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The Renaissance was the transition from medieval times to modern worlds. The Renaissance was a cultural awakening in Europe where people started developing ideas about themselves and the world, focusing more on man
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Christopher Columbus left Spain to find a new route to the West Indies, but he didn't know that there were two whole continents in the way. He landed in the Bahamas, thinking it was the West Indies, but it was actually the undiscovered New World.
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Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses of the wrongs of the Catholic Church onto the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. This started the Catholic Reformation and Protestantism.
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Spain sent Ferdinand Magellan on an expedition around the world to find a western water route to Asia. He founded the Straight of Magellan and named the Pacific Ocean along with finding an alternate water route to Asia. Although Magellan died during the journey, his ship and men made it all the way around the world, making history.
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Issued by King Henry of France, the Edict of Nantes granted religious freedom to French Protestants in a Catholic France.
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Charles I of England had problems with the Parliament when he was king, causing a civil war; the army under Charles I were called "Cavaliers," and those under the Parliament were called "round heads." Oliver Cromwell served as the leader of the round heads and made the king surrender after 4 years of fighting. As a result of the English Civil War, Charles I became the first ever monarch to be executed (he was beheaded), and Oliver Cromwell became dictator for 5 years.
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Louis XIV of France revoked the Edict of Nantes, taking away French Protestants' (Huguenots) right of protection to worship freely. Many Huguenots fled from France, leading to France's deprivation of a hard working class of people.
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The Glorious Revolution was the nearly bloodless transfer of power to William and Mary of Orange. Before they could take the throne, they had to swear an oath that they would rule by the laws of Parliament, so the rights of the individuals were protected.
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Great Britain had 13 American colonies under its control, but the American colonists had to pay a tax on things even though they weren't represented in Parliament. Because of this unfairness, the Americans revolted and won their independence from Great Britain.
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The American Revolution, ideas of the Enlightenment, and the looming tax crisis in France lead to the French Revolution. The peasant 3rd Estate made up 97% of the population and were living in poverty, and they wanted change, so they revolted and won one of the bloodiest revolutions in history.
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Haiti was a colony of France until they revolted and defeated France, Britain, and Spain. The Haitians were led by Toussaint L'Ouverture in the bloody revolt and became the first and only successful slave rebellion in the world.
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After the Napoleonic Wars, the European countries formed to compensate those who lost land to Napoleon, create a balance of power, and restore former monarchs to power.
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Commodore Matthew Perry was sent to Japan with heavily armed warships by President Millard Fillmore to "discuss" a trade agreement. President Fillmore sent the warships to persuade Japan to agree to guarantee safety to American sailors and open up trade. A year later, in 1854, Perry came back to Japan, and the Treaty of Kanagawa was signed by Japan, granting the United States' wishes.
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Otto von Bismark lead Germany to become unified by fighting many battles with strategies. Bismark took German states, and they were eventually formed into one country in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace at Versailles.
