Topics 12 - 14 Timeline

Christopher Columbus Discovers the Americas

1492

Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492 and then went and told Europe about the big news. Columbus's discovery of the Americas is an extension of the Renaissance because the Renaissance promoted scientific learning and exploring. People wanted to better understand the world and Columbus's discovery of the Americas did just that.

Martin Luther Publishes 95 Theses

1517

When Luther published the 95 Theses in retaliation of the pope handing out indulgences it started the Protestant Reformation. This was the beginning of Lutheranism, which would spread throughout the world very quickly. This shows the continuation of Renaissance ideals because it demonstrates people realizing their institutions are corrupt and trying to fix that through reformation.

Ferdinand Magellan Circumnavigates the World

1519

Magellan circumnavigated the world so that he could set up a western trade route from Europe to Asia. He succeeded and they set up a trade station in the Philippines. You can see the influences of the Renaissance in his expedition because it gave the Europeans much better knowledge about the world than they had originally.

Hernán Cortés Conquers Aztecs

1519

In 1519 Hernan Cortez arrived in Mexico and began manipulating the Aztecs. He gained their trust and then waged an attack on them and conquered the Aztecs. This can be seen as an extension of the Renaissance because it shows people expanding their lands as well as their knowledge about the place they are conquering.

The Start of the Catholic Reformation

1530

The Catholic Reformation was a time when there was a new fervor in the Church which led to a revival of religious orders that focused on reaching out and helping the common people. The Church printed a lot of anti-Protestant propaganda to try and get people to rejoin the Catholic Church during this time. This can be seen as an extension of the Renaissance because it was trying to draw people into the Church, just like they had during the Renaissance.

Francisco Pizarro Conquers Incas

1531

Pizarro conquered the Incas, a Native American tribe in Peru. This demonstrates the continuation of Renaissance ideas because it shows Europeans expanding their lands and knowledge of the world.

King Henry VIII creates Church of England

1534

In 1534 King Henry VIII asked the pope to allow him to divorce his wife and was declined. He then decided that he wanted to be a church leader and not have to go to anyone for permission to do things, so he created the Church of England. This demonstrates Renaissance thinking because many kings wanted more power during the Renaissance and King Henry thought outside of the box to achieve this power.

Ignatius of Loyola Starts the Jesuits

1540

In 1540 Ignatius of Loyola was injured in battle and began to write his book "Spiritual Exercises". This book is what started the 'faithful soldiers of the pope" or Jesuits. The Jesuits would go on to make many new schools that were free to attend. This shows Renaissance thinking because it created new schools which educated the public. This was something that was also very important in Renaissance times.

The Council of Trent Begins

1545

The Council of Trent reformed some things within the Catholic Church, though they refused to budge on most issues. The largest reformation made in the Council of Trent was that they required priests to be trained in a monastery before preaching to the public. They also stopped the selling of indulgences. This can be seen as an extension of the Renaissance because the Church reformed itself instead of ignoring the criticisms they were getting from the Protestants.

Calvinism Spreads

1555

In 1555 Jean Calvin staged a coup de tat to reform the local Church. This helped spread Calvinism. In no time Calvinism was very popular in Switzerland, France, and Scotland. This shows Renaissance influence because it shows people protesting for what they believe in, which is something that was encouraged in the Renaissance.