"The modern era is the period of human history that succeeds the Middle Ages (which ended around 1500 AD) up to the present."
A period of history from the late 19th century to the present, marked by the rise of democracy, technology, globalization, and the challenges of war, terrorism, and environmental degradation.
Enlightenment: A cultural and intellectual movement in the 18th century, characterized by reason, science, and individualism.
Industrial Revolution: A period of rapid industrialization, resulting in significant social, economic, and technological changes, spanning from the mid-18th to mid-19th century.
Colonialism: The practice of acquiring and maintaining colonies, primarily for economic purposes, by European powers from the 16th to 20th century.
World War I: A global war originating in Europe that lasted from 1914 to 1918 and involved most of the world's great powers, characterized by new forms of warfare, such as trench warfare and chemical warfare.
Russian Revolution: A period of political and social upheaval in Russia from 1917 to 1923, resulting in the overthrow of the Romanov dynasty and the establishment of the Soviet Union.
World War II: A global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945 and involved the majority of the world's nations, characterized by major advances in technology, such as atomic weapons.
Cold War: A period of political and military tension between the Western powers, led by the United States, and the Soviet Union, lasting approximately from 1947 to 1991.
Decolonization: The process by which colonies of European powers gained independence, primarily in Asia and Africa, after World War II.
Postmodernism: An artistic and philosophical movement in the mid- to late-20th century, characterized by skepticism, irony, and a rejection of grand narratives and universal truths.
Globalization: The process by which nations and economies, particularly through the growth of technology, communication, and transportation, have become increasingly interconnected and interdependent.
Early Modern Europe: This subfield focuses on the period between the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in Europe.
Modern American History: This subfield focuses on the history of the United States, from the late 19th century to the present day.
Colonialism and Imperialism: This subfield studies the expansion of European powers into the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania during the early modern period.
The Enlightenment: This subfield focuses on the intellectual and cultural movement of the 18th century that sought to apply reason and science to all areas of human life.
The French Revolution: This subfield studies the political and social upheaval that took place in France during the late 18th century.
Social History: This subfield seeks to understand the experiences of ordinary people during the modern period, including issues related to gender, race, and class.
Economic History: This subfield studies the development of economic systems, such as capitalism and socialism, during the modern period.
Art History: This subfield studies the art and architecture of the modern period, including movements such as Romanticism, Impressionism, and Cubism.
Intellectual History: This subfield studies the ideas and philosophical movements of the modern period, including existentialism, Marxism, and feminism.
Globalization: This subfield studies the political, economic, and cultural forces that have led to increased interconnectedness and interdependence among nations since the late 20th century.
"It brought with it the Age of Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution and an Age of Revolutions."
"The late modern period began around 1800 with the end of the political revolutions in the late 18th century and involved the transition from a world dominated by imperial and colonial powers into one of nations and nationhood following the two great world wars, World War I and World War II."
"Contemporary history refers to the period following the end of World War II in 1945 and continuing to the present. It includes the currently-ongoing 21st century."
"The modern period has been a period of significant development in the fields of science, politics, warfare, and technology."
"During this time, the European powers and later their colonies began a political, economic, and cultural colonization of the rest of the world."
"The modern era is closely associated with the development of individualism, capitalism, urbanization, and a belief in the positive possibilities of technological and political progress."
"The brutal wars and other problems of this era, many of which come from the effects of rapid change, and the connected loss of strength of traditional religious and ethical norms, have led to many reactions against modern development."
"Optimism and the belief in constant progress have been most recently criticized by postmodernism."
"The dominance of Western Europe and North America over the rest of the world has been criticized by postcolonial theory."
"The early modern period... resulted in wide-ranging intellectual, political and economic change."
"It brought with it the Age of Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution and an Age of Revolutions, beginning with those in America and France."
"It involved the transition from a world dominated by imperial and colonial powers into one of nations and nationhood following the two great world wars."
"The transition from a world dominated by imperial and colonial powers into one of nations and nationhood following the two great world wars, World War I and World War II."
"Modernist art, politics, science, and culture have come to dominate almost every civilized area on the globe, including movements thought of as opposed to the western world and globalization."
"Many problems of this era, many of which come from the effects of rapid change..."
"The connected loss of strength of traditional religious and ethical norms."
"The brutal wars and other problems of this era... have led to many reactions against modern development."
"Optimism and the belief in constant progress have been most recently criticized by postmodernism."
"The dominance of Western Europe and North America over the rest of the world has been criticized by postcolonial theory."