World History- Spring Final

Question 1

What are the similarities and differences between Hinduism and Buddhism?

Answer 1

Hinduism

• polytheistic
• religion
• caste system
• great world soul

Buddhism

• siddartha Gautma is the founder
• more a philospy than a religion
• no worshipping gods
• rejected caste system
• reach nirvana (possible in one lifetime)

Both

• Aryan traditions
• India
• Reincarnation
• pathways to enlightenment
• Karma
• Asceticism

Question 2

How do Jared Diamond’s theories in Guns, Germs, and Steel explain the Spanish conquest of the Americas?

Answer 2

Guns -easily able to defeat the natives

Germs -infected the native population -most of the native population was killed

Steal -Swords were more effective than wooden spears

*Conquered Aztecs and Incas

*Europe had geographical advantages

• easily domesticated animals
• wheat and barley
• migrate along similar latitude lines (similar weather) into Egypt and Europe

Question 3

What is the most significant legacy of the Crusades and/or Inquisition?

Answer 3

• thesis
  
  • The crusades have a bitter legacy that consists of conflict between christianity & Islam and controversy in politics
• reason one
  
  • For example, modern events such as the 9/11 terror attacks from Muslim extremist and the Islamic group ISIS show the conflict between religions of “Islam” and “Christianity” as part of the legacy of the crusades
• reason two
  
  • Recent political leaders such as George W. Bush and Barrack Obama have compared modern day events like the war on terror to the crusades and have addressed the idea that all religions make mistakes using the crusades as an example
• so what statement (why/how does it matter today?)
  
  • One can see that the bitter legacy of the crusades has effected modern day events that have highly impacted our society

Question 4

How did the Renaissance Era challenge the authority of the Catholic Church?

Answer 4

• copernicus -heliocentric universe -church believe the earth is the center of the universe
• Anglican Church -protestantism *protestantism is the christian religion that is the reformed version of catholicism
• thesis
  
  • The Renaissance Era challenged the authority of the Catholic Church through the idea of a sun centered universe and reforming faith
• reason one
  
  • To many Catholics the world was explained through the bible, one of these points was that the world was the center of the universe, but this was proven wrong by Copernicus who challenged the church with the idea of a heliocentric solar system
• reason two
  
  • The authority of the church was also challenged by the idea of protestantism, which led other Catholics such as King Henry VIII to reform and make their own version of christianity, hence the birth of the Churhc of England
• Why/how does it matter today?
  
  • Many others challenged the authority of the Catholic Church, which not only changed the way the world is today, but also diminshed the authority of the Catholic Church

Question 5

What is the Biggest legacy of Columbus?

Answer 5

Intro • The biggest legacy of Christopher Columbus is his impact on the development of the trans-Atlantic slave trade Historiography -classic -revisionist -post revisionist Legacy o Population shifts o Colonization o Sugar Conclusion o Classic • glorifies o Revisionist • demonizes o Post-revisionist • Looks at bigger picture o Mine • Looks at overall picture • Takes into account the major impact on modern America

Question 6

Why is this Columbus’s biggest legacy?

Answer 6

o America • Use of African slaves helped the growth of o Civil rights • Columbus’s impact on the trans-Atlantic slave trade leads to the oppression of African Americans since the beginning of the slave trade to present day