The origins of the Renaissance -- Political and social contexts of the Renaissance -- Influential women of the Renaissance -- Everyday life in Renaissance Europe -- The darker side of Renaissance society -- Witchcraft in Renaissance Europe -- Renaissance discoveries and transformations -- The European conquest of the Americas -- The Reformation and Counter-Reformation -- Achievements and developments of the later Renaissance -- The printing press and the spread of humanist ideas -- The scientific revolution -- The significance of the Renaissance -- The Renaissance in the context of history.