AP World History Study Guide

Unit 1: The Global Tapestry (8%-10% of the AP test) (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

Developments in East Asia (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

China

• Song Dynasty:
  • Era of wealth, stability, and innovation.
  • Advanced manufacturing and commercialization.
  • Expansion of bureaucracy through meritocracy.
• Economic Developments:
  • Grand Canal enabled trading.
  • Spread of gunpowder technology.
  • Agriculture improvements led to population growth.
• Social Structures:
  • Social mobility increased.
  • Foot binding symbolized gender dynamics.
• Religion:
  • Spread of Buddhism and Confucianism.

Japan

• Feudal society with land battles among aristocrats.
• Establishment of the shogun in 1192.

Korea

• Centralized government and Confucian/Buddhist cultural influence.

Vietnam

• Greater independence for women.
• Villages operated independently with allegiance to peasants.

Developments in Dar al-Islam (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

Innovations

• Advances in mathematics, literature, and medicine.
• Merchants held high status.
• Revival of trade increased wealth.

Transfers

• Preserved Greek philosophy.
• Cultural transfers in Spain.

Islamic Rule in Spain

• Muslims ruled Spain for centuries.
• Promoted trade and cultural tolerance.

Developments in South and Southeast Asia (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

South Asia

• Political stability in Southern India; turmoil in Northern India with Delhi Sultanate.
• Hinduism vs. Islam: distinct religious and social differences.

Southeast Asia

• Influenced by South Asia, with Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms.
• Sea-based and land-based kingdoms flourished.

State Building in the Americas

Mississippian Culture

• First large-scale civilization in North America.

Maya City-States

• City-state governance, astronomy linked with religion.

Aztecs

• Theocracy with tributary system.
• Importance of rituals and sacrifice.

Inca

• Mita system of mandatory service.
• Advanced agriculture and engineering.

State Building in Africa

Inland Africa

• Kin-based networks and district governance.

West and East Africa

• Wealth from trade and cultural diversity.

Social Structures

• Organized around kinship, age, and gender.

Developments in Europe (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

Feudalism

• Agriculture-based wealth, manorial system for self-sufficiency.

Political Trends

• Monarchies grew in power.

Roman Catholic Church

• Influential in feudal society.

Crusades

• Military campaigns influenced by religious, social, and economic pressures.

Renaissance

• Revival of classical culture and humanism.

Comparisons in the Period (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

• Different forms of state-building and economic exchanges.
• Cultural and religious diversities along trade routes.

Unit 2: Network of Exchange (8%-10% of the AP test) (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

The Silk Roads

• Growth facilitated by Mongol unification and technological improvements.

The Mongol Empire

• Expansion under Genghis Khan, impact on trade and culture.

Exchange in the Indian Ocean

• Influenced by Islam and trading networks.
• Development of city-states and diasporic communities.

Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

• Gold trade and spread of Islam in West Africa.

Cultural Consequences

• Influence of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam through trade.

Environmental Consequences

• Agricultural effects and spread of epidemics (Black Death).

Comparisons of Economic Exchange

• Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, and Trans-Saharan routes connected diverse regions.

Unit 3: Land-Based Empires (12%-15% of the AP test) (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

Empires Expand

• Gunpowder empires in Asia and Europe.

Empires: Administration

• Centralization efforts in Europe and Russia.

Empires: Belief Systems

• Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation.

Comparison in Land-Based Empires

• Military strategies, bureaucracy centralization.

Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections (12%-15% of the AP test) (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

Technological Innovations

• Advancements in navigation and shipbuilding facilitated global exploration and trade.

Columbian Exchange

• Impact of disease, animals, crops, and forced labor systems.

Maritime Empires

• Expansion and competition among European powers.

Economic Systems

• Mercantilism and the rise of capitalism through trade.

Challenges to State Power

• Internal and external conflicts weakened empires.

Changing Social Hierarchies

• Adaptation and resistance to social structures in empires.

Continuity and Change

• Integration of the Western Hemisphere into global trade.

Unit 5: Revolutions (12%-15% of the AP test) (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

The Enlightenment

• Intellectual movements advocating for reason and individual rights.

Nationalism and Revolutions

• French Revolution, Haitian Revolution, unifications in Europe.

Industrial Revolution

• Technological growth and global spread of industrialization.

Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization (12%-15% of the AP test) (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

Imperialism

• Nationalist and economic motives for expansion.

State Expansions

• Scramble for Africa, imperialism in Asia and Americas.

Indigenous Responses

• Resistance and adaptation to colonial rule.

Economic Developments

• Global trade and the impact of extraction economies.

Economic Imperialism

• Control over resources and markets in Asia and Africa.

Causes of Migration

• Labor demands and economic opportunities fueled migrations.

Effects of Migration

• Formation of ethnic enclaves and regulatory responses.

Unit 7: Global Conflict (8%-10% of the AP test) (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

Shifting Powers

• Revolutions and wars in Russia, China, and Mexico.

Causes of World War I

• Alliance systems and nationalistic tensions.

Conducting World War I

• New warfare technologies and U.S. involvement.

Economies in the Interwar Period

• Global depression and economic policy responses.

Unresolved Tensions

• Nationalism and anti-colonial movements.

Causes of World War II

• Aggressive military expansions and global conflicts.

Conducting World War II

• Total war strategies and the home front contributions.

Victory for the Allies

• End of WWII and the start of the Cold War.

Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization (8%-10% of the AP test) (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

Setting the Stage

• Post-WWII conferences and shifting global power dynamics.

The Cold War

• Ideological conflict between the U.S. and Soviet Union.

Decolonization

• Independence movements in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Newly Independent States

• Formation of Israel and leadership roles of women.

End of the Cold War

• Nonviolent resistance movements and global protests.

Unit 9: Globalization (8%-10% of the AP test) (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

Advances in Technology and Exchange

• Green Revolution and energy advancements.

Technological Advances and Limitations

• Disease management and global health challenges.

Debates About the Environment

• Impact of industrialization and globalization.

Economics in the Global Age

• Rise of free-market economies and economic liberalization.

Calls for Reform

• Steps toward racial and gender equality globally.

Globalized Culture

• Cultural exchanges and the influence of media.

Resistance to Globalization

• Opposition based on economic, social, and environmental concerns.