reading response #6

Reading response #6

Forced Labor?

     While reading this section, there were multiple things I wanted to write on. When I read the section, and saw the picture, about the people being forced to work to cultivate cash crops, I knew I had to write about that. If there was no picture in this section, I would be less likely to write about it; however, I am such a visual learner, the picture put a thousand words in my head. The picture on page 600 depicts two young boys, each with a severed right hand. The boy on the right also looks like he has a deformity or some damage done to his left hand as well. The reason they were brutalized in this manner was because their village was unable to produce enough cash crop. In this case the cash crop in Congo at the time was wild rubber. My thoughts?? First of all, I think it is completely wrong at any time to cut off the hand of a person. I know that punishments were different in the 19^th century, but I still think that this punishment does not fir the crime. It does not make sense to me how one or two young men can be punished for the acts of an entire village. Also it does not make sense why they would cut off their hands. If the village already could not supply enough cash crop, they then would have one less hand to help in producing it the next time around.

    

     In German East Africa the cash crop of choice was cotton. Just like in Congo, production was based by villages, and each village would be given days on which they had to cultivate cotton. The working conditions were terrible. One man is quoted as saying “After arriving you all suffered very greatly. Your back and buttocks were whipped and there was no rising up once you stooped to dig.” Was it necessary for the Germans to whip the people that are picking their cotton? Absolutely not. At least not in the manner that they were treated. To me it sounds like they would get whipped not for doing anything wrong, but just to show dominance.

     Harvesting cotton like this must have had a huge effect on the rest of the crops that people were supposed to and had to produce to survive. My thoughts are that if a village had certain days where it is taken to pick cotton, that would make it nearly impossible to harvest other crops in order to survive. In 1905, the best possible thing that could have happened, did. There was a huge rebellion among the workers and that meant the Germans had to end the forced growing of cotton.

     This section absolutely blew my mind. I had no idea that body parts, such as hands were being severed just to prove a point. Now a days, I am glad that we have laws in place to prevent actions like that from happening. 

reading response #5

Reading Response #5

The Atlantic slave trade

Throughout the fifteenth century, all the way until the mid 19^th century, slaves were being shipped to the Americas by way of the middle passage. It has been estimated that over eleven million slaves were shipped during this time period. I have always been strongly against slavery and everything that it stood for, but lets take a second and ask ourselves, has slavery helped our current society? I believe the answer is yes, it has helped our current society. My reasoning on saying this is strictly my own opinion. I believe that in today’s world, in America, we have the most diverse society in the world. I do not believe that we would be even as close to diverse as we are now if we never would have had eleven million slaves come over on boats.

When I make my argument, by no means am I arguing that slavery is a good thing. Obviously, there are way more negatives that came with slavery than the lone positive of eventually making us a very diverse nation. I would love to see the later effects of how diverse we would currently be if eleven million people were not brought over and treated as slaves, but as a regular working man or woman.  If that were to be the case, then there would be more than eleven million. It has been estimated that millions of slaves were killed or died in the process of being shipped to America. Most died due to infection or being mal nourished due to the conditions in which they were shipped, often in the bottom cellars of the ships.

Some scholars will say that the development of racism began because of slavery. It has been said that because the slaves were black, and the people in America were European, this sparked racism. I do not believe that this is true, I believe the Europeans felt that they had a sense of entitlement because the Africans came here by way of slavery.

By no means in this post is my point to prove or  even say that slavery was a good thing. I believe that the act of slavery, and forcing people  into our country by way of boat is a terrible act. My point is that now, that all men are equal in America, it helped make us who we are today as one of the most diverse countries in the world. 

reading reflection 4

Reading reflection #4

A speedy empire, thanks to religion?

That sounds a little bit weird, or unexpected. When I think of how an empire is created, I think of battles, wars, fighting and conquering other nations, which the Arabs did. Shortly after the death of Muhammad, around 630, the Arabs started war with the Byzantine and Persian empires. That was the very beginning of the Arab empire. About twenty years later, the Arabs defeated the Chinese in the battle of the Talas River.

Yes, the Arabs had a fierce army, but I don’t believe their army was the biggest reason for the quick spread of their empire. I feel that the reason their empire grew so quickly was due to the rapid spread of the Islamic religion. Under Muhammad, from 622-632, Islam was wide spread through Mecca and Medina, but didn’t travel much further beyond that. After the death of Muhammad in 632, the Islamic religion spread like wild fire. One of the reasons that the religion helped the empire grow was because the merchant leaders of the Islamic communities attempted to make or obtain all of the wealthy agricultural regions, so they could grow the top products. Once they had a grip on the agricultural market, their goal was to capture the profitable trade routes. Capturing the trade routes was a great way to ensure that your empire would grow. 

Reading Response #3

Reading Response #3

What is the significance of the Black Plague?

I remember learning about the black plague and other deadly diseases such as the Bubonic plague. Naturally, as a boy, my friends and I were intrigued and would make jokes about “All of California dying of the Black Plague.” Now, I look back on those days, and am glad that did not happen. Back in the day, around 430 B.C.E there was very little or no immunity to these type of diseases. Diseases such as these would wipe out entire communities. Diseases would be spread when different communities came in contact with one another.

            The silk roads were the absolute worst thing that could happen during a time of disease. Obviously the Silk Road was a necessity during the time, but it was also the fastest way that diseases could be spread. The silk roads connected all of Eurasia not only for trades, but also kept everyone in constant contact with spreading germs and diseases. The spread of disease was one of the biggest contributors to the fall of the Roman Empire. Because of disease Byzantium was not able to reinstate Italy back into its renewed Roman Empire. If they were able to do so, the Roman Empire would have encompassed the Mediterranean basin.

            The Mongol Empire got hit the hardest by the Black Death. The Black Death was facilitated in the Mongol Empire because of much more face to face interactions with people, just like the Silk Road. So many people suffered from the Black Death that around the era of 1350 close to thirty percent of the population of Europe was suffering effect from it.