Ch 13, 14 & 15
I never knew that the fall of the Soviet Union was seen by a handful of pedestrians. I can only imagine the mixed emotions that people must of felt. I always wondered what people in these types of situations actually think. I feel that they don't know any different, and that's sad. The brutality they were put through is unbearable. I knew that Russia had built the largest territorial empire, but I never knew it made Russian an Asian and European power. I always saw China as a huge empire, but I never associated the two countries. As I continued to read chapter 13, I learned that Europe changed history with their trades across the Atlantic. It was interesting to see that the Chinese, Mughal, and Ottoman empires stayed the same, and Europe continued to change due to their American possessions. They were enriched with new resources such as : corn, potatoes, tomatoes, chocolate, tobacco, timber, gold, silver, and land. I loved the motto at the end of the chapter: In world history, nothing stands alone; context is everything.
Chapter 14 starts off with a very powerful quote by a woman from Atlanta. She says " I have come full circle back to my destiny: from Africa to America and back to Africa. I could hear the cries of my ancestors. I weep with them and for them." She was speaking about the slaves that were taken and mistreated. I can only imagine the horror they were put through. I have never been one to mistreat someone because of the color of their skin, I have always been blind to color, and focus on treating everyone fair. I have heard many stories about the cruel forms of punishment and the harsh unjust labor they were forced into. Because I was brought up to treat everyone kindly, when I hear of the slave trade it breaks my heart and makes me sick. I can't believe that people did what they did. To steal someone from their home and family is one sick thing, but to force them to do your bidding and to force them into labor is a completely other sick and twisted thing. I never looked into it, but I wonder how and why it lasted so long. Because of the sick past of our ancestors, there are still parts of the US that think this is ok. I remember driving through the south when I was in High School and people were throwing rocks at our bus because we had all types of students from a bunch of different schools. When I was a kid and I first learned about slaves and what they were out through, I always wished that I could of taken them and freed them. They could have been able to live with my family and be free.
Finally, in chapter 15 they talked about religion and science. I love the picture at the beginning of the chapter. It is a very famous painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe. This is a painting I grew up with and saw almost everyday. My grandparents had one in their family room, and I remember being in awe every time I stepped through the door. It was interesting to read how the scientific aspect came into play with religion. I always knew the Roman Catholic Church had very strong ideals about how the world was created and how humans came about, but I never read into the scientific ideals. I learned that Islam had generated the world of Science. But what really intrigued me was to see that Europe made another breakthrough in history. They had evolved a legal system that guaranteed a measure of independence for all sorts of institutions. The biggest and best part about the science revolution was the universities that came out of it. Many institutions became a "neutral zone of intellectual autonomy." Scholars were able to pursue their studies, and not have to worry about the rules of the Church. They were able to have their own identity, and a new wave of thinkers emerged.
Chapter 14 starts off with a very powerful quote by a woman from Atlanta. She says " I have come full circle back to my destiny: from Africa to America and back to Africa. I could hear the cries of my ancestors. I weep with them and for them." She was speaking about the slaves that were taken and mistreated. I can only imagine the horror they were put through. I have never been one to mistreat someone because of the color of their skin, I have always been blind to color, and focus on treating everyone fair. I have heard many stories about the cruel forms of punishment and the harsh unjust labor they were forced into. Because I was brought up to treat everyone kindly, when I hear of the slave trade it breaks my heart and makes me sick. I can't believe that people did what they did. To steal someone from their home and family is one sick thing, but to force them to do your bidding and to force them into labor is a completely other sick and twisted thing. I never looked into it, but I wonder how and why it lasted so long. Because of the sick past of our ancestors, there are still parts of the US that think this is ok. I remember driving through the south when I was in High School and people were throwing rocks at our bus because we had all types of students from a bunch of different schools. When I was a kid and I first learned about slaves and what they were out through, I always wished that I could of taken them and freed them. They could have been able to live with my family and be free.
Finally, in chapter 15 they talked about religion and science. I love the picture at the beginning of the chapter. It is a very famous painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe. This is a painting I grew up with and saw almost everyday. My grandparents had one in their family room, and I remember being in awe every time I stepped through the door. It was interesting to read how the scientific aspect came into play with religion. I always knew the Roman Catholic Church had very strong ideals about how the world was created and how humans came about, but I never read into the scientific ideals. I learned that Islam had generated the world of Science. But what really intrigued me was to see that Europe made another breakthrough in history. They had evolved a legal system that guaranteed a measure of independence for all sorts of institutions. The biggest and best part about the science revolution was the universities that came out of it. Many institutions became a "neutral zone of intellectual autonomy." Scholars were able to pursue their studies, and not have to worry about the rules of the Church. They were able to have their own identity, and a new wave of thinkers emerged.
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