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The inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic church that were aimed at combatting heresy. It is important because it is responsible for the persecution of Jews and Muslims. This prosecution slowed the growth of those religions, allowing Catholicism to take hold. This religion shaped much of history, which is responsible for todays society and religious landscape.
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Johan Gutenberg was a German goldsmith, inventor, printer, and publisher. He lived during the Renaissance. He is best known for inventing the printing press. He is important due to the fact that his invention, the printing press, made books and the written word available to the average citizen. Having access to books allowed the common folk to become literate, which created a more advanced, smarter society.
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Perspective is the art of drawing solid objects on a two dimensional surface so as to give the impression of their height, depth, and width. Basically perspective is the practice of making art look realistic. Perspective was created in the renaissance. Perspective is important because it completely changed the way art was created. It made art generally more realistic, and is used often by artists today.
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Lorenzo de Medici was an Italian statesman, diplomat, politician, poet, patron and ruler of the Florentine Republic. He lived during the renaissance. He is important due to the fact that he preserved the independence of Florence. He also sponsored artists such as Botticelli and Michelangelo, who created many of the best known artworks.
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Leonardo da Vinci was an important artist and inventor who lived during the Renaissance. He painted the Mona Lisa, which is the most famous portrait ever made. He was ahead of his time. He is important due to the fact that he was an influential and successful artist during his time, and designs he sketched when he was alive were used for reference when creating many modern inventions.
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Machiavelli was a political philosopher, writer, statesman, and secretary of the Florentine Republic who lived during the Renaissance. His most famous work is called "The Prince", a book that earned him a reputation as an atheist and immoral cynic. He is important because he is considered the father of modern political philosophy and political science. This shows that he helped shape modern politics.
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Nicolaus Copernicus was a mathematician and astronomer who lived during the Renaissance. He is best known for formulating a model of the universe that placed the sun at the center of the universe, not the earth. He is important due to the fact that his model changed the way people viewed the universe, which led to major scientific breakthroughs. Without Copernicus, modern science would look much different than it does today.
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Michaelangelo was an artist who lived during the Renaissance. He is the artist who created the sculpture called "David". He is important due to the fact that his ideas and work are what encouraged Renaissance artists to pursue a new way of thinking and creating art. These new ideas are what shaped western art, which in turn shaped modern art.
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Henry VIII was the king of England from 1509 to 1547. He is best known for being married 6 times. He tried to have his first marriage annulled, but the pope said he could not. This led to Henry initiating the English Reformation, which separated the Church of England from the popes authority. He is important because his actions regarding the church helped spread the Protestant Reformation to England, which allowed it to grow and eventually produce new branches of the faith.
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Humanism is a philosophical belief that emphasizes the value of humans both individually and as a group. Humanism emphasizes the importance of humans instead of supernatural beings. Humanists stress the value of goodness in humans and common human needs. Humanism is important because Humanists thought people could be drastically changed by education. The humanists started many schools during the renaissance leading to the spread of literacy which in turn helped shape todays society.
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Heliocentric Theory is the first astronomical model in which the earth and other planets revolve around the sun as opposed to previous models where everything revolved around the earth. It is important due to the fact that it changed the way scientists viewed the universe, and helped them understand the world around them. this understanding led to major scientific breakthroughs and discoveries, which shaped both past and present science and society.
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The scientific method was used even in ancient times, but it was further developed during the renaissance by Galileo. He used it to analyze data from experiments which either proved or disproved his hypothesis. The scientific method insured there was proof of scientific theories, and therefor more people believed them. It is important because it helped prove many hypothesis, which other scientists then built on, which improved the understanding of the world. A version of it is still used today.
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Galileo was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer. He is best know for designing the pendulum clock, improving upon the telescope, being the first to see craters on the moon and discovering Jupiter's four moons. He is often called the father of modern physics. He is important due to the fact that his discoveries and insights laid the ground work for later scientists to make major breakthroughs in figuring out how the universe works. Without him modern science would look very different.
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Isaac Newton was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian, and author who lived during the Scientific Revolution. He is best known for creating the theory of gravity. He was important due to the fact that his theory about gravity because gravity is a crucial force that holds the world together. Having an understanding of gravity led to many important breakthroughs in science and figuring out the universe which eventually changed how everyone viewed the world.
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Martin Luther was a German professor of theology, composer, priest, and an Augustinian monk who lived during the Reformation. He was against the sale of indulgences. He tried to get them outlawed and fought against them by writing the 95 theses. He was declared an outlaw because of them. He is important due to the fact that he is the founder of Lutheranism, which the majority of the branches of modern Christianity stem from. Without Martin Luther, it is likely none of these branches would exist.
