Religion undoubtedly played an immense role in the development of Europe between 700 and 1700 AD. Following the fall of the Roman Empire in the west, the Frankish dynasty of the Merovingians converted to Christianity, and began to conquer other surrounding tribes. As Frankish influence in Europe continued to expand, everything fell apart at once with the death of the leader Charlemagne. With this, the entire Roman Empire fell apart, and the Church took up the responsibilities of the government. With Christianity ruling over Europe, nobody could question the Church’s motives without being accused of heresy. This led to the development of some controversial feelings in Europe, and the killing of numbers of innocent individuals.
Turkish Muslims began to dominate in the Middle East, conquering all of India, and then spreading towards Europe. During the 1000s, the Islamic Saljuq Turks began to attack and conquer parts of the Byzantine Empire. With this, the major powers of Europe, as urged by Pope Urban II, began the Crusades, to regain the Holy Land of Palestine from the Muslims. As in this case, religion led to many Crusades, or Holy Wars, involving the slaughtering of countless numbers of people.
The Renaissance (meaning “rebirth”) was a philosophical and artistic movement that occurred in Italy from about 1300 to 1600. With it, the Renaissance brought humanists, famous writers, and probably most commonly thought of, famous painters, as well as new painting techniques. In northern Italy, the Renaissance brought improvements in literature, and the widespread act of printing. To touch briefly upon the Schism of 1378, the Roman Catholic Church split following the French King’s declaration of his disapproval for the Italian Pope. This led the next 68 years to be full of fighting and controversy, with two popes attempting to claim power over the Catholic Church at one time.
Humanists proclaimed that the Roman Catholic Church had “lost sight of the spiritual mission proclaimed by Jesus.” They decided to split with the Church in western Europe, creating several new churches, thus completing the Reformation. Martin Luther then challenged the Church’s sale of indulgences. He then put many of his ideas into print, and spread them around Europe. Luther parted from the Church and all his followers became partakers in Lutheranism. This began the first protestant church, with Luther at its head. A Protestant Reformation raged in England, and King Henry VIII broke England off from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530. Parliament then made numerous laws, created the Church of England, or Anglican Church, with Henry VIII as its head. In the 1530s, a Counter-Reformation took place, with many European Catholics taking an active stand against Protestantism. Much conflict erupted from this. The Spanish Inquisition later occurred in Spain, with the Church attempting to root out all those not loyal to it, by killing countless numbers of Jews and Protestants. In summary, religion in Europe developed it to what it is today, with unimaginable numbers of people being killed in the process. Religion obviously had a detrimental affect on the development of Europe.
Showing posts with label european history. Show all posts
Showing posts with label european history. Show all posts
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Thursday, August 19, 2010
The Effect of Religion on the Development of Europe
Religion undoubtedly played an immense role in the development of Europe between 700 and 1700 AD. Following the fall of the Roman Empire in the west, the Frankish dynasty of the Merovingians converted to Christianity, and began to conquer other surrounding tribes. As Frankish influence in Europe continued to expand, everything fell apart at once with the death of the leader Charlemagne. With this, the entire Roman Empire fell apart, and the Church took up the responsibilities of the government. With Christianity ruling over Europe, nobody could question the Church’s motives without being accused of heresy. This led to the development of some controversial feelings in Europe, and the killing of numbers of innocent individuals.
Turkish Muslims began to dominate in the Middle East, conquering all of India, and then spreading towards Europe. During the 1000s, the Islamic Saljuq Turks began to attack and conquer parts of the Byzantine Empire. With this, the major powers of Europe, as urged by Pope Urban II, began the Crusades, to regain the Holy Land of Palestine from the Muslims. As in this case, religion led to many Crusades, or Holy Wars, involving the slaughtering of countless numbers of people.
The Renaissance (meaning “rebirth”) was a philosophical and artistic movement that occurred in Italy from about 1300 to 1600. With it, the Renaissance brought humanists, famous writers, and probably most commonly thought of, famous painters, as well as new painting techniques. In northern Italy, the Renaissance brought improvements in literature, and the widespread act of printing. To touch briefly upon the Schism of 1378, the Roman Catholic Church split following the French King’s declaration of his disapproval for the Italian Pope. This led the next 68 years to be full of fighting and controversy, with two popes attempting to claim power over the Catholic Church at one time.
Humanists proclaimed that the Roman Catholic Church had “lost sight of the spiritual mission proclaimed by Jesus.” They decided to split with the Church in western Europe, creating several new churches, thus completing the Reformation. Martin Luther then challenged the Church’s sale of indulgences. He then put many of his ideas into print, and spread them around Europe. Luther parted from the Church and all his followers became partakers in Lutheranism. This began the first protestant church, with Luther at its head. A Protestant Reformation raged in England, and King Henry VIII broke England off from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530. Parliament then made numerous laws, created the Church of England, or Anglican Church, with Henry VIII as its head. In the 1530s, a Counter-Reformation took place, with many European Catholics taking an active stand against Protestantism. Much conflict erupted from this. The Spanish Inquisition later occurred in Spain, with the Church attempting to root out all those not loyal to it, by killing countless numbers of Jews and Protestants. In summary, religion in Europe developed it to what it is today, with unimaginable numbers of people being killed in the process. Religion obviously had a detrimental affect on the development of Europe.
Turkish Muslims began to dominate in the Middle East, conquering all of India, and then spreading towards Europe. During the 1000s, the Islamic Saljuq Turks began to attack and conquer parts of the Byzantine Empire. With this, the major powers of Europe, as urged by Pope Urban II, began the Crusades, to regain the Holy Land of Palestine from the Muslims. As in this case, religion led to many Crusades, or Holy Wars, involving the slaughtering of countless numbers of people.
The Renaissance (meaning “rebirth”) was a philosophical and artistic movement that occurred in Italy from about 1300 to 1600. With it, the Renaissance brought humanists, famous writers, and probably most commonly thought of, famous painters, as well as new painting techniques. In northern Italy, the Renaissance brought improvements in literature, and the widespread act of printing. To touch briefly upon the Schism of 1378, the Roman Catholic Church split following the French King’s declaration of his disapproval for the Italian Pope. This led the next 68 years to be full of fighting and controversy, with two popes attempting to claim power over the Catholic Church at one time.
Humanists proclaimed that the Roman Catholic Church had “lost sight of the spiritual mission proclaimed by Jesus.” They decided to split with the Church in western Europe, creating several new churches, thus completing the Reformation. Martin Luther then challenged the Church’s sale of indulgences. He then put many of his ideas into print, and spread them around Europe. Luther parted from the Church and all his followers became partakers in Lutheranism. This began the first protestant church, with Luther at its head. A Protestant Reformation raged in England, and King Henry VIII broke England off from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530. Parliament then made numerous laws, created the Church of England, or Anglican Church, with Henry VIII as its head. In the 1530s, a Counter-Reformation took place, with many European Catholics taking an active stand against Protestantism. Much conflict erupted from this. The Spanish Inquisition later occurred in Spain, with the Church attempting to root out all those not loyal to it, by killing countless numbers of Jews and Protestants. In summary, religion in Europe developed it to what it is today, with unimaginable numbers of people being killed in the process. Religion obviously had a detrimental affect on the development of Europe.
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was undoubtedly unfair to Germany. Terms of it included: Germany had to admit that it alone was guilty of starting the war, and must pay an undetermined amount of money for reparations, it must give up a good deal of land, Poland was to be restored as an independent nation, it had to abolish conscription and could not maintain an army of more than 100,000 men, it was not allowed to manufacture heavy artillery, tanks, planes, or poison gas, it could have no submarines, and very few ships, and the port of Danzig became a free city. The Allied Powers felt that these terms were justified, in order to prevent the start of another war. Because these terms were so harsh, however, gave the German people even more reason to want revenge. The League of Nations was to watch over Germany, being sure that it didn’t violate any terms of the treaty. In WWII, when Germany began to rearm and make aggressions in Europe, the League did nothing to stop Hitler. With this, he felt he could do as he pleased, later leading to the start of WWII. This is how the Treaty of Versailles backfired when it came to the start of WWII.
European countries allowed Hitler to make his minor aggressions in the late 1930s, because they, for one, didn’t think that much would come of it, and secondly, if they were to take a stand, then another war might erupt between Germany and the rest of Europe. When a war finally did break out, and Germany conquered France, forcing the Pétain government to sign an armistice in the same railroad car as the Treaty of Versailles in the end of WWI. The harshness of the Treaty caused Hitler to want much revenge, taking too great an offensive in some places, and too little of one in others, and thus costing him the war. In WWII, Hitler’s failed offensive in Russia cost him millions of troops, essentially costing him the war. This is contrary to WWI, where a stalemate developed, and the two sides signed a treaty to stop fighting. Germany then sent home all its troops. With this, the Allies forced upon the Germans the Treaty of Versailles. WWII was lost fighting, and WWI was lost for a lack of troops to fight. The way Europe developed after the world wars was palpably affected by the Treaty of Versailles.
European countries allowed Hitler to make his minor aggressions in the late 1930s, because they, for one, didn’t think that much would come of it, and secondly, if they were to take a stand, then another war might erupt between Germany and the rest of Europe. When a war finally did break out, and Germany conquered France, forcing the Pétain government to sign an armistice in the same railroad car as the Treaty of Versailles in the end of WWI. The harshness of the Treaty caused Hitler to want much revenge, taking too great an offensive in some places, and too little of one in others, and thus costing him the war. In WWII, Hitler’s failed offensive in Russia cost him millions of troops, essentially costing him the war. This is contrary to WWI, where a stalemate developed, and the two sides signed a treaty to stop fighting. Germany then sent home all its troops. With this, the Allies forced upon the Germans the Treaty of Versailles. WWII was lost fighting, and WWI was lost for a lack of troops to fight. The way Europe developed after the world wars was palpably affected by the Treaty of Versailles.
Monday, October 29, 2007
The World Created by Johannes Gutenberg
Johannes Gutenberg: The Printing Press and the World it Made
Numerous inventions throughout the course of history have had profound impacts on the outcome of history itself. There is one invention in particular though, that affected not only European, but world history with so great an impact that nobody could ever have imagined. Such a colossal invention is none other than the printing press, invented in 1453 in Mainz, Germany. The man responsible for introducing the printing press to this world is Johannes Gutenberg. The use of wooden blocks to mold objects originally came into practice by the Japanese and Chinese. Throughout the following six centuries, the art of printing evolved until Gutenberg eventually invented the printing press. The printing press was originally developed from the wine press of the Rhine Valley. When Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, he had no idea of the immense role it was going to play in the spread of ideas throughout European history.
One of the first works created by Gutenberg with the use of the printing press was the ‘Gutenberg Bible’. Because the bible could now be mass produced, many more people were inspired by what it had to offer. About 180 copies of the bible were made by Gutenberg in 1454. The printing press was far superior to scribes, because the concept of mass production was thus introduced, making literary works significantly cheaper. Not only was the bible printed, but classic plays, poems, and books were also produced in mass. Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Hamlet are all Shakespearean plays produced in the late 1500s that were instantaneously popular among the public. Because these plays were so popular, the demand for copies of them increased dramatically, thus spreading literature and making the printing press ever so popular.
With the arrival of the printing press, soon came thousands of books. Several of these books focused on humanists and humanistic concepts. The Humanist view of thinking originated in Italy, but through the utilization of the printing press, those ideas soon spread much farther than Italy. Humanists were people that specialized in the humanities. “Humanists became convinced that a person had to become actively involved in practical affairs such as patronage of the arts” (Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, World History: People & Nations, 46). In 1528, Baldassare Castiglione published The Book of the Courtier. This was perhaps one of the most influential books published, relating to the Renaissance. The invention that made the production of this, and many other books about the revival of art and literature possible, was, of course, the printing press. “Printing doesn’t produce the Renaissance but becomes the chief means of spreading its thinking and philosophy” (http://www.mchschool.org/~malbert/printing. htm). Without Johannes Gutenberg inventing the printing press, numerous humanistic ideas would not have reached outside of Italy. Thus, the Renaissance would not have had such a profound effect as it did on European history.
An abundance of events throughout history have been closely linked to Gutenberg’s invention. Because of the surge of books being produced, and the people’s desire to read them, in 1475 Pope Sixtus IV opened the Vatican Library, in Vatican City. Over the following 25 years, thousands for copies of novels were produced so that there were over 10 million copies of 25,000 different books. As a result, a book trade flourished and related industries, such as papermaking and ink making, thrive. Learning and literacy escalate dramatically, because a plentiful supply of books is a powerful stimulus for great numbers of people to learn to read. In the 1700s, mass fabricated newspapers began to emerge in many major cities throughout Europe. The spread of humanistic ideas through tomes and novels eventually led to the Enlightenment, and American and French revolutions in the late 1700s. These uprisings led to the current use of democracy, and the conception of nationalism. The extension of such concepts as humanism and the Enlightenment, to all of Europe, could only have been made possible by one person, and one thing: Johannes Gutenberg and the printing press.
Johannes Gutenberg was unaware that the printing press was going to have such a profound effect on European History when he invented it. The demand for movable type and printed books became overwhelming around 1500, and the number of books being published skyrocketed, as well. The printing of the Bible helped to spread Christianity throughout Europe, and the printed works of humanists spread ideas which later spurred the Renaissance. Numerous accounts of European history have undoubtedly been altered by the invention of the printing press. The printing press forever changed not only European History, but world history as well. If Johannes Gutenberg hadn’t invented the printing press, how much longer would it have taken for someone else to have invented it?
Works Cited
Keep, Christopher; McLaughlin, Tim; and Parmar, Robin. Johannes Gutenberg and the Printed Book. 1993. 2000. <>
Maney, Kevin. The Net Effect: Evolution or Revolution? Aug. 9, 1999.Miller, Sue. World History: People & Nations. New York: Holt, Reinhart, and Winston. 2000.
Numerous inventions throughout the course of history have had profound impacts on the outcome of history itself. There is one invention in particular though, that affected not only European, but world history with so great an impact that nobody could ever have imagined. Such a colossal invention is none other than the printing press, invented in 1453 in Mainz, Germany. The man responsible for introducing the printing press to this world is Johannes Gutenberg. The use of wooden blocks to mold objects originally came into practice by the Japanese and Chinese. Throughout the following six centuries, the art of printing evolved until Gutenberg eventually invented the printing press. The printing press was originally developed from the wine press of the Rhine Valley. When Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, he had no idea of the immense role it was going to play in the spread of ideas throughout European history.
One of the first works created by Gutenberg with the use of the printing press was the ‘Gutenberg Bible’. Because the bible could now be mass produced, many more people were inspired by what it had to offer. About 180 copies of the bible were made by Gutenberg in 1454. The printing press was far superior to scribes, because the concept of mass production was thus introduced, making literary works significantly cheaper. Not only was the bible printed, but classic plays, poems, and books were also produced in mass. Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Hamlet are all Shakespearean plays produced in the late 1500s that were instantaneously popular among the public. Because these plays were so popular, the demand for copies of them increased dramatically, thus spreading literature and making the printing press ever so popular.
With the arrival of the printing press, soon came thousands of books. Several of these books focused on humanists and humanistic concepts. The Humanist view of thinking originated in Italy, but through the utilization of the printing press, those ideas soon spread much farther than Italy. Humanists were people that specialized in the humanities. “Humanists became convinced that a person had to become actively involved in practical affairs such as patronage of the arts” (Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, World History: People & Nations, 46). In 1528, Baldassare Castiglione published The Book of the Courtier. This was perhaps one of the most influential books published, relating to the Renaissance. The invention that made the production of this, and many other books about the revival of art and literature possible, was, of course, the printing press. “Printing doesn’t produce the Renaissance but becomes the chief means of spreading its thinking and philosophy” (http://www.mchschool.org/~malbert/printing. htm). Without Johannes Gutenberg inventing the printing press, numerous humanistic ideas would not have reached outside of Italy. Thus, the Renaissance would not have had such a profound effect as it did on European history.
An abundance of events throughout history have been closely linked to Gutenberg’s invention. Because of the surge of books being produced, and the people’s desire to read them, in 1475 Pope Sixtus IV opened the Vatican Library, in Vatican City. Over the following 25 years, thousands for copies of novels were produced so that there were over 10 million copies of 25,000 different books. As a result, a book trade flourished and related industries, such as papermaking and ink making, thrive. Learning and literacy escalate dramatically, because a plentiful supply of books is a powerful stimulus for great numbers of people to learn to read. In the 1700s, mass fabricated newspapers began to emerge in many major cities throughout Europe. The spread of humanistic ideas through tomes and novels eventually led to the Enlightenment, and American and French revolutions in the late 1700s. These uprisings led to the current use of democracy, and the conception of nationalism. The extension of such concepts as humanism and the Enlightenment, to all of Europe, could only have been made possible by one person, and one thing: Johannes Gutenberg and the printing press.
Johannes Gutenberg was unaware that the printing press was going to have such a profound effect on European History when he invented it. The demand for movable type and printed books became overwhelming around 1500, and the number of books being published skyrocketed, as well. The printing of the Bible helped to spread Christianity throughout Europe, and the printed works of humanists spread ideas which later spurred the Renaissance. Numerous accounts of European history have undoubtedly been altered by the invention of the printing press. The printing press forever changed not only European History, but world history as well. If Johannes Gutenberg hadn’t invented the printing press, how much longer would it have taken for someone else to have invented it?
Works Cited
Keep, Christopher; McLaughlin, Tim; and Parmar, Robin. Johannes Gutenberg and the Printed Book. 1993. 2000. <>
Maney, Kevin. The Net Effect: Evolution or Revolution? Aug. 9, 1999.
Imperialism Simulation
Imperialism is over, but the Europeans continue to interact a great deal with the Latin American countries. The two continents almost act as friends and business partners now. Shocking as it may seem, right after the Europeans were kicked out, they came right back in and ran a monopoly with all the Latin American markets. This was not a very bright idea considering the fact that the Europeans were just booted out; to come right back in and antagonize the Latin Americans was a mistake. Despite gaining their independence, imperialism did not end for the Latin American countries because of the Europeans’ unending and persistent struggle to once again control Latin America.
Although the Peninsulares were removed from their position in the Latin American countries and returned to their homes, social classes remained appealingly much the same to the lower classes. The lower classes felt as though they were still at the bottom. The only immense change amongst the social classes was that anybody and everybody was now a step higher on the social ladder. The Creoles took the place of the Peninsulares, and performed the same line of work as them. It was unfortunate for the Natives, who were still trapped at the bottom of the social chain, to be continuously ruled in this unorthodox fashion. Another effect on social organization was the fact that the majority of the government officials were still the rich citizens in town. By gaining their independence, the Natives expected to change this unjust way of operating a society. What they got is what they least expected to be done; nothing. Despite seeing no apparent change in these two previously mentioned points, this next point shows an overwhelming change. The overwhelming majority of the Natives in the Latin American countries were Christian by the time the Europeans had left; their missionaries had converted most of the Natives to Christianity before they left. All of the Native’s bloodletting had ceased after this change, which affected their lives forever. Not only was social organization influenced in the Latin American countries, but many other changes also occurred all throughout the retreat of Imperialist influence from these poor, beaten up countries.
Even though the Europeans were gone, they really weren’t gone at all; they had just taken a different form. The Europeans were now back in Latin America, and back in action. The Latin American countries attempted to produce their own goods, but were unsuccessful because they could never produce enough of them. The Europeans ran the markets like a monopoly. The Latin Americans would produce a product, and then put it on the market. The Europeans would then find out about it, and put out a similar type of product but at a cheaper price. The Europeans would flood the market with this cheaper merchandise and would be willing to take a loss in the beginning because they knew that in the end, they would take total control over the market for that product and would have all the business and profits for it. The Latin Americans couldn’t afford to do this, and thus were sold out of the market. With this happening as often as it did, the Natives became so dependent on the Europeans for most of their material needs, that they were willing to pay any price for them. Although the Europeans were gone physically, they really weren’t gone at all; they still controlled the innocent Latin American countries economically.
Latin American countries attempted to modernize, but were cut short because they just didn’t have the money. Because they didn’t possess the money, the Europeans came in and started companies and businesses. These companies and businesses were usually large in size, and created many jobs for the natives producing goods and products needed by most people. The Latin Americans assumed that they could also make a bundle of money by creating their own companies. Unfortunately though, these eager citizens hadn’t hardly any money to start with, and were forced to take out loans from the Europeans; many of which could ultimately not be paid off. With these outstanding debts, the Latin Americans were forced to work under the Europeans, revealing the true strength of the Europeans. Now with great debts on their hands, the citizens of Latin America were being forced to furnish the European demands for more political power. Despite their own efforts to help modernize and revolutionize Latin America, the unruly Europeans still managed to greatly manipulate the Latin American countries in many ways. Despite gaining their independence, the Europeans’ economic, social, and political intervention with the Latin American countries failed to halt. Once more, desperate times emerged posing a whole new line of problems replacing the old ones.
The greatest mistake that the Europeans made in this matter was to come back in the first place, and to manipulate the Latin American countries even more. It was a very beneficial move on the Europeans’ side, but it didn’t please the Natives too much. If anything, gaining their independence only increased the amount of European control over the Latin Americans. Although, now the control was almost entirely economic, and not hardly political any more. The Europeans left once, but came back for another round of manipulation on Latin America and all the Natives in it. How do you suppose the Natives will handle this matter?
Other posts on imperialism:
What is Imperialism
The Effects of Imperialism on Foreign Lands
British Imperialism: South Africa
Imperialism Simulation
Historical Review: 20th Century Yugoslavia
Although the Peninsulares were removed from their position in the Latin American countries and returned to their homes, social classes remained appealingly much the same to the lower classes. The lower classes felt as though they were still at the bottom. The only immense change amongst the social classes was that anybody and everybody was now a step higher on the social ladder. The Creoles took the place of the Peninsulares, and performed the same line of work as them. It was unfortunate for the Natives, who were still trapped at the bottom of the social chain, to be continuously ruled in this unorthodox fashion. Another effect on social organization was the fact that the majority of the government officials were still the rich citizens in town. By gaining their independence, the Natives expected to change this unjust way of operating a society. What they got is what they least expected to be done; nothing. Despite seeing no apparent change in these two previously mentioned points, this next point shows an overwhelming change. The overwhelming majority of the Natives in the Latin American countries were Christian by the time the Europeans had left; their missionaries had converted most of the Natives to Christianity before they left. All of the Native’s bloodletting had ceased after this change, which affected their lives forever. Not only was social organization influenced in the Latin American countries, but many other changes also occurred all throughout the retreat of Imperialist influence from these poor, beaten up countries.
Even though the Europeans were gone, they really weren’t gone at all; they had just taken a different form. The Europeans were now back in Latin America, and back in action. The Latin American countries attempted to produce their own goods, but were unsuccessful because they could never produce enough of them. The Europeans ran the markets like a monopoly. The Latin Americans would produce a product, and then put it on the market. The Europeans would then find out about it, and put out a similar type of product but at a cheaper price. The Europeans would flood the market with this cheaper merchandise and would be willing to take a loss in the beginning because they knew that in the end, they would take total control over the market for that product and would have all the business and profits for it. The Latin Americans couldn’t afford to do this, and thus were sold out of the market. With this happening as often as it did, the Natives became so dependent on the Europeans for most of their material needs, that they were willing to pay any price for them. Although the Europeans were gone physically, they really weren’t gone at all; they still controlled the innocent Latin American countries economically.
Latin American countries attempted to modernize, but were cut short because they just didn’t have the money. Because they didn’t possess the money, the Europeans came in and started companies and businesses. These companies and businesses were usually large in size, and created many jobs for the natives producing goods and products needed by most people. The Latin Americans assumed that they could also make a bundle of money by creating their own companies. Unfortunately though, these eager citizens hadn’t hardly any money to start with, and were forced to take out loans from the Europeans; many of which could ultimately not be paid off. With these outstanding debts, the Latin Americans were forced to work under the Europeans, revealing the true strength of the Europeans. Now with great debts on their hands, the citizens of Latin America were being forced to furnish the European demands for more political power. Despite their own efforts to help modernize and revolutionize Latin America, the unruly Europeans still managed to greatly manipulate the Latin American countries in many ways. Despite gaining their independence, the Europeans’ economic, social, and political intervention with the Latin American countries failed to halt. Once more, desperate times emerged posing a whole new line of problems replacing the old ones.
The greatest mistake that the Europeans made in this matter was to come back in the first place, and to manipulate the Latin American countries even more. It was a very beneficial move on the Europeans’ side, but it didn’t please the Natives too much. If anything, gaining their independence only increased the amount of European control over the Latin Americans. Although, now the control was almost entirely economic, and not hardly political any more. The Europeans left once, but came back for another round of manipulation on Latin America and all the Natives in it. How do you suppose the Natives will handle this matter?
Other posts on imperialism:
What is Imperialism
The Effects of Imperialism on Foreign Lands
British Imperialism: South Africa
Imperialism Simulation
Historical Review: 20th Century Yugoslavia
Another class simulation...
Dear Diary,
I am a Mestizo originally from Europe. Seeing that this is true, I believe that teaching women to read and write is perfectly acceptable. Most Spanish and other Europeans will argue that teaching women to read and write would corrupt them. I don’t I don’t believe this to be true. My wife is a very intelligent woman. Although she didn’t have any formal teaching, I have taught her what I know, and she has picked up quickly on it. All women should be able to learn these skills. It is my belief that it is necessary to know these skills in order to survive in everyday life. Without knowing all this, women today make up about half of our population and don’t know anything about anything. If women knew these skills, then I can just imagine what life would be like if we had 100% of the population figuring things out, and not just half. I believe that letting women learn to read and write would be the best course of action to benefit this society the most.
I am a Mestizo originally from Europe. Seeing that this is true, I believe that teaching women to read and write is perfectly acceptable. Most Spanish and other Europeans will argue that teaching women to read and write would corrupt them. I don’t I don’t believe this to be true. My wife is a very intelligent woman. Although she didn’t have any formal teaching, I have taught her what I know, and she has picked up quickly on it. All women should be able to learn these skills. It is my belief that it is necessary to know these skills in order to survive in everyday life. Without knowing all this, women today make up about half of our population and don’t know anything about anything. If women knew these skills, then I can just imagine what life would be like if we had 100% of the population figuring things out, and not just half. I believe that letting women learn to read and write would be the best course of action to benefit this society the most.
An assigned simulation for class.
Dear Diary,
Today, I was treated very poorly and nastily by some Europeans only because I am a Mestizo. They called me very rude names and said that I didn’t deserve to be living here. I explained to them that I was practically European myself since I had the same blood as them, but they wouldn’t listen to me. I am the same as them! I just was born in a different country, that’s all. I should still have the same rights as the Europeans because I consider myself to be European too. I am forced to hold a lower position in society because they don’t consider us to be one of them. While I’m stuck as some overseer somewhere, they are ruling society and making not only all of the economic decisions, but also the political decisions.
Today, I was treated very poorly and nastily by some Europeans only because I am a Mestizo. They called me very rude names and said that I didn’t deserve to be living here. I explained to them that I was practically European myself since I had the same blood as them, but they wouldn’t listen to me. I am the same as them! I just was born in a different country, that’s all. I should still have the same rights as the Europeans because I consider myself to be European too. I am forced to hold a lower position in society because they don’t consider us to be one of them. While I’m stuck as some overseer somewhere, they are ruling society and making not only all of the economic decisions, but also the political decisions.
The Black Plague
None Were Left Unaffected by the Black Death
Throughout history, several epidemics have threatened the existence of human life, from the Black Death itself, to anthrax, small pox, diphtheria, and gonorrhea. Each of these diseases has had a profound effect on man, but none as devastating as the Black Death. After striking in the mid-fourteenth century, 20 million lives had been taken, leaving Europe with only two-thirds of it’s original population. The main carriers of the plague were rodents, chiefly rats, and being bitten by one generally bestowed upon you the plague. It would be assumed that the group of people most greatly affected by the plague would be the peasant class, who worked in the fields where the majority of rats were found. To assume this though, would be erroneous, as the royalty and gentry were hit just as hard as the peasant class. After the Black Death hit, there was nobody who wasn’t in some way greatly affected.
Observed first, is the affect of the Black Death on the royalty. The royalty was hit as hard as any social class, percentage wise. “The biomedical catastrophe took away charisma from kings, eroded popular support for their veneration and self-esteem as God’s anointed and as war leaders and money providers” (In the Wake of the Plague, Norman Cantor, 218). One way the royalty used the plague to their advantage was by contributing to the Jewish conspiracy, thus killing off many Jews, to whom much of the royalty owed a substantial amount of money. “It was a long way down from the sunny day when Princess Joan in 1348 had sailed from Portsmouth to Bordeaux to journey to Castile and there build through marriage the Plantagenet empire in Spain. When Joan landed on the quay in Bordeaux harbor the rise of the Plantagenets to European dominance seemed unstoppable” (Cantor 218). Indeed it seemed unstoppable, but Princess Joan was stopped in her tracks when she was struck by the plague and passed away. Her death undoubtedly altered the course of European politics forever. As in this case, royalty would pass away and somebody else would take their place, performing that position’s duties differently, and thus altering the course of history itself. There were several measures taken by the royalty to counteract the plague and minimize their chances of contracting it. First, they would leave their homes, and go to live in a manor somewhere in the countryside, eliminating (or so they thought) the chance of catching the disease from someone in the crowded city. Another measure was tapestries. The royalty would keep their windows closed, and order humungous tapestries and carpets to cover the windows. They reasoned that this would keep the airborne factor of the disease out of their homes. One other measure taken to combat the airborne factor of the disease was not bathing. The royalty would go for weeks at a time without bathing because the rational was that bathing opened up their pores to the disease. As a result of the plague, the royalty lost many important members of the throne and clergy, leaving many dowagers to claim the royal reigns.
Women carried little respect in the 14th century, sometimes even being referred to as property. This soon changed though, for the Black Death was a benefit to women and their rights. “Among the gentry, dowagers flourished” (Cantor 203). Women of the gentry were less susceptible to the plague because they stayed inside most of the day, unlike the men who ventured out often to check their fields or herds. This being the case, many more men than women of the gentry were taken by the plague, thus leaving many dowagers to many estates. These women who suddenly fell into such hefty amounts of money and land, gained respect and loyalty, the cause of friends attempting to obtain a portion of that money. Many times though, several dowagers were left to the same estate, causing much grief over who received what. This could sometimes even tear apart families. Even for those women not part of the gentry, the Black Death was still beneficial to women’s rights. In the middle classes, when the husband died, the wife was forced to take over the family business, thus giving her more power and independence to do as she pleased. For example, by 1450, the beer- and ale-brewing industry was mostly women’s work, the result of the plague taking the lives of the male owners. These women were not happy about the fact that they had become widows, but they certainly enjoyed the luxuries that came with it.
The ethnic group most highly affected by the plague, is by far the Jewish community. After being beaten into submission, a certain Jew named Agimet addressed a panel of judges with a confession that he had poisoned several water wells in Germany and France. It was then believed that this Jew was the cause of the horrible bubonic plague, which was at that time beginning to sweep across Europe. With such a confession, the Jewish conspiracy began. Rumors then began to spread quickly throughout all of Europe, that the Jews were responsible for the Black Death, the result of which was a contaminated water supply. After that, Jews were persecuted everywhere for the horrible crimes that they had supposedly committed. As we know now though, it was not the Jews who were responsible for this pandemic, it was flea bitten rodents who carried the disease. After the conspiracy began, Jews were either killed, in most cases burned, or segregated from amongst the Christians. This however, turned out to be a benefit for the Jewish population, as seen here:
“Segregated in their own quarters (where the Jews lived as humble artisans except for a very small elite of bankers and rabbis), the Jews were cut off from the rodents on the wharves and the cattle in the countryside, the main carriers of infectious disease. These conditions may very well have isolated the Jews from the hot spots of plague and their practical quarantine aroused suspicion that they were responsible for the disease to which they themselves seemed immune” (Cantor 163).
It did benefit the Jews not to be exposed to the pandemic, but it certainly did nothing to help the conspiracy against them. Of course the Jews were enraged by the treatment they were receiving, but what could they do? The Jews were outnumbered by the conspirators 14:1, which led numerous Jews to believe that there was no way out; thus many Jews committed suicide instead of waiting for their killers to come. This was not entirely the case though; occasionally a group of Jews would band together and retaliate back against their persecutors. From this conspiracy, the only thing the Jews gained was a bad reputation. A plethora of Jews were helplessly slaughtered and by such inhumane methods at that. The Jewish community was lucky, in that it was not greatly exposed to the plague, but the conspiracy that came with it proved to be much deadlier than the plague itself.
In the mid-fourteenth century Europe, it was unfeasible to come across someone who hadn’t been affected in some way by the Black Death. Every social class, no matter which you were a part of, was deeply affected by the plague. The Black Death caused a shortage of labor, leading the price of labor to skyrocket dramatically, and thus leaving the royalty and gentry with fewer funds. Women of the time gained from the plague not only wealth, but much respect as well. The Europeans were unable to determine the cause of this atrocious pandemic, and were thus forced to put the blame on someone or something else. Roughly one-third of Europe’s population was decimated as a result of the plague; what problems do you suppose might arouse if one-third of America’s population today were to be eliminated?
Works Cited
Cantor, Norman F. In the Wake of the Plague. New York: Free Press, 2001.
Throughout history, several epidemics have threatened the existence of human life, from the Black Death itself, to anthrax, small pox, diphtheria, and gonorrhea. Each of these diseases has had a profound effect on man, but none as devastating as the Black Death. After striking in the mid-fourteenth century, 20 million lives had been taken, leaving Europe with only two-thirds of it’s original population. The main carriers of the plague were rodents, chiefly rats, and being bitten by one generally bestowed upon you the plague. It would be assumed that the group of people most greatly affected by the plague would be the peasant class, who worked in the fields where the majority of rats were found. To assume this though, would be erroneous, as the royalty and gentry were hit just as hard as the peasant class. After the Black Death hit, there was nobody who wasn’t in some way greatly affected.
Observed first, is the affect of the Black Death on the royalty. The royalty was hit as hard as any social class, percentage wise. “The biomedical catastrophe took away charisma from kings, eroded popular support for their veneration and self-esteem as God’s anointed and as war leaders and money providers” (In the Wake of the Plague, Norman Cantor, 218). One way the royalty used the plague to their advantage was by contributing to the Jewish conspiracy, thus killing off many Jews, to whom much of the royalty owed a substantial amount of money. “It was a long way down from the sunny day when Princess Joan in 1348 had sailed from Portsmouth to Bordeaux to journey to Castile and there build through marriage the Plantagenet empire in Spain. When Joan landed on the quay in Bordeaux harbor the rise of the Plantagenets to European dominance seemed unstoppable” (Cantor 218). Indeed it seemed unstoppable, but Princess Joan was stopped in her tracks when she was struck by the plague and passed away. Her death undoubtedly altered the course of European politics forever. As in this case, royalty would pass away and somebody else would take their place, performing that position’s duties differently, and thus altering the course of history itself. There were several measures taken by the royalty to counteract the plague and minimize their chances of contracting it. First, they would leave their homes, and go to live in a manor somewhere in the countryside, eliminating (or so they thought) the chance of catching the disease from someone in the crowded city. Another measure was tapestries. The royalty would keep their windows closed, and order humungous tapestries and carpets to cover the windows. They reasoned that this would keep the airborne factor of the disease out of their homes. One other measure taken to combat the airborne factor of the disease was not bathing. The royalty would go for weeks at a time without bathing because the rational was that bathing opened up their pores to the disease. As a result of the plague, the royalty lost many important members of the throne and clergy, leaving many dowagers to claim the royal reigns.
Women carried little respect in the 14th century, sometimes even being referred to as property. This soon changed though, for the Black Death was a benefit to women and their rights. “Among the gentry, dowagers flourished” (Cantor 203). Women of the gentry were less susceptible to the plague because they stayed inside most of the day, unlike the men who ventured out often to check their fields or herds. This being the case, many more men than women of the gentry were taken by the plague, thus leaving many dowagers to many estates. These women who suddenly fell into such hefty amounts of money and land, gained respect and loyalty, the cause of friends attempting to obtain a portion of that money. Many times though, several dowagers were left to the same estate, causing much grief over who received what. This could sometimes even tear apart families. Even for those women not part of the gentry, the Black Death was still beneficial to women’s rights. In the middle classes, when the husband died, the wife was forced to take over the family business, thus giving her more power and independence to do as she pleased. For example, by 1450, the beer- and ale-brewing industry was mostly women’s work, the result of the plague taking the lives of the male owners. These women were not happy about the fact that they had become widows, but they certainly enjoyed the luxuries that came with it.
The ethnic group most highly affected by the plague, is by far the Jewish community. After being beaten into submission, a certain Jew named Agimet addressed a panel of judges with a confession that he had poisoned several water wells in Germany and France. It was then believed that this Jew was the cause of the horrible bubonic plague, which was at that time beginning to sweep across Europe. With such a confession, the Jewish conspiracy began. Rumors then began to spread quickly throughout all of Europe, that the Jews were responsible for the Black Death, the result of which was a contaminated water supply. After that, Jews were persecuted everywhere for the horrible crimes that they had supposedly committed. As we know now though, it was not the Jews who were responsible for this pandemic, it was flea bitten rodents who carried the disease. After the conspiracy began, Jews were either killed, in most cases burned, or segregated from amongst the Christians. This however, turned out to be a benefit for the Jewish population, as seen here:
“Segregated in their own quarters (where the Jews lived as humble artisans except for a very small elite of bankers and rabbis), the Jews were cut off from the rodents on the wharves and the cattle in the countryside, the main carriers of infectious disease. These conditions may very well have isolated the Jews from the hot spots of plague and their practical quarantine aroused suspicion that they were responsible for the disease to which they themselves seemed immune” (Cantor 163).
It did benefit the Jews not to be exposed to the pandemic, but it certainly did nothing to help the conspiracy against them. Of course the Jews were enraged by the treatment they were receiving, but what could they do? The Jews were outnumbered by the conspirators 14:1, which led numerous Jews to believe that there was no way out; thus many Jews committed suicide instead of waiting for their killers to come. This was not entirely the case though; occasionally a group of Jews would band together and retaliate back against their persecutors. From this conspiracy, the only thing the Jews gained was a bad reputation. A plethora of Jews were helplessly slaughtered and by such inhumane methods at that. The Jewish community was lucky, in that it was not greatly exposed to the plague, but the conspiracy that came with it proved to be much deadlier than the plague itself.
In the mid-fourteenth century Europe, it was unfeasible to come across someone who hadn’t been affected in some way by the Black Death. Every social class, no matter which you were a part of, was deeply affected by the plague. The Black Death caused a shortage of labor, leading the price of labor to skyrocket dramatically, and thus leaving the royalty and gentry with fewer funds. Women of the time gained from the plague not only wealth, but much respect as well. The Europeans were unable to determine the cause of this atrocious pandemic, and were thus forced to put the blame on someone or something else. Roughly one-third of Europe’s population was decimated as a result of the plague; what problems do you suppose might arouse if one-third of America’s population today were to be eliminated?
Works Cited
Cantor, Norman F. In the Wake of the Plague. New York: Free Press, 2001.
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