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Sep 5, 1448
The Printing Press
Although he may have not been the true creator of the printing press, German Johann Gutenberg certainly had a significant contribution because the printing press was much cheaper and less laborous than block printing. The printing press began in Mainz, Germany and quickly spread throughtout Europe. The printing press made books less expensive, resulting in a wider audience of readers. Also, thinkers could publish their books more thoroughly and inspire the educated and noneducated public. -
Aug 3, 1492
First Voyage of Columbus
The First New World Voyage of Christopher Columbus (1492)With finances from Spain's monarchs, Columbus set out with three ships named the Pinta, the Niña, and the Santa María to find China. He "discovered" three islands: El Salvador, Cuba, and Hispaniola. Instead of finding quicker trade routes to China, Columbus returned with a few Indians and three sunken ships. On a positive note, it was most likely because of Columbus that a second expendition ensued. -
Period: Aug 3, 1492 to Mar 4, 1493
Christopher Columbus First Voyage
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Oct 31, 1519
Luther's 95 Theses
Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses in Wittenberg as a way to criticise the Catholic Church on their sellings of indulgences. He believed peoples' faith alone would make them reach salvation. Because of his ideas, the Church was forever divided, he sparked Protestant Reformation, and Lutheranism was established. -
Nov 3, 1534
Act of Supremacy
Because Henry Vlll wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon, he passed the Act of Supremacy that put him at the head of the Church of England and seperated England from the Roman Church. He divorced Catherine and married Anne Boleyn. Because of this act, England was recognized as an individual power. -
Sep 25, 1555
Peace of Augsburg
German princes were now allowed to choose either Lutheranism or Roman Catholicism as the official religion of their country. It is important to note that it did not mean the prince's subjects could choose their own religion. It was formally passed by Charles V of Spain and the Schmalkaldic League. Since some people did not want to practice the religion of their prince, emigration occured regularly. -
Apr 29, 1559
Elizabethan Religious Settlement
Because Elizabeth the l of England did not want her country torn apart by religion, Parliament and her created the Elizabethan Religious Settlement. It tolerated religions such as Protestants, but Catholics and Puritans continued to oppose it. Sir William Cecil and Sir Francis Walsingham helped Elizabeth a great deal, considering Elizabeth only had to meet with Parliament 13 times. Since Elizabeth never bore a child, her dynasty ended after her death. -
Nov 6, 1566
Revolt of the Netherlands
Residents of the Netherlands distrusted the idea of Philip V of Spain controlling them and were angered that their taxes went toward Spanish interest. Calvanists, especially nobles, began destroying statues. Philip responded by senting Spanish and Italian troops but were crushed by the revolt. It resulted in the division of the Netherlands based off of religion, location, and political lines. -
The Petition of Right
This petition was passed by Parliament and stated that a king can only grant tax revenues with Parliament's consent. It prohibited arbitrary imprisonment, the quartering of soldiers in private houses, and the declaration of martial law in peace time. Charles l challenged this by secretly bestowing taxes on people near shipping docks but was caught and beheaded; the first monarch executed in public. -
Peace of Westphalia
Signed in north-western Germany, the Peace of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years' War. Many rulers were involved, including the Habsburgs, the Holy Roman Emperor, and monarchs from Sweden and the Netherlands. It freed the Netherlands from Spain and the Swiss from Austria, Sweden was given land and cash, France gained land, and most importantly--Protestantism was set and stone. -
English Glorious Revolution
So called because of limited bloodshed, England invited William of Orange and his wife Mary to overthrow King James ll because they feared he would restore England to Catholicism. As James ll fled to France, William of Orange signed the Bill of Rights that eventually led England to establish a constitutional monarchy. -
Great Northern War
This began because Peter the Great thought Charles Vll could easily be defeated so Russia, Poland, and Denmark attacked Sweden in 1700 but Charles was fantastic and won at the Battle of Narva while Peter won the Battle of Poltava. The war ended with the peace of Nystadt in 1721 and Russia was now the great power Peter had always dreamed of. Soon after, he began the construction of St. Petersburg; costing the lives of thousands of peasants. -
Peace of Utrecht
Consisting of several treaties, the Peace of Utrecht was signed in the Netherlands by Queen Anne of England and King Louis XlV. It ended French expansion, so France had to surrender the land they had stolen from the English, such as Newfoundland. This treaty, however, did not end the disputes between France and England over North American lands, resulting in the brutal Seven Years War three decades later. -
Beginning of the French Revolution
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The French Revolution
Although there are several factors that caused the French Revolution, the Third-Estate had the most significant cause. The Third Estate were angry that they could not participate in state affairs so they stormed the Bastille, marking the beginning of the French Revolution. The Reign of Terror killed thousands of counter-revolutionaries and didn't end until the death of Robespierre. Two main results of the French Revolution were the abolishment of feudalism the Declaration of the Rights of Man. -
National Convention
This was called to draft a new constitution and be the sovereign ruling body of France because before then, the Paris Commune, led by Georges Panton, had sans-culottes kill those who aided the king and resisted the popular will. This convention was dominated by lawyers, professionals, property owners, and for the first time, artisans. The National Convention remained critical hroughout the French Revolution, eventually declining in power. -
Napoleon's Downfall at Waterloo
It wasn't until 1812 that Napoleon Bonaparte began suffering serious military losses. On June 18, Napoleon led 72,000 of his men against the Duke of Wellington's army at Waterloo in Belgium. Because of allied countries, such as Britain, Germany, Prussia, etc., all attacking lonesome France at once, Napoleon was forced to flee--thus ending his reign.
