AP euro vocabulary terms

Renaissance

The rebirth of European art, literature, and philosophy influenced by Greek and Latin culture.

Patronage

Wealthy merchants pay artists to create artwork or literature.

Italian City-States

Florence was an independent Italian city-state during the Renaissance. It was the cultural hub of the Renaissance and produced lots of wealth, artwork, and successful artists.

Communes

Independent self-governing city-states. Shifted away from feudalism and started a trend of republics in Europe.

Popolo

Wealthy merchants who wanted some political power in the city-states. Wanted a republic, and fair taxation.

Signori

Nobles in charge of the city-states that ruled in oligarchies. Replaced the popolo's republic. Created stability in the city-states. Patrons of the Renaissance.

Courts

The center of politics in the city-states.

The Medici Family

Rulers of Florence. Funded the Renaissance.

Humanism

Emphasizes human values and highlights the pursuit of personal growth, rejecting a religion focused life. Marked a cultural shift from divine matters to human potential and achievement.

Petrarch

Italian scholar and poet who emphasized the greatness of classical living and self importance (dubbed "Father of Humanism").

Virtu

A concept defining what a ruler needs to do in order to achieve great thing, allowing for pragmatic, even ruthless, decisions necessary to obtain and maintain power. Prominent among leaders/ word is associated with Machiavelli and his "power over morality" way of thinking.

Baldassare Castiglione, The Courtier

Defines the ideal Renaissance gentleman, served as a manual for European nobility, shaping centuries of aristocratic behavior, education, and etiquette.

Machiavelli, The Prince

Explains to rulers how to acquire and maintain power, arguing that a prince must be ruthless, cruel, and deceptive for the stability of his kingdom.

Christian Humanism

Integrates humanist ideas with Christian faith, viewing humanity as created in God's image and finding the path to true humanity in Christ's life and teachings (mainly in Northern Europe).

Thomas More, Utopia

Describes an ideal island society where communal ownership of property eliminates greed and poverty, leading to a rational, well-governed republic focused on public good rather than wealth.

Erasmus, The Praise of Folly

A satirical critique of human vices (pride and hypocrisy), by having the goddess Folly deliver a humorous speech praising herself and exposing the follies of everyone from common people to church leaders, scholars, and rulers, suggesting that true wisdom lies in recognizing one's own foolishness and embracing a simple, Christian life.

Gutenberg, The Printing Press

A moveable metal type that used oil based ink to quickly and mechanically print texts and media. (Invented by Johannes Gutenberg). Allowed for ideas to spread quickly, people became literate, and books/art became cheaper.

Leonardo Da Vinci

Italian Renaissance painter. "The Last Supper" depicts a significant biblical scene while using advanced perspective and detailed emotions.

Raphael

Italian painter and architect during the Renaissance. Raphael's most famous work, " The School of Athens", is culturally vital for it was a vatican commission and blended the ideas of christianity and knowledge.

Michelangelo

Italian sculptor and painter. The David statue in Florence was an iconic piece during the Renaissance, for it emphasized a new idea that the human body should be glorified.

Jan van Eyck

Jan was a significant northern renaissance painters who mastered oil paintings. He brought Renaissance ideas to Northern Europe not just Italy.

Christine de Pizan

Italian-born French writer and poet who can be considered the first feminist. She wrote about women's roles and the importance of their education which opened debates for women's rights when usually they were silenced.

Debate about women

Also known as "Querelle des Femmes", the debate about women was a long running intellectual and cultural debate over the value of their education, their roles in society, and women's nature.

Charles VII and Louis XI

Both King of France during the 15th century. Charles VII- expelled the English from France and created the standing army. Louis XI- Strengthened royal power in France with a strong army and added important territories.

Concordat of Bologna

An agreement between the King Francis I of France and Pope Leo X. The agreement stated that the Pope was still the leader of the Catholic Church, but King Francis I got the power to choose bishops and abbots in France.

Wars of the Roses

A series of civil wars in England between two rival families, the House of Lancaster and the House of York, fighting for the the British throne.

Henry VII

The first King in the Tudor dynasty of England. Reduced noble power. Avoided expensive wars and focused on diplomacy. Did not depend on Parliament for money. Used the Court of Star Chamber to control nobles and stop trouble.

Star Chamber Court

A secret, corrupt court in England that the king used to punish his enemies.

Isabella and Ferdinand

Ruled Spain together with their marriage in 1469. It was a political union that allowed them to unify their separate kingdoms into a single, powerful nation.

Conversos or New Christians

Jews in Spain and Portugal who converted to Christianity due to anti-semitism; if they refused to convert, they would be killed.

Reconquista

A long effort by Christian kingdoms in Spain to drive out the Muslims; ended when Ferdinand and Isabella conquered Granada.

Inquisition

A church court set up by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1478 to find and punish converted Jews and Muslims who were suspected of practicing their own religion.

Anticlericalism

Being opposed to the influence and activities of the clergy or the church in secular or public affairs. Selling indulgences increased the rate of anticlericalism, thus increasing the amount of people against the church.

Indulgence

Payments to the Catholic Church that people believed reduced punishment for sins.

Martin Luther

A German monk who started the Protestant Reformation by challenging the Catholic Church's teachings.

95 Theses

Martin Luther's list of arguments in 1517 against the Catholic Church, exposing the corruption.

Diet of Worms

A meeting held in Worms, Germany where Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and other German rulers tried to force Martin Luther to take back his criticisms of the Catholic Church.

Ulrich Zwingli

Ulrich Zwingli was a Swiss priest who led the Protestant Reformation in Zurich by rejecting Catholic practices and emphasizing salvation by faith and relying on scripture alone.

Protestant

Protestants are Christians who broke away from the corrupt Catholic church during the Reformation who idealized the idea of salvation from faith alone, scripture alone, and rejecting the pope's authority.

Anabaptist

A new branch of Protestantism that sprouted from the Radical Reformers who believed that baptism should only be performed on consenting adults not infants.

German Peasants Wars of 1525

An uprising led by the German peasants all across the Holy Roman Empire due to high taxation, lack of autonomy, and the drive provided by the Religious Reformation.

John Calvin

A Protestant leader during the Reformation who started Calvinism, a branch of Christianity.

Calvinism

A branch of Protestant Christianity based on John Calvin's teachings, including predestination and strict moral living.

The Institutes of the Christian Religion

A book published by John Calvin about protestant theology.

Predestination

The belief that God has already decided who will go to heaven or hell before they are born.

Michael Servetus

He was a christian humanist from spain. He discovered pulmonary circulation, and challenged christian doctrine.

Katharina Von Bora

She was Martin Luther's wife, she used to be a nun. Helped to establish norms for clerical marriage.

Henry VIII

The king of England who is famous for having six wives. Broke from the Catholic Church and started the Church of England. Made the English monarch the head of the church, not the pope. Strengthened royal power by controlling both church and state

Thomas More

He was an english lawyer and humanist, who was the chancellor of King Henry VIII.

Anglican Church

The Church of England that was started by King Henry VIII when he left the Catholic Church.

Habsburg Dynasty

Powerful European family who controlled territories in Spain and the Holy Roman Empire. They utilized strategic marriage to gain other lands like Austria, Burgundy, Bohemia, and Hungary.

Charles V

Spain/Holy Roman Empire

Charles V was the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain who ruled the largest European empire and strived to save Catholic unity against the Reformers which simultaneously defending his land from the French and Ottomans.

Peace of Augsburg

A treaty that helped to stop the religious war between Catholics and Lutherans by allowing each territory to have an established religion.

Philip II

Spanish Habsburg king known for his fervent Catholicism, attempts to centralize government, and expansion of Spanish influence.

Elizabeth I

Queen of England -- played significant role in the establishment of Protestantism/Religious Tolerance.

Spanish Armada

A fleet of 130 ships sent by King Philip II of Spain in 1588 to invade England and overthrow Queen Elizabeth I.

Council of Trent

A series of meetings that responded to the Protestant Reformation by clarifying Catholic doctrines and reforming Church practices.

Holy Office

Roman catholic agency founded to combat heresy against the Catholic church (included banning books).

Index of Prohibited Books

A list of heretical works banned by the Catholic church.

Jesuits

A Catholic religious order that dedicated itself to education, missionary work,and defending the church against protestants.

Ignatius Loyola

He founded the society of Jesus and was a priest. The society of Jesus played a big role in the counter reformation.

French Religious Wars

Civil war in France between French catholics and French protestants.

Huguenots

French protestants that followed John Calvin's teachings. Led to the St. Bartholomew's day massacre, they all emigrated out of France.

St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre

A wave of assassinations against the Huguenots during the French Religion Wars.

Henry II

Henry of Navarre

He was the king of France during the end of the religious wars.

Politiques

Rulers who were willing to compromise on people's faith for stability and prioritized national unity and peace above religious reformity.

Edict of Nantes

A decree made by the French king, King Henry IV, that granted civil liberties and religious toleration towards Huguenots (French Protestants) while maintaining Catholicism in the state.

Iconoclasm

The removal of statues, religious images, and decorations in churches driven by the Protestant belief against idolatry.

Union of Utrecht

A treaty that made a defense alliance of the Dutch provinces.

The Great European Witch-Hunt

A reign of prosecutions and executions upon women who were accused of witchcraft.

Conquistador

Spanish explorers who claimed territories and obtained wealth for Spain.

Caraval

Agile and revolutionary trading vessel developed by the Portuguese. Created with new technology like multiple triangle sails, a rotor, and even canons.

Ptolemy's Geography

A comprehensive guide to geography, containing instructions for creating maps and using a coordinate system, lists of coordinates for thousands of places, and descriptions of map projections, including conical projections.

Compass

An instrument containing a magnetized pointer which shows the direction of magnetic north and bearings from it.

Henry the Navigator

Portuguese prince who pioneered maritime exploration by organizing/funding expeditions and opening a center of learning.

Factories

Trade hubs set up around the coast of Africa by the Portuguese.

Vasco de Gama

Portuguese conquistador. First European to reach India by ship, successfully creating a route for Europe to Asia.

Christopher Columbus

An Italian born explorer that was sponsored by Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain to voyage to the Americas.

Amerigo Vespucci

An Italian explorer and cartographer. Realized that the lands discovered by Columbus were part of a "New World", and we in fact not Asia. The continents North and South America are named after him.

Treaty of Tordesillas

An agreement between Spain and Portugal that divided newly discovered lands outside Europe along an imaginary line in the Atlantic Ocean.

Ferdinand Magellan

Portuguese explorer who led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe (set sail in 1519).

John Cabot

An Italian explorer sailing for England who explored the coast of North America in 1497.

Hernan Cortes

A Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire.

Aztec Empire

A powerful civilization in central Mexico, known for its advanced agriculture, impressive cities like Tenochtitlán, and complex social, religious, and culture systems.

Inca Empire

A vast South American civilization centered in modern-day Peru, known for its advanced road system, architecture, agriculture, and strong centralized government.

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire in Peru.

Jamestown

Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in North America.

Casa da India

Portuguese world trading house that managed trade in Asia, Africa, and Brazil. This centralized the spice trade in Portugal, which boosted the economy and provided power which helped Portugal expand it's Empire overseas.

Viceroyalties

Large Spanish colonial provinces in the Americas, each of these small provinces were ruled by a viceroy.

Encomienda System

Spanish colonists forced indigenous people to work in exchange for their protection and their conversion to Christianity.

The New Laws

A set of Spanish laws are limited encomienda abuse which protected indigenous people.

Haciendas

Large Spanish-owned estates in the Americas, which produced crops and or livestock. Used indigenous labor to fuel the estates which supported the colonial economy and expanded Spanish wealth.

Columbian Exchange

The transferring of plants, animals, people, and materials between the Americas and Europe/Asia.

Transatlantic Slave Trade

The force transportation of African slaves to the American plantations for forced labor. Fueled colonial economies, devastated the African people which impacted the population and increased racial slavery.

The Middle Passage

The voyage in the sea that transported the African slaves. This was a treacherous journey. High mortality, suffering, inequality, and a key part of the Atlantic slave economy.

Silver Mines of Potosi

The largest silver deposit, located in the Andes mountains.

The Dutch East India Company

The first multinational corporation, with mainly goals of controlling the spice trade. Exploration of trade routes led to the discovery of Australia and New Zealand. The company had lots of power and established colonies.

Bartolome de Las Casa

Spanish lawyer and activist. He advocated for indigenous rights after witnessing the violent invasion of Cuba. Fought to dismantle the encomienda system for 50 years.

Castas

Racial hierarchy in Spanish colonies based on purity of blood. Paintings were made to reveal the hierarchies and reflected colonial society.

Michael de Montaigne

French philosopher, one of the most influential philosophers of the French renaissance. Popularized the essay as a literary genre, he wrote about his experiences with Native Americans.