Key Concepts in World History: Empires, Revolutions, and Cultural Exchanges

What two American empires were conquered by the Spanish?

Aztec and Inca

What is the Casta System?

A racial and social hierarchy in colonial Latin America privileging Spanish-born elites over mixed-race populations and Africans.

Name two causes of the French Revolution.

Social Inequality (Estates System) and Absolute Monarchy

What is one major cause of the Protestant Reformation?

Church corruption

What is the Columbian Exchange?

The global transfer of plants, animals, people, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds.

What is the Communist Manifesto?

A book by Karl Marx calling for a violent workers' revolution and a classless society.

What is decolonization?

Nationalist uprisings and resistance movements in Africa leading to Europeans giving up control of their territories.

Name one important effect of the Industrial Revolution.

Urbanization

What was the Encomienda System?

A Spanish colonial practice where natives were forced into labor under the guise of protection and conversion.

Why was Europeans' experience with domesticated animals important in their conquest of the Americas?

It provided immunity to diseases.

True or False: The philosophes of the Enlightenment generally believed the best form of government was direct democracy.

False

What was the Gold-Salt Trade?

A trade network in West Africa exchanging gold and salt, essential for survival and wealth.

How did scientists during the Scientific Revolution determine truth?

Observation and experimentation

What is individualism?

A Renaissance value emphasizing personal achievement, expression, and human potential.

What is Islam?

A major world religion that spread into Africa via trade routes.

Who improved the steam engine during the Industrial Revolution?

James Watt

What is laissez-faire?

An economic policy advocating minimal government interference in business.

What is one of the two African nations that maintained independence during the Scramble for Africa?

Liberia

What are lineage groups?

Extended family networks forming the bedrock of African social structure.

Who wrote the 95 Theses?

Martin Luther

What is one thing that the Aztec, Maya, and Inca civilizations had in common?

They were urban and polytheistic.

Name one reason why European countries pursued imperialism.

Desire for resources

What was the Partition of India?

The 1947 division of British India into India and Pakistan.

Which group is on the far left of a traditional political spectrum?

Radicals

What is the Renaissance?

A cultural rebirth in Europe focused on classical learning and artistic innovation.

What geographic feature serves as a divide between Northern and Southern Africa?

Sahara Desert

What does Satyagraha mean?

Nonviolent civil disobedience

What is secularism?

A focus on worldly matters rather than religious ones.

What was the Sepoy Rebellion?

A revolt by Indian soldiers against British rule in 1857.

Who was Simon Bolivar?

A key leader in Latin America's independence movements.

What disease devastated Native American populations after European contact?

Smallpox

What agricultural product in the West Indies created demand for enslaved African labor?

Sugar

According to the 'One China Principle,' what is Taiwan considered?

Part of the People's Republic of China.

What is The Social Contract?

The idea that people agree to government authority for protection of rights.

What is Timbuktu known for?

Being a center of trade and Islamic scholarship.

What is the Triangular Trade?

A transatlantic trading network connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas.