1. How did access to Classical Greek and Roman texts challenge the Roman Catholic Church's dominance over European culture?

2. What was humanism and how did it change the subjects that European scholars studied?

3. How did the printing press contribute to the spread of Renaissance ideas and their consequences for the Church?

4. How did Renaissance art reflect changing attitudes toward religion and secular subjects?

1. How did Renaissance advances in science and mathematics lead to European exploration and colonization?

2. What were the different consequences of colonization for Europeans and for indigenous populations?

3. How did the need for labor in American plantations lead to the African slave trade?

1. How did the shift of European focus from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic affect the balance of economic power?

2. What role did colonial trade play in the rise of commercial capitalism and the growth of banking centers?

3. How did increased wealth from colonial trade affect land ownership and agriculture in Europe?

1. How did competition for colonies and wealth cause changes in who held political power in Europe?

2. Why did the decline of noble power and the rise of educated merchants help strengthen monarchies?

3. What new governmental structures and systems emerged as a result of the rise of commercial capitalism?