Social Studies Quiz Study Guide

Olmec

The earliest major civilization in Mexico, famous for carving massive stone heads.

Maya

Known for building step pyramids, creating an accurate calendar, using the number zero, and writing with hieroglyphs.

Aztec

Built a large empire centered in Tenochtitlan; farmed on floating gardens called chinampas; conquered by Spain in 1521.

Ancestral Puebloans

Lived in the Southwest, built multi-story stone and clay homes into cliff sides, and farmed in the desert using irrigation.

Mississippians

Lived in the Eastern Woodlands, built massive earthen mounds for tombs and homes, largest city was Cahokia.

Pacific Northwest

Settled along the coast, relied on salmon fishing, famous for carving wooden totem poles and potlatches.

Plains Cultures

Hunted bison across the central grasslands and became highly mobile after Europeans introduced horses.

The Crusades

A series of military campaigns where European Christians tried to capture the Holy Land from Muslim rule (1095–1291).

First Crusade

Christian armies captured Jerusalem.

Third Crusade

Ended in a truce allowing Christian pilgrims to safely visit Jerusalem.

Fourth Crusade

Christian armies got distracted and looted Constantinople instead.

Humanism

A movement focusing on human potential and reason, emphasizing ancient Greek and Roman learning over church teachings.

Art in the Renaissance

Shifted toward realistic human bodies and perspective, led by artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

Printing Press

Invented by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440, made books cheap, boosted literacy, and spread ideas rapidly.

Machiavelli’s The Prince

Argued that leaders should be practical and prioritize keeping power over being moral.

Martin Luther

Started the Protestant Reformation in 1517 by attacking Catholic Church corruption, taught that faith alone brings salvation.

John Calvin

Spread Protestantism and taught predestination, the belief that God has already chosen who is saved.

Henry VIII

Created the Church of England to divorce his wife, breaking England away from the Pope.

Catholic Counter-Reformation

The Catholic Church fixed corruption at the Council of Trent and created the Jesuits to spread Catholicism globally.