At the end of the Middle Ages, mainly during the 15th century, <u>merchants, artisans, and bankers</u> from the North of Italy became very wealthy thanks to the connection to the <u>Eastern trade routes</u> that they had access to after the Crusades. They took advantage of their strategical position to exchange mainly spices, silk, gold, and other goods from the Middle East, India, and China and sell them to the rest of Europe. All this wealth granted them independence from feudal lords and from the Church and gave them a great economic and political power. They used this independence and power to satisfy their curiosity and their taste for fine arts.
Therefore, many families of bankers and merchants, like the Medici of Florence, became <u>patrons of artists and scientists</u>, who developed a totally <u>new current of art and a new philosophical perspective.</u> Architects like Brunelleschi, painters and sculptors like Michelangelo, and scientists and engineers like Leonardo Da Vinci, were inspired by the ancient Greek and Roman splendor in philosophy and arts in order to create a new artistic and humanistic movement: the Renaissance.
At the same time, the Renaissance was boosted by the marvels they got from the <u>trade</u> with Eastern markets: <u>Arab astrolabes</u> that allowed them to improve the navigation of the seas; g<u>unpowder from China</u> that permitted them to create new weapons; <u>Persian medicine treaties</u>; and <u>inks</u> to paint fine clothes, among other stuff. The Renaissance was the last period of the Middle Ages and the first stage of the modern era.
I was alive and remember it well as many in my generation do.
I was 19 when the attacks occurred in my sophomore year of college. I was walking into my 8:00 class when our professor informed us class was cancelled due to an attack in New York. I went back home and watched the news for the rest of the day. It showed the videos of the attacks and reported on information and pieces began to come together.
This event shaped our domestic and foreign policies we experience today. For someone who can remember the event, we can also remember the ease of a flight or the lack of restrictions around the country. For people too young to remember or barely alive at the time of the attack, the event has shaped their lives as Americans.
B is the answer for the mandate. making Palestine the Jewish National home
