Last Minute Stuff

🌍 UNIT 1: THE GLOBAL TAPESTRY (c. 1200–c. 1450)

🔑 Key Ideas:

  • The world was connected by trade networks like the Silk Roads and Indian Ocean.

  • Major empires in Asia included the Song Dynasty , Khmer Empire , and Abbasid Caliphate .

  • Islam spread through trade and conquest, influencing regions from West Africa to Southeast Asia.

  • In Europe, feudalism and manorialism dominated rural life.

  • The Black Death devastated Europe and changed societies.

👥 Key People/Places:

  • Genghis Khan – Founded the Mongol Empire

  • Mansa Musa – Ruler of Mali; famous for his pilgrimage to Mecca

  • Samarkand – A major Silk Road city

💡 Themes:

  • Trade & Exchange

  • Empires & Decline

  • Religion & Cultural Influence

🌐 UNIT 2: NETWORKS OF EXCHANGE (c. 1200–c. 1450)

🔑 Key Ideas:

  • Trade routes expanded under the Mongol Empire during the Pax Mongolica .

  • The Indian Ocean Trade connected East Africa, India, and China.

  • Trans-Saharan Trade brought goods like gold and salt across Africa.

  • Columbian Exchange began (though not yet complete) as European exploration started.

👥 Key People/Places:

  • Marco Polo – Traveller who documented Asia

  • Ibn Battuta – Muslim scholar who explored widely

  • Silk Roads , Caravanserai , Malacca

💡 Themes:

  • Global Connectivity

  • Technology & Navigation

  • Disease & Demographic Change

🏰 UNIT 3: LAND-BASED EMPIRES (c. 1450–c. 1750)

🔑 Key Ideas:

  • Gunpowder empires (Ottoman, Mughal, Safavid) used new military tech to expand.

  • These empires had complex systems of administration and taxation.

  • Religious conflicts shaped political divisions, especially between Sunni and Shia Islam .

  • In Europe, the idea of divine right of kings supported monarchs like Louis XIV.

👥 Key People/Places:

  • Akbar the Great – Mughal emperor known for religious tolerance

  • Suleiman the Magnificent – Ottoman ruler

  • Versailles Palace – Symbol of French monarchy power

💡 Themes:

  • Empire Building

  • Administration & Taxation

  • Religious Conflict & Syncretism

⛵ UNIT 4: TRANSOCEANIC INTERCONNECTIONS (c. 1450–c. 1750)

🔑 Key Ideas:

  • European exploration led to colonial expansion and the rise of maritime empires.

  • The Columbian Exchange transferred crops, animals, and diseases between Old and New Worlds.

  • Mercantilism drove European competition for colonies and wealth.

  • Indigenous peoples resisted European rule (e.g., Pueblo Revolts, King Philip’s War).

👥 Key People/Places:

  • Vasco da Gama – First to sail from Europe to India by sea

  • Christopher Columbus – Sparked European colonization of the Americas

  • Encomienda system , Plantations , Joint-stock companies

💡 Themes:

  • Colonialism & Resistance

  • Environmental Impact

  • Global Trade Systems

🧨 UNIT 5: REVOLUTIONS (c. 1750–c. 1900)

🔑 Key Ideas:

  • The Enlightenment inspired revolutions and new ideas about rights and governance.

  • Major revolutions include the American Revolution , French Revolution , and Haitian Revolution .

  • Industrialization transformed economies and created new social classes.

  • Nationalist movements helped unify countries like Italy and Germany .

👥 Key People/Places:

  • Thomas Jefferson , George Washington , Napoleon Bonaparte

  • Adam Smith – Wrote on free markets

  • Steam Engine , Railroads , Factory System

💡 Themes:

  • Revolution & Independence

  • Industrialization

  • Social Class & Labor

🌍 UNIT 6: CONSEQUENCES OF INDUSTRIALIZATION (c. 1750–c. 1900)

🔑 Key Ideas:

  • Industrialized nations gained economic dominance.

  • Imperialism justified by “civilizing mission” or Social Darwinism .

  • Colonies were exploited for resources (rubber, cotton, rubber).

  • Resistance movements arose in response (e.g., Túpac Amaru II , Queen Nzinga ).

👥 Key People/Places:

  • King Leopold II – Exploited Congo

  • Samory Touré – Resisted French colonial rule

  • Ghost Dance Movement – Native American spiritual resistance

💡 Themes:

  • Imperialism & Justification

  • Economic Shifts

  • Migration & Population Movements

💥 UNIT 7: GLOBAL CONFLICT (c. 1750–c. 1900)

🔑 Key Ideas:

  • World War I was caused by alliances, nationalism, and militarism.

  • The Great Depression and failed economies led to World War II.

  • Both wars were total wars involving entire populations and new technologies.

  • The Holocaust and other atrocities happened under totalitarian regimes.

👥 Key People/Places:

  • Adolf Hitler , Joseph Stalin , Benito Mussolini

  • League of Nations , Five-Year Plans , Berlin Wall

💡 Themes:

  • Total War

  • Rise of Authoritarian Regimes

  • Atrocities & Genocide

🕊 UNIT 8: COLD WAR AND DECOLONIZATION (c. 1900–Present)

🔑 Key Ideas:

  • After WWII, the world split into capitalist (U.S.) and communist (U.S.S.R.) blocs.

  • Decolonization happened in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

  • Proxy wars occurred in places like Vietnam, Korea, and Afghanistan.

  • Leaders like Gandhi and Nelson Mandela used nonviolent resistance.

👥 Key People/Places:

  • Mohandas Gandhi – Led India to independence

  • Nelson Mandela – Fought against apartheid in South Africa

  • Vietnam War , Korean War , Berlin Wall

💡 Themes:

  • Cold War Tensions

  • Decolonization & Independence

  • Nonviolent Resistance

🌎 UNIT 9: GLOBALIZATION (c. 1900–Present)

🔑 Key Ideas:

  • Technological advances made communication and travel faster and easier.

  • Global brands and media (like Coca-Cola and Hollywood) became widespread.

  • Environmental issues like pollution and climate change emerged.

  • Social movements grew around gender equality, civil rights, and environmental justice.

👥 Key People/Places:

  • Wangari Maathai – Started the Green Belt Movement in Kenya

  • United Nations – Promotes global cooperation

  • Greenpeace , Bollywood , Reggae music

💡 Themes:

  • Global Communication

  • Environmental Impact

  • Social Reform & Feminism