Great Depression

Great Depression

I have found the Great Depression is extremely interesting to me.  The fact you hear

multiple reasons why the Great Depression occurred made me curious to learn more. I have gone  

to the library and sat at Barnes and Nobles going through numerous books and novels on The

Great Depression. At the book store I came across three interesting books. The first book was

Lies my teacher told me by James Loewen, The Political Incorrect Guide to American History

and 33 Questions about American History You’re Not Supposed to Ask, both are by Thomas E.

Woods Jr. These three book captured my attention because I do question what my high school

teacher taught me. I thought about whether history was politically correct or if I could find out how

accurate The Great Depression was. I know that the Great Depression was one of the most

crucial times for the United States.  According to Woods (2007), “It was a myth that the

incredible economic stimulus of World War II that finally pulled the United States out of the

Great Depression.” (p.100)  The Great Depression is considered the worst economic depression in

United States History. There are several assumptions on why the Great Depression occurred. However, The Great Depression was caused by The Crash of The Stock Market and the Failures of the Federal

Reserve.    

     According to Strayer, (2013) “The aftermath of the war also brought substantial social and cultural changes to ordinary Europeans and Americans. Integrating millions of returning veterans into civilian life was no easy task, for they had experienced horrors almost beyond imagination. Governments sought to accommodate them, in Britain for example, with housing programs called “homes for heroes” emphasizing traditional family values. Women were urged to leave factory work and return to their homes where they would not compete for “men jobs.” French Authorities proclaimed Mother’s Day as a new holiday designed to encourage childbearing and thus replace the millions lost in the war.” (988) 

    What does this actually say for our country? Could this mean we are brain washed by not only the French government but our government as well. Should mother’s be celebrate on mother’s day because women were influenced to reproduce based on the needs of replenishing men for the war?

What about the housing programs “home for heroes”? Yes, another thing that still exists today but

how effective is it? Today, there are many soldiers that don’t get the help that they deserve because of not serving a minimum of five years. Yet they were wounded and fought for our country.  Many

Americans don’t really see the big picture of what the government expects us to fight for. As Americans we want to have faith in our country but does our country respect and give back gratitude. I don’t believe America including the political parties really understood how bad the Great Depression has effected us and how we are still paying for the losses. The Great Depression teaches us more than what we can see if we read between the lines.  The saying “History repeats itself” means…. History Repeats Itself!

Hitler

Hitler

    According to Stayer (2013), “shortly after the end of world War I, that Party under

Hitler’s leadership proclaimed a message of intense German nationalism cast in terms

of racial superiority, bitter hatred for Jews as an alien presence, passionate opposition

to communism, a determination to rescue Germany from the humiliating requirements of

the Treaty of Versailles, and a willingness to decisively tackle the country’s economic

problems.”

    Hitler was the leader of the Nazi Party from 1921 to 1945 and was in office from 1934

to 1945. The Nazi’s seemed more like a cult following a person that became a leader

behind greed. Hitler showed racism, evil, and severe violence. His goal was to eliminate

all Jews from the country and develop new order by dominating Britain and France.

Germany was a country that many countries feared because of him. It is because of

Hitler that there was a World War II. Hitler was a deranged man who later committed

suicide because he wasn’t as powerful as what he appeared to be. He put his people

through tragedy for reasons that he had embedded and bestowed upon them. After his

country realized he had lost and the battle, it was time for him to pay the piper by

stepping down and possibly going back to prison. This was why he committed suicide. It

was for shame and embarrassment that really showed the country how weak he was.        

Nelson Mandela

NELSON MANDELA

   According to Strayer, “During the 1950’s, a new and younger generation of the African

National Congress (ANC) leadership, which now included Nelson Mandela, broadened

its base of support and launched nonviolent civil disobedience boycotts, strikes,

demonstrations, and the burning of the hated passes that all Africans were required to

carry. All of these actions were similar to and inspired by the tactics that Gandhi had

pioneered in South Africa and used in India twenty to thirty years earlier. The

government of South Africa responded with tremendous repression, including the

shooting, of sixty-nine unarmed demonstrators at Sharpville in 1960, the banning of the

ANC, and the imprisonment of its leadership, including Nelson Mandela.” (p.1100)

    Upon facing the death penalty Mandela states, “I have fought against white

domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the

ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and

with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if

needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”     

    Despite all that Nelson Mandela had endured, he over came the struggles not only for

himself but for his country. Africa needed a leader that was familiar and has

experienced firsthand of racism, inhumane actions, poverty, and fighting over bearing

white leaders dominating South Africa. In 1994 he became Africa’s first black president.

    Today, Mandela is remember for not only all of his strengths but for the nation’s

accomplishments. He bestowed upon the country, pride, unity, and empowerment.

Mandela provided hope for his people with new change and growth for the future. He

continued to fight for the rights of his people until he died in 2013.

A Quote by Nelson Mandela: “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”    

Worlds of Islam

 Muhammad was born in 570. He was the birth of the new religion and taught Islam.

Muhammad explored, traded and traveled as far as Syria. He meditated outside the city

and believed he was Allah’s messenger to the Arabs.  They considered Muhammad to

be the last prophet of God.

     According to Strayer (2013), in Ways of the World, “For a thousand years, (roughly

600-1600), peoples claiming allegiance to Islam represented a highly successful,

prosperous and expansive civilization, encompassing parts of Africa, Europe, the Middle

East, and Asia. While Chinese culture and Buddhism provided the cultural anchor for

East Asia during the third wave millennium and Christianity did the same for Europe, the

realm of Islam touched on both of them and decisively shaped the history of the entire

Afro-Eurasian world.”(p.412) Therefore, all types of nationalities could relate to Islam.

The word “Muslim” means one who submits. Therefore, it was easy to understand what

the Gods wanted or expected. Muslim was based on the reciting power of word not just

something to follow or read.         

     Before my readings of Afro- Eurasian Connection, I personally didn’t know too much

about Islam or Muslims.  I remembered when I was a child, they wore really nice suits

and sold bean pies on the streets in San Francisco. They were mostly in the African

American or low income neighborhoods. I was raised Catholic but as a kid, Church was

all the same. However, the birth of Muslim stood and continues to stand for more than a

following of culture, but the Islam belief and religion.

commerce and culture

History tells amazing stories. The journey of development, culture, trades, and religion

are just a few things that leads us to today. A world that exists because of the past.

History gives us examples of how different the ecological zones were. From coastlands

to highlands, even the forest and deserts produce several various desired commodities.   

The trades also depended on the roads of travel. The silk, sea and sand roads were

different and trades depended on the commodities that were in demand. For example,

and to name a few of the trading networks were China, India, Africa and the

Mediterranean Basin. They all had different and specific products that they would

trade. China traded silk, bamboo, gunpowder, paper, rhubarb, ginger, porcelain,

tea, lacquer ware, and chrysanthemums. India traded, grains, ivory, stones, cotton

textiles, spices timber, herbal medicine, and tortoiseshells. West Africa imported salt,

while East Africa had gold, ivory, iron goods, slaves, quartz, leopard skins as well as

tortoiseshells too. The Mediterranean Basin had wool and linen textile, ceramics,

glassware, wine and grape vines, jewelry, artwork, gold and gold coins, and olive oil.

     What I found to be interesting is that the ability to grow, create and produce wasn’t

for their personal community needs but the need to trade at the markets. This also

allowed them to gain things from other merchants. People back then really knew what

needed to be done to stay afloat in their realm. It was because of both travel and trade

that had a heavy influenced on how to live. They learned from the many circles of life

that they came across. This is why language, culture, religion and commodities all

became a valuable source of teaching, learning and accepting new things.      

Confucianism

Confucianism 

    According to Strayer (2011), "For Confucianism, Family life had long been central to Chinese 

popular culture, expressed in the practice of ancestors veneration, including visiting the graves of 

the deceased, presenting them with offerings, and erecting commemorative tablets and shrines in 

their honor"(p.171) and "Confucius emphasized education as the key to moral betterment. He 

prescribed a broad liberal arts education emphasizing language, literature, history,philosophy and 

ethics, all applied to political problems of the government. Rituals and ceremonies were also 

important, for they conveyed the rules of appropriate behavior in the many and varying 

circumstances of life. For the "superior person," or "gentleman" in Confucian terms, this process of 

improvement involved serious personal reflection and a willingness to strive continuously to perfect 

his moral character."(p.170)       

    My grandmother is from Shanghai, China.  She was born in a time where Shanghai was not 

only a part of China but also a nationality, Shanghainese.  My grandmother would tell us stories 

about China and how it was growing up there.  To be honest, I am truly embarrassed on not 

knowing enough about Confucianism and Taoism when that is one of my heritage backgrounds.  I 

felt as if I should have paid more attention to my grandmother and her religious beliefs.  My 

grandmother would practice Confucianism and Taoism but believed in Jesus Christ which 

confused me.  She would have a shrine in her house and worship the lives of her loved ones.  She 

would always say, “Don’t do to others that you don’t want done to you”.  My grandmother, I felt 

had so much pride but it wasn’t pride, it was morals and values that the people of China had.  It 

didn’t matter what she was going through, she always believed in being harmonious and made a 

point to achieve social harmony with others.  Her thoughts always showed positive actions to her 

family and friends.  Everyone seemed to love my grandmother, she had so many friends that she 

would see every day.  She felt like respect and love was the key to all relationships. People all 

around the world would send her cards and she kept all of them!

    Confucianism is about being a superior person, man or woman.  It goes above and beyond

the inner self.  You have to respect yourself enough to be righteous so that others can always see

positive verses the negative.  Here in the United States we are told to respect our elders but 

Confucianism teaches you to respect and appreciate everyone's life. Being kind to others is the 

way of life.

     

Religion since the First Civilization

Religion:

     

     It is amazing how religion and religious beliefs have been around for centuries. It

does not matter if it was Egypt or Asia. All of the different parts of the first civilization

believed or worship a higher reasoning. It didn’t necessarily need to be a specific king

or God that they had to worship. However, it was about what was important to them and

their values.   

     The Egyptians believed in the after life and that their bodies were only the beginning

for what was in store for them. According to The Ways of the World author Strayer

(2011), “The rebirth of the sun everyday and of the river every year seemed to assure

Egyptians that life would prevail over death. The amazing pyramids, constructed during

Egypt’s Old Kingdom (2663-2195 B.C.E.), reflected the firm belief that at least the

pharaohs and other high- ranking people could successfully make the journey to the

eternal life in the Land of the West. Incantations for the dead describes an afterlife of

abundance and tranquility that Gilgamesh could only have envied.”(p.81)  

     As for China, they believed in bronze, tigers, stone, bones, ceramic and jade for

ritual use as well as being religious. The Shang Dynasty Bronze were based on not only

spiritual ancestry or deceased kings that were now gods but linked to heaven. Strayer

(2011), says, “The bronze tiger, created around 1100 B.C.E., illustrates Chinese Skill in

working with bronze and the mythological or religious significance of the tiger as a

messenger between heaven and the human world.”(p.67)

     I personally think that believing in something that we’re unsure of, gives us a

world of possibilities. Wishful thinking, hoping, and being positive creates future and

history. I believe that it is because of history why I am so religious. It truly does not matter

if there is a God or a Devil, a Heaven and Hell. What matters most is our actions and

what we believe in that get us through our daily life. For the Egyptians and the Chinese,

after life gave them their guidance.