The Renaissance

History One of the lasting effects of the Crusades was an increase in trade between the Middle East and countries on the Mediterranean Sea. This ended feudalism because the serfs were able to find better work in towns. At the end of the 11th Century, thousands of Christians launched the Crusades. The Crusades were a series of battles to win back the Holy Land, Palestine, from the Muslims.

The Black Death killed about 1/3 of Europe’s population. In addition to the Crusades, a plague known as the Black Death swept through Europe. The Black Death killed about 1/3 of Europe’s population. Black Death Map

What does the Black Death and “Ring Around the Rosie” have in common? The Black Death Clip Ring Around the Rosie

Ring Around the Rosie When a person contracted the Bubonic Plague, they would gain rose-colored, puss-filled sores on their body called rosies. As the infection spread, rings would wind around the rosies. "Ring around the rosie," refers to these rings. Pocket Full of Posies During the time of the Bubonic Plague, people realized that it was harmful to go around the body of someone who had died from the plague. The common practice in some areas of Europe was to fill the shirt or jacket pocket of the deceased with posies so that others would know to leave the body alone."Pocket full of posies," was what would soon happen after the person started getting the rings around the rosie. Once the rings started to form, the undertaker would be called to prepare the posies. Ashes Ashes Once the body of the person who had died from the plague had been taken away, it would be burned. This is essentially when cremation started as a form of burial. There was a lot of worry that extra handling of the body could cause people to get sick. There was also worry by some that the body would come back in the form of a vampire or some other type of the walking dead. Burning the body was the only true option they had. We All Fall Down It was believed by many that eventually that Bubonic Plague would wipe out all of civilization. It is understandable why they had this belief because of the number of people that were dying everyday from the Plague. The Black Death killed off an estimated 20-35% of the population of Eurasia during its historic run. It was nearly impossible for anyone to not know at least one person who died from the Plague at the time.

The Renaissance All of those forces combined helped bring about the Renaissance. The Renaissance was a rebirth of creativity, literature and learning in Europe from about 1300 to 1600 A.D. The rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman knowledge influenced the Renaissance.

The Rebirth of Europe The Renaissance began in the city-states of the Italian Peninsula due to increased trade between Italian merchants and the Middle East. Those with wealth showed pride in their city by hiring architects to build beautiful churches, public fountains and sculptures.

St. Peter’s Basilica; Rome. Chambord, France.

Art in the Renaissance The art reflected the beliefs of the period. Many Renaissance paintings had religious themes. Painters also found new ways to create more realistic works. This technique was known as perspective. Perspective gave objects in a painting the appearance of depth and distance.

Famous Renaissance Artworks “The Last Supper,” Leonardo da Vinci The Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo “Mona Lisa,” Leonardo da Vinci

The Renaissance Spreads In the late 1400s, the Renaissance began to spread north from Italy to France, England, Germany and Flanders (part of Belgium). Many famous writers, including William Shakespeare, examined human nature and worldly things. The word secular means worldly or not related to religion.

Famous Plays by Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet Hamlet Othello Macbeth Midsummer Night’s Dream William Shakespeare

Other Advances in the Renaissance Scientists studied about the human body and minerals that made up the Earth’s surface. The invention of the printing press helped these ideas spread across Europe.

The Printing Press The invention of the printing press had a huge impact on Europe. Johann Gutenberg, a German, created a machine that pressed movable type against paper. The printing press allowed 500 times as many books to be printed in the same amount of time. Question: How did the printing press help ideas spread during the Renaissance?

Review Questions 1. Where did the Renaissance begin? The Italian Peninsula. 2. How did the Crusades help the start of the Renaissance? Increased trade and ended feudalism. 3. Name one famous Renaissance artist or writer? Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, William Shakespeare.