macrohistory
History writ large
Macrohistory examines history on the largest scales—civilizations rising and falling, long-term patterns across centuries or millennia, the broad sweep of human development.
Where microhistory might study a single village or event, macrohistory asks about the forces shaping entire eras: a macrohistory of technological change, macrohistorical patterns of empire and collapse.
The term often appears in contrast to more granular historical approaches.
Great age, ancient era
- renaissancePeriod of renewed vitality
- enlightenmentProfound spiritual awakening
- reformationProcess of improving institutions
- industrializationTransition to factory-based economy
information age · bronze age · medieval · classical · modern era · postmodern · age of exploration · colonial era
Recurring sequences of events
- rise and fallCyclical upward-downward movement
- periodizationDivision into distinct periods
- world-systemsMacro-scale societal analysis framework
- convergenceProcess of approaching sameness
divergence · diffusion · synchronicity · cultural exchange · acceleration · stagnation · collapse
Movement to new territory
- conquestDefeating and seizing control
- tradeExchange of commodities
- colonialismDomination through foreign settlement
- revolutionViolent governmental overthrow
war · technological change · climate · disease · demography · urbanization · globalization · imperialism
antiquity
Great age, ancient era
- renaissancePeriod of renewed vitality
- enlightenmentProfound spiritual awakening
- reformationProcess of improving institutions
industrialization · information age · bronze age · medieval · classical · modern era · postmodern · age of exploration · colonial era · cold war
cycles
Recurring sequences of events
- rise and fallCyclical upward-downward movement
- periodizationDivision into distinct periods
- world-systemsMacro-scale societal analysis framework
convergence · divergence · diffusion · synchronicity · cultural exchange · acceleration · stagnation · collapse
migration
Movement to new territory
- conquestDefeating and seizing control
- tradeExchange of commodities
- colonialismDomination through foreign settlement
revolution · war · technological change · climate · disease · demography · urbanization · globalization · imperialism · decolonization
ancient
Very old indeed
- MesopotamiaTigris-Euphrates river region
- EgyptNortheastern African nation
- ChinaEast Asian superpower
Greece · Rome · Indus · Persia · Maya · Inca · Aztec · Babylon · Sumer · Phoenicia
McNeill
macrohistorymicrohistory
Study of small-scale pasts
local history · biography · case study · family history · personal narrative
macro, history, microhistory, historical, historic, historian, histories, prehistoric, prehistory