Download AP Semester Exam review - Ed W. Clark High School

AP Semester Exam review
Early History













What caused the transformation from hunter-gathering to civilization?
Features of Sumerian Civilization
Characteristics of the Neolithic period
How did the population size of nomadic groups affect the agricultural revolution?
What was the importance of writing to early civilizations?
Was Egypt mostly a unified or non-unified state throughout most of its history?
Was Mesopotamia a unified or non-unified state throughout most of its history?
Why is the Indus Valley difficult to study?
Flood patterns of the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, and Indus rivers
Time periods for each of these civilizations
General religious characteristics (polytheistic?)
Patriarchy in early societies: why?
In what area of the world did the earliest civilizations arise?
China















How did Zhou leaders use the Mandate of Heaven to establish their legitimacy?
What provided unity and cultural identity in early China?
Impact of China’s geography- isolation
Characteristics of Confucianism
Confucius’ “five basic relationships”
Characteristics of Legalism – which dynasty embraced?
Characteristics of Daoism
Which dynasty was the first to unify China?
Achievements of the Qin dyansty
Civil Service Exams- what were they, and which dynasty was the first to use them
extensively?
Compare the Han and Roman empires
Status of Chinese women
China during the Ming dynasty
What was the Mandate of Heaven, which dynasty was the first to “use” it, and
what was its impact?
Importance of the building and extending of the Grand Canal during the SuiTang-Song era
Americas






Characteristics of the Mayan civilization
An example of Meso-American cultural diffusion
Location of “Meso-America” (which modern-day territories?)
The influence of the Olmecs on later Meso-American cultures
How did the Maya adapt to their environment?
Compare the Aztecs and Incas in terms of record-keeping and the maintaining of
earlier traditions
Rome









Political organization of the Roman Republic: who had the power?
Growth of Roman territory- when is it expanding? When does it begin to “fall?”
Why was Rome divided into two sections and another capital created?
Which portion of the empire was a center of trade, art, and learning?
Which portion was more successful in repelling invaders?
Characteristics of Greco-Roman philosophy- rational thinking
Influence of the Greeks on the Romans
Be able to compare Hammurabi’s code to Justinian’s code
After the fall of the western Roman empire, what was the official language of the
Byzantine empire?
India















Characteristics of Hinduism
The castes and the duties of each
Which castes most supported local rulers?
Where did Hinduism gain the most converts outside of India?
The Bhagavad-Gita- what is the central message?
Characteristics of Buddhism
What causes suffering?
Zen Buddhism
Shinto
Compare Buddhism to Hinduism
How did Alexander the Great influence the Mauryan empire?
Accomplishments of the Gupta empire
Long-term role of Hinduism in Indian society
Where did Buddhism and Hinduism originate and spread to?
Four Noble Truths
Judaism and Christianity




Basic Characteristics of Judaism and Christianity
What made Judaism unique in the Middle East?
What was Christianity’s take on many Jewish laws?
How did emperor Theodosius impact the spread of Christianity?
Islam







Was it brand new or based on some previous traditions?
What was the Hijrah? When did it take place?
What was a major weakness of Islam from the beginning?
What made Islam such a popular religion?
Which Muslim dynasty was known for its cultural achievement?
What was the capital of the Abbasid dynasty?
5 pillars of Islam


Why the Muslims were able to conquer Northern Africa and the Middle East
Characteristics of trade in Sub-Saharan Africa
Mongols









Who were they?
What did they do?
What were their strengths and weaknesses?
How did they usually respond to the religions and cultures of people they
conquered?
What was their role in Chinese history?
What was Kublai Khan’s big concern?
Genghis Khan’s role in Mongol History
Territories conquered and not conquered by the Mongols
Mongols’ role in the spread of Chinese culture
Middle Ages
























Difference between serfdom and slavery
Who could be a knight and why?
Characteristics of the feudal system
How did the feudal system affect classes in society?
Areas the Vikings settled
Magna Carta- what was it? What did it do? How is it an example of “limited
government?”
Hundred Years’ War- basic outline of events; how did it affect England and
France as political units?
Reasons for Crusades
Long-term impacts of the Crusades
Women in medieval Europe
Gothic architecture (characteristic of High Middle Ages)
What was the Renaissance?
Role of the Church in medieval society
Holy Roman Empire- strong? Centralized?
Moorish occupation of Spain- characteristics
Beliefs of medieval philosophers
Black Death- when? Which century? How was it spread? Through which country
did it enter Europe? When did it finally die out as a major killer? (18th century)
Which nation-states became stronger in the 15th century?
What events mark the beginning and end of the middle ages?
Medieval universities- what was taught?
Major long-term results of the Crusades
What were guilds? What did they do?
Why is the Hansaetic league not a guild
What was the Renaissance?
Was the Renaissance more of an urban or rural phenomenon?
Misc.




















Who were the Bantu? How can archaeologists trace their migration?
Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations – general characteristics
Position of women in Athens
Alexander the Great’s most important achievement
Hellenism- be to recognize examples of
Persian Empire: how was it ruled? Centralized? Decentralized? What,
specifically, was done to help govern the empire?
What does controlling trade routes have to do with creating and maintaining
empires?
Indian Ocean trade
Characteristics of the Polynesians
Compare the role and status of merchants in the Aztec empire to their role and
status in classical China
Who was Mansa Musa and what country was he from?
Absolute rule of Ivan the Terrible (Russia)
Social inequality was a characteristic of Confucianism, Hinduism, and
Christianity
Basics of the Protestant Reformation
Basics of the Catholic Reformation
Major achievement of the Phoenicians
Compare the Byzantine empire and Tang dynasty in terms of: use of regional
governors, role of the emperor as being blessed by the gods or God, Female
rulers, territorial expansion
Prince Henry the Navigator’s role in Portuguese exploration
What civilizations were especially known for their well-constructed road
networks?
Significance of Johann Gutenberg’s printing press