The Late Middle Ages is a term used by historians to describe European history in the period of the 14th and 15th centuries (c. 1300–1499). The Late Middle Ages were preceded by the High Middle Ages, and followed by the Early Modern era (Renaissance).
Around 1300, centuries of European prosperity and growth came to a halt. A series of famines and plagues, such as the Great Famine of 1315–1317 and the Black Death, reduced the population by as much...
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The Late Middle Ages is a term used by historians to describe European history in the period of the 14th and 15th centuries (c. 1300–1499). The Late Middle Ages were preceded by the High Middle Ages, and followed by the Early Modern era (Renaissance).
Around 1300, centuries of European prosperity and growth came to a halt. A series of famines and plagues, such as the Great Famine of 1315–1317 and the Black Death, reduced the population by as much as half according to some estimates. Along with depopulation came social unrest and endemic warfare. France and England experienced serious peasant risings: the Jacquerie, the Peasants' Revolt, and the Hundred Years' War. To add to the many problems of the period, the unity of the Catholic Church was shattered by the Great Schism. Collectively these events are sometimes called the Crisis of the Late Middle Ages.
Despite these crises, the 14th century was also a time of great progress within the arts and sciences. A renewed interest in ancient...
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