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