Medieval Europe
400s-1400s
400s-1400s
The Renaissance
1300s-1600s
1300s-1600s
The Protestant Reformation
1500s-1600s
1500s-1600s
The Scientific Revolution
1500s-1600s
1500s-1600s
Famous Figures
Random Nerdery
100
This is the name for the system of kings, queens, knights, serfs, etc. - how European societies were organized for hundreds of years.
Feudalism
100
The word "renaissance" means _______ in French. In other words, it was a _______ of ancient European arts and culture in Europe.
Rebirth
100
Which Christian community was the most powerful Christian community in Europe for over 1,000 years.
The Roman Catholic Church
100
What is the name for the scientific approach that focuses on observing, experimenting, and using reason to understand how the natural world works?
Scientific Revolution
100
Which famous Renaissance artist, inventor, and scientist is known as the ultimate "Renaissance man" for his diverse talents in painting, engineering, and anatomy?
Leonardo da Vinci
100
During all these time periods, the most popular form of government was...
Monarchy (Kings, queens, princes/princesses, etc.)
200
What was the name of the large, fortified home where medieval lords and their families lived, which also served as a place for defense?
Castle
200
This was the first place the Renaissance started, and it spread around Europe from here.
Italy
200
The Protestant Reformation started out as a _______ against the teachings and practices of the Catholic Church.
Protest
200
What idea, developed by Isaac Newton, explains that every object in the universe is attracted to every other object by a force?
Universal Gravitation
200
Which Renaissance artist painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?
Michelangelo
200
What was the first best-selling book printed using machines in Europe?
The Bible
300
What kind of building served as the center of religious and community life in most medieval European villages?
The church
300
During the Renaissance, Europeans began exploring books and ideas from Ancient ________ as a way of reconnecting with their history. The Catholic Church thought these ideas were "heretical."
Greece/Rome
300
The Protestant Reformation began in the modern country of ______ and spread around the world.
Germany
300
Which powerful European community tried to stop many scientists from publishing their findings?
The Roman Catholic (Christian) Church
300
Who wrote the 95 Theses, sparking the Protestant Reformation?
Martin Luther
300
What animal is believed to have carried the fleas that spread the Black Death?
Rats
400
This terrible global pandemic happened during the Medieval times, killing 30-70% of people in European countries?
Black Death/Bubonic Plague
400
What was the term for wealthy supporters, like the Medici family, who paid for artists and scholars during the Renaissance?
Patrons
400
What did the Catholic Church try to do once the Protestant Reformation started?
They tried to silence and stop the protestant leaders by kicking them out of the Church.
400
What major religious event, which emphasized questioning authority and traditional beliefs, helped pave the way for the questioning of scientific knowledge?
Protestant Reformation
400
This King of England made tried to make his entire country leave the Catholic Church after the Catholic leader, the pope, said he couldn't get a divorce and stay a Christian. So he started his own Church.
King Henry VIII (The 8th)
400
Which empire in Asia helped spread the Black Death around Afro-Eurasia?
The Mongol Empire
500
During this time period, Christian European kings and queens started a big war with the Muslim leaders of the middle east. They wanted to take all the "holy lands" mentioned in the Bible from the people who lived there. What was this event called?
The Crusades
500
Which Renaissance idea believed that people could shape their own future through learning and intellectual activities?
Individualism
500
What is the name of the idea, inspired in Europe by the Protestant Reformation, that says that people should be free to choose their own religion?
Religious tolerance
500
What was one key cause of the Scientific Revolution, involving the rediscovery of ancient texts and causing people to question the power of the Catholic church?
The Renaissance
500
Which European man invented the "printing press" in the 1400s, making it easier and cheaper to make books?
Johannes Gutenberg
500
What major public building project, started in 1163, took over 180 years to complete and became one of the most famous cathedrals in the world? It almost entirely burned down in 2019.
The Notre Dame (Paris, France)
600
What medieval European institution offered education, kept important knowledge, and played a key role in religious life, often found in monasteries?
The Catholic Church
600
What major trade route, linking Europe and Asia, brought wealth to Italian city-states and helped lead to the rise of the Renaissance?
The Silk Roads
600
What was the major way that Protestant Christian and Catholic Christian leaders competed for power in Europe during the Protestant Reformation?
War/violence
600
What new technology helped scientists prove that the Catholic Church was wrong about the Earth being the center of the universe?
The telescope
600
Which European scientist helped to make the telescope better, and was put on trial by the Catholic Church because he supported the idea that the Sun is at the center of the universe?
Galileo Galilei
600
This was a time period in Spain, when Christian leaders were trying to kick Jews and Muslims out of their country, by putting them on trial and forcing them to convert to Christianity or be killed.
The Inquisition
700
What was the name of the code of conduct that knights were expected to follow, emphasizing bravery, loyalty, and protection of the weak?
Chivalry
700
What term describes the Renaissance shift from religious to more secular subjects in art and literature?
Secularism
700
Catholics, angry about the Reformation, started killing these particular Christians in Europe during the Protestant Reformation. Many of them came to Pennsylvania to live.
Amish/Mennonites
700
What scientific tool, invented in the 16th century, allows us to measure how hot or cold something is?
The thermometer
700
Which European came up with the idea that the Sun is at the center of the universe during the Scientific Revolution?
Nicolas Copernicus
700
What was the name of the period in Europe, starting around 1300, when the climate cooled significantly and affected agriculture?
The Little Ice Age
800
What architectural style, characterized by pointed arches and large stained glass windows, became popular for cathedrals in medieval Europe?
Gothic architecture
800
What idea from the Renaissance stresses the importance of human potential and individual achievement?
Humanism
800
What kinds of leaders gained more power in Europe after the Catholic Church lost followers? (Hint: They aren't religious)
Political Leaders / Emperors / Kings
800
What instrument, used for measuring angles and navigation, became more accurate during the time of the Scientific Revolution?
The Sextant
800
This famous Italian family of rich people helped fund a lot of the artists and inventors of the Renaissance.
Medici
800
What famous document, signed in 1215, limited the power of the English king and is considered an early step toward constitutional government?
The Magna Carta