In terms of the history of the language, the Middle English period (1100-1500) is placed between the Old English period (700-1100) and the Early Modern English period (1500-1700). The Norman Conquest of 1066 and its consequences are usually mentioned to mark the beginning, whereas Caxton's printing press at Westminster (1476) usually denotes the end of Middle English.
Surveys of political and social history subdivide the period into the High Middle Ages and the Late Middle Ages, which roughly corresponds to the distinction between Early and Late Middle English language and literature. These scholarly differentiations show that the term 'Middle English' is a convenient blanket label insinuating a uniformity of the period, which in reality never existed. Moreover, the term easily disguises the fact that the period comprises more than four centuries which saw many spectacular events and developments, which had enduring effects on the structure and face of English language, literature, and society. Usually these 450 years are structured according to the ruling dynasties, i.e.:
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Apart from the Norman Conquest of 1066, perhaps the most influential event was King John's loss of Normandy in 1204.
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