It’s very interesting how much Western Europe evolved during the period from 1450 to 1750. It started out as a backwards civilization after the fall of Rome. By 1750, the West was a leading world power. Many changes took place within Western Europe to make that evolution possible. Starting with the Renaissance in 1450 to the Scientific Revolution in 1600 and finally to the Enlightenment in 1750, Western Europe went from a relatively backwards civilization to a big world power.
In 1450, Western Europe experienced a cultural movement called the Renaissance. Starting with Italy, it moved north to the rest of Western Europe. The arts became more important and more focused on realism and humanism. Religion began to slip from being the central focus of society, although in the Northern Renaissance, religion was included more. It was also during this time that exploration of the world by the West began. Spain and Portugal led the way in explorations and conquests of the Americas. World trading networks began to take form with the West at the center.
Science began to gain a new importance in Western society during the Scientific Revolution in 1600. It followed after the Protestant Revolution and the Catholic Reformation. Scientists tried to find basic laws that would explain nature. For example, Isaac Newton used mathematics to describe his laws of motion. Religious ideas about the world lost popularity as science offered new views. Science became central to intellectual life in Western Europe as it had never been done in other civilizations.
The Enlightenment in 1750 followed after the Scientific Revolution. It used many of the same methods of the Scientific Revolution to study social sciences. It argued that rational laws could describe human behavior just like the Scientific Revolution used laws to describe nature. Enlightenment thinkers attacked the religions that relied on blind faith, especially the Catholic Church. It was during this movement that Adam Smith wrote the Wealth of Nations, arguing that economies would regulate themselves if left up to the people. By this time, England was leading the world in trade.
By 1750, Western Europe had gone from a society in the Dark Ages after the fall of Rome to a leader in world trade, science, and technology. This evolution was caused by the Renaissance, which led to the Scientific Revolution, which led to the Enlightenment. This evolution greatly affected other areas of the world as Europe began to control trade. These changes also eventually led up to the Industrial Revolution and imperialism. Many other societies began to fall behind Western Europe.
In 1450, Western Europe experienced a cultural movement called the Renaissance. Starting with Italy, it moved north to the rest of Western Europe. The arts became more important and more focused on realism and humanism. Religion began to slip from being the central focus of society, although in the Northern Renaissance, religion was included more. It was also during this time that exploration of the world by the West began. Spain and Portugal led the way in explorations and conquests of the Americas. World trading networks began to take form with the West at the center.
Science began to gain a new importance in Western society during the Scientific Revolution in 1600. It followed after the Protestant Revolution and the Catholic Reformation. Scientists tried to find basic laws that would explain nature. For example, Isaac Newton used mathematics to describe his laws of motion. Religious ideas about the world lost popularity as science offered new views. Science became central to intellectual life in Western Europe as it had never been done in other civilizations.
The Enlightenment in 1750 followed after the Scientific Revolution. It used many of the same methods of the Scientific Revolution to study social sciences. It argued that rational laws could describe human behavior just like the Scientific Revolution used laws to describe nature. Enlightenment thinkers attacked the religions that relied on blind faith, especially the Catholic Church. It was during this movement that Adam Smith wrote the Wealth of Nations, arguing that economies would regulate themselves if left up to the people. By this time, England was leading the world in trade.
By 1750, Western Europe had gone from a society in the Dark Ages after the fall of Rome to a leader in world trade, science, and technology. This evolution was caused by the Renaissance, which led to the Scientific Revolution, which led to the Enlightenment. This evolution greatly affected other areas of the world as Europe began to control trade. These changes also eventually led up to the Industrial Revolution and imperialism. Many other societies began to fall behind Western Europe.
RSS Feed