Account for the pattern of population growth in Europe, 1500-1800
Account for the pattern of population growth in Europe, 1500-1800 In early modern Europe the study of historical demography is beset with pitfalls as it was in a pre-statistical age. However there are means to provide a fairly accurate picture of population growth between the period 1500-1800. Parish records prior to the reformation and land registers are the most reliable forms of demographic data and provide information relating to the population of individual towns. Population growth occurs due to natural increase, which is when there are a greater number of births rather than the number of deaths and also on account of migration. Indeed, population growth with a healthy and fertile population was crucial for a state in the early modern period. If a state was to be economically successful and compete well against other states it had to have a flourishing population. Population growth during the period was unpredictable to say the least. For example, often people were vulnerable to the extremes of environment that would cause famine and as a result the mortality rate would increase meaning there would be population losses. Similarly, disease would have catastrophic effects on population growth given the lack of sophisticated remedies available to combat them. From 1500 Europe's population was still experiencing growth from the period of post Black Death recovery that had
How has the Popularisation of 'history from below' influenced historians studying US race relations?
Prior to answering the question we need to understand where the concept of 'History from below' originated from, and essentially what it means. The phrase is an echelon of historical accounts, that was produced as a ramification of the Annales School, and popularised during the decade of 1960`s. "The Annales School is a school of historical writing named after the French scholarly journal Annales d'histoire Ã(c)conomique et sociale where it was first expounded." 1 History from below attempts to act as a dichotomy to the general 'History from above', which has been the traditional method in which to attain information on the aggregate of past events. It is only a recent modification in the historical realm, before this history was habitually thought of as exclusively an issue of the; political elites, powerful, famous and the wealthy. This shift has led many historians to now consider and utilise information left behind from 'ordinary' people, from various social groups - the marginalised societal groups who were once regarded as insignificant to the course of history. There are a few general points which have led to the increase in the usage of history from below, these are; Historians now want to be more objective and attain the correct and most valid answers as opposed to hearing bias and one sided accounts. This is supported by: "Annales school history is best known for
Canada French: an island in a sea of English.
Canada French: an island in a sea of English The fact of French is the first point to be made about French Canadians. It is a French-Canadian society. It lives, works, thinks, loves French. French Canadians care passionately about their language in ways that English Canadians fail to understand. Some English Canadians say that Quebec French is not real French. It's not the French of Paris, nor the French of Marseilles, nor of Bordeaux. It came, basically, from Normandy in the 17th century. It's Norman French the one used by de Maupassant in his short histories. There are anglicisms that have crept into France which have been rejected in Quebec but however there are lots of English words in French-Canadian and they usually come from North American society. Of course the North American world of English is not just Canada, but the United States. The whole North American continent north of Rio Grande with its power, greed, generosity, all its energy and contradictions, is English-speaking. North American English societies have had such success at assimilating other languages and they have developed almost contempt for others. In the US the principle is of a national melting pot, in which all the immigrant languages are finally melted down into English. The Canadian position, however, is that Canada is a bilingual country. Its English inhabitants don't need to speak
Medieval Viking Tactics
The Vikings were feared warriors and successful explorers of new land because of their long-ships, their employment of the element of surprise, their weapons, and their aggressive nature during battle. The Vikings' reign of terror began in the late 8th century CE and for almost 300 years, these adventurous, violent, and fearless Scandinavian warriors ravage various parts of Europe. In 793 CE, they sacked the Lindisfame monastery in northeast England. They slaughtered the monks before carrying off the booty of silver crosses, chalices, and other treasures. In 795 CE, the Vikings reached Ireland's east coast. Four years later, the Vikings attack the French west coast. By the early 9th century CE, Swedish Vikings were moving through Russia, using the Dnieper River to facilitate their raiding operations. Some Vikings reached Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. The Viking Long-ship The secrets to Viking raiding success were their long-ships and the element of surprise. Their long-ships could quickly and quietly sail up many large rivers and from the seashore, Viking warriors sprang upon their victims before their enemy could properly prepare for the attack.The Vikings were almost invincible at sea. Ship building and seafaring were their lifeblood, and they even took their ships with them to their graves. Archeological excavations of Viking burials at Oseberg and
Account for the appeal of Cistercian Monasticism in the twelfth century
Eleanor Fell Nick Vincent Account for the appeal of Cistercian Monasticism in the twelfth century Cistercian monasticism was one of the many 'new orders' established in the 12th century during a time of monastic revival. It began when Robert of Molesme, 'a Benedictine abbot of high reputation'1, left his community at Molesme to found a movement that would be true to his ideals of monasticism - living in poverty under the Rule of St Benedict, separated from the secular world, as the early monks had done. He set up the first Cistercian house at Citeaux in 1097, but was forced to return to Molesme, leaving Abbots Alberic and Stephen Harding to run the house, creating an organised order. Despite this, the Cistercian house dwindled in numbers and did not look as if it would survive. However, St Bernard joined the order in 1113, along with many of his brothers, almost doubling the number of monks. Following this, Cistercian monasticism 'grew rapidly to fame'2, comprising of 353 houses in 1151 and 742 in 1675. The question must be raised therefore, just what was the appeal of Cistercian monasticism that caused such an unprecedented growth and interest? Many historians have suggested that the appeal of Cistercian monasticism and the 'extraordinary rapidity and extent of its growth and diffusion... was the work of a single man, St Bernard of Clairvaux'3. He became the abbot
Witchcraft. In this essay I am going to look at two types of witchcraft and attempt to compare them. I have chosen witchcraft amongst the Azande and witchcraft in medieval Europe.
Compare and contrast examples and principles of witchcraft from either two different societies, or two different time periods, to point out what has changed and what has stayed the same. In this essay I am going to look at two types of witchcraft and attempt to compare them. I have chosen witchcraft amongst the Azande and witchcraft in medieval England. Evans-pritchard found that the Azande have an profound interest in the discussion of witchcraft as a topic of conversation, compared to articulation about God (Mbori). Although witches conceived by the Azande do not exist, a natural theory is found in witchcraft. This provides an explanation for hapless events and a way to respond to such events. Witchcraft plays a daily part in zande life. It is everywhere from domestic life of the home to the labour of hunting and fishing. In medieval England there was not the same frequency of witchcraft as that which occurs daily in the Azande. Witchcraft was becoming very popular in the fourteenth century and came to it's high during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The English too were intrigued by witchcraft however in medieval England and later periods, witchcraft was against the law and was seen as an offence against God and Man. Witchcraft involved the renunciation of God. The witch would make a pact with the devil and this is how she gained her powers. Keith Thomas
Early medival europe
Early Medieval Europe, 300-1000 In the fifth century the Roman Empire broke down. Europe was politically fragmented, with Germanic kings ruling a number of different kingdoms. Western Europe continued to suffer invasions as Muslim Arabs and Berbers took the Iberian Peninsula and pushed into France. Vikings attacked England, France, and Spain in the late eighth and ninth centuries. Vikings also settled Iceland and Normandy, from which the Norman William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066. The fall of the Roman Empire was accompanied by an economic transformation that included de-urbanization and a decline in trade. Without the domination of Rome and its "Great Tradition," regional elites became more self-sufficient and local "small traditions" flourished. Self-sufficient farming estates called manors were the primary centers of agricultural production. Manors grew from the need for self-sufficiency and self-defense. During the early medieval period a class of nobles emerged and developed into mounted knights. Feudalism was developed. Feudalism is a medieval social system: the legal and social system that existed in medieval Europe, in which vassals held land from lords in exchange for military service. Feudalism was divided into 3 sections Serf, fief and vassal - Serf - in medieval Europe an agricultural laborer legally bound to a lord's property and obligated to perform
causes of third world debt
Q.7) Discuss the causes of Third World debt, and evaluate the success of the solutions offered. name In this essay I will highlight my understanding to the Third World debt. The call for debt repudiation for least developed countries have echoed the sentiments of various sectors. Popular politicians, celebrities, the church and ordinary people all agreed that debt cancellation for the poorest countries in the world is justified. But are they right in that assumption? While it is true that countries with wealthier economies extended the credit line to these southern countries, how the money was spent in the respective third world countries was beyond their jurisdiction. Whatever the proponents of debt repudiation would say regarding the culpability of these lenders, it should be recognized that structurally, the lending systems at that time were also deficient. When the Mexican government in 1982 declared that it would default on its obligations, it started the ball rolling for a global debt crisis to occur. Other countries followed suit like Argentina and Brazil. Creditors were up in arms and calling for sanctions for the recalcitrant countries. Aside from debt relief or reduction, defaulting is one way of resolving the burgeoning problem of external debt. When these countries announced that they were no longer interested in paying their external debts that had grown into
viking saga
What is the value of The Saga of the People of Laxardal as a source for the historian on feud in Viking Iceland? Even readers who know very little of Old Norse literature will mostly have heard of the Icelandic sagas. The most celebrated is the so-called 'family sagas'. These such sagas constitute a literary genre unique to Iceland and they all have one common denominator: fictional or historical, fantastical or naturalistic, native or translated, religious or secular, they are all continuous prose narratives about the past. For this reason they are a valuable historical source to the historian as they allow a glimpse at the cultural and social history of Iceland at the time. Although sometimes it is hard to distinguish between a fictional narrative and a historical account, they are key to our understanding of how Viking society functioned and progressed, as saga authors relate in a naturalistic, even matter-of-fact way, the day-to-day life of these ninth, tenth and eleventh century Icelanders. The past in which the sagas are set is the first few decades after Christianity, around 1030. During this brief period, Iceland established itself as a nation, and its settlers set up a strong and workable parliamentary and legal system. Iceland functioned as an imperfect but extraordinary precocious democracy, with elected judges and legislators. Essentially, Iceland was a scattered
What common features can be discerned in the careers of Tanchelm, Henry of Le Mans, Peter of Bruys and Arnold of Brescia.
TWELFTH CENTURY HERESY AND RELIGIOUS DISSENT What common features can be discerned in the careers of Tanchelm, Henry of Le Mans, Peter of Bruys and Arnold of Brescia. The 12th century is characterised by an "evangelical awakening," stimulated by the Gregorian assault on ecclesiastical corruption.1 These reforms, however, were not wholly implemented, and when they were it was often inadequate. Wandering lay preachers were a consequence of the Gregorian attempt at Church reform.2 Often orthodox many, however, not only criticised clerical morals, but also the sacraments, doctrine, and the authority of the church.3 Tanchelm4, Peter of Bruys, Henry Le Mans and Arnold of Brescia are significant examples of such individuals who felt the church did not meet their needs for religious life and leadership:5 "...one great stimuli of popular dissent... [was] the failure of the church to meet the high expectations of moral renewal which were aroused by Gregorian reformers."6 Peter of Bruys is a shadowy figure and little is known about his origins. 7 It is believed, however, he was a parish priest to the village of Bruys in the French Alps.8 From c.1112 Peter is expelled from his benefice to become a wandering preacher in the Alpine foot hills, criticising the church.9 After 20 years Peter emerges from the mountains to preach in south west France,10 and at some point he forms an
