The Medieval World and Beyond

Medieval Europe begins with Rome's shift from republic to empire and the legacy the empire left behind. Students study the origins and spread of Christianity, how well feudalism established order, the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, life in medieval towns, and the Byzantine Empire.

Islam in medieval times traces how the religion originated and spread, and how its beliefs and practices shape Muslims' lives. Students examine the innovations and adaptations of medieval Muslims and how the Crusades affected the lives of Christians, Muslims, and Jews.

South Asia from 300 to 1200 centers on the Gupta Empire and why its era is known as a golden age. Students then follow the spread of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam across Asia and how that movement affected each religion.

West Africa's culture and kingdoms open with the factors behind early societies in the region and the trans-Saharan trade that built Ghana's wealth. Students then examine how Islam influenced West African society and how the region's cultural achievements still shape culture today.

Imperial China takes up how officials were selected and which method produced the best leaders. Students also study how the Tang and Song dynasties improved the economy, how Chinese discoveries and inventions influenced the modern world, and how three dynasties handled foreign contact.

Medieval Japan starts with the ways neighboring cultures influenced the country. Students look at life for aristocrats in Heian-kyo during Japan's golden age, then at the rise of the warrior class and the role of the samurai in a military society.

Civilizations of the Americas covers the rise, flourishing, and fall of the Maya and the Aztec rise to power. Students explore daily life in Tenochtitlán, how the Incas managed a large and remote empire, and the achievements of all three civilizations.

The medieval world from 1200 to 1490 turns to the Mongol Empire and its destruction of states, while more tightly connecting Afroeurasia. A second lesson looks at how increased trade brought both new ideas and new conflicts.

Europe's Renaissance and Reformation move from the changes that brought the Renaissance about to the advances made in Florence. Students study leading figures of the period, the factors that weakened the Catholic Church, and the effects of the Reformation that followed.