European Renaissance

and Reformation
(1300–1600)
Early Modern Europe
• Definition of Modern
Europe
• European Renaissance
• Reformation
• Example of England
• The modern time is the period
of human history that succeeds
the Middle Ages (which ended
around 1500 AD) up to the
present. This terminology is
applied primarily
to European and Western history.
 During the late Middle Ages, Europe suffered
from both war and plague.
The plague began in
Asia. Traveling trade
routes, it infected parts
of Asia, the Muslim
world, and Europe. In
1347, a fleet of Genoese
merchant ships arrived in
Sicily carrying bubonic
plague, also known as
the
 Effects of the Plague
• Town populations fell.
• Trade declined. Prices rose.
• The serfs left the manor in search of better wages.
• Nobles fiercely resisted peasant demands for higher
wages, causing peasant revolts in England, France, Italy,
and Belgium.
• Jews were blamed for bringing on the plague. All over
Europe, Jews were driven from their homes or, worse,
massacred.
• The Church suffered a loss of prestige when its prayers
failed to stop the onslaught of the bubonic plague and
priests abandoned their duties.
 The Hundred Years’ War
Not only did the people in Europe during the 1300s
have to deal with epidemic disease, but they also had
to deal with war.
• England and France
battled with each
other on French soil
for just over a
century. The century
of war between
England and France
marked the end of
medieval Europe’s
society.
The Impact of the Hundred Years’ War
• A feeling of nationalism emerged in
England and France. Now people
thought of the king as a national
leader, fighting for the glory of the
country, not simply a feudal lord.
• The power and prestige of the French
monarch increased.
• The English suffered a period of
internal turmoil known as the War of
the Roses, in which two noble houses
fought for the throne.
Some historians consider the end of
the Hundred Years’ War in 1453 as the
end of the Middle Ages.
 The word Renaissance means rebirth in French.
The Renaissance was a period of artistic and cultural
achievement in Europe from the 14 th to the 16th
century.
It was characterized by a number
of distinctive ideas about life,
specifically secularism,
individualism, humanism, and
materialism. The spirit of the
Renaissance influenced European
society for generations, making the
Renaissance truly a golden age in
European history.
 Italy had three advantages that made it the birthplace of
the Renaissance:
•Thriving cities.
•A wealthy merchant class developed in each Italian city-
state.
•The classical heritage of Greece and Rome.
 Classical and Worldly Values
Classics Lead to Humanism. The study of classical
texts led to humanism, an intellectual movement
that focused on human potential and achievements.
Instead of trying to make classical texts agree with
Christian teaching as medieval scholars had,
humanists studied them to understand ancient
Greek values. Humanists influenced artists and
architects to carry on classical traditions. Also,
humanists popularized the study of subjects
common to classical education, such as history,
literature, and philosophy.
In Renaissance Italy, the wealthy enjoyed material luxuries,
good music, and fine foods. Most people remained devout
Catholics. However, the basic spirit of Renaissance society
was secular—worldly rather than spiritual and concerned
with the here and now.
Even church leaders became more worldly. Some lived in
beautiful mansions, threw lavish banquets, and wore
expensive clothes. Patrons of the Arts Church leaders during
the Renaissance beautified Rome and other cities by spending
huge amounts of money for art.
The Legacy of the Renaissance
The European Renaissance was a period of great artistic and social change. It marked a break
with the medieval-period ideals focused around the Church. The Renaissance belief in the
dignity of the individual played a key role in the gradual rise of democratic ideas. Furthermore,
the impact of the movable-type printing press was tremendous. Some historians have
suggested that its effects were even more dramatic than the arrival of personal computers in
the 20th century. Below is a summary of the changes that resulted from the Renaissance.
Changes in the Arts
• Art drew on techniques and
styles of classical Greece and
Rome.
• Paintings and sculptures
portrayed individuals and nature
in more realistic
and lifelike ways.
• Artists created works that were
secular as well as those that were
religious.
• Writers began to use vernacular
languages to express their ideas.
• The arts praised individual
achievement.
By 1500, additional forces weakened the Church. In Germany,
which was divided into many competing states, it was difficult for
the pope or the emperor to impose central authority.
Changes in Society
• Printing changed society by making more information
available and inexpensive enough for society at large.
• A greater availability of books prompted an increased
desire for learning and a rise in literacy throughout
Europe.
• Published accounts of new discoveries, maps, and charts
led to further discoveries in a variety of fields.
• Published legal proceedings made the laws clear so that
people were more likely to understand their rights.
• Christian humanists’ attempts to reform society changed
views about how life should be lived.
• People began to question political structures and
religious practices.
Luther Challenges the
Church
Martin Luther’s parents
wanted him to be a lawyer.
Instead, he became a monk
and a teacher. From 1512
until his death, he taught
scripture at the University
of Wittenberg in the
German state of Saxony. All
he wanted was to be a good
Christian, not to lead a
religious revolution
Luther’s Teachings
Soon Luther went beyond criticizing indulgences. He
wanted full reform of the Church. His teachings rested
on three main ideas:
•People could win salvation only by faith in God’s gift of
forgiveness. The Church taught that faith and “good
works” were needed for salvation.
•All Church teachings should be clearly based on the
words of the Bible. Both the pope and Church traditions
were false authorities.
•All people with faith were equal. Therefore, people did
not need priests to interpret the Bible for them .
 The Legacy of the Reformation
The Reformation had an enduring
impact. Through its religious, social,
and political effects, the Reformation
set the stage for the modern world. It
also ended the Christian unity of
Europe and left it culturally divided.
Religious Effects of the Reformation
Despite religious wars and persecutions, Protestant
churches flourished and new denominations developed.
The Roman Catholic Church itself became more unified
as a result of the reforms started at the Council of Trent.
Social Effects of the Reformation
Both Catholics and Protestants gave more emphasis to
the role of education in promoting their beliefs. This led
to the founding of parish schools and new colleges and
universities throughout Europe
•Political Effects of the Reformation
As the Catholic Church’s moral and
political authority declined, individual
monarchs and states gained power.
This led to the development of modern
nation-states. In the 1600s, rulers of
nationstates would seek more power
for themselves and their countries
through warfare, exploration, and
expansion.
Still determined that his subjects
should remain Catholic, Charles V
went to war against the Protestant
princes. Even though he defeated
them in 1547, he failed to force
them back into the Catholic
Church. In 1555, Charles, weary of
fighting, ordered all German
princes, both Protestant and
Catholic, to assemble in the city
of Augsburg. There the princes
agreed that each ruler would
decide the religion of his state.
This famous religious settlement
was known as the Peace of
Augsburg.
The Elizabethan Age
The Renaissance spread to England in the
mid-1500s. The period was known as the
Elizabethan Age, after Queen Elizabeth I.
Elizabeth reigned from 1558 to 1603.
She was well educated and spoke French,
Italian, Latin, and Greek. She also wrote
poetry and music. As queen she did much to
support the development of English
art and literature.
The most famous writer of the Elizabethan Age was William
Shakespeare. Many people regard him as the greatest
playwright of all time. Shakespeare was born in 1564 in
Stratford-upon-Avon, a small town about 90 miles northwest
of London. By 1592 he was living in London and writing
poems and plays, and soon he would be performing at the
Globe Theater