European Societies

1. European Societies

2. Introduction Europe around the 1500’s was an interesting and challenging time. Many of the European countries were on the verge of moving from the Middle Ages into an age where creativity, thinking, exploring, and just approaching life differently was encouraged. In the past the people of the day were overshadowed and overpowered by the Church and the government. This caused the people to live a life of fear. They accomplished very little as they did not want to challenge the status quo. As the 1400 and 1500’s were ushered in, people began to question authority more. As this new way of thinking began to emerge, more creativity was encouraged. The arts flourished. Philosophical approaches to life, religion and government began to question past authorities. Three significant eras from this time period are recognized that really define the times in Europe during the 1400-1600’s; The Renaissance Period, the Age of Exploration and The Reformation

3. Charles Mann in his book 1493 dedicates almost a majority of his section on European history of the 16th century to the potato. Originating in the Peruvian Andes, the potato is now the fifth most important crop worldwide behind, sugarcane, corn, wheat and rice. The potato was one of those significant crops which found its way back to Europe during the Columbian Exchange era Many scholars believe that the introduction of the potato was a key moment in European history. This is because of their widespread consumption largely coincided with the end of the great famine in Northern Europe. More than anything though, the abundance of the potato crop allowed countries to feed their growing populations and allowed certain European countries to assert dominion over their neighbors. The end of hunger politically stabilized the certain European nations financially as well. Thus the potato fueled the rise of the West.

4. The Renaissance The Renaissance is a period in the history of Europe beginning in about 1400, and following the medieval period, also known as the middle ages. "Renaissance" is a French word meaning "rebirth". The period is called by this name because at that time, people started taking an interest in the learning of ancient times, in particular the learning of Ancient Greece and Rome. The Renaissance was seen as a "rebirth" of that learning. The Renaissance is often said to be the start of the "modern age". During the Renaissance, there were many famous artists, many writers and many philosophers. Many people studied math and different sciences. A person who is clever at a great number of things is sometimes called a "Renaissance man". Leonardo da Vinci, who was a painter, a scientist, a musician and a philosopher, is the most famous Renaissance Man. The Renaissance started in Italy but soon spread across the whole of Europe. In Italy the time is divided into three periods.

5. The Reformation The Reformation was a series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. These events were, in part, associated with the wider process of the European Protestant Reformation, a religious and political movement that affected the practice of Christianity across most of Europe during this period. Many factors contributed to the process: the decline of feudalism and the rise of nationalism, the rise of the common law, the invention of the printing press and increased circulation of the Bible, the transmission of new knowledge and ideas among scholars and the upper and middle classes. However, the various phases of the English Reformation, were largely driven by changes in government policy, to which public opinion gradually accommodated itself.

6. The Age of Exploration The Age of Discovery can be seen as a bridge between the Middle Ages and the Modern era, along with the Renaissance movement. European overseas expansion led to the rise of colonial empires, with the contact between the Old and New Worlds producing the Columbian Exchange: a wide transfer of plants, animals, foods, human populations (including slaves), and culture between the Eastern and Western hemispheres, in one of the most significant global events concerning ecology, agriculture, and culture in history. European exploration allowed the global mapping of the world, resulting in a new world-view and distant civilizations acknowledging each other, reaching the most remote boundaries much later.

7. The Enlightenment The Enlightenment (or Age of Reason) was a cultural movement of intellectuals in the 17th and 18th centuries, which began first in Europe and later in the American colonies. Its purpose was to reform society using reason, challenge ideas grounded in tradition and faith, and advance knowledge through the scientific method. It promoted scientific thought, skepticism and intellectual interchangeIt opposed superstition and intolerance, with the Catholic church a favorite target. Some Enlightenment philosophes collaborated with enlightened leaders, who were absolute rulers who tried out some of the new governmental ideas in practice. The ideas of the Enlightenment have had a long-term major impact on the culture, politics, and governments of the Western world.