AP European History Unit 1 Study Terms

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms from AP European History Unit 1 (Topics 1.1-1.10), including the Renaissance, Printing Revolution, New Monarchies, Age of Exploration, and Commercial Revolution.

Italian Renaissance Humanism

Intellectual movement emphasizing human dignity, individual potential, and classical learning.

Renaissance

Cultural and intellectual revival in Europe (14th-17th centuries) beginning in Italy.

Individualism

Renaissance emphasis on personal achievement and human experience.

Secularization

Shift toward worldly rather than purely religious concerns.

Patronage

System where wealthy individuals/institutions funded artists and scholars. (Like the Medicis!)

City-states

Independent political entities like Florence, Venice, Milan.

Scholasticism

Medieval educational approach focused on theological debate and logical reasoning.

Christian humanism

Movement seeking to reform Christianity through humanist principles. (Northern Renaissance!)

Vernacular literature

Works written in local languages rather than Latin.

Desiderius Erasmus

Leading Northern humanist, wrote 'In Praise of Folly' and ‘Education of a Christian Prince’

Christine de Pizan

Early feminist writer, authored 'The Book of the City of Ladies'.

Perspective

Artistic technique creating depth and realism.

Realism

Detailed, lifelike representation in art.

Mannerism

Artistic style following the High Renaissance, characterized by distortion and complexity.

Raphael

Renaissance master, painted 'School of Athens'.

Jan van Eyck

Northern Renaissance painter known for detailed realism.

Johannes Gutenberg

Inventor of movable type printing press.

Gutenberg Bible

First major book printed with movable type (1455).

Printing press

Revolutionary technology enabling mass production of books.

Literacy

Reading and writing skills that expanded due to printed materials.

New Monarchies

Centralized nation-states with stronger royal authority.

Centralization

Process of consolidating political power under central authority.

Star Chamber

English royal court used to control powerful nobles.

Spanish Inquisition

Religious tribunal used to enforce Catholic orthodoxy.

Philip II of Spain

Monarch who enforced strict religious uniformity.

Religious uniformity

Policy requiring subjects to follow the state religion.

Niccolò Machiavelli

Author of 'The Prince,' advocate of pragmatic statecraft.

The Prince

Political treatise arguing rulers should use any means necessary to maintain power.

Divine right

Theory that monarchs derive authority directly from God.

Legitimacy

Rightful basis for political authority.

Age of Exploration

Period of European overseas expansion (15th-17th centuries).

Caravel

Portuguese ship design enabling long-distance ocean travel.

Astrolabe

Navigational instrument for determining latitude.

Compass

Magnetic navigation tool.

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

Agreement dividing New World between Spain and Portugal.

Conquistadors

Spanish explorers and conquerors in the Americas.

Encomienda system

Spanish colonial labor system exploiting indigenous peoples.

Mercantilism

Economic theory emphasizing national wealth through trade surplus.

Joint-stock companies

Investment vehicles enabling private funding of exploration.

Trading-post empire

Network of fortified trading stations (Portuguese model).

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and peoples between Old and New Worlds.

Triangular trade

Atlantic trading system connecting Europe, Africa, and Americas.

Middle Passage

Brutal sea voyage transporting enslaved Africans to Americas.

Atlantic slave trade

System of enslaving and transporting Africans to the Americas.

Commercial Revolution

Transformation of European economy (1450-1750).

Banking

Financial institutions facilitating trade and credit.

Market economy

Economic system based on supply and demand.

Tulipmania

Dutch speculative bubble in tulip bulb prices (1630s).

Urbanization

Growth of cities and urban population.

Merchant class

Wealthy traders who gained social and political influence.

Social mobility

Ability to change social class through wealth or achievement.

Vernacular

Local spoken languages as opposed to Latin.

Baldassare Castiglione

Author of 'The Courtier,' defined ideal Renaissance gentleman.

Leonardo da Vinci

Renaissance polymath, artist, and inventor.

Michelangelo

Renaissance sculptor and painter.

Henry VIII

English king who broke with Rome, established Church of England.

Isabella and Ferdinand

Spanish monarchs who unified Spain and sponsored Columbus.

Enclosure Acts

a series of English laws in the 18th and 19th centuries that allowed the privatization and fencing of common lands