-
Period: 1000 BCE to 1537
Chapter 16 The Early Americas
The Mayans and Aztecs settled in Mesoamerica and eventually made their territory into an empire. The Mayans were there since 1000 BC and the Aztecs were there since 1325. Also, the Incas built an empire at South America and their empire stretched from modern Ecuador to central Chile. The Inca were there since the mid-1400. -
500 BCE
13.1 (West Africa) Africans Discovered How to Heat Up Rocks
From time since the Africans have settled in West Africa, technology kept advancing. In 500 BC, they found out how to heat up different kinds of rocks. One type of rock that was heated separated iron from it. Then the Africans used the iron to created other useful stuff such as farming tools and weapons. They then traded iron and other resources with other civilizations. (pg. 383) -
250
16.1 (Mesoamerica) The Classical Age of the Mayans Began
At around 1000 BC, the Mayans settled in what today is called northern Guatemala. The territory of the Mayans were divided into city-states. There were more than 40 city-states with a king that ruled each state. The Mayan civilization was doing well from about 250-900. The resources in Mesoamerica were cacao, cotton, jade, and obsidian. Those objects were traded among its empire. On special occasions, the Mayans made human sacrifices to please their gods.
(pg. 468-469 and 471) -
Period: 300 to
Chapter 13 Early African Civilization
The Soninke started to settle in West Africa at about 300 AD began to adapt to the environment. Soon, as trade developed, empires rose. Empires such as the Ghana Empire, Mali Empire, Songhai Empire, and Great Zimbabwe. -
Period: 500 to
Chapter 15 Japan
The Ainus, probably from Siberia, Russia, settled in Japan at an unknown time. In Japan, the people there divided themselves into clans or extended families. By the 500s, people from the Yamato region became emperors of all of Japan. -
550
15.1 (Japan) Japan Learns from China and Korea
In the mid-500s, Japan thought they could learn a lot from other cultures. They then sent people to China and Korea to learn about their cultures. The Japanese also invited some Chinese and Koreans to move to Japan. (pg. 443) -
570
12.1 (Arabia) An Angel Spoke to Muhammad
At around 570, Muhammad was born. His job was to be in charge of a caravan business. Later on, the rich began to ignore the poor. That grabbed Muhammad's attention. When he was 40, he meditated at a cave. An angel appeared to Muhammad and told him to spread the word of God and he was made into a prophet. That's how the religion of Islam started. Muhammad then influenced people about the religion of Islam. Lots of people decided to follow, although lots of people didn't at first. (pg. 356-357) -
Period: 570 to
Chapter 12 The Roots of Islam
The religion of Islam then was started by Muhammad. The Muslims worship the same one and only Christian God like the religions Judaism and Christianity. -
589
14.1 (China) The Sui Dynasty Rises
When the Han Dynasty fell, there was disorder all over China. It lasted for 369 years. The disorder ended in 589 when Yang Jian took over southern China and the Sui Dynasty rose. The leaders in China decided to build the Grand Canal, a man-made waterway that links northern and southern China. Unfortunately, the Sui Dynasty ended at 613 when one of the Sui officials overthrew the Sui Dynasty. (pg. 410-411) -
Period: 589 to
Chapter 14 China
When the Han Dynasty fell, the Period of Disunion occurred from 220 to 589. Order occurred again when the Sui Dynasty came to power in 589. -
800
12.4 (Arabia) The Muslims Created Algebra and Arabic Numerals
Muslim scholars made math more complex by merging the Indian number system (including zero) and the Greek science of mathematics together at around the 800s. One mathematician who was a Muslim use those methods too create two very important books. One of them was algebra and the other was the Arabic numerals. (pg. 369) -
800
13.2 (West Africa) The Ghana Empire Rises to Power
In 800, Ghana controlled almost all the trade routes in West Africa. The army of Ghana made sure the trade routes were safe. There began more trades and Ghana became wealthier. Due to many trade routes passing Ghana, Ghana decided that the traders must pay a tax that depends on the goods they carried when they enter and exit Ghana. Some of Ghana's riches goes to their military forces. In the 1200s, the empire fell due to the Almoravids invasion, overgrazing, and internal rebellion. (pg. 386-389) -
868
14.2 (China) China Created the First Book in the World
With paper and ink in 868, printing was able to be occurred from that point onwards in China. (pg. 418) -
960
14.3 (China) The Philosophy of Neo-Confucianism Started
The philosophy of Confucianism was started by Confucius in the 500s BC. During the time of the Song Dynasty, Neo-Confucianism started. What’s new: what made humans sin even if their basic behavior was good. (pg. 422) -
1000
15.2 (Japan) Lady Murasaki Shikoku Wrote “The Tale of Genji”
Usually, men wrote Chinese and women wrote Japanese. Around 1000, one of the greatest writers named Murasaki Shikoku wrote the very first novel in the world which historians believe. It’s called The Tale of Genji. In that novel, the main character, Prince Genji, went to a long quest in search of love. (pg. 447) -
1192
Chapter 15.3 (Japan) The Shogun Rose to Power
Nobles outside Heian wanted a change of government. So, in Japan, there was a civil war due to clans fighting for power. The clan that won was the Minamoto clan. However, the leader did not want to overthrow the emperor. So, the leader of the clan made the emperor a figurehead, a person that seems to rule but the power actually belongs to someone else. In 1192, he became a shogun. His descendants ruled for 700 more years before the daimyo overthrew the last shogun. (pg. 455 and 458) -
1206
14.4 (China) The Yuan Dynasty Rises
In 1206, Genghis Khan united the Mongols and started conquering lots of places which started the Mongol Empire. He conquered all of northern China in 1211. Later on, he died in 1227. In 1260, his grandson Kublai Khan invaded the rest of China. He called himself emperor of China. That's how the Yuan Dynasty started. Yuan Dynasty's empire is the largest in history! Later on, the dynasty failed to invade Japan and that weakened the empire. The empire fell in 1368 due to rebellions. (pg. 424-426) -
1230
13.3 (West Africa) Sundiata Rises to Power
The Mali Empire started by Sundiata. When he was young, a strict ruler conquered Mali. When Sundiata grew up, he sent troops to win Mali back and conquer some countries to build the Mali Empire. When Sundiata was in control, he improved agriculture by planting, beans, onions, rice, and other crops. Years later, Mansa Munsa ruled Mali. He went to Mecca on a pilgrimage and spread Islam. When his son Maghan ruled, raiders managed to take over the empire. That’s how the empire ended. (pg. 390-392) -
1250
12.3 (Turkey) The Ottoman Empire Rose to Power
During the mid-1200 some Turkish warriors who are Muslim conquered the Christian Byzantine Empire. They became the Ottoman Empire. The Christian boys from towns that had been taken over became Islamic soldiers. The territory they conquered were from eastern Europe to North Africa and Arabia. At 1453, Mehmed II, the ruler of the empire conquered Constantinople and changed its name to Istanbul. The Ottoman Empire lasted until the early 1800s. (pg. 364) -
1450
16.3 (South America) The Inca Empire Rose to Power
The Incas settled in South America while the Aztecs settled in what's now Mexico. Pachacuti sought to expand the Inca territory in the mid-1400s. He succeeded. The empire included modern day Ecuador to central Chile. The population was about 12 million people. It's official language is Quechua. They sacrificed ilamas. cloth, food, and rarely people. The Inca's were good at masonry. They don't need cement for their buildings. (pg. 479-481) -
1464
13.3 Part 2 (Songhai) The Songhai Empire Rises to Power
After the Mali Empire fell, Songhai became richer and richer. Songhai then started conquering countries led my Sunni Ali. He wants all his nations to work together as a team. When Sunni Ali died, his son Sunni Baru became king. Since he’s not Muslim, people are scared that the Muslim lands wouldn’t trade with them. So, the people rebelled and succeeded. Askia the Great became king. He built universities, schools, libraries, and mosques. In 1591, Morocco took over the empire. (pg. 392-393) -
1501
12.3 Part 2 (Persia) The Sahavid Empire Roses to Power
In 1501, the Sahavid Empire rose when Esma’il, the Sahavid leader took over Persia. The Sahavids believed that only Muhammad’s descendants could only be allowed to become the highest leader of Islam. That is a religion of Islam called Shiism. That was the Sahavid Empire’s official religion. Esma’il tried to conquer more land but was defeated by the Ottomans. The Safavids then conquered land that has been lost to the Ottomans. The empire fell at the mid-1700s. (pg. 365-366) -
1519
16.2 (Mesoamerica) Hernan Cortes Conquered the Aztec
In 1519, a group of conquistadors, came to Mesoamerica to find gold, gain territory, and convert the Aztec into Christians. Their leader was Hernan Cortes. According to legend, the Aztec believed that their god Quetzalcoat promised to come back at 1519. They think Cortes was their god. So, the emperor gave Cortes gold. Cortes wanted more from the Aztecs; they tried conquering the Aztec but failed. The next year, Cortes came back to conquer the Aztec and succeeded. (pg. 478) -
Chapter 12 Modern Day Event (Algebra and Arabic Numerals)
The Muslims actually created Algebra and the Arabic numerals that we all use today. Arabic numerals are the numbers we all use today. -
Chapter 13 Modern Day Event (Salt)
The West Africans collected salt from the Sahara Desert for food. Salt is one of the very most important things for our diet. We eat salt today like those West Africans that comes from probably somewhere like the Sahara Desert. -
Chapter 14 Modern Day Event (Paper and Books)
A man named Cai Lun invented paper in China in 105. In 868, the very first book created was made. -
Chapter 15 Modern Day Event (Haiku)
Long time ago, Japanese poets wrote poems called haikus. It has 5 syllables on the first line, 7 syllables on the second line, and 5 syllables on the last line. It’s very famous that haikus are still used as poems today. -
Chapter 16 Modern Day Event (Canals)
The Aztec built canals to travel on water. Their idea was great that the U.S. built the Panama Canal using the Aztec’s idea.