THE RENAISSANCE
PERIOD
POLITICAL AND SOCIAL
MILESTONES OF THE
RENAISSANCE PERIOD
(1485–1660)
HUMANISM
During the Renaissance
period, people began to
embrace an intellectual
movement known as
humanism.
HUMANISTS
They looked not only to the Bible
but also to the Latin and Greek
classics for wisdom and
knowledge.
They combined classical ideals
with traditional Christian thought in
order to teach people how to live
and rule.
HUMANITIES TODAY
PRINTING PRESS
Helped spread this new emphasis on the
humanities, as more books became
available.
HENRY VIII’S BREAK FROM
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
The pope refused to
grant an annulment of
his marriage to his first
wife, Catherine of
Aragon.
In response, Henry
denied the authority of
the pope and declared
himself head of the
Church in England.
PROTESTANT REFORMATION IN ENGLAND
Much-needed
reform of the
Church, putting an
end to the
corruption among
the clergy and to
the political power
that Rome and its
ally Spain held
over English affairs.
A scandal of the Roman Catholic
church was the selling of
indulgences. Clergymen and
bankers' agents collect money in
return for absolving the purchaser
of his sins.
THE DEFEAT OF THE GREAT SPANISH ARMADA
Signaled that England was a political
and naval power.
DEFINE THE TERM RENAISSANCE.
A French word meaning “rebirth”
WHAT IN PARTICULAR DID PEOPLE BECOME
INTERESTED IN?
A renewed interest in
classical learning—the
writings of ancient
Greece and Rome
DESCRIBE A RENAISSANCE PERSON.
•An energetic and
productive human
being who is interested
in science, literature,
history, art, and other
subjects.
•Who would be a
modern-day
“Renaissance” Man or
Woman?
WHO IS A FAMOUS AMERICA RENAISSANCE MAN?
FOR WHAT IS HE MOST FAMOUS?
 Thomas Jefferson
 Author of the Dec. of Ind.
 Scholar, inventor, naturalist,
and architect
 Played the violin
 Spoke 6 languages
 Conducted archeological
investigations of Native
American mounds
 Founded the U of V
 Founder of the Lib. of Cong.
 Held several political offices
 Pres. During the LA Purchase
IN WHAT COUNTRY DID THE RENAISSANCE MOVEMENT BEGIN?
Italy
WHO ARE TWO FAMOUS RENAISSANCE
ARTISTS?
Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo
Who is a famous Renaissance explorer?
Christopher Columbus
Who is a famous Renaissance scientist?
Galileo
WHAT IS MICHELANGELO’S MOST FAMOUS WORK?
Michelangelo’s painting in the
Sistine Chapel
WHAT INVENTION DURING THIS TIME
TRANSFORMED THE WAY INFORMATION
WAS EXCHANGED?
the printing press
WHO INVENTED THIS MACHINE?
Johannes Gutenberg
WHAT WAS THE FIRST BOOK EVER PRINTED BY
MACHINE?
an immense Latin Bible
The Ransom Center
Bible is one of only
five copies in the
United States. Out of
48 surviving copies in
the world, only 23
are complete Bibles
from Gutenberg's
estimated printing of
150 - 180 sets. Most
of the Bibles are in
Europe, one is in
Japan, and another
is in Moscow.
WHO WERE THOMAS MORE AND ERASMUS?
Thomas More and Erasmus were
Renaissance men loved life,
laughter, and classical learning.
They both were dedicated to the
Church, though they were
impatient with some of the
Church’s corrupt practices at that
time.
WHAT IS THE COMMON FEATURE OF ALL
REFORMERS?
They rejected the authority of
the pope and the Italian
churchmen.
DISCUSS 3 REASONS THE REFORMATION TOOK
PLACE.
1. English people resented the financial burdens
put on them by the Vatican—the Pope.
2. New religious ideas were coming into England Martin Luther founded a new kind of Christianity,
based not on what the Pope said but on a
personal understanding of the Bible.
3. Thomas More & Erasmus ridiculed the
ignorance and idleness of monks and the loose
living and personal wealth of priests and
bishops.
DISCUSS HENRY VIII’S
DIVORCE.
 Henry VIII wanted to divorce. Henry wanted
Pope Clement VII to declare that he was not
properly married to his Spanish wife, Catherine of
Aragon because she had previously married his
older brother Arthur. (against Church law to
marry a dead sibling’s spouse)
 The pope (controlled by SPAIN) didn’t grant
Henry the annulment.
 As a result, Henry appointed a new archbishop
of Canterbury, (ENGLAND) willingly declared
Henry’s marriage to Catherine invalid.
 In 1534, Henry concluded the break with Rome
by declaring himself head of the English Church.
WHAT WERE HENRY’S MOTIVES FOR WANTING A DIVORCE?
Catherine was too old to give
him a male heir.
He wanted to marry Anne
Boleyn.
DISCUSS THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION.
•Henry closed all of England’s
Catholic monasteries and sold the
rich buildings and lands to his
subjects.
•Majority of his subjects agreed
with the changes in the Church,
some of them did not.
WHO WAS THE MOST FAMOUS PERSON KNOWN OF
THOSE WHO REMAINED LOYAL TO THE POPE AND
WHO DISAGREED WITH HENRY’S CHANGES IN THE
CHURCH?
Sir Thomas More,
now the lord
chancellor of
England. He could
not legally
recognize his
(friend) Henry as
head of the Church.
Henry ordered Sir
Thomas More’s
execution.
DISCUSS PROTESTANTISM IN ENGLAND.
Many people felt
that the church was
not reformed
enough, that it was
only a copy of
Catholicism.
NAME SOME OF THE PROTESTANT GROUPS
THAT FORMED AS A RESULT OF THE
REFORMATION.
Puritans, Baptists, Presbyterians,
Dissenters, and Nonconformists.
LIST SOME OF THE RELIGIOUS CHANGES THAT THEY MADE.
Getting rid of bishops, the prayer book,
the priest’s vestments, and even the
church bells and the stained-glass
windows.
LIST HENRY VIII’S WIVES AND WHAT
HAPPENED TO EACH.
Six wives:
Catherine of Aragon - Divorced
Anne Boleyn - Beheaded
Jane Seymour - Died
Anne of Cleves - Divorced
Catherine Howard - Beheaded
Catherine Parr - Survived
HENRY VIII WAS AN IMPORTANT FIGURE IN HISTORY.
LIST SOME OF HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS. MAKE SURE TO
KNOW WHAT CAME AS A RESULT OF EACH
ACCOMPLISHMENT.
Created the Royal Navy - stopped foreign
invasions of England and helped spread its
political power, language, and literature all
over the globe.
Deserves the title Renaissance man.
Wrote poetry
Played many musical instruments
Champion athlete and a hunter
Supported humanistic learning.
LIST HENRY’S CHILDREN.
Mary - daughter of the Spanish
Catherine of Aragon
Elizabeth - daughter of Anne Boleyn
Edward - son of Jane Seymour
HOW WAS THE POPE’S POWER RESTORED
IN ENGLAND? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE
PROTESTANTS?
Edward died and his half-Spanish half-sister
Mary reigned from 1553–1558. She was a
devout, strong-willed Catholic determined
to avenge the wrongs done to her mother.
She restored the pope’s power in England
and ruthlessly hunted down Protestants.
She burned about 300 subjects at the stake.
She married Philip II, king of Spain, a country
England was beginning to fear and hate.
WHAT “NICKNAME WAS QUEEN MARY GIVEN AND WHY?
“Bloody Mary”
WHO REIGNED AFTER
QUEEN MARY?
Because Mary was childless, she was
succeeded by her sister Elizabeth.
DISCUSS QUEEN ELIZABETH’S REIGN.
One of the most brilliant and successful
monarchs in history.
Her first task was to restore law and order.
She reestablished the Church of England
and rejected the pope’s authority.
The pope excommunicated her.
To keep Spain happy, she pretended that
she just might marry her widowed brother-inlaw, King Philip.
WHY WAS ELIZABETH KNOWN AS “THE VIRGIN QUEEN?”
Never married
WHY WAS THE SINKING OF THE SPANISH
ARMADA A TURNING POINT IN HISTORY?
King Philip of Spain, assembled a vast fleet of
warships to destroy England. England’s Royal Navy,
assisted by nasty weather, instead destroyed the
Armada.
This victory assured England’s and all of northern
Europe’s independence from the powerful Catholic
countries of the Mediterranean.
It was a great turning point in history and Elizabeth’s
finest moment.
If Spain had prevailed, history would have been
quite different: All of North America, like most of
South America, might be speaking Spanish instead
of English.