Unit 3: Land-Based Empires Flashcards
This deck will assist you in understanding the land-based empires of the time period 1450-1750 CE.
Provide some context for European though and expression during this period.
By the 1300s, Europe had been Christian for a thousand years, the feudal system was dominant, and Greco-Roman learning was left in the past. What lead to developments and changes in European religious and sociopolitical structures of this time was interaction with the wider world, especially through the Crusades. And, given that both Byzantium and the Arab Empire were interested in Greco-Roman learning, this classical knowledge of Europe came rose to the limelight.
With a rediscovered past and a productive present, with the unification of some European powers and increased trade with the world, forum massive cultural movement occured. Name all four.
- The Renaissance
- The Protestant Reformation
- The Scientific Revolution
- The Enlightenment
Provide context for the Renaissance.
After the Black Death abated, the demand for goods and services began to steadily increase. A middle class emerged, and Europe experienced an influx of money, and considerable portion of it was spent on recapturing and studying the past.
Provide more context for the Renaissance.
The middle ages were so concerned with salvation and the afterlife, so scholars were shocked to see a greater focus on personal accomplishments in ancient writings. However, the Catholic Church and focus on the afterlife maintained relevance, but a growing focus on the material here-and-now brought rise to humanism, a focus on human endeavors, leading to individualism and slight loss of authority.
What happened during the Renaissance?
- Renaissance means “rebirth.”
- art was financed on a large scale, example of such would be the Medici family acting as a patron for the greatest artists of all time, like Michelangelo and Brunelleschi, in Florence
- Leonardo da Vinci and Donatello portrayed the human figure as realistically as possible
What are some more things that happened in the Renaissance?
- Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press
- books became easy to produce, allowing knowledge to be easily spread and more people became literate
- in addition, paper making became popular
- the most commonly circulated books were religious in nature
Provide context for the Protestant Reformation.
-feudal power increased if the Church blessed their reign, so the pope wielded much political power
-the Church was one of the most important institutions that united ordinary people in Europe
-it was believed that in order to get into Heaven, once must appease the Church
-A WAY TO MAINTAIN POWER!!! PLEASE NOTE!!! Indulgences
This was also seen as a bad thing as peasants were not treated fairly, and it made the Chruch appear more worldly. It grew the frustration that nobles had with the Church since it re-established their power and wealth.
What happened in the Protestant Reformation?
- Martin Luther nailed a list of 95 theses on a church door that outlined his frustrations with the then-current church practices
- He believed that church services should be conducted in vernacular languages, not just Latin, and that the Bible teaches that people could appeal directly to God for the forgiveness of sins.
- Luther’s ideas were spread throughout Europe, and he was excommunicated by Pope Leo X
What else happened in the Protestant Reformation?
- Luther’s followers began referring to themselves as Lutherans and separated from the Catholic Church
- People also began spreading their own religious ideas, including John Calvin, who founded Calvinism (which is essentially just fatalism, with a few select people being the ones to be saved)
What church was formed along with the rise of Protestants?
The Church of England/The Anglican Church; King Henry the Eighth wanted a child, but Catherine of Aragon couldn’t provide him with one, so he wanted to end the marriage, but couldn’t religiously do so with no support from the pope. As a result, he separated from the church, an act that was supported by the steadily growing Protestant population.
How was the Protestant Reformation important?
Luther made it acceptable to question the conventional wisdom of the Church by challenging its theological and political authority, which nobles found questionable. In addition, the rise of the printing press allowed people to have their own Bibles, which led to further questioning of the Church and the world around them.
What was the Counter-Reformation of the 16th century.
- Basically the Catholic Church’s comeback
- The Church managed to straighten itself out by banning the sell of indulgence and making their bishops and priests abide more strictly to the Catholic faith. However, this period of reformation was as much re-affirming as reformation, as the Catholic Chuch refuses to accept Protestant ideologies and just aimed to re-establish its position.
What did Ignatius Loyola find? What’s it’s significance?
- He found the society of Jesuits.
- The Jesuits believed that prayer and good works led to salvation and were impwrative in restoring faith in the teaching of Jesus as interpreted by the Church.
Who directed the Counter-Reformation?
A group of church officials gathered to form the Council of Trent, which directed the efforts of the Counter-Reformation in the mid-16th century.
Describe the religious concentration in Europe by the 1600s.
- southern Europe, including southern Germany, was heavily Catholic
- northern Germany and Scandinavia were Lutheran
- Scotland was Calvinist
- England was Anglican
What did this diverse religious concentration cause?
Wars, of course.
Provide context for the Scientific Revolution.
-Europe and the rest of the world believed that the Earth was the center of the solar system, but Europeans began to reexamine thier world as universities expanded.
What happened in the Scientific Revolution?
- At around the same time the Counter-Reformation was gaining momentum, Copernicus developed a heliocentric model of the solar system and published a book to prove his points.
- His model began really taking off when Galileo published a book supporting Copernicus’ points, which he wrote in Italian to have a broad audience and to defeat defenders of Ptolemy. The Catholic Church considered this heresy and placed his book on The Index and put him under house arrest.
How did the Scientific Method come about from the Scientific Revolution?
Scholasticm was based on Artistotlean teachings, which relied on logic and reasoning, but this no longer sufficed, hence why the scientific method was developed. At its very peak, one had to prove even the most underlying of principles mathematically.
List noteworthy scientists who contributed to the development of the Scientific Method.
- Brahe: built an observatory and recorded his findings
- Bacon: used inductive logic
- Kepler: developed laws on planetary motion
- Sir Isaac Newton: invented calculus to prove the findings of other scientists
What was a significant effect of the Scientific Revolution?
It led to a major rift in society. Some Christians were able to maintain thier faith even as they studied sciences, while others became atheists or deists.
How was Spain during this time period? (On King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella)
The rulers of Spain at the beginning of this time period were King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella; they aggressively supported exploration to ensure the survival and expansion of Spanish culture but also because there was an increasing demand for trade; they also built a formidable naval fleet, the Spanish Armada
How was Portugal in this time period (there isn’t much focus on them)?
They continued their domination of coastal Africa, the Indian Ocean, and the Spice Islands; they could not have far-flung colonies because of competition, so they had to be content with being the middleman of great importance
Who was Charles V?
Developed a large empire through intermarriage and came from the Hapsburgs; was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1519, meaning that he gained new more land; frustrated with having to manage the New World and the many European revolutions, he retired in a monastery in the 1550s
Who was Ferdinand I?
Gained control over the Holy Roman Empire (some part of Germany) and Austria
Who was Phillip II?
Gained control of everything else, including overseas land and Portugal, and oversaw a period of Spanish Renaissance in the West and continued on with Spanish Inquisition
What was the Spanish Inquisition?
Pretty much Spain’s forced Catholicism
How was Netherland faring in this time?
The Netherlands (the northern region) were Protestants, and they revolted and gained independence from Spain. The southern region was Catholic and is now modern-day Belgium.
What were some other signs of Spain’s reclining greatness during this time other than its loss of territory through the formation of the Netherlands?
The English defeated the Spanish Armada when it tried to attack the British Isles. Spain had spent a lot of its riches from the New World, especially gold, on religious efforts to spread Catholicism and warfare. By the mid-17th century, its glory days had passed.
How was England during this time? (Elizabeth I)
Queen Elizabeth the First oversaw a golden age. She was the daughter of Henry VII and Anne Boleyn. The latter created the Church of England under the 1534 Act of Supremacy.
Describe the Elizabethan Age.
This period is oretty much mid-16th century to late 16th century. It was during this age that the British East India Company was made as a joint-stock company, but the first one was Muscovy Company. Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the globe, and the first English colonists settled in modern-day Virginia.
Who was the person after Elizabeth I, and what did James I do during his reign?
He wanted to ease the religious tension in the area by accomodating both Christians and Puritans. But, the Puritans, who were Calvinists, refused to recognize the king’s religious power and, around this time, travelled across the Atlantic to establish the Plymouth colony.
Who was the person after James I, and what did Charles I do during his reign?
Under the rule of Charles I in the early 16th century, he signed a document entitled the Petition of Right, which he ignored after gaining the funds he needed from Parliament. At around 1640, when the Scottish invaded a part of England for their resentment of Charles, he was finally forced to call Parliament together. This Parliament was known as the Long Parliament since it sat from 1640-1660. After denying him the funds needed to go against Irish invasion, Charles led troops into the House of Commoners and arrested some members, thereby sparking a civil war.
Who was Oliver Cromwell?
Leader of the Roundheads; rose to power as the leader of the English Commonwealth after defeating Charles I, who was executed; rose to power as Lord Protector after reorganising the government
What did Cromwell do during his reign as Lord Protector?
Was not religious tolerant, which led to his beheading. When he died, his son, Charles II, took over in what became known as the Stuart Restoration. Charles II was a closet Catholic.
What was the Habeas Corpus Act?
Signed by Charles II, which prohibited arrest without due process.
Wait was the Glorious Revolution?
THIS IS SIGNIFICANT, since it ensured that all the future rulers of England would be Anglican, not Catholic like James II. It’s a pretty refined solution to issues between Parliament and king.
