New York State Regents Examinations Global History and Geography II (Regents Examination) Syllabus

Global History and Geography II (Regents Examination) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Global History and Geography II (Regents Examination) in New York State Regents Examinations, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   The World in 1750 and the Age of Revolutions

   3 topics

   • Enlightenment and Political Revolutions
     • Enlightenment thinkers and ideas
     • French and Latin American revolutions
   • Reactions and Reform
     • Nationalism and the unification of Germany and Italy
   • Comparative Government Systems
     • Absolutism vs. constitutionalism
2. 2

   Industrialization and Imperialism

   3 topics

   • The Industrial Revolution
     • Causes and technological change
     • Social and economic consequences
   • Imperialism
     • European imperialism in Africa and Asia
     • Responses to imperialism and resistance movements
   • Global Economic Interdependence
     • Shifts in trade and labor systems
3. 3

   Global Conflicts in the Twentieth Century

   3 topics

   • World War I
     • Causes (MAIN), total war, and consequences
     • Treaty of Versailles and its aftermath
   • The Interwar Period and Rise of Totalitarianism
     • Russian Revolution and Soviet communism
     • Fascism, Nazism, and authoritarian regimes
   • World War II and Genocide
     • Course and outcomes of the war
     • The Holocaust and other genocides (Armenia, Cambodia, Rwanda)
4. 4

   The Cold War Era and Decolonization

   3 topics

   • The Cold War
     • Superpower rivalry and containment
     • Proxy conflicts and the arms race
   • Decolonization and Nationalism
     • Independence movements in India and Africa
     • Chinese Communist Revolution
   • Conflict and Change in the Middle East
     • Creation of Israel and regional tensions
5. 5

   Globalization and the Changing Environment

   3 topics

   • Tensions Between Tradition and Modernization
     • Cultural and religious responses to change
   • Globalization and Economic Integration
     • Multinational organizations and trade
     • Technology and global communication
   • Human Rights and Contemporary Issues
     • Universal Declaration of Human Rights
     • Modern environmental and population challenges
6. 6

   Historical Thinking and Document-Based Skills

   3 topics

   • Sourcing and Contextualization
     • Evaluating author, purpose, and reliability
     • Placing documents in historical context
   • Constructing Arguments
     • Enduring Issues essay
     • Civic literacy document-based question
   • Cause, Effect, and Comparison
     • Identifying turning points and continuity/change

Global History and Geography II (Regents Examination) flashcards for New York State Regents Examinations

18 of 55 cards from the Global History and Geography II (Regents Examination) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What was the Enlightenment, and during which centuries did it occur?

   An intellectual movement of the 17th-18th centuries that emphasized reason, natural rights, and scientific thinking to explain human society and government.

2. What is the core idea of John Locke's social contract theory?

   People have natural rights to life, liberty, and property; government exists by consent of the governed and may be overthrown if it fails to protect those rights.

3. Which Enlightenment thinker proposed the separation of powers, and in what work?

   Baron de Montesquieu, in 'The Spirit of the Laws' (1748), dividing government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

4. Name three causes of the French Revolution (1789).

   Social inequality of the Estates system, financial crisis and heavy taxation of the Third Estate, and Enlightenment ideas of liberty and equality.

5. What document, issued in 1789, expressed the principles of the French Revolution?

   The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, proclaiming liberty, equality, and natural rights.

6. What was the significance of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804)?

   Led by Toussaint L'Ouverture, it was the first successful slave revolt, creating Haiti as the first independent Black republic and the second independent nation in the Americas.

7. Who led the Latin American independence movements in the early 1800s, earning the title 'El Libertador'?

   Simon Bolivar, who freed several South American colonies (including present-day Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia) from Spanish rule.

8. What was the purpose of the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815)?

   To restore stability and balance of power in Europe after Napoleon's defeat, restoring monarchies and redrawing borders (led by Metternich).

9. Define conservatism, liberalism, and nationalism as 19th-century reaction/reform ideologies.

   Conservatism sought to preserve traditional monarchy and order; liberalism promoted individual rights and constitutional government; nationalism promoted unity and self-rule based on shared culture/identity.

10. Who unified Italy and who unified Germany in the 19th century?

    Italy was unified largely through Count Cavour and Giuseppe Garibaldi (by 1871); Germany was unified by Otto von Bismarck through 'blood and iron' (1871).

11. What is 'Realpolitik' as practiced by Bismarck?

    Politics based on practical power and national interest rather than ideology or morality, used to unify Germany through war and diplomacy.

12. Compare an absolute monarchy with a constitutional monarchy.

    In an absolute monarchy the ruler holds unlimited power (e.g., Louis XIV); in a constitutional monarchy the ruler's power is limited by a constitution and an elected legislature (e.g., post-1689 England).

13. What distinguishes a democracy from a totalitarian government?

    A democracy features free elections, rule of law, and protected civil rights; a totalitarian state has one-party control, no political freedom, and government control of all aspects of life.

14. Where did the Industrial Revolution begin, and why there?

    In Great Britain in the mid-1700s, due to abundant coal and iron, capital, colonies/markets, navigable rivers and ports, and an agricultural revolution that freed up labor.

15. What was the Agricultural Revolution's role in industrialization?

    Improved farming methods (crop rotation, enclosure, seed drill) increased food production, supporting population growth and freeing rural workers to move to factory cities.

16. Define capitalism and identify Adam Smith's contribution to it.

    Capitalism is an economic system based on private ownership and market competition; Adam Smith promoted laissez-faire economics and the 'invisible hand' in 'The Wealth of Nations' (1776).

17. What did Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels argue in 'The Communist Manifesto' (1848)?

    That history is a class struggle between the bourgeoisie (owners) and proletariat (workers), predicting workers would overthrow capitalism to create a classless society.

18. Name three major social effects of industrialization.

    Rapid urbanization, harsh factory/child labor conditions, and the growth of a new industrial middle class and working class.

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