Renaissance And Modernity Essay

From the fall of Constantinople, the Black Death, shifts in humanistic thought, the splitting of Christendom, to the Voyages that led to the Columbian Exchange, the early modern world came into existence with the help of many forces. By forces, I am referring to the Renaissance, reformation, and the age of exploration, forces that drastically turned the wheels of humanity, plunging it towards a new era. With that being said, it is hard to surmise whether the renaissance, reformation, or the age of exploration, were equals when it came to the emergence of modernity, so in order to remove any confusion, let’s examine these periods all at once, while at the same time drawing forth there individual contributions towards modernity as a whole, and in the end, arrive at a concise conclusion that dispels the confusion at hand, giving favor to the one that seems to have provided the most towards modernity. Let’s begin by first examining the Renaissance and reformation, and their major contributions. The Black Death was a lethal monstrosity that wreaked havoc during the middle ages. This pestilence came in the form of bubonic plague, and wiped about nearly 30-60% of Europe’s population. However, this pestilence did not leave an imprint on the farmland, buildings, …show more content…
First and foremost, there was an economic revival that enabled knights to be paid. With this development, knights in essence, became soldiers of the state. As a result of this change, lords started to become less dependent on knights and their vassals for protection. Gun powder and weapons like the long bow and cannon were invented, which further lessened the need for knights. Now, lords could easily train the common folk how to use said weapons, which lessened the need for knights even more. Conversely, advances in architecture, and an appreciation in the arts