7th Grade 100 World History Facts

7.0 World History and Geography 1. The belief in one god is monotheism. 2. A source for historical study written by someone who participated in or observed the even is a primary source. 3. A secondary source is a source for historical study written after the event it describes, usually with the aid of a primary source. 4. One of historys greatest mapmakers was Ptolemy. 5. Civilizations are typically found near waterways. 6. Major trade routes are usually routed through straits. 7.1 The Fall of the Roman Empire 7. Religion that had its origins during the Roman Empire and is based on the teachings of Jesus is Christianity. 8. Julius Caesars adopted son, Augustus Caesar, ruled Rome from 27 B.C to A.D. 14. 9. The empire of Rome entirely surrounded the Mediterranean Sea. 10. A person considered by another group to have a primitive culture is a barbarian. 11. The Roman Empire was divided into Eastern and Western portions by Diocletian. 12. In an attempt to cope with economic problems, the Roman government minted more coins. 13. Constantine moved the Eastern Roman Empires capital to the Greek town of Byzantium and renamed it after himself. 14. While the Western Roman Empire fell, the eastern side became known as the Byzantine Empire. 7.2 Civilizations of Islam 15. The Islamic Empire was located in what is known today as the Middle East. 16. People on the Arabian Peninsula who moved from area to area in search of food were known as nomads or Bedouins. 17. Trading caravans would stop at an oasis to feed and water the animals; they would eventually become trade centers and cities. 18. The most sacred site in all of Islam is the Kaaba, thought to have been built by Abraham.

19. Muhammad, considered one of the most influential men in history, perfected Islam. 20. The Islamic holy book, the Koran, calls Christians and Jews People of the book. 21. Along with the Koran, Islamic beliefs, practices, and law were found in the Sunnah. 22. In order to be considered a devout Muslim the Five Pillars of Islam must be followed. 23. Islam spread throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe through military conquest and trade caravans. 24. During the month of Ramadan Muslims must fast from sunrise to sunset. 25. Following Muhammads death, the Muslim nation split into two groups the Shiites and Sunnis. 26. Two major empires within the Islamic time period were the Umayyad and Abbasid. 7.3 Civilizations of China and the Mongols 27. After originating in India, the religion Buddhism spread throughout China along the Silk Road and into Korea and Japan. 28. Confucius, a Chinese philosopher, was instrumental in developing the Civil Service System used in China and the United States. 29. A governmental system of hiring and firing based on performance and abilities is called meritocracy. 30. China was reunited through the development of roads and waterways such as the Grand Canal making travel much easier. 31. China is credited for creating the first paper currency, or form of money. 32. The inventions of block printing and later movable type printing allowed the Chinese to print all 130 volumes of the Confucian classics. 33. All of China was taken under control in 1279 by the Mongol leader, Kublai Khan. 34. An abusive ruler who holds absolute power is referred to as a despot. 35. Siddartha Gautamas teachings became the basis for Buddhism. 36. Mongols lived in very harsh conditions on the wide, treeless plains of central Asia called steppes. 37. The first accurate account of China by a European was written by explorer Marco Polo.

7.4 Ghana and Mali Empires in Africa 38. Ghana and Mali Empires were established along the Niger River in the savanna, or grasslands. 39. Iron-making technology helped increase agricultural production in Africa. 40. Ghanaians trace the succession to the king through the son of his sister; a practice known as matrilineal succession. 41. African legend, customs, and history are passed down to each generation by griot, or storyteller. 42. Malis greatest ruler, Mansa Musa, was a devout Muslim, but respected all religious beliefs. 43. Villages in Africa were built around kinship, or family relationships. 44. The Bantu-speaking peoples of Africa migrated over 1000 years across east, central, and southern Africa. 45. A monsoon is a wind system that switches direction seasonally and brings wet and dry seasons. 46. An independent state with its own government made up of a city and the surrounding territories is known as a city-state. 7.5 Medieval Japan 47. Japans seas have acted as a natural barrier keeping Japan in isolation. 48. The early religion followed in Japan was Shinto before people moved to Buddhism. 49. Prince Shotoku encouraged Buddhism and the spread of Chinese culture in Japan. 50. Borrowing Chinas writing system, Japan became known for their literary classics including the book Tale of Genji. 51. In Japans feudal society the Shogun acted as the leader. 52. As the Japanese people changed over time, a number of Buddhist denominations, or different religious groups, developed. 7.6 Medieval Europe 53. A religious community ran by monks is called a monastery. 54. A political and economic system based on the relationship between a large landowner and people who need protection is called feudalism. 55. A knight is an armed, mounted soldier who served for the lord.

56. A manor is a community under a lords control that is totally selfsufficient. 57. When people are organized by rank or authority it is called a hierarchy. 58. Charlemagne, the king of the Franks, was crowned the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. 59. A union of people who practiced a specific trade is called a guild. 60. The signing of the Magna Carta, a document limiting the powers of the king and acknowledging the rights of lords, sparked the beginning of feudalisms decline. 61. A knights code of conduct is known as chivalry; its qualities were courtesy, honor, defending the weak and loyalty. 62. The Roman Empires citizens followed the Christian-based Roman Catholic Church referring to it as just The Church because of its power. 63. Following a schism, or split within the Catholic Church, citizens of the Byzantine Empire started following the Eastern Orthodox Church. 64. If you resisted the Catholic Church you could face excommunication, the depriving of church membership. 65. The crusades were a series of wars between Christians and Muslims over the occupation of Jerusalem. 66. The bubonic plague, a fatal disease caused by rat fleas, spread from as far away as China through the Middle East to Western Europe killing one third of the European population. 67. As power shifted from nobles to kings in Medieval Europe, kings formed monarchies, or strong central governments ruled by a king or queen. 68. Joan of Arc, a young girl who claimed to receive messages from God, helped the French defeat the English in the Hundred Years War. 7.7 Meso-America and Andean Civilizations 69. The Maya inhabited an area of Mexico known as the Yucatan Peninsula. 70. Killing animals or sometimes humans as an offering to gods is known as a sacrifice. 71. The Mayan Calendar had 260 days and was believed to be ruled by different gods each day.

72. Aztecs used chinampas, or floating gardens, to grow vegetables in swampy ground. 73. Living in the Andes Mountains of South America, the Inca citizens used terrace farming to effectively grow produce on mountain slopes. 74. The Incas used a system of ropes and knots called quipus as a means of record keeping. 75. The Spanish term for someone who sets out in search of wealth by conquering established civilizations is a conquistador. 76. The Aztecs were overtaken by the conquistador Hernan Cortes. 77. Francisco Pizzaro, a Spanish conquistador, led the charge to overtake the Incas. 78. The Aztec, Inca, and Mayan civilizations are all polytheistic, believing in many gods. 7.8 Renaissance 79. Religious persecution is the act of taking away the right to practice ones own beliefs. 80. The idea that every person should be free to pursue his or her own goals is individualism. 81. A republic is a government whose head of state is not a monarch. 82. An attitude that is concerned with values and achievements of humans is referred to as humanism. 83. As an artist and scientist, Leonardo da Vinci is considered one the greatest figures of the Renaissance time period. 84. Realism is an artistic style that shows people and nature as they really were. 85. The movable type printing press perfected by Johannes Gutenberg allowed books to become more readily available. 86. During the Renaissance, spiritual life was still valued but secular, or non-religious ideas, were more prevalent. 7.9 Reformation 87. A certificate issued by the pope that reduced or canceled punishment for a persons sins is an indulgence. 88. A German monk named Martin Luther sparked the Reformation by nailing to a church door his Ninety-Five Theses. 89. Protestors of the Catholic Church came to be known as Protestants.

90. Calvinism was a reformation movement led by John Calvin that taught predestination. 91. Ignatius Layola helped lead the Counter Reformation by sending missionaries throughout Europe teaching Catholicism. 92. To halt the spread of Protestantism, an inquisition, or a church court that judges, convicts, and punishes non-Catholics, was formed. 7.10 Scientific Revolution 93. The scientific method is a series of logical steps used in scientific research that stresses observation and experimentation. 94. Galileo supported Copernicus idea that the sun was the center of the universe but was persecuted by the Catholic Church for his beliefs. 95. Isaac Newton discovered the concept of gravity. 96. The development of the compound microscope by Robert Hooke helped develop new scientific theories. 7.11 Age of Exploration, Enlightenment, and Reason 97. Trade among Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas brought about many cultural changes on each continent. 98. Cartography is the art of map making. 99. A movement in Europe and America that analyzed ideas using human reason is the Age of Enlightenment. 100. John Locke of England advocated democratic thought by writing that government was a contract between the people and their ruler.