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The Dark Ages: The Early Middle Ages Of Europe

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The term ‘Dark Ages’, in its original use, referred to the Early Middle Ages of Europe. Initially, historians used the name to reference the lack of knowledge regarding the time due to the miniscule availability of evidence from the Early Middle Ages; historians did not know much about this period, so the era was ‘in the dark.’ Nevertheless, as historians discovered documents from this time, the age was no longer ‘in the dark’ and many historians have abandoned the term, as it no longer provides a precise description of the time. However, through a semantic change, the word developed a negative connotation and its definition became ‘a time where Europeans lived without learning of innovation.’ Over time, the term’s definition further developed into to a time of ignorance and …show more content…
How could such a respected source get the definition of the time wrong to such a far extent? In the Early Middle Ages, also known as the Dark Ages, various accomplishments, and innovations occurred within Europe. For example, during the mid 1100s, John, King of England began exploiting his authority against the nobles. At this time, the king’s power was nearly limitless; something John took advantage of by demanding large quantities of money without consulting nobles. Furthermore, John also began deciding court cases according to his own personal whims. Before long, the nobles began despising John’s actions. After losing a battle against the French, King John had to make sure he had the support of his nobles. Therefore, a year before his reign ended, John agreed to sign the Magna Carta, a royal charter created by the nobles to protect their

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