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Period: Jan 1, 1390 to
Chapter 19-20
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Jan 1, 1394
Prince Henry of Portugal is born
One of the most influential people in Portuguese exploration is born. -
Jan 1, 1398
Yonglo becomes Ming Emperor
Yonglo continued many of his father's politics, but moved the royal court to Beijing. Yonglo also hasda far-ranging curiosity about the outside world, which spurred seven voyages of exploration. -
Jan 1, 1405
Zheng He captains his first voyage
Yonglo hoped to impress the world with the power and splendor of Ming China as well as to expand China's tribute system, and Zheng He's voyages accomplished just that. -
Period: Jan 1, 1440 to
Chapter 17
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Jan 1, 1450
Donatello creates his "David" statue
Donatello's bronze statue of David is quite unlike any other kind of art at the time. -
Jan 1, 1451
Fall of Constantinople to the Turks
Constantinople was a Christian city before it;s fall to the Turks. After it's fall, it was taken over and converted to Islam. -
Oct 19, 1453
The Hundred Years' War Ends
This signifies the end of fighting between France and England. They can now "catch up" on the Renaissance, which has already started in Italy. -
Jan 1, 1455
Johan Gutenbuerg Invents the Printing Press
Multiple copies of books can now be made quicker, which makes books cheaper, and the literacy rate goes up. -
Jan 1, 1488
Bartolomeu Dias reaches Cape of Good Hope
Bartolomeu was the first person to sail around the tip of Africa. -
Jan 1, 1492
Ferdinand and Isabella end war with Muslims
Ferdinand and Isabella could turn their attention to exploration and trade instead of war. -
Oct 12, 1492
Christopher Columbus spots lands in North America
Columbus's voyage and discovery of San Salvador paved the way for European exploration. -
Jun 7, 1494
Spain and Portugal agree to Treaty of Tordesillas
The Line of Demarcation helped settle who's land was whose, and both Spain and Portugal agreed to honor this line in the Treaty of Tordesillas/ The era of exploration was about to begin. -
May 20, 1498
Vasco de Gama lands in India
Vasco de Gama's voyage of 27,000 gave Portugal a direct sea route to India. -
Period: Jan 1, 1500 to
Chapter 22
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Feb 4, 1501
Amerigo Vespucci charts the New World Coast
Vespucci recognized that what Christopher Columbus thought was India was really a "New World'. -
Jan 1, 1503
Leonardo Da Vinci starts the Mona Lisa
Leonardo started painting the Mona Lisa in the years before his death. Da Vinci died, leaving the painting unfinished. -
Jan 1, 1508
Michelangelo paints the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel
Michelangleo considered hismself a sculpture, and had never painted with frescoe before. He spent 4 years of his life tediously painting the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel. -
Jan 1, 1509
Raphael paints "School of Athens"
Rapchael's painting "School of Athens" represents philosphy as the Renaissance society understood it. -
Jan 1, 1510
Nicolaus Copernicus begins studying planetary movement
Copernicus studies better explained the helicentric theory. He also laid the foundation for other scientists after him. -
Oct 31, 1517
Martin Luther posts his 95 Thesis
People read Luther's 95 Thesis and the Reformation begins. -
Jan 1, 1519
Hernando Cortez lands on Mexican coast
Cortez colonized several Caribbean islands, and then headed to the mainland. His Conquistadors carved out colonies in regions that would become Mexico, the United States, and South America. The Spanish greatly enriched their empire and left a mark on the cultures of North and South America that exist today. -
Oct 23, 1522
First slave revolt in Hispaniola
About 20 slaves on Hispaniola attacked and killed several Spanish colonists. Larger revolts occurred throughout Spanish settlements during the 16th centruy. Uprisings continued into the 1800's. -
Jan 1, 1532
Machiavelli writes "The Prince"
"The Prince" examines the faults of humans. Machicavelli was not worried about what was morally right, but what was politically effective. -
Jan 1, 1532
Francisco Pizarro meets Atahualpa
Francicso and the Spaniards crushed the Inca empire and eventually killed Atahualpa. Pizarro captured Cuzco and many other native poeples' land. By the mid 1600's, the Spanish has creating a wide-reaching American empire including New Spain and other lands in Central and South America adn the Caribbean. -
Jan 1, 1534
Jacques Cartier claims land in Canada
Jaques Cartier reached a river and named in the St. Lawrence. He followed it inward until he reached a large island dominated by a hill. He named the island Mont Royal, which later became known as Montreal. -
May 19, 1536
Anne Boleyn is executed
Anne Boleyn gave King Henry a girl child, and she fell out of Hnery's favor. She was imprisoned in the Tower of London and later beheaded. -
Oct 12, 1537
Edward VI is born
Edward was the son that King Henry had been hoping for, so he could have an heir. -
Jan 1, 1539
Ignatius of Loyola founds the Jesuit order
The contrubutions of the Jesuits to the late Renakssance were significant. They educated children and illiterate people in the teachings of Christianity. -
Jan 1, 1546
Ivan the Terrible seizes power
The years from 1547 to 1560 are often called Ivan's "good period" during which he won great victories, added lands to Russia, gave Russia a code of laws, and ruled justly. -
Period: Jan 1, 1546 to
Chapter 21
Age of Absolute Monarchs -
Jul 1, 1553
Mary I becomes Queen
Mary switches the church back to Catholicism, and persecutes many Protestants in the process. (was nicknamed "Bloody Mary") -
Nov 17, 1558
Elizabeth I becomes Queen
Elizbeth restored Protestantism when she became Queen. Parliament declared Elizabeth as the head of the Church of England (Anglican Church). -
Jan 1, 1571
Philip II defeated the Ottomans in the Mediterranean
Philip helped defend Catholicism against the Muslims of hte Ottoman empire and the Protestants of Europe. -
Battle of the English Channel
Spain was no longer the top power of Europe, and other countries would compete to fill the power void. -
English East Company is founded
The English created this company for trade in the Asian region, and they were less powerful than the Dutch East India Company, and were forced to leave. -
Johannes Kepler mathematically proves Copernicus and Brahe
Kepler concluded that certain mathematical laws govern planetary motion. Kepler's conclusions mathematically proved that the planets revolve around the sun. -
Dutch East India Company is founded
The Dutch and English broke Portuguese control of the Asian region. The two nations battled for control for control of the land. Each created and East India Company, but the Dutch East India was richer and more powerful than England's company. THe Dutch eventually drove out the English and established their dominance over the region. -
death of Elizabeth the I (queen of England)
By the time Elizabeth died, she left a huge debt for her successor to deal with. James Stuart, the king of Scotland, also became King of England when Elizabeth died. Englang and Scotland now shared a ruler. -
Don Quixote de La Mancha was published by Miguel de Cervantes
This publication is sometimes called the birth of the modern European novel, in that it helped pave the way for other writers. -
Henry Hudson is last seen
While Henry Hudson was looking for northwest sea route to Asia, he explored three waterways near present day New Yorka thta were laer name for him-the Hudson River, Hudson Bay, and Hudson Strait. -
William Shakespeare dies
William Shakespeare died before his writings became widely recognized. -
Cardinal Richelieu becomes ruler of France
Cardinal Richelieu takes many steps including moving against the Huguenots, forbidding Protestant cities from having walls, and ordering nobles to take down thier castles. All these things led to increased power of the Bourbon monarchy. -
Galileo publishes his many findings in "Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems"
Galileo's findings frightened the Church, because the ideas he puiblished went against those of the church and authority. Galileo was put under house arrest for the rest of his life, but his books and ideas spread all over Europe. -
English Civil War (1642-1649)
Parliament passed laws to limit royal power, and Charles I tried to arrest Parliament's leaders. Supporters and opponents of King Charles fought the English Civil War. His opponents held the king prisoner, tried him for treason, found him guilty, and killed him. His execution was revolutionary. -
Ending of the Thirty Years' War
Spain, Austria, and the Holy Roman Empire are weakened, while France is strengthed. All of the states recognize each other as equals, and negotiations between countries change as well. -
Thomas Hobbes outlines the social contract in Leviathan
In his social contract, Hobbes says that because people act in thier own self-interest, the ruler needed total power to keep citizens under control. This idea is used in many modern governments. -
reign of Charles II begins
Charles II restored the monarchy (the Restoration.) of England. Charles also restored the theater, sporting events, dancing, and theater. -
Death of Cardinal Mazarin
Louis XIV takes control of the government when Cardinal Mazarin dies. Louis weakens the power of nobles by excluding them from his councils. The death of Mazatin also allowed Louis to install the economic policies of Jean Baptiste Colbert. -
New Netherlands becomes New York
The King of England, Charles the II, granted his brother, the Dke of York, permission to drive the Dutch out of New Netherland. When the duke's fleet arrived, the Dutch surrendered. The Duke of York claimed the colony for England and renamed it New York. WIth the Dutch gone, the English continued to colonize the Atlantic Coast of North America. -
La Salle claims Mississippi River for Spain
La Salle claimed the entire Mississippi River Valley for France, and by the early 1700's, New France covered what is now the midwest United States and eastern Canada. -
John Locke justifies rebellion in "Two Treatises on Government"
Locke believed that people could learn from experience and improve themselves, and that they had the natural ability to govern their own affairs. He criticized absolute monarchies and favored the idea the idea of self-government. His ideas have an influence on some types of government today. -
Peter the Great becomes sol czar of Russia
Peter became one of Russia's greatest reformers, and he alo continued the trend of increasing the czar's power. -
Peter the Great embarks on The Great Embassy
While in western Europe, Peter leanred about European customs and indistrial techniques. He used these learnings later to help "westernize" Russia. -
War of Spanish Succession ends
The Treaty of Utrecht was signed. Britain took from Spain a fortress that controlled the entrance to the Mediterraneanl Spain also granted a British compamny permission to send enslaved Africans to Spain's American colonies. -
Maria Theresa becomes ruler of Austria
Charles VI persuaded the other leaders of Europe to recognize his eldest daughter-Maria Theresa-as the hier to all his Hapsburg territories. This was suppoed to garuntee Maria Theresa a peaceful reign, but instead she faced wat with Prussia as her main enemy. -
Frederick the Great begins his reign in Prussia
Frederick commited himself to reforming Prussia. He granted many religious freedoms, reduced censorship, and improved education. He also reformed the justice system and abolished the use of torture. From the beginning of his reign, Frederick made it clear that his goal was to serve and strengthen his country. -
Baron von mentesquieu proposed separation of power in "On the Spirit of Laws"
Montesquieu believed that there should be separation of power with branches of government. Each branch of government would serve as a check on the other two. This idea would later be called "Checks and Balances". This idea is used in our government today. -
Denis Diderot publishes the first volumes of his "Encyclopedia"
Diderot's "Encyclopedia" brought together all the most current and enlightened thinking about science, technology, art, government, and more. His "Encyclopedia" was the foundation for real and online encyclopedias today. -
Seven Years War begins
As France and England's colonie expanded, they began to interfere with each other. A dispute over land claims in the Ohio Valley led to a war between the British and French. This conflict became known as hte French and Indian War, which became part of a larger conflict known as the Seven Years War. -
end of Seven Years War
Britain and France were both competeing economically in India. Britain emerged as the real victor of the war, and France lost its colonies in Norh America, and Britain gained sole economic domination of India. -
Cesare baccaria writes agaisnt torture in "On Crimes and Punishment"
Baccaria says that the severity of the punishment should be equal to that of the crime. He also said that the capital punishment should be abolished. Some of his ideas are used on our government today. -
The start of the Partition of Poland
Russia, Prussia, and Austria each tried to assert thier influence over Poland. These neighbors grabbed Poland's territory until it dissapeared off the map. As a result, Russia, Prussia, and Austria all gained land. -
Catherine the Great puts down the serf rebellion
Catherine had previously favored an end to serfdom. However, the revolt convinced her that she needed the nobles' support to keep her throne. She gave nobles absolute power over the serfs, and as a result Russion serfs lost thier last traces of freedom. -
Boston Tea Party
Samuel Adams organized a raid against 3 British ships in Boston Harbor, and hte raiders dumped 342 chests of tea into the water. This was just the beginning of the rebellious acts that led to the American Revolutionary War. -
British Army and American Militia exchange fire at Lexington, Massachusetts
After the exchange of gunfire at Lexington, the fighting spread to Concord. When news of the fighting reached the Second Continental Congress, its members voted to raise an army under the command of a Virginian named George Washington. This marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. -
Declaration of Independence is signed
The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, was firmly based on the ideas of John Locke and the Enlightenment. This document made America offically separate from Britain, and laid the foundation for the U.S. becoming a strong and independent nation. -
Delegates at the Constitutional Convention sign the Constitution
The Constitution outlines our government itself, and, along with the Bill of Rights, puts into place both checks-and-balances and a federal system. The signing of the Constitution marked the beginning of a free country.
