FRESHMEN FINAL REVIEW SHEET
Introduction
History is the study of written records. Before there was writing is called pre-history. Archaeologists, anthropologists and even
historians study artifacts to learn about the past. The Neolithic Age is the first agricultural revolution. Man started to plant crops,
domesticate animals, use copper for tools, and build permanent settlements.
Egypt
Ancient Egypt was on the Nile River. Egyptians were polytheistic. They worshipped gods of nature, Amon-Ra (Sun god), Osiris (Nile god).
They mummified their dead to preserve them for the afterlife. Scribes in Egypt recorded important events using hieroglyphics. They
built huge tombs called pyramids. The three basic periods of Egyptian history are: The Old Kingdom, The Middle Kingdom, The New
Kingdom.
Ancient Middle East
Mesopotamia is the cradle of civilization. There are two rivers in Mesopotamia: the Tigris and the Euphrates. Sumerians were the first
civilized peoples. They built stepped pyramids called Ziggurats to worship their many gods.
Hammurabi was the Babylonian king who made the first written law code.
The Assyrians were cruel and used iron weapons. They had a great library at Ninevah.
The Persians conquered a large Empire. Cyrus the Great, the Persian Emperor, treated conquered peoples with TOLERANCE. The
Persians used the Great Royal Road.
The Phoenicians were great sailors and traders (purple dye). They are known as the "Carriers of Civilization" because of their
alphabet. Phonetics.
The Hebrews were monotheistic. Moses gave them the Ten Commandments.
India
India is a large peninsula. There are three regions of India: the Coastal Plains, the Northern Plains and the Deccan Plateau. The rainy
season is called the Monsoon season. Indian civilization begins in the Indus river valley( Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro). They were
conquered by the Aryans in 1500 B.C. The Caste System develops as Hinduism develops. The Caste System had strict rules about
interaction between the different castes. Perform your Dharma, get good Kharma be reborn into a higher Caste! Buddhism (founded by
Siddhartha Guatama) also comes from India. The basic ideas of Buddhism are found in the 4 Noble Truths. During the Moghul Empire,
started by Tamerlane, Akbar the Great was known for his religious tolerance.
China and Japan
Chinese civilization begins in the Yellow River Valley. They worshiped their ancestors who could influence the gods. The Zhou Dynasty
was ruled with the Feudal System. Wu Wang justified his seizure of the power by using the idea "the Mandate of Heaven".
Confucianism begins during the Zhou Dynasty. Confucian beliefs include, respect for your elders (filial piety) and the Five
relationships. Confucianism becomes the "Heart of chinese traditions". The Qin Dynasty ruled through the ideas of Legalism. Shi
Huang Di (Qin Emperor) builds the Great Wall of China to protect China from Nomadic invaders.
Japan is an archipelago. The Tokugawa Shoguns ruled Japan from 1604-1868. The emperor lived in Kyoto, he had no real power.
Greece
Greece is a mountainous peninsula. The Greeks developed city-states (small independent cities) because of the mountains. Minoan
civilization was on Crete. Myceneaens fought the Trojan War. The story of the Trojan War is told in the Iliad and the Odyssey orally
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retold by the blind poet Homer. Sparta was a military state. Athens was a democracy where only the adult men could vote. Sparta was
a city state where their lives were devoted to military training. The Greeks fought the Persians and beat them twice. Greece begins it's
Golden Age. Herodotus wrote his history during this time.
Pericles rules Athens and the Delian League and they fight the Peloponnessian League. Sparta wins. Alexander the Great conquers the
Persian Empire and spreads Greek culture which begins the Hellenistic Age.
Rome
Rome was located on the Tiber River in Italy. Romans owe much to the Latins and the Etruscans. The Romans establish a Republic in
509 B.C. A republic is when citizens elect their leaders who represent them. There are 300 Senators in the Roman Senate. Rome
fought Carthage in the Punic Wars and gained control of the Western Mediterranean. Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus ruled in the 1st
Triumvirate. Caesar set the foundations for the Roman Empire. Augustus is the first emperor. During his reign the Pax Romana,
a 200 year period of peace and prosperity, begins. Rome becomes corrupt and is invaded by Germanic tribes. Constantine is the first
Christian Emperor. He builds Constantinople in modern day Turkey. Christ is born during the Roman Empire. Peter, His apostle, brings
Christianity to Rome. Roman Law says, " innocent till proven guilty". Rome collapses in 476 A.D. The Eastern half flourishes under the
name Byzantine Empire.
Golden Ages outside Europe.
The Byzantine Empire flourishes from 395-1453. They are Orthodox Christians. The highest Orthodox Church office is Patriarch. Icons
and the Pope’s authority caused the schism between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church in 1054. Justinian
wrote down the laws in Justinian’s Code, which preserved Roman Law.
Islam begins with Mohammed in Mecca. He flees Mecca to Medina. This is called the Hejira. There are 5 Pillars of Islam. Islam spread
rapidly through conquest.
Vladimir brought Christianity to Kiev and Russia. The Mongols conquered Russia and isolated it from the rest of Europe. The Mongols
were known as "the Golden Horde". Ivan IV (the Terrible) was the Czar in Moscow. He ruled using secret police and terrorism.
The Medieval Age
Western Europe enters the "Dark Ages" after Rome’s collapse. The first kingdom to emerge is the Kingdom of the Franks under King
Clovis. Charlemagne is its greatest king. He supported the church and began the Tithe. He also supported education.
Feudalism grows out of German customs and Roman traditions. Feudalism means "land for service". Service could be in the form of
military service or serving the lord on Holidays. It was arranged through the Feudal Contract. The land a vassal received is known as a
fief.
The basic economic unit of Medieval Europe was the Manor. This was a self-sufficient community, the workers were known as serfs.
The Catholic Church was the strongest institution in medieval times. Monasteries provided places where people could
contemplate apart from the world. The corrupt practice of buying and selling church offices is known as Simony.
Towns began to grow as trade revived. Towns were controlled by Guilds. To start in a guild you were first an apprentice, then a
journeyman, then a master craftsman.
In 1066 William of Normandy crossed the English Channel, fought the Battle of Hastings and declared himself the King of England.
King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215. This limits the power of the king in England. Edward the First had the 1st Parliament (the
Model Parliament). The plague (Black Death) led to walled towns, thousand of deaths, and economic decline.
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The Church tried Heretics in special courts known as the Inquisition. People in these courts had very little rights. In England people had
common law which had Grand Juries and Jury trials to protect their rights.
England and France fought the Hundred Year’s War. England had the Longbow and cannons. France was saved by Joan of Arc.
There were four major Crusades to recapture the Holy Land. The Crusades will increase contact between Europe and the civilizations
of the middle east.
The Middle Ages is also famous for conflicts between the Popes and Emperors. Much of this conflict was about lay investiture
(appointing of Bishops and Abbotts).
Africa and the Americas
. In West Africa the Ghana , Mali, and the Songhai traded Gold and Salt in a silent trade. The greatest king of Mali was Mansa Musa, who
is known for his pilgrimage to Mecca. In East Africa they spoke Swahili and traded across the Indian Ocean.
The first people came to the Americas from Asia across the Bering Land Bridge. The Iroquois lived in the Northeast of North America.
Pueblo Indians lived in the southwest.
The Olmecs were the first civilization in the Americas.
The Aztecs had human sacrifice, sun gods, corn gods and a strong army.
The Incas had an extensive civilization in the Andes connected by an amazing system of roads. The civilizations of central and South
America were conquered by the Conquistadores from Spain. North America was settled by French, trading furs, and the English.
The Renaissance and the Reformation
The Renaissance begins in Italian City-states like Florence, Venice, Genoa, Pisa. The wealth created by rising trade led to the explosion
of creative energy. There were writers such as Machiavelli, who said, "the ends justifies the means," in his book The Prince.
Renaissance artists were influenced heavily by Greek and Roman art.
The printing press was invented in 1455 by Johann Gutenberg, forever changing the world. The first book he prints is the Bible.
This leads to the rapid spread of ideas and greater literacy. The church was being criticized for its worldliness, expensive fees, and the
sale of indulgences. Martin Luther posts the 95 Theses in 1517 in Wittenberg and begins the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant
religions spread across Europe weakening the powers of the Catholic Church.
Age of Exploration
The European nations began exploring the world by the end of the Renaissance. They needed to find a trade route to the wealth of India
that avoided the Muslims in the Middle East. Portugal began first and sailed to India. The Spanish were second and they (with
Columbus) discovered the Americas. The Spanish were looking for Gold and Glory. The civilizations in the Americas were destroyed by
the Spanish, leading to serious declines in Native American populations. To labor in the Plantations of the New World the Europeans
imported African slaves. Spain and Portugal divided the world at the Treaty of Tordesillas. That's how Portugal got Brazil. France had
Quebec in Canada, England had the east coast of North America (Virginia), the Dutch had New Amsterdam (New York). They followed
the economic Philosophy of Mercantilism which stresses a nation should export more than it imports because they want to collect
more gold.
Age of Absolutism
The nations of Europe became strong, powerful countries during the 1600-1700’s. They were ruled by Absolute Monarchs. An Absolute
Monarch is a king who has complete, unquestioned authority. A Divine Right king eels his power comes from God. In England Elizabeth I
ruled. She was very powerful and saved England from invasion by defeating the Spanish Armada (1588). In France Louis XIV (known as
the Sun King) ruled strictly and built the palace of Versailles. Peter the Great, Czar of Russia attempted to westernize Russia.
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Age Of Reason
The Age of Reason was known for the scientific method (this uses experiments and observations). Galileo and Copernicus made
observations about the sun and the planets. These challenged the beliefs of the Church. Galileo had to reject his own theories because
the Church considered them heretical. The Age of Reason is also known as the Enlightenment. Enlightenment thinkers wanted to
establish a just society based on reason.
Know the Basic Ideas of these Religions
Islam
Buddhism
Hinduism
Shintoism
Taoism
Christianity
Know these famous people
Alexander the Great
Caesar
Confucius
Mohammed
Siddhartha
Martin Luther
Know your geography
Study the Geography of each civilization. Learn the main features, why is it's
geography important?
Be able to find the location of the events in each chapter on a blank map of
the world.
TO STUDY USING THIS FINAL REVIEW SHEET BELOW WRITE AT
LEAST A SENTENCE OR TWO ABOUT EACH TOPIC.
Chapter 1 Toward Civilization
Paleolithic Era – life style, tools, beliefs
Neolithic Agricultural Revolution
Artifacts
Historians
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Chapter 2 First Civilizations: Africa and Asia
River valley civilizations
Nile River
Pharaohs
Hieroglyphics
Pyramids
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Cuneiform writing
Hammurabi
Ziggurats
“Carriers of Civilization”
Hittites
Hebrews
Chapter 3&4 Early Civilizations and Empires In India and China
“Mandate of Heaven”
Yellow River
Confucianism
Buddhism
Taoism
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Legalism
Hinduism
Great Wall
Harappa and Mohenjo Daro
Caste system
Civil Service Exam
Silk Road
Chapter 5 Ancient Greece
City states
Geography
Alexander the Great
Democracy/ direct democracy
Common Culture
Athens
Sparta
Age of Pericles
Chapter 6 Ancient Rome and Christianity
Roman law
Republic
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Herodotus
Punic Wars
Christianity
Pax Romana
Eastern Roman Empire/Byzantine Empire
Chapter 7 Civilizations of the Americas
Bering Strait Land Bridge
Aztec
Maya
Inca
Spanish conquest (see chapter 15 also)
Chapter 8 The Rise of Europe
Feudalism
Manor economy
Vassals
Knights
Merchant guilds
Chapter 9 The High Middle Ages
Magna Carta
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Black Death
Crusades
Chapter 10 The Byzantine Empire and Russia
Byzantine Empire influence on Russia
Ivan the Terrible
Eastern Orthodox Church
Mongols
Justinian
Roman law preserved
Chapter 11 The Muslim World
Five Pillars of Islam
Koran
Hejira
Muhammad
Sunnis
Shiites
Chapter 12 Africa
Cultural diffusion
Ghana
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Gold-salt trade
Mansa Musa
Chapter 13 Spread of Civilization in East Asia
Marco Polo
Kublai Khan
Korea and cultural diffusion
Ethnocentrism
Samurai
Bushido
Shogun
Chapter 14 The Renaissance and Reformation
Italian city-states
Humanism
Classicism
Johann Gutenberg
Abuses in the church
John Calvin
Martin Luther
Henry VIII
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Nicolaus Copernicus
Galileo
Chapter 15 The First Global Age: Asia
New technology
Treaty of Tordesillas
Treatment of the Indians
European countries which encouraged exploration
Chapter 16 The First Global Age: Europe, the Americas, Africa
Slavery
Disease
Ferdinand Magellan
Spanish Colonies in South America
Mercantilism
Chapter 17 The Age of Absolutism
Peter the Great
Catherine the Great
Louis XIV
Phillip II of Spain
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