Lucy AP Euro Midterm Study Guide

AP European History Midterm Study Guide

Classical Era AP Time Periods (1450-1648)

  • Important Time Periods:

    • 1648-1815

    • 1815-1914

    • 1914-present

  • Dating Systems:

    • BC/AD not universally used due to non-Christian populations.

      • BC (Before Christ) is often referred to as BCE (Before Common Era).

      • AD (Anno Domini) becomes CE (Common Era).

  • Timeline Reading:

    • Years 1-100 = 1st Century, Year 150 is in the 2nd Century, etc.

    • Example: 2024 = 21st Century.

The Classical Civilization (Greeks and Romans)

  • Greeks:

    • Emerged around 3000 BC along river valleys (e.g., Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, China).

    • Classical era spans 500 BC to 500 AD, with Mediterranean influence.

    • City-states on Greek Peninsula varied in government (monarchies, aristocracies, oligarchies).

      • Government Types:

        • Monarch: ruled by a king/queen.

        • Aristocracy: ruled by a privileged class.

        • Oligarchy: ruled by a group of wealthy citizens.

  • Romans:

    • Direct democracy was practiced in small units like Athens.

    • Ancient Greece was polytheistic and included various philosophies that influenced future western thought.

  • Cultural Legacy:

    • Influenced art, architecture (Greek columns), literature, philosophy, and science (geometry, astronomy).

The Roman Empire (27 BC - 500 AD)

  • Significant Events:

    • Empire expanded through conquests and cultural exchanges, assimilating Greek culture and language into Latin.

  • Political Structure:

    • Representative democracy; Roman Republic allowed only the elite to vote, influencing modern democratic ideas (e.g., U.S. government).

The Middle Ages (Medieval Era, Dark Ages)

Overview

  • Timeframe: 500 AD – early 1400s, overlapping Renaissance.

  • Characterized by chaos after the fall of Rome, dominated by a religious mindset (Christianity).

Feudalism

  • Land was exchanged for loyalty and protection. Structure was hierarchical:

    • King: owned all land.

    • Lords: governed land and collected taxes from serfs/peasants.

    • Knights: offered protection.

    • Serfs/Peasants: bound to the land, worked it for survival.

The Crusades

  • Religious conflicts aimed at reclaiming the Holy Land. Motivations included the desire for forgiveness, wealth, and territorial gain.

  • Outcomes were disastrous for Christians and left lingering animosity among different religious cultures.

The Renaissance and New Monarchs

Beginning of the Renaissance

  • Characterized by a revival of classical Greek and Roman thought, emphasizing human potential (humanism), empirical study (rationalism), and secularism.

Key Figures and Ideas

  • Francesco Petrarch: Established critical study of classical texts.

  • Humanism: Artists and thinkers focused on human experience and achievements.

The Protestant Reformation

Causes and Effects

  • Key Figures: Martin Luther and John Calvin influenced public opinion against church corruption.

  • Ideas spread rapidly via the printing press, leading to an increase in various sects and civil unrest (German Peasants' Revolt).

The Role of Women and Slavery During Enlightenment

  • Philosophers often viewed gender roles as fixed and limited, supporting domesticity.

  • Enlightenment thinkers were largely hypocritical regarding slavery, as economic reliance on enslaved labor persisted despite advocating for freedoms.

Economic Effects of the Age of Exploration

  • Established systems like mercantilism, with colonies providing raw materials for their mother countries.

  • Joint-stock companies emerged as a means to raise funds for voyages, leading to exploration and exploitation of resources in the Americas.

Conclusion

  • The interplay of social, political, and religious changes from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment laid the foundation for modern Europe, with lasting implications in governance, economics, and society.