This document provides a summary of world history from 3 million BC to 1500 AD in brief sections. It describes early humans migrating out of Africa around 3 million BC with no written language. The Neolithic Revolution beginning around 8000 BC marked the beginning of civilization with agriculture, permanent settlements, and the first forms of writing. River valley civilizations like Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, and China emerged around 4000 BC each with their own governments, writing systems, architecture, and religions. Major early societies included the ancient Hebrews, Greeks, Romans, the rise of Islam, classical China and India, feudal Europe during the Middle Ages, and the Aztec and Inca empires in the Americas. The Renaissance and major
3. Early Humans
• First humans appear in Africa around
3,000,000 BC
• They cross the Bering Strait to enter the
Americas
• No written language
• Nomads: Migrate to find food
• Paleolithic- Old stone age
• Find shelter in caves
5. The Neolithic Revolution
• Beginning of civilization
• People learned to plant food and
domesticate animals
• Build permanent homes
• Communities established
Reconstruction of a Neolithic
House in Horton, England.
14. Government: City States
• Athens: Democracy
– Art literature, philosophy, trade
• Sparta: Oligarchy
– a form of government in which power effectively
rests with a small elite segment of society
23. Fall Of Rome
• Civil wars weakened country
• Attacks form other nations
24. 600 AD: Islam
• The Prophet
Muhammad starts
Islam after having a
vision of the
Archangel Gabriel.
• Islam spreads,
becoming a major
world religion.
• Monotheistic
25. Classical China
• Qin Dynasty: Legalism, great wall, unified
writing system
• Han Dynasty: Adoption of Confucianism, civil
service exams, largest Chinese Dynasty, falls
just like Rome
26. Classical India
• Emergence of Hinduism
• Maurya Empire: conquers most of India, but
the caste system really provides order
• Gupta Empire: Golden Age, Asoka, Buddhism
spreads
34. Religion
• Protestant Reformation
King Henry VIII starts
the Church of England
when the Pope refuses
to grant him an
annulment.
Martin Luther: 95 Theses
36. Exploration
• Quest to find trade routes, spices!
• Vasco da Gama: Sailed to India
• Christopher Columbus sailed to
the Americas
37. People of Central and South
America
• Aztec
– Controlled Mexico
– Tribute empire:
Conquered people must
pay
– Polytheistic
– Human sacrifice
– Capital city, Tenochtitlan,
built on a lake,
protective causeways
• Inca
– Controlled most of the
Andes mountains
– Assimilated conquered
people
– Extensive system of
roads and bridges
– Polytheistic
– Quipu, but no writing
– Some human sacrifice
38. The Encounter
• Spanish Conquistadors
conquer Aztecs in Mexico
and Inca in Andes
Mountains
– Superior technology (Guns,
Germs, and Steel)