Ch.5 - Revolutions of the Renaissance and Reformation

Question 1

After the breakup of Charlemagne’s empire, which three major powers dominated Europe?

Answer 1

The king of France, the German Holy Roman Emperor, and the pope.

Question 2

When was the Republic of Florence founded, and what sparked its establishment?

Answer 2

The Republic of Florence was founded in 1115 after the city rebelled against the Margrave of Tuscany.

Question 2

What emerged in the areas between the major powers in Europe?

Answer 2

Trading towns grew into commercial cities, with the strongest declaring themselves as free city-states.

Question 3

What were the two major political factions in Florence during its early years?

Answer 3

The Ghibellines (representing the landed aristocracy) and the Guelphs (rich merchants and leaders of the major guilds).

Question 4

What significant political event occurred in Florence in 1250?

Answer 4

The Guelphs drove the Ghibellines from power and forced the aristocrats to cut down their towers.

Question 4

What happened in Florence after the defeat of the Guelphs in 1260?

Answer 4

The Ghibellines returned to power, but their rule was short-lived due to popular uprisings and papal intervention that restored the Guelphs.

Question 5

What happened to the ciompi rule in Florence?

Answer 5

It lasted almost three years before they were deposed by a party led by Salvestro de’ Medici.

Question 5

What did the ciompi declare after overthrowing the Guelphs in 1378?

Answer 5

They declared a government by the people, marking their rule as the most democratic of the period.

Question 5

Who were the Medicis, and what role did they play in Florence?

Answer 5

The Medicis were wealthy bankers who gradually took control of Florence and dominated the Florentine Republic until 1494.

Question 5

Who led the uprising of the lower working classes in Florence in 1378?

Answer 5

The uprising was led by the wool workers known as the ciompi

Question 6

What led to the rise of Girolamo Savonarola in Florence?

Answer 6

Piero de’ Medici capitulated to King Charles VIII of France, leading to Savonarola’s rise as a fanatical revolutionary leader.

Question 7

What was Savonarola’s vision for Florence?

Answer 7

He wanted Florence to become a “city of God,” denouncing clerical corruption and the exploitation of the poor.

Question 8

What extreme action did Savonarola take during his rule?

Answer 8

He ordered a “bonfire of the vanities,” where ostentatious items and pagan manuscripts were publicly burned.

Question 9

What ultimately happened to Savonarola in 1498?

Answer 9

He was put on trial for heresy and sedition, and after his sentence was confirmed by the pope, he was hanged and burned in public.

Question 10

How did the Medici family regain control after Savonarola’s fall?

Answer 10

The Medicis returned to power in Florence, eventually ending the Republic and becoming Dukes of Florence and later Grand Dukes of Tuscany.

Question 11

What does the modern term “revolutions” derive from?

Answer 11

It comes from the Italian term “revolutio,” referring to the frequent rotations of power between different groups during this period.

Question 12

Who was Martin Luther and what challenge did he issue?

Answer 12

Martin Luther was a monk and professor of theology in Germany who challenged the corruption and earthly power of the pope, leading to the Reformation.

Question 13

What was the main focus of John Calvin’s followers during the Reformation?

Answer 13

They sought to create governments that were “godly” in virtue rather than subservient to the evils of the papacy.

Question 14

In what significant revolts did Calvinists lead political revolutions in the name of virtue?

Answer 14

The Dutch Revolt against Spain in the 1560s and the English Revolution in the 1640s.

Question 15

What was the English Revolution notable for in terms of the monarchy?

Answer 15

It was the first revolution in modern history to put a king (Charles I) on trial and formally execute him.

Question 16

What changes did Cromwell implement under the British Commonwealth?

Answer 16

He abolished the monarchy and the House of Lords, and established a Calvinist Church while dividing England into military districts.

Question 16

How did the English Civil War begin?

Answer 16

King Charles I raised an army of royalists in response to Parliament raising its own army, leading to a series of civil wars starting in 1642.

Question 17

What factors contributed to the English Revolution in the 17th century?

Answer 17

Rapid population growth, falling wages, expansion of London, rising prices, elite expansion, religious tensions, and conflicts between Parliament and King Charles I.

Question 17

Who was Oliver Cromwell, and what was his role in the English Revolution?

Answer 17

Oliver Cromwell was a brilliant general known as “Old Ironsides,” who led the parliamentary forces to victory and later became Lord Protector of the British Commonwealth.

Question 18

What happened after Cromwell’s death in 1660?

Answer 18

Charles II was welcomed back to the throne, marking the restoration of the monarchy.

Question 18

What significant political works were inspired by the English Revolution and its aftermath?

Answer 18

John Milton’s Areopagitica (1644), Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan (1651), and John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government (1689).

Question 19

What was the “Glorious Revolution” of 1688-89?

Answer 19

A revolution where Protestant leaders invited William of Orange to depose Catholic King James II, leading to William and Mary becoming rulers of England.

Question 20

What was the significance of the Bill of Rights passed in 1689?

Answer 20

It set limits on the powers of the crown, established the rights of Parliament, and granted rights to subjects such as free elections, freedom of speech in Parliament, and a ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

Question 21

What did the Toleration Act, passed after the Glorious Revolution, accomplish?

Answer 21

It granted freedom of worship to Protestants, though it did not extend the same rights to Catholics.

Question 22

Why did British Protestant leaders invite William of Orange to invade England?

Answer 22

They feared that James II would establish a Catholic dynasty after the birth of a male heir in 1688.

Question 23

What rights were protected under the 1689 Bill of Rights?

Answer 23

It protected the right of Parliament to control taxation, prohibited a standing army without Parliamentary consent, and guaranteed the right to bear arms for Protestants.

Question 24

What right do Protestants have under the 1689 Bill of Rights regarding arms?

Answer 24

Protestants may have arms for their defense suitable to their conditions and as allowed by law.

Question 25

What does the 1689 Bill of Rights say about elections of Parliament members?

Answer 25

The election of members of Parliament ought to be free.

Question 26

How does the 1689 Bill of Rights protect freedom of speech in Parliament?

Answer 26

Freedom of speech and debates in Parliament cannot be questioned or impeached in any court or place outside of Parliament.

Question 27

What does the 1689 Bill of Rights state about excessive bail, fines, and punishments?

Answer 27

Excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishments are prohibited.

Question 28

What does the 1689 Bill of Rights say about jurors in high treason trials?

Answer 28

Jurors in high treason trials ought to be freeholders, and jurors should be duly impanelled and returned.

Question 29

What was the significance of Parliament declaring its right to bestow the Crown after the Glorious Revolution?

Answer 29

It marked the definitive elevation of laws passed by Parliament over the will of the king, upholding the rights of Parliament in Britain.

Question 29

What does the 1689 Bill of Rights declare about grants and promises of fines before conviction?

Answer 29

All grants and promises of fines and forfeitures before conviction are illegal and void.

Question 30

How often does the 1689 Bill of Rights say Parliaments should be held?

Answer 30

Parliaments should be held frequently to address grievances and preserve laws.

Question 30

How did the 1689 Act of Toleration challenge the Treaty of Westphalia’s practices?

Answer 30

It guaranteed freedom of worship for certain dissenters from the established Anglican Church, opposing the European practice of monarchs choosing a state religion for their subjects.

Question 31

How did the Glorious Revolution influence future revolutions in America and France?

Answer 31

The Glorious Revolution embodied ideas about the balance of power between the king and Parliament, which later influenced the American and French revolutions.