World History Terms 1-3

Avigon

an ancient city in southeastern Europe best known as the seat of the Catholic papacy during the 14th century.

Johann Gutenburg

invented the mechanical movable- type printing press in Europe around 1450.

Renaissance

A cultural and artistic “rebirth” in Europe that bridged the gap between the Middle Ages and the modern era, lasting from the 14th to the 17th century.

Vernacular

The everyday native language or local dialect spoken by ordinary people.

Humanism

Human value, reason, and potential rather than purely religious dogma which began in the 14th century.

Joan of Arc

A medieval peasant girl who led the French Armies to critical victories during the hundred years war =before being captured and burned at the stake for heresy.

Triple Alliance

A secretive defensive military agreement between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy formed on May 20, 1882.

Ivan lll

Ruled as the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1462 to 1505 and transformed Russia from a fragmented group of principalities into a centralized, independent state.

Bartolomeu Dias

Portuguese explorer and navigator who made history in 1488 by becoming the first European to sail around the southern tip of Africa

Prince Henry

Portuguese royal who helped start the Age of Exploration by funding voyages along the western coast of Africa. He was consumed by the quest to find new lands and spread Christianity. Died in debt as a result.

Christopher Columbus

Genoese sea captain who made a voyage from Spain in 1492 for competition for wealth. Sailed west across the Atlantic in search of an alternate trade route to Asia and its riches.

Montezuma ll

Became emperor of the Aztec Empire in 1502. Under him the Aztec Empire began to weaken and the population of Tenochtitlán grew greatly. Reign ended in collapse and died in 1520

Machiavelli

Italian Renaissance diplomat, philosopher, and writer who is widely remembered as the father of modern political science. Wrote famous book called, “The Prince”, that urged that rulers must be ruthless and cunning rather than purely ethical to keep their states safe.

Reconquista

A long effort by the Spanish to drive the Muslims out of Spain

Columbian Exchange

The global transfer of foods, plants, and animals during the colonization of the Americas.

Treaty of Tordesillas

In 1494, Spain and Portugal signed this treaty, in which they agreed to honor the Line of Demarcation.

Songhai

Massive and powerful West African trading state that dominated the Sahel region. Gao was the capital of their empire.

Estates-General

An assembly of representatives in pre-revolutionary France that represented the three social orders-also known as estates-of the realm,