AP Euro Summer Assignment

The Rise of Christian Monks

542

Inspired by Benedict, the rise of Christian monks resulted in the spread of knowledge from Ancient Greece and Rome. Not only were they religious figures, but they helped enhance the intellect of their areas by assisting in building law codes, spreading knowledge of the natural sciences, and teaching about agriculture. Because of this, the Medieval monks proved to preserve civilization, as well as the continuity of learning.

Destruction of Alexandria Library

640

After Muhammad's death, he urged his followers to continue spreading the religion. When doing this, they began to conquer cities and areas- one being the city of Alexandria in Egypt which housed the Library of Alexandria that contained hundreds of writings of the Ancient Greeks. While it is still lamented in regards to how this library was destroyed, this resulted in the loss of the one of greatest archives of knowledge forever.

Charlemagne Crowned Holy Roman Emperor

800

Charlemagne took good care of his people in the form of teaching them and creating schools for them. In fact, Charlemagne's success as a ruler and protector earned him the title of Holy Roman Emperor and with this, he hoped to restore the grandeur of the Roman Empire. In his role, he continually worked for reforms to help improve the lives of the European people he ruled over in an effort to continue Roman ideals.

The Crusades

1095

The Crusades were religious wars between the Christians and the Muslims over the city of Jerusalem and to whom it should belong. While the wars were atrocious and intense, one good thing that did come out of them was the newfound connection between the Islamic and European worlds. Culture was shared between them including architecture, their sense of beauty, and the learning.

The Invention of the Compass to Europe

1100

The invention of the compass led to increased exploration and discovery in the new world. For example, while Columbus didn’t find the Indies, with the use and inspiration of the compass, he was able to discover the New World. This access to new lands was extremely beneficial, resulting in new materials and colonization. This allowed European countries to grow, but also get involved in more conflict.

The Formation of Guilds

1156

In the Middle Ages, as workers became increasingly specialized, including tailors, bakers, drapers, and so on, guilds were formed. These guilds were associations that admitted craftsmen once they had received necessary training and experience. The groups protected both the workers and the consumers by ensuring that workers followed necessary rules.

The Invention of Gunpowder to Europe

1200

The invention of gunpowder resulted in the ending of the practice of chivlary and prescence of medival knights. Instead of fighting with vassals, leaders chose to bring soldiers, who fought for money.

Burning of Breslau

1241

Under Genghis Khan, the Mongols aggressively conquered China and Persia. They then went deeper into Europe and eventually burned German city of Breslau to the ground. They had grown to be the greatest and largest empire ever know, surpassing the Romans.

The Renaissance

1300

This rebirth of Ancient Greek and Roman culture began in Florence, Italy. People bagan to learn Greek and take ideas from Ancient Greek philosophers and bring them to light. This was an incredible time for art and science, as people began to look at the world with new eyes. The desire for the rebirth of antiquity soon spread throughout Europe.

The Hundred Years War

1337

During the time of the Hundreds Years War, the continuous disputes between France and England, society was expanding and emerging from medieval times. In other parts of Europe, towns expanded and knights and noblemen were able to move up in society. Reading and writing became common and many were even inspired to attend the University of Paris. Additionally, this way of life began to spread to Germany as well and resulted in the first German university to be founded.