AP World History Review: Units 1-5

Introduction

• Covering Units 1-5 for AP World History.
• Exam on May 8th.
• Sessions held in two nights: Units 1-5 tonight, Units 6-9 tomorrow.
• Recording available post-session.
• Super chats for shout-outs until 9 PM Eastern.
• Moderators will filter inappropriate super chats.

Unit 1: The Global Tapestry

Big Idea 1: Song China

• State Building: Maintained rule through Confucianism, imperial bureaucracy.
• Confucianism: Hierarchical view, revived during Song Dynasty.
• Civil Service Exam: Expanded, led to meritocracy.
• Bureaucracy: Continued expansion, increased centralized power.
• Buddhism: Chan Buddhism as Chinese innovation influenced by Silk Roads.
• Song Economy: Flourished due to Champa rice, Grand Canal, commercialization.

Big Idea 2: Islamic Empires

• Abbasid Caliphate Decline: Rise of Islamic entities like Delhi Sultanate and Mamluk Sultanate.
• Turk vs Arab/Persian: New empires were Turkic.
• Spread of Islam: Military expansion, merchant trade, Sufi movement.
• Intellectual Innovations: Algebra, trigonometry, literature.
• Intellectual Transfers: Greek classics, Indian math, papermaking.

Big Idea 3: South and Southeast Asia

• Religion’s Influence: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam affected state building.
• Delhi Sultanate: Islamic state with Hindu majority; tax system.
• Vijayanagara Empire: Hindu kingdom from converted brothers.
• Southeast Asia: Trade introduced Hinduism, Buddhism; Srivijaya Empire (Hindu), Majapahit Kingdom (Buddhist).

Big Idea 4: The Americas

• Cahokia, Mexica, Inca: Strong states, urban centers.
• Aztec Empire: Tribute system, decentralized state.
• Human Sacrifice: Religious power display.

Big Idea 5: Africa

• Trade Networks: Facilitated state building.
• Great Zimbabwe: Wealth from trade, agriculture, gold.
• Swahili Language: Blend of Bantu and Arabic.
• Ethiopia: Christian kingdom, unique from Islamic empires.

Big Idea 6: Europe

• State Building: Characterized by religion, feudalism, decentralized monarchies.
• Roman Catholic Church: Cultural continuity.
• Feudalism: Organizing principle, manor system.
• Three-field System: Agricultural innovation leading to population growth.

Unit 2: Networks of Exchange

Big Idea 1: Expanded Trade Networks

• Silk Roads: Luxury goods, cities like Kashgar, Samarkand thrived.
• Indian Ocean Trade: Significant before 1500.
  • Technological Innovations: Lateen sails, compass, ship designs.
  • Spread of Islam: Facilitated trade favorably among Muslim merchants.
• Trans-Saharan Trade: Camels and saddles increased trade.
• Mali Empire: Under Mansa Musa, trade expanded.

Big Idea 2: Cultural Diffusion

• Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam spread and adapted.
• Scientific Transfers: Champa rice introduction from Vietnam.
• Cultural Centers: Timbuktu for Islamic education.

Big Idea 3: Environmental Consequences

• Crops: Spread of bananas in Africa, Champa rice in East Asia.
• Diseases: Bubonic plague spread.

Big Idea 4: Mongol Empire

• Facilitated Trade: Controlled Silk Road network, encouraged commerce.
• Cultural Exchange: Increased communication, cooperation across Eurasia.
• Technological Transfers: Astronomy advances, improved tools from Ilkhanate region.

Unit 3: Land-Based Empires

Big Idea 1: Empire Expansion

• Gunpowder: Key in expanding and maintaining empires.
• Ottoman Empire: Gunpowder weapons, Janissaries.
• Safavid Empire: Shia Islamic dynasty, gunpowder cavalry.
• Mughal Empire: Displaced Delhi Sultanate, gunpowder use.
• Qing Dynasty: Manchu rulers over Han Chinese majority.

Big Idea 2: Power Consolidation

• Bureaucracies: Centralized control, legitimize empires.
• Military Professionals: Janissaries, Samurais.
• Religious Ideas: Divine right in Europe, human sacrifice in Americas.
• Architecture: Versailles, Sun Temple in Incan Empire.

Big Idea 3: Belief Systems

• Christianity: Protestant Reformation, Catholic Counter-Reformation.
• Sunni vs. Shia: Conflict among Muslim empires.
• Sikhism: Blend of Hindu and Islamic beliefs in South Asia.

Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections

Big Idea 1: Maritime Technology

• New Technologies: Astrolabe, compass, Latin sail.
• Ship Designs: Caravel, Fluit (Dutch).

Big Idea 2: European Exploration

• Motivation: Wealth, Christianity, competition.
• Portuguese Empire: Trading posts.
• Spanish Exploration: Christopher Columbus.

Big Idea 3: Columbian Exchange

• Crops and Animals: Potatoes, maize, wheat, rice.
• Diseases: Smallpox devastated indigenous populations.

Big Idea 4: Empire Economics

• Mercantilism: Economic policy driving colonization.
• Labor Systems: Encomienda, Hacienda, Mita.
• Enslaved Labor: Demand increased due to indigenous population decline.

Big Idea 5: Economic Changes

• Joint-Stock Companies: British and Dutch enterprises.
• Triangular Trade: Manufactured goods, enslaved people, raw materials.

Big Idea 6: Resistance

• Maratha Rebellion: Against Mughal Empire.
• Pueblo Revolt: Against Spanish in North America.

Big Idea 7: Social Changes

• Casta System: Spanish hierarchy in Americas.
• Qing Dynasty: Han Chinese restrictions under Manchu.

Unit 5: Revolutions

Big Idea 1: Enlightenment

• New Ideas: Natural rights, social contract.
• Effects: Women's suffrage, abolitionism.

Big Idea 2: Revolutions

• American Revolution: Enlightenment ideals, nationalism.
• French and Haitian Revolutions: Inspired by American Revolution.

Big Idea 3: Industrial Revolution

• Beginnings in Britain: Factors like waterways, raw materials, urbanization.
• Factory System: Mass production, specialization of labor.

Big Idea 4: Global Manufacturing Shift

• Western Dominance: Decline of traditional manufacturing giants.

Big Idea 5: Technological Changes

• New Power Sources: Steam engine, internal combustion engine.
• Railroads and Telegraph: National unification, communication advances.

Big Idea 6: Economic Shifts

• Capitalism vs. Mercantilism: Rise of free-market capitalism.
• Transnational Corporations: Unilever example.
• Living Standards: Increased for some, rise of middle class.

Big Idea 7: Reforms

• Labor Unions: Minimum wage, shorter work hours.
• Karl Marx: Critique of capitalism, Communist Manifesto.
• Ottoman Reforms: Tanzimat reforms to industrialize.

This notes summary provides an overview of key themes and topics covered in the AP World History lecture on units 1 through 5, aimed to assist in exam preparation.