With this increased flow of money to the lowest classes of people ownership of property became less important for prosperity than it had been in the past. Within a couple of generations, the peasants became renters who paid in money while selling the labor of their hands to the highest bidder. Instead of being tied to the land and owing labor and goods to the lord, some peasants were able to form communities with charters given to them by the larger landowners. Such charters allowed these communities to pay dues to the lord collectively, rather than individually, and the communities in time grew in population. Along with this growth the economic strength and influence of the merchants and bankers would increase.

Newly opened trade routes to the east and the discovery of lands to the west meant the merchants had an abundance of goods for sale. All this triggered a capitalist-based society that allowed a person to actually improve his lot in life and a new middle class was created. The citizens of this new class could now afford the tuition needed for their sons to attend the institutions of higher learning. Martin Luther's father, who became a very wealthy member of this new middle class, is an excellent example. Prior to this, unless you were born to nobility the only way to attend a university of higher learning was to join a monastery that was usually populated by the illegitimate and unwanted children of monarchs and nobles. In time this revolving door of royalty becoming clergy and the clergy becoming royalty would make it difficult to know the difference between the two. However things would change with the rise of the new middle class, and the advent of wealthy merchant bankers.

Probably the most famous of the merchant bankers, was the Medici family, who's descendants would rise from mere merchants to dominating Florentine politics for two and a half centuries. The Medici's would preside over cultural achievements that rivaled those of ancient Athens. The Medici's power and influence grew so great that eventually their descendants would sit on thrones throughout Europe while two would even become Popes. This ability to move from one class to another would change the way the wealthy landowners and clergy held sway over society. Wealthy merchants and bankers would replace the feudal lords as the leaders in society ushering in the age of the Renaissance man. It must be pointed out that while the Medici's can be credited with nurturing the appetite of the Renaissance man, they would also be largely responsible for Luther posting his 95 grievances that would ultimately set off the Reformation.

In the years proceeding the Reformation the southern Renaissance men of the Italian city states would be focused more on self-gratification and personal achievement while strongly desiring the approval of the public and political powers. This would eventually lead to the end of the Church's influence upon who would be appointed as officials and leaders. Gradually that authority would come to rest in the hands of the person or groups willing to take charge. This attitude, that Machiavelli would later describe in his book, The Prince, was very prevalent at the turn of the century and just before the Reformation. Then with the destabilizing effect of a half century of wars fought by Spain, France, Austria, and even Pope Julius II, over control of the Italian Peninsula the confusing multi city-state system would eventually crumble. Italy would not know self-rule until 1871 and to this day 99% of Italy's population remains Roman Catholic. The Renaissance may have started in the Italian cities, but in my opinion their desire to revive the worst of the ancient Greek and Roman cultures was inevitably their downfall.

To the North Renaissance man was more ethical and religious then his southern counterpart. These men put more emphasis upon understanding man's relationship with God then their southern counterpart, and as a rule they did not bother with the politics of the state. Instead, they were much more interested in their Judeo-Christian heritage and what the ancient scriptures could tell them. The way humanism influenced the northern Renaissance man was to make him scrutinize the activities of the clergy more. They got tired of the constant demand from the Church for more money and saw fewer and fewer of the services one would expect from a religious institution. The more this newly educated middle class learned, the more disconnected they felt from the Church. It was this attitude that would help diminish the monarch's need for the old alliances they used to keep the Church satisfied.

Added to this sociopolitical mix was the changing geographical boundaries due to the many wars. These geographical changes would eventually culminate in a realignment of territories formed out of common cultures, languages, and historical traditions that would eventually give rise to nationalism that would eventually dominate Europe. By the end of the 15th century these social and political changes would add to the widespread moral decay of the Church. All this would cause the new middle class to re-evaluate their loyalties and begin to resent the church's constant demand for indulgences. This resentment along with the inability of the Church to satisfactorily answer the centuries old question of why the plagues took so many loved ones, began to create a situation the monarchs were ready to exploit. The Church had long struggled with maintaining it's influence upon the nobility and now it was losing it's grip upon the people. Like the sun setting on the 4th of July, the climax was building, all the revolution needed was someone to light the fuse for the fireworks.

Next week I will delve into the way the literature of the Renaissance would help to open the eyes and minds of the new middle class as they would begin to doubt the church and the Popes infallibility.