1485-1660
“A Flourish of Genius”
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 A French word meaning “rebirth”
 Starts in Italy
 Renewal of the human spirit - new energy,
curiosity, and creativity
 Renewed interest in classical learning
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 Leonardo da Vinci
 Michelangelo
 Christopher Columbus
 Galileo
 Shakespeare
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Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel
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 Intellectual movement that focuses on human
values and concerns
 “What is a human being?”
 “What is a good life?”
 “How do I lead a good life?”
 Sought to harmonize these two great sources of
wisdom: the Bible and the classics.
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 Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in
1439.
 Transformed the way information was exchanged.
 First book printed was an immense Latin Bible in
Germany around 1455.
 Printing press reached England in 1476.
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 England breaks away from the church
 Church needed reform
 Pope controlled all of Europe
 Ignorance and idleness of monks
 Loose living and personal wealth of priests and bishops
 Henry VIII wanted to get rid of his wife of 24 years
(Catherine)
 Lost five babies and had only one girl (no heir)
 Another younger woman Henry wanted – Ann Boleyn
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 Pope refuses Henry a divorce in 1533
 Henry appoints a new archbishop of Canterbury , who
declares Henry’s marriage to Catherine invalid.
 In 1533, Henry breaks away from the Catholic church
by declaring himself head of the new English church.
 Beginning of Protestantism
 Sir Thomas More – one of Henry’s subjects who
remained loyal to the pope. Henry had him beheaded.
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 In all Henry VIII had six wives.
 Divorced, beheaded, died,
 Divorced, beheaded, survived
 Had 3 children
 Mary – daughter of the Spanish princess,
Catherine of Aragon
 Elizabeth – daughter of Anne Boleyn
 Edward – son of Jane Seymour, a noblewoman.
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 Edward
 Became king at the age of 9
 Ruled for only 6 years and died of Tuberculosis
 Mary
 “Bloody Mary”
 Ruled for 5 years
 Strong-willed Catholic (Spanish)
 Restored the Pope’s power in England
 Burned about 300 of her subjects at the stake
 Died childless of a fever
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 “The Virgin Queen”
 Knew that her strength lay in her independence
 Restored law and order
 Rejected the Pope’s authority and restored the Church
of England again
 Firmly established a religious and national identity
 People loved her; symbol of peace, security, and
prosperity
 Inspiration for literature – even wrote herself
 English started writing as never before
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“There can be
no rainbow
without the sun”
Rainbow
Snake:
wisdom
Eyes & Ears:
She sees and
hears all that
goes on in her
kingdom
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