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A Changing Europe

A Changing Europe. Late 1200’s. Decline of Feudalism Rising middle class emerged after the crusades Middle class merchants made money by trading in Southwest Asia Marco Polo (Italy) traveled to China with his father Lived there 17 years Brought back silk, spices, jewels, stories

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A Changing Europe

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  1. A Changing Europe

  2. Late 1200’s • Decline of Feudalism • Rising middle class emerged after the crusades • Middle class merchants made money by trading in Southwest Asia • Marco Polo (Italy) traveled to China with his father • Lived there 17 years • Brought back silk, spices, jewels, stories • Wrote book – Description of the World • Few people could read at the time

  3. Late 1200’s • Marco Polo’s book inspired people to travel and learn • Book remained popular for a long time • Europeans did not know there was land to their West • Knew there were lands to the East

  4. Mid 1300’s • Marco Polo’s book inspired people to travel and learn • Book remained popular for a long time • Europeans were increasingly curious about what was beyond their city walls. • Curiosity like this sparked a period of renewed interest in learning and knowledge called the Renaissance=rebirth of learning which from the mid 1300’s-about 1600.

  5. Renaissance • Renaissance was a time of creativity and experimentation • Artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci and Donatello created paintings, drawings, and sculptures to show nature and people how they really looked

  6. Renaissance • Writers such as William Shakespeare wrote plays and poems • Scientists worked to better understand the human body • Scientists also studied movement of the planets using newly invented instruments • Galileo – telescope • Copernicus – Earth revolves around the sun

  7. Renaissance • Art, Literature, Music, Architecture, Science • Use of math and geometry • Art reflected life and nature • Previously it was based on religion

  8. Renaissance • Influence of Greek and Roman literature and philosophy • Concept of human freedom and republicanism • Could be an influence on America today • As more people moved to the city, there was more interest in the arts • Towns began to use their money to support Renaissance thinkers • As people were exploring the aspects of their culture, the desire to explore the unknown parts of the Earth grew • People were still inspired to travel by Marco Polo’s book

  9. Really Early Exploration • Westward exploration began before Marco Polo’s book and the wave of curiosity started during the Renaissance • Leif Erikson was a Norse thought to have been the first European to reach North America around 1002 • Norse = northern European from Sweden, Norway, Denmark • Landed in Canada and had a settlement there called “Vinland” • Norse did not create maps or write reports, but had sagas • Sagas were thought to be legends, but archaeologists found traces of a Norse settlement in Canada • Leif Erikson Day=October 9th

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