US History Semester 1 Exam Important People/Terms

Little Ice Age

change in global weather before black plague -> caused widespread famine

Black Death/Bubonic Plague

from black rats w/ fleas

originated in Central Asia + spread by Mongol troops

1347 (Black Death)

Plague brought to Sicily from Caffa on a naval trade route

Mortality rate of black plague

50-60%

People's ideas on the causes of Black Death

act of god/divine punishment, underground fumes, blamed Jewish people

Dark ages

500-1000, no central gov't + no emphasis on education

Medieval times/middle ages

500-1500

Feudalism

strict social hierarchy: pope, kings, nobles, knights/vassals, peasants/serfs

Roman catholic church during feudal Europe

most important organization, above gov't

Fief

land given to knights for service to lords

serfs

bound to land + worked for food/shelter

tithe

10% annual earnings tax to Catholic church -> to earn salvation

printing press (when & who)

1453, Johann Gutenberg

High Middle Ages

1000-1300

(rise of) artisans

as cities became centers of trade, former peasants migrated to urban areas+ developed crafts

guilds

organization of artisans that regulated prices + standards

Renaissance

1350-1550

cultural rebirth based in Greek/Roman ideals

began in Italy

secular split

(Renaissance era) 2 realms: sacred (worship) + secular (everything else)

Renaissance humanism

intellectual movt. from Florence based on studying classics/ liberal arts w/ focus on individual ability

father: Petrarch

Notable Renaissance artists

Michaelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci

patrons

families that sponsored Renaissance art (ex. Medichi's)

Columbian Exchange

exchange of goods/settlers/animals/disease between Europe (Old World) & America (New World)

Conquistadors

Spanish military leaders who "discovered" the new world + colonized

Smallpox

found on blankets + killed 50-90% of Native American pop.

influenza

brought by animals, insects, rats to the Americas + decimated Native populations

Middle passage

brutal, deadly voyage across the atlantic used during slave trade

chattel

personal property; type of slavery

cane sugar (importance)

grew well in E. Americas/Caribbean + big driver for cheap labor

sustenance farming

growing only what you need for survival

cash crops

for profit (ex. tobacco, sugar, coffee, cacao)

Mercantilism

'home' countries established colonies to grow crops w/ lower production costs

Triangular trade

between Europe, Africa, Americas

Desiderius Erasmus

created + popularized Christian humanism

wrote "praise of folly"

Christian humanism

christianity= guiding philosophy instead of dogmatic beliefs

Martin Luther

german monk who began protestant reformation w/ 95 theses

indulgences

pardon sold by catholic church to reduce one's punishment

pluralism

holding more than one office or church benefice at a time

absenteeism

the failure to show up for work (Catholic Church)

simony

The selling of church offices

nepotism

favoritism to relatives

ex-communicated

kicked out of the church

Protestant Reformation

salvation= from faith alone + people should interpret/read the Bible themselves

Reichstag/ diet of worms

expected Luther to apologize and retract his heresy; refused, Luther excommunicated & outlawed

Peasants War

German revolt: peasants rebelled due to new Protestant thought

Catholic Reformation/Counter-Reformation

calls to reform from within catholic church--> adjusted elements of Medieval catholicism to meet new conditions

Society of Jesus

(jesuits) founded by Ignatius of Loyola + spread by Frances Xavier to japan/india/china

fought protestantism

Council of Trent

Reaffirmed traditional Catholic teachings, forbade the sale of indulgences

5 Pillars of islam

belief, prayer, charity, fasting, pilgrimage

hajj

pilgrimage to Mecca, performed as a duty by Muslims

Sunni vs Shi'a

Sunni believe caliphs should be chosen by muslim leaders, Shi'a thought caliphs should be related to Muhammad

sharia

traditional Muslim law

caliph

leader of Islam

Ignatius of Loyola

Founder of the Jesuits

Matteo Ricci

Portuguese Jesuit missionary who went to China, assimilated into Chinese culture and language and ran a Christian mission in China.

Nobunaga

Japanese daimyo; first to make extensive use of firearms; seized central capital of Kyoto under his command; killed in 1582

Hideyoshi

General under Nobunaga

became Taiko (military master)

capital @ Osaka

froze social classes

continued efforts to break power of daimyos

died before complete unification

Ieyasu

named himself shogun

most powerful/longest shognate

completed restoration of central authority

policy of alternate attendance

han

domains; separated states into territories

2 types of daimyos

fudai (small, sub. to shogun)

tozama (larger, more independent + distant)

samurai class

Japanese warrior class that was treated like knights - chivalry + respect + tradition

bakufu

Japanese central gov't

Tokaido

long road that connected Edo and Kyoto during Tokugawa Japan w/ post stations

(policy of) alternate attendance

Daimyos= spend every other year at the Tokugawa court (kept power check)

- wealth affected by having 2 households

-less ability to establish separate power bases

closed-country policy

Japan's policy banning foreign missionaries + traders + Japanese couldn't travel abroad

woodblock prints

- Popular medium in Japan

- Allowed for the creation of multiple prints from a single image

- enhanced Japanese sense of national identity w/ landmarks + symbols

daimyo

Japanese feudal lord- commanded a private army of samurai

bureaucracy

hierarchy of officials: strict rules, detailed procedures, and division of labor

janissary

A slave soldier of the Ottoman Army

shah

king of the Safavids

sultan

Ottoman rulers

Suleiman the Magnificent

Great Ottoman leader: stable gov't, law code, fair tax system, freedom of worship (Christians + Jews) --> led to age of affluence

Shah Abbas

greatest Safavid leader: used merit to employ gov't workers, introduced religious tolerance, boosted trade w/ Euro Christians

Akbar the Great

greatest Mughal leader: cultural blending + religious tolerance, ended tax on non-Muslims, created fair system

miniatures

colorful Mughal paintings created + popularized during age of intellect

philosophes

studied human society w/ scientific lens

inspired by Renaissance (spirit of inquiry), P. Reformation (weakened church), Scientific Revolution (observation)

natural laws

believed by philosophes

written by John Locke "Two Treatises of Government"

life, liberty, property, right to revolt

natural rights

the idea that all humans are born with rights, which include the right to life, liberty, and property

John Locke

English philosoph who wrote "Two Treatises of Government" + inspired Thomas Jefferson

Seven Years War

AKA French and Indian war: btwn French + Native American allies and the English

- proved the English to be the more dominant force + weakened French global influence/commerce

Stamp Act

due to British war debt, attempt to levy colonist taxes -> led to riots, quickly appealed

Declaration of Independence

1776 statement explaining why the colonies wanted independence from Britain + british taxes without parliamentary representation

Bill of Rights

First 10 amendments of Constitution: guarenteed/affirmed many natural rights (speech, religion, property, etc.)

Thomas Jefferson

Wrote the Declaration of Independence + heavily influenced by Enlightenment/John Locke

George Washington

commander of army in 7 Years War --> led Americans in revolution to independence --> 1st president

Three Estates

1st (Clergy, 1%), 2nd (Nobility, 2%), 3rd Commoners (Everyone else, 97%)

- Commoners paid 1/2 of income in taxes

Estates General

called for 1st time in 250 years to address problems: representatives from all 3 estates; 3rd had double reps but 1st/2nd tried to lock them out, so 3rd decided to meet @ tennis court to revolt

National Assembly

a French congress established by representatives of the Third Estate to enact laws and reforms in the name of the French people

Committee of Public Safety

Established and led by Robespierre: took control of France w/ men called to fight + instigated the Reign of Terror

Reign of Terror

period when Robespierre ruled + used revolutionary terror / violence to solidify the home front

- tried + had most executed via guillotine

Declaration of Rights of Man

Statement of fundamental political rights adopted by the French National Assembly at the beginning of the French Revolution

Louis XVI

King of France during the French Revolution: incompetent + ignorant

Marie Antoinette

austrian queen of France (as wife of Louis XVI) who was unpopular bc of vanity + opulence

Robespierre

leader of the Committee of Public Safety + chief architect of the Reign of Terror