AP Semester Exam review



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 Sui-Tang-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

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