AP World History Modern Speed Review Notes

Overview

• This is a speed review for the entire AP World History Modern course.
• A review sheet is available to track and highlight areas needing more focus.
• Course spans from 1200 to the present, covering multiple regions and key historical concepts.

Unit 1: 1200-1450

East Asia

• Song Dynasty: Neo-Confucianism, Civil Service Exam, Buddhism.
• Agriculture: Champa rice spread to Korea and Japan.

Dar al-Islam

• Post-Abbasid caliphate, rise of sultanates (Islamic kingdoms).
• Contributions in math, science, medicine.

South & Southeast Asia

• Influence of Buddhism and Hinduism.
• Sufism: Mystical Islam attracting converts.

Americas

• Inca Empire: Centralized power via roads and mita labor.
• Aztec Empire: Centralized power through human sacrifice, chinampas (lake farms).

Africa & Europe

• Africa: State-building in Mali, trans-Saharan trade, Great Zimbabwe, Swahili coast.
• Europe: Feudalism, decentralized government with serfs on manors.

Unit 2: Connections (1200-1450)

Trade Routes

1. Silk Road: East-West connection, luxury goods, banking innovation.
2. Indian Ocean Trade: Maritime Silk Road, diaspora communities, Admiral Zheng He.
3. Trans-Saharan Trade: Linked Dar al-Islam to Sub-Saharan Africa; spread of Islam.

Consequences of Trade

• Spread of bubonic plague, crops like champa rice.
• Cultural exchanges: religions, technologies, and travelers like Marco Polo.

Mongols

• Facilitated exchange of goods, ideas, and technology.
• Empire divided into khanates.

Units 3 & 4: 1450-1750

Land-Based Empires (Gunpowder Empires)

1. Manchus: Centralized China, maintained previous customs.
2. Ottomans: Captured Constantinople, Sunni Islam, janissaries, tax farming.
3. Mughals: Islamic rule in Hindu India, religious tolerance, Taj Mahal.
4. Safavids: Shia Islam, rivalry with Ottomans and Mughals.

Belief Systems & Cultural Developments

• Protestant Reformation: Martin Luther's reforms.
• Sikhism: Blend of Hindu and Islamic teachings.

Maritime Empires

• Portuguese: First to establish maritime trade routes.
• Spanish: Colonization of Americas, encomienda system.
• Joint-stock companies: British and Dutch dominate trade.

Columbian Exchange

• Exchange of crops, animals, diseases between Old and New Worlds.
• Significant impact on social and economic systems.

Units 5 & 6: 1750-1900

Revolutions & Industrialization

• Enlightenment ideas spurred political revolutions in America, France, Haiti, Latin America.
• Nationalism leads to nation-state formations.
• Industrial Revolution: Begins in Britain, factory system, steam engine.

Effects of Industrialization

• Rise of capitalism and global economic shifts.
• Technological advancements in communication and transportation.
• Social changes, rise in inequality and labor movements.

Imperial Expansion

• Economic motives drive imperialism (raw materials, markets).
• Settler colonies and economic dominance strategies.
• Anti-imperial resistance movements.

Migrations & Social Changes

• Massive migrations to industrial cities.
• Enclaves and diasporas form, facing resistance and exclusion policies.

Units 7-9: 1900-Present

World Wars & Cold War

• Causes and consequences of WWI and WWII.
• Cold War: Capitalist vs. Communist ideologies.
• Proxy wars and nuclear arms race.

Decolonization & Globalization

• Collapse of empires, rise of new nations post-WWII.
• Economic growth and challenges in newly independent states.
• Technological, cultural, and economic globalization.

Environmental and Health Challenges

• Impact of industrialization on the environment.
• Advances in medicine and public health.
• Ongoing challenges of climate change and global health issues.

Final Notes

• The course emphasizes interconnectedness of global regions throughout history.
• Use review resources and practice exams to reinforce learning and prepare for the AP exam.