AP World History: Modern - Essential Review

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Gunpowder Empires

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The Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires (c. 1450–1750) that utilized modern gunpowder weaponry to expand their territories and centralize authority. They represent the trend of state-building through military innovation and bureaucratic integration.

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The Columbian Exchange

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The widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and ideas between the Americas, West Africa, and the Old World in the 15th and 16th centuries. It dramatically altered global diets (e.g., introduction of potatoes to Europe) and caused demographic collapses in the Americas due to disease.

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Mercantilism

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An economic theory prevalent in Europe from the 16th to the 18th century that promoted governmental regulation of a nation's economy for the purpose of augmenting state power at the expense of rival national powers. It emphasized the accumulation of bullion and a favorable balance of trade.

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The Encomienda System

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A labor system instituted by the Spanish crown during the colonization of the Americas. It granted a Spanish encomendero a specific number of indigenous natives who would provide tribute (in the form of goods or labor) in exchange for protection and Christian instruction. It was a precursor to chattel slavery.

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The Renaissance

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A fervent period of European cultural, artistic, political, and economic “rebirth” following the Middle Ages. It fostered a shift from medieval scholasticism to humanism, emphasizing the potential and achievement of human beings rather than divine intervention.