AP European History Flashcards

Renaissance and Exploration

  • Renaissance: A movement reviving classical art and literature, marked by humanism.
  • Humanists: Individuals prioritizing human concerns over religious ones.
  • Secularism: Separating government and state from religious institutions.
  • Individualism: Belief in personal abilities and limitless human potential.
  • Civic Humanism: Philosophy seeing government and city as spaces for human fulfillment.
  • Printing Press: Facilitated easier printing, spreading ideas and access to literature.
  • Secular: Denoting separation of state from religious institutions.
  • Vernacular Language: Common language spoken in a region.
  • Patronage of the Arts: Wealthy individuals/families funding artists.
  • Centralization: Power consolidated into a central government.
  • New Monarchies: Strong, centralized states with monarchs consolidating power.
  • Holy Roman Empire: Decentralized state with independent states, failing to centralize.
  • \"The Prince\" (Machiavelli): Book outlining effective, though harsh, ruling methods.
  • Balance of Power: Distributing military strength to prevent dominance.
  • Age of Exploration: Increased European overseas exploration.
  • New World: Term for the Americas coined by European explorers.
  • Gold, God, Glory: Primary motivations for New World explorers.
  • Mercantilism: Hoarding wealth and creating self-sufficient economies.
  • Missionaries: People promoting religion, especially Christianity, abroad.
  • Cartography: The science of mapmaking.
  • Navigational Advances: New tech aiding navigation (traverse board, magnetic compass).
  • Columbian Exchange: Movement of plants, animals, diseases between Old and New Worlds.
  • African Slave Trade: Enslaved Africans traded to the Americas for goods.
  • Price Revolution: Skyrocketing prices due to increased demand from growing population.

Medieval Europe Context

  • Caste system: peasants work for nobles, knights protect them.
  • Knights fought for nobles/kings, nobles gave land to knights.
  • Nobles/lords supplied soldiers to kings.
  • King owned land, made laws.
  • Pope was most powerful due to Catholicism.
  • Calamitous 14th Century:
    • Little Ice Age + Great Famine: temp decrease reduced food production.
    • The Black Death: plague killed much of Europe.
    • Hundred Years War: England vs. France.
    • Great Schism: two Popes claimed legitimacy.
    • Peasant Revolts: demanded better conditions.
    • Renaissance: rebirth.

Effects of the Calamitous 14th Century

  • Feudal system broke down (labor shortage led to higher wages).
  • Loss of Papal prestige (undermined church authority).
  • Growth of secular power (kings gained power).

Ideas of the Medieval Period

  • Political: modern political ideas originate in late medieval ages.
  • Social: traditional European structures changed.
  • Economic: class structure changed, more specialization.

Renaissance Humanism

  • Renaissance: rebirth, renewed interest in classical/secular ideas started in Italy.
  • Italy: center of ancient world, exposed to cultural ideas.
  • Plague receded, economy recovered, trade restored. Peace of Lodi allowed spending on city-states.
  • Humanism: key to Renaissance.
  • Classical revival: studied Greek/Roman writings.
  • Civic Humanism: responsibility to use abilities, serve community.
  • Individualism: recognize individual abilities and unlimited human potential.
  • Secularism: focus on present instead of religion/heaven, promoted secular education, weakened church.
  • Some Humanists:
    • Petrarch: father of humanism.
    • Machiavelli: promoted ruthlessness in \"The Prince.\"
    • Castiglione: idealized man in \"Book of the Courtier.\"
    • Mirandola: believed in unlimited human achievement in \"Oration on the Dignity of Man.\"

Northern Renaissance

  • Printing press: allowed easier printing, spreading ideas.
  • Ancient texts, legal docs, bibles printed.
  • Art differences: Northern art more chaotic, focused on human elements, less elegance.
  • Religious ideas persisted, but humanist/secular ideas remained.
  • Erasmus: translated Bible, religious texts, pagan texts; focused on inward spirituality.
  • Machiavelli: unconventional advice, safer to be feared than loved; war is necessary.
  • Thomas More: wrote \"Utopia,\" society based on cooperation.
  • Christine de Pizan: \"Book of the City of Ladies,\" women can be good leaders.

New Monarchies

  • Stronger, centralized states emerged.
  • Power shifted from decentralized nobility to distinguished individuals.
  • Secular norms of law and justice replaced religious ones.
  • Characteristics:
    • Reduced noble power (supported by middle class.).
    • Reduced clergy power (controlled religion.).
    • Created bureaucracies to govern, enforce laws, collect taxes.
    • Found new sources of money (taxes, banks).
  • Centralizing Power:
    • Finance: taxation monopoly.
    • Military: monopolized military force.
    • Laws: dispensing of justice monopoly.
    • Religion: determined religion of subjects.
  • New Monarchies include:
    • FRANCE:
      • Louis XI (The Spider) taxed salt, land, promoted economic growth, ruled without Estates General.
      • Hired Swiss mercenaries, promoted Catholicism.
      • Francis I was an art patron, encouraged trade/exploration, replaced Latin with French.
      • Italian wars extended territory, Concordat of Bologna increased church funds.
    • ENGLAND:
      • Henry VII won War of Roses, avoided wars, promoted wool trade, supported merchants/bankers.
      • Weakened nobles.
      • Promoted Catholicism.
    • SPAIN:
      • Ferdinand + Isabella created personal union, expanded into New World, appointed magistrates, started Spanish Inquisition.
  • HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE:
    • Decentralized, failed to centralize under Maximilian I and Charles V.
  • ITALIAN CITY STATES:
    • Varied political organization controlled by outside powers, unified in 19th century.

Motives and Means for Exploration

  • God, Gold, Glory motivated explorers.
  • Attempted to spread religion, expand wealth, gain personal fame, increase authority.
  • Technology enabled overseas travel (caravel, traverse board, galleon, magnetic compass, rudder, kamal, cross-staff, lead line, timekeeping devices).

Responses to Colonialism

  • Negative: natives treated brutally, feared Europeans, experienced slavery.
  • Positive: beginnings of civil rights.

The Impact of European Expansion

  • 18th century: Britain main imperial power.
  • Native culture replaced by European.
  • Creation of multiracial society (Mestizo kids).
  • Labor intensive crops and new animals introduced.
  • Conquered British East India Company controlled/taxed locals.
  • China limited contact, Japan cut contact due to missionary activity.
  • Slave trade met labor demand (triangle trade, Middle Passage).
  • Slave Trade: Cheap goods undermined local economies; loss of members, increased warfare; racist attitudes rose.
  • Catholic Missionaries: organized missions, Jesuits tried to convert Asians.
  • Conquerors: metals discovered/imported, warfare sparked by Euro competition.
  • Columbian exchange: animals, diseases, plants transported.
  • Cartographic improvements made.
  • Eurocentric thought dominated.

Causes and Effects of the Price Revolution

  • Sudden price increase caused by demand rise due to population growth.
  • Growth of capitalism made possible by:
    *Joint stock companies reduced investment risk.
    *Increased money supply from mining.
    *Banking regulated by institutional banks.

Mercantilism

  • Economic theory dominating 17th century.
  • Wealth is finite, trade volume fixed.
  • Mercantilist Practices:
    *Hoard wealth.
    *Exports over imports.
    *Encourage colonies.
    *Support trade companies.
    *Manufacture products to trade at a profit.
  • Favorable trade balance leads to self-sufficient economy, competition for finite wealth.
  • Wealth is finite, volume of trade UNCHANGING