World History Review

General Terms

  • Egalitarian: Belief in equality.
  • Neolithic Revolution: Hunting to farming.
  • Xenophobia: Fear of foreigners.
  • Manorialism: Peasants work land for a lord.
  • Three Estates: French social classes.
  • Gold, Glory, God: European exploration motives.

Religions/Philosophies

  • Hinduism: India, Vedas, no founder, c. 1500 BCE.
  • Buddhism: India/Nepal, Tripitaka, Buddha, c. 500s BCE.
  • Confucianism: China, Analects, Confucius, c. 500s BCE.
  • Daoism: China, Tao Te Ching, Laozi, c. 500s BCE.
  • Islam: Arabian Peninsula, Quran, Muhammad, 610 CE.
  • Judaism: Middle East, Torah, Abraham/Moses, c. 1800 BCE.
  • Legalism: China, Han Feizi, Han Fei/Shang Yang, c. 400s-300s BCE.
  • Christianity: Roman Judea, Bible, Jesus/Paul, c. 30 CE.

China (Han Dynasty)

  • Political: Centralized, civil service exams, Emperor as "Son of Heaven".
  • Economic: Agriculture, Silk Road trade, state monopolies, tech innovations.
  • Religious: Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism, ancestor worship.
  • Social: Hierarchical, patriarchy, filial piety.
  • Intellectual: Confucian classics, astronomy, medicine, engineering, paper.
  • Artistic: Silk, lacquerware, jade, bronze, painting, calligraphy.
  • Area: East Asia, Yellow & Yangtze River valleys.

Delhi Sultanates (1206–1526 CE)

  • Political: Islamic rule in northern India, centralized.
  • Economic: Agriculture, trade with Central Asia/Middle East/Southeast Asia, new crops/irrigation.
  • Religious: Islam, coexistence with Hinduism.
  • Social: Caste system, Islamic elites, Hindu majority, social stratification.
  • Intellectual: Persian literature, translation of texts, Indo-Islamic architecture.
  • Artistic: Indo-Islamic architecture (e.g., Qutb Minar), Persian-influenced art.
  • Area: Indian subcontinent, northern India.

Islamic World (7th–15th Century CE)

  • Political: Caliphates, decentralized rule, Sharia law.
  • Economic: Trade networks, urban centers, banking.
  • Religious: Islam, Quran, Five Pillars, Sunni/Shia.
  • Social: Class divisions, gender roles, slavery.
  • Intellectual: Golden Age, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, philosophy, Greek texts.
  • Artistic: Islamic architecture, calligraphy, geometric patterns.
  • Area: Middle East, North Africa, Spain, Central Asia, South Asia.

Medieval Europe (5th–15th Century CE)

  • Political: Feudal system, manorialism, Catholic Church.
  • Economic: Agriculture, limited trade, guilds, serfs, early banking.
  • Religious: Christianity, Catholic Church, monasticism, Crusades.
  • Social: Rigid class structure, chivalry, gender roles.
  • Intellectual: Scholasticism, universities, classical knowledge, limited science.
  • Artistic: Gothic architecture, illuminated manuscripts, religious paintings, polyphonic music.
  • Area: Western and Central Europe.

Mongols (13th–14th Century CE)

  • Political: Nomadic empire, centralized rule, postal system.
  • Economic: Silk Road control, tribute system, trade promotion.
  • Religious: Religious tolerance, shamanism.
  • Social: Merit-based promotion, social mobility, women’s role, diverse integration.
  • Intellectual: Learning encouragement, knowledge preservation.
  • Artistic: Persian/Chinese-influenced art, unique architecture.
  • Area: Eurasian steppe, China, Central Asia, Middle East, Eastern Europe.

Aztec Empire (14th–16th Century CE)

  • Political: Theocratic monarchy, tribute system, military expansion.
  • Economic: Agricultural economy, chinampas, tribute, trade networks.
  • Religious: Polytheistic, human sacrifices.

Major Trade Routes Comparison

  • Silk Road: China to Europe – Silk, porcelain
  • Trans-Saharan: West Africa to North Africa – Gold, salt
  • Indian Ocean: East Africa to Southeast Asia – Spices, textiles

Mesoamerica

  • Aztec Empire: Central Mexico, Tenochtitlán.
  • Inca Empire: Western South America, Cusco.

North America

  • Chaco Culture: Northwestern New Mexico, pueblo complexes.
  • Cahokia: Near St. Louis, Missouri, Mississippian city.

East Asia

  • Song Dynasty: China (960-1279 CE), Kaifeng/Hangzhou.

Eurasia

  • Mongol Empire: Sea of Japan to Eastern Europe.

South Asia

  • Delhi Sultanates: Northern India (13th-16th centuries), Delhi.

Europe

  • Medieval Europe: 5th-late 15th century, feudalism, Christianity.

Spread of Buddhism

  • Silk Road: Monks to Central Asia/China.
  • Maritime Routes: Sea routes to Southeast Asia.

Hinduism and Buddhism in Southeast Asia

  • Hinduism: Indian traders to Srivijaya/Majapahit.
  • Buddhism: Indian missionaries to Cambodia/Thailand.

Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia

  • Sub-Saharan Africa: Trans-Saharan trade to Mali/Ghana.
  • Asia: Arab traders, Delhi Sultanate, Mughal Empire.

Agricultural Advances

  • Chinampa Field Systems (Aztecs): Floating gardens, boosted food/population in Tenochtitlán.
  • Horse Collar (Medieval Europe): Increased farming efficiency/trade.
  • Three-Field Rotation (Medieval Europe): Maintained soil fertility/crop yields.

Labor/Organization

  • Free Peasant Agriculture: Europe, China. Economic independence, food surplus.
  • Nomadic Pastoralism: Central Asia, Mongol Empire. Mobility, trade, cultural spread.
  • Coerced or Unfree Labor: Ancient Rome, Americas. Inequality, fueled economies.
  • Feudalism/Serfdom: Medieval Europe, Japan. Rigid social structures.
  • Military Obligations: Medieval Europe, Japan. Support for rulers, power struggles.

Martin Luther

  • Challenged Catholic Church, Protestant Reformation.

Thirty Years War

  • Conflicts in Europe, Treaty of Westphalia redefined boundaries.

Balance of Power

  • Theory to prevent one nation from becoming too powerful.

Nation State

  • Defined territory, population, government, sovereignty (e.g., France, Japan).

Cortes and Pizarro

  • Spanish conquistadors, conquered Aztec and Inca Empires.

Middle Passage

  • Sea journey for enslaved Africans, high mortality.

Tsar

  • Title for Russian emperors.

Westernization

  • Adopting Western practices (e.g., Russia under Peter the Great).

Constantinople

  • Capital of Byzantine Empire, conquered by Ottomans.

Japanese Isolation

  • Tokugawa shogunate closed Japan to foreign influence.

Islamic World (Golden Age) Details

  • Social: Hierarchical society, some rights for women.
  • Political: Various caliphates, contested unity.
  • Interactions: Trade via Silk Road and Indian Ocean routes.
  • Cultural: Literature, art, architecture, science, mathematics, medicine.
  • Economic: Thrived through trade.
  • Technological: Advancements in math, astronomy, medicine, architecture.

Ming China Details

  • Social: Rigid class structure, emperor at top.
  • Political: Centralized, emperor state, civil service exams.
  • Interactions: Global trade via Silk Road and maritime routes.
  • Cultural: Flourishing of art, literature, Confucian scholarship.
  • Economic: Agriculture, crafts, trade.
  • Technological: Printing, navigation, ceramics.

Tokugawa Japan Details

  • Social: Feudal, rigid hierarchy (samurai, farmers, artisans).
  • Political: Tokugawa shogunate, military dictatorship, isolation.
  • Interactions: Limited trade with Dutch and Chinese.
  • Cultural: Kabuki theater, ukiyo-e, Zen Buddhism.
  • Economic: Agriculture, rice farming.
  • Technological: Agriculture (rice cultivation), metalworking.

Russia (Tsarist Russia) Details

  • Social: Hierarchical, serfs at bottom, nobles at top.
  • Political: Autocracy under tsar.
  • Interactions: Europe, Central Asia, Ottoman Empire.
  • Cultural: Orthodox Christian culture.
  • Economic: Agrarian, serfdom-based.
  • Technological: Modernization under Peter the Great.

Portuguese Maritime Empire Details

  • Social: Hierarchical, growing merchant class.
  • Political: Monarchy, colonies, naval presence.
  • Interactions: Europe, Africa, Asia.
  • Cultural: Christianity, influenced cuisine from Africa/Asia.
  • Economic: Trade in spices, sugar, slaves.
  • Technological: Navigational technology, caravel.

Spanish Maritime Empire Details

  • Social: Catholic influence, rigid class structure.
  • Political: Monarchy, viceroyalties, absolute monarchy.
  • Interactions: Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia.
  • Cultural: Catholicism, European traditions, Native American elements.
  • Economic: Extraction of gold/silver, agriculture.
  • Technological: Maritime technologies.

French Maritime Empire Details

  • Social: Feudal, French merchants gained power.
  • Political: Monarchy, colonies in Americas/Africa/Asia.
  • Interactions: Americas (Canada, Caribbean), Africa, India.
  • Cultural: French language, Catholicism.
  • Economic: Fur trade, sugar plantations.
  • Technological: Shipbuilding, naval techniques.

British Maritime Empire Details

  • Social: Hierarchical, merchant class grew, Industrial Revolution shifts.
  • Political: Constitutional monarchy, parliamentary system.
  • Interactions: Global, including North America, India, Africa.
  • Cultural: British & colonial cultural influences.
  • Economic: Trade in cotton, tobacco, sugar, Industrial Revolution fueled manufacturing.
  • Technological: Steamships, railroads, navigation tools.

Explorer Voyages and Their Routes

  • Christopher Columbus (1492-1504)
  • Bartolomeu Dias (1488)
  • Zheng He (1405-1433)
  • Ferdinand Magellan (1519-1522)
  • Vasco da Gama (1497-1499)
  • Triangle Trade (16th - 19th Century)

Columbian Exchange

  • Widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, diseases and ideas between the Americas and the Old World following Christopher Columbus's voyages.

Goods Exchanged

  • From the Americas
  • To the Americas

Influence of the Columbian Exchange

  • Impact on Old World: Agricultural Revolution, Dietary Changes, New Animals, Diseases
  • Impact on New World: Agricultural Changes, Ecological Changes, diseases

Caravel

  • Small, maneuverable ship.
  • Symbol: Triangular sails.

Carrack

  • Large, robust ship.
  • Symbol: Multi-deck ship with square sail.

Fluyt

  • Dutch cargo ship, efficient for cargo.
  • Symbol: A long, narrow cargo ship with a flat bottom.

Mercantilism

  • Accumulating wealth, positive trade balance.
  • Symbol: A balance scale with gold coins and goods.

Joint-Stock Companies

  • Investors share risk and profit.
  • Symbol: A certificate of people symbolizing shared investment.

Continued Expansion of Religions

  • Sufism: Mystical Islam, spread by adapting to local cultures.
  • Sunni-Shi’a Split: Political/theological division.
  • Protestant and Catholic Reformations: Protestant led to new Christian denominations; Catholic led to reforms and missionary work.
  • Sikhism: Syncretic religion in Punjab, combining Hinduism/Islam.

Labor Systems in the Early Modern Period

  • Peasants
  • Artisans
  • Chattel Slavery
  • Indentured Servitude
  • Encomienda System
  • Hacienda System
  • Mit’a System

Colonial Americas (Spanish Colonies) Social Pyramid

  • Peninsulares
  • Creoles
  • Mestizos and Mulattoes
  • Indigenous Peoples
  • Enslaved Africans

Feudal Japan (Tokugawa Shogunate) Social Pyramid

  • Emperor
  • Shogun
  • Daimyo
  • Samurai
  • Peasants
  • Artisans
  • Merchants

Estates General

  • Legislative body in pre-revolutionary France.

Otto von Bismarck

  • Unified Germany, realpolitik.

Democratic Socialism

  • Combines democracy with socialist economics.

English East India Company

  • Controlled trade/rule in India.

Berlin Conference (1884–1885)

  • Divided Africa among European powers.

Haitian Revolution (1791–1804)

  • Slave revolt, first Black republic.

Tanzimat Reforms (1839–1876)

  • Modernizing reforms in Ottoman Empire.

Opium War (1839–1842)

  • Britain vs. China, unequal treaties.

Spheres of Influence

  • Foreign powers had exclusive rights in China.

Sun Yat-sen

  • Founding father of modern China.

Trans-Siberian Rail System

  • Improved trade/industry in Russia.

Bolsheviks / Lenin

  • Seized power in Russian Revolution.

Soviets

  • Councils of workers/peasants in Russia.

US Commodore Perry

  • Forced Japan to open to foreign trade.

Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905)

  • Japan defeated Russia.

Thinkers and Their Ideas

  • Adam Smith: Free-market economics.
  • Denis Diderot: Encyclopedie, spread Enlightenment ideas.
  • Mary Wollstonecraft: Women's rights.
  • Voltaire: Freedom of speech and religion.
  • John Locke: Natural rights.
  • Montesquieu: Separation of powers.

Revolutions and Rebellions

  • American Revolution
  • French Revolution
  • Haitian Revolution
  • Latin American Revolutions
  • Sepoy Rebellion
  • Boxer Rebellion
  • Xhosa Cattle Killing

Industrial Revolution in Great Britain

  • Natural Resources: Coal and iron.
  • Capital & Banking: Global trade profits.
  • Political Stability: Constitutional monarchy.
  • Scientific & Intellectual Growth: Inventors, innovation.
  • Agricultural Revolution: Efficient farming, freed labor.
  • Global Trade & Empire: Colonial empire, raw materials.

Industrial Revolution Technologies

  • Railroads
  • Steamships
  • Telegraphs
  • Canals
  • Steam Engines

Spread of Industrialization

  • Great Britain (1760–1840s)
  • Belgium (1820s–1830s)
  • France (1830s–1840s)
  • Germany (1850s–1870s)
  • United States (1820s–1860s)
  • Japan (1860s–1900s)
  • Russia (Late 19th Century–Early 20th Century)

Key Commodities

  • Cotton
  • Sugar
  • Meat
  • Diamonds
  • Opium

Key People during Industrial Revolution

  • Karl Marx (1818–1883)
  • The rise of the Middle Class (Bourgeoisie)
  • Industrial Working Class (Proletariat)

Qing China (1644–1912) SPICE-T

  • Details on Social, Political, Interactions, Cultural, Economic, Technology.

Ottoman Empire (c. 1299–1922) SPICE-T

  • Details on Social, Political, Interactions, Cultural, Economic, and Technology.

British Empire (17th–20th centuries) SPICE-T

  • Details on Social, Political, Interactions, Cultural, Economic, and Technology.

Meiji Japan (1868–1912) SPICE-T

  • Details on Social, Political, Interactions, Cultural, Economic, and Technology.

MAIN Causes of WWI

  • Militarism
  • Alliances
  • Imperialism
  • Nationalism

Definitions

  • Trench Warfare
  • Total War
  • Treaty of Versailles (1919)
  • Fascism
  • Great Purge (1936–1938)
  • Blitzkrieg
  • Atomic Bombs
  • United Nations (1945–present)
  • Marshall Plan (1948)
  • European Union (EU)
  • Banana Republics
  • Little Tigers
  • Deng Xiaoping (1904–1997)
  • Détente
  • Mikhail Gorbachev (1931–2022)

USSR (Soviet Union, 1922–1991) SPICE-T

  • Details on Social, Political, Interactions, Cultural, Economic, and Technology.

Japan (Meiji Era to Post-WWII, 1868–Present) SPICE-T

  • Details on Social, Political, Interactions, Cultural, Economic, and Technology.

China (20th Century to Present) SPICE-T

  • Details on Social, Political, Interactions, Cultural, Economic, and Technology.

United States (20th Century to Present) SPICE-T

  • Details on Social, Political, Interactions, Cultural, Economic, and Technology.

Independence Movements

  • India/Pakistan (1947) New Borders and Ethnic Conflict
  • Israel/Middle East (1948 and beyond) New Borders and Ethnic Conflict

Genocide Comparison Chart

  • Armenian Genocide
  • Tutsi Genocide (Rwanda)
  • Cambodian Genocide (Khmer Rouge)
  • The Holocaust

Superpowers and Alliances

  • Warsaw Pact
  • NATO

International Organizations

  • League of Nations
  • United Nations (UN)
  • NAFTA(now USMCA)
  • ASEAN

Important Figures

  • Mahatma Gandhi
  • Vladimir Lenin
  • Nelson Mandela