The Renaissance,
It means rebirth in French. It is a period of time
in Europe from 1300-1550 marked by
tremendous artistic, literary, and scientific
breakthroughs.
Major events leading to the
Renaissance in Europe
The Plague, or the Black Death, in Europe
(1347-1351)
The Crusades to the Holy Land, (1095-1291)
Rise of powerful merchants in Italy
The Crusades, 1096-1204
Pope Urban II asked
nobles in Europe to take
back the holy city of
Jerusalem from Islamic
invaders.
 Crusaders were able to
take Jerusalem, but
could not hold it.
 Because of the Crusades,
trade was reestablished
with Asia through the
Middle East and Italy.

The Black Death, 1347-1351
In 1347, there is an
outbreak of the bubonic
plague at Messina on
the island of Sicily.
 Most likely got there
by following trade
routes from Asia
 In the course of a few
years, plague will wipe
out 1/3 of the population
of Europe

The Black Death, 1347-1351
 This
leads to several changes in society
 Fewer
people meant workers could
demand more money (Supply and
Demand)
 Fewer
people also meant that peasants
gained more power over their lords
 The
suffering led people to lose faith in the
Catholic Church.
Rise of powerful merchants in Italy
and Europe
New trade with Asia
went through Italian
ports.
 Merchants became
extremely wealthy
controlling this trade
 Medici’s in
Florence
 Hanseatic League
in Germany

Rise of powerful merchants in Italy
and Europe
 These
merchants used
their money to support
artists, writers, and
architects. This led to a
rebirth, or “Renaissance”
of art and culture first in
Italy, then in Germany
(Northern Renaissance)
Effects of Renaissance in Europe
 New
interest in classical learning from
Rome and Greece
 Increased science and technical
knowledge
New interest in classical Roman
and Greek culture



The Islamic world were the keepers of
Ancient Greek and Roman culture
while Europe was in the Dark Ages.
Trade from the Crusades not only
brought goods, it also brought these
ideas back to Europe.
As faith in the Church dropped off due
to the Black Death, many people
sought learning from these Greek and
Roman sources
 Humanism, or the study of the
humanities, replaces more
traditional religious teaching
Increased science and knowledge
The new focus on humanism
freed people to explore new
areas of science.
 Trade also brought new
science and technology to
Europe from Asia
 Astronomy, Engineering,
and Algebra from the
Islamic World
 Moveable Type from China

Increased science and knowledge

We see many great writers
and scientists who challenge
the traditional teachings of
the Catholic Church
 Galileo and Copernicus first
suggested that the Earth
rotated around the Sun.
 Machiavelli writes “The
Prince” which later
becomes the blueprint for
absolute monarchs
 Guttenburg uses movable
type to develop the first
printing press.