#AP European History: Unit 1 - Renaissance and Exploration 🚀

Hey there! Let's get you prepped for the AP Euro exam. This guide is designed to be your go-to resource, especially the night before the big day. We'll break down the key concepts, make connections, and get you feeling confident. Let's dive in!

#🔗 The Renaissance

#What Was It? 🤔

The Renaissance was a period of intellectual and artistic flourishing that began in Italy in the 14th century. Think of it as a "rebirth" (that's what 'renaissance' means in French!) of classical ideas from ancient Greece and Rome. It's like dusting off old treasures and finding new ways to use them.

#Classical Inspiration 🏛️

Renaissance thinkers and artists found inspiration in classical antiquity—the writings and art of ancient Greece and Rome. This revival influenced everything from scholarship to art techniques and even politics.

#Image of Raphael’s The School of Athens (1509-1511), mixing classical thinkers with people from the artist’s time.

#Humanism: The Heart of the Renaissance ❤️

Humanism started with scholars closely reading and translating ancient texts. Humanists emphasized individualism and focused on secular (non-religious) subjects. They believed in the potential of humans and celebrated human achievements.

• Key Focus:
  • Individualism
  • Secularism
  • Classical Learning

#Art and Techniques 🎨

Artists and writers drew inspiration from classical styles. Sculptors aimed for naturalistic depictions of the human body, and painters used perspective to create realistic images.

#Social and Economic Factors 💰

• Wealth: Increased trade made Northern Italy wealthier and more urban, supporting the Renaissance.
• Patronage: Commercial elites (bankers, merchants) and the Church and nobility invested in art to promote themselves.

#The Printing Press 📜

The mid-1400s saw the spread of the printing press, making texts more widely available. This helped humanist ideas spread beyond the Church and universities.

• Impact:
  • Increased access to knowledge.
  • Spread of vernacular literature (writing in common languages).

#Northern Humanism 🌍

Centered in the Low Countries, Northern Humanists emphasized religious themes and looked to the Bible for inspiration. They sought to improve society through Christian principles.

#🔗 New Monarchies 👑

#Centralizing Power 💪

New Monarchies refers to kings and queens in England, France, and Spain who gained more direct power. They centralized power by:

• Collecting taxes directly.
• Supporting standing armies.
• Establishing royal law courts.
• Controlling religion.

#Image of Louis XI of France, one of the New Monarchs

#Who Helped Them? 🤔

New Monarchs often employed men from the lower nobility or urban middle classes, showing the growing influence of urban elites.

#Central Europe vs. Western Europe 🌍

While western Europe saw the rise of centralized monarchies, the Holy Roman Empire in central Europe remained politically decentralized with many political units.

#🔗 Overseas Expansion 🗺️

#Voyages of Exploration 🚢

New Monarchs invested in oceanic exploration using new maritime technology (sailing equipment and navigational tools) to venture farther. Portugal and Spain led the way, exploring the coasts of Africa and crossing the Atlantic and Indian oceans.

#Goals of Exploration:

• Valuable trade connections
• Christian allies
• Claiming land in the Americas
• Establishing trading posts in Africa and Asia

#Colonialism and Its Impact 🌍

European missionaries encouraged Indigenous people to convert to Christianity, justifying conquests that established colonies. These colonies focused on extracting valuable materials like silver. Sadly, this led to the exploitation of Indigenous populations.

#The Columbian Exchange 🔄

The Columbian Exchange was a long-term process of organisms moving between hemispheres. Diseases from the Eastern Hemisphere devastated Indigenous populations, while crops like sugar from Asia enriched European colonizers.

#Native American depiction of Indigenous people suffering from smallpox, c. 1540

#The Atlantic Slave Trade ⛓️

European colonizers forced Indigenous and African people to work on plantations and in mines. The Atlantic Slave Trade saw millions of enslaved Africans trafficked to the Americas, generating huge profits for European merchants and governments.

#Image of a Replica of Dutch East India Company ship

#The Market Revolution 📈

This overseas trade was part of a larger Market Revolution in Europe—a shift from producing goods at home to purchasing them in markets. This led to the growth of banking, trade, and joint-stock companies.

#🔗 Important Names 🧑‍🏫

Here's a list of important names to review. Make sure you know who they are and what they did:

Monarchs

• Ferdinand and Isabella 🇪🇸
• King Henry 🇵🇹
• Charles V (Holy Roman Empire)
• Francis I 🇫🇷
• Henry VIII 🇬🇧

Artists

• Michelangelo 🇮🇹
• Donatello 🇮🇹
• Raphael 🇮🇹
• Andrea Palladio 🇮🇹
• Leon Battista Alberti 🇮🇹
• Filippo Brunelleschi 🇮🇹
• Rembrandt 🇳🇱

Philosophers/Scholars

• Petrarch 🇮🇹
• Lorenzo Valla 🇮🇹
• Marsilio Ficino 🇮🇹
• Pico della Mirandola 🇮🇹
• Niccolò Machiavelli 🇮🇹
• Jean Bodin 🇫🇷
• Hugo Grotius 🇳🇱
• Jean-Baptiste Colbert 🇫🇷

#Final Exam Focus 🔥

#High-Priority Topics

• Renaissance Humanism: Understand its core ideas and impact on art, literature, and thought.
• New Monarchies: Know how they centralized power and their impact on state formation.
• Overseas Expansion: Be familiar with the motivations, consequences, and the Columbian Exchange.
• The Atlantic Slave Trade: Understand its origins, impact, and the economic systems it supported.

These topics are frequently tested in both multiple-choice and free-response questions. Make sure you have a solid understanding of each.

#Common Question Types

• Multiple Choice: Expect questions that test your knowledge of key events, figures, and concepts.
• Short Answer Questions (SAQs): Focus on your ability to explain historical developments and processes. Practice writing concise and focused responses.
• Free Response Questions (FRQs): These often require you to analyze and synthesize information from multiple units. Practice crafting well-structured essays with clear arguments and evidence.

#Last-Minute Tips 💡

• Review Key Terms: Make sure you understand the vocabulary associated with each topic.
• Connect the Dots: Think about how different events and developments are related. AP questions often combine multiple concepts.
• Stay Calm: Take deep breaths and trust in your preparation. You've got this!

#🔗 Practice Questions 📝

Practice Question

#Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following best describes a key feature of Renaissance humanism? (A) Emphasis on religious dogma and salvation (B) Focus on classical learning and human potential (C) Promotion of feudalism and manorialism (D) Rejection of scientific inquiry and observation

2. The New Monarchs of the 15th and 16th centuries primarily sought to: (A) Decentralize political power and empower local lords (B) Promote religious tolerance and diversity (C) Centralize power by controlling taxation, armies, and justice (D) Encourage the growth of independent city-states

3. The Columbian Exchange resulted in which of the following? (A) The introduction of new diseases to Europe (B) A decrease in the global population (C) The introduction of new crops and animals to both the Americas and Europe (D) A decrease in the trade between Europe and the Americas

#Free Response Question (FRQ)

Question: Analyze the political, economic, and social consequences of European overseas expansion in the period 1450-1648. Point-by-Point Scoring Breakdown:

• Thesis (1 point): A clear, historically defensible thesis that addresses all parts of the question. For example: "European overseas expansion between 1450 and 1648 led to significant political, economic, and social transformations, including the rise of colonial empires, the growth of global trade networks, and the devastating impact of disease and slavery on indigenous populations."
• Political Consequences (2 points):
  • Point 1: Explanation of the rise of colonial empires and increased competition between European powers.
  • Point 2: Discussion of the impact on indigenous political structures and the imposition of European rule.
• Economic Consequences (2 points):
  • Point 1: Explanation of the growth of global trade networks and the rise of mercantilism.
  • Point 2: Discussion of the exploitation of resources and labor in the colonies, and the growth of the Atlantic slave trade.
• Social Consequences (2 points):
  • Point 1: Explanation of the demographic impact of disease on indigenous populations.
  • Point 2: Discussion of the social hierarchies established in the colonies, including the impact of slavery and the development of new social classes.
• Evidence (1 point): Use of specific historical examples to support the analysis, such as the Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires, the establishment of the Dutch East India Company, or the impact of the Columbian Exchange.
• Synthesis (1 point): Demonstrates an understanding of the connections between the provided topics and other historical developments, such as the rise of the nation-state or the Scientific Revolution. For example, connecting the economic changes of this period to the later Industrial Revolution.

Alright, that's it for Unit 1! You've got this. Remember to stay calm, review your notes, and trust your preparation. Good luck on the exam! 🎉