Download History and Government

The History of Europe
Mr. Belter
Europe in 1560
• Bullet point
• Bullet point
– Sub Bullet
History and Government
Section 1: History and Governments
BIG IDEA The characteristics and movement of
people impact physical and human systems.
Over the centuries, migrations and wars have
brought different groups to power in Europe. As
modern nations have taken the place of empires
and kingdoms, ways of living and thinking have
also changed.
Picture This:
Who is that giant? Is it a
warrior? A farmer? A king? One thing is
certain—at almost 230 feet (70 m) high,
the Long Man of Wilmington, in England,
is one of the world’s largest carved
figures. Originally a chalk outline that
became overgrown by grass, the Long
Man was restored in 1969 with 770
concrete blocks. As scientists study the
earth around the giant, they will be better
able to judge when it was made—and
maybe even why it was made! Read this
section to learn more about the history of
Europe.
Ancient Europe
Main Idea Ancient Greece and
Rome laid the foundations of
European civilization.
Geography and You Do you
get to vote on family decisions
or elect leaders to your student
government?
Read to find out how voting
rights arose with the ancient
Greeks and Romans.
Socrates, on the left, taught by
asking students pointed questions.
His most famous student was
Plato, another great Greek thinker.
Place: In which Greek city-state
did democracy develop?
Sample Graph (3 colour)
The story of European civilization begins with the ancient
Greeks and Romans. More than 2,500 years ago, these
peoples settled near the Mediterranean Sea. Eventually
their cultures spread throughout Europe and beyond. Even
today, the influence of the classical world—meaning ancient
Greece and Rome—lingers.
Ancient Greece
Physical geography naturally
shaped the development of
ancient Greece. The people
felt deep ties to the land, which
is ruggedly beautiful. At the
same time, Greece’s many
mountains, islands, and the
surrounding seas isolated
early communities and kept
them fiercely independent.
What is a City-State?
The earliest Greek
civilizations began among
farming and fishing
peoples who lived near
the Aegean Sea. These
civilizations became
wealthy through trade.
After warfare led to their
decline, independent
territories called citystates developed
throughout Greece.
Where did the Ideas about Our
Government come from?
One of the most prosperous and powerful citystates was Athens. The people of Athens
introduced the world’s first democracy, a political
system in which all citizens share in running the
government. Although women and enslaved
persons could not vote because they were not
citizens, Athenian democracy set an example
for later civilizations
Who is This Dude?---
Philip II of Macedonia, conquered
Greece. Philip’s son earned the
name Alexander the Great by
making even more conquests. As
shown in Figure 1 on the next
Slide, his empire included Egypt
and Persia and stretched
eastward into India. Trade
boomed, Greek culture mixed with
Egyptian and Persian cultures,
and scientific advances spread.
Alexander’s Empire
Rome
What in the Heck are These kids
doing?
The Romulus and Remus Myth:
Birth of Romulus and Remus
• Romulus and Remus were twin brothers,
the sons of a vestal virgin named Rhea
Silvia (also called Ilia) and the god Mars,
according to legend. Since vestal virgins
could be buried alive if they violated their
chastity vows, whoever forced Rhea Silvia
to enter the equivalent of an ancient
convent assumed that Rhea Silvia would
remain childless.
The Republic
While Greece ruled the eastern Mediterranean, Rome
became a dominant power on the Italian Peninsula.
Rome began as a monarchy but changed to a republic in
509 b.c. In a republic, people choose their leaders.
Rome was led by two consuls who were elected by the
citizens. The consuls reported to and were advised by
the Senate, an assembly of rich landowners who served
for life. One of the government’s great achievements
was the development of a code of laws. Written on
bronze tablets known as the Twelve Tables, the laws
stated that all free citizens had the right to be treated
equally. Roman law led to standards of justice still used
today. For example, a person was regarded as innocent
until proven guilty. Also, judges were expected to
examine evidence in a case.
Citizens?
• About 200 b.c., Roman armies began
seizing territory throughout the
Mediterranean region. Instead of ruling
only by force, though, the Romans allowed
many of the people they conquered to
become Roman citizens. By granting
people citizenship, the Romans were able
to build a strong state with loyal members.
Julius Caesar
As the Roman Republic expanded, it
evolved into the massive Roman Empire.
The first emperor, or all-powerful ruler,
was Augustus, who gained that position in
27 b.c. His rule brought order to Rome’s
vast lands. This period, called the Pax
Romana, was a time of peace, artistic
growth, and expanding trade that lasted
about 200 years.
What if His name was Brian?
• During the Pax Romana,
Christianity was developing in
Palestine in the eastern part of
the Roman Empire. There, a
Jewish teacher, Jesus of
Nazareth, preached a message
of love and forgiveness. Jesus
soon attracted followers as well
as enemies. Fearing public
unrest, the Roman authorities
had Jesus executed. Yet within
days, Jesus’ followers, known as
Christians, reported that he had
risen from the dead. They took
this as proof that Jesus was the
son of God.
Peter and Paul, who?
Eager to spread Jesus’ teachings, two early
Christian leaders, Peter and Paul,
established the Christian Church in Rome.
Roman officials at first persecuted, or
mistreated, Christians. Despite this abuse,
the new religion grew in popularity. In a.d.
392, Christianity became Rome’s official
religion.
The Fall of Rome
By the late a.d. 300s, the Roman Empire was in
decline. Rivals struggled to become emperor,
and Germanic groups attacked from the north.
About a.d. 395, the empire was divided into
eastern and western parts. The eastern part
remained strong and prosperous. Known as the
Byzantine Empire, it lasted another thousand
years. The western part was occupied by
Germanic groups. In a.d. 476, Germanic leaders
overthrew the last emperor in Rome and brought
the Western Roman Empire to an end.
Where do we see Rome?
• Despite its fall, Rome had great influence on
Europe and the West. It helped spread classical
culture and Christianity. Roman law shaped the
legal systems in many countries. The Roman
idea of a republic later influenced the founders
of the United States.
• Romance languages, such as Italian, French,
and Spanish.
• Domes?
Expansion of Europe
• Main Idea During the Middle Ages,
European society, religion, and
government underwent great changes.
• Geography and You Are there still parts
of the world left to explore? Read to learn
about changes in Europe, including how
Europeans began to explore the far
reaches of the world in the 1400s
The Middle Ages
After Rome’s fall, Europe entered
the Middle Ages, a 1,000-year
period between ancient and
Castle Conwy,
modern times. Christianity strongly Wales
influenced society during this
period. In the 1300s, though,
interest in education, art, and
science exploded. Questions
began to arise about earlier beliefs
and practices. By the 1500s,
Europe was experiencing changes
that gave birth to the modern
period.
A Christian Europe
• During the Middle Ages, Christianity held a
central place in people’s lives. Two separate
branches of the religion had formed, though.
The Roman Catholic Church, based in Rome,
was headed by a powerful pope. The Eastern
Orthodox Church was centered in the Byzantine
Empire. The Roman Catholic Church spread
Roman culture and law to the Germanic groups
living in western and central Europe.
• In eastern Europe, the Byzantine Empire passed
on Eastern Orthodoxy and Greek and Roman
culture to Slavic groups.
The Middle Ages: Surfs?
About a.d. 800, a Germanic king named Charlemagne
united much of western Europe. After his death, this
empire broke up. At that point, no strong governments
existed to help western Europeans withstand invaders.
To bring order, a new political and social system arose
by the 1000s. Under this system, called feudalism,
kings gave land to nobles. The nobles in turn provided
military service, becoming knights, or warriors, for the
king. As romantic as this may sound, life was hard for
the masses. Most western Europeans were poor
peasants. They farmed the lands of kings, nobles, and
church leaders, who housed and protected them but who
also limited their freedom.
The Crusades
In feudal times, the Christian faith united Europeans. Yet
the religion of Islam, founded in the a.d. 600s by an Arab
named Muhammad, was on the rise. Followers of Islam,
called Muslims, spread through Southwest Asia to North
Africa and parts of Europe. They also gained control of
Palestine, alarming Christians who considered this the
Holy Land. Beginning in the 1000s, nobles from western
Europe gathered volunteers into large armies to win
back the Holy Land. These religious wars, called the
Crusades, were only partly successful. Muslims
eventually recaptured much of the region.
Tariffs
• The Crusades, however, had a major impact on
Europeans. Goods began to flow more steadily
between Europe and the Muslim lands. This
trade benefited European kings, who taxed the
goods that crossed their borders. Kings also
took over land from nobles who left to fight in the
Crusades. As a result, feudalism gradually
withered, and Europe’s kingdoms grew stronger
and larger. Many of them later became modern
Europe’s nation-states. A nation-state is a
country made up of people who share a
common culture or history.
Black Death Killed Feudalism
• Meanwhile, in the 1300s, people all across
Europe were battling a frightful disease. The
bubonic plague, or Black Death, spread rapidly
and killed perhaps a third of Europe’s
population. One consequence was a shortage of
labor. Although the shortage hurt the economy, it
helped workers earn higher wages and gain
more freedom. In this way, the Black Death
became another force that weakened feudalism.
What Are You Doing Tomorrow
The Last Supper Leonardo da
Vinci 1495
The Renaissance
• thrived in Italian citystates, such as Florence,
Rome, and Venice. Merchants in these citystates had gained great wealth through trade
with Asia and the Mediterranean world. They
then used this wealth to support scholars and
artists. Poets, sculptors, and painters, such as
Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, created
stunning masterpieces. People also took an
interest in the cultures of ancient Greece and
Rome.
Humanism
• Another important element of the
Renaissance was humanism, a way of
thinking that gave importance to the
individual and human society. Humanism
held that reason, as well as faith, was a
path to knowledge. Over time,
Renaissance ideas and practices spread
from Italy to other parts of Europe.
The Reformation
• During the 1500s, the Renaissance idea of
humanism led people to think about religion in a
new way. Some people felt there were problems
in the Roman Catholic Church that needed to be
corrected. In 1517 Martin Luther, a German
religious leader, set out to reform, or correct,
certain church practices. The pope in Rome,
however, did not accept Luther’s ideas, and
Luther broke away from the Roman Catholic
Church. Luther’s ideas sparked a religious
movement called the Reformation, which led to a
new form of Christianity called Protestantism.
The Reformation
• By the mid-1500s, different Protestant groups
dominated northern Europe, while the Roman
Catholic Church remained strong in southern
Europe. Wars between Roman Catholics and
Protestants soon swept through Europe. The
Reformation thus shattered the religious unity of
Europeans. It also strengthened the power of
monarchs. As the authority of church leaders
was challenged, kings and queens claimed more
authority for themselves.
European Explorations
The Age of Discovery
• As Europe’s kingdoms grew stronger,
European seafarers began a series of
ocean voyages that led to a great age of
exploration and discovery. During the
1400s, Portugal wanted an easier way to
get exotic spices from India and other
parts of East Asia. Portuguese navigators
developed new trade routes by sailing
south around the continent of Africa to
Asia.
The Age of Discovery
• Sailing for Spain in 1492, the Italian-born
explorer Christopher Columbus tried to
find a different route to Asia. Instead of
sailing south around the coast of Africa,
Columbus attempted to sail west, across
the Atlantic Ocean. Columbus’s voyage
took him to the Americas, continents
Gold
• In the Americas, Spain found gold and
other resources and grew wealthy as a
result of its overseas expeditions. Its
success made other European countries,
such as England, France, and the
Netherlands, eager to send forth their own
explorers. Conquests followed these
voyages. Europeans began founding
colonies, or overseas settlements, in the
Americas, Asia, and Africa.
The Result
• The Columbian Exchange
• The Columbian Exchange also known as the
Grand Exchange was a dramatically
widespread exchange of animals, plants,
culture, human populations (including slaves),
communicable disease, and ideas between the
American and Afro-Eurasian Hemispheres
following the voyage to the Americas by
Christopher Columbus in 1492
• Most Colonized poeples lost their culture!
Modern Europe
• Main Idea From the 1600s to the 1800s
and beyond, new ideas and discoveries
helped Europe become a global power.
• Geography and You How would your life
be different without computers, cell
phones, or other modern technologies?
Read on to discover how new technology
changed Europe after 1600.
The Enlightenment
• After the Renaissance, educated
Europeans turned to science as a way to
explain the world. Nicolaus Copernicus, a
Polish mathematician, concluded that the
sun, not the Earth, is the center of the
universe. An Italian scientist named
Galileo Galilei believed that new
knowledge could come from carefully
observing and measuring the natural
world.
Age of Enlightenment
• These and other ideas sparked a
revolution, or sweeping change, in the
way people thought. During this Scientific
Revolution, many Europeans relied on
reason, rather than faith or tradition, to
guide them. Reason, they believed, could
bring both truth and error to light. As a
result, the 1700s became known as the
Age of Enlightenment.
The Enlightenment
• Englishman John Locke was an important
Enlightenment thinker. He said that all
people have natural rights, including the
rights to life, liberty, and property. He also
said that when a government does not
protect these rights, citizens can overthrow
it. The American colonists later used
Locke’s ideas to support their war for
independence from Britain in 1776.
Napoleon
• Inspired by the American example, the people of
France carried out their own political revolution
in 1789. They overthrew their king, executed him
three years later, and set up a republic. The
French republic did not last long, however. A
brilliant military leader named Napoleon
Bonaparte gained power and made himself
emperor. Napoleon was a small man with big
ambitions. His armies conquered much of
Europe, until several countries united to defeat
him in 1815.
By 1900
• Most Monarchies were over
The Industrial
Revolution
• Instead of making goods by hand, people began
using machines and building factories. Machines
could produce goods faster and at lower cost.
People could now afford more things, such as
comfortable cotton clothes. Travel improved, too,
thanks to new inventions such as the railroad.
Machines also helped farmers grow more food,
which led to population growth. Additionally,
farms required less labor.
New Weapons
Devastating conflicts left much of Europe in
ruins, with millions of people dead or
homeless. A major horror of World War II
was the Holocaust, the mass killing of 6
million European Jews by Germany’s Nazi
rulers.
The Cold War
• This was not a war of bullets and bombs,
but a struggle for world power. Much of
Western Europe allied with the United
States. Most lands in Eastern Europe
allied with the Communist Soviet Union.
Communism is a system in which the
government controls the ways of
producing goods.
EU
• In 1993 several democracies in Western
Europe formed the European Union (EU).
The goal of the organization, which now
also includes eastern European countries,
is a united Europe. The EU allows goods,
services, and workers to move freely
among member countries. It has also
created a common EU currency called
the euro.
Section 2:
• Cultures and Lifestyles BIG IDEA Culture
groups shape human systems. Europe
is a region of many peoples with different
ethnic backgrounds, languages, religions,
and traditions. Despite their differences,
Europeans lead similar lifestyles and
share a rich cultural heritage.