AP World History Unit 2 Key Concepts

What plants/animals were transferred across the Atlantic as part of the Columbian Exchange?

Horses, Cattle, Pigs, Okra, and Rice. Afro-Eurasian fruit trees, grains, sugar, and domesticated animals were brought by Europeans to the Americas, while other foods were brought by African slaves

What effect did columbus's travel have on Europeans?

Increased European interest in exploration, financing colonial activities, and exploitation of precious metals.

What foods were transferred to new geographic regions as part of the Columbian Exchange, and what were labor systems made this transfer possible?

Potatoes, Maize, Manioc, Sugar, and Tobacco .These cash crops were grown primarily on plantations with coerced labor and were exported mostly to Europe and the Middle East in this period.

What obstacles to empire-building did empires confront, and how did they respond to these challenges?

Competition over trade routes, state rivalries, and local resistance. Also hostile natives, changing climates and disease

How did empires attempt to administer the new widespread nature of their territories?

European powers tended to install officials in the areas that they ruled who were of European descent. For example, The spanish put creole people in charge of some political offices

How did slavery within Africa compare to the pre-1450 era?

Slavery within Africa increased to match demands of the slave trade. Cities also grew along the eastern border of Africa. These towns became hubs of the slave trade because slaves were a large source of income

Where did Zheng He and the Chinese Treasure Fleets travel?

Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Western Asia, and East Africa

What were the overall effects of this change in global interconnectedness?

The faster spread of ideas, technology, science and the creation of new centers of economy/global markets and arts

Why did Portugal begin longer maritime voyages ca. 1430 CE?

The development of explorers through the for navigation led to the ability to create such a large trade post empire

When did the Reconquista start and end?

711-1492

When did the Ming Dynasty end Exploration?

1433

When did the printing press get invented?

1450

When did the Ottoman empire capture Constantinople?

1453

When did Dias sail around the Cape of Good Hope?

1488

When did Cortez conquer the Aztecs?

1519-1521

When did Copernicus publish his findings?

1543

When did the defeat of the Spanish Armada occur?

1588

When did the Qing rule?

1644-1911

When did the Thirty Years' War end?

1648 - Treaty of Westphalia

When did Peter the Great rule?

1682-1725

When did the english bill of rights get signed

1689

How did agriculture's role change between 1450-1750?

A large increase in argricultural productivity from new practices. Economic growth because of new forms of manufacturing and transportation of products. Political and economic centers within regions shifted, and merchants' social status rose Demographic growth even in areas like Americas, where disease had ravaged the population, was restored by the 18th century and grew in many regions, especially with the introduction of American food crops to the East. Columbian Exchange led to new ways of humans interacting w/environment. New forms of coerced and semi-coerced labor emerged everywhere except East asia, led to new racial classes(sistema de castas)

How did the role of Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe develop in this new -world-wide political order?

Africa provided labor(slaves), Americas became site of new colonies of Spain/England, and South/Southeast asia had the Dutch/Portuguese trading empires

What pre-requisite conditions made these changes possible?

Advancements in maritime technology, the Discovery of the New World, initial monetary investments in plantations/exploration, new labor sources(slaves) and new importance placed on getting new raw materials

How did the global trade network after 1500 CE affect the pre-existing regional trade networks? (Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, trans-Saharan, Silk Routes)

After the rise of maritime trade routes(Columbian exchange), the land routes previously used by western europe to get to east asia became outdated and were used less

When did beginning of the atlantic slave trade happen?

Around 1526

How did the people of various empires react to their governments methods?

Around the world, empires of varying sizes pursued strategies of centralization, including more efficient taxation systems that placed strains on peasant producers, sometimes starting local rebellion.

Where did the "universal" religions of Buddhism, Christianity & Islam spread?

As Islam spread to new settings in AfroEurasia, believers adapted it to local cultural practices. The split between the Sunni and Shi'a traditions of Islam intensified, Sufi practices became more widespread, and Buddhism spread within Asia.

How did labor systems develop between 1450-1750?

As a result of this new expansion, Europe had a greater demand for labor, such as the mining of silver. The use of Natives and Africans for labor was widely practiced, as they were seen as the "inferior" races.

How did the post-1450 economic order affect the social, economic, and political elites?

As new social and political elites changed, they also restructured new ethnic, racial, and gender hierarchies. It directly benefited the merchant class due to the increase in trade. The gap between the powerful elite and indentured servants/slaves increased as well as the rich became richer but the lower class did not change in economic status

When did Columbus set sail?

August 1492

How were ethnic and religious minorities treated in various empires?

Blacks were considered inferior in the Americas as they were slaves, Native Americans were considered to be savages by the Europeans, and Cults in Mexico convulsed the Church

What were the major notable transovceanic voyages between 1450 and 1750

Christopher columbus, funded by the spainish, explored west and found the carribean. Zheng he didnt exactly discover new land, but informed everyone that China is superior and should pay tribute

What role did silver play in facilitating a truly global scale of trade?

Commercialization and the creation of a global economy were intimately connected to new global circulation of silver from the Americas

How did societies in the Americas reflect the post-1450 economic order?

Due to the increase of slaves and immigrants, new societies and social classes developed in the Americas sorted by race. Amer-indian societies withered as European elites continued to conquer their land and exploit natural resources. At the same time, European conquest enabled new leaders to rise in the Americas, such as powerful Native Americans.

How did rulers make sure that their governments were well run?

Empires appointed rulers of their own descent to run the colonies. When empires felt that their power was in jeopardy of being overthrown they used violence to decimate the opponents.

How did settlers' action affect the Americas environmentally?

European colonization and the introduction of European agriculture and settlements practices in the Americas often affected the physical environment through deforestation and soil depletion.

What were the unintentional biological effects of the Columbian Exchange?

European colonization of the Americas led to the spread of diseases that were endemic in the Eastern Hemisphere among Amer-indian(native) populations and the unintentional transfer of vermin, including mosquitoes and rats.

Describe European merchants overall trade role c. 1450-1750.

European merchants' role in Asian trade was characterized mostly by transporting goods from one Asian country to another market in Asia or the Indian Ocean region.

What technical developments made transoceanic European travel & trade possible?

European technological developments in cartography and navigation, innovations in ship designs, and improved understanding of global wind and ocean currents patterns

How did europeans go about creating new global empires and trade networks

Europeans established new trading-post empires in Africa and Asia, which proved profitable for the rulers and merchants involved in new global trade networks, but in the process destroyed the power of Central/West African states

Describe the degree of global 'interconnection' after 1500 CE compared to before 1500.

Global interconnection increased and there were more prominence of ideas being diffused and technological innovations being constantly advanced

How did the new global connections affect the peoples of Oceania and Polynesia?

In Oceania and Polynesia, established exchange and communication networks were not dramatically affected because of infrequent European reconnaissance in the Pacific Ocean.

What new mercantilist financial means developed to facilitate global trade?

Influenced by mercantilism, joint-stock companies were new methods used by European rulers to control their domestic and colonial economies and by European merchants to compete against one another in global trade.

Where did those developments originate?

Most developed in East Asia-China and were diffused through Muslim traders which eventually tied the Europeans into the worldwide trading.

How did pre-existing land-based empires and new empires during this era compare to previous era's empires?

New land empires became arenas of global trade. There was a greater connection between empires. Technology, culture, religion, art, and political ideas were easily spread and shared across great distances. Also a greater diversity in plant/animal life.

What originally motivated Europeans to travel across the northern Atlantic?

Northern Atlantic crossings for fishing and settlements continued and spurred European searches for multiple, quicker, routes to Asia.

When did Columbus discover America?

October 1492

When did Martin Luther post his 95 Theses?

October 31, 1517

How was peasant labor affected between 1450-1750?

Peasant labor went to industries. In the Americas, indentured servants began to decrease as more slaves were shipped across the Atlantic. Europe had a change in the control of peasant labor. Tighter control and less freedom for the laborers came about.

What role did religion play in legitimizing political rule?

Religion became a way for empires to justify their actions. These powers believed it was their job to civilize and spread their religion to the "uncivilized". Religion was part of a greater scheme of cultural assimilation of the natives to reduce tension for trade.

How did rulers finance their territorial expansion?

Rulers used tribute collection and tax farming to generate revenue.

What was the relationship between imperialism and military technology?

Technology made the new imperialism possible. It vastly increased the speed of communication, it armed European soldiers with advanced weapons that overwhelmed resistance, and it protected Europeans from tropical diseases.

How did the Atlantic slave trade affect both African societies and the economy of the Americas?

The Americas benefited from the slave trade because the increase in labor allowed for an increase in productivity. This also helped the economies of European nations because they reaped the benefits of the American colonies.

What were the economic and social effects of the Atlantic trading system?

The Atlantic system involved the movement of goods, wealth, and free and unfree laborers, and the mixing of African, American, and European cultures and peoples.

How did the Columbian Exchange affect religion(s)?

The Columbian exchange helped make Christianity a more global religion. Because Europe forcibly spread Christianity to North and South America, Christianity was able to box out Islam and other religions in the New World.

How did the arts fare during this period?

The arts improved greatly arts became influenced by other cultures. European Renaissance artists were painting more realistically than ever before, painting the human body accurately. China kept traditional arts, and the Americas became influenced by Christians themes and Asian techniques and materials

How did the Columbian Exchange affect the spread of religions?

The increase in interactions between newly connected hemispheres and intensification of connections within hemispheres expanded the spread and reform of existing religions and created syncretic belief systems

What effects did American food crops have on the diet of Afro-Eurasians?

The increased health and diversity in the european diet combined with a large surplus of new food led to a population increase

What new financial and monetary means made new scale(s) of trade possible?

The new global circulation of goods was facilitated by royal chartered European monopoly companies who took silver from Spanish colonies in the Americas to purchase Asian goods for the Atlantic markets

How did pre-existing political and economic elites react to these changes?

The power of existing political and economic elites fluctuated as they confronted new challenges to their ability to affect the policies of the increasingly powerful leaders. Due to the rise of aristocracy, power shifted from the important members of social groups to smaller family units who were wealthy and well-connected.

How were gender and family structures affected to these changes?

There was an increase in women rulers during the 16th century, (Mary Queen of Scots, Ana Nzinga, Catherine I and Catherine II) however, women were still seen as their husbands property. Since aristocracy became increasingly favored by society, the family unit became more common.

How did political rulers legitimize and consolidate their rule?

They appointed officials that were of their own descent, hired translators in order to negotiate with the locals, and attempted to assimilate the locals into their culture

How did labor systems develop in the colonial Americas?

due to the new need for free and lage amounts of labor, colonial economies in the Americas depended on a range of coerced labor that included Chattel Slavery, Indentured servitude, Encomienda, Hacienda systems, and the Spanish Incan Mita system

What previously established scale(s) of trade continued?

regional markets continued to flourish in Afro-Eurasia using established commercial practices but new transoceanic shipping services developed by European merchants improved these already established routes