Example Exam Question

From the primary sources from the Persian Wars how would the history be different if Persia was won the Persian Wars?

Outline

            Introduction

A.    Thesis: If the Persians had won the Persian Wars, everything that the Greek philosophers in the Classical Age, like Aristotle, would have been lost.

Body 1

B.     “It were indeed a monstrous thing if, after conquering and enslaving the Sacae, the Indians, the Ethiopians, the Assyrians, and many other mighty nations, not for any wrong that they had done us, but only to increase our empire, we should then allow the Greeks, who have done us such wanton injury, to escape our vengeance.” "Ancient History Sourcebook: Herodotus: Xerxes Invades Greece, from The Histories." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 27 May 2010.http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/herodotus-xerxes.html.

1.      This quote shows that the Persians did not treat the countries they conquered with respect and the Persians had an animosity with the Greeks so Greece would not have been able to flourish under their control.

           Body 2

C.     “I undertake the war, and pledge myself not to rest till I have taken and burnt Athens, which has dared, unprovoked, to injure me and my father.” "Ancient History Sourcebook: Herodotus: Xerxes Invades Greece, from The Histories." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 27 May 2010.http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/herodotus-xerxes.html.

1.      This quote shows that the Persian’s would stop at nothing to destroy Greece, specifically Athens. With Greece and Athens destroyed the Classical Age would never have happened and great minds would never had their ideas exposed to the world.

Body 3

D.    "Once let us subdue this people, and those neighbors of theirs who hold the land of Pelops the Phrygian, and we shall extend the Persian territory as far as God's heaven reaches."

a) This quote shows that the Persians wanted to rule all of Europe and would have stopped at nothing to have complete power throughout Europe.

Conclusion

E.     The ruler of Persia would stop at nothing to try to control Europe and destroy his rivals, especially the Greeks. If the Greeks had not defeated the Persian army at Salamis, the world, Greece, and knowledge would be deeply affected because if there was no Greece, there were no famous philosophers. 

Florence Renaissance III

Florence 1501- Home of Italian Renaissance

Michaelangelo was a workaholic

Didn't take boots off for a long time so his skin came off with the boots

Michaelangelo was adopted in the Medici family

Exposed to a world of artistic achievement 

Civil war broke out in Florence

1504- Michaelangelo exposed his work to the outside world

Created a piece of Republican art http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_(Michelangelo)

Pope Julius II was from powerful family

DaVinci studied the human body

Greatest artist of the time but Michaelangelo was going to take over his title.

1512- Soldiers were coming towards Florence

Niccolo Machiavelli was consulted in by people of Florence 

After Julius, cardinals elected Giovanni

Giovanni di Lorenzo de Medici was born in Florence, second son of Lorenzo the magnificent

Poisoned by gold paint on his skin

Giovanni Medici rose high than any of his ancestors

Became Pope Leo X

Michaelangelo was forced to paint the Papal Chapel in the Vatican and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (above)

Michaelangelo had crafted brilliance, arguably the greatest work of art of the Renaissance

Machiavelli was exiled from Florence.

Conspirators were going to kill Pope Leo, but he found out and had them killed instead.

Pope Leo sold indulgences

Luther was outraged and wrote a book about how the indulgences should be damned

Leo was killed by a winter chill

Pope Clement VII became the pope

Sack of Rome was an attack by Charles V on Clement.

Pope Clement stood poised to attack Florence

Michaelangelo hid in the tombs that he built for the Medici.

Clement called Catherine de Medici a pearl

Clement capitalized on Catherine's survival and married her off to a French King

Clement was about to die so he told Michaelangelo to create a fresco in the Vatican. Symbolized the Last Judgement

Julio Medici died

The corrupt of the popes was over

How does Henry VIII maintain power while breaking away from the Catholic Church and destroying monasteries and churches?

Henry VIII was able to maintain power while he was breaking away from the Chruch because there were not many threats to his power. He had total control over England and there was not many people who could challange his authority. The separation from the Church was because of his wives were unable to give him the son he always wanted. He had been married to Catherine of Aragon for twenty years, she had been unable to produce a son, and he wanted to divorce her and marry Anne Boleyn. The Pope refused to grant Henry’s divorce, so he broke with the Catholic Church and started the Church of England. Henry then ordered the King’s Archbishop of Canterbury to perform the marriage.

Another reason for the break with the Church was that Henry needed money. He had spent a lot on wars with France, constructing buildings, forming England’s first real navy, and on his expensive lifestyle. Henry knew that the Church was very wealthy and owned a quarter of the land in England. By breaking from the Church he could obtain all of this land and money that the church was in possession of. The way Henry was able to keep his power during all of this was because he set up royal supremency that allowed him stay in power throughout his separation from the Roman Catholic Church.

"Henry VIII." Brittania History. Britannia.com, 2007. Web. 12 May 2010. (http://www.britannia.com/history/monarchs/mon41.html).


"The Six Wives of Henry VIII." PBS.org. Educational Broadcasting Corporation, 2003. Web. 11 May 2010. (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/sixwives/portrait/power.html).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Henry-VIII-kingofengland_1491-1547.jpg

Article

Monarchy vs. Democracy

     The new idea about how government should be and is looked up to is democracy. It is the ideal government in today’s world because it is effective, balanced, and fair. In the medieval world, this was a novel concept and almost barely used. The ideal government in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries was the monarchy. In a monarchy, all power was put into the hands of central leader, or monarch, who had absolute or all political control of his monarchy. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy) The monarchy was the most popular and preferred government compared to today’s democracy, but which is more effective? The democracy is preferred today for its well structured system and balance between branches of the government where all parties have their opinions considered, and that is why democracy is more effective than monarchy.

     The Constitution of the United States is the primary example of democracy. The power of the U.S. government is spread out within three branches: The Executive Branch, Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch. These three branches are governed by checks and balances so no branch can become too powerful. Article II Section I of the United States Constitution explains the way senators, the president, and vice president are governed:

“The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows: Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.” (http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html)

        In Article II Section II the role of the President in explain in more detail regarding the appointment of other officials:

“The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.” (http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html)

         The idea of a central leader stayed constant from monarchy to democracy, but in democracy the central leader’s power is kept in balance through the other branches of government and that is why it is the preferred and most balanced way of government today. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy)

        The medieval monarchies were very different. All or most power was put into the hands of a single ruler until death. Unlike in democracy where the leaders are elected by the public, the monarch was hereditary, passed on from generation to generation. The king had the power to do whatever he wanted without the permit of the public or other leaders. The monarch had full control and these monarchs had no checks to their power. Many of these monarchs abused their power instating laws that would never be allowed in the world today. The Treasons Act was written in 1571 protecting Queen Elizabeth I from criticism, which does not allow people to speak freely about how they feel. This act states, “An act whereby certaine offences be made treason....Be it enacted, declared, and established...that, if any person or persons whatsoever, at any time after the last day of June next coming during the natural life of our most gracious sovereign lady, Queen Elizabeth..., shall, within the realm or without, compass, imagine, invent, devise, or intend the death or destruction, or any bodily harm tending to death, destruction, maim, or wounding of the royal person of the same our sovereign lady, Queen Elizabeth.” (http://www.gunpowder-plot.org/archives/eliz2.htm). This Act would never be allowed in today’s world because of the freedom of speech given to everyone.

         The problem with monarchies is not that they did not accomplish anything, but that it was unfair to the people which caused people to revolt and fight against the government. This friction and inequality between the people and government would have slowed down everything in the monarchy, making it less effective. Democracy is not without its own problems, but as compared to the medieval monarchs it is more effective because of the balance involved because every class of citizen is considered, from working class to senator.



Works Cited

"Democracy." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 14 May 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy.

"Elizabeth I - Treasons Act, 1571." The Gunpowder Plot Society. Web. 14 May 2010. http://www.gunpowder-plot.org/archives/eliz2.htm.

"Monarchy." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 14 May 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy.

"Transcript of the Constitution of the United States - Official." National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 14 May 2010. http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html.

Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Constitution_Pg1of4_AC.jpg

Germany/Martin Luther

• Germany was in a dark place filled with disease and poverty
• The people had hope found in the Church and the promise of heaven
• the church was corrupt though
• Martin Luther stirred Europe into a rebellion against the church
• Martin Luther came from humble origins
• He grew up in a small town in Northern Germany where the Church was the most important thing in peoples' lives
• The Church taught that if you obeyed its rules then you would be taken to heaven when you died
• Luther's father had very high expectations of his son
• The fear of punishment drove him for the rest of their lives
• Luther worked very hard and was committed to his studies and was on his way to becoming a lawyer which is what his father always wanted
• Then just before he became the lawyer his father wanted the Black Death hit
• 3 of his closest friends were killed by the disease
• This show of what he believed was God's wrath was a major turning point in his life
• One night when he got stuck in a thunderstorm he prayed to God and he vowed to become a monk if he survived
• Luther joined one of the strictest monasteries in Europe.
• Luther was a very dedicated monk
• In later years he said that being a monk had severely hurt his health because of how extreme he was in the monastery
• Luther was concerned that he would never please God and never get to heaven
• He had a feeling of hopelessness that he would never receive salvation
• He went to Rome on a pilgrimage to Rome
• In October of 1510 they arrived in Rome
• When he got to Rome it was in the height of the Renaissance
• When he was in Rome he was disappointed in the Church
• The Church was also taking profits from the members
• The Church was selling people indulgences which took time off of purgatory
• because of how disappointed he was in the Church he questioned his faith for the first time in his life
• being a monk became awful for Martin Luther
• One day a man offered him to be the head of Biblical studies at the new university in Yittenburg

Scotland 14th to 16th century

The fourteenth, fifthteenth, and sixteenth centuries were important years for Scotland. Robert I became king of Scotland in 1306. Robert I battled to win Scottish Independence as King for over 20 years, beginning by winning Scotland back from the English invaders slowly. The Scottish people had their great victory and won their freedom when they defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn. Fourteen years later they wrote their declaration of independence called The Declaration of Arbroath. The Declaration of Arbroath was the first documented declaration of independence in history. The Declaration of Arbroath ends with:

"To conclude, we are and shall ever be, as far as duty calls us, ready to do your will in all things, as obedient sons to you as His Vicar; and to Him as the Supreme King and Judge we commit the maintenance of our cause, csating our cares upon Him and firmly trusting that He will inspire us with courage and bring our enemies to nought."

War with England continued for several decades. The Stuart Dynasty was established when Robert II came to the throne. The Stuarts ruled Scotland for the remainder of the Middle Ages.


Sources:

"Scotland." Wikipedia. Web. 13 May 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland#Medieval_period.

"The Declaration of Arbroath (English Translation)." Web. 13 May 2010. http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/scotland/arbroath_english.html.

Leonardo De Vinci Writing

Summarize how Elizabeth rises to the throne -- from her birth to her coronation

Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. When Anne wasn't able to have a son he divorced her and declared Elizabeth a bastard. She was sent to live away from Henry and his new wife with her sister Mary. Elizabeth grew up not well liked which helped her later on in her life. When her father finally had the son he wanted she and her brother, Edward, grew close. Elizabeth received schooling as if she was a boy and she became very smart. Edward became King when her Father died. When Edward died her sister Mary became the Queen. Mary reigned until her her death in 1558. Elizabeth then became the Queen of England because Mary had no children to be her heir after her death. Elizabeth was a great Queen for England because of her fierce personality shown when she said this, "I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart of a king, and of a king of England, too; and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realms: to which, rather than any dishonor should grow by me, I myself will take up arms; I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field."(http://historymedren.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/elizabeth.htm)

Works Cited


"About.com: Http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/elizabeth.htm)." Medieval History - Life in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Web. 12 May 2010. http://historymedren.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/elizabeth.htm).

"Elizabeth I of England." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 12 May 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_I_of_England.

"File:Elizabeth I. Procession Portrait (detail).jpg." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 12 May 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_I._Procession_portrait_(detail).jpg.

Florence Renaissance Part II

• By the mid 15th century the Medici family was th absolute leaders of Florence
• The Medici family was in danger because of rival families trying to take their position in power
• The two hiers to the Medici leadership, Lorenzo and his brother
• When the Medici family was on their way home from a country retreat assassins were going to attempt to assassinate Lorenzo's father
• Lorenzo saved him and the Medici family stayed in power
• the people in Florence were envious of the Medici though
• They needed allies outside of Flroence to ensure that they could be safe
• When Lorenzo got married they made sure he married a military man's daughter who was also the neice of a cardinal so she brought lots of connections
• Florence had become the center for art and many of the artists competed for the next great work of art
• The Medici family were funding a new artist who would later define the Renaissance
• This artist was Botechelli
• His painting contained all the members and the friends of the Medici family
• when Lorenzo's father died he became the new leader of Florence like his father and grandfather
• Lorenzo took to his new role with ease and he allowed the common people to come to his house
• Lorenzo knowns that he needs to also have favor with the poor people of Florence
• Lorenzo by offering favors and having a large circle of friends became a semi dictator because he could do anything he wanted
• The Medici had a magnificent chapel in the middle of their house to show their power and money to those who entered
• Lorenzo grew up as a scholar
• Lorenzo brought lots of art and other activities to Florence
• Botticelli created a new kind of art, La Primavera- The spring
• La Primavera was pure fantasy that was fueled by imagination
• Medici allowed Botticelli to make his art about things not even Christian, like pagan beliefs
• In La Primavera is showed Venus the ancient goddess of beauty
• The Patsi family were the second richest family in Florence
• they had the advantage of the Medici because they had a longer strand of royalty in their past
• The Patsi family made a plan to kill both of the Medici brothers so they could take control of Florence
• As the rumors of the conspiracy spread a new plan was hatched
• In the late 14th century on Easter Sunday the Medici family and all the other people of Florence went to Mass in the Florence Cathedral
• At this mass, the conspirators made their attempt to assassinate the Medici brothers becuase they were both there
• Juliano Medici was stabbed to death at the Church but Lorenzo lived
• Lorenzo was wounded and he showed himself to the crowd to show the people they are still there
• In doing this the Medici family stayed in power
• The supports of the Medici family took revenge on the conspirators
• With the death of Juliano the Medici power held on by a thread
• Lorenzo found out that the Pope himself ordered for the rest of the Medici family
• Lorenzo decided he had to repair relationships with his enemies in the South to save hmself and his family
• He goes to the South and a deal of peace is brought between them
• The Pope was very unhappy about this
• Lorenzo was hailed by his city and called EL Magnifico, The Maginificent
• Lorenzo adopted his brother's son so the Medici family could have more hiers
• Lorenzo funded a new artist named Leonardo De Vinci
• Leonardo was determined to bring the real world into his art
• In the battle for Medici patronage Botticelli brought his new style to new extremes
• He painted The Birth of Venus and it ws unlike any other painting at that time
• One monk believed that the Medici family was leading Florence in the wrong direction
• His disgust with the new paintings of not religious paintings became an obsession
• He turned his hate all towards Lorenzobecause he believed he was the source of all sin in Italy
• On July 29 1487, Lorenzo's wife died of TB
• In 1488 Lorenzo established the first art school ever
• At this school he found a new artist that was working with marble for the first time
• This artist was Michelangelo
• He took him under his wing when he was only 13
• He decided to bring Michelangelo into the Medici family along with his 7 other children
• The people of Florence were split down the middle between the people who wanted a higher sciety with art and people who believe dthat people were straying too far from religion
• Lorenzo had lost some control of his buisness and lost a fortune
• in 1492 Lorenzo fell very ill
• Lorenzo turned to the Church
• One of his sons was already a cardinal at 16
• Lorenzo knew he was dying and he needed something he couldnt buy
• He called the monk who had formed a hate against Lorenzo to his death bed to seek absolution
• The monk did not forgive Lorenzo but he damned him
• At 43, Lorenzo died, fearing Hell to his last death
• Boticelli was so shaken by the changing world that he turned to Christianity
• This changed showed in his paintings
• Under the control of the monk Sevonorola the pople turned wildly Christian
• Protistutes were beaten and homosexuals were burned
• He was trying to bring the kingdom of God to Earth
• He made all the people burn naything that came from Lorenzo's Renaissance
• This burning was called the bonfire of the Vanities
• Florence had fallen from how light it was during the Renaissance and was becoming more of a hell

How is the art of the Northern Renaissance different from the art of the the Italian and Spanish Renaissance? Think about the influence of religion and politics in art.

The art of the Northern Renaissance differed from the art of the Italian Renaissance in several ways. The Italian Renaissance has more of a focus on secular ideas, when the Northern Renaissance focused on religious ideas leading to the Protestant Reformation.

In Italy, the merchants, like the Medici family, were becoming very rich and powerful, and they were the patrons of the artists who made the greats works of art. Since they were determining which works of art were made, they wanted a more human style, paintings, and sculptures took on a common and natural feel. While the Italian artists painted religious scenes, they used ancient mythology as well.

However, the Northerners wanted to expand their Christian beliefs and understanding. They felt that the Italians’ focus had gone too far astray from Christian values that hey honored and the Northern Renaissance was more concerned with religious reform. This focus showed in the their art. The nobility were still the leading power in the North and they wantd their art to contain more theological views to decorate their palaces with. Most of the works were oils on wood due to the climate and materials available in the Northern area.

Esaak, Shelley. "The Renaissance in Northern Europe - Art History 101 Basics." About.com. The New York Times Company, 2010. Web. 5 May 2010. (http://arthistory.about.com/cs/arthistory10one/a/north_ren.htm).

Navarette, Yasser. "Renaissance." Ap History Online. 2008. Web. 5 May 2010. (http://ap_history_online.tripod.com/apeh2.htm).

Article 11

Is Exploration a Good Thing?


Exploration… good or bad, not only geographical exploration but internal exploration through the arts as well. Exploration has always played a monumental role in the history of the world, from the discovery of America to the internal exploration of the arts in the Renaissance; exploration was and still is very important. Without exploration many of the things we have in the world today would not be around today. The inspirations and revolutions found through exploration have come to change the world for the better.

The geographical exploration around the world has greatly benefitted the worl. One of the greatest geographical explorations was when Christopher Columbus discovered America on his journey. If not for this exploration of the world the world would have been much different then today. Throughout Columbus’ journey he wrote many logs and this one in October talks about a couple days before they found land: “Thursday, 11 October. Steered west-southwest; and encountered a heavier sea than they had met with before in the whole voyage. Saw pardelas and a green rush near the vessel. The crew of the Pinta saw a cane and a log; they also picked up a stick which appeared to have been carved with an iron tool, a piece of cane, a plant which grows on land, and a board. The crew of the Nina saw other signs of land, and a stalk loaded with rose berries. These signs encouraged them, and they all grew cheerful.” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/columbus1.html) Columbus’ journey revolutionized the world and was a major event in the world’s history. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus)  

During the Renaissance, a different kind of exploration happened. Thid exploration was internal exploration. This exploration led to new advancements in the arts. The Medici family brought about most of this change through their influence in the Renaissance in Florence. One of the most influential people of the Medici family was Lorenzo de Medici, also called Lorenzo the Magnificent. He had lots of influence on the arts in Florence by sponsoring artists like Leonardo De Vinci and Michelangelo. Lorenzo also took an interest of all aspects of art like music architecture and poetry all throughout Florence. “Lorenzo took the greatest delight in architecture, music and poetry; and many of his own poetic compositions, enriched with commentaries, appeared in print. And for the purpose of enabling the Florentine youths to devote themselves to the study of letters, he established a university in the city of Pisa, where he employed the most eminent men of all Italy as professors. He built a monastery for Fra Mariano da Chianozzona, of the order of St Augustine, who was a most admirable pulpit orator. And thus, beloved of God and fortune, all his enterprises were crowned with success, whilst those of his enemies had the opposite fate.” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/machiavelli-histflo-lorenzo.html) The Renaissance in Florence brought primarily from the Medici family explored the arts and had many internal revelations through this different kind of exploration. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenzo_de%27_Medici)  

Without all the exploration that has happened throughout history, how would the world be? Would there even be the U.S.A? Would all of the great ideas and art that came out of the Renaissance would have become a reality? Luckily the great minds throughout history have dug deeper within themselves and explored what others had never before and brought great changes to the world. The physical and internal exploration that has taken place throughout history has greatly affected the world for the better and exploration will continue to help the world for the rest of time.

Works Cited

"Christopher Columbus." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 08 May 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus.

"Lorenzo De' Medici." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 08 May 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenzo_de%27_Medici.

 

"Medieval Sourcebook: Christopher Columbus: Extracts from Journal." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 08 May 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/columbus1.html.

"Medieval Sourcebook: Niccolò Machiavelli: History of Florence: Lorence De' Medici." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 08 May 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/machiavelli-histflo-lorenzo.html.

Explain how the Medici encouraged "exploration". Why did they do it?

The Medici family encouraged not physical, geographical exploration, but the exploration in peoples' minds. They did this through many ways and it all started with their money and power in Florence. Giovanni Medici was the first of the Medici family to come to power in Florence after getting a new Pope elected who then returned the favor by making the Medici Bank the bank of the Vatican. Through this backing of the Church, the Medici family had achieved great amounts of money, power, and respect. When Giovanni died, his son, Cosimo Medici, filled his shoes in Florence. Cosimo was the Medici who brought about much of the internal exploration. One way he did this was by sponsoring upcoming artists like Botticelli. This funding of their works made the known and then that led to a new rise of art in Italy. Later on, Lorenzo Medici funded many other artists that revolutionized art like Leonardo De Vinci and Michelangelo which led to new explorations in the art all over Europe. Another part of 'exploration' that the Medici brought to Florence was when Cosimo funeded Brunelleschi to build the great dome on the Cathedral of Florence, which in a way way like re-exploring ancient architecture.

The Medici family did all of these thing to make themselves well known and they saw the potential in these brilliant artists. By funding all of these changes they left their mark on history forever by being the Godfathers of the Renaissance.

Works Cited

"House of Medici." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 May 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Medici_family.

Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Medici.svg

Should we be trying to contact life on other planets?

I do not think we should be trying to contact life on other planets. I do not think so because i agree with Stephen Hawking. I believe that if we contact life on other plants then we will not like what we find because they are likely unfriendly and will use our planet. The life outside of Earth is probably more advanced than us. If we were ever to "invite" aliens we should learn more about them first and make the necessary precautions to ensure that if they are not friendly we can get rid of them. Like Stephen Hawking said life outside of Earth is probably not the E.T. aliens that we imagine them to be.

Works Cited

Memmott, Mark. "Don't Tell The Aliens We're Here, Stephen Hawking Says; They Might Not Be Friendly - The Two-Way - Breaking News, Analysis Blog : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. Web. 06 May 2010. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/04/aliens_stephen_hawking.html.

Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ET_Moon.jpg

Italian Renaissance Video

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosimo_de%27_Medici

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelangelo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_De_Vinci

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo

• some men broke into churches to steal articles from the ancient world.
•  The men took the knowledge back to Florence, Italy which was the place to be in the 14th and 15th centuries
• A boy named Cosimo de Medici lived there and he and his family were very ambitious to make their name known
• In the medieval world there was a chain of friends that started with someone being someone's client and then they would protect each other and each other's friends
• The Medici family had funded a man all the way to become the pope when there was a struggle for power and then when he became the pope he remembered the Medici's and they because very powerful and rich.
• A man name Filipo Brunelleschi built a famous dome for a cathedral for the Medici's
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medici_porcelain
• His style had not been done since ancient Rome and his ideas started an architectural revolution across Europe.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filipo_Brunelleschi
• Brunelleschi had many challenges to overcome
• Brunelleschi had an ingenious idea to build a dome inside the larger dome to support it
• The dome inside was made of sandstone rings 
• Cosimo's father died, Giovanni, and Cosimo lost his mentor and guide
• there was a struggle for power between the Medici's and other families
• The Medici family lost lots of power and control so Cosimo sent his family and lots of money away with them
• Cosimo was accused of betraying the city and a vote was taken to decide his fate
• Cosimo was found guilty
• He was sentenced to be executed but he had friends of the inside
• Brunelleschi was even jailed
• he made a deal to pay his jailers to be freed
• He walked away but a new family, the Albetizi family, was in control
• Florence was not the same without the Medici family because their bank had funded most of the activities in the city
• No friend of Cosimo was safe with the Albetzi in charge
• Cosimo had many powerful friends and he eventually came back into power
• the people who betrayed him were punished when he came back into power
• Brunelleschi was freed and he went to finish his work
• He and the pope worked out deals and they collected money from every parish in Europe.
• The Medici bank was the most profitable business in Europe
• he became the most sought after patron in Florence which led to many new artists being funded by him.
• Cosimo funded lots of artists and their works became well known
• in 1434 Brunelleschi invented a new form of art
• He invented perspective
• This was revolutionary because no other artist had done that before.
• Brunelleschi finished his massive dome and it was the greatest architectural feet in the western world
• Cosimo had the Pope consecrated that church himself
• Cosimo used his triumph to have the Council of Florence
• The council brought the best artists, clergy, nobles, and merchants to Florence
• The guests were amazed by all the art in his council
• The people of Florence named him the Father of the Fatherland
• When he died the people wondered who would fill his shoes and be the father of the Renaissance
• The Medici family was so powerful because when they got the man elected to be a pop he made the Medici bank the bank of the Vatican which was the most powerful institution in Southern Europe.
• Giovanni de Medici was Cosimo's father and he was the one who started the bank and got the Pope elected
• Cosimo was the one built the great dome in Florence
• The Medici name is now forever tied to the Medici family so their legacy lives of today

Article 10

What do you think?

The thoughts and actions of people are the characteristics that define their lives, but what drives these thoughts? The basis of a person’s thoughts are derived from what they know, whether it what is right or wrong, fair and unfair, the basic outlook on other people. The thoughts of someone who was born and raised as a peasant will be drastically different than a person from a noble family. In the middle ages, the social classes had very drastic differences which to the animosity between these classes and in some cases led to the revolt of social classes against each other. The thoughts of people are dramatically affected by the social class they are in.

The views on the roles and rights in society and government had a large difference between people in different social classes. A peasant, or serf, had no political rights or any say in what happened to them in their lives. They were bound to the land they farmed and there was very little hope for them. A serfs idea of what was fair was very different to that of a knight in that a knight may think that it is for them to have slaves work the land and a serf would believe that he has the God given right to his own freedom and that no one can take that from him. The height of the serf’s injustices incarnated itself in the Baron’s Revolt in 1214-1215. Although the revolt was unsuccessful for the serfs, it gave inspiration to future generations to do the same and stand up for what they believe in. (http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Ac_ADRi5NNLsZGNmMjN6ZmdfMTI3czI3eHc2aGs&hl=en_) .Being a serf in the Middle Ages meant being judged before known, belittle based on what family you came from, and considered to have no right to make their views known to others and no say in their own destiny.

The word knight “was a term used to refer to a nobleman or warrior.” Being a knight became a sign of nobility and social status in the Middle Ages as it became more expensive to be equipped for fighting on horseback. Eventually the word “knight” became a formal title. A knight may think like a warrior, always be ready for battle, want to fight, and have a strong sense of what they believe in. A knight would also have a sense that he is above a serf so then the idea that serfs had no rights in the government would seem appropriate to a knight when other social classes would not agree with. Knights protected the lord’s lands from opposing forces and fought in the lord’s battles against other kingdoms, so they have a heightened sense of protective instincts and caution and think about how they can defend, fight, and protect, not only their lands but their family, friends, and lands. Their thoughts would be very different than those of people in other classes. (http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/middleages/knighthood.html)  

Another major social class in the middle ages that would have had very different thoughts from other social classes was the clergy. The clergy’s thoughts were less self centered towards themselves and put more towards other people and God. A passage from the books written by the Benedictine monks show some of the thoughts of the clergy,

 “Let us arise, then, at last,
for the Scripture stirs us up, saying,
"Now is the hour for us to rise from sleep" (Rom. 13:11).
Let us open our eyes to the deifying light,
let us hear with attentive ears
the warning which the divine voice cries daily to us,
"Today if you hear His voice,
harden not your hearts" (Ps. 94[95]:8).

(http://www.osb.org/rb/show.asp?mode=today)

That passage shows their devotion to God above all else and how they want to share this message with others, and that is how their thoughts would greatly differ from other people because of even if other people were religious a monk or member of the clergy would have a much greater devotion to God than others.

What people think has changed over time with new technology, culture, and government, but no one will ever think the exact same thing as someone else. The thoughts between social classes have changed over time but they still greatly differ on some of the most important topics in the world today just as they did in the Middle Ages.

Works Cited


"Chaucer's Canterbury Tales ~ Presented by ELF." Chaucer's Canterbury Tales ~ Presented by The Electronic Literature Foundation. Web. 03 May 2010. http://canterburytales.org/canterbury_tales.html.

"Daily Reading from the Rule of Saint Benedict: Text, English. OSB." The Order of Saint Benedict (OSB). Index. Information about Monastic Benedictines, Men and Women, and the Rule of Benedict. Oblates, Monks, Sisters, Nuns and Brothers in Abbeys, Monasteries and Priories Worldwide. Web. 03 May 2010. http://www.osb.org/rb/show.asp?mode=today.

"Knighthood." Web. 03 May 2010. http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/middleages/knighthood.html.

"The Peasant's Realm." Web. 03 May 2010. http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/middleages/peasant.html.

"Summary of Events Timeline - Google Docs." Welcome to Google Docs. Web. 03 May 2010. .