AP Euro Vocab: Period 1: 1450-1648

Spanish Armada

"Invincible" group of ships sent by King Philip II of Spain to invade England in 1588; Armada was defeated by smaller, more maneuverable English "sea dogs" in the Channel; marked the beginning of English naval dominance and fall of Spanish dominance.

Renaissance

"rebirth"; following the Middle Ages, a movement that centered on the revival of interest in the classical learning of Greece and Rome

Erasmus

(1466?-1536) Dutch Humanist and friend of Sir Thomas More. Perhaps the most intellectual man in Europe and widely respected. Believed the problems in the Catholic Church could be fixed; did not suport the idea of a Reformation. Wrote Praise of Folly.

Thirty Years' War

(1618-48) A series of European wars that were partially a Catholic-Protestant religious conflict. It was primarily a battle between France and their rivals the Hapsburg's, rulers of the Holy Roman Empire.

Newton

(1642-1727) An English natural philosopher who studied at Cambridge and eventually developed the laws of movement found among the bodies of Earth. Spent his life dedicated to the study of mathematics (created calculus) and optics. Published Principia Mathematica and discovered the law of universal gravitation.

Copernicus

1473-1543. Polish astronomer who was the first to formulate a scientifically based heliocentric cosmology that displaced the earth from the center of the universe. This theory is considered the epiphany that began the Scientific Revolution.

Charles I of England

1600-1649; King of England 1625-1649; numerous conflicts with Parliament; fought wars with France, Spain, and Scotland; eventually provoked Civil War, convicted of treason, and beheaded

Rene Descartes

17th century French philosopher; wrote Discourse on Method; 1st principle "i think therefore i am"; believed mind and matter were completly seperate; known as father of modern rationalism

Martin Luther

95 Thesis, posted in 1517, led to religious reform in Germany, denied papal power and absolutist rule. Claimed there were only 2 sacraments: baptism and communion.

The Fronde

A French rebellion (brutal civil war) that was caused by Mazarin's (absolutist Cardinal whom was concerned with rebellious nobles and who played a crucial role in the establishment of Westphalian principles) attempt to increase royal revenue and expand state bureaucracy; caused Louis XIV to distrust the state and turn to absolutism

John Calvin

A French theologian who established a theocracy in the Geneva and is best known for his theory of predestination. Bible is the sole word of God. Helped create the protestant work ethic. Wrote Institutes of the Christian Religion (1509-1564) Founder of Calvinism

Anabaptist

A Protestant sect that believed only adults could make a free choice regarding religion; they also advocated pacifism, separation of church and state, and democratic church organization.

Christian Humanism

A branch of humanism associated with northern Europe. Like their Italian counterparts, the Christian humanists closely studied classical texts. However, they also sought to give humanism a specifically Christian content. Christian humanists like Desiderius Erasmus were committed to religious piety and institutional reform.

Gentry (England)

A class of powerful, well-to-do people who enjoy a high social status

Constitutional Monarchy

A form of government in which the king retains his position as head of state, while the authority to tax and make new laws resides in an elected body.

Smallpox

A highly contagious viral disease characterized by fever, weakness, and skin eruption with pustules that form scabs; responsible for killing Native Americans.

Scientific Revolution

A major change in European thought, starting in the mid-1500s, in which the study of the natural world began to be characterized by careful observation and the questioning of accepted beliefs.

Printing Press

A mechanical device for transferring text or graphics from a woodblock or type to paper using ink. Presses using movable type first appeared in Europe in about 1450.

Glorious Revolution

A reference to the political events of 1688-1689, when James II abdicated his throne and was replaced by his daughter Mary and her husband, Prince William of Orange.

Roman Inquisition

A religious committee of six Roman cardinals that tried heretics and punished the guilty by imprisonment and execution.

Protestant Reformation

A religious movement of the 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches; Religious reform movement within the Latin Christian Church beginning in 1519. It spit the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the 'protesters' forming several new Christian denominations, including the Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican Churches, among many others.

Triangular Trade

A three way system of trade during 1600-1800s Africa sent slaves to America, America sent Raw Materials to Europe, and Europe sent Guns and Rum to Africa

The British East India Company

A trade company who was able to monopolize British trade with India.

Serfdom

A type of labor commonly used in feudal systems in which the laborers work the land in return for protection but they are bound to the land and are not allowed to leave or to peruse their a new occupation. This was common in early Medieval Europe as well as in Russia until the mid 19th century.

Jesuits

Also known as the Society of Jesus; founded by Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) as a teaching and missionary order to resist the spread of Protestantism.

Mercantilism

An economic policy under which nations sought to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by selling more goods than they bought

Spanish Inquisition

An organization of priests in Spain that looked for and punished anyone suspected of secretly practicing their old religion instead of Roman Catholicism.

Johannes Kepler

Assistant to Brahe; used Brahe's data to prove that the earth moved in an elliptical, not circular, orbit; Wrote 3 laws of planetary motion based on mechanical relationships and accurately predicted movements of planets in a sun-centered universe; Demolished old systems of Aristotle and Ptolemy

St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre

August 24, 1572 rioters killed 3,000 Protestants in one night (in Paris)

African Slave Trade

Beginning in the 1500's, African people were taken as slaves to be sold in America, in America they would work in mines & plantations. The profit went to europe where they built goods to then be sold to Africans. It was a triangle.

Military Revolution

By the 17th century, military power was essential to a rulers power and reputation; firearms were introduced, modernizing the style of fighting; military schools were developed; new fighting tactics - verticle formations; war was more expensive and numerous, causing taxes to swell

Council of Trent

Called by Pope Paul III to reform the church and secure reconciliation with the Protestants. Lutherans and Calvinists did not attend.

Henry VIII of England

Catholic, attacked Luther, called "Defender of the Faith," wanted a divorce because he had no male heir, asked Pope and he said no, got Parliament to get rid of the Pope's power in England, Act of Supremacy made him the head of England's church, married 6 times

Charles V of Holy Roman Empire

Charles I of Spain; inherited the thrones of the Netherlands, Spain, and the Hapsburg possessions but failed in his attempt to bring all of Europe under his imperial rule; sought to create an organized state-supported religion and abolish disruptions that religious disunity would cause

Henry IV of France

Comes to power in 1589 and converts France to Catholicism which brings a lot of controversy. In the Edict of Nantes he states that Catholicism is the official religion of France but grants Huguenots the right of religious and political freedom- this avoids war and makes people like him.

Balance of Power

Condition of roughly equal strength between opposing countries or alliances of countries.

English Civil War

Conflict from 1640 to 1660; featured religious disputes mixed with constitutional issues concerning the powers of the monarchy; ended with restoration of the monarchy in 1660 following execution of previous king

Huguenots

Converts or adherents to Calvinism in France, including many from the French nobility wishing to challenge the authority of the Catholic monarch. Also known as French Protestants.

Northern Renaissance

Cultural and intellectual movement of northern Europe, began later than the Italian Renaissance (circa 1450), centered in France, Low Countries, England, and Germany, featured a greater emphasis on religion than the Italian Renaissance

William Harvey

Discovered the circulation of blood and the role of the heart in propelling it. Developed an accurate theory of how the heart and circulatory system operated.

Ferdinand and Isabella

During the late 15th century, they became King and Queen of a united Spain after centuries of Islamic domination. Together, they made Spain a strong Christian nation and also provided funding to overseas exploration, notably Christopher Columbus.

Puritans

English Protestant dissenters who believed that God predestined souls to heaven or hell before birth. They founded Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1629. Sought to "purify" the Church of England

Oliver Cromwell

English military, political, and religious figure who led the Parliamentarian victory in the English Civil War (1642-1649) and called for the execution of Charles I. As lord protector of England (1653-1658) he ruled as a virtual dictator.

Phillip II of Spain

European ruler who tried to make England Catholic by marrying the Queen and sending an armada; Spain reached the height of its influence and power because of him, he did not listen to his advisers and dictated all actions of Spain

Columbian Exchange

Exchange of goods, ideas, diseases, and people between the Americas, Africa, and Europe. Each region was significantly impacted as a result of trade and contact.

Andreas Vesalius

Flemish scientist who pioneered the study of anatomy and provided detailed overviews of the human body and its systems.

Jan Van Eyck

He was a 1400's Flemish painter who was among the first to use oil paints and paint scenes of everyday life with realistic details.

Humanism

In the Renaissance, both a belief in the value of human achievement and an educational program based on classical Greek and Roman languages and values

Price Revolution

Increase in prices in 16th century inflation increased demand for goods-influx of gold and silver.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Italian Renaissance writer, described government in the way it actually worked (ruthless). He wrote The Prince (the end justifies the mean).

Leonardo da Vinci

Italian painter, engineer, musician, and scientist. The most versatile genius of the Renaissance, Leonardo filled notebooks with engineering and scientific observations that were in some cases centuries ahead of their time. As a painter Leonardo is best known for The Last Supper (c. 1495) and Mona Lisa (c. 1503).

Galileo

Italian scientist who found the law of the Pendulum, telescope, and he also supported the radical ideas of Copernicus; Hated by the church he was sentenced for believing in Copernicus to house arrest for the rest of his life

Henry VII of England

Just like Louis XI of France, Henry VII of England subordinated mortality; he ruthlessly suppressed opposition and rebellion, especially from the nobility. He left England at peace domestically and internationally with the dignity and the role of the royal majesty enhanced.

Vernacular Language

Language spoken by the common people of a nation or region. (i.e. - English, Italian, etc.) This term is as opposed to the use of formal Latin.

Sir Thomas More

Renaissance humanist and chancellor of England, executed by Henry VIII for his refusal to acknowledge publicly his king as Supreme Head of the Church Clergy of England. He believed that the basic problems of society were caused by greed. Law should exalt mercy above justice. Citizens who live by reason will live a nearly perfect life. Wrote Utopia (1478-1535)

Elizabeth I of England

She supported the northern protestant cause as a safeguard against Spain attacking England. She had her rival, Mary, Queen of Scots, beheaded. Elizabeth I of England succeeded Mary and reestablished Protestantism in England.

Gustavus Adolphus

Swedish Lutheran king who won victories for the German Protestants in the Thirty Years' War and lost his life in one of the battles (1594-1632); One of the first to use handheld muskets in warfare; displayed his Protestant faith by getting involved in the 30 years war

95 Theses

The 95 propositions of challenges to official Church theology posted by Martin Luther on the door of Wittenberg castle church in the autumn of 1517

French Wars of Religion

The French Wars of Religion (1562-98) is the name of a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots). The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise (Lorraine), and both sides received assistance from foreign sources.

Crop Rotation

The practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year, to avoid exhausting the soil.

Enclosure Movement

The process of consolidating small landholdings into a smaller number of larger farms in England during the eighteenth century.

James I of England

The son of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, he succeeded the childless Elizabeth as James I of England. He was not popular and was an outsider. He inherited a large royal debt and a divided church.

God, Glory, and Gold

The three motivations for Europeans to explore the new world

Peace of Westphalia

The treaty ending the Thirty Years' War in Germany; it allowed each prince- whether Lutheran, Catholic, or Calvinist- to choose the established creed of his territory (1648)

Individualism

The unique importance of each individual

Civic Humanism

This ideology was celebrated during the Renaissance by many political theorists in Italian city-states. They preached public virtue and serving one's state for the greater good. They felt that individuals owed a service to their community and their government.

War of the Three Henries

This was the last of the wars that occurred over the religious differences in France, between the Catholics (Henry III of France and Henry of Guise) and Protestants (Henry IV)

Age of Exploration

Time period during the 15th and 16th centuries when Europeans searched for new sources of wealth and for easier trade routes to China and India. Resulted in the discovery of North and South America by the Europeans.

Peace of Augsburg 1555

Treaty which ended religious warfare between Germany and the Holy Roman Empire, it acknowledged Lutheranism as a religion, and those states had the same rights at Catholic states; German states were free to choose the religion of their country, but individuals were not able to choose their religion

Social Dislocation

When people do not feel part of their community. This may be due to changes happening in the community like industrialization.

Catholic Reformation/Counter-Reformation

a 16th century movement in which the Roman Catholic Church sought to make changes in response to the Protestant Reformation

Bureaucracy

a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives

Centralization

concentration of power in 1 authority, usually under command of mayor or some other official

The Dutch East India Company

dominated trade in the Indian Ocean, had power to declare war, trade, and commission treaties.

Francis Bacon

he urged people to use experimental methods to find answers, rather than accepting ancient beliefs; started the scientific method

Edict of Nantes 1598

issued by Henry IV of France, religious toleration to Huguenots, first formal recognition by a monarchy that 2 religions could coexist, revoked by Louis XIV 1685

Ursulines

order of nuns; education of girls and women; influential in France and North America

Nepotism

showing favoritism to friends or family, as in granting positions in jobs or politics.

Secularism

the belief that religion should not play a role in government, education, or other public parts of society

Louis XIII of France

weak ruler; son of Henry IV; political adviser was Richelieu --- divine right; 30 Years' War --- took Protestant side

Catherine de Medici

wife of Henry II, influenced her sons after the end of there father's rein. She placed an alliance with the ultra-Catholics (the militant Catholics), which was led by the second most powerful family in France, The Guise Family. She permitted the Guise Family their own independent army,which they would use to take out the other religions residing within the French Borders. This led to the civil wars in France and also the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.