Europe during the 15th and 16th century - 2

The Reconquista in Spanish history was very important in shaping Spanish attitudes. Spaniards slowly took back their land. The fall of Granada in 1492 was psychologically important since it meant that Spain was under Christian rule again.

Most of Europe lived under the feudal system and was controlled by the Church. In Europe at that time, it was believed that only the lands and seas within the known boundaries of the world were inhabited by civilized peoples and protected by a supernatural or Divine Grace. All else was considered as lying within the realm of the unkown, as being "beyond the waters," and therefore dangerous, evil, and uninhabitable.

The society was stratified into levels of special stature. Somewhat of a cast system. Bishops and Religous Leaders reigned some of the provinces and Kings, Earls and Dukes reigned others. They were on the top and the peasants and serfs were on the bottom. The difference in the standard of living between the upper and lower classes was huge beyond compare. Serfs had no rights and were used as cheap labor. Nobility had the right to rape any woman of lower birth as they pleased. The taxes were so burdensome that some communities died of starvation, while the nobility built castles laden with gold, silver, and fine tapestries, carpets.

Serfs lived in huts without proper heat and nobility lived in castles with a large staff of courtiers. Since Medieval Europe had just suffered the devastation of famine, war, and the plague, which killed nearly a third of the entire population and wreaked havoc on the economy, the nobles tried hard to keep their standard of living grand through imperialist occupations of foreign lands.

Martin Behaim (1459-1537) was a German mapmaker, navigator, and merchant. Behaim made the earliest globe, called the "Nürnberg Terrestrial Globe". It was made during the years 1490-1492; the painter Georg Glockendon helped in the project. Behaim had previously sailed to Portugal as a merchant (in 1480). He had advised King John II on matters concerning navigation.

He accompanied the Portuguese explorer Diogo Cam (Cão) on a 1485-1486 voyage to the coast of West Africa; during this trip, the mouth of the Congo River was discovered. In 1490, Behaim began construction of his globe. The world went through a period of great inventions.

One of the most notable ones was Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) an Italian inventor, artist, and scientist. Da Vinci had an interest in engineering and even made detailed sketches of an airplane, a helicopter (and other flying machines), a parachute, and a submarine, armored car, the ballista (a giant crossbow), Next