Renaissance
What was the Renaissance? (Give a short definition)
The Renaissance was a period of renewed interest in art, learning, and culture in Europe from about the 14th to 17th centuries.
Who was Martin Luther and what action started the Reformation?
Martin Luther was a German monk who started the Reformation by posting his 95 Theses in 1517, criticizing church practices.
What was the Scientific Revolution? (One-sentence answer.)
The Scientific Revolution was a period when scientists developed new methods and discoveries that changed how people understood the natural world (16th–18th centuries).
What was the Enlightenment? (One-sentence answer.)
The Enlightenment was a movement in the 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason, science, and individual rights.
What was the Age of Exploration? (One-sentence answer.)
The Age of Exploration was a period from the 1400s to 1600s when Europeans sailed to discover new trade routes and lands.
Name one famous Renaissance artist and one famous work they created.
Leonardo da Vinci — Mona Lisa or The Last Supper; Michelangelo — David or the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
What was the main complaint reformers had about the Catholic Church?
Examples: corruption and abuses in the Church, such as selling indulgences and lack of Biblical authority.
Name one scientist from the Scientific Revolution and one discovery or idea they are known for.
Examples: Galileo — improvements to the telescope and support for heliocentrism; Newton — laws of motion and gravity.
Name one Enlightenment thinker and one idea they supported.
Examples: John Locke — natural rights (life, liberty, property); Montesquieu — separation of powers; Voltaire — freedom of speech and religion.
Name one explorer and the area or ocean they explored.
Examples: Christopher Columbus — across the Atlantic to the Caribbean; Vasco da Gama — sea route to India around Africa; Ferdinand Magellan — led the first circumnavigation of the globe (his crew).
Explain why the Renaissance began in Italy. Give two reasons.
Possible reasons: Italy had wealthy city-states from trade, access to classical Roman and Greek ruins and texts, and patronage from families like the Medici.
Name one new Christian group (denomination) that formed because of the Reformation.
Examples: Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anglicanism (Church of England).
What is the heliocentric theory and who proposed it?
Heliocentric theory says the Sun, not the Earth, is at the center of the solar system; proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus.
What is the concept of “natural rights”? Give an example.
Natural rights are rights people are born with that governments should protect; example: the right to life, liberty, and property.
Why were Europeans seeking new trade routes in the 1400s–1500s? Give two reasons.
Reasons: to find faster trade routes to Asia for spices and goods; to gain wealth and expand empires; to spread Christianity.
Explain humanism during the Renaissance?
Humanism emphasized the value and potential of people, focusing on human achievements, study of classical texts, and secular subjects.
Explain the significance of the printing press during the Reformation.
The printing press allowed ideas and pamphlets (like Luther’s) to spread quickly, reaching many people and fueling reform.
Explain the scientific method in simple terms (list the basic steps).
Basic steps: ask a question, form a hypothesis, run experiments or gather data, analyze results, and draw conclusions.
How did Enlightenment ideas influence governments (name one specific change or idea)?
Enlightenment ideas led to constitutions, separation of powers, and more democratic ideas in governments (e.g., limited monarchy, representative government).
Describe one positive and one negative effect of European exploration on the people already living in the Americas, Africa, or Asia.
Positive: exchange of goods, ideas, and crops (Columbian Exchange) that increased diets; Negative: diseases, forced labor, and colonization that harmed indigenous populations.
Describe two ways Renaissance ideas influenced European society (politics, art, education, or science).
Examples: greater focus on education and literacy; more realistic art and use of perspective; challenges to medieval viewpoints that encouraged scientific inquiry.
Describe how the Reformation changed the relationship between rulers (kings/queens) and the church.
The Reformation reduced the Church’s single authority, allowing rulers to control religion in their lands (e.g., the Church of England), and increased conflicts over religious control and authority.
Describe one way the Scientific Revolution challenged traditional authorities (like the Church).
It questioned ancient authorities (like Aristotle) and Church teachings by using observation and experiments as proof.
Compare two Enlightenment thinkers and explain one major difference in their ideas.
Example comparison: Locke believed people have natural rights and governments should protect them; Hobbes believed strong central authority is needed because people are naturally selfish. Difference: Locke favored consent of the governed; Hobbes favored absolute sovereignty.
Explain how advances in navigation and ship design helped explorers travel farther. Name at least two technological improvements.
Technological improvements: better ships (caravel), magnetic compass, astrolabe, improved maps (cartography), and better sails and rigging that allowed longer ocean voyages.