AP EURO UNIT 1 TEST REVIEW

📘 Unit 1 Review (1450–1648)

1. Italian Humanism

• Revival of Classics – Renaissance thinkers revived Greek and Roman texts, studying them for wisdom about politics, philosophy, and the arts.

• Individualism – Focus on human potential, achievement, and worth (rather than only divine or church matters).

• Secularism – Greater emphasis on worldly subjects (literature, art, history) instead of only religious topics.

• Educational Changes – Liberal arts education (grammar, rhetoric, history, poetry, moral philosophy).

• Philology – The study of language and classical texts with an eye for historical meaning and accuracy.

Examples:

• Petrarch – “Father of Humanism.” Revived classical Latin texts.

• Lorenzo Valla – Expert in philology; proved the Donation of Constantine was a forgery. He is a bridge between Christianity and humanism.

• Pico della Mirandola – Oration on the Dignity of Man, celebrated human potential.

• Giovanni Boccaccio – The Decameron, secular stories of everyday life.

2. Civic Humanism

• Humanism applied to public life and politics. Citizens should use their education for the common good.

Example:

• Baldassare Castiglione – The Book of the Courtier, guide on how nobles should act (well-rounded, educated, cultured).

3. Niccolò Machiavelli and The Prince

• Political manual stressing practicality over morality (“better to be feared than loved” if one cannot be both).

• Rulers should focus on stability and power, not Christian virtue. Marks a secular approach to politics.

4. Printing Press

• Invented by Gutenberg (c. 1450).

• Spread Renaissance ideas, Reformation writings, and standardized texts more quickly. Increased literacy and access to knowledge.

5. Arts – Visual

• Commissioned Works – Wealthy patrons (Medici, church, monarchs) funded artists.

• Classical Styles – Borrowed harmony, balance, symmetry from ancient Greece/Rome.

• Perspective (Geometric) – 3D effect on a flat surface (depth, realism).

Artists:

• Raphael – School of Athens (classical + humanist).

• Leonardo da Vinci – “Renaissance Man” (Last Supper, anatomy).

• Michelangelo – David, Sistine Chapel.

• Donatello – early Renaissance sculpture.

• Filippo Brunelleschi – Architect; invented linear perspective, designed Florence Dome.

6. Naturalism

• Focused on everyday life and realism, showing human emotions and nature more accurately.

Artists:

• Jan van Eyck – Northern Renaissance painter (oil paints, fine detail).

• Pieter Bruegel – Scenes of peasant life.

• Rembrandt – Dutch master of light and shadow.

7. Christian Humanism

• Northern Europe adaptation of humanism, using classical learning to reform the church and society.

• Stressed theology, religious institutions, and culture.

Examples:

• Erasmus – In Praise of Folly, called for church reform, emphasized education and inner piety.

• Sir Thomas More – Utopia, criticized greed and corruption.

8. Motives of Exploration

• Economic – Gold, spices, luxury goods → wealth and state power.

• Commercial – Mercantilism and acquiring colonies.

• Religious – Spread Christianity, counter Islam, justify colonization.

9. Technological Advances

• Navigation tools: Compass, astrolabe, quadrant.

• Shipbuilding: Caravel, stern-post rudder, lateen sail.

• Cartography: Improved maps (portolani).

• Military: Horses, guns, gunpowder.

10. Empires

• Portugal – Eastern Hemisphere trade, Brazil.

• Spain – Americas, Philippines (Treaty of Tordesillas split New World).

• England, France, Netherlands – Established colonies later, focused on Atlantic.

11. Economic Impacts

• Mercantilism – State power = wealth from colonies and trade.

• Trade Shift – From Mediterranean → Atlantic (beginnings of global economy).

• Columbian Exchange – New plants, animals, and diseases exchanged between Old and New Worlds → demographic catastrophe for natives.

• Slave Trade – Triangle Trade, Middle Passage, plantation economy.

12. Political Centralization

• New Monarchies – Centralized states:

  • Ferdinand & Isabella (Spain, Reconquista).

  • Henry VII (England, Star Chamber).

  • Louis XI (France).

  • Charles V (Holy Roman Empire).

• Holy Roman Empire & Poland – Weak, decentralized.

• Commercial Groups – Gentry, merchants, bankers gained political influence.

• Secular Theories – Machiavelli’s The Prince.

• Diplomacy – Balance of power, military and diplomatic objectives.

13. Key Vocabulary

• Renaissance – Rebirth of classical learning/art.

• Vernacular – Local languages (not Latin).

• Perspective – 3D art technique.

• Humanism – Revival of classical studies, focus on human achievement.

• Civic Humanism – Humanism applied to politics.

• Secularism – Focus on worldly, non-religious ideas.

• Ecclesiastical – Relating to the church.

• Bureaucracy – Organized state administration.

• Mercantilism – State-controlled economic policy.

• Cartography – Mapmaking.

• Philology – Study of language in historical texts.

🌍 The Renaissances Compared

1. Italian Renaissance (14th–16th c.)

• Where? Italy (Florence, Venice, Rome).

• Focus:

  • Revival of classical antiquity (Greek & Roman texts, art, architecture).

  • Secularism, individualism, human achievement.

  • Art celebrated beauty, perspective, anatomy, and humanism.

• Education: Studia humanitatis (grammar, rhetoric, history, poetry, moral philosophy).

• Politics: Civic humanism → education should prepare people to serve the state.

• Art Style: Perspective, realism, idealized humans, classical harmony.

• Key Figures:

  • Petrarch (father of humanism).

  • Machiavelli (The Prince).

  • Artists: Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Brunelleschi.

2. Northern Renaissance (15th–16th c.)

• Where? Northern Europe (Flanders, Netherlands, Germany, England).

• Focus:

  • Applied humanism to everyday life, society, and reform.

  • More religious tone than Italy — blended classical learning with Christianity.

  • Concerned with social reform and morality.

• Art Style:

  • Detailed naturalism, oil painting, domestic scenes, ordinary people.

  • Emphasis on realism and symbolism (vs. Italian idealism).

• Key Figures:

  • Erasmus (In Praise of Folly).

  • Thomas More (Utopia).

  • Artists: Jan van Eyck, Pieter Bruegel, Albrecht Dürer.

3. Christian Humanism (late 15th–early 16th c.)

• Where? Primarily Northern Europe.

• Focus:

  • Merged humanism with Christianity.

  • Belief that studying the classics + the Bible could improve individual morality and reform the Church.

  • Wanted a return to simple, pious Christianity (not corruption of the Catholic Church).

• Education:

  • Emphasized studying the Bible and early Church fathers alongside classical texts.

• Impact:

  • Directly influenced the Protestant Reformation (Erasmus → Luther).

• Key Figures:

  • Erasmus (called for church reform, emphasized inner piety).

  • Thomas More (Utopia = critique of greed & corruption).

🌍 Contextualizing the Slave Trade

1. Why it started

• Exploration & Technology → New ships (caravel), maps, cannons made long-distance voyages possible.

• Economic motives → Europe wanted gold, silver, and new trade goods.

• Labor needs → Sugar, tobacco, and cotton plantations in the New World needed cheap labor.

2. Why Africans were enslaved

• Native Americans were dying from smallpox and other diseases.

• Europeans needed a new source of labor → turned to Africa.

3. How it worked

• Triangle Trade:

  • Europe sent goods → Africa.

  • Africa sent enslaved people → Americas.

  • Americas sent raw goods (sugar, tobacco, cotton) → Europe.

4. Effects

• Europe → Became wealthy (mercantilism, national power).

• Africa → Millions of people taken, societies destabilized.

• Americas → Plantation economies, racial slavery became central to society.

• Global → Created a connected trade network linking 4 continents.