AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP World History Unit 1 Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
2783133207Paleolithic Era"Old Stone Age", long period of human development before agriculture0
2783135673Neolithic Era"New Stone Age", discovery and cultivation of agriculture1
2783136520Periodizationcategorization of human history into time periods. BCE & CE- Before Common Era & Common Era BC & AD - Religious time phrasing2
2783139979MetallurgyPractice of mining & extracting metal ores3
2783144185TextilesMost important enterprise in agricultural society; result of selective breeding of animals/crops4
2783145533Neolithic "Revolution"Early stages of agricultural society5
2783146428Mesopotamia SubcontinentSubcontinent; "b/w the rivers";the Tigris and Euphrates6
2783580275Tigris RiverMesopotamian River, above Euphrates7
2783150696Euphrates RiverMesopotamian river, below Tigris8
2787055935Mediterranean SeaSea connecting Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and N.Africa9
2783151535Anatolia SubcontinentPowerful empire in modern day Turkey, home of Hittites10
2787055922Black SeaSea in N.Anatolia11
2783594087BabylonMesopotamian empire w/ centralized bureaucracy12
2783594089PhoeniciaPhoenician settlement along Mediterranean coast & Lebanon mountains13
2787008923JerusalemCosmopolitan capital city built by the Israelites in Palestine14
2783146427The Epic of GilgameshCollection of Mesopotamian myths abt. Gilgamesh, King of Uruk15
2783146796IrrigationManmade canals and reservoirs for easier access to water, developed by Sumerians16
2783146800SemiticArabian/Syrian nomadic herders who migrated to Mesopotamia17
2783149091City-statePolitical organization: urban king rules surrounding agricultural regions18
2783502396Indo-EuropeansS.Russian tribes who went on series of migrations from India - western Europe; spread Indo-European languages in eurasia19
2783512622PolytheismBelief in more than one god20
2783149958Hammurabi's CodeExtensive law code est. by Babylonian King Hammurabi21
2783153761CuneiformWorld's 1st written language, invented by Sumerians22
2783155545Stratified Patriarchal SocietyKings->Nobles->priests/priestesses->free commoners, dependent clients->slaves; patriarchal, much influence from Hammurabi's Code23
2783155719Economic SpecializationIncrease of city population and non-agricultural work --> variety of human skills; skills produced items for trade and boosted economy24
2783163811Pastoral NomadsEarly Hebrews; nomads who traveled b/w Mesopotamia & Egypt w/ cattle25
2783159923Hebrews, Israelites, JewsWere heavily influenced by Mesopotamia26
2783163341AbrahamSumerian patriarch Hebrew, migrated North27
2783159924MosesIsraelite leader who led others to Palestine, embraced monotheism and announced Ten Commandments to Israelites28
2783160312MonotheismBelief in only one god29
2783177667PhoeniciansMaritime civilization in Mediterranean that developed extensive trade, communication networks, early alphabetical script30
2783589477Arabian DesertDesert on Arabian Peninsula31
2783589166Sahara DesertDesert in N.Africa32
2783565810SavannahA grassy plain in tropical and subtropical regions, Sudan b/w 10,000-5,000 BCE33
2786980387Niger RiverWest African river utilized by early Sudanic cultivators34
2786982443Zambezi RiverCentral African river utilized by Bantu people35
2786983480Congo RiverSouthern African river utilized by Bantu people36
2786981109Kalahari DesertDesert in Sub-Saharan Africa37
2783565811PharaohEgyptian kings considered to be gods on earth38
2783578051Nile RiverPrincipal water source of water flowing through North Africa (site of sophisticated cultural development)39
2783594088CairoEgyptian city along lower Nile40
2783566013MercenaryProfessional soldiers hired to serve in foreign army41
2783566014ScribePrepared administrative and legal documents for governments & private parties42
2783566257HieroglyphicsEgyptian writing (pictographs & symbols representing sounds+ideas)43
2783574158India Subcontinent44
2783578052Indus RiverNorth Indian river that enabled agricultural societies to arise45
2783591235Hindu Kush Mountain RangeMountain range that led Aryans to India46
2783592897Deccan PlateauSouthern India plateau47
2783578599Ganges RiverReligious, east Indian river48
2783590298Himalayas Mountain RangeMountain range in NE India49
2783592896Tibetan PlateauPlateau in NE India, above Himalayas50
2783566258Rosetta StoneEgyptian stone w/ hieroglyphs, demotic, and greek writing51
2783567208AryansEuropean tribes, settled in India after 1500 B.C.E, formed the basis of Hinduism with Dravidians52
2783567209HarappansEarliest urban society in the Indus River Valley -centered around Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro53
2783567622Vedas (Vedic Age)1500-500 B.C.E : Indian era when the Vedas (Hindu religious text) were composed54
2783567623UpanishadsIndian reflections and dialogues (800-400 B.C.E.) that reflected basic Hindu concepts.55
2783567813BrahmanThe universal soul in Hinduism56
2783567814KarmaHindu concept that the sum of good and bad in a person's life will determine his or her status in the next life57
2783567816AsceticHindu concept of a simple, non-materialistic lifestyle58
2783567815DharmaHindu concept of obedience to religious and moral laws and order59
2783580981Yellow RiverPrincipal, loess- filled river in N.China60
2783578600Yangtze RiverRiver in central China61
2787056400South China SeaSea in S.China62
2783589167Gobi DesertDesert in N.China63
2783592275Kunlun Shan Mountain RangeMountain range north of Tibetan Plateau64
2783589476Takla Makan DesertDesert in NW China65
2783580982Mekong RiverRiver stretching from Tibetan Plateau to Vietnam66
2783568114"China's Sorrow"Yellow Sea's nickname, bc of its tremendous flooding67
2783568115Hereditary StatePolitical organization in which rulers were from the same family ex: Xia,Shang,Zhou dynasties68
2783568726Dynasty (Shang, Zhou, Qin,Han)A line of hereditary rulers of a69
2783569081"Mandate of Heaven"Chinese belief : heavenly powers' approval chooses emperor70
2783569497Decentralized AdministrationGovernment rules by giving power&authority to regional officials in exchange for loyalty& military support.71
2783569498Royal CourtChinese royal family and noble allies,who dominated public and private affairs72
2783569852ArtisansSmall class of people in China, worked exclusively for ruling elites73
2783569853Ancestor VenerationChinese belief : ancestors influence one's fortunes in life. Rituals and worship to ancestors conducted to ensure good fortune.74
2783570255Oracle BonesMeans of foretelling the future in Chinese Shang dynasty75
2783570550Steppe NomadsNomadic peoples w/ pastoral societies in the Eurasian steppe/grassy lands.76
2787056371Caribbean SeaAtlantic sea bordering the Yucatán Peninsula77
2783591236Andes Mountain RangeMountain Range along coasts of Peru &Bolivia78
2783576494Amazon RiverPrincipal river in South America79
2783593290Patagonia PlateauPlateau in southern South America80
2783593291New GuineaN. Australian island, separated by Torres Strait81
2783570551MaizeThe staple food of Mesoamerica82
2783570715Bering Land BridgeLand connecting siberia + alaska during ice age era83
2783570716Terrace FarmingMountainside farming method used in Andean region84
2783571073Andean HighlandsLand b/w Andes mountains & pacific ocean85
2783571286Austronesian PeoplesSE Asian mariners who settled in New Guinea86
2783571607EquatorImaginary horizontal line around the earth87
2783572136Latitude & LongitudeMeasures north-south position & Measures east-west position88
2783572137Continents (7)North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa. Australia, Antarctica89
2783572441Oceans (4)Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic90
2783578028Mississippi RiverLargest river in North America91
2783579177Danube RiverHorizontal river in W.Europe, below Rhine92
2783579770Rhine RiverVertical river in W.Europe, above Danube93
2783581454Volga RiverLongest European river, through central Russia94
2783592536Urals Mountain RangeVertical mountain range b/w Europe and Asia95
2783592107Pyrenees Mountain RangeHorizontal mountain range b/w Spain and Europe96
2783592535Caucasus Mountain RangeMountain Range b/w Black and Caspian Sea97
2787059249River Valley Civilizations - Mesopotamia- Tigris & Euphrates rivers - Cuneiform -Est. government for order & stability - Job specialization -> Social classes98
2787590469River Valley Civilization - Nile River-Pharaoh -Religious traditions (mummification,Amon-Re) -Industries, Transportation, Trade networks -Writing systems (hieroglyphic, hieratic, demotic,Coptic)99
2787604690River Valley Civilization - Indus River-Regional states w/ kingship (rajas) - Caste System - Organized religious beliefs (Hinduism) - Literature & Sanskrit100
2787616363River Valley Civilization - Huang He- Yellow & Yangtze rivers -"Mandate of Heaven" -Ancestor Worship/Veneration -Writing101

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!