AP WORLD HISTORY
Study Guide: Chapter 17 – The Transformation of the West
The Italian Renaissance
1) Describe the achievements of the following in detail…
a. Petrach / Boccaccio
b. Leonardo da Vinci
c. Michelangelo
d. Machiavelli
2) Why does the development of humanism result in the questioning of religious principles?
The Renaissance Moves Northward
3) Find 3 ways the Northern Renaissance differs from the Italian Renaissance.
Changes in Technology and Family
4) What impact does the printing press have on literacy?
5) Describe the new “European-style family. How does it differ from family styles in China?
The Protestant and Catholic Reformations
6) What was the motivation for German nobles to convert to and promote Protestantism?
7) Describe 4 ways in which the Catholics responded to Protestant attacks during the “Catholic
Reformation”
The End of Christian Unity in the West
8) Who are the two sides in the Thirty Years War? What effect does the war have on political
power in Europe?
9) Describe 3 changes that took place in government and society as a result of Christian division (the
existence of multiple branches).
The Commercial Revolution
10) Explain the relationship between inflation and commercial development.
Social Protest
11) Who are the proletariat? What impact does the growth of this social class have on urban areas?
12) How does the persecution of witches reflect society’s concerns with poverty?
Did Copernicus Copy?
13) Create your own question AND answer
Science: The New Authority
14) Describe the accomplishments of the following…
a. Johannes Kepler
b. Galileo
c. William Harvey
d. René Descartes
e. Isaac Newton
f. John Locke
15) How does Western Europe compare to the rest of the world in terms of scientific learning?
Absolute and Parliamentary Monarchies
**Read twice, but no question to answer
The Nation-State
16) How do nation-states differ from empires?
Political Patterns
17) Create your own question AND answer
Enlightenment Thought and Popular Culture
18) What were the basic principles of the Enlightenment? Who do these tenets expand to
areas of economics and gender rights?
Ongoing Change in Commerce and Manufacturing
19) Find 3 examples of improvements to agriculture that took place during this period.
20) In what ways does the manufacture of material goods change during this period? Be sure
to examine not only the processes, but also the attitudes, of businesses.