the people were promised a “government of laws”, rather than a government of the King or other royals and close associates with their personal opinions and …show more content…
1300 CE”, it is quite obvious that the Crusades were a very important event during the Middle Ages, and were definitely not a time of “intellectual depression”. In fact, by viewing this map, it portrays that the Crusades provided the opportunity for much learning and exchange of knowledge and opened up trade routes. In response to the religious enthusiasm that was sweeping through Europe at this time, the Christians decided to unite to “liberate” the Holy Land. Of course, to “liberate” the Holy Land essentially meant that the Christians wanted control of the Holy Land and Jerusalem. Thus, the Crusades actually took place over the course of 200 years during a series of events, battles, and movements during which the Christians travelled to areas controlled by Muslims, including East Asia, Southwest Asia, Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Southwestern Asia, as well as Southern and Eastern Spain, and beyond, in their attempts to secure the Holy Land. Due to this travel, the Christian pilgrimage routes were reopened and the Europeans began to trade in the spices, silks, and other products from the Far East. As trade growth grew and people traveled back and forth exchanging products, knowledge, and customs, there were also great improvements in navigation and renewed efforts at world exploration. Accordingly, this period of the Middle Ages actually contributed a great amount of knowledge and the exchange of ideas to