The Middle Ages were a time period in which many factors shifted, due to changing world powers and themes. The political and economic structures of many European nations were now starting to form, even if it was slowly. One of the most important factors when looking at Western Europe’s economic and political history is the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was very dominant and influential on world history. They shaped trade, economy, political structure, public health, and many other concepts and ideas we still examine today. After Rome’s fall in the late 5th century B.C.E., Western Europe went through a period of readjustment and recovery. One of the ways the Roman Empire affected Europe even after its fall was in the wide-spread use of the
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During the Middle Ages, the authority of the Catholic church was omnipresent, affecting many spheres of life for a large variety of Western Europeans. At the head of the church was the Pope. Under the Pope were bishops, who were largely appointed by monarchs and watched over and appointed local priests. The church continued to play a large part in society, even when new political and economic structures began to form. With improved agricultural techniques, food could be produced more rapidly, leading to a growing population and increased urbanization. In addition to this, more serfs were gaining independence and becoming peasants, a new class of people that were developing in this new structure. This emerging structure would come to be known as feudalism. Feudalism played a very significant role in shaping Western Europe, featuring tiers of lords and vassals, each benefiting each other through military protection, goods, or other payments. This system played a large part in reducing local warfare and creating a social structure. One of the key people that helped shape Western Europe was William the Conquerer, who continued to centralize feudalism, creating more standardized national law codes issued by the royal court. Another pillar of English history was the creation of the English Parliament in 1265. This Parliament consisted of a House of Lords, representing the nobles and church hierarchy, and a House of Commons, representing the wealthy citizens of the
During the Middle Ages, the authority of the Catholic church was omnipresent, affecting many spheres of life for a large variety of Western Europeans. At the head of the church was the Pope. Under the Pope were bishops, who were largely appointed by monarchs and watched over and appointed local priests. The church continued to play a large part in society, even when new political and economic structures began to form. With improved agricultural techniques, food could be produced more rapidly, leading to a growing population and increased urbanization. In addition to this, more serfs were gaining independence and becoming peasants, a new class of people that were developing in this new structure. This emerging structure would come to be known as feudalism. Feudalism played a very significant role in shaping Western Europe, featuring tiers of lords and vassals, each benefiting each other through military protection, goods, or other payments. This system played a large part in reducing local warfare and creating a social structure. One of the key people that helped shape Western Europe was William the Conquerer, who continued to centralize feudalism, creating more standardized national law codes issued by the royal court. Another pillar of English history was the creation of the English Parliament in 1265. This Parliament consisted of a House of Lords, representing the nobles and church hierarchy, and a House of Commons, representing the wealthy citizens of the