Universal History is understood as the compilation of facts and situations that have developed around the context of the human being , from the appearance of man to the present day.
The origin of this term derives from the Greek ἱστορία, which means “history”, and from the Latin universalis, which refers to “universal”.
The main objective of Universal History is to present, in chronological and organized manner, what have been the most important events in the history of man and his development, dividing into periods the most prominent and significant moments of humanity, which according to the researchers mark a before and after in history.
For example, an extremely important period about the history of man has to do with the appearance of writing.
Once the human being managed to leave records about how they did things, how they developed tools, agriculture and social organizations, they began to preserve and disseminate knowledge.
Before writing knowledge was transmitted through oral tradition, there were no written accounts, consequently, everything that happened before the appearance of writing is called Prehistory.
The writing was an event that accelerated the evolution of humanity.
The periods that follow the Prehistory group a group of important events that mark the end of one stage and the beginning of another. The periods are called: Old Age or Antiquity, Middle Ages, Modern Age and Contemporary Age.
Periods of Universal History
The periods in which Universal History is divided are defined by the series of facts that were decisive and significant in the development of human beings such as technology, religion, political and social order, among others.
Old age
The period that compiles the events that took place between 3000 BC and the 6th century is referred to as the Old Age .
However, it did not occur equally on all continents, so the stories corresponding to the Ancient Age generally date back to the events in Europe, the Middle East, China and India.
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is determined between the 6th and late 15th centuries. Its beginning is considered part of the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
During this period Christianity expanded, the development of important cities and social organizations and even universities began. It was also the time when the printing press, scientific development and the Renaissance was promoted.
It is considered that the Middle Ages ends, according to some historians, with the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and, for others, with the arrival of Christopher Columbus to America in 1492.
Modern age
The Modern Age is equivalent to the period that goes from the fifteenth century to the year 1789 with the development of the French Revolution.
It was the time in which an important political, social, cultural and scientific development was experienced, as well as the formation of States and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
This series of events was the basis on which the processes to be followed in the Contemporary Age were continued.
However, from the Anglo-Saxon perspective, for America the end of the Modern Age has to do with the Independence of the United States in 1776 or the independence differences in the rest of the American continent that occurred between 1800 and 1825.
Contemporary age
The Contemporary Age ranges from the development of the French Revolution to the present day. The French Revolution was an event of great importance because with it important social and political changes were generated.
It was also the time when the Industrial Revolution was completed and produced important changes in the area of work.
The processes and achievements of independence developed in the Americas, World War I and World War II, political, social, cultural and economic changes are included in the Contemporary Age.
It should also include developments as important as the emergence of the Internet, universal suffrage, modern democracies, capitalism, among many others.
However, there are those who believe that Universal History should be divided into another period after the Contemporary Age, but not all specialists agree on that proposal.
