UNITS 1-5.2 AP World History Modern

What is the main focus of Unit 1 in AP World History: Modern?

How states formed, expanded, and maintained power from c. 1200–1450.

What regions are studied in Unit 1?

East Asia, Dar al-Islam, South and Southeast Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Europe.

What dynasty ruled China during Unit 1?

The Song Dynasty.

What belief system shaped Chinese government?

Confucianism.

What was the civil service examination system?

Merit-based exams used to select government officials.

What political system existed in Japan?

Feudalism under shoguns.

Who were the samurai?

Warrior elites serving feudal lords.

What was Bushido?

The samurai code of honor.

What does Dar al-Islam mean?

Regions where Islam dominated politically and culturally.

What is Sharia law?

Islamic law based on the Quran and Hadith.

What belief systems dominated South Asia?

Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.

What was the caste system?

A rigid social hierarchy based on birth.

What political structure existed in Southeast Asia?

Mandala states.

What civilizations dominated Mesoamerica?

The Maya and Aztec.

Why did the Aztecs practice human sacrifice?

To appease gods and maintain cosmic order.

What empire ruled the Andes?

The Inca Empire.

What was the mit’a system?

A labor tax in the Inca Empire.

What African empire grew wealthy from gold trade?

Mali.

Who was Mansa Musa?

Ruler of Mali who promoted Islam.

What political system dominated medieval Europe?

Feudalism.

What institution held major power in Europe?

The Catholic Church.

What similarity existed between Europe and Japan?

Decentralized feudal systems.

What is the main focus of Unit 2?

The development and effects of trade networks from c. 1200–1450.

What trade networks are studied in Unit 2?

Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, and Trans-Saharan.

What goods traveled the Silk Roads?

Luxury goods like silk and spices.

What empire promoted Silk Roads stability?

The Mongol Empire.

What made Indian Ocean trade efficient?

Monsoon winds.

What technologies aided Indian Ocean trade?

Lateen sails, astrolabe, compass.

What were Swahili city-states?

Trade hubs on East Africa’s coast.

What goods crossed the Trans-Saharan routes?

Gold and salt.

What animal enabled desert trade?

The camel.

What was a caravanserai?

Roadside inn for merchants.

How did trade spread religion?

Merchants carried beliefs like Islam and Buddhism.

What disease spread along trade routes?

The Black Death.

What was a diasporic community?

Merchants living outside their homeland.

What is syncretism?

Blending of cultural or religious traditions.

What is the main focus of Unit 3?

The expansion and governance of land-based empires from c. 1450–1750.

What technological change defined Unit 3?

Gunpowder weapons.

What empire captured Constantinople in 1453?

The Ottoman Empire.

Who were the Janissaries?

Elite Ottoman soldiers.

What system governed religious diversity in the Ottoman Empire?

The millet system.

What empire made Shi’a Islam official?

The Safavid Empire.

What empire ruled much of India?

The Mughal Empire.

Who promoted religious tolerance in Mughal India?

Akbar.

What dynasty ruled China in Unit 3?

The Qing Dynasty.

Who ruled Russia as its first tsar?

Ivan IV.

What administrative feature united land-based empires?

Centralized bureaucracy.

How did empires maintain power?

Military, taxation, and religion.

What is the main focus of Unit 4?

Global interactions through transoceanic exploration from c. 1450–1750.

What economic system guided European expansion?

Mercantilism.

What was the Columbian Exchange?

Transfer of goods, people, and diseases between hemispheres.

What crops moved to Europe from the Americas?

Potatoes, maize, tomatoes.

What disease devastated Indigenous Americans?

Smallpox.

What labor system exploited Indigenous Americans?

Encomienda.

What labor system replaced Indigenous labor?

African chattel slavery.

What was the Middle Passage?

The brutal journey of enslaved Africans.

What trade system linked three continents?

Triangular trade.

What were plantations?

Large farms using enslaved labor.

What was the casta system?

Racial hierarchy in Spanish colonies.

What global impact did silver have?

Fueled global trade, especially with China.

What were the Manila Galleons?

Pacific trade route linking Asia and the Americas.

What was syncretism in the Americas?

Blending of Indigenous, African, and Christian beliefs.

What is the main focus of Unit 5?

Political revolutions and nationalism from c. 1750–1900.

What was the Enlightenment?

A movement emphasizing reason and natural rights.

Who argued for natural rights?

John Locke.

What are natural rights?

Life, liberty, and property.

Who promoted separation of powers?

Montesquieu.

What is nationalism?

Loyalty to a shared national identity.

What revolution created the United States?

The American Revolution.

What document declared U.S. independence?

The Declaration of Independence.

What revolution overthrew the French monarchy?

The French Revolution.

What was the Reign of Terror?

Mass executions during the French Revolution.

Who was Napoleon Bonaparte?

French leader who spread revolutionary ideals.

What was the Haitian Revolution?

A successful slave revolt against France.

Who led the Haitian Revolution?

Toussaint L’Ouverture.

Why was the Haitian Revolution significant?

First independent Black republic.

Who led Latin American independence?

Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín.

Who benefited most from Latin American revolutions?

Creoles.

What was a major effect of revolutions?

The spread of nationalism and republicanism.