HIS 106

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HIS 106 Chapter 16

• The Age of Reformation and Religious Wars

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The West by 1750

• The most dynamic force in the world
• Contacts with other civilizations had increased
• International trade was growing
• Ships and ships instruments had improved this
  led to explorations
• There were new weapons using gunpowder ships
  could now mount guns
• New empires emerged, ex Russia

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• There were advances in printing, agriculture,
  science, politics, and social thought
• New colonization efforts, ex India, Americas

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• There were several revolutions by this time that
  laid the foundations for our societies today
• The Renaissance in Europe
• The Protestant and Catholic Reformations
• A Commercial Revolution
• Agricultural
• Manufacturing

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• Scientific Revolution
• The Enlightment
• Political Changes -- Absolute Monarchies
• 
  Parliaments

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Renaissance

• Re-birth, re-discovery
• Began in Italy in 15th century
• Period of questioning old, traditional beliefs
• Many felt life, as it had always been lived,
  needed to be re-examined
• Medieval logic, literature, and theology were
  questioned

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• Writers wrote in the vernacular on secular
  subjects
• Religion was questioned and declined somewhat as
  the central focus of light and art
• Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo brought more
  realism to the human body in paintings and in
  sculpture

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• Niccolo Machiavelli discussed realistic ways to
  seize power and to govern -- the ends justify
  the means as expressed in his book, The Prince
• New focus on human capabilities humans can
  progress through their own efforts and
  capabilities

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• Religion was downplayed people did not blindly
  accept what the Church said anymore
• Capitalism and profit-seeking took hold
• Some states experimented with new ways of
  governing
• People did not want a ruler who could not advance
  the peoples general well-being

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• The Renaissance was open to new ideas it
  encouraged innovation
• The Renaissance lost some of its vigor in Italy
  around 1500, but their ideas spread northward to
  other parts of Europe -- primarily to France,
  the Low countries, Germany, and England
• Emphasis on classical styles in art and
  architecture

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• Writers wrote in the vernacular like Rabelais and
  Shakespeare
• Those in northern Europe blended secular ideas
  with religion
• Political changes
• Kings became Patrons of the Arts
• Kings tried to impose controls on the Christian
  Church
• Kings sponsored trading companies colonizers

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• Education Changed, primarily for Elites
• Emphasis was on the classics, service, literary
  study, Christian morality
• Emphasis on individual excellence, re-examination
  of traditions, and on scientific discoveries
• Life for the lower classes went on pretty much as
  before but with new taxes to pay for kings
  palaces and for colonizing efforts

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Protestant Reformation

• Began in 1517 by German monk, Martin Luther
• He questioned the practices of the pope and of
  the Church
• He wrote a list of 95 Theses or points of
  objection and tacked them to the door of the
  church in Wittenburg

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• Luthers main objection had to do with the
  Churchs sale of indulgences
• Basically, people paid money to win salvation for
  themselves and for their relatives who may be in
  purgatory
• Other objections
• Felt one could gain salvation through faith alone
• Felt sacraments and other ritual was not needed

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• Felt monasticism was wrong priests should be
  able to marry
• Luther wanted to discuss these objections. He
  did not wish to break up or destroy the Church
• The Church did not like being questioned and did
  not care to discuss anything with Luther. He was
  excommunicated

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• There were side-effects to Luthers questioning
  of Church authority
• German princes who became Protestant felt they
  could increase their power by seizing Church
  property
• Other Germans peasants rebelled against
  another authority, their landlords

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Different Protestant Groups

• Anglicans begun by Henry VIII when pope
  wouldnt allow him to annul his marriage that had
  produced only a daughter and no sons resembled
  Catholicism in many ways
• Calvinism begun by John Calvin with his belief
  in predestination
• Huguenots of France, Quakers and Puritans of
  England etc.

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Catholic Reformation or Counter -Reformation

• Catholic Church tried to restore unity by
• Re-emphasizing Catholic teachings and discipline
• De-emphasizing money issues and extravagances
• Refuting Protestant issues
• Attacking heresy, superstitions, and magic
• Beginning the Jesuit order that became involved
  in politics, education, missions, and regained
  some areas in Europe for the Catholic Church

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• Church unity had been broken
• Now there would be Catholic and Protestant
• That brought on conflict there were wars in
  Germany, France, Poland, England, and the Low
  Countries
• Thirty Years War German Protestants vs. Holy
  Roman Emperor backed by Spain
• English Civil War religious and civil issues
  resulting in beheading of Charles I

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• Religious issues dominated Europe for a hundred
  years
• At the end, some toleration or religious
  pluralism was accepted
• Because of all this religious questioning, more
  people made distinctions between what was
  religious and what was secular

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Commercial Revolution

• At the same time Europe was experiencing
  religious revolt, it was also experiencing
• changes in commerce
• New markets were opening as a result of
  explorations and colonies
• New products were available
• As the market grew, more people entered business

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• New wealth and new raw materials were coming in
  from new colonies
• Trading companies were formed often with
  government backing -- Dutch East India Company
  and British East India Company
• New raw materials helped stimulate manufacturing

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• Not everyone fit in to this new commercial world
• As small farms were bought up by larger estates,
  so they could specialize in a certain product,
  some found themselves displaced
• These people would become farm workers,
  manufacturing workers, or the wandering poor

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• Some governments set up aid for the poor
• Some governments built new prisons
• Prosperous families furnished their homes better,
  more comfortably, and spent more time together
• Better educated elites separated themselves from
  the common folk by emphasizing refined manners
  and more devoutness

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• In response, the propertyless folk rebelled and
  asked for more say in their government their
  rebellions were crushed
• There were new ideas and new tensions
• Added to these came new discoveries in science
  with Copernicus, Galileo and others discussed in
  Chapter 23
• Scientists emphasized their reasoning abilities

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• Science did not blindly accept traditional
  beliefs that often proved inaccurate
• Their ideas were spread quickly with the help of
  the printing press

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Politics

• Absolute rule of kings
• Many areas of Europe had absolute monarchies like
  Spain, Prussia, and Austria-Hungary
• By the 17th century France had the most powerful
  of absolute kings, Louis XIV
• Reigned for 72 years
• Passed laws as he saw fit
• Expanded the power of the state
• Had a professional army

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• Parliamentary Monarchies
• Britain and the Netherlands
• Created strong central governments
• Had shared power between a king and a parliament

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• Britain
• By 1688 the Parliament in England had a Bill of
  Rights a government based on a contract between
  the governor and the governed
• The idea that a parliament had certain powers and
  the people had certain rights came from John
  Locke and others in the 1700s during a period
  called the Enlightenment

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Magic and Witchcraft

• 1400 1700 was a period when many believed in
  magic and witchcraft
• 70,000 100,000 were put to death for harmful
  magic and witchcraft from 1400 1700
• Witches were accused of inflicting harm, flying,
  appearing as animals, being cannibals (eating
  Christian babies), and insulting Christian beliefs

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• How did this come about?
• Cunning Folk found in villages and helped
  people cope with tragedy. They gave comfort
  sometimes by using magic. This could give them
  influence that those governing did not have
• Clergy thought to practice magic through the
  sacraments and through exorcisms. In 13th century
  the Church declared that only priests had magical
  powers that came from God. Others power must
  come from devil.

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• Woman Hunts?
• 80 of all witch hunt victims were women who were
  single and between the ages of 45 and 60
• Witch hunts ended as people started relying more
  on science and when important people began being
  accused. When they were accused, they called a
  halt to witch hunts

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Philosophers and Writers

• Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616)
• Seen as greatest of Spanish writers
• Wrote Don Quixote, 1603
• About a not too stable middle-aged romantic
• Believes he must prove he is worthy of knighthood
  by battling a windmill (dragon) to defend a noble
  lady (peasant)
• Humiliated by a well-meaning friend who wished to
  bring him to his senses by defeating him in
  combat
• Quixote died broken-hearted we need our dreams

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• William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
• Seen as greatest playwright in the English
  language
• Wrote plays about individual rulers,
  commercialism, and Elizabethan bawdiness
• Wrote histories, comedies, and tragedies
• Tragedies Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello,
  King Lear, and Macbeth
• His plays are for all times. - Ben Johnson

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• Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
• French mathematician and scientist
• Torn between skepticism and Christian dogma
• Didnt like Jesuits
• Did think a belief in God improved earthly life
  psychologically

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• Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677)
• Jewish, Dutch
• Criticized religion
• Wrote Ethics
• Was attacked by both Protestants and Jews

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• Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)
• An original political philosopher
• Became a Calvinist
• Had a very low opinion of humans
• 1651 wrote Leviathan about political consequences
  of peoples actions
• Believed much could be accomplished through the
  use of science

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• Believed people should sign a social contract for
  the sake of peace and self-defense to agree to
  set aside personal rights to all things. There
  should be restrictions on liberty.
• Was for absolute rule

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• John Locke (1632-1704)
• Most influential political thinker of 17th
  century
• Said power to govern comes from the people
• Kings should not have total power and was against
  the divine right of kings
• Said people have the right to life, liberty, and
  property
• Believed that if there is an unjust government,
  the people have a right to overthrow it

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• By the beginning of the 17th century, there had
  been Voyages of Discovery, the Reformation,
  Religious Wars, Superstition and the Enlightenment