The Renaissance (1485-1660)

The Renaissance Renaissance means rebirth, specifically of the intellectual and artistic energies of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Europe moved away from medieval habits of thought and turned toward the modern. People valued arts and individual conscience. Also believed in humanism: the renewed interest in human life on Earth, as opposed to the afterlife or God.

The Renaissance Key to these developments was the invention of printing. In 1453, Johannes Gutenberg set up the first printing press in Germany. Soon after they appeared all across Europe, and people began to read and think for themselves.

The Beginnings of the Tudor Dynasty From 1455-1485 England was torn by the civil War of the Roses between houses Lancaster and York. The war ended when Lancaster, Henry Tudor, defeated the Yorkist Richard III. Henry married Elizabeth of York, uniting the two houses. Became Henry VII, first king of the Tudor Dynasty.

The Beginnings of the Tudor Dynasty Henry VII proved to be a very capable leader. He rebuilt the nation’s treasury, established a powerful central government, and built a fleet of English ships that formed the basis of English power. England began to explore the New World, which led to the colonization of America.

The Beginnings of the Tudor Dynasty Henry VII died in 1509, leaving the throne to his son, Henry VIII. Henry VIII was one of the most important figures in English history. Strong-willed and self-absorbed, he further increased the power of the English monarchy.

The Protestant Reformation In 1517, German monk Martin Luther nailed his “95 Theses” to the door of a Catholic church. The theses were a list of objections to the beliefs and practices of Catholicism.

The Protestant Reformation Luther believed that people were fundamentally evil and could only become good through God, rather than earthly kindnesses or good deeds. He opposed the church’s sale of indulgences, which were pardons for sins that people could buy. He also challenged the Pope’s authority, saying that religion is a matter of individual conscience rather than group worship.

The Protestant Reformation John Calvin of Switzerland took Luther’s ideas on Original Sin one step further. He said that all events were preordained by God, and that God already decided who will be saved and who will be damned. The Calvinist Doctrine, known as predestination, later became the central belief of the Puritan Movement.

The Protestant Reformation The Protestant Reformation made its way to England because Henry VIII wanted a son. He blamed his wife, Catherine of Aragon, for only producing daughters. He soon fell in love with Anne Boleyn, a young woman of his court.

The Protestant Reformation Divorce at the time was not allowed, so Henry broke from the church. He established the Church of England, or Anglican Church, of which he was the supreme ruler. He granted himself a divorce from Catherine and married Anne. He dismantled the Catholic Church in England, seizing its land and wealth.

The Protestant Reformation Anne Boleyn gave birth to a daughter named Elizabeth, but never produced a male heir. Henry convicted her of adultery and had her beheaded. He later married Jane Seymour, who gave birth to a son named Edward.

The Protestant Reformation When Henry died in 1547, the sickly, nine year-old boy became King Edward VI. During Edward’s short reign, Protestantism spread through England. He died at the age of 15, leaving the throne to his half-sister, Mary I.

Mary I and the Counter Reformation in England Mary I, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, was a staunch Catholic, and she tried to restore power to the Catholic Church in England. She restored Catholic practices to Anglican services. Also made the Pope head of the English church. Later married her Catholic cousin, Phillip II of Spain.

Mary I and the Counter Reformation in England The English people resented her marriage to a Catholic Spaniard. Mary met opposition with absolute brutality. She ordered the death of all practicing Protestants, earning herself the title Bloody Mary.

The Elizabethan Age Mary’s successor, Elizabeth I, was one of the greatest English monarchs. Under her reign, England became the most powerful nation in Europe.

The Elizabethan Age Elizabeth remained unmarried, leading other rulers to hope for a marital alliance to the English throne. She built up the English Navy, second only to the Spanish Armada. She also reestablished the Church of England with a policy of moderation, ending the persecution of Protestants and tolerating Catholics.

The Elizabethan Age However, her Catholic cousin Mary Stuart, or Mary Queen of Scots, also wanted the throne. English Catholics wanted Mary for their queen, because Catholics did not recognize Henry VIII’s divorce and second marriage, making Elizabeth, in their eyes, a child born out of wedlock. Mary plotted to kill Elizabeth and was imprisoned for 19 years and later executed.

The Elizabethan Age In 1588, Philip II of Spain attacked England’s naval fleet. This widower of “Bloody Mary” had hoped to return Catholicism to England, but severed ties once Mary Queen of Scots was executed. He attacked England’s Naval fleet, and the English Navy defeated the Spanish Armada, making England the greatest military power in all of Europe.

Literature During the English Renaissance Elizabeth’s court became the center of an exuberant culture of literature. The most famous English poets emerged during the Renaissance, including Philip Sidney, Christopher Marlowe, and Edmund Spencer.

Literature During the English Renaissance However, the greatest literary achievements were in the field of drama. In the past, almost all plays had some sort of religious theme. By the end of the 15th Century, plays with nonreligious plots and characters began to appear.

Literature During the English Renaissance Great Renaissance playwrights include William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, and Ben Jonson. Two major “stars” on stage were Edward Alleyn and Richard Burbage.

Elizabethan Tastes and Attitudes The most striking feature of Elizabethan artistic taste was delight in elaborate patterns and complicated ornaments. For us, artificial has a negative connotation. For Elizabethans, it was a term of praise, for that which is artificial is made by human skill and ingenuity.

Elizabethan Tastes and Attitudes Elizabethans saw the world as a vast and unified hierarchy. Believed in the “Great Chain of Being,” where every existing being or thing was ranked within a category. The lowest group was all matter with no spirit (aka a rock). The highest group was all spirit with no matter (aka God).

James I, First of the Stuart Kings Elizabeth died in 1603, ending the Tudor Dynasty. Her cousin, James VI of Scotland, became James I of England. Like Elizabeth, James was a Protestant, but sympathized with Catholics. He was also a great patron of literature and the arts.

James I, First of the Stuart Kings James I also believed in the Divine Right of Kings. This was the belief that God appointed him to the throne and that challenges to his authority were challenges against God. The idea of the Divine Right of Kings led to the growing resentment of the common people. When James died in 1625, his son, Charles I, became king.