Units 3

Here's a study guide for AP World History Units 3 and 4, covering key concepts and themes. Reviewing these will help you prepare for your test!

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### Unit 3: Land-Based Empires (1450-1750)

#### 1. Expansion of Empires

- Ottoman Empire: Expanded through military conquest using gunpowder technology. Key leaders include Suleiman the Magnificent. Controlled large parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa.

- Safavid Empire: Located in Persia, ruled by Shah Abbas I. Known for its conflicts with the Ottoman Empire due to religious differences (Sunni vs. Shia Islam).

- Mughal Empire: Ruled India, with Akbar the Great known for his religious tolerance and administrative reforms. Later rulers, like Aurangzeb, were less tolerant, contributing to the empire's decline.

- Qing Dynasty: Expanded into Central Asia and Tibet under leaders like Emperor Kangxi.

- Russian Empire: Expanded eastward into Siberia, westward into Europe, and southward into Central Asia under leaders like Peter the Great and Catherine the Great.

#### 2. Centralized Governments

- Divine Right of Kings: European monarchs claimed their right to rule was given by God (e.g., Louis XIV of France).

- Sultanates and Bureaucracies: The Ottoman Empire used the devshirme system to recruit Christian boys into its bureaucracy.

- Taxation and Control: Many empires imposed taxes to maintain their armies and bureaucracies (e.g., Ming Dynasty in China with land taxes).

#### 3. Religious Tolerance and Conflict

- Religious tolerance: Mughal Emperor Akbar's policies allowed Hindu-Muslim coexistence.

- Religious conflict: Protestant Reformation in Europe (Martin Luther, 95 Theses) challenged the Catholic Church, leading to the Counter-Reformation and wars of religion (e.g., Thirty Years' War).

- Syncretism: Blending of religious practices in places like the Ottoman Empire (Islam and Christianity) and Mughal India (Islam and Hinduism).

#### 4. Art and Architecture as Displays of Power

- Versailles: Built by Louis XIV to showcase absolute monarchy in France.

- Taj Mahal: Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a symbol of power and love.

- Ottoman architecture: Grand mosques, such as the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, demonstrated imperial power.

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### Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections (1450-1750)

#### 1. Maritime Empires and Exploration

- Portuguese and Spanish Explorers: Vasco da Gama (Portuguese) and Christopher Columbus (Spanish) opened up new sea routes.

- Transatlantic Slave Trade: The triangular trade system transported African slaves to the Americas, European goods to Africa, and American raw materials to Europe.

- Columbian Exchange: The exchange of plants, animals, people, diseases, and ideas between the Old World (Europe, Africa, Asia) and the New World (the Americas). Key products include:

- New World to Old: Potatoes, tomatoes, maize.

- Old World to New: Horses, cattle, smallpox.

#### 2. Impact on Native Populations

- Diseases: European diseases (smallpox, measles) devastated indigenous populations in the Americas.

- Conquistadors: Spanish conquerors like Hernán Cortés (Aztec Empire) and Francisco Pizarro (Inca Empire) led military campaigns that destroyed native civilizations.

- Encomienda System: Spanish system where colonists received land and indigenous labor in exchange for "Christianizing" the population. This system led to significant exploitation.

#### 3. Changes in Labor Systems

- Indentured Servitude: Europeans worked in colonies in exchange for passage to the Americas.

- Chattel Slavery: Africans were treated as property and forced to work on plantations in the Americas.

- Mita System: Used by the Spanish in the Andes (adapted from the Inca), forcing indigenous labor in silver mines like Potosí.

- Plantation Economy: Sugar, tobacco, and cotton plantations in the Caribbean and the Americas fueled European economies.

#### 4. Economic and Commercial Changes

- Mercantilism: European nations sought to increase their wealth through colonies by controlling trade and accumulating gold and silver. Colonies were seen as sources of raw materials.

- Joint-Stock Companies: Businesses like the Dutch East India Company and British East India Company allowed for shared risk and profit in global trade.

- Global Silver Trade: Silver, especially from Spanish mines in the Americas, became a global currency, leading to greater trade between Europe and Asia (China in particular).

#### 5. Cultural and Social Transformations

- Syncretic Beliefs: Christianity blended with indigenous practices in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. For example, Vodun (Voodoo) mixed African religious practices with Christianity.

- Creoles: People of European descent born in the Americas gained economic and political influence but were often excluded from top positions, which led to tensions in colonial societies.

- Casta System: In Spanish America, a racial hierarchy emerged, with peninsulares (Spaniards born in Spain) at the top, followed by creoles, mestizos (mixed European and indigenous), and mulattoes (mixed European and African).

#### 6. Resistance to Colonization

- Queen Nzinga: Led resistance against the Portuguese in Angola (Africa).

- Pueblo Revolt: Indigenous people in New Mexico successfully expelled the Spanish for a period of time in 1680.

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### Key Themes to Review

- Technological innovations: Compass, astrolabe, lateen sail (helped European exploration).

- Globalization: Increased trade networks linked distant parts of the world (Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas).

- Cultural exchanges: New religions, art, and ideas spread as global trade expanded.

- Economic and labor systems: Plantation economies, transatlantic slavery, and changes in production due to new global connections.

- Resistance and adaptation: Indigenous and African resistance to European colonization, as well as cultural adaptations to European dominance.