I am doing my report on The Great Depression. Each of my grandmothers grew up as children during The Great Depression. My mothers mother Claire grew up in the Mission District of San Francisco. Her father lost his job and they ultimately lost their house. My fathers mother Virginia grew up in a close knit community in Brooklyn, New York. Her father also lost his job. They were forced to accept government assistance, waking up at 5:00 A.M. to stand in line for milk. She watched the close knit neighborhood where she knew everybody transform itself as tent cities moved into the vacant lots next door. I thought it would be interesting to interview both Grandmothers to see the similarities and differences in how they experienced this time.
The questions I chose to ask are below:
1.) Where did you live during The Great Depression?
2.) What happened that first made you aware of The Great Depression?
3.) About how old were you?
4.) How did it affect you personally at this time?
5.) What government programs were you aware of?
6.) How long was your father out of work?
7.) How did you feel about the quality of your life?
8.) Were you aware of the problems that were going on in the banking system?
9.) Do you think things are better now?
I tried to keep the questions the same for both of my grandparents. Obviously, as I asked questions and the differences became evident I asked further questions on some of these subjects. One example is asking further questions about the "Hoover Cities" that sprung up around my Grandma Gin's neighborhood.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
Ch 11 thru 13
One has to wonder how different the world would be if China had continued it's large maritime expeditions. The willingness of foreign leaders to offer tributes to open opportunities for trade with China speaks to its wealth and adcancements. The Chinese fleet, which was much larger then Columbus', could have populated the America's. The Chinese felt themselves to be self-sufficient and with the death of Emperor Yogle "...the chief patron of the enterprise"(p372) abruptly ended it's maritime voyages.
Many of Chinas superior technologies had already traveled across the silk roads and expanded further During the reign of the Mongolian Empire. The Mongolin Empire did not leave it's influence in the form of religion. Instead it used relay systems which allowed the rapid transmission of information from one side of the empire to the other. The Mongolean Empire brought togethe the peoples of East Asia, Europe and Islam.
Unlike Islam, the Mongolean Empire and the many empires before them 15th century China was not interested in imperialism. There was a push toget back to the Confucian ways of doing things. The Ming Dynasty brought back the examination system, restored acres and repaired infrastructure which had deteriorated during Mongol rule. "During the fifteenth century, China had recocered and was perhaps the best-governed and most prosperous of the worlds major civilizations."(P371)
As China returned to it's confuscian belief system Europe was also returning to it's classical thinkers with the beginning of the Renaissance. The Renaissance began in Italy around 1350 and ended around 1500. They revisited classical Greek traditions and felt that they were removed from "the religous world of feudal Europe"(p373). Art excelled during the Renaissance. It was the time of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael.
The Ottoman Empire lasted from the 1300's to the early twentieth century. The power of the empire made the Turks the "dominant people" of the Islamic wolrd, ruling now over Arabs"(P379) . The Ottoman Empire took control of Constantinple in 1453 destroying what was left of Christian Byzantium.
Many of Chinas superior technologies had already traveled across the silk roads and expanded further During the reign of the Mongolian Empire. The Mongolin Empire did not leave it's influence in the form of religion. Instead it used relay systems which allowed the rapid transmission of information from one side of the empire to the other. The Mongolean Empire brought togethe the peoples of East Asia, Europe and Islam.
Unlike Islam, the Mongolean Empire and the many empires before them 15th century China was not interested in imperialism. There was a push toget back to the Confucian ways of doing things. The Ming Dynasty brought back the examination system, restored acres and repaired infrastructure which had deteriorated during Mongol rule. "During the fifteenth century, China had recocered and was perhaps the best-governed and most prosperous of the worlds major civilizations."(P371)
As China returned to it's confuscian belief system Europe was also returning to it's classical thinkers with the beginning of the Renaissance. The Renaissance began in Italy around 1350 and ended around 1500. They revisited classical Greek traditions and felt that they were removed from "the religous world of feudal Europe"(p373). Art excelled during the Renaissance. It was the time of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael.
The Ottoman Empire lasted from the 1300's to the early twentieth century. The power of the empire made the Turks the "dominant people" of the Islamic wolrd, ruling now over Arabs"(P379) . The Ottoman Empire took control of Constantinple in 1453 destroying what was left of Christian Byzantium.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Part Three
I am grateful that we have moved into the classical/postclassical era in part 3 of our book. The paleolithic and neolithic eras are interesting but without written words so much is unknown. As we moved into the ancient era and now into the classical/post classical era i enjoy that there are so many lessons to be learned from our ancestors.
It is interesting to see how the main trading locations for the silk roads and eventually through the Sahara desert by Camel had such a large affect on the wealth and diversity of Eurasia and Africa. A sea based trading system was created using the predictable monsoon currents. It connected people from China to Africa. Trading was used primarily for luxury goods. This is important to note because, at the time, people still produced for their own consumption. It was unlike the modern world, in that few people actually sold their own labor.
Besides the trading of luxury goods; there was a trade of ideas and religious beliefs. In this way Buddhism spread from India to China and throughout Asia. The Swahili civilization on the coast of the Indian ocean adopted Islam after being exposed to it by Arab traders. Chinese achievements such as paper making, silk production, the magnetic compass, ship building and movable type spread "as the movement of traders, soldiers, slaves, and pilgrims conveyed Chinese achievements abroad"(259).
Slavery continued during the classical era. Originally, most slaves were women. I was unaware that originally in Europe most slaves were from the Slavic speaking regions. That the word "slave" comes from the word "slav".
The shift in power between the Orthodox and Catholic churches were very interesting for me to read. Raised Catholic, I enjoy reading about our history. I was unaware how this shift in power happened as Western Europe began to resemble Europe as we are c familiar with it. I have to wonder how different the world would seem if Byzantium's Orthodox church and it's love of Greek thought had been the dominate Christian religion. Similarly, as I read ahead into chapter 11 I was surprised to see how from the very beginning there was a rift between Islam and Judaism. Again, I have to wonder how different the world would be if the two religions had not disagreed.
I am grateful that we have moved into the classical/postclassical era in part 3 of our book. The paleolithic and neolithic eras are interesting but without written words so much is unknown. As we moved into the ancient era and now into the classical/post classical era i enjoy that there are so many lessons to be learned from our ancestors.
It is interesting to see how the main trading locations for the silk roads and eventually through the Sahara desert by Camel had such a large affect on the wealth and diversity of Eurasia and Africa. A sea based trading system was created using the predictable monsoon currents. It connected people from China to Africa. Trading was used primarily for luxury goods. This is important to note because, at the time, people still produced for their own consumption. It was unlike the modern world, in that few people actually sold their own labor.
Besides the trading of luxury goods; there was a trade of ideas and religious beliefs. In this way Buddhism spread from India to China and throughout Asia. The Swahili civilization on the coast of the Indian ocean adopted Islam after being exposed to it by Arab traders. Chinese achievements such as paper making, silk production, the magnetic compass, ship building and movable type spread "as the movement of traders, soldiers, slaves, and pilgrims conveyed Chinese achievements abroad"(259).
Slavery continued during the classical era. Originally, most slaves were women. I was unaware that originally in Europe most slaves were from the Slavic speaking regions. That the word "slave" comes from the word "slav".
The shift in power between the Orthodox and Catholic churches were very interesting for me to read. Raised Catholic, I enjoy reading about our history. I was unaware how this shift in power happened as Western Europe began to resemble Europe as we are c familiar with it. I have to wonder how different the world would seem if Byzantium's Orthodox church and it's love of Greek thought had been the dominate Christian religion. Similarly, as I read ahead into chapter 11 I was surprised to see how from the very beginning there was a rift between Islam and Judaism. Again, I have to wonder how different the world would be if the two religions had not disagreed.
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