Social Hierarchies During the Renaissance

Social hierarchies during the Renaissance

During the Middle Ages society was based on those who worked, those who fought and those who prayed (peasants, knights & nobles, clergy)

Race was used as a term to describe ethnic, religious or national groups

Black Africans had existed in Western Europe since the Romans (slaves)

Slaves were sought after for their “uniqueness” and to show wealth

By the 15th century sizable numbers were entering Europe and the number grew in the 16th century (exs. 4 – 5 thousand were sold to the Portuguese every year, 10 % of the population of Lisbon was black, Elizabeth I complained of too many “blackmoores”, Italians defied excommunication to acquire them)

Slaves served as different types of laborers but plantation economies did not emerge in Europe

The thought of Christianity could improve savage African showed the racism of the Europeans

Not a term used during the Renaissance but the idea of wealth creating orders emerged

The “third order” now included merchants who were growing in power

Nobles were ranked higher; so merchants married into poorer noble families or purchased titles of nobility

Levels of “honor” were held in different levels (ex. Executioner or manager of the brothel)

Sumptuary laws set the standards for certain types of clothes worn by different groups (ex. Merchants)

Gender

Gender was not a term used in the Renaissance

The “debate about women” started in the thirteenth century

Women considered devious, demanding Some defended women of virtue (ex. Christine de Pizan)

Prints of juxtaposed virtues and vices were popular

The virtuous wife was like a turtle or snail but the immoral wife was quite often exemplified

The debate over female rulers advising child kings arose in countries such as Spain, England, Scotland and France

Debate over social status and education versus gender

Rulers like Elizabeth I were successful

The “true man” was the head of the household (Unmarried men had less political power)

Women were either married or to be married

Women were not paid the same wages as men, they earned about ½ to 2/3rds of what men did

Gender was the most “natural” way to rank individuals and the most important to defend

Evolution of the Nation State

The High Middle Ages saw the origins of the institutions of the modern state

Turmoil from the Hundred Years war made it that no ruler could provide effective leadership

Beginning in the 15th century, rulers worked at curbing unrest and bring the populace under their authority

France

Charles VII led the recovery of France after the Plague and Hundred Years War

He reconciled the Burundians and the Armagnacs

By 1453, the English had been expelled form France except for Calais

Reorganized the royal council and gave extended power to lawyers and bankers

Taxes like the gabelle (salt) and the taille (land) strengthened finances

Created the first permanent army; paid archers and cavalry Louis XI used the militia to control nobles

Louis obtained Burgundy, Anjou, Bar, Maine and Provence

The marriage of Louis XII to Anne of Brittany added that western region

An agreement between Francis I and Pope Leo X (Concordat of Bologna) let Francis control the appointment of church officials in France for the pope receiving their first year’s income

England

Henry IV was unable to control the aristocracy

The War of the Roses (1455 – 1471) created disorder

Yorkist leaders starting with Edward IV created peace and restored royal prestige

Henry VII started the Tudor dynasty (1485 – 1509)

Avoidance of expensive wars meant that kings did not have to call on Parliament for taxes

Smaller landlords and urban residents were many of Henry’s chief advisers

The Court of Star Chamber dealt with aristocratic threats through torture and denial of juries or examination of evidence

A conglomerate of independent kingdoms

Even after the union of Ferdinand (Aragon) and Isabella (Castille) many kingdoms had their own cortes, laws, courts, coinage and taxation

High nobles were excluded from royal council

Could appoint bishops in Spain and in the colonies

With victory in Granada, the Moors (Muslims) were kicked out of Spain

Ferdinand conquered Navarre in the north

The Inquisition (1478) tried to convert Jews and others to Catholicism; New Christians were called conversos by the Spanish (200,000) Married their daughter Joanna to duke Philip (Holy Roman Empire)

Their son was Charles V

Daughter Catherine was married to Arthur son of Henry VII (England)