The 3 Reasons Why Medieval History Is Important Today

Further Reading

Life During The Medieval Era: How The 3 Classes Of People Lived

The medieval era in Europe remains one of the most important time periods in history. Many of our modern institutions and societal frameworks stem from this period of time. Today we can trace much of our world back through history to the middle ages to help explain our current lives. This article goes over the 3 reasons why medieval history is still important to this day.

People all over the world still study medieval history for 3 major reasons. First, during the late-medieval period, most of our modern governments began to become established. Second, the medieval period was when modern industry and mercantilism were born. Third, during the medieval period, Europe would see a massive increase in infrastructure which is still used today.

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Without further ado, here are the 3 reasons why medieval history is important today.

During The Late-Medieval Period, The Framework For Modern Nations Began To Form

The first reason why medieval history is important today is that it was during this time period that most of our modern nations began to take shape. The modern nations of Germany, China, Britain, Italy, Spain, and Russia all started to form between the years of 500-1500 AD.

Medieval history is important because during this time period many nations began to solidify their cultural belief system and set up boundaries. Languages also started to become more regional during the medieval period.

Today when you travel across Europe many people know multiple languages. However, many of these languages share the same linguistic roots of being based on the Roman Latin language. Eastern Europe has a little Latin influence but a majority is Slavic or Teutonic in nature.

When you study the cultures of medieval Europe you will gain a vital understanding of how the cultures of medieval Europe operated. These cultures have adapted and evolved over the years but even now almost 600 years later can still be seen across medieval Europe.

This is one of the main reasons why politicians and leaders around the world have studied history, in particular medieval history. This allows them to be able to efficiently interact with different cultures worldwide and makes the political process easier to navigate.

Simply put, one of the main reasons why medieval history is still important today is because by studying it you will get a greater appreciation for other cultures and learn to interact with people better.

During The Medieval Period, The Roots Of Modern Industry And Mercalantism Were Born

Another reason why medieval history is still important today is that it was during this time period that the roots of our modern economy were developed. When studying economic history you will encounter numerous instances of our modern economies having their roots in the middle ages.

During the medieval period, there was a massive increase in population and food across Europe. This allowed certain people in villages to become specialized in certain trade skills such as smithing, carpentry, and pottery.

Over the medieval period, these specialized people would form medieval guilds. The purpose of these guilds was to maintain the skillset among their members and provide support in times of need. Further, these guilds would often span entire regions of a medieval kingdom.

Over time these guilds would begin to encourage traveling merchants who in turn would increase the demand for the skilled laborer’s goods. This led to a massive increase in the total economic value of a kingdom. During the medieval period, some medieval kingdoms would become incredibly wealthy from taxing the trades and merchants.

More important however, was the establishment of an entire modern economy as the medieval period progressed. If you lived during the medieval period you would recognize traveling merchants and the rise in total wealth across the kingdom. These kingdoms would eventually morph into nations during the modern era. The economic models would evolve with them into the modern economies we see today.

As such one of the most important reasons why medieval history is important today is because it was during this time period that our modern world economies started to develop. Nearly all graduate students of economics will touch upon medieval European history during their degrees.

Medieval history matters because when you study it you learn how modern businesses and our economy formed. This alone will give you a better understanding of how our current capitalistic society operates.

During The Medieval Period, Europe Would See A Massive Rise In Infrastructure Which Impacts Us Today

One of the most important reasons why medieval history is still important today is because of the establishment of modern infrastructure which is still used to this day.

I am not talking just about roads here. During the medieval period, cities would begin to implement sewage systems to alleviate disease. On top of this many transcontinental voyages would be made to explore the world and set up outposts to help with economic commerce.

Much of the infrastructure across Europe was made by the Romans however as the medieval period progressed individual kingdoms across Europe would begin to build their own forms of infrastructure.

An example of this can be seen in the creation of the 10th-century Frankish old salt road which stretched from northern Germany all the way to the alps. Today you can travel a portion of this old road but much of it has been converted to modern roads.

As the population of medieval Europe rose more infrastructure was needed to support it. From sewage systems, roads, and even entire villages one of the main reasons why medieval history is still important today is because by studying it you understand how people would innovate to make their lives easier.

Modern engineers and architects can implement designs and concepts from the medieval period to efficiently alleviate problems caused by a lack of infrastructure. This remains one of the most important reasons to study medieval history.

Generally speaking, when you study medieval history you will begin to learn about ancient roads and water-based highways that we still use today!

Conclusion

There you have it; an entire article dedicated to the 3 reasons why medieval history is important today.

In general, all of history is important to study. Many of the world’s most successful people have studied history either in a professional or personal setting. It helps you understand how the world works, and why things are the way they are.

Here at The History Ace, I strive to publish the best history articles on the internet. If you enjoyed this article then consider subscribing to the free newsletter and sharing around the web.

Further, you can check out some of the other articles below.

Sincerely,

Nick