APWH #10 {Medieval Europe- Fall of Rome to the Renaissance} – Flashcards
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Vikings
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Nomadic peoples that lived in northern Europe. Known most for their disruptive nature of pillaging villages and stealing wealth. SIG - Spread all across Europe by sea routes both pillaging and trading with others. Their influence is still felt as their leaders became the [kings] of many countries as they settled down and ended their nomadic ways.
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William the Conqueror
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Descendant of the Vikings who conquered and unified England in 1066 CE. SIG - Headed a group of people known as the Normans [lived in the Normandy region of northern France] Built a large fleet of ships and they sailed across the English channel. When they landed, the forces met another descendant of the Vikings [Harold] and they fought at the Battle of Hastings. Harold lost!
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Leif Eriksson
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Norse [Viking] explorer that is the first European explorer to land in North America [500 yrs before Columbus] Father was Erik the Red who discovered Greenland.
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Thomas Aquinas
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Dominican priest and teacher. Later honored as a saint. SIG - This Catholic priest was a modern thinker at a time when the Catholic Church was buried in its past and its dogma. He believed that Aristotle's approach of using logic and reason should be used by the Church. Supported early capitalism because he theorized that as long as buyer and seller believed transaction was honest [without fraud] it was okay even if the seller was making a profit. Defaulted to Bible if in conflict with logic/reason
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Hanseatic League
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A commercial and defensive confederation of guilds and towns along the coast of northern Europe. One of the league's major products was salt mining and exporting. SIG - Protected the economic interests of merchant guilds and sea ports from outside influences and forces. Had a legal system, operated the ports [loading and unloading ships], and dominated commerce in the region from 1200s to the 1600s. Some legacies still remain such as Lufthansa Airlines and SwedBank.
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Guilds
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Based upon crafts or trades [jobs]. Also known as jati or sub-castes [in India] SIG-Worked with the government and ensured quality goods, proper training, and taxation of members. Very similar to today's trade unions Held some power in society as a source of economic support for leaders and politicians. Often helping to make cities wealthy if their guild was strong AND the products that they made created trade benefits.
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Hundred Years War
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116 yr. war between the kings of England and France. SIG - Actually a combination of three wars over that span of time. Led to extreme nationalism in both countries and the creation of two large standing armies for the 1st time since Roman times.
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Medicis
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Powerful Italian family from Florence who because of their money were able to gain much power in Italy's political, economic, social, and religious areas. SIG - Their connections allowed them to manipulate the Church by funding Giovanni d'Medici who became pope and that person made the family the banker of the Church. The family was directly linked to popes for nearly a century. Nickname- Godfathers of the Renaissance
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Florence
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City in Italy that became the center of the Renaissance due to the Medici family and their patronage of DaVinci, Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, and others.
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Pope Leo X
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Pope whose actions led to the Reformation and was a part of the Medici family from Florence Italy. SIG- His obsession with worldly goods and pleasures led to the Church spending excessive amounts of money. In response, the Church sold indulgences far beyond their original intention. Believing that the Church had lost its way on many issues and was more about money than salvation, Martin Luther write the 95 Theses.
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Niccolo Machiavelli
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Florentine author who wrote a book called The Prince to justify the harsh rule of the Medici family in controlling large populations of people. SIG - Basic idea is that the ruler is the one who must care the most for the survival of the state and must do whatever it takes for the state to survive. Became a basis for Absolute Monarchy, dictatorships, and realpolitik. Is still used as a literary piece to defend the concept of the ends justify the means
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Fall of Constantinople
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Occurred in 1453 when Ottoman Empire finally defeated the power center of the Byzantine Empire SIG - 21 yr old Ottoman leader Mehmed II used gunpowder technology [cannons, guns] to destroy the fortified walls of the city named it Istanbul. Cut Europe off completely from trading eastward which leads to discovery of the new world. Signified the end of the Middle Ages.
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Humanism
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A philosophical movement that emphasizes the value and worth of human beings. SIG - Was the change in thinking that occurred in the European collective mind that emphasized rational thought over faith that began during the Renaissance and culminated with the Enlightenment.
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Lindisfarne
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Catholic Monastery on the eastern coast of Britain [England] that was raided and the people slaughtered by the Vikings. SIG- Was the first of many monasteries due to the wealth (gold, silver, and ornate things) used to decorate the churches of the time. Remember that most people were peasants and did not have these types of things.
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Arab Slave Trade
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(in africa) Understanding that slavery was a routine and accepted part of dominating societies over subordinate populations across the globe long before what we know in US history is important when considering the roles it played in history. SIG - Long before the modern concept of natural rights, societies used slaves to construct large public works projects and as a means of having social stature. Defeated peoples were considered less worthy and were bought, sold, and traded as objects.
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Calcutta
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Main trading port in the eastern part of India. Was a center of Indian culture and trade for much of the 18th-19th centuries SIG - One of the oldest areas of inhabitation in world history. Became a strategic economic and military location from the time of the Mughals into modern times.
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Axum
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Was capital city of the Ethiopian empire in eastern Africa and was fundamental to the trade system that existed in that area of Africa. SIG - Linked the Silk Road to the trade routes that went toward southern and western Africa.
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Great Zimbabwe
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Trading city and port located on the southeastern coast of Africa. Remnants of the abandoned royal capital city still remain. Most prominent feature is the 15+ feet walls that were built without mortar. SIG - Was a link between inland African trade and the Indian Ocean trade routes.
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Venice
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Major trade city in Italy. Became a international center of commerce and culture that had close trade relations with both Constantinople [Byzantium] and the Muslim world. SIG - On a more tragic note, it was through the port of Venice that the Black Plague entered Europe.
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Mombasa
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Very prosperous Swahili trade city [known for spices, millet, coconuts, gold, and ivory] located in what is now modern day Kenya that was part of the Indian Ocean Trade Network. Was described in journals by both Ibn Battuta and Portuguese sailors.
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Delhi
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5 short lived Turkic and Pashtun [Afghan] dynasties that lasted from 1206-1526 CE and replaced by Mughal Dynasty. SIG- After centuries of disorganization after the fall of the Gupta, the sultanate began a steady unification of India. Economic gains were enormous as India became connected to the land routes and sea routes that were under Muslim control. The resulting indo-Muslim diffusion led to a renaissance in India's culture. Effects are visible in architecture, music, literature, and clothing.
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Canton/Cathay
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Major trading port in southern China that was part of the Indian Ocean trade. SIG-Through this port China contributed silk, porcelain, and rice
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Constantinople
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the largest city and former capital of Turkey; rebuilt on the site of ancient Byzantium by Constantine I in the fourth century; renamed by Constantine who made it the capital of the Byzantine Empire; now the seat of the Eastern Orthodox Church SIG- Was the capital Byzantine empire. And was developed by Emperor Constantine because the land had many advantages like for defending to agriculture.
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Renaissance
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Time period that lead to a cultural rebirth of Europe after a period of time commonly referred to as the Dark Ages. SIG - During the Crusades, Europe discovered that it had fallen well behind the Islamic world. This led to the financial investment by Europe [Mostly the Church and the Medici family of Italy in the name of the Church] to catch up by studying the classic civilizations of Rome and Greece.
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Leonardo da Vinci
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Renaissance artist, sculptor, and innovator who is known for the Mona Lisa and many drawings [helicopter, tanks, reversible gears] that were well ahead of their time.
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Michelangelo
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Renaissance artist who is known for the David, the Pieta, and the Sistine Chapel. Held Church in contempt for forcing his artistic ideas and painted derogatory images into his works.
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Johannes Gutenburg
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Innovator who used the Chinese idea for a printing press and made it practical for regular use. SIG - Launched a communication revolution. Led to a dramatic increase in literacy and the spread of ideas. Was directly responsible for the rapid expansion of the Reformation and the Scientific Revolution.
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Magna Carta
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Latin for Great Charter or Great Document. Signed in 1205 CE. SIG - Was a concession by England's king to the land owners [barons] as a response to requests by the king for money to fund the army. Defined the concept of no taxation without representation which would ultimately lead to the American Revolution 570 years later.
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Parliament
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Legislative body of England formed after the barons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta. Provided a voice of the people into politics for the first time since ancient Rome.
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Reconquista
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Term used to describe the era where Christendom pushed out Muslims and Jews from Spain and Portugal. Led to harsh treatment of non-Christians known as the Inquisition.
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Gothic Architecture
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Style of architecture that was used during the late medieval period and is between Romanesque [columns] and Renaissance [stylistic]. Its use lasted about 400 years. SIG - Known for great halls, pointed arches, ribbed vaults and the flying buttress to hold up the massive structures. Also, these use of golem and gargoyles to ward off evil spirits
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Romanesque
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Shows influence of Roman buildings on modern buildings such as the use of arches, columns, leaf designs, and vaults. Used extensively in the construction of Churches across Europe.
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Hapsburgs
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Dynastic family that ruled parts of eastern Europe for centuries. SIG - Famous for stopping the advances of the Muslim army of Suleiman into Europe after the conquest of Constantinople, Marie Antoinette, and the assassination of Franz Ferdinand that started WWI.
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Holy Roman Empire
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This Catholic based empire combined both political and religious rule into a single leader and was established during Europe's Feudal period from lands originally granted to Charles Martel and his descendants as a reward for stopping Muslim expansion into western Europe around 750 CE. SIG- This empire was in power during the Reformation and saw its power fractured through numerous wars including the Hundreds Year War between Catholics and Protestant states across Europe.
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Charlemagne
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Descendant of Charles Martel. Founder of the Holy Roman Empire. Consolidated much of Europe under one ruler. Promoted learning and education and created a bureaucracy and leadership sorely needed across Europe after the chaos that followed the fall of the Roman Empire. Established diplomatic ties with other leaders across the region to encourage trade that included Christian and Muslim areas
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Battle of Lepanto
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Naval battle between European Catholics and the Ottoman Empire SIG - Catholics celebrate this naval victory over the Muslims with a feast nicknamed Feast of the Lady of the Rosary honoring the virgin Mary. Victory ensured Christian
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Francis of Assisi
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Catholic missionary who later achieved sainthood and who is best remembered for giving up everything so that he could help the poor. Patron saint of poor and small animals
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Dante Alighieri
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Italian poet best known for writing the Divine Comedy and Dante's Inferno. SIG - Writings reflect the religious views of the time about the various levels of Purgatory [Hell]. Is a forerunner to the Renaissance and written in vernacular [everyday language] so it was easily understood by people living at the time. His works were not really appreciated until the 1800's.
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Battle of Tours
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This battle between the catholic army of Gual [now modern day France] and the Muslim army of the Moors of Spain stopped the northward expansion of Islam into Europe. SIG- The leader of the catholic army Charles Martel was given great political powers by the pope to rule northern Europe on the pope's behalf. Martel's descendants include Pepin and Charlemagne and helped to not only unify what eventually becomes France but also created the Holy Roman Empire that lasted for nearly 900 years.
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Henry the Navigator
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Portuguese prince that is responsible for early development of European trade and exploration. One of his main goals was to make Portugal [Catholics] the masters of the sea. SIG - Employed cartographers to chart the coast of western Africa, made first contact with slave markets, adapted many of the Muslim technologies [navigation and ship construction] into European sailing and started the maritime academy to teach Europeans how to travel by sea in order to displace Muslim control in the Mediterranean.
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Amerigo Vespucci
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Portuguese explorer who proved that Columbus found a new land mass rather than reaching Asia. SIG - Is the namesake of the Americas.
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Christopher Columbus
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Portuguese explorer funded by Spain to find a way to China/ India by sailing west versus south and east as all explorers before him had gone.
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Ferdinand Magellan
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Portuguese explorer. His crew was the first to circumnavigate the globe. He died on the trip [killed in the Philippines] and did not live to see it happen.
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Bartolomeu Dias
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Portuguese explorer who navigated the western coastline of Africa and finally reached the southernmost tip. Died in a storm that pushed his ship into the rocks along the coast.
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Vasco Nunez de Balboa
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Spanish explorer and conquistador. Famous for being the first Spaniard to cross the Isthmus of Panama and 1st European to see the Pacific Ocean.. Established the first permanent European settlement in the New World. SIG - Led many violent acts against native peoples to obtain gold, land, and instill fear among the people of Hispaniola. Set a precedent of behavior that became the standard of other conquistadors as they decimated the local populations.
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Vasco de Gama
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Portuguese explorer who commanded the first ships to travel from Europe to India. Was the first to establish pepper and cinnamon trade with Europe helping Portugal take the lead in world trade.
