The review deck covers the 15th century of European History from the perspective of what is often tested for on the AP European History exam. Use it as a review tool to quickly cram on topics like the Renaissance, Age of Exploration, and 15th century society and be better prepared for the AP exam.
AP European History - 15th Century - Renaissance, Age of Exploration, Emergence of Modern Europe
1. AP
European
History
Cram
Deck
15th
Century
–
The
Renaissance,
Age
of
Explora<on,
&
Emergence
of
Modern
Europe
2. AP
European
History
-‐>
15th
Century
The
Italian
Renaissance
• Roughly
1450-‐1550,
star8ng
in
Italy
&
spreading
north;
ended
by
the
Italian
Wars
• Core
ideologies:
• Humanism
–
Renewed
interest
in
human
achievements;
recovering
texts
from
an8quity
studied
for
natural
law
&
human
nature;
Petrarch,
Machiavelli,
Cas8glione,
Boccaccio
• Secularism
-‐
Secularism
is
a
general
term
for
the
shiK
away
from
religion
and
dogma
to
earthly
ma"ers.
In
the
Renaissance,
secularism
manifested
itself
in
humanism.
• Focus
on
the
corporeal
world
over
the
aKerlife;
objec8ve
descrip8ons
of
the
world
• Law,
government,
&
economics:
The
Renaissance
had
limited
impact;
However,
there
were
advancements
such
as
in
banking
and
capitalism
• Occurred
during
the
peak
of
the
influence
of
the
Catholic
Church
(many
religious
artworks)
while
also
seUng
the
founda8on
for
the
Scien8fic
Revolu8on
in
the
next
two
centuries
• It
was
broadly
a
revival
of
a
focus
on
the
arts
and
culture
that
had
been
lost
for
hundreds
of
years.
h"p://www.learnerator.com
3. AP
European
History
-‐>
15th
Century
The
Northern
Renaissance
• Late
15th
&
early
16th
centuries
as
the
Italian
Renaissance
spread
north
• While
Italians
based
their
inspira8on
on
pagan
texts
from
Greece
and
Rome,
the
North
used
Greek
and
Hebrew
texts
from
the
Bible
• Northern
Renaissance
was
defined
by
ChrisKan
Humanism
• Greater
focus
on
prac8cal
learning,
science,
educa8on,
and
technology.
This
can
be
seen
in
the
inven8on
of
the
Gutenberg
prin8ng
press
in
Germany.
• By
comparison,
the
importance
of
the
Church
in
Italy
and
Spain
resulted
in
the
Southern
Renaissance
focusing
more
on
art,
architecture,
and
religion
• Tended
to
portray
the
suffering
and
humankind
and
nonreligious
subject
ma"er
(ie,
Pieter
Bruegels
the
Elder
&
his
pain8ngs
of
everyday
peasant
life)
• Distance
from
the
Catholic
Church
also
laid
founda8on
for
the
Reforma8on
as
Chris8an
Humanists
like
Erasmus
wanted
to
reform
the
Church
• Wanted
to
reform
society
based
on
Chris8an
ideals;
Educa8on
for
the
masses
was
viewed
as
the
best
method
of
reform
h"p://www.learnerator.com
4. AP
European
History
-‐>
15th
Century
Renaissance
by
Geography
• Italian
City-‐States.
Very
wealthy
rela8ve
due
to
their
loca8on
on
the
Mediterranean
and
access
to
trade.
This
wealth
allowed
for
prolific
patronage
of
the
arts.
• Spain.
Began
later
than
in
Italy
due
to
the
Reconquista
which
ended
1492
when
Spain
united.
Less
ideological
change
b/c
Spain
was
rela8vely
xenophobic
&
rigid.
Velazquez,
El
Greco,
Cervantes.
• England.
Trailed
the
Northern
&
Italian
Renaissance,
peaking
during
the
reign
of
Elizabeth
I
(1558-‐1603)
who
brought
stability
aKer
years
of
conflicts.
More
secular
in
nature
due
to
distance
from
Church.
Sir
Thomas
More,
Francis
Bacon,
John
Milton,
Edmund
Spencer.
• France.
Began
w/
the
invasion
of
Italy
(1494),
bringing
first
contact
w/
the
Renaissance.
Peaked
under
Henry
II
&
Francis
I.
Undermined
by
the
French
Wars
of
Religion.
• Germany.
Most
notable
for
the
prin8ng
press,
which
revolu8onized
the
rate
at
which
ideas
could
spread.
Mar8n
Luther
pos8ng
the
95
Theses
in
1517
began
the
ReformaKon.
• Netherlands.
Paralleled
the
Italian
City-‐States
in
its
strength
in
banking
and
commerce.
Thus
able
to
patronize
the
arts:
Van
Eyck,
Rembrandt,
Pieter
Bruegel.
Erasmus
considered
to
be
the
most
influen8al
ChrisKan
Humanist.
h"p://www.learnerator.com
5. AP
European
History
-‐>
15th
Century
The
Age
of
ExploraKon
• Roughly
from
the
beginning
of
the
15th
century
un8l
the
17th
century
• Primary
mo8va8on
was
the
search
of
new
trading
routes,
goods,
&
partners.
Secondary
mo8ves
included
religious
expansion,
pride,
and
sa8sfying
personal
curiosity.
• Especially
interested
in
finding
new
sea
routes
to
the
East
for
the
silk
and
spice
trades.
• Partly
due
to
the
fall
of
ConstanKnople
in
1453
to
the
O"oman
Empire
which
cut
off
direct
trade
with
Asia
• PoliKcal
centralizaKon
was
an
important
precursor
to
this
outward
push.
It
allowed
states
to
be"er
raise
revenues
and
bear
the
risks
and
costs
of
such
ventures.
• Columbian
Exchange:
Europeans
established
Atlan8c
trade
routes
with
the
“New
World”
that
resulted
in
the
introduc8on
of
new
goods,
customs,
&
foods
to
all
par8es
involved.
• Europe
>
New
World:
Disease,
sugar,
wheat,
wine,
ca"le,
horses,
pigs,
&
sheep
• New
World
>
Europe:
Maize,
potatoes,
tomatoes,
beans,
squash,
and
pumpkins
• Explora8on
slowed
down
in
the
17th
century,
due
par8ally
to
the
religious
turmoil
on
the
con8nent
epitomized
by
the
breakout
of
the
Thirty
Years
War
(1618-‐1648).
h"p://www.learnerator.com
6. AP
European
History
-‐>
15th
Century
PoliKcs
&
Government
• In
the
Medieval
era,
the
basics
of
the
modern
state
essen8al
for
the
Renaissance
emerged:
RepresentaKve
assemblies,
court
systems,
police,
&
a
professional
bureaucracy.
• During
the
15th
century,
rulers
began
to
consolidate
their
power
and
bring
domes8c
order
by
imposing
structured
punishments
on
crime
and
geUng
nobles
in
line
• The
New
Monarchs
of
this
era
preceded
Machiavelli’s
The
Prince,
but
their
ac8ons
followed
the
same
ideals
as
they
oKen
subordinated
morality
to
enhance
their
power
• These
rulers
included
Louis
XI
(France),
Henry
VII
(England),
and
Ferdinand
and
Isabella
(Spain)
• Strong
na8onal
iden8ty
and
agenda
• Stressed
the
fact
that
their
kingship
was
the
common
unifying
force
in
their
realms
• Suppressed
internal
dissent
and
command
the
respect
of
their
subjects
• Centralized
tax
collec8on
to
fund
standing
armies
and
endeavors
such
as
those
of
the
Age
of
ExploraDon
• ExcepDon
to
this
was
the
Holy
Roman
Empire,
which
was
highly
decentralized
h"p://www.learnerator.com
7. AP
European
History
-‐>
15th
Century
Economics,
Demographics,
&
Trade
• Prelude.
Economic
growth
in
the
previous
centuries
laid
the
founda8ons
for
the
Renaissance.
Commercial
8es
with
the
East
increased,
financial
ins8tu8ons
advanced,
and
popula8on
increased.
• Wealth.
The
wealth
created
from
overseas
trade
&
cultural
exchange
with
Asian
&
Africa
in
southern
Italy
allowed
for
the
patronage
of
ar8sts
by
successful
families,
most
notably
the
Medici
• Commerce.
Emergence
of
modern
banking
&
capitalist
techniques
pioneered
in
Italian
city-‐states,
explaining
their
wealth
and
power:
joint-‐stock
&
insurance
companies,
deposit
banks,
credits,
modern
accoun8ng
techniques
• UrbanizaKon.
Resulted
from
the
commercial
success
of
Italian
city-‐states.
Up
un8l
about
the
18th
century,
Italy
would
be
the
most
urbanized
area
in
Europe.
h"p://www.learnerator.com
8. AP
European
History
-‐>
15th
Century
Society,
Religion,
&
Culture
• Class
&
Culture.
The
Renaissance
was
made
by
&
for
the
mercan8le
elite,
a
group
that
had
dis8nct
aristocra8c
pretensions
&
was
hardly
democra8c.
It
did
not
directly
affect
most
of
society,
including
the
middle
class
• Women.
The
women
most
affected
by
the
Renaissance
were
upper
class
and
merchant
women,
whose
status
was
significantly
lowered.
• Not
allowed
in
universi8es,
guilds,
to
inherit
businesses,
&
were
not
regarded
seriously
• Protected
more
by
the
law
in
the
Middle
Ages
and
had
more
involvement
in
business
• Sexuality.
Whereas
sexual
equality
defined
the
medieval
era,
Renaissance
humanists
established
a
double
standard
of
love
and
marriage.
• Slavery
&
Race.
Renaissance
understandings
of
race
were
very
primi8ve;
they
lacked
a
clear
understanding
of
Africa
and
had
a
generally
ambivalent
view
toward
Africans.
Most
of
their
concep8on
of
race
came
from
theological
tenets
of
light
and
darkness.
h"p://www.learnerator.com
9. AP
European
History
-‐>
15th
Century
Fine
Art
&
Literature
• Michelangelo
–
Painted
the
Sis8ne
Chapel;
Interested
in
perfec8ng
a
representa8on
of
human
anatomy
as
seen
in
the
sculpture
of
David,
the
Pieta,
&
the
SisDne
Chapel.
• Da
Vinci
–
Perhaps
the
ul8mate
Renaissance
Man
for
his
genius
in
pain8ng,
sculp8ng,
architecture,
science,
engineer,
and
writer
• Raphael
–
His
School
of
Athens
is
an
early
example
of
perspec8ve
from
the
period
• Massaccio
–
One
of
the
1st
to
use
perspec8ve
to
depict
depth
on
a
2D
surface
• PainKng
–
Influenced
by
either
religious
themes
or
for
private
aggrandizement;
defined
by
balance
and
propor8on
and
perspec8ve
which
were
elements
missing
from
previous
eras
• Architecture
–
Adopted
Greco-‐Roman
symmetry
in
classical
columns,
arches,
and
domes;
Brunelleschi
–
Florence
Cathedral
dome;
Leon
BaUsta
Alber8
–
Trea8se
on
Architecture
• Used
linear
perspec8ve
&
anatomically
accurate
methods
of
depic8ng
people
to
more
realis8cally
depict
the
world
• The
status
of
ar8sts
was
elevated
from
previous
8mes,
partly
due
to
the
fact
that
ar8sts
only
did
work
when
commissioned
by
wealthy
patrons.
h"p://www.learnerator.com