Italian Renaissance Causes

There are multiple causes of the Italian Renaissance, both long term and proximate. The Crusades causing the renewal of trade were long term causes of the Renaissance. These increased the population and flow of people through Italy. The amount of influence the church held and the Bubonic Plague were more short term, as the church influenced the education system and lost control of politics, causing the change in direction of the common person’s concern as well as the Bubonic Plague causing people to leave their homes. The Crusades and increase in trade were long term causes of the Italian Renaissance. The Crusades were a series of wars waged upon the Muslim community that had control over Jerusalem. The Christian community wanted Jerusalem

As more and more attacks were waged, the goal of gaining control of the Holy Land was forgotten. Soon the Crusades were more about pillaging cities. Along with the warriors that went on Crusades were merchants hoping to increase trade. The armies and merchants would go through Italy to get to their destination, trading there and turning Italy into a sort of middle man. If a merchant from Europe wanted goods from Asia, a merchant in Italy would trade with a merchant in Asia and then again with a merchant from Europe. Europeans and Asians liked this because it meant they didn’t need to go quite as far to get what they wanted. Italians liked it because they were able to put taxes on the trade going through Italy. The Crusades caused an increase in trade and wealth, leading to the patronizing of the arts and contributing to the Renaissance. More proximate causes were the Bubonic Plague and the amount of influence the church held. With the increased trade that came from the Crusades came more cultural diffusion. The more trade there was, the more interactions there were between differing cultures and peoples. With increase of trade came an increase of disease pathogen diffusion as well. The

Trade increased during and after the Crusades due to paths being made from Europe to Asia. Trade increased during the late 1400’s due to new trade routes being forged over seas. Merchants could now sail from Europe to India as well as the Americas. New trade companies were created and the economy boomed. But in both cases disease was also spread. From the trade increase during the Crusades came the spread of the Bubonic Plague from China; the trade increase during the late 1400’s and early 1500’s brought new diseases to the Americas from Eurasia. In both cases many people were killed due to a pathogen being spread from immune people to nonimmune peoples during trade. Therefore, the increase in trade from the Crusades can be compared to the increase in trade from exploration voyages during the late 1400’s and early 1500’s. In conclusion, there were many causes of the Italian Renaissance. Some were long term while others were more direct and short term. Examples of these causes would be the Crusades, an increase in trade, the Bubonic Plague, and the decrease in the church’s control. All of these events made the Italian Renaissance possible and contributed to it happening when it