Unit 1

Renaissance: The Origins of a Western Worldview

Lesson 3

How did the Age of Exploration affect Europeans' lives and worldview?

The Indigenous people were not the only people who were affected by the Age of Exploration and Expansion. The Europeans were affected as well. They began to see themselves and their countries in a new light.

The painting in Figure 6.1 shows Britain (note that she is identified by the word "Britannia" on the pink part of her helmet) representing civilization and leading English soldiers and colonists in the fight to conquer Africans who represent barbarism. (Barbarism means the absence of culture and civilization.) This painting is very revealing of how the British Empire viewed itself.

What happens to worldview when citizens begin to see themselves in this way?