Renaissance Vocab Flashcards
allegiance
An oath of loyalty taken by nobles or knights to the king.
feudalism
A social structure of the Europeans during the Middle Ages
hierarchy
A system in which people were ranked one above another according to their importance
manor/fiefdom
A piece of a land promised to a lord or a knight in exchange for them fighting for the country
serfs
Peasants who were not allowed to leave the manor without their lord’s permission.
tithe
A portion of the earnings or crops of Christian people given to the Church.
Black Death
Was an epidemic in the European countries during the years 1347 and the late 1350’s, killing millions of people
Islam
A religion which originated in the 6th century and the followers of which fought against the Christians during the Crusades
philosophers
Taught people how they could improve their society and themselves
Silk Road
A network of trading routes that stretches across Asia to Europe.
civic humanism
a type of humanism in which every person plays a role in making their society better.
democracy
a system of government in which the people elect their leaders through voting
city-state
divisions within Italy consisting of a politically independent city and the rural area around it.
hinterland
the rural area around a city-state
monarchies
countries ruled by either kings or queens
humanism
an ideology which promoted the Renaissance cultural movement that turned away from medieval scholasticism and revived interest in Greek and Roman ideas.
patron
person who gave financial or any support to a person, organization, cause or activity
Crusades
A series of long wars fought between the Muslims and the Christians for control over the Holy Land in Jerusalem
Judaism
a religion in the Middle Ages which followed the teachings of Moses and the commandments mentioned in the Torah
anatomy
knowledge about the structure of the human body and the cause of diseases.
astrology
the study of the stars, planets, moon and the universe in general
excommunication
official exclusion from the church and sometimes the city, ordered by the pope
indulgences
certificates issued by the Church that reduced the time people would be punished for their sins after their death.
Renaissance
a historical period which originated in the 14th century in Italy, known for the revival of art, architecture, literature and learning.
Middle Ages
a historical period in Europe stretching form the fall of Rome in the 4th century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the 14th century
Christianity
A religion with many followers in the Middle Ages which followed the teachings of Jesus and the Bible.
classical civilization
the civilizations of Greece and Rome whom the Renaissance thinkers took inspiration from.
Holy Land
a land in Jerusalem which was respected by the three major religions, and fought over in the Crusades.
pilgrim
a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious purposes
heresy
belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious (especially Christian) doctrine
vernacular
the language commonly spoken among people in the Renaissance, such as French, English and Italian
perspective
point of view
usury
the practice of charging interest when loaning money to someone
rural
the countryside near a city or a city-state
peasants
lowest people in feudalism who worked on manors for the lords and nobles.
oligarchy
people voted in to the government who made decisions for the people
values
a number of things which are important to a person,
urbanization
the process of making a place urban; usually more crowded and densely populated.
aquadects
water pathways that gave people running water.
isolation
the process of remaining alone or away from others
Bill of Exchange
This is a written order to a person requiring the person to make a specified payment to the signatory or a named payee; a promissory note.
Scientific Method
a method or procedure that uses observation, and experiments to reach conclusions.
worldview
the way a person looks at the world encompassing different objects.
trade
the act or process of buying, selling, or exchanging commodities,
sovereignty
the act of having complete power over something, usually a country
nobles
mounted warriors who swore allegiance to their sovereign and promised to fight for him in exchange for an allocation of land
belief
trust, faith, or confidence in someone or something.
cultural contact
contact between peoples with different cultures, usually leading to change in both systems
exploration
the action of traveling in or through an unfamiliar area in order to learn about it.
