AP EURO VOCABULARY

Brahe: Tycho Brahe was a Danish astronomer who made detailed observations of the stars and planets, laying the groundwork for modern astronomy. Proved aristotle wrong. 

Commercial Revolution: A period of European economic expansion, colonialism, and mercantilism from the 16th to 18th centuries.

Copernicus: Nicolaus Copernicus proposed the heliocentric theory, stating that the Earth orbits the Sun.

Empiricism: A philosophy emphasizing knowledge through observation and experience rather than theory or pure logic.

Enlightenment: An intellectual movement in the 18th century promoting reason, science, and individual rights.

Galileo: Galileo Galilei was an Italian scientist who improved the telescope and supported the heliocentric theory.

Index of Prohibited Books: A list of publications banned by the Catholic Church for being heretical or immoral.

Kepler: Johannes Kepler was a German astronomer who formulated the laws of planetary motion.

Mercantilism: An economic theory advocating for state control of trade to increase national wealth.

Newton: Isaac Newton was a physicist and mathematician who formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation.

Romanticism: A cultural movement emphasizing emotion, nature, and individualism, reacting against Enlightenment rationalism.

The Inquisition: A Catholic Church institution aimed at rooting out heresy and enforcing religious orthodoxy.

Locke: John Locke was an Enlightenment thinker who advocated for natural rights and the social contract.

Rousseau: Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a philosopher who emphasized individual freedom and the idea of the "general will."

Peter the Great: A Russian tsar who modernized Russia and expanded its territory in the 17th-18th centuries.

Voltaire: A French Enlightenment writer who championed freedom of speech, religion, and separation of church and state.

Deism: A belief in a rational God who created the universe but does not intervene in human affairs.

French Revolution: A late 18th-century revolution that overthrew the monarchy and established a republic in France.

Social Darwinism: The application of Darwin's theory of evolution to justify social hierarchies and imperialism.

Roman Catholic Church: The largest Christian church, led by the Pope, with significant influence in European history.

Saint Domingue: A French colony in the Caribbean, now Haiti, known for its sugar plantations and slave revolt.

Napoleon: Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military leader who became emperor and reformed France after the Revolution.

Secularism: The principle of separating religion from government and public affairs.

Naturalism: A literary and artistic movement emphasizing realistic depictions of life and nature.

Humanism: A Renaissance intellectual movement focusing on human potential and achievements, inspired by classical texts.

Italian Renaissance: A cultural revival in Italy (14th-17th centuries) emphasizing art, science, and humanism.

Protestant: A Christian who broke away from the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation.

Martin Luther: A German monk who initiated the Protestant Reformation by challenging Catholic practices.

Vernacular: The everyday language spoken by ordinary people, as opposed to Latin.

Ninety-Five Theses: Martin Luther's list of grievances against the Catholic Church, sparking the Reformation.

The Act of Supremacy: A law declaring the English monarch as the head of the Church of England.

Anglican Church: The Church of England, established by Henry VIII after separating from the Catholic Church.

Council of Trent: A Catholic council that reformed church practices and reaffirmed doctrines during the Counter-Reformation.

The Edict of Nantes: A decree granting religious tolerance to French Protestants (Huguenots) in 1598.

Aristocracy: A privileged class of nobles with hereditary titles and land ownership.

English Civil War: A 17th-century conflict between Parliamentarians and Royalists over governance in England.

Habsburg Empire: A powerful European dynasty that ruled Austria, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire.

Glorious Revolution: The 1688 overthrow of King James II of England, leading to a constitutional monarchy.

King James: James II of England, a Catholic monarch deposed during the Glorious Revolution.

Pope Innocent XII: A 17th-century pope known for reforming the Catholic Church and opposing nepotism.

Absolute Monarchs: Kings or queens with complete control over their states, often justified by divine right.

Enlightened Absolutist: Monarchs who embraced Enlightenment ideas while maintaining absolute power.

Thirty Years War: A 17th-century European conflict over religion, territory, and power, ending with the Peace of Westphalia.

King William III: A Protestant king who ruled England after the Glorious Revolution.

Saint Petersburg: A Russian city founded by Peter the Great as a "window to the West."

Louis XIV: The "Sun King" of France, an absolute monarch who centralized power and built Versailles.

Overseas Trade 1500-1800: The expansion of European maritime commerce through colonization, trading companies, and triangular trade routes, leading to global economic networks.

Immanuel Kant: A German philosopher who argued for rational morality and wrote about the limits of human knowledge during the Enlightenment.

Religion in the Enlightenment: A period of questioning traditional religious authority, with emphasis on reason and natural religion over revealed truth.

Religion in the Scientific Revolution: A complex relationship where new scientific discoveries challenged traditional religious views while many scientists remained deeply religious.

French Revolution: A radical social and political upheaval in France (1789-1799) that overthrew the monarchy and established a republic.

Three Estates: The three traditional social classes in pre-revolutionary France: clergy (First), nobility (Second), and commoners (Third).

Estates General: A general assembly representing the three estates of France, called in 1789 for the first time since 1614.

Bourgeoisie: The middle class in France, including merchants, professionals, and wealthy urban dwellers.

Capitalism: An economic system based on private ownership, market competition, and profit motivation.

Feudal Privileges of Nobility in France: Special rights enjoyed by nobles including tax exemptions, hunting rights, and collection of dues from peasants.

National Assembly: The revolutionary assembly formed by the Third Estate in 1789, marking the beginning of the French Revolution.

Third Estate: The common people of France (98% of the population), including peasants, urban workers, and bourgeoisie.

Second Estate: The nobility of France, who held special privileges and were exempt from most taxes.

First Estate: The Catholic clergy in France, who owned land and collected tithes but paid no taxes.

Bishops: High-ranking Catholic clergy who held significant political and social power in pre-revolutionary France.

Women in the Enlightenment: Women intellectuals who contributed to Enlightenment thought despite social restrictions, often through salons and writing.

Women in the French Revolution: Active participants who led protests, formed political clubs, and demanded equal rights, though ultimately denied full citizenship.