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Discover how Renaissance ideas transformed medieval Europe, leading to exploration and the Age of Enlightenment. Learn about the Crusades, Magna Carta, Protestant Reformation, and the Age of Exploration.
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Our European Roots Section 1.4
Main Idea • Renaissance ideas changed Europeans’ medieval outlook and inspired them to explore.
Middle Ages • Period between 500 and 1500 CE • Period after the fall of the Roman Empire • Europe was plagued by Vikings, Mongols, and Muslim invaders. • Lack of government lead to powerful local nobles whom offered protection under the feudal system.
Crusades • The Catholic Church began a quest to retake the Holy Lands (Israel) from the Muslims. • They asked Catholic kings to send knights to fight. • The fighting lasts for 300 years, and in the end the Muslims win. • Importance!: 1st time Europeans traveled to Asia; brought back items and ideas that became coveted.
Magna Carta • Kings and Nobles began to face challenges from others in society who wanted guarantees of rights. • In 1215, King John of England was forced to sign the Magna Carta. • This document marks the beginning of citizens’ rights and created Parliament, the 1st European representative government. • Originally only applied to wealthy.
Renaissance • Overtime, the dangers of the Middle Ages resided, and Europeans began to “reawaken” to the practices of science and literature. • The Renaissance (1400-1500s) brought new ideas and ways of looking at the world. • Inventors and philosophers began to question the way they had been told that world operated, including religion.
Protestant Reformation • The Catholic Church had gained power and influence during the Middle Ages. Many began to noticed that this power had lead to abuse. • In 1517, a Catholic Monk names Martin Luther protested these abuses and started the Reformation, or reform of Christianity. • His followers became known as Protestants, and the faith began to spread through northern Europe, including England.
Age of Exploration • The Crusades sparked interests in the wonders of Asia, and many Europeans began to seek ways to travel to the East. • In 1271 Marco Polo began a 17 year journey that would take him to China, Vietnam, and India. • When he returned to Europe he wrote a book that further sparked interest. • Europeans wanted to go to Asia, but they would need to find a faster method.
An Ocean Route to Asia? • Inventors began trying to improve ships for the needed long journeys. • The caravel was created: • Triangular sails for steering. • Large cargo hold for supplies (food, water) • Technology allowed for latitude and longitude to be calculated, aiding navigation. • The compass was perfected, making travel possible on cloudy days.
Around Africa to Asia • The Portuguese succeeded in sailing around Africa into the Indian Ocean in 1488. • In 1498 they succeeded in sailing all the way to India. • At the time, they believed that they were actually the 2nd expedition to find Asia by sea. • Reports from Spain claimed the a man named Columbus had sailed west across the Atlantic and reached the coast of Asia, but………
