💣World History – 1400 to Present Unit 1 – Understanding the Past

Key Historical Events

• The Age of Exploration (15th-17th centuries) expanded European knowledge of the world through voyages and expeditions
  • Enabled by advancements in navigation technology (magnetic compass, astrolabe)
  • Led to the Columbian Exchange, transferring goods, people, and diseases between the Old World and New World
• The Protestant Reformation (16th century) challenged the authority of the Catholic Church and led to the establishment of Protestant denominations
  • Initiated by Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses in 1517
  • Resulted in the spread of Protestantism across Europe (Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anglicanism)
• The Scientific Revolution (16th-17th centuries) transformed understanding of the natural world through empirical observation and experimentation
  • Challenged traditional beliefs and promoted rational inquiry
  • Contributions from Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton, and Francis Bacon
• The Enlightenment (18th century) emphasized reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority
  • Influenced by philosophers such as John Locke, Voltaire, and Immanuel Kant
  • Laid the intellectual foundation for political revolutions and modern democracy
• The Industrial Revolution (late 18th-19th centuries) transformed economies and societies through mechanization and factory production
  • Began in Great Britain and spread to other parts of Europe and North America
  • Led to urbanization, social changes, and the rise of capitalism
• The French Revolution (1789-1799) overthrew the monarchy and established a republic based on Enlightenment principles
  • Inspired by ideas of liberty, equality, and fraternity
  • Resulted in the execution of King Louis XVI and the Reign of Terror
• The Scramble for Africa (late 19th century) saw European powers colonize and divide the African continent
  • Motivated by economic interests, nationalism, and the "civilizing mission"
  • Led to the exploitation of African resources and peoples
• World War I (1914-1918) was a global conflict that reshaped the political and social landscape of Europe and beyond
  • Triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary
  • Resulted in the collapse of empires (Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, Russian) and the redrawing of national boundaries

Major Themes and Concepts

• Colonialism involves the establishment of political, economic, and cultural control over another territory or people
  • Exemplified by European expansion into the Americas, Africa, and Asia
  • Led to the exploitation of resources, labor, and cultural suppression of colonized peoples
• Imperialism is the extension of a nation's power and influence through diplomacy or military force
  • Driven by economic interests, nationalism, and the belief in cultural superiority
  • Resulted in the creation of vast empires (British, French, Spanish, Portuguese)
• Nationalism is the belief in the shared identity and interests of a nation, often based on common language, culture, or history
  • Fueled political movements and revolutions (Italian and German unification, anti-colonial struggles)
  • Contributed to the outbreak of conflicts (World War I, Balkan Wars)
• Industrialization is the process of transforming an economy from agriculture to manufacturing and services
  • Driven by technological advancements, capital investment, and labor organization
  • Led to urbanization, social changes (rise of the middle class, labor movements), and environmental impacts
• Globalization is the increasing interconnectedness of the world through trade, communication, and cultural exchange
  • Facilitated by advancements in transportation (steamships, railroads) and communication (telegraph, radio)
  • Resulted in the spread of ideas, goods, and people across borders and continents
• Modernization refers to the process of social, political, and economic transformation towards a more advanced and complex society
  • Characterized by industrialization, urbanization, secularization, and the growth of bureaucratic institutions
  • Challenged traditional social structures and cultural norms
• Revolutions are sudden and significant changes in the political, social, or economic system of a society
  • Can be driven by ideas (Enlightenment), economic conditions (Industrial Revolution), or social grievances (French Revolution)
  • Result in the overthrow of existing power structures and the establishment of new ones

Influential Figures

• Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) was an Italian explorer who led expeditions to the Americas on behalf of Spain
  • His voyages marked the beginning of European exploration and colonization of the New World
  • Contributed to the Columbian Exchange and the exploitation of indigenous peoples
• Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a German theologian and religious reformer who challenged the authority of the Catholic Church
  • His Ninety-five Theses criticized the sale of indulgences and other church practices
  • Initiated the Protestant Reformation and the establishment of Lutheranism
• Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was an Italian astronomer and physicist who made significant contributions to the Scientific Revolution
  • Improved the telescope and made observations that supported the Copernican heliocentric model
  • Faced persecution from the Catholic Church for his ideas
• Isaac Newton (1643-1727) was an English mathematician and physicist who formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation
  • His work "Principia Mathematica" laid the foundation for classical mechanics
  • Contributed to the development of calculus and optics
• Voltaire (1694-1778) was a French Enlightenment philosopher and writer who advocated for religious tolerance, freedom of speech, and social reform
  • His works, such as "Candide" and "Treatise on Tolerance," criticized the Catholic Church and French society
  • Influenced the intellectual climate leading up to the French Revolution
• Adam Smith (1723-1790) was a Scottish economist and philosopher who is considered the father of modern economics
  • His work "The Wealth of Nations" advocated for free-market capitalism and the division of labor
  • Influenced economic policies and the development of classical economics
• Simón Bolívar (1783-1830) was a South American military and political leader who played a key role in the Latin American independence movement
  • Led the liberation of several Latin American countries from Spanish rule (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia)
  • Promoted the idea of a united Latin America and served as the first president of Gran Colombia
• Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948) was an Indian lawyer and political activist who led the Indian independence movement against British rule
  • Advocated for nonviolent civil disobedience and resistance (Salt March, Quit India Movement)
  • Inspired other civil rights movements and leaders around the world (Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela)

Cultural and Social Developments

• The Renaissance (14th-17th centuries) was a cultural movement that revived classical learning and promoted humanism
  • Originated in Italy and spread throughout Europe
  • Characterized by advances in art (Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo), literature (Shakespeare, Cervantes), and science (Galileo)
• The Enlightenment (18th century) promoted reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority
  • Influenced by philosophers such as John Locke, Voltaire, and Immanuel Kant
  • Led to the development of new political and social ideas (social contract theory, separation of powers)
• Romanticism (late 18th-19th centuries) was an artistic and intellectual movement that emphasized emotion, individualism, and nature
  • Reacted against the rationalism and classicism of the Enlightenment
  • Influenced literature (Goethe, Wordsworth), music (Beethoven, Chopin), and art (Turner, Delacroix)
• Realism (mid-19th century) was a literary and artistic movement that sought to depict the world as it was, without idealization
  • Focused on the lives of ordinary people and social issues (poverty, class conflict)
  • Exemplified in the works of writers such as Honoré de Balzac, Charles Dickens, and Leo Tolstoy
• Impressionism (late 19th century) was an art movement that emphasized capturing the changing effects of light and color in nature
  • Characterized by loose brushwork, bright colors, and outdoor scenes
  • Pioneered by artists such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas
• Modernism (late 19th-mid-20th centuries) was a cultural movement that rejected traditional forms and embraced experimentation and innovation
  • Influenced by the rapid social and technological changes of the modern world
  • Manifested in various forms, such as Cubism (Pablo Picasso), Surrealism (Salvador Dalí), and Stream of Consciousness (James Joyce)
• Pop Art (1950s-1960s) was an art movement that drew inspiration from popular culture and mass media
  • Challenged the boundaries between high art and popular culture
  • Exemplified by artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Richard Hamilton
• Postmodernism (late 20th century) is a cultural and intellectual movement that questions the grand narratives and universal truths of modernism
  • Emphasizes relativism, irony, and the blurring of boundaries between high and low culture
  • Influences various fields, such as architecture (Frank Gehry), literature (Don DeLillo), and philosophy (Jean-François Lyotard)

Economic and Political Changes

• The Commercial Revolution (13th-18th centuries) saw the expansion of trade and the growth of a money economy in Europe
  • Facilitated by the development of banking, credit, and joint-stock companies
  • Led to the rise of mercantilism and the accumulation of wealth by European nations
• The Atlantic Slave Trade (16th-19th centuries) involved the forced transportation of millions of Africans to the Americas for labor
  • Driven by the demand for labor in European colonies and the profitability of the trade
  • Had devastating consequences for African societies and contributed to the development of racism
• The American Revolution (1765-1783) was a political and military struggle that resulted in the independence of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain
  • Motivated by Enlightenment ideas and grievances over British colonial policies (taxation without representation)
  • Established the United States as a democratic republic and inspired other revolutionary movements
• The Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) was a successful slave revolt that led to the establishment of Haiti as the first independent black republic
  • Led by Toussaint L'Ouverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines
  • Challenged the institution of slavery and inspired other anti-colonial and abolitionist movements
• The Congress of Vienna (1814-1815) was a series of diplomatic meetings that redrew the political map of Europe after the Napoleonic Wars
  • Aimed to restore the balance of power and suppress revolutionary movements
  • Established the Concert of Europe and the principle of legitimacy
• The Revolutions of 1848 were a series of political upheavals that swept across Europe, challenging the conservative order established by the Congress of Vienna
  • Fueled by nationalist, liberal, and democratic ideals
  • Resulted in the temporary establishment of republican governments in France, Italy, and Germany
• Decolonization (mid-20th century) refers to the process by which former colonies gained independence from European powers
  • Driven by nationalist movements and anti-colonial struggles (Indian independence movement, Algerian War)
  • Resulted in the emergence of new nation-states in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean
• The Cold War (1947-1991) was a period of geopolitical tension and ideological rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union
  • Characterized by proxy wars (Korean War, Vietnam War), arms race, and the threat of nuclear annihilation
  • Ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of the United States as the sole superpower

Technological Advancements

• The printing press, invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century, revolutionized the dissemination of knowledge and ideas
  • Allowed for the mass production of books and pamphlets
  • Contributed to the spread of literacy, the Renaissance, and the Protestant Reformation
• The steam engine, developed by James Watt in the late 18th century, powered the Industrial Revolution
  • Enabled the mechanization of production and transportation (factories, steamships, locomotives)
  • Transformed economies and societies, leading to urbanization and the growth of the working class
• The telegraph, invented by Samuel Morse in the 1830s, revolutionized long-distance communication
  • Allowed for the rapid transmission of messages across vast distances
  • Facilitated the growth of news media, business, and diplomacy
• The telephone, patented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, transformed personal and business communication
  • Enabled real-time, voice communication over distances
  • Contributed to the development of modern business practices and social interactions
• The light bulb, invented by Thomas Edison in 1879, revolutionized lighting and extended the workday
  • Provided a safer and more efficient alternative to gas lighting
  • Contributed to the growth of cities and the expansion of economic activity
• The automobile, pioneered by Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler in the late 19th century, transformed transportation and urban development
  • Enabled personal mobility and the growth of suburbs
  • Contributed to the development of the oil industry and the rise of consumerism
• The airplane, invented by the Wright brothers in 1903, revolutionized travel and warfare
  • Enabled rapid, long-distance transportation of people and goods
  • Transformed military strategy and played a crucial role in World War I and World War II
• The computer, developed during World War II and commercialized in the post-war period, transformed information processing and communication
  • Enabled the automation of complex tasks and the storage and retrieval of vast amounts of data
  • Contributed to the development of the Internet, e-commerce, and the Information Age

Global Interactions and Conflicts

• The Columbian Exchange, initiated by Christopher Columbus's voyages in the late 15th century, involved the transfer of goods, people, and diseases between the Old World and the New World
  • Introduced new crops (potatoes, maize, tomatoes) and animals (horses, pigs, cattle) to both hemispheres
  • Resulted in the spread of diseases (smallpox, measles) that devastated indigenous populations in the Americas
• The Triangular Trade, which flourished during the 17th and 18th centuries, involved the exchange of goods and slaves between Europe, Africa, and the Americas
  • European manufactured goods were traded for African slaves, who were then transported to the Americas to work on plantations
  • American raw materials (sugar, cotton, tobacco) were shipped to Europe for processing and consumption
• The Opium Wars (1839-1842, 1856-1860) were conflicts between Britain and China over the trade of opium
  • Britain sought to expand its trade in China and address its trade deficit by exporting Indian opium
  • Resulted in the opening of Chinese ports to foreign trade and the cession of Hong Kong to Britain
• The Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901) was an anti-foreign and anti-Christian uprising in China
  • Fueled by resentment over foreign imperialism and the spread of Christianity
  • Suppressed by an international coalition of foreign powers, leading to further concessions and humiliation for China
• The Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) was a conflict between Russia and Japan over territorial ambitions in Manchuria and Korea
  • Marked the first victory of an Asian power over a European one in modern times
  • Contributed to the rise of Japanese imperialism and the weakening of the Russian monarchy
• The Armenian Genocide (1914-1923) was the systematic extermination of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I
  • Motivated by Turkish nationalism and the desire to create a homogeneous Turkish state
  • Resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians and the displacement of many more
• The Russian Revolution (1917) was a series of political upheavals that led to the overthrow of the Tsarist regime and the establishment of the Soviet Union
  • Fueled by widespread discontent with the monarchy, economic hardship, and the strains of World War I
  • Resulted in the rise of Bolshevism and the establishment of the world's first communist state
• The Holocaust (1941-1945) was the systematic persecution and genocide of European Jews by Nazi Germany during World War II
  • Motivated by Hitler's racist ideology and the goal of creating a "pure" Aryan race
  • Resulted in