Download The Early Modern World 1400-1800

The Early Modern World
1400-1800
Renaissance and Reformation
1350-1600
Test One
• What were the characteristics of the Italian Renaissance?
• Contrast and compare Milan, Venice and Florence citystates.
• Who was Machiavelli?
• What were the characteristics of Renaissance Society?
The Renaissance
• Between 1350 and 1550 Italy became the center of a new
awareness of Humanism.
• Italian city-states were the centers of political, economic, and
social life.
• Urban society became the breeding ground for new ideas.
• As wealth increased a new secular world viewpoint became
popular.
• Europe began to recover from the major disasters of the 14th
century.
• Society began to notice the great “lost” knowledge” of the
past surrounding them.
• People once again began to value the individual and his
abilities.
• Individuals could excel in many areas, like Leonardo De
Vinci.
• Leonardo was a painter, sculptor, architect, inventor, and
mathematician.
• Churches, public buildings, and private homes displayed
both religious and secular art.
The Italian States
• During the Middle Ages Italy failed to develop a single
centralized kingdom.
• City-states became the powers in northern and central Italy.
• Milan, Venice, and Florence expanded and became the
centers of Humanism.
• Milan controlled the Alpine trade routes.
• Mercenaries slowly took power in Milan and created a vast
tax system.
• Lead by a man named Sforza Milan became very wealthy.
• Venice became a republic and controlled the Asian trade
routes.
• Lead by the Doge, Venice became wealthy based on the spice
trade.
• Florence was a republic controlled by a few wealthy
merchants.
• The Medici family controlled the merchants.
The Italian Wars
• Growth in strong kings in England, Spain and France meant
trouble to the city-states.
• French king Charles VIII occupied Naples and the city-states
asked Spain for help.
• For 30 years Italy became the battle ground between Spain
and France.
• Even the city of Rome was “sacked” by Spanish troops in
1527.
• Church officials were sold into slavery, churches were looted
and palaces burned.
• The destruction of Rome ended the Italian wars leaving
Spain the dominant power in Italy.
Machiavelli and the new Statecraft
• Niccolo Machiavelli wrote a book about political power (The
Prince).
• The thesis concerns how to acquire – and keep – political
power.
• Previous publications about power stressed Christian
morality.
• The Prince stressed Humanism not Christian morals.
• Politicians still read and use Machiavelli’s The Prince.
Renaissance Society
The Nobility
• Nobles were only 2-3 % of the entire population.
• But they controlled everything.
• Nobles were expected to live and act a certain way, to
maintain a code of conduct.
• The Book of the Courtier by Castiglione was the code of
conduct.
• It stated a noble was born not made.
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Nobles were expected to have character, grace, and talent.
Nobles had to develop three skills:
1. military and physical training
2. gain an education
• 3. follow the code of conduct
• The aim of the code was to produce the perfect noble to serve
the king or prince.
Peasants and Townspeople
• Peasants were 85-90 % of the population.
• Serfdom decreased with the decline of the manorial
economic system.
• Peasants became freer to move into the urban areas seeking
better wages.
• Townspeople were mostly merchants and craftsmen.
• Within the urban areas, patricians created great wealth by
trade, industry, and banking.
• Patricians dominated urban areas politically, economically,
and socially.
• Below them were the shopkeepers, artisans, guild masters,
and guild members.
• Below them were the wage workers and the unemployed.
• They made up about 30-40% of the urban population.
Family and Marriage
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Family bonds were the source of security in the urban areas.
To maintain security marriages were arranged at birth.
Marriages were to strengthen business or family ties.
At the wedding, the bride’s family gave the groom an agreed
upon sum of money called a dowry.
• The father-husband ruled the Renaissance home.
• He gave it his name, managed the money, and made all the
decisions.
• The father’s authority over the children was absolute.
• The mother’s role was to maintain and control the
household.
• The father went to a judge to proclaim each child (at 21
years old) an adult.
The End