World History from 1500 AD to
the Present:
Midterm Review
SOL WHII.2a
• What you need to know: By 1500 AD, major
states and empires had developed in various
regions of the world.
• The big question(s): On the world map,
where were some of the major states and
empires located around 1500 AD?
SOL WHII.2b
• What you need to know: New intellectual
and artistic ideas that were developed
during the Renaissance marked the
beginning of the modern world.
• The big question: What were the artistic,
literary, and intellectual ideas of the
Renaissance?
This word is French for “rebirth” and
refers to the reemergence of the
classical knowledge of the Greeks
and Romans, and marks the “birth” of
the modern world.
Renaissance
The Renaissance started in
__________ and spread to
_____________________.
Italy, northern Europe
This visual artist thought of
himself primarily as a sculptor
(the David of Florence) but was
also painted masterworks like the
Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Michelangelo
This man was considered the
ultimate “renaissance man” as he
was an artist, scientist, inventor
and many other things. He
painted the Mona Lisa and the
Last Supper.
Leonardo da Vinci
This English playwright was
famous for his plays, sonnets,
and essays.
William Shakespeare
This Dutch writer was famous for
his works in humanism. He
wrote In Praise of Folly.
Erasmus
Which two institutions lost power
during the Renaissance?
The feudalism and the Catholic Church.
One of the main ideas of the Renaissance
was the idea that humans were good,
could be successful, and could enjoy their
achievements. What was this idea called?
humanism
How do you refer to someone
that is good at art, poetry,
science and many other things?
A renaissance man
Renaissance writers wrote in the
language of his or her
homeland… what is this called?
vernacular
Which Dutch Renaissance
writer wrote In Praise of Folly?
Erasmus
Which English Renaissance
writer wrote Utopia?
Sir Thomas Moore
Which Italian Renaissance writer
wrote the book The Prince?
Niccolo Machiavelli
Which English playwright was famous
for such works as Hamlet, Romeo
and Juliet, and numerous sonnets
and numerous poems?
William Shakespeare
SOL WHII.2c
• What you need to know: By 1500 A.D.
the 5 world religions had spread to many
areas of the Eastern Hemisphere
• The big question: Where were the five
world religions located around 1500 AD?
Religion Chart
Mono
Founder Texts
Or
Polytheistic
Hinduism
Buddhism
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Concept
Of God
(Name)
Holy
Cities
World
Region
Important
Eastern Philosophies
Founder Place of
Origin
Taoism
Buddhism
Confucianism
Key
Ideas
Important
Ideas
Texts
Whose teachings were candidates for
civil service jobs in China were
required to memorize?
Confucius (The Analects)
This monotheistic religion based
on the teachings of Abraham,
was concentrated in Europe and
the Middle east in 1500 A.D.
Judaism
This religion was born in the
Middle East during the height of
the Roman Empire. It had
become the dominant religion of
Europe by 1500 A.D.
Christianity
This religion was born in the
Middle East about 622 A.D. It
spread to Africa, parts of Asia,
and to some parts of Southern
Europe.
Islam
This religion was born in India, and
by 1500 A.D. was the dominant
religion there. It also spread in to
parts of Southeast Asia.
Hinduism
This religion was born in India, but
was spread to the far east (China)
and Southeast Asia by missionaries
along trade routes.
Buddhism
SOL WHII.2d
• What you need to know: By 1500 AD,
regional trade patterns had developed that
linked Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and
Europe.
• The big question(s): What were the
regional trade patterns around 1500 AD
and why were they important?
This trade route ran across Asia, all the
way to the Mediterranean Sea Basin.
The Silk Road
These trade routes ran across
North Africa.
Trans Saharan Trade Routes
Northern Europe traded into the
Mediterranean Sea via a trade route
that ran through this body of water
The Black Sea
Western Europe’s main trade routes
around 1500 AD were established
along _______________.
major rivers and small seas
Eastern Asia traded along the
________________.
South China Sea
Trade routes were important
because they helped spread
____________________.
products and ideas
(cultural diffusion)
SOL WHII.2e
• What you need to know: By 1500 AD
technological and scientific advancements
had been exchanged among cultures of
the world.
• The big question: What technological and
scientific advancements had been made
and exchanged by 1500 AD?
These were spread from the
far east along trade routes.
Paper, the compass, silk, porcelain (China)
These were important trade goods
from India and the Middle East.
Textiles, and the numeral system.
These were elements of science
that were transferred by 1500 AD.
Medicine, astronomy, and mathematics
Which kingdoms were famous for
the African gold and salt trade?
The sub-Saharan kingdoms of
Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.
SOL WHII.3a
• What you need to know: For nearly 1500
years, the Roman Catholic Church had little or
no competition in religious thought and action.
The Protestant Reformation resulted in the
birth of new political and economic
institutions.
• The big question(s): What were the
problems and issues that started reforms in
Western Christianity? What were the beliefs
of Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Henry VIII?
What were the some of the actions of
the Pope that led to the Reformation?
He claimed political authority as well as
spiritual authority, and he engaged in secular
interests like money and art.
What was the only church in
Christianity for nearly 1500 years
of its existence?
The Roman Catholic Church
The newfound wealth of this
group challenged the Church’s
view of usury.
Merchants (businessmen and traders)
The nobility in these two
countries especially disliked
Italian domination of the Church,
and desired to break away from
the Pope’s Church.
Germany and England
The sale of these as a means to
get forgiveness for sins was
widespread and caused great
conflict
indulgences
What were the results of the
Reformation?
Protestants divided into many religious
groups who interpreted the Bible differently
(Lutherans, Calvinists, Anglicans, etc).
This German monk believed that
salvation was achieved through
faith alone, and that the bible was
the only source of religious truth.
Martin Luther
Martin Luther caused a stir when
he created the Protestant church
by this action.
Posting the 95 Theses at Wittenberg
This man believed in predestination
(salvation or damnation determined
before birth), and that faith is
revealed by living a righteous life with
good work ethic
John Calvin
John Calvin spread Protestantism
when he founded the “ideal” Calvinist
society in Geneva Switzerland, who’s
ideals were perfect for this type of
economic system.
capitalism
This English monarch, the first of the
Tudors, broke with the Catholic
Church, and confiscated the land and
money of the Pope over the issue of
divorce.
Henry VIII
What was the movement that
used secret testimony and torture
against those who went against
the Catholic Church?
The Inquisition
What was the main goal of the
Inquisition?
To root out heresy (those who go against
the Pope)
What do we call the Catholic Church’s
efforts to bring Protestants back to the
church through reforming some aspects
of its operation, and denying the validity
of the Protestant movements?
The Counter Reformation
SOL WHII.3b
• What you need to know: The Reformation
had its roots in theology (ideas about God),
but it led to important economic and political
changes. These differences in ideas about
God caused hatred, war and destruction for
many years in Europe.
• The big question: What were the major
economic, political, and theological issues
involved in the reformation?
Princes in the northern part of this
country stood up for Martin Luther
and Protestantism because they
wanted to end the authority of the
Pope.
Germany
This German family dynasty
supported the Pope and the
Roman Catholic Church. They
later became the leaders of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Hapsburgs
This was a devastating conflict in
Germany between Protestants and
Catholics.
The Thirty Years’ War
This church became the national
church throughout Britain under
Elizabeth I, under the
Elizabethan Compromise
The Anglican Church
In England, the Reformation gave rise
to this type of economic system.
capitalism
French Protestants were
called
Huguenots
This gave the Protestant
Huguenots freedom to worship in
France, but it was later revoked
The Edict of Nantes
This Frenchman changed the focus
of the Thirty Years’ War from a
religious to a political conflict.
Cardinal Richelieu
The Catholic response to the
Reformation was a series of
reforms designed to reassert its
authority called _____________.
The (Catholic) Counter Reformation
This religious order was founded
by Ignatius Loyola to spread
Catholic doctrine around the world.
The Society of Jesus (The Jesuits)
This institution that consists of
torture, secret testimony, and
intimidation was used to reinforce
Catholic doctrine.
The Inquisition
SOL WHII.3c
• What you need to know: At first the
Reformation divided Europe up on religious
ideas, leading to intolerance. Power in
Europe was concentrated in the monarch.
Eventually religious toleration emerged, along
with democratic ideas.
• The big question(s): What were some of the
changing cultural values, traditions, and
philosophies during the Reformation? What
was the role of the printing press in spreading
these new ideas?
As business and trade grew, so to did
non-religious ideas, values, and
traditions which are referred to as
being _____________.
secular
The man who spread literacy
when he printed the bible.
Gutenberg
The ideas of the Renaissance and the
Reformation were spread even more
when the bible was printed in these
(non-Latin) languages
German, French, and English
SOL WHII.4a
• What you need to know: The expanding
economies of Europe increased trade with
Asia. When Constantinople fell to the Muslims
in 1453, Europeans started crossing the
Atlantic looking for new trade routes on the
sea.
• The big question(s): Why were Europeans
interested in discovering new lands and
markets? Who were the important explorers?
One of the main reasons for the
Age of Exploration was the desire
for these precious items used to
season and preserve food
spices
Another main reason for the Age
of Exploration was a desire for
this precious metal, used to drive
the European economies.
gold
Another main reason for the Age of
Exploration was the need for these,
which were necessary for the
manufacturing of products to sell
raw materials
Another key reason for the Age of
Exploration that led kings and nobles
to support the effort was this
Political and economic competition
Innovations in navigation such as
the astrolabe and the triangular
sail were taken from this culture
and used by Europeans.
The Islamic World
This Portuguese Prince founded a
school for sailors that taught
cartography and other essential skills,
giving rise to the Age of Exploration
Prince Henry the Navigator
The Portuguese sailor who first
rounded the Cape of Good Hope to
India, and brought back spices that
sold at 3000% of the original
investment.
Vasco da Gama
This Italian sailor, who sailed for the
Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and
Isabella in 1492, was credited with
discovering the “New World” although
he was actually seeking a western
passage to India
Christopher Columbus
This Spanish conquistador was the
man who conquered the Aztec
Empire to colonize New Spain (in
what is today Mexico).
Cortez
This Spaniard followed Cortez to the
“New World” and conquered the Inca
Empire in what is today Peru.
Francisco Pizarro
This man was the first to
circumnavigate the globe.
Ferdinand Magellan
The first Englishman to
circumnavigate the globe, thus
effectively bringing Northern Europe
into the Age of Exploration.
Sir Frances Drake
The Frenchman who explored the
“New World” in the area of the St.
Lawrence river, establishing several
important trading posts for the
French
Jacques Cartier
SOL WHI.4b
• What you need to know: One main
motive for exploration was to spread the
Christian religion.
• The big question: How did the expansion
of European empires into the Americas,
Africa, and Asia effect the religion in those
areas.
• How did Christians diffuse Christianity to
the new world?
– migration of colonists to the new lands
– Influence of Catholics and Protestants, who
carried the faith, language, and cultures to
new lands
– through the conversion of indigenous peoples
by missionaries like the Jesuits
SOL WHII.4c
• What you need to know: Europeans
migrated to new colonies in the Americas,
creating new cultural and social patterns.
Europeans established trading posts and
colonies in Africa and Asia.
• The big question: What was the effect of
European migration and settlement on the
Americas, Africa, and Asia?
What were the men who
conquered and destroyed the
Aztec, Maya, and Inca Empires,
and where were they from?
Conquistadors, from Spain
Who was the man who
conquered and destroyed the
Aztec Empire in 1520?
Hernan (Hernando) Cortez
Where was the location of the
conquered Aztec Empire, which
became the center of the Spanish
Empire in the “new world.”
In what is today the central valley
of Mexico, in North America.
Where was the capital of the
Inca Empire?
In what is today Peru, in South America.
Who was the man who
conquered the Inca Empire?
Francisco Pizarro
What three things made the
conquest of the “New World”
possible for Europeans?
Steel, guns, and diseases (smallpox)
The legacy of rigid class system
and dictatorial rule in Latin
America began with this type of
agricultural institution called the
_____________________.
encomienda
Who was the small group of
merchants who colonized the
Indies and India?
The Dutch East India Company
SOL WHII.4d
• What you need to know: The discovery of the
Americas by Europeans resulted in an
exchange of products and resources between
the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.
• The big question: What was the impact of the
Columbian Exchange between European and
indigenous cultures?
What were some of the products
brought back from the “new world”
(western hemisphere) that changed
European lifestyles during the
Columbian Exchange?
Corn, potatoes, and tobacco.
What European products were
introduced to the “new world” (western
hemisphere) from Europe during the
Columbian Exchange?
Horses, cattle, guns
Large farms were set up in the
new world to grow
____________ __________.
cash crops
Europeans set up large farms
called ___________.
plantations
European plantations and
encomiendas destroyed the native
people’s ___________ and ruined
the _____________.
economies, environment
Unlike slavery had existed for
thousands of years in the rest of
the world, European slavery in
the Americas was base on
__________.
race (the color of a man/ woman’s skin)
SOL WHII.4e,f
• What you need to know: Europeans
established a trade pattern know as
triangular trade and exported precious
metals from the Americas.
• The big question(s): What was the
triangular trade, and what was the impact
of precious metal export from the
Americas?
What were the three continents
that were linked in a triangular
trade pattern?
Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
What goods were traded in
the triangular trade?
Finished industrial goods (guns) went from Europe to
Africa, slaves went from Africa to the Americas, and rum
and sugar went from the Americas back to Europe.
What precious metals were
taken from the new world back
to Europe?
gold and silver
What was the result of the
Spanish rule in the Americas?
Spain became rich and powerful with the gold and silver
stolen from the Aztec and Inca Empires. The Aztec and Inca
Empires were wiped out, and their people were used as labor
for encomiendas, and treated as second class citizens.
SOL WHII.5a
• What you need to know: The Ottoman
Empire emerged as a political and
economic power following the conquest of
Constantinople. The Ottomans brought
much of Muslim territory in Southwest Asia
and North Africa under their rule.
• The big question(s): Where was the
Ottoman Empire located and how did it
expand?
What was the original location
of the Ottoman Empire?
Asia minor, what is today the
country of Turkey.
What did the Ottoman Empire
call its capital (that used to be the
Christian city of Constantinople)?
Istanbul
What did the Ottoman Empire
use to unite all its different
territories into one huge empire?
The religion of Islam (the Muslim faith)
What were two of the major trade
items for the Ottoman Empire?
coffee and ceramics
SOL WHII.5b
• What you need to know: Descendants of
the Mongols, the Muslim Mughal (Mogul)
rulers established an empire in Northern
India. The Mughal Empire traded with
European nations.
• The big question(s): What were the
contributions of the Mughal emperors of
India, and how did they trade with
European nations?
What religion did the Mughal
Empire spread to India, and
what part of the sub-continent
did they dominate?
Islam, northern India
What famous architecture did the
Mughal empire construct in India?
The Taj Mahal
How did Portugal, England, and
the Netherlands (The Dutch) trade
with Mughal India?
They established trading outposts
on the Indian coast, and traded on
Indian Ocean trade routes.
What were the main trade items
that went from Mughal India to
Europe?
spices and textiles
SOL WHII.5c
• What you need to know: China and
Japan sought to limit the influence and
activities of European merchants.
• The big question(s): How did the
Chinese and Japanese attempt to limit the
influence of European merchants?
What were some of the key
trade items that Europeans
wanted from the far east?
Porcelain (china), tea, silk, and paper.
What was the imperial solution to
control foreign influence in the far east?
To create trade enclaves.
What policy did Japanese leaders
adopt to the European traders?
isolation
SOL WHII.5d
• What you need to know: The exportation
of slaves and demand for imported goods
began to alter economic pattern in Africa.
• The big question: How did Africa
become involved in foreign trade?
What was Africa exchanging
slaves for in the triangular trade?
Manufactured goods (guns), and new food
products such as corn and peanuts.
The term “middle passage” refers
to inhumane transport of slaves
from where to where?
From Africa to the Americas.
SOL WHII.5e
• What you need to know: European
maritime (sailing and trading) nations
competed for overseas markets, colonies and
resources, creating new economic practices,
such as mercantilism, linking European
nations with their colonies.
• The big question: What were the roles of
the Commercial Revolution and mercantilism
in the growth of European nations?
What do you call the economic practice
where the colony exists to feed the
mother country raw materials so that
the mother country can make finished
goods and become self sufficient.
mercantilism
SOL WHII.6a
• What you need to know: The scientific
revolution placed emphasis on systematic
measurement and reasoned observation.
It changed the way people viewed the
world and their place in it.
• The big question(s): What were some
new scientific theories and discoveries,
and what were the effects of these new
theories?
Who developed the theory of
the heliocentric universe?
Nicolaus Copernicus
Who discovered the laws of
elliptical planetary motion?
Johannes Kepler
Who use the telescope to support
the heliocentric theory, and was
put on trial by the Pope for it?
Galileo Galilei
Who discovered and recorded
the laws of gravity?
Sir Isaac Newton
Who discovered and recorded
the circulation of blood?
William Harvey
The scientific revolution led to the
emphasis on reason and
observation of nature. What did it
depend on to expand the amount
of scientific knowledge available?
The scientific method.
SOL WHII.6b
• What you need to know: The Age of
Absolutism takes its name from a series of
European monarchs who increased the
power of their central governments.
• The big question(s): Who were the
absolute monarchs, and what effects did
they have on their countries?
What are characteristics of
absolute monarchies?
They centralize power, they claim
rule by divine right, and they are
not subject to the laws.
How did Louis XIV show his power?
He centralized all of his power
outside of Paris at his grand
Palace of Versailles.
How did Frederick the Great
show his power?
By making Prussia the strongest
military power in the region, and
waging war.
What was the main goal of
Peter the Great of Russia?
To westernize Russia
What city did Peter the Great
make his “window to the West”?
St. Petersburg
How did Peter the Great
centralize his power in Russia?
He took power from the nobility, the Eastern
Orthodox Church, and the serfs, while he
gave power to the military.
SOL WHII.6c
• What you need to know: Political democracy
rests on the principle that government derives
its power from the consent of the governed.
The foundations of English freedoms included
the jury trial, the Magna Carta, and common
law. The English Civil War and the Glorious
Revolution prompted further development of the
rights of Englishmen.
• The big question: How did the English Civil
War and the Glorious Revolution promote the
development of the rights of Englishmen?
What did the English Parliament try to
force Charles to sign that would
require him to check with them before
raising taxes or putting someone in jail
without saying why?
The Petition of Right
Who was the leader of the Roundheads
(supporters of Parliament) who led them
against the Cavilers (supporters of the king)
during the English Civil War?
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell led a group of religious
fanatics who sought to eliminate all
influence of Catholics from English
government and religion. What was
this group known as?
The Puritans
What happened after the Puritan
Republic was abolished?
The restoration of King Charles II
of the Stuarts.
What was the bloodless revolution
that displaced the Stuart kings and
put William of Orange and his wife
Mary on to the throne called?
The Glorious Revolution
What did William and Mary agree to
do that created the first constitutional
monarchy… thus increasing
parliamentary power and decreasing
royal power?
They signed the English Bill of Rights of 1689.
SOL WHII.6d
• What you need to know: Enlightenment thinkers
believed that human progress was possible through
the application of scientific knowledge and reason to
issues of law and government. Enlightenment ideas
influenced the leaders of the American Revolution and
the writing of the Declaration of Independence.
• The big question(s): Who were the Enlightenment
thinkers, and what were their ideas? How did
philosophers of the Enlightenment influence thinking
on political issues? How did the Enlightenment
promote revolution in the American colonies?
What three areas of thinking
did the Enlightenment most
drastically change?
1) It applied reason to the human world and its laws
not just nature.
2) It stimulated religious tolerance.
3. It questioned traditional authority, which led to
revolutions around the world.
Which Enlightenment thinker wrote
Leviathan, and said that man gives
authority to strong leaders to
manage our savage behaviors.
Thomas Hobbes
Which Enlightenment thinker wrote
Two Treatises on Government? He
said that people are sovereign, and
monarchs are not chosen by God.
John Locke
Which Enlightenment thinker wrote
The Spirit of Laws? He advocated the
separation of powers within a
government.
Montesquieu
Which Enlightenment thinker
wrote The Social Contract?
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Which Enlightenment thinker’s ideas of
natural law most influenced Thomas
Jefferson’s writing of the Declaration of
Independence?
John Locke
Which Enlightenment thinker said that
religious toleration should triumph over
religious fanaticism, and that there should
be a separation of church and state?
Voltaire
Along with the Declaration of
Independence, what were the other
two American documents that
incorporated the ideas of
Enlightenment thinkers.
The US Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
SOL WHII.6e,f
• What you need to know: The ideas of the
Enlightenment and French participation in the
American Revolution influenced the French people to
view their government in new ways. They overthrew
the absolute monarchy, and a new government was
established. These ideas and examples of the
American and French Revolutions influenced the
people of Latin America to establish independent
nations.
• The big question(s): How did the Enlightenment
contribute to causing the French Revolution, and how
did the French and American Revolutions influence
Latin American independence movements?
What event signaled the power of
the French people? It is still
celebrated as a major French
holiday to this day.
The storming of the Bastille
(Bastille Day)
What is the period when the
Committee on Public Safety executed
thousands in the name of the
Revolution called?
The Reign of Terror
What were the two big outcomes
of the French Revolution?
The end of the absolute monarchy and
the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.
What man was inspired by the French
and American Revolutions to lead a
slave revolt and establish the nation of
Haiti?
Toussaint L’Ouverture
What was the name of the man who
was influenced by the ideas of the
Enlightenment to lead several
revolutions in Latin America?
Simon Bolivar
SOL WHII.6g
• What you need to know: The
Enlightenment brought new emphasis on
order and balance in the arts as artists
borrowed heavily from classical Greece and
Rome. The Age of Reason witnessed
inventions and innovations in technology that
stimulated trade and transportation.
• The big question(s): Who were some
artists, philosophers, and writers of the
period? What improved technologies and
institutions were important to European
economies?
Who was the moody German
composer who was heavily
influenced by religious themes?
Johan Sebastian Bach
Who was the Austrian composer who
was writing major works by the age of
10, and is considered by many to be
one of the greatest musical minds of
all time?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Who was the French painter worked in the
baroque style, and embodied many of the
themes of the time into works such as
Liberty Leading the People.
Eugene Delacroix
Who was the Enlightenment
philosophe who wrote Candidate, and
was a huge advocate of free speech?
Voltaire
Which Spanish author wrote the
classic novel Don Quixote (when the
novel was still a new form of
literature)?
Miguel de Cervantes
Which technology was among the
most helpful in improving year round
transportation and trade?
all weather roads
SOL WHII.7a
• What you need to know: The French
Revolution left a powerful legacy for world
history: secular society, nationalism, and
democratic ideas. Napoleon’s attempt to
unify Europe under French domination was
unsuccessful. The Congress of Vienna
attempted to restore Europe as it had been
before the French Revolution and Napoleonic
code.
• The big question(s): What was the legacy of
Napoleon? What was the significance of the
Congress of Vienna?
What was the law code the law code
put into place by Napoleon in every
nation he conquered called?
The Napoleonic Code
What were the basic ideas
behind the Napoleonic code?
It was based on the ideas of the
Enlightenment, such as equality before the
law and promotion based on merit.
What do you call the feeling that
Napoleon awakened in European
countries that led them to support
their king, religion, and country?
nationalism
What were the results of the
Congress of Vienna?
The monarchies were restored, the political
map of Europe was redrawn to restore the
balance of power.