Studying history

          What might you say to your friends to convince them to study history and, more specifically, this time period (ca. 1350-1789)? Write a 500-750 word essay that finishes ONE of the following prompts: "You cannot fully understand the present without understanding early modern patterns and developments ….” [For this section, choose three people, events, developments, and/or documents from the period 1350-1789 and show how they shaped our world today. A good answer will incorporate both description and analysis.]