Master World History from first principles
World History Studies — Texas TEKS §113.42. 1.0 credit split across Semester A (8000 BC – 1450 AD) and Semester B (1450 AD – Present).
Foundations of World History: How to Approach the CBE
A first-lesson roadmap through the two-semester World History CBE — chronological structure, TEKS strands, exam format, and how to spot which strand a question is really testing.
Ancient and Classical Foundations: 8000 BCE to 500 CE
The first half of Semester A: agricultural revolution, river-valley civilizations, classical Greece and Rome, ancient India and China, and the origins of major world religions.
The Medieval World: 500–1450 CE
The second half of Semester A: Byzantium and Islam, Song China and the Mongols, medieval Europe and its universities, the trans-Saharan and Indian-Ocean trade systems.
Early Modern Transformation: 1450–1750 CE
Semester B opens with the Age of Exploration, Columbian Exchange, Renaissance and Reformation, Scientific Revolution, and the age of absolutism and religious wars.
The Age of Revolutions: 1750–1900
Atlantic revolutions, the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, 19th-century nationalism and imperialism — the transformations that produced the modern world order.
The Twentieth Century: World Wars, Cold War, Decolonization
The World Wars, interwar authoritarianism, the Cold War and its end, and mid-century decolonization of Asia and Africa.
Geography of History: Rivers, Steppes, Seas, and Borders
How geography — river valleys, steppe zones, monsoon oceans, mountain barriers, colonial borders — has shaped historical trajectories across regions.
Economics Through Time: Trade, Money, and Growth
Economic systems across history — barter and manorialism, medieval commercial revolution, mercantilism, industrial capitalism, welfare states, and global trade institutions.
Government and Citizenship Across History
Forms of political organization from city-states through empires to modern nation-states; and the evolution of citizenship, rights, and civic participation.
Culture, Religion, and Ideas Across History
Major religious and cultural traditions across history: philosophy, art, literature, architecture, and how ideas moved between civilizations.
Science, Technology, and Analytical Skills
Technological innovations across history and the analytical skills for reading historical evidence rigorously.