AP World History all units review

Flashcards covering the key topics from AP World History Unit 1 (Part 2), including the Americas, Africa, and Medieval Europe.

What type of government did the Mayans have, and how was it structured?

City-states ruled by kings who claimed to be descendants of gods, a theocracy with no central government.

How did the Aztecs govern their empire?

City-states grouped into provinces, ruled by an emperor considered a divine representative, using tribute for control.

What was the Inca's system of governance and how did they maintain control?

Four provinces each with a governor and bureaucracy, linked by roads for military travel, and using the mita system for managing the population.

What were some of the Mayans' key innovations and technologies?

Concept of zero, writing system with glyphs, linking science and religion with astronomy, and a calendar for war decisions.

What technological advancements did the Aztecs develop?

Aqueducts for water, pyramid architecture, and floating gardens called chinampas.

What innovations did the Inca use to manage their empire's resources and infrastructure?

Quipu system for numeric records, terrace farming for crops, and the Carpa Nan road network with bridges.

How did the Mayans manage their economy?

Taxes paid as tribute (crops, etc.) and reliance on trade with city-states.

Describe the Aztec tribute system and its function.

The capital collected crops, sacrifices, etc., from provinces and redistributed as needed, with special merchants (Pochteca) trading luxury goods.

What was the Inca's Mita System and how did it function economically?

Mandatory public service on things like roads, with limited trade.

What role did sacrifices play in Mayan religious practices?

Sacrifices were used during religious ceremonies, and temples were built for gods; they were polytheistic.

Describe the religious practices of the Aztecs.

Religion was important and polytheistic, featuring more human sacrifice than the Mayans or Inca.

How did the Inca incorporate religion into their society?

Less sacrifice than the Aztecs, but they sacrificed children; their religion was polytheistic and animistic, with ancestor veneration and temples for gods.

What were the geographical regions inhabited by the Mayans, Aztecs and Inca?

Mayans: Southern Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Guatemala. Aztecs: Same location as Mayans, utilizing aqueducts and chinampas. Inca: Mountainous terrain in what is now Peru, necessitating terraced farming and roadways.

What were the key social roles and structures within Mayan society?

Kings and priests were most important, war was typical between city-states, citizens participated in the military, and women could rule without a male heir.

What roles did women play in Aztec society?

Women could be wives, priestesses, midwives, healers, merchants, and sometimes scribes.

Describe the social hierarchy of the Aztecs.

Emperor (Great Speaker) at the top, then land-owning nobles, scribes and healers, craftspeople and traders, peasants and soldiers, and finally slaves.

How did the Inca organize their labor system?

No tribute, just a labor system; priests were important.

What factors contributed to the decline of the Mayan civilization?

Disruption of trade, famine, deforestation, and excessive warfare.

Why did the Aztec empire decline?

Rebellion against tribute and sacrifice, disease, and violence from the Spanish.

What events led to the decline of the Inca empire?

Division after the death of the emperor, leading to civil war, diseases, and violence from the Spaniards.

What forms of government were common in Africa?

Kin-based networks that evolved into larger kingdoms like the Hausa Kingdoms, with centralized governments in Ghana and Mali.

What were the key achievements of African societies like Zimbabwe and Ethiopia?

Iron metallurgy, Swahili language (blend of Bantu and Arabic), and stone architecture without mortar (Zimbabwe).

What trade routes were important in Africa, and what goods were traded?

Trans-Sahara Trade Route (linking West Africa to the Middle East) and Indian Ocean Trade (linking East Africa to the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia). Goods traded included gold, ivory, and salt.

What was the main religion in Africa and how it spread?

Religious traditions were mainly animistic, yet Christianity and Islam spread to Africa.

How did geography influence settlement in North, West, East and Central Africa?

North: desert, arid, impacts trade routes. West: grasslands, many settle there. East: coastal regions connected to Indian Ocean trade. Central: rainforest.

What was the social structure of African societies?

Organized around kinship, age, and gender, with elders and males holding more respect (patriarchy). Men had specialized jobs, while women did agricultural and domestic jobs (unless griottes).

What types of slavery existed in Africa before European involvement?

Chattel, domestic, and debt bondage.

What factors led to the decline of African societies?

Agricultural issues (ex. Zimbabwe with overgrazing) or overfarming; decline also due to warfare.

What was feudalism and how did it influence Medieval Europe?

Feudalism (kings, lords, knights, serfs) was the basis of the political, economic, and social system.

What innovations emerged in Medieval Europe?

Three Field System (leads to more people) and use of guns and gunpowder from Asia.

How did the economy of Medieval Europe evolve?

Europe was mostly agricultural, but began expanding in exploration due to the Crusades and explorers like Marco Polo, leading to a new middle class (bourgeoisie/burghers).

What religious divisions and conflicts occurred in Medieval Europe?

Great Schism (Roman Catholic Church in West, Orthodox Church in East) and Crusades (conflicts between Christianity and Islam).

What cultural and intellectual movements characterized Medieval Europe?

Renaissance (renewal of Greek and Latin arts, philosophy, literature).

How did environmental factors impact Medieval European society?

Due to increased trade, the Black Death (bubonic plague) spread, and the Little Ice Age (lower temperature) meant less agriculture, leading to more disease, unemployment, and crime.

What was the social structure like in Medieval Europe?

Feudalism defined the roles of king, lord, serf, and peasant, with antisemitism toward Jews and discrimination against Muslims. Society was patriarchal, with women primarily having a role in the church.