What impact might increased trade and business have on a society's worldview?
Please open and save your workbook and additional reading (found below) to your personal folders. Your culminating tasks will be a PowerPoint presentation on the Italian city-states as well as a mapping assignment (see workbook for instructions and rubrics). You are to use information from the text, the additional reading resources as well as two online resource. Please read the 'Research Skills' section on this website prior to beginning.
Please open and save your workbook and additional reading (found below) to your personal folders. Your culminating tasks will be a PowerPoint presentation on the Italian city-states as well as a mapping assignment (see workbook for instructions and rubrics). You are to use information from the text, the additional reading resources as well as two online resource. Please read the 'Research Skills' section on this website prior to beginning.
Rise of International Trade
Prior to the Renaissance, religious wars between Christians and Muslims (The Crusades) brought contact between Europe and the East. Europeans were exposed to ideas about medicine, astronomy, philosophy, mathematics and ancient literature. It also resulted in increased trade that brought back many new goods such as oil, spices and a variety of fruit. As the Renaissance began the travels of Marco Polo, who traveled as far as China (on the Silk Road), captured the imagination or Europeans. He brought back stories of exotic lands with spices, jewels, rugs and fabrics that were not available in Europe. With the increase in wealth of people throughout Europe, the desire for more luxury products increased. This spurred even more trade with the East. |
Italian City-States
Renaissance Europe did not look the way Europe does today. Many countries had very different borders. Most were kingdoms ruled by monarchs. Italy was a collection of city-states which is a city that is politically independent and the rural area around it. City-states were "in the right place at the right time" to become wealthy. Italy was the closest European country to northern Africa and the eastern Mediterranean Sea where all the luxury goods were available. As a result, transport of goods was easier and cheaper for Italian traders than for those of other European countries. Exchange of goods would eventually lead to an exchange of values, attitudes and knowledge. As a result of this advantage, Italy is considered by many to be the birthplace of the Renaissance |
italian_city-states_workbook.pdf | |
File Size: | 1990 kb |
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early_renaissance__city_states.pdf | |
File Size: | 1165 kb |
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