Referencing the Columbian Exchange in Popular Culture

The things we learn in History are being referenced everywhere, from movies to books, even in comic strips. The Columbian Exchange was referenced in a Far Side comic strip which  accessed through a compilation of comics in a book. "The Far Side" is a comic strip that was written by Gary Larson from 1980 to 1995, and it is noted not only for its quirky humor, often involving cows, but also for its frequent, more subtle, references to science, history, and other scholarly subjects. The one-panel comic in question is below:

                                               (Source: The Pre-History of The Far Side by Gary Larson, 1989)
This comic, captioned "Circa 1500 A.D.: Horses are introduced to America", provides an amusing insight to the actual bringing of horses to the New World. It provides this  through the Columbian Exchange, as well as playing with the phrase "introduced to America".  Just as we learned in class, the Columbian Exchange introduced horses and many other products to the Americas, and this comic depicts it literally, showing a horse being introduced with a native. The comic shows the Spanish coming to the new world on their ships, bringing horses, who are greeted by natives. Their ship is anchored in the distance, and this event is stated to have happened in the year 1500.

I connect this source to class through the Columbian Exchange.  The horse in this comic could very well have been bananas, sugar cane, or cholera. The native in the picture looks a bit confused by this new acquaintance, as well he should be. Just as this comic shows, the Spanish brought new things to the New World that may have intrigued Natives, and vice-versa. This image, however, doesn't show the far more morbid side of the Columbian Exchange. Spanish explorers brought over not only horses, but deadly disease as well. Although this source may have been more about the phrase "introducing" than the Columbian Exchange, it still illustrates it's place in popular culture. This source effectively shows a bit of history in a humorous sense, and can be further read into to explain the Columbian Exchange.

End the Human Trafficking

A current source I found that connects to what we learn in class is the CNN Freedom Project. The CNN Freedom Project is a project on trying to end modern-day slavery. I found this on the CNN website. The CNN Freedom Project started when actress Mira Sorvino was creating a documentary and met a group of teenagers in Cambodia who were trying their best to warn communities around them about the trafficking and trying to stop it. Mira, being big human rights activist, jumped into the Freedom Rights Project and started to help.


The freedom project is basically a bunch of people who do research and learn about all of the modern day slavery going on and spread it around. Once more people learn about this topic they will speak out and start to make an impact. When more and more people make a big deal out of it that is when more people will start really ending it for good. The only problem is that many normal people have no knowledge of modern day slavery, which is why the CNN Freedom Project are stepping in and informing people.

"RI, Australia launch joint project to combat human trafficking." NowPublic.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. <http://www.nowpublic.com/ri-australia-launch-joint-project-combat-human-trafficking-0>.

 

 

Humans are not objects and should not be “sold” or “bought”. The CNN Freedom Project is working to end things like this.

 The CNN Freedom Project connects to our history class in many ways. We did a whole unit on modern day slavery. We learned about facts, types of slavery, industries that are involved, how to help, stories of modern day slavery, and stories of modern day slavery activists.

The freedom project is run by activists, people who are against slavery and are trying to stop it. They go around and listen to stories about modern day slavery and share the facts and information they learn. The activists are doing what they can to help which is also something we learned in class.

 

Check out the CNN website to learn more about the CNN Freedom Project!

http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/

 

 

China's Endeavors on the Moon

On December 14, China reached an important milestone in space exploration: It became the third country to have a spacecraft touch down on the moon, joining the United States and the Soviet Union in a very elite group of space explorers. After a 13 day journey from Earth, the Chang'e-3 rover was the first rover to land on the moon since 1976.

In that time, Mao Zedong was nearing his death, and China was in its massive Cultural Revolution. Since then, China has grown in population, wealth, and military prowess; it has become a global superpower. This is a major testament to how much China has grown in the past 39 years, and they show no signs of stopping their increasing presence in space. However, the successes of the United States, Soviet Union, and China would be nonexistent if not for a Renaissance scientist's works in mapping the surface of the moon; Galileo Galilei.

A model of China's first robotic moon rover.

Galileo Galilei, as many of us know, was a very influential scientist in the Renaissance. He made lots of advancements in many fields of science, including creating one of the first telescopes. One of his works was the extensive examination of the moon, and the cause of the patterns of lights and darks on the moon's surface. He deduced that the differences of light was because of mountains and craters on the moon's surface. Galileo even went as far as estimating the heights of the landforms, and he also created topological charts of the moon's surface.

More accurate forms of this knowledge would be vital for anyone wanting to put anything on the moon, and Galileo's studies helped future scientists to figure out this information. So if by any chance you end up working for NASA's lunar program, make sure to thank your good ol' pal Galileo Galilei.

Sources:

Buckley, Chris. "As Rover Lands, China Joins Moon Club." New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/15/world/asia/china-lands-probe-on-the-moon-report-says.html?src=un&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjson8.nytimes.com%2Fpages%2Fscience%2Fspace%2Findex.jsonp

Galileo Galilei. Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_Galilei

"China's first robotic lunar rover" New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2013/12/14/world/15china.html

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

I read the article "Obama to permit young Migrants to remain in U.S." by Julia Preston and John H. Chushman Published on June 15th 2012.
Link:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/16/us/us-to-stop-deporting-some-illegal-immigrants.html

In America immigration is a big issue. Many people in other counties want to come to the United States for a "better life" with "more opportunities". Although this is true that mostly all of these immigrants will have a better life here is it right to let them?

Some,if not all of the immigrants that came here a long time ago were children. Obama says "hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants who came to the united states as children will be allowed to remain in the country without fear of deprivation and able to work." In some ways this is fair because people should have a right to a good life but also I think it is unfair in the sense that they did not grow up here and do not have the same rights as everyone else so they should have to earn them without having to work illegally.

Immigration Reformation 

found on 12/17/13  http://www.alternet.org/immigration/obama-pushes-ahead-immigration-reform-heres-good-bad-and-ugly

Obama wants kids to be illegal immigrants and thinks its okay because they will be getting a  better life. But that isn't always true, from some background information i know is that not all illegal immigrants are getting a better life. Most of them have to work 10 times harder for a dollar than they did before but they know it will pay off in the end.

Illegal Immigrants are pushing and pushing to stay in this country. They are happy here and Obama should let them stay because America is where you can make your dreams happen.

This relates to what we learned in history class about slavery. In slavery many employers will tell the potential slave that if they work for their company they will get food,water,money,jobs and a better life in return. These slaves say yes they will work for them because they have no money and they want to make their life better.

Immigrants are the same way because like slaves they are looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. A better life.

Spoiling Your Kids Can Save Them: Justice For The Wealthy

Money can't buy happiness, but it can pay for murder. Judge Jean Boyle is facing controversy after her recent ruling sentenced a poor 14 year old African American boy to jail for ten years. This teenager attacked another teen by punching him in the face which ended up killing him. This teen will serve this jail time but his case sparked interest in recent media. Why would Judge Boyle decide to imprison a boy who killed one person and let the killer of four people walk away a free man? The answer, social status. 16 year old Ethan Couch was given a much lighter sentence for the killing of four people. Ethan is incredibly wealthy and even more irresponsible. Ethan decided to get his kicks one night with some underage drinking and driving. After stealing beers from Wal-Mart, Ethan, under heavy influence drove his pickup into four people on the side of the road. Ethan killed four people, two of which were stuck in a broken down car, and two Good Samaritans attempting to help them. Sergio Molina was in the back off this pickup, and is now paralyzed for life. Clearly, Ethan must be punished in someway. According to Judge Boyle, 10 years probation and a spa counseling sessions should do the trick.  Ethan will go to a country club  rehabilitation center. Ethan's parents will be paying the $450,000 annual cost in order to see Ethan "helped."

Ethan's New Resort

Poor Ethan suffers from "affluenza" or "being spoiled." According to Judge Boyle, Ethan was spoiled from childhood and did not understand that getting drunk, taking drugs, (did I mention that?) and driving 70 mph in a 40 zone without a license is wrong. Ethan's case is living proof that there is a clear difference in justice for the poor and justice for those born into privilege. This is why people in Texas are calling for the removal of Judge Jean Boyle.  If we swapped the backgrounds these teens came from Ethan would face much heavier charges from Judge Boyle. Being poor would give him a better awareness of what is wrong and therefore no way to justify his unlawful actions.

Ethan approaching the Courtroom

This modern display of social class privileges reminded me of the Caste System. The treatment of these people was largely dependent on their backgrounds and perhaps race. This case shows that a form of the Caste System still exists today. While we certainly have made progress since the days of the Caste System your roots still play one of the strongest roles in your treatment in life. This source explains all this and in my eyes is one of the best examples of modern day societal rankings. After reading this I've noticed how social classes have divided people in our modern world. The rich and the poor seem to always have a struggle and I believe this source verifies this.

Source:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2524108/Judge-let-spoiled-rich-teen-killed-DUI-previously-boy-aged-fourteen-prison-TEN-YEARS.html

Center: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/12/17/article-2525293-1A29776000000578-567_634x420.jpg

Ethan: http://www.dallasnews.com/incoming/20131212-nm_ethancouch.jpg.ece/BINARY/w620x413/NM_ethanCOUCH.jpg

Pocahontas Saves An Englishman... How?

The story of Pocahontas saving the life of John Smith has been around for many centuries. Unfortunately, the account of this event that most people know is likely untrue, much like other misconceptions about Pocahontas herself, such as her looks (thanks a lot, Disney). Since there is only one account of this event, and it is probably flawed, experts have proposed theories about what could have happened.

John Smith was an explorer who played an important part in establishing the first English settlement in North America. He lived from 1580 to 1631 and arrived in North America on April 26, 1607. One of his most famous sayings was, "He who shall not work, shall not eat." As a leader of Jamestown, Smith used this quote to force cooperation from the people that did not want to help with the physical demands of the settlement.

Pocahontas was the daughter of Powhatan, the leader of a group of Native Americans that lived near Jamestown. Pocahontas was known as Powhatan’s favorite daughter. She was born in 1596 and she died in 1617. During her life, she had many experiences with Europeans. Some of these experiences include being captured and held for ransom, being married to an Englishman, being converted to Christianity, and eventually dying in what is now the United Kingdom. 

The Baptism of Pocahontas

The story of Pocahontas saving John Smith is considered to be one of the most famous rescues of all time. When John Smith went to Powhatan’s village, he wanted to set up trade between the settlers from Europe and the Native American populations. When he arrived at the village he was kindly welcomed by chief Powhatan and was treated very well at first. Suddenly, Smith was wrestled to the ground. He then had his head forced onto an altar to have his brains beaten out. Pocahontas is said to have placed her head on his in order to stop the killing. 

Pocahontas Saves John Smith

Although this is the story most commonly accepted, the only source that recalls this moment is Smith’s personal account. Experts believe that this account of the incident is false because Pocahontas was only 11 years old at the time. Also, experts have concluded that the Powhatans would have tortured him instead of bashing his head in. This would have made it a lot harder for Pocahontas to save him. Experts do not believe that she helped John Smith escape. 

A much more likely chain of events is that Powhatan and John Smith made a deal. This deal said that the Indians would supply corn for the settlers in exchange for copper tools and beads. Another theory is that an elaborate adoption ceremony took place, in which John Smith was adopted and was now part of the tribe. If this theory is true, then John Smith would have had no safety issues with the Native Americans. 

The meeting of Pocahontas and John Smith was influential to the success of the American settlement of Jamestown regardless of what actually happened. The results of the meeting between Powhatan and John Smith are the same. Maybe someday experts will find new evidence that explains exactly what happened between Pocahontas and John Smith, but for now we have good guesses and a little mystery.

Bibliography

 Website

1607, When The English Arrived and Settled Jamestown in May. "Pocahontas: Her Life and Legend." National Parks Service. National Parks Service, 06 Dec. 2013. 15 Dec. 2013.

Video

 Jamestown Against All Odds . youtube. 2 Apr. 2013. Television.

Pictures

 Chapman. Baptism of Pocahontas.  Jamestown. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 17 Dec. 2013.

New England Chromo. Lith. Co.. Pocahontas-saves-Smith-NE-Chromo-1870. Library of Congress, Washington. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 17 Dec. 2013.

 

War and Corruption Brings Down Empire 1529-1532

The Inca Empire was a race of powerful, wealthy and religious people. The Incas may have or still be looked at as a race a bloodthirsty barbarians, but in truth they were knowledgeable and intelligent. They created magnificent cities, and had inventions that left even their Spanish conquerors awe struck when they viewed these marvels. As we studied, the Incas were brought down by horses, disease, and their own civil war.

So how did such a war happen? This massive empire that had lasted for centuries, fully prepared with armies and inventions that would ensure the success of the empire. They had a powerful ruler, who hat utmost control over his empire.

                                                                                                                           (Pizarro)--->

In a way, it could be said that Francisco Pizarro unintentionally caused the civil war, just 

as he unintentionally wiped out the majority of the Inca population. While Pizarro explored South America, he drew the attention of the Inca Emperor.What you may not know is that Atahualpa, the emperor who was credited as the emperor during the Spanish invasion, was not the emperor of the Incas at the time of the Spanish conquest. Huayna Capac, was the successful ruler who commanded the loyalty of his subjects at the time. He ruled the Inca empire at its height and he expanded it greatly to its maximum size. He went north, although debated whether it was to investigate Pizarro, or it he was just on another campaign. 

It was north in Colombia ( this is debated as well) that he was infected with Small Pox, although he never met the Spanish. Pizarro had unintentionally struck his first blow to the Inca empire the began the domino effect of that would lead to the deaths of possible millions people.
                      Atahualpa                                                                                            Huascar
Since the emperor was dead, the Inca needed a new ruler to take command of the empire.Was Atahulpa the heir to the throne then? Nope. Ninan Cuyochi was the heir and eldest of Capac. Unfortunately he was on the same expedition as his father, and he died from small pox shortly after as well. Without a ruler or an heir the Inca empire exploded into chaos. The next in line, actually was not Atahualpa either. Huascar was next line, and had a far better claim for the throne. While Atahualpa, who unlike his brother was not pure royal blood and was illegitimate had a weak claim. Nevertheless, they both tried to seize the throne, sparking the ember that would  later burst into raging flames, engulfing the Inca empire.

They were both unaware, or took no interest in the Spanish, or their diseases. The civil war was declared when Atahualpa sent a false envoy of soldiered, who had secret orders to capture his brother. Outraged, Huascar organized an army to attack Atahualpa. Atahualpa proved to be a most successful tactician, defeating his brother in every confrontation. With 40,000 men, Huascar was captured and Atahualpa was crowned king.

Atahualpa was known to be a brutal King, he even fashioned a goblet for drinking out of an enemy general's skull. After defeating his brother, he executed him by drowning.

This was the Inca civil war, and probably the most major cause of Pizarro's success besides for small pox. The Spanish took advantage of these conditions, and ultimately were able to gain control over South America. The Inca civil War relates to our unit on the Age of Exploration, with the unintentional help from disease and the Civil War, the Spanish brought down the famed Inca empire for good.



Bibliography-
"Inca Civil War": Article of Civil War on Inca Empire Wikipedia
          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca_Civil_War

"The Conquest of the Incas" PBS
         http://www.pbs.org/conquistadors/pizarro/pizarro_c00.html

Pictography-
"Francisco Pizarro" Portrait PBS
         http://www.pbs.org/conquistadors/pizarro/pizarro_c00.html

"Atahualpa" Portrait Wikipedia
         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca_Civil_War

"Huascar" Portrait. Wikipedia
         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca_Civil_War