2022 Live Review 2 | AP World History | State Building and Challenges to State Power

The video begins with an introduction by the instructor, Amy Laporte, who teaches at Holy Innocence Episcopal School in Atlanta, Georgia. She outlines the structure of the video, which includes a review of homework from the previous session, a quick recap of historical reasoning processes, a deep dive into state building from 1200 to the present, and challenges to established power. The homework review focuses on writing contextualization and a thesis statement for an essay prompt about the success of 19th-century reform movements in bringing political or social change in industrial societies.

Amy Laporte reviews the historical reasoning processes of continuity and change over time (CCOT), comparison, and causation. She explains that continuity refers to what remains the same over time, while change refers to what has transformed. Comparison involves identifying similarities and differences between historical entities, and causation deals with understanding the causes and effects of historical events. These processes are crucial for framing arguments in the AP World History exam, especially for the long essay question (LEQ).

The lecture shifts focus to state building and empire expansion, discussing the reasons behind this historical phenomenon. Key motivations include the desire for access to new resources and markets, as well as the spread of cultural values and religion. The effects of empire building are also explored, such as the creation of diverse societies, the rise of new types of states, cultural and biological transfers, and the growth of trade networks and urban centers. The lecture emphasizes the importance of understanding these patterns to better grasp the historical development of states and empires.

Continuities in the process of empire building are highlighted, including the persistent desire for resources and trade networks, and the need for rulers to legitimize their power. Challenges in unifying a diverse empire and maintaining cultural unity are also discussed as ongoing issues. Changes resulting from empire building include the diffusion of technology and culture, shifts in social hierarchies, and disruptions to economic production. The lecture also touches on resistance movements and conflicts that arise from empire expansion, as well as the shifting global balance of power among different empires over time.

The video provides specific historical examples of state building across different time periods. From 1200 to 1450, the focus is on the Mongols, Aztec and Incan empires, and the rise of new Islamic states. The period from 1450 to 1750 is marked by the impact of gunpowder weapons and the emergence of maritime and land-based empires, leading to the colonization of the Americas and the development of trade networks. The 1750 to 1900 period sees a new phase of imperialism in Africa and Asia, with industrial nations taking colonies and practicing economic imperialism. After 1900, the emphasis shifts to the creation of new states through decolonization and the challenges posed by wars and the rise of superpowers like the United States and the Soviet Union.

The instructor guides students on how to approach Short Answer Questions (SAQs) and Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) on the AP exam. She advises students to read the tasks first to get a sense of the source material and then to analyze the stimulus material, whether it's an image or text. The video includes an example of how to identify political changes in the global balance of power in the 18th century and how Britain's relationship with South Asia changed from cooperation in the 18th century to domination in the 19th century. The lecture also touches on the concept of challenges to established power, including internal and external resistance, and provides examples from different time periods.

For the homework assignment, students are asked to select two empires or states from one of the four time periods discussed and compare the causes, process, and consequences of their empire building. The instructor provides a document with pre-selected empires for each time period but encourages students to choose their own for practice. The video concludes with a recap of the main patterns in state building and challenges to establish power, highlighting the importance of understanding these patterns for the AP exam review.