The Maritime Revolution occurred at the turn of the 1500s and began in full swing around 1550. It was started by many nation states within Europe at roughly the same time. Spain and England were the two early contributors to the Maritime Revolution, and many other European states soon followed. The Tudors of England and Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand of Spain were the main drivers behind this revolution. For the first time, Spain had complete control over its government following the union of Ferdinand and Isabella, in the wake of peace they turned their sites to new conquests the expansion of Spanish control. As a result, the Maritime Revolution occurred as Europe hastened to explore the world to discover unknown territories and new outlets for commerce. Spain was the first to sponsor such expeditions with the most famous being Christopher Columbus and his discovery of the Americas. Columbus's predecessors such as Vasca de Gama circumvented the coasts of Africa and brought about rich trade within the region. Their contributions were significant to the expansion of Europe into the forefront of world commercial centers. Up to this point, individual continents and empires were isolated as a result of the lack of trade venues. The expansion of the Maritime Revolution allowed for opening of trade routes with many different locales which both allowed Europe to gain in stature as well as wealth. England was also one of the powerhouses of the Maritime Revolution, the establishment of the English Navy and the funding of major explorations allowed them to be highly successful in claiming territories in both Asia Minor and Africa, and later on in the Americas. Other players within...
France also as a major player in the Maritime Revolution in keeping since with their neighbors. The reason that some states were able to participate in the Revolution while others did not was both a combination of chance and desire. Many countries such as the Ottoman Empire were situated mostly inland and did not devote the resources to develop technology and a credible armada. Asia in specific never took the opportunity to expand their navy simply because they already had too much land on their individual continent. All of this allowed Europe to take advantage of this golden age of exploration and thrust itself into the center of the world's governing hierarchy.
Renaissance The term "Renaissance" means "to be reborn," or "rebirth," and as a cultural movement in Europe, the Renaissance is generally accepted to have begun in Florence Italy in the late 13th century. Some claim that it was the result of the fall of Constantinople and the many Greek scholars and texts which found their way to Italy soon after bringing with them not only the knowledge of the classical world,
With the decline of the Church, other religious movements emerged dominant among Renaissance thinkers and followers, which included the movement of Protestantism, and later on, Reformation. Under the Protestantism movement, reformed Catholic churches established their own assembly, disassociating from the Catholic Church to form their own religious organization. Protestantism, in fact, preceded the Protestant Reformation, which culminated the Renaissance movement in the 16th century. Under the Protestant Reformation, socio-economic
Bernini's statuary group is a combination of lyric and mimetic representation depicting both a mythical episode and vital energy which is best felt when looking at Persephone's hand pushing against Pluto's face. In fact, even this apparently simple detail is dual in the sense that on one hand, it is meant to give the impression of despair and struggle, and on the other, this gesture results in creases in Pluto's
This was even though he received no immediate remuneration, in terms of money or benefits, from developing such interests. Leonardo's notebooks of this period of his life reveal a spirit of scientific inquiry and a mechanical inventiveness that were centuries ahead of his time. Ivor Hart makes it clear that Leonardo was far more than a great artist: he had one of the best scientific minds of his time. Perhaps
Renaissance Both William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope mocked the times in which they lived in their respective works of literature: The Tempest and The Rape of the Lock. In using elements of the supernatural and pagan universes, these two authors make fun of Church authority, which was in decline during the Renaissance. Shakespeare and Pope portrayed monarchic power in a favorable light relative to their portrayal of the Church. In both
Rise of Vernacular Languages It has been said that the development of the vernacular languages of Europe began in Tours in the year 813 with "the appearance of the first texts prepared in a Romance script." (Wright, 1991, p.165) Prior to this time, all official documentation was done in Latin, the language of the old Roman Empire. In fact, as parts of the Roman Empire were overrun by barbarians, marking the
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