Social, Cultural and Political Impacts of the Renaissance in the U.S.

The Untied State's social, cultural, and political institutions have been influenced by advancements made during the Renaissance. In this essay we will explore the period known as the Renaissance. Then we will discuss how the current social, cultural, and democratic institutions in the United States have evolved from these influences. First I'll start with what Renaissance means and what happed during this time.

The period of transition into the modern day was called the Renaissance. The Renaissance was centered in Italy . Renaissance, is a French word meaning "rebirth," which is a perfect way to describe the intellectual and economic changes that took place in Europe from the fourteenth century through the early fifteenth century. "During the Renaissance, Europe emerged from the economic stagnation of the middle ages and experienced a time of financial growth. Perhaps most importantly, the Renaissance was an age in which artistic, social, scientific, and political thought turned in new directions" (2006 Annenberg)

During the Renaissance art grew beyond customary religious themes to reflect this interest in the personality and the passions of the living person. Poetry was no longer about churches and religious themes it was about love and passion. The Renaissance became the" Age of Exploration". The term "Age of Exploration" is used in reference to the beginning of the exploration of the seas and continents around Europe. The search for knowledge reached to the sciences and outer space . That led to the exploration of the cosmos by Galileo Galilli and others.

During the Renaissance the church chose to join the action, by changing dramatically. Obviously, there were a few people who were opposed to the church taking up such a sophisticated manner . "Thus the church was as active a player in the Renaissance game as were the newly emerging princes and kings." (Hodges 2002)

Many social and economic changes took place during the Renaissance. Cities grew and thrived during the Renaissance and rulers started taxing people. Trade grew between cities and states. As trade in goods increased, trade in ideas grew as well.

It is believed that the Renaissance started in Italy because of its location. Italian cities became important trade centers and profitable centers. This wealth helped maintain the political and social changes that were taking place at the time. The significance of the economic and political relationship between the landowners and their tenants weakened as trade in other areas grew.

Several institutions from the Renaissance have effected America, such as church, education, family and government. To day I'm going to discuss church and education. The history of the Catholic Church through the Renaissance is a history filled with spiritual, artistic, and intellectual triumphs. As well as a history of incredible cruelty and doctrinal stupidities. From the very configuration of the christian church, there hasn't been a unified church. Through the Renaissance, there were strong, obsessive, and often powerful reactions to Catholic Church. still today, we have churches fighting for their beliefs. In the Middle Ages, life was very short, and poverty was respected. The clergy were said to be gods right hand man.. In the Middle Ages people were seen as dirt and God was merciless. Everyone's life revolved around God in the Middle Ages. During the Renaissance religion under went a dramatic change. There were no longer Barbarians or Vikings, Instead there were monarchies. people attitudes started to change all because of the reform. The reformation took place in the 16th century and was a movement within western Christendom to flush out the church of medieval abuses and to restore the doctrines and practices the Bible and the New Testament model . This led to a contravene between the Roman Catholic Church and the reformers whose way of life and practices came to be called Protestantism. Because of the reform there are now many types of churches to attend. If the reform wouldn't of happened then ,all churches might still be catholic. Clergy would still be running the country . Because of this movement we have a choice in what kind of church we attend.

The second institutions I'm discussing is education. Renaissance educational assumption of the 15th and 16th centuries weighs in on the side of upper classes, leadership roles should be in the hands of the best . Education for leadership is essential for the sons of aristocrats. Just as now people with more money send their sons and daughters to the best colleges and universities. Schools before the Renaissance focused on religious studies and only the basics .The basics would be reading, writing and math. During the Renaissance the focal point shifted and began to include studies in the humanities . Meaning arts, health, sciences .If this wouldn't of happened then schools now might only teach the basics and focus on religion Another thing that happened that makes schools what they are to day is the locations. During the Renaissance schools were mainly in religious centers or aristocratic palace. Later during the Renaissance, schools and universities were build in more widespread places, available to more ordinary people . Now we have public schools and every one can attend them

During the Renaissance the printing press was developed by Johannes Gutenberg. Institutions credit him with discovering movable type in Europe. Which was an improvement on the block printing already in use there . By joining these basics into a production system, he allowed for the speedy printing of written materials, and an information detonation in Renaissance. Now the United States has made more advancements to the original printing press and produces a mass production of printed books, papers, magazines and flyers.

Many contributions to medicine were also made. The greatest triumph, besides essentially coming up with new surgical techniques, was to increasing this information all over the barber-surgeon community, elevating surgery's standing to a specialized level sand paving the way for enormous improvements in surgical care. Now we have skilled surgeons with years of school and a vast knowledge . Now in the Untied State we have hundreds of people going through surgery each day and the death rate is much lower.

Another advancement made was that of Cosmology . During the Renaissance, cosmological model changed considerably. Copernicus brought about the first blow in the "Scientific Revolution". His model showed the sun in the center. When Copernicus proposed such a overall change to the prevailing concepts of the universe some people were outreached.

"The Renaissance brought one of the most revolutionary and stimulating periods in history. Invention of printing and gunpowder, the new cosmology of Copernicus, discovery of America, the Reformation, the great voyages of discovery-all these new forces were working to free science and medicine from the shackles of medieval stagnation. The fall of Constantinople in 1453 scattered the Greek scholars, with their precious manuscripts, all over Europe. "

The revitalization of learning in Western civilizations transported great advances in human anatomy. Some resulted from the work of artists, Ambroise Paré establish new surgical techniques and helped to started modern surgery. In closing the Renaissance helped develop the United States in what it is today.

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