History - The Renaissance for Kids: A Captivating Guide to a Period in the History of Europe Following the Middle Ages (History for Children)

The Renaissance for Kids

A Captivating Guide to a Period in the History of Europe Following the Middle Ages

Copyright 2020

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Have you ever wondered who painted the Mona Lisa? Or why there are so many different churches today? Or even if the sun goes around the Earth? People were asking similar questions during the Renaissance! The Renaissance was a time in European history when people rediscovered ancient texts and began practicing modern science. They discovered new ways to make art and began asking hard questions about the world around them. Were still asking some of those questions today!

But how did the Renaissance begin? And why does it matter today? The Renaissance was over 500 years ago, but it was a time filled with amazing discoveries, powerful popes, and art so beautiful that people today still travel thousands of miles to see it. The Renaissance was fueled by powerful merchants who brought wealth into Europe, and it grew because of inventions like the printing press. The people of the Renaissance dreamed big dreams. They imagined helicopters and tanks hundreds of years before the technology existed. They discovered gravity and invented calculus. The Renaissance completely changed how we live our lives today.

This book has everything you need to learn about the wealth of art and learning that came from the Renaissance. Both students and parents will enjoy reading this fun, up-to-date history of this critical time period. Get ready to sail in and discover how the Renaissance has shaped the world as we know it today.

Chapter 1: What Started the Renaissance?

The Renaissance was a time of big change for the people in Europe. It changed the way they thought and lived. Renaissance literally means rebirth in old French. Ancient ideas that had been lost during the Middle Ages were reborn in Europe. It changed many things, like art , architecture , science , and philosophy . Philosophy is the study of what and how we think. Everyone sees the world differently, so there are lots of different philosophies!

The Renaissance was a time filled with creativity and learning. Before that, Europe was in the Middle Ages . When the Roman Empire fell in 476 CE, Europeans lost much of the security they needed to continue learning and creating. People stopped reading and writing because they were worried about survivingand, eventually, they forgot how to read. The only people who could read in the Middle Ages were important church leaders. Even kings couldnt always read! That meant that books were usually kept at monasteries , where monks lived. The monks spent a lot of time reading and copying books because there wasnt a way to print them yet.

Life during the Middle Ages was really hard. Most people worked long hours and were afraid of attacks from groups like the Vikings. They thought life was supposed to be hard, so they didnt try to improve it. Most people didnt have much money or a way to learn new things, so they didnt know any other way to live.

That all changed during the Renaissance, which started in Italy . Italy is the country on the southern side of Europe that looks like a boot.

Map of Centra l Europe

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1915_Strategic_Map_of_Central_Europe_showing_the_International_Frontiers_Prepared_in_the_War_College_Division,_General_Staff,_War_Department.jpg

Today, Italy is one country. But, back then, it had lots of little countries called city-states that were always competing with each other. Florence was one of those cities, and it became very powerful. It wasnt strong because it had a great army. It was powerful because it was really good at business and banking. From Florence, the Renaissance quickly spread all over Europe!

The Renaissance was a huge change for the people in Europe. But what made it happen? Historians think the Renaissance started for several different reasons.

One thing that started the Renaissance was the invention of the printing press. Around 1450, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press . This might not seem like a big deal to us now, but it was revolutionary back then. Before the printing press was invented, books had to be copied by hand. It took a lot of time, and that meant books were expensive. Not many people could afford books. After Gutenberg invented the printing press, that all changed. He got the press to work so well that he could even print large books like the Bible and sell them cheaply. Suddenly, many people could afford books, and they began learning and thinking for themselves.

They didnt just print the Bible. They printed anything they thought was interesting, including things written by the ancient Greeks and Romans. For most of the Middle Ages, those writings were lost. When they were found, they were printed on the printing press so lots of people could read them. These ancient writings were even translated into different languages! Not a lot of people could read Latin or ancient Greek. After reading ancient works, including the Bible, more people started thinking for themselves.

Another reason the Renaissance began was the increase of trade. The Europeans liked a lot of things from Asia. To get those things, they had to join trade routes like the Silk Road . It was called the Silk Road because one of the things people traded was silk , a very soft and expensive fabric.

Map of the Silk Road.

Belsky (talk contribs), CC BY 3.0 < https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 >, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Silk_Road-pt.svg

The Silk Road stretched from China all the way to Europe. Merchants traveled in large groups and had to always beware of bandits. Trading with Asia helped European merchants become wealthy. They traveled on land with camels and over the ocean with ships to buy and sell luxury goods.

Renaissance-Era Trade Ships

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gouache_of_17th_century_French_royal_galley-side.jpg

By bringing money back into Europe, merchants helped to start the Renaissance. At the time, a common way to show your wealth was to hire artists. A wealthy merchant would become the patron of an artist who would make paintings, sculptures, and even buildings for the merchant. Artists competed with each other to get wealthy patrons. This competition fueled the Renaissance because it motivated artists to find new and better ways to make art. It started in Florence, but soon, the city-states were also competing with each other to see who had the best artists. Everyone tried to be the best artist they could be, and this made the art even better.