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Renaissance and Discovery
Chapter 10
EQs: What political, social and economic impacts
did the Renaissance have on Europe? How did the
discovery of the New World affect Europe?
An Introduction
 By the term Renaissance ("New Birth"), used in its narrower sense, is meant
that new enthusiasm for classical literature, learning, and art which sprang up
in Italy towards the close of the Middle Ages, and which during the course of
the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries gave a new culture to Europe
 Using the word in a somewhat broader sense, we may define the Renaissance
as the reentrance into the world of that secular, inquiring, self-reliant spirit
which characterized the life and culture of classical antiquity. This is simply to
say that under the influence of the intellectual revival the men of Western
Europe came to think and feel, to look upon life and the outer world, as did
the men of ancient Greece and Rome; and this again is merely to say that they
ceased to think and feel as mediaeval men and began to think and feel as
modern men.
Contrasting Middle Ages to Renaissance
MEDIEVAL VALUES
RENAISSANCE VALUES
highest good=salvation of your soul
virtu or superiority in human achievement (like Greeks)
asceticism or self-denial (flesh=sin)
gratify earthly desires; hedonism
GOD
self-denial & self-abnegation
religiosity
MAN
earthly pleasure
secularism
withdrawal from world or cloister
participation and involvement
supernatural
spirit or soul
faith
corporatism
rural
apostolic poverty
nature or natural
flesh and body
reason
individualism
urban
wealth and leisure
Fraility of man & dependence on God's grace. Original Sin. Last
Judgement & Hell.
Reason & Free Will can produce much. DIGNITY OF MAN &
UNAIDED HUMAN ACCOMPLISHMENT WITHOUT GRACE.
IDEAL IS THE MONASTERY -- withdrawal from the world as
sinful. Denial of the flesh-wore hairshirt. Flagellation.
Contemplative life. (Renaissance preferred the active life)
IDEAL IS CIVIC PARTICIPATION and delight in earthly pleasures.
Emphasize human accomplishments and individual excellence.
Classics are models.
Part One: The Italian Renaissance
 Why was Italy the heart of the
Renaissance?
 GEOGRAPHY – Italy’s position on the
Mediterranean made it powerful at the
end of the 14th century.
 Even though the Black Death first struck
Italy and ravaged it’s population, it also
ended first in Italy. Remember, the Black
Death was brought to Europe by trade,
trade that came into the Italian
Mediterranean city states
Fathers of the Rebirth
 Petrarch (Francesco) (1304-1374)– writer,
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philosopher, poet, Humanist (the father of
Humanism)
Boccaccio (Giovanni) (1313-1375) – writer,
poet, Humanist, Author of Decameron
The death’s of Petrarch and Boccaccio
generally mark the beginning of the Italian
Renaissance period
Dante (Alighieri) (1265-1321) – writer,
poet, Humanist, Author of The Divine Comedy
All preached HUMANISM, the study of the
classics (Greek, Latin and of the church) in
attempt to revive old values and social
norms
Humanism
 Humanists believed that much of the current education system in Europe was
useless, it only served the elite or those who gave themselves to the church
 They emphasized that individuals should embrace the study of the humanities
(studia humanitatis), things like art, literature, poetry, rhetoric philosophy,
history, politics and morality…things that basically celebrated the dignity and
virtue of man
 Humanists promoted the idea of individuality, personal virtue and public
service
 Their main criticism of the Scholasticism movement of the Middle Ages was
that its main focus was based on summarizing and comparing texts rather than
interpreting their meaning and debating their points of views
Humanist Reforms, Works, Revivals
 The first most important actions taken by Humanists were to revive old
manuscripts and texts, translate them from Greek and Latin into common
languages spoken by the masses (Florentine “Academy” under the patronage of
Cosimo de’ Medici)
 “It is better to will the good than know the truth” – Petrarch
 The Humanist idea that education must be useful not just information to be
learned
 The works of Plato (Neo-Platonism) were among the first such teachings to be
translated…they grew in mass appeal due to their examinations of human
reasoning
 The concept of civic humanism also arose out of the reform of education by the
Humanists…in this manner, average people rose to political power through
Humanist teachings and used their persona to rally people towards causes (ie.
Florence should repel the aggression of Naples and Milan)
The Socio-Political Landscape of the
Renaissance
 The first overall major political theme of the
Renaissance is the death of the Feudal/Manor
system and the rise of individual monarchs and
states
 In Italy, individual city-states emerged, thanks in
part to their participation in global trade
(Genoa, Milan, Florence, Venice, Naples, Rome,
Siena, Mantua, “Sicily”)…their was competition
but political/military aggression was long held
off by treaties amongst these states
 Most states were ruled by despotic family
dynasties (minus Venice which was a
Republic)…names such as de Medici, Borgia,
Sforza…who consolidated their power through
trade or even corruption
The Socio-Political Landscape of the
Renaissance
 Social Class and Conflict
 Old Rich - grandi
 Merchant Class (new rich) – popolo grasso
 Business people, Guild artisans - burgher
 Lower classes – popolo minuto
 Conflicts were almost always engaged between the old and newly rich, the Black Death
impacted the lower classes and the banking families who had greater contact with the
outside world
 It would take the skilled manipulation of despotic rulers to quell this social
disorder…these despots, however, became patrons of Humanism, which they used as a
tool to distract the masses
The Socio-Political Landscape of the Renaissance
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Despotism and Diplomacy
 Cosimo de Medici – the master manipulator,
managed Florence as puppet master, arranging the
elections of officials and re-writing the cities
constitution…he made sure that the town council
(Signoria) was ruled by the most influential and
trustworthy people from all upper corners of
Florentine society
 In other city states, oligarchy was common…like
councils of upper class individuals hired strongmen
(podesta) to wield executive authority…they hired
mercenary armies (condottieri) to handle defense as
conscripting the squabbling general populace was
near impossible
 Being strongman wasn’t an easy job…you could get
fired, you could get assassinated
 What kept the city states from going to war was
their art of diplomacy…each had ambassadors and
embassies established in other cities which basically
served as “spies”
French Intrusions

France toward the end of the 15th century began to assert
political claims in Italy, particularly in the north…their
targets, Savoy and Milan.
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These claims were enhanced in 1494 when the Borgias
decided to raise armies in Rome and Naples to attack
Milan…the Milanese ruler Ludovico il Moro, made an
error in crying to France…first, this allowed the French
king Charles VIII to march armies right through the
Italian states…second, it would allow France to eventually
align itself with Milan’s enemies, who virtually placated
the French…this caused the Spanish to desire control of
Italian state and led to their invasions
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It was the corruption of the Borgias that would be
bolstered by this “invasion”…they even got a Pope in
control of the church (Alexander VI) who was by far the
most corrupt pope EVER in the history of the church, a
true HEDONIST (ie. “The Banquet of the Chestnuts”)
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1527, the sack of Rome by Charles V effectively is given as
the ending date of the Italian Renaissance
Machiavelli
 The Prince (1513) – This work is a satirical
view of Italian politics of the
Renaissance…many believe the figure “The
Prince” is actually Lorenzo di Medici of
Florence
 Machiavelli was attempting to entice
republican unity in Italy…he criticized the
divisions amongst the states and proselytized
the need for one strong ruler
 “Machiavellian” as a term means “ruthless,
political expediency”, only a
strongman/dictator could unify Italy
END OF
PART ONE
Renaissance and Discovery
Chapter 10
EQs: What political, social and economic impacts
did the Renaissance have on Europe? How did the
discovery of the New World affect Europe?
Part Two – The Northern Renaissance and
Discovery of the New World
 The main difference between the Renaissance of the south and that of the
north is the interpretation of the humanist movement…whereas the southern
(Italian) Renaissance tended to be more secular, the northern Renaissance had
greater religious undertones
 Another important difference was that whereas Italian states remained
relatively divided, northern states began to consolidate politically…strong
central monarchs began to emerge (minus Germany which remained largely
divided).
 With the decline of the feudal system, cities and towns allied themselves with
strong kings/princes…however, “dynastic” family rule and the aspirations that
went with it did not disappear (meaning, rulers of large states still wished to
marry into the families of others to gain control over those states)
The Political Landscape of Northern
Europe
 In northern states, the matters of taxation were no longer in the hands of the
lords/vassals, it was now conducted by the king’s appointed officials…taxes, wars and
laws were now matters of national not regional concern.
 Many of these monarchs had public assemblies (Cortes in Spain, Estates General in
France, Parliament in England) but were able to avoid entanglements with them by
appointing bureaucratic officials to serve their capacity in matters of finance, law, etc.
(ie. Corregidores in Spain, justices of the peace in England and bailiffs in France).
 National armies were bought and paid for rather than raised by tribute…soldiers
earned a wage, some were even recruited from other states as mercenaries (ex.
Hessians from Germany)…fund raising for these endeavors was always difficult due to
the fact that nobles abhored taxes, so creative taxation on sales of goods and transport
were developed (ie. Sales tax and tariffs)
Rising Monarchies
 France
 Charles VII (thanks to Joan and a banker named Jacques Coeur) rose to
power…his son Louis XI furthered the expansion of France 2 fold 1) by
the collapse of English power in France after the end of the 100 Years War
and 2) by the defeat of Charles the Bold of Burgundy who was trying to
make his states more grand than France and the Holy Roman Empire
combined
 Of course, Louis XI’s son, Charles VIII would mess up these gains with
wars in Italy and Spain, sending France back to turmoil until the rise of
Francis I 20 years later
 Spain
 The rise of Spain came from a marriage of Castille and Aragon (ie
Ferdinand and Isabella) as well as the expanding efforts of the Reconquista
which led to…
Rising Monarchies
 Spain (continued)
 Religious fervor in Spain helped to
drive out the Muslims for good in the
15th century
 With the kingdoms of Castile and
Aragon married in1469, the result was
Ferdinand and Isabella setting a clear
agenda for the purification of Spain
 Persecute/expel the “heathens” (Muslims,
Jews) and purify their kingdom into a
Catholic state
 Develop the military and begin to expand
Iberian control into Europe (as seen in Italy,
later against England and in
Belgium/Netherlands)
 Explore the world, compete with their
rivals in Portugal for dominance of sea trade
Rising Monarchies
 England
 Internal warfare erupted after the 100 Years War between the Houses of York and Lancaster
(The War of the Roses)…Richard III eventually came to power as a villain who murdered
Edward IV’s sons and needed a “kingdom for a horse”…The Tudor House of Lancaster
eventually killed Richard III at the Bosworth Field
 It was Henry Tudor the VII the consolidated English power once more, ending the nobles
feuds by the creation of the Court of Star Chamber …and by using English Common Law to
further the powers of the monarch and limit the nobility
 The Holy Roman Empire
 Germany was still a land of disunion, it’s only connection being common reign under the
Holy Roman Empire…the Golden Bull of 1356 established a common council of princes
that elected the emperor…both served as checks and balances to one another
 A legislature called the Reichstag was also created body which princes and city rulers could
discuss issues…despite these obvious unifying attempts, Germany remained regionalized
with certain states being more powerful than others
The Northern Renaissance
 The invention of the Printing Press separated the
Northern Renaissance from that of its southern
counterpart
 Northern Humanists focused their attention on
spreading literature to the masses in order to secure a
populace that was governable…add to this a new
industry, the manufacture of paper which created a
whole new economic opportunity for society
 Becoming a printer was the new profitable job, as
printing made record keeping and “spreading the
news” easier
 Print also became a powerful propaganda tool for the
monarchs and the church, making it easier to spread
decrees and concert the masses
Northern Humanist Thinkers
 Erasmus
 “The Prince of Humanists”…his main claim to fame was his
criticism of the Catholic church (which also makes him a so-called
“Father of the Reformation”
 Erasmus professed that a person could live like Christ and be
humble and did not have seek salvation thru any means provided by
a church…people could be free to interpret for themselves the
meanings of and teachings of the Bible
 Ulrich Von Hutten
 Knight and ardent supporter of the reformation…supported a
movement to resurrect Judaic teachings when it was attacked by the
Church…Letters of Obscure Men
 Thomas More
 English author of Utopia, a depiction of a society based tolerance
and social justice…he became one of Henry VIII advisors before
being executed for opposing Henry’s schism from the Catholic
church
The Exploration Experiment
 Atlantic Exploration began…Portugal vs.
Spain in a battle royale for dominance of the
sea
 It was actually explorers from Italy who first
sailed out the straits of Gibraltar down the
African coast in the 14th century…Portugal
and Spain followed suit, though these
exploits were hindered by poor technology
 All learned better shipbuilding techniques
and use of compass/astrolabe form Muslim
explorers and sailors…Prince Henry the
Navigator of Portugal led the charge in
improving
Paths of Conquest
 Spanish conquest of Latin America had 4 motivations:
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Gold, God Glory (and GREED)…and took 2 main
directions, towards Mexico and South America, right to
the civilizations of the Aztec and Inca that the Spanish
had been hearing rumors of
Conquistadors were a mix of interesting
characters…not ALL were official members of the
Spanish military, some were just average joes with
influence seeking their fortune…most expeditions
averaged around 50 to 500 men only
Conquistadors were given free reign in their efforts by
making agreements with the crown to share their
spoils…they even recruited their “soldiers” much the
same way, promising them spoils from the conquest
Many were later granted land titles in Latin America
(encomiendas)…most established themselves as new
nobility and created a new class system in the New
World
Their eventual successes were attributed to several
simple factors: superior military technology (horses and
weapons), European diseases, ruthless leadership, and
the taking advantage of crumbling native empires
Patterns of Spanish Colonization
 The Spanish proceeded to layout a strict
colonial system (later legitimized in the Law
of the Indies)
 They designed cities in a grid like structure
similar to their own in Spain (influenced by
Muslims)…at the center of these towns/cities
was a large plaza, surrounded by government
buildings, military offices and a CATHOLIC
CHURCH…a market would also be held in
the plaza
 The church became a central figure in the
government/colonization process (more
later)
The Spanish Colonial Economy
 More than 80% of Spanish America was engaged in agricultural
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production
HOWEVER, mining was the essential activity
Major silver mines opened up in Mexico, Peru and Bolivia
 Potosi in Bolivia was the largest and most productive of all
mines, the town was populated by over 160,000 people,
mostly by mita mining slaves from other parts of Peru
According to Spanish law, the crown held all subsoil rights even
though mines were owned by individuals…these individuals had
to pay 1/5 of their profits to the Spanish crown
Haciendas – large local estates that emerged to sustain the local
population…created the landed aristocracy of Latin America
(feudalism)
Haciendas produced food mainly for the colonies, NOT luxury
crops…that was left up to plantations and rancheros
(encomiendas)
Haciendas tied the native populations and poorer migrants &
peasant farmers to the land and created an imbalance of wealth
that would lead to future revolutions in Latin America
The Spanish Colonial Economy
 The Spanish crown established one important provision in the Law of the
Indies  ALL luxury goods, gold and silver produced in Spanish
colonies had to be directly sent to Spain
 There was NO direct trade between Spanish Viceroyalties or other
European power from the Spanish colonies…Spanish colonies and
colonists had to buy Spanish made goods (source of dissatisfaction for
future independence movements)
 Spanish galleon fleets funneled goods from the Pacific (Philippines)
through the Americas then directly to Spain…these fleets were well
armed to prevent piracy…only one fleet was lost before this era of trade
ended in the 1730s
The Impact on Europe of the New World
Discovery
 The obvious is economic…new products increased trade and increased
individual wealth and entrepreneurship in European states…it created a
greater competition between states
 Prices skyrocketed as inflation increased the values of basic goods such as
food and clothing, however, wages and rents stayed behind (income gap)
 This wealth increased sponsorship of activities (ie. the upcoming Scientific
Revolution) and the development of new industries…this also created an
industry of banking where capital was “loaned” …the Medicis grew wealthy
as bankers as did the German Fugger family (which bankrolled the
Hapsburgs)