Social Studies Quiz Study Guide

Early North American Cultures

Mesoamerica

  • Olmec: The earliest major civilization in Mexico. It’s Famous for carving massive stone heads.

  • Maya: Known for building step pyramids, creating an accurate calendar, using the number zero, and writing with hieroglyphs.

  • Aztec: Built a large empire centered in Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City). They farmed on floating gardens (chinampas), and Spain conquered them in 1521.

Regional Indigenous Groups

  • Ancestral Puebloans: Lived in the Southwest. Built multi-story stone and clay homes into cliff sides and farmed in the desert using irrigation.

  • Mississippians: Lived in the Eastern Woodlands. Built massive earthen mounds for tombs and homes. Their largest city was Cahokia.

  • Pacific Northwest: Settled along the coast and relied on salmon fishing. Famous for carving wooden totem poles and holding gift-giving ceremonies called potlatches.

  • Plains Cultures: Hunted bison across the central grasslands and became highly mobile after Europeans introduced horses.

Crusades, Renaissance, and Reformation

The Crusades (1095–1291)

  • What they were: A series of military campaigns where European Christians tried to capture the Holy Land (Jerusalem) from Muslim rule.

  • Key Events:

    • First Crusade: Christian armies captured Jerusalem.

    • Third Crusade: Ended in a truce allowing Christian pilgrims to safely visit Jerusalem.

    • Fourth Crusade: Christian armies got distracted and looted Constantinople instead.

  • Impact: Opened trade routes between Europe and Asia, spread new ideas, and weakened feudal lords.

The Renaissance (1300s–1600s)

  • Humanism: A movement focusing on human potential, reason, and ancient Greek and Roman learning, rather than just church teachings.

  • Art: Shifted toward realistic human bodies and depth (perspective), led by artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

  • Printing Press: Invented by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440. Made books cheap, boosted literacy, and spread ideas rapidly.

  • Politics: Machiavelli wrote The Prince, arguing that leaders should be practical and prioritize keeping power over being moral.

The Reformation (1500s)

  • Martin Luther: Started the Protestant Reformation in 1517 by attacking Catholic Church corruption (like selling "indulgences" for forgiveness). He taught that faith alone brings salvation.

  • John Calvin: Spread Protestantism and taught predestination (the belief that God has already chosen who is saved).

  • Henry VIII: Created the Church of England so he could divorce his wife, breaking England away from the Pope.

  • Catholic Counter-Reformation: The Catholic Church fixed corruption at the Council of Trent and created the Jesuits to spread Catholicism worldwide.