AP European History Period 1 Exam: 1450 -1648

Questions 1-2 are based on the following passage:

“… to compress into few words the entire summary of my voyage and speedy return, and of the advantages derivable therefrom, I promise, that with a little assistance afforded me by our most invincible sovereigns, I will procure them as much gold as they need, as great a quantity of spices, of cotton, and of mastic (which is only found in Chios), and as many men for the service of the Navy as their Majesties may require. I promise also rhubarb and other sorts of drugs, which I am persuaded the men whom I have left in the aforesaid fortresses have found already and will continue to find; for I myself have tarried n where longer than I was compelled to do by the winds, except in the city of Navidad, while I provided for the buildings of the fortress, and took the necessary precautions for the perfect security of the men I left there. Although all I have related may appear to be wonderful and unheard of, yet the results of my voyages would have been more astonishing if I had had at my disposal such ships I required. But these great and marvelous results are not to be attributed to any merit of mine, but to the holy Christian faith, and to the piety and religion of our sovereigns; for that which the unaided intellect of man could not compass, the spirit of God has granted to human exertions, for God is wont to hear the prayers of his servants who love his precepts even to the performance of apparent impossibilities.”

-“Epistola Christofori Colom (Christopher Columbus)…de insulis Indie supra Gangem, March 14, 1493. Published in Rome, April 1493.”

1. Based on the passage above, which of the following is the primary motivation for exploring and establishing colonies?a. Commercial motivesb. Religious motivesc. Nationalistic motivesd. Scientific motives

2. An historian studying the first contacts between Europeans and Native Americans would be most interested in which of the following details from the passage?

a. American products of interest to Europeansb. The position of religion in Columbus’ worldviewc. The building of a fortress in a new worldd. Columbus’ plan for future expeditions

Questions 3-5 are based on the following passage:

“What now shall I say about literature and scholarship in which all concede that Florence is the chief and most splendid leader?... For who is able to name a poet in our generation of the last one who is not a Florentine? Who but our citizens recalled this skill at eloquence, already lost, to light, to practical use, and to life…. Now the knowledge of Greek literature, which had been decayed in Italy for more than seven hundred years, has been revived and restored by our city…. Finally, these humanities most excellent and of highest value, especially relevant for human beings, necessary for both public and private life, adorned with a knowledge of letters worthy of free men, have originated in our city....”

-Leonardo Bruni, Funeral oration for Nanni Strozzi, 1427

3. Bruni’s oration best illustrates which of the following elements of the Renaissance?a. The use of the printing press to spread the Renaissance beyond Italy.b. The ongoing influence of the Catholic Church in Renaissance life.c. The revival of classical literature and ancient texts.d. The critical role patrons played in humanist scholarship.

4. The approaches of humanist scholars such as Bruni led to which of the following developments by the early sixteenth century?

a. Christian humanists employing Renaissance learning in service of religious reformb. increased tolerance for new ideas and approaches to theological and scientific debatesc. an increase in the Catholic Church’s receptivity to calls for reformd. an increasing skepticism about the role of religion and its relevance in contemporary life

5. What characteristic of political thought during the Italian Renaissance is raised by Bruni’s oration?a. the focus on creating a larger Italian state b. the emphasis on secular models of individual and political behaviorc. the overlapping nature of religious and political powerd. the increased involvement of the people in political decision-making

Questions 6-7 are based on the following image:

Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith and Holofernes, 1610

6. Which of the following characteristics are best reflected in this painting?a. an emphasis on irrationality, impulse, and abstractionb. an emphasis on emotion, nature, individuality, and intuitionc. an emphasis on subjectivity, the subconscious, and satired. an emphasis on drama, emotion, intensity, distortion

7. The characteristics from the above painting best reflect which art genrea. Northern Renaissanceb. Mannerismc. Baroqued. Italian Renaissance

Questions 8-9 are based on the following image:

“VI. And in order to leave no occasion for troubles or differences between our subjects, we have permitted, and herewith permit, those of the said religion called Reformed [Protestant] to live and abide in all the cities and places of this our kingdom and countries of our sway, without being annoyed, molested, or compelled to do anything in the matter of religion contrary to their consciences,…upon condition that they comport themselves in other respects according to that which is contained in this our present edict.”

-King Henri IV of France, The Edict of Nantes, 1598

8. What other condition was NOT part of the Edict of Nantes?a. Towns could be walled and fortified for defensive purposesb. Establishment of Protestant universitiesc. Practice Protestantism freely throughout all of Franced. Appointment of local city officials

9. The excerpt above most directly reflects Henry as a “politique”a. religious conflicts that challenged European monarchs’ control of religious institutions.b. Christian motivations for exploration, as governments sought to spread the faith.c. some Protestants’ refusal to recognize the subordination of the church to the state.d. monarchs’ tolerance of religious pluralism in order to maintain domestic peace.

Questions 10-12 are based on the following passage:

“The basic question to be answered is; why did Europeans reach and conquer the lands of Native Americans, instead of vice versa?

Thus we have identified three sets of ultimate factors that tipped the advantage to European invaders of the Americas: Eurasia’s long head start on human settlement; its more effective food production, resulting from greater availability of domesticable wild plants and especially of animals; and its less formidable geographic and ecological barriers to intercontinental diffusion [of goods, ideas, and people].

Such differences in food production constituted a major ultimate cause of the disparities between Eurasian and Native American societies. Among the resulting proximate factors behind the conquest, the most important included the differences in germs, technology, political organization, and writing. Of these, the one linked most directed to the differences in food production was germs… Eurasia harbored many domestic animal species and hence developed many such microbes, while the Americas had very few of each.”

-Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, 1997

10. According to Diamond’s argument, the most important factor for the success of European colonization of the Americas lay in

a. The military and naval technological advantages held by Europeansb. The biological and environmental advantages held by Europeansc. The establishment of a plantation economy among indigenous peoplesd. The actions of key European explorers

11. Which of the following was a consequence of the Columbian exchange referenced by diamond?a. Population stagnation in Europe due to diseases brought from the New Worldb. Increases in the Native American population due to the introduction of new European food sourcesc. Increases in trade and wealth throughout the Mediterraneand. Europeans’ expansion of the African slave trade

12. Exploration and colonization of the New World in the sixteenth century impacted the European balance of power bya. Increasing the power of Englandb. Limiting the power of Francec. Enriching the Italian city-statesd. Increasing the power of Spain and Portugal

Question 13 is based on the following image:

heads of drunken religious dissidents in Geneva, Switzerland, 1555

13. The image above serves as evidence to support the argument that, in the 16th century,a. population shifts and growing commerce caused the expansion of cities.b. city governments had taken on the task of regulating public morality.c. accusations of witchcraft reflected folk ideas and social upheaval.d. landlords’ attempts to restrict the traditional rights of peasants led to revolt.

14. All of the following are reasons for the revolt against the Spanish in the Netherlands EXCEPT:a. The closing of Catholic churches in the Netherlands by Spainb. Attempts by Phillip II to strengthen his control over the Netherlandsc. Residents of the Netherlands realized that their taxes were being used for Spanish graind. Phillip II attempted to crack down on Calvinism in the Netherlands

Questions 15-18 are based on the following passage:

JULIUS:

What's the trouble here? Won't the gates open? I believe the lock has been changed.

GENIUS:

Better check to see if you've brought the right key. The one for the treasury won't open this door, you know. Why didn't you bring both keys? This is the key of power, not of knowledge.

JULIUS:

Why, this is the only one I've ever used! I've never seen what good the other one was.

GENIUS:

Meanwhile we're locked out.

JULIUS:

I'm losing my temper. I'm going to beat on the gate. Hey there! Somebody open this door instantly! What's holding up the doorman? Asleep, I suppose, probably drunk.

GENIUS:

(Aside) This fellow judges everyone by himself.

- Dialogue: Julius Locked Out of Heaven; Desiderius Erasmus

15. The passage above represents the employment of Renaissance learning in the service of?a. religious reformb. state buildingc. civic humanismd. absolutism

16. Based on the passage above and your knowledge Christian Humanism led most directly to which of the following?a. The Catholic Reformationb. Development of National Monarchiesc. The Protestant Reformationd. The Thirty Years War

17. Which of the following would be most likely to disagree with the views represented in the document?a. Protestant reformersb. Protestant monarchsc. Anabaptistsd. Habsburg rulers

18. Which of the following groups would be most likely to use the document to support their political beliefs?a. The Jesuit Orderb. The Anabaptistsc. Catholic bishopsd. Nicolo Machiavelli

Questions 19-20 are based on the following passage:

Christopher Columbus took his fantastic proposal to the king of Portugal and his advisers just after Bartholomew Diaz had returned to Lisbon in 1488 with news that there was definitely a sea passage between the Atlantic and Indian Ocean… When eventually they too discovered America, sending their fishermen and whalers to Newfoundland in about 1497, and landing on the coast of Brazil in 1501, they were already years behind. But who could have foretold that they made a major miscalculation, when Vasco de Gama’s return in 1498 meant that the race for the pepper trade had been won and could be exploited immediately, when all the merchants of Europe were hastily sending their most energetic representatives to Lisbon; when Venice, hitherto the queen of eastern trade seemed to be staggering as if stabbed in the back? In 1504, when the Venetian galleys arrived in Alexandria, Egypt, they found not a single sack of pepper waiting for them.”

- Fernand Braudel (1982). Civilization and Capitalism, 15th-18th century: the perspective of the world. University of California Press

19. According to the passage, which nation was primed for economic supremacy by 1498?a. Spainb. Venicec. Portugald. Egypt

20. Which of the following economic patterns does the passage describe?a. Shifting of economic power in Europe from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic statesb. Increase in tensions between Portugal and Spainc. The decline of Asia in international traded. The increasing importance of trade in the Americas over Asian trade

Questions 21-24 are based on the following passage:

My loving people,

We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit our selves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery; but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear. I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm: to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and We do assure you in the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you. In the mean time, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.

-Elizabeth I, Speech at Tilbury, 1588

21. This speech, given by Elizabeth I served which of the following purposes?a. It rallied the troops to oppose Catholic heretics who threatened Elizabeth’s reignb. It rallied the troops to fight against the imminent attack of the Spanish armadac. It rallied the troops to protect the queen from traitors who wished to free Mary Queen of Scots and place her on

the throne of Englandd. It rallied the troops to fight against the imminent attack of the French navy

22. The speech by Queen Elizabeth was most likely addressed to which of the following groups?a. Members of the British Parliamentb. Members of the British military forcesc. Members of the upper classesd. British Catholics

23. The speech by Queen Elizabeth I contradicted the traditional, accepted role of a sixteenth-century women in all of the following ways EXCEPT:

a. Queen Elizabeth was very well educated, as seen in her speech b. Queen Elizabeth took an active interest in the political and military affairs of her nationc. Queen Elizabeth portrayed the typical image of a woman, asserting she had a weak and feeble bodyd. Queen Elizabeth served in a position of authority in her nation

24. Queen Elizabeth I is known as a politique for which of the following reasons?a. She supported her nation, rallying the troops when foreign dangers threatened English safetyb. She implemented a harsh policy of religious persecution of Puritans, believing they threatened the stability of

her nationc. She supported the arts, initiating a strong interest in theaterd. She implemented a religious settlement that put political unity ahead of theological differences

25. The Portuguese gained control of Brazil as a colony as a consequence of a. The need for it as a base on the route to Indiab. The Treaty of Tordesillas c. The fact that the Spanish mistakenly believed it to be of no valued. Spain ceding it to Portugal in return for the Philippines islands

26. The policy of France in the Thirty Year’s War wasa. To remain neutralb. To ally with all other Catholic rulers against the Protestantsc. To ally with the Spanish against Gustavus Adolphus of Swedend. To ally with the Protestants to prevent a Habsburg victory

27. All of the following were results of the Treaty of Westphalia EXCEPTa. The reduction of the German population through military action and diseaseb. The toleration of the major Protestant churchesc. The recognition of the independence of the Netherlandsd. The union of all German speaking states under a strong emperor

28. When the influx of silver and gold from the New World slowed dramatically about 1620, this trend damaged the economy of

a. Spainb. The Dutch Republicc. Englandd. France

Questions 29-31 are based on the following image:

Musee Cantonal de Beaux-Arts, Lausanne/De Agostini Picture Library/G. Dagli Orti/The Bridgeman Art Library

29. During the French Wars of Religion, which of the following groups were massacred?a. Roman Catholicsb. Lutheransc. Anabaptistsd. Huguenots

30. The St. Bartholemew’s Day massacre can be considered to be a turning point in French history becausea. It established the supremacy of Calvinist beliefs in Franceb. It led to a civil war that eventually established the Bourbon monarchy and led to a degree of religious tolerancec. It led to a civil war that clearly established the power of the Valois monarchy and led to the domination of the

Roman Catholic Churchd. It established the supremacy of the Guise family and their control of the nation’s religious beliefs

31. During the civil wars in France in the second half of the sixteenth century, the Huguenots a. Were led by a noble family known as the Guise who hoped to secure the throneb. Perpetrated the infamous St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre to wipe out the Catholic leadershipc. Achieved limited toleration after their leader converted to Catholicism to gain the throned. Organized a foreign alliance with the Spanish

32. Which of the following was a major factor in preventing the union of the Protestants led by Zwingli and Luther?a. Allowance of clerical marriagesb. Closing of monasteriesc. Interpretation of the Eucharistd. The age of baptism

33. One of the important Renaissance changes that impacted artists was thata. Artists began to be treated as artistic geniuses rather than artisansb. Artists began to paint with watercolors rather than oil paintsc. Artists began to paint in a fanciful style rather than stressing realism in their worksd. Artists began to be treated as common tradesmen rather than creative geniuses

Questions 34-37 are based on the following passage:

“He who desires to fight for God under the banner of the cross in our society, which we wish to distinguish by the name of Jesus, - and to serve God alone and the Roman pontiff, his vicar on earth, after a solemn vow of perpetual chastity, shall set this thought before his mind, that he is a part of society founded for the especial purpose of providing for the advancement of souls in Christian life and doctrine and for the propagation of faith through public preaching and the ministry of the word of God, spiritual exercises and deeds of charity, and in particular through the training of the young and ignorant in Christianity […] All the members shall realize, and shall recall daily , as long as they live, that this society as a whole and in every part is fighting for God under faithful obedience to […] the pope […] sacrific[ing] of our own wills, we should each be bound by a peculiar vow, in addition to the general obligation, that whatever the present Roman pontiff, or any future one, may from time to time decree regarding the welfare of souls and the propagation of the faith, we are pledged to obey without evasion or excuses, instantly, so far as in us lies, whether he send us to the Turks or any other infidels, even to those who inhabit the regions men call the Indies; whether to heretics or schismatics, or on the other hand, to certain of the faithful.

-An offered constitution; proposed to Pope Paul III, approved in 1540

34. Which of the following is described above? a. Jesuit Orderb. Spanish Conquistadorsc. Hanseatic Leagued. Ultra-Catholic League

35. What is the purpose associated with this group (identified in the previous question) as described in the passage? a. Campaign against the Schmalkaldic Leagueb. Assist the Holy Roman Emperor in Italian Warsc. Missionary work in New World and Asiad. Crusades to gain the Holy Land for Christians

36. All of the following were additional efforts as part of this period, EXCEPT:a. Index of Prohibited Booksb. Renaissance patronage of pope and Medicic. Ursulines and other new ordersd. Council of Trent

37. Which of the following treaties enabled this group to successfully implement their mission without much dispute from political leaders?

a. Peace of Augsburgb. Edict of Nantesc. Treaty of Tordesillasd. Treaty of Westphalia

Questions 38-41 are based on the following image:

38. The event depicted that led to the above map was?a. The Thirty Years War. b. The Protestant Reformation.c. The English Civil Ward. The Columbian Exchange.

39. The losses reflected on the map above refer to?a. Catholic losses during that time.b. The loss of Protestant princess during that time.c. The loss of German population during that time.d. The slaughter of Anabaptists during that time.

40. Based on your knowledge and the map above, which of the following statements is true?a. The French Wars of Religion was responsible for the losses shown on the map.b. The Columbian Exchange was partly responsible for the losses shown on this mapc. Wars by monarchs to put down rebellions by feudal nobles contributed to the losses shown.d. European states exploiting religious conflicts to promote their own political and economic interests contributed

to the losses shown.

41. The treaty that ended this conflict also contributed to all of the following EXCEPT?a. The increase in religious conflicts such as the French Wars of Religion.b. Marking the effective end of universal Christendom.c. The granting of control over religion to local leaders.d. The acceleration of the decline of the Holy Roman Empire.

Questions 42-45 are based on the following image:

42. The event that most likely led to the process seen above was the?a. exploration of overseas territories by the Europeans. b. rise of mercantilism in the major powers of Europe.c. beginning of the Wars of Religion in Europe.d. development of absolutism in Russia.

43. Which of the following countries was the least likely to have been involved in the process seen on the chart?a. Portugalb. Englandc. Italyd. Spain

44. Based on the map and your knowledge which of the following would be the most likely result of what is seen on this chart?

a. A period of cooperation among European powers as they settled the New World.b. The domination of trade Asia as a result of this exchange.c. The subjugation of Europeans by the indigenous peoples.d. The destruction of indigenous peoples.

45. Which of the following developments occurred as result of events that took place because of this chart?a. The domination of the European continent by a religious revival. b. The expansion of the African slave trade.c. A period when the Catholic Church stepped in and halted the settling of the Americas.d. Efforts by monarchs to limit exploration and trade.

Questions 46-47 are based on the following image:

46. Based on the map and your knowledge which of the following would be the most likely result of what is seen on the map?

a. The development of absolutism in Europe.b. The domination of Europe by Protestants.c. The decline of France and the rise of the Holy Roman Empire.d. The failed efforts of Habsburg rulers to restore Catholic unity across Europe.

47. Which of the following developments likely resulted from the map above?a. The Edict of Nantes allowing religious pluralism in France.b. States exploiting religious conflict to promote political and economic interests.c. Conflict between the monarchy and nobility such as the French Wars of Religion.d. Efforts by monarchs such as Henry VIII to initiate religious reform

Questions 46-47 are based on the following passage:

Oneiromancy (witchcraft) may be practiced in two ways. The first is when a person uses dreams so that he may dip into the occult with the help of the revelation of devils with whom he has entered into an open pact. The second is when a man uses dreams for knowing the future. Witches, when they do not wish to be bodily transferred, but desire to see what their fellow-witches are doing, it is their practice to lie down and these things are revealed to in images. And if they seek to know some secret, they learn it in dreams from the devil, by reason of an open pact entered into with him.

-Excerpt from Malleus Maleficarum (1486) Dominicans Heinrich Kramer & Jacob Sprenger

48. During the great witchcraft persecution of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, those most often tried as witches were

a. Young girlsb. Older womenc. Members of the clergyd. Members of the aristocracy

49. The passage above, when applied to the late 16th and early 17th centuries, represents a continued reflection of?a. social and economic upheaval in Europe.b. the necessity of European exploration.c. continued debate over the role scholasticism.d. absolutism versus constitutionalism.

50. Which statement best represents the views of Michel Montaigne?a. “I am the state”b. The more people have, the more people want”c. “we now see with the proper gratitude what we owe to God”d. “…everyone gives the title of barbarism to everything that is not in use in his own country”

Part II: Short Answer Questions

1. A. Briefly explain TWO effects the trade network above had on European societies during the seventeenth century.

B. Briefly explain ONE effect the trade network above had on a non-European society during the seventeenth century.

Use the passage below and your knowledge of European history to answer all parts of the question that follows:

“One of the greatest afflictions of a king is when his people are torn apart, as when in one house the children against the wish of their father are banded together one against the other….so the war is entirely contrary to the establishment of prper order and the increase of your grandeur…..Your Majesty will be aware that we by no means approve of the so called reformed religion, but…..the cinders of the fire of this so overwhelmed kingdom are still so hot that it is impossible to hold them in your hand without burning your fingers….We beseech you, Sire, very humbly to believe that whoever desires this civil war is ungodly, and to take notice of two maxims: the first, that the peace of your subjects lies in the union of your princes; and the other, that violence eventually leads only to self-destruction.”

-Petition of nobles to the King of France, 1577

2. A. Briefly identify and describe all ONE cause of the conflict discussed in the petition

B. Briefly identify and describe ONE result of the conflict discussed in the petition

C. Briefly identify and discuss how one country in early modern Europe other than France dealt with the type of conflict described in the petition

Part II: Short Answer Questions

1. A. Briefly analyze what advances of navigation led to continuing exploration to the “New World” from the mid- fifteenth to the mid-seventeenth century.

B. Based on the map and your knowledge of European history, briefly analyze TWO factors that account for continued European exploration of the “New World” from the mid-fifteenth to the mid-seventeenth century.

Use the passage below and your knowledge of European history to answer all parts of the question that follows:

“It was not a conflict among European powers, not even an acute controversy between emperor and the princes of the Empire or among these princes themselves that led to the outbreak of the long war that lived in the memory of the German people as the “Great War” and in the books of the historians as the Thirty Years’ War. Rather, it was a struggle between the estates and the monarchy in the territories of the Habsburg Dynasty which set fire to all of Germany and the European continent. Without the grave crisis in the constitutional life of the Empire, the weakness of the German states, and the ambitions of the great powers of Europe, the events that occurred in Bohemia could not have developed into a disaster from which Germany was to emerge crippled and mutilated.

It is difficult to determine to what extent differences in the interpretation of Christian faith were a direct cause of the catastrophe. There is no doubt but that religious motivation was strong in the lives of individuals and societies, and even in the relations among states and nations in this age. But the confessional war started at a time when enthusiasm for the religious revivals, both Protestant and Catholic, had lost much of its original force and religious ideas had again become conventionalized. Frank skepticism was rare in Germany, but even larger groups of people had ceased to find in religious ideals the full satisfaction of their human aspirations……….Religious zeal found expression not only in the ghastly fury of witch trials, which reached its climax during these years, but also in the care with which all governments attended to the direction of church life in their dominions. Yet while on the one hand religion deteriorated into superstition, on the other, it tended to become formalized and to lose genuineness. Every political action was publicly cloaked in religious terms, but religion seemed to be used more and more to rationalize actions motivated by secular interests.”

-Hajo Halborn, A Hisotry of Modern Germany, 1959

2. A. Briefly identify and describe ONE piece of evidence that would support the cause of the Thirty Years’ War suggested above

B. Briefly identify and describe ONE piece of evidence that would contradict the cause of the Thirty Years’ War that is suggested above

C. Briefly identify and discuss how one territory in early modern Europe other than the German States dealt with the type of conflict described in the passage