Kevin Kreiner
Reading Quiz 4: #3
The Renaissance was a time of rebirth and it was a cultural movement that spanned approximately from the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The Renaissance was a time where the arts were valued, and it was seen as the reentrance into the world of that secular, inquiring, and self-reliant spirit after the period known as the Early Modern Era. It was a time of the revival of classical learning and knowledge after a long period of cultural decline and inactivity for scholars, artists, writers, and thinkers. The Crusades were able to help bring about this change because of the increased contact with cities outside of Europe, with emphasis on increased trade in not only goods but ideas and ways of thinking as well. The Renaissance developed in Northern Italy before spreading throughout Europe; this is important to know because in this we can understand why it was that the Italians would boast about the origins of the Renaissance. They looked to their classical past, during times of unity and glory, and strived to bring about their past and once again be the center of the world. As the Renaissance spread to the rest of Europe, there became a certain standard that Europeans would hold themselves to, believing Europe to be the higher power for all nations. Although the Crusades were a Holy War fought to gain control of Jerusalem, they also helped the Renaissance in regards to traveling outside of Europe and gaining knowledge and artifacts from many different cities. Through the Crusades, Europe was able to gain more and more information and authority over those in other cities and countries and they were, “Certain of their conquests there were won back again, but they had other successes, as you will see” (280). Though cultivated majorly in Italy and the rest of Europe, the Crusades were able to help bring different cultures into play throughout the Renaissance. The Renaissance was a time of understanding as opposed to the strict structures that used to be in play in the Middle Ages, with parents wanting their children to succeed in whatever endeavors they choose, “If he does something he is able to do, however, I like that better than to have him strike out in a direction where he cannot follow through” (388). Through these different cultures came new ways of thinking, which in turn led Europe to change how they viewed cities and countries outside of