The Beginning of the Modern Age and a New Way of Thinking

Flashcards covering technological developments, expeditions, pre-Columbian America, humanism, and the Reformation.

What is an astrolabe?

A nautical instrument used to measure the position of stars.

What is cartography?

The development of techniques to create more precise maps.

What is a caravel?

A light and fast ship that was key for explorations.

What technological advances contributed to the Age of Discovery?

Development of the astrolabe, cartography, and the caravel.

Who was Henry the Navigator?

He promoted expeditions and a navigation school in Sagres.

Who was Bartolomeu Dias?

The first European to round the Cape of Good Hope in 1488.

Who was Vasco da Gama?

He established the direct maritime route to India in 1498.

What was the Treaty of Tordesillas?

An agreement in 1494 that divided the world between Spain and Portugal.

Who was Cristóbal Colón?

He arrived in America in 1492, believing he had reached Asia.

What was the first voyage around the world?

An expedition initiated by Magellan and completed by Elcano (1519-1522).

What did the Treaty of Alcaçovas (1479) recognize?

Portuguese control over Africa.

What did the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) establish?

A line of demarcation 370 leagues west of Cape Verde.

Who were the Aztecs?

They dominated central Mexico with their capital in Tenochtitlán.

Who were the Mayans?

They excelled in astronomy and mathematics in Mesoamerica.

Who were the Incas?

They built a vast empire in the Andes with advanced road networks.

What is Anthropocentrism?

A focus on the human being as the center of the intellectual universe.

What is the Renaissance?

A cultural movement that revived classical art and thought.

What is the heliocentric theory?

Proposed by Copernicus, it places the Sun at the center of the solar system.

What are the main characteristics of Humanism?

Interest in classical culture, development of critical thinking, and emphasis on education and the individual.

What were the causes of the Reformation?

Corruption in the Church, sale of indulgences, and desire for religious reforms.

What did the Lutheran Reformation emphasize?

Salvation by faith, the authority of the Bible, and rejection of papal authority.

What was the Counter-Reformation?

A Catholic response with the Council of Trent (1545-1563), reaffirming doctrines and promoting ecclesiastical discipline.