It can be a little difficult to convince people (especially young folks) that Modern Times began over five hundred years ago, but from a historical perspective it makes sense.  The changes that erupted at the end of the Middle Ages were profound and shaped the world into what it is today.

     It took a few hundred years to fully develop (and that process continues), but after 1453, European society was fundamentally transformed.  Historians consider this the began of modernity because the current nation-state boundaries were defined, the accepted method of inquiry (the scientific method) was established, and the divisions of the Christian faith really began to multiply.  It was also a time when European explorers/conquerors branched out and spread these elements of European culture across the planet.

     There are quite a few divisions in this time period, and the most effective way to break it down, it seems, is into chunks one to two centuries in length, and to examine specific events individually (like the French Revolution, World War I, and World War II).  An analysis of the five major world religions also helps the reader understand the world today.