Rise Of The West Essay

Superior Essays
The Rise of the West
Background
In Europe some the first evidence of humans are rudimentary cave paintings in Chauvet Cave in southern France around 35,000 years ago. (ZORICH) People progressed from this into small towns and the beginnings of governments formed around the coast of the Mediterranean. Later civilizations around the Mediterranean and the start of Greco-Roman culture. With the rise and fall of the Bronze Age came new powers and enemies. The Romans united most of Europe for the first time defending it from outside invaders such as Hannibal. This growth allowed them to place rudimentary infrastructure such as roads, walls and aqueducts all around Europe. Further facilitating growth for future kingdoms and governments. The birth of Christianity and the growth of the church united all of those converted under a common banner, power grew and the crusades were Europe’s first major effect on lands outside of the continent since Alexander the great. In the north Vikings expanded there naval exploration even reaching the new world hundreds of years before the imperial powers were able to colonize it. All of these developments fermented into the modern day west. Although there were setbacks, such as famine and the black plague, after the hundred years war tore apart
…show more content…
The trebuchet could knock down the large castles forming around Europe, but soldiers still were under equipped. This was alleviated with gun powder from trade in China. Gunpowder led to the musket a weapon although rudimentary by modern standards could be given to an average farmer and he could be deadly to even a well armored knight. Cannons could knock down even the most impressive castles and greatly increase the danger of facing a European ship. As Europe fought the world as it explored the weapons kept improving. Muskets became rifles and the war machine in Europe rolled

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The third part of the book, How the West Won, by Rodney Stark, continues to discuss the ways that the middle ages are different from the way we understand them. They were a time of great innovation and change. So much of culture was formed during these times. Many historians and history teachers just brush over these stories and facts, if not completely ignore them. Stark attempts to show how western culture was developed during times of great change.…

    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    What has the world come to? In 2393, life is completely different, and Earth is barely able to sustain the lives it protects. In “The Collapse of Western Civilization: A View From the Future”, written by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway, the audience is taken on a literary journey to the end of the world. The figurative language and imaginative scenes that fill the imagination help support the evidence of the decaying Earth. The Collapse of Western Civilization essentially talks about the end of the world and how Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Methane (CH4) are being released in to the atmosphere, due to the usage of fossil fuels and planetary waste sinks.…

    • 1332 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Chapter 1, the cultures and societies discussed include Mesopotamian civilization, Egyptian civilization, the Hittite empire, and the Persian Empire. Major influences from these civilizations and empires have contributed to Western Civilization. Mesopotamian civilization developed between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers and evolved to three definite societies: Sumer (2000s B.C), Babylonia (1000s B.C.), and Assyria (after 700s B.C.). The first known cities were founded by the Sumerians using architecture of mud and brick.…

    • 841 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    But then they took off at a far faster rate than the Romans had managed for centuries. Many advances occurred during the Dark Ages. Agricultural and Technological advances were made. The European Economy developed. Laws were established which controlled and had order in Europe.…

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    369 #2-5 2. The ideas of men these days should be brave, courteous and loyal associated with chivalry have remnants in todays society. 3. The two inventions from Asia that changed the technology of warfare in western Europe are stirrups and Leather saddles. The stirrups and let them handle heavier weapons and the saddle won’t let them fall down, it will keep the warrior firmly in place.…

    • 439 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The U.S we see today looked very different only a mere 200 years ago, it was much smaller,but by westward expansion it grew. Coined the century of expansion, the 1800s were a defining time in U.S history, new technologies were created, the country grew economically and territorially as well, through treaties and annexations, America grew to the size it is today. America’s hard fought westward expansion, can be attributed to two ideals, the belief of manifest destiny, as our “God-given right to conquer North America, and land hunger by avid settlers, however it cannot be attributed to imperialistic notions to assert our global power as a regional hegemon. Manifest Destiny, the belief that it is our “destiny” from God, as many were stringently religious at the time, as Americans to expand across the…

    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Absolutism was a political theory created by the following individuals; Jean Bodin, Thomas Hobbes (somewhat), and Bishop Bossuet. The era of absolutism was a time, 16th to 18th centuries, when monarchs ruled with all power to themselves in most countries, especially in France. Absolutism was favored among monarchs because it gave them complete power over their country and did not have to answer to anyone but themselves. Western absolutist France and eastern countries were similar by focusing on military aspects such as spending money to build large and powerful armies to win wars and gain land, and using increased taxation on lower classes to gain money, as well as monarchs ruling as the sovereign of that state. Eastern and western absolutism…

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    There are many factors that promoted the settlement of the American Western frontier from 1865 to 1900 including; free land for western settlers, having a railroad to connect the east with the west, and the economy, which brought a lot of immigrants over in search of work. Free land was offered to western settlers through an act that passed called The Homestead Act. The settlement of the Western frontier brought people from different racial backgrounds in hopes of free land and to work on the railroad. The railroad would span from the west to the east, linking the two, sparking economic growth. There were people of all types of diverse backgrounds brought to the west in hopes of a better life including Chinese and Africa Americans.…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The crusades were beneficial to improving European culture, economy, and society as well as the ability to discover and explore. The Renaissance, too, had a significant impact on Europe regarding its renewal of knowledge and philosophy which would eventually help to discover America. The rise of the absolute monarchs in Europe allowed for social and governmental success within European civilizations along with its help towards the building of American colonies. The events prominent in Europe were crucial to the discovery of America. Without the collaboration between native and European societies in a time of peaked discovery, the existence of America may have gone unnoticed for years beyond European…

    • 1523 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    World History Dbq

    • 679 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Abundance, trade, and improvements in military would lead to further exploration beyond Europe (ch 12, p 476-477). For Example, Spanish and Portuguese sailors explored the the Atlantic and West Africa until the fifteenth century’s end when they discovered continents from the Western Hemisphere (ch 12, p 476-477). Overall, Europe saw growth and expansion of power due to growth of towns and trade, agricultural growth, religion, the European Renaissance, and how abundance and innovations helped the exploration and trade with other…

    • 679 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Chapter 26: The Great West and the Agricultural Revolution (Pg. 511) How can the land known as the “Great West” be characterized following the Civil War? The “Great West” was a rough square that measured about a thousand miles on each side, containing mountains, plateaus, deserts, and plains where the Indians, buffalo, horse, prairie dog and coyote lived.…

    • 1858 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    During the 19th and early 20th Century, industrialization became the main cause for the development of new industries, as well as the expansion of many nations around the world. With the discovery of new ways to use the raw materials found during the First Industrial Revolution, in addition to the finding and creation of new resources such as electricity, steel, and chemicals in the Second Industrial Revolution, major countries around the world set their sights on having spheres of influence in other nations that served as the most opportune sites and destinations for the trading world and industrialization. This led to the transformation of several nations, as the world powers at the time became imperial powers when they began to dominate other countries not just in an economical sense, but socially and politically as well. Although countries such as the United States and Japan engaged in part of these imperialistic tactics, the majority of the countries that exemplified imperialism were located in Europe. Nations like Great Britain, Germany and Russia began to flex their regal muscle over most of the other the countries in the Eastern Hemisphere through the use of the manipulation of the newly found…

    • 988 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    How the Crusades lead Western Europe into the Renaissance By Ravi Cho The Renaissance would not have occurred had it not been for the Crusades or a Crusades like event. The First Crusade took place in 1095 when Pope Leo II declared that it was a Christian believer’s duty to fight for God and to reclaim Jerusalem from the Muslims who occupied it. The Crusades lasted until 1291. One of the greatest and lasting effects that the Crusades had on the Western European region is that it lead to newly established trade relationships with other world powers.…

    • 1776 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Nineteenth century America saw much expansion west. People from every state sought to travel out west for various reasons. Some would travel out west for a promise of new life, some sought gold, and others desired to cultivate the vast land. The trials, hardships, and obstacles facing settlers did not deter them; even if it meant clearing out the natives living in those regions. Robert May, writer for PBS, writes that the leading factor driving expansion was Manifest Destiny, the idea that the expansion of the United States was ordained by God.…

    • 1096 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Saint Mary’s seminar classes are so unlike traditional teacher-centered learning. The Western Tradition II focuses on three learning goals; shared inquiry, critical thinking, and written and oral communication. These three learning goals really help students explore the Western Tradition by examine the themes written by the authors we discussed. De Las Casas, Rene Descartes, and Voltaire really influenced the way I thought about how our culture started and the major flaws we stay face today within our society. If everyone read and discussed the themes that these authors purposefully wrote in their text maybe people would have realized the underlying issues that have been around for forever have solutions.…

    • 1371 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays