Modern History

End of an era and end of a book!!! Phew! Gandhi was a prominent political figure who started out as a lawyer and after he faced racism he began to fight back. He developed non-violent resistance strategies and his tactics earned him respect and he became a leader. His fundamental beliefs and his high moral regard were a fresh approach in the fight to equality. I have a hard time with the way he died. I find it ironic  that such a peaceful man who was innovative in his thinking and promotion of peace died violently, by assassination. Gandhi resisted peacefully and the fight for independence resulted in India becoming an Independent State as two separate parts- Muslim and Hindu India. In 1950 we saw another peaceful leader, Nelson Mandela in South Africa. He also protested in non-violent ways. His resistance caused him to be imprisoned. Political parties were now illegal. The problem was the Africans' Labor power in a white-controlled economy. The struggle for freedom from the w...

  I found the Taiping uprising hypocritical. The leaders rejected Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism and implemented Christianity as their faith. Hong, the leader "proclaimed himself the younger brother of Jesus, sent to cleanse the world of demons to establish a "heavenly" kingdom of great peace." This mentality of establishing peace is the basis of Confucianism and the Mandate of Heaven. Therefore, it made no sends to me that the "brother of Jesus" was establishing peace in a society that was based on balance and peace.      In the Ottoman Empire the gender issues that were brewing were not directly addressed but they did open educational doors for women. Programs were established in Istanbul for Midwives, Secondary schools were established and later, a teacher training college. These programs were established to provide greater opportunities for women to strengthen the state. In 1908, the Turks established more reforms to benefit the greater good of th...

As a result of the Atlantic Revolution new ideas and values began to form. The investment in humanity and the ideas of liberty, equality and tolerance began to take shape. This began a reform and it is referred to as the "democratic revolutions". The Atlantic Revolutions had a global impactful and encouraged change. This marked the beginning of the abolishment of slavery, equality for women and voting rights. I feel like this is one of the most important things to come out of this Revolution. The core ideas of equality and tolerance took shape and and has been modeled ever since. I feel like the people in this era were very insightful and understood the need for equal treatment for all. I wish that in today's world people still valued the fundamental ideas of liberty, equality and tolerance. We are living in a world that has started to shift away from this mindset and  we have taken for granted the rights that have been afforded to us. The French Revolution was impactf...

     In chapter 13, "European Empires in the America's", I found the history  and the way the Americas evolved and expanded  to be very interesting. There was one quote that I read in the chapter that correlates with today's times and immigration. The quote was from a Spanish Conquistador that declared, "we came here to serve God and the King and also to get rich". (p. 557)  Immigration is such a "hot" topic today, especially during election time. I couldn't help but reflect on what it was like to try to come here in the past and currently. During both time periods, people flee their countries in hope of finding a better life. Many are seeking political and religious freedom and others are looking for an opportunity to live the "american dream" and have a chance at a better life for themselves and their families. Sadly, obtaining the "american dream" is getting harder to achieve. The restrictions and regulations that are put...

     Chapter 9 discussed the birth of a new religion- Islam. Muhammad was a man who fought to seek justice for the people who were victims of social injustices and inequalities. Muhammad would reflect and during one of his reflections the angel Gabriel appeared to him and he received revelations from him. Muhammad was a messenger for Allah, the one and only god in the Islamic religion. All of his messages were recorded in the Quran, which is the sacred scripture and the words of god. Allah means submission. The Islamic Faith follows 5 Pillars of Islam. The five pillars are:      1- there is only one god      2- prayer 5 times a day      3- almsgiving- charitable donations to help the less fortunate      4- the observation of Ramadan      5- the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime Membership grew quickly, this was attributed to the fact that Islam was a belief rather th...