Round Three (Final)

Round Three: Period 1400 - 1500 CE

"Conflicts in Europe during the Middle Ages"

In the 1300s, Europe had many bad harvests which caused famines. Sometimes, people even ate other humans because they were so hungry. Not only did people die from hunger, but those who lived became weaker and got sick more easily. When the Black Death disease came in 1348, many people were already weak from hunger and got infected more easily.

One big thing that happened during this time was the Black Death. This disease spread across Europe and killed millions of people. It changed how society was organized and affected the economy because there were fewer workers and not enough food. The Black Death, also called the Plague, ended in 1351.

The Hundred Years' War was a very long fight between England and France. It is named this way because it went on for over a hundred years. There were times of battle and times of peace. 

Joan of Arc was an important figure during this time, a young French woman who helped in the war between France and England called the Hundred Years' War. She believed that God chose her to help France win the war, and she made French soldiers fight harder. She was caught by the English and killed, but she became a symbol of French bravery and love for their country.

Sargn was a farmer who lived in the 1300s when there were bad harvests and famine. He tried to grow enough food for himself and his family, but the bad weather made it hard. When the Black Death came in 1348, Sargn and his family were already weak from not having enough food and got sick more easily.

At this time, Sargn probably didn't know much about how to stop diseases from spreading. People thought that bad smells called "miasmas" made them sick, but these didn't actually exist. They thought that if they stayed away from the bad smells, they wouldn't get sick. Sargn might have tried to keep his family and animals away from places where people were sick.

The Black Death was a hard time for everyone, and Sargn and his family probably suffered a lot. But people like Sargn did their best to live and keep their families safe during this terrible disease.

The Renaissance: A New Era of Art, Science, and Philosophy

The Renaissance was a time when people became more interested in art, science, and learning. It started in Italy in the 1300s and ended in the 1600s. This time marked the end of the Middle Ages and the start of the modern world.

The Italian Renaissance is known for people becoming interested in old Greek and Roman ideas and books. There were big improvements in science, art, writing, and thinking. The cities in Italy, especially Florence, helped the Renaissance grow because they supported art, writing, and learning.

The Renaissance also changed science and technology. Many important discoveries and inventions came from this time. For example, Nicolaus Copernicus said that the sun was the center of the solar system, not the Earth. Galileo Galilei made important discoveries in astronomy and physics, and Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. This machine helped spread the ideas of the Renaissance all over Europe.

Sargn was a farmer who lived in Italy during the Renaissance. He might not have been part of the big changes in art and learning, but these changes affected him. Sargn would have seen more artists and smart people coming to cities like Florence to work for rich families. These creative and smart people brought new ideas to the area, and farmers like Sargn might have talked about them.

Sargn might have used some of the new farming ideas and tools from the Renaissance. Things like better ways to water plants could have made his work easier and helped him grow more food and make more money.

"The Impact of European Exploration and Conquest on the New World"

In the late 1400s and early 1500s, European countries began exploring and taking control of new lands. This time in history was very important because it changed the world forever. Some famous people and events from this time include:

• Prince Henry the Navigator was a Portuguese prince who helped start European exploration. He paid for trips along the coast of Africa to find a way to Asia by sea, avoiding the dangerous land route through the Middle East.

• Christopher Columbus is a very well-known explorer. In 1492, he left Spain to find a new way to Asia. Instead, he found the Caribbean islands and the American continents.

European explorers greatly changed Africa and India. They wanted to control trade routes in these areas and created colonies and trading places. This often caused terrible wars and harm to native people, which led to many Africans being forced to work as slaves.

Spain had a big part in discovering and taking over new lands. Columbus's trips helped Spain take control of the Caribbean and parts of Central and South America. Spanish leaders like Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro led groups that took over the Aztec and Inca empires. This takeover was often cruel, involving slavery and mistreatment of native people, destroying old cultures, and spreading deadly sicknesses like smallpox.

Sargn was a farmer who lived during this time of European exploration in the New World. Even though there were many bad things that happened to the local people and their cultures, Sargn and other farmers like him also had some good things happen.

One of the best things about European exploration was that it brought new plants and ways of farming. This exchange, called the Columbian Exchange, introduced new crops like wheat, rice, and sugar cane, as well as special items like coffee and tea. These new plants were often easier to grow and gave more food than the old plants. Because of this, farmers like Sargn had more to eat and a better life.