Socials 8 Exam Study Guide

The Black Plague (1347-1351)

• Symptoms:

  • Fever

  • Fatigue

  • Swollen buboes

  • Blackened skin

• Spread: Fleas on rats via trade ships from Asia to Europe.

• Significance:

  • Killed up to 1/3 of Europe's population.

  • Labor shortages led to higher wages and decline of feudalism.

  • People began questioning the Church, turning to science.

The Crusades (1096-1291)

• Why: Pope Urban II called Christians to reclaim Jerusalem.

• Events: First Crusade was somewhat successful; later ones failed.

• Impact:

  • Increased trade and cultural exchange.

  • Heightened religious tensions among Christians, Muslims, Jews.

Cultural Exchange from the Middle East

• Europe gained:

  • Preserved classical knowledge, math (algebra), medicine, astronomy.

  • Goods like silk, sugar, coffee.

  • Tools like the astrolabe and advanced navigation.

The Renaissance (1300s-1600s)

• Started in Florence, Italy.

• Humanism: Focus on individual achievement and reason.

• Key figures: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Medici Family.

• Led to more secular ideas and scientific progress.

Scientific Revolution (1500s-1600s)

• Key Ideas: Reason, observation, experimentation.

• Figures: Copernicus (heliocentric theory), Galileo, Newton.

• Legacy: Modern science and critical thinking.

Printing Press & Reformation

• Printing Press (Gutenberg, c. 1440): Spread ideas quickly.

• Martin Luther (1517): 95 Theses against Church corruption.

• Effects:

  • Protestant churches formed.

  • Church power declined.

  • Bible became widely accessible.

Catholic Counter-Reformation

• Council of Trent: Reaffirmed doctrine, reformed corruption.

• Jesuits: Missionary educators defending Catholicism.

• St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre: Religious violence in France.

Age of Exploration (1400s-1600s)

• Motivations: God, Gold, Glory.

• Technologies: Compass, astrolabe, caravels, maps.

• Results: European expansion and colonization, spread of disease.

Trade Networks

• Silk Road: Linked China to Europe (silk, spices).

• Indian Ocean: Linked Africa, India, Asia (gold, spices).

  • East to West: Spices, silk, paper.

  • West to East: Silver, wool, gold.

Summary Themes

• Disease, trade, and war reshape societies.

• Ideas and tech spread via trade and printing.

• Individualism and secularism rise.

• Religious reform changes Europe.

• Exploration connects and exploits the world.