AP World History: Unit 5 Terms

Terms used for Unit 5 of AP World History

Copernicus

was a Renaissance mathematician and astronomer who proposed a heliocentric model of the universe, placing the Sun at the center instead of the Earth.

Galileo

was an Italian astronomer, physicist, and engineer who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. He is best known for his advancements in astronomy, including the use of telescopes to observe celestial bodies. He was known as the “Father of Science” and believed in the heliocentric universe.

Issac Newton 

was an English mathematician, physicist, and astronomer who is widely recognized for formulating the laws of motion and universal gravitation. His work laid the groundwork for classical mechanics and revolutionized the way we understand the physical world.

John Locke

was an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers. He is known for his theories on the social contract and natural rights, particularly life, liberty, and property. He believed in people being born as a “blake slate” and were naturally reasonable and moral and that government should protect those rights, deriving its power from the consent of the governed.

Thomas Hobbes

was a believer that people were born naturally evil and should have laws in place to protect them from themselves.

Voltaire

Tolerance, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech

Rousseau

The only good government is one that is formed by the “general will” of society (direct democracy)

Montesquieu

Studied political liberty and believed in the separation of powers among branches of government

Mary Wollstonecraft

Women should be educated just like men and should be able to work in male dominated fields.

King Louis XIV

He build the Palace of Versailles under his rule and established the absolute monarchy in France.

Catherine the Great

She was a great leader ruling over Russia during times of enlightenment, reform, and she helped modernize society.

Geocentric model

Models of the solar system that revolved around the Earth

Heliocentric Model

Models of the solar system that revolved around the Sun

Scientific Revolution

A period (16th - 18th centuries) of drastic change in scientific thought creating a more abstract reasoning to science.

Enlightenment

A movement in the 18th century about reason, science, and tradition/faith.

Salon

Centers of Enlightenment

Philosophe

French thinkers

Separation of Powers

The principle of dividing governmental authority among three distinct branches. 

Divine rights of Kings

Gave power to kings believing they were given rights by God or religion.

Social Contract

Citizens give some freedom to the government for protection from the government in exchange

Absolute Monarch

Form of government with a single ruler with unrestricted power.

Enlightened Monarch

Absolute rulers who adopted enlightened ideas.