AP European History Unit 1 Vocab

Renaissance

Rebirth of classical learning, art, and human-centered values in 15th-century Europe.

Northern Renaissance

Blend of humanism with Christian reform ideas in Northern Europe.

Humanists

Scholars who studied classical texts to promote education and civic virtue.

Secularism

Focus on worldly, non-religious subjects and values.

Individualism

Emphasis on personal achievement and unique human potential.

Civic Humanism

Using classical education for public service and the common good.

Printing Press

Movable-type invention (Gutenberg) spreading literacy and new ideas.

Secular

Non-religious; relating to the world rather than the Church.

Vernacular Language

Everyday language of the people, not Latin.

Protestant Reformation

16th-century challenge to Catholic doctrine that created Protestant churches.

Patronage of the Arts

Financial support for artists to display wealth, power, or faith.

Mannerism

Post-Renaissance art with exaggerated proportions and tension.

Baroque

Dramatic, emotional art and architecture tied to Catholic renewal.

Scientific Revolution

Shift to observation and experimentation as sources of knowledge.

Copernicus

Proposed heliocentric model of the solar system.

Galileo

Used telescope; proved heliocentrism; condemned by Church.

Newton

Defined laws of motion and universal gravitation.

William Harvey

Discovered blood circulates through the heart.

Galen

Ancient physician whose humoral theory dominated pre-modern medicine.

Francis Bacon

Promoted inductive reasoning and experimental method.

René Descartes

Rationalist philosopher; used deduction and logic (“I think, therefore I am”).

Witchcraft

Belief in magic and pacts with the devil; led to early modern witch hunts.

Alchemy

Pre-scientific attempt to transform matter; precursor to chemistry.

Astrology

Belief celestial bodies influence human affairs.

Centralization

Consolidation of power under a strong, central government.

New Monarchies

15th–16th-century rulers who strengthened royal authority over nobles.

Thirty Years’ War

Religious–political conflict (1618–1648) that devastated the HRE.

Peace of Westphalia

1648 treaty ending the Thirty Years’ War; recognized state sovereignty.

Holy Roman Empire

Decentralized collection of German states under an elected emperor.

The Prince (Machiavelli)

Guide advising rulers to use pragmatism and power politics.

Balance of Power

System preventing any one state from dominating Europe.

Military Revolution

16th–17th-century changes in warfare: gunpowder, standing armies, fortifications.

Bureaucracy

Professional administrative system supporting state centralization.

English Civil War

Conflict between king and Parliament (1642–1649) over power and religion.

Parliament

English representative body sharing power with the monarch.

Christian Humanism

Northern movement combining classical learning with Biblical reform.

Protestant Reformation

Religious movement breaking Catholic unity and creating Protestantism.

Erasmus

Christian humanist who criticized Church corruption; wrote In Praise of Folly.

Martin Luther

German monk; began Reformation with 95 Theses; taught salvation by faith alone.

95 Theses

Luther’s 1517 list condemning indulgences and Church abuses.

John Calvin

Reformer who taught predestination and created a disciplined Protestant community.

Anabaptists

Radical Protestants favoring adult baptism and separation of church and state.

Catholic Reformation / Counter-Reformation

Catholic revival reaffirming doctrine and reforming abuses.

Jesuits

Catholic order (Loyola) devoted to education and missionary work.

Council of Trent

Catholic council that redefined doctrine and ended corruption.

Henry VIII (England)

Broke from Rome; created Anglican Church under royal control.

Elizabeth I (England)

Protestant queen; enforced moderate religious compromise.

French Wars of Religion

Civil wars (1562–1598) between Catholics and Huguenots.

Edict of Nantes (1598)

Granted limited toleration to French Protestants.

Religious Pluralism

Coexistence of multiple faiths within a state or society.

Age of Exploration

European overseas expansion (15th–17th c.) driven by trade and curiosity.

New World

The Americas; newly encountered lands by Europeans.

Gold, God, Glory

Motives for exploration: wealth, religion, and fame.

Mercantilism

Economic policy maximizing exports and bullion for national power.

Missionaries

Religious figures spreading Christianity to new regions.

Cartography

Mapmaking; improved accuracy aided navigation.

Navigational Advances

New tools and ships (compass, astrolabe, caravel) enabling ocean travel.

Columbian Exchange

Exchange of crops, animals, diseases between Old and New Worlds.

African Slave Trade

Forced transport of Africans to Americas for labor.

Commercial Capitalism

Early trade system focused on profit and private ownership.

Family Banking Houses

Powerful family-run banks funding trade and monarchs.

Amsterdam

Dutch financial center and hub of global trade.

London

Major financial and political center of early modern England.

Subsistence Agriculture

Farming mainly to feed one’s family, not for market sale.

Field Rotation

Agricultural practice rotating crops to preserve soil fertility.

Price Revolution

Inflation caused by population growth and New World silver.

Serfdom

Labor system binding peasants to their lord’s land.

Social Dislocation

Upheaval caused by economic change and migration.

Little Ice Age

Period of cooler climate causing crop failures and famine.

Witchcraft

Widespread belief leading to 16th–17th c. witch hunts.