history quiz 1

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering the key terms, historical figures, artistic masterpieces, and philosophical concepts of the Renaissance, Reformation, Scientific Revolution, and Enlightenment.

The Renaissance

A historical period spanning the 14th to 16th centuries meaning "rebirth/revival," marked by a revival of classical ancient Greco-Roman civilization.

Medici Family

A wealthy Italian merchant family that pursued material life and invested substantial money into arts and books.

Fall of Eastern Roman Empire (1453)

A 1453 event where scholars fled to Italy with ancient texts, contributing to the revival of classical civilization.

Movable-type printing press

An invention that helped spread new ideas and increased literacy across Europe.

Humanism

A Renaissance worldview emphasizing human-centred perspectives, talents, and human values rather than a god-centred focus.

Individualism and scepticism

Renaissance characteristics centered on staying true to oneself and questioning established or old ideas.

Dante

Renaissance writer known for composing the poem Divine Comedy.

Boccaccio

Renaissance author who wrote the short story collection Decameron.

Shakespeare

Playwright who authored Renaissance plays including Romeo and Juliet and The Merchant of Venice.

Cervantes

Renaissance author who wrote the novel Don Quixote.

Perspective

A Renaissance artistic technique using clear changes in light and shade to realistically show distances and depths.

Three Masters of the Renaissance

The trio of prominent Renaissance artists comprising Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael.

Leonardo da Vinci

A Renaissance master famous for painting the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.

Michelangelo

A Renaissance master who created (The Genesis and The Last Judgement), The Pieta, and the sculpture David.

Raphael

A Renaissance master celebrated for painting The School of Athens.

Medieval (Gothic style) Architecture

An architectural style characterized by pointed arches, tall pointed spires, and long narrow windows.

Renaissance Architecture

An architectural style that revived ancient Greco-Roman design, emphasizing proportion, balance, and symmetry, and featuring round arches, domes, columns, and pediments.

Indulgences

Items sold by the corrupt Roman Catholic Church to make money, sparking widespread dissatisfaction.

Martin Luther

Leader of the Reformation who published the Ninety-Five Theses in 1517, taught that salvation comes through faith in God's grace, and translated the Bible into German.

Ninety-Five Theses

A 1517 work by Martin Luther challenging corrupt church practices and asserting salvation through God's grace.

Protestantism

A religious movement emerging from the Reformation that gave rise to new sects including Lutheranism, Calvinism, and Anglicanism.

Jesuits

A religious order created by the Roman Catholic Church to preach as part of its internal reform measures.

Roman Inquisition

A judicial body established by the Roman Catholic Church to judge heretics during the Reformation era.

Heliocentrism

The astronomical model proposed by Copernicus and supplemented by Kepler stating that the planets orbit the Sun.

Geocentric model

The traditional Church-backed view stating that everything in the universe orbits the Earth.

Galileo

Scientific Revolution astronomer who improved the telescope and used it to make celestial observations.

Divine right of kings

The political doctrine asserting that a monarch's authority and power come directly from God.

Natural rights

Inherent rights possessed equally by all people according to Enlightenment thought, specifically life, liberty, and property.

Voltaire

Enlightenment thinker who opposed autocracy and advocated for freedom of speech and religion.

Montesquieu

Enlightenment philosopher who proposed the separation of powers into executive, legislative, and judicial branches to prevent the abuse of power.

Social Contract

A political concept associated with John Locke asserting that citizens hold the right to overthrow a government that violates its contract.

General will

The political philosophy and principle associated with Enlightenment thinker Jean-Jacques Rousseau.