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The Western Roman Empire's gradual fall with its last Emperor, Romulus Augustulus being deposed involved barbarian invasions, internal political instability, economic decline, and social changes.
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Also known as the European Dark Ages, began after the fall of Rome, when Germanic people invaded and took over Roman lands. The Islamic Empire expanded into Spain and North Africa, while Charlemagne and the Catholic Church formed the Holy Roman Empire. Over time, the Western Roman Empire lost power to the Byzantine Empire.
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Europe began to take shape, with the Norman Conquest in 1066 CE helping form France, England, and Germany. Western Europe prospered through farming, though disagreements caused a split within the Catholic Church. The period also saw the Crusades, wars between Christian armies and the Islamic Empire over holy sites like Jerusalem.
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The end of the High Middle Ages came as famines and plagues killed millions of people. Unfair laws and conditions towards peasants caused great civil unrest, leading to revolts such as the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 in England. Though, this was also the beginning of strong interest in literature and the arts.
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The Magna Carta, was a document that suppressed the power of the English monarch, by granting certain rights to the barons and the Church. It established that the King was also subject to the law, and it provided for the protection of individual liberties, including protection from illegal imprisonment and access to justice.