Renaissance Turning Point

The idea of the Renaissance being a major turning point in European history has been passed around for centuries. Despite this, many historians argue that the Middle Ages were not distinctly different from the Renaissance, and thus should not be looked down upon. According to the advancements made socially, politically, and economically during the Middle Ages, the Renaissance should not be regarded as a major turning point, and rather as just another period in history. Many advancements were made socially during the Middle Ages. Education, communication, and religion were in no way lacking during this time period, and they continued to improve as time went on. Universities had developed well before the Renaissance happened. As far back

Between the advancements in farming and the guild system, people across western Europe were highly effected by some part of the economy or another. Early on in the Middle Ages, around the year 1000, farmers had heavier plows and had greatly improved when it came to harnessing horses (Palmer et al. 27). These two aspects made it considerably easier to farm because the plows had a much easier time getting through the soil, while having horses readily available and attached to the plow in the right way made the entire process faster, and overall a better experience. Advancements in farming made it much more productive, which eventually led to the feudal system. Because farming was becoming more and more productive by the day at this time, surpluses were starting to be created, ultimately leading to job specialization and guilds. During the Middle Ages, towns and cities were often home to a guild that specialized in one specific product (LeVan). Masters worked with journeymen and apprentices to perfect whatever craft their guild specialized in (McKay et al. 346). Because there were highly trained masters in charge of everything, from training apprentices to creating goods, it could be ensured that quality was up to par. The masters passed on their knowledge to apprentices, which meant that the products would still be of good quality after the original master ended their career. For the most part, guilds had monopolies on whatever product they specialized in (555). With one guild producing all of a certain good, consumers had no choice but to buy from them, meaning that if necessary, a guild that created a product that almost everyone needed could significantly raise the price, and people would have no choice but to buy from them. People working in the guilds typically made very good wages because of this idea. Economically, the Middle Ages progressed tremendously,