AP World History Lecture Notes

Introduction

• AP World History units 1-5 will be covered.
• Exam date: May 8th.
• Sessions: Tonight (units 1-5) and tomorrow (units 6-9).
• Q&A: Super chats available until 9 PM (ET).

Unit 1: State Building (1200-1450)

Big Idea 1: Song China

• Confucianism and Imperial Bureaucracy
  • Maintained rule through Confucian hierarchical philosophy and civil service exams.
  • Establishment of meritocracy.
• Buddhism's Influence
  • Came via Silk Roads from India.
  • Chan Buddhism: Blended with Daoism.
• Economic Flourishing
  • Innovations like Champa rice and the Grand Canal.
  • Misconception: China was not isolated, highly connected via trade.

Big Idea 2: Islamic States

• Post-Abbasid Era
  • Rise of new Islamic states: Delhi Sultanate, Mamluk Sultanate.
  • Turkic, not Arab or Persian.
• Spread of Islam
  • Military expansion and merchants.
  • Sufi movement: Adaptation to local cultures.
• Intellectual Innovations
  • Algebra, trigonometry, literature.
  • Greek classics translated and preserved.

Big Idea 3: South/Southeast Asia

• Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam Influence
  • Delhi Sultanate: Islamic rule over Hindu majority; Jizya tax.
  • Vijayanagara Empire: Hindu kingdom by converted brothers.
  • Southeast Asia: Trade introduces Hinduism and Buddhism (Srivijaya, Majapahit).

Big Idea 4: American Civilizations

• Aztecs (Mexica People)
  • Tribute system, decentralized state.
  • Tenochtitlan: Urban center.

Big Idea 5: African State Building

• Great Zimbabwe
  • Prosperity through trade and agriculture.
  • Indian Ocean trade network connection.
  • Swahili language development.
• Ethiopia
  • Christian kingdom with monumental architecture.

Big Idea 6: Europe

• Religious Influence
  • Roman Catholic Church's continuity.
  • Reconquista's impact on religious diversity.
• Feudalism
  • Decentralized political system.
  • Manorial system: Peasant life tied to land.
• Agricultural Innovation
  • Three-field system led to population growth.

Unit 2: Networks of Exchange (1200-1450)

Big Idea 1: Trade Networks

• Silk Roads
  • Luxury goods, growth facilitated by caravanserai, yokes, money economies.
• Indian Ocean Trade
  • Significant sea-based trade network, driven by goods demand and technological innovations.
  • Cultural and technological transfers (Zheng He voyages).
• Trans-Saharan Trade
  • Arabian camel, saddle innovations expanded trade.
  • Mali Empire's rise.

Big Idea 2: Cultural Diffusion

• Religion Spread
  • Buddhism to China and Japan (Zen Buddhism).
  • Islam's influence in West Africa and South Asia.
• Technological Transfers
  • Champa rice, Black Death spread through connectivity.

Big Idea 3: Environmental Consequences

• Crops and Disease
  • Bananas in Africa, Champa rice.
  • Spread of bubonic plague.

Big Idea 4: Mongol Empire

• Facilitated Trade and Cultural Exchange
  • Controlled and provided safety along Silk Roads.
  • Cultural and technological transfers.

Unit 3: Land-Based Empires (1450-1750)

Big Idea 1: Gunpowder Empires

• Expansion
  • Gunpowder's role in Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal, and Qing dynasties.
• Ottoman Empire
  • Janissaries and gunpowder weapons.
• Safavid Empire
  • Shiite Islamic state.
• Mughal Empire
  • Displacement of Delhi Sultanate.
• Qing Dynasty
  • Manchu rulers over Han Chinese.

Big Idea 2: Power and Control

• Bureaucracies and Militaries
  • Devshirme in Ottoman Empire.
• Religion and Architecture
  • Divine right in Europe, Palace of Versailles.
• Taxation Systems
  • Zamindar (Mughal) and tax farming (Ottoman).

Big Idea 3: Belief Systems

• Christianity and Reformation
  • Protestant Reformation; Catholic Counter-Reformation.
• Sunni-Shia Split
  • Ottoman-Safavid conflict.
• Sikhism
  • Syncretic religion in South Asia.

Unit 4: Maritime Empires (1450-1750)

Big Idea 1: Maritime Technology

• Innovations
  • Astrolabe, magnetic compass, Latin sails.
  • Caravel and fluyt ships.

Big Idea 2: State-Sponsored Exploration

• Gold, God, Glory
  • Wealth, spread of Christianity, competition.
• Portuguese and Spanish Empires
  • Trading post empire vs. Columbus' voyages.

Big Idea 3: Columbian Exchange

• Transfer of Goods and Diseases
  • Crops: Potatoes, maize, wheat.
  • Diseases: Smallpox.

Big Idea 4: Mercantilism and Colonization

• Labor Systems
  • Encomienda and hacienda systems.
• Silver Mining
  • Spanish mita system.

Big Idea 5: Economic Changes

• Joint Stock Companies
  • British and Dutch East India Companies.
• Triangular Trade
  • Manufactured goods, enslaved people, raw materials.

Big Idea 6: Resistance

• Rebellions
  • Maratha Rebellion in India.
  • Pueblo Revolt in North America.

Big Idea 7: Social Changes

• Casta System
  • Social hierarchy in Spanish colonies.
• Qing Policies
  • Restrictions on Han Chinese.

Unit 5: Revolutions (1750-1900)

Big Idea 1: Enlightenment

• New Ideas
  • Natural rights, social contract (John Locke, Rousseau).
• Reform Movements
  • Women's suffrage (Seneca Falls), abolitionism.

Big Idea 2: Nationalism and Revolutions

• American Revolution
  • Declaration of Independence.
• Inspiration for Other Revolutions
  • French, Haitian, and Latin American revolutions.

Big Idea 3: Industrial Revolution

• Origin in Britain
  • Factors: Waterways, raw materials, urbanization.
• Factory System
  • Mass production, unskilled labor.

Big Idea 4: Global Impact of Industrialization

• Western Dominance
  • Spread to Europe, U.S., Japan, Russia.
• Decline of Asian Manufacturing
  • British pressure on Indian textiles.

Big Idea 5: Technological Advances

• Second Industrial Revolution
  • Steel, internal combustion engine, railroads.

Big Idea 6: Economic Shifts

• Rise of Capitalism
  • Free market ideas (Adam Smith).
• Transnational Corporations
  • Unilever as an example.

Big Idea 7: Industrial Reforms

• Labor Unions
  • Collective bargaining, improved work conditions.
• Karl Marx
  • Critique of capitalism, Communist Manifesto.

These notes cover the key points and important details from the lecture, organized by units and big ideas for easy review.