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Period: 1300 to 1450
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance was significant because it shifted the focus of fulfillment in the afterlife to participating in the here-and-now. Humanism was a big theme of the Renaissance because now people were more focused on human endeavors, and celebrating human achievement in areas such s politics, arts, and education. The Renaissance led to a rise in literacy, and enjoyment fo the arts and literature. People such as Michelangelo and Da Vinci were a big part of the Renaissance. -
1455
First European printing press, Mainz, Germany
The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenburg was significant for a variety of reasons. First of all, the production of books increased significantly which in turn increase literacy across Europe. Books were now more affordable and were widely read for entertainment by the middle class. The Printing Press also played a big role in making the Protestant Reformation so successful, and that had major implications on Europe as a whole. -
1517
Luther's 95 theses; beginning of protestant reformation
Martin Luther was unhappy with much of what the Catholic Church did, so he nailed a list of 95 theses to the church door. Thanks to the printing press the theses were widely distributed which helped spark the protestant reformation, and it also helped spread translations of the bible in other languages. With the reformation, the Church no longer had complete control over how people heard the bible. The information also brought about the Lutheran, Calvin, and Anglican churches. -
1534
Beginning of Church of England
The Beginning of the Church of England, or the Anglican Church, was the result of King Henry declared himself head of religious affairs. This branch of Christianity would later be involved in the religious wars in England which would affect the country as a whole. Anglicanism was also important because it was completely separate from the control of the pope in Rome. -
1543
Copernican revolution; Copernicus's work on astronomy
Copernicus was one of the fathers of the Scientific Revolution, and he completely changed how people viewed the world, and his work affects what we know today. Copernicus developed a theory that the sun was the center of the universe, not the earth. We know this to be true today, but many were skeptical of this until Galileo began his astronomy work and discovered the moons of Jupiter. -
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Thirty Years War
The Thirty Years War took place in Germany and was fought between the Catholics and Protestants. This war was the most destructive until WWI and devastated the population, and power, of Germany. The end of the war resulted in the Peace of Westphalia. Now, every area of the HRE could choose to be either Catholic, Calvin, or Lutheran. Looking forward, this war would lead to instability in the HRE, and then the consolidation of Germany, to WWI. -
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English Civil War
The English Civil war was the result of a disagreement between branches of Christianity, and the powers that parliament should have in relation to the monarch. After not upholding the Petition of Right, Charles I found himself at war with parliament. During much of the Civil War, Cromwell had power even though he wasn't a monarch, but eventually, the monarchy returned. The conflict wasn't fully resolved until the English Bill of Rights was signed in 1689. -
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Reign of Louis XIV, France; absolute monarchy
Many countries would come to model France and its system of Absolute Monarchy. The rulers of these nations had total power and didn't use their parliament. Louis XIV was the first of these rulers and summed up the essence of absolute monarchy by saying, "I am the state." Louis revoked the Edict of Nantes which got rid of religious toleration in France, and the Estates General didn't meet once during his reign. Louis was also known for his very extravagant palaces. -
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Decline of witchcraft trials
The decline fo witchcraft trails were significant because it acknowledged the advancements in science, and the effects it has on everyday life. The scientific revolution brought about this decline as people began to see how preposterous this was. This decline can also be connected to people no longer being as eager to pin back fortune on the poor, and finding other ways to show disagreement with other churches. -
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Glorious Revolution in Britain; parliamentary monarchy; some religious toleration; political writing of John Locke 18th Century Enlightenment
The Glorious Revolution was important for England because it rid them of James II and William and Mary took over leadership. They signed the English Bill of rights, and parliament would check the power fo the monarch. Eventually, the Monarch would be more of a figurehead and parliament would have most of the power. During this time John Locke wrote about ideas for unalienable rights and other enlightened ideas about freedoms.
