UNITS
The civilization that developed in Greece had an enduring impact on later civilizations. This legacy includes governance and law, engineering and technology, art and architecture, as well as literature and history.
Rome had an enduring impact on later civilizations. This legacy includes governance and law, engineering and technology, art and architecture, as well as literature and history and the spread of Christianity.
Germanic invasions helped to break up the Roman Empire and set the stage for the development of feudal and manorial systems. Feudalism developed as a political system based on small local units controlled by lords bound by an oath of loyalty to a monarch.
The decline of feudalism in Europe resulted from interactions between the Muslim world and European states. These interactions influenced the rise of new ideas and institutions.
The Renaissance in Europe introduced revolutionary ideas, leading to cultural, scientific and social changes.
The Reformation introduced changes in religion including the emergence of Protestant faiths and a decline in the political power and social influence of the Roman Catholic Church.
Empires in Africa (Ghana, Mali and Songhay) grew as commercial and cultural centers along trade routes. The advent of the trans-Saharan slave trade had profound effects on both West and Central Africa and the receiving societies.
European economic and cultural influence dramatically increased through explorations, conquests and colonization. The Columbian Exchange between previously unconnected parts of the world reshaped societies in ways still evident today.