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Unit 1 - Ap Euro

  1. Bonfires of the Vanities - Savonarola:

    • Definition: The burning of worldly items such as art, books, and cosmetics as a result of religious fervor led by the Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola in Florence during the late 15th century.

  2. Hapsburg-Valois Wars:

    • Definition: A series of conflicts between the Hapsburg Dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire and the Valois Dynasty of France, primarily fought over control of territories in Italy during the 16th century.

  3. Virtù:

    • Definition: The Renaissance concept of virtuous behavior, emphasizing qualities such as courage, wisdom, and moral character, particularly in political leadership.

  4. Role of Women in the Renaissance:

    • Description: Women in the Renaissance were often discouraged from pursuing education and intellectual endeavors, although some exceptional women did receive education. However, the prevailing belief was that genius and achievements were reserved for men.

    • Question: With the advent of the printing press, which was considered more significant in determining societal roles: gender or social rank?

  5. Perfect Man/Woman:

    • Description: Renaissance ideals of the perfect man and woman, often depicted in literature and art, embodying characteristics such as beauty, wisdom, and moral virtue.

  6. The Prince - Machiavelli:

    • Definition: A political treatise written by Niccolò Machiavelli, offering advice on how rulers can gain and maintain power through cunning and practical means.

  7. Cesare Borgia:

    • Definition: An Italian Renaissance nobleman and politician, son of Pope Alexander VI, known for his ruthlessness and political intrigue, often cited as a model for Machiavelli's political theories.

  8. Great Schism:

    • Definition: A split within the Catholic Church from 1378 to 1417, during which rival popes claimed legitimacy, resulting in a division of loyalties among European monarchs and religious leaders.

  9. Black Death and Anti-Semitism:

    • Description: The Black Death, a devastating pandemic in the 14th century, led to widespread scapegoating of Jews, who were falsely accused of causing the plague, resulting in violence and persecution.

  10. Exploration and Conquest:

    • Definition: European explorers such as Columbus, Diaz, Vasco da Gama, and Cortez, who voyaged to the New World, employing advanced technology like Ptolemy's geography, compasses, astrolabes, guns, gunpowder, and horses.

  11. Prince Henry the Navigator:

    • Definition: A Portuguese prince who sponsored voyages of exploration along the coast of Africa in the 15th century, contributing to Portugal's early maritime expansion and the Age of Discovery.

  12. Treaty of Tordesillas:

    • Definition: A 1494 agreement between Spain and Portugal, mediated by Pope Alexander VI, that divided newly discovered lands outside Europe between the two countries along a meridian line in the Atlantic Ocean.

  13. Pedro Alvarez Cabral and Ferdinand Magellan:

    • Description: Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvarez Cabral is credited with the discovery of Brazil in 1500, while Ferdinand Magellan, a Spanish explorer, led the first circumnavigation of the globe in 1519-1522.

  14. Spanish Armada:

    • Definition: A fleet of Spanish ships sent by King Philip II in 1588 to invade England, but defeated by the English navy under Queen Elizabeth I, marking a significant turning point in European naval power.

  15. Conquest of Aztec/Inca:

    • Description: Spanish conquistadors, led by Hernán Cortés in Mexico and Francisco Pizarro in Peru, conquered the Aztec and Inca empires, respectively, in the early 16th century, resulting in the colonization of these regions by Spain.

  16. Jamestown and Tobacco:

    • Description: Established in 1607, Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in North America, and tobacco cultivation became a vital cash crop for the colony, driving its economy.

  17. Encomienda System:

    • Definition: A Spanish labor system instituted in the early colonial period, whereby Spanish colonists were granted land and Native American laborers in exchange for protection and Christianization.

  18. Conquistadors and Charles I:

    • Description: Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who conquered territories in the Americas for the Spanish crown, often motivated by a quest for riches and glory, during the reign of King Charles I of Spain (also known as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor).

  19. Repartimiento:

    • Definition: A Spanish labor system similar to the encomienda, where indigenous people were compelled to work for Spanish settlers, but theoretically with more protections and limitations on their exploitation.

  20. Dutch West India Company:

    • Definition: A Dutch trading company chartered in 1621 to conduct commerce, exploration, and colonization in the Americas and Africa, playing a significant role in Dutch colonial expansion and the Atlantic slave trade.

  21. Shakespeare:

    • Definition: William Shakespeare, an English playwright and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language, known for his works such as "Hamlet," "Romeo and Juliet," and "Macbeth."

  22. Renaissance Intellectuals:

    • Description: Prominent intellectuals of the Renaissance period who made significant contributions to literature, philosophy, and the arts, including Lorenzo Valla, Marsilio Ficino, Pico della Mirandola, Baldassare Castiglione, Francesco Guicciardini, Leonardo Bruni, Leon Battista Alberti, Andrea Palladio, and Filippo Brunelleschi.

  23. Dutch and Flemish Artists:

    • Description: Influential painters from the Low Countries during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, including Pieter Bruegel the Elder and Rembrandt van Rijn, known for their mastery of composition, technique, and portrayal of everyday life.

  24. Religious and Political Agreements:

    • Description: Key agreements and policies that shaped the religious and political landscape of Europe during the Renaissance, including the Concordat of Bologna, the Book of Common Prayer, the Peace of Augsburg, the establishment of the Star Chamber, and the Edict of Nantes.

  25. Nobles of the Robe:

    • Definition: French aristocrats who attained their status through service to the monarchy, particularly through administrative or judicial positions, as opposed to inherited titles, during the Renaissance and Early Modern periods.

  26. Legal Thinkers:

    • Description: Influential legal scholars and philosophers of the Renaissance and Early Modern periods, including Jean Bodin and Hugo Grotius, who made significant contributions to political theory, jurisprudence, and international law.

  27. Jesuit Activities:

    • Description: The missionary, educational, and intellectual endeavors of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), a Catholic religious order founded by Ignatius of Loyola in the 16th century, aimed at promoting Catholicism and combating Protestantism.

  28. Economic and Colonial Institutions:

    • Description: Institutions and practices that facilitated European colonialism and economic expansion during the Renaissance and Early Modern periods, including the Asiento (slave trade contract), the War of the Spanish Succession, the Seven Years' War, the Middle Passage, planter societies, double-entry bookkeeping, and the establishment of colonial trading companies like the Bank of Amsterdam and the British East India Company.

  29. Urban Challenges:

    • Description: Social and economic issues faced by growing urban populations during the Renaissance and Early Modern periods, including sanitation problems, unemployment, poverty, and crime, exacerbated by rapid urbanization and migration.

  30. War of the Roses (1487):

    • Description: A series of civil wars fought between the rival houses of Lancaster and York for control of the English throne during the late Middle Ages, culminating in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and the establishment of the Tudor dynasty under Henry VII.

  31. Christopher Columbus:

    • Description: Italian explorer who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean during the late 15th and early 16th centuries, opening the Americas to European exploration and colonization.

  32. Bartolomeu Dias:

    • Description: Portuguese explorer who sailed around the southern tip of Africa in 1488, becoming the first European to do so, opening a sea route from Europe to Asia.

  33. Vasco da Gama:

    • Description: Portuguese explorer who sailed from Europe to India in 1498, establishing the first maritime route from Europe to Asia.

  34. Hernán Cortez:

    • Description: Spanish conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of what is now mainland Mexico under the rule of the Spanish Empire during the early 16th century.

  35. Ptolemy's Geography:

    • Description: A work by the Greco-Roman mathematician and geographer Ptolemy, which presented a system of geography that remained authoritative throughout the Middle Ages and influenced European exploration.

  36. Compass:

    • Description: An instrument used for navigation and orientation that shows direction relative to the geographic cardinal directions. Introduced to Europe in the High Middle Ages, its use became widespread during the Renaissance.

  37. Astrolabe:

    • Description: An ancient astronomical instrument used to observe the positions of celestial bodies and determine latitude. Widely used by sailors and astronomers from antiquity through the Renaissance.

  38. Guns and Gunpowder:

    • Description: Firearms and explosive powder, which revolutionized warfare and played a significant role in European exploration and conquest during the Renaissance, becoming increasingly common from the late Middle Ages onward.

  39. Horses:

    • Description: Domesticated animals used by European explorers during their expeditions for transportation, warfare, and trade. Introduced to the Americas by Spanish conquistadors in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.

  40. Lorenzo Valla:

    • Description: Italian humanist, rhetorician, and educator known for his textual analysis that exposed the Donation of Constantine as a forgery, contributing to the development of historical criticism during the early Renaissance period.

  41. Marsilio Ficino:

    • Description: Italian philosopher, theologian, and translator who played a key role in the revival of Neoplatonism in the Renaissance during the late 15th and early 16th centuries.

  42. Pico della Mirandola:

    • Description: Italian Renaissance philosopher known for his work "Oration on the Dignity of Man," which emphasizes human potential and the capacity for self-improvement, written in the late 15th century.

  43. Baldassare Castiglione:

    • Description: Italian Renaissance author and diplomat best known for his work "The Book of the Courtier," which presents an idealized portrait of the Renaissance gentleman, published in 1528.

  44. Francesco Guicciardini:

    • Description: Italian historian and statesman known for his historical works, particularly his "History of Italy" and "History of Florence," which are considered masterpieces of Renaissance historiography. His works were written during the early 16th century.

  45. Leonardo Bruni:

    • Description: Italian humanist, historian, and statesman who served as chancellor of Florence and wrote important historical works, including "History of the Florentine People," during the early 15th century.

  46. Leon Battista Alberti:

    • Description: Italian Renaissance polymath who made significant contributions to various fields, including architecture, mathematics, and philosophy, during the 15th century.

  47. Andrea Palladio:

    • Description: Italian Renaissance architect known for his influential architectural treatise "The Four Books of Architecture" and his designs for villas and palaces in the Veneto region during the 16th century.

  48. Filippo Brunelleschi:

    • Description: Italian Renaissance architect and engineer known for his design of the dome of the Florence Cathedral and his contributions to perspective drawing during the 15th century.