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.