AP World History : Social History
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP World History
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Example Questions
Example Question #12 : Socioeconomic Classes 600 Ce To 1450
Which of these statements best reflects the nature of education in Europe during the Middle Ages?
Education was available to all members of society, and was usually carried out by secular authorities.
Education was available to all male children in society, and was usually carried out by secular authorities.
Education was only available for the wealthiest in society, and was usually carried out through the church.
Education was only available for the wealthiest in society, and was usually carried out by secular authorities.
Education was available to all male children in society, and was usually carried out through the church.
Education was only available for the wealthiest in society, and was usually carried out through the church.
During the Middle Ages, education in Europe was only available to the wealthiest members of society. Universities first emerged in the twelfth century, but public schools and universal public education did not emerge until the nineteenth century. During the Middle Ages most education was carried out through the church - monastic communities arose to provide for the education of young scholars.
Example Question #71 : Social History
Primogeniture was the set of laws behind which medieval practice?
the writing of romantic ballads
the crusading for reclaiming the holy land
the inheritance of land, wealth, and title by male offspring
the burning of heretics at the stake
the bicameral parliament structure of Lords and Commons
the inheritance of land, wealth, and title by male offspring
Primogeniture was the strict code of inheritance that passed all wealth land and titles down from father to eldest son. This practice severely limited the independence of women in society, and kept wealth from being distributed among lower classes.
Example Question #72 : Social History
The Samurai of Heian Japan were most similar in social ranking to warriors of which empire?
Medieval England
Samurai were independent mercenaries, they did not have a defined place in society.
The Aztec Empire
The Persian Empire
The Roman Empire
Medieval England
Both Samurai warriors and British Knights held elevated positions in society. They served land-owning nobles, and could rise to political prominence through battle. They were distinctly above the peasants, and made a career of being a soldier. Note that Samurai were, by definition, warriors who served a specific noble. Ronin were masterless samurai, but were considered a fundamentally different class of person in society.
Example Question #1 : Socioeconomic Classes 1450 To 1750
Most Janissaries were __________.
soldiers who rebelled against Ottoman authority during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent
traders and merchants who grew extremely wealthy under the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent
religious leaders in the Ottoman Empire
kidnapped Christian boys from southern Europe
Ottoman slaves from the Far East
kidnapped Christian boys from southern Europe
Janissaries were soldiers in the Ottoman Empire who had been kidnapped as young Christian boys, enslaved, and forced to serve in the Ottoman armed forces. Most Janissaries came from Ottoman holdings in southern Europe.
Example Question #3 : Socioeconomic Classes 1450 To 1750
In the Spanish colonial hierarchy who were creoles?
Individuals who had European and African ancestry
Individuals who had African and native ancestry
Individuals who were born in Spain and then moved to the colonies
Individuals who had European and native ancestry
Individuals who were born in the colonies to Spanish parents
Individuals who were born in the colonies to Spanish parents
In the Spanish colonial hierarchy creoles were individuals who were born in the colonies, but who had Spanish parents or grandparents. Creoles were considered second-class citizens and were beneath peninsulares in the social hierarchy.
Example Question #1 : Socioeconomic Classes 1450 To 1750
In the Spanish colonial hierarchy what were mestizos?
Individuals who were born in Spain and then moved to the colonies
Individuals who had African and native ancestry
Individuals who had European and native ancestry
Individuals who had European and African ancestry
Individuals who were born in the colonies to Spanish parents
Individuals who had European and native ancestry
The Spanish colonial hierarchy was headed by the peninsulares (settlers who were born in Spain), followed by the creoles (individuals whose parents had been born in Spain), and finally Mestizos (individuals who had European and native ancestry). Mestizos enjoyed some rights in Spanish America, but were prejudiced against by the peninsulares and the creoles.
Example Question #5 : Socioeconomic Classes 1450 To 1750
How did Japanese society react to the arrival of Christian missionaries in the sixteenth century?
The elites embraced Christianity, but the common people were appalled at the erosion of their cultural traditions
The elites feared the impact of Christianity and banned missionary activity before eventually banning all contact with foreigners
The people initially resisted conversion, but, following the implementation of political reforms, eventually embraced Christianity and converted en masse
The common people embraced Christianity, but the elites viewed the new religion as dangerous and socially destabilizing
The elites were excited by the potential in Christianity for controlling the population and embraced it wholeheartedly
The elites feared the impact of Christianity and banned missionary activity before eventually banning all contact with foreigners
Christian missionaries began arriving in Japan for the first time in the sixteenth century and had immediate, if limited, success at converting the native population. However, the ruling government feared the mutinous impact of Christianity on the population and banned Christian missionaries from the country. The Japanese government would later ban all contact between Japanese people and foreigners, leading to centuries of Japanese isolationism.
Example Question #1 : Socioeconomic Classes 1450 To 1750
Which of these statements best describes the difference between social interaction in North American colonies compared to social interaction in South American colonies?
Europeans in North America directly enslaved the native population, compared to South America where interaction between native and Europeans was almost nonexistent
Europeans in North America focused on converting the native population to Christianity, compared to Europeans in South America who were primarily interested in making a profit
Europeans and natives in South America mixed often, compared to North America where social interaction between natives and Europeans was almost nonexistent
Europeans in South America focused on converting the native population to Christianity, compared to Europeans in North America who were primarily interested in making a profit
Europeans and natives in North America mixed often, compared to South America where social interaction between natives and Europeans was almost nonexistent
Europeans and natives in South America mixed often, compared to North America where social interaction between natives and Europeans was almost nonexistent
In South American colonial society European settlers tended to mix much more freely with the native population than in North American colonial society. This can be evidenced by words like Mestizo and Mulatto which were used in the Spanish colonial hierarchy to denote those individuals who had been born of mixed European and native ancestry.
Example Question #2 : Socioeconomic Classes 1450 To 1750
What were Millets in the Ottoman Empire?
Interpreters of Islamic law who codified the legal system
Christian soldiers in the Ottoman army
Islamic fundamentalist rebel groups
Districts ruled by a governor who owed allegiance only to the Sultan
Protected communities of non-Muslim citizens
Protected communities of non-Muslim citizens
Millets have a long established history in areas of the world ruled by Islamic governments. Millets pertain to the rights of non-Muslim populations living under Muslim-rule. In the Ottoman Empire Millets were protected communities designed to ensure the legal protection of non-Muslim citizens in the empire.
Example Question #7 : Socioeconomic Classes 1450 To 1750
Which of these groups was at the top of the Spanish colonial hierarchy?
Mestizos
Creoles
Peninsulares
Mulattoes
Tercios
Peninsulares
Peninsulares were at the top of the Spanish colonial hierarchy. Peninsulares were Spanish settlers who had been born in Spain and came to settle in Spanish America. The King kept the peninsulares distinct from the creoles (those who had been born in the colonies to Spanish parents) so as to better ensure his control over the administration of the empire.
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