Ch. 10 Study Guide: New Ideas (1400–1700)

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the Silk Road, Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, and Enlightenment as outlined in the Ch. 10 Study Guide.

Mongols

A group that made the Silk Road safer, which increased trade between Europe and Asia and spread goods, ideas, and cultures.

Marco Polo

An explorer who traveled to Asia, worked for Kublai Khan, and wrote a book about Asia’s riches which increased European curiosity.

Renaissance

A term meaning "rebirth," referring to the revival of Greek and Roman ideas between $1400$ and $1700$.

Individualism

A Renaissance idea emphasizing that people could achieve greatness and highlighting the importance of the individual.

Patron

A wealthy supporter who funded art and learning, such as those in powerful Italian city-states like Florence, Venice, and Genoa.

Humanism

A movement focused on human potential, Greek and Roman writings, and being well-rounded through the study of history, poetry, and speaking.

Johannes Gutenberg

The inventor of the movable-type printing press which made books cheaper and increased literacy.

Vernacular

The everyday language spoken by ordinary people, which writers began using for their works.

Dante Alighieri

Author of The Divine Comedy, which describes a journey from hell to heaven.

William Shakespeare

A famous playwright of the Renaissance era.

Miguel de Cervantes

The author of the famous work Don Quixote.

Perspective

An art technique that creates depth by making foreground objects look larger, background objects look hazy, and lines angle toward the distance.

Leonardo da Vinci

A key Renaissance artist known for painting the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.

Michelangelo

The artist responsible for painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling and sculpting the David.

Brunelleschi

The first Renaissance architect who combined new mathematical principles with old building designs like Roman ones. The architect who designed the Florence Cathedral dome.

Niccolò Machiavelli

Author of The Prince, who argued that politics should maintain order and that it is safer for a ruler to be feared than loved.

Copernicus

A thinker of the Scientific Revolution who proposed a heliocentric, or sun-centered universe.

Kepler

A scientist who discovered that planets move in elliptical orbits.

Galileo

A scientist who used telescope observations to support new theories of the universe.

Francis Bacon

A thinker associated with the development of the scientific method.

Isaac Newton

The scientist who formulated the Laws of Motion.

Ptolemy

An ancient thinker whose geocentric, or Earth-centered theory was accepted for over $1,400$ years.

Enlightenment

A movement focused on reason, science, natural rights, and the improvement of government.

John Locke

An Enlightenment thinker who argued that government exists to protect natural rights.

Thomas Hobbes

An Enlightenment thinker who believed the primary role of government is to maintain order.

Mary Wollstonecraft

An Enlightenment thinker who advocated for women’s rights.

Separation of Powers

The concept of dividing government power into Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches,each with distinct responsibilities to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

Scientific Method

A process of discovery based on observation and experimentation.

Reformation

A movement that challenged the Catholic Church and led to the Bible being translated into vernacular languages.