 “Natural Philosophers” relied on religious teaching and the works of classic thinkers to explain nature  Roger Bacon one of the first to favor a system of scientific experimentation as opposed to “blind faith”  The Renaissance Spirit encouraged curiosity, investigation, discovery, and the practical application of the knowledge of everyday life  Scientific Method became a method for solving problems about nature for many during the period of the Scientific Revolution

 Nicolaus Copernicus was the first to question the Ptolemaic theory of the universe  Johannes Kepler published his laws of planetary motion in 1609  Galileo Galilei used the telescope to further prove the heliocentric theory  1632, Galileo’s published findings created an uproar  1687, Sir Isaac Newton published a book building on the works of Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo

 Andreas Vesalius  Rene’ Descartes  Francis Bacon  Antoni van Leeuwenhoek  Robert Boyle

 Mapmaking improved during the Renaissance  Inventions like the Compass and Astrolabe made navigation easier, safer, and more accurate  Better ship technology sparked major changes

 Improved ways of doing business made this time become known as the Commercial Revolution  The development of a standard system of money encouraged international trade and banking  Joint-stock Companies came together to promote exploration  The growing power of monarchs also helped spark exploration

 Country could build wealth in two ways: Mine more gold and silver, or a Favorable balance of trade  Tariffs and Subsidies helped promote a favorable balance of trade  Colonies provided much needed economic support for mother countries  Control of colonial markets and raw materials became the key to a nation’s success

 Renaissance and Scientific Revolution helped spark exploration  Urban crowding became a major issue  Idea of “striking it rich” caused many to leave their homelands for good  Reformation and Counter-Reformation caused many to leave for the New World