Plaque displayed in Weymouth, England

From the evolution of regions into nation-states to the devastation of the Black Death, European history saw many dramatic changes during the High Middle Ages. Countries like England, Spain, France, and Russia began by combining their various lands under the power of kings. The Crusades were a series of conflicts between the Christians and Muslims that took the lives of many people, and destroyed many areas. During the Middle Ages, the Black Death swept through Europe, causing a huge decline in population, as well as economic and social strife. The Church became the center for education, and set the stage for institutions of higher learning that later became known as universities and colleges. The events of this time period set in motion actions and ideas that brought Europe out of the Dark Ages and into a period historians call the Renaissance.