WH Blogs

CH 14:  Political Transformations

Strayer detailed The Great Dying, the Aztecs and Incas, Asian empires, and the Russian Empire. The Great dying was particularly sad to learn about and often leaves me wondering how different the world of today would be if more natives had survived. I wonder what an impact their culture would have made on the world as a whole. It seems like foreshadowing to start the book with this story of the oppression of Native peoples by more powerful white powers.

I never learned that much about Asian empires before or maybe chose not to pay much attention to them in past classes, so the Asian Empires were interesting to learn about now. They were a very advanced empire beyond anyone of their time. I think the rapid growth of their success was too much to handle and without proper preparation, was the reason for their downfall. The Asian way of government is very interesting, seeing how different it is from what I am used to in America. The Qing Dynasty Empire, the Mughal Empire, Tibet, and Xinijang all offered a different structure to China and had very alternative views from one another. Instead of voting on a leader, Asian empires were run by families that either earned the title or carried it on through generations.

The western influenced individual in me wonders if they would have preferred a more democratic setup or if they really liked it and were accustomed to that form of government. It interests me to see how once great empires could experience such great downfalls and it is crazy to think how different everything would be today if those empires never failed and continued expanding.

CH 14: Economic Transformations

Slavery is never particularly exciting to learn about because of it’s dismal nature, but I do appreciate the importance of continued education on the subject. I feel I am in a way honoring the victims of slavery in the past by keeping their story alive and taking the time to respect their history. Strayer talked about how entitled the Europeans were in this time and it seems ridiculous to me now. They must have been so obviously in need of an ego boost to be willing to purchase people and own them like products. I really hope in my heart something so tragic never happens again to a group of people. I love psychology and the way people allowed their personal needs to overcome them so drastically to be able to treat others so harshly is very interesting to me. I wonder if it was their need to feel powerful, safe, or important that motivated them. I wonder what was at the root of this evil. Strayer made me very curious about the human nature behind slavery because of his deeper explanation of the slave owners pompous mentalities.

CH 15: Cultural Transformations

This chapter again highlited the oppression of native cultures by Europeans.  It makes no sense to me why people felt their religion was the “right” one and why they had to force it upon people. Religion should be a personal experience and I wish they had spent more time trying to understand and learn about African beliefs. Diversity is beautiful and it would be nice to have seen more African traditions preserved and not totally  discouraged by Europeans. I wish I could get a better understanding of the Asian cultures of the past, but I am guessing Strayer did not have much to say about it because the Europeans of the past oppressed it so much, which is a shame. I think descendants of Africans today would appreciate being able to connect with their ancestor’s pasts and I wish history had more to offer them.

CH 16: Atlantic Revolutions & Global Echoes

This chapter covered a lot of information and demonstrated how occurrences in one part of the world could start a chain reaction in other parts. Strayer talked about Haiti and how the slaves there successfully overcame their oppressors. I have never heard of that story in my past experiences of education and found it particularly inspiring. People should know they have true power over government and should feel empowered to stand up for what they believe in and I wish they taught more kids about the successes of the oppressed and not just their struggles. I feel like they do it on purpose to maintain a weak and helpless image of minorities and to scare people of going against the government. Something I also found interesting about the chapter was the guillotine. It must have been really crazy to see someone you know get beheaded I do not think I would ever commit even the minorest of crimes after witnessing that. Overall,  It was interesting to see how the revolutions of the time really did echoed around to other parts of the world. Sometimes the world can seem very big and separated, but history unifies it and makes me realize we are all more connected that we think.

The SND: Julie Billiart and Francoise Blin de Bourdon

I have learned about Julie Billiart a lot before in high school because I went to Notre Dame High School in downtown San Jose, which is obviously associated witht he sisters of Notre Dame. Seeing her picture around school and learning about her again makes college feel a little bit like home. Her picture used to creep me out a little bit to be honest and now it is kind of comforting to see around. This article did offer a lot of new information on her and introduced to me Francoise as well, who I never heard of. It is cool how the sisters came from such different backgrounds but were brought together by such a strong common interest. Francoise was raised in a family of landowners and aristocrats. Her life was luxurious and she grew up with access to the best education, which consisted of being a good housewife at this time and makes the feminist in me really angry, and other great perks. Julie, on the other hand lived a life of great struggle. She had multiple sclerosis and was raised in a poor family with little to no access to education. Despite how different they were, though, it was cool how their love of faith and education was enough to unite them.  

CH 16: Atlantic Revolutions & Global Echoes (pt 2)

It was a breath of fresh air to spend time learning about feminism in history. I feel it is pretty vague and rushed through usually, but I liked that Strayer spent a little more time on it.  Strayer said the feminists engaged in violent protests which surprised me because I always pictured peaceful ladies marching around with signs, not blowing up railroads. It is cool to know, though, and I am glad they pushed so hard for equality because we are still not fully there but so much closer than ever before. I love a good underdog story and it was cool to hear about how the feminists and the abolitionists came together to support each other. It felt like the climactic part of a superhero movie where the good guys ban together against the villain. I think it would be cool if people today were more engaged activists like before, I do not think posting on social media helps as much as people of today like to believe. I would not mind blowing up a railroad myself.

CH 17: Revolutions of Industrialization

It changed my perspective to realize that Europeans did not personally invent many of the tools that allowed them to become so advanced. We are often spoon fed the idea from a young age that Europeans were this great force to be reckoned with. They conveniently seem to have left out the part where all their successes were made on the backs of others’ inventions, labor, and stolen freedoms.  Apparently the Islamic people were responsible for advances in shipbuilding, navigation, and even textiles. Leaving out tidbits like these enforces the image of European superiority and does not pay respect to the great successes of other cultures.

Ch 17: Visual Sources

I like how Strayer provides relevant images to every chapter that really bring to life the descriptions he shares. I get lost in long texts of heavy information but these images help bring to life these ideas and help me connect with them. They also help me remember the information later on, when I can visualise what I read in connection the placement of the images.

The Visual Source 17.4 was entitled "Inside the Factory: Lewis Hine, Child Labor, 1912 (Oil over photography, 1912, by Lewis W. Hine)" on page 875.  The picture really made what Strayer was saying about Industrialization stand out to me. Yes it was a time of great growth and modernization, but at what cost? To see the real life photo of the kind of children that had to work these dangerous and laborious jobs was really sad. I have a younger brother and sister and it breaks my heart to envision having to send them to work instead of school. It makes me really mad this stuff still happens today. We are all against child labor, but we’ll still buy that cheap shirt from Forever 21 and the newest iPhone. I wish people were more honest to just not want to make money in such cruel ways and people like me were more empowered to not support these occurrences, but it often feels unavoidable.

CH 18: Colonial Encounters in Asia & Africa

Strayer made a point of how much production increased in the world at this point, but also made me realize that often times they had no one to sell to because everyone was struggling to barely get by while the richest just got richer. Apparently imperialism seemed like a good option to resolve conflicts between the classes and also to avoid revolution in the process. I do not see the logic in how being more oppressive to a group of peoples would lower their chances of resistance, but I do not often understand the mentality of Europeans throughout history. I feel like people of this time were so desperate for a feeling of safety or improvement they would accept even the craziest of rationalizations.

CH 18: Documents

I love the documents Strayer provides because you get to see how people hundreds of years ago were really thinking and it’s super cool to me that these people get to be a part of history forever. I wonder if throughout all this time, though, some information was misinterpreted or changed. I connected especially with Document 18.1,  Seeking Western Education. The man writing the document is introduced as Ram Moy, a highly educated Brahmin Hindu man. He is remembered for his passion for religious reform and social change overall. This is clear even in his writing from this document. He was very excited and grateful the government was provising a Sanskrit School in Calcutta, which is cool because sometimes today people do not really appreciate education including myself. He did not end up liking the school though because of it’s outdated Hindu teachers. Ram felt the school was counterproductive and wanted to provide kids with a fresher outlook. I wish more teachers had the passion for education Ram seemed to have. Ram did not appreciate the old traditions of Hindu practice, such as the burning of widows. I am glad he fought these practices because they sound pretty scary.

CH 19: Empires In Collision

Strayer really emphasized the conflict between empires in this chapter. I never realized how great of an impact the trade of opium made on the Chinese civilization. It is weird to me they did not realize it was super unhealthy and harmful at first, but everyone makes mistakes. Lin Zexu eventually did realize it and try to change it, though. I feel like it is really hard to rid a country of drugs, which is still an issue today, and it’s crazy how we never really seem to find an effective solution. Zexu tried appeals and political pressure, but of course it is never completely enough. I appreciate how he exposed the health hazards of the drugs because I feel like he did have a concern for the well being of his people and did not want people making money off something deadly.

Maybe our government of today should criminalize the drug itself more and not the people using it. I think people’s health should be more important than their punishment and it may be more effective to put people in rehab and not jail. Zexu did successfully collect 50,000 “ponds” of opium and 70,000 pipes. That seems like a big success to me. He even found its source in England and withheld trading with them until they gave him free of charge all the Opium. He took it and threw it in the ocean. I was really happy about this because he truly did not care about making the money off it and was genuinely concerned about his people.      

CH 19: Visual Sources

I connected most with the Visual Source 19.2 "Women and Westernization (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Gift of Aaron Lebowich...)". Firstly, it is very beautiful and I appreciate the colorful depiction of the past. It really brings to life western influence in Asia. I liked to see the women in their traditional Kimonos, they are very beautiful and I wish they were normal everyday wear in America because I would not mind wearing one from time to time. The change in dress and building structure of the other photos , though, indicate western influence.

Ch 20: World War, Depression, and the Rebalancing of Global Power

Strayer now has begun detailing events me and my grandparents were actually alive for.  World War l is discussed in detail. It is always very weird to me that people were rushing to enlist in the army and defend their country. Patriotism was at an all time high at the time, and I wonder if it was because of government influence and propaganda or just their actual love of their country.

Superheros really interest me and I know Captain America was very prevalent during the times of the World Wars and I am guessing many kids looked up to this guy and wanted to be as heroic as him. It is slightly concerning that both the popularity of Captain America and foreign conflict seem to be increasing in the present day, but I am pretty sure superhero popularity is not actually a good correlation determinant of world wars. I like that they give people hope in times of distress, though. I wonder if people in the face of crisis today would be running to join the army, because I personally would just be on a plane to another more peaceful part of the world.

CH 21: Revolution, Socialism, and Global Conflict

This chapter covers a lot of information, including nuclear weapons. When I first learned about nuclear weapons in history class and how countries today still have them I was lowkey paranoid for like two weeks that we would fall under a surprise nuclear attack. I think it is really sad we decided to use nuclear weapons in the past and I wish violence was not always the answer, it seems a bit childish to not be able to communicate and compromise with one another.

It was also a bit annoying that after the first bombing other countries were rushing to also obtain nuclear weapons. Instead of having compassion for the fallen, the history of human nature seems to cling to its need for vengeance and power. Also, why the people of America get to vote on a president and not how we deal with foreign affairs seems a bit off to me. I just feel we should have more say in who were killing or not and who were supporting or not. Democracy only seems to go so far, though.

Ch 21: Visual Source

I connected most with the visual source, “Building the New Society: The Peoples Commune (Shanghai Educational Publishing Hose/Coll. SL (Stefan Landsberger)/IISH)”. What really stood out to me about it was the environmental aspect of it. The sharp contrast between the beautiful greenery and lake and the factory and dead land was moving. The bright colors of the greenery and the darker colors of the grey smog and yellowed grass translated the sadness of what feels like the death of nature in the face of industrialization. It is really sad and I hope we today can make an environmental impact and save it’s beauty.  

CH 22:  The End of Empire

In this chapter Strayer talked about Mahatma Gandhi. I like how he was a super peaceful old guy, but was still totally rebellious and empowered to stand up against colonialism. He is a real life super hero and I hope someone as inspiring as him gains popularity today, maybe they are already out there and they just need the recognition. The chapter also talks about Africa gains independence. This sounds nice but I wonder if any of us ever fully escaped the influence of colonial rule and oppression.  Something I have taken away from this book so far, though, is an intrigue in Africa and the strong desire to one day go there.

CH 22: Documents

These documents were a little less exciting because they did not seem as exclusive or hard to find. I did like seeing Visual Source 22.1, though. It looks really positive and hopeful. I feel the pride of the ANC in finally being free  of European oppression. They were finally able to make their own form of society and government, by their own standards. I feel their success as if it was my own and am glad they finally reached freedom. This like this made me wish someone would have just put Europe in time out thousands of years ago, looking at all the destruction of freedoms and culture they imposed on others.

CH 23: Capitalism and Culture

Strayer, again, covers the topic of feminism but now with a more modern perspective. Women’s liberation in the 1960s  was motivated by the demand for equal rights. Strayer said women had to become aware of their oppression to fight it and that struck me. I feel women today are often belittled and barred from calling society out on it’s gender inequalities. The first step to change is realizing what needs to be changed and hopefully we can continue to educate girls and boys about the importance of equality across gender, race, and class. Strayer’s book has given me a greater look into the history of the world and I got to see how we have all been intertwined within this shared story of the past. I now hope to see a change in the world where we can all appreciate that despite all these imaginary lines of countries and physical differences, we are all one human race that should be supporting each other and not tearing each other down.

Chapter 19

Chapter 19 is where Strayer covers the collision of the European, Middle Eastern, and East Asian empires between 1800 and 1914. China suffered internal troubles, as they struggled to produce enough resources for their rapidly growing population. There was a rise in bandits and even a peasant rebellion in response to the declining Qing dynasty. This brought about the uprising of the Taiping dynasty. The Taiping people were noticeably more progressive in their attitudes toward women. They felt women should be less restricted and more equal. The Taiping were too unorganized and indecisive among themselves in their efforts to conquer, so the Qing dynasty ultimately prevailed. I really wonder how different China would be if the Taiping dynasty would have successfully arisen, especially their attitude towards women. If they had taken on a more equal perspective of gender roles, I wonder if the rest of the world would have been somehow changed or influenced to also attain a similar view on women. Maybe if that had happened women’s equality would be more prevalent today, though it is much better today. Elsewhere, the Ottoman empire began to struggle within Europe. The Ottoman empire was failing to maintain Islamic land against the incoming Christian powers. Apparently the larger, Christian portion of Europe came to know the Ottoman empire as the “sick man” of Europe. That makes me so sad. I feel like even today Islamic people are misportrayed as being evil or inferior. People actually assume people of the Muslim faith today are all supporters of terrorism. I know Islamic people personally and it makes me mad they have to deal with peoples’ stigma that apparently has been around for hundreds of years. I do not understand the white man’s need to convert everyone to Christianity throughout history. All religions are reflective of people’s cultures and values. Everyone deserves the right to express their beliefs and I wish other religions were more respected by white America throughout history all the way up until today. These were some points of the chapter that really resonated with me.

Chapter 18

In Chapter 18, Strayer covered colonial encounters in Asia and Africa. The industrial revolution is said to have been the motivating factor in Europe’s expansion in the nineteenth century. The demand for raw materials and agricultural products increased substantially. They were also producing too many goods and had to sell them to more than just Europeans, who could not in themselves afford to purchase all that was being produced. Europe is said to have developed a stronger sense of nationalism, heightened by the junction of Italy and Germany, that made them desire more and more land to claim for their own. It is interesting to observe how the simple human need for power can bring about such grand global changes when powered by the right group of people, with all the right privileges available to them. Europeans were also beginning to look  down on other cultures in a more extreme manner. I can not believe they actually used some sort of science to support racism and prejudice. Even today, most people are inclined to instantly accept information from scholarly and scientific sources as factual knowledge. It is scary to think I could have lived in a time where science would tell me I am less intelligent and less humane than others because of my race. Diversity should be celebrated, not shunned. The second wave of colonization describes Europe’s invasion of Africa and Asia and Australia. Apparently, Europeans conquered many African and Asian peoples after many strenuous battles. There was a scramble for Africa, in which six European powers raced to claim as much of Africa as they could. Europeans believed they had the right, the duty even, to “civilize the inferior races (884)”. This meant forcing Christianity, more uniform government, work discipline, some education, and clothing. It annoys me that even today it seems to be a standard mindset that less modernized cultures are inferior or “underdeveloped”. I would not consider them inferior just because they follow a different set of values and do not think it is right that their culture was so often suppressed in history and even today they have to deal with some stigma ingrained within much of society. Europeans brought limited Western education to Africa and Asia, and some people even left, received degrees, and returned as doctors and lawyers. Most education, though, did not cover literature or science because they believed natives were too primitive for such concepts. There were violent rebellions rooted in natives’ fear of losing their own religions in exchange for European christianity. I do not promote violence but religion is such a vital part of my culture and identity that I really do understand how they could have felt it was their only hope at saving something so important to them. Natives were forced to work unpaid jobs on public projects, like building railroads and government buildings. A worker forced to collect rubber is quoted as saying, “‘When we failed and our rubber was short, the soldiers came to our towns and killed us. Many were shot, some had their ears cut off; others were tied up with ropes round their necks and taken away’” (894). It is so sad that people were tortured and murdered because of things out of their control and at the place they worked. All these people wanted to do was support their families and they were brutally killed because of this. The lack of humanity the white foreigners treated the natives with is astonishing, but unfortunately, also not very astonishing at all. These were some of the most outstanding pieces of the chapter.

Chapter 17 Blog

Chapter 17 went over the industrial revolution. For some reason I had previously assumed the industrial revolution began in America, so it was quite surprising to find that it actually started in Europe. Those that benefitted the most from the revolution were those of the upper middle class. They became factory and mine owners, bankers, and merchants. I did not like hearing about this because, this seems to be where the setup of rich management and poor workers began. I wish they had set up a more fair system that treated workers better and paid them fairly enough that the wage gap between the workers and owners was not so vast. Even the cities the working class lived in were unfavorable, with terrible sanitation, polluted water, and few public services.The conditions they worked in were also terrible, with no ventilation, paid vacations, or sick days. I can not imagine going to work in a congested and laborsome job just to come home to another unsanitary and uncomfortable place. I am just very grateful there are now regulations on worker’s rights. I am also realizing that for every luxury I am granted today, there is a history of struggle and improvement behind it. These were some key ideas chapter 17 inspired within me.

Chapter 16

Chapter 16 covers the history of atlantic revolutions and the following global echoes. I have learned about the North American Revolution before, but found it new and interesting how this book characterized it as a conservative movement. You would not normally see a revolution as an act of conservation, but it really was. The americans wanted to preserve the freedoms of their colonies and had to revolt against the British to do so. I really wonder what my life would be like today if America was ruled by the British today. It is nice to hear that the original colonies of America were able to come together to bring down a much more powerful and organized effort. It gives me hope that people today can come together still to overcome similarly daunting issues. The French Revolution, differed however, in how it sprouted from internal conflicts between the French. The working class was frustrated with the disparity of wealth at the time. It was good to hear that the French women of the time were standing up for themselves and demanding better. They wanted things like more access to education and the end of prostitution. This resonated with me because sometimes I do not realize just how lucky I am to live in such a progressive world where, though we struggle for complete equality, women are open to many more opportunities especially educationally. It is saddening, though, that prostitution is still a problem today all over the world despite changes in laws. It astonished me that it took over a century to abolish slavery. I do not like learning about slavery because it was a time of greatly depressing devastation and inhumanity. I can not fathom how our society got to a point where they thought it would okay and feel very grateful I do not live in such a time where I, myself, may have been brought up to support such a system. I also have many Black friends and am very grateful that these people who I have come to know, appreciate, and love do not have to suffer the devastations of slavery today. These have been some of the most intriguing bits of chapter 16.

CH 15 BLOG

Chapter 15 of Ways of the World highlights the cultural transformations that occurred between 1450 and 1750, emphasizing the impacts of science and religion. The Protestant Reformation happened in this time. It began when a German priest scrutinized the abuses of the Roman Catholic Church in a document known as the, Ninety-five Theses. I think it is important to speak up when you disagree with something and I am glad he had the courage to do so when facing such a powerful establishment as the Roman Catholic Church in the 15th century. The Catholic church was criticized for the luxurious lives of popes and other church officials, the corruption of some clergy, and the church's selling of indulgences, which were intended to relieve people of punishment for sins. I would agree with his concerns with the church. I think it is wrong for the Church to use money selfishly and wastefully. I think they should have been using it to either help the less fortunate and in need or to promote the spread of their religion. The Catholic church was then divided into subgroups, including the Protestants who supported the German priest, Martin Luther, mentioned earlier. I never realized how relatively recent it was that the Church had split into these divided groups. I have heard of Lutheran and Calvinist peoples, but I had previously assumed these groups were around as long as Catholicism. It is reported that the spread of Christianity was successful in Spanish America, seeing as many Native  Americans credited the success of European government and military to the support of their Christian God. Women who had served as priests, shamans, or ritual specialists were stripped of their status when they converted to Christianity. This reminds me of when the same happened to the Filipino women who also lost their religious status in the last chapter. I wish Christianity had not put such an emphasis on men in the church and allowed women a grander position. Women have a lot to offer and stripping them of their impact in the church definitely made a lasting impact on their social status. It is also reported that the spread of Christianity was much less successful in China. The Chinese felt their needs were met spiritually and had government strong enough to stand up against the European Jesuits. It is interesting how these impacts seem to have lasted after hundreds of years. I notice that in the present, Christianity is not the major religion of China, but it is in the Americas. It was also interesting to learn about the Hindu and Muslim populations of the past. The Hindu practice of "bhakti" sounded very fascinating. I wonder what the dance, poetry, songs, and rituals were like back then. I think it is beautiful when people express their faith in such creative ways and I am glad the memory of such practices remain today. I also enjoyed hearing about the unifying of Hindu and Muslim religions. The Guru Nanak founded Sikhism, the movement that believed there is only one shared God between Muslims and Hindus and supported the equality of men and women and disregarded caste distinctions. This seems to be one of the most unifying religious movements we have learned about so far and it makes me happy to hear about such a progressive thought process back in such conservative times. It was also very interesting to learn about how Copernicus was the first to discover that the Earth is not the center of the universe. It seems like such a basic piece of information, but this discovery was revolutionary back when it was first published to the public. It was interesting how science and religion clashed, as some people who had assumed God would make humans and their planet the center of the universe were upset by the conflicting discoveries of science. I think even today sometimes tension can be found between science and religion. I am glad scientists of the past such as Galileo and Copernicus made such discoveries, because such advances in science allowed for the scientific advantages of today. These were some of the most intriguing pieces of information from chapter 15.

CH 14 BLOG

Chapter 14 of Ways of the World explores the economic transformations that occurred between 1450 and 1750. Apparently, Europeans were drawn to participation in Asian commerce by their desire for goods such as tropical spices, Chinese silk, Indian cotton, rhubarb, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. I never realized spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and pepper were at once considered tropical spices, I had always considered them native to North America. Europeans also sought economic recovery following the devastation of the Black Death. It made me happy to read that Europe was beginning to recover after a time of such terrible loss. They were able to establish a better system for taxing citizens, improve military forces with gunpowder weapons, and were even able to expand their cities. The Portuguese did not not have much to offer in trade, but were able to offer their unique military advantages to the other trading countries of the Indian Ocean. The Portuguese set up several military bases, which were almost all obtained by force and overpowering smaller and weaker states. I do not like in history when the smaller populations are picked on by the larger and more powerful ones. If the Portuguese wanted to be involved in trade so much, they should have invented something worth trading or established protective bases peacefully at the least. The Spanish were able to easily  take over the islands of the Philippines because of the Philippines' lack of communal government and military force. The Spanish spread Catholicism among the Philippines. This made sense to me because I regularly attend Catholic church and notice how involved the Filipino community is in the church. It is revealed that the Filipino women who played major parts in society as ritual specialists, healers, and midwives were replaced by male Spanish priests. This was very disappointing to learn. I feel bad for the women of the society, who clearly lost some of their social status when their jobs were taken from them. I feel bad for the loss of culture when they were no longer able to practice their own religious traditions. I also wish that women were allowed to play bigger roles in the Catholic church not only in the past, but the present as well. Learning about the slave trade is always upsetting, but I am glad it continues to be taught because it is an important issue that I believe impacts our society to this day. It was disconcerting to hear that African men and women were traded for textiles, metal goods, firearms, gunpowder, tobacco, alcohol, and beads. I can not believe people actually thought it was okay to purchase people and that you could price them at the cost of some desired material good. How could a life be equated to something as trivial as some beads? It is crazy to see in the chart on page 692 that between 1776 and 1800, over 2 million slaves were imported from Africa. Two million people is a ridiculously large number and to imagine that many people suffering and being treated as objects is very saddening. I am glad slavery came to an end and appreciative that no one I know and care about will have to deal with such a burden. These were some of the parts of chapter 14 that resonated with me most.