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.

Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope

Edison originally filed his idea for the patent of the kintoscope on October 17, 1888, claiming that he would make a device that could both record and reproduce objects in motion.  Although Edison came up with the idea for the Kintoscope patent and began the inital experimentation process, he soon passed the assignment on the his assistant William Kennedy Laurie Dickinson who perform the majority of the work involved in bringing the patent to life.  The first demonstration of this new device took place May 20, 1891 and the patent was filed August 24, 1891. However, it was not until 1892 that the invention was finally complteted. In describing how it worked David Robinson writes:

It consisted of an upright wooden cabinet, 18 in. x 27 in. x 4 ft. high, with a peephole with magnifying lenses in the top...Inside the box the film, in a continuous band of approximately 50 feet, was arranged around a series of spools. A large, electrically driven sprocket wheel at the top of the box engaged corresponding sprocket holes punched in the edges of the film, which was thus drawn under the lens at a continuous rate. Beneath the film was an electric lamp, and between the lamp and the film a revolving shutter with a narrow slit. As each frame passed under the lens, the shutter permitted a flash of light so brief that the frame appeared to be frozen. This rapid series of apparently still frames appeared, thanks to the persistence of vision phenomenon, as a moving image. (From Peep Show to Palace, p. 34)

The Kinetoscope can now be seen as the beginning of the modern film era, and European culture during the early 1900's was quick to begin mass production of their version of Edison's patent.

Introduction

This blog is about Chapter 10, An Age of Democracy and Progress, and Chapter 11, The Age of Imperialism.

During the 1800's Britain began seeing big changes in government and rapid advancements in technology. Women began taking an active stand in politics by demanding the right to vote.  New theories began circulating such as the Germ Theory of Disease and Darwin's Theory of Evolution. The 1800's also brought along the Age of Imperialism, during which European nations began seizing land in Africa. They established four main forms of control: colony, protectorate, sphere of influence, and economic imperialism, all of which gave power to the Europeans.  Few nations were able to escape this foreign control, and many were forced to assimilate completely into European culture.

By the end of these chapters I hope to learn about the political reforms that took place during this time period and how they impacted the world.