Social Studies Final

Prehistory

Period of human history that occurred before any written records

Artifact

Human made objects such as tools and jewlery

Geography

Study of the earth’s landscape’s and environments and the relationships between people and their rurroundings

Nomad

Highly mobile people who move from place to place foraging, or searching for new sources of food

Paleolithic Age

The earlier and longer part of the stone age, chopping tools date back to this age

Neolithic Age

New stone age, people learned to polish stone tools, make pottery, grew crops, and raise animals

Cultural Diffusion

New ideas or product spreads from one culture to another

Ancient River Valley Civilization

Built canals due to seasonal flooding, developed legal codes due to large population, Job specializations, and Social Pyramids were created

Mesopotamia

Land facing the Mediterranean sea and a plain known as land between two rivers

Hammurabi’s Code

First set of written laws, held people responsible for their actions

Nile River Valley

Provided a reliable system of transportation between upper and lower Egypt, flows North

Indus Valley

A large ancient society that lived along the Indus River Valley. Built some of the worlds first highly organized cities

Subcontinent

A huge distant landmass in Southern Asia that includes India Pakistan, and Bangladesh

Monsoons

Season winds, dominant in India’s climate

Huang He River Valley

The yellow river valley was the birthplace of ancient Chinese civilization, located in Northern China

Polytheism

The belief in many gods

Monotheism

The belief in only one god

Judaism

A monotheistic religion, based on the laws and teachings of the Hebrew Bible, believe they had a special covenant with god

Ten Commandments

10 laws god gave to mosses, teaches people how to worship god and how to treat others with honesty, respect and kindness

Hinduism

A religion that teaches people to live good lives, follow their duties and believe in karma and reincarnation to move towards spiritual enlightenment (moksha)

Caste System

A rigid social hierarchy rooted in Hinduism that divided people into fixed social classes based on purity and occupation

Karma

The sum of a person’s moral actions across lifetimes deciding their destiny or placement in their next life

Dharma

A person’s duty or moral responsibility to do the right thing and live a good life, which leads to good karma. (Do your dharma to get good karma)

Moksha

The goal of Hinduism, being free from the cycle reincarnation and the reaching of spiritual peace

Buddhism

A religion that teaches people how to end suffering and achieve enlightenment (nirvana) by following the Buddha’s teachings

Siddhartha Gautama

Buddha who was the founder of Buddhism, taught that people can overcome suffering and reach enlightenment by following his teachings

Nirvana

The highest state of enlightenment in Buddhism, the end of suffering and the cycle of reincarnation

Enlightenment

A state of complete wisdom and understanding where a person overcomes suffering

Mandate of Heaven

Ancient Chinese philosophical concept that an emperor had the divine right to rule

Dynastic cycle

A dynasty gains power, rules successfully, becomes weak/corrupt, loses the mandate of heaven, and is replaced by a new dynasty

Confucianism

Chinese philosophy focused on restoring social harmony through rigid social relationships and personal beliefs

Filial piety

Confucian belief emphasizing deep respect, obedience, and the care for the elders

Civil Service Exam

A test in ancient China used to choose government workers based on their knowledge instead of their family background

Silk road Trade

Network of trade routes connecting East Asia with the middle East and Europe, exchanging luxury goods

Daosim

Ancient Chinese Philosophy founded by Laozi, emphasizing living in harmony with nature

Legalism

Ancient Chinese philosophy that rejected Confucian beliefs, wanted strict laws and harsh punishment

Ethnocentrism

Belief that your own culture is better than or more important than other cultures

Polis

An Independent Greek city-state with it’s own government

Athens

Greek city-state known for developing democracy, valuing education, many citizens could help make decisions

Direct Democracy

A from of government practiced in Ancient Athens where citizens vote directly on laws and policies

Golden Age

A period of great peace, economic prosperity, and peak cultural achievements

Sparta

Greek city-state known for it’s strong army and the importance it placed on military training and discipline

Oligarchy

Type of government where a small group of people have the power

Alexander the Great

Philip’s son Alexander immediately proclaimed himself king of Macedonia due to his accomplishments over the next 13 years

Roman Republic

Government of Ancient Rome before it became and empire, where citizens voted for leaders and elected officials helped make laws

Roman Empire

Period of Ancient Rome when one emperor had full control over the government and ruled a large territory across Europe, North Africa, and Parts of Asia

Twelve Tables

Earliest written legal code of Ancient Rome, displayed publicly to ensure all citizens were treated equally

Pax Romana

Golden Age of relative peace and stability in the Roman Empire

Silk Roads

Network of trade routes connecting East Asia with the Middle East of Europe, exchanging luxury goods

Islam

Monotheistic religion that teaches Allah is the only god and Muhammad is his prophet, whose teachings are followed in the Qur’an

Muslim

Person who follows the religion of Islam and believes in one god called Allah, and his teachings of the prophet Muhammad

Allah

The one and only god worshipped by Muslims

Five Pillars of Islam

5 core religious duties required of all Muslims

Qur’an (Koran)

The holy book of Islam, believed by Muslims to be the word of Allah revealed by the prophet Muhammad

Golden Age of Islam

When the Islamic world made major advances in science, medicine, math, and learning, becoming the center of knowledge and culture

Dark Ages

When Europe experienced a decline in trade, learning, and strong central government

Germanic Invasion

When Germanic tribes from northern and central Europe moved into and attacked parts of the Roman Empire, helping lead to its decline

Byzantine Empire

Eastern part of the Roman Empire that survived after the fall of Rome, with it’s capital in Constantinople

Constantinople

Capital of the Byzantine Empire, known for its strong walls, wealth, and location between Europe and Asia

Justinias’s code

A collection of Roman laws ordered by emperor Justinian that organized and simplified laws for the Byzantine Empire

European Feudalism

Kings gave land to nobles in exchange for loyalty and peasants worked the land for protection

Manorialism

Centered around lord’s estate, defining the economic ties between lords and serfs

Holy Land

Area in the middle East that is considered sacred by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

Christians

People who follow Christianity, a religion that believes Jesus Christ is the son of god and the savior

Jerusalem

An ancient city in the middle East that is considered holy to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

Urbanization

Small, rural settlements grow into densely populated cities and urban centers

Mali

Large country located in west Africa, Mansa Munsa was the ruler

Gold Salt Trade/Trans Saharan Trade

Major trading network exchanging west African gold for North African Sat

Use of Camel

Made Trans-Sahara trade possible, could carry heavy loads over long distance without much water allowed

Timbuktu

City in Mali, located north of the Niger River on the southern edge of the Sahara desert. A major power house of trade

Mansa Musa

Emperor of the Mali Empire in West Africa, known for it’s great wealth

Tang & Song Dynasties

The Golden Age of Ancient China, growth in cultural achievement and technological innovation

Mongols

A group of nomadic people from central Asia who created one of the largest empires in history through fast and powerful military conquests

Genghis Khan

Brutal military strategist who unified the warring nomadic tribes of Northeast Asia and founded the Mongol empire

Classic Culture

The ideas, art, literature, philosophy, and traditions of ancient Greece and Rome that influenced later civilizations

Italian City-States

Independent Cities in Italy with their own governments. They became rich from trade and helped start the Renaissance

Humanism

Intellectual movement of the Renaissance focused on human potential and individualism

Martin Lurther

A religious leader who challenged the practices of the Catholic Church and started the Protestant Reformation

Ninety-Five Thesis

List of 95 formal arguments against Catholic Church corruption, targeting the sale of indulgences

Indulgence

A payment from the Catholic Church that people believed could reduce punishment for sins

Salvation

Being saved from sin and receiving eternal life with god

Henry VIII

The king of England who broke away from the Catholic Church and created the church of England so he could divorce his wife

John Calvin

A protestant religious leader who taught that God had already chosen who would be saved, a belief called predestination

Predestination

The belief that God has already decided who will be saved and who will not

Neolithic Revolution Causes:

Planting seeds, population increase

Neolithic Revolution Effects:

Crops growing/Agriculture, Urbanization

Fall of Rome Cause:

Weak leadership, Economic Problems, Barbarian Invasion

Fall of Rome Effects:

Empire in the west fell, Europe became divided into smaller kingdoms, trade decline, start of the middle ages

Crusades Causes:

Religion (Christians wanted to take back the holy land), Popes Power

Crusades Effects:

Increase trade, Cultural exchange, weakened feudal system

Bubonic Plague Causes:

Trade routed helped spread the distance, lack of medical knowledge, Bacteria spread by fleas on rats

Bubonic Plague Effects:

Killed millions of people in Europe, Labor shortage, Feudal system weakened, People started to blame the church for not being “saving them”

Pax Mongolica Causes:

United much of Asia and parts of Europe, Protection of silk road, Strong military control kept trade routes safe

Pax Mongolica Effects:

Increase in trade across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, Spread of goods and Ideas, Cultural exchange

Renaissance Causes:

Growth of trade, The crusades, The printing Press

Renaissance Effects:

Humanism grew, Art and Architecture grew

Protestant Reformation Causes:

Many people believed the Catholic Churches was corrupt, Church sold Indulgences, The printing press

Protestant Reformation Effects:

Protestant Churches were created, More people read the bible and interpreted it in their own way.