4 major stages in history

 

Human history is traditionally divided into four major periods, separated by political, social, or technological events that marked the end of one era and the beginning of another.

• Ancient Age: Begins with the invention of writing (approximately 3000 BCE) and ends with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE.

• Middle Age: Begins in 476 CE and ends with the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire (Constantinople) in 1453, or, alternatively, the discovery of America in 1492.

• Modern Age: Begins in 1453 or 1492 and extends to the French Revolution in 1789.

• Contemporary Age: Begins in 1789 and continues to the present day.

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Key events that led to historical shifts:

• From Antiquity to the Middle Ages: 476 AD: The profound crisis of the Roman Empire, internal corruption, and above all, the invasions of the barbarian peoples (Visigoths, Vandals, Ostrogoths) led to the collapse of the imperial system and gave way to feudalism in Europe.

• From the Middle Ages to the Modern Era (1453-1492): The fall of Constantinople to the Turks severed traditional trade routes, motivating the search for new maritime routes, which led to the discovery of America. Furthermore, the invention of the printing press and the rise of the Renaissance radically changed the medieval theocentric mindset to a humanist one.

• From the Modern Era to the Contemporary Era (1789): The French Revolution marked the end of monarchical absolutism and the Ancien Régime. This, coupled with the Industrial Revolution that began in Great Britain, transformed the social, economic, and political structure of the Western world, establishing the capitalist system and democratic principles.