UNIT 1. THE MODERN AGE.

THE 15TH AND 16TH CENTURIES

 THE MODERN
AGE

The 15th- 16th The 17th The 18th

centuries century century
CHANGES CRISES LIGHTS

Europe Spain Europe Spain Europe Spain

The Catholic The Minor The

Renaissance Baroque Enlightenment
Monarchs Austrias Borbons

The Major
Austrias
 WHEN IT STARTS?

FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE, 1453

DISCOVERY OF AMERICA, 1492

PRINTING PRESS, GUTTENBERG

 CHANGES
MIDDLE AGES RENAISSANCE
Feudal monarchy Authoritarian
POLITICS
monarchy

Manorial system Commerce,

(local, self-sufficient, ECONOMY mercantilism,
agrarian) capitalism.

Feudal pyramid The three states.

(nobels, knigts, monks, SOCIETY Increased power of
serfs) bourgueoise

Christian unity. Protestan Reformation.

Teocentrism. Culture CULTURE Antropocentrism.
in the monasteries. Humanism
THE DISCOVERY OF A NEW WORLD
 RENAISSANCE: subperiod of the Modern Age in Europe that marks the
transition from the Middle Ages to modernity (15th- 16th centuries).
START
1453/1492
FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE, 1453
The Ottoman army occupies Constantinople and
blocks trade routes between Asia and Europe.
Is the end of Byzantine Empire.
HOW ARE THESE EVENTS CONNECTED?

FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE, 1453 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA, 1492

THE SILK ROAD

Authoritarian
monarchy
THE SPICE ROUTE

Authoritarian
monarchy
THE EXPANSION OF OTTOMANS
 WHO?

Why did Spain and

Portugal lead the way
in exploration?

The Catholic Monarchs (slideshare.net)

15th Century Portugal – Renaissance Chronicles (wordpress.com)
 Increase monarch’s

POLITICAL
power
WHY?
CAUSES

Humanism IDEOLOGICAL ECONOMIC Alternative

CAUSES CAUSES routes to Asia

DISCOVERY OF AMERICA, 1492

SCIENTIFIC &
Fight the infidel RELIGIOUS New geographical theories
TECHNICAL
Evangelism CAUSES and navigation advances
CAUSES
PORTUGAL
• Sponsor: Henry the navigator
He dedicated his life (1st ½ of 15th century)
to explore African coast and perfectionate
navigation skills (“volta do mar”).

➢ Aim: Alternative route to India, to

control spice and silk trade, and gold
and slaves from Sudan.

• Main voyages of Discovery/conquests:

o Madeira, Azores, Cape Verde
islands.
o Bartolomeu Días rounded Cape of
Good Hope, 1487.
o Vasco de Gama, 1498 reached India.
Yesterday morning, we arrived at the Cabo Verde
Island. At night, I had a meeting with Vasco de Gama
and the other officers in order to plan the next step of
the expedition. .

Next week we will weigh anchor, but there is a

problem, we don't know how long the trip is going to
be and we will test a new sea route. Our Admiral,
Vasco de Gama, called it "volta do mar" and it's based
on the winds of this unexplored are of the ocean. Some
officers don’t agree with this idea. In spite of wanting
to use an alternative route, they must obey the
Admiral decisions.

Another problem is the crew; if they knew our plans,

they wouldn't want to do it, or maybe they would
rebel. Although, I think this isn't a big problem
because I know how to control them. Obviously, it is
better that this doesn't happen, so I have to keep their
spirit high and their minds worried with the works on
the caravel.
Treaties between Castilla
and Portugal
The rivalry between Castilla and Portugal
was resolved with the following treaties:

➢ Treaty of Alcaçocas, 1479.

Limit: Cape Bojador.
• To the north for Castilla (Canary islands)
• To the south for Portugal.

Discovery of America, 1492

➢ Treaty of Tordesillas, 1494.

Limit: 370 leagues to the west of Cape
Verde islands.
• To the west for Castilla.
• To the east for Portugal (Brazil).
 The Discovery of the Americas | Christopher Columbus History
The discovery voyage - YouTube

• 3 of August 1492: Christopher Colombus

set sail from Palos de la Frontera (Huelva)
• The crew sailed with three boats: la Niña,
la Pinta y la Santa María.
• After a stop in the Canary islands, they
continued through the ocean.
• Rodrigo de Triana (in the Pinta) spotted
land the 12th of October, 1492.
• The first island was called San Salvador.
• Before returning he also visited Cuba and
Española.
• He was convinced he reached the Indies
(south, southeast Asia).
• He made another three more voyages until
his death in 1506.
New expeditions
• During the 16th century, Charles I,
granted license to explore to other
sailors.

• 1513, Vasco Nuñez de Gama

crossed the isthmus of Panama and
found the Pacific ocean.

• 1519-1522, Magellan and Elcano

completed the first voyage around
the world.

• The name America comes from

Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian
merchant, who took part in four
expeditions to the Indies.
THE AUTHORITARIAN MONARCHIES
Authoritarian monarchies
Unified
territory
• Kings reinforce their authority and
power by weakening the power of
nobility, clergy, parliaments, cities.
• This process was parallel to the birth
of early nation-States. Diplomacy Bureaucracy

• It’s a transition between the feudal

monarchy and the absolute monarchy. HOW?
• The first authoritarian monarchies:
✓ SPAIN: The catholic monarchs
✓ ENGLAND: Henry VIII
✓ FRANCE: Francis I
Permanent
Taxes
army
Commerce, capitalism
• Demographic growth.
• Agriculture: still the basis of the
economy. Increase of production.
• Domestic system: a new way of
producing craft products due to the
incapacity of guilds to attend the
increased demand.
• Trade: new routes, new products.
Atlantic, the new epicenter.
• Mercantilism: economic system based
on trade where a country accumulates
gold and wealth by exporting.
• Foundation of capitalist economy:
trading companies, banks, credits,
currency exchanges.
Bourgeoisie
• The society was divided in three main
groups: clergy, nobility and the
commoners.
• The bourgeoisie pioneered the
commercial capitalism and enriched.
• Still there was a difference between
the privileged (clergy, nobility) and
non privileged (the rest).
• The majority of society was made up
of peasants. In Western Europe they
were no longer serfs and improved
their living conditions.
• An urban society developed
(merchants, artisans, waged workers,
low rank soldiers, etc.).