Business and PoliticsBy: Liam, Brandi, Mike D., Odera

Milan

• Francesco Sforza

• Conquered Milan and became the

new duke

• He became leader of a band of

mercenaries

• Visconti and Sforza built a strong

centralized state by creating an

efficient tax system

• Doge

• Small group of merchants- aristocrats

• Became wealthy through trading

• Ran the government on behalf of their own

interests

Venice

Florence

• Cosimo de' Medici

• Took control of Florence

• Florence was the banking

center of Italy

• Controlled the government

using their wealth and personal

influence

• Lorenzo de' Medici

• Dominated Florence when it

was a cultural center of Italy

Economy

• Florence experienced an economic decline

during the late 1400s

• Its economy was experienced on the

manufacturing of cloth

• The increasing competition from English and

Flemish cloth makers brought down the

profits

Banks• Florence started to become a wealthy city in spite of its inland location away from trade routes

• Family fortunes were made in Florence in banking and industry

• In the 14th century, Florence became the banking center of Italy

• The Medici bank began opening branches in major cities of Europe during the 15th century

• The banks loaned money, operated mines, mills, and other commercial activities

• The Medici bank gained huge profits and used those profits to finance cultural and political activities

• The Medici family grew rich from banking

Banks

Trade

• As cities grew and prospered during the Renaissance, the rulers learned to tax the people

• Trade started to increase between other states and countries

• The trade in goods started to increase as well as the trade in ideas

• The easiest way to trade goods was by using rivers

Taxes

• As a result of outside invasions declining after the collapse of the Roman Empire, rulers started to consolidate their power and concentrate on self preservation

• That made it easier to accumulate wealth, and industry continued to grow

• The cities started to grow rapidly as the majority of people started to shift from agricultural life to city life because the jobs were more plentiful

• Because of the increase in the number of people, the taxes started to increase which meant there was more wealth to fund the expansion coming ahead

Religion

• Religion started to be removed from politics because people saw the progress in culture as a natural event that did not relate to religion itself

• Machiavelli said how the government and the process of running the government should be based on science and not religion

• The debate on whether or not government and other factors should be based on religion started to occur during the Renaissance