THE AGE OF DISCOVERY
In the age of discovery, the world experienced huge changes between 1450 and 1750. A wave of new ideas swept across Europe, as explorer founded new colonies and trading networks all across the world. European rivals often went to war each other, and the powerful empires of Asia, in the scramble for new territory.
NEW WAYS OF THINKING
In the medieval period, the Christian church controlled art and learning in Europe. this changed around 1450 when important works by Greek and Roman authors were rediscovered and become popular. Scholars such as Erasmus (1466-1536) created a new movement called humanism, teaching that art and science should be based on experiment and observation rather than old traditions.
THE RENAISSANCE
A great deal of roman art and architecture survived in Italy around 1400. It inspired artists, such as Michelangelo, Leonardo DA Vince and Raphael,and architects, such as Brunelleschi, to produce daring new works of their own. Their artistic movement is called the renaissance, and it soon spread across Europe.
Scientific thinking
The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg meant that books could be produced quickly and knowledge could spread more rapidly. new ideas emerged, including the notion that the Earth orbits the sun, proposed by polish astronomer Copernicus in 1543, and Isaac Newton's theory of gravity, published in 1687.
Global Ambitions
Spices such as pepper and nutmeg were hugely expensive in Europe in the 15th century, they could only be obtained by trade east Asia. Land routes such as the silk road were controlled by Islamic empires, so European explorers sought sea routes, founding colonies and out posts in India, Southeast Asia, and America.
The new world
Before the arrival of European explorers, the people of the Americas had built civilizations and empires. However, they did not have gunpowder, and even large armies could be defeated by the guns of Spanish soldiers. The European also brought new diseases that killed huge numbers of indigenous American.
The most advanced peoples the Spanish encountered were the Incas and the Aztecs, both of whom controlled large empires. The Spanish attacked the Aztecs in 1539 and the Incas 1531 and soon captured their capital cities.
European powers
The influx of new wealth made some European states very powerful. Wars and rivalry were common, but the new empires also saw scientific advances and flourishing new movements in art and literature.
This family of minor nobles gained control of much of central Europe. they went on to become kings of Spain and rulers of the vast holy Roman Empires
Eastern powers
In Asia, great empires continued to fight off European competition, but often suffered internal turmoil. In China, the Ming dynasty collapsed in 1644, and was replaced by the Qing, who made china strong again. Japan sealed itself off from European influence, banning foreigners for more than 200 years.
This is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Accordingly, it is difficult to figure out when to end it. But then, this is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Period.
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon