AP World history important dates

1. AP World history important dates Ms. SheetsAP World History University High School

2. Foundations: 8000 bce-600 bce Arrange each event in chronological order and if you can, assign a specific date to each. • Beginnings of early river valley civilizations • Beginnings of early agriculture

3. Foundations: 8000 bce-600 bce • 6000 BCE- Beginnings of agriculture • 3000 BCE- Beginnings of early River Valley civilizations

4. 6000 BCE- Beginnings of early agriculture Definition: • Transition from nomadic life to stationary one • Hunting and gathering method replaced by farming • Agricultural development included the domestication of animals as well as the cultivation of crops Significance: • Produced a more constant and substantial food supply  could support a bigger population, so population growth • Population growth settlement in villages and development of early civilizations

5. 3000 BCE- Beginnings of early river valley civilizations Definition: • Mesopotamia: in between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; Sumerians  cuneiform, first writing system developed, ziggurats built for temples, The Epic of Gilgamesh; irrigation; Hammurabi’s code • Egypt: Nile River-prone to flooding; pharaoh or god-king; defined social classes; writing system developed with hieroglyphs • Indus River Valley: Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro; unpredictable and violent flooding; structured cities; Harappan writing yet to be deciphered; conquered by Aryans • Huang He River Valley: very isolated; iron-working and flood control/irrigation projects; earliest Chinese dynasty with written records is the Shang dynasty Significance: • First civilizations developing that led to rise of peoples, cultures, and dynasties within certain geographical areas

6. Classical: 600 BCE-600 CE Arrange each event in chronological order and if you can, assign a specific date to each. • End of Han Dynasty • Greek Golden Age • Death of Jesus Christ/beginning of Christianity • Fall of Western Roman Empire • Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tsu • Alexander the Great

7. Classical: 600 BCE-600 CE • 6th century BCE- Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tsu (Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism) • 5th century BCE- Greek Golden Age • 323 BCE- Alexander the Great • 32 CE- Death of Jesus Christ/beginning of Christianity • 220 CE- End of Han Dynasty • 476 CE- Fall of Western Roman Empire

8. 6th century BCE- Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tsu • Buddha-Indian prince Saddhartha Gautama; troubled by suffering in world so spent 6 years fasting and meditating; became Buddha or the “enlightened one”; ultimate goal of nirvana reached by following Noble Eight-fold Path; rapidly spread (Silk Roads) • Confucius-believed source of good government was in maintenance of tradition which was maintained by personal standards of virtue; patriarchy and filial piety; government stability dependent on well-educated officials; beliefs gathered into Analects • Lao Tsu-adapted traditional Chinese concepts of balance in nature (yin and yang); human understanding comes from following “The Way” (a life force in nature); political involvement and education unnecessary; natural balance resolves problems Definition: Significance: • Created three dominant religions/philosophies that spread rapidly around the world via trade routes (Silk Roads) and heavily influenced culture, government, traditions, and beliefs

9. 5th century BCE- Greek Golden Age Definition: • Period of great cultural and intellectual flourishing in ancient Greece • Philosophy-Sophocles, Aristotle, emphasis on power of human reason, stoicism • Science and math-Pythagoras, Euclidean geometry, studies of human anatomy and physiology by Galen, calculation of the circumference of the Earth by Eratosthenes, Ptolemy’s geocentric theory Significance: • Intellectual advancements produced that had great effect on scholars all over the world and in later time periods • Founded basis of mathematical and scientific understanding still used today

10. 323 BCE- Alexander the Great Definition: • Son of Philip of Macedon • Invaded Greece during period of weakness after the Peloponnesian War • Conquered Greece, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and Persia by death • Period of his rule called the Hellenistic Age because of Greek influence and cultural diffusion Significance: • Spread Hellenism (Greek culture) all over Mediterranean • Conquered large areas of land for Macedonia

11. 32 CE- Death of Jesus Christ/beginning of Christianity Definition: • Jesus believed to be Messiah sent by God • He and his 12 disciples traveled throughout the Roman province of Judea preaching • Believed to be a threat to Roman and Jewish authority and so put to death • Network of Roman roads facilitated spread of Christianity and allowed missionaries, traders, and other travelers to spread Jesus’s teachings Significance: • Gained popularity because of its appeal to all social classes but especially the poor • Gave women new status because it preached genders equal in faith • Creation of religion that heavily influenced rulers, empires, peoples, wars, and still exists today

12. 220 CE- End of Han Dynasty Definition: • Began to decline around 100 CE • Causes: heavy taxes levied on peasants, decline of interest in Confucian intellectual goals, poor harvests, population devastated due to disease, social unrest, decline in morality, weak emperors and heavy influence of army generals, unequal land distribution, trade decline, pressure from bordering nomadic tribes • Difficult to resist invasions from nomadic tribes so fell to neighboring tribes Significance: • After nomadic tribes invaded, led to a period of disorder and political disorganization known as Era of the Warring States • Despite threats to Chinese civilization, culture remained (Confucian tradition among the elite, rise in Daoism as peasants look for comfort)

13. 476 CE- Fall of Western Roman Empire Definition: • PaxRomana came to an end • Causes of decline: ineffective emperors more concerned with luxury than with ruling, influence of army generals, decline of trade, increasing taxes, decreased money flow into the empire because conquests ceased, population decline as result of disease, poor harvests, unequal land distribution, dependence on slave labor, non-Romans in Roman army; large empire difficult to control, nomadic invasions • Huns began to migrate southwest, putting pressure on bordering nomadic tribes, Rome too weak and disorganized to resist Significance: • Led to new rule and influence in area of Roman empire • Eastern portion of Roman empire flourished while West declined

14. Post-classical period: 600 ce- 1450 ce Arrange each event in chronological order and if you can, assign a specific date to each. • First Crusade • Battle of Manzikert • End of Abbasids • Founding of Islam • End of Zheng He’s voyages • Great Schism

15. Post-classical period: 600 ce- 1450 ce • 622 CE- Founding of Islam • 1054 CE- Great Schism • 1071 CE- Battle of Manzikert • 1095 CE- First Crusade • 1258 CE- End of Abbasids • 1433 CE- End of Zheng He’s voyages

16. 622 CE- Founding of Islam Definition: • Began with Muhammed, a merchant • 610 CE: receives 1st revelations from the angel Gabriel in Mecca • Wife urged him to share revelations, so Muhammed preached about his revelations from Allah Qu’aran • 629 CE: Muhammed and his followers (umma) journeyed to Mecca to visit the Ka’aba, now a shrine created the hajj, one of the five pillars • Five Pillars of Islam: faith, prayer, fasting, alms-giving, hajj • Muhammed died without appointing a successor Significance: • Created another major religion that would influence the globe • Spread of Islam united regions and people; created trade connections • Succession debate created Sunni and Shia split-major rift between Islamic factions

17. 1054 CE- Great Schism Definition: • Precipitated by differences such as whether to use unleavened bread in the Eucharist and celibacy for priests • Mutual excommunication by leaders on both sides in 1054 Significance: • Divided church into Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church (Byzantine Church)

18. 1071 CE- Battle of Manzikert Definition: • Byzantine Empire versus Seljuk Turks • Byzantines defeated Significance: • Significantly weakens Byzantine Empire and limited their military strength, contributing to their decline centuries later

19. 1095 CE- First Crusade Definition: • Ordered by Pope Urban II • Aid to Byzantine emperor to repel the Seljuk Turks as well as a European quest to retake Jerusalem • Provided way for younger sons to prove their excellence and have an adventure while having their sins forgiven Significance: • Early example of Western dominance and need for conquest • Opened Western world to new contacts (Byzantine Empire) • Trade between East and West increased • Introduced West to sugarcane, spices, and luxury goods such as porcelain, glassware, and carpets • First in line of seven (or eight) Crusades

20. 1258 CE- End of Abbasids Definition: • Vast empire increasingly difficult to govern • Failed to address the problem of succession within the Islamic world • High taxes made leaders less and less popular • Finances drained from leaders indulging in extravagance • Independent kingdoms arose within the empire-Persian sultans allied with Sekjuk Turks took over Baghdad • Final end when Mongoal invaders executed Abbasid caliph Significance: • Shift of power within region • Seljuk takeover of Jerusalem prompted the Crusades

21. 1433 CE- End of Zheng He’s voyages Definition: • Muslim eunuch from W. China, admiral in Ming Dynasty’s navy • Leads thirty-year expeditions and expansion into Indian Ocean • Huge amount of ships • Might have gone as far as Atlantic Significance: • China cancels expeditions in 1433 for variety of reasons • Too expensive, jealous of Zheng He’s influence at court • Role of Neo-Confucians • Characteristic of xenophobia and marks turn towards isolationism

22. Early modern period: 1450 ce- 1750 ce • Thirty Years War • Battle of Lepanto • Martin Luther’s 95 Theses • End of Byzantine Empire • Beginning of Tokugawa Shogunate • Columbus reaches Hispaniola/Reconquista of Spain

23. Early modern period: 1450 ce- 1750 ce • 1453- End of Byzantine Empire • 1492- Columbus reaches Hispaniola/Reconquista of Spain • 1517- Martin Luther’s 95 Theses • 1571- Battle of Lepanto • 1600- Beginning of Tokugawa Shogunate • 1618-1648- Thirty Years War

24. 1453- End of Byzantine Empire Definition: • Ottomans capture Constantinople • Decline caused by weak rulers, drained finances, nomadic invasions • Ottoman leader Mehmed II new ruler Significance: • End of centuries of strong Byzantine rule and transition to new powers • Transition to Islam Hagia Sophia converted into mosque

25. 1492- Columbus reaches Hispaniola/Reconquista of Spain Definition: • Columbus: sponsored by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain; landed in Hispaniola in the New World but thought it was India; tried to convert natives to Christianity • Reconquista: reconquest of former Spanish territory from the Muslims with the fall of Granada Significance: • Opens Europe to the New World and begins the period of Western colonization and dominance

26. 1517- Martin Luther’s 95 Theses Definition: • German priest and former monk nailed list of grievances with the Catholic Church to door of church in Wittenberg • Didn’t like indulgences, Bible only in Latin • Belief that salvation obtained only through faith in Jesus Christ and not dependent on following church practices and traditions • Excommunicated for his ideas • Spread widely as a result of Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press Significance: • Began the Protestant Reformation which appealed to many as they resented the authority of the pope • Increased European questioning of the Church and the pope • Strengthened monarchial power as papal power decreased • Created new Protestant churches (Anglican, Calvinism)

27. 1571- Battle of Lepanto Definition: • Between Ottomans and the Spanish • Spanish victory • First defeat of strong Ottoman navy Significance: • Seen as battle between Christianity and Islam; victory viewed as divine blessing of Spanish

28. 1600- Beginning of Tokugawa Shogunate Definition: • Tokugawa Ieyase wins the contest for succession after Hideyoshi’s death in Japan and emperor appoints him shogun • Did not continue Hideyoshi’s military campaigns outside of Japan, but instead focused on consolidating power at home • Reorganized remaining daimyos • Most of land in central Honshu was now under the control of the Tokugawa family rather than under daimyo control Significance: • Put an end to the civil wars and brought political unity and centralization to Japan

29. 1618-1648- Thirty Years War Definition: • Principally fought in Central Europe, involving most of the countries of Europe •  Initially religion was a motivation for war as Protestant and Catholic states fought even though they all were inside the Holy Roman Empire •  Developed into a more general conflict involving most of the great powers of Europe and war became less specifically religious and more a continuation of the Bourbon–Habsburg rivalry for European political pre-eminence Significance: • Devastation of entire regions due to war • Famine and disease significantly decreased the population of the German states • Bohemia, the Low Countries, Italy, and most of the combatant powers were bankrupted • Continuation of previous and led to further tensions in Europe

30. Modern period: 1750 Ce-1900 Ce Arrange each event in chronological order and if you can, assign a specific date to each. • Boer War • Commodore Matthew Perry opens Japan • Spanish American War • Independence across Latin America • Congress of Vienna • Berlin Conference • Emancipation of Serfs Act/unification of Italy • Seven Years War • Unification of Germany • Sepoy Rebellion • European revolutions/Karl Marx writes The Communist Manifesto • First Opium War • Haitian Revolution • French Revolution • American Revolution/Adam Smith writes Wealth of Nations

31. Modern period: 1750 Ce-1900 Ce • 1756-1763- Seven Years War • 1776- American Revolution/Adam Smith writes Wealth of Nations • 1789- French Revolution • 1804- Haitian Revolution • 1815- Congress of Vienna • 1820s- Independence across Latin America • 1839- First Opium War • 1848- European revolutions/Karl Marx writes The Communist Manifesto • 1853- Commodore Matthew Perry opens Japan • 1857- Sepoy Rebellion • 1861- Emancipation of Serfs Act/unification of Italy • 1871- Unification of Germany • 1884- Berlin Conference • 1898- Spanish American War • 1899- Boer War

32. 1756-1763- Seven Years War Definition: • British vs. the French in the New World as well as in Europe-involved Native Americans and colonial militias • Fought for right to expand their territory in the Americas • Entangling European alliances meant involvement of multiple nations-India, Prussia • British recruited the colonies with reimbursement for expenses 24,000 colonists joined with British army • Ended with Treaty of Paris-expelled the French and gave Canada to Britain Significance: • First “global” war • British victory drove French influence out of New World and decreased their influence in the colonies • Shared sense of victory between colonists and British but also brought new tensions (quartering, trade with French)

33. 1776- American Revolution/Adam Smith writes Wealth of Nations Definition: • Causes: virtual vs. actual representation (“Taxation without representation!”); Currency Act; Sugar Act; Stamp Act; Quartering Act; Declaratory Act; Townshend Act; writs of assistance; Tea Act; Coercive Act; Intolerable Acts • Colonial resistance: Sons of Liberty; Stamp Act Congress; Circular Letter; Sam Adams and John Dickinson; Boston Massacre; Committee of Correspondence • First Continental Congress: Declaration of Rights and Grievances; Suffolk Resolves; petition to George II • Second Continental Congress: Olive Branch Petition; Lexington and Concord; Common Sense; Declaration of Independence • War: General George Washington; Battle of Saratoga; Valley Forge; Battle of Saratoga (French); Battle of Yorktown and British surrender • Treaty of Paris-recognized American independence and surrendered territory • Wealth of Nations: 1) Capitol, 2) Export more than you import, 3) Draw resources from colonies Significance: • Led to American independence and crafting of a new government structure • Mercantilism

34. 1789- French Revolution Definition: • In 1789, Estates General had not been called by a French monarch in 175 years but Louis XVI forced to call for an Estates-General meeting about tax reform • Loses control to bourgeoisie members who insist on one vote per representative rather than one vote per estate • New National Assembly issues Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen (liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression) Significance: • Marks end to French traditional monarchical power and now king’s power is limited by the power of a strong parliament • New individual freedoms granted in DOROMAC and constitution

35. 1804- Haitian Revolution Definition: • Rebellion against France for independence • Haiti was originally Saint-Domingue, a French Caribbean island colony for sugar plantations • Mixed society: slave workers on sugar plantations, freed blacks, and French colonists • During the French Revolution, tensions increased in Saint-Domingue between white inhabitants and free blacks • In 1791, Haitian slaves capitalize upon social tensions and decide to rebel against French control, led by Toussaint L’Overture Significance: • Haiti declares its independence • First incident in world where black slaves successfully rebelled against their enslavers

36. 1815- Congress of Vienna Definition: • Meeting of European leaders after defeat of Napoleon • Goal: return Europe to its pre-Napoleonic state • Restore legitimate monarchs to throne and create a balance of power prevent France or any other country from dominating the continent again Significance: • Brought balance back to Europe as spirit of conservatism kept Europe largely at peace until the end of the nineteenth century

37. 1820s- Independence across Latin America • Mexico: Father Miguel de Hidalgo called for mestizos and Indians to support a rebellion but Creoles abandoned; rejoined cause under Augustine de Iturbide; declared independence from Spain 1821 and became a republic in 1824 • Gran Colombia: Creole Simon Bolivar believed freedom from Spanish rule would ensure Latin American prosperity; liberated Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela and united them into Gran Colombia but regional differences caused them to separate • Brazil: French invaded Portugal 1807 and royal family fled to Brazil; Portuguese king returned after defeat of Napolean and left son Don Pedro as regent; Pedro declared independence in 1822 after realizing Brazil would lose representation in Portuguese parliament Definition: Significance: • Movements for independence separated Latin America from European colonization and influence

38. 1839- First Opium War • British were frustrated by having to pay large amounts of silver for Chinese goods so they traded Indian opium to the Chinese • Leads to addiction in China and loss of Chinese silver • Qing emperor issued edicts: 1) forbid European opium trade; 2) opium is to be confiscated and destroyed • 1839: First Opium War between Chinese and British Chinese were defeated • Treaty of Nanking (1842): Hong Kong is a British colony dedicated to European trade • Extraterritoriality rights Definition: Significance: • Opens China up to spheres of influence(Europeans forcing the Chinese to open trade and diplomatic exchanges and extend right of extraterritoriality) • Reveals the West’s power over Qing

39. 1848- Europen revolutions/karl Marx writes The Communist Manifesto Definition: • Liberal revolutions of 1848: sought protection for rights of propertied classes • Marxism based on class struggle-proletariat vs. bourgeoisie but would be solved with a proletariat revolution • Would ensure social and political freedom no need for the state communism and a classless society Significance: • Brought end to monarchy in France but largely failed to bring permanent reform • Marxist ideas formed basis of Communism and socialism in many countries

40. 1853- Commodore Matthew Perry opens Japan Definition: • American Commodore who arrived in Edo Bay and threatened bombardment if Americans were not allowed to trade there • Japanese give in and open two ports for Americans • British, Dutch, and Russians soon gain similar ports • Shogun troops and shogunate feel helpless in face of West Significance: • Ends Japanese isolation which had been in place since the Tokugawa Shogunate • Shows Western attitude of dominance

41. 1857- Sepoy Rebellion Definition: • Revolt by Indian sepoys in the British army (run by British East Indian Trading Company) • Indian Muslim and Hindu soldiers upset by new rifles that require them to use their teeth to tear open cartridges (animal fat was used to lubricate cartridges and Hindu and Muslim Indians do not want to ingest this) • Revolt ends with British victory • British East India Company is criticized by British government for mishandling rebellion Significance: • Weakens British relationships with sepoys and led to dissolution of the British East India Company by creating British Raj

42. 1861- Emancipation of Serfs Act/unification of Italy Definition: • Serfdom eradicated by Alexander II who does so entirely to try to industrialize Russia and move peasants into the roles of proletariat • 23 million serfs made legally free of their landlords • Ex-serfs allowed to own property, marry by choice, trade freely, sue in courts, vote in local elections • Serfs were saddled with redemption payments: serfs had to buy land assigned to them from previous owners’ estates prohibited peasants from being able to move to cities Significance: • Emancipation of serfs aided in changing Russia from a predominantly agricultural to a slightly more industrialized society with a labor force • Did not lead to increased agricultural productivity because peasants were highly unskilled and used outdated agricultural method • Attempt by Russia to industrialize that is not successful in eliminating Russia’s dependence on agricultural labor

43. 1871- Unification of Germany Definition: • Nationalist stirrings brought unification of various political units Significance: • Unified a previously divided region

44. 1884- Berlin Conference Definition: • Organized by Otto van Bismarck • Partitioned Africa into colonies controlled by Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Portugal, and Spain; Liberia and Ethiopia are not colonized • No African representatives present • Divisions made without concerns for traditional ethnic or cultural groups Significance: • Indicates fervor with which European nations pursued colonization for industrial purposes • Shows Western disregard for non-Western concerns and preferences

45. 1898- Spanish American War Definition: • Cubans rebelled against Spanish rule US businessmen grew concerned about their Cuban investments in sugar and tobacco • USS Maine sent to Havana but explodes in Havana harbor • Yellow journalism leads Americans to feel that Spain was responsible for explosion of ship (Remember the Maine; to Hell with Spain!) • US went to war against Spain US victory resulted in Spanish cession of Puerto Rico and Guam to the US and the US purchase of the Philippines Significance: • Allowed for direct US involvement in Caribbean • Cuba became independent republic, subject to manipulation by the US

46. 1899- Boer War Definition: • After the Great Trek where Boers retreated from British along coastlines, Boers established two republics (Orange Free State and Transvaal) in the interior • Diamonds were found in the Orange Free State and gold was discovered in Transvaal republic • Boer War (1899-1902) occurred when the Boers declared war on the British for invading their republics and interfering with Boer interests  British were victorious • British unite republics into Union of South Africa Significance: • Reveals the lengths to which whites will go to control South African territory to control land and resources • Example of British industrialized power overcoming rural Boers

47. Global/contemporary period: 1900 ce- present • World War II • Cuban Revolution • Russian Revolution • Mexican Revolution • Iranian Revolution • Chinese Revolution (to overthrow Qing) • Korean War • Treaty of Versailles • Pearl Harbor • Creation of Israel • Russo-Japanese War • German invasion of Poland Arrange each event in chronological order and if you can, assign a specific date to each. • World War I • Indian independence • Japanese invasion of Manchuria • Fall of Berlin Wall/Tiananmen Square • Global Great Depression • 9/11 • Chinese Communist Revolution • Fall of USSR • Cuban Missile Crisis • Suez Canal Crisis/de-Stalinization

48. Global/contemporary period: 1900 ce- present • 1905- Russo-Japanese War • 1910-1920- Mexican Revolution • 1911- Chinese Revolution (to overthrow Qing) • 1914-1918- World War I • 1917- Russian Revolution • 1919- Treaty of Versailles • 1929- Global Great Depression • 1931-Japanese invasion of Manchuria • 1939- German invasion of Poland • 1941- Pearl Harbor • 1939-1945- World War II • 1947- Indian independence • 1948- Creation of Israel • 1949- Chinese Communist Revolution • 1950-1953- Korean War • 1956- Suez Canal Crisis/de-Stalinization • 1959- Cuban Revolution • 1961- Cuban Missile Crisis • 1979- Iranian Revolution • 1989- Fall of Berlin Wall/Tiananmen Square • 1991- Fall of USSR • 2001- 9/11

49. 1905- Russo-Japanese War Definition: • Nationalism and a mutual desire to control Korea led to a conflict of interests between Russia and Japan • Led to the Russo-Japanese War Japanese victory Significance: • Caused economic and political weakening of Russia led to Russian Revolution and overthrow of tsar

50. 1910-1920- Mexican Revolution Definition: • 1876, Porfirio Diaz was elected president of Mexico • Encouraged foreign investment, industries, and exports, which did not benefit the working class-opponents arrested or exiled • Middle class began movement for election reform-joined by workers and peasants Significance: • Resulted in new constitution that guaranteed land reform, limited foreign investments, restricted church ownership of property, and reformed education