Renaissance LifeRenaissance Life

Unit 2 / Note Page 4Unit 2 / Note Page 4

Social StructureSocial Structure

Society – Little different from Middle Ages• Clergy – Church officials• Nobility – Now merchants and bankers• Peasants – Common workers

Society – Little different from Middle Ages• Clergy – Church officials• Nobility – Now merchants and bankers• Peasants – Common workers

• Noble class Courtiers – someone who hangs around court / king – “hanger ons”

• Baldassare Castiglione – Wrote “The Book of the Courtier”– Guide book for proper manners of noble people– Set expectations of a Ren. Man & Woman

were.

• Noble class Courtiers – someone who hangs around court / king – “hanger ons”

• Baldassare Castiglione – Wrote “The Book of the Courtier”– Guide book for proper manners of noble people– Set expectations of a Ren. Man & Woman

were.

CommonersCommoners

• Peasants were 85 – 90 % of population

• Urban poverty was great, things

really hadn’t improved for the

common man since the Middle Ages. Life still

sucked.

• Peasants were 85 – 90 % of population

• Urban poverty was great, things

really hadn’t improved for the

common man since the Middle Ages. Life still

sucked.

• Arrange marriages• Girls were married off

usually as soon as they hit puberty / 13 – 15.

• Boys once they could support a wife with a trade or craft, usually age mid 20’s or older. Men could still expect to have 2 or more wives over their life time since one in four women died in child birth.

• Arrange marriages• Girls were married off

usually as soon as they hit puberty / 13 – 15.

• Boys once they could support a wife with a trade or craft, usually age mid 20’s or older. Men could still expect to have 2 or more wives over their life time since one in four women died in child birth.

• Dominant role of male in society and family – women were to stay home / raise children. Not be involved in politics or religion.

• Dominant role of male in society and family – women were to stay home / raise children. Not be involved in politics or religion.

Everyday LifeEveryday Life

• Lots of physical work for most people

• Housing varied greatly• Most lived in small

thatch roofed houses. (Thatch is straw. You piled up straw to make roof. Not very warm and very leaky in

the rain.)• Little furniture• Straw sacks for beds• “Bed Bugs” – fleas, lice,

etc.

• Lots of physical work for most people

• Housing varied greatly• Most lived in small

thatch roofed houses. (Thatch is straw. You piled up straw to make roof. Not very warm and very leaky in

the rain.)• Little furniture• Straw sacks for beds• “Bed Bugs” – fleas, lice,

etc.

• Diets became more varied

through trade and new food items from the New

World. • Potatoes and

Corn ► Larger Populations!

• Diets became more varied

through trade and new food items from the New

World. • Potatoes and

Corn ► Larger Populations!

• Recreation

- Gatherings, Holidays, Plays very popular with commoners, just like the old Roman Empire, wealthy Patrons and Politicians would help host public venues to keep the commoners happy. Happy commoners don’t revolt.

• Recreation

- Gatherings, Holidays, Plays very popular with commoners, just like the old Roman Empire, wealthy Patrons and Politicians would help host public venues to keep the commoners happy. Happy commoners don’t revolt.

SuperstitionSuperstition

• Belief in superstition

- Christian in faith, but wanted some explanation for daily events

• Belief in superstition

- Christian in faith, but wanted some explanation for daily events

• Witchcraft• Good Witches or wise

people –village healers, typically older women, widowed, used herbs to treat sickness

• Bad witches – Deal with Satan

• Witchcraft• Good Witches or wise

people –village healers, typically older women, widowed, used herbs to treat sickness

• Bad witches – Deal with Satan

• Witchcraft accusations mostly centered on women – those who were different / stood out.

• Jealousy, unmarried, problems conceiving, different, out spoken.

• Witchcraft accusations mostly centered on women – those who were different / stood out.

• Jealousy, unmarried, problems conceiving, different, out spoken.

• Witch hunting begins – It is estimated that over the

Middle Ages and well into the 1800’s, over 100,000 women

were put to death for witchcraft.

• Burning was the most common punishment, the

Catholic Church tried you, but the civil authorities actually killed you so the

Church didn’t sin. • Burnings were public, people

loved to blame bad luck on witches and rejoiced to see them burn, a foresight of the

burning they expected to receive in Hell.

• Witch hunting begins – It is estimated that over the

Middle Ages and well into the 1800’s, over 100,000 women

were put to death for witchcraft.

• Burning was the most common punishment, the

Catholic Church tried you, but the civil authorities actually killed you so the

Church didn’t sin. • Burnings were public, people

loved to blame bad luck on witches and rejoiced to see them burn, a foresight of the

burning they expected to receive in Hell.

Learning AdvancesLearning Advances

• Few people could read. • Only Rich or clergy.• Books had to be copied by hand,

usually by monks in monasteries, thus they were extremely expensive.

• Might own 4 to 8 books in their entire lifetime.

• Few people could read. • Only Rich or clergy.• Books had to be copied by hand,

usually by monks in monasteries, thus they were extremely expensive.

• Might own 4 to 8 books in their entire lifetime.

Johannes Gutenberg 1455

– German, idea from Marco Polo’s Book

• This was one invention that would change the

course of history.

Johannes Gutenberg 1455

– German, idea from Marco Polo’s Book

• This was one invention that would change the

course of history.

• Almanacs – up to this time period most commoners

could careless exactly what day it

was, • Priest kept up

with that for religious reasons, (certain Saint’s days, etc) Commoners only

cared about time of year for crops, if it

was Sunday (to go to church).

• Almanacs – up to this time period most commoners

could careless exactly what day it

was, • Priest kept up

with that for religious reasons, (certain Saint’s days, etc) Commoners only

cared about time of year for crops, if it

was Sunday (to go to church).

• Religious Works very popular

Gutenberg Bible

– First best selling book in Europe• Service conducted in Latin, most

couldn't understand mass services.

• Religious Works very popular

Gutenberg Bible

– First best selling book in Europe• Service conducted in Latin, most

couldn't understand mass services.

• Gutenberg’s Bible written in German.

• Cheap, personal copy

• Motivation to learn to read. Problem

here…

• Gutenberg’s Bible written in German.

• Cheap, personal copy

• Motivation to learn to read. Problem

here…

Discovered RC priest were illiterate. Sermons made up

Priest not allowed wives, mistresses, children etc. Followers realizes their

living in sin.

Discovered RC priest were illiterate. Sermons made up

Priest not allowed wives, mistresses, children etc. Followers realizes their

living in sin.

New RolesNew Roles

• Traditional views decline– First the Church let us down during

the Black Plague– Now we can read for ourselves and

realized that the Church as been pulling the wool over our eyes.

– Things start to change

• Traditional views decline– First the Church let us down during

the Black Plague– Now we can read for ourselves and

realized that the Church as been pulling the wool over our eyes.

– Things start to change

Instead of taking the Church’s opinion on the matter, scholars start to question the natural world around them.

Superstitions start to fade with the Renaissance – People ask why / Birth of Science.

Instead of taking the Church’s opinion on the matter, scholars start to question the natural world around them.

Superstitions start to fade with the Renaissance – People ask why / Birth of Science.

The End of Renaissance Life

The End of Renaissance Life

Unit 2 / Note Page 4Unit 2 / Note Page 4