The Baroque period in European history helped elevate the power of reason to a status that equaled or surpassed the church and other dominant social institutions of the time, bringing forth what is known as the "age of enlightenment." This period saw a rise in influence of the middle class, and helped lay the groundwork for the American and French revolutions. It also paved the road towards new developments in the arts. In music, these developments led to what is called the Classical period, with a style exhibiting an uncommon clarity in of structure and sense of balance. The resources in this section have been selected to give you information to use for further research on questions related to the period.