Pre-Renaissance Events By Dax Andrus

Top 10 Pre Renaissance Events Printing Press Invented The Bubonic Plague (Black Death) Magna Carta Great Western Schism Rise of Italian Trading States Establishment of Guilds Hundred Years War Finale of the Reconquista of Spain Wat Tyler’s Rebellion Advent of the Three Field System –P.E.R.S.I.A.T. = Political, Economic, Religious, Social, Intellectual, Artistic, Technological

The Three Field System (S,T) The Three Field System was a way of growing crops that became popular in the high middle ages. –Farmers would grow crops on two-thirds of their fields each year and plant oats in the third field. Oats stored nitrogen and rejuvenated the soil. –This increase in crop productivity set the path for a population boom.

Wat Tyler’s Rebellion (S,P) Wat Tyler was an English peasant who lead a revolt against the English monarchy. –Wat Tyler rallied English peasants and marched on London. –He called for the end of serfdom and most manorial duties. –Arch Bishop of Canterbury and other important officials were murdered. –Authorities put down the rebellion with great bloodshed. –First real attack by peasants on serfdom.

End of the Reconquista (S,P,R) For hundreds of years the Iberian peninsula of Spain was under control by Moorish Muslims from Morocco. The Spanish wished to take back their lost territory. –The joining of the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon through the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella (who later sponsored Columbus’ voyage) created a powerhouse Spanish state –By 1492 this state had expelled all Moors from Spain and captured their stronghold in Granada. –Set the stage for a homogenous Catholic Spanish nation..

Hundred Years War (S,P,T) On and off for over 100 years France and England fought a bitter war against each other. –The English claimed to have control of over an area of France and so invaded the area. –The English claimed initial gains in the war due to their use of longbows and firearms newly imported from the Muslim Caliphates. –The French eventually pushed the English out of France through the tactical genius of a peasant girl named Joan of Arc.

Establishment of Guilds (S,E) Guilds were associations of craft specialists and merchants. –Regulated the business practices of its members and the prices they charged. –Trained apprentices and promoted members’ interests with the city government. –Rejected Jews and women from participating in Guilds. –Earliest form of regulation in labor.

Rise of Italian Trading States (S,P,E) Perhaps the most important event needed for the Renaissance to happen was the rise of Italian trading states. –Italian city states (such as Venice and Florence) became leaders in trade due to their strategic position on the Mediterranean, the main shipping route of the day. –Italy produced very little actual goods, but a great portion of the world’s wealth flowed through Italian hands. –The rising merchant class sponsored the Renaissance.

Great Western Schism (S,P,R) With the backing of the French monarchy a succession of popes residing in Avignon challenged papal authority in Rome. –Eventually the Roman pope was victorious and papal authority was returned to Rome. –This break up of the church greatly eroded papal authority. –A key element in protestant protests against the church.

Magna Carta (S,P) One of the earliest European legally binding documents signed by a king. –Signed by King John of England in 1215 after being threatened. –Initially seen as a guarantee of the rights of nobles and barons. –Later it came to be seen as a limit on the monarch’s authority over all subjects. –Seen as a constitutional triumph and a step towards democracy.

The Bubonic Plague (S,E) A disease carried by fleas living on rats that spread to Europe through Italian traders. –Decimated the European population due to its high kill rate. Nearly 1/3 of all Euroeans died. –Some turned to religion and flogged themselves while some searched for reckless enjoyment. –Following the Black Death a drop in the number of workers led to an increase in wages and a general betterment in the quality of life for average peasants. –Serfdom was eliminated in large part due to the Black death in Western Europe.

Invention of the Printing Press (P,E,R,S,I,A,T) The inventions of moveable type, ink suitable for printing on paper and the printing press in Europe forever changed the world. –P: Governments can now mass produce propaganda and documents. –E: A new field of work (printing) became available. Regulation in guilds and business can be done more effectively. –R: Mass productions of bibles caused a growth in religious fervor. –S: Society becomes more literate due to a greater amount of reading material. –I: Intellectual books begin to be printed in mass, allowing for intellectuals to have a greater pool of knowledge to draw from. –A: Artistic manuscripts were also created. –T: The printing press allowed for technological ideas to be shared more easily.

Top 10 Pre-Renaissance Names Johannes Gutenberg –Invented the printing press. Ferdinand and Isabella –Completed the reconquista and funded Columbus’ voyages. King John of England –Forced to sign the Magna Carta. Joan of Arc –Led France to victory against the England in the 100 years war. Charles VII of France –Passed a tax on French vassals which filled France’s coffers for the next 350 years.

Top 10 Pre-Renaissance Names cont. Dante Alighieri –Poet who wrote the Divine Comedy, an early vernacular work. Geoffery Chaucer –First renowned English poet. Wrote the Canterbury Tales. Thomas Aquinas –Founder of the scholastic order. Tried to mesh church doctrine and Greco-Roman philosophy together to support the church. Wat Tyler –Led the first peasant rebellion aimed at eliminating serfdom. Marco Polo –Italian merchant who reached the Mongol court by a long overland trek across central Asia.