Early Modern Europe Chapter Notes | Social Studies for Grade 6 PDF Download

Introduction

Early Modern Europe was a time of big changes in Europe, from around the 1400s to the 1700s. During this period, people started thinking in new ways about art, religion, science, and government. The Renaissance brought a love for learning and creativity. The Reformation changed how people viewed religion. The Scientific Revolution introduced new ideas about the world through science. The Enlightenment encouraged people to think about freedom and how governments should work. These changes shaped the world we live in today.

Renaissance Origins

The Renaissance was a period of renewed interest in art, learning, and culture that began in the 1300s.

• It started in Italy because of its rich cities, trade, and connection to ancient Roman and Greek ideas.
• Wealthy families, like the Medici in Florence, supported artists and scholars, helping the Renaissance grow.
• People studied old Greek and Roman texts to learn about science, philosophy, and art.
• The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440 spread new ideas quickly.
• The Renaissance encouraged people to think about human abilities and achievements, called humanism.
• Humanism focused on individual potential and the importance of education and creativity.
• Trade with other parts of the world brought new ideas and goods to Europe, fueling the Renaissance.
• Cities like Florence, Venice, and Rome became centers of art, learning, and culture.
• The Renaissance marked a shift from the Middle Ages to a time of exploration and discovery.

Italian Renaissance: Achievements in Literature and Art

The Italian Renaissance produced amazing works of art and literature that are still famous today.

• Artists like Leonardo da Vinci painted masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.
• Michelangelo created stunning sculptures like David and painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
• Raphael painted beautiful works like The School of Athens, showing great thinkers of the past.
• Artists used perspective, a technique to make paintings look more realistic and three-dimensional.
• They studied human anatomy to make their drawings of people more lifelike.
• In literature, writers like Dante Alighieri wrote The Divine Comedy, a famous poem about heaven and hell.
• Petrarch wrote poems about love and nature, inspiring other writers across Europe.
• Niccolò Machiavelli wrote The Prince, a book about leadership and politics.
• Books became more common because of the printing press, so more people could read these works.
• Italian cities like Florence and Venice became famous for their arti​sts, writers, and thinkers.

The Reformation

The Reformation was a religious movement in the 1500s that changed Christianity in Europe.

• It began when Martin Luther, a German monk, questioned the Catholic Church’s practices.
• In 1517, Luther wrote his 95 Theses,​ a list of complaints about the Church, especially about selling indulgences.
• ​Indulgences were payments people made to the Church to forgive their sins, which Luther thought was wrong.
• Luther believed that faith alone, not payments or rituals, should lead to salvation.​
• His ideas spread quickly because of the printing press, reaching many people in Europe.
• Luther’s followers, called Protestants, broke away from the Catholic Church to form new churches.
• Other reformers, like John Calvin in Switzerland, also started their own Protestant churches.
• The Catholic Church responded with the Counter-Reformation to fix problems and win back followers.
• The Reformation led to religious conflicts and wars, but also encouraged people to question authority.
• It created a split in Christianity​ between Catholics and Protestants that still exists today.

The Scientific Revolution

The Scientific Revolution was a time in the 1500s and 1600s when people began studying the world using science.

• Scientists like Nicolaus Copernicus said the Earth revolves around the Sun, not the other way around.
• This idea, called heliocentrism, challenged the Church’s teachings and caused controversy.
• Galileo Galilei improved the telescope and observed planets, supporting Copernicus’s ideas.
• Galileo faced trouble with the Church for his beliefs and was put under house arrest.
• Johannes Kepler discovered that planets move in oval-shaped orbits, not circles.
• Isaac Newton developed laws of gravity and motion that explained how objects move in the universe.
• Scientists used experiments and observations to learn about nature, instead of just accepting old ideas.
• New tools, like microscopes and thermometers, helped scientists study the world in detail.
• The Scientific Revolution changed how people thought about the universe and encouraged questioning old beliefs.
• It laid the foundation for modern science and technology we use today.

The Enlightenment

Origins and Natural Rights

The Enlightenment was a movement in the 1600s and 1700s that focused on reason, freedom, and knowledge.

• It grew out of the Scientific Revolution, as people began using reason to question old ideas.
• Thinkers, called philosophers, believed people could improve society through logical thinking.
• John Locke, an English philosopher, said people have natural rights: life, liberty, and property.
• Locke believed governments should protect these rights, or people could overthrow them.
• Voltaire, a French philosopher, spoke out for freedom of speech and religion.
• Montesquieu, another French thinker, suggested dividing government power to prevent abuse.
• Enlightenment ideas spread through books, newspapers, and discussions in coffeehouses.
• People began to question kings and rulers who claimed absolute power.
• The Enlightenment encouraged ideas of fairness, equality, and individual rights for all people.
• These ideas inspired revolutions, like the American and French Revolutions, later on.

Influences on Government

Enlightenment ideas changed how people thought about government and power.

• Philosophers believed governments should serve the people, not just kings or nobles.
• John Locke said governments get their power from the consent of the people they govern.
• If a government fails to protect people’s rights, Locke said people could replace it.
• Montesquieu proposed separating government into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.
• This ​separation of powers​would keep any one part of the government from becoming too strong.
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a French philosopher, said society should be based on a social contract.
• A social contract is an agreement where people give up some freedoms for the common good.
• Enlightenment ideas influenced the creation of democratic governments, like in the United States.
• The U.S. Constitution used Montesquieu’s idea of separating powers into three branches.
• Enlightenment thinkers inspired people to demand fair laws and governments that respect individual rights.