AP World History Modern - Speed Review
Introduction
- AP World History Modern covers significant events, peoples, and cultures from the year 1200 to the present.
- Organized by units and regions to help students identify what they need to review for the AP exam.
Unit 1: The Global Tapestry (1200-1450)
- East Asia: Song Dynasty ruled using Neo-Confucianism and the civil service exam, with Buddhism as the primary belief system.
- Dar al-Islam: Caliphate system ended with the Mongols; focus shifts to Sultanates in Turkey.
- Contributions: Math, science, medicine.
- South & Southeast Asia: Impact of Buddhism and Hinduism; focus on Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam.
- Americas: Focused on the Incas (centralized via road system and labor) and Aztecs (centralized via human sacrifice and lake farms).
- Africa & Europe:
- Africa: Mali, Trans-Saharan trade, Great Zimbabwe, Swahili coast.
- Europe: Feudalism and decentralized systems.
Unit 2: Networks of Exchange
- Focus on connections between regions; major trade routes:
- Silk Road: Luxury goods, banking houses, and flying cash changed economies.
- Indian Ocean Trade: Maritime Silk Road, diasporas, Admiral Zheng He, monsoon winds.
- Trans-Saharan Trade: Reconnected Dar al-Islam with sub-Saharan Africa, salt, and gold trade.
- Consequences: Bubonic plague, cultural exchanges (e.g., Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam), technological transfers.
- Mongols: Known for facilitating the exchange of ideas and technologies.
Unit 3: Land-Based Empires (1450-1750)
- Gunpowder Empires:
- Manchus: Invaders from the north; established Chinese empire.
- Ottomans: Took Constantinople, renamed Istanbul; Sunni Muslims.
- Mughals: Islamic rulers over Hindu majority in India; built the Taj Mahal.
- Safavids: Shia empire between Ottomans and Mughals.
- Belief Systems:
- Protestant Reformation, Sikhism combining teachings from Hinduism and Islam.
Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections
- Maritime Technology: Caravels, astrolabes, compasses, and sails.
- Empires:
- Portuguese: Sought routes around Africa, initiated transatlantic slave trade.
- Spanish: Focused on the Americas, set up vice royalties, spread Catholicism.
- Joint Stock Companies: British East India Company, Dutch VOC.
- Columbian Exchange: Exchange of crops, animals, diseases.
- Social Systems: Casta system, banner system, coerced labor impacts.
Unit 5: Revolutions (1750-1900)
- Political Revolutions: Inspired by Enlightenment ideas.
- American Revolution, French Revolution, Haitian Slave Revolt, Latin American revolts.
- Industrial Revolution:
- Started in Great Britain; factory system and mass production.
- Steam and internal combustion engines, railroads, telegraphs.
- Capitalism by Adam Smith vs. socialism and communism by Karl Marx.
Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization
- Imperialism: Driven by economic needs for raw materials and markets.
- Empires: Americans, British, Japanese, Russians, French.
- Significant Events:
- Berlin Conference, Sepoy Mutiny, Opium Wars.
- Migrations: Industrialization led to global migrations; enclaves formed like Little Italy, Chinatown.
Unit 7: Global Conflict (1900-Present)
- World War I: Caused by imperialism, alliances, nationalism.
- Interwar Period: Great Depression, rise of dictatorships.
- World War II: Total war, propaganda, new military tactics like atomic bombs.
- Mass Atrocities: Holocaust, Armenian genocide, Cambodian genocide.
Unit 8: Cold War & Decolonization
- Cold War: Ideological conflict between US (capitalism) and USSR (communism).
- Decolonization: Anti-imperialist movements, new independent states.
Unit 9: Globalization
- Technological Advances: Planes, radio, cell phones.
- Environmental Impact: Climate change due to greenhouse gases.
- Global Economy: Free-market policies, regional trade networks.
- Cultural Globalization: Spread of cultural phenomena (e.g., Bollywood).
Focus on key terms, historical events, and the connections between regions to prepare for the AP World History Modern exam. Utilize additional resources for in-depth study. Good luck on the exam!