Age of Revolutions

1
Age of Revolutions

• Chapter 15
• Section 2

2
Who is Marco Polo

• Marco Polo (1254-1324) was an Italian voyager and
  merchant who was one of the first Europeans to
  travel across Asia through China
• visited the Kublai Khan in Beijing
• He left in 1271 (he was a teenager at the time)
  with his father (Nicolo Polo) and uncle (Maffeo
  Polo)
• they spent about 24 years traveling.

3
The Age of Discovery

• During the Renaissance, traders began to travel
  outside of Europe
• Portuguese traveled to Africa for trade
• 1492 Christopher Columbus landed in the
  Americas claimed land for Spain
• France, England, and the Netherlands also began
  to expand their overseas trade

4
The Age of Monarchs

• Monarchs became absolute monarchs had complete
  power over their subjects
• Age of Exploration made the monarchs very rich
• Middle Class formed paid taxes to the monarchs
  eliminating the need for feudal lords
• Monarchs made their countries strong and unified
  but taxed citizens heavily
• Europeans began to question the power of their
  governments

5
Revolution

• Revolution a far-reaching change
• European thoughts, beliefs, and ways of life all
  changed

6
Revolutions in Government

• Revolution in England
• King Charles I refused to share power with
  Parliament
• Parliament overthrew the King
• No English ruler could ever claim absolute power
  again

7
Revolutions in Government

• French Revolution
• King Louis XIV declared, I am the state
• Taxed citizens heavily
• French citizen rebelled and overthrew King Louis
  XIV

8
Revolution in Science

• Influenced by humanism and the Renaissance,
  scientists began to observe nature carefully and
  to record their observations
• Based their theories on facts instead of
  religious beliefs
• Scientific method was used ideas were tested
  with experiments and observations

9
Scientific Developments

• Copernicus suggested that the sun was the
  center of the universe the earth moved around
  the sun
• Robert Boyle set the stage for modern chemistry
• William Harvey discovered how blood circulates
  in the body
• Antonie van Leeuwenhoek developed techniques
  for making microscopes
• Isaac Newton invented calculus