Throughout this essay, I will analyze the changes that began to change the medieval world into an early modern one. As I describe these changes, I will comment on their effect on future societies and whether, on balance, futures societies have gained or lost from these transformations.

The economy of the medieval world was to a great extent agricultural. Even though the urban population grew steadily, especially in Italy and the Nederland, it is the rural institutions whi

"We are led to forget the dominating misery of other times by the grace of literature, poetry, romance, and legend, which celebrate those who lived well and forget those who lived in the silence of poverty" (Rosenberg, p. 3). The actual misery of the majority of the population of medieval times can be seen in the many famines, early deaths, diseases, and frequent rebellions. The lords and a few merchants were the only one who benefited from the relative prosperity of the middle ages. The line between slavery and peasants of the middle ages was a very narrow one since peasants usually did not owned the lands and were bounded to their lords for life. Moving up the hierarchical classes of the middle ages was something virtually impossible. If your father was a peasant, so would you. In that perspective, the economic changes of the medieval times, which led to the emergence of the modern world, allowed greater liberty of individual choices. The liberty to choose one's own path in life is probably the greatest index of economic development. Event though disparities between rich and poor individuals, and more so between countries, is still enormous, the ability for an individual to move up the ladder of hierarchy is easier than any previous societies. The myth of the 'self made man' embodies perfectly the opportunities in today's society. Of course the odds are strongly against you if you are born in a poor family in a developing country but in developed countries, especially those like France where higher education is free, every human has almost an equal chance of reaching their goals.

The invention of printing is another invention which had an enormous impact. Gutenberg was the first to produce a major work through printing in 1455. Its immediate impact was to cut the cost of book and multiply the number in circulation. It contributed largely to the widespread of knowledge and to the advance of technology and scholarship.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, many barbarian tribes tried to established kingdoms in Europe but very few succeeded. The Francs did established somewhat of a comprehensive kingdom in France and later in other parts of Europe but lacked effective administrative organisation or financial means, and was only a pale reflect of the old Roman Empire . It is therefore in a context where no strong political power was able to dominate the majority of Europe that the seigniorial system emerged as the major social institution of the medieval world. In its simplest form, the seigniorial system had three very distinctive social classes: the nobles to protect the population and impose justice, the peasants to labour the land and breed animals, and the clergy for the salvation of souls. The peasants worked the lands of the Lord in return for its protection. The manor was to a great extend self sufficient, the peasants laboured enough food for their population, the majority of manor had their own watermill where they could grind wheat and had necessary facilities to produces weapons for military purposes. Local trade did exist between manors especially in times of food shortage. Even

Some common words found in the essay are:
Death Europe, Economic Development, Middle Ages, Roman Empire, Western Europe, , Italy Nederland, France Europe, economic growth, middle ages, medieval world, medieval times, economic development, modern society, shaped modern society, future generations, standards living, society course, human equal, late medieval times,
Approximate Word count = 2114
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)