Download Transition to the Renaissance What caused Europe to develop from

Transition to the
Renaissance
What caused Europe to develop from the feudal
period to the Renaissance?
Mrs. Watson
Kraemer Middle School
Factors that caused the transition to the
Renaissance:
 There are four
factors that
contributed to
the decline of
feudalism and
the rise of a new
era: The
Renaissance
http://newberryworkshop.com/Tutorial/innolight/leonardo-da-vinci-lady-with-an-ermine.jpg
#1: The Black Death
 People couldn’t stop the spread of the plague
 The Black Death changed life in Europe
The population dropped dramatically
 Fewer people had to work harder (but they
could demand higher wages)
 Some peasants revolted & moved to cities for
more freedom & better money
 Fewer serfs on the manor = less power for
feudal lords
 Feudalism declined

#2: The Hundred Years’ War
 How did it begin?
 The king of France
died without an heir,
starting a dispute
over who would rule
France
 Two men claimed
the throne of France
 England invaded
France & started the
war
http://users.moscow.com/khakimian/hundred.html
The Hundred Years’ War continued….
 How did warfare change as a
result of the Hundred Years’
War?
New technology made weapons
of the medieval period obsolete
 Longbows eliminated the
advantages of armor
 Cannons blasted through castle
walls
 England’s superior warfare
technology helped them win for
90 years!

http://www.greenmanlongbows.co.uk/green_man_long
bows_links.htm
http://www.swordsandarmor.com/mall/miniature-cannon.htm
The Hundred Years’ War continued….
 Who was Joan of Arc?
 She was a young French
peasant girl, inspired by
God to save France
 Her victories in battle were
believed to be miracles &
improved the morale of
losing French soldiers
 The tide turned & the
French won the war!
 Joan became a martyr when
she was burned at the stake
for heresy
http://historyissexy.wordpress.com/
The Hundred Years’ War continued….
 How did the war
contribute to the end of
feudalism?
Nationalism – as a
result of the war,
people became more
devoted to their king &
country, over their
feudal lord
 Lords lost power;
feudalism declined

http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/2100/2114/crown_1_lg.gif
http://www.fayette.k12.in.us/cmslmc/classproj/flex/france-french-flagthumb.jpg
#3: Trade Changed Town Life
 Towns were centers for trade and shipping
 Luxury goods could only be found in towns
(silk, spices, ivory, porcelain, etc…)
 Guilds dominated town life by:
Controlling jobs & trade
 Sponsoring social activities (parades, festivals,
holy days)
 Supporting Christianity: building cathedrals,
holy day activities

 Guilds & town leaders took power from lords;
feudalism declined
Trade Changed Town Life continued….
TOWN LIFE DURING THE
MIDDLE AGES:
A. Towns were small -- Society
was based on agriculture
(farming), so most people
lived in the countryside, not
towns.
B. Nobles – had most of the
power. They owned the land
& controlled the knights that
provided protection.
C. Social status – was
determined by birthright. You
were born to your social class
& could not move.
TOWN LIFE DURING THE
RENAISSANCE:
A. Towns grew – society was
based on trade (not farming),
so people moved to towns for
convenience & towns grew.
B. Middle Class – had most of
the power. They limited the
power of nobles with land
charters & organized banks to
control money.
C. Social status – was
determined by ability &
wealth. Could change now,
for better or worse. New
opportunities for people.
#4: Growth of Italian City-States
http://smarthistory.us/site/wp-content/images/mapitaly.gif
 Why were Italian city-states
so rich & powerful?
During the Crusades, Italian
merchants established strong
trade networks with Byzantine
& Muslim merchants
 Each city-state specialized
in an area of trade:




Milan – metal goods, armor, weaponry
Florence – banking, insurance & textiles
(cloth)
Venice – Asian imports: porcelain, silk, spices
Growth of Italian City-States continued….
 How did Florence become the
most influential city-state?
Sold insurance to merchants
= great wealth
 Created banks for loans and
foreign currency exchange
= more wealth
 The Medici Family – became
leaders/patrons of Florence.
Promoted civic pride, trade,
banking, arts & scholarship.

http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/europe/europeanunion/italy/florence/images/firenze-duomo-florence-cathedral.jpg
Growth of Italian City-States continued….
 What was the Renaissance &
why did it begin in Italy?
“Renaissance” literally means
“re-birth” or to be born again.
It was a rebirth of culture &
leaning in Europe.
 It began in Italy because
wealthy Italians displayed
their fortunes by sponsoring
scholars & artists to promote
civic pride & culture

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h9Q2_DTj5iI/S6M5GlNazqI/AAAAAAA
AASY/dxxb2mDHgJQ/s400/Michelangelo+David+Face.jpg
So what was the Renaissance?
 It was the cultural “re-birth”
of Europe after the Middle
Ages
 Emphasized the
development of new ideas,
innovation, and human
achievement in art, science,
government, philosophy,
literature, etc….
 Education based on the
“classics” – then innovate
new ideas!
http://www.italianhighlights.com/rome-toursimg/Michelangelo%27s%20Moses%204.JPG
Spirit of the Renaissance
 People became interested
in ancient culture
because…
The Crusades exposed
people to the more
advanced Muslim
civilization, which made
Europeans eager to
improve their own culture
 Europeans rediscovered
the glory of the classics:
works of ancient Greece &
Rome

http://warburg.sas.ac.uk/mnemosyne/word/humanism.htm
Spirit of the Renaissance
 A belief in human
potential
Every person can
achieve great things
 Education in the
classics would lead to
the creation of a better
world
 Human achievement
now, rather than after
life (Heaven)

http://students.umf.maine.edu/rochefal/public.www/theitalianrenaissance.html
Spirit of the Renaissance
 What is a humanist?
 Humanists were scholars
that studied the classics,
Latin, Greek, history, math,
philosophy, science, etc….
 Petrarch – the first great
humanist scholar, known as
the “Father of Humanism”


Petrarch was from Florence,
Italy
Florence became known as
the birthplace of Humanism &
of the Renaissance
http://pro.corbis.com/images/426396073.jpg?size=572&uid=%7BD9
9BA8A3-1FC9-4E57-9021-D887FBA7B38A%7D