2. What came Before? What were the Middle Ages like?
How do you think the Middle Ages came to an end?
What do you think life was like immediately after the Middle Ages?

3. End of the Middle Ages
Positive effects of the Plague (the Black Death)?
Less people = can demand more money for work
More money = can buy more stuff
Demand for more stuff = people make more stuff
The more stuff available = the less it costs
The less things cost = people buy more
The economy recovers – Feudalism collapses
People move to cities to work

4. Trade The Silk Road Italy becomes the center of European society. Why?
Italian cities become very rich. What effect might this have on people living in Italy?

6. Florence, Italy Banks develop Hold money for merchants all over Europe
Use the money to make loans to people (Kings, etc.)
Charge interest
Make lots of money and gain lots of power
Florence (and Italy) becomes the center of the Renaissance

8. Where does the Money Go? Patronage
Pay people to do work for you
How might this be different from how people lived before?
Build beautiful palaces, fill them with paintings and statues, build hospitals and roads, make the cities more attractive to look at/live in
Other cities don’t want to be left behind – competition spreads the Renaissance

11. The Renaissance Renaissance means “Rebirth” What was different?
What was it the rebirth of?
What was different?
Writing – begin to write in language of the people
Write about the realities of life
Art – More realistic, more representative of human beings and their achievements, utilize perspective.
Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci

15. Humanism Humanism How might humanism change society at the time?
Way of thinking and learning that stresses the importance of human abilities and actions
How is this different from before?
How might humanism change society at the time?
Reading, writing, learning, art, culture, society, power, etc.

16. Other Themes Humanism Secularism Rationalism Virtue Non-religious
Using reason and logic to make decisions
Virtue
High Moral Standards
How have morals changed?

17. Niccolò Machiavelli
A writer and politician living in Italy during the Renaissance
Didn’t care about theories; wanted to know what “really” works.
Wrote a book called “The Prince”
Leaders must lie and cheat for the good of their people
Leaders must not be too merciful or they will be judged weak
Leaders must get used to idea of causing pain
Leaders must realize they are above the laws they use
Be feared not loved (since you cannot be both)
The end ALWAYS justifies the means