#11 - What's Rakestraw Up To?

Rakestraw and His Honeymoon

by Sam Green

Curt and his wife, Anne, were about to go on a super amazing adventure. It was their honeymoon, which meant that there was going to be some imminent partying in the beautiful island of Saint Martin. The beautiful blues and greens of the ocean and the oranges and yellows of the sunset views on a relaxing beach: it was going to be fantastic. The stress of life was going to be washed away with the smooth waves of the sea. Curt and Anne could not wait, this was their time.

The storm wrecked the trees, the wind growling like hungry wolves as it ravaged the island. The rain felt like hail, the island was flooding. This isn't right. Where are the visuals? The sun was suffocating in thick gray blankets of clouds; the atmosphere heavy and wet. Sirens are blaring. Trees are falling and waving like mad, as if they were warning the islanders and tourists to run and leave as fast as they can.

The back wheels on the car Curt and Anne were in were being lifted off the ground at a dangerous rate, Curt’s hands trembling on the leather wheel. The sky looked black and the wind shield wipers were not helping against the pelting rain. The sound of the precipitation drumming and beating on the window was deafening, sending fear through the couple’s hearts. All they wanted was a nice warm and comfortable welcome to the island, not some wacky movie evacuation scene. Curt grumbled under her breath. He was going to enjoy this honeymoon, no matter what.

#10 - Failed Colonies in the Americas

Tell about the failures of the New World.

by Sam Green

1. What insights do you gain from comparing the French and Spanish accounts of the 1565 attack?

2. How do they decide what is ethically and politically acceptable in their actions and in the actions of their enemies?

3. What do the settlers see as the strengths and weaknesses of their colonies?

4. Which do they ascribe to external factors? To themselves?

5. Evaluate the colonists' planning for the settlements. How do they adapt to unforeseen problems?

6.How did colonists' relationships with the Indians affect their fate?

7. How did their perception of the natural environment affect their fate?

8. How did the leadership in each colony affect its fate?

9. What is critical for a successful colony?

10. To what extent did the colonists prepare for failure?

11. How did the colonies end?

12. How might these accounts differ from those of successful colonies?

13. What might have saved these colonies?

14. What might a prospective settler learn from these documents?

15. How did European rivalries affect the fate of these colonies?

1. While the Spanish victors wrote it as something that was glorious and wonderful, the losers, i.e. the French, brushed it off as luck, citing the fact that they were ill prepared and whatnot.

2. They used God to justify their actions. Seeing as how the French were mostly Catholic then, anyone who was French and Catholic would die. No exceptions.

3. While the Spanish possessed a great, strong Armada, the French were known for being economically stable. Both societies suffered from famine.

4. All strengths were usually ascribed to themselves, but when things went wrong, whether they were natural or due to themselves, they usually contributed it to external factors.

5. The planning of the settlers was poor. The food storage was performed poorly, and eventually, they had to request help from the Amerindians to get by.

6. They had a highly strained relationship, but the colonists depended on the natives, so they tried to do everything possible to keep on good terms with Amerindians, until one screw up sent the natives over the edge.

7. Their expectations of the environment were so poor. The beliefs they possessed ended up actually killing some due to their not being ready for it.

8. The French leader was too trusting of the Spanish, which got most of his colony killed. The Spanish were too "rude," if that is a word that can be used here, which led to the natives cutting ties with the Spanish.

9. A successful relationship with natives, a good economy, great leadership, and knowledge of the land all contribute to a successful colony.

10. There was no preparation whatsoever. People usually resorted to evacuating the colony when the knew of its imminent failure.

11. The colonies would end either through native rebellion, evacuation, the taking of the colonies by other countries, or, in rare cases, with no explanation at all.

12. The countries with successful colonies made said colonies top priority, unlike the countries of the colonies that failed.

13. If colonies had been better prepared for European enemies, native enemies, new climates and such, and had better leadership and planning, they could have been successful.

14. They would have learned that storing food is more important that the supposed minerals the New World holds.

15. If the countries had chosen to work together via their colonies instead of against each other, they possibly would have thrived much sooner than they actually did.

#9 - English Civil Wars

Tell about the English Civil War, its effects, and important info about it.

by Sam Green

King Charles I's execution was "met with ‘such a groan as I have never heard before, and desire I may never hear again,” or so said a seventeen year old present that day. Many of the accused regicides were referred to as rogues, or Old-Testament radical believers who wanted their biblical inspired vengeance against the king who supported the civil war and was trusted not to make peace. The execution was referred to as the “product of a short-term crisis." England’s population of puritans were large in number, and these people believed strongly in the Scriptures. There are recordings in the Bible of people throwing over unrighteous kings. Psalm 149 stated and encouraged the believers "To bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron."

King Charles I issued “The Book of Sports”, which licensed "lawful recreations" on Sundays. Many Puritans viewed Charles’s policies as pope-like activity. Puritans believed that the world had a line between pope-like activity and "true religion," Charles’s laws and policies heavily offending many of the English. Many gave Charles the name of “Saul," a negative figure in the Bible. He was compared to Roman religious tyrannical leaders who had been overthrown. Many lives were lost during the war, and much currency had been spent. Taxing was at a record high, and the population was helpless to the forced quartering of troops who were not receiving pay.

Charles wantonly renewed the civil war in late 1647, ordering to invade and refusing to retire his efforts. King Charles I was not showing signs of having future peace attempts. King Charles I was assassinated at Whitewall, January 30, 1649. After his death, parliament was back in power with full control. Many of the monarchs, though shaken, were, as expected, not ridden with horror and fear of his death. Parliament changed many policies after his death. Monarchy was abolished.

#8 - Mesoamerica

What is there to be said about Mesoamericans?

by Sam Green

1. How does the speaker define the area that is "Mesoamerica"?

2. How did the topography of Mesoamerica impact civilizations?

3. What goods were produced in the highlands and lowlands?

4. Why was is so difficult to move goods in Mesoamerica?

5. What accomplishments can we credit the Olmecs with?

6. Describe the Olmec calendar system.

7. What was the purpose of Olmec pyramids?

8. How were Mayan pyramids different than Olmec pyramids?

9. Why was Mayan history "lost" at the time of contact?

10. How does she say that the Aztecs were different than other Mesoamericans?

11. What was the purpose of the tribute systems of the Aztecs?

12. Describe the Aztec creation myth.  

13. How was sacrifice of women different than men?

1. It's Mexico and Central America.

2. Different altitudes throughout could support only certain resources. Therefore, you had to live where you could produce the product you wanted to produce.

3. The highlands were about obsidian production, while the lowlands were known for their seashells and bird feathers.

4. Rivers were unable to be navigated, animals were not domesticated, and the roads were few.

5. They are famous for their freaky, giant megalithic heads, the centers of worship, pyramids, ball courts, pyramids, and calendars.

6. There were two calendars: solar (365 days) and lunar (260 days). Every 52 years, the two would begin on the same day.

7. The pyramids were places of worship.

8. Mayan pyramids were steeper and more narrow.

9. By the time the Spanish arrived, the Mayans had vacated their homes. Because of this, the Spanish were not able to translate many of the histories recorded on the sides of Mayan architecture.

10. The Aztecs were expansionists led by one ruler, unlike everyone else. On top of that, they took human sacrifice to the next level.

11. The tribute system was one way the Aztecs kept themselves fed.

12. The world was created and destroyed four times before the Aztecs came into existence. For it to begin again, one of their gods had to sacrifice him/her/itself. One god was asked to be the hero, but he was a chicken and backed out. A lesser god decided to play hero and sacrificed him/her/itself, but when that happened, the original god, not to be shown up, sacrificed him/her/itself as well. When everyone noticed that the moon and sun were not moving around the Earth yet, it was discovered that the un-sacrificed gods had to begin sacrificing themselves as well, which they did.

13. While men were taken to the tops of pyramids and had their hearts cut out, women just danced at the bottom of pyramids until it was time for them to be beheaded.

#7 - Sui & Tang China Comparison Essay

Compare and contrast the Sui and Tang dynasties of China.

by Sam Green

While the Sui and Tang were similar in government, but they differed in cultural and social aspects.

The dynasties are similar in the affiliations and political ties of their government. Both dynasties have roots in the nomads of China. They are also similar in the aspect that philosophy has some weight in their decisions. Both the Tang and Sui dynasties have Confucian influence in their government.

The dynasties are different when it comes to views on women. For example, the Tang had a female ruler at one point while the Sui did not. Furthermore, the two dynasties differed in regards to toleration of Buddhists. The Sui accepted Buddhists without hesitation, yet the Tang strongly disapproved of them.

#6 - Emperor Justinian & the Byzantine Empire

Who's Emperor Justinian?

by Sam Green

Q1. Hey, what's up with Justinian's wife, Theodora?

Q2. Why was Justinian unpopular?

Q3. What amazing fun things took place in the hippodrome?

Q4. Oh no, what did Justinian do at the hippodrome?

Q5. Why did Justinian quickly move to rebuild Constantinople?

Q6. What was the monumental architecture built in Constantinople?

Q7. What's unique about this building?

Q8. How did Justinian ultimately cause the downfall of Byzantium?

A1. Theodora used to be what we would today call a "stripper". She was also known for her large sex life and being a taboo character. As to counteract her tainted past, he promoted her to co-empress, virtually clearing her record.

A2. Justinian was very interested in erecting architectural feats. To do this, he needed large amounts of money; furthermore, he also attempted to control or end pagan celebration, study of ancient philosophy, gambling, prostitution, adultery, homosexuality, Christian beliefs that did not agree with his own, and Judaism.

A3. Originally a place constructed for chariot racing, it became a center for public life. It was a combo of sports stadium, public events stadium, imperial propaganda pulpit, etc. In 532 C.E., a massive riot took place against Justinian, leaving one third of the city in ruins.

A4. He lies to the rebel forces, saying they are going to have a diplomatic meet in the hippodrome, as to compromise. When they all arrive, he locks the doors, and a massacre is unleashed upon the rebels by the imperial troops.

A5. Justinian wished to rebuild the image of what was once the greatest empire around. If he went and rebuilt Constantinople, he could sculpt it to be what he wanted it to be; therefore, he jumped at the opportunity and rebuilt the fallen city. On top of that, with the rebuilding of the city it would make it appear to the public that all was right and he was fully in charge.

A6. The greatest architectural piece was the Church of Holy Wisdom, or Hagia Sophia.

A7. First off, the architects who designed it had no previous construction experience. More than anything, the were professors who honestly had no business doing what they were doing. There were two requirements for the building: it had to be finished as soon as possible, and it had to be unlike anything else in the world. The cathedral would possess the largest dome ever built, 100 feet across. The dome appears as if it is hovering in mid-air.

A8. Justinian rendered the empire broke through his construction projects and constant military campaigning.

#5 - Religion Review: Confucianism

Tell about the history of Confucianism.

by Sam Green

Beginning in 500 BCE, today, Confucianism has five million followers. In all honesty, Confucianism has no deity, no afterlife, and is more of a philosophy than a religion to begin with. Confucian beliefs have shaped China's social relations and morals, making it what it is today though. Confucianism developed from the teachings of the late Chinese teacher of royalty, Confucius. Rather than bestow moral ideals upon his followers, he instead taught of a proper attitude that respected the world around you, wanted to learn from your surrounding humans, and honored all, despite their beliefs and norms. There were downsides though, such as the patriarchy. All in all, Confucianism never directly constantly conflicts with other religions, instead suggesting that heaven and deities are too powerful for humans to understand at the moment; therefore, we should instead focus on the current moment.

#4e - Religion Review: Zoroastrianism

Tell about the history of Zoroastrianism.

by Sam Green

Begun by the prophet Zoroaster, Zoroastrianism began in ancient Iran 3500 years ago. For about 1000 years, it was the main religion of Persia, which is now modern Iran, from 600 BCE to 650 BCE; now, it is one of the world's smallest religions, having only around 190000 followers today. Cyrus the Great was the first Zoroaster to lead Persia after taking control of western Persia. He, along with his successor, showed much religious tolerance for other faiths. Later on, Persia is dominated by Alexander the Great's army, and many of their religious leaders and texts were destroyed. The Sassanians rose up from the Greek rule in 224 CE, basing the rule of the empire of Zoroastrianism.  Eventually, that rule ended at the hands of Islams and their conquests of the 7th century.

#4d - Religion Review: Judaism

Tell about the history of Judaism.

by Sam Green

Rounding out the Abraham religions (e.g., Christian, Islam), is Judaism. It is expected to have began in the Middle East over 3500 BCE. This is usually said to have started w/ Moses, but Jews sometimes trace the beginning back to Abraham. One can find the full history of the Jewish people in the Old Testament of the Bible and, more specifically, the Torah, or the first five books of it. Jews were known for building up a good society and either getting taken down by themselves or another group of people (e.g., Romans, Islams, Christians).

#4c - Religion Review: Hinduism

Tell about the history of Hinduism.

by Sam Green

Originally starting in the Indus River Valley, Hinduism can be called the oldest religion in the world. No one knows the original origins of it, partially due to it being a mash up of many different traditions together, partially due to the idea of it not existing before modern times, and partially due to it having no definite starting point. One should know of their caste system which dictated life during classical India there were four levels to it. The Caste System determines your occupation and lifestyle. (First Rank) If you are a Brahman, you worked as a priest or other religious leader. (Second Rank) If you were a Kshatriya, you worked as either a ruler or warrior. (Third Rank) If you were a Vaishya, you worked as a merchant or agriculturalist. (Fourth Rank) If you were a Shudra, you were a servant or something similar. Beyond Shudras lie the Untouchables. Untouchables were seen as so lowly that they were not even part of the Caste System. Untouchables were given the worst jobs (e.g., sewage management).

#4b - Religion Review: Christianity

Tell about the History of Christianity.

by Sam Green

Jesus of Nazareth was supposedly born as the Son of God to the Virgin Mary. With that, he went around, spreading the word of his heavenly Father. Jewish authorities did not like the then-radical message Jesus was preaching, so he was betrayed by a member of his inner circle. He was put to death and rose from the dead three days later. Later, he ascended to Heaven. Paul, the apostle passed on his teachings to the classical world, spreading Jesus's teachings. Soon enough, he formed a headquarters for his spreading of the message, which became in the church. Eventually, the Roman emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, which made certain that the religion would stay forever due to its being rooted in the Western world.

#4a - Religion Review: Buddhism

Tell about the history of Buddhism.

by Sam Green

Buddhism began in 6th century BCE. Started by Siddhartha Gautama, Buddhism is now about 2500 years old and has around 376 million followers. Siddhartha was born and raised in a royal family in present day Nepal. He lived in luxury and leisure, but one day, curious of the outside world, he went outside on a search for new findings. On this expedition, he had his first encounter with an old man, a sick man, and a corpse. Disturbed by this, he became a monk, but that didn't work the way he wanted it to; therefore, he tried Indian asceticism, but that didn't fly either. He created something called the "Middle Way", a life without luxury OR poverty. One day, after much meditating, he became enlightened in regards to the meaning of life. These are the Four Noble Truths. After his deaths, his teachings spread on through the followers of his teachings, Buddhists. Following his death, the views on his level of being was debated. Some (the Theravada Buddhists) viewed Buddha as just a man while others (the Mahayanas) thought he was god.

#3 - Buddhism and the Silk Road

What does Buddhism have to do with Silk Road?

by Sam Green

Buddhism began thanks to Gautama Siddhartha, the Buddha. He denounced the good life he possessed and went out, received enlightenment after much meditation, and went on to share his discoveries with the world. The grandson of the founder of the Mauryan Empire, Ashoka, spread the religion throughout India via establishing it as the main religion in the area. Followers of Buddhism continued to spread it throughout the region on their own, eventually filling much of India with Buddhist. Furthermore, trade with the Kushans assisted in this too, seeing as how they traded with Chinese, Romans, and Parthians.

Buddhism then spread to the people of the Tarim Basin. There, it was taught through Sanskrit, which then became the language of the religion. Further along, the first signs of Buddhism first showed in China around the second century BC. On top of that, they were found to have existed in the steppe area near China. There, barbarians converted to Buddhism, altering their life forever. When they adopted the faith, they tended to lose many of their warrior-like, barbaric qualities. Eventually, their nomadic identity would be lost, and they would integrate into society. Later on though, some barbarians relapsed and reverted to their old way of nomadic, aggressive life and such.

With the Silk Road's creation, China has easier access to the Western world. When Emperor Mingdi of the Han dynasty had a vision of the Buddha, he made it his goal to learn of this new religion. Monks were brought into China and eventually spread their beliefs. This went on and on, causing new developments to occur. The Buddhist texts were translated into Chinese, and the Buddha was finally depicted in their art. In the end, the Buddhist rein fell. After the Tang Dynasty collapsed, Arabs of the West came in and started conquering much of the land. Because of this, Islam was introduced to the area. Islam disagreed with most Buddhist views, so they tended to destroy whatever Buddhist works they found. How typical.

1. What was the impact of Buddhist beliefs on nomads in the steppes?

It mellowed them out, making them become civilized folk.

2. What was Kumarajiva's role in spreading Buddhism in China?

He translated many works of the Buddhists into Chinese and distributed them among the common folk.

3. How did Buddhist art change in the 200s?

They began to physically represent the Buddha through imagery and such.

4. What caused Buddhism along the Silk Road to decline?

The Tang Dynasty in China collapsed, taking away its base. Then, Islams came in and started converting everyone.

#2 - Tour of Classic Rome

What was Ancient Rome like?

by Sam Green

It's hard to tell exactly how the ancient ruins of Rome fit together, but through much research, people have begun to figure out where certain buildings sat in relation to others and whatnot. For example, we know where the Pantheon and Colosseum sit and what they probably looked like, but they are a mile apart; therefore, we barely know what the land between the two was like. Bear in mind that the Tiber River separates the city into two parts. On one bank, you have the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. It sat on top of the Capitoline Hill, which was basically the center of Rome. This layout of Rome is c. 320 AD, the peak of Rome's development in regards to architecture. The current leader of Rome is Constantine, and soon after this time, he moves the capitol to Constantinople. Past Capitoline Hill is Palatine Hill. This is where all the palaces and such lie. Further down the river lies Circus Maximus, and next to that is the Imperial Palace. The Circus Maximus was an arena area that held chariot races, animal hunts, parades, and religious processions. The Imperial Palace was the dwelling of the emperor. If ever so choose to do so, he could walk right down to Circus Maximus and enjoy whatever events were happening that day, due to the two establishments being connected.

Traveling toward X on the map, one comes across the aqueducts system. They existed throughout the city and were basically water highways. Without them, Rome wouldn't have been what it was. The water was brought in from 20 to 30 miles away, from nearby mountain ranges. These aqueducts usually emptied out into great fountains or bath houses. Further down the street lies the Arch of Constantine and the Meta Sudans. To the northwest of those lies the Baths of Trajan. This was simply a public bath house for all. In between the Baths and the Arch of Constantine sat the Colosseum (a.k.a. the Flavian amphitheater). At the Colosseum, they would either have gladiator battles, animal hunts, or prisoner executions. Northwest of that lies the Temple of Venus and Rome, and further past that lies the forum. The Forum was about business. It consisted of courts, monuments, temples, etc. One could compare the Forum to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. One of those important buildings was the Basilica of Maxentius, which was originally used as a court but turned into a church when Christians came into power.

Going back toward the Capitoline and past it, you reach Campus Martius (the plane of Mars). The Pantheon lies here. What looks like a temple from the outside actually appears to hold the Rotunda on the inside.

#1 - Alexander the Great

Tell about the Persians, Alexander the Great, and their relationship.

by Sam Green

"Reading some Western history books, one might be forgiven for thinking that the Persians existed to be conquered by Alexander." Specifically, the Persians viewed him as an accursed man. One of the causes for him being viewed as evil is his drunken destroying of Persepolis after some goading by his friends. The Greek would call it the first of many invasions and crusades to bring civilization and culture to the Barbaric East. Funny enough, the Persians weren't really worth conquering. Even though it was the greatest empire at the time, it was uncivilized. On top of that, during the Pelopenisian War, they were smart enough to turn Athens and Sparta on each other, making Greece destroy itself. To the Persians, Alexander was a horrible man that ruined what they could have been.

Q1. What is the basic Western perception of Alexander the Great?

"Reading some Western history books, one might be forgiven for thinking that the Persians existed to be conquered by Alexander."

Q2. Why did he destroy Persepolis?

It was at his friends' suggestion while he was drunk.

Q3. What is the "Greek version" of Alexander's conquest of Persia?

The cover up was that it was part of crusades.

Q4. What was Persia's actual standing in the world like?

They were an uncivilized empire.

Q5. How did the Persians gain advantage in the Peloponnesian War?

They turned the Spartans on the Athens through payments. They also used Greek mercenaries.

Q6. How do the Persians portray Alexander?
They see him as a peice of filth on the face of the Earth.