Barron's unit one key terms euro

Renaissance

Period of artistic, cultural and intellectual revival, began in Italy, 1300-1600s, secularism, classical learning, and humanism. Drove curiosity to increase interactions with the rest of the world.

City-states

independent, self-governing cities that dominated political and economic life during the Renaissance period in Italy, each with its own government and military. Ex. Florence and Venice.

Elizabethan age

the period during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I from 1558 to 1603, marked by the flourishing of English drama, poetry, and exploration.

secularism

the principle of separating religion from political, social, and educational institutions, emphasizing a focus on worldly matters.

Christian humanism

Recaptured the moral force of early Christianity by studying Greek and Hebrew texts of the Bible and writings of the Church fathers, blend of religion. Ex. Erasmus and Thomas More.

humanism

Literary and educational movement, Italy during 14th and 15th century, special affinity for classical Greek and Roman culture. nonclerical writers concerned themselves with secular issues.

individualism

The belief in the importance of individual rights and independence, often emphasizing personal autonomy and self-reliance. Individualism is a key principle in political and economic theory.

mannerism

A style of art and architecture that emerged in the late Renaissance, characterized by elongated figures, emotional expression, and complex compositions, often expressing the artist's personal interpretation. Ex. El Greco

manorialism

A system of land ownership and agricultural administration in medieval Europe, where lords owned large estates and peasants worked the land in exchange for protection and a place to live.

open-field system

A farming system in medieval Europe where land was divided into long strips and worked collectively by villagers, allowing for crop rotation and shared access to communal fields.

medici family

famous dynasty of merchants’bankers that used wealth to govern city-states and were patrons of art. Ex. Lorenzo the Magnificent

leonardo da Vinci

Renaissance man, painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, writer, scientist, made the Mona Lisa and Last Supper.

michelangelo

sculptor, made the statue of Moses and David. Painted the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

petrarch

Wrote sonnets in Italian and other works in Latin. Considered the father of Humanism, he emphasized classical literature and the importance of individual expression.

boccaccio

Italian author, known for the Decameron, a collection of novellas that explores themes of love and human behavior. He is regarded as a pioneer in the development of prose fiction during the Renaissance.

niccolo Machiavelli

Italian philosopher and diplomat, known for his political treatise "The Prince," which discusses power dynamics, statecraft, and realpolitik where rulers were given advice n how to acquire, maintain, and govern a state

Desiderius Erasmus

Dutch humanist and theologian, known for his critical edition of the New Testament and his work "In Praise of Folly," which critiques church corruption and advocates for a return to simple Christian piety.

Leon Batttista Alberti

Italian polymath known for his contributions to art, architecture, and literature during the Renaissance, particularly his work on linear perspective and his treatise "On Painting."

Lorenzo Valla

Italian humanist and philosopher, known for his work in textual criticism and for proving the Donation of Constantine as a forgery. Famous for ‘On Pleasure’ about the Epicureans

Thomas More

English lawyer, social philosopher, and author of "Utopia," a work that critiques contemporary society and outlines an ideal community based on reason and equality.

Johann Gutenberg

Inventor of the movable type printing press, which revolutionized the production of books and the spread of information in Europe during the Renaissance.

ursury

the practice of lending money at unreasonably high interest rates, often considered unethical or illegal.

mercantilism

An economic theory advocating for governmental regulation of a nation's economy to augment state power at the expense of rival national powers. It emphasizes the accumulation of wealth through trade balance.

deism

Religious ideal in which God was a kind of cosmic clock maker who created a universe where he does not have to intervene in. emphasizes rationality

scientific revolution

The period of great advances in scientific thought during the 16th and 17th centuries, characterized by the development of the scientific method and significant discoveries in astronomy, physics, biology, and chemistry.

Treaty of Tordesillas

A 1494 agreement between Spain and Portugal that divided newly discovered lands outside Europe along a meridian. Spain received lands to the west of the line, while Portugal received lands to the east. Impacted colonial expansion, reducing conflicts between the two nations and shaping

Albrecht Durer

A German painter and printmaker of the Northern Renaissance, detailed works and significant contributions to the art of engraving. exploration of realistic human proportions, intricate details in landscapes and nature. 'The Apocalypse' series and 'Melencolia I.'

Baldassare Castiglione

An Italian courtier and diplomat, author of "The Book of the Courtier," which described the ideal qualities of a nobleman and the culture of the Renaissance court.

Donatello

Created the first freestanding bronze statue David. Florence, sculptor during the early Renaissance, known for his distinctive style and mastery of realistic human forms.

Filippo Brunelleschi

Created II Duomo, first Italian freestanding dome, bought perspective to Renaissance artists, Florence, Architect

Raphael

Italian painter, architect of St. Peters Cathedral, The School of Anthens and part of the trinity of great 15-th century artists.

Fuggers

A prominent banking family in Germany during the Renaissance, known for their wealth and influence in finance, as well as their support for art and politics.

Marsiglio Finicio

A political philosopher known for his work on the separation of church and state, advocating for the autonomy of civil authority from religious power.

Pico Della Mirandola

An Italian Renaissance philosopher celebrated for his work 'Oration on the Dignity of Man,' which emphasizes human potential and free will.

Sir Francis Bacon

English thinker who advocated the inductive or experimental method which accumulated data and drew conclusions from it. Original empiricist and philosopher of modern science.

Rene Descartes

French philosopher, ‘Discourse on Method’ argued that everything that is not validated by observation should be doubted, ‘I think therefore I am’, God exists and wanted to reconcile religion with science.

Nicolaus Copernicus

Polish astronomer, created the heliocentric concept of the universe where the sun was the center of the universe, ‘Concerning the Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies’ which was published after his death

Triangle trade

A historical trade system between Europe, Africa, and the Americas that involved the exchange of goods, slaves, and resources, significantly impacting global commerce and societies.

columbian exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, sickness, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World following Christopher Columbus's voyages.

potosi and zacatecas

Two major silver mining centers in the Spanish Empire during the colonial period, contributing significantly to the wealth of Spain and the global economy.

Encomienda

A labor system that rewarded Spanish colonizers with the labor of indigenous peoples in exchange for their protection and Christianization.

Fall of Constantinople

The 1453 capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire and a significant turning point in European and Middle Eastern history.

Viceroyalty system

A political system established by the Spanish Empire in the Americas, where a viceroy governed a large territory on behalf of the Spanish crown, overseeing local administration and implementing colonial policies.

middle passage

The sea route used during the transatlantic slave trade that transported enslaved Africans to the Americas, characterized by brutal conditions.

Galileo Galilei

Italian astronomer that made telescopic observations that validated Copernican theory, advocated Copernicus which earned him condemnation by the inquisition

Johannes Kepler

German astronomer who formulated laws of planetary motion, confirming the heliocentric theory by detailing the elliptical orbits of planets.

Christopher Columbus

Italian explorer credited with discovering the Americas in 1492, he made four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean and sought to find a westward route to Asia.

Henry the Navigator

Portuguese prince known for his contributions to the early exploration of Africa and the Atlantic Ocean, establishing a navigation school that advanced maritime knowledge.

Vasco da Gama

Portuguese explorer who was the first to reach India by sea, connecting Europe and Asia via the ocean.

Hernan Cortez

Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire in the early 16th century.

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that conquered the Inca Empire in Peru, capturing and executing the Incan emperor Atahualpa.

John Cabot

Italian explorer who was one of the first Europeans to explore North America, landing in Newfoundland in 1497.

Bartholomew Dias

Portuguese explorer who was the first to round the Cape of Good Hope in 1488, paving the way for sea routes to India.

Ferdinand Magellan

Spanish explorer known for circumnavigating the globe. His expedition was the first to successfully sail around the world, proving that the Earth is round.

Sir Francis Drake

English sea captain and navigator who completed the second circumnavigation of the globe and was a key figure in the defeat of the Spanish Armada.