Online Textbook for History 1111

Learning Objectives

(Included in PowerPoint)

Upon successful completion of this lesson, students should be able to:

• Explain in detail how the Renaissance was a time of rebirth of ideas and why it began in Italy.
• Use examples from England, Spain, France, and Italy to show Renaissance works in literature, fine art, architecture to show the advancement of new ideas and perspectives.
• Discuss the political situations in France, Spain, and England, comparing these to the “city-state” and patronage system in Italy.
• Consider historiographical perspectives on the Renaissance through primary and secondary sources.
• Detail humanism and its role in contributing to ideas of the Renaissance.  

Terms to Know

Thought Questions

1. Why did the Renaissance begin in Italy? Trace the progress of the Renaissance from the Italian city-states northward and justify your answer with specific examples.
2. Explain the political situation in the Holy Roman Empire during the Renaissance. Why was it, in some ways, a weaker state than England or Spain?
3. Describe the work of the key humanists Petrarch, Erasmus, and More. Compare and contrast their ideas about the human condition, commenting on how religious beliefs intersected with humanism. 

Discussion Questions

1. The War of the Roses was a complex and long internecine conflict in England that ended with the victory of Henry VII (father of Henry VIII) taking the throne. Give an overview of the conflict using the link in your syllabus. How did an unlikely candidate like Henry Tudor (Henry VII) come to claim the throne? 
2. Describe the effects that Cushing's Syndrome and McCleod Syndrome had on the death of Henry VIII (though historians cannot yet prove he had them, the evidence is compelling, as you will see from the readings). What effect did these diseases possibly have on his inability to produce a healthy male heir? 
3. What attributes did Machiavelli ascribe to an ideal "prince"? Please give at least three to five specific examples from the reading link in the syllabus.  
4. Choose one of the artistic pieces (fine art, such as sculpture or painting) from the Italian Renaissance (or you can look at the Northern Renaissance if you prefer) from the links provided. What is the name of the piece, and who created it? Why does it appeal to you? 

Further Explorations

• Giotto
• The English Renaissance in Context
• Machiavelli
• Plutarch
• Dante
• Dante (Stanford)
• Michelangelo
• Sistine Chapel (CHECK THIS OUT!!!!)

NOTE: From time to time, these web pages may "disappear." Please send an email to library@ega.edu if you find broken links, so they may be replaced.