THE RISE OF THE
RENAISSANCE
Essential Questions:
What was the Renaissance?
What factors led to the rise of the Renaissance?
The Renaissance
Western Europe emerged from the
Middle Ages during an era known as the Renaissance
From 1300 to 1600, Western Europe experienced a rebirth in trade, art, learning, and a return of Greco-
Roman ideas; “Renaissance” means “rebirth”
During the Renaissance, Europeans developed new ideas in art, government, and human potential
The Renaissance
The Renaissance marked the
beginning of the “Modern Era”
What changed during the Middle Ages that gave rise to the Renaissance?
Trade and Cities
Government
Religion
Human Potential
What was trade like during the Middle Ages?
What were things like in the Renaissance?
A side effect of the Crusades was the increase of European demand for luxury goods from Asia
Italian merchants began meeting the demand for
trade in Europe
As a result, Italian cities and a wealthy middle class
began to form in Italy
The most important Italian city was Florence, where vast wealth from
trade sparked the Renaissance
A new middle class of bankers, merchants, and skilled craftsmen gained lots of power
The Medici family were wealthy bankers who used their wealth to turn Florence into
Italy’s most artistic city
What changed during the Middle Ages that gave rise to the Renaissance?
Trade and Cities
Government
Religion
Human Potential
What was government like in the Middle Ages?
What was government like in the Renaissance?
Kings were able to tax merchants and gain much wealth; kings used their wealth to build armies and strong nations
This hurt the power of the feudal lords; power went back to being concentrated around kings, not shared with numerous
lords; feudalism declined
From 1337 to 1453, England and France began a series of conflicts over territory that would be
called the Hundred Years War
During the war, nationalism (loyalty to one’s nation) increased as people became more loyal to their king and
nation, rather than their local lords
ENGLAND
FRANCE
France and England would fight for a number of years, stop fighting for a time, then break
the uneasy peace treaties and fight again
This cycle of fighting, a brief time of peace, then fighting again would continue between England and France for over a hundred years (hence, the name)
The most legendary figure from the Hundred Years War was Joan of Arc, a
French peasant girl
Claiming that God told her to do so in a vision, Joan became a soldier and led the French to numerous
victories over the English
At age 19, she was captured and executed,
being burned at the stake
Joan of Arc not only became a legend but also
a saint in the Roman Catholic Church
During the Hundred Years War, new military weapons decreased the power of feudal lords and knights
Europeans’ discovery of Chinese gunpowder led to the development of cannons, which
helped armies penetrate the walls of castles
Another new weapon was the longbow, which allowed soldiers to shoot accurately up to 300 yards
These new weapons and
new tactics (like using lightly-
armored mounted troops) effectively ended the importance
of knights as military force
What changed during the Middle Ages that gave rise to the Renaissance?
Trade and Cities
Government
Religion
Human Potential
What was religion like in
the Middle Ages?
What was religion like during the
Renaissance?
In the late Middle Ages, the Pope and the Catholic Church instigated a series of “holy wars” (called the Crusades) to drive the Muslims out of the Holy Land
Ultimately, the Crusades were a failure and resulted in the decreasing of power and
influence for the Catholic Church; these failed holy wars also helped end the feudal system
Despite having less influence,
the Catholic Church still
remained an important part
of peoples’ lives and the popes
remained important
religious and political leaders
What changed during the Middle Ages that gave rise to the Renaissance?
Trade and Cities
Government
Religion
Human Potential
What was expected of people during the Middle Ages?
What was expected of people during the Renaissance?
During the Middle Ages,
peasants did not own land and
had no options for their lives
other than remaining loyal to a feudal lord
and working within the
manorial system
During the Middle Ages,
peasants did not own land and
had no options for their lives
other than remaining loyal to a feudal lord
and working within the
manorial system
The rise of trade during the Renaissance gave people options to make money and pursue different lives
Peasants could now leave the manor and move to cities to work as merchants or skilled artisans
Another reason for the decline of the manorial system was the spread of the Plague, also
known as the Black Death
In 1347, a trade ship arrived in Italy from Asia;
in addition to Asian goods, the ship was carrying rats
infested with Plague-infected fleas
The Plague swept quickly throughout Europe along trade routes
The Black Death
Attempted “cures” for the Plague
Prayer IsolationBathing in urine
Leeches
Placing dead animals in the home
Pomanders (perfumes)
The Plague killed 25 million people in five years (one-third of Europe’s population)
The Plague caused a labor shortage; those that survived could demand higher wages and more rights
During the Renaissance, people had more options than ever before which led to
a belief that people can accomplish anything
Individuals became the center of attention during the Renaissance
Social status was based on wealth and ability, not birthright
A new way of thinking began during
the Renaissance called Humanism
Humanists studied the “classical” ideas of Greece and Rome
and believed that education could
make the world a better place
What was expected of men and women in the Renaissance?
The “ideal man” was well-educated, cultured, could
dance, write poetry, and play music; (called a “Renaissance
Man”)The “ideal woman” should have
the same qualities (cultured, intelligent) as men but should
not seek fame or political power
Renaissance women were better educated but had fewer rights
than Medieval women
Closure Activity: Visual Metaphor
■On your notes, complete the visual metaphor
■Use the word bank to label each aspect of the image
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Originally created byBrooks Baggett
Revamped by Christopher Jaskowiak
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