example of a thesis for ap world history

AP World History DBQ Example

Once you have answered our  AP World History Document-Based Question , scroll down to read a sample high-scoring response. Our AP World History DBQ example will guide you through the step to a perfect answer.

Evaluate the effects of the Columbian Exchange on the peoples and cultures of the Old World (Europe, Asia, Africa) and the New World (Americas) from the late 15th century to the 17th century.

Guided Response:

Introduction Thesis/Claim (A):  The Columbian Exchange, initiated by Christopher Columbus’s voyages in the late 15th century, fundamentally altered the lives and cultures of people in both the Old World and the New World. In the Americas, it led to significant cultural and demographic shifts due to the introduction of new crops and livestock, as well as devastating impacts from Old World diseases. Conversely, the Old World experienced a transformation in diet, agriculture, and economic structures, largely due to the influx of New World crops like maize, potatoes, and tobacco.  (1 point for a clear thesis that responds to the prompt) Contextualization (B):  Prior to the Columbian Exchange, the Old and New Worlds had evolved separately, leading to distinct agricultural practices, societal structures, and disease immunities. The exchange bridged these worlds, introducing a period of profound biological and cultural exchanges.  (1 point for providing broader historical context relevant to the prompt) Body Paragraph 1 Evidence from Documents (C):  The introduction of tobacco in the Ming Dynasty, as described in Document 1 by Charles C. Mann, showcases the rapid adoption and integration of New World crops into Old World societies. Similarly, the spread of maize in Ormuz, as noted in Document 5 by Afonso de Albuquerque, indicates the eagerness of different cultures to incorporate New World crops.  (1 point for using content from at least three documents) Analysis and Reasoning (D):  The point of view in Document 1 reflects the perspective of a Chinese physician, highlighting the medicinal value attributed to tobacco, a New World plant, in the Old World. This demonstrates the integration of American crops into Asian medicinal practices.  (1 point for explaining the document’s point of view) Body Paragraph 2 Evidence from Documents (C):  The observations of Hernán Cortés in Document 4 about the marketplaces and infrastructure of Tenochtitlan reveal the sophistication of the Aztec civilization before European contact. This contrasts with the devastation described by Bartolomé de las Casas in Document 6, which underscores the catastrophic impact of the Columbian Exchange on indigenous populations.  (1 additional point for using content from at least four documents to support an argument) Analysis and Reasoning (D):  Document 4 provides insight into Cortés’s perspective as a conqueror, marveling at the complexity of the Aztec civilization, which underscores the depth of cultural loss following the Columbian Exchange.  (1 additional point for explaining the document’s point of view) Body Paragraph 3 Evidence Beyond the Documents (C):  Beyond the documents, the introduction of Old World diseases like smallpox had a devastating effect on Native American populations, who lacked immunity to these diseases. This led to a drastic decline in their population and a weakening of their societies.  (1 point for using additional historical evidence) Conclusion Complex Understanding (D):  The Columbian Exchange was not merely a transfer of goods but a profound reshaping of cultures and societies. It brought about not only the exchange of crops and diseases but also a reconfiguration of global power dynamics, with long-lasting effects on both the Old and New Worlds.  (1 point for demonstrating a complex understanding of the historical development)

When you finish your AP World History DBQ practice, use the buttons below to move on to our long essay practice questions and example answers or return to the main menu.

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The Complete Guide to the AP World History Exam

Advanced Placement (AP)

Before you start studying for the AP World History exam, you should get the inside scoop on its format and content. The types of questions you'll see might differ from your expectations. It's especially smart to practice writing essay outlines based on past questions before you're faced with fresh prompts on test day.

In this article, we'll go through the structure, content, and question types on the AP World History exam and provide some helpful tips for acing it !

How Is the AP World History Exam Structured?

The AP World History exam is three hours and 15 minutes and consists of two sections, each of which contains a Part A and a Part B. Here's a basic overview of these sections before we get into the nitty-gritty below:

• Section 1, Part A: Multiple Choice
• Section 1, Part B: Short Answer
• Section 2, Part A: Document-Based Question (DBQ)
• Section 2, Part B: Long Essay

It should be noted that the AP World History exam has undergone some big changes for the 2019-20 school year . Instead of covering thousands of years of human history and development, now it will cover only the years 1200 to the present ; as a result, the exam has been renamed AP World History: Modern (an AP World History: Ancient course and exam are in the works).

Section 1 Format

Section 1 on the AP World History exam lasts a total of 95 minutes and consists of two parts:

• Part A: Multiple Choice
• Part B: Short Answer

This chart shows what you can expect for each part of Section 1 on the World History exam:

Part A lasts 55 minutes and counts for 40% of your total AP World History score. Each question on this part comes with four possible answer choices (labeled A-D). Since there are no penalties for wrong answers, it's in your best interest to fill in an answer for every question.

Most multiple-choice questions come in sets of three to four questions and require you to analyze primary and secondary sources as well as data in the form of graphs, charts, maps, etc.

Part B lasts 40 minutes and counts for 20% of your final AP score. For this section, you must write three short answers (you'll get four prompts in total, but you choose one of two prompts to write on for your third essay). You'll have different sources, or stimuli, for each short-answer prompt:

• Short Answer 1: Includes one secondary source
• Short Answer 2: Includes one primary source
• Short Answer 3/4 (choose one prompt): No stimulus for either option; prompt 3 focuses on the years 1200-1750, while prompt 4 focuses on the years 1750-2001

Section 2 Format

Section 2 on the AP World History test lasts 100 minutes and, like Section 1, consists of two parts:

• Part A: Document-Based Question (DBQ)
• Part B: Long Essay

Here's a brief overview of the format of Section 2 of the World History exam:

Part A in Section 2 lasts one hour and counts for 25% of your total score. For the Document-Based Question, or DBQ, you'll get seven documents offering different viewpoints on a certain historical development. You must write an essay with an argument supported by this historical evidence.

Part B, which is the Long Essay, lasts for just 40 minutes and counts for 15% of your AP score. This part of the test requires you to write a full-fledged essay in response to one of three prompts (you choose which one you want to write on). Unlike the DBQ, you're not given any direct historical evidence to use in your essay; you must come up with it yourself to support your argument.

Here are the three types of prompts you can choose from for the Long Essay:

• Prompt 1: Focuses on the years 1200-1750
• Prompt 2: Focuses on the years 1450-1900
• Prompt 3: Focuses on the years 1750-2001

What Kind of Content Is Covered in AP World History?

Content on the AP World History exam is divided into six overarching themes and nine distinct units . Knowing these categorizations can help you get a better sense of what kinds of historical trends you will be asked to examine (this is especially helpful when writing free-response essays!). The units are roughly divided up into overlapping periods of time.

Below, we introduce the current themes and units, as described in the 2019-20 AP World History: Modern Course and Exam Description .

The 6 Themes in AP World History

Let's start by looking closely at the six major themes covered on the AP World History exam.

Theme 1: Humans and the Environment

The environment shapes human societies, and as populations grow and change, these populations in turn shape their environments.

Key points:

• Demography and disease
• Patterns of settlement

Theme 2: Cultural Developments and Interactions

The development of ideas, beliefs, and religions illustrates how groups in society view themselves, and the interactions of societies and their beliefs often have political, social, and cultural implications.

• Religions and cultures
• Belief systems, philosophies, and ideologies
• Science and technology
• The arts and architecture

Theme 3: Governance

A variety of internal and external factors contribute to state formation, expansion, and decline. Governments maintain order through a variety of administrative institutions, policies, and procedures, and governments obtain, retain, and exercise power in different ways and for different purposes.

• Political structures and forms of governance
• Nations and nationalism
• Revolts and revolutions
• Regional, transregional, and global structures and organizations

Theme 4: Economic Systems

As societies develop, they affect and are affected by the ways that they produce, exchange, and consume goods and services.

• Agricultural and pastoral production
• Trade and commerce
• Labor systems
• Industrialization
• Capitalism and socialism

Theme 5: Social Interactions and Organization

The process by which societies group their members and the norms that govern the interactions between these groups and between individuals influence political, economic, and cultural institutions and organization.

• Gender roles and relations
• Family and kinship
• Racial and ethnic constructions
• Social and economic classes
• Slavery and abolition

Theme 6: Technology and Innovation

Human adaptation and innovation have resulted in increased efficiency, comfort, and security, and technological advances have shaped human development and interactions with both intended and unintended consequences.

• Intellectual innovation
• Transportation technologies and trade
• Modes of production and machinery
• Communication

The 9 Units in AP World History

Here, we'll go over the nine units of the AP World History course and exam. But before we describe each one in depth, here's a quick overview of how these units are tested:

Source: AP World History Course and Exam Description, 2019-20

Unit 1: The Global Tapestry (1200-1450)

• Developments in East Asia from c. 1200 to c. 1450
• Developments in Dar al-Islam from c. 1200 to c. 1450
• Developments in South and Southeast Asia from c. 1200 to c. 1450
• State Building in the Americas
• State Building in Africa
• Developments in Europe from c. 1200 to c. 1450
• Comparison in the period from c. 1200 to c. 1450

Unit 2: Networks of Exchange (1200-1450)

• The Silk Roads
• The Mongol Empire and the making of the modern world
• Exchange in the Indian Ocean
• Trans-Saharan trade routes
• Cultural consequences of connectivity
• Environmental consequences of connectivity
• Comparison of economic exchange

Unit 3: Land-Based Empires (1450-1750)

• Empires expand
• Empires: administration
• Empires: belief systems
• Comparison in land-based empires

Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections (1450-1750)

• Technological innovations from 1450 to 1750
• Exploration: causes and events from 1450 to 1750
• Columbian exchange
• Maritime empires established
• Maritime empires maintained and developed
• Internal and external challenges to state power from 1450 to 1750
• Changing social hierarchies from 1450 to 1750
• Continuity and change from 1450 to 1750

Unit 5: Revolutions (1750-1900)

• The Enlightenment
• Nationalism and revolutions in the period from 1750 to 1900
• Industrial Revolution begins
• Industrialization spreads in the period from 1750 to 1900
• Technology of the Industrial Age
• Industrialization: government's role from 1750 to 1900
• Economic developments and innovations in the Industrial Age
• Reactions to the industrial economy from 1750 to 1900
• Society and the Industrial Age
• Continuity and change in the Industrial Age

Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization (1750-1900)

• Rationales for imperialism from 1750 to 1900
• State expansion from 1750 to 1900
• Indigenous responses to state expansion from 1750 to 1900
• Global economic development from 1750 to 1900
• Economic imperialism from 1750 to 1900
• Causes of migration in an interconnected world
• Effects of migration
• Causation in the Imperial Age

Unit 7: Global Conflict (1900-Present)

• Shifting power after 1900
• Causes of World War I
• Conducting World War I
• The economy in the interwar period
• Unresolved tensions after World War I
• Causes of World War II
• Conducting World War II
• Mass atrocities after 1900
• Causation in global conflict

Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization (1900-Present)

• Setting the stage for the Cold War and decolonization
• The Cold War
• Effects of the Cold War
• Spread of communism after 1900
• Decolonization after 1900
• Newly independent states
• Global resistance to established order after 1900
• End of the Cold War
• Causation in the age of the Cold War and decolonization

Unit 9: Globalization (1900-Present)

• Advances in technology and exchange after 1900
• Technological advances and limitations after 1900: disease
• Technological advances: debates about the environment after 1900
• Economics in the Global Age
• Calls for reform and responses after 1900
• Globalized culture after 1900
• Resistance to globalization after 1900
• Institutions developing in a globalized world
• Continuity and change in a globalized world

Sample AP World History Test Questions

Let's go through examples of each of the four types of questions you'll see on the AP World History exam. All sample questions come from the 2019-20 World History Course and Exam Description .

Multiple-Choice Question Example

Most multiple-choice questions come in sets of three to four questions that ask you to respond to a particular source, or stimulus, such as a primary source, a secondary source, or data in the form of a map, chart, or table.

In this sample question, you're being asked to read and interpret two separate passages . You must have background knowledge of economic trends in the late 20th century to be able to select the correct answer here (which is answer choice C ).

Short-Answer Question Example

This short-answer question is accompanied by a secondary source. In each short-answer question on the test, each part (A-C) should only require a one- to two-sentence answer . You'll then get 1 point per correct response (so the max you can earn on one short-answer question is 3 points).

Here's how you could earn full credit for this question, per the official scoring guidelines .

(A) Sample Answers

• Hakuseki's argument was influenced by Confucianism.
• Hakuseki's argument that sovereign is Heaven to the subjects and the father is Heaven to the child was influenced by Confucian beliefs.
• Hakuseki's argument that only the emperor is supposed to serve the Lord of Heaven reflects the beliefs of Confucianism.

(B) Sample Answers

• One important difference is that most Christian missionaries and Muslim Sufis traveled across the world and spread their religion without being banned by other governments.
• One important difference between the circumstances of the religious encounter in eighteenth century Japan and other religious encounters in the period 1450–1750 is that religious interactions in this period more frequently led to the development of syncretic belief systems such as Vodou or Santería than the outright banning of the preaching of a religion.
• One important difference between the Tokugawa shogunate banning the preaching of Christianity and most other religious interactions in the period 1450–1750 is that some governments, such as the Mughal Empire under Akbar, encouraged religious tolerance and interaction.

(C) Sample Answers

• The Mughal emperors of India and the African kings of Kongo attempted to restrict European merchants to certain towns and trading posts.
• The Ming and Qing emperors of China confined the Portuguese merchants to Macao and placed legal restrictions on converting to Christianity.
• Although the Safavid Empire allowed European merchants to settle in some cities and even serve as advisors at court, preaching Christianity was strictly forbidden.

Document-Based Question Example

You'll get seven documents with your DBQ (not shown in the sample above), and you must use at least six of these as evidence in your response. The DBQ is worth up to 7 points .

Here's what you'd need to do to earn full credit for this sample DBQ, per the scoring guidelines .

Long Essay Question Example

For the Long Essay, you'll get three possible prompts to choose from. This question is an example of an Option 2 prompt with a focus on the years 1450-1900 —in this case, the 19th century. You can earn up to 6 points for your essay.

Here's what you'd need to do to earn full credit for this sample, per the official scoring guidelines :

How Is the AP World History Exam Scored?

Now that you've seen what questions look like on the AP World History test, let's quickly go over exactly how the exam is scored. Like all other AP tests, you will get a final scaled score for AP World History on a scale of 1-5 . This is a cumulative score that combines your raw scores from each of the four parts of the test (Multiple Choice, Short Answer, DBQ, and Long Essay).

Keep reading to see how each part of the AP World History test is scored.

Multiple Choice

Raw scoring for the multiple-choice section is simple: you earn 1 point for each multiple-choice question you answer correctly . Since there are 55 questions, the max number of points you can earn here is 55. Remember that this part counts for 40% of your total score .

No points are taken off for incorrect answers, so be sure to fill in every answer bubble!

Short Answer

Each short-answer question is worth 3 points—one for each task (labeled A-C) you must complete. Because there are three short-answer questions, this means you can earn a total of 9 raw points for all your responses. The short-answer portion counts for 20% of your final AP score .

Document-Based Question

The DBQ is worth 25% of your final score and is graded on a 7-point rubric , as shown below:

The Long Essay is worth just 15% of your overall score and is graded on a 6-point rubric :

The Best Way to Prep for the AP World History Exam: 3 Tips

Here are a few of the most important prep tips for AP World History. If you want more advice, take a look at our article on the best study strategies for this exam .

Tip 1: Make Connections to Themes (and Memorize Examples)

World History is a course that covers a ton of information, so much so that it can be hard to think of specific examples that relate to your arguments in essay questions. You should be able to elaborate on one or two concrete events from each period that relate to each theme of the course.

As long as you can preserve this bank of information in your mind, you'll be able to support your answers to any essay questions the test throws at you.

Tip 2: Use Outside Information Selectively

Providing specific historical examples in your essay lets you show your mastery of the material, but you need to be cautious. This test is less about how much you know and more about how well you understand the connections and underlying themes that connect historical facts.

Each fact you mention must have a specific purpose and should tie directly into what the question is asking and what you've stated in your argument.

Tip 3: Learn to Read Multiple-Choice Questions Carefully

You can get into some trouble if you don't understand exactly what the multiple-choice questions are asking on this exam. You'll only find the correct answer if you stick to the specifics of the question. Otherwise, you could get tripped up by choices that are accurate statements about history but inaccurate answers to the question being asked.

Practice your skills in selecting answers that directly pertain to the evidence presented in the question.

Summary: What to Know About the AP World History Exam

The AP World History exam is a three-hour and 15-minute test that consists of 55 multiple-choice questions, three short answers, one DBQ, and one essay.

Questions address six major historical themes and nine units, with periods stretching back to the year 1200 CE. While this is undoubtedly a lot of information to study, it's important to realize that long-term trends are more important than small details.

You can do extremely well on the World History test, as long as you master the major events of each period and understand their essential causes and effects .

What's Next?

Looking for some practice materials for the World History exam? Then check out this detailed guide to all the AP World History practice tests available online .

It's a smart idea to practice your writing skills on DBQs before any AP history test. Learn about the best places to find DBQ examples and how you can write an excellent response .

Which AP classes should you take in high school besides World History? Our expert guide will help you decide based on your goals, academic interests, and schedule.

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Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.

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AP World History: Sample DBQ Document Organization

Using the following documents, analyze how the Ottoman government viewed ethnic and religious groups within its empire for the period 1876–1908. Identify an additional document and explain how it would help you analyze the views of the Ottoman Empire.

Analyzing the Documents

The readers award credit based on what the essays accomplish. They do not remove points if an essay is off-task, written poorly, or wrong. There is one exception, however. In the DBQ, you must demonstrate that you understand the documents being used. If your essay makes more than one major misinterpretation, credit cannot be earned.

A major misinterpretation is one that misses the basic intent of the document. If you wrote that the Proclamation of the Young Turks (document 7) was a movement away from ethnic and religious equality, that misinterpretation would be a major error.

If, instead, you wrote that the Ottoman Empire survived for decades after the Proclamation of the Young Turks in 1908, the statement would be wrong (the Ottoman Empire collapsed after World War I) but would not be a misinterpretation of the document. All of the documents could still count as being understood properly. Be careful—especially with visual and graphic documents. Students tend to misinterpret these non-written documents more than they misinterpret traditional written documents.

Kaplan Pro Tip For charts and graphs, pay particular attention to the title and to the factors delineating the information in the visual. This will help you interpret the document. For pictures, remember that all pictures are taken for a reason and reflect the point of view of the photographer and/or the subject. Notice details in the background or foreground that can help you interpret them.

Using Evidence to Support Your Thesis

• Refer to the document number directly in the sentence: “As shown by document 7, the Young Turks believed that all ethnic and religious groups should be treated equally.”
• Refer to the document within parentheses at the end of the sentence: “The Young Turks believed that all ethnic and religious groups should be treated equally (document 7).”
• Refer to information presented in the line of source attribution: “As shown by The Proclamation of the Young Turks in 1908, the Young Turks believed that all ethnic and religious groups should be treated equally.”
• Combine the last two techniques: “As shown by The Proclamation of the Young Turks in 1908, the Young Turks believed that all ethnic and religious groups should be treated equally (document 7).” (best option)
• Give no attribution: “The Young Turks believed that all ethnic and religious groups should be treated equally.” (worst option)

Discussing Point of View

• Does the occupation of the author give the document more or less reliability? For example, government officials may overstate or exaggerate information for political, state, or personal reasons.
• Does the social class, religion, national background, or gender of the author influence what is mentioned in the document?
• Does the type of document influence the content of what is said? A journal entry or private letter might be more candid about a topic than a public address that is meant to be persuasive. A political cartoon by definition is exaggerated and meant to convey a certain message, whereas a photograph may accurately represent what was in front of the camera for a shot, but could be staged and framed to capture only a certain perspective.
• Does the timing of the document influence the message? Recollections and memoirs written long after an event may not have the same reliability as first-hand materials done immediately afterward.
• Does the intended audience skew the message of a source? If a document is meant to be read by the sultan, it has a different POV than one written for a European audience.
• Describing the tone of the document can also count for POV if the document is sarcastic, triumphant, haughty, etc. Using tone for POV can be more subtle and is best used with other descriptions of POV.

Grouping Documents Together in Your Analysis

Organizing your documents, using additional historical evidence.

• a document from the sultan himself since he represents the central power of the Ottoman Empire
• official orders from the Ottoman government on how to treat different ethnic and religious subjects since such a document could show how the government implemented its policies
• a chart showing statistics of religious diversity within the empire that would help describe the position of the official faith within the empire
• a speech or an article from a Young Turk on his attitude toward the Ottoman government that would help show the differences in thought between reformers and officials
• a document from a religious leader within the Ottoman Empire that would provide a sense of how official religious policies were perceived by the religious communities themselves
• a map showing the distribution of different ethnic groups within the Ottoman Empire, which would help illustrate the divisions faced by this multi-ethnic country

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Hurricane Helene is unusual — but it’s not an example of the Fujiwhara Effect

This satellite image provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Helene advancing across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (NOAA via AP)

A truck drives through a flooded street around the Sunset Park neighborhood as Hurricane Helene makes its way toward the Florida panhandle on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

A Sam’s Club employee wraps wraps fuel pumps ahead of Hurricane Helene, expected to make landfall Thursday evening, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, in Valdosta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Water has begun to cover Riverside Drive in downtown St. Marks, Fla. on Thursday Sept 26, 2024. The town sits at the confluence of the Wakulla and St. Marks Rivers and is known to flood during storm events. (AP Photo/Kate Payne)

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Follow AP’s live coverage of Helene and the 2024 hurricane season .

Treacherous Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall Thursday evening on Florida’s northwestern coast and then continue on to torment parts of Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee with heavy rain, flash floods and gusty winds.

While Helene will likely weaken as it moves inland, its “fast forward speed will allow strong, damaging winds, especially in gusts, to penetrate well inland across the southeastern United States,” including in the southern Appalachian Mountains, the National Weather Service’s hurricane center said Thursday. Less severe tropical storm warnings were posted as far north as North Carolina.

The unusual reach as far north and inland as forecasters expect — and the potential impacts — are raising questions about the Fujiwhara Effect, a rare weather event.

What is the Fujiwhara Effect?

The National Weather Service defines the Fujiwhara Effect as “a binary interaction where tropical cyclones within a certain distance … of each other begin to rotate about a common midpoint.”

That means the two storms interact with and are shaped by one another, sometimes even combining into one storm.

The concept was born out of the interaction between typhoons in the Pacific Ocean, said Peter Mullinax, the acting Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center.

It was first identified over a century ago by Sakuhei Fujiwhara, a meteorologist in Tokyo, who published his findings about the “tendency towards symmetry of motion” in 1921.

Is that what’s happening with Helene?

Helene is “going to do a dance,” but not with another hurricane or tropical storm, said Gus Alaka, director of the Hurricane Research Division at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Lab.

Instead, Helene is responding to the effects of a low-pressure weather system to its northwest.

That interaction is occurring in the upper levels of the atmosphere, where commercial jets fly, and not at surface level. That means it’s not technically undergoing the Fujiwhara Effect.

The combination of that weather event to the northwest, and a high pressure system to the northeast, are creating a fast-moving “conveyor belt” for Helene, steering it and ultimately forcing it to a standstill over Tennessee, northern Georgia and lower Appalachia, Alaka said.

Has this kind of weather event happened before?

The interaction between a tropical storm and an atmospheric weather system is more common than the Fujiwhara Effect. Weather systems are common, regularly moving through the country and providing weather changes, Alaka said.

One example is Hurricane Sandy, which battered the mid-Atlantic and northeast in 2012.

There was a weather system over the Great Lakes at the time that “dug into” the mid-Atlantic states, said Mullinax. “As Sandy came up the east coast, it felt the pull of that upper-low like Helene’s going to feel today into tonight and be drawn in,” he said.

What does that mean for the southeastern U.S.?

The speed at which Helene is moving and the sheer size of the storm, along with its interactions with the pressure systems, are leading to the severe weather warnings miles away from the Florida coastline.

Mullinax said there is the potential for catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding, including in northern and northwestern Florida and the Atlanta metro area, and significant landslides in the southern Appalachians.

“They’re not as accustomed to seeing not only the tropical rainfall but also the winds that could be gusting over 45 to 50 miles an hour in some cases,” he said of the areas inland. “And that is aided by this interaction at the upper levels that’s drawing the storm faster inland.”

Alaka warned that gusty winds can still be dangerous — even if not at hurricane speeds by the time Helene is further inland — potentially downing trees and power lines.

The hurricane center has warned that much of the southeastern U.S. could experience prolonged power outages and dangerous flooding. The governors of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia have all declared emergencies in their states.

When and where does Helene first hit the U.S.?

Helene could cause a “nightmare” scenario of catastrophic storm surge when it hits northwestern Florida on Thursday evening. The storm was upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane Thursday morning and is expected to be a major hurricane — meaning a Category 3 or higher — when it makes landfall.

The National Weather Service office in Tallahassee forecasts storm surges of up to 20 feet (6 meters).

The storm formed Tuesday in the Caribbean Sea .

Helene had swamped parts of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula on Wednesday, flooding streets and toppling trees as it passed offshore and brushed the resort city of Cancun.

In western Cuba, Helene knocked out power to more than 200,000 homes and businesses as it passed the island.

• AP World History Modern

The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, was an intellectual and philosophical movement that emerged in the late 17th and 18th centuries. It emphasized reason, individualism, and scientific inquiry over tradition and religious authority, influencing various aspects of society, politics, and economics.

Learning Objective

In studying “The Enlightenment” for AP World History: Modern , you should learn to identify the key ideas and philosophers that shaped the movement, including concepts of reason, individual rights, and social contract theory. Analyze how Enlightenment thought challenged traditional authority, influenced revolutions, and sparked social and political reforms. Evaluate the global impact of Enlightenment ideals on governance, science, and human rights, and explore how these ideas laid the foundation for modern democratic institutions and legal systems. Additionally, examine the role of the Enlightenment in fostering intellectual exchanges and shaping cultural shifts across different societies.

1. Key Ideas and Philosophies

• Rationalism : The belief that human reason is the primary source of knowledge, emphasizing logic and scientific methods over religious dogma.
• Empiricism : Promoted by figures like John Locke, this concept stressed that knowledge comes from sensory experience, advocating for observation and experimentation as ways to understand the world.
• Individualism : The idea that individuals have natural rights (life, liberty, and property) and should be free to pursue happiness, challenging traditional structures of power and authority.
• Secularism : Enlightenment thinkers advocated for a separation of church and state, emphasizing that governance should be based on reason rather than religious doctrine.

2. Major Enlightenment Thinkers and Their Contributions

• John Locke : Known as the “Father of Liberalism,” Locke’s theories on natural rights and the social contract greatly influenced political thought, particularly the belief that government power comes from the consent of the governed.
• Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet) : A fierce critic of the Catholic Church and absolute monarchy, Voltaire advocated for freedom of speech, religious tolerance, and the separation of church and state.
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau : Argued for popular sovereignty and the concept of the “general will,” believing that government should represent the collective interests of the people.
• Baron de Montesquieu : Introduced the idea of the separation of powers in government, proposing that dividing political authority into legislative, executive, and judicial branches would prevent tyranny.
• Immanuel Kant : Famous for his work on metaphysics and epistemology, Kant emphasized that individuals should exercise freedom to use their reason and think independently.

3. Impact of the Enlightenment on Politics

• Revolutions : Enlightenment ideas significantly influenced the American Revolution (1776) and the French Revolution (1789). Concepts like liberty, equality, and democratic governance challenged existing monarchies and aristocracies.
• Constitutional Government : The movement inspired the creation of modern democratic institutions. For example, the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights were heavily influenced by Enlightenment ideals of liberty and justice.
• Human Rights : The Enlightenment laid the groundwork for the development of human rights, including freedom of speech, the right to a fair trial, and protection from arbitrary rule.

4. Social and Cultural Effects

• Education and Literacy : The spread of Enlightenment ideas led to an increase in literacy rates, the establishment of public libraries, and the founding of universities. Education was seen as a means to cultivate rational thought and informed citizenship.
• Women and the Enlightenment : Although largely a male-dominated movement, women like Mary Wollstonecraft emerged, advocating for women’s rights and education. Her work, “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,” argued for gender equality in education and opportunities.
• Secularism and Religion : The Enlightenment led to a decline in the power and influence of the Church, promoting religious tolerance and the idea that reason and science could coexist with faith.

5. Economic Ideas of the Enlightenment

• Adam Smith and the Birth of Capitalism : Often regarded as the “Father of Economics,” Adam Smith revolutionized economic thought with his seminal work, The Wealth of Nations . He introduced the concept of laissez-faire economics, advocating for minimal government interference in economic affairs. Smith emphasized the efficiency and self-regulating nature of free markets, where individuals pursuing their own interests contribute to overall societal prosperity.
• Challenging Mercantilism : Enlightenment economists were critical of the prevailing mercantilist policies that emphasized heavy government control and accumulation of wealth through trade restrictions. Instead, they championed the principles of free trade and open competition. Smith introduced the idea of the “invisible hand,” suggesting that market forces, when left to operate freely, would naturally regulate the economy and promote wealth and efficiency.

6. Art and Literature

• Adam Smith’s Economic Revolution : Celebrated as the “Father of Economics,” Adam Smith brought a transformative change to economic theory through his influential work, The Wealth of Nations . He laid the foundation for laissez-faire economics, advocating for minimal government intervention in the market. Smith argued that when individuals are free to pursue their self-interests, the efficiency and productivity of free markets naturally flourish, leading to overall societal prosperity.
• The Critique of Mercantilism : Enlightenment thinkers, including Smith, strongly opposed mercantilist practices, which were characterized by significant government control and restrictive trade policies aimed at amassing national wealth. Instead, they advocated for open competition and the ideals of free trade. Smith’s concept of the “invisible hand” suggested that, without government interference, market forces would organically regulate themselves, ensuring economic growth, efficiency, and wealth creation.

Example 1: The American Revolution (1776)

Enlightenment ideas like liberty, natural rights, and government by consent inspired the American Revolution. The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were shaped by these principles, establishing democracy.

Example 2: The French Revolution (1789)

Influenced by Enlightenment thinkers, the French Revolution aimed to abolish absolute monarchy and establish equality, liberty, and fraternity. It led to the Declaration of the Rights of Man, advocating individual rights.

Example 3: The Scientific Revolution

Enlightenment encouraged scientific inquiry, with figures like Newton and Galileo promoting observation and experimentation. This shifted society’s understanding of the natural world from religious explanations to rational, evidence-based knowledge.

Example 4: The Development of Deism

Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire embraced Deism, believing in a rational Creator without religious doctrine. It emphasized that the universe operated on natural laws, prioritizing reason over traditional religious beliefs.

Example 5: The Encyclopedie

Compiled by Denis Diderot, the Encyclopedie collected human knowledge across various fields. It spread Enlightenment ideas, promoting education, rational thought, and challenging established authorities, contributing to intellectual progress.

Which Enlightenment thinker is most associated with the concept of the social contract and the idea that government should reflect the general will of the people? A) Voltaire B) John Locke C) Jean-Jacques Rousseau D) Baron de Montesquieu

Answer : C) Jean-Jacques Rousseau Explanation Jean-Jacques Rousseau is closely associated with the concept of the social contract, as outlined in his work The Social Contract. He argued that governments should be based on the general will of the people, meaning that political authority is legitimate only if it reflects the collective interests of society. Unlike other thinkers, Rousseau emphasized the importance of direct democracy and the idea that the people themselves should have a say in the laws governing them.

How did the Enlightenment influence the American Revolution? A) It encouraged the development of absolute monarchy. B) It introduced the concept of divine right of kings. C) It promoted ideas of liberty, individual rights, and government by consent. D) It emphasized the need for religious authorities to rule the state.

Answer : C) It promoted ideas of liberty, individual rights, and government by consent. Explanation The Enlightenment had a profound impact on the American Revolution by introducing the concepts of liberty, individual rights, and government by consent. Thinkers like John Locke argued for natural rights and the idea that governments should be based on the consent of the governed. These ideas were incorporated into key American documents, such as the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, which emphasized democratic principles and the protection of individual freedoms.

Which Enlightenment thinker proposed the separation of powers within a government to prevent tyranny? A) Thomas Hobbes B) Immanuel Kant C) Baron de Montesquieu D) Adam Smith

Answer : C) Baron de Montesquieu Explanation Baron de Montesquieu is known for proposing the idea of the separation of powers within a government. In his work The Spirit of the Laws, he suggested that dividing government authority into three branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—would prevent any single entity from becoming too powerful, thereby avoiding tyranny. This concept greatly influenced the structure of modern democratic governments, including the U.S. system of checks and balances.