The review deck covers the 15th century of European History from the perspective of what is often tested for on the AP European History exam. Use it as a review tool to quickly cram on topics like the Renaissance, Age of Exploration, and 15th century society and be better prepared for the AP exam.

1. AP
European
History
Cram
Deck
15th
Century
–
The
Renaissance,
Age
of
Explora<on,
&
Emergence
of
Modern
Europe

2. AP
European
History
-­‐>
15th
Century
The
Italian
Renaissance
• Roughly
1450-­‐1550,
star8ng
in
Italy
&
spreading
north;
ended
by
the
Italian
Wars
• Core
ideologies:
• Humanism
–
Renewed
interest
in
human
achievements;
recovering
texts
from
an8quity
studied
for
natural
law
&
human
nature;
Petrarch,
Machiavelli,
Cas8glione,
Boccaccio
• Secularism
-­‐
Secularism
is
a
general
term
for
the
shiK
away
from
religion
and
dogma
to
earthly
ma"ers.
In
the
Renaissance,
secularism
manifested
itself
in
humanism.
• Focus
on
the
corporeal
world
over
the
aKerlife;
objec8ve
descrip8ons
of
the
world
• Law,
government,
&
economics:
The
Renaissance
had
limited
impact;
However,
there
were
advancements
such
as
in
banking
and
capitalism
• Occurred
during
the
peak
of
the
influence
of
the
Catholic
Church
(many
religious
artworks)
while
also
seUng
the
founda8on
for
the
Scien8fic
Revolu8on
in
the
next
two
centuries
• It
was
broadly
a
revival
of
a
focus
on
the
arts
and
culture
that
had
been
lost
for
hundreds
of
years.
h"p://www.learnerator.com

3. AP
European
History
-­‐>
15th
Century
The
Northern
Renaissance
• Late
15th
&
early
16th
centuries
as
the
Italian
Renaissance
spread
north
• While
Italians
based
their
inspira8on
on
pagan
texts
from
Greece
and
Rome,
the
North
used
Greek
and
Hebrew
texts
from
the
Bible
• Northern
Renaissance
was
defined
by
ChrisKan
Humanism
• Greater
focus
on
prac8cal
learning,
science,
educa8on,
and
technology.
This
can
be
seen
in
the
inven8on
of
the
Gutenberg
prin8ng
press
in
Germany.
• By
comparison,
the
importance
of
the
Church
in
Italy
and
Spain
resulted
in
the
Southern
Renaissance
focusing
more
on
art,
architecture,
and
religion
• Tended
to
portray
the
suffering
and
humankind
and
nonreligious
subject
ma"er
(ie,
Pieter
Bruegels
the
Elder
&
his
pain8ngs
of
everyday
peasant
life)
• Distance
from
the
Catholic
Church
also
laid
founda8on
for
the
Reforma8on
as
Chris8an
Humanists
like
Erasmus
wanted
to
reform
the
Church
• Wanted
to
reform
society
based
on
Chris8an
ideals;
Educa8on
for
the
masses
was
viewed
as
the
best
method
of
reform
h"p://www.learnerator.com

4. AP
European
History
-­‐>
15th
Century
Renaissance
by
Geography
• Italian
City-­‐States.
Very
wealthy
rela8ve
due
to
their
loca8on
on
the
Mediterranean
and
access
to
trade.
This
wealth
allowed
for
prolific
patronage
of
the
arts.
• Spain.
Began
later
than
in
Italy
due
to
the
Reconquista
which
ended
1492
when
Spain
united.
Less
ideological
change
b/c
Spain
was
rela8vely
xenophobic
&
rigid.
Velazquez,
El
Greco,
Cervantes.
• England.
Trailed
the
Northern
&
Italian
Renaissance,
peaking
during
the
reign
of
Elizabeth
I
(1558-­‐1603)
who
brought
stability
aKer
years
of
conflicts.
More
secular
in
nature
due
to
distance
from
Church.
Sir
Thomas
More,
Francis
Bacon,
John
Milton,
Edmund
Spencer.
• France.
Began
w/
the
invasion
of
Italy
(1494),
bringing
first
contact
w/
the
Renaissance.
Peaked
under
Henry
II
&
Francis
I.
Undermined
by
the
French
Wars
of
Religion.
• Germany.
Most
notable
for
the
prin8ng
press,
which
revolu8onized
the
rate
at
which
ideas
could
spread.
Mar8n
Luther
pos8ng
the
95
Theses
in
1517
began
the
ReformaKon.
• Netherlands.
Paralleled
the
Italian
City-­‐States
in
its
strength
in
banking
and
commerce.
Thus
able
to
patronize
the
arts:
Van
Eyck,
Rembrandt,
Pieter
Bruegel.
Erasmus
considered
to
be
the
most
influen8al
ChrisKan
Humanist.
h"p://www.learnerator.com

5. AP
European
History
-­‐>
15th
Century
The
Age
of
ExploraKon
• Roughly
from
the
beginning
of
the
15th
century
un8l
the
17th
century
• Primary
mo8va8on
was
the
search
of
new
trading
routes,
goods,
&
partners.
Secondary
mo8ves
included
religious
expansion,
pride,
and
sa8sfying
personal
curiosity.
• Especially
interested
in
finding
new
sea
routes
to
the
East
for
the
silk
and
spice
trades.
• Partly
due
to
the
fall
of
ConstanKnople
in
1453
to
the
O"oman
Empire
which
cut
off
direct
trade
with
Asia
• PoliKcal
centralizaKon
was
an
important
precursor
to
this
outward
push.
It
allowed
states
to
be"er
raise
revenues
and
bear
the
risks
and
costs
of
such
ventures.
• Columbian
Exchange:
Europeans
established
Atlan8c
trade
routes
with
the
“New
World”
that
resulted
in
the
introduc8on
of
new
goods,
customs,
&
foods
to
all
par8es
involved.
• Europe
>
New
World:
Disease,
sugar,
wheat,
wine,
ca"le,
horses,
pigs,
&
sheep
• New
World
>
Europe:
Maize,
potatoes,
tomatoes,
beans,
squash,
and
pumpkins
• Explora8on
slowed
down
in
the
17th
century,
due
par8ally
to
the
religious
turmoil
on
the
con8nent
epitomized
by
the
breakout
of
the
Thirty
Years
War
(1618-­‐1648).
h"p://www.learnerator.com

6. AP
European
History
-­‐>
15th
Century
PoliKcs
&
Government
• In
the
Medieval
era,
the
basics
of
the
modern
state
essen8al
for
the
Renaissance
emerged:
RepresentaKve
assemblies,
court
systems,
police,
&
a
professional
bureaucracy.
• During
the
15th
century,
rulers
began
to
consolidate
their
power
and
bring
domes8c
order
by
imposing
structured
punishments
on
crime
and
geUng
nobles
in
line
• The
New
Monarchs
of
this
era
preceded
Machiavelli’s
The
Prince,
but
their
ac8ons
followed
the
same
ideals
as
they
oKen
subordinated
morality
to
enhance
their
power
• These
rulers
included
Louis
XI
(France),
Henry
VII
(England),
and
Ferdinand
and
Isabella
(Spain)
• Strong
na8onal
iden8ty
and
agenda
• Stressed
the
fact
that
their
kingship
was
the
common
unifying
force
in
their
realms
• Suppressed
internal
dissent
and
command
the
respect
of
their
subjects
• Centralized
tax
collec8on
to
fund
standing
armies
and
endeavors
such
as
those
of
the
Age
of
ExploraDon
• ExcepDon
to
this
was
the
Holy
Roman
Empire,
which
was
highly
decentralized
h"p://www.learnerator.com

7. AP
European
History
-­‐>
15th
Century
Economics,
Demographics,
&
Trade
• Prelude.
Economic
growth
in
the
previous
centuries
laid
the
founda8ons
for
the
Renaissance.
Commercial
8es
with
the
East
increased,
financial
ins8tu8ons
advanced,
and
popula8on
increased.
• Wealth.
The
wealth
created
from
overseas
trade
&
cultural
exchange
with
Asian
&
Africa
in
southern
Italy
allowed
for
the
patronage
of
ar8sts
by
successful
families,
most
notably
the
Medici
• Commerce.
Emergence
of
modern
banking
&
capitalist
techniques
pioneered
in
Italian
city-­‐states,
explaining
their
wealth
and
power:
joint-­‐stock
&
insurance
companies,
deposit
banks,
credits,
modern
accoun8ng
techniques
• UrbanizaKon.
Resulted
from
the
commercial
success
of
Italian
city-­‐states.
Up
un8l
about
the
18th
century,
Italy
would
be
the
most
urbanized
area
in
Europe.
h"p://www.learnerator.com

8. AP
European
History
-­‐>
15th
Century
Society,
Religion,
&
Culture
• Class
&
Culture.
The
Renaissance
was
made
by
&
for
the
mercan8le
elite,
a
group
that
had
dis8nct
aristocra8c
pretensions
&
was
hardly
democra8c.
It
did
not
directly
affect
most
of
society,
including
the
middle
class
• Women.
The
women
most
affected
by
the
Renaissance
were
upper
class
and
merchant
women,
whose
status
was
significantly
lowered.
• Not
allowed
in
universi8es,
guilds,
to
inherit
businesses,
&
were
not
regarded
seriously
• Protected
more
by
the
law
in
the
Middle
Ages
and
had
more
involvement
in
business
• Sexuality.
Whereas
sexual
equality
defined
the
medieval
era,
Renaissance
humanists
established
a
double
standard
of
love
and
marriage.
• Slavery
&
Race.
Renaissance
understandings
of
race
were
very
primi8ve;
they
lacked
a
clear
understanding
of
Africa
and
had
a
generally
ambivalent
view
toward
Africans.
Most
of
their
concep8on
of
race
came
from
theological
tenets
of
light
and
darkness.
h"p://www.learnerator.com

9. AP
European
History
-­‐>
15th
Century
Fine
Art
&
Literature
• Michelangelo
–
Painted
the
Sis8ne
Chapel;
Interested
in
perfec8ng
a
representa8on
of
human
anatomy
as
seen
in
the
sculpture
of
David,
the
Pieta,
&
the
SisDne
Chapel.
• Da
Vinci
–
Perhaps
the
ul8mate
Renaissance
Man
for
his
genius
in
pain8ng,
sculp8ng,
architecture,
science,
engineer,
and
writer
• Raphael
–
His
School
of
Athens
is
an
early
example
of
perspec8ve
from
the
period
• Massaccio
–
One
of
the
1st
to
use
perspec8ve
to
depict
depth
on
a
2D
surface
• PainKng
–
Influenced
by
either
religious
themes
or
for
private
aggrandizement;
defined
by
balance
and
propor8on
and
perspec8ve
which
were
elements
missing
from
previous
eras
• Architecture
–
Adopted
Greco-­‐Roman
symmetry
in
classical
columns,
arches,
and
domes;
Brunelleschi
–
Florence
Cathedral
dome;
Leon
BaUsta
Alber8
–
Trea8se
on
Architecture
• Used
linear
perspec8ve
&
anatomically
accurate
methods
of
depic8ng
people
to
more
realis8cally
depict
the
world
• The
status
of
ar8sts
was
elevated
from
previous
8mes,
partly
due
to
the
fact
that
ar8sts
only
did
work
when
commissioned
by
wealthy
patrons.
h"p://www.learnerator.com