Social 8 - Unit I Chapters 1-6 Test Review

• What was feudalism?

  • A medieval social and economic system based on the exchange of land for military service.
  • political system of the middle ages (5th and 15th century) Lord owns the land and all people on it serve him
  • A social hierarchy or social system in Medieval Europe
• The Feudal Hierarchy

  1. 👑The Crown (king)
  2. Barons, Abbots, & Bishops (Lords)
  3. Knights
  4. Commoners/peasants (Freeholders & surfs)
• What was the Black Death?


  The Black Death was a plague epidemic in Europe which caused the death of 75-200 million people.
• What was the influence of the Black Death in Feudal society?

  Because of the Black Death, feudalism collapsed and a new movement began. The church gained more power and Europe became a religious society, leading to the start of the Renaissance in Europe.
• The Crusades 

  • were a series of Holy Wars fought between Christians and Muslims to regain the Holy Land
• What were the crusades and what effect did they have on life?

  The Crusades were a series of Holy Wars fought between Christians and Muslims to regain the Holy Land of Jerusalem. The land of Palestine was under Christian control for many years, until the Muslims eventually took the area over causing problems for the rest of the groups (Christians and Jews). The Crusades resulted in contact with Muslim civilization and an increase of trade for the Europeans.  Because of the Crusades, Europe was exposed to new ideas.
• Marco Polo

  • was an Italian merchant, explorer, and writer, born in the Republic of Venice
• Silk Road

  • The Silk Road was an ancient network of trade routes that connected the East and West
  • It was central to cultural interaction between the regions for many centuries

  The Silk Road refers to both the terrestrial (on land) and the maritime routes (through the water) connecting East Asia and Southeast Asia with East Africa, West Africa and Southern Europe.
• A city-state consists of a city that is politically independent
• What is humanism?

  Humanism caused a cultural movement in the Renaissance which turned away from medieval scholasticism and revived interest in ancient and Roman thought.
• What effect did Humanism have on the Renaissance?

  Humanism was an outlook of thought attaching importance to humans rather than divine or supernatural matters.
• What were the Italian City-States? Why were they successful?

  Italy was a collection of city-states. A city-state consists of a city that is politically independent. Italian city-states were successful because of geography, climate, leadership, and social organization. Italy had a lot of coast line transportation and they had a warm climate. Italy had their own gov’t and feudalism didn’t have a strong hold on the country as the rest of Europe.
• What effect did the Crusades have on life?

  The land of Palestine was under Christian control for many years, until the Muslims eventually took the area over causing problems for the rest of the groups (Christians and Jews). The Crusades resulted in contact with Muslim civilization and an increase of trade for the Europeans.  Because of the Crusades, Europe was exposed to new ideas.
• Why were the Italian city-states successful?

  Italian city-states were successful because of geography, climate, leadership, and social organization. Italy had a lot of coast line transportation and they had a warm climate. Italy had their own gov’t and feudalism didn’t have a strong hold on the country as the rest of Europe.
• What were the Italian city-states?


  Florence, Venice, Milan, Genoa, and Rome were some of the major Italian city-states during the Renaissance period.
• Who was Nicolaus Copernicus?

  Copernicus was a polish astronomer known as the “father of astrology” and only published his findings at the end of his life.
• How did Copernicus impact the Renaissance?

  He impacted the Renaissance by developing the heliocentric thought (belief that the sun — rather than the Earth — is the center of the solar system). Copernicus wrote the book “De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium” or “On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres. This left an impact on the Renaissance by leading to the view that we can dispense with the assumption that we are observing the universe from a special position.
• Who was Galileo Galilei?

  Galileo was an Italian astronomer and physicist who studied astronomy, maths, and mechanics in the universities of Pisa and Padua.
• How did Galileo impact the Renaissance?

  Galileo impacted the Renaissance by copying and improving telescopes. In 1610, he showed moons of Jupiter to Catholic officials with his telescope. Galileo argued in favor of the copernican model.
• Who was Johannes Kepler?

  A german astronomer
• How did Kepler impact the Renaissance?

  impacted the Renaissance through observing the stars and planets using telescopes. Kepler agreed with Copernicus & proved his theories.
• Civic Humanism

  • Civic humanists believed that being a responsible citizen meant educating yourself about history and political issues and working to improve society.
• Leonardo da Vinci was a scientist, inventor and artist that was influenced by Renaissance views of realism and anatomy. Da Vinci made many inventions and famous paintings. He applied the scientific method to aspects of his life such as art and music.
• Scientific Method: a method of investigation in which a problem is first identified and is then used to test a hypothesis that solves it.
• Scientific Method: a method of investigation in which a problem is first identified and is then used to test a hypothesis that solves it.

  • Attitudes toward science changed during the Renaissance
  • Humanism and individualism encouraged people to experiment and question
  • This process led to many new discoveries during the Renaissance.
• Importance of the Printing Press in the Renaissance

  The printing press was developed in 1450 by a German named Johannes Gutenberg. The printing press was important in the Renaissance because it allowed books to be produced quickly and cheaply, printers could now produce thousands of books. Back then, only the most educated in society could read and write. Many people would have been illiterate, the opposite called literate meaning having to know Latin/Greek. 
• The printing press was developed in 1450 by a German named Johannes Gutenberg. The printing press was important in the Renaissance because it allowed books to be produced quickly and cheaply, printers could now produce thousands of books.
• Christopher Columbus:

  Italian explorer and navigator

  Like most educated men of the Renaissance, Columbus believed the world was round and thought he could reach Asia by sailing west

  Columbus reached the Bahamas in America but thought that he had reached islands off the coast of India

  He made 4 trips to “India” never knowing he was in America

  Had the support of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain.
• Who was Christopher Columbus?

  Italian explorer and navigator
• Prince Henry the Navigator

  In Portugal, Prince Henry the Navigator started a school of navigation to train sailors

  He brought in Europe’s best map-makers, ship-builders, & sailing instructors

  He wanted to discover new territories, find a quick trade route to Asia, and expand Portugal’s power
• Who was Prince Henry the Explorer?


  Prince Henry the Navigator was a Portuguese prince who sponsored voyages of exploration and played a key role in the Age of Discovery.
• Expansionism

  ● With a desire to explore overseas, came a desire to expand overseas.

  ● Monarchs of the times saw opportunity to expand their wealth and

  territories with new colonies.

  ● More land = More Power
• The extension of power over a territory is called Imperialism
• Expansionism:

  Expansionism refers to the actions and attitudes of a state or country whose goal is to increase its power and territory.
• Main Motives for Europeans to Expand:

  1. God
  2. Glory
  3. Gold
• God:

  ● In Europe, Catholics and Protestants were trying to become the dominant form of Christianity

  ● Religion was a powerful aspect of people’s worldview during the Renaissance.
• Glory:

  ● individual kings wanted GLORY for their kingdoms and

  competition spread throughout Europe during the Age of Exploration

  ● Renaissance inspired new possibilities 

  ● Exploration led to fame for the explorers and sponsor country 
• Gold:

  Greed consumed Europe as most Western European nations begin exploring and then exploiting new territories.

  ● Only coins were used and gold coins were more valuable than silver.

  ● economy could continue to grow.
• The Treaty of Tordesillas

  • In 1494, the Pope secretly proposed this treaty to divide the world between the Spanish and Portuguese.
• The Treaty of Tordesillas

  • In 1494, the Pope secretly proposed this treaty to divide the world between the Spanish and Portuguese.

  • Spain would have all the land west of an imaginary line running north and south though the Atlantic and Portugal would have all the land east of the line.