African Societies, European Middle Ages, Renaissance & Reformation

Gold-Salt Trade

Trade between West and North Africa.

Monsoon

Seasonal winds that helped Indian Ocean trade.

Sundiata

Founder of Mali.

Mansa Musa

Powerful ruler of Mali known for wealth and pilgrimage.

Timbuktu

Center of trade, learning, and Islam.

Swahili Coast

East African trading cities.

Cosmopolitan Cities

Places where many cultures and religions mixed.

Feudalism

Political and economic system based on land and loyalty.

Lord

Noble who owned land.

Vassal

Person who received land in exchange for service.

Knight

Warrior who served a lord.

Manor

Self-sufficient farming estate.

Catholic Church

Most powerful religious institution in medieval Europe.

How the legitimacy of the catholic church increased during the middle ages

The Catholic Church gained legitimacy in the Middle Ages because people believed the pope was Peter’s successor and that the Church had authority from God. Its power also grew through support from kings, land ownership, and tithes, which made it seem more official and important.

Monastery

Community where monks lived and worked.

Schism of 1054

Split between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.

Crusades Causes

Desire to reclaim the Holy Land, Religious devotion, Economic motives

Crusades Effects

increased trade, Cultural exchange, Weakened feudalism (a land-and-loyalty system with kings, lords, vassals, and knights)

Black Death spread

Trade routes, Fleas on rats in urban environments. Spread human to human

Black Death Effects

Population decline, Labor shortages, Weakened feudalism (a land-and-loyalty system with kings, lords, vassals, and knights)

Renaissance

Period of renewed interest in art, learning, and classical culture.

Humanism

Focus on human achievements and potential.

Secularism

Focus on worldly matters rather than religion.

Individualism

Belief in the importance of the individual.

Classicism

Interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture.

Scientific Revolution

Growth of scientific thinking and experimentation.

Printing Press

Machine that made books cheaper and easier to produce.

Reformation

Movement that challenged the Catholic Church.

Causes of the Reformation

Church corruption, Sale of indulgences, Spread of new ideas through printing

Effects of the Reformation

Protestant churches formed, Religious conflict, Weakened Catholic Church authority

Differences between middle ages and renaissance

Middle Ages

Church-centered, More secular, Feudal society, Growing cities, Focus on faith

Renaissance

Humanism, Education was also religiously centered, Education focused