African Empires: Power, Wealth & Trade
How did griots help preserve culture in early West African societies?
They served as oral historians, preserving stories, lineage, and heritage through music and performance.
How did Islam spread into Mali and shape its development?
Islam expanded under and after Sundiata’s reign, influencing culture and governance.
How did the Olmec influence later American civilizations?
They served as a mother culture and produced giant stone heads that shaped future art and religious traditions.
How did the Medici family help make Florence a center of Renaissance culture?
Their banking wealth funded artists and supported Florence’s cultural growth.
How did Zwingli promote religious reform in Switzerland?
He preached reforms based directly on scripture, reducing the role of Church tradition.
What allowed Mali to replace Ghana as the dominant West African kingdom during the 1200s?
It controlled the gold–salt trade routes and profited through commerce and slavery.
What made Timbuktu a major center of learning?
It had more than 150 schools focused on religion and scholarship.
What development made the Zapotec important to early Mesoamerican history?
They created early writing and calendar systems at Monte Albán.
How did Erasmus promote change within Christian society during the Renaissance?
He encouraged literacy and moral improvement through Christian humanism.
How did St. Ignatius of Loyola and the Jesuits strengthen the Catholic Church during the Counter-Reformation?
They emphasized discipline, education, and missionary work to defend and rebuild Catholic influence.
What contributed to Mali’s large population of nearly eight million at its peak?
Sundiata’s expansion of land and agriculture combined with profitable trade.
How did Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage help increase global awareness of Mali?
His wealth impressed regions he visited, bringing international attention to Mali.
How did Chavín culture influence the Andes?
Its temples and carved art spread shared religious traditions across the region.
How did El Greco and Jan van Eyck contribute to artistic development?
El Greco produced dramatic religious works, while van Eyck advanced detailed oil painting techniques.
How did Teresa of Avila contribute to internal reform within the Catholic Church?
She encouraged spiritual renewal and stricter religious devotion.
How did succession disputes weaken Mali and allow Songhai to rise?
Internal rebellion and disputed leadership reduced Mali’s authority, enabling Songhai to break away and expand.
How did the scale of Mansa Musa’s gold distribution impact the regions along his route?
His spending contributed to falling gold values in places like Egypt and altered local economies.
How did Pacal the Great strengthen Palenque?
He built plazas, aqueducts, and courts that expanded and enriched the city.
How did Renaissance artists and thinkers build on earlier classical traditions?
They revived classical ideas and blended them with new artistic techniques.
How did Thomas More’s actions reflect resistance to religious change in England? And what happened to him because of it?
He refused to support England’s break with the Catholic Church and was executed for opposing the king’s religious changes. Showing that some individuals actively resisted the religious changes
How did Mali’s economic system combine multiple sources of wealth?
It profited from gold–salt trade, commerce, and slavery, creating a strong, diversified economy.
What made Ibn Battuta’s writings valuable for understanding medieval cultures?
He traveled more than 75,000 miles and used his legal training to document societies across the Muslim world.
How did the leadership of Moctezuma I and Huayna Capac shape the height and decline of their empires?
Moctezuma I expanded Aztec territory and infrastructure, while Huayna Capac expanded Inca rule until his death caused a civil war.
How did the growth of education and literacy during the Renaissance support broader cultural change?
Wider reading and learning spread new ideas and helped reshape European society.
How did Henry VIII's decisions transform religious authority in England?
He broke with the Catholic Church and created the Church of England, placing religious authority under the crown.