The Great Wars

It is amazing to me to see how society can change so drastically over a small period of time. Last class we discussed the effects of imperialism on other nations. It is interesting to read the effects of Imperialism on European nations. The term Nationalism is very interesting because this term truly was the root to all the terror to come during these major wars. I personally find it hypocritical when looking how Britain, France and Russia treated Germany, Austria and Italy. Actually I feel frustrated with all of these nations. After these European nations went out and destroyed the world with their ideals I found it rather ironic how they turned on each other. When reading about passed the Enlightenment era and humanism, it really leads someone to see the potential in the human race. But seeing how humans have destroyed each other over insecurities, and national is just a disgrace. Seeing how the Nazis treated the Jews is something that made me so mad. What I am also upset about is that none of the so called Allied countries helped out these people until it was too late. The Nazi rise of superior peoples is still an after affect that can be seen in Europeans today. It’s really hard to read how chemical warfare worsened the human existences. Seeing how Nazis killed Jewish people in means of concentrations camps and gas chambers makes me feel sick to my stomach. But what is also just as frustrating is seeing how America dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese people. And it really makes you think how the prospect of war changed in this era. I feel that the term “causality of war” was termed after the WW2 because the death counts of countless civilians. It’s sad when people are powerless because of the actions of their governments on the road for greed and power.

Slavery

Three important events that stood out to me during this week’s readings were the Colonial societies, and the Atlantic Slave Trade. I have taken many histories classes in my life time during each of those classes I have been frustrated during the topics of colonialism and slavery. Just like we discussed in class generations of Europeans after the Black Death really did change their ways of thinking. I see the importance of traveling to new lands and persevering their future generations. But what makes me upset is the treatment of the ingenious people of those lands they have conquered. For example it was interesting to see the differences between the settlements of Spanish America and North America. In South America, the Spaniards intergraded with the native people and different mixed raced civilizations arose. Even in Brazil, when Africans came there still was a huge mixed race population. But that different in Caribbean and the south in America. When comparing the different societies you can see how race has become a factor in this modern age. Because women came along later, Europeans did not feel the need to mate with black slaves. But I am still very frustrated on how the Europeans extorted the Native Americans out of their lands. They wiped out huge populations of them. And they got cheap labor out of Africa. The book at times made seem like it was good thing for slavery because it connected Europe, Africa and America. But the effects of slavery are notions of racism that are still prevalent to day in America and South America.

The Late Classical Era

The common understanding of a road is a path that transports items. When looking at the roads in history they did not only transport items but different ways of life. I am really amazed at how societies changed and flourished with the creation of certain trades across different lands. Each of the roads:  silk road, the sea road and sand road brought not only goods but religion and a way of thinking. I am very intrigued about by religion traveling among the roads. I was surprised in reading how these roads brought a different way of thinking to different peoples. When looking at these systems it makes me think about today and our ways of trading. Many of these civilizations had a dualistic relationship on giving and taking. But when thinking about America and China for example today I feel differently on our trade. It seems that roads then differ now because America is so dependent on the goods from China. These days when you look at anything manufactured it is from china and it’s interesting to see how America lives on this cheap labor. It seems that we through cheap labor we manufacture less and import more.

Looking at the readings in china I really enjoyed reading about the different affect that China had on Vietnam, Japan and Korea. I think it is amazing how China’s influence over these three civilizations can differ from different groups of people. What they all had in common is that they did not assimilate into the Chinese culture. Out of the three the most astounding civilization was Japan. Japan was able to maintain its culture due to the 100 mile distance from Japan and China. The Japanese were able to learn adapted some culture from China at the same time retain their own. I believe the term “history repeats itself” can be used when describing Japan’s history and present. The same nature Japan used to preserve its culture with China was also used when American influence came to Japan much later.

I see myself as a devout Catholic who believes in the teachings of my church. But when reading about the history of Christianity in the late classical era I find myself embarrassed to call myself a Christian. The Crusades have to be one of the biggest shames on the Christian church. The Crusades claimed to obtain the holy land where Jesus lived. But the crusades brought destruction on all groups of people. I feel that it was hypocritical for the crusades to begin and continue. As a Christian, Jesus’ message was “to love thy enemy”. But the crusade’s contradicted that exact message. These wars fueled hatred between different regions around the world. The major conflict was between the Christian and Islamic world. Historians may claim that the crusades are over but this fighting is still present today in Jerusalem.

The Original Affluent Society

The original affluent society is a term given to the first people living in the Paleolithic Era. As I was reading the phrase above struck a cord in me. In today's society affluence is determined by the amount of wealth you have over others. But affluence is different in this context. Here affluence is represented through leisure and responsibility free lifestyle of the gatherer-hunter. I really like how Strayer uses the term gatherer- hunter. One of my issues with history in general is that it always seemed very biased. History would always have a certain bias but a lot of it is Eurocentric and male based. Many men in the past have had the opportunity of an education and have been able to write history in their own perspectives. What I like about Strayer is that he tries to make the viewer see somewhat of the whole picture. By placing gatherer in front of hunter in the text represents the importance of women at that time. The diets of Homo sapiens were 70% plant based and 30% animal based. Throughout society men have always been put before women as the providers of the household. What I find ironic is the idea of the gatherer-hunter. In this society women were the bread winners by bringing the majority of food for the household. The hunters wouldn't really hunt but scavenge for dead animals. In this system, there were no specific roles for people. Everyone did the same work and as a result created an egalitarian society. I find it fascinating how this group of people lived for about 96% of this duration of human kind. These people lived in a very civil way for so long but it doesn't seem that the eras that came after them learned much from their system of living. One thing that I also found interesting is the fact that humans were the first of its kind to migrate and live in all different continents. 

Religion

One thing that I found very interesting from the readings was the occurrence of religion. But what was intriguing about this is a numerous amount of religions that all emerged around the same time. This emergence of religion was very significant for the human race because it shaped thinking and values for many different people. When you look at the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras one can see that the mindset of the time was about survival. As you reach the first wave of the Classical era there are some groups of people such as the Greeks who worshiped their gods. But as the second wave of the Classical era began there was a numerous amount of religions from different regions. I was surprised that so many religions could emerged around the same time. It seems that it can be blamed on human nature.  It seemed that the Iron Age helped cities to grow and trade to flourish. This era gave way to different ways of thinking about the meaning of life. 

Class & Gender Roles

It made me intrigued to see how communities from different eras defined the roles of gender and classes. I was surprised that during the agricultural era that men and women were scene as equal. The book stated that men and women had different roles but never saw themselves as each others subordinates. I was impressed that in this time men and women could switch roles (hunting and gathering) and would feel indifference from it. The book stated how women worked as farmers and that this could be seen as a form as equality. When people normally think of the past with gender equality I think that this agricultural era is overlooked. I think it is overlooked because of our stigmas and biases in our current era. I believe that equality was possible because the agricultural communities worked together for their common goal: to put food on the table. But not all villages thought alike during this time. Chiefdoms were different from other agricultural societies because they introduced a basic form of government. Government causes a shift in roles of a given community. 

One upsetting thing to read about was the emergence of inequality. After the agricultural era there was a surplus of food. People were not hunting and gathering like they did in the Paleolithic era. But as urban life began specialization of jobs became common outside agriculture. This was great for the human race because it gave rise to a new way of thinking and sustainable living. This was also the turning point of equality in society. It seems that as the first civilizations grew, wealth, status and power grew as well. Because of the creation of different occupations not everyone was working on the field. Other professions such as a merchant or scholar brought more money to a person. In the agricultural communities people were working together to feed the community. But during the first civilizations, people were making money to benefit themselves. I understand how different occupations can influence a society to become more advance and prosperous for the future. What makes me upset is how the division of classes influenced a society to look down upon one another. The class system was a negative turning point in human society because it brought a division in the human race. This division in class is what influenced slavery into many civilizations. Many slaves were taken as prisoners of war or criminals. The act of owning a slave became normal for society. This level of thinking has brought this superiority complex of cultures that is still influential today. 

As a woman, it's upsetting to read about the changes of equality related to gender. As the first civilizations rose, the roles of men in society flourished. Men had a right to own property and participate in public life. As populations grew, more women became pregnant and were characterized as more nurturing individuals than men. Men were characterized as protectors of a household. This ancient way of thinking still has an influence in our society today. It's frustrating to read that this stigma on women so many years ago still has a major influence on our lives today.