What was the importance of the printing press for the renaissance?
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The printing press was very significant since Johannes Gutenberg’s invention made books much cheaper from the 15th century onwards. This meant more people could afford to buy them and so ideas spread much more widely. For example, relatively few people learnt about PETRARCH’S writings about ancient texts in the 14th century before the invention of the printing press whereas enormous numbers of people read about ERASMUS’ ideas on the importance of eduction in the 16th century).
Moveable type was the key part of Gutenberg’s invention since it enabled different pages of a book to be printed very quickly. This led to millions of books being printed in the 50 years after his invention and this meant ideas spread more quickly. Many books were in Latin but as demand grew book were also printed in the vernacular (language of the people) which meant more people could read them and it created a virtuous circle since it also encouraged more people to learn to read.
The rise of Athens in the late 6th century and early 5th century BCE not only ushered in the Classical Age, but it went on to influence European and Western culture for thousands of years.
Solon laid the basis for democracy through eliminating debt slavery.
Cleisthenes furthered democracy first by ousting a tyrant (Hippias, with Sparta’s help), and by a series of reforms in which he established administrative units called tribes made up of thirds from a different areas of Attica: city, hills, and coast. His reform made Athenians belong primarily to a unit that was spread around Attica. Hence it was more difficult for influential families to build up geographical power-bases.
Under Pericles, what is referred to as radical democracy took shape. The assembly and the law courts had ultimate authority and there was no property requirement for most offices (think about why this was important). Pericles also introduced tenure, pay for civic service. No single other reform furthered democracy as much as pay for service. Now many more people could afford to serve, not just the rich.
This chapter studies a place of contact between three civilisations: Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
From Eastern Eastern Romand Empire to Byzantine Empire
Excerpt from History.com:
The Byzantine Empire was a vast and powerful civilization with origins that can be traced to 330 A.D., when the Roman emperor Constantine I dedicated a “New Rome” on the site of the ancient Greek colony of Byzantium. Though the western half of the Roman Empire crumbled and fell in 476 A.D., the eastern half survived for 1,000 more years, spawning a rich tradition of art, literature and learning and serving as a military buffer between Europe and Asia. The Byzantine Empire finally fell in 1453, after an Ottoman army stormed Constantinople during the reign of Constantine XI.
Click on link and scroll down to video about Constantinople and link to discovery of the Americas:
The Crusades were a series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims started primarily to secure control of holy sites considered sacred by both groups. In all, eight major Crusade expeditions—varying in size, strength and degree of success—occurred between 1096 and 1291. The costly, violent and often ruthless conflicts enhanced the status of European Christians, making them major players in the fight for land in the Middle East.
What makes Jerusalem so holy? Link to BBC News Article:
There were numerous crusades between 1095 and 1291.
They have been heavily romanticized over time, however prior to the 11th century, Islamic dynasties had slowed Christian pilgrims to visit the Holy Land if they paid a tax.
However by the late 11th century a new Islamic Empire had been established (the Seljuk Turks) who threatened to also overrun the Byzantine Empire (name of the Roman Empire in the East, based in Constantinople).
Pope Urban II called on the peoples of Europe to go on a Holy Pilgrimage to help the Byzantine Empire and then to free Jerusalem.
The main motivation among the primarily poor people who went on this Crusade seems to have been religion – they were called to protect Christ and his Kingdom.
The First Crusade lasted from 1096 to 1099 and led to the establishment of 4 Crusader Estates (Kingdom of Jerusalem, County of Edessa, Principality of Antioch and the County of Tripoli).
There were many subsequent Crusades through to 1291 including (most famously) the Third Crusade which aimed to reconquer Jerusalem as it had been invaded by the Islamic ruler Saladin.
MINI ESSAY ON THE CRUSADES
Using all of the sources and your own knowledge, how far do you agree with the view the main aim of the Crusaders in 1099 was to occupy Jerusalem?
HELP WITH WRITING THE ESSAY
Introduction (with a thesis statement in which you set out the argument you will make)
Development (One, two, three paragraphs etc in which you develop and justify your argument)
Conclusion (in which you restate the thesis, summarize the arguments you have made and add a final thought)
Understanding the question:
How far do you agree means you must decide if you strongly agree, partially agree (e.g. agree to an extent) or don’t agree at all with the opinion expressed.
VIEW means the statement/opinion which follows
AIM means objective or goal
PROPOSED INTRODUCTION (written with contributions from the class):
The Crusades took place between 1095 and 1099 following the appeal of the emperor of Byzantium to Pope Urban II for help in defeating the Seljuk Turks who were a Muslim army which threatened his Empire. The Crusaders, who numbered 30 000, had various motives for responding to Urban’s call for people to join a battle to drive back the Muslims. The people who went on this crusade were told they would be forgiven their sins and would go straight to heaven if they died whilst fighting, others saw it as an opportunity to increase their wealth. This work argues the main aim was not initially to occupy Jerusalem, but this became the objective as the crusaders progressed on from Constantinople.
Role of Venice
In the High Middle Ages, Venice became extremely wealthy through its control of trade between Europe and the Levant, and it began to expand into the Adriatic Sea and beyond.
This second theme covers the opening of the Atlantic results from the discovery of the ‘New World’ and includes a study of the Renaissance, Humanism and Religious Reforms.
Click below to see the Theme Outline and D.N.L vocabulary:
Held in the Colegio de San Gregorio, in the Spanish city of Valladolid, this was a moral and theological debate about the conquest of the Americas, its justification for the conversion to Catholicism, and more specifically about the relations between the European settlers and the natives of the New World.
Theme 3: The Affirmation of the State in the Kingdom of France
A short video tutorial I made to introduce and explain this theme and the assignments:
Learning Objective: To understand the affirmation of the State in France in its multiple dimensions
Key Question (for lessons):
How was the monarchy strengthened in the 16th century?
Assignment:
Read the chapter below (both parts) and complete the timeline (following the instructions on the timeline worksheet). Then on a separate sheet of paper complete carefully constructed written responses to Questions: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
Learning Objective: To understand how the creation of a representative government and definition of fundamental rights inspired philosophers during the 17th century.
Key Question (for lessons): How did Parliament limit the English Monarchy?
Instructions:
Read and study the chapter below to understand how the English Parliament came to limit the power of the monarchy in the 17th century:
Read the chapter above and as you read it make a table (or chart) listing the causes of James I, Charles II and James II’s conflicts with parliament (see example on left hand side of first page of this chapter).
Then on a separate sheet of paper complete carefully constructed written responses to Questions: 1,2, 3,4,5,6,7 and 8
Additional video explaining the Glorious Revolution (12mins):
This was an intellectual and cultural movement in the 17th and 18th centuries (1600s – 1700s) which emphasized logic and reason over faith and superstition.
(Optional) Crash course episode explaining the Enlightenment:
Power Point summary of the Enlightenment and ideas of some of the philosophers:
Text and worksheet about the Enlightenment for homework complete short definitions to exercise 2 only which we can review at the start of the next lesson (use Britannica Online to help you – see access codes on Google Drive):
The purpose of this chapter is to understand how a revolt in a British colony founded a new political model which recognized universal principles and was a source of inspiration for the French Revolution (which is studied in 1°BFI).
PowerPoint Introduction to the American Revolution:
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
The 17 goals are underpinned by 5 critical components which are interdependent with each other:
People , Prosperity, Peace, Partnership and Planet
For more details see: https://sdgs.un.org/goals
Issue of Climate Change
Climate change is our planet’s greatest existential threat. If we don’t limit greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, the consequences of rising global temperatures include massive crop and fishery collapse, the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of species, and entire communities becoming uninhabitable. While these outcomes may still be avoidable, climate change is already causing suffering and death. From raging wildfires and supercharged storms, its compounding effects can be felt today, outside our own windows.
Learn more here: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/what-are-effects-climate-change#weather
Effects of Climate Change (on Bangladesh)
Climate change will hit poor and vulnerable people the hardest. Average tropical cyclones cost Bangladesh about $1 billion annually. By 2050, a third of agricultural GDP could be lost and 13 million people could become internal climate migrants. In case of a severe flooding, GDP could fall by as much as 9 percent.
There’s nothing more essential to life on Earth than water. Yet, from Cape Town to Flint, Michigan, and from rural, sub-Saharan Africa to Asia’s teeming megacities, there’s a global water crisis. People are struggling to access the quantity and quality of water they need for drinking, cooking, bathing, handwashing, and growing their food.
Globally, 844 million people lack access to clean water. Without clean, easily accessible water, families and communities are locked in poverty for generations. Children drop out of school and parents struggle to make a living.
Overview of Water Resources (short video):
DNL Vocabulary
Water scarcity:
This is the lack of fresh water resources to meet the standard water demand. Water scarcity can also be caused by droughts, lack of rainfall, or pollution. This was listed in 2019 by the World Economic Forum as one of the largest global risks in terms of potential impact over the next decade.
This occurs when the demand for water exceeds the available amount during a certain period or when poor quality restricts its use. Water stress causes deterioration of fresh water resources in terms of quantity (aquifer over-exploitation, dry rivers, etc).
Link to Map to show water stress across the globe:
Food security is defined when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
Russia, the largest state in the world, experienced significant economic and political changes during the 1990s caused by the transition for a centrally planned economy to one that is now market orientated. This shift created substantial inequalities that provide challenges for the government to manage today.
RUSSIA CASE STUDY
Links for class on Tuesday 14th March (afternoon)
Short CNBC News report on the wealth gap in Russia (36s):
Video (made by Gazprom, so be aware of bias) about Russia’s hydrocarbon reserves and shows how gas is transported via pipelines and ships to different countries (3m55):
In this assignment you will learn how Russia is a continent which is rich in resources but remains at the mercy of fluctuations in their prices. It’s current population is just under 150 million inhabitants though it has lost population since the collapse of the Soviet Union (USSR) in 1991. You will also study, Norilsk, a town within the arctic circle, which has been a closed city since 1991 and is exploited for it’s mineral resources but pays a terrible environmental and social price.
Begin by watching the video tutorial which explains the work here:
Read the article under this link to learn about the closed city of Norilsk:
For T°OIB you will need to get used to writing long essays (approximately 800-1000 words) in the space of just two hours. Here is a OIB Bac style question for you to write an essay response to using the resources above and what you have learnt from completing Russia Case Study Pt 1 and Pt2: