Period 1 - Renaissance, Protestant Reformation, and Age of Exploration

Flashcards covering key concepts from the Renaissance, Protestant Reformation, and the Age of Exploration.

Renaissance

A broad intellectual, artistic, cultural, and scientific movement that transformed Europe roughly between the 14th and 17th centuries, meaning 'rebirth' in French.

Humanism

The core philosophy of the Renaissance, emphasizing human potential, dignity, and a focus on classical knowledge and education.

Chiaroscuro

The use of light and shadow in art to create a sense of depth, prominent in Renaissance paintings.

Printing Press

Invented by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440, it revolutionized the spread of information by making books cheaper and more accessible.

The Protestant Reformation

A 16th-century religious movement that split Western Christianity, leading to the creation of new denominations, triggered by church corruption and the rise of humanist thinking.

Indulgences

Payments made to the church that purportedly reduced time in purgatory, a major point of criticism during the Reformation.

95 Theses

A document posted by Martin Luther in 1517 that criticized church practices, particularly indulgences, and sparked the Protestant Reformation.

Calvinism

A branch of Protestantism founded by John Calvin that emphasizes predestination and strict moral discipline.

Mercantilism

An economic policy where nations sought to accumulate wealth through trade, exporting more than they imported.

Columbian Exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, cultures, human populations, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World after 1492.

Encomienda System

A Spanish labor system that rewarded conquerors with the labor of particular groups of people, often Indigenous populations.

Peace of Westphalia

The 1648 agreement that ended the Thirty Years' War and established the concept of state sovereignty.

Baroque Art

A style of art used by the Catholic Church to inspire faith and emotion, characterized by dramatic, emotional, and highly detailed works.

Absolutism

A political system in which a single ruler holds absolute power, as exemplified by Louis XIV of France.

Joint-Stock Companies

Businesses funded by investors that became prominent in the 1600s, controlling trade and resources in colonial ventures.