Notes and Information for MacArthur Students

                                           Basic Information about Continents and Countries Every Person Should Know
Characteristics of Continents                                                       Characteristics of Countries
1. Normally, continents are surrounded by water.                            1. There are hundreds of countries on Earth.
2. Continents are large areas of land. (They are big)                         2. Normally, there are many countries in a continent.
3. There are 7 continents.                                                                         3. Each country has a government. (This means, each 
                                                                                                                         country has leaders and a method to choose them).
 

Ancient Civilizations

Pledge of Allegiance and  Prehistory 
1. What is another word for allegiance?              Loyalty
2. What is another word for pledge?            Promise
3. What is another word for fairness?            Justice
4. What is a government where citizens vote for leaders and the leaders make the laws?                         Republic
5. What does prehistory mean? It is the time before writing.
6. What do we call ancient people who had no permanent homes but who followed and hunted animals?                        Nomads
7. Name one animal early man hunted that was 11 feet high and weighed over 6 tons.                                                 Woolly Mammoth
8. What early animal did nomads hunt that is now extinct?            Woolly Mammoth
9. When did prehistory end? It ended about 3000 B.C., when Sumerians created cuneiform.
10. When did woolly mammoths live?            Prehistoric Times
 More Basics
  1. A century means 100 years.
  2. B.C. means Before Christ.
  3. A.D. means In the Year of our Lord.
  4. What do we call the time before writing? Prehistory
  5. Do scientists know or think when humans began? They think.
  6. Name a prehistoric building monument in Great Britain?  Stonehenge
  7. Name a prehistoric people who lived in Central and Eastern Europe: Celts
  8. What is a pagan? It is a person who believes in many gods.
  9. Where did scientists find the oldest humanlike creatures? Africa
  10. How long ago did the last Ice Age end?  10,000 years ago
 Ice Age
1. When did the last Ice Age end?            About 10,000 years ago
2. Which pre-human creature lived from c. 350,000 B.C. to 35,000 B.C.?             Neanderthal
3. Which continent is north of Africa?            Europe
4. Which continent is east of Europe?            Asia
5. Which ocean is east of Asia?                        Pacific Ocean
6. Which continent is south of Asia?            Australia
7. Is a continent a country? Explain?            No. A continent is a large mass of land, usually surrounded by water. A country is a big political entity (thing) with a government.
8. Which ocean is in between Africa and Australia?            Indian Ocean
9. Which continent is north of Africa?            Europe
10. Where did Neanderthals live from possibly c. 350,000 to 35,000 B.C.?            Europe and Southeastern Asia

​Neanderthals and Early Modern Humans
  1. When did Neanderthals become extinct? C. 35,000 B.C.
  2. Name a few ways Early Modern Humans were different from Neanderthals:
    1. ​Early Modern Humans made more complicated tools
    2. Early Modern Humans had smaller skulls
    3. Early Modern Humans made cave paintings
    4. Early Modern Humans made clay figurines
  3. What was found in the Cro Magnon cave in France? Skeletons of Early Modern Humans
  4. Name three things Early Modern Humans created:
    1. Cave paintings
    2. tools from flint
    3. shells for body decorations
    4. Venus figurines
  5. Name one difference between Early Modern Humans and Early Man:
Early Man is taller
 
The Fertile Crescent 
 The Fertile Crescent and the Sumerians
1. What is an urban settlement with a high development of agriculture?             Civilization
2. What is a crescent-shaped area in the Middle East called?             Fertile Crescent
3. What do we call the land between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers?             Mesopotamia
4. Name the Sumerians’ writing system.            Cuneiform
5. What are you called if you believe in many gods?            Polytheism
6. What is the world’s first advanced civilization?             Sumer
7. Name possibly the oldest written story.             The Epic of Gilgamesh
8. Who invented the wheel?            Sumeria
9. What did the Sumerians invent?
            a. astronomy
            b. lunar calendar
            c. wheel
            d. cuneiform
 Babylonian Empire
1. When was the Babylonian Empire?            1900 B.C. to 1600 B.C.
2. Were farmers successful in Babylon?             Yes
3. What did Babylonians build with?            Bricks
4. What did King Hammurabi create?            Hammurabi’s Code
5. If a son hit his father, what would his punishment be under Hammurabi’s Code?
His hands would be chopped off.
6. What were some reasons Hamurabi’s Code was important?
            a. It was written
            b. It was publicly displayed
Because of these two facts, everyone had to follow the Code, and the leaders couldn’t change the law whenever they wanted to.
Hittites and Phoenicians
1. What did the Hittites discover?   A better way to make iron
2. Were Hittite laws written?           Yes
3. Why is it so important to have written laws?
             a. It was written
            b. It was publicly displayed
Because of these two facts, everyone had to follow the law, and the leaders couldn’t change the law whenever they wanted to.
4. What were the Phoenicians good at?      Sailing
5. What was the commercial center for Phoenicia?           Carthage
6. Why was purple the color of kings’ clothing?     Purple dye came from a rare shellfish
 
Hebrews
  1. Hebrews were the first _____________  . monotheists
  2. What word means belief in one God? Monotheism
  3. God and Abraham made a promise. It is called a ___________.  Covenant
  4. Where did the Hebrews live c. 1800 B.C.? The Fertile Crescent
  5. Who led the Hebrews out of Egypt?  Moses
  6. What are the Ten Commandments? These are basic moral laws from God to Moses and the Hebrews
  7. What is the oldest monotheistic religion?  Judaism   
  8. In what ways are the Hebrews the beginning of western civilization? In the west, most people believe in one God, and the culture and the laws of the west are based on the laws of the Hebrews.
  9. How did the Hebrews view God? God is viewed as the Father.
  10. What do we call the promise between God and the Hebrews? Covenant
  11. List the Hebrew kings:
    1. Saul
    2. David
    3. Solomon
  12. What did the 12 tribes of Israel do after King Solomon? The 12 tribes split into two groups. Ten tribes formed a northern kingdom and 2 tribes formed a southern kingdom.
  13. What are the ten lost tribes of Israel? No one knows what happened to the 10 tribes of the north.
  14. What did Romans force Hebrews to do? Romans forced Hebrews to leave the Roman Empire
  15. What is this event (in number 7) called? Diaspora
  16. When was the modern county of Israel formed? 1948

Assyria and Chaldean Empires
  1. Describe where the Assyrian Empire was. The Fertile Crescent
  2. What was the ziggurrat used for? It was used to worship Assyrian gods.
  3. Who was the first to use the battering ram? The Assyrians
  4. Who divided the circle into 360 degrees? The Chaldeans
  5. What is the zodiac and the 12 zodiac signs? Assyrians believed the zodiac was the route the sun took when it went around the Earth. Zodiac signs are star constellations of particular months. According to the zodiac, each person has a zodiac sign, and this sign determines your personality.
  6. Should you believe in the zodiac signs? No. They are similar to mythology. 
  7. What did King Nebudchadnezzar II build? He built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. 
 
​Persian Empire
  1. About when was the ancient Persian Empire? It was between 559 B.C. to 330 B.C., but you can remember, 6th century B.C. to 4th century B.C.
  2. What was the 1,500 mile road that connected all of Persia called?  The Royal Road
  3. What religion were the Persian?     Zoroaster
  4. Which king of Persia freed the Jews and is known as possibly the best Persian ruler? King Cyrus the Great
  5. Which two Persian kings failed to conquer Greece?          Darius I and Xerxes
Ancient Egypt
  1. What is the longest river in the world and the most important river for Egypt? The Nile
  2. Name one reason Ancient Egypt was hard to conquer? Geography – It was surrounded by desert and the Mediterranean Sea
  3. What did Egyptians make or invent?
    1. Paper from papyrus
    2. Hieroglyphics
  4. What allowed modern man to understand the Ancient Egyptian language? The Rosetta Stone
  5. Who was the leader of Egypt?          Pharoah
  6. What was the Egyptian religion?     Polytheism
  7. What were pyramids used for?       Tombs for the Pharoahs
  8. What has the head of a pharaoh and the body of a lion?   Great Sphinx of Giza
  9. From which emperor do Hebrews believe Moses freed the Jews?           Ramses II

Ancient Greece 
Early Greece
  1. What is a body of land with water on three sides?    Peninsula
  2. Did Greece have enough farmland to feed all the Greeks?  No
  3. What ancient civilization lived on the island of Crete?  The Minoans
  4. Who were the first Greeks to establish a strong civilization? The Myceneans
  5. Which early Greek society knew how to make iron weapons, but they had no written language?   The Dorians
  6. What is one Greek legend?  The legend of the Trojan horse.
Athens
  1. In ancient Greece, how were people organized (cities, countries, kingdoms?)?  Into city-states
  2. Who reformed Athens to make it later become a democracy? Solon
  3. What is the type of government where citizens vote for all the laws?  Democracy
  4. How many branches of government did Athens have?   3
  5. Why did Athens have their government divided into different branches?  They did this so a tyrant (dictator) would never take over.
  6. Who was the first people to create the idea of a citizen?  Athenians
  7.  Which Greek statesman defended the idea of democracy?  Pericles
  8. When was the Classical Age of Greece?  The fifth and fourth centuries B.C.
  9. What kind of government does the United States of America have?  A republic, or, a representative democracy
Sparta
1. What did the Spartans value?     Strength and courage
2. What kind of a state was Sparta?            It was a military state
3. How many slaves to Spartans were there?  10 slaves for every 1 Spartan
4. At what age did a Spartan have to leave home and live with soldiers?          7
5. Name one thing Spartan women could do that was abnormal in most countries? Own land
6. Who led the government of Sparta?       2 kings
Persian Wars
  1. Who fought each other in the Persian Wars? Greece v. Persia
  2. Who won the Persian Wars?  Greece
  3. Name the battle where 300 Spartans and 1,000 Athenians fought for three days against hundreds of thousands of Persians?  Battle of Thermopylae
  4. Name the battle the Greeks won that the longest running race in the Olympics is named after:  Marathon
  5. Which society represented democracy, Athens or Persia?  Athens
Peloponnesian Wars
  1. What does the word Peloponnesian mean?  Peninsula – Greece was a peninsula
  2. In the Peloponnesian Wars, who fought each other?  Sparta versus Athens
  3. Who won the Peloponnesian Wars? Sparta won, but Sparta was greatly weakened.
  4. When were the Peloponnesian Wars?  In the 400s B.C.
Macedonians and Hellenistic Age
  1. In relation to Greece, where was Macedonia? It was north of Greece
  2. Which man became a great conqueror from Macedonia? Alexander the Great
  3. What did Alexander conquer? Greece, Egypt, Persia
  4. What does the Hellenistic Age mean? This means the time period where Greek culture was dominant throughout parts of Persia, and Egypt
  5. When was the Hellenistic Age?  From about 350 B.C. to about 150 B.C. 
Ancient India
Ancient India             
  1. What feeds the Indus and Ganges River? Snow melt from the Himalayas feed the rivers.
  2. Who did Ancient Indians trade with? They traded with Muslim Arabs and North Africans.
  3. Who conquered India around 1500 B.C.?              Aryans
  4. What did Aryans do with cattle? Aryans first used cattle as money, and then, they made the cattle sacred (as if it were a god).
  5. What is the Ancient Indian language?        Sanskrit
  6. What oldest religion developed during Aryan rule?         Hinduism
  7. Name one thing Ashoka did?           He united most of India.
  8. What did Indian mathameticians develop? They developed the number system based on 0 – 9 and they developed the decimal system.
Culture
  1. What is the name of the earliest civilization of the Indus River?  The Harappa
  2. What was suttee? If the husband died, they burned his body and his wife had to jump on his body and be burned to death.
  3. Where was cotton first grown?   India
  4. Who conquered India in 1500 B.C.? Aryans
  5. Name the four castes
    1. Brahmin
    2. Priests
    3. Scholars
    4. Kshatriyas​                                         Untouchables
  6. Name two rules of the caste system: Once born in a caste you could not leave it. You were not allowed to marry someone outside of your caste. You could only be reincarnated in order to move out of your caste.
  7. What were the two main Indian religions?  Hinduism and Buddhism
  8. Who was Siddhartha Gautama? He is the founder of Buddhism.​
American Civil Rights Questions and Answers (Current Events)
  1. What are civil rights?  Civil rights are rights that citizens have.
  2. When was the United States of America founded? July 4, 1776 - Independence Day
  3. Who fought against each other at the beginning of the United States of America? Great Britain v. British Colonies (also known as English Colonies)
  4. Who won? The British Colonies won
  5. ​What was the name of the war where the United States of America was founded? The American Revolution
  6. Which states at the beginning of the United States of America had slavery? The southern states had slaves.
  7. Why didn’t all the other states demand that slavery be outlawed everywhere in America? The southern states would not have joined the other states to fight Great Britain if they had to free the slaves. 
  8. What happened between 1861-1865? The U.S.A. fought a Civil War. 
  9. What happened as a result of the Civil War regarding slavery? The U.S.A. ended slavery.
  10. What was segregation? Segregation was a policy where people were separated based on their race. In the U.S.A., this meant that black Americans were not allowed in many places, and black Americans had inferior schools and public facilities. 
  11. Describe one act of defiance in the Civil Rights movement? Rosa Parks refused to get up and move on a bus. 
  12. What did Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. do in the Civil Rights movement? Dr. King, Jr. led the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott, he gave speeches, and he led peaceful Civil Rights marches. 
  13. Where in the world does slavery exist today? Today, slavery exists in some areas of Africa and Asia. In North and South America and Europe, slavery does exist illegally in some areas. ​
Ancient China
 Shang and Zhou Dynasties
  1. Which civilization is the oldest surviving civilization in the world?  China
  2. What do we call a family who controls a country?   Dynasty
  3. Who did the Shang worship?  They worshipped their ancestors
  4. Who developed the first Chinese writing?  The Shang developed characters
  5. What would people in the Shang Dynasty use to tell the future?  Oracle bones
  6. What did the Zhou Dynasty introduce?  Iron
  7. During the Warring States period, what idea stated that laws needed to be clearly written and available to the  public?   Legalism
  8. Who is the most well-known philosopher of ancient China?  Confucius.
 Emperor Qin and Han Dynasty
  1. Which emperor started building the Great Wall of China? Emperor Qin.
  2. What did Emperor Qin do to control Chinese?  He made all Chinese turn in their weapons.
  3. Which people used to invade China from the North?  The Huns
  4. What did Emperor Qin do to criminals? He had them cut in half.
  5. Which dynasty adopted Confucianism?  The Han Dynasty
  6. Name a few inventions of the Han Dynasty.   Paper, compass, wheelbarrow,
  7. What was the business road called that was used by businesspeople for trade?  The Silk Road 
Roman Republic
1. Beginning of the Roman Republic
  1. Who moved into Italy in 1500 B.C?  The Latins
  2. On what river is Rome built?  Tiber River
  3. Name one legend of the founding of Rome?  Romulus and Remus
  4. When did the Latins establish the Roman Republic? 509 B.C.
5.         Which mountain range in the north of Italy runs east and west?  Alpine mountains
6.         Who did Romans believe were the parents of Romulus and Remus? Rhea and Mars
7. What is one story Virgil wrote about the founding of Rome? Aeneid
8. Before Romans established the republic, what people led them? Etruscans
2. Roman Government and Law
  1. Name one modern country that can trace its government to the Roman Republic? The United States of America
  2. How many branches did the government of the Roman Republic have?  3
  3. What were the two types of Roman citizens called?  Patricians and plebians
  4. What was written and publicly displayed in the Roman Republic?  Twelve Tables
  5. ​Who controlled spending in the Roman Republic?  The Senate
  6. What does innocent until proven guilty mean? This means that the accused is considered innocent and the accuser must prove with evidence that someone is guilty of a crime. Government considers an accused person innocent.
3. Roman Military
1. Who were the soldiers of the Roman Republic?  the citizens
2. What is a mercenary? He is a soldier who is paid to fight.
3. What is one thing Romans built when they expanded the republic?  roads
4. What were smaller, mobile units within the Roman Army called?  Legions
5. What did each unit have when it went into battle?  A standard
6. Which citizen became a dictator in war and then stepped down from power?  Cincinnatus
7. Which American president was compared to Cincinnatus?  George Washington

4. Punic (Phoenician) Wars
1. In ancient times, what was the fastest means of travel?  Boat
2. Control of which body of water was crucial for power south of Europe? Mediterranean Sea
3. In which years were the three Punic Wars fought?  264 B.C. - 146 B.C.
4. What was the main city of Phoenicia?  Carthage
5. Who took control of Carthage’s army and fought successfully for a great deal of time against the Roman Republic?  Hannibal
6. Which mountain range did Hannibal cross with elephants to invade Italy? The Alpine Mountains, or, The Alps
7. Who was victorious in the Punic Wars? The Roman Republic
 
5. Decline of the Roman Republic
1. When did the Roman Republic exist? 509 B.C. to 27 B.C.
2. What made it difficult for small farm owners in the Roman Republic? Low slave prices made farming less expensive for large farm owners.
3.  Who lost their farms and had to move to the cities at the end of the Roman Republic? many plebeians
4. What is a deficit? A deficit is when the government spends more money than it takes in in taxes.
5. Who are called by some as the founders of Socialism? The Gracchus brothers
6. Who fought Rome in the Servile Wars? Slaves
7. Who was given the title of dictator towards the end of the Roman Republic? Julius Caesar
The Roman Empire
1. Beginning of the Roman Empire
1. What happened in the Roman Republic in 60 B.C?      Civil War
2. What river did Caesar cross with his army that meant Caesar wanted to control Rome? The Rubicon
3. What did Caesar say when he plunged his horse into the water?       The die is cast.
4. What calendar did Julius Caesar create?   Julian Calendar
5. What happened to Caesar on March 15th, 44 B.C?        Caesar was murdered
6. Who was Cleopatra?   She was the queen of Egypt.
7. Who was the first Roman Emperor? Octavian, later named Augustus Caesar
8. How was the Roman Empire different from the Roman Republic?
a. In the Roman Empire, people had to worship the emperor as if he  
    were a god.
          b. Citizens in the Empire had less rights than in the Republic.
          c. Citizens in the Empire didn’t vote for their leaders.
9. What was Pax Romana? This was a period of peace within the Empire, where trade flourished.
10. What were many Romans interested in pursuing?       ..a virtuous life
11. Who was Paterfamilias?      The Roman father held all the power.
12. Explain the Roman religion. Romans believed in many gods.  We call this Roman mythology.
13. How many people lived in Rome in the first century A.D?   1 million
14. What was a constant danger in Rome?    Fire
15. Where did wealthy Romans live? In the countryside, in villas
16. Describe the gladiator fights and the Colosseum? Slaves were trained to fight and kill and they battled in the Colosseum. More than 50,000 spectators could watch the fights.
17. What did Romans do every day?  They took baths.
2. Roman Art and Architecture
  1. What did Romans develop that allowed them to build monumental structures?
    1. Concrete
    2. Arch
    3. Dome
  2. What does an arch do? An arch allows builders to make bigger rooms, and arches are beautiful.
  3. What is the best Roman example of a dome? Pantheon
  4. How do classical Greek and Roman sculpture depict man?  They show humans in their ideal form.
  5. Describe Roman literature? Roman writers wrote poems, plays, histories, and they wrote a great deal.
3. Roman Emperors
  1. Why do historians say Caligula was bad?
Caligula killed others for his own pleasure, had incestuous relations with his mom and sisters, and cared little for the empire.
2. How was Nero bad?He too had incestuous relations, is believed to have played a part in burning Rome down, and cared only for himself.
3. What did Hadrian build? Was he a good emperor?Hadrian built a wall that kept out invading Picts from northern Britain. He is considered a good emperor.
4. What do “all roads lead to Rome” mean?This means that all roads in the Roman Empire led to Rome, and that Rome was the capital of everything in the Empire.
5. Why did Emperor Diocletian split the Empire?He believed the empire had grown too big and diverse to manage from one center.
6. Name three things Constantine did?
  1. He reunited the Roman Empire
  2. He moved the capital to Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople
  3. He allowed Romans to practice Christianity
 4. Christianity
  1. When did Christianity begin? Christianity began with the birth of Jesus Christ, over 2000 years ago.
  2. Who is the founder of Christianity? Jesus Christ
  3. What are the teachings of Jesus Christ?
    1. God is a Father to all people and Jesus is the savior
    2. People are called to love and forgive others
    3. People are called to ask forgiveness of sins and repent
    4. People are called to deny themselves and follow Jesus
4. Who were the leaders of the early Christian Church?    The Apostles
5. How did Jesus die? Romans crucified him.
6. What did the Apostolic Fathers do? They wrote about Christianity and spread the news of Jesus.
7. What did Romans do to Christians? Romans persecuted Christians
8. What did Emperor Theodosius do in A.D. 380? He made Catholic Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.
5. Fall of the Roman Empire
List the differences between the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire.
West                                                                East
Latin is the language                            Greek is the language
Capital was Rome                                Capital was Constantinople
List the reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire: 

    • Rome Expanded too Much
    • Moral Decline of Society
    • Corruption
    • Diseases
    • Inflation
    • Weak Economy
    • High Taxes
    • High Divorce Rate
    • Expensive Army​
  1. What year did the Roman Empire fall?  A.D. 476
  2. Which barbarian general conquered Rome?  Odoacer
  3. Who controlled the areas that used to be the Roman Empire in the year A.D. 500?  Various German Barbarian Tribes
    1. Vandals
    2. Ostrogoths
    3. Visigoths
    4. Franks
    5. Angles
    6. Saxons

Medieval Civilizations

Roman Empire (A review of an Ancient Civilization) 
The Beginning
1. What happened in the Roman Republic in 60 B.C?            Civil War
2. What river did Caesar cross with his army that meant Caesar wanted to control Rome?             The Rubicon
3. What did Caesar say when he plunged his horse into the water?            The die is cast.
4. What calendar did Julius Caesar create?            Julian Calendar
5. What happened to Caesar on March 15th, 44 B.C?            Caesar was murdered
6. Who was Cleopatra?            She was the queen of Egypt.
7. Who was the first Roman Emperor?            Octavian, later named Augustus Caesar
8. How was the Roman Empire different from the Roman Republic?
            a. In the Roman Empire, people had to worship the emperor as if he were a god.
            b. Citizens in the Empire had less rights than in the Republic.
            c. Citizens in the Empire didn’t vote for their leaders.
9. What was Pax Romana? This was a period of peace within the Empire, where trade flourished.
 
Roman Family and Life
1. What were many Romans interested in pursuing?             ..a virtuous life
2. Who was Paterfamilias?             The Roman father held all the power.
3. Explain the Roman religion.            Romans believed in many gods.  We call this Roman mythology.
4. How many people lived in Rome in the first century A.D?             1 million
5. What was a constant danger in Rome?             Fire
6. Where did wealthy Romans live?             In the countryside, in villas
7. Describe the gladiator fights and the Colosseum? Slaves were trained to fight and kill and they battled in the Colosseum. More than 50,000 spectators could watch the fights.
8. What did Romans do everyday?  They took baths.
 Architecture
  1. What did Romans develop that allowed them to build monumental structures?
    1. Concrete
    2. Arch
    3. Dome
  2. What does an arch do? An arch allows builders to make bigger rooms, and arches are beautiful.
  3. What is the best Roman example of a dome? Pantheon
  4. How do classical Greek and Roman sculpture depict man?  They show humans in their ideal form.
  5. Describe Roman literature? Roman writers wrote poems, plays, histories, and they wrote a great deal.

Roman Emperors
1. Why do historians say Caligula was bad? Caligula killed others for his own pleasure, had incestuous relations with his mom and sisters, and cared little for the empire.
2. How was Nero bad? He too had incestuous relations, is believed to have played a part in burning Rome down, and cared only for himself.
3. What did Hadrian build? Was he a good emperor? Hadrian built a wall that kept out invading Picts from northern Britain. He is considered a good emperor.
4. What do “all roads lead to Rome” mean? This means that all roads in the Roman Empire led to Rome, and that Rome was the capital of Everything in the Empire.
5. Why did Emperor Diocletian split the Empire? He believed the empire had grown too big and diverse to manage from one center.
6. Name three things Constantine did: 
  1. He reunited the Roman Empire
  2. He moved the capital to Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople
  3. He allowed Romans to practice Christianity
 
Christianity
  1. When did Christianity begin? Christianity began with the birth of Jesus Christ, over 2000 years ago.
  2. Who is the founder of Christianity? Jesus Christ
  3. What are the teachings of Jesus Christ?
    1. God is a Father to all people and Jesus is the savior
    2. People are called to love and forgive others
    3. People are called to ask forgiveness of sins and repent
    4. People are called to deny themselves and follow Jesus
4. Who were the leaders of the early Christian Church?            The Apostles
5. How did Jesus die? Romans crucified him.
6. What did the Apostolic Fathers do? They wrote about Christianity and spread the news of Jesus.
7. What did Romans do to Christians? Romans persecuted Christians
8. What did Emperor Theodosius do in A.D. 380? He made Catholic Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.
 
Fall of the Roman Empire
1. List the differences between the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire.
West                                              East
a. Latin is the language            a. Greek is the language
b. Capital was Rome                  b. Capital was Constantinople

2. List the reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire.
 a. High Divorce Rate
 b. Expensive Army
 c. Rome Expanded too Much
 d. Moral Decline of Society
 e. Corruption
 f. Diseases
 g. Inflation
 h. Weak Economy
 i. High Taxes  

3. What year did the Roman Empire fall?  A.D. 476
4. Which barbarian general conquered Rome?  Odoacer
5. Who controlled the areas that used to be the Roman Empire in the year A.D. 500?  Various German Barbarian Tribes
6. Name as many Germanic tribes or nations as you can: 
  1. Vandals
  2. Ostrogoths
  3. Visigoths
  4. Franks
  5. Angles
  6. Saxons

Islamic Civilizations
Arabia
1. What is Arabia?  It is a peninsula.
2. What is a peninsula?  It is a body of land surrounded by water on three sides.
3. Who were Bedouins?  Bedouins were nomads who were fierce warriors.
4. What are oases?  Oases are natural springs in Arabia.
5. What do you find near large oases?  Near large oases you find cities.

Beginnings of Islam
1. When was Muhammad born? 570
2. What religion did Muhammad found and what do we call its believers?  He found Islam and believers are called Muslims.
3. How many wives did Muhammad have?  11
4. How many wives can Muslims have?  4
5. What is the holy book of Islam?  The Koran
6. List two of the five pillars of Islam:
   a. Pray five times a day
   b. Give to the community
7. What is the name of the building Muslims worship in?
Muslims worship God in a mosque. 

Spread of Islam
1. What is the successor of Muhammad called?    Caliph
2. Who is a Shiite? He is a Muslim who thinks the Caliph should be a blood relative of Muhammad.
3. Who is a Sunni?     He is a Muslim who thinks the Caliph doesn’t have to be a blood relative of Muhammad.
4. What did Muslim armies do from about 600 – 1100? They conquered many territories and converted many people to Islam.
5. What is jihad? It is a Holy War for Muslims.
6. Who invaded Spain and tried to conquer Europe?      Muslims
7. Who conquered the Christian Holy Land from the Romans? Muslims

Islamic Golden Age
1. When was the Islamic Golden Age? About 700s to 1200s
2. To make money what did many Muslims do? They traded to foreign markets around the world.
3. What did Avicenna write?            He wrote one of the world’s first encyclopedias.
 
Art
1. Why were Muslims not able to depict humans in art?         Muslims were afraid people would worship the artwork.
2. What is arabesque?          Arabesque is a design that resembles flowers or vines.
3. What is the Taj Mahal?     It is a Muslim mausoleum.

Genghis Khan and the Mongols
1. Who destroyed much of the Islamic Empires in the Medieval Ages? The Mongols destroyed the Islamic Empires in the Medieval Ages, and the Christian Crusaders made it weaker.
 
2. Who was Genghis Khan? He was the leader of the Mongols.
 
3. What was the purpose of the Crusades? Christians wanted to be able to visit the Holy Land and to win the Holy Land back from the Muslims.
 
4. What was the Reconquista?         It was a 700 year war the Spanish Catholics fought against the Muslims in Spain. The Spanish won in 1492.
 
The Ottoman Turks
1. Who conquered most of the Arab Muslim Empire and then established a new Empire in the 11th century?                  The Turks did.
 
2. How did the Turks treat Christian pilgrims trying to visit the Holy Land?
The Turks abused the pilgrims and would not allow them to visit the Holy Land.
 
3. Why did Pope Urban II call for a Crusade against the Muslim Turks?
The Pope wanted Christians to visit the Holy Land and to win the Holy Land back from the Muslims.
 
4. What was the result of the Crusades?    The Turks won, but the Christians won the right to visit the Holy Land.
 
5. Who were the Ottoman Turks?   The Ottoman Turks were an Asian people who conquered Arab Muslim Empires. The Turks were pagans, but converted to Islam.
 
6. Who were the Janissary Corps? The Turks invaded Europe and stole young Christian boys. The Turks trained the boys to be vicious fighters and to be Muslims. The Janissary Corps was a fierce army made up of kidnapped Christian boys.
 
7. What happened to Constantinople?       The Turks conquered it. The Christians fled to Europe. The Turks renamed it Istanbul.
 
8. What did the Sultan try to do to Europe?          The Sultan tried to conquer Europe and make it Muslim.
 
9. What was the last battle that stopped the Sultan and the Turks from conquering Europe?          The Battle of Lepanto.          

Medieval Africa 
Geography
  1. Name the second largest continent.  Africa
  2. Why do we call Africa a plateau continent?  Africa is a plateau continent because most of it is 3,000 feet above sea level.
  3. Name the world’s largest desert.  Sahara
  4. What provides excellent farmland in northern Egypt?  The Nile River
  5. What is the large river in West Africa?   The Niger River
  6. Name the main products of medieval Africa:  gold, salt, copper, iron, and slaves
  7. Why was medieval Africa isolated? The plateau and Sahara Desert made it difficult for outsiders to venture into Africa.
  8. What enabled Europeans to explore Africa? Inventions like the compass, astrolabe, and better ships enabled Europeans to explore Africa.
 
Ghana and West Africa
  1. What challenge do historians have in learning about ancient and medieval Africa? Outside of Egypt, Africans had no written language.
  2. What river in West Africa was the site of 3 great medieval civilizations?  The Niger River
  3. How did people of Ghana earn money?  They traded gold, diamonds, and slaves.
  4. If you were a West African woman, what wouldn’t you like?  Your husband could have as many wives as he could afford.
  5. What did North African Muslims trade with Ghana? Salt, tools
  6. Who was Mansa Musa?  HE was a fabulously wealthy king of Ghana.
East Africa
  1. What were the Swahili city-states? These were small kingdoms on the east coast of Africa where the people did much trading with Asia.
  2. What religion spread to East Africa in the 10th century? Islam
  3. What was unique about the Zimbabwe king? Only his wives and court were  allowed to see him.
  4. How was Zimbabwe protected? Zimbabwe had a huge stone wall around the city.
  5. Which country conquered the Swahili city-states in 1480? Portugal

American Civil Rights Questions and Answers (Current Events)
  1. What are civil rights?  Civil rights are rights that citizens have.
  2. When was the United States of America founded? July 4, 1776 - Independence Day
  3. Who fought against each other at the beginning of the United States of America? Great Britain v. British Colonies (also known as English Colonies)
  4. What was the name of the war where the United States of America was founded? The American Revolution
  5. Who won? The British Colonies won
  6. Which states at the beginning of the United States of America had slavery? The southern states had slaves.
  7. Why didn’t all the other states demand that slavery be outlawed everywhere in America? The southern states would not have joined the other states to fight Great Britain if they had to free the slaves. 
  8. What happened between 1861-1865? The U.S.A. fought a Civil War. 
  9. What happened as a result of the Civil War regarding slavery? The U.S.A. ended slavery.
  10. What was segregation? Segregation was a policy where people were separated based on their race. In the U.S.A., this meant that black Americans were not allowed in many places, and black Americans had inferior schools and public facilities. 
  11. Describe one act of defiance in the Civil Rights movement? Rosa Parks refused to get up and move on a bus. 
  12. What did Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. do in the Civil Rights movement? Dr. King, Jr. led the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott, he gave speeches, and he led peaceful Civil Rights marches. 
  13. Where in the world does slavery exist today? Today, slavery exists in some areas of Africa and Asia. In North and South America and Europe, slavery does exist illegally in some areas. 
Medieval China
Geography
  1. Which continent is the largest in the world? Asia
  2. Which mountain range is the highest in the world?                     Himalayas
  3. Which mountain is the highest in the world?        Mt. Everest
  4. In which continent did all of the world’s most followed religions begin?  Asia
  5. Which area in the world is the coldest?   Siberia
 
Sui, Tang, and Song Dynasties
1. What did ancient Chinese call people from other nations?   Barbarians
2. Built in ancient times, what links two great rivers of China today?   The Grand Canal
3. Name two medieval Chinese dynasties?  Sui, Tang, or Song
4. What trade route linked Asia to the rest of the world?  The Silk Road
5. Under the Tang, how did a person get a government job?  He took a test.
6. What was invented under the Song Dynasty?  Gunpowder, paper, block printing, advanced navigational tools.
 
Mongols and the Ming Dynasty
1. Who lived as shepherds on the steppe of Northern China?   Mongols
2. Who organized these shepherds of Northern China to form the largest empire in the history of the world?   Genghis Khan
3. What is cavalry?  Horse mounted soldiers
4. Which Mongol ruler was the grandson of Genghis Khan and the Emperor of China?  Kublai Khan
5. Which European worked for Kublai Khan for many years? Marco Polo
6. Did the Chinese enjoy being ruled by the Mongols or did the Chinese hate being ruled by the Mongols? The Chinese hated the Mongols.
7. Which dynasty overthrew the Mongols?  The Ming Dynasty
8. Under the Ming Dynasty, did China open or close itself to the world? China isolated itself to the world

Medieval Japan
1. What is a chain of islands?           Archipelago
2. What did the ancient Japanese believe about the sun? They believed that the sun first rose and first set over Japan.
3. What was the religion of medieval Japanese? Shinto. They believed in many gods.  The second main religion was Buddhism.
4. Today’s emperor can trace his family back to which medieval clan?  The Yamato
5. What were Japanese military rulers called?   Shogun
6. What were the land owning lords called in Japan?   Daimyo
7. What were the medieval warriors called?  Samurai
8. What is the samurai honor code called? Bushido
9. Who were hired spies or assassins during medieval Japan?  Ninjas
10. Who tried to conquer medieval Japan?  Kublai Khan
11. What did the Japanese believe defeated Kublai Khan on the ocean?  The Kamikazi -  the wind of the gods. 

Medieval Europe
1. Geography 
  1. Which continent is the second smallest?    Europe
  2. What mountains form the eastern border of Europe? Ural Mountains
  3. What makes travelling in Europe easier? Rivers
  4. What ocean is to the west of Europe? Atlantic Ocean​
  5. What mountains separate Italy from the rest of Europe? Alps
  6. What is the largest European mountain? Mount Blanc
  7. What is unique about Europe and farming? Europe is the continent with the largest percentage of farmable land.
  8. What is Europe’s largest river? Volga
  9. Does Europe have many natural resources? Yes 

2. Medieval Byzantine Empire
  1. When did the Medieval Ages begin?          A.D. 476
  2. What do some historians call the Eastern Roman Empire?  The Byzantine Empire
  3. Who named the city of Constantinople?  Constantine
  4. Between which two continents lies Constantinople? Europe and Asia
  5. In the 500s, which emperor defeated many barbarian tribes to expand the Eastern Roman Empire?  Justinian
  6. Which barbarian people conquered Spain?  Visigoths
  7. What year did the Eastern Roman Empire fall to the Muslim Turks?  1453    
  8. Who conquered the Holy Land from the Christians of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 600s?  Arab Muslims
 
3. Medieval Byzantine Society
1. What year did the Great Schism occur? 1054
2. Who were the two missionaries who brought Christianity to the Slavs? St. Cyril and St. Methodius
3. Which alphabet did the two Greek missionaries create for the Russians? The Cyrillic Alphabet
4. What two religions did the Roman Catholic Church break into in 1054? Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox Church
5. Which Byzantine city was at the crossroads of trade routes for Europe, Asia, and Africa? Constantinople
6. In A.D. 380, who declared the Roman Catholic Church as the official religion of the Roman Empire? Emperor Theodosius I
7. Who eventually conquered the Byzantine Empire? The Muslim Turks
8. What year did the Byzantine Empire end? 1453
9. Who was the last Byzantine Emperor's niece who married Ivan III? Sophia Paleologue
10. What did some Russians call their empire after Sophia Paleologue married Ivan III? The Third Rome

 
 
4. Barbarian Europe
  1. What is the study of a civilization before writing?            Prehistory
  2. About when were the Medieval Ages?       476 A.D. – 1500
  3. What did the Romans call the Germanic, Slavic, and Celtic tribes who had no written language?      Barbarians
  4. Which people of Asia conquered large areas of land in the fourth the fifth centuries?           The Huns
  5. Which Germanic tribe established the country of France?          The Franks
  6. Which tribes established the country of England?           Angles, Saxons, and Jutes
  7. In 51 B.C., which people practiced human sacrifices? The Germanic barbarians
  8. How did early Germanic tribes determine if someone were innocent or guilty? Trial by ordeal
  9. What did the Germanic, Slavic, and Celtic peoples believe in ?  They believed in many gods. They were pagans.
 
 
5. The Spread of Christianity and Roman Values
  1. What was one institution that survived the collapse of the Roman Empire? The Roman Catholic Church
  2. Who was the leader of the Roman Catholic Church?  The pope.
  3. What religious belief were the Catholics?   Christian
  4. Who converted the European barbarians of the middle ages?  The monks, nuns, and Catholics
  5. Who was the missionary to the Irish?  St. Patrick
  6. Who was the missionary to the Germans?  St. Boniface
  7. Who was the missionary to the English? St. Augustine of Canterbury
  8. Who established the first monastery?  St. Benedict
 
6. Founding of Western Europe
  1. Who was the first French king who was baptized a Catholic Christian?  Clovis I
  2. In what year was Clovis I crowned king?  485
  3. What does the Catholic Church call France?  The Church’s first daughter
  4. Who defeated the Muslims and stopped them from overtaking what would become France in 732? Charles Martel (Charles the Hammer)
  5. Who became the first Holy Roman Emperor in 800? Charlemagne (Charles Martel’s grandson)
  6. What was the educational and philosophical movement Charlemagne promoted in Europe called?  The Carolingian Renaissance. Charlemagne supported learning
  7. After Charlemagne’s son died, what happened to his empire? It split into three
 
7. Founding of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland
  1. Who and what did the Romans conquer in A.D. 43? Britain
  2. When did the Roman soldiers leave Britain?  410
  3. Which barbarian tribes invaded Britain? Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and later, Vikings
  4. Who was the first Anglo-Saxon king?  King Alfred the Great
  5. When did Alfred the Great rule? In the 800s
  6. Who invaded Britain and Ireland in 800s- 1000s? Vikings
  7. Who led the last successful invasion of England? 1066, at the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror
 
8. Medieval Russia
  1. Who settled along the rivers of Black and Baltic Seas in the early 6th century? Slavs
  2. In the 800s, who conquered the Russian Slavs? Swedish Vikings
  3. What were common practices of the Russians and Vikings? Human sacrifice and polygamy
  4. IN the ninth and tenth centuries, what did many of the Russians convert? They converted to Christianity
  5. Who is known as the Apostle to the Russians? Saint Vladimir
  6. Who conquered the Russians in the 1200s? Mongols
  7. Who defeated the Mongols? Grand Duke Ivan and the Russians
  8. Who was a very cruel Medieval Russian leader? Ivan the Terrible
 
9. Feudalism
  1. What was the economic system of Medieval Europe? Feudalism
  2. In feudalism, who was at the head? The King
  3. What did the serfs do? They worked on the farms
  4. What did the knights do? They protected the serfs, fought in wars, and served the king
  5. What was the manor? The manor was the center of the village, where the lord and his wife lived, and it acted as the hospital
 
10. The Age of Faith
  1. What provided hope, education, and medicine during the Medieval Ages? The Roman Catholic Church
  2. What ended the European practice of human sacrifice and polygamy? The Roman Catholic Church
  3. What can different levels of power be called? Hierarchy
  4. What abuses occurred in the Church from 800s – 1000s? bribery, having children
  5. What movement cleaned up the Church? The Cluniac Reforms
  6. What was it called when someone spoke against a belief of the church? Heresy
  7. What was a punishment for heresy? Excommunication – a person would be kicked out of the church
  8. What did cardinals do? Cardinals advised the pope, and they chose the pope
 
11. Art, Education, and Architecture
  1. Who supported the arts and education in Medieval Europe? The Roman Catholic Church
  2. Describe Romanesque architecture: thick walls, small windows, rounded arches
  3. Describe Gothic architecture: tall windows, much lighter inside
  4. What was illumination? Monks would copy the Bible and literature and decorate the books
  5. Who maintained literature? The Monks
  6. What did ST. Thomas Aquinas teach? He taught that faith and reason go together
  7. What did Father Roger Bacon help develop? The Scientific Method
 
12. The Crusades
  1. In what year did Muslims conquer the Holy Land from the Christians? 638
  2. What do Christians call the land where Jesus lived? The Holy Land
  3. From 1015-1241 Christians fought to win back the Holy Land and to force the Muslims to allow Christians to pilgrimage to the Holy Land. What were these battles called?  The Crusades
  4. Did the Christians win any land in the Crusades? No
  5. Did the Muslims lose anything in the Holy Land? The Muslims agreed to stop harassing, kidnapping, or killing Christians who go to the Holy Land on pilgrimage.

13. Conflict Between Kings and Popes
  1. What is investiture? This is the power to choose the bishop.
  2. Did the Pope or the King have the power of investiture? The Pope and the King fought over this power. Sometimes, the Pope held this power. Sometimes, the King held this power.
  3. What are powers the Pope held over the King?  
    1. Excommunication: the Pope could kick someone out of the Church, and that meant they were going to hell.
    2. Interdiction: The Pope could rule that no church services would occur, like no baptisms, no weddings, no funerals. The people would then rise up and force the king to change his policies.
  4. What powers did the king have over the Pope?
    1. The army
    2. Feudalism- the king controlled the economy
 
14. Development of Individual Liberty
  1. Which medieval country offered the most liberty in the world? England
  2. What did the English king have to sign in 1215 that limited his power?  The Magna Carta
  3. Who was the last person to conquer England?  William the Conqueror, in 1066
  4. In 1289, England started the oldest representative group of people. What was this called?  The Parliament
  5. What documents in America show that Americans were strongly influenced by the English?  The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
 
15. Muslims and Jews in Medieval Europe
  1. Who controlled most of Spain and Portugal from 700 – 1492? Muslims, called Moors
  2. How did Muslims treat Christians from 700 – 1000? Christians could practice their religion, but only in private?
  3. How did Muslims treat Christians from 1000-1492? Christians were not allowed to have the Bible in their possession.
  4. What was reconquista? Christians of Spain retook Spain from the Muslims.
  5. Where were the Jews from Spain originally from? Jerusalem. The Roman Empire kicked them out of the Holy Land.
  6. By law, what profession could Jews hold in Spain? Banking
  7. What were pogroms? They were massacres where Christians killed Jews. 

16. The Fall of Medieval Society
     1. Crop Rotation: Farmers rotated which crops they grew on land in order to keep the land fertile.
     2. Letters of Credit: Merchants travelled with a piece of paper that explained what the paper was worth. These letters of credit allowed merchants to travel safely without carrying gold or other valuable items.
     3. Guild: Medieval tradesmen formed associations to perfect their work and to make more money.
     4. Longbow: The longbow was a powerful weapon that could propel an arrow so fast and strong it would pierce armor.
     5. Hundred Years’ War: From 1337 to 1453, France fought England.
     6. Bubonic Plague: This epidemic, also called Black Death, killed more than 1/3 of Europeans between 1347 and 1400. 
Renaissance, Reformation, Enlightenment, Age of Exploration
  1. The Reformation: In the Reformation, the Catholic Christian Church split into the Catholic Church and various Protestant Churches.
  2. Martin Luther: Martin Luther was a German Catholic priest who began the Reformation in 1527, eventually establishing the Lutheran religion.
  3. Protestants: Protestants are Christians who protest the Catholic Church.
  4. Protestant Work Ethic: The Protestant work ethic is a belief of Protestants that if a person works hard God will shower him with blessings.
  5. Religious freedom: In Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, colonists could practice any Christian religion they wanted. This is called religious freedom.
  6. Enlightenment: The Enlightenment was a European intellectual movement that emphasized the importance of reason and individualism.
  7. Natural Rights: Some philosophers argue that natural rights are those that God created each person with: the rights to life, liberty, and the right to private property.
  8. John Locke: Locke was an English writer who wrote extensively about natural rights.
  9. Adam Smith: Smith was an English writer who wrote about capitalism. He is called the father of modern capitalism.
  10. Capitalism: Capitalism is an economic model where individuals have freedom to make financial decisions and the government does not try to control their actions. 
  11. Renaissance: The Renaissance was a rebirth of classical Greek and Roman thought and art in Europe. It marks the end of the Medieval Ages.
  12. Age of Exploration: In the 1400s-1700s, Europeans explored and colonized much of the world.
  13. Prince Henry the Navigator: This Portuguese Prince sponsored Europeans to explore and map the world.
  14. Bartholomew Diaz: Diaz was the first to sail around the southern tip of Africa.
  15. Vasco de Gama: Vasco de Gama was the first to sail to India and back to Portugal.
  16. Christopher Columbus: Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who discovered America for Spain.
  17. Reconquista: The Reconquista was a war where Christian Spaniards reconquered their country from the Muslim Moors (c. 700 – 1492).
  18. American Indians: American Indians are also known as Native Americans.
  19. Polygamy: Polygamy is the practice of having more than one wife at the same time.
  20. Columbus Day: Columbus Day is a federal holiday set aside to honor Columbus’ discovery of America. 
2020 History Faire Food Signups
1. Kingdom of Bohemia  
​2. Kingdom of Aragon
3. Kingdom of Hungary
4. Kingdom of France
Medieval History Summer Camp: 
1. Jerusalem:  www.jerusalemmacarthur.weebly.com 
2. Hungary: www.hungaryforvictory.weebly.com 
3. France: kingdomoffrance1.weebly.com 
4. Scotland: number1scotland.weebly.com 

The Story of Liberty

1. Beginning of the Roman Republic

2. Roman Government and Law

3. Roman Military

4. The Punic Wars

5. Decline of the Roman Republic

The Roman Empire
1. Beginning of the Roman Empire, Parts 1 and 2

3. Roman Architecture and Literature

4. Roman Emperors

5. Christianity

6. End of the Roman Empire

America's Roman Heritage

Medieval Islamic Civilizations

1. Arabia

2. Beginnings of Islam

3. The Spread of Islam

4. Islamic Golden Age and Art

5. Decline of the Islamic Civilizations

6. The Turks

Medieval Africa

1. Geography

2. Medieval West African Kingdoms

3. Medieval East Africa and Great Zimbabwe

Medieval China
​1. Geography of Asia

2. The Tang and Song Dynasties

3. The Mongols and the Ming Dynasty

Medieval Japan

Medieval Korea and Southeast Asia

Medieval India

Medieval Europe
​1. Geography

2. The Byzantine Empire

3. Byzantine Society

4. Barbarian Europe

5. The Spread of Christianity and Roman Values

6. Founding of Western Europe

7. Founding of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales

8. Medieval Russia

9. Feudalism

10. The Age of Faith

11. Medieval Education and Art

12. The Crusades

13. Conflict Between Kings and Popes

14. Development of Individual Liberty

15. Jews and Muslims in Europe

16. The End of the Medieval Ages

Medieval History Go Fish Readings