Updated fabulous Fifty Answer Key

Mr. Rea’s Fabulous Fifty Answer Key for Global History - Updated 1/22/15

 

The words in bold lettering are the Topic/Key Word Connections

 

1. – 4 - The Neolithic Revolution (a revolution is a period of great change) is a turning point because people went from wandering around looking for food (hunters and gatherers) to growing it where they settled (farming) and domestication (taming) of animals as well. This resulted in the growth of towns and civilizations (permanent settlements/civilizations). They made the food supply more reliable so they were able to stay in one place. Remember – people STOPPED being hunters and gatherers so that will NOT be the correct answer.

 

2. – 1 – when the early civilizations developed, they were always along rivers. People need fresh water to grow food and provide drinking water. The four initial ancient civilizations are Egypt, Mesopotamia, Huang He (China-Middle Kingdom), and Indus River Valley (India). All were polytheistic (worshipped many gods). Many times they also connect these ancient civilizations with the development of irrigation systems

 

3. – 3 –The ruler of the ancient kingdom of Babylon, Hammurabi wanted to establish a code (law) that would establish punishments for various crimes. You will often see the phrase “an eye for an eye.” This is true if the crimes are committed against someone of your own rank (class), but nobles and commoners are still not equal under this law. Remember – divisions in social classes have always existed throughout Global History.

 

4 – 3 – Always associate Ancient Greece with government (democracy – people rule). The Athenians developed Direct Democracy (men vote on everything) and the Spartans were always about military service. Athens and Sparta were separate City-States that were isolated from each other due to the mountainous topography (landscape) in Greece. You should also always connect Alexander the Great with the spread of Hellenistic Culture.

 

5 – 4 – Always associate Ancient Rome with law (Twelve Tables) and their road systems. The Romans did also practice Representative or Republican Democracy (when you elect your leaders). The 200 year period of peace and stability that lasted during the Roman Empire is known as the Pax Romana. Eventually the Roman Empire was defeated by outside invaders (Visigoths).

 

6 – 4 – Confucius believed in social order (individuals in society know what is expected of them) and filial piety (people’s proper place in society – older superior to younger). Confucius collected his teaching in his book The Analects. Always connect Confucianism and the Han Dynasty in China with Civil Service Exams. Remember – the Chinese invented gunpowder

 

7 – 3 – The Buddhist religion believes in suffering here on earth (giving up selfish desires) in order to achieve nirvana (ultimate peace). Buddha (Enlightened One) also developed the Four Noble Truths.

 

Note – All religions provide guidelines for human or moral behavior. The three monotheistic (belief in a single god) religions and their books of study/worship are Christianity/Bible, Islam/Koran, and Judaism/Torah.

 

8 – 2 – Constantinople was a major city due to its location (on a waterway between Eastern Europe and Asia) which resulted in it being a gateway for trade between the two continents. It was also the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) and the center of the Eastern Orthodox religion which is a stricter form of Christianity. Also connect the Byzantine Empire with the words Hagia Sophia, Cyrillic Alphabet, and its influence on Kievan Russia. Emperor Justinian developed Justinian’s Code, which served as a model for the laws of many European countries. Remember – the Ottomans defeated the Byzantines by conquering Constantinople in 1453 which meant that they now dominated the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and closed most access to the Silk Road which led to Europeans (Columbus) seeking alternate trade routes to the East

 

9 – 1 – All feudal societies are based on class relationships. For Europe it is in this order King/Nobles/Knights/Serfs or peasants. Remember that feudalism involves decentralized governments. The Knights code of behavior is called chivalry. Land is the most important possession. Manorialism is the economic system structured around a feudal estate. In Japan it is Emperor/Shogun/Daimyo/Samurai/Peasants. The Code of Bushido is what the Samurai follow. Knights and Samurai are warriors.

 

10  – 4 – the Church is the center of people’s lives in the Middle Ages/Feudal Europe and the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church is more powerful than any king.

 

11 – 3 – Whenever you see a question about the African kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai (Timbuktu), the answer will have the word trade in it or the fact that they traded salt and gold or are located on major trade routes. Mansa Musa from Mali was the most powerful person and helped spread Islam.

 

12 – 4 – Any question about a Golden Age will have a very positive answer and will be about major discoveries, technological advancements, contribution or significant works of art, medicine and literature. Remember – the Muslims invented algebra. The Guptas developed the Concept of Zero.

 

13 – 3 – The Crusades increased trade between Europe and the Middle East and weakened the system of feudalism. The trade led to the growth of cities in Europe and the eventual weakening of the Roman Catholic Church.

 

14 – 2 – Any questions about the Renaissance will be about the growth of the arts, emphasis on the individual, or emphasis on humanism (celebrating the accomplishments of the individual or achieving one’s potential and renewal of Greek and Roman culture. Always look for a positive answer on Renaissance questions and that it began in Italy due to the growth of rich TRADING cities.

 

15 – 1 – Niccolo Machiavelli was a Renaissance author who wrote The Prince. He advised rulers that they should do whatever is necessary to maintain power or achieve their goals.

 

16 – 2 – Always connect any question with the name Martin Luther with the Protestant Reformation, 95 Thesis, Sale of Indulgences, new Christian denominations, and reforms within the Catholic Church. Martin Luther protested against corruption in the Roman Catholic Church and this led to a decrease in its power and new Christian religions (denominations) or lack of Christian unity.This also led to increased power of the monarchy (kings and queens) as they gained more influence. The invention of the printing press also led to the spread of ideas and information and an increase in literacy (ability to read).

 

17 – 2 – The Age of Exploration led to the discovery of the Americas (Western hemisphere). New discoveries such as the compass, astrolabe, and better maps (cartography), enabled this to happen. Europeans were also looking for new trade routes to the East due to the demand for goods from that part of the world. The first meeting between Europeans and Native Americans is called The Encounter. Always associate Christopher Columbus with the Age of Discovery and the phrase Pre-Columbian means before Columbus discovered the New World in the year 1492. The Columbian Exchange is when food and animals from one hemisphere were exchanges with the other hemisphere. Example – tomatoes and potatoes are from Latin America and horses are from the Middle East. Imagine Italian food (pizza) without tomato sauce, the Irish without potatoes, and Native Americans without horses. It also led to an improved diet for many Europeans and increased cultural diffusion. This also led to a new European view of the world as they now knew about the Western Hemisphere (Americas)

 

Note – The mass migration (when many people move from one place to another) of the 1840s from Ireland to America was due to the potato famine (not enough food). Look for the words famine and mass starvation in questions about this or Ireland.

 

18 – 1 – All of these Native American/Mesoamerican civilizations were known for their complex civilizations and dependence on intensive agriculture. The Aztecs built a city Tenochtitlan that rivaled any in Europe in terms of technology. The Mayans developed a sophisticated calendar and a system of writing. The Incans are known for their road system and terrace farming and adaptation to their geography (mountainous)

 

19 – 2 – Absolutism means that one ruler (King) has all the power. If you see Philip II of Spain and/or Louis XVI (I Am The State) of France the answer will be absolute ruler. Absolute rulers want all the power so they will centralize (combine) power. Absolute rulers believed in divine right (their power came from god). Any time that you see a Roman Numeral after someone’s name, they are an Absolute Ruler.

 

Note – The Glorious Revolution occurred later in England, which resulted in a bloodless transfer of power. The signing of the Magna Carta created a limited or constitutional monarchy, in which the king shares power with a legislative (law making) body such as Parliament. It also created the English Bill of Rights.

 

20 – 2 – During the Scientific Revolution people had a spirit of inquiry (asking questions). No longer were people going to accept traditional (old) ideas or theory. All new knowledge was based on observation and experimentation or the Scientific Method. Always associate the names Galileo Galilei, Nicolas Copernicus, Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon, etc, with the Scientific Revolution  Challenged tradtional authority

 

21 – 4 – Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Locke (Natural Rights/Consent of the Governed), Baron de Montesquieu (Separation of Powers/Prevent Tyranny) , Voltaire (Freedom of Speech/Religion), etc are the Enlightenment philosophers. They did not believe in absolute rulers. They believed that power in government should come from the people (consent of the governed – John Locke). All of then believed that people should elect their leaders.

 

22 – 3 – When the Third Estate (peasant and middle class) got rid of the King in France, power shifted mainly to the middle class (bourgeoisie). Remember the three main reasons for all political revolutions 1) political – bad government, 2) social – social inequality – the Third Estate paid all the taxes and owned little land, and 3) economic – food shortages. The French people were also inspired by Enlightenment ideas. The French Revolution led to the rise of nationalist movements in Europe.

 

23 – 3 – The French people accepted an Emperor (Napoleon) after getting rid of a King, because he brought stability to the nation (everyone paid taxes not just the Third Estate, established public schools, improved the economy, and established a fair system of law – Napoleonic Code). The French people wanted stability after the Reign of Terror (Robespierre). Napoleon also conquered most of Western Europe which led to an increase in Nationalism (pride in one’s country) throughout Europe after the French Revolution.

 

Note – The Congress of Vienna (Prince von Metternich), which met after the fall of Napoleon, wanted to restore the balance of power in Europe and return former rulers to their thrones (legitimacy)

 

24 – 4 – Most of Latin America was made up of Spanish colonies. Inspired by American Revolution and French Revolution, they decided they wanted their own independence. Always associate the names Simon Bolivar, Toussaint L’Ouverture, and Jose de San Martin with leading independence or nationalist movements in their country. Also remember that the Andes Mountains in South America created an obstacle for Simon Bolivar to unite the Latin American people.

 

25 – Nationalism (pride in one’s country) will always develop in places where people have similarities or things in common such as customs, language, and history. Remember – similarities bring people together and differences drive them apart. Connect names like Gandhi, Ataturk, Bismarck, etc with Nationalism.

 

26. – 4 – nationalism will always bring people together. The unification of Germany (Otto von Bismarck) and the unification of Italy (Giuseppe Garibaldi) will be the two names you will see concerning unification, which results from people having common language, customs, and history. Always connect Otto von Bismarck with the phrase “Blood and Iron” also.

 

27 – 1 – The industrial revolution increased the number of cities (urban areas) because factories were being built and people moved from the country (rural areas) to the cities because jobs were available. Always remember that the Industrial Revolution started in England because they had 1) an available labor force (people), 2) abundant natural resources (coal and iron), 3) natural power sources (fast moving rivers), and 4) Adequate capital (money for investment). Another theme of the Industrial Revolution is that people went from making clothes in the home by hand, to making them in a factory with machines. The textile industry (making clothes) was the first industry affected by the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution improved many people’s lives (growth of a middle class), but it also led to overcrowded and dirty cities (urbanization)

 

28 – 2 – Karl Marx hated capitalism (private ownership of business/free market) and the Industrial Revolution and wanted all available resources to be shared by all the people. He developed Marxism which is a political and social system in which all people are equal (classless society) and share all resources equally. Always look for the words/phrases “history is the struggle between classes,” proletariat (workers), overthrow capitalism, means of production, etc. He also wrote a book called The Communist Manifesto. Communism is a corrupt form of Marxism because it does not create a classless society (government officials are like the nobility and own the land and the majority of the citizens are poor). Mostly look for the words overthrow and revolution in questions about Karl Marx

 

Note – You should also know about Adam Smith who wrote The Wealth of Nations which promotes capitalism/free market/free enterprise/market (private ownership of business and supply and demand) and laissez-faire (when government stays out of business affairs/free market).

 

29 – 2 – always look for the word modernization when you see any questions about the Meiji Restoration. You may also see questions that connect the Meiji Restoration with the Japanese need to acquire natural resources in other countries by force (imperialism). Japan became an emerging global threat after this modernization and were able to defeat the Russians in the Russo-Japanese War You should also connect the word MODERNIZATION and Westernization with Peter the Great and Ataturk.

 

30 – 2 – This is a question about imperialism (when a stronger country dominates/controls a weaker country). The stronger countries will always be European and the weaker countries will be in Africa and Asia. The Industrial Revolution led to Imperialism because countries need raw materials to manufacture things in their factories, and markets to sell their products. They would take a weaker countries’ raw materials and then force them to buy the products that they made from them. Any question about imperialism will have an answer that will be about exploitation (using/taking advantage of) by the stronger country over the weaker country. What made them stronger? Better technology (weapons). Questions about the poem White Mans Burden will be about how it was the responsibility/burden of Europeans (colonials) to improve the lives of colonial people (Africans/Asians). The Scramble for Africa was when European countries competed for African territory. They divided up Africa at the Berlin Conference based on their needs and did not consider the needs of the colonial people (Africans). These European made boundaries have resulted in much ethnic and regional conflict that continues to this day.

 

31 – 4 – Any questions about the Boxer Rebellion (China) or Sepoy Mutiny (India) will be about removing foreign influences from their countries. Questions about the Opium War will be about the fact that the British had better technology (weapons) and created Spheres of Influence (areas of control) in China.

 

Note – Any questions mentioning Commodore Matthew Perry will be about the opening of trade and ports in Japan and ending their isolation.

 

32 – 2 – The five causes of World War 1 spell out MANIA.  1. Militarism (a country’s preparation for war), 2. alliances (a country’s promise to fight with another country if they go to war), 3. nationalism (pride in one’s country which created competition), 4. imperialism (when a stronger country dominates a weaker one), and 5. assassination (Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist). The reason why WWI was so destructive is due to new technology (weapons) such as tanks, machine guns, poison gas, and airplanes (industrialized war)

 

33 – 3 – the three main causes of ANY political revolution are 1) political (bad government), social (social inequality – the nobles own all the land), and economic (food shortages). In the Russian Revolution, the Bolshevik/Communist leader Vladimir Lenin gained the support of the peasants by promising them “Peace, Land, and Bread” and was able to overthrow czarist rule. He would get them out of World War I, divide the land among the peasants, and improve the economy and end their hunger. All 20^th century revolutionaries, Lenin (Russia), Mao (China), and Castro (Cuba), were able to overthrow the existing governments by gaining the support of the peasant class (the vast majority of people) by promising them land (they never got it by the way).

 

NOTE: Mao Zedong of China also led the Long March in 1934 to oppose the Chinese Nationalist government. He gained power by gaining the support of the peasants and women. He started the Great Leap Forward which was an economic plan that emphasized heavy industry. His Cultural Revolution was when he tried to increase loyalty to Communism by eliminating intellectuals and destroying works of literature that did not fully support communist thought

 

34 – 2 - The Russian Revolution ended up with the creation of the Soviet Union where peasants worked on collective farms/communes and the government owned all the land and means of production (industry). The emphasis was on heavy industry (Five Year Plans - Stalin) to make the country strong and able to compete with the West (Europe). Stalin also created a famine in the Ukraine by starving his own people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

35 – 1 – The harsh conditions of the Treaty of Versailles (Germany had to accept full responsibility for the war and pay reparations/costs of the war) destroyed the German economy (created economic conditions) and created resentment in that country. This allowed Adolf Hitler to rise up and seize power and impose a fascist (when the state/government is more important than the individual). Remember – the mistakes after World War I (Treaty of Versailles) led to World War II. Always look for economic reasons for why Fascist governments rose up during the 1920s and 1930s.

 

36 – 4 – All dictators (Hitler/Stalin/Mussolini/Mao/Castro) set up totalitarian regimes where the government controls all aspects of their citizen’s lives through oppression (creation of fear), secret police/mass arrests, control of the media (burning books) and not allowing freedom of speech. These governments also control all means of production (industry). Remember – totalitarian means total control.

 

37 – 3 – in a communist/totalitarian government (Soviet Union/China/Cuba/North Korea), the economy is fully controlled by the government (means of production) and capitalism (private ownership of business) does not exist. During the 1990’s China gained wealth by combining communist principles (the things they believed in) with capitalism/free market under their leader Deng Xiaoping.

 

38. 4 – Both the Great Leap Forward (ChinaMao Zedong) and the Five-year Plans (Soviet Union/Stalin) will always be about increasing heavy industry or industrial production.

 

39 – 2 – Remember – every successful political revolution of the 20^th century (Russian/Chinese/Cuban)  gained the support of the peasants by promising them land.

 

40 – 4 – Whenever you see three names such as these grouped together, the correct answer will be that they played a role in independence or nationalist movements. The only exceptions will be if they list names from the Scientific Revolution (Newton/Galileo/Copernicus/Descartes) or Enlightenment (Locke/Montesquieu/Voltaire/Rousseau). If one of the names contains a Roman Numeral, the answer will be about absolute rule or centralized power.

 

41 – 2 – Much of the terrorism that is based in the Middle East is over the tension created when the State of Israel (Jewish homeland) was created after World War II. The movement to create a Jewish homeland is Zionism and the movement started with the Balfour Declaration. Connect Zionism and Balfour Declaration with Israel or Palestine.

 

42 – 3 – The African National Congress (ANC), led by Nelson Mandela, fought to end the system of apartheid (separation of the races) in South Africa and achieve racial and political equality with whites. Since blacks are the majority of that nation, they would rule as the majority ruling political party if they got the right to vote. Remember – always connect apartheid with racism and the names Nelson Mandela/Frederik de Klerk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

43 – 4 – The Soviet Union broke apart in the 1980’s and 90’s because many people that were a part of it were not Russian (ethnic minorities). Countries like Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Estonia, etc were Soviet Republics that gained their independence from Soviet rule. Similarities/commonalities bring people together (nationalism/unification) and differences tear them apart which is also an aspect of nationalism. The Soviet Union broke due to reforms by Mikhail Gorbachev such as Glasnost/Openness or more political freedom and Perestroika/economic reforms which weakened the grip that communist rule had on the Soviet people. There were also ethnic minorities that wanted to gain their independence from the Soviets and rule themselves (nationalism).

 

44 – 1 – Many people traveled to the Far East during the early Middle Ages, but Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta were the only ones that wrote about it. When people heard about the products and wonders of the Far East, it increased a demand for goods (trade) and interest in Asian culture.

 

45 – 2 – Any economy or culture that is traditional, is one that has been passed down through the generations (it is very old or has not been changed). Before there was money, people had to trade things (barter) in order to get other things. A traditional economy will always be about farming/agriculture because people have to eat before they can go and do anything else.

 

46 – 2 – any question about the Green Revolution will have the words food, agriculture, or grain in the correct answer. It is a revolution (period of great change) because modern technology has enabled people to grow much more food.

 

47 – 4 – the interaction of people (due to trade) spread the plague from Asia to Europe. Rats hitched a ride with traders returning from the Far East to Europe and then fleas bit into the rats and then jumped on people. When the fleas bit the people they jumped on, the disease was transmitted. The Bubonic/Black Plague is the only time when Europe’s population drastically decreased and caused a labor shortage.

 

48 – 1 – whenever you see mention of a revolution or reading passage that mentions things to do with money or business (trade, banking, guilds/unions, capitalism, joint stock companies) it will be about the Commercial Revolution. This all happened because of the expansion of trade & growth of cities between 1000 and 1300 A.D. This first established a middle class.

 

49 – 3 – The term “indigenous people” refers to the people that are from a certain area (natives). In this case, that means the Native Americans. The Encomienda System enslaved the Native Americans, but they soon died because they had no defense (immunity) against European diseases. Their labor was replaced by importing African slaves, which is known as the Triangular Trade because the routes formed a triangle from Europe to Africa to the New World. The leg of the Triangular Trade that shipped the Africans (slaves) to the New World is known as the Middle Passage because it was the 2^nd of 3 legs of the journey. Remember – the Spanish were able to defeat much larger numbers of Native Americans because they had better technology (weapons), but more Native Americans died from exposure to diseases. Always connect Hernan Cortez and the Spanish conquistadors with defeating the Aztecs at Tenochtitlan

 

Note – the term mercantilism refers to the economic system where a colony exists to support the mother country (Spain). The mother country wants to establish a favorable balance of trade (they sell more than they buy). Always look for the word colony in an answer about mercantilism, along with mother country and favorable balance of trade.

 

50 – 2 – The harsh Russian winter helped defeat both Napoleon (France) and Hitler (Germany). Look for the words climate or cold in the correct answer whenever you see a question about either of these countries attacking Russia.