Marcus Aurelius Explain Everything Project

Marcus Aurelius Biography

Here is the link:

https://docs.google.com/a/bps121.org/document/d/1eP1kTM0AP3wN0NjxlEhDiVXGVmriVqsfJTMHcbUCBFU/edit?usp=drive_web

Kwame Nkrumah Italicized Question pg. 1112

Nkrumah's call for African unity instead of fragmentation reflects the tensions between decolonization and the ongoing cold war in that in each conflict, the less prominent idea struggles to overcome the idea of higher prominence.  For example, Nkrumah asks for unity despite the heavily prevalent division in the African continent.  Also, the colonies desire for independence even though with the cold war, the superpowers and nations of greater influence, such as France and Great Britain, want to retain these colonies.  In Nkrumah's case, he battles with the people who feel unity is impossible with the different ethnicities, cultures, and ideas in Africa.  The colonies struggle with the colonizers who wish to hold control of these areas under their power.  Nkrumah also portrays the distaste that the colonies have towards the superpowers.  He wants to build a great nation based on trust and hope rather than on fear and suspicion.  He also stresses the division within the world due to the cold war and that African harmony can provide an example for the entire globe.

Effectiveness of Conclusion of War

The causes I identified for World War II were the harsh punishment of Germany after World War I, which gave rise to Hitler's radical ways and followers, and the subsequent aggression by Germany on other nations. This aggression was also used by Japan and Italy, which then led to the onset of a global war. The formation of the United Nations after WWII helped to resolve the cause of aggressive behavior by countries. However, the division of Germany and occupations of it by the U.S., Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union might not have resolved the WWII cause, German punishment. Considering the split of Germany resulted in two opposing sides, capitalism and communism, then this may also lead to aggressions and a later war. Also, the differences between the two superpowers of the U.S. and the Soviet Union can lead to future aggressions and thus, may not have resolved this cause.

Map for before World War I

Change and Continuity with Evidence for World War I

A change in the world between pre-World War I and post-World War 1 is that Europe developed new boundaries and thus, new countries. A continuity between these two time periods is that Africa remained predominantly British colonies.

Change Evidence:
- Austria-Hungary empire before; Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Yugoslavia after
- Romania's boundary expands northern border after WWI into previous Austria-Hungary region
- Russia's western border turns into Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Poland

Continuity Evidence:
- colony of Sudan before and after World War I belongs to Britain
- colony of Egypt stays with Britain before and after war

Reasons Why:
The change occurred because the empires that lost parts of their respective regions were all in a decline after the war. In order to restore peace and keep a balance of power in Europe, these new boundaries and countries were established.

Africa remained predominantly British colonies because after the war, prominent and imperial countries in the world were resolved to put in agendas that would help in limiting future potential large-scale wars. As a result, none of these other types of countries had time to change the colonizing scheme in Africa.

Map for after World War I

Ottomans, Safavids, Mughals, Tokugawa Japan, and Ming/Qing China

The Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals were similar to Tokugawa Japan and Ming/Qing China in that they all attempted to isolate themselves from the outside world. This idea was similar amongst the societies because they all valued stability within their political and social structures rather than outside cultural influence.

The Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals were different from Tokugawa Japan and Ming/Qing China in that the Columbian Exchange, specifically the introduction of American crops, had a lesser effect in regards to population growth in the Islamic empires. This occurred because Islamic empires relied more on the traditional crops established in their regions as well as the use of traditional agriculture methods. They did not try to use the American food crops to enhance their diets like the people of Tokugawa Japan and Ming/Qing China did. The demographic growth in the Islamic empires was stagnant and barely rose for each empire.

Reason for Placing Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Dynasties

The textbook grouped the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals together because the structure of their dynasties, such as politics and economics, are very similar. All three descended from semi-nomadic Turks and therefore, follow the same steppe traditions. As the realms and expanses of individual kingdoms as well as their influences do not match those of the previous larger empires, such as the Romans, Byzantines, Persians, and the Chinese dynasties, Bentley and Ziegler have decided to group specific smaller kingdoms of later times. In the future, we will see in the textbook that kingdoms of similar structure and origin will be placed together in order to follow this ideal. This differs from the previous presentation in that the empires are not talked about individually despite the fact that they occupied different regions.

Pg. 748 Fabian Fucan Question

In Fabian Fucan's attack on Christianity, the religious aspects include that it will overthrow the Buddhas and the gods of Japan. He also targets the religion's desire to promote their faith in every area of Japan and he criticizes their martyrdom. Cultural aspects are that people of Christian faith will overtake the country, force Japanese inhabitants to lose their customs, and impose Christians' customs on them. The historical aspects are his inclusion of how Christian believers have usurped the countries of the Philippines and Mexico. Political aspects include that Christianity will take away the gods of Japan who have provided the Imperial Dignity for generations of rulers. Additionally, he implies that it will take away the Three Divine Regalia (symbols of rule received from the gods). Also, the idea that they will usurp Japan can be considered a political aspect. Social aspects are that the religion will take away the customs of Japanese society and force the members of the society to be sectarians.

Reason for Qianlong's Tone

The point of view of Qianlong towards King George is arrogant and condescending. The reason for this point of view is because Qianlong believes he is the "Son of Heaven", and therefore, believes he is better than King George. There can only be one "Son of Heaven" and that person is Qianlong; as a result, he feels he has the power of God and heaven behind him. He also has been treated by eunuchs all his life in a large palace and thus, feels no need to act nicely towards others. He thinks he is incredibly extravagant and can just give orders.

Summaries for Paragraphs of Qianlong's Letter

In the first paragraph, Qianlong seems to be snotty about his society's possessions and feels as if he is higher and better than King George.

In the second paragraph, Qianlong again stresses his civilization's superiority in comparison to King George's inferiority. Qianlong does not want England to participate any further in the grand abundance of China.

In the third paragraph, Qianlong directly announces his refusal to accept King George's offerings regarding trade. He sees England as being irresponsible for asking for such impossible requests.

In the final paragraph, Qianlong emphasizes the need for England to obey his trade regulations. If they do not, their merchants will be punished.

Map of Ming and Qing Dynasties

History has Value

History can help people predict what will occur in the future. Based on the instance with the Ming and Qing dynasties, the history of the earlier dynasties can be utilized accurately to predict what could happen. Gilad's prediction that the bureaucracy in the Ming and Qing dynasties will increase and that a dynastic imperial monarchy will continue was correct. He used what occurred in history, which was the use of this type of government in previous Chinese dynasties and the increase in population, to make his prediction. I was also accurate in my prediction that Neo-Confucianism and a patriarchal society will persist. Similar to Gilad, it was based on the history of the earlier Chinese dynasties. Since a patriarchy and Neo-Confucianism were prevalent during these dynasties, I assumed that they would continue. Kaitlyn was also correct with her prediction regarding an increase in population. Her basis was that population continued at a steady rate in the previous dynasties, so she guessed that it would increase at the same rate in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Comparison between Actuality and Prediction of Gender and Religion in Ming and Qing

My prediction for religion was that Neo-Confucianism would continue into these two societies, which did coincide with what actually happened. However, I was inaccurate with saying that there would be more influence from Christianity and Islam. Christianity only had few converts and there was no mention of Islam in these dynasties. On the other hand, I was partially right in saying that Christianity would try to receive more converts.

For gender, I had predicted that a patriarchal society would continue and this was accurate. It in fact became further entrenched during these two dynasties. The reason for this structure's continuation and Neo-Confucianism's continuation was because previous dynasties also followed these. Based on the earlier dynasties, China seems to follow the same pattern, so therefore, it makes sense for the Ming and Qing to continue using a patriarchy and Neo-Confucianism.

What happens next? in Ming and Qing Dynasties with Gender and Religion

Based on the fact that a patriarchal society has lasted for many generations of dynasties and the idea that dynasties have thus repeated what previous ones have done in regards to gender, the Ming and Qing will most likely follow this same gender structure. In regards to religion, the increased influence in China from Europeans and Muslims as they augment trading excursions there will lead to more attempts to convert people to Christianity and Islam. However, Neo- Confucianism will probably remain as the main religion/philosophy because of its continuation from the Sui to the Yuan dynasty.

Review Game ch 21-26

Here is the link:

http://jeopardylabs.com/play/chapters-21-26

Reaction to Slavery and African Charts/Graphs

The first graph illustrates the increase in the African population from the 1500s to the 1800s, an augmentation of about 30 million. The increase seems to be steady from year to year. The second graph contains the number of African slaves exported in each century, from the 16th to the 18th. It shows a huge jump from the 17th to the 18th century with an approximate increase of 30000 slaves exported. The final graph demonstrates the regions in which the African slaves were exported to in the western hemisphere. The Caribbean received an amount of slaves just about equal to the amounts that Brazil, Central/South America, and North America all acquired.

From the graphs, I found the most surprising thing to be the continuous increase in the African population, even during the times of increased slave exportation. The first two graphs seem to be contradictory because common sense says that with the more slaves leaving Africa, especially since almost all of them were males, the population should decrease. The first two graphs help to add to the contents of the textbook. The population growth graph supports the book's information about how that despite the slave trade, population rose because of the enriched diets the Africans received from American food crops. The slave export graph defends the book's information that the 18th century was the highest point of the slave trade, in regards to the amount of slaves sent out from Africa. The destination of slaves chart does not coincide with what the book provides. The graph shows that the Caribbean acquired the largest amount of slaves, yet this region of the world is not discussed as strongly in the book as the Portuguese colony of Brazil and the Spanish colonies of Mexico and those in South America.

Comments on Classmates' Social Hierarchy Charts

Hey Holly! I was just thinking that it might make the chart clearer if you made an indication of the status and power.  Also, I know Portugal had different types of mixed parentage so you may have wanted to indicate those or make a separate Portugal chart with those mixes.

- Mark

Hey Lawrence, I like your flowcharts because they can be easily read and I can clearly follow them.  Also, it was a good idea to make the top levels a different  color so they stand out.  You may, though, have wanted to put more information about the role of women in the social hierarchies they applied to.

-Mark

Social Hierarchy Chart French Colonies

Social Hierarchy Chart English Colonies

Social Hierarchy Chart Portuguese Colonies

Social Hierarchy Chart Spanish Colonies

Reason for Differences between Political and Economic Changes for Spain and Portugal

The differences, in regards to economics and politics, between the Spanish colonies and the Portuguese colonies resulted because Spain had a larger region to govern with more environmental barriers in the way. As a result, they had to appoint viceroys and create courts known as audiencias to control the vast region. The difficulty with moving and communicating caused many of the viceroys to lose control over specific areas and it thus, fell into the hands of the audiencias and town councils. As for Portugal, it was possible to send only a governor to take on government affairs because of the increased ability to travel through just one region. Also, Portugal may have experienced their changes quicker because they were in competition with Spain and therefore, needed to match them after their conquest in Mexico and South America. The economic changes could have occurred because of the differing landforms in each country's colonies. Portuguese colonies were best suited for sugar plantations while Spanish colonies worked well with agriculture and new cities.

Voice Thread Review

Title: Not a great app Nickname: Celtic 33

Review: It crashes. I couldn't use it for a whole day because every action I tried resulted in it crashing. It needs a shorter, clearer, and concise tutorial to explain how to use and make a voice thread. Sharing options are limited on the app, and I had to use the website for more effective and efficient sharing. I disliked how when I intended to draw on just one slide, it appeared on all the slides. However, I like how it allows you to comment directly on another person's voice thread.

Explorers VoiceThread Project Rusticello da Pisa

https://voicethread.com/share/4087831/

Christopher Columbus and Response to Essay pgs. 594-595

Based on this essay, this coming era will change in that cultural interactions will now take place on a more global network, meaning that now the western hemisphere and Oceania will be more involved with the eastern hemisphere than before. Also, there will be much more contact between these areas in comparison to previous eras. In addition, Europe will be play a more dominant role in this period, looking to increase settlements in the east and west while their competitors, such as China and the Islamic states, limit outside influence. During this era, people will still interact commercially, culturally, and biologically through the spread of disease. They will also continue to establish trade routes to link the different parts of the globe. In addition, African slaves will remain as a source of labor, specifically for the Europeans who wish to send the slaves to the western hemisphere. Despite Europe's advances, they will not be as powerful as the other significant societies, such as China and India, since Europe will not appear as a threat to them.

There is a myth about Christopher Columbus in order to enhance his character. It is used to hide the fact that he mistreated and killed the tribes of the islands he discovered. He also appears more heroic through the myth since it draws out sympathy towards him. Based upon this fictitious story, we perceive him as being unappreciated and poor after presenting his findings. As a result, we feel sorry for Columbus because what he found was important and he deserved credit for it. However, in truth, the Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, did provide rewards for Columbus's discoveries. He also was very wealthy after he finished voyaging. Even without the myth, Columbus can still be seen as a hero, but just as a hero with flaws. Every person has their faults, but it does not take away from the point that Columbus was the first to publicly display his discoveries of a "New World", which would in turn lead to other explorers to search the region as well. The myth's primary purpose is to hide the morally and politically corrupt actions of Columbus in order to make him appear more laudable.

We have a holiday for Columbus because even though he did not land on the North American continent, his venture into the west and discovery of the Caribbean islands and Central America led to other explorers to do the same. As a result of Columbus, explorers sailed into the western hemisphere and discovered South and North America. His well-documented and publicized accounts of his journey opened the doors for continued travel by other Europeans. In addition, we celebrate his courage in pursuing his notion of a westerly trade route to Asian markets. We also commend the fact that because he publicly presented his travels, he discovered the beginnings of a new continent for peoples of the eastern hemisphere. Additionally, we observe his bravery in publicly venturing into an area where he and other Europeans did not have much information on.

Questions about Map on Battuta and Polo

Based on the map and their travels, Ibn Battuta and Marco Polo are not typical of their people of their time period. Most people living during this time did not have the ability to travel such long distances. Also, traveling to such distant lands would require time and resources that most people during this era did not have access to. This would include boats for travel and a consistent supply of food. As a result, people in this period did not move around nearly as much as Battuta and Polo did. However, these two people can be considered as being more typical to this current time period. With a mode of transportation known as airplanes, people can travel as far as Battuta and Polo did. Based upon this reason, the fact that they could move to such lengths as they did suggests that they relate more to people of present time. In addition, most people did not venture as individuals during Battuta and Polo's era because it was frankly not possible due to the numerous things needed such as time and even knowledge, which basically means knowing where one is going and how to get there safely. On the other hand, many people nowadays travel around the globe on their own ready to experience all parts of the world.

Map of Oceania

Crusades Project Bibliography

Bibliography

Carroll, Vincent, and Thomas F. Madden. "The Crusades and Islam." Crethi Plethi The Middle East. N.p., 19 Dec. 2009. Web. 10 Jan. 2013. (Crusades picture)

"Crusades." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2013.

de la Sierra, Joaquin. "The Second Crusade." Medievality.com. N.p., 29 Nov. 2008. Web. 9 Jan. 2013.

"First Crusade." Medieval Life and Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Jan. 2013.

 

My Final Crusades Project

To access my project, simply click on the link below:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/119884441/The-Crusaders-Weekly

Crusades Project Journal Day 4

Today, I finished up my project by completing my newspaper article, perfecting its content and format.  I also created my bibliography and finalized my comments on other classmates’ posts.  In regards to my article, to avoid any confusion, the enlarged quotes in the middle of the text are not directly taken from any of the sources.  Rather, they were created by me based on the information I compiled from my resources.  To answer the final question for the blog journaling, my choice for displaying my project did work as I envisioned.  The format came out as I expected, with the quotes as the key features.  Also, I felt my titles turned out to be good even though I had trouble with them before.  As for content, it was exactly as I anticipated.  Everything flowed and I covered a different response a Muslim would have felt during the Crusades based on the events of the People’s Crusade, First Crusade, and Second Crusade.  It even worked so well that I could use my last sentence, which ties the whole article up, to reference the overall feelings of the Muslims, according to my research.   

Search Engines for My Websites

This site covers all the crusades and I used sweetsearch to get it: http://www.history.com/topics/crusades.

http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/crusades/first-crusade.htm focues on the First Crusade and the People's Crusade.  I found it through Yahoo.

 

http://www.medievality.com/second-crusade.html focuses solely on the Second Crusade and was found by using Google.

Comment on Student's Post 3

Hey Harsh,

I like the idea of creating a video using Xtranormal.  That should work really well in depicting the feelings of the Muslims during the Crusades. Just make sure to make the commentary interesting so it does not feel like it's dragging on. It appears you have good, solid information so it should come out well.

-Mark Whitney

Comment on Student's Post 2

Hey Ryan,

If you need a good site for the People's Crusade, try looking at this:

http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/crusades/first-crusade.htm

-Mark Whitney

Crusades Project Journal Day 3

As I continue to add to it, my idea for showing my understanding is working well as of now.  I also added to my research through the search engine, yahoo, by finding a site on the People's Crusade and the First Crusade.  I have come to a final decision about the three Crusades I will use as evidence.  They include, as mentioned above, the People's Crusade and the First Crusade, as well as the Second Crusade.  For the Second Crusade, I was able to find research by using Google.  I choose it because it allows my article to flow better since these three occurred all in a row.  Also, the events of the Crusade, in which the Crusaders were defeated, as well as the fact that it was a failure made this crusade a worthy candidate to extract a Muslim perspective. The only problems that have occurred were coming up with intriguing titles for the newspaper and article.  Based on my research, Google worked the best for me probably because I am so familiar with it in comparison to yahoo, bing, and sweetsearch.  Also, at least for me, there did not appear to be much of a difference when I used another search engine other than Google.  As a result, I went back to the one I am most comfortable with.

Comment on Student's Post

Hey Jonathan,

In class, you said you were having trouble coming up with an idea to display your project.  So just to offer you a possible method, you could try and make a magazine article to explain the Muslim perspective.  Also, I found a pretty good site on the Crusades, which has information on your three crusades: http://www.history.com/topics/crusades.  Hope it helps.

-Mark Whitney

Crusades Project Journal Day 2

I have decided to definitely use the First Crusade as one of the three crusades I will focus on to provide my support.  Also, I am pretty sure that for the other two, I will choose the People's Crusade and the Eighth Crusade.  I already explained in my last post  why I will include the First and Eighth Crusades.  For the People's Crusade, I find it possible to extract possible feelings Muslims might have had since it was such an embarrassment for the Europeans.  I was able to find two quality sites from the Google and sweetsearch search engines.  They gave interesting information about the crusades I may use that would fit well in explaining the Muslim perspective of these wars.  In addition, I began to create my display for depicting my understanding of the topic.  I am continuing with the idea of making a newspaper article because I can utlilize the idea of interviewing Muslims and reporting on their thoughts of the Crusades.  They will not be real people but rather people I make up who will provide information and quotes based on the research I find.  In my previous post, I mentioned difficulties with my research, but after refining my search, I was able to find good resources much easier and quicker.

Crusades Project Journal Day 1

I have officially begun the Crusades project today. My idea for the method of displaying the criteria is through creating a newspaper/magazine article. This piece would include a report in which someone interviewed a group of Muslims about their thoughts on the Crusades. It will also include important quotes, which will be clearly portrayed. In addition, I started researching by trying out some of the search engines. In my attempts to use google, yahoo, and sweetsearch, I had some difficulty finding sites that would benefit me for this assignment. They either did not appear credible or did not address exactly what I intended for the search. Also, each search engine seemed to produce almost the exact same sites, making them equal in their lack of benefits. I, therefore, decided to use one of the library databases to find a resource, which proved to be more effective. I am not completely set on which Crusades I will use as examples. I am thinking about using the First Crusade because it appears to have provided the greatest negative impact on the Muslims. I may also use the Eighth Crusade since it is here when the Muslims finally defeated the Europeans and took back the last "Crusader state".

Questions about Postclassical Sub-Saharan Africa Map

The map did not include a better key, all kingdoms with space and color, and religion because the mapmakers, even though they should avoid bias, want to elicit the same opinion of Africa from their viewers that they themselves have. They only put in what they perceived as important despite the fact that we could find other concepts just as or even more significant. It also seems that they did not want us to think too much about the map because it was so simple. Also, to put in easiest terms, these mapmakers may just have been too lazy to incorporate everything indicated in the text book about the continent.

The map portrays a false depiction of Africa during the time period indicated. As a result, the viewer's understanding of this continent is flawed since key pieces of information regarding this area are omitted. For example, religions of the kingdoms are not incorporated and in fact, some kingdoms are not clearly identified. Africa is portrayed in a way that causes the viewer to believe that Africa was minimal in its importance in comparison to the rest of the world. The mapmakers did not show, frankly, any routes going out of Africa, and in the one instance where they did, the route did not point to a specific continent. Also, the absence of more kingdoms indicates that the mapmakers believed they were less significant and as a result, the viewer feels the same. However, this is not true because based on our additions, the other empires not clearly depicted were extremely important, especially in regards to trade and religion. These empires and cities not included in the key had large amounts of exports, mostly in gold and slaves. Also, they adopted new religions such as Christianity and Islam, which helped to shape Africa. This concept was not indicated on the original map. As a result of these additions, our understanding of Africa changes to a more correct outlook on the region.

Fixed Map: Sub-Saharan Africa, 800-1500 C.E. Kingdoms, Empires, and city-states

How I want my Life's Story Told

I would want my history to be told using song and dance because text book form or simply bullet points containing facts is dull and uninteresting. By presenting the story of my life using a more lively and entertaining method, my history appears more intriguing. Also, people would remember a song and dance more because they are catchy and easier to recollect. Song and dance make my life's story more impressive because someone took the time to relay the facts of my life into a memorable performance instead of just listing them with bullet points. Also, it takes more effort to create this type of storytelling, which makes me feel more important. In addition, dance allows my story to be told worldwide and to every person because one does not have to be literate in order to understand it. This does not include song because of the different language barriers. Most importantly, by knowing that more and more people will remember this interesting way of storytelling, my life's history will last longer and well beyond my years.

Sub-Saharan Africa, 800-1500 C.E. Kingdoms, Empires, and city-states