1. { Europe in the 1400’s A change in the times…

2.  Europe in the 1400s experienced enormous cultural, economical, and technological changes.  As new ideas swept the continent, Europeans looked beyond their shores.  The age of exploration would change both Europe AND the rest of the world. What does this have to do with exploration?

3.  Agriculture:  Majority of people lived in the countryside  Hand tools and draft animals sustained the economy  Manufacturing:  As cities grew so did small manufacturing  Cloth, tools, weapons, ceramics Economy in Europe…

4.  Extremes of wealth and poverty  Ruling elite of less than 5% of the population controlled almost all of the land  Three groups of people:  Aristocrats: people who inherited social rank and their title  Merchants: shipped cargoes between cities for profit  Commoners- 3/5 th of the population who were working poor Society in Europe…

5.  Warring Kingdoms: Castile, Portugal, France, and England  Each kingdom is ruled by a monarch who is dependent on elite class to govern  By waging war to conquer new territories, monarchs hoped to build their own power and distract their unruly aristocrats. Politics in Europe…

6.  Europe in the 1400s was in an era of rapid change.  As a result of all these changes going on in Europe, old ways of thinking still existed but many factors, such as the spread of trade, broadened people’s views of the world.  Europeans became aware of distant lands and different ways of life.  Trade was encouraged because crusaders returned home with goods and materials from the East such as silk, gems, and spices. Results…

7.  European Christians and Southwest Asian Muslims fought one another in a series of religious wars.  The goal was to capture and hold Jerusalem and all of the Holy Land where Jesus had lived and died.  In the end the Muslims defeated the Christian Crusaders. The Crusades…

8.  Renewed interest in learning and the advancement of the arts and sciences  Increased trade  Printing press spreads literature and new ideas throughout Europe  Improved shipbuilding  Competing monarchs sponsor voyages  New navigation tools like the compass and the astrolabe allow longer voyages The Renaissance…