The Middle Ages Over time, history has taken strange turns. A single ruler establishing a new form of government can transform entire civilizations, or a single event can lead to the creation of a great new people. In any case, history can repeat itself over time. A possible exception to this might be the medieval period of Britain. Carrying a distinct and unique culture to the time period, some of the values ​​and customs held during this period have yet to be repeated in history. It is perhaps the most unique period of all time for the British Isles. Brief History Before the period of the Middle Ages, the British Isles lay mostly dormant in local disputes and settlements of small tribes. Until the late 1900s, the Anglo-Saxons and Saxons claimed the territory of Great Britain. However, everything soon changed. An ambitious individual with heroic characteristics set foot and conquered the Anglo-Saxons and set Britain on its journey to modernism. Thus, the tide was set in motion for a new government and a civilized race. A monarchy was established and the Middle Ages began approximately 975 AD (Vinogradoff, p 18). Feudal Life In the medieval period, life was either very good or very bad, depending on your class. In this period, only 2 classes existed: the nobles, such as kings and knights who lived inside the castle, or the peasants, such as the working class who lived in often unspeakable conditions. The peasants treated the nobles with the utmost respect, because if they did not, the nobles could have had them beheaded. (Sanders, page 34). The owners of the land were almost always the nobles, and the peasants worked this land in exchange for a small portion of it, in a certain sense rented in exchange for labor. Farmers often worked 16-hour days until they could see into the night and were fed very poorly. The nobleman was not interested in the health of the peasants who worked on his land, since there were many others who were very willing to take his place. Women had a very difficult position in society during the Middle Ages. The feudal age was known for its superstitions and women were often convicted of witchcraft and burned at the stake. Some of the luckier women had professions of their own, such as blacksmiths, carpenters and apothecaries....... middle of paper... een defined. Juggling became a popular form of entertainment, as it was unpredictable and seemingly deadly objects could spark amazement and inspiration in audiences. The theater also played an important role in this period and plays were performed only by men and only for the noble class. (McCarthy, para. 3). Perhaps the greatest and most unique period of all time for the British Isles was the Middle Ages. The feudal system and the role of monarchy led this seemingly boring period on the path to greatness in meaning and value. Social skills developed during this period to force humans to cooperate and work together to produce a way of life that was beneficial to all and not just one leader. Lessons have been learned from this time period that make it less than perfect. Disputes within a community cannot be resolved easily because they often affect the entire community and there will only be one side. Perhaps there are other lessons to be learned from this period. One can only hope that the future of modern warfare may be secretly rooted in the Middle Ages. History has a tendency to repeat itself; perhaps the time has come for the Middle Ages.