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Essay The great Ice age
The Little Ice Age Brian M. Fagan summary
The Little Ice Age Brian M. Fagan summary
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War and pestilence played a huge role in the situation of Europe in the 14th to 15th century. (pg. 299-304) The calamities that initiated the 14th century and greatly damaged the state of Europe set into motion a series of changes to adapt to and recover from the struggles against the growing cold of the New Ice Age along with the later, horrific Great Famine that struck many European countries between 1315 and 1322. (pg. 297) The New Ice Age dealt a heavy blow to many Greenland settlements that focused on agriculture and could not adapt to the bitter cold that ruined crops and damaged the chances of successful fishing. (pg. 296) Also, the later-developed pestilence known as the Great Famine primarily struck northern Europe, most of the critical damage being done primarily due to the lack of economical interconnection between northern countries. (pg. 298)
In the same way that Europeans struggled against the New Ice Age, they especially failed to adapt to the famine due to their reliance on agriculture. (pg. 297) The Great Famine also called for adaptation, development, and improvement due to the unfortunate circumstances it presented, leading the church to take action and share resources to stop things from becoming worse than they already were. (pg. 298) Also, the settlement of new lands became an unexpected result of the Great Famine, due to many
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Europeans wanting to travel to new lands in hopes of avoiding the Great Famine. (pg. 298) Several years after the Great Famine, a horrible plague known as the Black Death spread throughout Europe, enhanced by the toxicity and living conditions in medieval Europe. (pg. 305-206) The primary source, "Two Observers of the Plague: Jean de Venette and Boccaccio," follows the personal testimonies of witnesses and survivors of the plague in Europe, and illustrates the progression of the plague. (Two Observers) Furthermore, the initiation of the continent-wide chivalric war that followed the extreme fragmentation of the Holy Roman Empire left also left and interesting impact on Europe at the time. (pg. 300-301) The most significant war at this time was the Hundred Years’ War, a series of prolonged skirmishes between England and France that lasted about 116 years. (pg. 300) The conflict spread the chivalric ideal, a particular code of conduct that came in many forms that many horsemen and soldiers swore to and brought to the battlefield during the Hundred Years’ War. (pg. 302-304) The ideal glorified a knight’s power, and empowered many of the soldiers at the time. (pg. 304) The long-lasting effect on Europe of the war was the person who succeeded the French throne, Henry V, and the new medieval monarchy created as a result. (pg. 315) War and pestilence had a lasting effect on the medical implications of Europe, the economic adjustments, the social construction, and organized religion. (pg. 309-311) Another thing that particularly impacted Europe was the fall of Constantinople to the Turkish sultan Mahomet II.
(pg. 318) The fall of Constantinople to the 80,000 soldiers that Mahomet assembled felt like the second fall of a fragile empire like Rome, due to its adrift and dangerously unstable condition. (pg. 318) With the death of Constantine, who was killed in the invasion, the fall of Constantinople was lamented by many such as George Sphrantzes, a native of Constantinople who suffered a disastrous outcome due to his family's involvement in the failed battle to defend Constantinople. (pg. 318, Fall of
Constantinople) After the Hundred Years’ War, the story of Joan of Arc initiated. (pg. 315) She was a French woman of God that followed whatever God commanded of her despite how it forced her involvement in the dangerous conflicts in the Hundred Years’ War. (pg. 315-316) The main message that Joan of Arc’s story illustrated in both the book and the primary source, “Joan of Arc,” is that women were especially more disadvantaged during this period of war. (pg. 315, Joan of Arc) The fact that she had to dress as a man in order for her visions and actions to be taken seriously and recognized shows the disadvantages of women, even in religion. (Joan of Arc)
The Little Ice Age by Brian Fagan is a novel that discussed different climate periods that occurred. The setting of the novel occurred in Europe from 1300 to 1850. Throughout that time period the climate in Europe was changing quite drastically. The layout of this book was done chronologically and thematically. Fagan broke down the book into four different parts: Warmth and its Aftermath, Cooling Begins, The End of the “Full World”, and The Modern Warm Period. He also went further into breaking down each section from discussing the medieval warm period, to the climate seesaw, then to the specter of hunger, finally to a warmer greenhouse as well as other things in between. The way he wrote the book was not based on his personal experience. It
The Black Death struck Europe in a time of great despair. "Although a `Great Famine' struck northern Europe between 1315 and 1322, nothing prepared Europeans for the horrendous onslaught of the Black Death" (Aberth, 2). The famine had caused a massive hunger shortage from which Europe had yet to recove...
"From the Brink of the Apocalypse: Confronting Famine, War, Plague, and Death in the Later Middle Ages." Medievalists.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.
In the essay, “Global Warming is Eroding Glacial Ice,” Andrew C. Revkin argues that global warming is the primary cause for many of the world’s natural disasters; including flash floods, climate change, and the melting of the polar ice caps. He includes multiple accounts of expert testimony as well as a multitude amount of facts and statistics to support his theory that global warming is a threat to the world. However, in the essay “Cold Comfort for ‘Global Warming’,” Phillip Stott makes the complete opposite argument. He argues that global warming is nothing to be worried about and the melting of the polar icecaps is caused by the interglacial period we are currently in. After reading both of these essays and doing extensive research on both viewpoints, I completely agree with Revkin that global warming is an enormous threat to our world today. My research not only helped me to take a stand but it also showed me the invalidity in Stott’s essay.
The plague itself was disastrous enough, especially in the appearance of more than one form during the same epidemic. But coming when it did was as catastrophic as its form. The middle 14th century was not a good time for Europe. The European economy was already in difficulties. It was approaching the limits of expansion, both on its frontiers and in reclaiming land from forest and swamp. The arrival of the Mongols and the Ottomans had disrupted trade routes, and certain areas of Europe were edging into depression.
The Black Death is considered to be "the most severe epidemic in human history" that decimated Europe from 1347 to 1351 (Witowski). Not only did the Black Death depopulate Europe, but it also had long lasting social and economic effects as well. The social effects consisting of culture, morals, values, and social norms. The economic effects consisting of labor, payment, and the foundation of feudalism. However one would call it, the Bubonic plague, the resulting Pneumonic plague or the Pestilence, the disease scarred the social and pecuniary foundations of specifically the European Middle Ages and some of the impacts even carrying forth into further generations.
The destruction and devastation caused by the 'Black Death' of the Middle Ages was a phenomenon left to wonder at in text books of historical Europe. An unstoppable plague swept the continent taking as much as eighty percent of the European population along with it (Forsyth).
It cannot be argued that the Black Plague was detrimental to every aspect of Europe’s communities. It was a powerful epidemic that wiped out a third of the continent’s population. Out of the midst of all its terror, however, positive after effects presented themselves. Some of these effects included revolutions in the church and society, eventually leading to the separation of church and state. Feudalism was also challenged as peasants demanded wages and revolted. Along with social changes came technological innovations, new inventions, and an attention to hygiene and the beginning of modern medicine. The plague may have devastated Europe, but it also gave way to a new era.
People are responsible for higher carbon dioxide atmosphere emissions, while the Earth is now into the Little Ice Age, or just behind it. These factors together cause many years discussions of the main sources of climate changes and the temperature increasing as a result of human been or natural changes and its consequences; even if its lead to the global warming, or to the Earth’s cooling. In their articles, “Global Warming Is Eroding Glacial Ice” by Andrew C. Revkin and “Global Warming Is Not a Threat to Polar Ice” by Philip Stott, both authors discuss these two theories (Revkin 340; Stott 344). Revkin is right that global warming is taking place. Significant increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is due to human activities combined with natural factors such as volcanic emissions and solar radiation – all together they lead to climate changes and temperatures rising. At the same time, other factors such as deforestation contribute to environmental changes for some glaciers not less than air pollution. However, during global warming not all regions of the planet are affected in the same way, local warming and cooling are both possible during these changes.
Many of the French people were left without homes, food or livestock, they were about to face a harsh winter and were unsure if they had enough seeds to plant crops the following year. The climatic changes that occurred over Europe had drastic consequences for agriculture, resulting in malnutrition which pre-disposed the populace to disease. Inflation increased and famine soon spread across Europe, resulting in many deaths. Around 1339, Europe’s population began to increase, this growth began to surpass the capacity of the land to feed its populace. Therefore, a severe economic crisis began to emerge....
"The Black Death" is known as the worst natural disaster in European history. The plague spread throughout Europe from 1346-1352. Those who survived lived in constant fear of the plague's return and it did not disappear until the 1600s. Not only were the effects devastating at the time of infection, but during the aftermath as well. "The Black Death" of the fourteenth century dramatically altered Europe's social and economic structure.
Another thing that was an effect of the Great Famine was emigration. Many people moved to different countries, mostly America, to find new land and get away from the horrible famine. Soon the government passed the Poor Law Extension Act of 1847, which was approved to refuse any farmer help with over a quarter acre of land. This Act influenced emigration, increased land clearance, and the structure of rural society slowly decreased.
The 14th century is ranked as one of the most distressing epochs in the history of Western culture. With the transformation of the Holy Roman Empire into a greatly destabilized elective monarchy, the transfer in political power from Germany to France and the escalation of England's power comes the end of the High Middle Ages in which Europe sank into a time of despair. Many events were responsible for this decline and loss of hope. Among them, three deserve special attention: the Great Schism, the Hundred Years War, and the Black Plague.
Often when we think of ice ages, we think of cold temperatures and big glaciers. It is hard for scientists to imagine exactly what an ice age was like because it was so long ago and because the earth has changed since then. After the Ice Age ended thousands of years ago, humans had to learn new techniques of staying alive. Living in the world today, we have an understanding that there was an Ice Age, but back then those who brought up the idea were ruthlessly attacked by more knowledgeable minds.
The ice age is a topic of wonder for many. The scientific meaning is regions of snow along with cold enough temperatures to keep the snow over an extended period of time. The last ice age was approximately 12,000 years ago and consisted of the northern sections of the earth. The northern continents were practically covered with thick layers of ice and glaciers. How do scientists determine if a glacier is part of an ice age or just a glacier development? Glaciers during an ice age come up to sea level and continue throughout the year and cover an abundance of land. These glaciers carry with them remnants of animal life, rocks, and dirt.