Ch.14,15, 16 Racism/mixing of people

As I read this three chapters what resigned with me the most was how from the very beginning of when Columbus set out for China, the world completely changed its tune. For many this meant New World and glory, but for others it meant destruction and the end of their Worlds. I cannot say that I don't have mixed feelings but I do. On one hand I can say that without the evasion of the Europeans there would be no mixing of people like me. I am also sad and angry to see what all these people went through on behalf of their conquerors, and I am glad that I was not born during this time. what caught my attention was that the idea of racism is really old and the discrimination that people suffered during this time was very drastic, but of course the same discrimination appears in our society as well. 

Greed and manipulation went hand and hand with both religion and those with wealth; certainly this is also true today, money can buy things such as in politics. But what doesn't make sense is how history from long time ago tells stories on how those people use to live, but yet we find that those same scenarios are happening in our Modern World today.  For instance the idea of the U.S. being involved in many of the world's problems and solutions- such as War in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and so on; this is what the traditional European approach did when they took over the world trade and commerce, and the discoveries of the Americas. Thus destroying the culture, the people and mixing new generations of people, but discriminating against them. So common today, the mixing of different cultures but yet we have seen that the U.S. has put the Japanese, Korean, and other racial groups in Intirnament camps to so call protect themselves from spies and so on. The amount of racism that was practiced before is being practiced today, the acceptance and tolerance for immigrants is the same, and the suffering of children who are mixed can be viewed in the same context as the children of Indians mixed with Spaniards, or the mixing of African Slaves and those Europeans. 

the way people were treated was unjust and un-human, animals get better treatment. this is true today still. I am just ill and sad for all that history has shown us and yet we still commit the same mistakes as our ancestors. But if we continue to act in those kinds of ways, through history we have seen that all empires and great political heads man one day will have a dooms day, and will bring down and break down what oppress those whom appear to be weak and unworthy.

classical era: 8,9,10

Leticia- Class discussion: which chapter is better than the other?

During the debates between the three groups in class, each chapter demonstrates that they are all important and you can not value one less than the other, because they all have the same value. You can't discuss one without discussing and reading the other.

My understanding of chapter 8, was that thanks to the humans from prior civilizations the exchange and trade over goods has been long established, economic globalization has been happening for many centuries. the importance of the commerce and culture during 500-1500 has shaped the way we do global exchange and commerce amongst each other in the world. the Silk Roads, Sea Roads, Sand Roads, and the networks that these humans built during their classical era gave rise to the many options to trade, move and encounter with different peoples and things. it facilitated trade, but it also helped to put a burden on exploitation of resources, slave trade and roads for enemies to fight each other. but it also gave direct connection to the various civilizations to interact with each other thus creating culture.

Ch.9: China and the World: 500-1300
China had so many things to offer the world, and they still do. Everything that we use almost all the time can be accounted to be from China. This was also the case in the Classical Era, China was so self-sufficient, that trade wasn't a priority, because they were able to take care of their population. they had so many things and had brilliant innovative technologies that enable them to prosper. they were able to produce salt, gunpowder, paper and movable printing,  without a doubt  impressed other civilizations. they the silk roads, sea roads to do commerce and trade goods.

Ch.10: the Worlds of the European: Christendom
Europe eventually became the global center of Christianity. Christianity became the faith of the majority and still to this day it remains as the highest of the religions. They also used the sea, silk, and sand roads routes to trade as well with China, West Africa, and Eastern and Western Hemisphere.Even when the Roman empire collapse, Christendom still was maintain by they many people it came into contact with.
Lords, bishops and religious orders organized  new villages in areas where their were forests and wastelands. 11th-13th century gave woman new opportunities due to the growth in the economy.
Overall they were trying to expand and conquer, which they did.

Ch.11, 12, &13

Leticia Arreola-Garcia

Islam

Malcolm X found and converted to Islam and believed that this religious faith could bring both whites and blacks together and overcome racial barriers to become one brotherhood. Islam emerged from the margins of the Mediterranean and Middle Easter Civilizations, in the remote cities and the Arabian Peninsula deserts. Although at the beginning it believed in various gods, after Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (570-632 C.E.), who is know to be the last prophet of Allah (God), the belief in many gods changed to a monotheistic faith. Full submission to Allah. Islam made its mark on various locations such as: India, Anatolia, West Africa, and Spain. Through wars and conquest of these civilizations the spread of Islam claimed profitable trading routes and agricultural regions. Islam also had conflicts within itself , with the division of the Sunni Muslims and the Shia branch of Islam. On one side the Shia invested their leaders in religious authority, and the Sunni advocated for established order, this conflict still till this century cannot be fixed, and continues to cause conflict.

Pastoral peoples: Mongols Moment

The Pastoral Nomads Societies shared many features and they also distinguished them from each other. They were nomads disdained farming while centering their economic live around their herd of animals. They domesticated plants and animals and combined farming and animal husbandry, which gave them a economic foundation and power over civilization and population. They emerged in the Afro-Eurasia, and their ability to domesticated animals was unique and impressive in their society. The organized in kinship-based groups or clans- through male line. Woman had fewer restrictions for they played a great big role in the public life as well as agriculture. Most characteristic feature that pastoral societies had was that they were very mobile. They followed seasonal changes in vegetation and source of water supply.

Chinggis Khan, was a charismatic leader who lead the Mongols to many wars and victories, which meant that they had more places to move and use up resources. Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam religions were practiced among the Mongol people, but they changed their religions to profit from political purposes. They also brought horseback ridding, horse harnesses, saddles, swords, and other complex innovations. The Mongol were able to take over many places such as: in China, Persia, Russian. They were very vicious when battling, thus killing and taking over anyone who got in their way. They also facilitated long-distance commerce, but they prompted diplomatic relationships in Eurasia. The Mongol encountered with the a Plague which was called he Black Death killing 50% to 90% of the population, this could have been the first recorded biological warfare. Although Mongol are know for being so barbarian, they also contributed to many innovations and inventions. But because they didn’t have a written language, much is hard to explain about them.

The worlds of the 15^th century

Although China sent out 300 ships and about 27,000 people they never felt that they had the need to explore other places, because they thought that China had all the resources that could self sustain them. But when Columbus set out in 3 ships, he changed the world. He brought the people of two different worlds and two hemispheres together. Bringing slave trade, decimation of natives in the Americas, massive population of people, Industrial Revolution and the growing prominence for Europeans. In the 15^th century not everything was agricultural, there were still some societies that practiced gathering hunting, and foraging still. Such as: those who lived in the northwest coast of North America, northwest Australia. There were also herding societies.

Also by the 15^th century China was one of the best-governed and prominent civilization. China did not explore to conquer out or look for trade because they thought that  it was a time and resources, for they were able to be self-sufficient and others would want to come and trade with them. Western European escaped the Mongols because the Mongols didn’t think that their land was of use, and the devastating plague gave the opportunity to re-grow the population. Europe learned to tax efficiently, create effective administrative structures and raise standing armies, which gave the rise to the Renaissance era. 1942 consequently when Columbus set our to arrive in the East he made history by finding the Americas.

The Aztecs and the Inca’s were two civilizations that flourished in Mesoamerica and in the Andes. Both came from absorbed older cultures, but decimated in the 16^th century by the Spanish conquers. Aztecs were semi nomadic group from Mexico who were loosely structured they had constant warfare amongst each other and practice human sacrifice. They developed canals, dikes, causeways and bridges, and had build temple pyramids. The Incas, expanded from the west coast of the South America to the Andes Mountains. They incorporated from the Chavin, Moche, Nazca, and Chimu civilizations. Both the Aztec and Inca rose from rags-to-richest stories.

The European Scientific Revolution and the Industrial  Revolution shaped the world, no one knew that by Columbus exploring America and finding all of the things he did, the world would’ve been a different place.