AP World History: Unit 5 - Revolutions

Scientific Revolution

A big shift in the way that people thought about the world around them; people previously referred back to religion to find answers but during the Scientific Revolution, people began to use reasoning and logic.

Humanism

A Renaissance intellectual movement that emphasized the study of classical texts, human potential, and individual achievement, shifting focus from medieval scholasticism.

Empiricism

The belief that knowledge comes from sensed experience that is observed, not from traditional and religious principles.

• Scientific Method is derived from Empiricism

Francis Bacon

The “Father” of Empiricism; promoted its ideas and made it more popular

Social Contract

The principle which states that people sacrifice a degree of personal freedom for the existence of governments in order to keep law and order.

John Locke

Famous Philosopher known for his interpretation of the Social Contract

• a government’s legitimacy stems from the consent of the governed

• if a government fails to serve the people, then they people have the right to overthrow the government

• Every person is born with Natural Rights which cannot be taken away by authority

Natural Rights

The inherent rights of every human being from birth, which are not granted by any government/ authority, and cannot be taken away.

• Life

• Liberty

• Property

Baron Montesquieu

Famous 18th-century “Philosophe” who wrote about the idea of separate branches of government

• influenced the American government organization

Voltaire

Advocated for civil liberties, religious liberty, and judicial reform.

Adam Smith

A famous Enlightenment thinker who proposed the economic principle of “laissez-faire”, meaning the government does not intervene in the economy.

• laissez-faire supports capitalism

Laissez-faire

An economic philosophy advocating minimal government intervention in markets, allowing free competition and individual entrepreneurship

Deism

The belief that God exists and created the world to run with natural laws, but does not intervene.

• popular among many Enlightenment thinkers

Liberalism

A political ideology advocating for individual freedoms, limited government, and equality through democratic means

Nationalism

A political ideology prioritizing the interests and culture of a particular nation, often promoting unity among its people.

Declaration of Independence

A 1776 document declaring the American colonies' separation from Britain that included numerous Enlightenment principles

• individual rights

• consent of the governed

Declaration of the Rights of Man

A 1789 French document asserting individual rights and the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity during the French Revolution.

Simon Bolivar

A South American military and political leader who played a key role in the independence movements against Spanish colonial rule, advocating for the unification of Latin America.

• wrote the Letter of Jamaica, which primarily appealed to the Creole-elite class and outlined his vision for a united Latin America.

Letter from Jamaica

A document where Simon Bolivar expressed his vision for Latin American unity and independence, discussing the challenges and aspirations facing the region.

Haitian Revolution

After the French Revolution, Haiti, as a French colony, decided to revolt against its oppressors and successfully gained independence.

Latin American Revolutions

The Spanish and Portuguese colonies were unhappy with being controlled and exploited. So when there was instability in Spain and Portugal, these colonies took the opportunity to revolt.

• Creoles were especially discontent being treated as less than the Peninsulares.

First Industrial Revolution

The shift from manual labor to automated labor which revolutionized countries’ economies and societies.

• From 1750-1830

• Started in Britain: many ideal conditions

  • Proximity to waterways

  • Natural resources (coal and iron)

  • Agricultural Revolution right before

  • Investors

• New technology

  • Spinning Jenny

  • Steam engine

Spinning Jenny

Allowed the weaver to spin more than one thread at a time

Steam Engine

A significant invention during the First Industrial Revolution, it converted heat energy into mechanical work, greatly enhancing productivity and enabling advancements in transportation and manufacturing.

• steam-boat and locomotives, transforming industries and commerce.

Specialization of Labor

The practice where workers focus on a specific task or role within a production process, increasing efficiency and productivity during industrialization.

Second Industrial Revolution

Other countries were industrializing and new technologies were emerging

• 1830 to

• Reached new countries: France, Germany, Russia, and Japan

• New technology

  • Internal Combustion Engine

  • Telegraph

  • Light bulb

• New sources of energy (fuel)

  • Oil

  • Gasoline

  • Electricity

Internal Combustion Engine

A new technological innovation invented during the Second Industrial Revolution that produced even more energy to fuel industrialization.
- used in machines and automobiles

Trans-continental Railroad

An expansive railroad that connected eastern U.S to Western U.S

• powered by a steam-engine

• Railroads were instrumental in facilitating the transportation of goods and the migration of populations

Trans-siberian Railroad

An expansive railroad that stretched from Moscow to the Pacific Ocean

• powered by steam engine

• Marked the efforts to industrialize in Russia

State-sponsored Industrialization

“Top-down” industrialization, meaning that instead of the workers propelling industrialization, the government is actively investing in industries to promote industrialization and economic growth.

• Industrialization in Russian Empire (starting late 19th century)

• Meiji Restoration

Muhammad Ali - development of textile industry in Egypt

The leader of Egypt began to invest in industries such as the textile industry to industrialize.

• an example of State-sponsored industrialization

Meiji Restoration

After being pressured by industrialized nations like the U.S., Japan underwent a period of rapid industrialization.

• Sent emissaries abroad to learn about foreign culture, technology, and government systems

• Sponsored new industries, banking systems, and railraods

Free-Market Economics

A new emerging economic philosophy that replaced Mercantilism due to how it better fit the context of Industrialization.

• promoted laissez-faire capitalism

  • government implement a “hands-off” approach

• natural economic flow: supply and demand

  • let suppliers and consumers react to one another

Tanzimat Reforms

A series of reforms in the Ottoman Empire aimed at modernization and centralization, focusing on legal, administrative, and educational changes.

• a reaction to European industrialization and their decline

Labor Unions

Groups of workers who work together to pressure their superiors for labor rights , better working conditions and fair treatment.

• utilize different methods

  • strike

  • collective bargaining

Socialism

In response to widespread mistreatment of the industrial working class, a new economic theory emerged that advocated for government regulation of the economy and fair redistribution of wealth to workers

Karl Marx

A very radical socialist who believed in the need for a violent uprising to achieve socialist goals.

• his distinct view on socialism became known as Communism

• wrote “Communist Manifesto”

Transnational Corporations

Companies that operate across multiple countries, managing production or delivering services in various locations

• a result of an increasingly interconnected global economy

• examples:

  • Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC)

  • Unilever (England & Netherlands)