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Cover of World History, Volume 1: to 1500

World History, Volume 1: to 1500

by Ann Kordas, Ryan J. Lynch, Brooke Nelson and Julie Tatlock

Published by OpenStax

HistoryCollege

World History, Volume 1: to 1500 is designed to meet the scope and sequence of a world history course to 1500 offered at both two-year and four-year institutions. Suitable for both majors and non majors World History, Volume 1: to 1500 introduces students to a global perspective of history couched in an engaging narrative. Concepts and assessments help students think critically about the issues they encounter so they can broaden their perspective of global history. A special effort has been made to introduce and juxtapose people’s experiences of history for a rich and nuanced discussion. Primary source material represents the cultures being discussed from a firsthand perspective whenever possible. World History, Volume 1: to 1500 also includes the work of diverse and underrepresented scholars to ensure a full range of perspectives.

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Attribution

Adapted from World History, Volume 1: to 1500 by Ann Kordas, Ryan J. Lynch, Brooke Nelson, and Julie Tatlock, published by OpenStax (Rice University) under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/). Access the original for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/world-history-volume-1. Changes: converted to CuraCourse lessons, with interactive practice added.

Table of contents

102 pages in 19 modules. Sign up to read and adopt them.

  1. Preface1 page
    1. Preface
  2. 1Understanding the Past5 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 1.1Developing a Global Perspective
    3. 1.2Primary Sources
    4. 1.3Causation and Interpretation in History
    5. Practice
  3. 2Early Humans5 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 2.1Early Human Evolution and Migration
    3. 2.2People in the Paleolithic Age
    4. 2.3The Neolithic Revolution
    5. Practice
  4. 3Early Civilizations and Urban Societies6 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 3.1Early Civilizations
    3. 3.2Ancient Mesopotamia
    4. 3.3Ancient Egypt
    5. 3.4The Indus Valley Civilization
    6. Practice
  5. 4The Near East6 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 4.1From Old Babylon to the Medes
    3. 4.2Egypt’s New Kingdom
    4. 4.3The Persian Empire
    5. 4.4The Hebrews
    6. Practice
  6. 5Asia in Ancient Times6 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 5.1Ancient China
    3. 5.2The Steppes
    4. 5.3Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia
    5. 5.4Vedic India to the Fall of the Maurya Empire
    6. Practice
  7. 6Mediterranean Peoples7 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 6.1Early Mediterranean Peoples
    3. 6.2Ancient Greece
    4. 6.3The Hellenistic Era
    5. 6.4The Roman Republic
    6. 6.5The Age of Augustus
    7. Practice
  8. 7Experiencing the Roman Empire7 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 7.1The Daily Life of a Roman Family
    3. 7.2Slavery in the Roman Empire
    4. 7.3The Roman Economy: Trade, Taxes, and Conquest
    5. 7.4Religion in the Roman Empire
    6. 7.5The Regions of Rome
    7. Practice
  9. 8The Americas in Ancient Times5 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 8.1Populating and Settling the Americas
    3. 8.2Early Cultures and Civilizations in the Americas
    4. 8.3The Age of Empires in the Americas
    5. Practice
  10. 9Africa in Ancient Times6 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 9.1Africa’s Geography and Climate
    3. 9.2The Emergence of Farming and the Bantu Migrations
    4. 9.3The Kingdom of Kush
    5. 9.4North Africa’s Mediterranean and Trans-Saharan Connections
    6. Practice
  11. 10Empires of Faith6 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 10.1The Eastward Shift
    3. 10.2The Byzantine Empire and Persia
    4. 10.3The Kingdoms of Aksum and Himyar
    5. 10.4The Margins of Empire
    6. Practice
  12. 11The Rise of Islam and the Caliphates5 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 11.1The Rise and Message of Islam
    3. 11.2The Arab-Islamic Conquests and the First Islamic States
    4. 11.3Islamization and Religious Rule under Islam
    5. Practice
  13. 12India, the Indian Ocean Basin, and East Asia5 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 12.1The Indian Ocean World in the Early Middle Ages
    3. 12.2East-West Interactions in the Early Middle Ages
    4. 12.3Border States: Sogdiana, Korea, and Japan
    5. Practice
  14. 13The Post-Roman West and the Crusading Movement6 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 13.1The Post-Roman West in the Early Middle Ages
    3. 13.2The Seljuk Migration and the Call from the East
    4. 13.3Patriarch and Papacy: The Church and the Call to Crusade
    5. 13.4The Crusading Movement
    6. Practice
  15. 14Pax Mongolica: The Steppe Empire of the Mongols6 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 14.1Song China and the Steppe Peoples
    3. 14.2Chinggis Khan and the Early Mongol Empire
    4. 14.3The Mongol Empire Fragments
    5. 14.4Christianity and Islam outside Central Asia
    6. Practice
  16. 15States and Societies in Sub-Saharan Africa5 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 15.1Culture and Society in Medieval Africa
    3. 15.2Medieval Sub-Saharan Africa
    4. 15.3The People of the Sahel
    5. Practice
  17. 16Climate Change and Plague in the Fourteenth Century6 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 16.1Asia, North Africa, and Europe in the Early Fourteenth Century
    3. 16.2Famine, Climate Change, and Migration
    4. 16.3The Black Death from East to West
    5. 16.4The Long-Term Effects of Global Transformation
    6. Practice
  18. 17The Ottomans, the Mamluks, and the Ming5 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 17.1The Ottomans and the Mongols
    3. 17.2From the Mamluks to Ming China
    4. 17.3Gunpowder and Nomads in a Transitional Age
    5. Practice
  19. Appendices4 pages
    1. AGlossary
    2. BWorld History, Volume 1, to 1500: Maps and Timelines
    3. CWorld Maps
    4. DRecommended Resources for the Study of World History