Kyung Park
English 12 Mr.Bogart
The English Renaissance
The term renaissance is a French word meaning rebirth The English renaissance marked changes in peoples values, beliefs, and behavior. The English Renaissance changed the way people think about life and culture.
There were five reasons why it changed the way people think is humanism, trade and exploration, scientific developments, the printing press, and the Reformation. Ill briefly go over one by one how these five reasons changed and created a rebirth of culture and learning in England.
Humanism: the humanists studied Latin and Greek classics to discover new answers such as what is a human being? What is good life and how do I lead a good life Humanist aim was to use the classics to strengthen, not discredit, Christianity. Humanist also believe that Christian teach people how to live and how to rule.
Printing press: The invention of printing press transformed the way information was exchanged during the renaissance. Before this only imfortmation was exchanged thorough books written by hand. The Hand written books was expensive and very rare. Than to inventor Johannes Gutenburg the books were printed easily and cheaply though the press and wrote his first book the Latin bible, at Mainz, Germany around 1455.
The books were more available and more people read than ever before.
Trade and Exploration: People started to wonder out to the known world with their ships. John Abot explored the northeast coast of North America, 1497. Vasco Da Gama explored the India and the cape of Good Hope, 1498. Balboa crosses Isthmus of Panama and sights the Pacific Ocean. Magellan leads a first expedition to circum-navigate the globe.
Hernando Cortes conquers Mexico, destroying Aztec Empire, 1521. British East India company founded for trade with Asia, 1600. First permanent English settlement in North America established at Jamestown, Virginia, 1607, and the Mayflower lands at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, 1620.
Scientific Developments: Renaissance was a time when people argued facts with the bible.
An astronomer name Nicolaus Copernicus published a theory that planets orbit the sun, 1543. This true fact out raged the Church, because they told all the people that earth is the center of the universe and everything else went around. Galileo in 1609, first study the sky with a telescope. He invented a telescope and studied the moon and also argued to the church that sun is the center of the universe.
Everyone thought that he is lunatic.
Reformation: while renaissance was going through out Europe, some county went though a state call Reformation. The reason of the reformation was because of the strong feeling of patriotism and new ideas encourage folks to speak out to the authority of the Catholic Church. A guy name Martin Luther had found a new kind of christianlity, on base on what he understood from the bible, not in what the pope said. People were angry the fact that humanist like More and Erasmus living on the Churchs wealth, because of them ridiculing old superstitions.
I believe that the period Renaissance is very interesting. Its been a time when the strong minded, intelligent people started standing up with knowledge and facts and going against the higher power. It was a time people explored their curiosity and creativity to a higher level. This created beautiful things, a different way of seeing things, and even daring thoughts.
I conclude this essay saying I thank all the people that was involve in the Renaissance, because it wasnt for them well probably be 100 years behind from what we are now.
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