3.2.1 Summary

3 Things I Learned:

• Assimilation was the idea that over time local populations would become absorbed in European culture
• Louis Pasteur discovered bacteria and came up with the Germ Theory of Disease
• Ethiopia was the only African nation to successfully resist the Europeans

2 Things I Found Interesting:

• Thomas Edison patented more than 1,000 inventions
• One of Edison's first movies showed nothing but a man sneezing

1 Question I Still Have:

• Why was Ethiopia the only nation able to resist European control?

Gandhi Said

Mahatma Gandhi once said:

         “We must become the change we want to see.”

In his quote Gandhi tells us that we can't expect other people to change if we ourselves don't change first as an example to them.  This quote is very insightful so many times people come up with their own visions of how the world should be and how it can be bettered, yet they are unwilling to change their own lifestyle.  It's the people who preach about changing the world who need to change their lifestyle the most.

Connection Across Time: the Suez Canal

The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.  Today Egypt has complete control of the Suez Canal.  Typically three convoys travel the canal in one day, two southbound and one northbound. In 1990, 71 ships reportedly passed through the Suez Canal, the largest amount in 12 years.  In today's society, the Suez Canal is of great importance to global trade, and specifically oil trade.  Without the canal, ships would be force to go out around the Cape of Good Hope severely delaying trade and causing prices to rise.

The Maji Maji Rebellion

In 1905, Africans in German East Africa came up with the belief that they had found a magic water(maji-maji) that would sheild their bodies from German bullets, and turn the bullets to water on impact. A group of African warriors, armed with spears and sprinkled in magic water, then proceeded to attack a German machine-gun post. The result was an onslaughtering of 26,000 African resisters.
 

Economic Imperialism

During the Age of Imperialism, four main forms of control developed: colony, protectorate, sphere of influence, and economic imperialism.  In the practice of ecomonic imperialism, independent but less devoloped nations were controlled by private business interests rather than by other governments.  For example the Dole Fruit company controlled trade in Hawaii.  Under this form of controll Africa nations had more independence and could form their own governments, however they were only permitted to trade with the business that controlled their nation.  This usually resulted in economic benefits for the private businesses as they did not have to worry about competition.

How did Imperialism Impact the World?

Imperialism Helped the World:

• It reduced local warfare
• With European military control the amount of  raids between tribes was greatly reduced
• Improved sanitation and brought hospitals and schools
• Resulted in economic growth
• Colonies gained railroads, dams, and telephone and telegraph lines

Imperialism Hurt the World:

• Traditional cultures were replaced or destroyed
• Europeans introduced a policy of assimilation in which Africans were expected to give up their culture, and become absorbed within the European culture
• Africans lost control of their land and their independence
• Division of the African continent
• the artificial boundaries that combined or divided groups created problems among the African people

The Germ Theory of Disease

The Germ Theory of Disease is a theory that proposes that tiny organisms know as bacteria are the cause of disease.  The theory was developed by Louis Pasteur in the mid-1800's.  Pasteur was studying the fermentation of milk when he discovered microscopic particales which he called bacteria.  He also discovered that he could kill these bacteria particales with heat.  It was at this point that Pasteur came to the conclusion that bacteria caused disease.  After reading Pasteur's work in 1865, surgeon Joseph Lister used this theory as an explanation as to why so many of his patients were dying of infection. Lister then insisted  that all his surgical wards be kept spotlessly clean.  He found that in doing this 85 percent more of his patients recovered  as opposed to dying.  This cleanliness policy soon spread worldwide and as a result public health went up and people lived longer healthier lives.