Renaissance Era: Culture, Science, and Leadership

Role of Libraries

• Libraries played a critical role in preserving and disseminating knowledge, serving as valuable resources for scholars.

Challenges to Established Views

• The period was marked by conflicts between new scientific ideas and traditional beliefs, exemplified by Galileo's trial for heresy due to his support of heliocentrism.

Leadership and Governance

• Isabella d'Este exemplified effective governance and support for the arts and education.

The Age of Exploration

Introduction

• The Age of Exploration refers to the period when Europeans set out on sea voyages to discover new lands and trade routes.

Factors Motivating Exploration

• Europeans wanted to find new trade routes to Asia for spices and other goods.
• Countries sought to expand their power and territories.
• Improvements in navigation, maps, and shipbuilding made long sea voyages possible.
• The Renaissance belief in human potential and curiosity encouraged exploration.

Key Explorers and Their Voyages

• Christopher Columbus: sailed west from Europe in 1492, aiming to reach Asia but discovered the Americas.
• Vasco da Gama: found a sea route to India around Africa's Cape of Good Hope.
• Jacques Cartier: explored the St. Lawrence River in Canada.
• Ferdinand Magellan: led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe.

Impact on Indigenous Peoples

• Exploration led to the encounter between Europeans and Indigenous peoples, often resulting in dramatic changes and disruptions for the latter.
• European expansionism and colonization had lasting effects on the cultures and populations of the Americas, Asia, and Africa.

Modern Perspectives on Exploration

• The term "discovery" is debated, as lands were already inhabited by Indigenous peoples.
• Exploration can be viewed as the beginning of European colonization and invasion.