History Worksheet

1) What was The Great Dying? Cite examples and details from the historical record in your response. Could this be considered a genocide? Why/ why not?

 

            The great dying refers to the rapid decline of the indigenous population in the Americas chiefly as a result of disease imported by Europeans. The Native Americans were isolated from Africa and Eurasia by geography, and as a result did not carry immunity to many diseases. At the start of European contact with the indigenous people it is estimated that the population of the Americas was 60-80 million. This number declined quickly by about 90 percent (Strayer, 2016, p. 558-559). I would not consider this a genocide. I don’t know that the Europeans had an understanding that the illnesses they brought to the Americas would impact the native population differently than it did themselves. I think for the term genocide to be applied there needs to be intent. 

 

2) What did native Siberians and native Americans have in common in terms of their experiences with Europeans during the early Modern period?

 

            Much like the Native Americans, the Native Siberian population was decimated by the incursion of Europeans. In 1861, around 13 million Russians and Ukranians immigrated to Siberia. By the end of the 19^thcentury, the native Siberian population was only about 10 percent of what it had been at the start of the mass immigration. This is almost identical to the impact on the native population of the Americas, and both were a result of Europeanization (Strayer, 2016, p. 757). 

 

3) Discuss the history and impact of the Indian Ocean trade network (the Sea Roads) from the Classical to Modern periods. 

 

            The predominant forces in the Indian Ocean quickly became the Dutch and English operating trading post empires. Although the Dutch were more apt to control trade and commerce through warfare, the British didn’t have the means to do this. Instead, they worked through bribery, and came to have several large port cities in India. The English Influence over India was a direct result of the Sea Roads, and the East India Trading Company. Eventually commercial influence turned to actual political rule and colonization. This continues to have long lasting impacts on both Indian and British culture, as well as the rest of the world (Strayer, 2016, p.608). 

 

4) Look at the pie chart titled “The Destinations of Slaves” on page 627 of our textbook. What might people find surprising about the percentages of slaves who disembarked in different parts of the Americas? What factors explain why the percentages were this way?

 

            I think as an American when I think about slavery, I think about my nation. I think like I was, many people would be surprised to know that the greatest majority of slaves went to Brazil and the Caribbean, with only a fractional number landing in Mainland North America. The type of labor played a heavy role in the demand for slaves in Brazil and the Caribbean. The sugar plantations took a high toll on the lives of slaves. Additionally, female slaves gave birth at a much lower rate everywhere but mainland North America. Beyond that, in other locations, children born to slaves were sometimes born free. These factors meant more slaves were needed in these locations to replace the ones that died so often. 

 

5) What does Strayer mean by the “echoes of Atlantic Revolutions”? Cite examples and details from the historical record in your response. Are the Atlantic Revolutions still echoing in the 21^stCentury?

 

            The American, Haitan, French, and Spanish American revolutions inspired people around the world. The echo specifically references how these events impacted events around the world directly, as well as inspiring social reform around the world. The first echoes of these revolutions were the Atlantic revolutions that immediately followed the American Revolutionary War.

             It is easy to see if you look at the interchange between the locations. Thomas Jefferson was the Ambassador to France just prior to the French Revolution, Simon Bolivar is known to have visited Haiti twice (Strayer, 2016, p.699). Beyond that, many of the inspired ideas for the revolutions came from the European enlightenment. Strayer wrote about a commonly held belief in the revolutions that conditions could be improved by human actions. This helped to deteriorate the belief that monarchs ruled by some heavenly mandate. Instead the belief was that the power to rule was with the people (Strayer, 2016). Additionally, these revolutions helped to inspire the feminist movement (Strayer, 2016, p.725), and later the equal rights movement. 

            These revolutions are absolutely still echoing today. If we examine the many locations France colonized and ruled in the time period following the revolution, it is easy to watch these reverberations in real time. Turn on the news and however misguided, watch Americans railing about their personal rights to die in a Pandemic because the government needs to reflect the beliefs of the people. 

            

 

 

6) What did feminists and abolitionists have in common? How and why did they sometimes work together? 

 

            Feminists and abolitionists both believed in the equality of all people. Both movements gained significant momentum following the Atlantic Revolutions. These two groups sometimes worked together because the causes were intrinsically tied together. The idea essentially was that if you were a woman, or a man of color, you were worth less than a white man. Everyone except white men was somehow less than. Both the feminist movement and the abolitionist movement promoted the idea that all men (and women) were created equally. 

 

 

8) What was the Industrial Revolution? Where and when did it begin? Discuss its long-term significance to people, cities and the planet.

 

            The Industrial Revolution first took hold in 1750 in Britian (Strayer, 2016, p.738). This revolution rose out of the Scientific Revolution, and was the point where humans became reliant on non-renewable energy sources and moved away from renewable energy sources like wind, water, animal and manpower (Strayer, 2016, p.738). This also marked the first time that man really shaped the environment around him instead of bending to it. The largest impact of this revolution was of course environmental, causing contamination of water sources, deforestation, and large scale climate change (Strayer, 2016, p.739). There was almost a great economic impact. The advent of steam powered engines, assembly lines and textile factories forever changed the economies of the world. Cotton goods long produced in India could be manufactured more locally. These factories and mills also pulled people away from their small farms. Unable to support themselves, families crowded into cities to toil for low wages. 

            The inventions that drove the economy also drove more inventions. It invited the idea that nothing was ever as good as it could be. Although this was great for scientific and technological breakthroughs, in my opinion this is what began to drive consumerism. Look at everyone who needs to newest, best phone, newer car, better clothes. 

 

9) Chapter 18 contains some powerful images. Why do you suppose Strayer chose to include these specific images? How do they illustrate concepts introduced in this chapter? Choose one image and a) describe it, b) explain how it illustrates a concept from the chapter, and c) give your general thoughts about the image, as you might do in the context of a small in-class discussion group. The images you can choose from are (your version of the textbook may use different titles and page numbers):

            An American View of British Imperialism (p.790)

            European Racial Images (p.791)

            Map 18.2 Conquest and Resistance in Colonial Africa (p.796)

            Colonial Violence in the Congo (p.803)

            The Educated Elite (p.815)

 

            It might be cliché, but I think it is true. A picture is worth a thousand words. I believe that Strayer chose to include these images to really drive home points about the brutality of colonialism, racism, slavery, and the Europeanization of the world. Experiences impact us in on different levels. I have seen people wounded and killed. That’s what I’m going to call the top level of spectatorship here. Next, is images of that event, and then hearing about it. 

            I chose Colonial Violence In the Congo from p. 803. This image shows two boys, both missing their right hand. They were cut off as a punishment for their village not meeting demands of their colonial overlords. This image is representative of forced labor and how Europeans coerced free labor from people in Africa, essentially carrying on the European tradition of slavery. The image is very powerful. I already knew quite a bit about the history of Africa as a result of a Swahili immersion program I studied in for a year in Washington DC. Congo is slightly outside of that area of specialization, but many of the impacts of Europeans were similar. The man from who I learned Swahili grew up colonial Tanzania. He spoke of growing up malnourished, never having enough food, and having very little opportunity. Despite all of this, he went on to have a PHD in Social Science, and even serve under President George Bush Senior assisting in the American response the East African AIDS crisis. When I see the little boys in this picture, I think of Mzee. What if he had been a victim of one of these camps. Beyond the humanity of treating another human this way, we all would have lost so much from not ever hearing what he had to say. Imagine what the world was robbed of by never hearing the smothered voices of all the lost Africans.