Q1 People Flashcards
The Medici family
A wealthy family centered in Florence that controlled much of Italy’s economic, political, and artistic life during the fifteenth century.
Cosimo
The first of the Medici “dynasty”, alive from 1389 to 1464
Piero
Cosimo Medici’s son, also an informal leader of Florence. Alive from 1416 to 1469.
Lorenzo the Magnificent
One of the most powerful Renaissance patrons and members of the Medici family. Alive from 1449 to 1492.
Giovanni Pico della Mirandola
Italian Renaissance nobleman and philosopher. Wrote the “Orientation on the Dignity of Man” celebrating the human potential for greatness. Alive from 1463 to 1494.
Petrarch
Italian Renaissance scholar and poet, considered the founder of humanism, developed the idea of the “Dark Ages”. Alive from 1304 to 1374.
Lorenzo Valla
Italian humanist, rhetorician, and educator, famous for proving that the Donation of Constantine was a forgery. Alive from 1407 to 1457.
Baldassare Castiglione
Italian Renaissance courtier, diplomat, and author, wrote “The Courtier” which stated that ideal men should be polite, charming, and witty, while women should be well educated, charming, and behaved. Alive from 1478 to 1529.
Machiavelli
Florentine diplomat and philosopher, founder of modern political science, inspired by Habsburg-Valois Wars to write “The Prince” to advise Italian rulers, had a pessimistic view on human life. Alive from 1469 to 1527.
Filippo Brunelleschi
Italian Renaissance architect who created “The Dome of Florence Cathedral”, which symbolizes Florence’s piety, power, and ingenuity. Alive from 1377 to 1466.
Michelangelo
Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, poet, and architects. Created Michelangelo and many of the Sistine Chapel’s paintings. Alive from 1475 to 1564.
Raphael
Italian Renaissance painter and architect. Famous for “The School of Athens”, which symbolizes order, unity, and symmetry. Alive from 1483 to 1520.
Christine de Pizan
First woman in European history to earn a living as an author, known as the first feminist. Alive from 1364 to 1430.
Isabelle d’Este
The most famous Renaissance woman, famous patron for Renaissance artists. Alive from 1475 to 1539.
Desiderius Erasmus
Most famous humanist of the Northern Renaissance, known as “prince of the humanists”, wrote the “Praise of Folly” which poked fun at merchants, priests, and some scholars, wanted to reform the Catholic Church. Alive from 1466 to 1536.
Thomas More
Leading humanist scholar in England, wrote “Utopia” about a world with toleration, education, and slight communism, hated Protestantism, exiled from England after refusing to accept Henry VIII as “Supreme Head”. Alive from 1478 to 1535.
Michel de Montaigne
One of the most influential Northern Renaissance writers in France, popularized essay writing, and was a huge skeptic. Alive from 1533 to 1592.
Jan van Eyck
Most important Flemish artist in the fifteenth century, made oil paintings, famous for “Ghent Altarpiece” and “Arnolfini Wedding”. Alive from 1390 to 1441.
Albrecht Dürer
Great Northern Renaissance artist, known for woodcuts and self-portraits. Alive from 1471 to 1528.
Hans Holbein
Worked with the Northern Renaissance’s ideas of realism with the Italian Renaissance’s love for proportion and perspective, made many realistic portraits of Henry VIII and Thomas More. Alive from 1497 to 1543.
Charles VII
King of France from 1422 to 1461, ended the Hundred Years’ War by expelling the English from France, strengthened finances through taxes, created the first permanent royal army.
Louis XI
King of France from 1461 to 1483, further strengthened the royal army, and promoted new French industries.
Francis I
King of France from 1515 to 1547, orchestrated the Concordat of Bologna in 1516 which gave the French monarchy administrative power over the Catholic Church.
Henry VII
King of England from 1458 to 1509, created the Star Chamber to secretly try nobles, expanded the English marine.
Henry VIII
King of England from 1509 to 1547, declared himself the supreme head of the Church of England, dissolved monasteries and confiscated their wealth.
Ferdinand and Isabella
Reigned in Spain together from the 1470s to the 1500s, reduced the number of nobles, expelled all Jews and Muslims from Spain.
Martin Luther
Wanted to reform the Catholic Church, believed salvation was achieved by faith alone, that the Bible was the only valid authority, and that all Christians were equal. Alive from 1483 to 1546.
John Calvin
Protestant reformer, believed that God is amazing while people suck, and that everything is predestined. Alive from 1509 to 1564.
John Knox
Brought Calvinism to Scotland and founded the Presbyterian Church. Alive from 1513 to 1572
Elizabeth I
Queen of England from 1558 to 1603, politique, created the Anglican Church to make England officially Protestant but still with Catholic undertones.
Thomas Munzer
Anabaptist leader, wanted complete separation between church and state. Alive from 1489 until he was executed in 1525.
Julius II
Renaissance Pope from 1503 to 1513, focused on commissioning art and enhancing his family’s power.
Paul III
Pope from 1534 to 1549, began a generation of popes who focused on defining and reform in the doctrine of the Church, and containing Protestantism. Created the Jesuits.
Ignatius Loyola
A Spanish soldier who spent his life fighting for the Catholic Church ( a Jesuit). Alive from 1491 to 1556.
Philip II
Spanish King from 1554 to 1558, wanted to strengthen Spain and spread Catholicism, defeated the Turkish navy at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, and was defeated by the Spanish Armada.
Catherine de’Medici
Mother of French King Charles IX, supported the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. Alive from 1519 to 1589.
Henry IV
King of France from 1589 to 1610, was a Huguenot but converted to Catholicism because “Paris is worth a mass”, issued the Edict of Nantes to ensure religious freedom to French Protestants.
Ferdinand II
Led the Catholic league in Bohemia during the Thirty Years’ War from 1617 to 1637, and was unlinked by the Protestant citizens in Bohemia. Alive from 1578 to 1637.
Frederick V
Leader of the Protestant Union in Bohemia during the Thirty Years’ War from 1619 to 1620, chosen by the people of Bohemia to rule since he was Protestant. Alive from 1596 to 1632.
King Christian IV
Lutheran ruler of Denmark from 1588 to 1648, intervened in the Danish Phase of the Thirty Years’ War to help the Protestant cause.
Gustavus Adolphus
Lutheran King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632, joined the Thirty Years’ War during the Swedish Phase to help the Protestant cause.
Albert of Wallenstein
Bohemian military leader who assisted Ferdinand II in the Danish Phase of the Thirty Years’ War. Alive from 1583 to 1634.
Prince Henry the Navigator
King of Portugal from 1394 to 1460, organized many voyages along the West Coast of Africa.
Bartholomew Dias
Portuguese explorer who rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. Alive from 1450 to 1500.
Vasco de Gama
Portuguese explorer who reached the Malabar coast of India in 1498 and brought back an incredibly expensive amount of spices. Alive from 1460 to 1524.
Pedro Cabral
Portuguese explorer who accidentally discovered Brazil in 1500, and returned to Portugal with 300,000 pounds of spices. Alive from 1468 to 1520.
Christopher Columbus
“Discovered” America, and propelled Spain into the forefront of European exploration. Alive from 1451 to 1506.
Hernandez Cortes
Conquered the Aztec Empire from 1519 to 1521.
Francisco Pizarro
Conquered the Inca empire from 1532 to 1533.
James I
King of England from 1603 to 1625, believed in divine right, refused to move to the Presbyterian Church system.
Charles I
King of England from 1625 to 1649, believed in divine right, opposed Puritans, needed money, agreed to the Petition of Right which gave more power to Parliament, but ended up not following through.
William Laud
The Archbishop of Canterbury under Charles I, attempted to transform the Anglican Church into a Catholic Church without a pope, and the Scots rebelled. Alive from 1573 to 1645.
Oliver Cromwell
Leader of the Roundheads against the Cavaliers in the English Civil War, took power in England after Charles I was executed (1649 to 1653), pretty unpopular.
Charles II
King of England from 1660 to 1685, restored the monarchy, the Anglican Church, and Parliament.
James II
King of England from 1685 to 1688, caused controversy after appointing Catholics to high positions.
William and Mary
Took over in England after agreeing to the Bill of Rights in 1698, gave much more power to Parliament, created a constitutional monarchy in England.
Thomas Hobbes
Philosopher inspired by the English civil war, believed that absolute monarchy was necessary and that people were naturally bad. Alive from 1588 to 1679.
John Locke
Philosopher that agreed with the Glorious Revolution, believed that humans are good, that everyone has rights, and that there is a social contract between people and government.
Louis XIII
King of France from 1610 to 1643, appointed Cardinal Richelieu.
Cardinal Richelieu
Chief minister of Louis XIII from 1607 to 1624, politique, weakened the nobility, created the intendant system to implement royal orders, and worked to limit Habsburg power.
Cardinal Mazarin
Chief minister under Lois XIV from 1642 to 1661, similar policies to Cardinal Richelieu.
Louis XIV
King of France from 1643 to 1715, most powerful monarch in french history, increased intendant power, lowered nobility power, and limited religious diversity by revoking the Edict of Nantes.
Bishop Bossuet
French churchman who came up with the theory of the divine right of kings. Alive from 1627 to 1704.
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Louis XIV’s controller general of finance from 1665 to 1683, expanded french manufacturing, encouraged emigration to Canada, raised revenues.
Suleiman the Magnificant
Ruler of the Ottoman Empire from 1520 to 1566.
Frederick William I
King of Prussia from 1713 to 1740, built a powerful army and made it so that military priorities and values dominated all aspects of Prussian life.
Peter the Great
Tsar of Russia from 1682 to 1725, westernized Russia, created a standing army and navy, limited the power of the Russian nobility (boyars) and got access to warm water ports in Sweden.
Copernicus
Challenged the geocentric view on the universe, instead presenting his heliocentric view. Alive from 1473 to 1543.
Kepler
Observed the planets and came to the conclusion that planets revolve around the sun in elliptical orbits. Alive from 1571 to 1630.
Galileo Galilei
Used the telescope to come to conclusions about motion and inertia, and supported the Copernican theory (until he was forced to retract his support by the Church). Alive from 1564 to 1642.
Francis Bacon
Advocated for a scientific method based on inductive reasoning. Alive from 1561 to 1626.
Rene Descartes
Advocated for deductive reasoning as a way to prove knowledge. Alive from 1596 to 1650.
Isaac Newton
Wrote “Principia” establishing the idea of a law of gravitation, demonstrated that the universe is governed by universal laws and works as a machine. Alive from 1642 to 1727.
Voltaire
Most known and influential philosophe, hated organized religion, and advocated for religious tolerance. Alive from 1694 to 1778.
Diderot
A French philosophe who wrote “Encyclopedia” about bringing together all enlightened thinking. Alive from 1713 to 1784.
Montesquieu
French nobleman who wrote “The Spirit of the Laws”, which tried to create a social science, and advocated for a separation of powers. Alive from 1689 to 1755.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Presented views on education in “Emile”, advocating for individualized education. Presented views on government in “The Social Contract”, advocating for a social contract within the community. Alive from 1712 to 1778.
Adam Smith
Most influential advocate of laissez-faire economics, wrote “Wealth of Nations” advocating for a limited role of government in economics and for a free market. Alive from 1723 to 1790.
Robert Walpole
England’s first Prime Minister from 1721 to 1742, led the Whig Party in Parliament.
Louis XV
Weak King of France from 1715 to 1774, undid much of the work of Louis XIV to lower the power of nobles, and plunged France into debt.
Catherine the Great
Enlightened Despot in Russia from 1762 to 1796, had some enlightened policies but for the most part avoided radicalism.
Frederick the Great
Enlightened Despot in Prussia from 1740 to 1786, supported most enlightened policies but still maintained serfdom.
James II
Enlightened Depot in Austria from 1780 to 1790, supported pretty much all Enlightened reforms (except for democracy), but most of his reforms were reversed after he died.
