AP European History

EHAP Review

The Renaissance

The Causes of the Renaissance

• The Middle Ages, which began around 500 AD, finally came to an end around 1450 AD.
• Though the beginning of the Renaissance, which signaled the end of the Middle Ages, occurred in the city-states of Italy, the same reasons that caused the Renaissance to begin in Italy caused it to appear in the rest of Western Europe.
• The conditions that led to the Renaissance in Italy are as follows:
  1. Because of the Crusades, and the new trade routes, Europeans began to come in contact with other, more advanced civilizations, which influenced them greatly.
  2. The Church, due to the scandals that occurred, lost much of its power, and people began to doubt its ultimate authority.
  3. Due to trade, the middle class grew, and people began to accumulate vast sums of money. They then wanted to enjoy and show off their wealth, which led to a philosophy of enjoying this life instead of simply waiting for the next one.
  4. Competition between wealthy people for status led to developments in education and art, since wealthy people, wanting to be respected, would compete to see who was the most educated or had sponsored the most artists.