Pre-1300s/Late Middle Ages Terms/Concepts/People List: Introduction and Chapter 9
The following are a set of terms you should familiarize yourself with prior to reading the chapter and memorize by the time of the exam!
- Magna Carta: (1215) a charter of liberty and political rights obtained from King John of England by his rebellious barons at Runnymede, one monumental point said the King is not above the law
- flagellants: Believing that asceticism (practicing self-discipline) could atone for humanity’s sins and win God’s forgiveness, flagellants wandered from town to town flogging themselves and each other with whips
- pogroms: organized massacres (against Jews)
- Jacquerie: 1358, a peasant revolt in France against noble landowners, caused by: destruction of normal order by the Black Death and subsequent economic dislocation and ravages by the Hundred Years’ War.
- dauphin: next in line to be king of France
- gabelle: (in France) salt tax
- taille: (in France prior to 1789) tax levied on common people by the king
- papal: of or relating to the pope or papacy
9. papal bull: a letter by the church/pope
10. Unam Sanctum: most important in a series of papal bulls, issued in 1302, it was the strongest statement ever made by a pope on the supremacy of the spiritual authority over the temporal authority, directed towards the French king Philip IV
11. conciliarism: a theory taken up by numbers of churchmen after the Great Schism, a belief that only a general council of the church could end the schism and bring reform to the church in its “heads and members”
12. vernacular: the language of the ordinary people in a particular region, country, or territory
13. Dante Alighieri: (1265-1321), from Florence, his masterpiece, written in Italian vernacular was the Divine Comedy-the story of a soul’s progression to salvation
14. Francesco Petrarch: (1304-1374), from Florence, considered one of the greatest European lyric poets
15. Giovanni Boccaccio: (1313-1375), 14th Century Italian writer, he too wrote poetry but is widely known for his prose, also from Florence, best known work is the Decameron-set in the time of the Black Death
16. Geoffrey Chaucer: (c.1340-1400) English vernacular, famous for Canterbury Tales-collection of stories told by a group of twenty-nine pilgrims journeying from the London suburb of Southwark to the tomb of Saint Thomas a Becket at Canterbury.
17. Christine de Pizan: (c.1364-1430) French prose work in defense of women, The Book of the City of Ladies, refutes antifeminist attacks
18. Ecclesiastical: related to the church
People tend to believe the bad rather than the good.
-Giovanni Boccaccio
Renaissance Terms List: Chapter 10 (316-341)
The following are a set of terms you should familiarize yourself with prior to reading the chapter and memorize by the time of the exam!
- Renaissance: rebirth, considered by historians such as Jacob Burkhardt to describe Italy in the 14th and 15th centuries as the birthplace of themodern world
- condottieri: mercenary soldiers, hired by Italian city-states to fight their battles
- secularism: worldliness of the Italians as opposed to the church
- entrepreneurs: business people
- the Medicis: a wealthy banking family in Florence, most well-known is Cosimo de’ Medici (1434-1464) and later his grandson Lorenzo the Magnificent (1469-1492)
- Baldassare Castiglione: wrote The Book of the Courtier, embodied certain ideals that came to be expected of the aristocrat by 1500
- humanism: an intellectual movement based on the study of the classical literary works of Greece and Rome. Humanists studied the liberal arts-grammar, rhetoric, poetry, moral philosophy or ethics and history-all based on the writings of the Classics (Greek and Roman). Other IMPORTANT characteristics: individualism and secularism The Father of Italian Renaissance humanism is Francesco Petrarch
- civic humanism: in Florence, humanism took a new direction by tying humanism with Florentine civic spirit and pride, intellectuals began seeing the new view of their new role: the Renaissance ideal that it was the duty of an intellectual to live an active life for one’s state. Humanists believed their study of humanities should be put to the service of the state.
- Neoplatonism: a revived interest in the works of Plato emerged especially in an informal discussion group known as the Florentine Platonic Academy with its patron Cosimo de’ Medici. Cosimo commissioned a translation of Plato’s dialogues by Marsilio Ficino, one of the academy leaders, who dedicated his life to the translation of Plato and the exposition of the Platonic philosophy known as Neoplatonism
10. Hermeticism: another product of Florentine intellectual environment of the late 15th century, Cosimo had Ficino
translate into Latin a Greek work titled Corpus Hermeticum. Two types of writings, one stressed the occult sciences
with an emphasis on astrology, alchemy, and magic. The other focused on theological an philosophical beliefs.
11. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola: Ficino’s friend and pupil who produced one of the Renaissance’s most famous writings-
Oration on the Dignity of Man=”To him it is granted to have whatever he chooses, to be whatever he wills.” Like
Ficino, PIco had an avid interest in Hermetic philosophy
12. nepotism: the practice of those in power that favor family/relatives especially in providing jobs, example:
- Pope Sixtus IV (1471-1484) made five of his nephews cardinals and gave them an abundance of church offices to build up their finances
- Alexander VI (1492-1503), a member of the Borgia family who was known for his debauchery and sensuality, raised on son, one nephew and the brother of one mistress to the cardinal. Alexander scandalized the church by encouraging his son Cesare to carve a state for himself in central Italy out of the territories of the Papal states.
If men were all good, this advice would not be good, but since men are wicked and do not keep their promises to you, you likewise do not have to keep your promises to them.
-Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince
In regione caecorum rex est luscus.
(In the country of the blind the one-eyed man is king.)
-Desiderius Erasmus, c. 1469-1536
In Utopia, where every man has a right to everything, they all know that if care is taken to keep the public stores full, no private man can want anything; for among them there is no unequal distribution, so that no man is poor, none in necessity; and though no man has anything, yet they are all rich; for what can make a man so rich as to lead a serene and cheerful life, free from anxieties.
-Thomas More
Exploration, Trade, and Slavery:
Chapter 10 (342-350), Chapter 16 (pages 516-532), pages 544-547, & pages 722-727
The following are a set of terms you should familiarize yourself prior to reading the chapter and memorize by the time of the exam!
- conquistadors: individuals motivated by a typical sixteenth-century blend of glory, greed, and religious crusading zeal
- enconmienda: a system that permitted the conquering Spaniards to collect tribute from the natives and use them as laborers.
- hacienda: rural and agricultural institution of Spanish colonies
- peninsulares: persons originally born in Spain
- creoles: persons of Spanish descent born in America
- viceroy: someone that served as the king’s chief civil and military officer and was aided by advisory groups called audiencias which also functioned as supreme judicial bodies.
- triangular trade: connecting Europe, Africa, and the American continents that characterized the new Atlantic economy
- Treaty of Tordesillas: 1494, agreement signed at Tordesillas, Spain, by which Spain and Portugal divided the non-Christian world into two zones of influence.
- Line of Demarcation: the line separating the New World between the Spanish and Portuguese, eastern portion of South America went to Portugal and west portion went to Spain
10. mercantilism: governments heavily regulated trade and commerce in hope of increasing national wealth
The church says the earth is flat, but I know that it is round, for I have seen the shadow on the moon, and I have more faith in a shadow than in the church.
-Ferdinand Magellan, 1480-1521
The Reformation: Chapter 11
The following are a set of terms you should familiarize your self with prior to reading the chapter and memorize by the time of the exam!
- Desiderius Erasmus: most influential of all Christian humanists (1466-1536), he formulated and popularized the reform program of Christian humanism, his “Handbook of the Christian Knight” reflected his preoccupation with religion, he called his philosophy the “philosophy of Christ” where he emphasized inner piety and de-emphasized the external forms of religion (such as sacraments, pilgrimages, fasts, veneration of saints, and relics)
- eucharist: Christian ceremony that celebrates the Last Supper, bread and wine are consecrated and consumed
- transubstantiation: change in the form or substance of something, (in Roman Catholic Church) the substance of the bread and wine consumed in the rite is miraculously transformed into the body and blood of Jesus.
- Protestant Reformation: protesting the practices of the Catholic Church (Lutheran, Calvinists, Zwinglians, Anabaptists)
- Anabaptists: true Christian church was a voluntary association of believers who had undergone spiritual rebirth and had then had been baptized into the church, advocated ADULT baptism rather than infant baptism, no one should be forced to accept the truth of the Bible
- predestination: Calvinist belief, and known as the “eternal decree” to John Calvin, meant that God had predestined some people to be saved (the elect) and others to be damned (the reprobate)
- decree: official order issued by a legal authority (such as a king)
- Catholic Reformation aka Counter-Reformation: Catholic Church response to the Protestant Reformation, an attempt to stop the spread of Protestants
- dioceses: a district or church under the jurisdiction of a bishop
10. pontificate: office or term of office of the pope
11. ecclesiastical: belonging to or involving the Christian church
How soon not now, becomes never.
-Martin Luther, on procrastination
Seeing that a Pilot steers the ship in which we sail, who will never allow us to perish even in the midst of shipwrecks, there is no reason why our minds should be overwhelmed with fear and overcome with weariness.
-John Calvin
We should always be prepared so as never to err to believe that what I see as white is black, if the hierarchic Church defines it thus.
-Saint Ignatius of Loyola
The Age of Religious Wars: Chapter 12
The following are a set of terms you should familiarize your self with PRIOR to reading the chapter AND memorize by the time of the exam!
- Huguenots: French Calvinists
- politiques: public figures that placed politics before religion and believed that no religious truth was worth the ravages of civil war (ex: Henry of Navarre aka Henry IV of France)
- Puritans: first appeared in 1564 when it was used to refer to Protestants within the Anglican Church who, inspired by Calvinist theology, wanted to remove any trace of Catholicism from the Church of England.
4. Edict of Nantes: a law signed by Henry IV in 1598 and revoked by Louis XIV in 1685 that allowed civil and
religious tolerance to French Protestants
5. Book of Common Prayer (1559) official (parliament-approved) prayer book of the church of England, containing the prayers for all services, the forms for administration of the sacraments, and a manual for the ordination of deacons, priests, bishops
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When Religion turned into a War
The Religious and Civil Wars
1.End of Renaissance- Attack on Rome and sack of Florence in Italy
2.Catherine de Medici- Controlled French kings
3.France- France Prime Minister to Louis XIII preserved Europe’s balance of power and modernized France.
4.Peasants Wars- The peasants lost in Germany
5.3 Henry’s- Members of three families represented: Guise, Valois, Bourbon
6.St. Bartholomew’s Massacre- Catholics killed 10,000 Huguenots in 1572
7.Edict of Nantes- Catholics and Protestants both have right to exist & establish cities w/ armies to protect them.
8.Politiques- Monarchs and others believed practicality & politics should over rule religion.
9.30 Years War- HRE tried to recreate Catholicism in Germany. Leading to much fighting.
10.The Dutch- The Dutch become a Republic and were lead by William of Orange
These Civil wars and Religious Wars were a very brutal time in history. From 1562- 1589 there was a total of nine civil wars. As a case in point, in France, as additional wars were fought, an increase in civilian casualties resulted. In 1572, St. Bartholomew’s Massacre occurred resulting in approximately 20,000 Huguenot deaths which created fear among Protestants. Though deaths were not limited to civilians as both Henry III and Henry IV were both killed and assassinated in the Religious Wars. Henry the III was the son of Catherine Medici and he was killed in 1589. He was all about power and independence. Henry of Navarre took over for Henry III and tried to uniteFrance, but could not take over Paris because of Catholic strength. The Edict of Nantes was then established in 1589 to permit the Huguenots to worship publicly so towns in France could protect themselves.
Paris is worth a mass.
-Henry of Navarre
I have already joined myself in marriage to a husband, namely the kingdom of England.
(Elizabeth to Parliament) -Elizabeth 1
I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king.
(Tilbury speech, 1588. See section on The Spanish Armada)
-Elizabeth
In the long term we can hope that religion will change the nature of man and reduce conflict. But history is not encouraging in this respect. The bloodiest wars in history have been religious wars.
-Richard Nixon
Political Systems in the 16th and 17th Centuries: Chapter 13
The following are a set of terms you should familiarize your self with PRIOR to reading the chapter AND memorize by the time of the exam!
Petition of Rights - (1628) Limited the power of Charles I of England. a) could not declare martial law; b) could not collect taxes; c) could not imprison people without cause; d) soldiers could not be housed without consent.
William Laud - Archbishop of Canterbury, tried to impose elaborate ritual and rich ceremonies on all churches. Insisted on complete uniformity of the church and enforced it through the Court of High Commission.
Oliver Cromwell - As Lord Protector of England he used his army to control the government and constituted military dictatorship.
The Restoration - (1660) Restored the English monarchy to Charles II, both Houses of Parliament were restored, established Anglican church, courts of law and local government.
Romanovs - Russian dynasty, started with Michael Romanov after the Time of Troubles and lasted until the revolution in 1917 and the execution of Nicholas II.
Hohenzollern - German royal family who ruled Brandenburg from 1415 and later extended their control to Prussia (1525). Under Frederick I (ruled 1701-1713) the family's possessions were unified as the kingdom of Prussia.
Frederick William the Great Elector - First man who made modern Prussia.
Boyars - Land owning aristocracy in early Russia.
Dvorianie - Established by Peter the Great, they received land and control of the peasants.
Muscovy - A former principality in west-central Russia. Centered on Moscow, it was founded c. 1280 and existed as a separate entity until the 16th century, when it was united with another principality to form the nucleus of the early Russian empire. The name was then used for the expanded territory.
Magyars - Land owning aristocracy in Hungary.
I am the state.
-Louis XIV, the Sun King
Do not trust to the cheering, for those persons would shout as much if you and I were going to be hanged.
- Oliver Cromwell
Society, Science, Philosophy, and the Age of Enlightenment in the 16th & 17th Centuries: Chapter 14 & 17
The following are a set of terms you should familiarize yourself with prior to reading the chapter and memorize by the time of the exam!
Natural Rights: an innate set of rights and freedoms given by God (nature) that cannot be taken away or restricted by government
Democracy/Popular Sovereignty/Consent of the Governed: a government, in which political (legislative, executive, and judicial) power originates, rests, and is controlled by the people
Social Contract Theory: a mutual agreement between government and the people, where the people give up some of their freedoms to live under the protection of a government
Deism: the theological ideology that the universe was created by a higher being (in other words, a belief in a god not the God of the Christians). The deists theorized that both faith and organized religion (especially those that claim that their books and scriptures contained the revealed word of God, as deists believed that those works were nothing more than human interpretations) were unnecessary as only the application of reason and the observation of the natural world were all that was needed to know that a Creator existed. According to deists, the supreme being not only created the laws of nature, but governed by them as well. The Creator did not interfere or suspend natural laws but continued to operate within the scope of those laws. Therefore, deists rejected the idea of divine or supernatural acts, such as miracles, manifestations, messages, revelations, prophecies, etc., which they considered to be nothing more than religious superstitions.
The Philosophes
The middle of the Enlightenment was in the mid -1700s. Paris was the place where philosophers met to talk about politics and other ideas. They were called THE PHILOSOPHES – this was the French word for ‘philosopher.’
Whatsoever ... (man) removes out of the state that nature hath provided and left it in, he hath mixed his labor with, and joined to it something that is his own, and thereby makes it his property.
-John Locke, 1632-1704
Cogito, ergo sum." (I think, therefore I am.)
-Rene Descartes, 1596-1650