An Introduction to Western History

Western history encompasses the rise of the modern world. It is a region of the globe with a long history of culture, religion, and science. The crucible of Catholicism and Protestantism, the era of industrialization, and the enthronement of the great monarchies in Europe are all important features of western history. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Western nations expanded in size, wealth, and autonomy and hardened national boundaries. The Western powers also colonised the world, exploitation of natural resources, and the subjugation of indigenous peoples in America.

This evolution in Western history has been documented in a number of influential works, from the early 1500s to the present day. The first major work that documents this change was The Legacy of Conquest by Patricia Limerick and Richard White. These works synthesized scholarship from the 1960s to the 1980s and asserted that conquest brought misfortune to the conquered. Both of these books have their roots in the ideas of John D. Rockefeller.

After the American Revolution, the history of western civilization was transformed. After the fall of the Roman Empire, western civilization flourished, and the Second Agricultural Revolution led to the development of modern agriculture, industry, and society. The Industrial Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment ushered in the 19th century and expanded the peoples of Western and Central European empires. These societies were accompanied by Catholic missionaries and were marked by widespread economic prosperity.

The most compelling western histories confront the past and start long before the West became an American nation. Recent excavations have revealed that the precolonial world of Native Americans was rich and complex. Historians have recovered complex societies and precolonial worlds, which continued after Europeans arrived. This change in attitude is documented in two influential surveys. The Legacy of Conquest by Patricia Limerick and It’s Your Misfortune and Mine is Mine by Richard White in 1991.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Western civilization grew beyond the borders of the Islamic world. Its growth was fueled by the Second Agricultural Revolution and the Industrial Revolution. In the nineteenth century, Western civilization underwent the Age of Enlightenment, resulting in the birth of the modern-day European state. The Age of Exploration led to the rise of liberal democracy in the West. The emergence of the modern-day European nation-state was accompanied by the spread of Christian religion and Christianity.

The most intriguing western histories confront the history of the west. The most compelling stories begin long before the West became an American nation. Before European colonizers settled in the region, Native Americans were highly diverse and lived in different cultures and countries. The precolonial worlds of the American Indians continued to live in the region after the conquest of Europeans and Africans. In short, the most fascinating western history is based on the history of the west.