Unit 3: Land-Based Empires Flashcard Set

Renaissance

A cultural movement in Europe that focused on art, learning, and ideas from ancient Greece and Rome.

Printing press

A machine invented by Gutenberg that made books cheaper and spread ideas faster.

Protestant Reformation

A movement that challenged the Catholic Church and led to new Christian religions.

Indulgences

Payments made to the Catholic Church to reduce punishment for sins.

Martin Luther

A German monk who criticized the Catholic Church and helped start the Protestant Reformation.

Lutheranism

A branch of Protestant Christianity based on Martin Luther’s ideas.

Calvinism

A Protestant belief started by John Calvin that taught predestination.

Predestination

The belief that God already decided who would be saved.

Anglican Church

The Church of England created by King Henry VIII.

Catholic Reformation

The Catholic Church’s effort to fix corruption and stop the spread of Protestantism.

Council of Trent

A Catholic meeting that reinforced Church teachings and pope’s authority.

Scientific Revolution

A period of scientific discovery that changed how people understood the natural world.

Heliocentric theory

The idea that the Earth revolves around the sun.

Scientific Method

A step-by-step way to test ideas using observation and experiments.

Deism

The belief that God created the world but does not interfere in it.

Absolute monarchy

A system where a ruler has total control over the government.

Divine right of kings

The belief that a monarch’s power comes directly from God.

English Civil War

A conflict between Parliament and the king over power in England.

Glorious Revolution

A peaceful change of power in England that limited the monarchy.

English Bill of Rights

A document that limited the king’s power and protected citizens’ rights.

Edict of Nantes

A law that allowed religious tolerance in France.

Louis XIV

A powerful French king who strengthened absolute monarchy.

Thirty Years’ War

A long and destructive religious war in Europe.

Peace of Westphalia

A treaty that ended the Thirty Years’ War and strengthened state power.

Romanov Dynasty

The ruling family of Russia from 1613 to 1917.

Peter the Great

A Russian ruler who modernized and westernized Russia.

Ottoman Empire

A powerful Islamic empire based in the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe.

Devshirme

An Ottoman system that trained Christian boys to serve the government or military.

Janissaries

Elite Ottoman soldiers trained through the devshirme system.

Mughal Empire

A Muslim empire that ruled most of India.

Akbar

A Mughal ruler known for religious tolerance.

Taj Mahal

A famous Mughal monument built as a tomb.

Zheng He

A Chinese explorer who led major voyages during the Ming Dynasty.

Tokugawa Shogunate

The military government that ruled Japan during its isolation.

National Seclusion Policy

A Japanese policy that limited foreign contact.

Atlantic slave trade

The forced movement of Africans to the Americas.

Maroon societies

Communities formed by escaped enslaved people.

Haitian Revolution

A successful slave revolt that created an independent Haiti.