Week Thirteen: Feminism

Feminism in the West

Feminism had begun in the West in the nineteenth century, but it globalized within the twentieth century. These women had one goal and used different techniques to achieve it. Some included writing books that focused on having control over one's body and equality on employment and education. Others, like the French, took direct actions and even went against the law saying they all had abortions even though it was illegal. It brings me hope and joy to hear examples like this because many people think women are weak and can not fend for themselves. One manifesto from 1969 stated: "We are exploited as sex objects, breeders, domestic servants, and cheap labor. We are considered inferior beings, whose only purpose is to enhance men's lives" (1151). Depending on how some women viewed their oppression, some preferred direct action while others preferred political lobbying. However, it was harder for African American women to fight among Caucasian women. African American women wanted "solidarity with black men, rather than separation from them [because it] was essential in confronting a racist America" (1152). 

Feminism in the Global South

There was a major difference between the women in countries such as Asia, Africa, and Latin America and the women in the U.S. and Europe. The issues these countries faced were not solely gender based; in fact, men asked for the women's help. However, it is still frustrating that even when the groups succeeded, women who were apart of the movement were relegated to marginal positions. But fortunately, Eastern and Northern Africa saw significant results. Women in Eastern African made large amounts of self-help groups where they supported the community with schools, births, dispensaries, etc. Then "some became revolving loan societies or bought land or businesses", so women could buy their own land (1152). In Northern Africa, Morocco's feminist movement went against the country's Family Law Code that define women as minors. Eventually, the code was changed and women were equals and were allowed to initiate divorce and claim child custody. 

International Feminism

 When the United Nations declared 1975 as International Women's Year and the next ten years as the Decade for Women, multiple nations had "ratified a UN Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women" (1153). The hope of spreading women's legal equality was becoming a success. However, there were divisions. There were issues on who would be the spokesmen and the North and South had conflicts. The North primarily focused on political and civil rights while the South wanted to include issues of economic justice, decolonization, and disarmament as well.  Also, some groups were against women's equal rights. Muslim delegates thought the exposure of women went against their religion and even an American called feminism a "disease" (1155). Though feminism was still growing, it was very diverse within each country. 

I thought this section of interesting because it displays how different "feminism" can mean to different people. Each person fighting for feminism has their own version of creating equal opportunity. As long they are all fighting for the same cause, a change can happened like it has today. Women have a lot more rights than they used to; however, it is still trying to be fought against. It is very infuriating. Men and women should be equal, it's that simple. 

Week Twelve: Nuclear Weapons

"The most haunting battle of the cold war era was one that never happened." -Robert W. Strayer

While reading chapter 21, the quote (above) caught my attention right away. The author was describing the Cuban missile crisis. During the Cuban missile crisis, Nikita Khrushchev sent nuclear-tipped Soviet misses to Cuba thinking the U.S. would steer away action against Castro. Which, personally, makes no sense to me at all. It is true that nuclear missiles are immensely terrifying, but that would just make the opposing country more defensive rather than scared. Especially with the U.S., a major superpower, would not just leave something that significant alone. American forces blocked the island and prepared for an attack. Fortunately, John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev came to a compromise. The Soviets removed their missiles and a promise was made that America would not invade Cuba. 

From then on, an arms race in nuclear weapons started. "Over the next forty years, the world moved from a mere handful of nuclear weapons to a global arsenal of close to 66,000 warheads." Luckily, both superpowers avoided conflict with one another, fearing a war would lead to a nuclear level. Yet this brought so much tension between the superpowers. The cold war was just a colossal buildup of tension. Sometimes it makes me wonder why the U.S. puts itself into war. Obviously, if both countries know it will lead to a bad result, they should just try to avoid each other. However, I do realize that they still indirectly competed with one another. Either way, it does show that if two countries know there will be a bad result, they should try to avoid provoking one another.

Week Eleven: Propaganda

"I was told I was fighting a war that would end all wars..."-Alfred Anderson

One thing that always intrigued me about the World Wars was the way militaries were able to persuade individuals to go to war just by the use of propaganda. The Great Powers knew how to convince millions of people that their "national identities were profoundly and personally meaningful".  Men even rushed to recruiting offices to enlist before the war could end. It makes me wonder whether I would be persuaded to do such things if I saw the type of propaganda these men saw. Do I love my country to such an extreme? I do not know the answer because as anyone can see, these men ultimately suffered for it in the end. What is fascinating is how posters were such a major impact on why individuals joined the military. 
 WW1
The British Parliament Recruiting Committee used this poster to illustrate a man's responsibility to go to war. Instead of honoring a man, they used shame as a blackmail to make people go to war. 

While most of the posters targeted men, some propaganda posters were targeting women. While many men would view this posters as their responsibility to protect their women, it was also seen as the women's responsibility to have their husbands enlist.

Below are other posters used to get the British and U.S. citizens to join:

This illustration in particular showed the selfishness of the Germans. Here, Belgium civilians are being used as a shield for Germany. Germany believed that Belgium troops would not shoot at their own townsfolk. 















WW2
During this time, posters advertising women workers were starting to appear more:

There are many more propaganda posters that were advertised. They each had different themes such as honoring military work or dehumanizing the enemy. It always peaked my interest when analyzing the meaning behind each one. Now, in modern time, advertisements are now displayed on televisions.

’ The emotional blackmail of using children to shame their elders into fighting was, in fact, employed by most of the belligerents. Women were also assigned the responsibility for ordering men into war. - See more at: https://www.bl.uk/world-war-one/articles/patriotism-and-nationalism#sthash.lHEHyH6U.dpuf

One tactic at a state’s disposal was the use of iconic figures to strengthen a particular point about national identity in order to promote patriotism. These might be real people presented in a mythologised form as national heroes, - See more at: https://www.bl.uk/world-war-one/articles/patriotism-and-nationalism#sthash.lHEHyH6U.dpuf

One tactic at a state’s disposal was the use of iconic figures to strengthen a particular point about national identity in order to promote patriotism. These might be real people presented in a mythologised form as national heroes, - See more at: https://www.bl.uk/world-war-one/articles/patriotism-and-nationalism#sthash.lHEHyH6U.dpuf

One tactic at a state’s disposal was the use of iconic figures to strengthen a particular point about national identity in order to promote patriotism. These might be real people presented in a mythologised form as national heroes, - See more at: https://www.bl.uk/world-war-one/articles/patriotism-and-nationalism#sthash.lHEHyH6U.dpuf

One tactic at a state’s disposal was the use of iconic figures to strengthen a particular point about national identity in order to promote patriotism. These might be real people presented in a mythologised form as national heroes, - See more at: https://www.bl.uk/world-war-one/articles/patriotism-and-nationalism#sthash.lHEHyH6U.dpuf

One tactic at a state’s disposal was the use of iconic figures to strengthen a particular point about national identity in order to promote patriotism. These might be real people presented in a mythologised form as national heroes, - See more at: https://www.bl.uk/world-war-one/articles/patriotism-and-nationalism#sthash.lHEHyH6U.dpuf

Week Ten: Qiu Jin

Qiu Jin

As I was reading chapter nineteen, the section on China caught my attention. Under the section, "The Failure of Conservative Modernization", the issue of gender roles was briefly discussed. However, it did mention an important icon, Qiu Jin. Qiu Jin was a Chinese revolutionary, feminist, and writer. She was nicknamed "Jianju Nüxia" which translated to "Woman Knight of Mirror Lake". She is considered a heroine in China's anti-feudalistic cause.

Qiu Jin was born on November 8, 1875 in Shaoxing, China. She was born to a family of the gentry. Having to listen to her father, she married at 21 but was extremely unhappy. "When I think of him my hair bristles with anger, it's absolutely unbearable." Eventually, she left her husband and two children to study in Japan. She soon became acquainted with many revolutionists and joined relevant societies. She did return to China. There she often dressed in male clothing. "My aim is to dress like a man,. In china, men are strong and women are oppressed because they are supposed to be weak." Soon she advocated women's liberation, including topics such as freedom in marriage, in a woman's magazine. She also discusses the practice of binding women's feet. Qiu Jin longed to serve her country and was determined to overthrow the corrupt Qing government. She joined the Triads and other anti-Qing societies. Eventually, she was arrested and tortured because she refused to talk. She was beheaded on July 15, 1907. Qiu Jin became a national hero and a symbol for women's independence in China.

Sources: 
Engel, KeriLynn. "Qiu Jin, Chinese Feminist & Revolutionary Martyr." Amazing Women In History. Amazing Women In History, 24 Oct. 2012. Web. 01 Apr. 2017.

"Qiu Jin: A Heroine in China's Anti-feudalist Cause." China.org.cn. China.org.cn, 18 Sept. 2011. Web. 01 Apr. 2017.

Week Nine: Chapter Eighteen Summary

Industry & Empire
-Industrial Revolution's productivity of technology & Europe's growing affluence created need for lots of raw materials & agricultural products

• need to sell its own products
• investors found it profitable to invest their money abroad
• social benefits in foreign markets

-Imperialism promised to solve class conflicts while avoiding revolutions or serious redistribution of wealth

• mass nationalism -> competitive international relations
• appeared on economic & social grounds/politically & strategically necessary in international power politics
• overseas expansion more desirable [Suez Canal]

-I.R. changed the way they viewed themselves & others

• Euros thought they were the best/powerful -> opinions of other culture dropped
• Chinese: highly praised -> weak, cunning, conservative, distinct threat
• Africans: nations & kings -> tribes led by chief to emphasize "primitive" qualities
• used modern science [largest skulls] declared Euros more advanced
• hierarchy of race
• Euros had responsibility to civilize "inferior races"
• Misapplied "social Darwinism"

A Second Wave of European Conquests

-focused in Asia & Africa/new players: Germany, Belgium, US, Japan

-Euros had military & firepower advantage [Maxim guns] & won

• virtually everyone in large/complex civilizations of India & Southeast Asia lost political sovereignty, freedom of action, became subjects of Euro. colonial state

-"Scramble for Africa"

• Euro. powers fought one another in only 25yrs
• lots of negotiations & bloody military action
• French: W. Africa (16yrs/village-by-village); British: S. Africa (Boer War against Zulu)
• South Pacific (Australia & New Zealand) conquered by large settlement & diseases -> reduced natives ->became "neo-European"

-U.S. policy of removing Natives to "reservations" = "civilize" & eradicate tribal life & culture

-Ethiopia & Siam(Thailand) avoided colonization

• Ethiopia expanded empire/defeat Italy in Battle of Adowa

-countries sought to enlist Euros. w/ own struggles for power, play off imperial powers against one another, used military action, fight v. futile, negotiated for some independence

Under European Rule

Cooperation & Rebellion

-men found employment, status, & security in Euro. armed forces

• elite family members retained status & wealth

-Euro. education member served colonial state, businesses, teachers, etc./higher education became lawyers, doctors, etc. -> depended class at the expense of the more traditional elites

-Indian Rebellion(1857-1858): military cartridge smeared w/ cow & pig fate angered Muslim & Hindus to believe a plot to render them defiled & to convert to Christianity

• a mutiny among Indian troops in Bengal triggered the rebellion -> spread to other regions of the colony and other social groups
• some rebel leaders said it was an effort to revive an almost-vanished Mughal Empire
• mad British more conservative & cautious about changing Indian society
• convinced to assume direct control over India, ending the era of British East India Company rule in the subcontinent

Colonial Empires with a Difference
-"scientific racism": prominence of race in distinguishing rulers and ruled, Europe coincided with the acquisition of Asian & African colonies
-science & literary studies were inappropriate for the "primitive mind" of "natives"

• Euros. didn't want even the highest ranks of Asians or Africans

-South Africa: large population of Euros. and Africans = racial fears -> efforts to establish race as a legal feature of S.A. society

• separate "homelands", education, public facilities, etc. = apartheid
• wanted economy based off cheap labor w/o African social & political integration

-colonial states were able to penetrate the societies they governed

-Euros. now also created very different way of life, from their own modern transformations

-collect info. on people, "scientifically" organize it, & use to manage societies they governed

• India: British found caste system -> invented a Brahmin version of "traditional India'" that they wanted preserve/scorning "non-Indian" (new elite) educated in Euro. schools & enthusiastic about western ways of life"
• Africa: "tribal Africa"-Euros. identified and/or invented distinct tribes w/ own language, territory, customs, & chief -> made African societies more manageable

-gender ideology & race prejudice

• native men were "feminine", guarded Eur. women, took some men from tribes who were "masculine" -> in British military

-Euros. policies contradicted their own core values & their practices at home

• colonies were essentially dictatorships
• empires were at odds of Euro. national independence
• ranked racial classifications were against Christian/Enlightenment's human equality

-"detribalization" would encourage unrest and challenge colonial rule

• preferred "traditional" rural society w/ abuses of slavery & sati (widow burning)

Week Seven: Chapter Seventeen Summary

Explaining the Industrial Revolution
-"global energy demands began to push against the existing local/regional ecological limits"
-massive extraction of materials from machinery negatively altered the landscape
-enormously increased output of goods and services (Britain = 50%)
-Britain & Europe moved ahead with coal-fired steam engine

• 2nd I.R. which focused on chemicals, telephone,  etc.
• agriculture was affected (pesticides, fertilizers, etc.)

Why Europe?

-Europe had no significant advantage

• India: cotton textile production, sugar, agricultural innovations & math inventions
• China: technological innovations / Asia had economic advantage (life span, wages, etc)
• industrial development was occurring all over (China, India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, etc.)

-favored innovation, failure to re-create unity of R. Empire may have acted as a stimulus

-well on their way toward capitalist economy/competitive states = innovation

-global network that gave diverse economic/technological resources

• Asia was home of exploration/new goods stimulated drive, Indian textiles fled Euro., America offered silver and other goods to sustain a population

Why Britain?

-most commercialized country: series of agricultural innovations increased output, kept prices low and freed up labor

-political life encouraged commercialization and economic innovation

-science was focused on observation, experiment, measurements, mechanical devices, & commercial applications (Euro.: logic, deduction, math reasoning)

-already had coal/iron ore, isolation to protect from invasions, adjustments for social changes

The First Industrial Society [Britain]

-dramatic increase in production in mining, manufacturing, and services / agriculture was no longer important

-epic transformation of social life

• destroyed old ways = traumatic, conflicts, false starts, insecurity
• free to discover or make themselves new, improved lives
• everyone was not affected in the same way

The British Aristocracy

-landowners used to dominate the British Parliament but declined with aristocracy

-urban/great wealth (business men, etc) became more important

The Middle Classes [20%]

-upper levels consisted of extremely wealthy factory/mine owners, bankers, & merchants

-majority were doctors, lawyers, scientist, smaller business men, teachers, etc.

-Reform Bill of 1832: broaden right to vote for middle class men (not women)

-"respectability": value of social status and virtuous behavior

• "ideas of thrift and hard work, a rigid morality, and cleanliness"
• women were to stay at home and teach children this value
• eventually started working as teachers, telephone operators (took over), etc

-lower class: clerks, salespeople, bank tellers, secretaries, telephone operators, etc.

• "employment represented a claim on membership in the larger middle class & a means of distinguishing themselves clearly from a working class tainted by manual labor"

The Laboring Classes [70%]

-manual workers in mines, ports, factories, construction sites, farms, etc.

-rapid urbanization: overcrowded, inadequate sanitation, polluted water supplies, etc.

-life expectancy was 39.5 years

-men worked tending the machines, supervisory, and more skilled positions

-women worked in textile mills, took "lighter" jobs (no advancement), not allowed in unions

• domestic servants, doing laundry, sewing clothes, etc.

Social Protest

-"friendly societies": working class self-help groups provided insurance, funeral, etc.

-others joined political arena by joining movements, unions, strikes

-Karl Marx

• "capitalism was unstable system, doomed to collapse in a revolutionary upheaval that would give birth to a classless socialist society, thus ending forever the ancient conflict between rich and poor"
• combined impact of Euro.'s industrial, political, & scientific revolutions found expression
• proclaimed scientist, discovered law of social development ("scientific socialism")
• Utopian vision of human freedom and community

-Labour Party (1890s): advocated a reformist program & peaceful democratic -> socialism

• "social democracy": rejecting class struggle & revolutionary emphasis of Marxism

-rise of middle & lower middle class (30%)

-wages rose, cheap imported food improved diets, mortality rates fell, etc.

Week Six: Echoes of Revolution Summary

The Abolition of Slavery

-roughly  1780 to 1890

-enlightenment thinkers saw slavery as violation of the natural rights of every person

• American/French revolutions saw violation of liberty and equality
• religious voices were accepted

-slavery wasn't essential for economic progress & "politically unwise" (ex. Britain)

-Secular, Religious, Economic, Political ideas = put pressure on govt.

-Britain forbade sale of slaves and eventually emancipated those who were enslaved

• naval vessels patrolled the Atlantic = intercepted trade boats/freed prisoners
• nations followed ^ and latin american countries did the same

-economic lives of former slaves did not improve dramatically

• sought economic autonomy on their own land and unoccupied land

-brought on labor shortages & new wave of migration = indentured servants were forced to work barely above conditions of slavery

-"radical reconstruction": full political rights/some power -> by cruel punishments/losing the power

Nations and Nationalism

-idea: "humankind was divided into separate nations, each with a distinct culture and territory and deserving an independent political life"

-French Revolution declared that sovereignty lay with "the people"

-"people felt themselves to be citizens of a nation, deeply bound to their fellows by ties of blood, culture, or common experience" = nationalism

-Europe's modern transformation was facilitated nationalism

-"popular nationalism made the normal rivalry among Euro. states more competitive for colonies in Asia and Africa

-"civic nationalism": "the people"; "particular territory/people of various backgrounds could assimilate into the dominant culture

• others thought as only those who share a common ancestry

-nationalism could be used to combat socialism and feminism

Feminist Beginnings

-many women believed that the "ideals of liberty and equality must include women"

-women found other opportunities than housework: temperance movements, charities, abolitionism, missionary work, social and pacifist organizations

-first organized expression: women's rights conference in Seneca Falls, New York (1848)

• Elizabeth Cady Stanton
• established Women's Bible

-women refused to take husband's surname and wore trousers under skirts

-how access to schools, universities, and professions

-1870's focused on issue of suffrage and were growing constituency

-American/French were peaceful while Britain had violence

-1900: women got into universities, manage/control property & wages, professions, voting (1893 New Zealand)

-A Doll's House: play where woman leaves husband/children b/c oppressive marriage

-opposition believe there would be damage to reproductive system = women selfish

-spread to other parts of world, not as big effect

Week Five: Foundress's Week

Unfortunately for Foundresses Week, I was only able to attend one event. With my history class, I went on a tour with Sister Roseanne Murphy as our leader. The most memorable stop of the tour was the fist location, which was the church. Sister Roseanne explained the significance of the stained glass windows. To my surprise, there was more to them than I expected. I wanted to visit on a sunny day to see the full effects of them.The next stop was at the Saint Julie lounge. It was interesting to discover that the crest to Notre Dame de Namur had been located on the fireplace the entire time. I have never noticed it before. Then we traveled to the statue next to the Ralston mansion. If I can recall correctly, it is a statue of Saint Francis. Either way, it was interesting to learn more about the artist and how the sisters attained the piece. The mansion was the next location. There we learned the history of the building and the school. Even how Mr. Ralston became wealthy because of the Gold Rush. The last destination was a small garden with white statues, next to the art gallery. It was a quiet and peaceful place. While the tour was a great experience, it would have been much better if it was not pouring rain that day.

Week Four: Chapter Fifteen Summary

A New Way of Thinking: The Birth of Modern Science
-Scientific Revolution: (mid 16th-early 18th century) 

• created by: Copernicus (Poland), Galileo (Italy), Descartes (France), Newton (England), etc. 

-became symbol of global modernity

The Question of Origins: Why Europe?

-by 12th & 13th cent., evolved legal system based on the idea of a "corporation" (collective group of people treated as a unit)

-universities provided freedom to study away from philosophy and theology [West]

• major figures in S.R. trained and affiliated with universities 

-Islam rejected science (viewed with great suspicion)

• Quran held all knowledge

-China primarily focused on civil service examinations and emphasized humanistic & moral texts of classical Confucianism

-Arab medical texts, astronomical research, & translations of Greek classics played major role in birth of European natural philosophy

-uncertainties about established views fertile emergence

• Reformation contributed: challenge to authority, mass literacy, & affirmation of secular professions

Science as Cultural Revolution

-S.R. was revolutionary because it fundamentally challenged the understanding of the universe

-initial breakthrough came from Nicolaus Copernicus

• scientists built off his insight

-Grand unifying idea of early modern science: the heavens and the earth, long regarded as separate/distinct spheres, were not so different

-universe functioned on its own (scientific principles)

• everything functions as a machine

-males dominated transformation

• few women could take part because they had relatives
• Margaret Cavendish: wrote 6 texts & only woman to attend a university that created scientific learning
• Maria Winkelman discovered a comet but husband took credit and wasn't allowed to work on it after her died

-conflict with the church

• Giordano Bruno burned at stake / Galileo renounced his scientific belief
• not all bad: Newton saw no contradiction between both his beliefs
• science prevailed in describing universe, but religion concerned truth of human salvation, righteous behavior, larger purposes

Important Scientists:

-Nicolaus Copernicus (Polish; 1473-1543): sun is center of solar system, earth rotates on its axis, earth and planets revolve around the sun

-Galileo Galilei (Italian; 1564-1642): developed improved telescope; discovered: sunspots, mountains on moon, Jupiter's moons; experimental work on velocity of falling objects

-Issac Newton (English; 1642-1727): synthesized earlier finding around the concept of universal gravitation; invented calculus; formulated concept of inertia and laws of motion

Science and Enlightenment

Comparison

Science:

-quest to understand reality

-pre scientific = faith based

• disagree on:
• evolution, geology created 6,000yrs ago, immunizations, climate change

Enlightenment:

-progress/what went into it

-liberty

-equality

-checks & balances (anti-monarchical)

-other countries fed into the development in Europe

-Galileo helped proved Coperinus's beliefs

-Science: seeking truth through facts -> science of human sciences = enlightenment

• purpose was to have progress
• bad outcome = control
• who decides what is "better' /"utopia"

Week Three: Reflections On Documents

As I read "Voices from the Slave Trade", two of the four stories resonated with me because they were so unsettling. One shared the story of a man who was a slave while the other story portrayed how the business worked.

"A Journal of a Voyage Made in the Hannibal of London", written by Thomas Phillips, depicted how slaves were treated like objects. He recalls that when he and the king were trading, Phillips got the worst slaves from the king and was disappointed. The slaves were then branded, like animals. After he bought his seven hundred slaves and traded a few more items he went off on his way.
This story was very upsetting to me. How can one be disappointed about the humans beings he just bought? He just bought humans. It is terrifying to think that they truly did not care about the slaves well-being unless it benefited them. I do not believe even animals should be branded so I found branding humans to be so degrading. Though the pain may be temporary, there is still pain being inflicted. The brand will always be there as a reminder that they are not thought of has a whole person. The part that made me truly distraught was the end of the story when Phillips was leaving. He bought seven hundred slaves, yet he states, "I deliver'd alive at Barbadoes to the company's factors 372, which being sold, came out at about nineteen pounds per head". He said the statement so nonchalantly that it is disturbing. He did not care about the large amount of people who died, just the profit the rest made for him.

The next story was more harsh to read.

"The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano", written by Olaudah Equiano, describes his journey of being a slave. He and his sister were kidnapped. Eventually, they were separated from one another. Equiano kept getting sold to one master to another. At one point he was bought by a family that treated him well, but he ran away, which was a mistake. He ended up getting put on a slave boat and constantly dealt with cruel and poor treatment. He saw multiple deaths along the journey and the end was no better. When the ship landed, the slaves were all squished into a yard, like sheep, to get traded once more.
It is always difficult to read testimonies of this extent. No one should ever go through the punishments African Americans went through due to slavery. One of the most difficult parts I find from the slave trade is the separation of families. At least if a family were together, they could support one another. Unfortunately, it did not happen this way and Equiano experienced it first hand. He wrote that he and his sister would lay together in each other's arms until his sister was torn away from him. It is also frustrating to read that he turned away from the widow's home, who fed him and treated him well, only to end up on a slave boat. Personally, I know I would not be able to survive. They were constantly beaten and because of the environmental conditions, dealt with sickness from the air that made it hard to breathe. The worst experiences happen to the most innocent of people.

Week Two: Chapter Thirteen Summary

-early modern era was an age of EMPIRE

• significant Euro colonies: Spanish, Portuguese, British, French, and Dutch
• "new societies arose as Native Americans, Europeans, & Africans came in sustained contact with one another for the first time in history"

European Empires In The Americas

-Spanish: focused on Caribbean -> mainland to defeat Aztecs/Incas

-Portuguese: along coast of present day Brazil

-British/French/Dutch: eastern coast of North America

The European Advantage

-countries on Atlantic Rime of Europe are closer to Americas

• knew wind, map making, navigation, sailing techniques, and ship design

-powerfully motivated

• desire for grain, sugar, meat, and fish = larger land base to support economic expansion
• competing states

-states and trading companies = effective mobilization of resources

-seafaring technology allowed transportation with ease

-ironwork, gunpowder weapons, horses

-divisions in local societies

• some Aztecs actually helped Cortez conquer Mexican domination

-germs and diseases

North Americans had no immunities

The Great Dying

-In Aztec & Inca Empires, long isolation from Afro-Eurasian world/lack of domesticated animals = absence of acquired immunities to Old World diseases(smallpox, yellow fever,etc)

-up to 90% of populations died/practically vanished

The Colombian Exchange

-Great Dying created labor shortage -> Africans took over it

-Euros & Africans brought germs, plants, and animals

• wheat, rice, sugarcane, etc. shaped diet and way of life
• horses, cattle, et. made ranching economies, cowboy culture, hunting

-women lost roles as food producers as warrior cultured emerged

-crops(corn,potatoes,etc) spread in Eastern Hemisphere

• calories pushed 60mil. people in 1400 to 390mil in 1900

-tobacco and chocolate used around the world

-enormous network of communication, migration, trade, disease, transfer of pants/animals

-changing global balance of power = Western Euros to central/commanding role on world

Comparing Colonial Societies In The Americans

-Euros used mercantilism(govts served economic interests by encouraging exports and accumulating bullion)

-Spain had few good to sell

-North American & African women were transferred, used as slaves, experienced sexual violence and abuse

-Spanish men married elite Native women

• women could collect large land territories

In The Lands of Aztecs and Incas

-Encomienda: legal system granted some Spanish settlers local natives for labor, gold, etc

-Hacienda system directly employed natives

-Social Order:

• Spaniards, Mestizos, and Indians
• Spaniards: mean at the top/few women so less role
• Mestizos: mixed races/looked down on
• separated into castes
• Indians: bottom/abused/used for labor/ women had no chance for anything

Colonies of Sugar

-occurred in Brazil(ruled by Portugal) & British/French/Dutch turned Caribbean territories into highly productive sugar colonies

-massive use of African slave labor

• horrendous conditions
• women in fields subjected to same treatment as men
• separated from families

-lots of mix races but still racism in Brazil

-N.A. slaves had somewhat less harsh treatment & reproduce themselves but Brazil had many more free slaves

Week One: Not As Obvious As It Seems

When discussing the early modern era of 1450-1750, it is normal to think of topics such as the Scientific Revolution, European control, liberation, etc. However, it is intriguing to realize the fact that these developments were not as predictable back then. 

While Europe did have power, it was not nearly as strong as it would later come to be. China and Japan had control of European missionaries and merchants and African authorities set the terms for slave trade. Not even their religion was impacted as it later was. It was Islam that was primarily spread. 

Keeping this in mind when picturing ourselves in this time, there would be know way to know for certain that Europe would rise to the superior role. 

This thought also applies to other aspects, but because of their uncertainties, many would argue the early modern era to be a late agrarian era. 

There was no way to assume that modern industrialization would even occur. Gender equality was not a present idea. Women were still treated lesser than men. Many countries, including Europe, China, and India, continued to live in occurrence to their individual long-established ways and traditional principles. 

As we look at history now, we already know what is going to occur. Yet the most interesting thought to me was the idea that these early people had no clue on how their society would develop, the same way we do not know how our society will modernize and progress.