Global History Flashcards

Flashcards for Global History & Geography Regents Review

Social Scientists

People who study the world in which humans live.

Historians

Study written records of past events.

Geographers

Study the Earth’s surface and its impact on humans, examining topography, climate, and human migrations.

Political Maps

Show countries, their borders, and capital cities.

Physical Maps

Show topography (land features such as mountains, rivers, deserts, lakes, etc.).

Economists

Study how societies use available resources.

Anthropologists

Study past and present human cultures, often examining the culture of past societies through analysis of physical remains (artifacts).

Primary Source

A firsthand record of a historical event created by an eyewitness who actually experienced the event (Examples- Diaries, photographs, artifacts, autobiographies).

Secondary Source

A secondhand record of a historical event created by a person who did NOT actually experience the event (Examples- Textbooks, encyclopedias, biographies).

Neolithic Age

Also called the “New Stone Age”, key developments include agriculture, domestication of animals, settled farming, food surplus, and creation of permanent villages.

Civilization

A complex and highly organized society that includes a government, social classes, job specialization, a food surplus, writing, and religious beliefs.

Hieroglyphics

Writing using picture symbols, developed in ancient Egypt.

Pyramids

Massive structures used to bury Egyptian Pharaohs (kings).

Cuneiform

Writing system using wedge-shaped symbols, developed in Mesopotamia.

Code of Hammurabi

Oldest written set of laws in the world, known for its strict punishments (i.e.- “an eye for an eye”).

Monsoons

Winds that brought rain needed to farm (but too much rain caused dangerous flooding) in areas of Southeast Asia.

Barter

Trade without using money.

Subsistence Agriculture

Farming in which the crops are used only to feed the farmer and his family. Food is not usually sold for a profit.

Classical Civilizations

Societies that were more advanced and more recent than the ancient civilizations.

Golden Age

A period of great achievements in art, literature, math, and science.

Democracy

Form of government in which people can vote.

Direct Democracy

Form of democracy where all citizens (adult males born in Athens) were able to vote on laws.

Hellenistic Culture

Alexander spread Greek (Hellenic) culture to all of the areas that he conquered. The word Hellenistic is used to describe the mixture of Greek, Egyptian, Persian, and Indian culture that took place in the areas that Alexander conquered.

Twelve Tables of Rome

Written set of laws that stated the rules of behavior for members of Roman society.

Pax Romana

Means “Roman Peace.” This was the 200-year Golden Age of Rome in which there was extensive trade and great achievements in art, literature, math, and science.

Asoka

Famous ruler of India who wrote the laws of India on tall rock pillars (columns) that were displayed throughout India.

Gupta Dynasty

The Gupta Dynasty is considered the Golden Age of India since there were many achievements in art, literature, math, and science.

Caste System

The social hierarchy of India in which people were born into a social class (called a caste) and remained in that class for the remainder of their lives.

Legalism

Believes that humans are evil and that harsh punishments are needed to keep order in society.

Civil Service System

System in which government positions were given only to skilled people who passed difficult exams.

Silk Road

Long trade route that extended about 4,000 miles from China in the East to the Mediterranean Sea in the West.

Cultural Diffusion

The exchange of goods and ideas between societies.

Monotheistic Religions

Religions that believe in only one God.

Ten Commandments

Code of behavior for Jews and Christians (i.e.- Do not kill, do not steal, do not worship false gods, etc.).

Five Pillars

Code of behavior for Muslims (i.e.- Make a pilgrimage to Mecca, pray five times daily, etc.).

Reincarnation

The idea that after humans die, their souls are reborn into another body.

Karma

Refers to all of the good and bad deeds that one does during their lifetime.

Moksha

Ending reincarnation and stopping the cycle of death and rebirth.

Nirvana

Ending reincarnation and stopping the cycle of death and rebirth (similar to Hindu concept of Moksha).

Legalism

Philosophy based on the idea that humans are evil and that harsh punishments are needed in order to prevent crime and keep order in society.

The Five Relationships

The idea that every single person has specific roles and obligations that must be followed in order to keep order and stability (calmness) in society.

Filial Piety

The idea that people must honor and respect the elders of their family (i.e.- children must be loyal and obedient to their parents).

Nature Religions

Religions that believe that both living and non-living things in nature (i.e.- trees, mountains, rivers, rain, rocks, animals, etc.) have a spirit.

Eastern Orthodox Religion

The branch of Christianity that was practiced by the people of the Byzantine Empire.

Justinian Code

Written system of laws created by Emperor Justinian that was later adopted by various European civilizations.

Allah

God in the Islamic faith.

Five Pillars

A pilgrimige to Mecca, pray five times daily, etc..

Feudalism

Political system of the Middle Ages in which kings throughout Europe gave land away to nobles in return for their loyalty and military service.

Chivalry

A code of behavior that stressed loyalty and bravery as followed by knights.

Manors

Areas of land owned by a noble.

Serfs

Peasants that could not leave the land and who performed farm labor for the noble).

Crusades

Religious wars of the Middle Ages in which Christians from Europe fought to regain control of the Holy Land from Muslims.

Archipelago

A country that consists of a group of islands.

Terrace Farming

In order to farm in the mountains, the Japanese had to dig and carve flat areas (called terraces) into the sides of mountains.

Shinto

The religion of Japan, believes that all living and non-living things in nature have a spirit.

Samurai

The warriors of Japanese society. They pledged loyalty to the Daimyo and had to fight when necessary.

Bushido

A code of behavior that required the samurai to be loyal to the Daimyo and to fight bravely in battle.

Desertification

The spreading of desert lands.

Animism

Traditional religion that is native to Africa, believing that all living and non-living things in nature have a spirit.

Bantu Migrations

One of the largest migrations of people in history where the Bantu People scattered throughout southern Africa, spreading their language, iron technology, and farming techniques.

Gold-Salt Trade

They traded their gold for the salt that they needed to survive.

Nomadic Pastoralists

Raised animals and migrated frequently in search of grazing lands for their animals.

Marco Polo

An Italian merchant who visited the Mongols in China and remained there for almost 20 years.

Tribute System

Areas taken over by the Mongols were required to give the Mongols money each year.

Black Death

The major disease (called bubonic plague) that killed 25 million people in Europe during the late Middle Ages.

Humanism

There was a focus on humans and life on earth instead of on God and Heaven.

Indulgences

Reduction in punishment that were sold by the Catholic Church.

Literacy

The ability of people to read and write.

Pre-Columbian Civilizations

The societies that developed in the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans.

Chinampas

“Floating gardens” that the Aztecs built in lakes in order to farm since there was a shortage of fertile land.

Terrace Farming

The cutting of flat areas into the sides of mountains in order to farm.

Age of Exploration and Encounter

Period when the Europeans began sea voyages of exploration.

Encomienda System

Labor system in which the Native Americans were forced to work on Spanish farming plantations and in Spanish mines.

Middle Passage

Voyage of slaves from Africa to the Americas.

Mercantilism

The idea that colonies exist only to make the Mother Country wealthy.

Commercial Revolution

New forms of business that were introduced during the Age of Exploration; included joining money to help pay for trading projects.

Marco Polo

Italian merchant who traveled to China.

Absolute Monarchs

Kings who had total control over the nations that they ruled.

Divine Right

The idea that kings received their power to rule directly from God.

Scientific Revolution

Sudden and dramatic change in how people viewed the world.

Heliocentric Theory

The idea that the planets revolve around the sun.