Honors World Studies: Spring Semester Review Notes

Unit V: Rome

  • Key People:

    • Julius Caesar

    • Octavian/Augustus

  • Government & Society:

    • Republic: A system of government with elected officials.

      • Senate: A council of wealthy and powerful Romans who helped govern the Republic.

      • Assembly: A group of Roman citizens who had the power to pass laws.

      • Consuls: Two chief executives elected to jointly rule the republic.

    • Empire: A form of government where a single person (emperor) has supreme power.

    • Plebians: Common Roman citizens.

    • Patricians: Wealthy, landowning Roman citizens.

  • Conflict:

    • Punic Wars: A series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage.

Unit V: Africa

  • Geography:

    • Griot: A West African storyteller and oral historian.

    • Bantu: A group of people who spread their language and culture throughout Africa.

    • Mansa Musa: A famous and wealthy ruler of the Mali Empire.

    • Sahara: The largest hot desert in the world, located in North Africa.

    • Sahel: The transition zone between the Sahara Desert and the Savannah.

    • Savannah: A grassy plain in tropical and subtropical regions, with few trees.

    • Mediterranean: The sea located north of Africa.

    • Rain Forest: A dense forest rich in biodiversity, found in regions with heavy rainfall.

    • Oasis: A fertile spot in a desert where water is found.

    • Desertification: The process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.

    • Deforestation: The clearing of forests for other uses.

  • AKSUM:

    • Stele(ae)/Obelisks: Tall, narrow, four-sided monuments.

    • Bet Giyorgis (Church of St. George): A famous rock-cut church in Ethiopia.

    • Ge’ez: The ancient language of Ethiopia.

    • Adulis: A major port city of the Aksum Kingdom.

    • Trade: Aksum traded with various regions, which had a significant effect on its economy and culture.

      • What: Goods exchanged.

      • With who: Regions and civilizations Aksum traded with.

      • Effect: Impact of trade on Aksum.

    • Christianity: became the state religion of Aksum.

    • Terraces: Stepped platforms built into the mountainside to create more land for farming.

  • MALI:

    • Timbuktu: A major city in Mali, a center of trade and learning.

    • Islam: The religion that Mansa Musa practiced and promoted in Mali.

    • Hajj: The pilgrimage to Mecca, which Mansa Musa famously made.

      • Mansa Musa's Hajj: His pilgrimage to Mecca brought attention to Mali's wealth and culture.

    • Trade: Mali engaged in extensive trade.

      • What: Goods traded by Mali.

      • With who: Regions and civilizations Mali traded with.

      • Effect: Impact of trade on Mali.

    • Trans-Saharan routes: Trade routes across the Sahara Desert.

    • Mosques: Places of worship for Muslims, built in Mali.

Unit VI: The Americas

  • Olmec: An ancient civilization that developed in Mesoamerica.

  • Maya: A Mesoamerican civilization known for its advancements in mathematics, astronomy, and writing.

  • Aztecs: A powerful empire in central Mexico.

  • Inca: A large empire in South America.

  • Anasazi: An ancient Native American culture that lived in the Southwestern United States.

  • Cahokia: A major Mississippian culture center located in present-day Illinois.

  • Stimulus Multiple choice questions

Unit VII: Change in Europe – Renaissance & Reformation (MIDDLE AGES AS CONTEXT)

  • RENAISSANCE:

    • Castiglione, The Courtier: A book about ideal courtly behavior.

    • Michelangelo: An Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and poet.

    • Donatello: An Italian Renaissance sculptor.

    • daVinci: An Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, inventor, etc.

    • Raphael: An Italian Renaissance painter and architect.

    • Petrarch: An Italian scholar and poet in Renaissance Italy, who was one of the earliest humanists.

    • Machiavelli, The Prince: A political treatise on how to acquire and maintain power.

    • Christian Humanists: Renaissance humanists who emphasized religious reform.

      • Thomas More, Utopia: A book describing an ideal society.

      • Erasmus, In Praise of Folly: A satirical essay.

    • William Shakespeare: An English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language.

    • Johann Gutenberg: A German inventor who introduced printing to Europe.

  • REFORMATION:

    • Martin Luther: A German theologian who started the Protestant Reformation.

    • Henry VIII: King of England who broke away from the Catholic Church.

    • Elizabeth I: Queen of England who established the Church of England.

    • John Calvin: An influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation.

    • Charles V: Holy Roman Emperor during the Reformation.

    • Ignatius of Loyola: A Spanish priest and theologian who founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).

    • Jesuits: A Catholic religious order.

    • (EMA → LMA, Ordeals, Serfs, Feudalism, Manor, Black Death, Power of Church): Context from the Early Middle Ages (EMA) to the Late Middle Ages (LMA).

  • Middle Ages Context:

    • Ordeals: A trial by combat or physical endurance to determine guilt or innocence.

    • Serfs: Agricultural laborers bound under the feudal system to work on their lord's estate.

    • Feudalism: The dominant social system in medieval Europe.

    • Manor: A landed estate.

    • Black Death: A devastating global epidemic of bubonic plague that struck Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s.

    • Power of Church: The significant influence of the Catholic Church in medieval society.

  • Renaissance:

    • Why Italy: Italy's city-states had the wealth, location, and classical heritage to foster the Renaissance.

  • Renaissance Values:

    • Humanism: A focus on human potential and achievement.

    • Secularism: A focus on worldly matters rather than religious ones.

    • Individualism: Emphasis on individual accomplishment.

    • Renaissance Man/Woman: A person with expertise in many areas.

    • Patron: A wealthy person who supports artists.

    • Perspective: An artistic technique used to create the illusion of depth on a flat surface.

    • Vernacular: The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region.

    • Fresco: A technique of mural painting executed upon freshly-laid, or wet lime plaster.

    • Realism: The attribute of accepting the facts of life and favoring practicality and literal truth

    • Northern Renaissance: The Renaissance that occurred in Europe north of the Alps. Before 1497, Italian Renaissance humanism had little influence outside Italy. The term "Northern Renaissance" refers to the changes in many European countries outside Italy.

    • Printing press: A machine for printing text or pictures from type or plates.

  • Reformation

    • Indulgence: A pardon for sins, sold by the Catholic Church.

    • 95 Theses: Martin Luther's list of complaints against the Catholic Church.

    • Diet of Worms: An assembly where Martin Luther was asked to recant his beliefs.

    • Protestant: A Christian who is not Catholic.

    • Lutheran: A follower of Martin Luther.

    • Council of Trent: A meeting of Catholic leaders to respond to the Reformation.

    • Excommunicate: To be formally excluded from the Catholic Church.

    • Anglican: Relating to the Church of England.

Unit VII: Change in Europe – Scientific Revolution & Enlightenment

  • Key Figures:

    • Copernicus: Developed the heliocentric theory.

    • Kepler: Discovered the laws of planetary motion.

    • Galileo: Made important discoveries in astronomy and physics.

    • Newton: Developed the laws of motion and universal gravitation.

    • Hobbes: Believed in a strong central government.

    • Locke: Advocated for natural rights.

    • Montesquieu: Promoted the separation of powers.

    • Rousseau: Emphasized the social contract.

    • Voltaire: Advocated for freedom of speech and religion.

    • Beccaria: Argued for the rights of criminals and against torture.

    • Wollstonecraft: Advocated for women's rights.

    • Frederick the Great: A Prussian king who embraced Enlightenment ideas.

    • Catherine the Great: A Russian empress who corresponded with Enlightenment thinkers.

  • Scientific Revolution:

    • Geocentric theory: The belief that the Earth is the center of the universe.

    • Heliocentric theory: The belief that the Sun is the center of the universe.

    • Scientific method: A systematic way of gathering and analyzing evidence.

  • Enlightenment:

    • Social Contract: An agreement between people and their government.

    • Natural rights: Rights that all people are born with, such as life, liberty, and property.

    • Separation of powers: The division of government into separate branches.

    • Salons: Social gatherings where Enlightenment thinkers discussed ideas.

Unit VIII: Exploration

  • Key Figures:

    • Prince Henry: A Portuguese prince who sponsored exploration.

    • Columbus: An Italian explorer who sailed for Spain and reached the Americas.

    • Magellan: A Portuguese explorer who led the first expedition to circumnavigate the world.

    • Vespucci: An Italian explorer who realized that the Americas were a new continent.

    • Da Gama: A Portuguese explorer who found a sea route to India.

    • Cortes: A Spanish conquistador who conquered the Aztecs.

    • Pizarro: A Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca.

    • Quetzalcoatl: An Aztec god.

    • Montezuma: The Aztec emperor when Cortes arrived.

    • Tenochtitlan: The capital city of the Aztec Empire.

    • Cuzco: The capital city of the Inca Empire.

  • Motivations for Exploration:

    • Gold, God, and Glory: Economic, religious, and political motivations.

  • Enabling Factors for Exploration:

    • New technologies: Such as the compass, astrolabe, and caravel.

  • Impact of Exploration:

    • Columbian Exchange: The exchange of plants, animals, and diseases between the Old World and the New World.

    • Colonization: The establishment of colonies in new territories.

  • Julius Caesar: Key military and political leader, played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire.

  • Octavian/Augustus: The first Roman emperor, established the Roman Empire after the Roman Republic and implemented many reforms that helped Rome prosper.