#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?

  • Economic Factors: Europe wanted more trade and faster routes. 🚢

  • Technological Factors:

    • Compass & Astrolabe: Made navigation safer and more accurate. 🧭
    • Improved understanding of wind patterns and currents. 🌬️

  • Political Factors: European powers sought new territories for resources and influence. 👑

• 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.

#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.
  • ...