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Vocabulary-style flashcards covering major people, concepts, and events from the notes.

Cicero

Ancient Roman statesman and writer whose eloquence and political wisdom inspired Renaissance civic duty and rhetoric.

Petrarch

Italian scholar and poet; often called the Father of Humanism for reviving classical texts and stressing individual achievement.

The Medici Family

Florentine banking dynasty that funded Renaissance art and humanism, shaping culture in Florence.

Humanism

Renaissance intellectual movement focusing on classical texts, secularism, and human potential.

Civic Humanism

Belief that educated citizens should actively serve the state and govern with virtue. humanism with relation to politics

Secularism

Orientation toward worldly concerns over spiritual matters; allowed arts and politics to flourish beyond church control.

Individualism

Emphasis on personal achievement, dignity, and uniqueness; celebrated in art and literature.

Lorenzo Valla

Humanist who exposed the Donation of Constantine as a forgery, undermining papal authority through critical scholarship.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Author of The Prince who argued for pragmatic, sometimes ruthless politics (early modern realpolitik).

Baldassare Castiglione

Author of The Book of the Courtier; described the ideal Renaissance man and courtly behavior.

Michelangelo

Renaissance artist who sculpted David and painted the Sistine Chapel, embodying humanist ideals in art.

Raphael

Renaissance painter whose School of Athens celebrates classical learning and harmony in art.

Filippo Brunelleschi

Architect who designed the dome of Florence Cathedral and helped develop linear perspective.

Naturalism

Artistic style emphasizing realistic depiction of people and nature, breaking medieval stylization.

Geometric Perspective

Artistic technique using vanishing points to create a 3D illusion; a Renaissance hallmark.

Northern Renaissance

Renaissance movement focusing on Christian humanism, reform, and detailed realism; blending faith with humanism.

Erasmus

Christian humanist who criticized church corruption but remained Catholic (wrote In Praise of Folly).

Johannes Gutenberg

Inventor of the movable-type printing press around 1450; accelerated spread of ideas and literacy.

New Monarchies

15th–16th century rulers who centralized power, laying foundations for modern nation-states.

Nobles of the Robe

French nobles who bought noble titles, strengthening centralized monarchies over feudal peers.

Spanish Inquisition

Religious tribunal established under Ferdinand and Isabella to enforce Catholic orthodoxy and suppress dissent.

Ferdinand and Isabella

Unified Spain through marriage, completed Reconquista, sponsored Columbus; consolidated royal power and Catholic unity.

Henry VIII

English king who broke from Rome, establishing the Church of England under royal supremacy.

Act of Supremacy (1534)

Legislation declaring Henry VIII head of the Church of England; shifted church authority to the monarchy.

Compass

Navigational instrument for determining direction; essential to the Age of Exploration.

Astrolabe

Ancient instrument used to measure latitude via stars; improved long-distance navigation.

Prince Henry the Navigator

Portuguese prince who sponsored early Atlantic exploration along Africa and funded navigational science.

Mercantilism

Economic theory equating wealth with gold and silver; colonies exist to benefit the mother country.

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

Agreement dividing newly discovered lands outside Europe between Spain (west) and Portugal (east) to avoid conflict.

Seven Years’ War (1756–63)

Global conflict that led Britain to gain global dominance, with fighting in Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

Bartolomé de las Casas

Spanish priest who criticized the encomienda system and defended Native rights; early advocate for human rights.

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds, reshaping ecosystems and economies.

Encomienda System

Spanish labor system that exploited Native Americans and forced labor in colonies.

Middle Passage

Forced transatlantic voyage of enslaved Africans; central route of the Atlantic slave trade.

Joint-Stock Company

Investors pooled capital for overseas ventures; early form of modern capitalism.

Enclosure Movement

English landlords fenced off common land, increasing agricultural productivity but displacing peasants.

Jean-Baptiste Colbert

Louis XIV's finance minister; promoted mercantilist policies to strengthen state wealth.

Price Revolution

16th-century inflation driven by influx of New World silver, straining economies.

Little Ice Age

Period of cooling (roughly 1300s–1800s) causing famines and social hardship.