Collapse at the Center 3/24/14

Today's reading was interestingly enough about the first World War, which lead history into its very next segment.We know it was basically a European war that eventually branched out to the rest of the world but people often forget that it also was part of the great depression, the rise of Germany and Hitler, as well as adding on to WW2. Why did this happen? Well I like how the book has put into perspective that by the 1900's most of the World was under the government of the Europeans, as their massive empire as well as influence spread, it didnt exactly ice their cake with neighboring rivials such as the Italians and Germans. These other countries were also seeking to gain power as form little groups. These groups were ment to bring peace to the countries and help prevent strife but in 1914 Sebrians assisnated the Hungarian heir which was part of the starting point to the first world war.

Changing China 3/21

Todays post was on the documents written by the chinease after the first Opium War. The document that I believe I liked the best was that of the Editorial on China's Examination System. This document goes into great detail about the hardships students had to go through in order to obtain there robes and graduate. It really made me laugh when talking about their hair turning with, and them having to spend part of the year toiling in class and the other half struggling with their families. The most difficult they seem to say was the eight-legged essay, with emphasises the european influence through their country. Another document that I thought really tied into was Gender, Reform, and Revolution. In this section womens roles also seemed to crop up and have the people question where traditional marriages would still be the same or if yearly contracts would instead replace them. The most important womens rights activsit at the time was Qiu Jin. She left her family in the pursuit of education, and started some revolutionary circles. These to documents are just a simple part of the entire Chinease Revolution, much because of the Opuim War, as well as the dependance on the European governments, China found themselves with overpopulation, and large areas of poverty.

The Scramble For Africa 3/13/14

             Tonight's reading was a general conclusion to Scramble for Africa in the book. It revolves around the artistic interpretations of how many artists viewed the breaking up of the contents during the 19th century. During this time it was when the European began to exploit Africa in ways other than the slave trade and began to hunt for raw materials, as well as land, and expansion in the industrial revolution. The visual sources in the book were particularly eye catching because each one was unique in its vary own way.
             The first visual source was really interesting because the artists take was entirely different than what I would have expected especially when just viewing it. Think of a modern day monopoly game in which the theme is gaining wealth and prestige by gathering land. This was the idea of was gathered from the French's overall scramble to gather parts of Africa, and was rather creative at the time.
             The second visual aid was just as striking as the first. I especially liked this one because it was more vivid and enthralling that the other sources. It depicted the French expedition as they traveled a crossed the continent of Africa and placed great emphasis on the Commander of the French expedition Jean-Baptiste Marchland, and his eighteen month long march with his troops. In the picture Marchland is leading the way through a dry desert type scene, with his troops guns pulled ready to fire, and with him stand dramatically over the dead body of a soldier. I believe that this portrayal of Marchland made the French feel as if they were reaching higher goals than the other Europeans and emphasized this on the cover of their magazine.
              These to visual sources are just little insights to how the Europeans thought of their take over of Africa. Much of the artistic work was done by the European's and showed how they each got a piece of the African nation.

Echos of Revolution (pgs 798-811) 2/4/14

           Tonight's reading largely in part revolved around the post era of the Atlantic Revolution. It focused mainly on three challenges the world had to resolve. Those three challenges were:
                     1) The Abolition Movement and the end to slavery.
                     2) The Formation of Nationalism.
                     3) The Feminist Movement.
           All three of these movement have played an important role in exactly how our Governments, Nations, and Societies are shaped. It is hard to imagine not having our ancestors go through the trials they endured to fight for what they believe was just and right, and because of each and every one of these movements countries around the world are now offering better opportunities, for a bigger majority of their people.
          The Abolitionist Movement is really the only movement I happened to learn about in previous history classes and this maybe because it sparked the biggest part of the Enlightenment Movement, and helped shape our own country's history in a unique way. With this movement the world was able to spark ideas of liberty and equality. Ended slavery in the European nations as well as start promoting the working and middle classes giving them better opportunities as well.
           Nationalism and feminism movements both had last impacts through out the 19th C. People began migrating to industrialized cities, and a lot more  political ideologies began to be practiced. Women started to ask for more rights, such as to own land and have divorces, and overall people began to separate themselves for the governments who once had control over them, and they began to make their own constitutions and nations.
           Without these three movements that largely shaped the 18th and 19th C. our world today would look much different. I can only imagine what it would be like to not part take in my voting rights or have to defer to a man, to get a proper education. The Atlantic Revolution has helped shaped the world today by giving those people previous to my generation a different outlook on how life can be. It only serves to make me wonder if things hadn't changed what would my view points be today?

1/25 The Journey Through Slavery

      Today's history reading revolved around various accounts of people who lived through the Atlantic Slave trade. In the reading I gained a first hand view through the eyes of a slave, through the eyes of a merchant, and then through the eyes of two kings living in Africa. I was most shocked at the what the people describe their treatments as being, and I believed in my mind things would have been much different.
     What do I mean by much different? Well in the first narrative about the slave Olaudah, I got the feeling that Africans were so much kinder to their slaves than their American counterparts. At times I felt as if Olaudah was almost welcomed into the families who bought him, and that his only true suffering began when he was captured and place on a slave ship.
     Through the eyes of the English Merchant, I gained the sense that all Africans where beneath the esteem of the Traders. It seemed they found it difficult to respect the culture, and they ultimately felt that the people where not worth the space or money paid for them.
    The last two account through the eyes of the two kings, different greatly. I was most enamored with the king who sought to end slavery in his territory. But it was shocking to see how involved his society was with the western world. The other King was all but desperate in his attempts to promote slavery.
       Each of these accounts was meant to establish a certain image of slavery in the readers eyes. By reading each I have gained a little understanding from each point of view. It is incredibly sad to see that Africa's culture has been shaped by the larger standing parties such as the merchant and king who promoted slavery, and not by the educated slave, and King who knew exactly what slavery can do to populations. In the end, I believe that if more Kings had the incite to keep slavery out of their territory's, and had promoted their own trade network things would not be as they are today.

    

Yay - I'm Done!!!

This Is my first blog ever!!