Final

As this class comes to a close I can sincerely say I have learned a lot.  I am happier to say that this time around, I really believe I will retain what I have learned.  The last time I took a world history class was either in high school or junior college and that was almost twenty years ago.  I’m not proud to admit it but I was never good at remembering historical facts or dates so a lot of the information felt new.  In fact many times this semester I found myself shying away from participation due to fear of saying something “stupid”.  It was never the other students that made me feel that way, just my own insecurities. 

This class has helped my meet the learning outcome of being able to effectively communicate historical knowledge orally and in writing.  Through the weekly blogs I was able to connect feelings and current situations to historical events and I was able to write three papers about very interesting subjects related to world history.  I especially enjoyed learning about religions and the section on Islam.  It helped me get a better understanding of the religion and some of the misunderstandings the world has about Muslims today.  The reading analysis papers were fun to write because they were about current events that could possibly change history book in the future.  I hope that Putin makes the right decision!  The debate about Mongols being civilized was entertaining but educational.  I feel I can defend the fact that Mongols were civilized because of their political structure, their military smarts, how they were masters of their environments, and how they brought about a version of a food producing revolution.   My favorite group project was the skit from the Epic of Gilgamesh.  It was a good time to see people come out of their comfort zones but we really understood what it meant to Mesopotamians to be civilized when the project was complete.  Another outcome I think I was able to achieve during this class was the ability to interpret evidence and present a sustained argument using facts.  I think I did that in my “kelp highway” paper.  The social research project was one of my favorite things to do because I got the chance to get personal with my father about a subject that he rarely talks about.  I learned so much about him from our interview.  Our interview took over an hour and a half.  He gave me much more information than I needed for the report but it was such a great experience for the both of us.  I don’t think he’s ever opened up to anyone about Vietnam like he did to me.  I feel honored that I will now have his piece of history with me to share with my kids.

Overall, taking this class was a very good experience.  I was very nervous about the reading and assignments and did the best that I could.  This class was beyond intensive in its reading assignments and course work but I understand how these classes work and its part of the deal.  Thank you Patti for making the hours go quickly and keeping the class flowing at a great pace.  The group work, discussions, and lectures gave the class variety and helped us get to know our classmates.

Chapters 17, 18, 20

Ch. 17 - Revolutions

There was a lot to take in from this chapter but I enjoyed learning more about the Haitian Revolution.  Due to the ideas and examples from the French revolution, it seems an uprising in Haiti was inevitable.  Slaves, whites, and mulattos were all looking for the same thing – power.  Beau use of the slave revolt in Haiti, this was the first time that Africans who were brought to the Americas were “free”, independent citizens.  Haiti was the first country to declare all people equal regardless of color, race, or class.  Yikes, perhaps I should have listened better in high school history as I thought it was the USA who was first.  So why is Haiti now the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere?    According to www.ciaa.gov, Haiti is plagued by deforestation, natural disasters, and an inability to recover quickly enough before the next disaster strikes.  A land that was once rich with coffee and sugar is no more.  It is now a country in ruins with 80% living under the poverty line. 

Ch. – 18 – Social Protest

I’m a union girl.  I am a public employee and I am also a union member.  Both of my grandfathers, my father, my mother, my husband, and my sister are all union people.  I guess that means that all of us don’t/didn’t have very high paying careers (I’m giggling out loud).  Anyhow, just as those workers during the industrial revolution, I have a sense of security knowing it’s there for me.  I am protected, so to speak, from unfair treatment on the job; I’m afforded health care benefits, and a competitive wage.  I pay dues for these benefits but I believe in them.  Many argue that the union is a crutch and it allows bad employees to keep their jobs.  I argue that the union keeps things fair for the “working class”.  Without unions, workers are more disposable, in my opinion.  Cheap labor has always been in demand and probably always will.  We talked about “exploitation” as a good word but in this case I feel many laborers/working class peoples are exploited because they are not fortunate enough to have the backing of a union.  I’m thankful I do.

Ch. 20 – Colonial Encounters

1946 wasn’t that long ago…  To think that only 66 years ago there was still forced labor happening in Africa is upsetting.  Black Africans suffered so much at the hands of the white man.  The idea of statute labor is appalling.  Basically, if you were black you were considered a “native”.  All natives were required to provide unpaid labor in order to build roads, buildings, and other public projects.  The British officials would come around and gather them up like animals and put them to work.  It is no wonder that Africa is in the state it is today.  It will take decades for that country to recover.  The apartheid was almost predictable and although it officially ended in 1994, the county as a whole is a very violent one with several groups trying to gain power by force.  It’s no wonder after what they have been through as a people.