Ch 24 pg. 747-755

         The world’s environment and the globalization of environmentalism have led to a challenging global modernity on cultural or spiritual grounds, burgeoning environmental movements.  There were three other factors that affected the human impact on earth’s ecological systems.  One was the mathematical explosion, ability of humankind to tap the energy potential of fossil fuels, and economic growth.  These three factors were the foundations for the immense environmental transformations of the twentieth century.  When humans remade the environment, it also increased the population of cattle, pigs, chickens, rats, and dandelions.  The most critical and intractable environmental transformation was global warming.  Although there is high debate about global warming existing all the signs are there.  With melting glaciers, rising sea levels, thawing permafrost, extreme hurricanes, species extinctions, and other ecological threats is hard evidence proving global warming exists.  Environmentalists started up in the nineteenth century as Romantic poets.  The “wilderness idea” aimed to preserve untouched areas from human disruption.  It was not until the second half of the twentieth century did environmentalist achieve worldwide awareness and acceptance.
          In Europe, the Club of Rome warned of resource exhaustion and the collapse of industrial society in the face of unrelenting economic growth.  Other places throughout Europe warned their countries of the disasters that would follow if global pollution continued.  The less fortunate are the least sympathetic to this epidemic because they were concerned about food security, health, and basic survival than with the rights of nature or wilderness protection.  Western environmentalists often called on individuals to change their values by turning away from materialism toward an appreciation of the intricate and fragile web of life that sustains us.  I believe global warming is a serious topic that should not be taken lightly no matter where a person stands on the social scale.  Everyone contributes to the world’s pollution and it’s important to care for the world that we all live on.  I feel people forget that we are merely guests and need to learn how to be more respectful to the host.

Ch 24 pg. 740- 747

          Religion is, again, an on going factor that continues to influence the world.   In the most recent century religion has played a more powerful role than expected.  Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam had long functioned as transregional cultures, spreading further then any initially thought they would.  In more current times, religious pluralism characterized the world's societies.  Fundamentalism is one response to how traditions in new areas has been modernized.  Fundamentalism is a term derived from the United States, where religious conservatives in the early twentieth century were outraged by critical and "scientific" approaches to the Bible.  Throughout the entire world today, it is impossible for someone to start a new religion that would appear threatening to another.  Fundamentalism represented a religious response, characterized by one scholar as "embattled forms of spirituality...experienced as a cosmic war between forces of good and evil." In the beginning they wanted to separate themselves from the secular world in their own churches and schools.

          The most prominent of the fundamentalism that emerged in the late twentieth century was Islam.  Unfortunately, the image of Islam has been permanently engraved into America's mind with the image of Osama bin Laden and the destruction of the World Trade Center.  By the mid-1990s, bin Laden had found a safe haven in Taliban ruled Afghanistan, from which he and other leaders of al-Qaeda planned their now infamous attack on the World Trade Center and other various targets.  Even though this horrible event took place, there has been an effort in the Muslim community to create a new religious and political order on the teaching of Islam.  By the 1970s, political independence had given rise to major states in Egypt, Iran, Algeria, and other places.  These places sought after the Western and secular policies of nationalism, socialism, and economic development.  This was the context in which the idea of a new Islam alternative to Western models of modernity began to take shape.  That effort to return to Islamic principles was labeled "jihad," an ancient and evocative religious term that refers to struggle or striving to please God.  

Ch 24 pg 723-734

Global interaction and the Transformation of the world Economy took place in the second half of the twentieth century.  After WWI and the Great Depression international trade, investment, and labor migration dropped sharply as major states turned inward.  Technology also contributed to the acceleration of economic globalization with shipping and air services dramatically lowering transportation costs.  Also having powerful international lending agencies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund imposed such free-market and pro-business conditions sent the globe in a positive direction until some places weren’t able to pay off their loans.  After WW11 occurred the nation made a point to not let the economy fall like it once had and instead strived for reglobalization.  World trade was a main contributor to keeping the economy a float.

There are three different forms of capital movement.  The first is foreign direct investment. This is when one country will open up a business or factory in a country other then his or her country.  The second is the short-term movement of capital.  This is when investors buy foreign stocks then sell them quickly.  The third is the personal funds of individuals like credit cards.  Currently there are millions or people who travel the world to find jobs because the country they live in is outsourcing their companies which forces the average citizen to venture out to find a job.  These flows of migrating laborers often represent a major source of income and provide inexpensive source of labor for their adopted countries.  For corporations to be outsourcing their labor workers and taking advantage or their determination and will to work is a depressing.  America is the main culprit for abusing their power to build where they please resulting in their ability to pretty much run the world.  Even though, ironically enough America is the one suffering from the biggest debt.

Ch23

The twentieth century witnessed the demise of many empires such as the Austrian, Ottoman empires, and the Russian empires following the collapse of World War I.  After World War II, the German, Japan, African, and Asian empires ended.  Though, Africa and Asian movements for independence shared with the ideal of national self-determination.  Belief in national self-determination gained a global following in the twentieth century.  The idea that only legitimate government is self-government was not so widespread at the beginning of the century.  At the international level, the world wars had weakened Europe, while discrediting any sense of European moral superiority.  Both the United States and the Soviet Union generally opposed the older European colonial empires.  All of this soon contributed to the global illegitimacy that was encouraging to Africans and Asians seeking political independence.  The early twentieth century in Asia and the mid-twentieth century in Africa, a second or third generation of Western-educated elites had risen throughout the colonial world.  Many groups such as veterans of war, young partially educated people, those with no jobs, small-scale traders; all have reason to believe that independence held great promise.  It was now possible to imagine retaining profitable economic interests in Asia and Africa without the expense and bother of formal colonial government.

            The British never assimilated into Indian society because their acute sense of racial and cultural distinctiveness kept them apart.  In India, cultural identities were primarily local and infinitely varied, rooted in differences of family, caste, village, language, region, tribe, and religious practice.  The most important political expression of an all-Indian identity took shape in the Indian National Congress (INC).  Initially, the INC did not seek to overthrow British rule because they hoped to gain greater inclusion within the political, military, and business life of British India.  During the first two decades of the twentieth century the INC remained largely an elite organization.  Ghandi and the INC or Congress Party leadership had to contend with a wide range of movements.  Though after intense disagreement the two finally agreed to partition as the British declared their intention to leave India after World War II.

The freedom struggle in South Africa took a different direction than it had in India.  This is incredibly different from how independence was won in Africa.  In Africa the rule was delayed until 1994, while India, lacking any such community, had achieved independence almost a half century earlier.  The South Africa situation was the overwhelming prominence of race, expressed most clearly in the policy that wanted to separate blacks from whites.  The Black Consciousness movement was at the center of an explosion of protest in 1976 in a sprawling, segregated, impoverished black neighborhood called Soweto.  It was race, ethnicity, and ideology that generate dissension and sometimes violence that divided South Africa, rather than religion in India.  

Ch 22 pg 675-689

            As a result of American and British desires to create democratic societies while Soviets insisted control over Eastern Europe, rival military alliances formed known as NATO and the Warsaw Pact.  The disagreements between Eastern and Western Europe become known as the Iron Curtain that had high tension but no shooting war occurred.  According to American authorities a communist victory meant that communist would spread further across Asia and beyond because they feared nothing considering the Soviets and Chinese were partners.  The third major military conflict of the cold war happened in Afghanistan where a Marxist party had taken power.  Though, fearing the overthrow of a new communist state, Soviets forces finally withdrew from the area.  Then not too long after America attempted to enter Cuba but the Soviets already had control over it.  So, in an attempt to keep the Americans out they threatened to fire missiles but the J.F.K maybe a compromise.  He promised not to invade Cuba if the Soviets promised to remove their missiles out of Cuba.

            During this time, many lived in fear of the deadly weapons that each country carried and threatened to use if one place stepped out of line.  This possibility, according to Strayer, is a primary reason why no shooting war of any kind occurred between the two superpowers, the United States and the Communist World.  There are two big failures that the Communist party faced.  The first is how the Soviet economy expressed no signs of improvement compared to the more advanced capitalist countries.  The second is was moral.  The horrors of Stalin’s Terror and the gulag approaching genocide in communist Cambodia tore apart communist claims to moral superiority over capitalism.

Chapter 22 pg. 659-667

Karl Marx is the man who influenced the political and philosophical teachings modern communism.  Communism was at its prime in the 1970s where about one-third of the world’s population lived under communist rule.  This was commonly found in the Soviet Union and in China but it also made its way over to Eastern Europe.  There were different interpretations of communism but they shared the common ideology derived from European Marxism.  This influenced the lower classes and a worldwide socialist federation to bond together to form an international revolutionary movement.  The Russian Revolution served as a catalyst for others to revolt while providing them with aid and advice.  Soon, a Treaty of Friendship between the Soviet Union and China in 1950 joined the two communist giants in an alliance that caused many in the West to view communism as a unified international movement aimed at their destruction.

The Russian Revolution is like an echo of French Revolution because the people wanted their freedom and to treated as equals.  The beneficiaries of the French Revolution, the middle class, suffered due to rise of communism.  At an attempt to put an end to the threatening communistic ways, America created the Marshall Plan in attempts to be friendly with the USSR but they quickly caught on to the Americans and the plan failed.  Stalin, head of the USSR, acted to install fully communist governments, loyal to himself, in Poland, East Germany, Czech, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.  Many years following the likes of the Russians, the Chinese experienced an on-going battle with communism that took decades to achieve.  The Chinese imperial system had collapsed under the pressure of foreign imperialism.  This took much longer to achieve because in Russia they have been studying and following Karl Marx for years while China had only recently discovered it making it difficult to gain as many followers as Russia did.

Chapter 21

In chapter 21, I learned about the collapse and recovery of Europe.  During the First World War, the balance of power was expressed in two rival alliances, the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria, and Italy and the Triple Entente of Russia, France, and Britain.  The outbreak of the war is considered an accident because no one predicted the archduke’s assassination would have occurred.  Schools, mass media, and military service had convinced millions of ordinary Europeans that their national identities were profoundly and personally meaningful.  Not only was their public pressure but an industrial militarism contributing to the war.  Each place had substantial standing armies and, expect for Britain, relied on temporary military service to help them.  New military technology contributed to the staggering casualties of the war, including some 10 million deaths.  At the beginning it was thought to be movements and attacks but instead it became “trench warfare.”  These battles would last for months which resulted in over a million deaths.  Vast propaganda campaigns sought to arouse citizens by depicting a cruel and inhuman enemy who killed innocent children and violated women.  So, the First War brought the attention of how much power the United States has because they were a big part of the Defeat of Germany.

Since the World War One represented the political collapse of Europe, the Great Depression that followed suggested that its economic system was to fail as well.  During the Great Depression created a ripple effect of negative events on the country.  First people lost their jobs, with no jobs people soon lost their homes, and then they would starve because they had zero money.  Vacant factories, soup kitchens, bread lines, shantytowns, and beggars came to symbolize the human reality of this economic disaster.  Then shortly after World War One, the Nazi party under Hitler’s leadership proclaimed a message of intense German nationalism cast in terms of racial superiority.  Hitler’s hatred towards Jews as an alien presence, passionate opposition to communism, a determination to rescue Germany from the humiliating requirements of the Treaty of Versailles all lead to the country’s obsession with control.  Then the Second World War started between both Asia and Europe because they sought to fundamentally alter the international arrangements that had emerged from World War One.  The Second World War was the most destructive because they had an estimated 60 million deaths which is six times the deaths in World War One.  A good portion of that number were civilians caught in the cross fire and about 6 million were Jews that perished in a technologically sophisticated genocide (concentration camps).  Russians, Poles, and other Slavs; Gypsies, or the Roma; mentally or physically handicapped people; homosexuals; communists; and Jehovah’s witnesses also perished while Germany attempted to reach racial purification.

Living Justice: sec 1 & 7

The Dignity of Every Person and Human Rights

            There is no culture or religion that does not in some way express the value of human life.  The Catholic Church has actively promoted human dignity both in individual moral choices and in the ethical practices of entire societies.  The main point the Church makes in how all humans are made in the image and likeness of God.  In their own ways, all humans reflect the image of God in their rational minds and in their physical bodies.  This means they are all entitled to be treated with the greatest of respect and dignity.  The text almost mentions how humans deserve the care and attention that belong to beings of inestimable worth.  This means that all people, no matter who you are or where you come from, deserve to be treated with inalienable respect as children of God.  The Catholic Church is amazing as staying with a consistent ethic of life because they boldly promote pro-life on multiple controversial issues, advocating respect for all human life.  It is also important to remember to express equality because the race for income, wealth, and status does not take place on a level playing field because opportunities are never evenly distributed.

Colonialism and Economic Development

            As a result of the Catholic Churches persistence on equality the Church is entering a long and complex process to bring fairer treatment for less-developed nations.  The text states that the focus is on formal patterns of colonization, while other observers express concern about less obvious but equally malevolent practices described as neo-colonialism or neo-imperialism.  Some regions of the world suffer serious unfair disadvantages.  Even after gaining political independence the nation does not know what to do with it because the economies of these lands have been warped by prolonged experiences of dependency and domination.  Since these nations have experienced patterns of inequality for so long, the terms social sin or structural evil have been applied to them in recent Catholic ethical thought.  Besides, the exploration of the Europeans into the New World, like Africa and Asia, the priests, preachers, and missionaries that traveled with the explorers sought to spread Christianity to indigenous peoples where ever they went.

Chapter 20 Part 2: Education, Religion, Identity

         There are multiple cultural changes occurred after the Europeans conquered Asia and Africa because initially, the colonial enterprise appeared promising.  Western education made its moves through missionary or government schools.  To those that were uneducated, many believed having the intelligence to read and write was like possessing magic.  Being intelligent meant escaping from the European rule like having to do labor work.  So, many look up to the Europeans who spoke French or English and wear fancy clothes.  Over in northeastern India would even brag about dreaming in English.  During nineteenth century India, the western educated people sought to change the cultural traditions while keeping classic texts of Hinduism alive.

            Not only did the style of education change but religion also provided a basis for a new or transformed society.  Christianity made a huge impact on New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and especially non-Muslim Africa.  By the 1960s nearly 50 million Africans identify as being Christian.  This was a result of military use that defeated the societies which had the people questioning the power of their old gods and local practices.  Christianity was so widespread because of modern education of mission schools.  The young, poor, and many women discovered greater opportunities for themselves when they studied with missions.  Though, some would still keep to their origins which resulted in the development of independent churches that were, still Christian, but on African rule.

            Also, in Africa, developed new ways of belonging that confronted colonial life.  Race and ethnicity were the main concerns for the African culture thus creating the idea of an “African Identity.”  These members were brought together by language, common colonial oppression, and European racism.   The well-educated Africans began to think differently causing an effort to revive the cultural self-confidence of their people.  Black people have a history of achieving just as many great things as Europeans and they deserve more respect than they have been receiving.

Colonial Encounters (pg. 589-606)

When the Spanish and Portuguese did their best to conquer the Western Hemisphere, places like Germany, Italy, Belgium, the United States, and Japan focused their attention on Asia and Africa. European motives and activities were shaped by the military capacity and economic power.  Like most places, they used military forces to push their way into multiple countries.  At first the European military advantage lay in organization and command structure.  The Europeans fought hard for the new territories that they wish to take.  They mainly took over the adversaries who did not have greater or equal gun power as the Europeans.  Close to everyone in large and complex civilizations of India and Southeast Asia lost the political sovereignty and freedom of action they had previously exercised.  In places like India and Indonesia the colonial conquest grew out of earlier interaction with European trading firms.  For example, the British East India Company played the leading role in the colonial takeover of South Asia.  With many places constantly attempting to make an impact on Indonesia, some areas held out until the early twentieth century.

            This process evolved an ongoing number of peaceful meetings to negotiate trade and land among the competing Great Powers.  The most challenging places to take were those that contained decentralized societies because Europeans were unable to communicate to any form of authority for them to defeat.  So, in the end, it was up to the villages and towns to defend themselves from being taken over.  One British official commented on how he wished they didn't have to destroy a village in order to take control but they saw no other option.  Though, one clear option would have been for the Europeans to not be so greedy and to live with the space that they have.  Neither the Europeans nor any other country have to invade on anyone’s territory, taking away many peoples sense of security.

Guest Speaker Extra Credit

Extra Credit

            On February 21, at about 7:30pm Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker presented a lecture at the NDNU church about the environment.  Before she spoke the audience was informed of her background education from Yale University and how she majored in Environmental studies.  Her entire lecture was devoted to informing the audience of how the environment needs tender care.  She mentioned how humans and the earth go hand in hand.  What she meant was that humans are guests on the earth where humans should give the land more respect.  My understanding of the lecture was similar to the Native American beliefs of how humans must respect the land.  There was much value in the comparison of humans and the earth.  Her presentation was smooth and she spoke passionately about her views on how the environment depends on humans.

Communist Influence

            Carl Marx is the man who started the communist way of thinking.  He sees this as a utopic vision because if everyone is treated the same and makes the same profit then there is no room for a major gap between classes.  The problem with communism is that if everyone makes the same amount of money no matter what, then many people will lose the motivation to work hard.  The mentalities to strive for greatness will dwindle and those that work hard will be upset with the inequality of work effort.  Soon those that work harder than others will demand higher pay resulting in the end of communism.

            So there is the bourgeoisie which is the middle class and there is the proletariat which is the working class.  The bourgeoisie own the means of production which means they own the building, materials, tools, decision making, what to produce, the wages, and benefits.  The proletariats own the right to sell “labor power.”  Recognizing the unfair advantages between the working and middle classes, the working class decided to reform.  They want to “liberate the means of production” which means they want to put an end to the factory belonging to the owner and not the people.  The working class faced horrible working conditions.  The factories did not have windows which results in horrible temperature control and bad air quality.  The number of hours before the worker could have a break was cruel.  The tools and machinery may be helpful in speeding up production but were incredible dangerous for people to use.  Also the sense of job security was not there because the owners of the factory viewed their workers as being disposable so that put pressure on the workers to push them way past their limits.  The factories also lacked efficient emergency exits.  Taking note of the poor conditions, the working class has a right to fight back against the companies and gain the respect they were fighting for.

Industrial Revolution

            The chapter starts off with a question from Gandhi that reads, “Is industrialization a “curse” for mankind?”  This is an interesting concept to think about because the industrialization improved technology.  Some will argue that it is a great thing because there was an increase of profits since the speed and volume of production grew at a substantial pace.  With improved technology the way people worked has changed.  This caused many to mainly focus on their jobs versus the outside world.  Soon there was great concern that the people were “alienating” themselves to their job.

Now, imagine an individual with a specific job to do at a factory.  This person does an amazing job working buy creating wonderful products.  Then one day they fall ill and have to take time off of work.  Once they stopped working, the factory would immediately hire a new staff member to take the place of the individual who has fallen ill.  So now, the sick person is jobless, has no further income, and still sick.  The factor owners expressed no mercy for their customers because to them everyone is disposable because all the owner cares about is the profit.  This is an example of why many started alienating themselves to their jobs because the working force was incredibly competitive and cut throat.

Not too long after the rise of capitalism began.  The companies would continue to exploit all of their resources to gain even greater profit than the company has been making in the past.  This is what Gandhi meant that the industrialization is a curse for mankind because they lost themselves in materialistic objects versus their family or the earth.  The industrial revolution improved technology and work rate but it also damaged each individuals soul.

Ch 17 Multiple Revolutions Continued…

            The North American Revolution is the first of the many revolutions.  The Americas started the revolution to oppress British rule in 1775-1787.  The main reason that Europeans fled to America was because they demanded their independence from Europe.  Thomas Jefferson wrote The Declaration of Independence in 1776.  This document may be thought of as a break up letter with Europe.  The document detailed how they are going to be independent, no longer pay their taxes, and no longer be run by a monarchy.  The people declared separation of Church and State which is exactly what the people in America finally achieved; a democracy.  Though with this new rule, not everyone was pleased with the outcome.  No women or people of color shared any gain in the experience.  Though, America became the world power at the end of the 19^th century which was inspired by the revolution and the constitution.

            Sometime after smaller revolutions began to happen after 1830 with an increase in 1848.  Ideas about Republicanism, greater social equality, and national liberation from foreign rule spread throughout the land.  As a result of these ideas three different movements arose to the challenge.  The first are Abolitionists, whom sought the end of slavery.  The second group is the Nationalists who hoped to do away with disunity and foreign rule. The third group to start is the Feminists who tried to end or at least mitigate male dominance.  In modern times, slavery has become illegal, foreign rule is no more, and women’s suffrage is better than it was before but still a work in progress. 

Atlantic Revolutions and their Echoes (1750-1914)

            On 4^th of July 1989 France celebrated the bicentennial famous Revolution in Paris.  The French revolution inspired communist government, as well as other revolutions.  Then the Haitian Revolution occurred which is the first successful slave revolt in history.  The Latin American revolution was between the Spanish and Portuguese colonial rule was ended and the modern states of Latin America merged.  Other revolutionary outbreaks that occurred were in Europe in 1830, 1848, and 1870.  North America, France, Haiti, and Latin America all influenced each other to revolt.  Each revolution influenced the next because when individuals witness a people fighting for their rights and winning, they find the courage inside themselves to do the same.

            The Atlantic Revolution shares similar comparisons with the French Revolution, Haiti Revolution, Latin American Revolution, and North America Revolution.  The ideas were derived from the European Enlightenment shared in newspapers, books, and pamphlets.  The new ideas of liberty, equality, free trade, religious tolerance, republicanism, and human rationality are examples of what the people would fight for.  For a long time people were being repressed and it was not until the first revolution occurred that slowly they all started to fight back.  Authority to govern derived from the people rather than from God or from tradition.  The few people who did not gain anything from the Revolutions are the women, slaves, Native Americans, and men with no property.  This angered many of the people which resulted in Atlantics movements that referred to “Democratic Revolutions.”

American Revolution leads to French Revolution

The American Revolution started because the of the Enlightenment era in Europe.  As a result of the many wanting their independence from the European Monarchy, the people traveled to the Americas where soon after the American Revolution began.  This was not easy for Europe because they were in need of money and so they kept trying to milk more out of the colonies.  This upset many over in the colonies because the whole reason they left Europe was to separate themselves from that Rule, so they finally put their foot down to fight back.  The limitations were based on the definition of the “people.” This was their way of proving they are going to be different and stick to their new morals of wanting to have a say in their government.  Many began to wonder if this was a “conservative” movement because they actually attempted (and achieved) to keep their autonomy.  The people continued to develop the rights of self-government.  Even though the colonists considered themselves British their way of thought was more “American.”  Europe taxed the colonies, which upset many because they felt they should only put money towards something they have a say in, thus leading to “No taxation without Representation.”  This sparked the inspiration for others.

Soon the French echoed the American Revolution in the fight for independence and fair representation.  The church ruled one percent and nobility ruled one percent.  The other ninety-eight percent had no say in any of the matter.  These numbers did not make sense to many of the people in Europe because the high two percent was making decisions for the ninety-eight percent which is deemed unfair.  The growing middle class was forced to pay taxes, deal with the poor food distribution, handle unjust labor requirements, and horrible marriage rights.  The upper two percent did not care about these problems because they were the ones voting for these issues to not affect themselves.  This unfair voting system caught the attention of many throughout Europe once the people caught word of how the Americans were fighting back against Europe’s unjust governing policies.  As the middle class grew the importance for the equal rights grew stronger.

EuroCentric (Modern Era)

Europe teachings spread out throughout the land and dominated most of the world.  As a result, permanent changes in people and demographics are made.  There were a lot of interracial marriages happening, and with that a person’s upbringing, morals, and values alter as well.  Here there is an increase in progress in the way of thought of humans to reach perfection.  They were striving to reach a new modern era which has them focusing on Human Rights.  The people demanded separation of Church and state, along with popular sovereignty.  Though, the question remaining was who deserved these human rights.

In Europe, many were trying to reach Enlightenment which means “lifting of ignorance.” Many live in ignorance where they felt some races are more “human” than others.  It is a shame how many thought one race was more superior to the other.  It is important to understand that intelligence is unrelated to race but to the individual themselves.  Intelligence all depends on how determined he/she is to prove to themselves and to others that they comprehend the subject.  The “Post Modern” world continues to strive to reach enlightenment.  Europe has the set where the King ruled everyone and the people served the king.  In America, we have a president who serves the people.  This is the basic difference for why many wanted the change in Europe which resulted in many leaving this land to the Americas because they were tired of being repressed.

Science over rules religious thought

During the renaissance humanism developed.  Humanism is where the people were thought to be the center of the universe.  This was a popular belief because the Bible states that God created the world and humans, so many concluded earth to be the center of the universe.  This thought paved the way for scientist to seek the truth out about the world. (Personally: For many to feel that Earth was at the center of the universe is rational thought based off the Bible.  Though I find it arrogant that the population would feel this way because there is such a vast universe there is no way that Earth is at the center.)

Copernicus created the heliocentric theory which de-centralized humans.  The thought was if you decentralized humans you decentralized God.  So Copernicus was immediately accused of blasphemy.  He was then punished with death for believing humans were not at the center of the universe.  Sometime after this Galileo invented a better telescope which helped prove Copernicus’ theory to be true.  He discovered that there are other plants and that the sun is actually at the center.  He published his findings and got the word out.  Immediately the church grew angry and told him must take back his findings.  For any scientist to recant, it would be the hardest thing to do because it is humiliating to say your research is a waste.  Though, Galileo knew he was right and just by getting the word out meant he implanted the minds of many to open their minds to bigger and greater possibilities in the world.  In 1992, authorities finally apologies to Galileo for making him recant his findings because they discovered he was right. (It is a good thing for authorities to apologies because this means they are willing to admit they were wrong.  It was a long time after Galileo’s death but at least it finally happened.)

Religion vs Science

Religion plays a big role throughout the different eras.  People base their actions off of their Religious beliefs (some good, some bad).  The easiest thing to spread over the lands is religion.  For instance, Islam spread to Asia, South Asia, and North India.  Christianity spread all through Europe.

Martin Luther created the 95 theses in 1517 to exploit the corruption in the Catholic Church.  He was tired of these priests taking advantage of people.  Some of them wouldn't even be at work nor have any knowledge of some prayers.  They would instead be vacationing with all the money they are making when the people would “donate” to the church.  The church had people believing that they must pay money to buy a piece of paper that grants people into heaven out of purgatory.  So they abused the minds and hearts of believers in order to get more money out of the people.

Protestantism is a section of Christianity that differs from Catholicism.  They believe in the individual relationship with God, meaning they did not need to consult a priest or higher being in order to reach God in asking for forgiveness or in believing.  It rejects the Catholic hierarchy because of its political turmoil.  They believe in Mary, Saints, and Trinity.  This does not go well with the Catholic Church because they believe there is only one to worship; God.  They also read and interpret the Bible for themselves.  This was not a common act during these times because many were illiterate, so the priests and educated were able to read the Bible.

Slave Trade

There are about eleven million Africans that were shipped across the Atlantic.  The slave trade transformed all the different societies.  Some were disrupted while others strengthened as some were corrupted.  The Atlantic Slave Trade increased the work rate on plantations which stimulated the economy.  Slaves have been around since before Christ, making this a popular and easy choice for people to make.  Slavery increased the amount of money made around Europe and Euro-America.  During the Islamic world many preferred to have women slaves instead of men, while the Atlantic Slave trade dominated with males.  This could be because there was a higher demand in “satisfaction” versus labor work.  Once trade increased in popularity, the demand for products increased which means there needed are even more laborers working on the plantations.  The cheapest way to do this was to buy slaves to do all the hard labor because that why the plantation owners were not losing any money by having to pay the workers.  Africa became the main slave source throughout the different nations.  Muslims, Europeans, and Euro-Americans all used Africa to supply their nations with slaves.  Soon West Africa decided to fight back.  This resulted with many Europeans dying off from lack of immunity to the diseases that were in the Africa as they traveled further into the land to fight off the resistance.  West Africa was supplied with weapons to fight back when these other nations would travel there to take the slaves away to work on the fields.

Commerce in Asia

Europe wanted in on the trade route because of the products it has to offer.  The spices like sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon are the ideal products Europe wanted.  Though, Europe had to find an alternate trade route because the direct route was run by the Muslims.  And during this time the Christians and Muslims were on getting along well with each other.  On the trade routes Portugal used military strength to get what they wanted.  Portugal established the "Trading Post Empire" which regulated the ports.  The merchants were charged 6-10% fees for protection along the routes.  Pirates proposed a threat to merchants as they traveled so Portugal uses this to their advantage to make money.  Once Spain took over the Philippines the area changed.  They use to all be made up of small individual islands but Spain turned the islands into one area.  The islands were easy to take over because none of them possessed an military.  So Spain established political control over the place and ended up forcing Christianity among the people.  Soon the ethnicity changed as well as the role of women.  When the Dutch went forth to take over control of Indonesia and Japan, they used private companies to perpetrate the land.  The government gave indirect order for the companies to go there and take over.  It was a way for them to rationalize the events they were doing.  The Dutch were first interested in the products the lands had to offer.  Relating to more modern day times, if America were to do this they would go about it the same way the Dutch did.  The government would send companies into other countries so that they could infiltrate it without doing it forcefully.  Interestingly enough, America has done this already to pretty much the entire globe already.  American businesses have taken over a significant amount of land over in the me rural countries like South America and parts of Asia. 

Works of the European Advantage and Other Empires

European Advantage

In “discovering” the new world the motivation dominantly placed in the three G’s: God, Gold, and Glory.  The Europeans used God as a rational thought to excuse themselves of the harm they are doing to the Natives.  Gold is another incentive the travelers used because it is the source of trade.  Many also traveled to the new land to gain a sense of power or to escape from something whether that be debt or a bad life.  And of course many took the chance to venture to the new land because they seek an adventure in their life.  People will drop everything behind to find something new because they want to find more meaning in their lives.  There was a dominate number of men on the ships, for every seven men there was one woman.  The woman traveling had to be mentally and physically tough to deal with this difference.  As the Europeans settled in the new lands there started “new people.”  There are the Mostizos, Peninsularos, and the Creoles.

Other Empires.

The Russian Empire took three centuries between 1500 and 1800s to develop its reign all the way across to the Pacific.  Like many other powerful empires, such as the Mongols, the making of the Russian Empire suffered with protecting their pastoral lands from invaders.  Their lands were frequently raided by the Russians neighbors.  Those stolen would be sold into slavery.  The Russians decided to cross over into Siberia because their land offered the most promises.  The Russians invested their time into the "soft gold."  Soft gold is referred to the fur-bearing animals; this is held at high importance because fur provided a person with warmth given the area is dominated in freezing temperatures.  As their territory expanded, the various forts being built started to solve the security problems among the land.  The building of the Russian Empire depended not only on its leaders but also on the merchants, hunters, peasant agricultural settlers, churchmen, exiles, criminals, and adventures.  In other words, this Empire seeks the support from every avenue it has.

Russian migrants would offer their knowledge of the land to help improve the economy and the society as a whole.  The political leaders and educated Russians define the Russian frontiers; enhancing the power of the Russian state; and bringing Christianity, civilization, and enlightenment to savages.  The Russians with higher power felt they were helping the people become more civilized.  The term savages is daunting because just because a group of people do not live in cities or have a "defined" government does not necessarily mean they are savages.  To that society group they believe their ways of life are normal, and just because their ways differ from the "educated" does not mean they are abnormal.

Living in the Russian Empire means there is access to weaponry meaning the Russians are able to better defend themselves from the Mongols who showed an increase amount of resistance when the Russians were conquering the land.  The Russian authorities insist that the native people swore an oath to the Russians: "Eternal submission to the grand tsar."  Not only did they demand a verbal oath but a payment as well referred to as yasak, or tribute.  This payment could be made in cash or in something else.  There was tragic epidemics, especially in the remote regions of Siberia where local people suffer from small pox or measles due to the lack of immunity.

I accomplished the first task...

Of making this blog. Whoopeeeeeee!