The Medici – Godfathers of the Renaissance

Tsenka Stoycheva: "From a small Italian community in 15th century Florence, the Medici family would rise to rule Europe in many ways. Using charm, patronage, skill, duplicity and ruthlessness, they would amass unparalleled wealth and unprecedented power. They would also ignite the most important cultural and artisitc revolution in Western history- the European Renaissance. But …

Shocking Origins of the Spanish Inquisition in the 1400s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Iiw6y9ffHk&t=81s Chronicle Medieval History: Spain, 1468: In a land where Christians, Muslims, and Jews have lived in tolerance for centuries, a young Spanish king and queen, Ferdinand II Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, proclaim themselves the Catholic monarchs and start an inquisition, now known as the Spanish Inquisition. This is the shocking story of …

How Did Europeans React to the Fall of Constantinople in 1453?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVJG2Agyv2U History Matters: The Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 is considered by many to be one the most important events in human history. Yet very little is said about how contemporary Europeans reacted to the event. So how did they? To find out watch this short and simple animated documentary.

The Conquest and Fall of The Byzantium Empire and Constantinople, 1453

Byzantium, or the Greek-Hellenistic-Christian-Eastern-Orthodox Roman Empire, emerged before the dawn of the millennium in 0 AD and endured for about 1500 years. At its height, it spanned from Rome through southeastern Europe and Asia Minor (currently Turkey), down to Egypt and across North Africa. A series of videos from Flash Point History focuses on its …

Struggle for Autonomy and Nationhood: ‘100 Years War’ Between England and France in the 1300s, 1400s

A series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages is generally referred to as the 100 Years War, though it lasted nearly 120 years. Maureen Dowd notes ironically in the NYT that the 100 Years War may not be over, given current tensions between England and France. …

Very Brief History of 2500 Years of Media Literacy

Crash Course: "In order to understand the history of media literacy we have to go all the way back to straight up literacy. In the first half of our look at the history of media literacy, Jay takes us all the way back to Ancient Greece and forward through the printing press, newspapers, and Yellow …

The Machine That Made Us (Gutenberg Printing Press Documentary)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ88yC35NjI&t=119s Timeline - World History Documentaries "Stephen Fry takes a look inside the story of Johann Gutenberg, inventor of the world's first printing press in the 15th century, and an exploration of how and why the machine was invented."

Borgias Played Critical Role in Protestant Reformation, Renaissance, Colonialism, Columbian Exchange

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK6t8VpuFQg&t=19s In this video, Ryan Reeves, (PhD Cambridge) an Associate Professor of Historical Theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, explains why the Borgia dynasty is, after more than 500 years, "remembered even today as something of a soap opera." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItLou92CsEM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpY1_iCUUa8 Popularized by a three-season TV series on various streaming services, the Borgias had a reputation …

Ottomans Rising: How Mehmet II Conquered Constantinople (Istanbul) and Defeated the Byzantine Empire

The Netflix series "Ottomans Rising" focuses on Sultan Mehmed II, aka Mehmet the Conqueror, as he wages an epic campaign to take the Byzantine capital of Constantinople and shapes the course of history for centuries. Netflix page. Description of the first six episodes on IMDB. Background from the GlobePost.com. The Byzantines, aka the Greco-Roman Eastern …

Origin of the Turkish/Ottoman Empire That Ruled for Nearly 600 Years

My mother-in-law, in her eighties, emailed me when I was living in Turkey 2009-11 to ask a question: "I know the Turks came out of the East in 1300 something to attack and conquer Constantinople. I believe the final capitulation was in the 1400s. At any rate, what is their national background as opposed to …