The Opium Wars

What happened during The Opium Wars?

For many years, China was a very isolated country from the rest of the world. They had a mentality that their culture was superior to others. They were not influenced by European culture. In the Opium Wars, the British wanted to make money and trade with China. China exported tea to Britain, which was very popular during the 18th century. China felt like they did not need anything from Britain. It was during this period of time that Britain found a very addictive drug in India that they could use to export to China.

Why are they called The Opium Wars?

Opium was a highly addictive drug that was destroying the Chinese people. By the 19th century, nearly 10 percent of the Chinese population was smoking opium. China had to find more gold, silver, tea, and other products to pay for the opium. Eventually, opium weakened the Chinese and the emperor decided that it was time to end the Opium trade with Britain. The Chinese government put an end to the Opium trade and set up a law that it was illegal to sell Opium for smoking purposes. It was serious enough that it was in the same category as murder.

While this law did stop local dealers from selling opium, British continued to sell opium to China. Because British men were smuggling opium into China, war broke loose.

Who won and why?

England won. Technologically, the Chinese were no match for the British. England had superior technology and weapons.

The White Man's Burden

What is the "White Man's Burden?"

The "White Man's Burden" is a poem which describes the duties of the white man. In the "White Man's Burden," Rudyard Kipling states that it is up to the white men to save the world, Christianize, and civilize other countries. According to Analysis #3, it is like having Europe and America as "world policemen."

Do you agree with the analysis on the website(s)?

I do agree with the most common, straightforward analysis. The "White Man's Burden" was written to present a Eurocentric view of the world. Kipling wanted to show that Europeans were superior to other countries and that other countries were "childish" and outdated.

There is a more eccentric analysis which also caught my eye. In this analysis, readers believed that Kipling was actually undermining imperialism, and that he was not an Imperialist at all. Rudyard Kipling simply wanted to give readers the perspective of an Imperialist, and not provide his own thoughts. I do not lean toward this analysis because there is no sarcasm whatsoever in the poem. Kipling writes it with sincerity and seriousness.

Are we still living the "White Man's Burden" today?

I do not believe that we are still living the "White Man's Burden" today. While we are still imperialistic to a certain extent, we are not totally imperialistic. If we truly were fully imperialistic, we could take over most of the world with our technology and weapons. The war in the Middle East is one example of America being partially imperialistic. Another way we are imperialistic is influencing international government. America tells other countries what to do and how to rule their countries. I believe that we should just have a hands-off policy and worry about what we need to worry about as a country.

"The Scramble for Africa"

1.) What were the main European nations involved in this scramble?

France, Britain, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Italy were the main European nations involved in the "Scramble for Africa."

2.) What were these nations looking for in Africa?

The European nations were looking for natural resources. Africa was known for its diamonds, gold, silver, other metals, and ivory. Africa was also used for the slave trade. African men were sold for money and used as servants with no rights.

3.) How were they able to dominate Africa so easily?

The European nations easily had the upper hand against Africa in terms of weapons and technology. New steam powered ships and guns allowed the nations to overcome the Africans. European nations even invented the machine gun. Once the machine gun was invented, Africans were easy to deal with.

4.) How did this scramble affect the African people?

The Europeans created weird borders in Africa that separated friendly tribes and brought enemy tribes closer together. Africa still suffers from tribalism. Tribes constantly struggle and start fights in Africa. Sometimes, it is a large enough struggle for it to be a civil war (a war between people in the same country).

Film Lesson: "Mountains of the Moon"

1) In the film "Mountains of the Moon", what were some of the hardships that Europeans faced as they explored Africa?

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As John Speak and Richard Burton explored Africa, they faced many hardships. Because they were white, they stood out from others and looked odd to native Africans. Because of this, African tribes did not hesitate to attack the invading Europeans. In a very gruesome scene in Mountains of the Moon, a tribe member throws a javelin into Richard Burton's head. Luckily, it only went through a minor area and the javelin only pierced his cheeks.

John Speak and Richard Burton also had trouble gaining the faith and trust of the people they hired. Some people would run away and steal their goods, and some would betray Speak and Burton while in the middle of their expedition.

John Speak and Richard Burton had to deal with diseases and fatigue. After traveling for months, John Speak got a bug in his ear and he had to ruin his ear in order to kill the bug. Richard Burton also caught a disease which weakened his legs.

Last but not least, John Speak and Richard Burton discovered a lake when travelling for about six months. This lake was very large. In order to confirm that the lake was the source of the Nile River, they had to circle the lake and observe its shores. It ended up that the lake was NOT the source of the Nile.



2) Why is it strange that the source of the Nile River, (Lake Victoria - the third largest lake in the world) is named after a British Queen?
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It is odd that an African lake is named after a British Queen because the lake was already "named." It was named by the original inhabitants of Africa. The British pretty much marched into Africa and named a foreign like which they did not own. Although the lake was undiscovered to Europeans, the lake was already known to hundreds of thousands of people in Africa.



3) What was the primary technological advantage that Europeans had over African people? Why were Europeans eventually able to conquer Africa so easily?
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Europeans had many technological advantages over African people. African people had never seen white men before. Europeans had guns and powerful weapons. In one scene in the movie, John Speak and Richard Burton give a handgun to the chief of a village. The chief is fascinated with the gun and all the people in the tribe are scared when the gun goes off. Europeans also had telescopes that allowed them to see things from far away.

Eventually, Europeans easily conquered Africa because of their guns and ships. In their ships, they carried a large army of people with machineguns. They easily took over the country.



my topic - Absolutism

The Meiji Restoration of Japan

Japan is an archipelago - what is that?

- An archipelago is a large chain of islands. The most well known archipelagos are Japan, New Zealand, the Phillipines and Indonesia.

How did Matthew Perry "bully" the Japanese into signing a trade treaty?

- Matthew Perry had cannons out and sails down when he lowered the anchor onto the shores 26 miles away from Tokyo. He did this to intimidate the Japanese. He pulled into a docking port so people would see the advancements made in the West. The Japanese knew very well that they stood no chance against the Europeans who had powerful weapons. Seeing the huge ship with large cannons was intimidating enough for the Japanese.

What did Perry have that impressed the Japanese?

- Matthew Perry had large ships which ran on coal. They had a steam engine inside of them and could operate without sails. The Japanese were fascinated and had never seen anything larger than a sailboat. Perry also brought along with him a small locomotive, or toy train. Japan had never seen such technology.

How did the Japanese economy change during the Meiji Era?

- Japan saw the West and decided that they needed to change their ways. They observed European countries and the way they were run. Japan industrialized and adapted the ways of the West to their own Constitution and the way their very own country was run.

How did they modernize and industrialize?

- Japan sent many people to the West to study the way countries were run. For example, Japanese men studied the German Constitution. Japan later adapted it and made their own constitution. Japan also introduced a "national educational system."

Karl Marx and Communism

Karl Marx hated industrialization. He believed that it was a bad thing and that it encouraged the separation of social classes. Because of this, inequality was more abundant and a two "social classes" emerged (as Karl Marx put it).

There were two new social classes because of Industrialization; the bourgeoisie and the proletariat classes. The proletariat are the poor factory workers who would always break their backs for the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie were the rich factory owners who hired workers to make money for them. "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer," Karl Marx stated.

Karl Marx predicted that large companies would buy out the smaller companies. He believed that everything would become a power struggle for money due to Capitalism. He saw Capitalism to be very evil and that it would someday destroy the world. He wrote in his book, "The Communist Manifesto" in hopes of getting people to follow Communism, a system in which he believed would benefit the world.

Communism was a very brilliant idea. Communism meant that people would receive the same amount of money, goods, supplies, and even power in the government. There would be no ownership of things, just sharing. Because everyone shares, there would be no need for a government over time. Unfortunately, things did not work out this peacefully.

Marx's ideas were fantastic but nobody really followed it the way it was originally intended to be. Corrupt officials took power and capitalism proved to be a better system for countries. It is very evident in our modern world today.

Karl Marx and The Industrial Revolution

Karl Marx was a man who not only held an important place in government in the 1800s, but he was a man that still holds major influence in the world today. He was just like your average child. He studied hard (but drank very often) as he grew into adulthood. He then married and moved to Paris in 1843. In Paris, he met face to face with industrialization and booming commerce. He saw how poorly the middle class (workers) were treated.

Karl Marx hated the Industrial Revolution and capitalism. Capitalism is the thought that businesses are owned and operated for profit. He saw that workers worked long hours and were treated unfairly only to receive poor pay and salary. Marx was extremely encouraged to make change.

Karl Marx is commonly called the "Father of Communism." Marx believed that if goods could be equally distributed among people, things could be be successful. Under Communism, no one person was above another. As the title suggests, everyone was common. Karl Marx's ideas quickly spread and many European nations soon followed Communism.

Nationalism and the Creation of Italy

In the 1800's, Nationalism became a very accepted thing in countries across the world. Nationalism is when the people have support and are devoted to their country. Nationalism makes a country strong. In more advanced terms, Nationalism is the belief that one's loyalty should not be to a king or an empire but to a nation of people who share a common culture and history.

The United States of America is arguably the most powerful nation in the world. The reason for the United States being so powerful is because of Nationalism. Many things contribute to the nationalist society we have today. We all have defined borders and speak English. We all live under the same sets of laws and rules. Everywhere we go, we can see American flags, license plates, and we can even see American clothing and music that make up part of our culture. In school, to show how I am Nationalistic, I pay taxes, sing the national anthem and even read the Pledge of Allegiance.

Before for 1800's, there was no Germany, Poland, or Italy. This was because there were no clear, separate borders. Instead of countries, the land was just made up of different kingdoms and it was hard to see what was what. Eventually, people realized that they all had different cultures and decided to separate. They made different countries (and separated from the Austro-Hungarian emipire).

Simon Bolivar and Latin American Revolutions

Simon Bolivar was a hero to many people in South America. Nicknamed "The Liberator," Bolivar set independence for Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Bolivar was born on July 24, 1783. His story is truly an inspiration to people around the world today.

Simon Bolivar, as a young boy, inherited a large fortune when his parents passed away. When he grew up, he got married to Maria Teresa Rodriguez. After a year, she died of the yellow fever. Brokenhearted, Bolivar traveled to Europe and studied the teachings of Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke and Jean Jacques Rosseau. Through his studies, he saw how the French and United States gained independence. He was inspired to do the same.

Simon Bolivar was not always successful. Many times, Bolivar was forced to retreat out of a country. Over time, he would gathered troops and gained independence from Spain. By the early 1820's, many countries were freed and were independent from Spain. They had democracy at last. After obtaining democracy, Bolivar was made president of Colombia. Unfortunately, he was not a good political leader. He wanted to unite into "Grand Colombia." Other countries did not like this idea and went against it.

Maximillien Robespierre and The Reign of Terror

While the French Revolution was a great thing that eventually led to democracy in France, it wasn't all jolly and happy once it ended. The French Revolution faded into the Reign of Terror, one of the scariest moments in history. The Reign of Terror lasted many years. After the French Revolution ended, Louis XVI was a limited monarch. He was a ruler with limited powers. This kind of nation is called a limited monarchy.

Because Louis XVI hated his loss of power and the government, he tried to flee the country. He was unsuccessful and was brought back to France. When he returned, there was a power struggle in France. People panicked and wondered who would be the next leader. Street gangs took control and sometimes even had more power than the government. One street gang, Jacobins, even took Louis XVI and killed him in the guillotine.

France soon grew desperate and it turned into mayhem. Many groups tried to fight and take power. However, one individual, Maximillien Robespierre, rose up. He took control and killed anyone who went against him. He did this in order to wipe out any evidence of the old way, or the old monarchy. Robespierre almost had absolute power. Many people had their heads cut off by the government. Eventually, citizens got so aggrivated that they had Robespierre arrested. Soon, his head head was cut off. Napolean rose up and became the next leader. He was a very successful person.

The French Revolution: Social Causes

Explain some of the causes of The French Revolution. What were the three estates and why did the third estate feel used? How did the Enlightenment thinkers influence the French Revolution? What really triggered the revolution, what happened on July 14, 1789?

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In the 1780's , the French Revolution started. The French Revolution was a major event that eventually led to the democracy of France. At the time, France was probably the most advanced country to date. Louis XIV was as great king and ruled the country well. After Louis XIV (absolute monarch) passed away, Louis XV took the throne and power. He was a poor ruler and was very lazy. Louix XVI was not much better, he tried to be an absolute monarch just like Louis XIV, but he wasn't successful. This is because of the French Revolution.

The American Revolution greatly inspired the French Revolution that took place in the 1780s. They saw how America became independant from the mother country (England) and their ideas of democracy (taken from the Enlightenment thinkers). The third French estate saw this and decided that they wanted democracy just like America had.

At the time, France was a very feudalist society. France was divided into three different estates. The first estate was made up by Catholic clergy. They were less than one percent of the population. They had the most power and control. The second estate, still very powerful, was made up of wealthy nobles. They made up only two percent of the population. The third estate, everyone else (including merchants, common people, peasants) was a whopping ninety eight (98%) of the population! They were the poorest, and they also had to pay the most taxes. The common folks had to pay a little more than 50% of the taxes in France. Average people were considered to be inferior, had very high tax and had no say in the government whatsoever.

France followed the Old Regime. The Old Regime was the old way of thinking. It gave the first and second estates different punishments, special courts and a break on their taxes. The nobles and clergy had special treatment and got away with many things that would be considered a serious crime for the third estate.

No one actual event triggered the revolution. It was a series of multiple events that led to the revolution. The most memorable event was probably the siege of The Bastille, which took place on July 14, 1789. The Bastille was a large, grandeur prison. It was the largest prison in Paris. Citizens stormed it in the pursuit of arms, as well as to release innocent prisoners from the third estate. After the siege of the Bastille, a wave of terror roamed the countryside. This wave of terror was called "The Great Fear." Catholic clergy and nobles had their homes attacked. This sent a strong message to the government. Eventually, the third estate did the same thing, but marched to the Versaille, the home of Louis XVI. They took him back to Paris where he lived. They then had him executed in the guillotine.

Copernicus and the Trial of Galileo

In the 1500's, there were two main theories of the solar system. Heliocentrism, and geocentrism were the two main theories of the solar system. Geocentrism is the belief that the Earth was the center of the universe. Geocentrism goes way back until Ancient Greece around 500-400 BC. Heliocentrism is the belief that the sun is the center of the universe. Heliocentrism began in the late 1500 to 1600's AD. Heliocentrism has been proven by many scientists today. Unfortunately, in the 1600's, Heliocentrism was not very accepted because the Catholic Church taught Geocentrism to its followers.

On 1632, Galileo Galilei was summoned to Rome for a trial because he went against the Catholic Church. In the 17th Century, the Catholic Church was extremely powerful; almost to the point that it ruled people's lives (absolutism). Because Galileo spread his ideas and tried to raise awareness to people, the Church was aggrivated. After many, many long weeks, Galileo was released where he was allowed to stay in his small farmhouse in Arcetri, and in 1641, he died.

Scientific Revolution: Scientific Method

Before the 1500's, Greeks and Christians were taught many things that were not necessarily true. The Bible taught things that were not proved by science but by logic and belief. People looked to the Bible for answers to things they could not explain. For example, people were taught that the earth was the center of the universe.

Once 1500 came (the Scientific Revolution), many scientists decided to prove the things that the Bible taught wrong. Using the Scientific Method, scientists conducted experiments to prove their thoughts and theories. Before science, Aristotle taught that heavier objects fell faster than lighter objects. In the late 1500's, Galileo, a young Italian scientist, decided to conduct an experiment to see if this was true. Galileo, using the Scientific Method, decided that Aristotle's theory was FALSE and found out that objects of different weight fell at the same speed.

The Scientific Method was a great method that helped people understand things more clearly. Scientists did not just accept things for the way they were; they conducted experiments to find the truth. There are five essential steps in the Scientific Method:

1) Decide what you have to prove or find out
2) Design an experiment
3) Make a hypothesis, or guess on the outcome of the experiment
4) Conduct the experiment
5) Record the results

These five steps greatly aided scientists. People still use the Scientific Method today.

Evolution vs Creation

Theory of Evolution

Around 1830, Charles Darwin, an English naturalist, composed the Theory of Evolution. Darwin's Theory of Evolution stated that all of life (the natural Earth we see today) was evolved from a single organism. If monkies evolved from chimpanzees, and chimpanzees evolved from bears, this fact would help prove Darwin's Theory of Evolution.
Darwin's Theory of Evolution revolved around one important term that we know today: natural selection. Natural selection is when the weak ones die and the strong ones live. The strong ones will then pass on its traits to the offspring, producing offspring that are better adapted to their environment.

As an example, let us take the woodpecker. The woodpecker drills holes in trees in order to eat insects. In the woods, there are three types of birds, Bird A, Bird B, and Bird C. Bird A has a long beak and can drill through trees, much like a woodpecker. He has short wings however, and is not able to fly well. Bird A will drill holes near the base of trees to eat insects. Bird B has webbed feet and is designed to eat fish in the water. Bird C has long wings and can fly well. Bird C is able to eat high in the trees. Because Bird B is not used to the environment, he dies. Birds A and C therefore mate and gain different qualities to make Bird D. Bird D has a long beak and long wings, allowing it to eat insects high in the trees and near the base as well.

Darwin's Theory of Evolution revolved around natural selection. Like described in the previous paragraph, this process would take many, many years to make what we have today. Constant mating and survival of the fittest allowed mutations and the ability to adapt to different environments. Darwin's Theory of Evolution is being proven more and more as we progress into the future. Molecular biologists even believe that life may have started from a single cell. The cell would duplicate at an exponential rate, and throughout millions of years, we have life today.

Creationism

Put simply, Creationism is the idea that all life was created by a single higher power/deity, such as Islam's Allah or Christianity's God. Creation is commonly debated and criticized. Because it revolves around religion, it is unable to be taught in science classes in public schools. There are many Creationists in the world.

What I Believe:

Of both theories, I personally believe in Darwin's Theory of Evolution. I honestly believe that both theories are brilliant and understand why so many people believe in either one. I just prefer solid facts and science over a belief that has never been proved.

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