AP European History Reading and Writing Workshop

The Renaissance and the Age of Exploration (c. 1350–c. 1600)
Workshop Overview
This workshop is designed to strengthen students' analytical reading and historical writing skills using public domain primary sources. The activities include:

• Short-Answer Questions (SAQs)
• Long-Essay Questions (LEQs)
• Document-Based Questions (DBQs)

Section I: Primary Source Readings
The Renaissance

1. Petrarch, Letter to Posterity (c. 1370)
2. Leon Battista Alberti, On the Family (1443)
3. Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince (1513)
4. Desiderius Erasmus, In Praise of Folly (1509)
5. Baldassare Castiglione, The Book of the Courtier (1528)

The Age of Exploration

1. Christopher Columbus, Letter to Luis de Santangel (1493)
2. Bartolomé de las Casas, A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies (1552)
3. Richard Hakluyt, Discourse on Western Planting (1584)
4. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Edict of Expulsion of the Jews (1492)
5. Michel de Montaigne, Of Cannibals (1580)

Section II: Short-Answer Questions (SAQs)
SAQ 1: Humanism and the Renaissance
Using the excerpts from Petrarch and Alberti, answer the following:

1. Briefly describe one way humanism influenced Renaissance intellectual life.
2. Explain one way Renaissance humanism differed from medieval scholasticism.
3. Provide one example of how Renaissance humanism influenced politics or art.

SAQ 2: Machiavelli’s Political Philosophy
Using Machiavelli’s The Prince:

1. Identify and explain one political strategy Machiavelli advocates for rulers.
2. Describe how Machiavelli’s ideas reflect Renaissance secularism.
3. Compare Machiavelli’s views on power with those of another Renaissance thinker.

SAQ 3: The Columbian Exchange
Using Columbus’ Letter to Luis de Santangel and de las Casas’ A Brief Account:

1. Identify one economic impact of European exploration on the Americas.
2. Explain one difference between Columbus’ and de las Casas’ perspectives on indigenous peoples.
3. Provide one long-term consequence of European exploration.

Section III: Long-Essay Questions (LEQs)
LEQ 1: The Renaissance as a Turning Point

• Evaluate the extent to which the Renaissance marked a distinct departure from the Middle Ages in intellectual and cultural life.

LEQ 2: The Effects of the Age of Exploration

• Analyze the economic and social effects of European exploration on both Europe and indigenous societies in the Americas from 1492 to 1600.

Section IV: Document-Based Question (DBQ)
​DBQ Prompt:
​Analyze the impact of Renaissance humanism on European political and social thought from the 14th to the 16th century.
Documents:

1. Petrarch, Letter to Posterity – The nature of individualism and learning.
2. Castiglione, The Book of the Courtier – The ideal Renaissance man.
3. Machiavelli, The Prince – Political realism and statecraft.
4. Erasmus, In Praise of Folly – Criticism of the Catholic Church and moral philosophy.
5. Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel Ceiling (Visual Document) – Humanist influence in art.
6. Martin Luther, 95 Theses (1517) – Critique of religious authority.
7. Queen Elizabeth I, Speech to the Troops at Tilbury (1588) – Political agency and leadership.

Writing Task:

• Develop a thesis that addresses the prompt.
• Use at least six of the seven documents in your response.
• Include outside historical evidence.
• Analyze the point of view of at least three documents.
• Synthesize your argument with a broader historical development.

Conclusion & Review

• Peer Review: Students exchange drafts and provide feedback.
• Teacher-Guided Discussion: Review key takeaways and common pitfalls in historical writing.
• Final Reflection: Students write a short reflection on how their understanding of the Renaissance and Age of Exploration has evolved through this workshop.

Workshop Goals

• Strengthen analytical reading of primary sources.
• Develop clear, well-supported historical arguments.
• Improve essay structure and document analysis skills.
• Connect historical themes across different periods.

This workshop provides an engaging, source-based approach to studying The Renaissance and the Age of Exploration, preparing students for success in AP European History writing tasks.