| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Nationalism | A feeling of pride in and devotion to one |
| Imperialism | Domination by one country of the political, economic, or cultural life of another country or region |
| Scientific Revolution | Questioned old ideas about the world, introduced a way of thinking based on observation and experimentation instead of acceptance of traditional authority |
| Copernicus | Challenged the belief that Earth was the center of the universe |
| Heliocentric | Universe is sun-centered |
| Galileo | Italian astronomer provided further evidence to support the heliocentric theory, oberserved the skies with a telescope |
| Newton | Used mathematics to prove the existence of a force (gravity) that kept the planets in their orbits around the sun |
| Scientific Method | Relied on experimentation and observation |
| Descartes | Challenged the idea that new knowledge should be made to fit existing traditional ideas, emphasized the power of human reason |
| Natural Laws | Laws that govern human behavior |
| Enlightenmnet | People rejected traditional ideas and supported a belief in human reason |
| Locke | Believed that all people have natural rights: life, liberty, and property; government must protect these natural rights, if the government does not protect these rights the people have the right to overthrow the government |
| Montesquieu | The powers of government should be separated into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial |
| Checks and Balances | Each branch could keep the other two from gaining too much power |
| Voltaire | French thinker who believed in free speech, criticized French government and Catholic Church for their failure to permit religious toleration and intellectual freedom |
| Rousseau | What is good for everyone is more important than what is good for one person |
| Hobbes | People are greedy and selfish; only a powerful government can create a peaceful, orderly society |
| Enlightened Despots | Absolute rulers who used their power to reform society |
| Maria Theresa | Austrian ruler improved the tax system by forcing nobles and clergy to pay taxes |
| Joseph II | Modernized Austria |
| Catherine The Great | Empress of Russia; allowed citizens to advise the government; built schools and hospitals, as well as promoted the education of women |
| Individualism | Belief in personal freedom and the basic equality of human beings |
Combine with other sets
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