Intellectual+West+and+Changing+World+Balance

Bilal Askari
 * INTELLECTUAL** of the World in 1450:


 * Map
 * They knew the Earth was spherical
 * No discovery of the Americas until Columbus’ voyage
 * This map led them to believe sailing west from Europe landed you in Japan or China
 * Columbus never knew he had found the Americas; he thought he was in Eastern Asia

Map of the world from 1489:


 * Wind Systems (Europeans used them to their advantage for travel)
 * Winds along the West African coast push back toward Western Europe and winds along the East African coast push back to the Southern tip of the continent
 * European travelers sailed against this wind because if they got lost, they could simply turn around and the wind would take them home
 * Columbus believed that there was a circular wind system in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean
 * He was right, and it was one of the biggest risks in history with a great pay-off
 * Inventions
 * The compass proved very useful in travel
 * The printing press made reading more accessible for everyone
 * Italian Renaissance
 * Rebirth of styles and themes of classical Greece and Rome
 * The Renaissance began because they were in the midst of a vital political and cultural movement
 * Religious art was still dominant
 * It caused more stress in arts and literature
 * Impact of Renaissance
 * Early renaissance little impact outside of Italy but the new cultural curves were an important innovation in world history
 * Wide range of Italian commerce and shipping made building blocks of European outreach
 * Led to exploration
 * General advancements and innovations in arts and culture