AP World HistoryAP
Global developments, 1200 to present.
Overview
AP World History: Modern examines global developments from c. 1200 CE to the present across nine units.
Why it matters
Develops historical reasoning skills and global perspectives essential for civic and academic literacy.
Skills you’ll build
- Sourcing & evidence
- Contextualization
- Causation
- Continuity & change
Topic Breakdown (Units)
Unit 1: The Global Tapestry (c. 1200–1450)
- Song China
- Dar al-Islam
- South & Southeast Asia
- Americas & Africa
Unit 2: Networks of Exchange (c. 1200–1450)
- Silk Roads
- Trans-Saharan
- Indian Ocean
Unit 3: Land-Based Empires (c. 1450–1750)
- Gunpowder empires
- Administration
- Belief systems
Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections (c. 1450–1750)
- Maritime empires
- Columbian Exchange
Unit 5: Revolutions (c. 1750–1900)
- Enlightenment
- Political & industrial revolutions
Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization (c. 1750–1900)
- Imperialism
- Economic systems
- Migration
Unit 7: Global Conflict (c. 1900–present)
- World Wars
- Total war
- Genocide
Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization (c. 1900–present)
- Ideologies
- Decolonization
Unit 9: Globalization (c. 1900–present)
- Technology
- Culture
- Economy
Lessons & Notes
Unit 1: The Global Tapestry (c. 1200–1450)
State building and cultural developments.
- bureaucracy
- syncretism
Unit 2: Networks of Exchange (c. 1200–1450)
Trade networks, technologies, and diffusion.
- caravanserai
- monsoon winds
Unit 3: Land-Based Empires (c. 1450–1750)
How states consolidated power.
- devshirme
- tax farming
Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections (c. 1450–1750)
Global economy and demographic changes.
- mercantilism
- triangular trade
Unit 5: Revolutions (c. 1750–1900)
New ideologies and state formation.
- nationalism
- capitalism
Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization (c. 1750–1900)
Industrialization reshapes societies.
- laissez-faire
- social Darwinism
Unit 7: Global Conflict (c. 1900–present)
Modern conflicts and their impacts.
- appeasement
- proxy wars
Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization (c. 1900–present)
Power blocs and independence movements.
- nonalignment
- containment
Unit 9: Globalization (c. 1900–present)
Interconnected world and challenges.
- neoliberalism
- NGOs