Why study history? Because you can’t follow politics without it. YouTube speakers are constantly referring to this definition of where we’ve come from and you can’t understand anything important without background. In this chapter you’ll be getting a high-level overview of 2,500 years and then we’ll delve into specifics that affect current events.
We start with olden times when writing was first invented. Antiquity is the period from around 500 BC to 500 AD. For our discussion, it primarily involves the Greeks and the Romans. This time is followed by the Middle Ages (500-1500), of which the first 500 are considered dark. After the Middle Ages, we transition to things more familiar. The Renaissance is when Leonardo and Michelangelo show up (1300-1600), and offshoots of Christianity are invented. Then the Age of Enlightenment (1700s) is when intellectuals and philosophers take off. That’s when we get stuff like capitalism and democracy. Finally, we’ll touch on a few countries that are relevant in the modern political landscape.
Before starting, remember history is written by the victors and it’s always open to interpretation. Two people can read the same book and walk away with different impressions. Nonetheless, it’s always good to hold a general idea of what’s happened.
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The first group talks about the olden days, the next focuses on Britain, then we’ll talk about America, and finally a few on newsworthy nations. At the end, we’ll summarize into general points.