Defining the Modern Era

Ryan Otto
World History II
October 1, 2014
Mr. Angus
                                                                 Defining the Modern Era
     History by nature is highly contestable, with dozens of contradictory theories on every issue. It is, however, accepted by most historians that human history can be roughly split into three main sections: the Paleolithic era, the Agrarian era, and the Modern era. Of these, the Modern era is the shortest, yet is the period in which the most progress was made. This brief window in history lasting from around 1400 to present day can be defined by a few key components. These are the Industrial Revolution, the rapid advance of technology, globalization, and the rise of Europe.
     The Industrial Revolution started in about 1750 and lasted until the beginning of World War I in 1914. During this time, factories were just starting to produce goods on a mass scale. Due to the excessive burning of fossil fuels, mass pollution became a problem for the first time in history. This was the planting of the seed that would eventually grow into climate change. On the other hand, the Industrial Revolution raised human productivity levels drastically, with such inventions as the locomotive and the harnessing of electricity. The massive increase in productivity led to rapid economic growth, primarily in Europe. This economic shift caused a change in global power. The influence of more traditional, agrarian societies such as India and China fell in indirect proportion to Europe and the U.S.  There were also huge advancements made in the field of war. The concept of total war, in which virtually all of a nation's resources are devoted to the war effort, became popular. With all this, the Industrial Revolution helped significantly in laying the groundwork for what was to come centuries later.
      The Modern era marked the greatest leaps in terms of technology. Among the most influential and game-changing pieces of technology was the printing press. Prior to Gutenberg's marvelous invention, the only books available to most people were bibles copied out by hand by monks. Literacy rates were almost non-existent among the common people, but once mass produced literature became abundant they rose significantly. This fostered the spread of vast amounts of information in a relatively short time, which led to a far more educated public. The modern era also saw the introduction of new forms of transportation such as trains, automobiles, and airplanes, as well as new forms of entertainment. Finally, in the late 20th century, computers came into the picture. In a sense, computers can be thought of as the printing press of the modern age.  Personal computers also allowed access to a wealth of information, only to a much greateR degree. In fact, one may go so far as to say that computers have shaped the first decade and a half of the 21st century.
     With the rise of productivity, technology, and consumerism came globalization. Globalization is the gradual process by which the world becomes more connected and interdependent. It allows for the seamless transfer of goods, information, and innovations between all parts of the world. Since the 1960s, globalization has, to a certain degree, been shaping the world. It is merging cultures, politics, economics, and ideology into one global society. As may be expected, this comes at the cost of
smaller, more traditional cultures. This merging has sparked some resistance, most notably from the Islamic extremist group Al-Qaeda with the September 11th attacks. Globalization has completely changed the economy, with 'round the clock global trading markets and multinational corporate conglomerates. With the internet connecting the world to an even larger degree, new job opportunities are springing up for those with access to a computer.
     At the start of the modern era, the most affluent and powerful countries on the globe were India and China. After a few centuries had passed however, Europe arose as the dominant power in the world, a position which the continent still occupies. When the Industrial Revolution first started, the future of the world economy depended, to an extent, on the location of certain natural resources such as coal. As it happened, many parts of Europe was sitting upon reserves of the necessary resources. With so much innovation and so many resources at Europe's disposal, they quickly became (in their eyes at least) the center of everything. While this is of course a very Eurocentric and biased view for them to take, it is true that Europe has had the greatest impact in terms of culture, technological
innovation, economic growth, and war.
     The modern era was the most turbulent period in human history, and as such is very multi-faceted. However, it can essentially be boiled down to a few key features: the Industrial Revolution, technological growth, globalization, and Europe's ascension to a global power. When looking at the past six hundred years, these are the traits and events that shaped the world.