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476
Collapse of the Roman Empire
A series of barbarian attacks led by germanic tribes led to the deposition of Romulus Augustulus. Roman laws were forgotten and works were destroyed. The collapse of the Roman Empire led to the Dark Ages. People forgot about Greek and Roman art and literature and illiteracy grew. -
700
Arab Conquests
Followers of Muhammed obeyed his orders to "conquer all infidels." Arabs conquered Palestine, Persia, Spain, Rome, and more. Arabs burned the library of Alexandria, destroying hundreds of thousands of Greek scrolls. The arabs also adopted culture from nations they conquered and spread Islam to be very popular. -
800
Charlemagne Rules
Charlemagne expanded the Frankish kingdom and covered almost all of the Western and Central Europe. He was declared as the Emperor of Romans in 800 AD and though of himself as the lord of christendom. He encouraged the improvement of education, art, religion, and culture. Eventually the schools and educational advancements he made were destroyed. -
1095
The Crusades
Christians aimed to liberate the holy land. Priests and the Pope encouraged people to fight in the crusades to expand the power of the church, and promised that those who fought in the crusades would go to heaven. Christians eventually took Jerusalem from the Muslims. Christians discovered the culture of the arabs and translated works of Aristotle. The crusades weakened feudalism and spread ideas/culture. -
1200
Mongol Conquest
The Mongols sought out to expand throughout Europe because of Genghis Khan's ambition. Due to superior fighting skills, the Mongols had much success. They burned down and destroyed where they conquered, but eventually established prosperous trade and connected many cultures and ideas. -
1300
The Renaissance
The Renaissance started in Italy because of the city's wealth. During this period of time appreciation of arts and literature worked and individualism. Greek and Roman culture was rebirthed and people began to question the status quo. The Renaissance inspired secularism. -
1337
The Hundred Years War
A conflict for the throne between English and France. The hundred years war led to the decline of feudalism in by shifting power away from lords and vassals, eventually leading to the end of the dark ages. However, many people died from famine and plague as a result of the war. -
1452
Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo Divinci was a Renaissance artist that explored raw nature to improve his artwork. As a result, he made many discoveries about nature, physics, and philosophy. He is credited with a number of inventions and original ideas that affect modern society. He questioned what he was heard and showed people that questioning was important to new discoveries. -
1492
Columbus Discovers America
Columbus set out across the Atlantic Ocean in hopes of finding a faster way to India, which was an important area for trade. Instead, he accidentally stumbled upon the Americas. As a result of his discovery, many spaniards and conquistadors set out to America to conquer and loot. They hoped to find gold and silver. This discovery led to the oppression of natives and eventually Europeans took complete control of America and took its lands. -
1500
The Reformation
Corruption and the selling of indulgences in the church led Martin Luther to write the 95 theses, which eventually spread through Europe because of the printing press. The reformation led to the decline in power of the Roman Catholic Church. Luther also inspired serfs to free themselves from bondage and obey themselves. The reformation led to religious separation in Europe and belief in individual freedoms.
