Unit 1

Renaissance

European movement of rediscovering ancient Greek and roman texts

Where did the renaissance begin?

Italy amongst the elites of society

Petrarch

Founding father of the Renaissance and believer of Humanism

Humanism

Unlimited potential of human beings

Cicero

Work founded by Petrarch revealing the the model for eloquence in Latin which would define the intellectual output of the other Renaissance thinkers

Philology

Study of history and development of language

Lorenzo valla

An important philologist who was able to differentiate between 4th and 12th century Latin which allowed him to expose the church leading for their authority to be questioned

What were Renaissance thinkers understood as?

Humanists

Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola

Wrote a popular humanist book aka Oration on the dignity of men

Main themes of the Renaissance

Classical texts and humanism

Religious belief due to the renaissance

Some continued to believe in Hod while other championed Secularism and Individualism

Secularism

Decoupling of religious belief from society

Individualism

Emphasizes triumph if individual as opposed to the community

How did the renaissance develop

In the beginning, it was only available to the Elites but because of the development of the printing press, more and more people gained access to this information

Printing Press*

Used to mass-produce copies of the texts allowing them to spread rapidly and widely

What occurred due to the spread of renaissance thinking

Ideas were challenged institutional power of universities and other power centers

Change in Education

Due to humanistic ideals, education became even more important

• emphasis on liberal studies including rhetoric grammar, logic, history and moral philosophy

Reason for emphasis on liberal studies

Believed that these disciplines would turn you into a vitreous thinker and that the emphasis on rhetoric would allow you to express these ideas eloquently

Civic humanism

Vitreous humanistic thinking should be applied to politics and economy of the state in which they live

• began in Italian city states

Baldassre Castiglione

Wrote the courtier which served a s a guide for how an educated young man should behave in a courtly society aka being a gentlemen

• skilled in humanistic studies, speak and write eloquently and be mentally awake

Leonardo Bruni

Wrote the new Cicero where he argued that the intellectual man was duty bound to deploy his his education in service of the state

Niccolo Machiavelli * important

Wrote the prince which argued the ruler’s main goal was to:

preserve power at all costs

Ensure order and stability

Humans are selfish

A prince may be brutal or kind in order to maintain powet

How was the book the “Prince” departing from old writing on what it took to be a good ruler?

Old writing: Ruler’s behavior measures against the virtues established in the Bible

New writing: A good ruler did whatever it took to maintain power

Renaissance art

Followed classical writing and Humanism

Changes in art

Middle ages= portrayed religious themed rich with symbolism

Renaissance= portrayed religious themes AND personal, political, and classical themes as well as emphasized naturalism and geometric perspective

Naturalism

Portrayed the world as it was, not in mysteries if symbolic figures

Geometric perspective

Way to portray realistic depth in a scene by making the lines in the room slope to create illusion of depth

• Example: Leonardo De Vinci’s painting The Last Supper

Michael Angelo

Sculpture of biblical David is an example of religious theme with humanist influence because it was sculpted to look like a Greek god aka perfect image of humanity

Raphael

Painted the school of Athen which portrayed classical themes, humanism, geometric perspective

Flippo brunelleschi

Chief archetict on the rebuilding of the church of SanLorenzo

• Got rid of cathedrals from medieval times and used Roman columns and arches instead (portrays classical thinking)

Medici family

Patronized(frequent customer) Renaissance artists and architects

Major difference between Erasmus and Petrarch

The printing press which allowed Erasmus to have a bigger outreach than Petrarch whose ideals only stuck with the Elites of Italy

Johannesburg Gutenberg

Creator of the printing press

Printing Press effect

Prior to this: Everything was copied by hand making it expensive and only available to elites and church and libraries and there was a limited amount of copies of those books

After Movable Type: Quick reproductions leading to greater accessibility due to the increased copy numbers causing an increase in literacy rates as demands for book increased

Gutenberg Bible

First work printed through this press which had a great amount of copies due to all the printers in Europe

Why was the printing press important to the renaissance?

Without the printing press, renaissance ideas in Italy would not have spread so quickly to the rest of Europe

• By 1550 all classical texts are in print and spreading rapidly

Effects of people having similar copies of books due to printing press

More able to discuss the ideas in the writing and increase of literacy (a cause and effect of spread of literature)

Increasing demand for Vernacular literature

An effect of the printing press in which people wanted books written in their own language rather than Latin and Greek

• This grew their and solidified their national culture aka got a better sense of who they were and how they were different from other groups

How was power shared during the Middle Ages?

Kings shared power with nobles and the Church, with nobles holding the most power.

• Changed after 1500

Rise of New Monarchs consolidating power

New monarch consolidated power under themselves taking away power from the nobles and the church

Methods of Control

Top down religious reform, Taxation and Bureaucracy expansion, Determining the religion of subjects, Alliance with commercial and professional groups, and promotion of secular states

Top down religious Reform

Monarchs took control of religion to centralize power.

• Henry VIII: Created Church of England; declared himself Head of State Church.

• Elizabeth I: Act of Uniformity required attendance at Anglican services.

• Mary Tudor: Tried to restore Catholicism.

Taxation and Bureaucracy expansion

• Monarchs centralized tax collection and law enforcement through bureaucracies.

• Examples:
  

  • Spain (Ferdinand & Isabella): National property taxes; large bureaucracy for taxes and justice.

  • France: Similar structure

Concordat of Bologna

An agreement where the pope collected French Church income, but the French king appointed officials.

Determining religion of subjects

Monarchs used religion to control unity and loyalty.

• Only choices being catholic or protestant

Peace of Augsburg

Allowed rulers in the Holy Roman Empire to choose between Catholicism and Lutheranism for their subjects.

Alliance with commercial and professional groups

• Monarchs gained support and resources through alliances with merchants and bankers.

• Examples:

  • Medici Family (Florence): Banking power.

  • Fugger Family (Augsburg): Banking influence in Germany.

How did banking help consolidate monarch power?

It created a strong alliance between monarchs and wealthy banking families.

Promotion of Secular states

Reduced Church influence in politics; monarchs asserted independent authority.

• Debate began in Italy but would be taken up by French, British, and Dutch authors

Examples of promotion of Secular states

Examples:

• Machiavelli (Italy): Advocated republicanism.

• Jean Bodin (France): Supported absolute monarchy via divine right and apposée Machiavelli

Republicanism

government structure in which elected representatives make laws and wield power by the consent of the governed

Divine Right

king ruled under god and defying the king was defying god’s will and that only god was able to judge them

How did Henry VIII use religious reform to consolidate power?

He created the Church of England, declaring himself head of the state church after the pope denied his divorce.

Treason Act under Henry VIII

Made it a capital crime to deny the Church of England as the state church but many folks remain secretly catholic

What did Mary Tudor attempt to do during her reign?

Restore Catholicism in England when she became queen

Elizabeth 1st

ended the persecution of anglican bishops occurring during her predecessor’s reign and steered England back to anglicanism aka protestantism

• Angelica’s church = Church of England

How did Elizabeth 1st of England consolidate power?

1. Top down religious reform

2. Act of uniformity

Act of uniformity

English subjects had to attend anglica church services once a week or pay a fine

Printing Press

Allowed idea to opened north of Italy into European continent

• 1500: a lot of printers scattered around Europe

• Many of the printings were religious and reproductions of classical literature

Northern Renaissance

Main ideas remain entant but the emphases changed

• retained a more religious Christian framework unlike secularism and individualism in Italy

North Renaissance art

Naturalistic but it was more human centered aka considered ordinary objects and people as appropriate subject for act

Peter broyle

Elder of Dutch and Flemish renaissance painted Netherlandish proverbs where it depicts peasants and animals who were subjects of Netherlands proverb

• Aka depicts normal subjects and those on the bottom of the social ladder (peasants)

• Naturalism is still depicted

Rembrandt

Slaughter ox which was a scene of ordinary life

• Also took up religious themes

Return of the Prodigal Son

Reugel

Painted the procession Calvary depicting Christ carrying his cross to place of execution

Difference between Northern Art and Italian Art

Although both arts showed biblical scenes, there was more emphasis on the ordinary people in the Northern depictions, whereas Italian art was more elitist

Christian Humanism

In northern renaissance there was a preoccupation with Greek and Roman classics but once it reached France, England, and Germany, people emphasized the synthesis humanistic thought with Christian traditions

• aka also sought out old Christian writings. Saint Augustine and Jerome did this

Ancient Christian Writings Revealed

A Christianity that was simpler and more pure than the complex church hierarchy and sought to return back to that form of Christianity

Christian Humanism

To teach that human beings are far more capable than previously believed and it is through a Christian emphasis efforts to reform society would be greater

Christian humanism led to an impulse to reform in Northern Renaissance

Erasmus

A Christian humanist who wrote Praise of folly which undermined political and social institutions and criticized the corrupt aspects of religious hierarchy

Erasmus believes

That education in classics and the Bible was the first step in lasting societal reform and the this renewal should be based on the philosophy of Christ not secular principles

Philosophy of Christ

Emphasized individual morality and spirituality

Motivation for European expansion

God, Gold, and Glory

Mercantilism

An economic system where national power is measured by wealth (gold/silver); wealth is limited, so gaining more means others have less.

• More exports than imports

Favorable balance of trade

when a state has more exports than imports

How did colonies help European states under mercantilism?

Provided raw materials and markets to increase wealth of the imperial state.

Jean Baptiste Colbert

French Controller-General who promoted self-sufficiency, abolished internal tariffs, and raised import taxes to support French industries.

• Due to him, France claimed a lot of territory innorth america, most importantly Quebec and louisiana territory

Why did Europeans seek sea routes to Asia?

Ottomans controlled land trade routes; Europeans wanted direct access to luxury goods like spices, tea, and porcelain.

How was religion (God) a motivation for exploration?

Desire to spread Christianity, especially Catholicism, and assert religious dominance.

Spain 1492

• Completed the reconquista- able to drive jews and muslims from their land

• By the time of the Protestant reformation, there was a desire to see catholicism ascend over Protestantism which provided a motivation for exploration via the sea

Spanish Jesuits

They converted Indigenous peoples and often supported imperial control, though some (like Bartolomé de Las Casas) defended Native rights.

bartoleme de las Casas

Better treatment of Native Americans under imperial rule.

What was the “Glory” motivation in exploration?

States competed for power and prestige through empire-building which they did through maritime Empires.

Maritime Empires

Sea-based empires built through naval power, trade routes, and overseas colonies.

Advancements in Catography

• Maps used to be vague and inaccurate, however this changed in this time period

• Printing press made those new maps widely accessible

New ships

Spanish and Portuguese developed the caravel which was fast due to lateen sails

Accurate navigation instruments

Magnetic compass(direction)/astrolable (latitude) was adapted from muslim and chinese sailors

Motivations behind Portuguese Exploration

Spain blocked them from Portuguese from using land for trade so they relied on sea leading to spice trades in the Indian Ocean

Prince Henry the navigator

allowed for Portugese ships to navigate the african coast by funding them

Vasco De Gama

• made it to the indian ocean and established trade relations

  • once this was established they returned each year and established trade posts

What kind of empire did Portugal establish?

A trading-post empire in the Indian Ocean, dominating trade without colonizing land.

What did Spain do after seeing Portugal’s success?

Commissioned Columbus; claimed much of the Americas; used conquistadors and disease to conquer large empires.

What caused mass Indigenous population decline in the Americas?

Smallpox and measles

Spain and Portugal

Major powers in maritime empire and trade which caused France, England, and the Netherlands to join these expeditions

French colonization

Claimed Canada and parts of North America(Samuel De chambellan established Quebec) ; focused on fur trade and alliances with Indigenous peoples ( Huron Confederacy).

What were settler colonies? Who created them?

Colonies where people migrated to live; England created them in North America and the Caribbean.

Established colonies to economically compete with other European states

England’s main economic contribution

Tobacco trade from settler colonies.

What was the Dutch (Netherlands) focus in exploration?

• established colones in north america

• Like the portugese they were mainy interested in trade

• Main focus was competing for dominance with Portuguese in the Indian ocean trade

Rivalries Amon European states

• Some rivarlies would erupt into wars

• War of spanish succession + Seven Years War

What agreement did the Pope make with Portugal in 1481 regarding exploration?

In 1481, the Pope granted Portugal rights to any newly discovered islands south of the Canary Islands.

Significance: At the time, no one had sailed west, so any undiscovered land in that region was assumed to belong to Portugal.