Early Modern Europe: Reformations, State Building, and Scientific Revolution

Vocabulary flashcards covering key historical figures, events, and concepts from the Protestant Reformation, state centralization, Absolutism, and the Scientific Revolution.

English Reformation

Movement where Protestants faced government resistance until King Henry VII wanted a divorce, cut off relations with the RCC, and made himself "English Pope".

Catholic Reformation

Catholic response to the Protestant Reformation that reformed and revived Catholic doctrine to gain converts back and deepen religious commitment.

Council of Trent

Assembly of RCC officials who met over years to institute reforms to increase morality and improve priest preparation through school.

Society of Jesus

Also known as Jesuits; members were required to complete advanced education, served as counselors to kings, and worked as effective missionaries to benefit the Roman church.

St. Ignatius Loyola

Founder of the Jesuits.

Martin Luther

German monk who wrote the 95 theses attacking church practices, believed in salvation by faith alone, and advocated for an end to pope power.

Protestant Reformation

Movement to reform the Catholic Church launched by Martin Luther, caused by church officials' greed for material things, political corruption, and lack of personal involvement with God.

Johannes Gutenberg

Inventor of the printing press that started a revolution, allowing Luther's German Bible and complaints about the church to be printed.

John Calvin

Protestant who believed in the awesome power of God and that certain people were predetermined for salvation.

Calvanists

Followers of John Clavin who had to follow strict morality and discipline codes, such as prohibitions against dancing and card games.

Witch Hunting

Persecution started by fear that individuals were making alliances with the devil, in which women on the margins of society were most convicted.

Thirty Year's War

Destructive conflict triggered when the Holy Roman Emperor tried to force Bohemian subjects to return to the RCC, drawing in many other countries.

Spanish Inquisition

An organization of priests in Spain that looked for and punished anyone suspected of secretly practicing their old religion instead of Roman Catholicism.

Constitutional States

Governments where rulers recognized individual rights, claimed limited power, and allowed merchants to pursue economic interests with minimal interference.

The English Civil War

Series of armed conflicts between the English Crown and Parliament caused by kings attempting to institute new taxes without Parliament approval.

Glorious Revolution

The overthrow of King James II of England by Parliament, replacing him with his daughter Mary Orange to establish a more harmonious working relationship.

Dutch Republic

Representative government formed after King Phillip II failed to suppress a rebellion in the Netherlands and the Dutch claimed independence.

Absolutism

A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator not restricted by a constitution, laws, or opposition.

King Louis XIV of France

Monarch known as the Sun King who surrounded himself with officials supporting his absolutism.

Versailles

Palace constructed by Louis XIV outside of Paris to glorify his rule and subdue the nobility by forcing them to reside there and attend busy events.

Romanovs

Russian dynasty founded by Mikhail Romanov that inherited a rapidly grown state centered around the trading city Moscow.

Tsar

A Russian emperor.

Peter the Great

Russian tsar of the Romanovs who sought to modernize Russia and make it a great military power based on Western European models.

Catherine the Great

Empress of Russia who greatly increased empire territory, promoted economic development, and improved peasant conditions by limiting punishments of serfs.

Yemelian Pugachev

Disgruntled former soldier who mounted a failed uprising against Catherine the Great, causing her to focus on maintaining aristocratic rule.

Result of Absolutism

Tight centralization and strengthening of the state, requiring an effective government for survival.

The Ptolemaic Universe

Theory that the earth is motionless and surrounded by nine hollow spheres, which was consistent with Christian creation theory but could not account for planetary movement.

Planetary Movement

The observed slowing down, stopping, or direction changing of planets that contradicted the idea of revolving around Earth.

The Copernican Universe

Copernicus' 1543 proposal that the sun, rather than the earth, was the center of the universe.

Scientific Revolution

Historical movement bringing a shift to reliance on observation and math instead of religious and theoretical approaches to transform the study of the natural world.

Galileo Galilei

Scientist who invented the telescope, observed 4 moons orbiting Jupiter, discovered gravity, and asserted that the heavens are constantly changing.

Isaac Newton

Scientist who defined the laws of motion and gravity through logic and reasoning to explain universe motion.

Emilie du Chatelet

Scholar who corrected misconceptions about women and anatomy, and translated and updated Newton's book on laws.