World History

Everything you need to ace A.P. World History

A.P. World history covers the cultural, economic, political, and social developments that have shaped the world from c. 1200 CE to the present. You’ll analyze texts, visual sources, and other historical evidence and write essays expressing historical arguments.

It is split between 9 units:

Unit 1: The Global Tapestry

You’ll explore how states formed, expanded, and declined in areas of the world during the period c. 1200–c. 1450 and the related political, social, and cultural developments of that time.

Unit 2: Networks of Exchange

As you continue your study of the period c. 1200–c. 1450, you’ll learn how areas of the world were linked through trade and how these connections affected people, cultures, and environments.

Unit 3: Land-Based Empires

You’ll begin your study of the period c. 1450–c. 1750 with an exploration of the empires that held power over large contiguous areas of land.

Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections

Continuing your study of the period c. 1450–c. 1750, you’ll learn about advances in ocean exploration, the development of new maritime empires, and the effects of new cross-cultural encounters.

Unit 5: Revolutions

You’ll start your study of the period c. 1750–c. 1900 by exploring the new political ideas and developments in technology that led to large-scale changes in governments, society, and economies.

Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization

You’ll continue to investigate the period c. 1750–c. 1900 and learn how the different states acquired and expanded control over colonies and territories.

Unit 7: Global Conflict

You’ll begin your study of the period c. 1900–present by learning about the global conflicts that dominated this era.

Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization

As you continue exploring the period c. 1900–present, you’ll learn about colonies’ pursuits of independence and the global power struggle between capitalism and communism.

Unit 9: Globalization

You’ll continue your study of the period c. 1900–present by investigating the causes and effects of the unprecedented connectivity of the modern world.