HUMAN-111 Lecture 5: Middle Ages and Renaissance - 5

• School: Diablo Valley College
• Department: Humanities
• Course: HUMAN-111
• Professor: Halm

Document Summary

Major changes occurring in 16th century come european voyages of discovery. Causes for european expansionism: ottoman expansion in eastern mediterranean, capture of constantinople, which had remained important market, cut off europeans from spice trade, forced. Europeans to seek new ways to access spice markets. Dutch had more capital, better infrastructure than the portuguese. Voyages of discovery was something that developed over a long time: innovations that the voyages brought were created themselves, the voyages of discovery necessitated the innovations. Explorers were traditional people with traditional knowledge motivated by traditional values, and it was only during the voyages of discovery that they gradually molded a modern, rational age of exploration. Portuguese aristocrats concerned with making money over the ocean, after black death when income from the land declined, had a growing desire for conquest to get more land, find new sources of wealth. King john of portugal, r. 1385 1433: new dynasty takes the throne after civil war, john.