Challenges to State Power [AP World History] Unit 4 Topic 6

This paragraph introduces the theme of resistance to imperial expansion during the period of 1450-1750. It sets the stage for the discussion by highlighting the common issue of 'mo’ territory, mo’ problems' that empires faced as they grew. The video will focus on two main types of resistance: general resistance to conquest and specific resistance from enslaved communities. The paragraph also gives a brief overview of the empires and regions that will be discussed in the video, such as Portugal in Africa, Russia, the Mughal Empire, and the Americas, setting the context for the historical events and resistance movements that followed.

This paragraph details the story of Queen Ana Nzinga of Ndongo, who resisted Portuguese expansion into Africa. It describes her kingdom's struggles with slave raids and attacks from neighboring tribes, leading to an agreement with Portugal. The paragraph also highlights Queen Nzinga's display of power and diplomacy during her talks with the Portuguese, where she used a servant as a makeshift chair to counter the Portuguese attempt at asserting social dominance. Despite the agreement, the Portuguese continued to encroach on her kingdom, leading her to ally with the Dutch and instigate a rebellion against them, resisting their influence for decades.

This paragraph discusses the Pugachev Rebellion, a significant show of resistance by Russian serfs against the system of serfdom in 1774. It explains the conditions of serfs, who were tied to the land of nobles and worked without pay, often being sold along with the land. The paragraph describes how the Cossacks, a group of runaway serfs, rebelled against Catherine the Great's perpetuation of serfdom. Although they initially gained some ground, the rebellion was ultimately crushed by the Russian state, leading to even harsher conditions for serfs to prevent future uprisings.

This paragraph focuses on the religiously fueled resistance in the Mughal Empire, where the Muslim emperors ruled over a majority Hindu population. It describes the rise of the Maratha, a group of Hindu warriors who resisted what they perceived as an invasion of their beliefs. The Maratha successfully revolted, leading to the end of the Mughal Empire and the establishment of the Maratha Empire in its place, marking a significant shift in power and religious influence in the region.

This paragraph discusses two distinct uprisings in the Americas: the Pueblo Revolt in the Spanish colonies of North America and Metacom's War in the British colonies. The Pueblo Revolt saw the Pueblo and Apache Indians fight against Spanish attempts to convert them to Christianity, resulting in the killing of Spanish colonizers and the burning of churches. However, the Spanish eventually reconquered the territory. Metacom's War, on the other hand, was the final large-scale attempt by North American natives to rid their land of the British, but it ended in a decisive British victory and further subjugation of the remaining natives.

This paragraph details the Stono Rebellion of 1739, a significant rebellion of African slaves in the British colonies. It challenges the notion that enslaved people were content with their servitude by recounting how 20 enslaved individuals gathered at the Stono River in South Carolina and rebelled. They raided a warehouse, killed white workers, and proclaimed 'liberty' as they moved through towns, killing more white people. The rebellion grew to about 100 participants and lasted a week before being suppressed by the British. As a consequence, life became significantly harder for the enslaved workforce in the colonies.