Economic and Political Organization of

Renaissance SocietyChapter 13

Euro Society in the Age of the Renaissance 1350 - 1550

Race◦ Ideas about race grew out of the notions of ethnic

purity and bloodlines (Ch. 12) ◦ Culture & blood together define what group one

belonged to Gens -People Natio – nation Race – interchangeable with above

Social not physical Dress not skin color Biological notions come later – 18thC

Social Hierarchies

Africa◦ Slaves arrive 1530s

Portuguese explorers 5000 sold each year 3% of Portugal's population

10% of city pop mixed-raced Black servants were highly desirable

Sign of wealth Many included black servants in their portraits

Objects of curiosity & entertainers Supplemented labor force

Little known of Africa and its people Relied on biblical texts & ancient account Color black associated with evil & sin – God light

Also associated with purity Monks wore black

Mourners – blessed by Christ

Social Hierarchies

Class◦ Developed from the work of 19thC theorists◦ Medieval – 3 orders/estates

Those who prayed – the clergy Those who fought – the nobility Those who did everything else – laborers & merchants

France – nobility was inherited (exempt from taxation)◦ Ren – new hierarchy based on wealth

Order & wealth intertwined Clergy & nobility highest status – regardless of wealth

Merchants – wealthy/powerful Wanted noble lifestyle

Marry into noble families Buy noble titles

Sumptuary laws Merchants (wealthier than many nobles) created restriction & visible

distinctions Entrance into privileged groups Access to town citizenship Dress and behavior codes

Social Hierarchy

◦ Sumptuary laws Latin – expenditure (dated back to the Romans) imposed by rulers

curb the expenditure of the people to control behavior ensure that a specific class structure was maintained.

The Medieval Feudal system - everyone knew their place! Clothing provided an immediate way of distinguishing 'Who was Who'!

provided information about the status of the person wearing them. dictated by the Pyramid of Power the ravages of the Black Death significantly reduced the population /changed

society dictated what color and type of clothing individuals were allowed to wear, easy and immediate way to identify rank and privilege.

Royalty were permitted to wear clothes trimmed with ermine. Lesser Nobles were allowed to wear clothing trimmed with fox and otter

Ren system continued these laws Restrictions & visible distinctions

Restricted entrance into privileged groups Restricted access to town citizenship Dress and behavior codes penalties for violating could be harsh - fines, the loss of property, title and even life

Social Hierarchy

Gender◦ The word “gender” not in use (20thC notion)

Women◦ Querelle des femmes – women’s nature/roles◦ Many books and broadsides about women

Roles Virtues & vices

Some writers described women Devious Scheming

Other writers described women Praised exemplary women for being like men

◦ Feared disruption of subordinate position - destabilize society Conflict – women rulers

Mary Elizabeth ! Isabella

Demonstrated masculine qualities Bravery Stamina Wisdom duty

Social Hierarchy

Origin of Political Institutions◦ Representative assemblies◦ Bureaucracies◦ Juries◦ Ren – changes in the monarchy

Applied ideas of pol. Thinkers Enforced their power & sovereignty

Tamed the nobles by reducing their political power Use of violence

Politics & the State

Change in the power of the nobles was enabled by changes in military technology. Artillery, the longbow, and early forms of the rifle, were all wielded by commoners, making knights less useful on the battlefield and their castles easily penetrable. Since monarchs no longer depended on the nobles to fight, the nobles lost their prestige, although they soon became the officer corps of the royal armies.

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France◦ Hundred Years’ War

Depopulated Econ. Devastated

◦ Recovery under Charles VII (crowned thru efforts by Joan of Arc) Brought dissident Burgundians into fold Gave middle class greater influence in the royal council Estab. two taxes as the main source of royal income

Salt Land

Asserted rights over the Fr. Church Confirmed the kings right to select bishops and abbots

◦ Louis XI (son of Charles VII) Focus on econ issues

Funded new industry Entered into commercial treaties with other states

Improved army Took control of Burgundy Stopped fur collar crime

Politics & the State

England◦ The Hundred Years War◦ Eng. Aristocracy broke into factions

War of Roses Created disorder & Econ. Woes Yorkist side initially defeated the Lancastrians

Restored strong monarchial rule Repressed the power of the nobility Kings

Edward IV Richard III Henry Tudor (Lancastrian) – Tudor dynasty

Politics & the State

Lancaster – York = Tutor

Richard III was the title character of Shakespeare’s play that repeated the accusation that Richard murdered the two sons of his brother. This remains a subject of debate. Josephine Tey’s The Daughter of Time is a modern mystery novel that exonerates Richard. Considering both sides of the debate is an excellent way to understand POV for DBQs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vqeZV8_3oQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4oHV8c_7so

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England cont.◦ Tudor Rule

Parliament’s power grew during the Hundred Years’ War Tudors maneuvered around their obligations to call Parliament Henry VII - Royal council

12 men mostly gentry (lower landowning class) & lawyers. Became the center of royal authority Star Chamber (offshoot)

Tried those accused of interfering with royal authority (usually aristocrats) Torture & secrecy used against the traditions estab. by the Magna

Carta & common law Tudors promoted prosperity

Justice of the Peace to run local government (usually landowners) Maintained order & pro-commerce prosperity

Cloth & shipbuilding industries Ireland peace – thru military action Scotland peace – thru marriage

Politics & the State

Spain◦ Two Large Kingdoms – Castille & Aragon

Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille Married – did not united kingdoms Shared foreign policy Jointly warred to defeat remaining Muslim kingdom –

Granada Restricted aristocracy thru hermandades (town councils)

Successful in repressing violence Disbanded in 1498

Restructured royal council Excluded magnates – replaced by middle-class lawyers

Used the church to dominate politics Appointed bishops of Spain & New World colonies Funded armies with income from church estates

Politics and the State

Spain cont.◦ Minorities

Jewish resentment grows Although Jews supported royal power – several brutal incidents Late 14thC many Jews converted after wave of violence

New Christian – conversos Some held high positions in the church, business, law, medicine & gov.

Highly influential Many were suspicious of the New Christians

1480 Inquisition to uncover those whose conversion was insincere Most coversos rejected such claims Torture was used to get confessions

1492 (also time of Muslim defeat) Jews expelled from Spain 150,000 Same treatment toward Muslims (however not expelled for another Century)

◦ Joanna (Ferdinand & Isabella’s child) married to Philip (Habsburg heir to Holy Roman Empire) Child of this marriage – Charles V His son Phillip II unified Portugal & Spain

Politics and the State

Hapsburgs

Common misconception is that the Inquisition tried and persecuted Jews. As an ecclesiastical court, it no authority over Jews or Muslims, only those who were members of the church. While most of the victims of the Inquisition were conversos, they were persecuted as Christians, not as Jews, although it was their Jewish origin that made them targets. The Inquisitors claimed & probably believed that they were protecting the accused’s immortal soul by forcing confession through torture. The loss of most of the Jewish & Muslim population of Spain deprived it of people with expertise in agriculture, business, and scholarship. This had harmful consequences for Spain.

AP Tip

http://spiritualmind.com/2009/07/inquisition-history-channel/

The Inquisition