AP EUROPEAN HISTORY
UNIT 1 VOCABULARY
Renaissance and Exploration, c. 1450 to c. 1648
22 essential terms, organized by topic and aligned to the official College Board framework.
Renaissance Thought & Culture
Term Definition
Renaissance French for “rebirth”; a period of renewed interest in classical Greek and Roman
learning and art, beginning in Italy in the 14th century.
Humanism An intellectual movement emphasizing the close study of classical texts and a focus
on individual human potential and secular subjects.
Civic humanism A variant of humanism applying classical learning and rhetoric to prepare men for
active public service and civic leadership.
Christian humanism A Northern European variant of humanism applying humanist textual methods to
religious reform and scripture (e.g., Erasmus).
Patronage Financial support provided by wealthy individuals or families (such as the Medici) for
artists, scholars, and architects.
Secularism A focus on worldly, non-religious subjects and concerns, as opposed to exclusively
religious ones.
Linear perspective A Renaissance artistic technique creating the illusion of three-dimensional depth on a
flat surface.
Naturalism An artistic style emphasizing realistic, anatomically accurate depictions of the human
body and world.
Key Figures & Texts
Term Definition
Petrarch A 14th-century Italian scholar often considered the “father of humanism” for his
efforts to recover classical texts.
Niccolò Machiavelli Author of The Prince, which offered a pragmatic, secular analysis of political power
rather than idealized morality.
Desiderius Erasmus The leading Christian humanist, who advocated for vernacular access to scripture and
religious/moral reform.
Johannes Inventor of the movable-type printing press (c. 1450), which enabled the rapid
UNIT 1 VOCABULARY
Renaissance and Exploration, c. 1450 to c. 1648
22 essential terms, organized by topic and aligned to the official College Board framework.
Renaissance Thought & Culture
Term Definition
Renaissance French for “rebirth”; a period of renewed interest in classical Greek and Roman
learning and art, beginning in Italy in the 14th century.
Humanism An intellectual movement emphasizing the close study of classical texts and a focus
on individual human potential and secular subjects.
Civic humanism A variant of humanism applying classical learning and rhetoric to prepare men for
active public service and civic leadership.
Christian humanism A Northern European variant of humanism applying humanist textual methods to
religious reform and scripture (e.g., Erasmus).
Patronage Financial support provided by wealthy individuals or families (such as the Medici) for
artists, scholars, and architects.
Secularism A focus on worldly, non-religious subjects and concerns, as opposed to exclusively
religious ones.
Linear perspective A Renaissance artistic technique creating the illusion of three-dimensional depth on a
flat surface.
Naturalism An artistic style emphasizing realistic, anatomically accurate depictions of the human
body and world.
Key Figures & Texts
Term Definition
Petrarch A 14th-century Italian scholar often considered the “father of humanism” for his
efforts to recover classical texts.
Niccolò Machiavelli Author of The Prince, which offered a pragmatic, secular analysis of political power
rather than idealized morality.
Desiderius Erasmus The leading Christian humanist, who advocated for vernacular access to scripture and
religious/moral reform.
Johannes Inventor of the movable-type printing press (c. 1450), which enabled the rapid
