Transcript The Renaissance 1485 - 1660

The Renaissance
1485 - 1660
Rebirth
• Renaissance comes from the French term meaning “rebirth”
because of the renewed interest in classical learning that
occurred at this time.
• People became more inquisitive and creative when they
began reading the works of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
• Historians indicate that the Renaissance began around
1485, but there is much overlap between the
end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the
Renaissance.
• Historians chose the year 1485 because
that is when the Tudor monarchy began
(when King Henry VII was crowned).
1.
Why are historical periods so inexact, and why are they
generally unknown as periods or eras to the people who live
during them?
A. They are too complex to be understood by most people
B. They are created later by historians to describe general
trends rather than precise beginnings and endings
C. They come and go with such suddenness that people usually
cannot distinguish what “historical period” they live in
D. They are completely artificial constructs and have no basis in
documented reality
2.
Which of the following statements best characterizes the
intellectual environment of the Renaissance?
A. Most people could not read, in part because they could not
gain access to books.
B. Most Europeans were highly sensitive to the achievements
of people from other cultures, particularly the Orient.
C. As people became interested in the writings of ancient
Greece and Rome, they became more inquisitive and
creative.
D. Through their superior knowledge, scholars established
power over the majority of the people.
Humanism
Erasmus of Rotterdam and Sir Thomas More were the two founders of
Humanism.
It is an intellectual movement which combines the wisdom of the classics with
that of the Bible, emphasizing the ideals of wisdom and virtue.
They believed that virtue, not possessions, success or fame, was the only true
source of happiness.
The study of history, literature and philosophy became known collectively as “the
humanities”.
Gutenberg’s Printing Press
• Johannes Gutenberg
invented the printing press
in Mainz, Germany around
1455.
• This revolutionized learning
because books became
much cheaper and more
accessible.
• Ideas began to spread much
more quickly.
• The bible was the first book
that Gutenberg printed.
3.
Why was the bible the first book that Gutenberg printed?
A. In Germany it was the only book that people were allowed
to read.
B. King Henry VII had ordered that every home possess a copy
of the bible.
C. He wanted to help spread Humanism.
D. As the vast majority of Europeans were Christian, this was
the most widely read and respected book of the time.
The Reformation & Martin Luther
• In England, conflicts with the
Catholic church were ongoing,
and many there were frustrated
with the corruption and
hypocrisy of the papacy.
• By the 1530’s a break from the
church finally occurred.
• This movement, called the
Reformation, was led by a former
monk named Martin Luther.
The Reformation, cont.
• Martin Luther started a new kind of Christianity.
• It was based solely on direct biblical scripture, not
interpretation.
• When Henry VIII converted, this religion became known as
the Church of England.
• The people of England were forced to convert.
• Many were still dissatisfied because they felt that the Church
of England was merely a copy of Catholicism and was not
reformed enough.
4.
How did the Monk Martin Luther contribute to the beginning of
the Reformation?
A. He renewed people’s devotion to studying and following the
words of the pope.
B. He taught that other religions were as valid as Christianity.
C. He developed a personal form of Christianity which was not
based on interpretation.
D. He ridiculed ancient habits and traditions, such as
superstitiousness
Henry VIII: A Renaissance Man
• Famous for converting England from
Catholicism to the Church of England
and for having had six wives.
• His multiple marriages were mostly
caused by his strong desire to
produce a male heir with whom the
throne of England could be entrusted
• He was considered the quintessential
“Renaissance Man” because he was
literary, musical, athletic, and
scholarly.
• He was succeeded by his nine year
old son, Edward in 1547.
Queen Elizabeth I
• Daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife,
Anne Boleyn (whom he had executed)
• She took the throne after her half-brother
Edward and her half-sister Mary died.
• Queen Elizabeth was often called “The Virgin Queen” because
she never married.
• She sent the Royal Navy to destroy the Spanish Armada in
1588 (led by the King Philip of Spain, her former brother-inlaw), securing England’s independence from the Catholic
countries of the Mediterranean.
• The 44 years that she ruled became known as “Elizabethan
Era”, a time of peace, prosperity and intellectual growth in
England.
5.
What proved to be ironic about Henry VIII’s urgent desire for a
male heir to take over the throne?
A. He never produced a male heir.
B. His multiple marriages and affairs led his son Edward to be
declared illegitimate and denied the throne.
C. His son was a terrible and ruthless King.
D. His daughter, Elizabeth, proved to be a far more successful
ruler than his son.
William Shakespeare
• A poet, actor and playwright born in Stratford-upon-Avon in
1564.
• He is most famous for having written 38 plays and 154
sonnets.
• He founded an acting troupe called the Lord Chamberlain's
Men, which built the Globe Theater in London.
• Queen Elizabeth was a fan of his plays and he was invited to
perform at the palace on several occasions.
The End of an Era
• Queen Elizabeth was followed by King James I and then
shortly thereafter by Charles II.
• Neither king was as popular nor as successful as the Queen.
• As England’s political climate changed, so did its intellectual
and religious attitudes.
• Scientific truths began to challenge religious beliefs, and this
increasing interest in secular, rather than religious, values
marked the end of the Renaissance.
Written Response
How might the invention of the printing press have helped to
instigate the Reformation? Make inferences based on the facts
that you wrote down about Gutenberg’s printing press and the
Reformation. Write a 4-5 sentence response, including specific
details from your notes.