AP WORLD HISTORY
Change and Continuity Analysis Chart
Unit:
Post- Classical Era: 600 CE -1450 CE
THEME
Human-Environ
Interaction
(Demography, disease,
Migration, technology)
Characteristics at the
beginning of the period
-Migration
-Lack of diseases like smallpox
-Mayan population grows
-Fertile land that gave way to
useful crops like sweet potato
and maize
Culture
(Religions, philosophies,
Science, technology, art,
architecture)
-Polytheistic religions
-Religion-based architecture
-Pictographs
-Mesoamerican human
sacrifice
-Mayan writing & calendar
Politics
(State-building,
conflict, Political
structures, Empires,
Revolts and revolution)
- interregional competition
- Theocracies
- Monarchy
- City- states
Region (circle one): (Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania)
Key Changes
-at least TWO
-give evidence for each
Key Continuities
-At least TWO
-give evidence for each
-Population decreased (Mayan)
-Ecological disaster
-Lack of epidemic diseases (no mass
death)
-Location of settlements(permanent settlement in places
like Lake Texococo or Cusco)
-Less building (peasant revolts)
-Focus on art and poetry toward
end of period (Toltec & Aztec)
-Human Sacrifice (the Incas were
still sacrificing people when Cortes
arrived in the Americas)
-Pictographs (the Incas recorded
the Toltec history with pictographs)
- Brief unification (Mayans under
the Mayapan)
- Theocracies to oligarchy (central
México, Mayans)
- Kings, no republics (the “Inca”)
- City- States (unification was not
successful until the Aztecs’ rule)
Characteristics at the end of
the period
Analysis of changes
Analysis of continuities
-Population decreased
-Empires crumbled due to
droughts or other ecological
problems
-Drought that brought about
Mayan collapse in 840
- The new world had not been
discovered yet
- Urbanization of the societies
only increased
-Human sacrifice and slaves
- More advanced systems of
writing and math
- Mayan Calendar Finished
- Religious beliefs still strong
-Rise of the Aztecs
-Brief unification
-oligarchic and “dual ruler
ship” replaced theocracies.
-With time, they had chances
to improve upon technology
-The civilizations were (for the
most part) flourishing, and this
only helped strengthen their
belief that the gods were
favoring them.
Huitzilopochtli & Eagle-SnakeCactus story.
- People were wanting a
government less centered
around one person.
The ‘New World’ was not yet
ready for Nations, and the
Empires fought over the
control of these city-states.
Economics
(Agric, trade, commerce,
labors systems,
industrialization,
capitalism, socialism)
- Development of markets
- Trade-spread religion
- Rich political/merchant class
- Irrigation System
- Markets developed
- Currency
Social
(Gender roles/ relations,
family, racial & ethnic
constructions, social
and economic classes)
- Equal rights for everyone
- Nobles and peasants
- Nobility was not hereditary,
so some social mobility was
available
- Others: warriors and farmers
-Slaves were lowest, but most
important (Aztecs)
- Women had a domestic and
political role
- Nobility starts to move towards
becoming hereditary
- Warriors ‘class’ becomes mostly
artisans and merchants
-Trade Routes (Incan trade routes)
-Rich merchant class’ (developed
because of trade routes
- Farmers
- Traveling merchants
- System of ‘capitalist’
economy, with nobles owning
land and others renting.
- Currency systems with beans
or ‘taxes’ paid in labor (Incas)
- Nobility is hereditary
- Leaders are like gods; meant
for the position and especially
in favor with the gods.
- Rights less equally
distributed
-Merchant class becomes
upper middle class.
- Traveling merchants
important for luxury lifestyles
- Once a system of currency
was established, the economy
is more free.
- They were not considered to
be “capitalist” because land
and labor were not
commodities for sale.
- The rich want to maintain
power among themselves
- Less demand for warriors;
everything has can be taken
over has been conquered.
- Demand for food is still strong
since population is growing.
- Traveling merchants must
bring luxury goods only
available far away (daily fish)