Europe on the Eve of Colonization

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Europe on the Eve of Colonization

• The Later Middle Ages
• Renaissance
• New Monarchs

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• The Later Middle Ages
• Major Theme- A series of Crises in the Later
  Middle Ages transformed European Society
• The Black Death (1347)
• The Hundred Years War (1309-1377)
• Great Schism in the Catholic Church (1377-1415)

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• The Black Death (1347)
• A. Causes
• 1. Bubonic plague was carried by fleas on
  Asian black rats and brought to Europe on ships
  returning from Asia
• 2. Overcrowding in cities and homes
  facilitated the spread of the disease
• 3. Poor sanitation in cities
• 4. Widespread malnutricion prior to the plague
  led to poor health
• 5. Poor hygiene

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• The Black Death
• B. The Results
• 1. Loss of 1/3 of European population
• 2. Economy in towns suffered significantly
• 3. In some areas workers enjoyed higher wages
  as the supply of workers was depleted
• 4. Impact on peasantry
• 5. Best of the Clergy died

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• The Black Death
• B. The Results
• 6. Jews were often blamed for the plague and
  thus persecuted
• 7. Literature and Art reflected pessimism
• 8. Population did not reach pre- plague level
  until the mid 16th century

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• II. Hundred Years War
• A. Cause English crown lay claim to the duchy
  of Aquitaine
• B. The War
• 1. Most of the War was fought intermittently in
  France and the Low Countries
• 2. By 1415, the major battles had been won by
  England and Paris itself was threatened

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• II. Hundred Years War
• B. The War
• 3. Joan of Arc
• C. Results
• 1. France permanently removed England from
  France
• 2. The struggles of war began the modernization
  of state building in France and England
• 3. Peasant Revolts
• a. end of serfdom in England (1550)

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• III. Crisis in the Catholic Church
• A. Background
• 1. Western and European society was dominated
  by the catholic church since the fall of the
  Roman Empire
• 2. The Middle Ages were characterized by
  religious unity under the Catholic Church
• B. Great Schism
• 1. Conflict occurred in 1377 with the election
  of two popes- one in Rome and one in France-
  neither of whom recognized each other.

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• Renaissance
• Background
• A. The Renaissance is considered the beginning
  of modern European History
• B. Renaissance (1300-1600)
• 1. Occurred first in Italy and lasted until
  the mid 16th century
• 2. Renaissance spread to Northern Europe
  around 1450
• 3. In England, the Renaissance did not begin
  until the 16th century

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• Background
• C. Stood in contrast to the Middle Ages
• D. Renaissance culture applied almost
  exclusively to the upper class

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• I. New Monarchs c.1460-1520
• A. Consolidated power and created the foundation
  for Europes first modern nation-states in
  France, England and Spain.
• 1. This evolution had begun in the Middle Ages.
  Meanwhile, monarchies had grown weaker in eastern
  Europe during the Middle Ages.
• 2. However, New Monarchies never achieved
  absolute power absolutism did not emerge
  effectively until the 17th century (e.g. Louis
  XIV in France).

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• I. New Monarchs c.1460-1520
• 3. New Monarchies also were not nation-states
  (in the modern sense) since populations did not
  necessarily feel that they belonged to a nation
• a. Identity tended to be much more local or
  regional.
• b. The modern notion of nationalism did not
  emerge until the late 18th and early 19th
  centuries.

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• I. New Monarchs c.1460-1520
• B. Characteristics of New Monarchies
• 1. Reduced the power of the nobility through
  taxation, confiscation of lands (from
  uncooperative nobles), and the hiring of
  mercenary armies or the creation of standing
  armies
• a. The advent of gunpowder (that resulted in
  the production of muskets and cannon) increased
  the vulnerability of noble armies and their
  knights
• b. However, many nobles in return for their
  support of the king gained titles and offices and
  served in the royal court or as royal officials

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• I. New Monarchs c.1460-1520
• 2. Reduced the political power of the clergy
• a. The medieval notion of the Church being
  supreme to the state was replaced in belief and
  practice
• 3. Created more efficient bureaucracies
• a. Enabled the New Monarchs to begin
  centralizing control of their realms
• 4. Increased the political influence of the
  bourgeoisie (at the expense of the nobility)
• a. In return, the bourgeoisie brought in much
  needed revenues to the Crown.
• b. This was more so in France than in Spain.
• 5. Increased the public (national) debt by
  taking out loans from merchant-bankers.

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• I. New Monarchs c.1460-1520
• C. Opposition to monarchial power
• 1. Nobles resented the decline of political
  influence
• 2. Clergy members saw the pope as their leader,
  not the monarch
• 3. Independent towns resisted more centralized
  monarchial control

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• II. Commerce
• A. Economic changes
• 1. Many people were moving from the country to
  the city where they found more opportunities to
  make a living
• 2. Capitalism
• 3. Uniform printed documents
• 4. Mercantilism- an economic system that
  sought to increase national wealth through a
  strictly regulated economy and a favorable
  balance of trade

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• III. Technological Factors
• A. The increase in trade opportunities in Europe
  and the discovery of the New World prompted
  better navigational tools.
• 1. Compass
• 2. Cross staff
• 3. Chip Board
• 4. Hourglass

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• IV. Rise of Nation-States
• A. Portugal
• B. Spain
• C. England
• D. France
• 1. France would not become a nation state
  until much later around 1600.