My Trip To South Africa

Last fall my sister, Gracie, went to South Africa on a study abroad program. There she worked on public health and policy. She stayed there for a whole semester learning about the culture and she even stayed with a family and experienced what it is like to live there. During her study my whole family took a trip to Cape Town and Durban to see her. We went on safaris and saw many exotic animals. We also went to beautiful places like Table Top Mountain, which had one of the most stunning views I have ever seen. But the thing that really was shocking to me was the existence of shantytowns I saw while touring the country.

Shantytowns went on for miles along highways and even right next to wealthy neighborhoods. I thought after apartheid whites and blacks lived in equality throughout South Africa but that is not the whole truth.  Apartheid was a time when all the black inhabitants were cut off from society with little resources and terrible living conditions. They weren’t even allowed to have jobs. Homes in shantytowns usually are made of metal, pieces of wood, cardboard boxes and sheets of plastic. They usually have no electricity but the ones we saw in South Africa recently obtained electricity. They usually don’t have safe water supplies, police protection, indoor plumbing and a functioning government.

It is still evident that there is some segregation in South Africa. Shantytowns show that the non-white people have not been integrated into society as well as they should be. I learned in South Africa one in ten South Africans lives in informal settlements or, in other words, houses that should not be lived in. There is still a lot of political unrest because of the segregation. Much like modern day slavery, which we learned about in class, blacks were persecuted and segregated because of their race. This prevented them from participating in all activities within the society of South Africa, including voting, working, and participating in public activities. Not only did segregation begin in the 1600’s, it has continued ever since and still happens today. Many people, like Nelson Mandela, have tried to end segregation. Positive progress has been made but I just hope that segregation will stop soon and we will all be equal.

Citations:

"Shanty town." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Dec. 2013. Web. 27 Dec. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanty_town>.

"South Africa shanty town bill row." BBC News. BBC, 14 May 2009. Web. 27 Dec. 2013. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8049449.

                                           Shantytown

                              From article on BBC News website “South Africa shanty town bill row”

                                            http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8049449.stm

                                         Table Top Mountain

                                          Ride up to Table Top Mountain

                                             Adult Male Springbok

                                          Female Lion

A Collapsed Colony

One of the greatest mysteries in American history is the fate of the Lost Colony of Roanoke. In the 16th century the English traveled to America and settled in Roanoke, a coastal island in what is now North Carolina. On August 22, 1587 the leader of the colony set sails for England to get more supplies. No ships could be spared for going back to the New World because the Spanish Armada was going to be meeting the English and the English were preparing for them. Finally, three years later they returned to Roanoke. What they saw was dreadful, there was no one in sight. All the colonists had disappeared!

Roanoke

There are a lot of different ideas on how these people suddenly vanished. But, one of these ideas can be proven, by the trunks of extremely old cypress trees.

I was interested in the “Lost Colony”of Roanoke because I heard a little about it in class but I wanted to know more. I came across a very interesting article about what may have triggered the collapse of this colony. William K. Stevens gives his clear opinion of why Roanoke disappeared in his article Drought May Have Doomed the Lost Colony; he talks about how drought could have been a leading cause of the collapse of Roanoke.

You might be asking, how could anyone in the 21st century know that there was a drought in the 16th century. The answer is found in century old cypress trees. The annual growth rings of trees in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina (near Roanoke) were analysed. As shown in the photo below if the rings are close together then there was a drought during that time because the tree did not get enough water so the trees growth was hindered.

Annual Growth Rings of a Tree

The analysis of these trees shows that the English arrived in Roanoke during a major drought, in fact, during the worst drought the east coast had had in 800 years. This major drought could have affected the settlers in many ways; the local Indians, the Croatans, could have killed them in a dispute over food. After all both groups would have had a lack of food because there was not enough water for crops to grow successfully. The settlers could also have attempted to travel north to their original destination, the Chesapeake bay, and died on the way or when they got their. They could have collaborated with Croatans and moved south to escape the drought.

As we have recently learned in History class there was also a major drought during the time the English settled in Jamestown. The Jamestown drought is also addressed in the article, Drought May Have Doomed the Lost Colony because the colonists of Jamestown and those in Roanoke were in very similar situations.

Jamestown

In Jamestown there was an extreme lack of water just like in Roanoke and this caused many deaths. There was not enough fresh water so the colonists had to drink dirty river water filled with waste. They also had to resort to awful measures to get food because of the lack of water for crops. The colonists of Jamestown were so deperate they had to eat their own dogs, rats, cats, horses, snakes, there is even some evidence of cannibalism. Jamestown was at the collapsing point. The colonists had actually packed up and were ready to leave when a ship from England came and they were saved.

Jamestown was ready to perish and if that ship from England had never come it would have ended in disaster like Roanoke did. We still don’t know exactly what happened from 1587- 1590 to cause every colonists to vanish but we do know that the worst drought that had hit this area in 800 years could have played a big role in this disaster.

 

 Photos: Image one, Roanoke: http://ncpedia.org/sites/default/files/roanoke.jpg

Image two, annual growth rings on tree: http://www.serc.si.edu/education/resources/watershed/stories/images/rings.jpg

Image three, Jamestown Virginia: http://web.scott.k12.va.us/martha2/images/Jamestown%20Fort.jpg

Britain's New Law and How you Can Help End Modern Day Slavery

In Britain a new anti-slavery law was recently passed. This law will punish those who take part in modern day slavery potentially for their entire lives. This law is a major break through and I am glad to see that it has passed. In the immediate future I hope to see many other countries around the world enforce strict anti-slavery laws.  When it comes down to it the people affected by slavery are people and no one deserves poor treatment.

The articles I have read about his topic relate directly to our modern day slavery unit we did in class. I know this unit made me really reflect on how lucky I am and I know it had the same effect on many of my fellow classmates.

Slavery has been illegal in Britain for over two hundred years but that didn’t stop many people. As you may know, slavery affects almost thirty million people worldwide. The different types of slavery that take place in England include forced labor, marriage, sexual exploitation, domestic servitude and human trafficking. Originally, the maximum punishment for any of the previously listed types of slavery was fourteen years. I feel that this is far too low of a sentence for someone committing such a terrible crime and I think every country should have a life sentence for modern day slavery.

As previously stated, I am very happy to see that Britain has taken a crucial step in ending modern day slavery, but there are many things that the average human being like you and I can do. Chances are you may have something in your house that has been made by a bounded laborer. You can help by doing the research on what companies may be involved with slavery.

There are many major companies who have been rumored to rec
eive cotton from farms that use child slaves. These companies include, Forever 21, Aeropastle and Urban Outfitters.  Slavery in today’s world should not be allowed anywhere and all citizens of the world should try to put an end to it.

Main Article Summarized : http://www.enca.com/world/britain-punish-modern-slavery-perpetrators-life-sentence
"Britain to Slap Modern Day Slavery Culprits with a Life Sentence"
Additional facts from :http://www.businesspundit.com/5-giant-companies-who-use-slave-labor/?img=42007


First Picture : http://www.enchantedlearning.com/europe/britain/flag.shtml

Second Picture: http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Everyone%20Else/images-4/child-slave.jpg

"Romeo and Juliet": A Story That Lasts Through All Time

Pretty much everyone knows “Romeo and Juliet”; the timeless love story about two star-crossed lovers that ends in a terrible tragedy.  Written in 1595 and 1596 by William Shakespeare, it was his first successful tragedy.  The success hasn’t just been in his time, though.  “Romeo and Juliet” has been recreated into countless plays, operas, pieces of music, works of art, and movies.  Two popular movie versions of “Romeo and Juliet” is “Romeo and Juliet,” and “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet”.      

“Romeo and Juliet”

Made in 1968, this film has gotten excellent reviews.  In the film, Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting star as Juliet and Romeo.  The film uses the traditional dialog, and it take place in the typical setting of Verona, Italy in the 16th century.  This version is unique because the actors who played Romeo and Juliet were the same age that was written in the original play.  It’s total gross was $42,000,000.  Now considered to be a classic, “Romeo and Juliet” has been a basis for other versions of the original writing. This version has even been referred to in pop culture! Celine Dion has referenced in one of her music videos.  

“William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet”   

This version is a modern take on the classic version.  Instead of taking place in Verona, Italy, it takes place in Verona Beach. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. The language is the traditional Shakespearean dialog, but every other aspect of the film is in modern times.  Instead of using swords and daggers, the characters use guns.  The film got good reviews, and it grossed a total of $147,554,998 worldwide.  Along with the positive reviews, both Danes and DiCaprio were nominated for multiple awards.  Movie critic James Berardinelli said, “Ultimately, no matter how many innovative and unconventional flourishes it applies, the success of any adaptation of a Shakespeare play is determined by two factors: the competence of the director and the ability of the main cast members. Luhrmann, Danes, and DiCaprio place this Romeo and Juliet in capable hands” (reelviews.net).

            It is amazing to think that a piece of writing from the Renaissance has not only survived but it still wildly popular today.  Movies based off of the classic love story are very successful, and each movie has a different take on William Shakespeare’s words.  Some movies are filmed just as the play is written, others are modern day retellings of the two star crossed lovers.  It gives an insight on what life was like for young people during the Renaissance.  But whatever is done to the story, it will always be retold for many years to come.  

Citations:

Bibliography

“Shakespeare, William”. ProQuest Learning: Literature. 2006. ProQuest. http://literature.proqu

estlearning.com/critRef/displayItemById.do?QueryType=reference&forAuthor=1907&Bac

kTo=Author%20Page&ItemID=bio1907%20pqllit_ref_lib. (17 December, 2013).

“Romeo and Juliet (Films)”. Wikepedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 13 November, 2013.

Wkipedia.org.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet_(films). (17 December, 2013).

“Romeo and Juliet (1968)”. IMBd. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063518/. (18 December, 2013).

Berardinelli, James. “A Review of Romeo and Juliet (1996)”. ReelViews. 1996. http://www.re

elviews.net/movies/r/romeo_juliet.html. (19 December, 2013)  

“Romeo + Juliet”. Wikepedia, The Free Encyclopedia.  17 December, 2013. http://en.wikiped

ia.org /wiki/Romeo_+_Juliet. (19 December, 2013)

Ebert, Robert. “Romeo and Juliet”. Wayback Machine Internet Archive. 15 October, 1968. http:// web.archive.org/web/20071221023128/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19681015/REVIEWS/810150301/1023. (19 December, 2013)

Pictography

“Portrait of William Shakespeare”. Drawing. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.

1993. http://shakespeare.mit.edu/. Accessed 19 December, 2013.

“Romeo + Juliet Theatrical Release Poster”. Picture. Wikepedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 17

December, 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_+_Juliet. Accessed 19 December,

2013.

“Romeo and Juliet Widescreen DVD Cover”. picture. Wikepedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 13

November, 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet_(1968_film). Accessed

19 December 2013.

Galleria Borghese

The Galleria Borghese has works from different ages, but the focus is in those from the Renaissance. When my family went to Rome a couple of years back, they decided to stop by and take a look at the work. I realize now that it was work from the Renaissance. They brought home a book call "10 Masterpieces" from the museum, and under quick review I discovered the connection to class.

"10 Masterpieces"

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51M3P%2BhP-cL._SY300_.jpg

Many, or almost all, of the works of art had been sculpted or painted during the Renaissance, from the 14th century to the 17th century. This connects to our class because we learned about the Renaissance in depth and with it the flourishing art and appreciation for it. The collectors had obvious appreciation for it, as they put the expensive works in one safe place. But they also analyzed the works just like we did. Each of the ten masterpieces had two pages of analysis. This consisted of close-ups of the painting or sculpture and an explanation of the detail. The analysis ranged from colors in a boy's hair to Christianity, which we learned about in class also. In addition to the analysis, the painters were also connected to class. We learned about a painter, Raphael, and two of his works were in the book. "The Deposition of Christ" and "Woman with a Unicorn" are featured, so he must be pretty important.

Raphael

http://romanempiretours.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Raphael_Self_Portrait-large.jpg

Overall, these paintings show a realistic sense of the human body and the overall appreciation for art during this time period. As we know from class, these things are true. The people in the Renaissance saw it as a golden age and a time where art, knowledge, and life flourished. 

Nelson Mandela's Legacy: Ending a Form of Modern Day Slavery in South Africa

We recently experienced the death of one the most important global leaders of our time, Nelson Mandela. He was one of the few people who truly stood for what he had to say, and sacrificed his freedom to achieve it. This earned him the title of a true leader and the love of billions of people across the world, which was expressed at his funeral and other celebrations of his life.

 

Nelson Mandela grew up in a society in which blacks and whites were considered different class citizens of South Africa. His life was closely related to the history of racial segregation and struggles throughout South Africa. Before he had gained power, he was a part of a group called African National Congress (ANC), which supported and fought for the rights of South Africa's native black population.

As the resistance against the unfair treatment of black South Africans grew. Nelson and other members of the ANC board were arrested and were sentenced a lifetime to prison in the Rivonia trial. However even from within his cell, he continued to fight and became the symbol of the evil behind racial segregation that kept him in jail. He was one of the most famous prisoners in the world and was supported on his release globally. There was even a famous song called Free Nelson Mandela. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgcTvoWjZJU

Overall, Nelson had spent 27 years in jail and didn't even fuss about it. He remained true to his belief that change to South Africa's apartheid system must be achieved peacefully with both black and white support and  he stayed poised and positive.

 

 Once he was freed he was elected as the first black president of South Africa and maintained equal rights between all ethnicities. He even forgave those who kept him in jail including President F.W. De Klerk. They had won the Nobel Peace Prize for their peaceful transition to freedom for black South Africans

 

 

In our history class, one of the topics is modern day slavery. We had learned many ways of slavery that you wouldn't even have expected still existed in the 21st century. Nelson Mandela was able to end one form of slavery in South Africa, but sadly the world still has a long way to go to achieve an end to slavery everywhere.

 

 

Citations: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/denzel-cummings/nelson-mandela-a-leaders-legacy_b_4450255.html

http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/a93fa100402b7b0faa80aace3e3f709b/De-Klerk-returns-to-SA-over-Madiba-

http://www.ezakwantu.com/Gallery%20Nelson%20Mandela%20-%20Madiba.htm

http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-mandela-laid-to-rest-43447.php

http://www.essence.com/package/nelson-mandela-rip/

 



                                                Elementary School Teaching us Wrong?

Right now in History we are learning about Jamestown Virginia, but if I remember correctly in elementary school we were taught that Plymouth was the first English colony in America. What is the difference between Plymouth and Jamestown settlements?

The first difference is that Plymouth was settled in 1620 when Jamestown was settled in 1607. So clearly we can see that Jamestown was the first English settlement in America but that doesn't mean that they were the luckiest people. They suffered from drought, war, and starvation. While we know that the settlers in Plymouth were the first people to have a Thanksgiving.

 

Maybe that's why we were taught that Plymouth was the first English settlement, they had a some what "happy ending" we weren't told how they died or how they were killed. While even through Jamestown was the first English settlement they had horrible stories of dying, being killed, and even eating each other. There really was nothing pleasant that happened in Jamestown. You can't teach little 3rd graders disturbing things!

 

Jamestown colonist were the first people to settle in America, settling in 1607 but by 1610 most of the population was wiped out by either disease, or were killed by the Native Americans.

 

 

 

History has been confused and thrown around from elementary school to high school. Now that I'm in high school the events in history are finally being put in order and the truth is coming out about the confusing yet brutal American history.

 

 

 

Citations:

 

http://historymyths.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/1622massacre.jpg

 

 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/The_First_Thanksgiving_cph.3g04961.jpg