Download File - T. Harris Social Studies

Interactions in the First Global Age
The Renaissance occurred in the late Middle Ages,
beginning in the 1400s in Italy. During this time
period, Europe experienced many cultural changes
and saw a return to "classical" thought, which
meant a rebirth of the ideas and thoughts of the
ancient Greeks. In fact, the word "renaissance"
itself means "rebirth." During this time, there were
many advances in the fields of literature, the arts,
science, mathematics, astronomy, engineering,
cartography (map-making), and medicine. Important
people from this time period include Dante
Alighieri, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo di
Buonarroti Simoni, and Johannes Gutenberg.
Exploration
The period from 1000 to 1500 CE included the
beginning of the Age of Exploration. The Age of
Exploration can be defined as a period of time
when Europeans began to search for a sea trade
route between Europe and Asia. At this time, the
land routes to Asia were not under European
control. Getting goods from Asia was very
expensive. The Europeans believed it would be a
good idea to try and find a way to trade directly
with places like China.
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Marco Polo became one of the first Europeans
to travel the Silk Road to China prior to the
beginning of the Renaissance. The trade routes
that made up the Silk Road had been around for
centuries, many dating back to the Roman
Empire, but they had not been used for a long
time. During his travels, Marco Polo became
friends with the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan. Polo
traveled around China and documented his travels
in a journal. His tales increased European interest
in places in the Far East like China.

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer
who sailed for Spain. He believed that ships could
reach China by sailing west, across the
Atlantic. Instead of reaching China, Columbus
discovered the Americas. European nations began
exploring and colonizing the Americas, which led
to the growth of European empires.
Culture
Art and literature were two major areas of
change during the Renaissance. The invention of
the printing press gave people more access to
reading materials, and literacy rose as a
result. During this time, art was advanced by the
use of linear perspective, the invention of oil
paints, and the study of the human
body. Architecture also gained importance, through
the re-use of domes and columns. Many artists and
architects were influenced by classical styles used
by the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Philosophy re-emerged in the society through the
development of two new ways of
thinking: Humanism and
Neoplatonism. Humanism can be described as an
intellectual movement that focused on those areas
that were considered "classic," including rhetoric,
grammar, poetry, history, Latin, and Greek. These
subjects became known as the "humanities." One
idea of the humanists that differed greatly from
Catholic teachings was that of individual
accomplishment. Prior to the humanist movement,
the Catholic Church had taught that individuality
was relatively unimportant. The humanists, by
contrast, believed that the human mind was
essentially limitless, and each person should try to
better themselves as much as possible through
gaining a better education.
In contrast to humanism was the philosophy
of Neoplatonism. As part of the "re-birth" of
classical civilizations, thinkers in the Renaissance
were interested in writings of thinkers such as Plato
and Aristotle. The goal of Neoplatonist thinkers
was to incorporate Platonic ideas such as realism
into a combination of teachings that blended
classical philosophy and Catholic doctrines.

Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian architect,
anatomist, sculptor, engineer, inventor, musician,
and painter. He was considered to be the best example of the "Renaissance Man" due
to his extraordinary achievements and diverse talents. Da Vinci also studied the anatomy of the
human body by dissecting male and female corpses of different ages and drawing what he
saw. He designed many objects ahead of his time including a helicopter, tank, and
His most famous
works include Mona Lisa, The Last
Supper, and The Vitruvian Man.
calculator. He also discovered the use of solar power.
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Dante Alighieri was an Italian poet whose most famous work was The Divine Comedy. The
Divine Comedy was known as one of the greatest works of literature in the Middle Ages. The
Divine comedy was also important in establishing the modern Italian language by increasing its
use in literature.
Botticelli was an Italian painter who lived in Florence. His famous works includeThe Birth of
Venus, Primavera, and the Adoration of the Magi.
Raphael was an Italian painter and architect. His famous works include Madonna del
Granduca, The Small Cowper Madonna, and the The Alba Madonna.
Michelangelo di Buonarroti Simoni was an Italian artist, sculptor, architect, and poet. His
most famous work is the Sistine Chapel ceiling, which took four years to complete (15081512). Other famous works are The Last Judgment, the sculpture of David, La Pietà, and the
dome of St. Peter's Basilica.
The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo from the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
Society
During the Renaissance, Europe's economy was mostly rural and agricultural, so land
ownership was a sign of social status and a source of income. Peasants, called serfs, worked as
tenant farmers, which meant they lived and worked on the fields owned by a landlord. This
system was known as feudalism.
Gradually, kingdoms that taxed their populations came to replace the feudal system. This
change occurred because society was making a shift from wealth that was derived from land
ownership to wealth derived from trading and small-scale manufacturing. With money
becoming the new sought-after wealth, it encouraged investment, helped expand urban
economic centers, and led to the rise of middle class merchants. Eventually, Europe's interest
in wealth led nations to free market capitalism.
This economic shift set the foundation for the growth of mercantilism during the Age of
Exploration. Mercantilism can be described as the idea that the wealth available in the world
is limited, and one country could only get rich at the expense of another country. Governments
attempted to become wealthy by controlling more land.
Science and Technology
Mathematical advancements greatly accelerated the exploration of science and
technology. Inventions such as gunpowder, the printing press, and the compass also furthered
science.
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Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish astronomer. He developed the theory that the sun was the
center of the universe, an idea that was considered scandalous because the prevailing view was
that the Earth was the center of the universe.
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Galileo Galilei was an Italian physicist, mathematician, and astronomer. He invented an
accurate telescope.
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Johannes Kepler was a German mathematician and astronomer. He is most well-known for
his discovery that the planets move in orbits that are elliptical in shape.
Johannes Gutenberg was a German metalworker and inventor. He invented a printing press
with movable type that allowed for faster printing.
Government
During the Renaissance, Italy was made up of individual city-states ruled by wealthy
families. For example, in Florence, the Medici family ruled from 1434 to 1537. Other
countries, however, were unified into a single nation and ruled by kings or nobility.

Niccolò Machiavelli was an Italian writer and political philosopher who lived in
Florence. His most famous work was The Prince, in which he commented on the political
environment in Florence and argued that a ruler should do whatever is necessary in order to
maintain control of the state.