EUROPE:

RENAISSANCE, REFORMATION, AND

EXPLORATION
1300–1600
RENAISSANCE, REFORMATION, AND EXPLORATION
Setting

the Middle Ages lasted from the 5th

to the late 15th century.

It began with the fall of the

[Western] Roman Empire until the
begining of the Renaissance.
[1] RENAISANCE

◦ During the late Middle Ages, Europe suffered from both war and plague. Those
who survived, wanted to celebrate life. They began to question institutions of the
Middle Ages, which unable to prevent war or to relieve suffering brought by the
plague.

◦ Some people questioned the Church. Churh taught Christians to endure suffering
while they awaited their rewards in heaven.

◦ In northern Italy, writers and artists began to express this new spirit and to
experiment with different styles.
Italy’s Advantages
Why started in Italy:? thriving cities, a wealthy merchant class, and the classical heritage of
Greece and Rome

Renaissance caused an explosion of creativity in art, writing, and thought that lasted
approximately from 1300 to 1600. [period the Renaissance]: a revival of art and learning.’
They hoped to bring back to life the culture of classical Greece and Rome.

the people of the Renaissance also created something new. : innovative styles of art and
literature.

They also led to new values, such as the importance of the individual. It would spread from
northern Italy to the rest of Europe.
Looking to Greece and Rome
Renaissance wanted to return to the learning of the Greeks and Romans. They
achieved this in several ways.

the artists and scholars of Italy drew inspiration from the ruins of Rome
that surrounded them.
Western scholars studied ancient Latin manuscripts that had been preserved
in monasteries.
Christian scholars in Constantinople fled to Rome with Greek manuscripts
when the Turks conquered Constantinople in 1453.
NORTHERN RENAISSANCE
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael showed the Renaissance spirit. All demonstrated
an interest in classical culture, a curiosity about the world, and a belief in human potential.
Humanist writers: expanded ideas about individuality.

 These ideas impressed scholars, students, and merchants who visited Italy.

By the late 1400s, Renaissance ideas had spread to Northern Europe—especially England, France,
Germany, and Flanders (now part of France and the Netherlands).
Printing: Spreads Renaissance Ideas
◦ It was ‘Chinese’ who invented block printing. it can be used to print on paper.
However, the method would prove practical for Europeans [their languages have
a very small number of letters in their alphabets].

◦ Gutenberg Improves the Printing Process

◦ During the 13th century, European printers began to use block printing to create
whole pages to bind into books. However, this process was too slow to satisfy the
Renaissance demand for knowledge, information, and books.
◦ Around 1440 Johann Gutenberg developed a printing press that incorporated a
number of technologies in a new way.
The Legacy of the Renaissance
◦ Renaissance 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. the impact of the movable-type printing press was tremendous.

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.
The Legacy of the Renaissance
Changes in Society
◦ Printing changed society by making more information available and inexpensive
◦ A greater availability of books prompted an increased desire for learning and a rise in literacy
◦ 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.
◦ humanists’ attempts to reform society changed views about how life should be lived.
◦ People began to question political structures and religious practices. it also influence European thought—
including religious thought
[2] REFORMATION
◦ By the 10th century, the Roman Catholic Church had come to
dominate religious life in Europe.

◦ Over the centuries, many people criticized its practices. They felt that
Church leaders were too interested in worldly pursuits.

◦ Prompted by the actions of one man, that criticism would lead to

‘rebellion’.
the Causes
◦ By 1500, The Renaissance emphasis on the secular and the individual
challenged Church authority.
◦ The printing press spread these secular ideas.
◦ Some rulers began to challenge the Church’s political power.
◦ In Germany, which was divided into many competing states, it was
difficult for the pope or the emperor to impose central authority.
◦ northern merchants resented paying church taxes to Rome.
◦ a ‘new movement for religious reform’ began in Germany. It then
swept much of Europe
Luther: Challenges the Church
◦ Martin Luther is a monk. From 1512, he taught scripture at the University of
Wittenberg in the German state of Saxony.

The 95 Theses : In 1517, Luther decided to take a public stand against the actions
of Johann Tetzel. Who raising money to rebuild St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. He
did this by selling indulgences. [a pardon].

Indulgences were not supposed to affect God’s right to judge.

Reformation began
◦ In response, he wrote 95 Theses, or formal statements, attacking the “pardon-
merchants.” On October 31, 1517, he posted these statements on the door of the
castle church in Wittenberg.

◦ Someone copied Luther’s words and took them to a printer.

◦ As a movement for religious reform, it led to the founding of Christian churches

that did not accept the pope’s authority
Protestantism?
a branch of Christianity. It developed out of the Reformation, the 16th-century
protest in Europe against beliefs and practices of the Catholic Church. Three
distinct branches:

 Lutheranism, based on the teachings of Martin Luther in Germany;

 Calvinism, based on the teachings of John Calvin in Switzerland; and
 Anglicanism, which was established by King Henry VIII in England.
 Protestantism spread throughout Europe in the 16th century
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 and Social Effects

Despite wars and persecutions, Protestant churches flourished. The Roman
Catholic Church itself became more unified as a result of the reforms .

This led to the founding of parish schools and new colleges and universities
throughout Europe.
The Legacy of the Reformation
Political Effects
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.

The Reformation’s questioning of beliefs and authority also laid the groundwork for
the Enlightenment. It led some to reject all religions and others to call for the
overthrow of existing governments.
[3] An Age of Explorations
1400–1800

◦ By the early 1400s, Europeans were ready to venture beyond their

borders. the Renaissance encouraged a new spirit of adventure and
curiosity.

◦ This spirit of adventure, prompted Europeans to explore the world.

how these explorations began a long process that would bring
together the peoples of many different lands and permanently change
the world
For “God, Glory, and Gold”
◦ Europeans had not been completely isolated from the rest of the world before the
1400s. Beginning around 1100, European crusaders battled Muslims for control
of the Holy Lands in Southwest Asia.

◦ In 1275, the Italian trader ‘Marco Polo’ reached the court of Kublai Khan in
China. Europeans had neither the interest nor the ability to explore foreign
lands.

◦ That changed by the early 1400s. The desire to grow rich and to spread
Christianity, coupled with advances in sailing technology, spurred an age of
exploration
Europeans: Seek New Trade Routes
◦ The desire for new sources of wealth was the main reason for European exploration. Through overseas
exploration, merchants and traders hoped ultimately to benefit from what had become a profitable
business in Europe: the trade of spices and other luxury goods from Asia.

◦ The people of Europe had been introduced to these items during the Crusades. After the Crusades
ended, Europeans continued to demand such spices as nutmeg, ginger,, etc

◦ Because demand for these goods was greater than the supply, merchants could charge high prices and
thus make great profits.

◦ The Muslims and the Italians controlled the trade of goods from East to West. Muslims sold Asian goods
to Italian merchants, who controlled trade across the land routes of the Mediterranean region
Portuguese: Leads the Way
◦ Located on the Atlantic Ocean at the southwest corner of Europe, Portugal was the first European country to
establish trading outposts along the west coast of Africa. Eventually, Portuguese explorers pushed farther
east into the Indian Ocean.
◦
The Portuguese Explore Africa
◦ Portugal took the lead in overseas exploration in part due to strong government support. The nation’s most
enthusiastic supporter of exploration was Prince Henry, the son of Portugal’s king. Henry’s
dreams of overseas exploration began in 1415 when he helped conquer the Muslim city of Ceuta in North
Africa.

◦ There, he had his first glimpse of the dazzling wealth that lay beyond Europe. In Ceuta, the Portuguese
invaders found exotic stores filled with pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and other spices. In addition, they
encountered large supplies of gold, silver, and jewels
Spain: also Makes Claims
◦ Spain watched with increasing envy. The Spanish monarchs also desired a direct sea route to Asia.
◦
In 1492, an Italian sea captain, Christopher Columbus, convinced Spain to finance a bold plan:
finding a route to Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean.

◦ In October of that year, Columbus reached an island in the Caribbean. He was mistaken in his
thought that he had reached the East Indies. But his voyage would open the way for European
colonization of the Americas—a process that would forever change the world. The immediate
impact of Columbus’s voyage, however, was to increase tensions between Spain and Portugal
Trading Empires: in the Indian Ocean
◦ With da Gama’s voyage, Europeans had finally opened direct sea trade with Asia. In the years
following da Gama’s voyage, Portugal built a bustling trading empire throughout the Indian
Ocean. As the Portuguese moved into the region, they took control of the spice trade from
Muslim merchants.
◦ In 1509, Portugal extended its control over the area when it defeated a Muslim fleet off the coast
of India, a victory made possible by the cannons they had added aboard their ships. Portugal
strengthened its hold on the region by building a fort at Hormuz in 1514.
◦ It established control of the Straits of Hormuz, connecting the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, and
helped stop Muslim traders from reaching India.
◦ In 1510, the Portuguese captured Goa, a port city on India’s west coast. They made it the capital
of their trading empire. They then sailed farther east to Indonesia, also known as the East Indies.
In 1511, a Portuguese fleet attacked the city of Malacca on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula.
I
British, Dutch
◦ Beginning around 1600, the English and Dutch began to challenge Portugal’s dominance over the Indian
Ocean trade. The Dutch Republic, also known as the Netherlands, was a small country situated along the
North Sea in northwestern Europe. Since the early 1500s, Spain had ruled the area. In 1581, the people of the
region declared their independence from Spain and established the Dutch Republic.

◦ In a short time, the Netherlands became a leading sea power. By 1600, the Dutch owned the largest fleet of
ships in the world—20,000 vessels. Pressure from Dutch and also English fleets eroded Portuguese control of
the Asian region. The Dutch and English then battled one another for dominance of the area. Both countries
had formed an East India Company to establish and direct trade throughout Asia. These companies had the
power to mint money, make treaties, and even raise their own armies.

◦ The Dutch East India Company was richer and more powerful than England’s company. As a result, the
Dutch eventually drove out the English and established their dominance over the region. Dutch Trade
Outposts In 1619, the Dutch established their trading headquarters at Batavia on the island of Java
British and French
◦ By 1700 also, Britain and France had gained a foothold in the region. Having failed
to win control of the larger area, the English East India Company focused much of
its energy on establishing outposts in India. There, the English developed a
successful business trading Indian cloth in Europe.

◦ In 1664, France also entered the Asia trade with its own East India Company. It
struggled at first, as it faced continual attacks by the Dutch. Eventually, the French
company established an outpost in India in the 1720s. However, it never showed
much of a profit
British and French
◦ As the Europeans battled for a share of the profitable Indian
Ocean trade, their influence inland in Southeast Asia remained
limited. European traders did take control of many port cities in
the region. But their impact rarely spread beyond the ports.

◦ From 1500 to about 1800, when Europeans began to conquer

much of the region, the peoples of Asia remained largely
unaffected by European contact. As the next two sections
explain, European traders who sailed farther east to seek riches
in China and Japan had even less success in spreading Western
culture