Heimlich's History - AP World History Unit 4 Review

Overview

• Unit 4 Theme: Trans-oceanic interconnections from 1450 to 1750
• Focus on the development and expansion of maritime empires led by Europe
• Europe becomes a dominant imperial power during this period

Technological Advancements

• New Ship Types:
  • Fluyt, Caravel, Carrick
  • Characteristics: Smaller, faster, cheaper, strictly merchant ships
• Maritime Technology:
  • Lateen sail (triangular sail) for better maneuverability
  • Navigational technologies:
    • Improved astronomical charts
    • Astrolabe and magnetic compass for precise navigation

European Exploration

• Driven by the need for a sea route to Asia due to Muslim control of land-based trade routes
• Columbus and the Americas:
  • Discovery of the Americas leading to the Columbian Exchange
  • Exchange of animals, people, food, and diseases between hemispheres

Columbian Exchange

• Diseases: Smallpox (devastating to Native populations), potential syphilis to Europe
• Food and Animals:
  • Europe to Americas: Sugar, horses
  • Americas to Europe: Potatoes, maize, guinea pigs
• People:
  • Atlantic Slave Trade and chattel slavery

Labor Systems in the Americas

• Coerced Labor Systems:
  • Encomienda System: Spaniards protected natives in exchange for labor
  • Hacienda System: Large plantations developed from encomiendas
  • Mita System: Adaptation from Incans for private gain
  • Indentured Servitude: Temporary servitude with eventual freedom

Economic Changes

• Mercantilism: Dominant economic system
  • Wealth measured in gold and silver
  • Led to intense European rivalries
• Colonialism:
  • Colonies served the mother country
  • Portuguese trading post empire along African coast
  • Joint-stock companies by British and Dutch for funding exploration

Social Changes

• Casta System in the Americas:
  • Hierarchical organization based on ancestry and race
  • Hierarchy:
    1. Peninsulares (European-born)
    2. Creoles (American-born Europeans)
    3. Mestizos (Mixed European and Indigenous)
    4. Mulattos (Mixed European and African)
    5. Zambos (Mixed Indigenous and African)
    6. Indigenous and African peoples

Conclusion

• Quick overview of Unit 4, with more detailed topic videos available
• Encouragement to engage with content for better understanding and exam preparation