World History Review: Middle Ages through Scientific Revolution

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering key historical terms from the Byzantine Empire, Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation, Age of Exploration, and Scientific Revolution.

Byzantines, Crusades, and Middle Ages

The historical era comprising the continuation of the Roman Empire in the east, holy wars fought to control sacred sites, and the medieval period in European history.

Constantinople/Istanbul

The capital city of the Byzantine Empire (originally named Constantinople) that was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1453 and became Istanbul.

Justinian

Byzantine emperor known for codifying Roman law and ordering the construction of the Hagia Sophia.

Bubonic Plague

A deadly pandemic (also known as the Black Death) that devastated populations across Europe and Asia during the 14th century.

Ottoman Turks

An Islamic empire originating in Anatolia that expanded across southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa, notably capturing Constantinople in 1453.

Feudalism

A medieval European social, political, and economic system centered on the exchange of land for military service and loyalty between lords and vassals.

Monasteries

Communities of monks living under religious vows who preserved literacy, learning, and historical manuscripts throughout the Middle Ages.

Renaissance

A major cultural, artistic, and intellectual movement beginning in Italy that marked a 'rebirth' of interest in classical antiquity.

Florence

An Italian city-state widely considered the birthplace and cultural center of the Renaissance.

Guilds

Medieval and early modern associations of merchants or craftsmen established to maintain professional standards, prices, and member interests.

Medici Family

A wealthy banking and political dynasty in Florence renowned for their extensive patronage of Renaissance art and scholarship.

Humanism

A Renaissance intellectual movement focused on the study of classical texts, individual potential, and worldly matters rather than strictly religious doctrine.

Printing Press - Gutenberg Press

A movable-type printing device invented around 1440 that enabled the mass production of books and the rapid dissemination of ideas across Europe.

Botticelli

An Italian Renaissance painter best known for works depicting mythological and religious subjects, including 'The Birth of Venus'.

Michelangelo

An Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, and architect renowned for the Sistine Chapel ceiling and the statue of 'David'.

Leonardo da Vinci

An Italian polymath and Renaissance artist famous for masterpieces such as the 'Mona Lisa' and 'The Last Supper', as well as his inventive scientific studies.

Reformation and Counter Reformation

The 16th-century religious movement that challenged the authority of the Catholic Church leading to Protestantism, followed by the internal Catholic reform response.

Martin Luther

A German monk and theologian whose 1517 'Ninety-Five Theses' protesting Catholic Church practices initiated the Protestant Reformation.

Indulgences

Certificates or grants issued by the Catholic Church that offered the remission of temporal punishment in purgatory for sins, a practice heavily criticized by reformers.

John Calvin

A French Protestant theologian who led the Reformation in Geneva and developed Calvinism, emphasizing the doctrine of predestination.

Henry VIII

King of England who split from the Roman Catholic Church to establish the Church of England after the Pope refused to annul his marriage.

Elizabeth I

Queen of England who established a moderate Protestant religious settlement and led England through a flourishing cultural and economic golden age.

Council of Trent

A series of Catholic ecumenical councils held between 1545 and 1563 that reaffirmed traditional Catholic doctrines and initiated reforms to address corruption.

Jesuits

Members of the Society of Jesus, a Catholic religious order founded by Ignatius of Loyola dedicated to education, missionary work, and opposing Protestantism.

Exploration and Economy and Scientific Revolution

A transformative era characterized by global maritime voyages, expanding commercial trade networks, and new scientific methods based on observation and mathematics.

Conquistadors

Spanish military leaders and explorers who conquered native empires and territories in the Americas during the 16th century.

Columbian Exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, diseases, culture, and human populations between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres following 1492.

Magnetic Compass

A navigational instrument indicating direction using a magnetized needle, essential for long-range oceanic navigation during the Age of Exploration.

Transatlantic Slave Trade

The forced capture, shipment, and enslavement of millions of Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to work in the Americas.

Copernicus

A Polish astronomer who proposed the heliocentric model of the solar system, positioning the Sun rather than the Earth at the center.

Galileo

An Italian scientist who improved the telescope to make foundational astronomical discoveries supporting the heliocentric theory and studied mechanics.

Kepler

A German astronomer and mathematician who formulated the three laws of planetary motion, demonstrating that planets travel in elliptical orbits.

Newton

An English mathematician and physicist who formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation, unifying terrestrial and celestial mechanics.