Early Modern Britain Vocabulary

The Early Modern Period (1450-1750)

  • A period of great change in Britain, Europe, and the wider world.
  • Often referred to as the 'Early Modern period' due to the emergence of elements shaping the modern world.

Key Events and Changes:

  • 1472: William Caxton introduces printing to England.
  • 1485: Henry Tudor defeats Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth, initiating the Tudor dynasty.
  • 1492: Christopher Columbus 'discovers' the Caribbean Islands.
  • 1517: Martin Luther's criticism sparks the Reformation, dividing Europe into Catholic and Protestant factions.
  • 1522: Ferdinand Magellan's expedition circumnavigates the globe.
  • 1534: Henry VIII declares himself the head of the English Church.
  • 1536: Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell begin dissolving the monasteries in England.
  • 1588: The Spanish Armada is defeated, securing England as a Protestant nation.
  • 1600: The English East India Company commences trade in South East Asia.
  • 1605: The Gunpowder Plot, a Catholic attempt to destroy Parliament, is foiled.
  • 1607: England establishes its first successful North American colony.
  • 1642: The English Civil War begins, pitting supporters of King Charles I against those of Parliament.
  • 1649: King Charles I is executed.
  • 1660: The monarchy is restored with Charles II becoming king.
  • 1688: The Glorious Revolution forces Catholic monarch James II from the throne; William and Mary are invited to rule with limited powers.
  • 1707: The Act of Union unites England and Scotland under a single parliament in London, opposed by some Scottish Catholics.
  • 1745: The Jacobite Rebellion, led by Charles Edward Stuart, attempts to restore the Stuart monarchy but fails at the Battle of Culloden.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

  • Considered a genius, excelling as an artist, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist.
  • Learned through observation, apprenticed as a painter in Florence.
  • Known for both artistic talent and intellectual brilliance.
Anatomical Studies:
  • Dissected corpses to accurately depict the human body.
  • Documented dissections with drawings and notes in notebooks.
Artistic Achievements:
  • Painted "Lady with Ermine" showcasing ability to capture reality.
  • Only 15 paintings survived, often left projects unfinished, but transformed European art by portraying people as real individuals.
Notebooks:
  • 7000 pages of drawings and writings in 31 surviving notebooks.
  • Contained studies of human anatomy, natural phenomena (water movement, plant structure, bird flight), and inventions (moveable bridge, flying machine, tank).

Key Developments (1450-1550):

  • Renaissance
  • Connecting the World
  • Reformation

The Renaissance

  • A 'rebirth' of interest in Ancient Greece and Rome in fifteenth-century northern Italian cities.
  • Scholars re-examined ancient texts.
  • Artists drew inspiration from Greek and Roman sculptures.
  • Architects emulated ancient Greek and Roman building styles.
  • Spread from Italy throughout Europe in the 16th century.
Causes of the Renaissance:
  • Fueled by trade, money, and power.
  • Italian merchants traded with North Africa and the Middle East, importing luxury goods and new ideas.
  • Wealthy families like the Medici in Florence became patrons of the arts.
The Printing Press:
  • Book production in the Middle Ages was slow and costly, involving scribes copying text onto vellum.
  • Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 1440s, using moveable metal type, a press, and ink.
  • Printing presses spread across Europe; William Caxton established the first press in England (1476).
Impact of Printing:
  • Made book production faster and cheaper.
  • Enabled rapid dissemination of Renaissance knowledge and ideas.
  • Increased literacy rates.
  • Led to an information explosion.

Connecting the World (1450-1550)

  • Europe sought new sea routes to East Asia.
Key Explorations:
  • Portuguese Exploration:
    • Sailed south seeking a route to India, establishing contact with West African kingdoms (1460s).
    • Built a fort at Mina, trading in gold and slaves (1482).
    • Vasco da Gama reached India by sea, sailing around Africa (1497-98).
    • Established a trading post in Cochin, India (1501).
  • Spanish Exploration:
    • Christopher Columbus reached the Caribbean Islands (1492), believing them to be part of India.
    • Began colonizing the Caribbean Islands, enslaving islanders (1490s).
    • Ferdinand Magellan's expedition circumnavigated the world (1517-1522).
  • Other Developments:
    • The Portuguese arrived in Brazil (1500) and began colonization, establishing sugar plantations and using both indigenous and imported African slave labor (1530s).
    • The Spanish searched for gold and silver in Central and South America, leading to conflict with the Aztecs and Incas, ultimately leading to the their conquest (1519-1534).

The Reformation

  • A major shift in Christianity during the Early Modern period dividing Christians in Europe into Catholics and Protestants.
Martin Luther:
  • A monk and professor at the University of Wittenberg in Saxony.
  • Criticized the Catholic Church, arguing it deviated from true Christian teachings.
  • Believed individual faith was the path to salvation.
  • Believed people should read the Bible themselves in their own language
  • Believed the Pope had too much power.
  • Believed rulers of each country should be the head of the Church not the pope.
Key Events:
  • Pope Leo X sold indulgences (pardons for sins) to raise money for St. Peter's Basilica (1516).
  • Luther wrote "Ninety-Five Theses" against indulgences (1517).
  • Luther's ideas spread, leading to his excommunication (1521).
  • He translated the Bible into German, making it accessible to ordinary people.
Consequences:
  • Europe divided into Protestant and Catholic countries.
  • Religious conflicts and wars between countries.

'The Ambassadors' by Hans Holbein (1533)

  • Painting featuring Jean de Dinteville (French ambassador) and Georges de Selve.
  • Contains Symbolic Objects: Globe, astronomy tools, crucifix, skull, broken lute symbolizing interests, hopes, and tensions of the time.

Henry VIII (1509-1547)

Early Years (1509-1525):
  • Married Katherine of Aragon to secure the Tudor dynasty.
  • Sought a male heir.
  • Created a magnificent court reflecting English monarchy power.
  • Displayed a love of military glory, evident of participation in military tournaments and campaigns in Northern France.
  • Was initially a loyal supporter of the Pope, defending the Catholic faith against Martin Luther. Was given the title Defender of the Faith.
Middle Years (1526-1534):
  • Sought a divorce from Katherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn.
  • Faced obstacles from the Pope and Emperor Charles V.
  • Thomas Cranmer becomes Archbishop of Canterbury
  • Declared himself Head of the Church of England, leading to the English Reformation.
  • Parliament passed laws solidifying the king's power, including the Act of Supremacy, Act of Succession, and Treason Act.
Latter Years (1535-1547):
  • Dissolved monasteries to acquire wealth and resources.
  • Issued England's "Great Bible" changing people's views on religions.
  • Religious issues continued to be of great importance.

Hampton Court Palace:

  • Magnificent palace showcasing the power of Tudor monarchs, particularly Henry VIII.
  • Significant features: Chapel Royal, Great Hall, extensive kitchens, Privy Chambers, Watergate, Base Court.
  • The Great Hall served a ceremonial function and as a dining hall for Henry VIII's visitors.

Elizabethan England

Coronation
  • Elizabeth was crowned queen at Westminster Abbey. Her 'golden' coronation robes were on full display.
Elizabeth I (1558-1603)
  • Defeated the spanish armada and defended England.
Wealth and Poverty:
  • Population nearly doubled, leading to decreased wages and increase in good prices.
England and the Wider World:
  • Martin Frobisher made three voyages across the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Drake's voyage sailed around the globe stealing gold and silver from Spanish ships.
  • Queen Elizabeth granted Walter Raleigh royal charter to explore and settle North America.
'Golden Age' Culture:
  • Talented Elizabethan goldsmiths and artists such as Nicholas Hilliard. Were talented at minature paintings.
  • Elizabethan boys from welathy and middling families had opportunities to increase their education. 136 new grammer schools were opened.
  • There were remarkable developments in lierature. Such as Edmund Spencer and William Shakespeare.