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!