AP European History AMSCO Guided Notes
2.6: 16th-Century Society and Politics
AMSCO Guided Notes
AP European History Guided Notes
AMSCO 2.6 - 16th-Century Society and Politics
Essential Questions
- How did economic and intellectual developments from 1450 to 1648 affect social norms and hierarchies?
I. 16th Century Families and Households
1. What role did families play in the economy and social structure of 16th-century Europe?
A. Rural Households
1. How did men and women divide labor in rural households to make the family self-sufficient?
2. What was the status of most European farmers in the 16th century, and how did it differ between Eastern and Western Europe?
B. Urban Households
1. How did the work of urban craftsmen and artisans differ from that of rural farmers?
2. What advantages did urban women have compared to rural women in terms of household labor?
II. Established Hierarchies
A. Class
1. What was primogeniture and how did it affect the structure of families and social mobility?
2. How did the expanding commercial economy create opportunities for social mobility in 16th-century Europe?
3. What roles did nobles and gentry play in England's Parliament and local governance?
B. Religion
1. How did established religions use control and punishment to enforce religious conformity?
2. What made Amsterdam different from other European cities in its approach to religious minorities?
C. Gender
1. How did patriarchal structures limit women's authority in government, households, and public life?
2. What economic rights did women have regarding dowries and property in marriage?
3. What exceptions existed to women's general lack of economic independence and status?
III. Women's Intellect and Education
1. How did the Reformation change opportunities for women's education and intellectual pursuits?
2. What was La Querelle des Femmes and what were the two main arguments in this debate?
3. What restrictions remained on women's roles in the church and society despite increased educational opportunities?
4. How did Anabaptist churches differ from Catholic, Lutheran, and Calvinist churches in their treatment of women?
IV. Marriage and Childbirth
1. What economic factors motivated marriage in the early modern period rather than romantic love?
A. Strains on Resources
1. How did the Black Death affect marriage patterns and population growth in Europe?
2. Why did couples in the early modern period marry at increasingly older ages?
3. How did the Little Ice Age and poor harvests in the 1600s affect family size and marriage decisions?
B. Decline of Multigenerational Households
1. How did family structure change in Western Europe during the early modern period?
C. Influences on Family Size
1. What factors contributed to low birth rates and high infant mortality in the early modern period?
V. Persistence of Folk Ideas
A. Carnival
1. What was the purpose of Carnival and how did it relate to the Christian season of Lent?
2. How did the Reformation affect the practice of Carnival in Europe?
B. Blood Sports
1. What types of blood sports were popular entertainment in the early modern period?
C. Saints' Day Festivities
1. What was the purpose of Saints' Day celebrations and All Saints' Day in Catholic Europe?
VI. Enforcement of Communal Norms
1. What methods did local and church authorities use to enforce social norms and punish offenders?
2. How did charivari function as a form of social control, and why did it eventually disappear?
3. What were the differences between stocks, pillory, and pranger as forms of public punishment?
VII. Witchcraft
1. Why did witchcraft accusations peak between 1580 and 1650, and what was the scale of persecution?
A. Religious Upheaval
1. How did the Reformation contribute to increased witchcraft accusations and beliefs in the devil?
B. Social and Economic Upheaval
1. How did disputes over charity, land use, and resources lead to witchcraft accusations?
2. What was maleficium and how did it relate to the transition from agricultural to capitalistic economies?
C. Prominence of Women
1. Why were women disproportionately accused and executed for witchcraft?
2. What role did midwives play in witchcraft accusations and why were they targeted?
D. Regional Variation
1. How did the intensity and geography of witch hunts vary across Europe?
2. Why were witch hunts most severe in the German-speaking states of the Holy Roman Empire?
Key Terms
primogeniture
Black Death
pillory
House of Lords
Carnival
pranger
House of Commons
penance
whipping
patriarchal
blood sports
branding
dowry
charivari
maleficium
La Querelle des Femmes
stocks