West Africa
This massive geographic feature acted as a barrier in West Africa.
Sahara Desert
This group of Spanish military explorers and soldiers invaded, plundered, and colonized areas of the Americas.
Spanish Conquistadors
This era of ancient Greece and Rome ideas served as the primary inspiration for the Renaissance.
Classical Period
This German monk started the Protestant Reformation in Europe.
Martin Luther
This Italian explorers 1492 voyage across the Atlantic Ocean resulted in Spain claiming islands in the Caribbean.
Christopher Columbus
This 2,600-mile-long river served as the primary transportation and trade route for West African empires.
Niger River
Founded on an island in Lake Texcoco, this city served as the capital of the Aztec Empire.
Tenochtitlan
This Italian painted the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper while advancing fields like anatomy, engineering, and optics.
Leonardo da Vinci
These certificates were sold by the Church to release individuals from punishment for their sins.
Indulgences
This model, popularized by Copernicus, stated that the planets revolve around the sun.
Heliocentric
This exchange involved swapping precious metals from southern forests for essential mineral blocks mined in the desert.
Gold and Salt Trade
Also known as "floating gardens," these artificial islands were constructed by the Aztecs to grow crops.
chinampas
This master sculptor and painter detailed the Sistine Chapel ceiling and carved the iconic marble statue of David.
Michelangelo
Martin Luther famously nailed this document to the Wittenberg church door to critique abuses of the Church and the sale of indulgences.
Ninety-Five Theses
The transfer of plants, animals, cultures, and ideas that reshaped the world following European contact with the Americas.
Columbian Exchange
This Malian ruler is widely considered the wealthiest individual in human history due to his control over gold production.
Mansa Musa
This agricultural technique involved carving flat steps into steep mountain slopes.
terraced hillside
This Renaissance movement shifted focus towards human potential and the study of humanities.
Humanism
The Catholic Churches response to Protestantism, it included the Council of Trent.
Counter-Reformation
This French thinker came up with the theory of dividing government into separate branches - executive, legislative, and judicial.
Montesquieu
This West African city boasted Islamic universities and massive libraries.
Timbuktu
A highly accurate 365-day solar calendar, the mathematical concept of zero, and a sophisticated hieroglyphic writing system.
Mayan achievements
This German revolutionized global communication by introducing movable-type mechanical printing to Europe.
Johannes Gutenberg
This powerful Catholic Church court system was used to seek out heretics, Protestants, and non-believers.
Inquisition
This philosopher had ideas that included natural rights (life, liberty, and property) and a social contract (governments must protect people's rights)
John Locke