AP European History: Renaissance Flashcards (Ch 13)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, historical figures, from Chapter 13.

Machiavelli

A Renaissance humanist who wrote about political power, most notably in his famous book The Prince, where he described the nature of power and how to acquire it.

Castiglione

Author of The Courtier, a handbook written with the purpose of training young boys to become multitalented and skilled gentlemen.

Thomas More

An English humanist who wrote Utopia while working in government, describing an ideal and harmonious society.

Erasmus

A Dutch philosopher and humanist who believed education in Latin classics and the Bible was the key to moral and intellectual reform; author of Praise of Folly and The Education of a Christian Prince.

International Style

An artistic style characterized by rich color, swaying figures, and a more accurate depiction of humanity that transcended any single country.

Balance of Power Diplomacy

A system used by Italian city-states where, whenever one city-state grew too powerful, the others rallied together to take it down and maintain independence.

Popolo

Heavily taxed and disenfranchised members of Italian communes who sought equal representation and taxation, using violence to take over city governments before being overthrown.

Movable Type

Printing technology invented in 1454 by Johann Gutenberg, Johann Fust, and Peter Shofer that enabled rapid communication and increased lay literacy.

Lara Cereta

A humanist writer widowed at eighteen who devoted her life to education, criticized women who neglected mental development, and advocated for women's equal intellectual potential.

Court of Star Chamber

A judicial body used by the English monarchy to suppress unruly nobles through secret or questionable tactics to maintain order.

Concordat of Worms

A treaty ending the lay investiture dispute by dividing responsibilities for appointing church figures between religious and secular authorities.

Concordat of Bologna

An agreement between Francis I and Leo X that divided power over the French clergy, allowing the French crown to pick clergy members while reversing aspects of the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges.

Girolamo Savonarola

A Florentine religious figure who experienced visions and was later burned at the stake.

Florence Office of Night

A task force composed of middle-aged, married men established in Florence to root out sodomy.

How were black slaves treated in Europe?

Showcased and displayed as a sign of wealth. They were valued because they were considered to be more “exotic” and they usually had ordinary servant-level jobs.

What date was the mechanical clock created?

In the 1300's, they were very common by 1320.

What did the northern humanists believe about nature?

They believed that even though humanity was being corrupted by sin, that people were inherently good and had the ability and capacity to stave off evil and be virtuous.

How did the English kings cut parliament’s power?

Parliament had gained a lot of leverage by controlling the checkbooks, and large amounts of money were spent on war. So the kings simply practiced careful negotiations to avoid war, therefore becoming self-sufficient. They also composed advisory boards like the royal council, which consisted of the middle class, and devised their own systems for making laws and appointing local authorities outside of the nobility.

Why is it so easy to invade Italy?

They were politically loyal to their individual city-states making it difficult for them to unify as one state. They failed to make a cohesive system, or any collective foreign policy, and they were viewed as an easy target for invasion and plundering.

What two countries had the biggest slave trades?

Genoa and Venice dominated the Mediteranian slave trade

Who wrote on Dignity of Man?

Florentine writer Pico della Mirandola 

Where did they go to capture the slaves?

Poland, Bohemia, Russia, Balkans, and the Congo

Difference between ordinary middle class women and upper class women

Middle class women, though society thought their only role should be raising a family, often took on jobs, doing anything from helping out the family business to being a maid. However, their work was extremely undervalued and was often overlooked. Upper class women, though they had access to a previously unprecedented level of education, still saw a downward shift in social status. 

“Gargantua and Patagruel”

Stories about a father and son that involved both jovial and gross humor mixed with serious discussions about life.

In what area of work did women do well in?

They were involved in the shipbuilding, textile, agricultural, and service industries.

What year does Italy officially become a country?

1870

Who coined the term “renaissance”?

Petrarch

What was the Humanist take on gender relations?

They believed that women should stay in their homes.

What was the Catholic Church's take on the Renaissance?

They funded a lot of the art and shaped Renaissance culture through their patronage. They did become nervous when The south turned to ideas that abandoned religion.

Who is the guy that had visions and then was burned at the stake?

Girolamo Savonarola

In what cities did the communes gain independence?

Milan, Florence, Genoa, Sienna, Pisa

How did the Tudors gain support from the upper middle class?

Crown connected policy to the interests of the public, promising peace and social order. In return, the population overlooked efforts like the Star Chamber that used questionable methods.

Renaissance beliefs about rape?

It was not considered to be a very serious crime, usually punishable with a fine or light imprisonment. The only exception was a noble woman being assaulted by a man of lower status, because of the political message that was sent.