Unit 2 Test IHS Sacacian HWH 9

Q: What is a commodity?

A: A material, good, or resource that can be traded, bought, or sold (e.g., silk, gold, glass).

Q: Define exotic.

A: Originating from a distant country; strikingly different or unusual.

Q: What is feudalism?

A: A social system where people worked for nobles in exchange for land and protection.

Q: What does zeal mean?

A: Great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause (often negative when fanatical).

Q: Define caravan.

A: A group of traders traveling together, often across long trade routes.

Q: What does stagnant mean?

A: Lacking development or progress; motionless or dull.

Q: What is a monarchy?

A: A government ruled by one person whose position is inherited (e.g., kings, queens).

Q: Define cash crop.

A: A crop grown for profit rather than for personal use (e.g., sugar, cotton, tobacco)

Q: What was the Silk Road, and why did it form?

A: A trade network from China to the Mediterranean (130 BCE–1453 CE) formed for profit, political, and cultural exchange.

Q: How did the Silk Road influence global interactions?

A: Increased cultural, economic, and technological exchange across Eurasia.

Q: What was the Trans-Saharan trade route?

A: A trade network linking West Africa to North Africa and the Mediterranean (1200–1450 CE).

Q: Why did the Trans-Saharan route form?

A: Gold from West Africa and salt from North Africa encouraged trade.

Q: How did the Trans-Saharan route affect global interactions?

A: Spread Islam, encouraged cultural exchange, and inspired European exploration. Created wealthy empires like Mali and Songhai, and made cities like Timbuktu cultural centers.

Q: What were the Indian Ocean trade routes?

A: Sea routes connecting East Africa, the Middle East, India, and China (1200–1450 CE)

Q: Why did Indian Ocean routes form?

A: Predictable monsoon winds, new navigation tech, and demand for luxury goods.

Q: How did Indian Ocean trade influence global interaction?

A: Spread religions, promoted peace, and boosted technological and agricultural exchange. These routes linked major port cities like Calicut (India), Malacca (Southeast Asia), and Quanzhou (China).

Q: Who were the Mongols?

A: Nomadic people who built the largest unified land empire under Genghis Khan.

Q: Why were the Mongols successful?

A: Strong leadership, military tactics, unity, and tolerance (Pax Mongolia).

Q: In what ways were the Mongols barbaric?

A: Mass killings, destruction of cities, torture, and ruthless conquests.

Q: How were the Mongols advancers of civilization?

A: Promoted trade, accepted religions, created fair laws, built roads, and established the postal system.

Q: What was Pax Mongolia?

A: A period of peace and stability under Mongol rule promoting trade and cultural exchange.

Q: Why was Medieval Europe considered stagnant?

A: Limited cultural, scientific, and economic progress; dominated by farming and religion.

Q: What were the key institutions in Medieval Europe?

A: The Roman Catholic Church and the Feudal System.

Q: How did feudalism impact society?

A: Created a rigid hierarchy with limited mobility and freedom.

Q: What was the Black (Bubonic) Plague?

A: A deadly disease that killed nearly one-third of Europe’s population in the 1340s.

Q: How did the Black Plague spread so rapidly?

A: Through trade routes, poor sanitation, and lack of knowledge about germs.

Q: What were the effects of the Black Death on Europe?

A: Labor shortages, decline of feudalism, and weakened Church authority

Q: What were the Crusades?

A: Religious wars between Christians and Muslims over control of the Holy Land (≈200 years).

Q: What motivated the Crusades?

A: Religious zeal, wealth, power, and adventure.

Q: What was the impact of the Crusades?

A: Strengthened monarchs and the Church, hurt economies, and deepened Christian-Muslim conflict.

Q: What were the Americas like before Europeans arrived?

A: Home to advanced civilizations (Maya, Aztec, Inca) with architecture, roads, and agriculture.

Q: What were some major achievements of American civilizations?

A: Architecture, astronomy, farming, and complex social systems.

Q: Why did Europeans seek new trade routes to Asia?

A: To get spices and goods more cheaply. The Ottoman Empire blocked land routes.

Q: What are the three G’s of exploration?

A: Gold (wealth), God (religious conversion), and Glory (power and fame).

Q: Reason for “gold”?

A: Wanted fast water routes to obtain commodities at a lower price than land routes.

Q: Reason for “glory”?

A: European monarchs wanted to increase their power through land control and strengthening their economies. Competition between European powers led to more aggressive exploration and conquest.

Q: Reason for “god”?

A: Christian religious zeal led to (often forced) conversion of native people.

Q: How did Europeans conquer the Americas?

A: Through superior weapons, horses, diseases, writing, and new crops/systems.

Q: What was the Columbian Exchange?

A: The global transfer of crops, animals, diseases, and people between the Old and New Worlds.

Q: What went from the Old World → New World?

A: Horses, cattle, wheat, sugar, and deadly diseases.

Q: What went from the New World → Old World?

A: Corn, potatoes, tomatoes, cacao, tobacco — improving diets and populations.

Q: What was the Triangular Trade?

A: A 3-part trade network connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas (1500s–1800s).

Q: What was traded on each leg of the Triangular Trade?

A:
1. Europe → Africa: Goods for enslaved people
2. Africa → Americas: Enslaved Africans (Middle Passage)
3. Americas → Europe: Raw materials

Q: What was the Transatlantic Slave Trade?

A: The forced transport of 12 million Africans to the Americas.

Q: What was the Middle Passage?

A: The brutal sea journey enslaved Africans endured from Africa to the Americas. 10-20% of slaves died before making it to the Americas.

Q: How did these events impact the New World?

A: Indigenous deaths, rise of slavery, economic growth, and cultural blending.

Q: How did these events impact the Old World?

A: Europe gained wealth; Africa lost population and stability; the world became more connected.