Summary of Overview of the Middle Ages | World History | Khan Academy

00:00:00 - 00:10:00

The Middle Ages were a time of great turmoil in Europe, with widespread famine, war, and disease. Life expectancy was low, and many people died from the Black Death. The Crusades were a series of unsuccessful attempts by European Christians to retake land from Muslims. In the end, the Renaissance began, ushering in a new era of prosperity.

• 00:00:00 The Middle Ages are a period of time lasting roughly 1,000 years, from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD to the end of the era in 1453 AD. During the Middle Ages, Europe was divided into several kingdoms ruled by various kings. Islam began to spread during the 7th and 8th centuries, and by the 11th century it had conquered much of the Middle East and North Africa. The High Middle Ages, which lasted from about 1000 to 1300, was a time of great political and cultural prosperity in Europe. However, the Late Middle Ages, which lasted from 1300 to 1453, was a time of great difficulty and strife.
• 00:05:00 The Middle Ages were a time of great tension between East and West, and the Crusades were a series of unsuccessful attempts by European Christians to retake land from Muslims. In the 14th century, the Black Death killed a large number of people in Europe, and by the end of the Middle Ages, Europe had largely become the Europe we know today.
• 00:10:00 The Middle Ages were a time of famine, war, and disease, with life expectancy for the average person being about 40 years. Historians consider the end of the Middle Ages to be in the 16th century, with the beginning of the Renaissance.