The high middle ages were among the most creative times in the world which laid the foundation for the modern states we see today. This foundation was greatly influenced by artisans and merchants who united in guilds and demanded more freedom and participation in government. It was also influenced power-hungry monarchs who strove to unite petty provinces and to create strong, unified kingdoms. Along the way to unification, monarchs experienced many problems. The solutions to these problems greatly influenced the world and contributed to making it as it is today. The high middle ages were great for their impressive growth in: monarchial power, communication, justice, tax revenues, and bureaucracies.

English and French expansion of royal authority was very similar. Monarchs tried to unite small provinces into kingdoms through diplomacy, marriage, war, and inheritance. England and France both succeeded in royal centralization, but the same cannot be said about...