U1- Renaissance (yay!) Flashcards
Renaissance vs. Scholasticism
Renaissance: Challenged medieval scholasticism (integrating Aristotle into Christianity).
Humanism
Focus on human potential, secularism, and worldly engagement.
Italian Renaissance
Secular, urbanized, trade-driven, Church patronage.
Northern Renaissance
Christian humanism, religious reform focus
Printing Press (1455)
Invented by Gutenberg; revolutionized information dissemination (e.g., Gutenberg Bible).
Crisis in Medieval Europe
Events: Black Death, Great Schism (rival popes), peasant/urban revolts.
Cultural Shift: Rise of vernacular literature.
Decline of Feudalism
Causes: Economic and social changes weakened feudal systems in the West.
100 Years’ War
Outcome: France pushed England out with longbows and gunpowder.
Key Figure: Joan of Arc led France’s resurgence.
Renaissance Art & Architecture
Themes: Inspired by classical ideals, focus on perspective, realism, and human achievement.
Advances: Mastery of 3D perspective and secular artistic expressions.
New Monarchies (Goals)
Centralized power: Tax systems, professional armies, unified laws, bureaucracies.
New Monarchies (examples)
France: Consolidated territory after the 100 Years’ War.
Spain: Unified under Ferdinand and Isabella.
England: Strengthened by Tudor Dynasty (Henry VII) post-War of the Roses.
Holy Roman Empire: Decentralized power (Habsburg dominance).
European Exploration (15th-16th Centuries)
Motivations
Economic expansion, trade control, colonial empires (Spanish, Portuguese).
Technological Advances
Shipbuilding, navigation tools (e.g., Ptolemaic maps), gunpowder.
Outcomes
Columbian Exchange: Crops, goods, diseases reshaped diets and economies.
Gunpowder Empires: Control of strategic trade points (e.g., Portuguese in the Indian Ocean).
Colonial Rivalries: Spain vs. Portugal; later Dutch, British, and French.
