AP World History Vocabulary and Themes

Vocabulary terms and historical themes derived from AP World History lecture notes.

Information prior to 1200 C.E.

Not explicitly tested on the AP exam, but provides crucial context for understanding later developments in human history.

Autonomy (autonomous)

The right or power to govern oneself; self-determination

Bias

A prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another. Bias is often unconscious.

Capitalism

An economic system based on private ownership of the means of production (land, labor, raw materials, tools, etc), open competition, and desire for profit [opposite of socialism]

Civilization

Complex society with a permanent location, urban areas, specialization of labor, social classes, and advanced technology

Coercion

To force or compel someone. For example, coercive labor systems included slavery, serfdom, indentured servitude, mit'a and encomienda.

Colony

A foreign territory ruled by a "parent" state

Cosmopolitan

Consisting of a group of people or cultures from around the world; a diverse, multi-cultural or multi-ethnic community

Democracy

A government where the citizens exercise political power through voting

Demographics

The statistical characteristics of human populations (e.g. size, fertility rate, death rate, growth/decline rate, income levels, education levels)

Determinism

The belief that all events, including human action, are ultimately determined by causes external to the human will (e.g. environmental or economic factors determine human history).

Diaspora

The breaking up and scattering of a people (result of migration)

Diffusion

The spread of cultural traditions from one area or group of people to another

Empire

A group of territories or peoples (often conquered) ruled by a single sovereign authority (emperor)

Franchise (enfranchisement)

the right to vote; any right or freedom granted by the government

Gender

The behavioral and cultural traits typically associated with one sex (male or female)

Genocide

The deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular ethnic group or nation with the aim of destroying that group or nation.

Globalization

The process of developing economic, cultural and political integration across national borders

Hegemony

Dominant influence or authority over others

Hierarchy

The classification (or ranking) of people based on economic, social or professional standing; system of social classes

Human Agency

The idea that humans can control their actions, and that humans can take actions that shape history.

Ideology

A deeply held set of ideas, especially relating to human life, culture, or government

Indigenous

Native to a region or area. (i.e. the region's indigenous people).

Matrilineal Society (Matriarchy)

A society in which women are considered the head of the family and where lineage and inheritance are traced from the mother.

Millennium (plural= millennia)

A period of 1,000 years

Monarchy

A government ruled by a single person, typically chosen from a royal family or dynasty

Neolithic Revolution

The transition of humans from living as nomadic, hunter-gatherers to living in sedentary, agricultural communities. It began approximately 8000 B.C.E., following the end of the last ice age, and would lead to the emergence of civilizations.

Nomad

A person whose society sustains itself by moving from place to place. Pastoralists are nomads who move from place to place to allow their animals to graze.

Oligarchy

A government ruled by a small group of elites

Omit

To leave something unstated (often on purpose)

Patriarchy

A society marked by the supremacy of the father, legal dependence of wives and children, and inheritance through the male line

Primary Source

A historical document created at the time of the historical event that is being studied. Generally, primary sources were recorded by people who experienced the event.

Revolution

A dramatic change in ways of thinking and behaving; the overthrow of a ruler or political system

Rural

Relating to the countryside [opposite of urban]

Secondary Source

A historical source that was created after the time of the historical event that is being studied (a journal article, book, textbook or documentary).

Socialism

An economic system based on public ownership of the means of production (land, labor, raw materials, tools, etc), sharing of resources, and the desire to create economic equality. The extreme form of socialism is Communism.

Sovereignty (sovereign)

Supreme authority within territorial boundaries

Spatial (spatially)

Relating to, or occupying space; "across space"

Specialization

Process of becoming trained or designed for one particular purpose or occupation

State

An area with its own independent government [NOTE: "state" can refer to the place (country) or the government]

Suffrage

The legal right to vote

Syncretism

The blending of two or more religious or cultural traditions

Temporal (temporally)

Relating to the sequence of time; "over time"

Urban

Relating to a city

Xenophobia

Fear of foreigners or people from different cultural or ethnic backgrounds

ESCPTE

Pronounced "escaped", an acronym for the Six Themes of World History: Economic, Social, Cultural, Political, Technological, and Environmental.

Economic Theme (AP World History)

Creation and interaction of economic systems (i.e. trade, agriculture, labor)

Social Theme (AP World History)

Social interactions and organization (often involving hierarchies based on class, gender, ethnicity & religion)

Cultural Theme (AP World History)

Cultural developments and interactions (i.e. religion, traditions, language, arts, architecture, food)

Political Theme (AP World History)

Governance, state-building, expansion, conflict (i.e. governments, empire, revolution)

Technological Theme (AP World History)

Human adaptation & innovation (i.e. tools, transportation, communication, production)

Environmental Theme (AP World History)

Interaction between humans and environment (i.e. farming, irrigation, migration, demography, disease, settlement)