Social Studies Final Exam Review Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering world religions, historical periods, political systems, and key figures for a social studies final exam.

Torah

Holy Scripture in Jewish tradition consisting of the first 5 books.

Ten Commandments

A moral code of conduct in the Jewish and Christian traditions.

Five Pillars

The core principles of Islam that provide guidance for life.

Quran (Koran)

The holy scriptures of Islam, including the writings of Muhammad's words.

Forbidden City

The new capital established by the Ming Dynasty to create a separation between the Emperor and his subjects.

Spanish Armada

A legendary fleet sent to attack Elizabeth's England in 1588 which suffered huge losses due to bad weather.

Balance of Power

England's foreign policy under Elizabeth based on the belief that security is achieved if no one nation is too powerful.

Divine Right

The belief that the power to rule comes from God and that kings are God's lieutenants on Earth.

Absolutism

A political policy in which all power is held in the hands of a single absolute leader.

Louis XIV

French King from 1660 to 1715 who built Versailles, depleted the treasury, and persecuted the Huguenots.

Peter the Great

Russian ruler from 1689 to 1725 remembered for Westernization, a warm water port, and establishing St. Petersburg.

Dharma

A key concept in Hinduism tied to the caste system and one's duties.

Nirvana

The state of enlightenment sought by followers of Buddhism.

Animism

The belief that a soul or spirit exists in every object, found in African and Native American cultures.

Kami

The spirits contained in all objects according to the Shinto belief system.

Johannes Gutenberg

The inventor of the Printing Press who revolutionized the spread of information in Europe.

Renaissance

Europe's 'Golden Age' where people were encouraged to question tradition, inspired by the growth of towns.

Humanism

A philosophy focusing on the importance of the individual and the role of human beings in the world.

Commercial Revolution

The dramatic change in economies and business resulting from the Age of Exploration, including the growth of Joint-stock companies.

Mercantilism

An economic system where colonies provide raw materials for a mother country that sells manufactured products abroad.

Code of Bushido

Known as 'the way of the warrior,' it is the ethics observed by the Samurai class in Japan.

Pax Romana

A period of relative peace and stability in the Roman Empire characterized by roads, aqueducts, and architecture.

The Great Schism

The 1054 event that established a separate Greek church within the Byzantine Empire.

Gold for Salt trade

Main path of cultural diffusion between West Africa and the Mediterranean world in the 9th and 10th centuries.

Magna Carta

A document signed in 1215 that established the Great Council and basic democratic political rights.

Desiderius Erasmus

A Christian humanist who wrote 'The Praise of Folly' and was critical of Renaissance Popes' lifestyles.

Martin Luther

The 'father of reformation' who wrote the 95 Theses and translated the Bible into German.

Predestination

The belief associated with John Calvin that God has already determined who will be among the 'Elect'.

Manorialism

An economic system of loyalties and land exchange popular in medieval Europe and 16th-17th century Japan.

Cuneiform

The written language of the Sumerians that used pictographs.

Neolithic Revolution

The shift from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a permanent agricultural lifestyle.

Traditional economy

An economic system where the majority of people are subsistence farmers.

Tithe

A tax collected by the Roman Catholic Church from its members.

Excommunication

The act of being kicked out of the church, which prevented a person from receiving the Sacraments.

The Black Death

A mid-1300s epidemic that arrived in Italy in 1347, leading to massive labor shortages and inflation.

Marco Polo

A traveler to Kublai Khan's court whose book 'Description of the World' encouraged European travel and trade.

Legalism

A philosophy founded by Hanfeizi that emphasizes strict laws and harsh punishments.

Filial Piety

The Confucian concept of respect for elders and parents above all else.

Hellenistic Culture

A new culture created as a result of Alexander the Great's vast empire.