AP World History Overview

Period 1 (to 600 B.C.E.) Paleolithic Societies Neolithic Revolution: farming, surplus, specialization, towns and cities -> civilization “Preclassic” River Valley Civilizations: Mesopotamia, Indus, Egypt, China

Period 2 (600 BCE to 600 CE) “Classic” Civilizations/Empires: Persia, Greece, Rome, Han China, Maurya/Gupta India, Maya Contact between civilizations: Silk Roads Formation/codification of major world religions: Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity

Period 3 (600 – 1450 CE) “Post-Classic”: Islamic Caliphates, Tang China, Byzantine Empire, Western European kingdoms (Middle Ages), Mongols, West African kingdoms/empires, Aztec, Inca Long-distance trade: Indian Ocean, Silk Roads, African coast

Period 4 (1450-1750 CE) Early Modern: Age of Exploration, Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, Enlightenment Cultures in contact: slavery, trade, colonization Ming/Qing China, Islamic Gunpowder empires

Period 5 (1750-1900 CE) Age of Revolution, Industrial Revolutions, decline of land-based empires, emergence of global empires

Period 6 (1900 – present CE) World Wars, Totalitarianism, Great Depression, Nationalism, Cold War, end of empire, emergence of the modern world