period 1 timeline

• The Hundred Years' War


  • Conflict began in 1337 between France and England over succession to the French throne
  • Led to England losing its territory in France
  • Led to the rise in nationalism
• The Black Plague


  • In 1347, flea-infested rats made their way into Europe
  • Led to increased freedom to peasants/serfs
  • Led to the collapse of the political system known as feudalism
• The Roman Catholic Church


  • Filled the political void after the fall of the Roman Empire
  • Its power is weakened due to the Western/Papal Schism, the split within the Church over who is the true Pope
• The Printing Press


  • Invented by Gutenberg
  • Contributed to a revival of learning, increase in literacy, and increase in writing in the local vernacular language, rather than Latin
• The Rise of Secularism and Humanism


  • Due to the revival of Greek and Roman texts, there was a renewed interest in individualism
  • The focus on science shifted some away from studying solely religion/theology
• The Renaissance

  • People known as patrons commissioned art to show off their new wealth
  • The Italian Renaissance focused on the "classical ideal", while the Northern focused on realism/naturalism
• Motivations and Technologies


  • Advances in navigation and cartography allowed the Europeans to sail across the Atlantic
  • The three main motivations for exploration were gold, glory, and God
• The Treaty of Tordesillas


  • In order to prevent conflict on the Iberian peninsula, the Pope marked a line of demarcation; Portugal could not explore west of the line, and Spain could not explore east
• The Columbian Exchange


  • The connected hemispheres led to a great exchange of animals, plants, peoples, and ideas
  • European countries profited due to their new mercantilist economic policies
• Agricultural Practices


  • Central Europeans relied on the three-field crop rotation, which stalled agricultural growth
  • Europeans gained more nutrient-dense crops from their colonies, such as the potato
• The Triangle Trade


  • The influx of wealth from the American colonies ushered in the Commercial Revolution
  • Innovation in banking led to the rise of trading cities, like Amsterdam in the Dutch Republic
• Changing Economic Systems


  • Europe shifted from mercantilist policies to the creation of a market economy
  • The demand for luxury goods - like tea, silk, and tobacco - increased the rise in consumerism
• Consolidation and Maintaining Power

  • Monarchs in France intentionally weakened the power of the nobility
  • Monarchs in Spain utilized the religion of Catholicism to support their rule
• Luther's Biggest Critiques


  • Luther was against Tetzel's practice of selling indulgences
  • In his 95 Theses, he argued that salvation comes through faith alone, not through works or payment
• New Denominations


  • Calvin believed in predestination, that God chose whom He will save before He created the world
  • The Anabaptists advocated against the legitimacy of infant baptism
• The Catholic Reformation

  • After the Council of Trent, the Catholic Church reformed and reaffirmed some of its beliefs
  • They create new religious orders, like Ignatius of Loyola's Jesuits
• In France


  • The wars were fought between Catholics and French Calvinists called Huguenots
  • In 1589, King Henry IV issued the Edict of Nantes, which granted Protestants some religious freedoms
• In Central Europe


  • In 1555, the Peace of Augsburg allowed for religious pluralism within the Holy Roman Empire
  • However, in 1618, the 30 Years' War broke out between Catholics and Protestants
• Effects of the Thirty Years' War


  • It ended with the Peace of Westphalia, which proposed the idea of national sovereignty
  • This conflict ushered in the need for a "balance of power"