Final answer:
Mehmed II conquered the Byzantine city of Constantinople in 1453 using cannons and military strategy. The city was then renamed Istanbul and served as the new capital of the Ottoman Empire, which later influenced the onset of the Renaissance and global trade patterns.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mehmed II, also known as Mehmed the Conqueror, was able to conquer the Byzantine city of Constantinople using cannons and military strategy. This important historical event occurred in 1453 when Mehmed II summoned his forces and vassals, along with European gunsmiths to create powerful bombards, an early form of cannon. One cannon, crafted by a Hungarian named Urban, was so enormous that it could launch a twelve-hundred-pound granite ball more than a mile, breaching the formidable defensive walls of Constantinople that had stood since the fifth century.
Following the conquest, Mehmed II renamed the city Istanbul and it became the new capital of the Ottoman Empire. He took steps to rebuild and revitalize the city, ensuring that Christians and Jews could continue living there with certain freedoms, like allowing the Eastern Orthodox Church autonomy, as long as they recognized Ottoman authority. This action not only marked a significant power shift but also indirectly fueled the onset of the Renaissance, as Christian refugees fled to cities like Venice and Florence.
The fall of Constantinople was not only a significant military achievement but also a fulfillment of prophecies and had economic consequences. It established the Ottomans as a key power controlling vital trade routes, later prompting Europeans to seek new pathways to the East, which impacted global trade significantly.