How and why we divide History?

Summary

In this educational video, Ernesto Rodgar explores the complexities of historical periodization, emphasizing that history's divisions are not absolute but serve as useful tools for study and teaching. He discusses the Late Modern Times, starting from the French Revolution in 1789, and traces back through the Early Modern Times, marked by the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Rodgar highlights the Renaissance as a transitional period between the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Times, noting its dual nature. He also touches on the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 and the beginning of prehistory, illustrating how these historical markers are more about convenience than clear-cut changes, and encourages viewers not to let categorization limit their understanding of history's fluidity.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video discusses the complexity of dividing history, emphasizing that there is no single way to do it and that historical periods are not as distinct as they may seem.
• 📚 Ernesto Rodgar explains that dividing history is a useful tool for historians and educators to study and teach, despite not perfectly reflecting the gradual nature of historical change.
• 🏛 The Late Modern Times, which we are currently in, is marked by significant events like the French Revolution in 1789, but its impact varied across different regions.
• 🌍 The start of the Early Modern Times is often associated with the fall of Constantinople in 1453, symbolizing the end of the Roman Empire and the beginning of a new era in Europe.
• 🎭 The Renaissance is a transitional period that bridges the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Times, making it challenging to categorize due to its mix of medieval and modern characteristics.
• 🌐 The Middle Ages are often misunderstood due to limited historical records and the influence of Renaissance thinkers, who saw it as a period of decline between the Ancient Era and their own time.
• 🏰 The fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD is considered a symbolic end, but the Eastern Roman Empire continued, showing the complexity of defining historical periods.
• 🗺 The division between Prehistory and the Ancient Era is not clear-cut, with some evidence of writing appearing in Mesopotamia around 3200-3400 BC, while European settlements from 1000 BC are still considered prehistoric.
• 🔍 The script highlights the importance of understanding that historical periods are not rigid boundaries but rather tools to help us organize and comprehend the past.
• 📈 The video concludes by encouraging viewers to see historical divisions as aids to understanding, rather than strict definitions that limit our perception of history.

Q & A

Why is dividing history into eras considered useful for historians and educators?

Dividing history into eras is useful for historians and educators because it allows for easier study and teaching by breaking down the vast and complex timeline of human history into manageable segments with similar characteristics.

What is the significance of the French Revolution in the context of historical eras?

The French Revolution is traditionally considered the beginning of the late modern times, marking a significant shift in society and politics. However, its impact varied across different regions, and it is acknowledged more as a symbolic event rather than a universally transformative one.

How does the fall of Constantinople in 1453 relate to the early modern times?

The fall of Constantinople in 1453 is often cited as the end of the middle ages and the beginning of the early modern times. It symbolizes a shift in European consciousness and coincides with the Renaissance, which was a transitional period between the middle ages and the early modern era.

What is the Renaissance, and why is it considered a transitional period?

The Renaissance is a period characterized by a revival of learning and cultural development, occurring between the middle ages and the early modern times. It is considered transitional because it bridges the gap between medieval and modern societies, featuring elements of both.

Why does the script mention the arrival of European caravans in the Americas as a potential starting point for the early modern times?

The arrival of European caravans in the Americas in 1492 is mentioned as it signifies the beginning of significant global interactions and changes in European society, although it did not immediately transform every aspect of life across the continent.

What is the significance of the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 AD in historical categorization?

The fall of the Roman Empire in 476 AD is often seen as the end of the ancient era and the beginning of the middle ages. However, the transition was not abrupt, and the concept of Roman civilization continued to evolve with the Eastern Roman Empire.

How does the script describe the middle ages in terms of historical perception?

The script suggests that the middle ages have a somewhat negative reputation due to the limited information and perceptions of historians during the Renaissance, who did not have a comprehensive understanding of the period.

What is prehistory, and how does it differ from other historical eras?

Prehistory refers to the time before written records, relying on archaeological evidence for understanding. It differs from other eras as it lacks written sources, requiring a different set of methods for interpretation.

Why is the invention of writing considered a pivotal point in the transition from prehistory to history?

The invention of writing is pivotal because it marks the shift from relying solely on physical artifacts for historical understanding to having written records that provide direct information about past societies and events.

How does the script suggest we should view the divisions between historical eras?

The script suggests that while divisions between historical eras help us organize and understand history, we should not let these categories rigidly define our perception of history, as transitions between eras are often gradual and interconnected.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Historical Divisions

Ernesto Rodgar introduces the complex topic of how and why history is divided. He explains that there isn't a single way to divide history and that events used as era markers are more indicative than definitive. History is progressive, and even revolutions take time. The division of history is beneficial for study and teaching, allowing for a structured approach to understanding the past. Rodgar emphasizes that the Late Modern Times, marked by the French Revolution in 1789, is not universally applicable as a starting point due to its varied impact on different societies. He also notes that the Industrial Revolution, which spanned several centuries, played a significant role in societal change, more so than the French Revolution itself.

05:01

🏰 The Middle Ages and the Fall of the Roman Empire

The script discusses the categorization of history, including the Middle Ages, which has a negative reputation due to the limited information available during the Renaissance. The fall of the Roman Empire in 476 AD is highlighted as a symbolic event, with the last Western Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustus, being deposed by Odoacer. However, the empire's decline was gradual, with Germanic and Christian influences already deeply intertwined with Roman culture. The Eastern Roman Empire continued to exist, indicating a more complex transition than a simple end. The script also touches on the blurry line between the ancient era and prehistory, with early writing systems from Mesopotamia dating back to around 3200-3400 BC.

10:06

🌟 The Fluidity of Historical Eras

In the final paragraph, Rodgar emphasizes that the divisions of history are tools to help us understand and teach historical events. He likens these divisions to TV show seasons, suggesting that they are not rigid barriers but rather connectors that help us organize the narrative of history. The French Revolution, for example, is seen as a significant event but not as a gate that completely separates two distinct historical ideas. Instead, it serves as a bridge between eras. Rodgar concludes by reminding viewers that while categorization is useful, it should not limit our understanding of history's fluidity and interconnectedness.

Keywords

💡Division of History

The division of history refers to the practice of categorizing the past into distinct periods or eras based on significant cultural, social, or political changes. In the video, Ernesto Rodgar discusses the complexity of this division, noting that while specific events like the French Revolution are often used as markers, history is a continuous and progressive narrative. The division is a tool for historians and educators to study and teach the past more effectively, as it allows for a structured approach to understanding the sequence of events.

💡Eras

Eras are broad divisions of time that reflect significant shifts in human history. The video script mentions several eras, including the Late Modern Times, Early Modern Times, Middle Ages, Ancient Era, and Prehistory. Each era is characterized by unique cultural, technological, and societal developments. For instance, the Late Modern Times are marked by the French Revolution, while the Middle Ages are seen as a period between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance.

💡French Revolution

The French Revolution, which began in 1789, is a pivotal event in history that symbolizes the transition from the Early Modern Times to the Late Modern Times. In the video, it is highlighted as a significant marker, although the presenter also points out that its impact was not uniform across all societies. The revolution is used to illustrate how historical divisions are not always clear-cut and that the changes they signify can take time to be felt across different regions.

💡Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution is a term used to describe the period during which agrarian societies became industrialized. It is mentioned in the video as a key factor in societal changes between the 18th and 19th centuries, although it is noted that its effects were more gradual and widespread than a single event like the French Revolution. The Industrial Revolution is an example of how technological advancements can lead to the redefinition of historical periods.

💡Renaissance

The Renaissance, which means 'rebirth,' was a period of cultural, artistic, intellectual, and economic revival that began in Italy in the 14th century and spread throughout Europe. In the video, it is described as a transitional period between the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Times, marked by the influx of scholars and ideas from the fallen Constantinople. The Renaissance is a complex era that doesn't fit neatly into a single category, reflecting the challenges of historical categorization.

💡Constantinople

Constantinople, now known as Istanbul, was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and is mentioned in the video as a significant historical location. Its fall to the Ottoman Turks in 1453 is used to mark the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Early Modern Times. The video discusses how the city's fall symbolized the end of an era and the beginning of significant cultural and intellectual shifts in Europe.

💡Middle Ages

The Middle Ages, also known as the medieval period, spans from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the 14th century. In the video, the Middle Ages are characterized as a period that is often misunderstood and carries a negative reputation due to the limited information available to early historians. The presenter suggests that the Middle Ages were a complex period that bridges ancient and modern history.

💡Prehistory

Prehistory refers to the vast period of human history before the invention of writing systems. In the video, prehistory is defined by the absence of written records, making it a time that can only be studied through archaeological evidence. The video emphasizes the challenges of interpreting prehistoric findings, as without written context, the purposes of artifacts like ancient flutes remain speculative.

💡Historical Categorization

Historical categorization is the process of dividing the past into manageable segments for study and understanding. The video script discusses how historians use categorization to organize and teach history, but also warns against letting these categories limit our understanding of the past. The video suggests that while categorization is a useful tool, it should not oversimplify the complex and interconnected nature of historical events.

💡Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was a vast and powerful civilization that lasted for several centuries and had a profound impact on Western culture and history. In the video, the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD is discussed as a symbolic end to an era, with the last emperor, Romulus Augustus, being deposed. The video highlights how the idea of Roman civilization continued to evolve and blend with other cultures even after the fall of the Western Empire.

Highlights

History is divided into eras for easier study and teaching, but these divisions are not always clear-cut.

The Middle Ages are often misunderstood due to the way they were categorized by Renaissance thinkers.

The French Revolution in 1789 is traditionally seen as the start of the Late Modern Times, but its impact varied across different regions.

The Industrial Revolution, spanning several centuries, is not a single event but a series of inventions.

The fall of Constantinople in 1453 marks the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Early Modern Times.

The Renaissance is a transitional period that doesn't fit neatly into a single historical category.

The arrival of European caravals in the Americas in 1492 is another marker for the start of the Early Modern Times.

The fall of the Roman Empire in 476 is symbolic, as Roman civilization continued in the Eastern Roman Empire.

The concept of Roman civilization had already been influenced by Germanic and Christian elements before 476.

The division of history into eras is a tool for organization, not a definitive separation of ideas.

Prehistory is defined by the absence of written sources, making it a separate category of study.

The invention of writing is not precisely known, but some of the earliest examples come from Mesopotamia around 3200-3400 BC.

The transition between Prehistory and Ancient Times is not clear-cut, with some periods overlapping.

Historical categorizations are useful for understanding and teaching, but they should not limit our perception of history.

The video encourages viewers to like, share, and subscribe for more content on historical topics.

Transcripts

What! The Middle Ages start today? But i haven't fixed my hair!

Hello, hello! I'm Ernesto Rodgar. Welcome back to  my channel. For this week I bring to you a very  

complicated topic: how and why we divide history.  This topic is so tricky because there isn't  

one way to divide history. Also even though we  use specific events as the limits for the eras  

the actual succession of events doesn't work like  that. Like the lines on a map which really aren't  

there these events are simply indicators. History  is slow and progressive and even revolutions take  

time still we divide history because it's easier  for us historians to study it that way and at the  

same time it's easier to teach it in school when  we divide it into temperatures that have similar  

length and rhythm is it when you do a group  project at school you do this part you do this  

part i do this part and then we bring everything  together and the end result is a perfect and  

cohesive presentation right that never happened  history in university works kind of like that  

you have professionals and experts in each era and  each topic teaching you everything that they know  

and then you have to put everything together  and hope that it makes sense since things get  

really complicated the further bad would go into  history let's begin with the most current era and  

go backwards but before we do that please remember  to like and share the video to support the channel  

and also don't forget to subscribe and hit the  bell icon to receive a notification every time i  

upload a new video with that being said the first  thing we have to see is how we categorize history  

we have pre-history the ancient era the middle  ages the early modern times and the late modern  

times where we currently are the late modern times  hasn't ended yet the world keeps on spinning and  

the traditional date for it's beginning in 1789  with the start of the french revolution of course  

in france this event marked a before and after  and the same could be said for some countries but  

certainly not for all for example in england which  is right next to france society barely changed  

furthermore a few years after the revolution  france went back to have a king on the throne  

it is true that there were some big changes in  society between the 18th century and the 19th  

century but that has less to do with the french  revolution and more with the industrial revolution  

the thing is then the industrial revolution  isn't one event but rather the inventions  

of new machines that happen across several  centuries so we take 1789 as a year when something  

significant happened even though each event can  be considered significant in its own way so this  

would mark the end of the early modern times  its start date is usually set in 1453 with the  

fall of constantinople by the ottoman turks which  changed the phase and the minds of europe but the  

city of constantinople at this time was more of a  symbol the last remaining point of what once was  

the roman empire in reality by 1453 the turks  already controlled most of well turkey and the  

balkans and the scientists and philosophers that  lived in the city had already escaped to italy or  

other countries this date of 1453 coincides with  the renaissance which sparked in europe after  

those thinkers philosophers and scientists escaped  from constantinople the thing is the renaissance  

falls right between the middle ages and the early  modern times it's part medieval and it's part  

modern it's the transition moment which makes it  even harder to study because it doesn't fit into  

one single category it can be seen from a medieval  point of view or from a modern point of view  

you can study its art its culture its language  its politics its economy so many things to see  

another day that some historians use as the  beginning of the early modern times is the  

arrival of european caravals in the americas  in october of 1492 but again this doesn't mean  

that the entire european society changed from one  day to the next a german shepherd for example had  

the same problems on october 15 that he had on  october 13th he didn't notice the beginning of  

a new era but over time slowly things change the  same can be said for next time stamp full of the  

roman empire in 476 on that year odo acer deposed  the last western roman emperor romulus augustus  

putting an end to roman civilization in reality  the idea of roman civilization was already mixed  

with germanic and christian elements making it  very different to what we classically see as  

roman culture the empire was divided first  into east and west and then the western half  

was distributed between the germanic tribes  emperor romulus had very little control of what  

once was the roman empire oh and also he was 16 he  was a puppet emperor the economy had been in ruins  

for years the religion was different the army had  nothing to do with what we saw on the other video  

and what i think is the cherry on top the roman  empire technically continued existing with the  

eastern roman empire roman civilization left on  for one thousand years although it was mixed with  

greek and christian elements while the fall of  the roman empire in 476 is seen as a symbol and  

renaissance historians saw a parallel between this  and what was happening in constantinople in 1453  

and it's the renaissance thinkers who we have to  blame for the first division of history they said  

there's the ancient era with the romans  the greeks and all that culture there's us  

in our modern times with all our knowledge and  then there's something in the middle between them  

and us the middle ages back then they didn't have  all the information so their perception of history  

is not really accurate that's why the middle ages  has such a bad reputation which is something we  

are definitely going to see on a future video for  now let's continue because we have one more era  

to discuss prehistory prehistory is defined as  that moment in time for which we don't have any  

written sources thus we rely on archaeological  evidence and all the information scientists can  

get from that evidence because writing makes a  whole difference take for example that we find  

a flute on a medieval monastery right next to  some scores with religious lyrics we can add two  

plus two together and say that the flute was used  for religious music when it comes to prehistory  

archaeologists have found flutes from the  caveman days but we don't really know its purpose  

was it religious was it entertaining was it out  of boredom was it for communication we don't know  

so for that reason prehistory has its own methods  and it's a little bit separated from the rest of  

history now of course we can find instances of  not knowing what really happened beyond prehistory  

even if we have written sources this whole  business raises another question when was  

writing invented well the short answer is we  don't know the long answer is that it varies  

from territory and culture but still we don't know  the except here some of the earliest examples are  

uniform writing from mesopotamia which date back  to the fourth millennium around three thousand two  

hundred three thousand four hundred bc the limit  between these two eras pre-history in the ancient  

times it's blurry for the ancient era you can  be studying mesopotamia or ancient egypt on the  

year 4000 bc meanwhile for prehistory you can be  studying european settlements from around 1000 bc  

so you can see that they cross each other's lines  not to mention that for the american continent  

the whole system is completely different it's  like when you're watching a tv show on netflix  

and right when things are getting interesting  and excited the episode ends or worse  

the season ends now this doesn't mean that  the plot ended or that the scene is over  

it's just a device used to help us  understand the sequence of events  

the french revolution might be a season finale  but we shouldn't see it as the gate that divides  

two different ideas but rather as the thing  that is connecting these two eras these two  

seasons and perhaps season three and four have  a similar vibe even though they're separated  

into two seasons that's the way history works we  have those seasons those eras to help us organize  

the plot to help us organize the sequence  of events and to allow us historians  

teach all of these things to future generations or  people currently on youtube we categorize history  

to help us understand it but we shouldn't  allow this categories define our understanding  

of history thank you so much for watching  this video see you next time bye bye ciao