APEH Unit 1 Vocab

Renaissance & Exploration

Baldassare Castiglione (1478-1529)

Baldassare Castiglione (1478-1529)

a Civic Humanist, he wrote the book "The Courtier" (1528), and believed that the educated man should have a broad background in many skills; "The Courtier" is one of the most widely read books that influenced the idea of the "Renaissance man".

Bank of Amsterdam

founded in 1609, allowed mixed money from other countries and equivocated the different currencies on a gold and silver value, and allowed members to draw money from other currencies, made Amsterdam the financial center of Europe until the French Revolution

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500-1558)

a member of the Habsburg family, he ruled as the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, and controlled the vast majority of Europe and the American colonies during his rule; he continued the idea of a consolidated monarchy, and his rule was defined by defending the HRE's Catholic lands against the rising Protestant Reformation; he signed the Peace of Augsburg in 1555 in an attempt to keep peace in the German lands

Chiaroscuro

The treatment of light and shade in a work of art, especially to give an illusion of depth; used extensively in Renaissance art, which made it distinct from previous medieval art

Christian Humanism

a movement that developed in northern Europe during the Renaissance combining classical learning with the goal of reforming the Catholic Church; many of these beliefs are embodied in the work of Erasmus, who advocated the service of religious reform

Civic Humanism

the belief that individuals owe a service to their community and its government. During the Renaissance, political theorists argued that selfless service to the polity was of critical importance in a self-governing republic; famous theorists included Machiavelli and Castiglione, who advocated for secular political behavior

Columbian Exchange

An exchange of goods, ideas and skills from the Old World (Europe, Asia and Africa) to the New World (North and South America) and vice versa; led to the immense widespread death of natives in the Americas, and the increased dominance of European empires on the world stage

Commercial Revolution

the dramatic change in the economy of Europe at the end of the Middle Ages, through to the 17th century; it is characterized by an increase in towns and trade, the use of banks and credit, and the establishment of guilds to regulate quality and price.

Concordat of Bologna

signed in 1516 by Francis I of France and Pope Leo X, it was a treaty under which the French Crown recognized the supremacy of the pope over a council and obtained the right for the government to nominate all French bishops and abbots

Donatello (1386-1466)

a Florentine sculptor who helped define Renaissance sculpture as distinct from that of the Gothic period. He is known for mastering the low relief form of schiacciato, which is emulated in his famous sculpture, "David" (1430-144).

Elizabeth I of England (1533-1603)

the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, she was the final Tudor ruler of England from 1558-1603; her rule was marked by religious reform in an effort to create peace between Catholics and Anglican Protestants in England, including her creation of the Book of Common Prayer; she solidified her power through the Act of Supremacy, which secured her power over the Church of England, and blended Catholic and Anglican traditions within the church; she created a true empire which saw the rise of the English military, which infamously defeated the Spanish Armada; her rule also began the waves of English exploration to the Americas

Francis I of France (1494-1547)

he was King of France from 1515-1547; his rule was marked by the spread of Italian Renaissance art into France, which saw massive artistic and architectural building projects, which he sponsored; he consolidated his rule through various military campaigns, foreign policy that included treaties with England and the Ottoman Empire, and the signing of the Concordat of Bologna with the Pope

Henry VII of England (1457-1509)

he was the first Tudor monarch of England, who ruled from 1485-1509; he became king after his defeat of King Richard III during the Wars of Roses; his rule was known for establishing stability and peace in England after decades of warfare; he increased England's economic prosperity through taxation and economic practices and he created the Star Chamber

Henry VIII of England (1491-1547)

the second Tudor monarch of England, who ruled from 1509 to 1547; he greatly expanded the power of the crown, and saw the spread of Protestant ideas into England; he is most infamous for his six wives and his creation of the English Reformation; wanting to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, for his mistress, Anne Boleyn, which the Pope and Catholic Church wouldn't allow, he created his own Protestant Church: the Church of England (Anglicanism). The passing of the Act of Supremacy established that the English monarch would be the supreme head of the Church of England

Hugo Grotius (1583-1645)

a Dutch political scientist and theologian, Grotius argued that certain "natural laws" and the common interests of different states should govern international relations, not warfare, force or religion; his ideas heavily influenced the Peace of Westphalia in 1648

Isabella & Ferdinand of Spain

married in 1469, their union joined the divided kingdoms of Castile and Aragon into a united Spain, and ruled from 1479 until Ferdinand's death in 1516; their rule was marked by a drastic increase in power and control over the region; they were able to push the Moors from Granada, and effectively created state-controlled religion by enforcing Catholicism on all their subjects; they controlled their lands through military strength and fear, instituting the Spanish Inquisition; their rule also saw the sponsorship of Christopher Columbus' expeditions, which led to the discovery of the Americas and drastically increased the wealth and power of Spain

Italian Renaissance

a period of intense artistic and intellectual activity, said to be a 'rebirth' of Greco-Roman culture from roughly the mid-fourteenth to mid-fifteenth century, with the leading city being Florence; this movement was marked by an emphasis on classical culture, literature and government, a shift away from the power of the Catholic Church and new secular ideas; the artistic styles focused on Greco-Roman culture, naturalistic portrayals and techniques such as chiaroscuro; famous artists include Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael and Brunelleschi

Jean Bodin (1530-1596)

a French political philosopher whose "Six Books of the Commonwealth" advanced a theory of absolute sovereignty, on the grounds that the state's paramount duty is to maintain order and that monarchs should therefore exercise unlimited power.

Medici Family

the powerful banking family of Florence, Italy, who effectively ruled and dominated the city through the 1400s; first came to power under Cosimo de Medici, who controlled the city from behind the scenes through manipulation of the constitution and influencing elections, the height of the family came under his grandson, Lorenzo de Medici, who effectively ruled Florence in a totalitarian style; the family were immense patrons of the arts, and heavily influenced the creation and spread of Italian Renaissance art

Mercantilism

an economic system that was defined by close government control of the economy that sought to maximize exports and accumulate as much previous metals as possible to enable the state to defend its economic and political interests; the theory was originally pioneered by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, who served as Louis XIV's finance minister; was adopted by many European countries as colonial empires expanded

Michelangelo (1475-1564)

an Italian sculptor, painter, poet, engineer, and architect; his famous works include the mural on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and the sculpture of the Biblical character David.

Naturalism

a style and theory of representation based on the accurate depiction of detail; was the basis of the Renaissance art movement

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)

a Renaissance political philosopher who wrote "The Prince"; believed that people are ungrateful and untrustworthy; he urged rulers to study war, avoid unnecessary kindness, and always base policy upon the principle that the end justifies the means; one of the earliest Civic Humanists

Nobles of the Robe

French aristocrats whose rank came from holding certain judicial or administrative posts; they were not given official titles of nobility, but held a very specific function within the government, and were typically appointed by the King, bought their position, or the positions were inherited; they were very influential in the French government up until the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789

Northern Renaissance

the cultural and intellectual movement of northern Europe, which began after the Italian Renaissance; merged ideas of the Italian Renaissance with a more religious focus; art styles were more human and common-people centered, and depicted more every day life and objects; famous artists include Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Jan van Eyck and Albrecht Durer.

Peace of Augsburg (1555)

a treaty which ended religious warfare between Protestant German states and the Catholic Holy Roman Empire and was signed by Charles V; it acknowledged Lutheranism as a religion, and those states had the same rights at Catholic states; German states were free to choose the religion of their country, but individuals were not able to choose their religion; kept some peace in the German states up until the breakout of the Thirty Years War in 1618

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525-1569)

a Dutch artist who is most well-known as a major figure in the Northern Renaissance; his paintings mainly focused on landscapes and peasant scenes; his most famous works include "The Hunters in the Snow", "Children's Games" and "The Peasant Wedding"

Price Revolution

the period during the 1500s in which prices and inflation rose steadily; primarily as a result of the high and sudden influx of gold and silver from the Americas, it led to a drastic increase in prices for the common European

Printing Press

the 15th century invention which revolutionized the ability to print information which in turn affected the speed of the spread of information itself; helped spread Renaissance ideals and encouraged the growth of vernacular literature, which would later contribute to the growth and spread of the Protestant Reformation

Raphael (1483-1520)

one of the artists of Italy's High Renaissance, his works are most well-known for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual achievement of human grandeur; his most well-known works include "The School of Athens", "Transfiguration" and "The Marriage of the Virgin"

Spanish Inquisition

the national agency established in 1479 by Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain, and ran by her confessor Tomas de Torquemada, to monitor the activities of suspicious converted Jews and Muslims; led to the mass migration of Jews and Muslims from Spain and increased religious control of the crown over its people

Star Chamber

an English court established during the reign of Henry VII to help control the nobility; composed of Privy Counselors and common-law judges, this court relied on extreme forms of punishment, including torture, and lacked both juries and the right of appeal; however, it became notorious for corruption and only increased the power of the King and nobility over the English judicial system

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

an agreement between Portugal and Spain which declared that newly discovered lands to the west of an imaginary line in the Atlantic Ocean would belong to Spain and newly discovered lands to the east of the line would belong to Portugal.

Vernacular

the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region.