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Renaissance itself is undoubtedly the main focus of the Renaissance Era, however in my opinion when one studies a certain event in the history, he should also take the other events happening during that period into account, and this idea perfecly applies for the Renaissance. In that regard, it is vital to note that another major event taking place during the Renaissance Era was the discovery of the unknown world. Different explorers from different nations, funded by different authorities (mainly kings and nobles), set out on journeys to discover what they did not know mostly because of their funders' politically and financially oriented interests. Although I don't want to discuss the relation between the Renaissance and the explorations here and now, I can't help myself but point out the common theme of these two events, which is the word exploration (by that I mean 'discovery') itself. Renaissance meant the rebirth of human, both understanding one's past and opening himself up to new ideas and challenges. Exploration of the unknown world taught people that the world they knew was only a small part of the actual reality, and presented them new opportunities with which they could give meaning to their surrounding and essentially to their lives (goals, expectations etc.)
Here is an article summarizing what the explorers were up to and what they achieved during this period:
The Age of Discovery
If you are too lazy to read but not afraid of learning, check out this video for an even shorter summary:
World Exploration During the Renaissance
This is a very important part of the story of modernity, and I wish we had more time to talk about it in class. It's hard to underestimate the impact that this encounter with the New World had on what then became the "Old World": Europe, Asia, Africa, etc. It was like discovering a new planet with intelligent life and advanced cultures. Imagine if that happened today!
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