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Study Guide: Renaissance and Age of Exploration
1. Why is the Renaissance considered a ‘rebirth?’
Because it was a change in time where people started taking an interest in the learning of
ancient times sparking a rebirth in education, inventions, art, science, etc.
2. Where did the Renaissance begin? How did the Renaissance spread? What city became home to the
Renaissance movement?
The Renaissance began in Italy and spread through travel. Florence became the home to the Renaissance
movement.
3. What is humanism? A shift in thinking from believing that God and religion are the cause of all events to
a focus in science.
4. What were some of the main cultural contributions during the Renaissance? Humanism, art, architecture,
science, etc
5. How could you be considered a ‘Renaissance Man?’ By doing a lot of different jobs or talents. Leonardo
da Vinci known as the Renaissance Man because he had many talents.
6. How did the Printing Press impact life during the Renaissance? It spread Renaissance ideals faster and to
more people
7. How did the Printing Press impact life during the Age of Exploration? It spread sailing technologies faster
and more maps were printed
8. How did discoveries in Human Anatomy impact life during the Renaissance? People started to live longer
because of better medical information and less spread of disease
9. Who wrote the 95 Thesis? Why did he write them? Martin Luther wrote the 95 Thesis because he was
protesting the Catholic Church’s selling of indulgences.
10. List the 2 types of government in Italy during the Renaissance. Give a characteristic of each.
Signoria – one strong family had control. Similar to a monarchy
Republicanism – a group of families ruled together. Similar to an oligarchy
11. List what each Renaissance figure is known for…
a. Petrarch and Boccaccio ___First Renaissance Humanists___
b. Galileo __astronomer who demonstrated Copernicus’ belief that the Earth orbits the sun______
c. Johannes Gutenburg __invented the printing press in the 1440’s___
d. Machiavelli ___thinker - wrote the book “The Prince”_____
e. Leonardo Da Vinci artist - painted the most famous painting in the world – “The Mona Lisa”____
f. Michelangelo __artist – painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel & sculpted the statue “David”___
g. Raphael ___artist – painted “The Madonnas”___
h. Jan Van Eyck ____artist – known for realism – used oil paints______
i.
William Shakespeare __writer – wrote poems and plays – “Romeo and Juliet”___
12. List at least 3 reasons why Europeans began exploring the rest of the world.
They wanted power, wealth/riches, and wanted to spread their ideas and religion
13. What are some of the problems faced by explorers when they first began exploring by sea?
They didn’t know where they were or which direction to travel, the ships were hard to navigate
14. What are some solutions or tools they used for those problems?
The Astrolabe helped with latitude, the Quadrant helped with longitude, the Compass helped with
direction, the Printing Press printed more maps, the Caravel ship was easier to maneuver
15. Why were Africans thought to be “better suited” to be slaves than American Indians or European
indentured servants were? They were used to the “tropical” type weather, they were very good
agriculturists, they were strong
16. How did Europeans obtain slaves from Africa?
They traded manufactured goods for slaves and also captured
Slaves.
17. What was the middle passage?
The middle route in the Triangular Trade/Slave Trade. The
route that carried slaves from Africa to the Americas to
trade them for crops (tobacco, cotton, sugar, etc)
18. Use a flow diagram to illustrate the Triangle Trade
system. Label the diagram.
19. List what item(s) was/were traded during each route of the
Triangle Trade System.
 Europe to Africa –manufactured goods
 Africa to Americas (the Middle Passage) – slaves
 Americas to Europe – cotton, tobacco, sugar
20. What were the three main motivations for exploration?
 religion
 trade
 navigation
18. How did the explorations of Columbus, Magellan, and other conquistadors impact the native peoples of
the lands they traveled to? They conquered and killed the native peoples causing their cultures and
civilizations to be destroyed/ ruined and their land to be taken away from them.
21. List what each explorer is known for…
a. Vasco de Gama ____first European explorer to reach India in 1498____
b. Ferdinand Magellan first European explorer to lead expedition to circumnavigate the world
c. Christopher Columbus __first European explorer to reach the Americas____
d. Bartholomew Diaz ____first European explorer to travel around the tip of Africa_____
e. John Cabot ___first European explorer to reach the mainland of America___
f. Amerigo Vespucci ____America named after this European explorer___
g. Henry the Navigator ___started a Navigation and Shipbuilding School __