AP World History Lecture Notes

Introduction

• New AP World History curriculum begins at 1200 CE
• Millennia cut from the curriculum to focus on the period from 1200 CE onwards
• Goal: Provide context leading up to 1200 CE
• Meta question: How did humanity survive and thrive up to 1200?

Neolithic Revolution (c. 10,000 years ago)

• Also known as the Agricultural Revolution
• Transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture
• Farming led to settled communities instead of nomadic lifestyles
• Geographic origins: Primarily in Southwest Asia (Mesopotamia)
• Consequences of farming:
  • Permanent settlements
  • Population explosion
  • Emergence of cities
  • Development of hierarchical societies

Early Civilizations and River Valley Societies

• Major river valley societies:
  • Nile River (North Africa)
  • Yellow River (East Asia)
  • Indus River (South Asia)
  • Mesoamerica
  • Andes
• Early cities emerged around 6,000 years ago (Mesopotamia, Nile Valley)
• Development of complex societies with hierarchy and legal codes (e.g., Code of Hammurabi)

Writing and Literature

• Invention of writing for practical and literary purposes
• Written languages: Cuneiform (Mesopotamia), Hieroglyphics (Egypt)
• Famous literature:
  • Epic of Gilgamesh (Mesopotamia)
  • Book of the Dead (Egypt)
  • Rigveda (Indus Valley)

Emergence of Religions

• Hinduism (Indus Valley): Polytheistic, hierarchical caste system
• Zoroastrianism (Persia) and Judaism (Israel): Monotheistic religions

Development of Empires

• Empires formed by uniting cities with common beliefs
• Divine kingship as a means of consolidating power
• Pastoralists facilitated cultural exchanges between empires

Religious and Cultural Developments (c. 600 BCE)

• Spread of Judaism through forced migrations and trade
• Hinduism as the social structure in India
• Rise of Buddhism from Hinduism; focus on overcoming desire
• Emergence of Christianity from Judaism; salvation through Jesus Christ
• Development of Confucianism and Daoism in China
• Animism and Shamanism in Africa, Americas, parts of East Asia

City-States and Empires

• Persian Empires: Achaemenid Empire, Parthian Empire
• Chinese Dynasties: Qin and Han
• Mediterranean Empires: Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans
• American Civilizations: Mayans, Teotihuacan, Moche

Summary and Conclusion

• Cities as hubs of art, trade, and governance
• Hierarchical social structures across civilizations
• Common reasons for the fall of empires: Overextension, internal disruptions, external invasions
• Context provided for events leading up to 1200 CE

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