Module 2: The Renaissance and the Reformation

Near the end of the 14th century, the Renaissance began in Italy and then spread to the rest of Europe over the next two centuries. The word Renaissance means rebirth. It was period of great artistic and intellectual developments that signaled the end of the Middle Ages the beginning of the modern world. In this module, you will look at some of the great artists and thinkers from the Renaissance, and see why their contributions were so important.

Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam on the Sistine Chapel

You will also examine how corruption in the Catholic Church led some people to revolt against the Church and some of its practices during the Protestant Reformation. In particular, you will learn about Martin Luther and other important religious and political figures including John Calvin, King Henry VIII, and Queen Elizabeth I, who challenged the dominance of the Catholic Church over Western Europe. In response, the Catholic Church initiated the Counter-Reformation, and several religious wars took place throughout Europe.

Pre-Assessment

Before you learn about the important people and events of the Rennaissance and the Reformation, see how well you can identify the major European states and empires that were in existence around 1560 C.E. In this non-graded activity, use the map provided to identify each of the locations, enter the appropriate number into the blank, and click Submit. Click the player to get started.

Key Vocabulary

To view the definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.

95 Theses	Huss	predestination
Catholic Reformation	indulgence	Renaissance
Council of Trent	Inquisition	Shakespeare
Edict of Nantes	Johannes Gutenberg	Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
Elizabeth I	John Calvin	Spanish Armada
Erasmus	Leonardo da Vinci	Thirty Year’s War
Hapsburg Family	Lorenzo de’ Medici	usury
Henry VIII	Martin Luther	Wycliffe
Huguenots	Michelangelo
humanism	Niccolo Machiavelli