Leonardo da Vinci (15 April 1452 – 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor and architect. He is best known for painting the Mona Lisa, created in 1517. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN2pPhpAxXk&t=11s People Who Changed the World
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What Machiavellian Really Means
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUlGtrHCGzs&t=25s Ted-ed: "From Shakespeare’s plays to modern TV dramas, the unscrupulous schemer for whom the ends always justify the means has become a familiar character type we love to hate. For centuries, we’ve had a single word to describe such characters: Machiavellian. But is it possible that we’ve been using that word wrong this whole … Continue reading What Machiavellian Really Means
Sir Thomas More, Man of Conscience and Principle, Rebelled Against King Henry VIII’s Ban on Catholicism
In the 1950s and 1960s, A Man for All Seasons, a play and movie, helped to diminish anti-Catholic bias in American society by telling the story of Sir Thomas More (1478 – 1535), an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist who also served as English King Henry VIII's chancellor. He is … Continue reading Sir Thomas More, Man of Conscience and Principle, Rebelled Against King Henry VIII’s Ban on Catholicism
Medici, Italian Renaissance’s Banking Family, Produced Four Popes and Two Queens of France
Traditional accounts of the Italian Renaissance portray the Borjias as corrupt and evil religious leaders, and the Medici as heroic financiers and philanthropists of stunningly beautiful art and architecture as well as fair-minded popes. I've already pointed out the reasons that popular portrayals of the Borjias, particularly the popular TV series, exaggerate their deviance. Two … Continue reading Medici, Italian Renaissance’s Banking Family, Produced Four Popes and Two Queens of France
Anne Boleyn Was Lied About, Executed on False Charges, But Mothered England’s Most Powerful Queen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7-1lXLdNAI Anne Boleyn (1501-1536) was the second wife of Henry VIII who became queen in her own right. She served only three years, then became the first queen in English history to be executed -- beheaded by Thomas Cromwell (who was later himself beheaded as a traitor and a heretic). Anne was the second of … Continue reading Anne Boleyn Was Lied About, Executed on False Charges, But Mothered England’s Most Powerful Queen
Assessing Martin Luther’s Impact, 500 Years Later
In the Crash Course World History video above, John Green teaches you about the Protestant Reformation. "Prior to the Protestant Reformation, pretty much everyone in Europe was a Roman Catholic. Not to get all great man, but Martin Luther changed all that. Martin Luther didn't like the corruption he saw in the church, especially the … Continue reading Assessing Martin Luther’s Impact, 500 Years Later
Spanish Empire’s Influence on China, the Americas: Does American History Begin With Doctrine of Discovery and Spanish Requirement of 1513?
John Green started his US History Crash Course with the Spanish colonization of the 1500s and early 1600s. Transcript.He challenges the assumption of linear progression in history, and notes that environmental degradation has often caused the decline of civilizations. He points out that most native Americans organized as tribes, a trend I also noticed in … Continue reading Spanish Empire’s Influence on China, the Americas: Does American History Begin With Doctrine of Discovery and Spanish Requirement of 1513?
If Printing Press Was Invented 100 Years Sooner, Would It Have Sparked Protestant Reformation, Age of Enlightenment Sooner?
German Cleric Martin Luther, in the early 16th century, is credited with "lighting the match" that started the Protestant Reformation. When he posted his 95 Theses, or complaints against the Roman Catholic Church, on a church door in Wittenberg, Germany that encouraged many other Europeans to complain about corruption in the church, to do so … Continue reading If Printing Press Was Invented 100 Years Sooner, Would It Have Sparked Protestant Reformation, Age of Enlightenment Sooner?
What If…Protestant Reformation Never Happened?
Most scholars believe the Protestant Reformation that began in 1517 with Martin Luther's publication of 95 Thesis, and ensuing religious wars over 100 years in Europe were inevitable, reflective of a medieval mindset of absolutism, authoritarianism, intolerance, and zealous belief that religious authority holds the one and only truth. The Protestant Reformation and the Catholic … Continue reading What If…Protestant Reformation Never Happened?
Teaching History's Slender Threads, Including 'What Ifs', Almosts, Alternatives and Turning Points 