Transcript Renaissance and Reformation

Renaissance and
Reformation
The Italian Renaissance
O First developed in Italy in 14th and 15th centuries
O Challenged medieval intellectual values and styles
O Why Italy? Extensive urban, commercial economy
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and competitive city-state politics, ruins of Rome
around them, Medici family
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo
Niccolo Machiavelli- realistic discussions of how
to seize and maintain power
Humanism: a focus on humankind as the center of
intellectual and artistic endeavor
Encouraged innovation
The Renaissance Moves
Northward
O By 1500 Italy declining as center because French
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and Spanish invade and new Atlantic trade routes
reduced the importance of Mediterranean ports so
economy suffered
Northern Renaissance- France, Low Countries,
Germany and Switzerland
Northern artists more religious than Italian
counterparts
Shakespeare, Rebelais
Political moves to enhance state power
Don’t overstate importance of the Renaissance
because many things outside of Italy left
unchanged
Changes in Technology and
Family
O As a result of contacts with Asia, pulleys,
pumps, mines, stronger iron products
O 15th century- Johannes Gutenberg
introduced movable type and printed the
Gutenberg Bible (built on Chinese
technology)- led to more books- led to
increased literacy
O Change in family structure from larger,
extended family of agricultural societies to
smaller, nuclear family- increased the
husband-wife bond
The Protestant Reformation
O 1517 Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to church door at the castle
in Wittenberg. He was protesting the selling of indulgences but
more importantly he was arguing that only faith could gain
salvation. Wanted to transform the church (priests could marry,
services in local languages, etc.)
O In Germany, Lutheranism popular because German princes were
tired of being controlled by the Catholic pope and the Holy
Roman Empire, so urging state control of the church had obvious
political appeal
O Once Christian unity had been breached, other Protestant groups
sprang forward. England- Henry VIII set up an Anglican church.
Jean Calvin (Frenchman in Geneva). Calvinism insisted on
predestination of those who would be saved. Calvinists also
wanted more people to participate in church administration. By
early 17th century Puritan exiles brought it to North America
Catholic Reformation
O Catholic church launched own reform
called Catholic Reformation, where a
major church council revived Catholic
doctrine and refuted key Protestant tenets
O Jesuits , a new religious order, became
popular in politics, education, and
missionary work. Jesuit fervor sponsored
Catholic missionary activity in the
Americas and Asia
The End of Christian Unity
in the West
O Results of reformation- bitter religious wars, Edict of
Nantes in 1598, Thirty Years’ War in 1618 broke out
pitting German Protestant and allies such as Lutheran
Sweden against the Holy Roman emperor- ended in
1648 with the Treaty of Westphalia, which agreed to the
concept of territorial tolerance
O English Civil War in 1640s
O Political balance in Europe disrupted- France on
upswing, Netherlands and Britain ready to play
international role, Spain fell back. Kings and princes
benefited from papal decline
O Cultural change- family- focus on husband-wife love;
less connection between God and nature; increased
literacy
The Commercial Revolution
O Increased trade, Europeans had new goods
available to them, involvement with
markets and merchants increased
O Inflation and new colonial opportunities
led to formation of trading companies, i.e.
Dutch East India Trading Company
O Manufacturing specializations arose in
rural villages (shoemaking, pottery,
metalworking)
O Increased prosperity for everyone
Social Protest
O Beginning of new proletariat in the West-
people without access to wealth-producing
property- leads to peasants turning into
beggars
O Uprisings in 16th century by peasants and
townspeople who wanted greater protection
from poverty and loss of property
O Growing witchcraft persecution