Hill Spring International School

Integrated Social Studies

2023-24

Name: Grade: VII

Date: Unit: Transition to the modern world (handout)

 The term Renaissance means “revival” or “rebirth”.

 It also denotes to the noteworthy modifications that took place in Europe during the transition period
between the medieval and modern.
 Growth of science, art, architecture, sculpture, painting, literature, geography and religion were seen in
this period.
 Spirit of humanism and individualism has developed.
 The religious makeover was signified by the Reformation.
 These changes that took place in Europe were collectively called “Renaissance”.
The seven characteristics of the Renaissance are as follows:

 Rebirth of Naturalism.
 Perspective and Depth in Art.
 Create Non-Religious Themes.
 Privately Owned Art.
 Advancements in new technologies such as printing and gunpowder
 Shift in balance of power among Europe’s ruling elite
 Birth of Humanism -way of thought that focuses on human beings and their potential for achievement.
Renaissance in Italy

 The birthplace of the Renaissance is Italy

 Italy is the cradle of the Latin language and ancient civilization.
 The city-states in Italy like Venice and Florence patronized literature and art.
 The renaissance movement was ignited in the city of Florence by the publication of ‘Divine Comedy’
by the poet Dante.
 This movement then spread elsewhere in Europe and reached its zenith in the 16th century.
The revival of Classical Literature

 The most significant contribution of the Renaissance was the resurrection and studying of ancient Latin
and Greek literature.
 The pioneering scholar was Petrarch (1304 –1374). He collected and compiled the works of Aristotle
and Plato.
 His student Boccaccio also promoted classical learning.
 -Many Greek scholars who came from Constantinople spread the ancient Greek literature in Florence.
 Pope Nicholas V founded the Vatican Library in the 15th century.
 Erasmus edited the New Testament in the Greek language.
The Spread of Humanism

 At the turn of the 14th century, a new cultural movement began to take shape in Italy. This was
humanism. Humanism promoted the idea that man was the centre of his own universe and that
advancements in education, classical arts and science should be accepted for the betterment of
humankind
 As stated earlier, the invention of the movable printing press helped in the spread of humanism greatly.
 The resulting advancement in communication, previously obscure books from humanist authors such as
Francesco Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio further helped in the interest and promotion of traditional
Greek and Roman culture and values. The mass printing of these books helped in further spreading the
ideas of humanism among the masses of Europe.
 Additionally, many scholars believe advances in international finance and trade impacted culture in
Europe and set the stage for the Renaissance.
 Humanism encouraged Europeans to question the role of the Roman Catholic church during the
Renaissance.

Role of the printing press

 The invention of the printing press by John Gutenberg had influenced Renaissance literature.
 The first book published by John Gutenberg was The Bible.
 William Caxton was the first to set up a printing press in England.
 Later many printing presses were set up throughout Europe
 These Printing Presses provided motivation to the Renaissance movement.
 The easy availability of books made education cheap and widespread. Now more people could learn to
read and write and interpret ideas and even closely examine religion as they know it. The most
significant aspect of the printing press was the fact that the Bible could now be mass-produced and
easily accessible by the people themselves for the first time
 This led to the Protestant Reformation Movement by the 16th-century German priest Martin Luther. The
movement caused a split in the Catholic church as Martin Luther questioned how its practices were
aligned with the teachings of the Bible
 As a result, a new form of Christianity, known as Protestantism, was created
 Exploration during the Renaissance
 By the early 1400s and the late 1500s, Europeans set out to explore the oceans with stronger and sturdier
ships made for long voyages into the sea.
 When the Eastern Roman Empire (Also known as the Byzantine Empire) fell to the Turks in 1453, the
old trade links between Europe and Asia were cut. Of course, European merchants could still visit the
old spice markets of West Asai but the spices they procured were at such an exorbitant amount that the
economic condition of Europe would deteriorate if they kept buying at the current market rate.
  Spices were an essential part of the European diet, not just for flavouring the food but also to preserve it
during the harsh winters of the continent. Thus to find new routes to the spice-producing islands and
spirit of adventure, Europeans set sail.
 The Portuguese were the first to go exploring. The Portuguese prince, Henry the Navigator, took a keen
interest in shipbuilding and navigation. He directed Portuguese sailors west into the Atlantic and south
to explore the west coast of Africa, where they set up forts and traded in gold and ivory. Spanish,
French, Dutch and English sailors followed. Instead of sailing east, some sailed west hoping to find a
route to India. The most famous of these voyages resulted in the discovery of the North American
continent. It was by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the first 15th-century explorer to cross the Atlantic
and return.
 It was on 20 May 1498, that another Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama landed in the southern coast
of India. He effectively discovered a new sea-route towards India
 By 1517 the Portuguese had reached China and nearly 30 years later they arrived in Japan. The ships
used by the explorers were small but more seaworthy than the clumsy vessels of the Middle Ages. They
used a mixture of triangular and square sails for easier steering and greater maneuverability. Sailors had
only crude maps and simple instruments to guide them on voyages lasting many months.
 In 1519 a Portuguese captain, Ferdinand Magellan, set out from Spain with five ships. The expedition
sailed around South America, across the Pacific Ocean to the Philippines (where Magellan was killed in
a fight with the local people) and across the Indian Ocean to Africa. Only one ship found its way to
Spain, becoming the first ship to sail completely around the world.

Renaissance of Art

 Paintings and art in the Middle Ages were dominated by Christianity but in the Renaissance period, love
of nature and the human body provided muses to this domain.
 Leonardo da Vinci is known as the “Renaissance Man”.
 His famous works of art were the ‘Last Supper’ and ‘Mona Lisa’.
 Michelangelo was both a sculptor and painter.
 Some consider his painting “Last Judgement” as one of the best in the world.
Renaissance of Sculpture

 Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378-1455) was the most important renaissance sculpture.

 He created the famous doors at the Baptistery of Florence.
 Michelangelo made the statue of David in Florence.
 Donatello moulded the statue of St. Mark at Venice and St. George in Florence.
Development of Science

 Francis Bacon is regarded as the father of modern science.

 The heliocentric theory was given by Nicolaus Copernicus.
 Sir Isaac Newton established that the movements of all celestial bodies were controlled by gravitation.
 Laws of planetary motion were stated by Johannes Kepler.
  Galileo Galilei invented the telescope brought new evidence to support the Copernican theory.
 Cordus made ether from alcohol and sulphuric acid.
 Carbon dioxide was discovered by Helmont.
 Vesalius wrote a treatise on human anatomy.

End of the Renaissance

Historians believe that there were several factors that led to the decline of the Renaissance, some are as follows:

1. The Italian peninsula was a focal point of many conquests and wars by warring European factions such
as the Spanish and the French. This caused instability and disrupted the region, limiting the spread of the
new ideas.
2. The change in trade routes limited the amount of money one could spend in arts and architecture instead,
most of the money was diverted towards funding new exploration fleets
3. In response to the Reformation, there was the Counter-reformation which censored artists and writers,
stifling creativity. The Council of Trent in 1545 declared humanism or any other views that contradicted
the teachings of the Catholic Church as an act of heresy, punishable by death. As a result, many
reformists and thinkers fled Italy to more hospitable countries toward the north
By the early 17th century, the Renaissance movement had died out, giving way to the Age of Enlightenment.

Results of the Renaissance

 The Renaissance was deemed the symbol of the commencement of the modern age.
 The spirit of inquiry has developed among people.
 The subsequent scientific inventions created significant changes in the life of humanity.
 The invention of the Mariner’s Compass led to several Geographical discoveries.