History 151 Fall 2001 (Jolly)
Final Exam Study Guide

Please note special time and place!

Note: Parts I and II address material primarily since Test #3. However, given the interconnectedness of this material, knowledge and information from the earlier sections is assumed and may be used in your answers.

Part I: Essay on material since Test #3 (50 points)

Unlike the first two midterms, these questions are derived from the Readings book, one on each chapter. These questions will allow you to demonstrate the skills in reading and interpretation that you have developed over the course of the semester as you have learned to analyze primary sources and critique secondary arguments. The textbook and lecture materials provide you with the historical context and other evidence for these interpretations.

Keep in mind, though, that you will need to use concepts and issues from earlier in the semester for each question. This means you should define terms used throughout the semester (such as civilization, empires, etc).

One of the following three questions will appear on the Final:

  1. Are the nomadic groups who created empires "barbarians"? From whose point of view? Consider the evidence in Readings, Chapter 12 in light of earlier discussions of empires.
  2. Has global urbanization made us more alike or different? Consider the impact of cities and urbanization in different regions discussed in Readings, Chapter 13, keeping in mind the previous discussions of the rise of complex societies ("civilizations").
  3. What are the implications of cross-cultural contact? From whose point of view? Consider the accounts given in Readings, Chapter 14 in comparison to other forms of cultural interchange we have encountered in the course.

Part II: Identification on material since test #3 (50 points)

Eight of the following items will appear on the final. You will need to answer five of them. For each, identify who or what, where and when, and then discuss the historical significance of the item, placing it in its cultural context and relating it to global issues we have studied.

  1. Khubilai Khan
  2. Tamerlane
  3. John of Plano Carpini, History of the Mongols
  4. William of Rubrick, Journey
  5. Bantu migration
  6. Sundiata
  7. griot
  8. Charter of Henry I for London, 1130-1133
  9. Gregorio Dati, Corporations and Community in Florence
  10. Marco Polo, Travels
  11. Gothic Cathedral
  12. Cairo
  13. ibn Battuta
  14. al Omari, on Mali
  15. Tula
  16. Bernal Díaz, The Conquest of New Spain
  17. The Broken Spears: Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexic
  18. Bartolomé de las Casas, The History of the Indies
  19. Cahokia
  20. marae (heiau)
  21. Navajo Blessing Way
  22. bubonic plague

Part III: Global Essay (100 points)

ALL FIVE of the following questions will appear on the exam. Choose one to prepare and write an essay on in the exam.

Keep in mind that although the questions ask for your views, you should not be writing about yourself (your personal opinions, beliefs, or experiences) but about the past and what you think about the past. The essay needs to be analytical, organized, and include examples from societies we have studied.

The key words in each question are highlighted in bold. Make sure you offer definitions where appropriate. Develop a clear thesis that answers the question, followed by logical supporting arguments.

Make sure the examples you cite come from a range of times and places from the course material so that you can demonstrate the breadth of your knowledge. Examples of primary sources from the reading are particularly effective.

  1. What is history? How and why do we study it? Consider the different kinds of evidence we have examined and how we interpreted it, using examples from a wide range of times and places.
  2. How have your perceptions changed through studying worldviews from pre-1500 societies? Discuss using examples of different human lifestyles, beliefs, values, and aesthetics from the materials we have studied. (Please avoid explorations of your own beliefs and focus on explaining other perspectives).
  3. Why is it important to study world history and not just the recent history of one's own culture(s)? Discuss examples of cultural difference in pre-1500 societies from various parts of the globe.
  4. What global issues have we studied that seem most significant to you and why? Consider the following examples and choose one or more to discuss (or suggest your own): gender, imperialism, cross-cultural contact, cultural identity, warfare. Make sure your discussion focuses on evidence from pre-1500 history.
  5. If you could go back in time to three different places we have studied, when and where would you go and why? Explain who or what you would look for in each place and what it would mean to us today. (Please avoid fictional and/or first person narratives that detract from an exploration of historical cultures).

Have fun!

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revised 11/27/01 kjolly@hawaii.edu