1450 CE to 1750 CE Key Terms Flashcards
Renaissance:
A period in Western Europe marked by the revival of classical Greek and Roman culture.
Christopher Columbus:
The explorer whose voyage to the Americas began the period of European colonization.
Johannes Gutenberg:
An entrepreneur credited with introducing the movable type printing press to Europe.
Martin Luther:
The founder of the Protestant Reformation in Germany
95 Theses:
Martin Luther’s complaints against the Catholic Church
Protestantism:
A broad term covering many different denominations of Christianity that split from the Catholic Church in the 1400s and 1500s.
Isaac Newton:
A major figure of the Scientific Revolution. Invented calculus and theories of gravity and physics.
John Locke:
An Enlightenment thinker known for articulating the idea of universal human (well, male) rights.
Deism:
A philosophy common during the Scientific Revolution that held that God could not interfere in the system that God designed.
Enlightenment:
A period of intellectual activity in Europe. Led by the Scientific Revolution, Enlightenment thinkers attempted to solve human problems with rational observation and logic.
Peter the Great:
The tsar of Russia’s first European-style court. Also founded St. Petersburg.
Serfs:
Indentured laborers considered part of feudal lords’ land.
Encomiendas:
Grants of American villages to Spanish settlers.
Sugar:
The most profitable cash crop of the Americas; originally brought from India.
Silver:
The universal world currency of this period.
Potosi:
Located in modern-day Bolivia, it remains the largest silver mine in the world.
Slavery:
The institution of permanent indentured servitude.
Middle Passage:
The shipping route between Africa and the Americas. Almost exclusively used for slaves.
Triangular Trade:
The practice of selling European goods in Africa for slaves, slaves in Africa for American goods, and American goods in Europe for European goods.
Ottoman Empire:
An empire founded by Turks, it stretched across the Mediterranean coast, the Middle East, and into Europe.
Janissaries:
The elite infantry corps of the Ottoman Empire. Formed of soldiers originally abducted by the devshirme tax.
Mughals:
The Muslim Mongol empire that conquered India.
Akbar the Great:
The most famous Mughal leader, known for religious tolerance and building the Taj Mahal.
Ming Dynasty:
The dynasty founded after expelling the Mongols from China. The Ming are most known for launching the voyages of Zheng He.
Qing Dynasty:
The dynasty founded when the Ming was conquered by an invading Manchu army. The last dynasty of China.
Tokugawa Shogunate:
The last shogunate of Japan. Known for being hostile to Europeans.
