AP World History: Modern Unit 4 Review

Overview of the Period (1450-1750)

• Global Connections and Interactions
  • Expansion of empires and increased trade networks.
  • European exploration of the Americas.
  • Emergence of new economic systems, notably the transatlantic slave trade.
  • Intellectual developments: Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment.
  • Religious changes: Protestant Reformation.
  • Technological innovations and globalization of trade.

Likely Exam Topics

• Columbian Exchange

  • Causes: Fundamental to understanding the era.
  • Effects on the New World: Significant testing focus on diseases, crops, animals.
  • Effects on the Old World: Equally tested, with focus on crops, silver, population changes.

• Maritime Exploration (1450-1750)

  • Role of states: Examples include Portugal, Spain, and the Dutch.
  • Economic motives: Connected to spice/silver trade.

Key Concepts & Time Period Overview

• Expansion of empires like Ottoman, Mughal, Qing.
• European exploration and colonization began (e.g., Christopher Columbus).
• Transatlantic slave trade linked Africa, Europe, Americas.
• Gunpowder empires in Eurasia: Safavid, Mughal, Ottoman.
• Intellectual advancements: Scientific Revolution challenged beliefs.
• Protestant Reformation split Western Christianity.
• Global trade networks facilitated exchanges of goods, ideas, diseases.

Major Empires and Their Expansion

• Ottoman Empire

  • Key events: Conquest of Constantinople, reign of Suleiman the Magnificent.

• Mughal Empire

  • Establishment by Babur, expansion under Akbar the Great.
  • Expansion and challenges under Aurangzeb.

• Qing Dynasty

  • Replacement of Ming Dynasty, consolidation and expansion under Kangxi and Qianlong.

• Russian Empire

  • Emergence under Peter the Great, expansion, and modernization.

• Spanish and Portuguese Empires

  • Colonization of the Americas; conquest of Aztec and Inca.

Global Trade Networks & Economic Systems

• Silk Roads & Indian Ocean Trade

  • Expansion and key trading centers.

• Transatlantic Trade

  • Triangular trade system.

• Columbian Exchange

  • Introduction of new crops, animals, and diseases.

• European Joint-Stock Companies & Mercantilism

  • Establishment of global trading networks.

Technological and Maritime Innovations

• Gunpowder Technology

  • Impact on warfare and rise of gunpowder empires.

• Printing Press

  • Spread of knowledge and impact on the Reformation.

• Maritime Navigation

  • Innovations like the magnetic compass, astrolabe, improved ship designs.

Cultural Exchanges & Religious Developments

• Islamic Empires

  • Fostered cultural exchanges, religious tolerance.

• Protestant Reformation & Catholic Counter-Reformation

  • Key figures and movements.

• Syncretism and New Religious Movements

  • Example: Vodun, Sikhism.

• Scientific Revolution & Enlightenment

  • Challenged traditional beliefs, promoted rational inquiry.

Social and Political Transformations

• Absolute Monarchies in Europe

  • Power centralization, development of bureaucracies.

• Atlantic Slave Trade

  • Transformative impact on Africa and the Americas.

• Socioeconomic Systems

  • Hacienda and putting-out systems.

• Cultural Policies in Qing China and Tokugawa Japan

Conflicts and Warfare

• Major Conflicts

  • Thirty Years' War, Ottoman-Habsburg wars, Mughal-Maratha wars, Seven Years' War.

• Slave Revolts

  • Stono Rebellion, Haitian Revolution.

Legacy and Impact on Modern World

• European Colonization

  • Impact on indigenous populations and global power dynamics.

• Atlantic Slave Trade

  • Long-term consequences for Africa and its diaspora.

• Columbian Exchange

  • Transformation of global ecosystems and agriculture.

• Globalization of Trade

  • Foundation for modern capitalism.

• Intellectual and Religious Legacies

  • Influence on modern science, political thought, and religious landscapes.

• Language and Cultural Impacts

  • Spread of European languages, shaping of modern states.