CliffsAP World History
Chapter One
Pre-Civilization
In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens points out how mid-nineteenth-century Victorian England and late
eighteenth-century pre-revolutionary France resembled each other: Both were monarchies in need of political and tax
reform; both countries were plagued with poverty, and both countries possessed an aristocracy that was interested only
in its own welfare. Dickens' London readers needed to accept this assumption if they were to believe his premise,
"Revolution in all its ferocity was about to break out in Piccadilly Circus, going thence to the Tower of London."
Dickens' work speaks to an urge to seek commonalities in previous times. The time periods deemed to be most like our
own are often considered more relevant, which is why certain periods of history get more attention than others. We can
think of some periods, such as the Victorian age as modern man in period costume. But those periods of history not
readily resembling modern times get left on the historical scrap heap. What use are they; what have they to teach us?
Too often the study of histor ... read full excerpt from CliffsAP World History ebook
