The Significance of the Main Influences on Europe in the Early Sixteenth Century

The Renaissance

Characterised by a renewed interest in learning, and the recovery, study and spread of ancient classical texts.
Encouraged the growth of humanism, an intellectual movement that advocated for the study of the humanities (literature, philosophy, art, etc.) and elevated the worth and potential of the individual.
Important humanist thinkers included Desiderius Erasmus, who critiqued the abuses and superstitions of the Church, and promoted a more personal, inner spirituality.
The Renaissance’s focus on individualism and human potential also promoted criticism of religious institutions and hierarchical structures, setting the stage for the Reformation.

Economic Changes and the Growth of Towns

Economic transformations of the sixteenth century were profound and far-reaching, and included the commercial revolution, the price revolution and the expansion of the Atlantic economy.
The increase of trade and the development of the market economy provided new wealth and investment opportunities, upsetting traditional social hierarchies.
Towns became important centres of political and economic power, challenging the dominance of rural elites.

The Printing Press

The invention and diffusion of the printing press, by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-fifteenth century, changed the way information was created, consumed and disseminated.
The printing press helped to cheaply and quickly spread new ideas, including new religious and political ideas, across Europe.
It played a key role in the spread of Renaissance humanism and the Reformation.

The New Monarchies and the Rise of the State

During this period, various European monarchs centralised power in their hands, reducing the influence of the nobility and the Church, in what is referred to as the rise of the “new monarchies”.
Developments such as the Dissolution of the Monasteries in England further weakened the traditional power of the Church and the nobility, and strengthened the state.
Many of these monarchs, such as Henry VIII in England and France’s Francis I, would play key roles in the Reformation and the consolidation of the modern nation state.

Interaction with the Wider World

The discovery of the New World, and the subsequent Age of Exploration, brought Europeans into contact with new cultures and ideas.
Some of these interactions, such as Columbus’s encounter with the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, had violent and devastating consequences, but they also changed European self-perception and understanding of the world.
The wealth amassed through colonial enterprises fueled Europe’s economic and political development, and introduced new religious and political conflicts.

Religious Unrest and the Precursors to the Reformation

In the period leading up to the Reformation, there was increasing criticism of the Church and its abuses.
Figures such as Martin Luther, who initiated the Reformation in 1517 by nailing his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle church, were highly influential.
The Reformation, which split Western Christianity into Catholic and Protestant branches, was one of the most significant transformations of this period, dramatically reshaping Europe’s religious, political, social, and cultural landscapes.