Visiting the Nina and Pinta

Okay, so apparently the focus is really bad, but this is me on the nina on Oct. 3!

Response to Great Awakening Prompt

I think that what happened during the Great Awakening definitely played a big role in the separation of church and state. The Great Awakening was a nation wide revival in the 1730's and 40's. The revival began in Northampton, Massachusetts and quickly spread through all the colonies. The Great Awakening happened because people had become lax about their religion and attendance at church services. Therefore the preacher John Edwards rose up as leading character in the revival and brought people to realize their "wrong" ways and to take action. Another leading character throughout the revival was George Whitfield who was said to have the ability to make a audience weep.

In the 1730's and 40's religion had become laxed and less heated than what it had previously been only a few decades ago. Furthermore people had started to stop going to church, not really feeling a need to participate and include themselves in the congregation. But, when the revival spread people realized that they could have a personal relationship with God and that just going to church was not enough or maybe not even what you needed in your spiritual walk. Never before had these people known that there could be a separation of church and state and that the two didn't necessarily have to go together.

So, I think that once people got a small taste of what religious life could be like without the state and politics they took it to a national level. Making sure that there was not an official state or national church. I think that in the back of the populations mind they must have remembered that one of the initial reasons that their ancestors came over to America was because of their being forced to follow a mold, and with that in the back of their minds I think they realized that there was a better/fairer way to handle religion and politics as two separate arenas. I think that at this point when people had essentially given up on churches, and the revival came around people realized that religion was a personal thing and they wanted that. They wanted religion to be a personal/intimate thing that you could either support or choose to ignore. And if there was a state church people wouldn't have a personal choice.

America

(http://www.amwest-travel.com/awt_denali.html)

To me this picture represents America because in it you see wide open space. A place that hasn't been tamed by man. It reminds me of what people might have seen in the beginning of this country which wasn't anything more than a landscape. To me this picture just screams FREEDOM, which is probable the biggest idea I think of when asked about America. The only way this picture could say America more to me is if it had an American Eagle flying in it. I think the American Eagle is a really majestic animal and since it it our national bird I think it fits. So, this is my picture to represent American landscape when I think of it as a whole. Hope you find it as beautiful as I do.

Mayflower question 15

Question 15. I kind of agree with the person who stated that. I mean Philbrick kind of tells it from a Pilgrim perspective in that he follows them from Europe to America, but I don't think that he tells about the struggles with a preference from one group to another. I think that his goal was to tell the story of the Pilgrims from a realistic point of view giving clear descriptions of what really happened. Not that one group was right or wrong or that one group was greater than the other. It was just what it was.

Questions 11 and 12

Question 11. I think that the natives that took side with the English were sensible. The tribes that joined them had nothing against the English and had always been in good standing with them. Plus, I think that each tribe considered themselves so unique and their own persons that they didn't really think of it as fighting against their own. If I were a native it would have depended on what tribe I was in on whether or not I sided with the English. If I were in a tribe that had always had good relations with the English and considered them trustworthy people I see no reason why I wouldn't have joined them in the fight. However, had I been in a tribe that had constantly bickered and argued with the English I probably would have fought against them.



Question 12. I don't think that either side in King Phillip's War could claim moral superiority. In mind both sides did things that were despicable. I have no idea how the English could find it biblically justifiable to publicly display a chopped off head. On the natives side they didn't really have a bible or such document to go by God's standards, but I think that just by your conscience and moral ethics they should have realized that some of the things they did were gruesome. So, I don't think that either side had a claim to moral superiority.

Mayflower Questions 9 and 10

Question 9. I think the character that emerged as a hero to me in King Phillip's War was Benjamin Church. Church came across as a very put together man, who carefully thought through his actions. He also stuck with his gut, which saved his wife and children's lives at one point. Another thing that Church had was his strategic planning. Church looked at the Indians and their tactics in a completely different light than his colleagues. When he offered his ideas on how to help, that were often shot down on more than one occasion, the outcome showed that had the elders listened to Church they would have been better off. Especially with what Church accomplished towards the end of the war, I think he was invaluable to the Pilgrims.

Question 10. Grouping the Indians together as one complicated the war because there were many Indians that had wanted to stay neutral. By the Pilgrims grouping all the Indians together as one unit, they shot themselves in the foot. Not only did they turn many Indian groups against them, they failed to keep their minds open to negotiations. I'm sure that if the Pilgrims had approached some of the Indian tribes they attacked they could have prevented many dead. By being unwilling to talk to Indians they also confused many of the surrounding Indian tribes. Tribes that thought they were on the Pilgrims side suddenly found them attacking their homes and lives, and that confused them. If you look at the Praying Indians who had always been with the Pilgrims, they were suddenly considered suspicious and banned for a while. So, had the Pilgrims been more careful and maybe even a little thoughtful of what they were doing, they would have had less heartache.

Questions 6 and 8

Question 6. I think the Pilgrims children earned their bad rep from the way the handled things. For one thing they didn't appear grateful for what their parents had done, and they became selfish wanting more than what was needed (like land). So, I think that in a way their title was deserved, however I also think that the elders who would have given them this title weren't ready to see things change. The younger Pilgrims were not as strict in religious matters as their parents had been and that deeply worried the older generation. So, they were kind of labeled as being a little rebellious. I think that the denunciations of the second generation were kind of a self fullfilling prophesy because they say that the power of life and death is in the tongue. (biblical principal) So, if you speak that your children are going to fall into ruins because of the things that they are doing then they will. So, in part what happened to the Pilgrims was because they had spoken that's what was going to happen.

Question 8. In movies natives are always portrayed as being extremely violent and heathen, but they aren't. Natives have a way of living that is difficult for others to understand, that doesn't make it wrong or right. It just means that it's different. In the Mayflower we learn that the natives were willing to make peace with Pilgrims and to live side by side and at times help each other. We also learn that most of the natives at the end hadn't actually wanted to become involved in the war, and had wished to stay neutral. However, some of the images that we see today do seem to portray the natives in the Pilgrims time. In the book there were many instances in which the natives had scalped the Pilgrims after burning houses. This is still something that is commonly placed with natives today. Another thing that the Mayflower shows is the natives fascinating ability to pick up and move and thrive in another area. The natives never had permanent housing, so they could easily pick up and leave- something that would become very useful. Another things that Mayflower shows is that natives are a community like group, you wouldn't find just one Indian. They lived,worked, and thrived together. That also applied to when they were in war. The Indians did extremely well because they stayed together.

Mayflower Questions 4 and 5

Question 4. I think there are two factors for the fall of the Pilgrims peaceful coexistence with the Indian. One- the main sachem that the Pilgrims had worked and talked to was no longer in power, and that his son had taken rein. Number two- by 1670 Plymouth and surrounding areas was becoming second generation citizens, and proposals and arrangements and faithfulness that their parents had had was quickly forgotten and overlooked. I think that while war with the Indians may not have been completely avoidable. I think that the scale and reasons could have been avoided. If the Pilgrims would have been less selfish with wanting land and remembered the relationships their parents had built with the Indians they could have avoided some major issues.

Question 5. Squanto made such a difference in history because he was really smart. He knew what cards he had in his hand and he knew how to play them to the fullest of his ability. Squanto had the upper hand on almost everybody from the beginning by being both fluent in English and the Native tongue. He also had goals that he was focused on accomplishing, and although he never accomplished what he originally had planned. He still made quite a mess. Squanto had also been to Europe, which made his knowledge of the Pilgrims far superior to that of the local sachem. However, Squanto had grown suspicious among the natives which in the end would hinder him a great deal.

Mayflower Questions 1 and 3

Question 1. I think that the pilgrims strong religious beliefs were the main factor in their survival as a group. Through their religious beliefs the pilgrims believed that they were there for a purpose and that God's will would be done. So, I think that in hard times they were able to fall back on that to help them push on. However, I think that at times their religious beliefs hindered them in survival. Because the pilgrims were so unwilling to look or listen to anything that wasn't strictly biblical they missed a lot of opportunities to learn from other people. I'm sure that the Indians could have taught them many lessons on survival in the Americas, but because the Indians weren't as biblical as they were they overlooked some things that they did.



Question 3. I think that America made pilgrims and their situation more of a fantasy because that's what they wanted to hear. Nobody really wants to believe that the Pilgrims had it rough when they came over, or that Thanksgiving wasn't a party. People want to believe that the Pilgrims came over and life fell into place for them. I also think that Pilgrim fantasy that we know today is somewhat encouraging. I mean as little kids in the 1st grade we are told this fantasy story of the Pilgrims, and they became the coolest people ever. We didn't want to know the struggles and hardships that they actually went through, and for the most part people still don't.

Songs 14 and 15 ( Last Two!!)

The Hands That Built America by U2

This song was written in 2002. This song talks about all the different people that have built America. The song is unusually written because of all of the people that the song mentions in the building of America the way it's written it sounds like anyone of those people could have written it. In the songs chorus there is a person who whispers several different ethnicity's involvement in helping build America. (Polish, Irish, German, Italian, Russian, Sioux, Dutch, Hindu, Blacks, Chinese, Jews, Korean, Hispanic, Muslim, Indian. ) So, the ways the song is written it sounds like anyone one of these people could be singing it, but not only that- the songs' lyrics make it sound like it was written in the beginning of America. The first time I heard this song I just kind of overlooked it, but after listening to it a few more times I began to really enjoy it. It has a really cool sound to it, kind of simple. Before the versus start the beginning reminds me of a song of the Planet Earth soundtrack. This song made me look at America and realize that it literally did take all kinds of people to build America. It took a little bit of this and that from everywhere to come up with what we have now, and that's something that no other country has come close to. I can imagine that when some people hear this song they would become offended that so many different ethnicity's are mentioned when it was the Europeans who settled America, but without the influences of all the other nationalities we might not even exist in the same way we do today.

We Didn't Start The Fire by Billy Joel

This song was written in 1989. This song talks about all of the things that happened from the 1940's up until 1989. Highlighting things from Hula Hoops, Disneyland, and a major homicide case. There are so many things that this song covers that somebody could probable write a book on this song. This song is one of the weirdest songs as far as composition goes because in the versus it doesn't appear that anybody imparticular is talking, it's just somebody listing a bunch of stuff. However, in the chorus the writer uses the words "We" in which it is believed refers to the Baby Boomer generation. Well, the last song on the CD is definitely a hit on my list. Even though all of the things in this song happened before I was even born it's a really cool song. It has a really fun rhythm to it, and is incredibly fun to sing to. ( Even though you have to have the lyrics in front of you and even then I still mess up! :P) This song allows you to learn about so many things that happened in US history. I mean I could probable take a week and look up and learn about all of the instances Billy Joel refers to. However, when I was listening to it, while doing this post I though that it was interesting that he mention the Starkwheather homicide. Mainly because I figured that that most of been on heck an investigation for it to have been mentioned in a song like this. So, I looked it up and read that Charles Starkwheather had killed 11 people! So, that's what I learned about US history through this song.

Songs 12 and 13

Youngstown by Bruce Springsteen

Youngstown was written in 1995. The song is about the town Youngstown, Ohio and how during war times the town helped produce materials to help the armies. However, after war times many people had a hard time staying a float. The story is written like a citizen of Youngstown was recording things that had happened in his life and what happened to the town. The way that Springsteen sings the songs you would have thought that he himself had lived in Youngstown and suffered through the instances that were written about. I agree with Anna in that this song is difficult to understand, and even though I don't understand all the references to the steel,furnaces, etc, I like the song. I thought that Springsteen did a great job showing emotion. Through this song I was able to learn a little bit about the town Youngstown number one and then about how war affects certain towns more than others, especially the work force in a town. In this song it seems that the things the person in the song has gone through has scarred him for life, since how in the end he says he would rather go to hell than heaven.

The Times They Are A-Changin' by Bob Dylan

This song was written in 1964. This songs talks about how things are changin. How there are new ideas that are appearing in the world and that older people have got to look to the new ideas and go with it, because if they don't they'll get trapped in the past and not move forward. The story seems to be Bob Dylan's' actual opinion of what is going on in the world. So, it seems to be more of a primary source than some of the other songs. I did not like this songs. The way it sounds isn't the kind of music that I like to listen to and I found the context of the song to be confusing. ( Thanks to Anna and Alexis for your help! :) This song does make me think though of how when new ideas arise it must take the rest of the world by shock, because people get so stuck with what they know that they forget how to take in new things. So, it made me think of how people must have responded to new things and ideas when they happened like the trip to the moon, or the atomic bomb, or even something like a TV.

Songs 10 and 11

Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday

Strange Fruit was written sometime in the 1930's by a New York school teacher name Abel Meeropol. The song talks about lynching in the south. It particularly talks about the lynching of "black bodies" which would be African Americans. The song doesn't give a descriptive definition of a lynching itself but more of seeing a hanging body in a tree. This song was originally a poem that was later put to music. The song sounds almost like a documentation. The way it is song makes it sound like someone from a different area came to the south and say a body in a tree and wrote about it in a journal. Although this song is kind of creepy when you think exactly about what topic is being sung about, I liked the song. It has a mysterious and eerie sound to it that I thought Billie Holiday's voice fit perfectly. If anybody has heard the song "I'll Be Seeing You" and heard Billie Holiday's rendition of it her voice sounds so unique that it changes the mood of a song (at least for me). Although I had learned about lynching last year, the way this song portrayed lynching was a different point of view for me. The last stanza of the song where the writer says "Here is fruit for the crows to pluck" made me think of how inhumane lynching seems to have been. Whether those people deserved to die or not it seems really inhumane to have been killed in such a way.

A Change Is Gonna Come by Seal

A Change Is Gonna Come was written in 1964. The song talks about how a change will come concerning racism. The song is told by a man who has had a hard time throughout his life because of racism, but believes that one day it will change. So, the songs is written such that you would believe that the person who had written it had gone through these experiences himself. I liked this song a lot. I thought that the instruments in the background were done really nicely, and that it had a great flow to it. It wasn't until I looked up the lyrics and thought about it that I really understood what kind of a "change" the writer was looking for, but after I figured out that it made more sense. I think the writer was brave for having written this song, because I'm sure there have been many people who have felt racial oppression but haven't been bold enough to say or write anything about it. So, that this man was brave enough to have written his feelings down and had his song recorded seems like quite an accomplishment to me. This song doesn't talk about any particular event in America other than that there was racial oppression at the time but what was written in the view of someone undergoing racial oppression which gave me a new perspective on what people must have gone through and how hard it had to have been for them.

Songs 8 and 9

Jesus Christ by Woodie Guthrie

Jesus Christ was written in 1940 by Woodie Guthrie. The song talks about Jesus going through the land preaching to the wealthy about giving their goods to the poor, and when the wealthy refuse they put Jesus death. This song actually seems to depict how Jesus really was, Guthrie says that he was a good man and that he was originally a Carpenter. The song is written like it is flopping back and forth from when Jesus actually lived to present day. The song talks about Jesus like he lived, but uses current day people like Cops and Sheriffs as the bad guy. Then though the writer says that it was written in NY City and that if Jesus preached there like he had preached in Galilee he would be put to death, so it's kind of confusing. As far as my opinion of the song, it was my least favorite of the fifteen. The way it sounds reminds me of a couple of guys sitting on a porch in the woods goofing off. The lyrics were okay, I just didn't like the execution. It made me realize that had Jesus been around in the US today that there probable wouldn't have been many people to accept his message, even back in the forties. If this was written in the forties, then people back then must have some of the same attitudes that people today have. It made me realize how closed our society is and must have been back then to completely new ideas, especially ideas that require faith. Faith meaning you just have to trust, and sometimes you won't always be able to have or know the answer.

Do Re Mi by Ani DiFranco

Do Re Mi was written in 1940. This song was originally written by Woodie Guthrie about the Dust Bowl in the 1930's. During the Dust Bowl there were a lot of states affected in crops, etc and people were trying to get to California to get out of the drought which had turned the plains into dust bowls. In the song they repeatedly say that if you don't have the "do re mi" then to stay where you are, and by "do re mi" they mean money. The song when listened to sounds like a warning from an individual who tried to escape the dust bowl and didn't have any luck. I personally like this song. I thought that the tune, beat and sound was upbeat and fun to listen to. It was one of the songs on the CD that I found getting stuck in my head. What did this allow me to learn about US history? Well, I actually had no idea that anything like the Dust Bowl had ever happened. So, by listening to this song and doing a little research about it, I was able to learn about the Dust Bowl in the 1930's.

Songs 6 and 7

Hard Times Come Again No More

Hard Times Come Again No More was written in 1854. The songs seems to be literally about "hard times" that people go through, especially those who are poorer and dealing with them. Because this song was originally done in 1854, it appears to have been written by someone who was able to closely observe "hard times". Whether he went through them himself or just closely observed I'm not sure. The song seems to paint a vivid portrait of what the poor were going through, since the writer used a lot of adjectives. I thought this song was okay, I thought that the recording artists did a really good job of sound sad, like it seemed like she was actually in the situation that the lyrics portrayed. I think this song helped to show me what was going on in the US around 1854. There must have been difficult things happening for someone to have sat down and written such a sad song. And I know that the song says that hard times will come again no more, but it didn't feel like they believed that they way it was sung. It sounds more like their destined for doom than for better things to come.

Paddy's Lament by Sinead O' Connor

Paddy's Lament was written in 2002. The song tells about an Irish person named Paddy telling of how he immigrates to America because of hard times in Ireland. Paddy then tells that once he arrived to America he was forced to start fighting in the American war. Throughout the song Paddy tells"boys" back in Ireland to stay in Ireland because the only thing happening in America is war and that he wished he could come back home to Ireland. The story is told from Paddy's point of view. The song is written such that it sounds like a letter that Paddy would have sent back home to the "boys" in Ireland. First let me say that when I saw we had a song from Sinead O' Connor I was super excited because I love her song Nothing Compares 2 U. However, when I first heard this song I was little confused and didn't understand until I had looked up the lyrics. That being said, once I understood the song I liked it. Although the song isn't written from an American standpoint, it made me think of how other countries feel when we are in war. Especially when America was younger and a lot of immigrants came over for a better life,( not that there are not immigrants like that now), and were immediately expected to help and understand what struggles America was going through.

Songs 4 and 5

Brave Wolfe by Mark O' Connor & Wynton Marsalis

The songs Brave Wolfe was recorded in 1997 by Mark O' Connor and Wynton Marsalis for the album Liberty!. The song is an old traditional ballad that pays respect to the British General James Wolfe who died in 1759. Since, it is a song done completely through instruments without any vocals I think that the artists tried to interpret a story that was told through in an older version of this song. I personally really enjoyed this song, I thought that it sounded beautiful and that it was a very respectful way to honor somebody. I don't know that this song allowed me to learn anything specific about the history of the US because the song really isn't about the US. However, it makes you realize that there are people in the US who are interested in researching past events through music.

Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier by Mark O' Connor and James Taylor

Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier is an American folk song that dates to the American Revolution. The song tells about a guy (assuming him to be young) name Johnny that leaves his love to go fight as a soldier and how the young woman is heartbroken to see him go. In this version of Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier James Taylor sings it like he is telling a story. However, in other versions of the song it is song in first person, in which, it would be more like the singer is living through the situation. The is one of the songs that I really like on the CD, however I find extremely sad. To me it sounds like something you would see in a movie. I thought that the arrangement was very complimentary to the era and circumstance they were trying to represent. For me I learned about some of the things that people went through during a war time. In the song it says that his love had to sell her possessions to buy him a "sword of steel" so it was obviously a financial struggle for some people.

Songs 1-3

Anon: Virgen Madre De Dios

Apache Indian Drums

Shaman's Call

I think that the recording artists of these songs were probably trying to shed some light into what culture looked like before America was settled by Europeans. Many people look at the beginning of American as when the Europeans first showed up on the Eastern shores, but we have to remind ourselves that there was history, culture, and life in America before the Europeans came in and "settled" America. I think that these songs highlight the time and culture before the Europeans showed up, especially the songs Apache Indian Drums and Shaman's Call which seem to represent Native American culture. In which light I think they are very much part of the American story. Like I previously stated I think most people look at the beginning of America as when the Europeans showed up, but America had many thriving inhabitants before then so I think it is important to consider those people and their culture and experiences as part of the early American story.

"The recent Gulf Coast Oil Spill is the issue I have decided to investigate."

For my topic to investigate I decided to investigate and learn about the recent oil spill in the Gulf Coast. Located 48 miles off the shore of Louisiana, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded on April 20th, killing 11 workers. The drilling rig was owned by the Transocean Ltd. and leased by BP PLC. However, Bp is responsible for cleanup and containment of the spilling oil. Since April 20, oil has been spilling into the gulf at about 210,000 gallons a day. (information found here)



( picture from here)

Right now it is said that the state of Louisiana has spend 5 million dollars towards the clean up of the spilling oil. However, that number is expected to quadruple next month at 20 million dollars. ( find here) You may be wondering "What has been done to fix the problem of the spilling oil?". Well, the spill hasn't been completely stopped however, there has been some progress in reducing the amount of oil reaching the sea. On May 18th the BP company inserted a siphon pipe into the leaking pipe. This act has allowed about 40% of the oil to be stopped from reaching the oil. ( found here) Unfortunately though, there is still major work to be done in order to completely eliminate the leaking oil.
(picture found here)

Not only have the worlds of the BP company been turned upside down, but the fishermen and residents of the affected states of the oil spill. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration has sealed off 19% of the Gulf Coasts' fishing grounds as un-fishable. ( found here) However, BP is expected to cover financial losses of fisherman, economic losses, etc. ( found here)






( fishermen waiting for contract with BP : here)


"Could the oil spill affect gas prices?" As of right now the current oil spill has not affected the gas prices and is not expected to unless the port stays closed for a long period of time. With the U.S. economy being so weak right now, the refining companies have a surplus of gas therefore, allowing the current oil spill not to currently affect gas prices. Peter Beutel, an analyst with Cameron Hanover in New Canaan, Conn, says that " Even if this were to increase gas prices by a nickel, it wouldn't be for more than a couple of days." ( info found here) In reality though, it's probably best just to wait and see what happens, since the countries economy is so up and down right now.
( oil spill here)
(question mark here)

"How does this topic relate on the International level?" Well, while the oil spill in the Gulf may not be affecting countries such as China, Japan, etc: it is affecting the U.S., which is known as a world power. And with the U.S.' economy already being in a crisis it really didn't need another major event take place. So, although it may not be a big impact on other countries and world powers the way the oil spill has affected the U.S. is likely to cause some effects in other countries, however big or small. This incident also serves as a great example to other countries that dig for oil in oceans. Particularly in how not to act, and how to act. So, one could look at this incident as a big learning experience for everyone, but that doesn't really make anybody fell better.

"I understand how our knowledge of the past is consturcted through analysis of primary sources of many kinds."

A primary source is a piece of evidence (for example diaries, biographies, letters, etc.) that was produced during the time your looking into. Primary sources are vital when it comes to looking up information for a paper, book, etc. Plus their pretty dang cool, I mean when you look at something that came from the 1800's you can't help but be amazed. Most primary sources can probably be found in libraries, museums, archives, etc. When you are looking at or investigating a primary source you can learn emotions people were having at that time, which is really cool. Or maybe how the place they lived looked geographically. Their are so many things we can learn from primary sources, so it's important that we keep them preserved and in a safe place.

This is a picture of some bottles that came from the age of New Imperialism. We can see the New Imperialism from these bottles because in the article following the picture it tells us that one of the bottles won an award at the World's Fair in 1904. This image came from a website were they are selling reprints of old paper for various purposes. This website seems credible in that they give information about their product, they are actually selling this exact artifact so, in order to be credible they would have to do some research and give the truth about their products otherwise they would loose their credibility as a company and their customers.

This is a picture of an advertisement for Pears' Soap in 1900. The advertisement explains that it is the perfect soap for cleaning all corners of the world. During which the people were conquering all corners of the world, trying to make them alike and western. I found this picture on this website. This website was created by a man with an undergraduate degree in history, who expresses great concern for history. This picture however is from this website because I couldn't download the image from the original website and see it well.

This is a picture of a piece of art created in 1913 It is an image of a Eucalyptus branch/flower. I couldn't find who the exact artist is, but the picture is part of the Milwaukee Art Museum. The reason that I picked this piece of art is because the Eucalyptus tree is mainly found in Australia with only a very few number of plants in other regions. While it's true that the artist could have been from Australia, it's highly unlikely beings that the piece of art has ended up in the U.S.. Then one would probably assume that the artist was somewhere from Europe or more likely America. Therefore in order to make this print the artist would have had to study subjects and plants from afar, flowing into the ideas of New Imperialism as people were learning and observing new cultures and countries. I believe the source I found this picture and information on the artwork reliable because it came from the website of the Milwaukee Art Museum in their catalog of artwork.

This is an image of a Kaiser receiving submission from a Chinese envoy. Although the date of this picture isn't certain. One of the gentlemen in the picture is Kaiser Wilhelm II and since Wilhelm lived from 1859-1941, around the time of the New Imperialism. We can assume that this picture is during the time of the New Imperialism. It shows the themes of New Imperialism because you can see gentlemen coming together for an event from several different nationalities including: German, Japanese, and Chinese.

I got this image from this website. I believe this website to be credible because many of the articles are created by World History scholars, and is sponsored by the college board. I also found the picture on a German website.

"I've learned that in many nations of the world face complex problems that they fell cannot be solved w/o international action or cooperation."

( too much pollution)

Just recently, as in like within the last month, I have learned that most countries have problems that they fell they cannot face without help. Some of these problems include pollution, trafficking, or an overflow of tourism. For instance, France is having a problem with too many tourist and illegal immigrants coming into their country. I think when looking at this problem it's easy to see why they would ask for international help. Both of these problems are directly related to the intervention of other countries help, by controlling borders and limiting the flow of travel etc. But what about a problem like pollution, most people would say that pollution is an individual countries problem, I mean it's not like China is helping pollute Costa Rica. Maybe the plea is more along the lines of "Let's find a solution and problem together, to help our country and yours." Maybe a country is having a hard time reducing their pollution because of the products they have to buy (gasoline, cars, etc.) or because of economic situations in which they cannot invest the money to improve the transportation or construction systems. So, sometimes it's not always that a country is asking for the other countries to fix their problem or make it better, but aid in ideas or financial help. ( we are tourists)

"I have become more knowledgable about the World."

( I was abducted from my home by the L.R.A. read this article)

I am definitely more knowledgeable about current issues now than what i was at the beginning of this year. For instance, before this year I had no idea what was happening in Uganda with the L.R.A. and how it was affecting children's lives. I also didn't how a lot of countries each have problems that they feel they can't take care of themselves. I understood that nations would come together with a situation that was related to human dignity etc, but as far as like a problem that an individual country might be having; I didn't ever think that they would reach out to other nations for help.

( "Oh! Those bloody trenches!" check this out)

There have been many events that have shaped the twentieth century. One of the main being the 1st World War which took place in the early twentieth century. At the turn of the century technology was starting to advance far beyond what people had ever imagined, but something else happened that people had never imagined too. World War 1 was something the people of Europe could never have imagined and it definitely put things into perspective for the modern world. World War 1 was one of the longest most difficult wars known to mankind, and it greatly effected the way the countries of Europe as well as others have grown as countries.

("What color are you?" buy these)

Today "race" is a topic/issue that many of us run into and encounter, whether it be somebody making fun of a race or people discriminating against a race. Unfortunately, many of us when thinking about race become uncomfortable and squeamish. It's not supposed to be that way, we aren't supposed to become that way, it shouldn't even be something we are uncomfortable to talk about, but that's the it is. I'm not going to lie, I don't like talking about race or racial issues either, but I think part of that is societies blame. I've grown up in a world where people are judged and looked upon by their skin color and chemical make up, but that doesn't make it right. Just because someone is different than yourself doesn't make that person inferior or less special it just makes them different.

("I am a turtle!" here's my pic)

There are many diverse places on the earth, places created by nature and places created by man. I myself have always been fascinated on the natural places; one of my favorite TV shows is the series Planet Earth. This amazing series ,which took several years to create, focuses on what amazing places are on the earth such as waterfalls, caves, canyons, etc. One particular geographic feature that I myself have always admired is the ocean. Even though there are several major oceans in the world all in different locations, their all kind of the same. They all bare life, and they all provide resources for humans. At the same time each ocean is different, each ocean is a home to different animals, each ocean has it own climate, and each ocean has something the other doesn't. Oceans are beautiful.

( What better example of different cultures coming together than the Olympics.)

Every country has it's own personality, every country has their own flag, every country has it's own favorite foods, places, and stars (the famous kind, not the sparkly firefly like kind). How cool is that? Every country has cultures that their known for. Look at Egypt- known for the ancient pyramids and hieroglyphics that were part of their ancient civilizations culture. Think of Japan and the samurai's that used to practically be royal. I also think that there are different opinions on what exactly culture is. To me culture is something that a country has that makes it stand out from the others, something that is unique to that country's history or way of life, or maybe even a religion. So, culture is everywhere in all parts of the world every where you look.

Reflection on Article

Before the last class period I knew nothing aboutthis situation happening in Africa. It still seemsreally hard to believe that such things acutally happen and exist. However, it seems that the Ugandan goverment is trying very hard to stop and put an end to the violence and abuse. While it was stated that their were several people with objections to the idea of using former soldiers of Kony, I thought it was a brillant idea! Who better would be able to track this man down than someone who had been trained in his ways? And it seems that the Ugandan soldiers are making good progress and are coming closer and closer to finding this terrible man. I hope they do!

Current Issue in Egypt

A big problem that Egypt is currently experiencing is pollution. While much of Egypt is basically desert with not many inhabitants, the country is having problems with pollution in the major cities-especially Cairo. Because Egypt's main water source is the Nile river it's very important that Egypt learns how to reduce their pollution and waste materials, so that the river doesn't become polluted and unusable. As a representative for Egypt I bring this issue of ours to the people in hopes that some of you countries that have dealt with pollution in the past and have found some solutions may have some recommendations for us to help us deal with pollution problem.

Japan Project Proposal

For my Japan project I plan on making a children's book. In my children's book I will cover a varitey of topics, things that people know exist in Japan but are not sure on what they are like. Things like Japense fashion, food, sports, etc. My book will be targeted at 6-10 year old American children. My goal in aiming this book at this age group and nationality is to educate American children on Japense culture.

Exploring Extremes

When and by whom was the South Pole first reached?

Ronald Amundsen became the first person to reach the South Pole in December of 1911.

http://www.enotes.com/history-fact-finder/exploration-settlement/who-was-first-person-reach-south-pole

When and by whom was the North Pole?

Robert Edwin Peary, an engineer in the American navy, reached the north pole on April 6, 1909.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_was_the_first_person_to_reach_the_North_Pole

Who led an expedition to summit Everest in 1924 and what happened to him? When was the summit actually reached for the first (documented) time?

George Leigh Mallory led an expedition to summit Everest in 1924. No one knows exactly what happened to him. The first documented time to reach the summit of Everest was on May 29, 1953.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/lost/mystery/

http://www.enotes.com/history-fact-finder/exploration-settlement/who-was-first-person-reach-summit-mount-everest

After locating these facts, reflect on why people would want to engage in these types of extreme activities. Why would someone do that? Would you? Why or why not? Is it worth it to risk your life just to do something like this?

I think that everybody has different reasons why they would do something as extreme as climb Mt. Everest. Some people are trying to find themselves, others are bored and rich, some feel they have to resolve something and the only way to do it is through climbing Mt. Everest, some are trying to check something off their bucket list, and others are what people call thrill seekers. For me to climb Mt. Everest I would have to have a piece of paper with a one hundred percent guarantee that I would still have my life, and even then I still don't think I would chance it. Even though I find Mt. Everest absolutely gorgeous, I just don't find it worth the risk, time or energy it would take me to climb it.

More Than 100 Years Later, the World I Live In Still Displays the Impact of the New Imperialism

Even though it has been more than a hundred years since European Imperialism spread, we still see things today that make us think back. Europe and other countries, still have ports located in many different parts of the world that they still use. You now see other countries using Imperialism, for example the United States with Latin America. Countries still fight to keep their rights, so that another country won't come in and take them over. People still believe that they might be better than a different race and that that race is insufficient, and inferior. New Imperialism is still around and can be seen in different places, from different perspectives, and in different lives.

Positive Effects of the New Imperialism

However while there were some sad and negative effects of Imperialism I believe that there were also positives. With Europe now conquering many different countries. The Europeans had an opportunity to spread technology, as well as open trade and increase prosperity. They were also becoming very wealthy and educated. The Europeans were now able to discover new regions that had not been mapped before and learn new things from different cultures. On the other hand, the people being conquered gained some advantages too. With Europeans coming in and taking over government they changed rules and regulations. Now most people would see this as a negative, but there were certain traditions that may have been brutal, in moral, and inhuman that were now seen as indecent and outlawed. Giving people more freedom in certain areas.

Negative Effects of the New Imperialism

When I think of some of the negative effects new imperialism might have had on Europeans, I have to think that with them conquering all this new land that their must have been an insane amount of pressure added to their government. It is a big enough job trying to manage your own country let alone adding a few more on the pile. And when I think of the negative impacts it played on the countries and people being conquered, it just seems sad, lonely and depressing. If you think about it, one day your living your life and your happy. Then the next day you wake up and there are these foreign people at you door, telling you that the way you live your life is no longer acceptable and that you must change. That would be horrible. It must have been so frustrating for people who were conquered by the Europeans. All of sudden there are people, who must have looked like aliens; telling you that you can't dress the way you dress, you can't run your goverment the way you have for decades, and you can't practice traditions because we think they are weird. How sad and hurt the people must have been.

What was "the New Imperialism?

Imperialism is when one country rules over another country in everything related to that country. They rule over their politics, economy, and culture. European imperialism started in the 1800's. Europeans took over many countries especially countries in Africa. Europeans became imperialistic to gain power for their country, open up ports for trade, and take advantage of natural resources that other countries had that they didn't.

Results of Sorting People Quiz

So, I took the quiz for sorting people. And I gotta tell ya all. I got like almost every single one of them wrong. When you think about people in the big picture we are all so much more diverse than what it seems and you can't ever necessarily "peg" one person as this or that. Another thing that threw me about this quiz, was that they had the people seperated by what they considered themself to be. Which I found kind of almost not fair. But, it also teaches not to just automatically assume that because you look one way, that thats exactly what you have to be.