Early Renaissance

In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries many things changed in the lives of Europeans. The middle ages were ending and the renaissance was about to begin. Europeans during the middle ages where stuck in an economic stagnation. Changes needed to be made. The people of Europe experienced a rebirth. These changes affected both genders and all classes; Europe was about to grow in great ways.

The early development of the renaissance began in Italy and spread throughout Europe. The people of Europe experienced a rebirth of knowledge, classical tradition, writing, history, art, and music. There was also a shift from salvation, afterlife and a heavenly republic to an earthly republic. People believed it was now possible to do well and achieve on earth and not only in the afterlife. The renaissance furthered the creative mind and also made people realize there was a world outside their own. They recognized concern for worldly matters. There was an increase in individualism that the human being could achieve and be successful and accomplished. Life went from rural to urban, society went from uniform and linear to diverse and complex, immobile wealth through agriculture changed to mobile wealth through a commercial economy, and there was a change from people tending to worry about self sufficiency to projecting themselves towards growth.

All these changes led to a booming economy. Another major change was the change from a rural, agriculture life to an urban way of life. Cities sprang up and business starting to boom. There was a new demand for services and goods. People began to be merchants, bankers, and trades people. The idea of feudalism came to an end. There were really no more peasants and the use of serfdom came to an end. The beginning of a middle class emerged and this led greatly to the increase in economy. The desires of the middle class helped stimulate business. People wanted to buy and have better things and also then had extra money to spend on entertainment and art. The growth of cities and a busy economy led to people having to educate themselves. Bankers and accountants had to learn math to accomplish their job, people had to learn how to read to understand contracts, and traders needed to learn foreign language and currencies to deal with other countries. The resurgence of the city was a major change for the good for Europe. The new society had competition, which encouraged the people to better themselves in all ways. Cities were now true urban centers, a major change from the middle ages. Politics emerged from the growth of the cities. Many of the political groups were all man dominated, but there were women who occupied positions in government. It tool time for them to gain spots, but they eventually did.

Gender and class played a major part in these changes for the Europeans. Women were still dealt with in an inferior way. During the middle ages, women were usually peasants. A few were noble women and businesswomen. This changed during the late Middle Ages and renaissance. Women became merchants, trades people, paid laborers, and members of craft guilds. After the renaissance began women, especially the privileged women, began to join the intellectual movement and also the scientific revolution. The women did not have it easy though. They still struggled due to legislative and culture reasoning of the men at the time. They had issues imposing themselves and being intellectual. They had opposition by many men. Women had a lack of education and usually a subordinate status. Men had believed that women were inferior to men and were not to be trusted. This belief was started by the readings in the bible. Eve is the one who disobeys the Lord and eats from the wrong tree. Men believed that