The+Great+Wall+Of+China

=The Great Wall of China= By Gianna Rocchio



**Warring States Period Comes to an End**

 * Warring States Period - Regional warlords of the the seven Warring States annex smaller territories and forced their power on them
 * Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, Qin
 * States begin to gain peace, but Qin Dynasty gains more power than other states
 * Qin begins to overtake other dynasties
 * 316 BCE Qin defeats Shu
 * 230 BCE Qin defeats Han
 * 225 BCE Qin defeats Wei
 * 223 BCE Qin defeats Chu
 * 222 BCE Qin defeats Zhao
 * 221 BCE Qin defeats Qi
 * 221 BCE Shi Huangdi unifies China and becomes mass ruler

**Qin Shi Huangdi: The Creator**
"To have great peace, the state must be united. The king does what he must to fill his responsibilities as a king." "The reason why China suffers bitterly from endless wars is because of the existence of feudal lords and kings." "I have collected all the writings of the Empire and burnt those which were of no use."
 * Born 259 BCE, was not expected to take throne of Qin state
 * Father met a wealthy merchant who helped him gain power
 * Took throne at age 13
 * In 221 BCE, Shi Huangdi unified the seven Warring States
 * Extremely harsh and did not accept opposition
 * Many creations during his reign
 * Road system
 * Chinese currency
 * Chinese characters
 * Chinese weight and measure system
 * Orders construction and restoration of the Great Wall of China

**The Great Wall is Built**

 * Sections had been built as early as 3rd century BCE as border defenses against other Chinese territories
 * Shi Huangdi ordered slaves, prisoners to work on wall in addition to common people
 * Wall finished during late Ming Dynasty (1388-1644)
 * Millions people have worked on the wall over many centuries
 * Contains forts, passes, 723 beacon towers, 7062 lookout towers
 * Storage for grain and weapons
 * Protected China from northern invaders, the Xiongnu tribe
 * Nomadic people
 * Consisted of Huns, Turks, Mongols
 * Guarded the Silk Road
 * Secured information from leaking out
 * Protected China from economic and cultural development from outside influence

**The Great Wall Today**

 * First opened for tourism in 1957
 * Major tourism
 * Famous tourism: Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth II, Ronald Reagan, Beyoncé Knowles, David Copperfield
 * Historians often visit
 * 5500.3 miles long
 * Up to 25 feet long at some points
 * Seven Wonders of the Medieval World