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The Renaissance produced thinkers, artists, and scientists that helped with the "rebirth" of Europe. This period was a time of innovation in learning, culture, and art. -
During the Renaissance there was important thinkers like Leonardo da Vinci, Durante degli Alighieri, and Francesco Petrarca. These thinkers created new approaches to philosophy, political theory, and theology. -
City governments opened schools to educate children that emphasized rhetoric, math, and history. This allowed merchants, priests, and nobles to be educated in the "humanistic tradition." -
The printing press helped print articles or books more effectively and inexpensively. The printing press was very popular and within 20 years all major cities in Southern and Western Europe had multiple. -
The Columbian Exchange helped bring new items into Europe like corn, potatoes, tobacco, and chocolate. The discovery of Americas also led to a new start. -
The Reformation was a split in the Catholic Church due to the corruption that was happening. The Catholic Church would sell indulgences that allowed people to "buy their way into heaven." Martin Luther wrote the 95 Theses about how the only way to salvation is through faith alone. -
Protestant Churches were churches that broke away from the Catholic Church during the Reformation. Each different type of church had their own set of beliefs on what they believed was the true faith. -
The discovery of major wealth in the Americas from silver deposits created major wealth for the government. The Europeans took advantage of natives and used them as slaves to generate wealth. -
Centralized states created laws that allowed the government the right to raise taxes over their territories. The Ottoman state generated a lot of tax revenue from merchants on the non-Muslims tax. -
The Thirty Years' War was a war fought over religion. It lasted decades and reduced the population of German Lands by 20-40%. The war ended in 1648. -
The Reformation and the Age of Discovery can be seen as an extension of the Renaissance because “rebirth” was happening during this time. Thinkers like Leonardo da Vinci and Durante degli Alighieri are not much different from Martin Luther. All three of them came up with a set of beliefs that is still relevant today. Also, during the Renaissance the invention of the printing press allowed Martin Luther’s 95 These to rapidly spread across Europe.