Name:_____________________________________
Date:______________ Period:______
World History: Fall Semester Review 2014
Using your textbook and the assignments you have completed in this unit, complete the
following review. You will need to define or discuss in detail any information regarding each
topic.
HAND WRITE your answers on a SEPARATE sheet of paper or index cards. Reviews may not be
typed, so start working now.
100% completion of this review is worth up to ten (10) extra credit points on the semester
exam, which is worth 20% of your semester grade!
1. Archeology – The study of ancient societies based on discovered artifacts. ( pg. 7)
2. Geography – The study of patterns on Earth’s surface, including where people live, how they interact
with their environment, and how they migrate. ( pg. 6)
3. Historian – Study how people lived in the past. (pg. 10)
4. Primary Source – Original records or first hand testimony of an event under investigation. Example:
Journal, speeches, and photographs.
5. Secondary Source – Writings and interpretations of later writers who have reviewed the information
in primary sources. Secondary source materials interprets, assigns value to, reflects on, and draws
conclusions about events reported in primary sources.
6. Neolithic Revolution – Middle East 10,000 years ago a shift from hunting and gathering to being able
to domestication of animals to grow crops, which led to food surpluses which led to early settlements.
( pg. 12)
7. Early River Valley (Core) Civilizations ( pg. 24, 34, 52,59)
a. Mesopotamia
i. Tigris and Euphrates river, “ Land between Two Rivers”
ii. Cunieform wedge shape letter (writing system)
iii. Sailboat, wheel were invented
iv. Theocracy led by a religious leader
v. Present day Iraq
b. Egypt
i. Nile River
ii. Hieroglyphics pictowords (writing system)
iii. Pyramids
iv. Monarchy led by a Pharaoh
v. Present day Egypt
c. Indus River Valley
i. Indus River Valley
ii. Harrappa/ Mohenjo-Daro major cities
iii. Urban planners
iv. Advanced sewer system.
v. Present day India
d. Yellow River
i. Huang He/Yellow River
Name:_____________________________________
Date:______________ Period:______
ii. Shang Dynasty
iii. Pictographs
iv. Silk textiles
v. Present Day China
e. Hebrews
i. Monotheistic
ii. Ten Commandments
iii. South of Phoenicia
8. Characteristics of a Civilization – 1) writing 2) Government 3)Religion 4) Job Specialization 5)
Architecture 6) Technology 7) Cities 8) Social Classes
9. Hammurabi’s Code – earliest written law code, covers most occurrences in daily life, treated nobles
and commoners different. (pg. 40)
10. Ten Commandments – Moral code that came from God. The commandments forbade stealing,
murder, adultery, and other forms of immoral behavior. It also commanded the Hebrews to worship
one God. (pg. 47)
11. Dynastic Cycle/Mandate of Heaven – Under the Zhou Dynasty the Chinese believed that their ruler
was chosen to rule by heaven, and that heaven would also overthrow a bad ruler.
12. Caste System – Caste Lines were rigid and based on birth, people lacked all social mobility, people
were not permitted to marry outside their caste. (Hinduism)
Name:_____________________________________
Date:______________ Period:______
13. Ancient Athens (classical Greece) – Divided up in city –states; mountains led to the development of
separate city states; Developed the worlds first democracy, but women, foreigners, and slaves were
not considered citizens. (pg. 107)
14. Aristocracy – A form of government in which the ruling power is in the hands of the landholding elite
(wealthy class). (pg. 106)
15. Oligarchy – Ruled by few, usually by a counsel of elders, Sparta was ruled by an oligarchy. (pg. 106)
16. Democracy – Ordinary citizens participate in government, either directly or by elected officials.
Athens would eventually follow a democratic government.
17. Greek Philosophers – Greeks believed that human reason was powerful enough to understand the
world and to solve it problems. Examples Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle (pg. 115)
18. Alexander the Great – Brought all the Greek city states under his control, taught by Aristotle. His
conquest include Persia, Egypt, and India at the same time he was able to spread Greek language and
culture (Hellenistic). Along with conquest there were advances in learning by Pythagoras ( 𝑎2 + 𝑏= C)
along with Archimedes and Euclid (The Elements) (pg. 120)
19. Republic – a system of government run by representatives. Rome was a republic before becoming an
empire. ( pg. 129)
20. Christianity – Based on the teachings of Jesus, preached forgiveness, mercy, and sympathy for the
poor and helpless. Constantine converted to Christianity allowed for free worship, prior to that
Christian were persecuted in the Roman Empire. ( pg. 143)
21. Decline of Ancient (classical) Rome – Around the 3rd century AD Rome began to weaken for the
following reasons; 1) Political Weakness: emperors were corrupt and ineffective leaders 2) Economic
Problems: high taxes, inflation, and unemployment led to economic difficulties. 3) Military Mistakes:
relied to heavily on paid non-roman soldiers, and were consistently being invaded by barbarian
groups. (pg. 149)
22. Han China – Kept China unified over 400 years, selected officials based on examination (civil service),
established trade along the silk road. Many advances in technology from paper to the compass.
Eventually collapsed due to a series of civil wars, very similar to the Roman Empire. (pg. 95)
23. Silk Road – Han rulers established an over land trade route, which connected China to the roman
Empire and other regions. China exported its silk, iron, and bronze in exchange for gold, cloth, and
ivory. ( pg. 95)
24. Feudalism – Arose in Europe out of the chaos after the fall of Rome. It provided security and
protection in a period of great turmoil. Society was divided between the King, nobles, knights, and
serfs each had a role and responsibility on the manor, and land was exchanged for military service.
Serfs worked the land of their lord, and most people lived on a self sufficient manor. (pg. 186)
Name:_____________________________________
Date:______________ Period:______
25. Middle Ages
a. Crusades – European Christians challenged Muslims for control of the Holy Land (Jerusalem).
Pope Urban the II called for European knights to reclaim the holy land after the Muslim had
taken control. The crusades increased interest in trade with the East. (pg. 214,216,238)
b. Bubonic Plague – Rats with fleas carrying the disease entered Europe from Asia on trading
ships. Between 1347-1351, 25 million people about 1/3 of Europe’s population died. (pg. 225)
c. Great Schism – (1378-1417) Occurred when there were two Popes one in Avignon, France and
another in Rome, Italy; led people to question the authority of the church. (pg. 237)
d. Hundred Years War – (1337-1453) War between England and France broke out when the
French king dies without an heir and the king of England claimed the French throne. Joan of
Arc rallied the French troops around the French king. Joan was eventually captured and
burned at the stake by the British. New weapons and technology showed there was no longer
a need for knights. (pg. 228)
26. Gold Salt Trade – Muslim merchants traveled to West Africa, they were especially motivated to cross
the Sahara because the gold and other riches they could trade with West Africa empires in exchange
for salt. Many trading empire were heavily influenced by Islam. (pg. 284)
27. Islam – In the 7th century (600s), Islam arose on the Arabian Peninsula founded by Mohammed. Holy
book is the Quran and their major beliefs are the five pillars of Islam: faith, prayer, charity, fasting, and
pilgrimage to Mecca. Within 100 years the Islamic caliphates controlled the Middle East, North Africa,
and Spain. Eventually the religion will split into Sunni and Shaii sections. (pg. 252-255)
28. Magna Carta – King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta in June of 1215, which guaranteed
Englishmen the right to a trail and required the consent of the nobles before passing any new taxes.
(pg. 208)
29. Abbasid Dynasty – Dynasty ended Arab dominance and helped make Islam a truly universal religion.
Under the Abbasid Muslim culture was at a Golden Age, along with wealth and power. (pg. 259)
30. Mongol Dynasty - Central Asia saw the rise of a nomadic peoples whom excelled at horsemanship and
fighting skills. Chinggis Khan united the Mongols and attacked china, the creating one of the largest
empires in history. Trade was promoted within the dynasty, and eventually under Kublai Khan
accepted Chinese traditions and created the Yuan dynasty, and was visited by a venetian traveler
named Marco Polo. (pg. 241, 308)
31. Tamerlane – A Turkish Mongol ruler, expanded his kingdom from Samarkand to Persia, Afghanistan,
Russia, Syria, Turkey, and N. India he was known for his brutality in warfare and his massacre of
civilian populations. (pg. 268)
32. Sikhism- Developed in N. India that combines religious beliefs from Islam and Hinduism, follows the
five Ks. (pg. 269)
33. Gutenberg Printing Press –
34. Humanist –
35. Renaissance –
36. Martin Luther –
37. Reformation –
38. Compass –
Name:_____________________________________
39. Astrolabe –
40. Ming Dynasty –
41. Mercantilism –
42. Columbian Exchange –
43. Commercial Revolution –
44. Absolutism –
45. Limited Monarchy in England –
46. English Bill of Rights -
Date:______________ Period:______