Copy of AP Euro Unit 1 Subject Vocabulary 2024-2025

AP Euro Unit 1 Academic Vocabulary

Page 1

• Hundred Years War

  • Intermittent armed conflict between England and France over territorial rights and succession to the French throne (1337-1453).

• Magna Carta

  • Document establishing that the king and his government are not above the law.

• Babylonian Captivity of the Church

  • 14th-century period when the papacy was relocated from Rome to Avignon, France.

• The Great Schism

  • Separation of the Catholic Church of the West from the Orthodox churches of the East.

• Language Families

  • Romance, Germanic, and Slavic are the three major language families dominating Europe.

• Effects of the Bubonic Plague on European Society

  • Significant labor shortages.

• Byzantine Empire

  • Known as the Eastern Roman Empire.

• Ottoman Empire

  • A great Turkish Empire lasting 600 years.

• Italian Renaissance

  • A period of significant advancements in various fields including art, literature, and science.

• Northern Renaissance

  • Artistic and cultural development in Northern Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries.

• Humanism

  • Philosophy focusing on human potential, interests, and values.

• Secularism

  • Treating all religions equally.

• Individualism

  • Embracing uniqueness and self-identity.

• Civic Humanism

  • Emphasizes active participation of citizens in public life.

• Christian/Northern Humanism

  • Aims to reform society through education based on Christian teachings.

• Vernacular Language

  • The everyday language spoken by common people in a specific region.

• Characteristics of Renaissance Art

  • Notable for anatomy, perspective, realism, expression, and influences from ancient Greece and Rome.

• Patronage of the Arts

  • Wealthy individuals or institutions financially supporting artists.

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• Comparison of Italian and Northern Renaissance Art

  • Both feature perspective and realism.

  • Italian art focuses on the human body and religious themes; Northern art depicts common life and sometimes unusual subjects.

• Printing Press

  • A machine for transferring text and images to paper using movable type.

• Key Figures

  • Petrarch: Italian poet known for love lyrics.

  • Lorenzo Valla: Italian educator and humanist.

  • Baldassare Castiglione: Author of The Book of the Courtier.

  • Machiavelli: Wrote The Prince, offering guidance on ruling.

  • Michelangelo: Renowned Italian artist and polymath.

  • Leonardo da Vinci: Polymath known for contributions in art and science.

  • Erasmus: Influential thinker of the Renaissance.

• Oligarchy

  • A small group controlling a country or organization.

• Holy Roman Empire

  • A political entity ruling over western and central Europe.

• New Monarchies

  • Consolidation of power in European states during the late 15th and early 16th centuries.

• Bureaucracies

  • Systems for managing countries or organizations through officials.

• Ferdinand and Isabella

  • First King and Queen of Spain, known as the Catholic Monarchs.

• Reconquista

  • Campaigns by Christian states to reclaim territory from Muslims.

• Conversos and Moriscos

  • Spanish Jews who converted to Christianity to avoid persecution.

• Spanish Inquisition

  • Judicial institution operating from 1478 to 1834.

• Age of Exploration

  • Period from the late 15th century to early 17th century marked by European exploration.

• Henry the Navigator

  • Explorer who initiated European colonization and the transatlantic slave trade.

• Motivations for Exploration and Colonization

  • Driven by "God, Gold, and Glory"—economic, political, and religious reasons.

• Caravel

  • A small, fast sailing ship developed by the Portuguese.

Page 3

• Conquistador

  • Spanish explorers and soldiers who conquered territories in the Americas.

• Hernan Cortés

  • Conquistador known for leading the conquest of the Aztec Empire.

• Columbian Exchange

  • Exchange of goods and ideas between the New World (Americas) and the Old World (Europe).

• Mercantilism

  • Economic system where the government controls the economy to enhance national power.

• Encomienda System

  • Allowed settlers to tax Indigenous people or demand labor in exchange for protection and education.

• Smallpox

  • Highly contagious disease that spread rapidly.

• Viceroyalties

  • Regions ruled by a viceroy.

• African Slave Trade

  • Forced transportation of enslaved Africans to the Americas.

• Plantation Economies

  • Economic systems based on large-scale agriculture reliant on enslaved labor.

• European Marriage Pattern

  • Wealthy individuals married early, while the less fortunate married later in life.

• Merchant Class / Commercial Elite

  • Wealthy traders emerging during the Commercial Revolution.

• Price Revolution

  • Period of significant inflation in Europe during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

• Commercial Revolution

  • A transformative period in Europe’s econom