AP World History UNIT 4 REVIEW—1450-1750

Summary

In this comprehensive review of AP World History Unit 4, the focus is on the trans-oceanic interconnections from 1450 to 1750, highlighting the rise of European maritime empires. Key advancements in maritime technology, such as new ship designs and navigational tools, enabled European exploration and trade. The video discusses the impact of the Columbian Exchange, including the exchange of diseases, foods, and the establishment of the Atlantic slave trade. Additionally, it covers mercantilism as the dominant economic system and the resulting social hierarchies in the Americas, particularly the caste system, reflecting the complexities of this transformative period.

Takeaways

• 🌊 The main theme of Unit 4 is trans-oceanic interconnections, focusing on the rise of maritime empires from 1450 to 1750.
• 🚢 Europe became a primary global power during this period due to advancements in maritime technology and ship design.
• 🔭 Innovations like the astrolabe and magnetic compass improved navigation, allowing Europeans to explore further.
• 🌍 The Columbian Exchange marked a significant biological exchange of goods, animals, and diseases between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.
• 💀 Diseases brought by Europeans, notably smallpox, decimated native populations in the Americas.
• 🍽️ Europe introduced crops like sugar and animals such as horses to the Americas, while receiving products like potatoes and maize in return.
• ⚓ The Atlantic Slave Trade emerged as Europeans sought labor for agriculture in the Americas, leading to the establishment of chattel slavery.
• 💰 Mercantilism became the dominant economic system, emphasizing wealth accumulation and competition among European powers.
• 📈 Joint stock companies allowed private investment in exploration, distributing financial risks and potential profits among investors.
• 👥 The introduction of Europeans created new social hierarchies in the Americas, exemplified by the caste system based on race and ancestry.

Q & A

What is the main theme of Unit 4 in AP World History?

The main theme is trans-oceanic interconnections that occurred from 1450 to 1750, focusing on the development and expansion of maritime empires.

What technological advancements facilitated European maritime exploration?

Key advancements included new ship designs like the flute, caravel, and carrick, as well as navigational technologies like the astrolabe and magnetic compass.

How did Europeans' quest for a sea route to Asia impact their exploration?

Europeans sought a sea route to Asia due to Muslim control over land-based trade routes, leading to their westward exploration and the discovery of the Americas.

What was the Colombian Exchange?

The Colombian Exchange was a biological exchange of animals, people, food, and diseases between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, significantly impacting both sides.

What were the consequences of European diseases on Native American populations?

European diseases, particularly smallpox, devastated Native American populations, killing approximately 50 to 90 percent of them.

What system of labor replaced failed attempts to enslave Native Americans?

The Atlantic slave trade introduced chattel slavery, where enslaved Africans became the property of European colonists for life.

What was mercantilism and how did it influence European colonial expansion?

Mercantilism was an economic system based on the belief that wealth was fixed, leading to competition among European powers for colonies to secure raw materials and export goods.

How did joint-stock companies change the funding of exploration?

Joint-stock companies allowed private investors to share the financial risks of exploration, enabling more ambitious ventures with the potential for shared wealth from successful colonies.

What was the caste system established in the Americas, and how was it structured?

The caste system was a social hierarchy based on ancestry and race, with peninsulares at the top, followed by creoles, mestizos, mulattos, zambos, and at the bottom, indigenous and African peoples.

What was the encomienda system and how did it function?

The encomienda system involved Spanish conquistadors protecting a group of natives in exchange for forced labor on their land, but it ultimately proved unsustainable.