The Early Modern Age: Economic and Social Change, Rise of Modern States, and Humanism

Posted on May 30, 2024 in Geography

1. The Early Modern Age

The Early Modern Age began in 1453 with the Fall of Constantinople and ended with the French Revolution in 1789.

Increased agricultural production: An increase in the amount of land under cultivation. No technological advances. Agriculture and livestock farming were the main source of economic activity. Societies were very vulnerable: during the years of bad crops, hunger and disease reappeared.
Intensified commercial activity: Surplus (excess of food produced). The surplus products were sold in the city markets. Merchants or traders established trade routes, connected distant places.
The expansion of craftsmanship: Products were made in workshops, controlled by associations of craftsmen, called guilds. Domestic system: Merchants provided families with the tools and raw materials to make products.
New products were brought to Europe.
Capital (banking) belonged to private owners, generally members of the bourgeoisie.
Bankers lent money in exchange for returning the same amount plus an additional amount, called interest. Banking played a vital role in the new system, known as mercantile capitalism.
Bill of exchange: A document which guaranteed that the banker would pay a merchant, or another authorised person, a quantity of money.

Economic prosperity resulted in an increase in the population, a reduction in the number of big epidemics and cities grew, especially those on trade routes or with important ports.
An urban society developed, this became one of the defining characteristics of the Early Modern Ages.
Society had different social groups, classes.

The privileged class: Nobility and the clergy, they were a minority but owned most of the land, they had access to high political positions. They had privileges; didn’t pay taxes, judged by special tribunals. Lived in their castles in the countryside or palaces in the city.
The unprivileged class: Commoners, paid numerous taxes, did not have access to high political positions and they are divided into sub-groups:
- The peasants: They were the largest group, serfs of the feudal lord or noble, they paid them rent or part of their harvest, they went to cities to have more freedom.
- Bourgeoisie: City inhabitants, not ruled by a feudal lord, they became wealthier and gained more political influence during the Early Modern Age.
  - Upper bourgeoisie: Important merchants, bankers and officials, lived in richly decorated urban palaces. City nobles and them formed the ruling class, the most powerful and influential group.
  - Petite bourgeoisie: Small merchants, labourers, and they formed the largest group in the cities, they lived in humble houses in buildings several floors high.
- There were marginalised social groups that consisted of beggars and vagabonds that lived on charity.
Protested for their rights, the most violent were carried out by peasants.

Monarchs became more powerful, reformed the existing institutions and created new ones.
Their main objectives: consolidate their authority, control the power of the nobility, administrate the kingdom’s resources, maintain a strong position of power in relation to other monarchs.
They formed powerful armies of mercenaries, prohibited the nobles from forming their own armies.
They strengthened the bureaucracy, officials directly under their control.
Centralised power by creating new institutions. Autonomy of the feudal lords and special legislations introduced in the Middle Ages was gradually reduced.
Monarchs established a court or permanent seat, in many cases became in the capital of their kingdom.
New political organisation emerged as a result of these reforms is called the modern state.
The most powerful monarchies were: The Spanish, Portuguese, French, English and Russian monarchies.

The Spanish monarchy: Marriage of the Catholic monarchs Isabel I of Castilla and Ferdinand II of Aragón.
The French monarchy gained power after the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453). From 1562, France was involved in bloody religious wars. At the end of the 16th century, Henry IV established the Bourbon Dynasty.
The English monarchy consolidated itself after the civil war. In the 16th century the Tudor Dynasty came to power. Henry VIII confronted the Pope and Elizabeth I defeated Felipe II maintaining the Kingdom’s independence.

The Holy Roman Empire: Multitude of kingdoms: Austria, Burgundy, Flanders, Saxony, Switzerland and Bohemia. The emperors weren’t able to unify them.
Italy remained divided into small principalities. The French and Spanish kings fought over control of the region.

Humanism emerged in Italy and spread throughout Europe.
A renewed interest in classical culture: Classical Greek and Roman culture.
Anthropocentrism: Humans became the centre of philosophical reflection and artistic creation. They abandoned theocentrism. They tried to explain reality without religion.
Optimism and creativity: Belief in a better life in this world. Creativity was oriented towards obtaining better techniques, resulted in numerous inventions.
The desire of knowledge: Great intellectual curiosity, learn about everything and be a Renaissance Man.