The Protestant Reformation

     The Protestant Reformation transformed European society, culture, and politics in many ways.  As said in the book, it expressed a variety of political, economic, social tensions, and religious differences.  Martin Luther started the Ninety Five Theses which dramatically changed the mind set and rebel against the Catholic Church.  It is remarkable how one mans word changed and started this conflict between the Protestant and Catholics.  It peaks my curiosity to learn about the Protestant religion and how it differs from the Catholic beliefs because I am a Catholic myself.  The Protestant reformation brought awareness to many of the people and questioned the social order and the ways of the Pope.  I guess if I lived in that time period and I was classified in the lower ranking, it would make me question as well in regards to the authority of the Pope and social order since money paid his luxurious life style, but then again being a woman would not benefit being a Protestant for there would not be options other than marriage.  This dispute went on until the Peace of Westphalia which brought it to an end and motivated the Catholic Counter-Reformation which renewed the Catholic Church.

Atlantic Slave Trade

     The Atlantic slave trade started the most horrific practice that has been carried down for centuries and still practiced today in some parts of the world.  It astounds me how in the early civilization slavery was accepted because it was linked to warfare and capture.  It started with it being accepted to creating racism and dehumaninzing Africans. The word slavery originally came from the supply of Slavic slaves who were the main supply for the Mediterranean plantations.  What is interesting is how the European language got what we call slave from Slav.  When Ottoman Turks seized Constantinople the Slavic slaves stopped and because of the process of elimination they turned to the Africans.  Africans were skilled and able to accomodate the immunity for diseases and because there was a large population it was easily available for them to take advantage.  Its hard to understand how Africans took part in this and made it available for these Europeans to accomodate their people.  This created their network of exchange of silver and textiles.  Yes they both profited from this, but big picture I do not understand how these people rationalized to themselves that this was right.  

Comparing Colonial Societies in Americas

     The different colonies that have arised amazes me, but somewhat angers me at the same time, from the old world to new.  The first society were the lands of Aztecs and Incas which the Spanish conquered.  The Native people provided the forced labor for the Spaniards.  Social order grew which made these Spanish people to be at the top of the pyrymid.  Mestizo's were created, which in todays society its seen as a diverse and positive notion, but of course back then not so positive.  The ratio was 1 to 7, one Indian woman to 7 Spanish men.  Thats crazy! All because the Indian women strived for the security and suffered the abuse to try to have a better life for themselves and their kids.  The second colony of sugar was Brazil which was ruled by Portugal and in the Spanish, British, French and Dutch colonies of the Carribbean.  The Arabs introduced the sugar production to the Mediterranean, which allowed the Europeans to use that to there advantage, which then lead to breaking the Portugal and Brazilian monopoly.  Now what makes me angry is how the Europeans kill off the Native American population then turns to the Africans to use them as slaves to make their sugar production which they profit from.  The killing of Native Americans did not stop there, but carried down to the Africans who died as well through rough conditions of labor they endured them in.  The third colony settled in North America which were the British colonies of New England, New York and Pennsylvania.  It amazes me how they believed they got the left overs of the new world called the "dregs" and look what it became, the United States!

Travels in Siberia-extra credit

     First off I would like to say how greatful I am to be living in this time period.  Geghis Khan, this guy is nothing but bad news.  Only someone who searches for immortality can be someone of evil character, especially when you make an old man travel so far just for him to get an answer.  I think he is a horrible man.  He is guilty for leading tens of millions of deaths, violating women and children, and influencial to the Mongols who did nothing but terrible things to people and Russia.  The Mongols spent their lives on horseback and out doors and they ate the nastiest things.  I guess at that time it was better to be a Mongol than it was to try to avoid them, but never in a million years would I eat the way they did.
     Towards the end of the reading the Slavophilic historians stated Russia should be greatful to the Tatars, which I disagree completely.  The Mongols intruded and invaded the people of Russia.  I would rather be subjected to the Roman church than to be take over in the way the Mongols did.

Strayer, Ch14 (403-417)

     Columbus Day, a day that has been honored and celebrated for hundreds of years.  A day to celebrate an explorers honor of discovering the new world.  Globalization happened and allowed for cultures to cross.  The columbian exchange changed the lives of the Europeans and Americans.  They created new societies in Americas replacing the old.  It brought about agricultural growth and even population growth.  As it has been said some may agree Columbus day should be celebrated, but I disagree.
     In the book Winona LaDuke states, "Columbus was a perpetrator of genocide..., a slave trader, a thief, a pirate, and most certainly not a hero.  To celebrate Columbus is to congratulate the process and history of the invasion,"(403).  After reading this chapter I felt anger and sadness.  How could we celebrate a person who brought sickness and took it as his advantage to rationalize their goodness.  Native Americans did not have the immunity to fight off the disease brought by the Europeans by domesticated animals.  These Native Americans suffered, killing 90% of the population and the Europeans took that as an advantage, which is morally wrong.

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Yay, Im done!