Unit 1 Flashcards
What was “brought back to life” or “re-birthed” during the Italian Renaissance
Classical ideas, works and texts of Greeks and Romans
Philology
Study of the history and development of languages
Humanism
The idea that humans have unlimited potential; Petrarch
What cultural ideologies occurred during the Italian Renaissance?
Humanism, philology, secularism, and individualism, to name a few
What made it possible for Greek and Roman texts and their ideas to spread so quickly from Italy to Northern Europe?
Printing press
Why were the revival of Greek and Roman texts so significant?
Because it sparked a questioning of the power of the Catholic church, and began a new age of secularism, humanism and individualism
What type of art style erupted during the Italian Renaissance? Describe it
Naturalism; realistic portraits and landscapes revolving around more than just Biblical figures art did in the Middle Ages
The Courtier (book)
Written by Baldassare Castiglione. It was a guide for how young educated men should act gentleman-like and be “mentally awake”. Ideas from the book affected civic and political institutions
The Prince (book)
Written by Niccolo Machiavelli. Expressed that the basic function of a ruler is to maintain power, even if it required being “morally wrong”. Fear > love, but not so much fear the ruler is hated
How did the Northern Renaissance differ from the Italian Renaissance?
Had more of a religious, mainly Christian focus. For example, Christian Humanism was embodied in the writings of Erasmus, such as is “In Praise of Folly”
How was the printing press significant in European history?
It’s responsible for the rapid, efficient spread of ideas starting as early as the 1440’s. Specifically, it allowed for new individualistic and humanist ideas to spread to Northern Europe, inducing the Northern Renaissance
Vernacular literature
Literature written in the native languages (English, Spanish, French, etc.)
Which rulers initiated religious reform from the top down (kings -> nobles -> regular people) in an effort to gain more power?
King Henry VIII and Elizabeth I of England
What does the Age of Exploration refer to?
A time when Europeans began exploring the world by sea in search of new trading routes, wealth, and knowledge
What types of technology enabled Europeans to establish overseas colonies and empires?
Cartography, caravels, compasses and astrolobes
What were the 3 main motives for the Age of Exploration?
Gold (gaining material wealth), God (to bring more people to their religion), and Glory (conquering and bettering one’s nation)
Mercantilism
Belief that there is only a finite amount of wealth in the world, and colonizing other lands was necessary to gain the most mineral wealth; exports > imports
Christopher Columbus
The first to travel west instead of east in search of trade routes and mineral wealth; first European to discover the Americas
Treaty of Tordesillas
Mediated by Pope Alexander VI in 1494; a negotiation between Spain and Portugal, who agreed to divide the world by the Line of Demarcation in the Atlantic Ocean; Spain got everything to the west, Portugal to the east
Where did Spain establish colonies during the Age of Exploration?
Across the Americas, the Caribbean and the Pacific, making it a dominant state during the 16th century
The Columbian Exchange
The global exchange of goods, flora, fauna, cultural practices, and disease between the Old World and the New World
What role did disease play in the Columbian Exchange?
While Europe, Asia and Africa had regular exposure and immunity to each others’ germs, the Americas did not, giving the first three continents an advantage over the Americas. Smallpox was a prime example of disease
Spanish conquering of the Aztecs
Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes defeated the massive Aztec empire due to the introduction of smallpox to the Aztecs, despite their small number of men. This gave Spain access to all of the Aztecs mineral wealth, causing an influx of wealth for Spain
African Slave Trade
Africans were forcibly moved from their homes and shipped across the Middle Passage and forced to labor in the Americas
The Middle Passage
A transatlantic route from Africa to the Americas that could take anywhere from 1-6 months; a gruesome, inhumane experience African slaves aboard
Why was slave trade in high demand?
Demand grew for different goods in both the Americas and Europe, meaning slaves were also in demand for both places
The Price Revolution
Inflation caused by wealth influx from the Americas, causing the Commercial Revolution
The Commercial Revolution
Effect of the Price Revolution and Columbian Exchange; innovations made in banking and commerce (exchange of goods, food and currency)
What types of changes were made finance during the Commercial Revolution?
Wages, investments and other finances were now made with cash instead of gold and silver; detailed records of transactions called Double-Entry Bookkeeping occurred; more extreme measures of money were kept in banking systems; and stocks were now a thing
Two and Three-Field Rotation Systems
Systems implemented in farms in order to prevent soil nutrients from being exhausted; fields took turns in growing different types of food
Urbanization
Massive migration movement of the landless poor into cities to look for work
