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Period: Jan 1, 1300 to Dec 31, 1350
Pax Mongolica
The Pax Mongolica or Mongol Peace was a time span of stability and order all across the Mongol Empire in Asia. Traders, missionaries, caravans, and travelers in the Mongol Empire were garunteed safe passage. This increased the trade between Europe and Asia, and ideas and inventions were able to travel much faster. The Pax Mongolica connected Europe and Asia unlike ever before, however, some historians believe the Bubonic plague may have been spread from Asia to Europe due to these interactions. -
Jan 1, 1308
Dante Writes in Vernacular
Dante's most famous work, The Divine Comedy, was one of the first famous works of literature to every be written in the author's vernacular, or native language. Written between 1308 and 1321, it spoke about the poet's journey through hell, purgatory, and heaven. Most liturature prior to this was written in the classical languages, Latin and Greek. It popularized the practice of writing in your own language, which is the common practice today. -
Period: Jan 1, 1330 to Dec 31, 1350
The Black Death
(No Picture Possible)Beginning in China in the 1300s, the Black Death quickly spread throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa. The Black Death killed nearly a thrid of Europe's population (somewhere around 25 million people) and nearly diminished the work fource. Many people began to lose their faith in the Church due to it, and that weakened its influenece on the way people thought and saw the world. It also hassened the spread of knowledge and slowed trade. -
Jan 1, 1337
Advances in Writing
Starting in the late 1330s with humanist writer Petrarch and later, the Italian writer Boccaccio, writers began producing works using new techniques and displaying different ideas than the more religious themed works of the past. Works such as these would go on to inspire Renaissance writers who would follow their example of expression through writing and trying to show the individual characteristics of their subjects. They also created many techniques that writers use today. -
Jan 1, 1440
The Printing Press
The printing press is said to be the one invention that furthered the spread of knowledge and increased the speed at which it was spread more than any other, including the internet. It allowed even common people to buy books because they were cheep and could be made much faster than handwritten copies. While at first, most printers produced religious works, they began providing books on a variety of material such as medicine and guide books. -
Period: Apr 15, 1452 to May 2, 1519
Leonardo di Vinci
(No picture possible)A painter, sculptor, inventor, and scientist, Leonardo di Vinci was the embodiment of the Renaissance man, and made great contributions in all his fields. His contributions to art are most well-known as he painted famous works such as the "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper". His use of perspective and realistic paintings inspired and continue to inspire many artists. -
Jan 1, 1509
The Praise of Folly and Utopia
In 1509, one of the most well-known humanists, Desiderius Eramus, wrote his most famous work, "The Praise of Folly" which spoke about Christianity of the heart and poked fun at many of the stereotypes of the day. In 1516, Thomas More, another famous humanist and friend of Eramus, wrote "Utopia". It spoke of a made-up perfect land. Both became very popular and influential in spread humanist ideals. -
Nov 25, 1543
Heliocentric Theory
Nicolaus Copernicus published his idea that the planets rotated around the sun rather than the sun rotating around the earth in his book "On the revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies". However, the book was noticed by very few and the Heliocentric Theory did not become known to the general public until Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kelper did further research which proved Copernicus's ideas in 1601. -
Period: Apr 26, 1564 to
William Shakespeare
(No picture possible)One of the most influential and famous writers of all time, Shakespeare revoultionized theater and took Renaissance writing styles to a whole new level. He used dramatic situations in order to reveal his characters souls and examined human nature, in all it's flaws. Many of his works are still read today and express relevant ideas. -
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The Enlightenment
(No picture possible)An intellectual movement that highlighted individual power and thought and reason. it began with the ideas of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, who influenced a new generation of philophisers, including Voltaire, Monterquieu, Rousseau, Beccaria, and many others. These philisophes stressed five core beliefs: reason, nature, happiness, progress, and liberty. -
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Baroque Period
(No picture possible)A period of time that featured ornate and elaborate styles of art and music. An example of baroque architecture is Versailles palace in France. The music of the baroque period was similar in style to that of the architecture, being just as grand. Famous composers that are considered baroque are Johann Sebastian Bach and George Friedrich Handel. -
The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy
Seen as the most important work in modern science history, The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy expresses the studies of Sir Isaac Newton. It was published during the scientific revolution and is not Newton's only work to further our understanding of how the universe works. It stated the three Laws of Motion which provide the basis for our understanding of motion and apply everywhere in the universe. -
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Neocalssical Period
(No picture possible)Influenced by the Enlightenment, the Neoclassical period used themes and ideas from the classical world. The paintings of this time were characterized by the simplicity of the background and emphasis on linear design rather than color and lighting. Some examples of Neoclassical composers are Mozart and Beethoven. -
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Romanticism
(No picture possible)A movement that demonstrated humanity's interest in nature and feelings. it was seen as a reaction to the Enlightenment. It drastically changed the way people made art and thought. During this time, Gothic novels became very popular and composers emphasized emotion. Many writers examined human society and the people within it. Photography was also a new art form which emerged during this time period. -
Period: to
Impressionism
(No picture possible)The style of art created by a group of similar painters in Paris. They reacted to life and painted what the felt about what they saw rather than what they actually saw. They tried to show the more positive parts of life. Composers also adopted impressionist ideas into their compositions. They used their instraments to create a mood and atmosphere that allowed the listener to generate positive images by listening to it.
