Lesson 1: What Was the Renaissance?

Key Idea

Toward the end of the Middle Ages, the old system of feudalism began to decline. At the same time, trade with other parts of the world increased. This shift meant that wealth was no longer based only on owning land.

As commerce grew, cities became larger and more powerful. A new, wealthy mercantile class of merchants and bankers emerged in these urban centers. This group had the money and influence to shape society in new ways, setting the stage for the Renaissance.

Key Idea

The Renaissance began in Italy's busy city-states. Cities like Florence and Venice were centers of trade between Europe and the East. This trade made the cities very wealthy and also brought new ideas from different cultures.

This wealth created a new class of rich merchants and bankers. Powerful families, like the Medici family in Florence, gained great influence and wanted to display their status through art and culture.

Key Idea

Renaissance thinkers looked to ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration. This sparked humanism, a movement that celebrated human potential and achievements. Instead of focusing only on religious life, people began to believe they could improve life on Earth.

This new outlook encouraged secularism, the idea that worldly life was valuable. It also promoted individualism, a belief in the importance and uniqueness of each person. These ideas changed how people saw themselves and the world around them.

Key Idea

Renaissance ideas traveled from Italy to northern Europe through trade and travel. As these new ways of thinking spread, scholars in places like England, France, and the Netherlands began to adopt them.

These northern humanists, however, often focused more on social and religious issues. Thinkers like Erasmus and Sir Thomas More used humanist principles to question the practices of the Catholic Church and to imagine a better, more just society. Their writings encouraged people to think critically about the world around them.