PERIOD 1 EXAM Answer Key with Explanations 1. (B) Renaissance architects such as Alberti, Bramante, and Michelangelo, were heavily influenced by Classical Greek temple architecture (that included such features as triangular pediments, ornate entablatures, and Doric and Ionian columns), and Roman architecture (that included arches and domes in addition to Greek influences). The term "humanism" refers to these ancient Greco-Roman influences on Renaissance-era culture. Mannerism (C) is a painting style that followed the High Renaissance in the mid-to-late-sixteenth century and presaged the Baroque era in the visual arts of the seventeenth century. Scholasticism (A) is a Catholic philosophy developed by Thomas Aquinas that was popular among elites during the Later Middle Ages. 2. (C) The Catholic Church was a major patron of High-Renaissance art. The Church sought to glorify its power through the use of visual arts. Michelangelo s work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is a powerful example. This trend in patronage continued in the seventeenth century as the Church commissioned artists to create works of art in the Baroque style. 3. (C) The Council of Trent (D) represented the cornerstone of the Catholic Counter Reformation. The Jesuits (A) and Ursulines (B) were new Catholic orders during the Counter Reformation era. Catholic tradition emphasized architectural grandeur to glorify God and the Church s power. Answer (C) is correct because, among the answer choices, the Huguenots were Calvinist Protestants who believed in simplicity in church buildings and saw the opulence of the Catholic Church as a distraction and contrary to a close, personal relationship with God. 4. (D) Bartolomé de las Casas is a well-known contemporary critic of the Spanish explorers and conquistadors who often treated the American Indian population with cruelty. By 1600, approximately 90% of the indigenous peoples of the New World had been wiped out, mostly due to disease, although many died as result of European barbarity. 5. (A) Unlike Portugal and the Netherlands who established strong trade routes and trade stations in Asia during the 16 th and 17 th centuries, Spain s major colonial energies were directed at the New World. Although Spain gained the Philippines in the 16 th century, it gained little else in Asia. 6. (B) The Catholic Reformation encouraged missionary activities throughout the world. They saw indigenous peoples in Africa, Asia, and the New World as prime targets for conversion. The Spanish Armada (A) was Philip II s attempt to invade England in 1588. Prester John (C), an early mythical Christian king, was believed to have been from Asia or the Middle East. The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) was a continent-wide conflict that dealt with religious and political issues in Europe. 7. (C) Although France and England came later to colonization than Spain and Portugal, by the end of the 16 th century, they both began developing colonial empires in North America and establishing a few trading stations in Asia. 8. (A) 19 th -century historian Jacob Burckhardt developed a strong argument for why Renaissance Italy was different from medieval society and other parts of Europe. Much of his argument rested on Italy s fascination with ancient Greek and Roman culture prior to that of other regions in Europe in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. 2015 HistorySage.com All Rights Reserved Period 1 Exam 24
9. (C) See explanation above. 10. (C) Erasmus was a Christian humanist from Northern Europe (modern-day Netherlands) who was heavily influenced by Italian Renaissance philosophy and literature. Aristotle (A) was a notable philosopher/scientist from classical Greece. Thomas Aquinas (B) was a medieval writer who developed Scholasticism. Charles V (D) ruled the Holy Roman Empire and sought to restore Catholic unity in western and central Europe. 11. (B) The advent of the printing press in the mid-15 th century made possible the quick spread of ideas on an unprecedented level. It facilitated the growth of Renaissance influence in Northern Europe and it facilitated the enormous impact of the Protestant Reformation. 12. (A) Traditional European society placed men above women in social, political, and economic affairs. The dominance of men in society meant that girls did not have the same educational opportunities as boys. The social status of upper-class women actually declined throughout the Renaissance, although girls from wealthy families had access to education. Upper-class women during the Renaissance were expected to be well educated but essentially functioned as ornaments for their husbands in courtly society. 13. (B) The German Reformation under Luther stressed education for girls as they would grow up to be mothers who could teach their children to read the Bible. Schools for girls were built throughout Germany in the sixteenth century and as Protestantism spread throughout Europe, so did the emphasis on literacy. 14. (D) See explanation for question 12. 15. (D) The Treaty of Westphalia redrew the map of Europe. The Holy Roman Empire lost most of its influence while independence for the Dutch Republic and Switzerland were recognized by Europe s Great Powers. Notice that the term Holy Roman Empire is no longer included on the European map. In fact, the HRE remained a geographic expression but no longer had any real political power. It was formally abolished during the reign of Napoleon in the early-19 th century. 16. (B) See explanation for question 15. 17. (B) During the Thirty Years War, France, a Catholic country, allied with Protestant forces to defeat the Catholic Holy Roman Empire. This demonstrates that France had political motives in keeping Germany weak and divided, even if it meant that Catholic unity would not be achieved with the HRE s loss. France feared that a unified HRE (i.e. a unified Germany) would pose grave security risks on the eastern French border. 18. (A) With the Holy Roman Empire irreparably weakened, France emerged as the dominant military force in Europe by the mid-17 th century. Under the reign of Louis XIV (1648-1715) France would achieve frightening power, thus inspiring other nations in Europe to ally against her a situation that came to be known as balance of power. 19. (B) Descartes contribution to the scientific method was the deductive method ( I think, therefore I am ). He believed science must start with clear and incontrovertible facts and then subdivide each problem into as many parts as necessary, using a step-by-step logical sequence. Inductive reasoning (A), was Francis Bacon s contribution to the scientific method. Descartes Discourse on Method was 2015 HistorySage.com All Rights Reserved Period 1 Exam 25
published in the 17 th century while Copernicus heliocentric views first appeared in the mid-16 th century (C). 20. (D) Descartes ideas of deductive reasoning promoted experimentation and would shape the development of the scientific method. 21. (C) Along with Descartes, Francis Bacon contributed a method of inductive reasoning that also promoted the development of the scientific method. Bacon formalized the empirical method (or empiricism) that had earlier been used by Brahe and Galileo. Although they were noted scientists of the era, Copernicus (A) and Vesalius (B) ideas preceded the seventeenth century and Harvey (D) was noted for his medical discoveries, especially the human circulatory system. 22. (A) Christianity was used by the Europeans to justify their treatment of indigenous populations in the lands they conquered. In 1493, Spain would have just concluded the Reconquista a year earlier and had not yet developed its international empire so mercantilism would not yet have been developed (B). The spread of the Inquisition to the Americas (C), and the expansion of the African slave trade (D) occurred after Columbus voyages. 23. (A) One of the factors that triggered the European age of exploration and discovery during the fifteenth century was European demands for the luxury goods of the East (e.g. spices). Although technological advances (B) allowed the Europeans to easily conquer the American Indians and European diseases (C) decimated much of the native population of the New World, these statements are not reflected in the passage. 24. (B) Portuguese dominance of the eastern trade routes encouraged the Spanish to look west for a sea passage to Asia and its luxury goods. Columbus gained support from Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain for an expedition westward that would reach the East Indies without having to travel around the continent of Africa. Columbus inadvertently stumbled upon a New World, although he believed that he had reached the outskirts of modern-day Indonesia a region known in the late-15 th century as the East Indies. Hence, its inhabitants were erroneously referred to as Indians. 25. (D) The Price Revolution was partially a result of the influx of gold and silver from the New World. Perhaps the most important cause of the Price Revolution was the increase in Europe s population during the 16 th century, although this is not one of the answer choices in the question. Power actually shifted from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic states (A) and Ottoman domination in eastern Europe (B) was one of the factors that led to Europeans to seek new routes to Asia. 26. (C) The Black Death of the mid-14 th century wiped out about a third of Europe s population. Europe gradually recovered its population until about the mid-seventeenth century when it hit a population plateau. 27. (D) After approximately 1650, Europe experienced a century-long population plateau that was largely attributed to the Little Ice Age of the seventeenth century. This change in weather patterns reduced crop yields, thus preventing population growth. The agricultural revolution of the eighteenth century increased crop yields and enabled population growth to resume after about 1750. 28. (B) The economic challenges posed by changing weather patterns resulted in later marriages for many couples that, in turn, led to fewer children per family. 29. (D) During the sixteenth century, landlords began to restrict some of the traditional rights of the peasantry such as the enclosure of common lands. This placed severe economic challenges on 2015 HistorySage.com All Rights Reserved Period 1 Exam 26
peasants, many of whom struggled to find enough food for survival. Most peasants in western Europe remained free (A) during this time period and enclosure movements (C) were beneficial to wealthy landowners. 30. (C) Luther s teachings encouraged spiritual equality which many peasants interpreted as a reason to revolt from their feudal lords. Luther, however, believed people were bound to obey their secular rulers and he supported the violent suppression of the German Peasant Revolts. Christian humanism (A) encourages spiritual reform and the Jesuits (B) did not encourage political rebellion. 31. (C) Subsistence agriculture was the rule for most of the peasantry during this time period and large landowners continued to take away many traditional peasant rights. 32. (B) Social status and hierarchy often defined the life experience in rural areas. Although the Reformation led to increased literacy rates, peasants in 1525 were still mostly illiterate (C) and the passage does not provide evidence of the development of commercial agriculture (D). 33. (D) Bodin s ideas reflect the development of the New Monarchies during the 16 th century. Bodin s ideas did not encourage political representation of the nobility and bourgeoisie (B) nor did they encourage the shift to constitutionalism (C) although this idea was further developed during the 17 th century. Bodin lived through the horrors of the French Wars of Religion so it is not surprising that he would look to a powerful ruler to maintain law and order in the midst of such chaos. His ideas pointed the way towards the development of absolutism in France in the 17 th century. 34. (B) Machiavelli also encouraged the development of a strong centralized government that would maintain order. Castiglione s ideas (A) were about the proper behavior of those with influence, Valla (C) is best known for his study of the Latin language, and Erasmus (D) is best known as a Christian humanist rather than a civic humanist. 35. (C) New ideas in civic humanism reflected new political models such as the New Monarchs of the sixteenth century. Bodin did not advocate a system of republican government (B) nor did he advocate the idea of the separation of church and state (A). 36. (A) The Habsburg-Valois Wars between the Holy Roman Empire and France were fought between the two ruling dynasties for continental dominance. The Thirty Years War (B), the English Civil War (C), and the French Wars of Religion (D) all involved groups that challenged monarchical power in their respective states, an idea contrary to Bodin s interpretation of sovereignty. 37. (A) King Charles I was tried and executed by the Rump Parliament at the end of the English Civil War. 38. (B) While king, Charles dismissed Parliament for eleven years, illegally collected taxes, arrested people without just cause, persecuted Puritans, and committed other violations of English law. Many in the House of Commons grew increasingly angry and when the king called Parliament back into session, the debate over their respective roles in government intensified. Charles attack on Puritans and Presbyterians in Parliament was perhaps the most important cause of the English Civil War. 39. (B) Tensions increased between monarchs and their subjects as a result of new political philosophies (A) that called for a stronger monarchy, an increase in the number of gentry in urban areas (C), and nobles who wished to retain local control and privilege (D). Guilds had enjoyed their height of economic and political influence during the Middle Ages but the Commercial Revolution and rising middle class reduced guild influence after about 1500. 2015 HistorySage.com All Rights Reserved Period 1 Exam 27
40. (D) Population growth in the 16 th century increased the demand for goods and services. This increase in demand led directly to a slow, almost imperceptible increase in prices over the course of a century. Price increases led to a host of significant effects on European society such as the growing influence of the bourgeoisie, a decline of the Spanish nobility due to its decreased purchasing power (as they received fixed payments from the government), and better fortunes for landowners, large and small, who were able to increase profits from the commercialization of agriculture. 41. (B) The influx of precious metals from the Americas was a factor in the Price Revolution of the 16 th century although population growth was a larger factor. 42. (D) See explanation for question 40. 43. (A) See explanation for question 40. 44. (A) Despite the spread of humanism among the elite, superstition and folk tales continued to dominate in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries leading to increased persecution of those deemed as witches. The Protestant Reformation did lead to debates regarding women s roles (B); however, this did not occur until several decades after the passage was written as well as debates regarding torture (C) and increased power of city governments to regulate public morality (D). 45. (C) Economic instability often led to increased witchcraft accusations. Furthermore, much of the economic uncertainty of this period was a result of population increases and the influx of bullion from the New World (Price Revolution). While Protestantism did contribute to religious uncertainty during this time period (A), witchcraft accusations increased in both Catholic and Protestant countries. Although social upheaval (D) led to increased accusations of witchcraft, there was not an increase in the number of free peasants in eastern Europe, but rather an increase in serfdom. 46. (D) The Scientific Revolution of the seventeenth century led many people to question traditional beliefs and traditions leading to an overall decrease in witchcraft accusations by the end of the century. 47. (C) Martin Luther s criticism in his 95 Theses of the Catholic Church s selling of indulgences opened the door to further scathing attacks on the perceived corruption of the Church. The woodcut accompanied one of Luther s books condemning corruption among Church leaders, including the pope. 48. (B) The Christian humanist writer Erasmus had an enormous effect on European elites. In Praise of Folly (1509), Erasmus best-known work, criticized the corruption and hypocrisy of Catholic Church leadership. His influence on Martin Luther was so great that one contemporary remarked Erasmus laid the egg that Luther hatched. 49. (A) Luther s Protestant Reformation resulted in the shattering of religious unity in Europe. Within a few years, most northern German states adopted Lutheranism and removed Catholic officials from their realms. New Protestant off-shoots, such as Calvinism, further divided western and central Europe religiously and politically. These divisions ultimately resulted in the fracturing of the Holy Roman Empire. 50. (D) The Council of Trent (1545-1563) began the process of reforming the Catholic Church in the face of criticisms from both within the Church and from Protestants. While Catholic doctrine remained unchanged, some of its practices such as the selling of indulgences, simony, and nepotism, were curtailed. 2015 HistorySage.com All Rights Reserved Period 1 Exam 28
51. (D) Religious reform or lack thereof often intensified conflicts between European monarchies and the nobility. The Edict of Nantes (A) was issued after the French Wars of Religion and Henry III (C) did not use religion to unify the nobility against the Protestant threat considering that approximately half of the French nobles were Huguenots. 52. (C) French Protestants (Huguenots) were most directly influenced by Calvinism and the ideas of John Calvin. 53. (B) Phillip II of Spain would have been most likely to endorse the actions of the French monarchy (and in fact did give aid to the Valois monarchy) because he wanted to keep Catholicism dominant across the continent. Henry IV (A) and Elizabeth I (C) both endorsed the idea of limited religious toleration and Gustavus Adolphus (D) was Protestant himself. 54. (B) The Edict of Nantes was successful in easing religious tensions in France by allowing Huguenots the right to practice in their own fortified towns. The Diet of Worms (A), the Peace of Augsburg (C), and the Peace of Westphalia (D) dealt with religious issues in the German states. 55. (A) Catherine de Medici s policies were similar to most other European rulers because they reflected the idea of one king one faith. Many European monarchs during this time period were opposed to Protestantism (B) and the Tudors were Protestant under the rule of Elizabeth I in England (C). 2015 HistorySage.com All Rights Reserved Period 1 Exam 29