Midterm Exam

Free Response 1: Describe and analyze how overseas expansion by European states affected global trade and international relations from 1600 to 1715.

Outline:
1st: Intro- background info, thesis
2nd: benefited both Europe and the Americas
3rd: international relations/trade/colonization
4th: slavery, treaty of Utrecht- port of Gibraltar
5th: conclusion, summarize and close the argument

Throughout the 1600s and into the early 1700s, Europe was constantly gaining more power throughout the world.  They were able to get crops from the Americas and bring them to European countries, as well as bring their own crops and animals into the Americas in order to make them successful.  The slave trade also began in the Americas giving European countries huge power in Africa as well as the Americas.  The overseas expansion by European states, such as Portugal, Spain, and England, not only allowed Europe to be the leading power throughout the world, but also benefited the Americas through gaining crops and beginning slavery.

Europe's expansion overseas not only affected Europe itself, but also greatly affected the Americas.  It showed other countries how Europe was the leading power in the world and that they would be for quite a  long time.  Europe was able to bring crops such as potatoes, wheat, and cotton, and animals such as horses to the Americas.  These things were extremely beneficial to the newly developing continent.  These crops and animals are still greatly being used today, and they have a lot to do with the tremendous power that America has in the world.  Countries throughout Europe, such as Spain, Portugal, and England, were able to to create trade routes all over the world, specifically to the Americas.

Europe was able to become a huge world power, which is still extremely powerful today.  If they had never come to the Americas, they would have never been able to set up colonies or create new trade routes.  European countries were able to show the world and other countries of the world that they planned to be the biggest power-holders in the world for a long time.  They have trade routes throughout most of the world, and they are able to make alliances with these trading partners.  They were able to build up their power through exploring places in the world that no one else had explored.  They created trade routes that other countries could use as well especially the Americas.  European countries were the reason for the successfulness of trade throughout the world by being the first to create trade routes with other countries of the world.

In the 1600s, the Treaty of Utrecht gave Europe the port of Gibraltar, which extremely beneficial to them.  This allowed them to begin the slave trade with the Americas.  Although this is a terrible time in world history, it greatly affected the future of Europe and the Americas.  Without the slave trade, Europe may not have become as powerful a nation as it is today.  The slave trade was also very beneficial to the Americas because it gave them so much power in the world.  The slave trade forever changed the history of the world, but it really only benefited the European countries and the Americas.  Many other countries did not take part in this event, and Africa was obviously greatly devastated by this.  This Treaty of Utrecht was an extremely important part of European History.

The overseas expansion by European countries gave Europe tremendous power throughout the world.  Without this expansion, Europe would not be nearly as powerful as it is today.  The Americas would also not be as powerful as they are now without the gain of major crops, such as potatoes, cotton, wheat, and horses. The slave trade was the biggest move that the Europeans could have made throughout this time period.  It truly made them the greatest world power of the time period.

Free Response 2: Discuss the political and social consequences of the Protestant Reformation in the first half of the sixteenth century.

Outline:
1st: intro- background info, thesis
2nd: effects of the 95 Theses
3rd: creation of Lutheranism and Calvinism
4th: council of worms, Martin Luther
5th: conclusion, summarize and close the argument

In 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Basilica.  This stated all of the things that Luther believed was wrong with the Church.  From this event came, Luther's own religion, Lutheranism, as well as Calvinism, created by John Calvin.  The Church did its best to stop what Martin Luther was preaching with the Council of Worms, but it was a fairly unsuccessful attempt.  The Protestant Reformation, with the posting of the 95 Theses by Martin Luther, created Lutheranism, Calvinism, and several other branches of Protestantism as well as resulted in the fairly unsuccessful Council of Worms, forever changing the Europe's religious history.

When Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Basilica, the Protestant Reformation officially began.  Martin Luther did not agree with the beliefs and teachings of the Church, and he decided to take matters into his own hands.  The Church immediately reprimanded Martin Luther because they did not want him to spark a rebellion in the people.  He did not care what the Church was going to do to him, he just wanted to tell the Church how much he truly disagreed with what they were doing.  He greatly disliked the selling of indulgences because the money was going straight to the Church to help them pay for special luxuries.  The Church could not withstand this event and remain one Church; it had to split.

The posting of the 95 Theses sparked the creation of Lutheranism and Calvinism.  Lutheranism was created by Martin Luther himself, and he could change everything that he disliked about the Church and make his own rules, teachings, and beliefs.  Calvinism was created by John Calvin, who also greatly disagreed with the teachings of the Church; although, he did not have the idea to post the 95 Theses like Martin Luther did.  Lutheranism and Calvinism still had some of the same general beliefs of the Church, but they changed the things that they did not believed were right with the Church.  They are still fairly prominent religions, but Calvinism is not as prominent as Lutheranism.

The Church held the Council of Worms after the posting of the 95 Theses in order to condemn Martin Luther and order him to repudiate his teachings.  He was much too determined to renounce his own teachings, and refused to do so.  The Church then sent him to the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, to be dealt with.  However, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, was busy with other matters, and did not have the time to deal with Martin Luther.  This is why the attempt by the Church to condemn Martin Luther, through the Council of Worms, was extremely unsuccessful.  Martin Luther did not renounce his teachings, and he was basically let off as a free man.

The Protestant Reformation was a source of tension for the Church as well as European countries.  The Church had already been split by Henry VIII years earlier when the Church would not allow him to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon.  The Church was taking huge hits during this time period, and it greatly affected its power in the world.  The Church was continuing to split and branch off into smaller, non-united parts.  This was greatly diminishing its power throughout the world.  Martin Luther was right to express his dislikes about the Church, but they caused so many religious and social issues throughout.

DBQ 1: Analyze the concerns and goals of participants in the Pilgrimage of Grace and of those who opposed the movement.

Outline:
1st: Intro- background info, thesis
2nd: Henry VIII signing the Act of Supremacy/its effects
3rd: goals of the Pilgrimage of Grace
4th: opposition to the Pilgrimage of Grace
5th: conclusion, summarize and close the argument

In 1534, Henry VIII signed the Act of Supremacy which made him the leader of the Anglican Church.  Thomas Cromwell then granted laws which were in favor of himself and the King.  This outraged the people, and they began to protest against these actions of Thomas Cromwell and King Henry VIII.  Protesters wrote petitions stating that they wanted "to have the supreme head of the Church be the pope in Rome as before" (document 5).  All the people wanted was the Church and the King to back to the way they were before the Act of Supremacy.    King Henry VIII's signing of the Act of Supremacy, making him head of the Anglican Church, sparked many rebellions against himself and Thomas Cromwell called the Pilgrimage of Grace, which many took part in while others greatly opposed; this was the first step towards the Protestant Reformation.


When King Henry VIII signed the Act of Supremacy, he was given the privileges and the powers that the pope had in Rome.  He was basically able to do anything that he wanted with the Church.  Thomas Cromwell then passed several laws that benefited King Henry VIII as well as himself.  It infuriated the people that this was happening, and they felt as if their leader cared only for himself, and not for the safety of his own citizens. A marchers' proclamation states, "Because the rulers of this country do not defend us from being robbed by thieves and Scots, we have to rely on charity, faith, poverty, and pity" (document 2).  Catholic monks wrote a ballad, which was proclaimed by the protesters, saying "Great God's fame does the Church proclaim now to be lame and held in bonds.  Robbed, spoiled and shorn of cattle and corn, houses and lands" (document 4).  The people are extremely upset that the Church is now being controlled by the King, and they want it to return to the way it was before.

The members of the Pilgrimage of Grace wanted to show King Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell how much they truly hated what is happening with the Church.  They did not want their King to be the ruler of their Church, people believed that these things should be kept separately.  There was an oath that marchers actually took when joining the Pilgrimage of Grace, it stated for them to join "only for your love God, for the Holy Catholic Church militant" (document 1).  The protesters marched all around monasteries and anywhere that their opinion could be heard.  Even Sir Thomas Tempest, who was a former member of Parliament, said, "The King should grant our petition against the traitor Thomas Cromwell and his adherents, or at least exile them from the realm" (document 6).  This man used to work in union with the King and he is also against what has just occurred; this truly shows how wrong the signing of the Act of Supremacy was.

There were also many people who opposed the work and ideas of the Pilgrimage of Grace.  Obviously, Thomas Cromwell and King Henry VIII disagreed with what the participants in the Pilgrimage of Grace were doing.  Richard Morrison, a writer hired by Thomas Cromwell, stated, "Those that are of the worser sort must be content that the wiser rule and govern them" (document 7).  He is showing how he believes that the people are not smart or worthy enough to have an opinion in the government, but this is how things work in an absolute monarchy.  The people have no say, and the leader has complete power.  A Catholic priest, named Nicholas Leche, said, "During the whole insurrection, not one gentleman tried to warn the commoners of Lincoln that it was treason" (document 8).  This priest wishes that someone would have stopped the people and warned them that what they were doing was directly offensive to the king, but no one did, and many people along with the priest were convicted.

When King Henry VIII signed the Act of Supremacy, he created great tension with the people of England.  The people did not want Henry to rule all of the land and the Church; it was too much power for one person to hold.  They began protests called the Pilgrimage of Grace, in which many participants were convicted; around 65% were usually convicted out of all of the participants (document 10).  The Pilgrimage of Grace was a very controversial thing.  The people involved truly believed in what they were doing, but did not know that it went directly against the King.  The King should have thought more about what a drastic thing he was doing to the country of England by splitting the Church and how they people would rebel, before he signed the Act of Supremacy.