Historical Shifts: The Dawn of the Modern Age

A New Historical Period

The Modern Age is the historical period from the 15th to the 18th century. The year in which this period began is a subject of debate amongst historians. The most widely accepted dates are either the capture of Constantinople by the Turks (1453) or the discovery of America (1492). Its conclusion is marked by the French Revolution (1789). The Modern Age is often divided into a number of sub-periods which have more or less homogeneous features: the 16th century or Renaissance period, the 17th century, or Baroque period; and the 18th century, or Enlightenment and Absolutism.

Changes in the 15th and 16th Centuries

From the mid-15th century and over the course of the 16th century, Europe underwent transformations that affected all areas of life.

The International Panorama

• The disappearance of the Byzantine Empire: Following the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453, Western Christianity felt increasingly under threat from the Muslim world.
• The geographical discoveries made by the Portuguese and Castilians in Africa, America, and Asia extended the frontiers of the world known to Europeans. Thanks to these discoveries, some countries, such as Spain and Portugal, established extensive colonial empires whose wealth stimulated world trade.
• The struggle for European hegemony confronted the major states against one another; during the 16th century, the Spanish state imposed its dominance.

Socio-Economic Changes

The feudal system entered a period of crisis. The feudal kingdoms were substituted by the Modern State and authoritarian monarchies. The feudal economy, which had been focused on the possession of land, gave way to commercial capitalism, which was based on the accumulation of large amounts of capital through trade and colonization. During the process, the bourgeoisie gained greater importance within the society of the three estates.

Religious and Cultural Shifts

• Western religious unity collapsed. This rupture was promoted by the Protestant Reformation and gave rise to a number of serious armed conflicts known as the "Wars of Religion".
• Medieval culture was replaced by a new world view, Humanism, which was focused on the human being, giving rise to a new artistic style: the Renaissance.