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Medieval Europe And The Renaissance Essay

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1. Renaissance - The Renaissance was a time in which Medieval Europe transformed into more modern times. Renaissance means rebirth in French. Medieval Europe had been fragmented and feudal with an agricultural economy, and the church controlled its thought and culture. During the Renaissance, Europe grew national consciousness and political centralization. An urban economy based on organized commerce and capitalism and a secular view on life emerged. The Renaissance showed the birth of humanism, which revives the use of classical writings for learning. Materialism also emerged during this time, people started to focus more on themselves. And individualism and skepticism also came about. Banking was a great supporter of the Renaissance, Italian bankers were bankers of the pope and all trade was going through them. Cities rise in importance and farms get closed off and are owned privately which moves toward a market economy. The Renaissance was not an economic boom because the advancements were happening in different places, at different times and at different rates. Literature was very important during this time. Literature was starting to be written in the vernacular and the German printing press was developed. More and more people became patrons of the arts and art became more for the people than for religion. Science was slowly changing and being slightly more accepted even though it was still morally wrong to most to believe that earth was not at the center of the world

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