Key
Red – Critical information, must be copied EXACTLY
Purple – important, but could be on the final
Green – doesn’t need to be written, but good to know
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc was a young french woman who was inspired by God to save the French. She convinced Charles VII to let her lead an army against the English in 1429. This helped push the English armies out of central France. She was eventually captured, accused of heresy, and burned at the stake in 1431; sainted in 1922.
End of Feudalism in France
During this dark time, people had become more patriotic, more devouted to the monarch than their feudal lord. Monarchs had built huge armies with the taxes they collected, which reduced the power of nobles.
Rise of the Renaissance #1: Trade and Commerce
Commerce: actively buying or selling goods
Charter: a treaty or written agreement
Towns became centers for trade and shipping. Luxury goods such as silk, spices, ivory, and porcelain could be bought in towns. Guilds dominated life in cities, and reflected the importance of Christianity in towns.
a. Contributed to building of Cathedrals
b. Adopted patron saints and sponsored parades in their honor
Town Life in the Middle ages
Society: Towns were small because society was based on agriculture and most people lived in the country side.
Power: Nobles had most of the power – lords owned the land, towns needed protection, so they used knights that the lord assigned to the land.
Status: Determined by birthright.
Town Life in the Renaissance
Society: Towns grew because society began to be based on commerce and more people started to live in cities.
Power: Middle class had the most power – limited power of lords by forcing them to sign charters (treaties), gained control of great sums of money by organizing banks.
Status: Determined by wealth and ability.
Rise of the Renaissance #2: Growth of the Italian City-states
Renaissance is a french word meaning “rebirth”; refers to revival in arts and learning. It is the period when scholars became interested in ancient Greek and roman culture. Italian city-states displayed their wealth by giving financial support to artists who created work based on classical themes. These city-states had strong ties with Byzantine and Muslim merchants. Each city-state specialized in one commercial activity:
1. Milan: metal goods and armor
2. Florence: banking and textiles
3. Venice: Asian goods
European monarchs and nobles sought loans from merchants. Florence eventually became the most influential because it maintained thriving industry in wool and silk trade. Purchases of luxury items from the east were sold for a large profit. This created numerous banks that made loans or exchanged currencies. A family known as the Medici promoted trade, banking, the arts, scholarship, and civic pride.
Rise of the Renaissance #3: The Spirit of the Renaissance
Knowledge of ancient Greece and Rome was rediscovered by scholars. The Crusades made Europe eager to learn about the world around them. Scholars thought ancient Greek and Rome writings would help solve problems. The spirit of the Renaissance included:
a. A fascination with classical culture: Artists used ancient art as models. One of the most famous artists: Donatello, created statues that copied the Roman ideal of the human body. Brunelleshi designed buildings after studying from Roman ruins. Overall, Revolutionary inventions were made.
b. A belief in Human potential: It believed each person could achieve great things. Claimed that people educated in the classics could create a better world. Emphasized human achievement on Earth, rather than the afterlife.
c. A new type of scholar called a Humanist: Humanists devoted themselves to studying ancient writings. They tried to learn about many subjects such as Latin, Greek, History, and Mathematics. Petrach, a florentine, was the first great Humanist.
THE COUNTER REFORMATION
The number of followers of Catholics and Protestants had eventually become an even amount of followers. The council was a bunch of bishops gathered to change the problems. Churches were now competing for members. Each sent missionaries around the world to find new converts. This led to discovering America and new relationships with Japan. Protestant England settled in what is now the United States of America and Canada. Catholic Spain and France settled in what is now Mexico and South America. This brought Catholicism to the US as well as Protestantism. There are still many Protestants around.
That is the end of this lesson, but here are some things to remember:
Things to remember (yes, copy this down):
1. Problems in the church like selling indulgences led to the Reformation
2. Martin Luther and others argued that God provided salvation, not the church.
3. France and Spain remained Catholic and spread Catholicism to Mexico and South America.
4. England and Germany became Protestant and spread Protestantism into what is now the USA.
History Plus 