Continuity and Change from 1450 to 1750

Caleb Thomas
8 min read
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#AP World History: Modern - Ultimate Study Guide (1450-1750)
Hey! Let's get you prepped for the AP World History exam. We're focusing on the big picture here, making sure you connect all the dots. Ready? Let's dive in!
#🌍 The Interconnected World: 1450-1750
#The Bridge Between Hemispheres
- What Made it Possible?
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Economic Factors: Europe wanted more trade and faster routes. 🚢
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Technological Factors:
- Compass & Astrolabe: Made navigation safer and more accurate. 🧭
- Improved understanding of wind patterns and currents. 🌬️
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Political Factors: European powers sought new territories for resources and influence. 👑
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The combination of economic, technological, and political factors drove European expansion and global trade.
- The Columbian Exchange: More than just goods! 🔄
- Exchanges: People, religions, cultures, ideas, and technology. 💡
- Knowledge: Classical, Islamic, European, and Asian knowledge spread.
- Biological Exchange: Plants, animals, and... diseases. 🦠
- Devastating Diseases: Smallpox, measles, malaria, and yellow fever decimated indigenous populations. 💔
- Syphilis: Spread to Europe from the Americas.
Think of the Columbian Exchange as a giant swap meet, but with some really bad surprises (diseases).
#The Columbian Exchange. Image courtesy of Reddit.
#🌾 Old Systems, New Methods: Agriculture
#Why Agriculture Remained Crucial
- Technological Innovations: Focused on making agriculture more efficient. 🚜
- Crop Rotation & Heavy Plow: Increased productivity and output. 📈
- Primary Employment: Agriculture remained the main job in rural areas.
#Changes in Agricultural Labor
- Increased Demand: For raw materials and finished products. 🏭
- Intensified Traditional Agriculture.
- Atlantic Slave Trade: Brutal system of buying and selling enslaved Africans. ⛓️
Remember the link between increased agricultural output and the demand for labor, including the horrific Atlantic slave trade. This is a key connection for the exam.
#🔄 Changes in Agriculture: Implications
#Impact on Gender Structures
- Shift in Roles:
- Men increasingly focused on cash crops. 👨🌾
- Women often relegated to domestic tasks. 👩🍳
- Africa: Demographic crisis due to the slave trade.
- ...

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