Transformations in World History: Renaissance to Industrial Age
Key Inventors and Inventions
- John Kay: Invented the flying shuttle.
- James Hargreaves: Invented the Spinning Jenny.
- Eli Whitney: Invented the cotton gin.
- Robert Fulton: Invented the steamboat.
- Alexander Graham Bell: Invented the first telephone.
- Thomas Edison: Invented the first electric light bulb.
Humanism
Humanism was an intellectual movement that sought to exalt the full range of human qualities and human nature, giving a rational meaning to life by taking ancient Greeks and Latins as masters.
The Renaissance
The Renaissance saw a questioning of authority. Thinkers like Aristotle examined problems using the scientific method and forming a hypothesis.
Renaissance Art
Renaissance art was often based on religion and frequently represented heaven. Figures in this art were always depicted wearing clothes.
The Reformation
Key figures like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and King Henry VIII challenged papal authority. The core ideas of the Reformation were to purify the church and establish the Bible as the sole spiritual authority.
- Martin Luther challenged the church for selling indulgences. He proposed the free interpretation of holy scriptures. Pope Leo X was quoted as saying, “Since God has given us the papacy, let us enjoy it.”
- King Henry VIII of England wanted to get married to Catherine of Aragon. When he wanted to divorce her and the church refused his petition, he separated the power of England from the church and created Anglicanism.
The Scientific Revolution
- Nicolaus Copernicus believed the planets moved around the sun.
- Galileo Galilei invented the telescope and then studied the stars.
- Isaac Newton discovered gravity.
- René Descartes questioned everything, even whether he was real.
The Age of Absolutism
France and Russia held absolute power. In France, King Louis XIV built the Palace of Versailles.
In England, Queen Elizabeth I ruled for 45 years. Her navy defeated the Spanish Armada, and she rejected the idea of absolutism (a political regime characterized by the concentration of all powers in a single person). Parliament would not give Charles I, Elizabeth’s nephew, absolute power. The resulting civil war led to a limit on the monarch’s power.
The Age of Exploration
Europeans wanted to find a new water route to Asia to get lower prices on spices and other goods. Portuguese explorers sailed around Africa to India, proving that an all-water route was possible.
Christopher Columbus reached an island in the Caribbean Sea, believing he was in Asia. This was incorrect, as he had actually landed in the Americas. The first circumnavigation of the globe took more than three years and was under the command of Ferdinand Magellan.
Europeans began to build empires and colonies. The Spanish claimed colonies in the Caribbean Sea, Indonesia, and South America.
Major World Empires
Ottoman Empire
In 1600, the Ottoman Empire controlled part of Turkey. They were excellent architects, with the Blue Mosque being one of their best buildings. They had an elite army. The main leaders were Osman and Suleyman. They fought wars against Persia and won. Suleyman reformed the laws of the Ottoman Empire.
Mughal Empire
Babur, who had Mongol ancestors, made Delhi his capital and began the Mughal Empire. During the rule of Akbar, he defeated the Hindu army and set up a good government using civil servants.
Ming Dynasty (China)
The Ming Dynasty led the second large commercial revolution. Salt enabled an increase in China’s export-import trade during the period of European exploration. They extended the Great Wall and were involved in and won a large number of wars. Their army conquered Korea. They endorsed overseas exploration and were able to have 17 consecutive emperors over their years of power.
Qing Dynasty (China)
The Qing Dynasty traded with thriving European countries. The Manchus announced their possession of the Mandate of Heaven. They were the last dynasty in the history of China and achieved a great deal of economic and military stability, making this one of China’s most prosperous dynastic periods. When Li Zicheng took Beijing, the last Ming emperor committed suicide. The Qing achieved the greatest historical extent of China.
The Forbidden City
It was named the Forbidden City because few people were allowed inside. Only the emperor, his wives, and his officials lived there.
Japanese Isolationism
During this period, the samurai were in the highest social class. When the Portuguese arrived in Japan, they introduced guns. The Tokugawa shogunate, which always wanted to maintain power, believed in isolationism and permitted no trading ships. This era also saw cultural developments, such as novels printed in full color and Kabuki, a form of theatre that used song and chant.
The Industrial Revolution
This was a time of improving tools and using new materials like iron. The revolution began in Britain, utilizing three main power sources: animal, human, and river (water power).
Impact on Society
The Industrial Revolution improved the standard of living for some people. New agricultural machinery facilitated food production. However, many people started working in dangerous industries like mines or factories.
Urbanization and Labor
Urbanization, the movement of people from the country to the cities, increased dramatically. In Britain, half of the workers were under 14 years old. Work hours were long, and the payment was low. In response, labor unions were formed to establish laws and rights for workers.
Additional Historical Notes
- The Scientific Revolution marked the beginning of the end of the church’s absolute authority.
- Galileo was arrested and tried before the Inquisition.
- The law of gravity explains how an apple falls from a tree to the ground.
- Peter the Great sought to change Russia, forcing people to shave and wear Western clothing.
- The European Union was one of the most important outward-oriented economies in the world.