Reformation & Age of Exploration: Key Events, Figures, and Impacts

What was an indulgence in the context of the Protestant Reformation?

A payment for a pardon of sin, often described as a 'get-out-of-perjury' card.

What social factors contributed to the Protestant Reformation?

Social and economic upheaval after the Hundred Years' War and the Black Death weakened the medieval order.

Who translated the Bible from Latin into English?

John Wycliffe

What was the significance of the 95 Theses?

Martin Luther nailed his criticisms of papal authority, church wealth, and indulgences to the Wittenberg church door in 1517.

What was the outcome of the Diet of Worms in 1521?

Luther was declared an outlaw and heretic; the Edict of Worms was issued.

What does 'Sola Scriptura' mean?

The Bible alone is the ultimate authority.

What was the main reason Henry VIII created the Church of England?

To obtain a divorce from Catherine of Aragon.

What doctrine did John Calvin teach?

Predestination: God pre-chooses who will attain salvation.

What was the goal of the Catholic Counter-Reformation?

To eradicate heresy and restore Catholic authority.

What were the 'Three G's' that motivated the Age of Exploration?

God (spread Christianity), Gold (precious metals, spices), Glory (national prestige).

Who rounded the Cape of Good Hope?

Bartolomeu Dias in 1488.

What was the Treaty of Tordesillas?

An agreement in 1494 where Spain and Portugal divided the New World along a meridian line.

What was one major impact of European exploration on indigenous peoples?

Exposure to European diseases caused massive mortality.

What was the Triangular Trade?

A trade system involving Europe, Africa, and the Americas, exchanging manufactured goods, enslaved people, and raw materials.

What was the Columbian Exchange?

The worldwide transfer of plants, animals, people, ideas, and diseases following Columbus's voyages.

What did the Peace of Augsburg (1555) establish?

Each German state could choose its own religion ('cuius regio, eius religio').

What was the significance of William Tyndale's work?

He translated the New Testament into English and emphasized the Bible's authority over church leaders.

What was the impact of the Atlantic slave trade beginning in the 1500s?

Labor shortages in the Americas led to the importation of African slaves.

What was the Commercial Revolution?

The growth of banking, capitalism, and new business enterprises during the Age of Exploration.

What were the core Protestant doctrines established during the Reformation?

Justification by Faith and the Priesthood of All Believers.

Who was John Knox and what was his contribution?

He adopted Calvinist principles and inspired the Presbyterian tradition in Scotland.

What were some effects of the Reformation?

Religious wars across Europe, formation of new denominations, and rise in anti-Semitism.

America brought ________________ to Europe?

Timber and Tobacco

Europe brought _____________ to Africa?

Beer, guns, and goods

Africa brought ______ to America?

Slaves

What is semitism?

Hatred of jews