This page focuses on the requirements developed by the College Board for the third, and shortest, unit of AP Modern World History. Below you will find each of the following:
- Empires Expand
- Focus on the specific empires and technologies students must know
- Empires: Administration
- Focus on the methods empires used to control their populations
- Empires: Belief Systems
- Focus on religious systems and organizations common within land - based empires
Empires Expand
Theme: Governance
Learning Objective
Explain how and why various land-based empires developed and expanded from 1450 to 1750.
The key to success with this standard is mapping each of the empires to the right and connected the use of gunpowder to their respective expansion, especially the Ottomans. |
Must Know Concepts
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Additional Materials
- Gunpowder Empires DBQ Activity
- This activity provides space for analyzing evidence from each of the document and analysis of POV, Audience, Purpose, and/or Historical Situation. It also includes a document matrix for analyzing strengths & weaknesses, developing a thesis statement, and organizing paragraphs with evidence from the documents.
- History of the World in 100 Objects Podcast: Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent
- Brief piece of the signature of Suleiman Magnificent with background on the Ottoman Empire as context
- History of the World in 100 Objects Podcast: Miniature of a Mughal Prince
- Discussion of the Mughal Empire as a Sunni state in South Asia
Empires: Administration
Theme: Governance
Learning Objective
Explain how rulers used a variety of methods to legitimize and consolidate their power in land-based empires from 1450 to 1750.
Recognizing the abilities of specific governments to control their populations through religious ideals and art, through the formation of specific elite groups, and generating revenue through specific groups is important for this standard. Students must have specific examples to use on the AP Test. |
Must Know Concepts
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Additional Materials
- LBV Magazine: Devshirme, the recruitment of Christian children by the Ottoman Empire to become soldiers and officials
- Review of the practice by the Ottomans
- Asia for Educators: The Age of the Samurai: 1185 - 1868
- Breakdown of the role of the Samurai during the feudal era of Japanese history
- History.com: Human Sacrifice: Why Aztecs Practiced this Gory Ritual
- Although claims of cannibalism are contested amongst anthropologists and historians, this is a good argumentative discussion of the purpose behind the ritual that fits well into this era
- Dallas Baptist University: Early Modern Political Theory
- Breakdown of multiple political theories, beginning with divine right; useful for multiple aspects of this time period
- University of Oregon: Qing Imperial Portraits
- Demonstration of the importance of Qing Imperial portraits with multiple examples
- The Guardian: Coricancha, the Incas' temple of the sun
- Discussion of the temple and its impact on Incan rule prior to and up to the Spanish invasion
- UNESCO: Taj Mahal
- Breakdown of the history and significance of the incredible structure
- Breakdown of the history and significance of the incredible structure
- Khan Academy: Chateau de Versailles
- Discussion on the architecture & opulence of the French palace
- Discussion on the architecture & opulence of the French palace
- Britannica: Zamindar
- Very brief explanation of the role of Zamindars in the Mughal Empire
- Very brief explanation of the role of Zamindars in the Mughal Empire
- Britannica: Iltizam
- Very brief explanation of Ottoman tax farming
- Very brief explanation of Ottoman tax farming
- National Museum of Northern Ireland: Aztec Tribute List & Key
- Image of an Aztec Tribute List with a brief explanation of the Aztec practice of tribute from surrounding cities
- Image of an Aztec Tribute List with a brief explanation of the Aztec practice of tribute from surrounding cities
- Association for Asian Studies: Late Imperial China, Silver, and Global Trade Routes
- Decent discussion on the Ming preference for the use of silver; this connects well with the next unit's focus on the extraction of silver from Central & South American and Japan
- Decent discussion on the Ming preference for the use of silver; this connects well with the next unit's focus on the extraction of silver from Central & South American and Japan
Empires: Belief Systems
Theme: Cultural Developments & Interactions
Learning Objective
Explain continuity and change within the various belief systems during the period from 1450 to 1750.
The focus of this section is primarily on conflict between varying sects of religions, as well as the development of new religions through cultural interactions. |
Must Know Concepts
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Additional Materials
- Crash Course History: The Catholic Counter Reformation
- As with all Crash Course videos, this gives high quality details into the Counter Reformation's causes & impacts
- History of the World in 100 Objects Podcast: Reformation Centenary Broadsheet
- This podcast focuses on Europe one hundred years after the Reformation
- Protestant Reformation Primary Source Documents
- This activity allows students to analyze POV, Audience, Purpose, & Historical Situation
- NPR's Throughline Podcast: War of the Worlds
- This podcast goes into far more detail than is necessary for this aspect of the unit, but it still a great listen and focuses specifically on the Sunni - Shi'a divide
- History of the World in 100 Objects Podcast: Shi'a Religious Parade Standard
- Discussion on the conversion of the Safavid Empire from a Sunni to a Shi'a State
- BBC: Guru Nanak
- This gives a brief background on the founder of Sikhism