Download The European Heritage

The European Heritage
Chapter 1 Section 4
Judeo-Christian Tradition
• European beliefs were shaped by two
religions of the ancient Middle East:
• Judaism
• Christianity
• The influence of these two religions is
known as the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Judaism
• Around 1700 BC, a system of beliefs
called Judaism arose among the Israelites,
a nomadic people of the Middle East.
• Judaism was the first major world religion
to teach monotheism.
• Monotheism is the belief that there is only
one God.
Christianity
• About 2000 years ago, a Jewish teacher named Jesus
•
•
•
•
•
of Nazareth began to preach in the region around the
Sea of Galilee.
Many believed that he was the Messiah, or Savior
chosen by God.
Christianity is based on the belief that Jesus was the
Messiah, sent by God to save the world.
The teachings of Jesus emphasized love, mercy, and
forgiveness.
Jesus taught that everyone has an equal chance for
salvation or everlasting life.
Christianity became the official religion of the Roman
Empire, and eventually became the dominant religion
in Europe.
Greek and Roman Tradition
• Athenian Democracy - In the fifth century BC, the
•
•
•
•
Greek city-state of Athens experienced a sudden
explosion of learning and creativity.
Its most remarkable achievement was the birth of
democracy.
Athens was a direct democracy. Direct democracy is
a form of government in which an assembly of
ordinary citizens makes decisions.
It is different from modern American government
because here we choose representatives to make
laws.
Any adult male citizen could participate in the
Athenian Assembly.
Roman Government and Law
• In 509 BC, the Romans overthrew their king and
•
•
•
set up a republic.
A republic is a form of government where people
choose representatives to govern them.
The elected senate and assembly made laws.
Rome’s code of laws stated that all people were
equal and the accused were considered
innocent until proven guilty.
The Middle Ages
• Middle Ages 500 – 1350
•
- most thought the world was flat
•
- 3 continents – Europe, Asia, Africa
•
- Daily life was hard main concern was survival
Feudalism
- Main type of government during the Middle Ages
- A system in which a ruler grants parts of his land to
lards
- In exchange, lords owed the king military service and
financial assistance
- In turn, lords granted land to lesser lords.
Feudalism cont.
With this type of government
- few merchants and traders
- few roads or towns
- life revolved around the manor
- The Roman Catholic Church had
great power and daily life revolved around
the rituals of the Catholic Church.
- Few people knew how to read and write.
The Crusades
The Crusades 1100 – 1300
- religious wars fought between Christians and
Muslims over the “Holy Land” (Middle East)
- land was sacred to Christians because Jesus
was crucified there
- also sacred to Muslims because their prophet,
Muhammed, also had lived there.
- for the first time Europeans looked beyond the
Manor.....first military battles away from home
Lasting Effects of Crusades
They did NOT regain the Holy Land, however
the Crusades did have lasting effects
- large #’s of Europeans traveled beyond their
towns
- learned to live with different cultures
(also imposed some of their own – cultural
exchange)
- ate strange foods (rice, oranges, dates)
- found new spices – not only to improve taste,
but preserve food
Economic Effects of The
Crusades
One of the most important effects was ECONOMIC
- Europeans would pay high prices for foreign goods
- trade with merchants of Middle East increased greatly
- Arabs also helped Italian sailors navigate the oceans
better (magnetic compass, astrolabe)
Increased travel and trade made Europeans more
curious about the world
- Created a “burst of learning” known as
the RENAISSANCE
The Renaissance
RENAISSANCE 1300-1600’s
- Printing Press – mid 1400’s
- Johannes Gutenberg
- large # of books produced → low cost → more
books available → more people learned to read →
more they learned
New Rulers all looked to increase wealth
(England, Spain, Portugal, France)
- wanted to increase trade with China and other lands in
Asia
- Arabs and Italian merchants controlled trade routes.....
had to find new routes
The Reformation
• In 1517, a German monk named Martin Luther
•
•
•
•
demanded that the Roman Catholic Church reform.
When his demands were rejected, Luther rebelled
against the Catholic Church authority.
Followers of Luther were called Protestants, because the
were protesting certain Catholic Church practices.
The movement led by Luther is known as the Protestant
Reformation.
Over time, many Protestant churches emerged and the
Reformation plunged Europe into a long series of wars
between Catholics and Protestants.
The Age of Exploration Begins
Prince Henry – early 1400’s
- sets up an informal school to help sailors in their
explorations
Caravel – ship could sail against the wind
- triangular sails – steering rudder
- astrolabe - an instrument that determines the precise
latitude or distance from the equator.
1498 – Vasco da Gama – Portuguese sailor
- sailed around the southern tip of Africa
- this new route allowed Portugal to build a successful
trading empire
- found well developed African kingdoms along Africa’s
east coast