Background Information for Math and Science
Monetary Systems
Money was divided into the pence, shillings, and pounds. Pence or a penny was about the price of a chicken on a farm (not dressed), a shilling was worth a pig, and a pound was worth a cow. These coins were supposed to be their real weight in gold or silver, with one pound equal to twenty shillings and one shilling equal to twelve pence. The face value of the coin was stamped on it. There were also some special coins that might be found listed in English literature. A sovereign is a large gold piece worth a pound or slightly more with the picture of the ruler who had it issued stamped on it. The royal was a gold coin worth twelve to fourteen shillings. The angel was a gold coin with the archangel Michael treading on a dragon and was usually worth ½ a pound. The noble was issued by Henry VIII at a value of 1/3 of a pound but eventually was thought of as worth the same as an angel. Coins that were made out of silver were the crown, which was worth five shillings. The half-crown and the shilling were also silver coins. The sixpence was worth half a shilling. The groat was worth four pence and the farthing was worth a fourth of a penny. There were also the threepenny piece, the half groat, the penny, the half penny, and the three-farthings piece. Copper coins were not introduced until the 17th century and until then there was a shortage of lower value coins. The farthing was so small that it was not made and the silver half penny was only a little bigger than a shirt button. People didn't want to use anything but copper and silver to make the coins because they were afraid they would not be able to tell a counterfeit coin from a good coin. Counterfeiters tried to produce money by clipping little pieces of coins off until they had enough to melt them into a large chunk.
Space Science
Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) and Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) were scientists of the period who studied at Padua University in Italy. It was believed at the time that the sun and all of the known planets revolved around the earth. Copernicus proposed the heliocentric or sun-centered theory. This theory proposed that the sun was the center of the universe and the earth and all of the planets and stars revolved around the sun. This theory was dismissed by most; however, Galileo believed in it and later Sir Isaac Newton's theory of universal gravitation was able to provide the proof for the theory's general acceptation in the scientific community. Galileo built a superior telescope and used it to discover the moons of Jupiter and the phases of the planet Venus.
Medicine and the Plague
The medical profession included physicians, surgeons, and apothecaries. Physicians were the most important and they were not allowed to shed blood. They diagnosed a patient using astrology having first determined their horoscope. Then they looked at the four "humors" that circulated through the body, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile, and blood, coming up with a remedy to put these humors back in balance. The imbalance of the humors was what they thought caused the disease in the first place. Surgeons were below the physicians and they could shed blood. Their trade came out of being barbers and using sharp instruments to shave people and cut hair. Apothecaries dealt in medicines and were the lowest of the medical profession, but could do quite well if they also dealt in tobacco.
The black plague killed around ¼ to 1/3 of England's population in the mid 14th century. There were three outbreaks in the 16th century that were not as serious. The plague never left London and it got worse during the summers. During the worst periods, the theaters would be closed and quarantines put in place. The two main types of plague by the bacillus Pastuerella pestis were the pneumonic form, affecting the lungs and quickly fatal, and the bubonic form, which would make the lymph glands swell and which could sometimes be recovered from. The plague was caused by fleas from rats, but Elizabethans saw it as a judgment from God and the remedy was to repent. They also recommended eating onions roasted with molasses and pepper, carrying cakes of arsenic under one's armpits, and wearing charms and amulets. Those who could afford to went to the country to stay when there was an outbreak of plague.
Closure Activities
Students will research renaissance recipes and have a banquet to celebrate the end of our unit.
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