What are we going to do today?
• What are the “middle ages”?
• What was life like?
• What caused it to end?
Transition to the Renaissance
Small
Kingdoms
Rural
Population
Characteristics
of Medieval
Europe
Pagan
Religions
What is the Feudal system???
Ruler of a small
kingdom, the king is
usually the strongest or
wealthiest lord
King
Lord
Lord
Peasant
Peasant
Peasant
These are “vassals” of
the king. They give up
some of their power in
exchange for the king’s
protection
Peasants
Peasants are
obedient to their
lord. They work on
his lands and pay
taxes, and in
exchange he gives
them protection
Factors Affecting Medieval Europe
Mongols
• Conquests of
Genghis Khan
• Marco Polo
Crusades
Trade
• Contact with
Arabs
• Contact with
Eastern Europe
• Goods from
Asia
• Goods from
Middle East
The Mongols…
* Makes trade
along the Silk
Road safer,
which means
more awesome
goods go West.
Europe starts
to see what it’s
been missing
The
Crusades…
*shows the
Western world
how far behind
they are in
technology,
medicine,
weaponry…pretty
much everything
Trade…
• As Europeans have more contact
with foreign people…
• They have more contact with
foreign stuff…
• Europeans develop a strong
desire for foreign goods like…
– Silk, Cotton, Spices, Porcelain,
Persian rugs
Changes to Western Europe…
Life During the Middle Ages
Life During the Renaissance
• Rural society
• Agricultural society
• Feudal society
•Small towns & villages
SOCIETY
• Shift to urban society
• Shift to manufacturing society
• Shift to worker society
•Shift to larger cities
• Held by land-owning nobles
• Regional power
•Feudal system
POWER
• Held by wealthy people
• Centralized power
• Determined by birth
STATUS
• Determined by wealth and
ability
Why did the Feudal system end???
100 Years
War
Black
Plague
End of the
Feudal
System
End of the Feudal System…
Black Death
kills 1/3 of
Europe’s
population &
weakens
power of the
church
Peasants
revolt and
demand
more
freedom
100 Years War
allows monarchs
to build huge
armies and
reduce power of
nobles
People move
to cities to
earn better
wages
Status began to
be determined
by wealth and
ability, not
birthright
The Black Plague…
• Came out of Mongolia
• Carried by the Mongol army
• Disease traveled in the fleas on
the Mongols’ horses…and themselves!
• How did people fight it?
The Black Plague…
• Caught by Italian merchants…who fled back to
Italy trying to avoid the disease, and ended up
spreading it throughout Europe
How did people fight it???
The Black Plague…
The Black Plague…
• Carried along the Silk Road to the Middle East
by merchants and travelers
The Black Plague…
Impact on Europe:
• Loss of population
– 1/3 of Europeans die
– 25 to 50 million….about 8 million per year
– Which social class was hit hardest?
• Loss of faith in the church…why?
• Loss of faith in feudal lords…why?
End of the Feudal System…
Black Death
kills 1/3 of
Europe’s
population &
weakens
power of the
church
Peasants
revolt and
demand
more
freedom
100 Years War
allows monarchs
to build huge
armies and
reduce power of
nobles
People move
to cities to
earn better
wages
Status began to
be determined
by wealth and
ability, not
birthright
100 Years War…
•
•
•
•
Fought between France & England
Fought over who will be King of France
Lasts for 116 years
New technologies
• Long bow (funny story about that…)
• Firearms (no funny story)
• Joan of Arc
• End of
Feudalism…why?
She’s a witch!!
End of the Feudal System…
Black Death
kills 1/3 of
Europe’s
population &
weakens
power of the
church
Peasants
revolt and
demand
more
freedom
100 Years War
allows monarchs
to build huge
armies and
reduce power of
nobles
People move
to cities to
earn better
wages
Status began to
be determined
by wealth and
ability, not
birthright
Rise of the Renaissance…
Italian cities make
trading
connections with
the Middle
East…become rich
and powerful
Medici family
of Florence
used profits
to promote
art and
learning
Crusades make
Europeans
eager to learn
about the
outside world
Scholars and artists look to
ancient Greece and Rome for
inspiration and new ideas
Middle class
merchants
develop the idea
of banking and
insurance…gain
control of huge
sums of money
The Renaissance…
• Renaissance means “rebirth”
– Rebirth of “classical art and learning”
– Classical civilizations refer to Greece and Rome
• Society becomes more secular
– Secular = worldy
-- Non-secular = religious
• Development of “humanism”
– Belief in human potential
– Idea of a “renaissance man”
Rise of the Renaissance…
Italian cities make
trading
connections with
the Middle
East…become rich
and powerful
Medici family
of Florence
used profits
to promote
art and
learning
Crusades make
Europeans
eager to learn
about the
outside world
Scholars and artists look to
ancient Greece and Rome for
inspiration and new ideas
Middle class
merchants
develop the idea
of banking and
insurance…gain
control of huge
sums of money
MERCHANTS
• Wealthy/powerful social class,
dominated politics
• Wealth based on success of their business
• Felt they deserved power based on achievements
• Florence, Italy ruled by MEDICI family (trade/banking
merchants) for 30 years
• Lorenzo the Magnificent: major PATRON (supporter)
of the arts
NEW ARTISTIC TECHNIQUES
• Renaissance is bringing back classical art &
literature from Greek & Roman times
• In Italy, now painting/sculpting SECULAR
arts, NOT RELIGIOUS arts  more realistic
people in classical settings
PERSPECTIVE
• 3 Dimensional
• Distant objects are smaller
SHADING
• Helps objects to look more realistic; 3-D look
VS
SCULPTURES
• Study of human anatomy to paint and sculpt
better
• More natural postures and expressions
NINJA TURTLES:
LEONARDO
• LEONARDO DA VINCI: painter, sculptor, inventor, &
scientist  a true “Renaissance Man”
– Mona Lisa
– The Last Supper
NINJA TURTLES:
MICHELANGELO
• MICHELANGELO: sculptor and painter
– Sistine Chapel
– Statue of David
NINJA TURTLES:
DONATELLO
• DONATELLO: sculptor and painter;
– Revealed personality in his art
– One of the first to do a nude statue
– First bronze statue of St. Louis of Toulouse
NINJA TURTLES:
RAPHAEL
• RAPHAEL studied from Michelangelo and
Leonardo; painter
– Madonna and Child
– School of Athens
RENAISSANCE WRITERS, PART II
• WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
– Greatest playwright of all time: sonnets, plays,
essays
– Romeo and Juliet
– Hamlet
– Othello
– Macbeth
– Midsummer Night’s Dream
– Julius Caesar
– King Lear
RENAISSANCE WRITERS
• ERASMUS:
– The Praise of Folly – said to
improve society, all should
study Bible
• MORE:
– Utopia – imaginary land inhabited by
peaceful people; no use for money; means
“no place”, but in English means “ideal
place”
PRINTING SPREADS
RENAISSANCE IDEAS
• Chinese 1st invent block printing
• JOHANN GUTENBERG: reinvents moveable type
& comes up with printing press
– Gutenberg Bible: first full size book printed
– Came in English, French, and German 
VERNACULAR (own language) increased
– Can produce 100’s of copies
– Encouraged people to learn to read!  RISE IN
LITERACY & IDEAS SPREAD FASTER
And the winner is…(LP)
1st, 2nd, & 3rd place: Most influential
people/animals/events/inventions…and explain
I’m in 3 place
WHY!!
rd
because I helped
to create the
Renaissance by
carrying this
armful of
papers….
2nd
1st
3rd