Global History Highlights - Free Report

Introduction

Europeans traveled and explored other parts of the world for several reasons, but the main reasons were God, glory, and Gold (Puchner, 2017). The Europeans were mainly Christians who believed that there was a need to spread their religion to other parts of the world and introduce it to other people, leading them to explore new worlds. Additionally, they traveled to satisfy their spirits of adventure and fame. They moved to discover new lands and quench their interest in the fame they would get for doing so (Punchenko et al., 2019). Finally, they were looking for precious metals, spices, faster and better trading routes, as well as trading partners to exchange their goods.

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The Rise of Capitalism and the Positive and Negative Aspects

Capitalism emerged in the 17th century were; in the first place, the merchants linked consumers with the buyers (Pomeranz and Topik, 2017). The latter gradually became dominated by the merchants. They started by placing and advancing payment, followed by the distribution of raw materials and wage-paying for producing finished goods work done. The waged worker concept indicated a crucial stage in capitalism's development. The final stage in its rise was introducing the change from a merchant to a capitalist (Palmer et al., 2014).

Some favorable aspects of capitalism include; political freedom that is helped by economic freedom, diversity in innovation, and efficient and economic growth. Some of the negative aspects include: monopoly power, monopsony power, ignorance of social benefit, wealth inequality and inherent wealth, the social division created by inequality, and wealth marginal utility diminishing (Puchner, 2017).

Significant Aspects of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and Impact on Africa, New World, and Europe

Trans –Atlantic slave trade is a global slave trade segment where over 10 million Africans enslaved were transported to the Americas across the Atlantic Ocean from the 16th to 19th centuries (Palmer et al., 2014). It was the second stage among three stages of the widely known Triangular Trade where textiles, wine, and arms were transported to Africa from Europe, African slaves were shipped from Africa to the Americas, and coffee and sugar were shipped from the Americas to Europe.

During the trade, slaves taken during tribal wars were purchased by the Europeans, but they later started to enter Africa's interior and forcibly took captives as slave demand grew. Following their capture or purchase by the Europeans, the slaves were marched to the coast where they were shipped to the Americas (Punchenko et al., 2019).

The slave trade had many adverse effects on Africa, where many lives were lost as they retaliated against the Europeans, not forgetting the colonization of Africa, which followed after that (Pomeranz and Topik, 2017). On the other hand, The New World was remarkably industrialized as human resources were poured in plenty to make technological innovations possible. On the side of Europe, they enjoyed plenty of outcomes from the slave trade like cheap labor, availability of market for their goods, and dominance over the other worlds.

Ascendancy and Decline of Islamic Empires (Ottomans)

Ottoman grandeur peak was marked by Suleiman the 1st, but weakness signs ushered the beginning of a slow and steady decline. An increase in the lack of power and ability of Sultans was the main factor in the decline. Sultans started to withdraw from public affairs and their administrational duties and instead devoted themselves to their pleasures (Palmer et al., 2014). The Grand Vizier office was built to take the Sultans' place, and it became the second in authority. However, while the Grand Vizier could stand for the Sultan's place in official functions, the Sultan's loyalty focus for different groups and classes across the empire could not be dealt with by the Grand Vizier's office. Its results were the central authority and political separation, leading to disdain in the government's ability to impose will (Puchner, 2017).

Impact of the Columbian Exchange on the New World and the Old World

During the Columbian Exchange times, trading in animals, goods, and diseases was done between the Old and the New Worlds (Punchenko et al., 2019). Europe was the Old World, while South and North America were the New World. Horses, pigs, coffee, sugarcane, common cold, and malaria were brought to the New World, while guinea pigs, llamas, pumpkin, chicle, polio, and tuberculosis were taken back to the Old World. Besides, Europeans were taught by American natives corn, peanuts, tomatoes, potatoes, and squash growing. However, the Columbian Exchange's main impact was the death of many Native Americans due to diseases that were carried by explorers (Puchner, 2017).

Reasons Given in the Lecture to Why Europeans Settled in North America

Economic reasons: North America provided the Europeans with an ideal place for the business setup. The Europeans set up businesses there, where they traded with the Indians (Palmer et al., 2014).

Religious reasons: missionaries sent to convert the natives and Indian traders to Christianity were sent, and they ended up settling there. Like the English Puritans, other Europeans were escaping the persecution they were experiencing in their country, and they settled in North America (Punchenko et al., 2019).

Spirit of adventure: Other Europeans settled there to satisfy their adventurous spirit.

Glory and power: The colonizers settled there to take over the land and be superior to the inferior natives who were already there (Puchner, 2017).

Causes and Consequences of the French Revolution

The French Revolution was caused by the widespread French Monarchy and flawed economic policies done by King Louis XVI, who, together with his wife, met their death through the guillotine. Its outcomes include; changes in social-economic, civil rights extension and creation, a more vital centralized state with extensive effective administration, special privileges abolition, and two government new modes and political and ideas culture change (Pomeranz and Topik, 2017). The lasting French Revolution legacy is the document called 'The Declaration of the Rights of Man' that was made part of French law. The document is based on the American Constitution and Rousseau's ideas, where it promises French people freedom.

America's Involvement in Latin America during the 19th and 20th Centuries

During the 19th and 20th centuries, America was heavily involved in Latin America. The reason behind this involvement was America's need to protect its investments in Latin America. America had invested highly in Latin America; hence its involvement was mainly aimed at guarding and protecting its investments since it could not stand a chance of losing them (Palmer et al., 2014).

Britain's Involvement and Colonization of India to 1871

East India Company was a British and English joint-stocked company formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region with the East Indies and Mughal India and later with Qing China. The company later controlled the Indian Subcontinent's large parts, which initiated the colonization process in India, Southeast Asia, and Hong Kong (Puchner, 2017).

Political, Economic, and Social Consequences of WWI

WWI had many political outcomes, including Germany being required to make territorial concessions, especially in the western and eastern borders, joint control of Saarland by Great Britain and France, and the breaking up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire into independent states (Punchenko et al., 2019). Its economic outcomes include: the devaluation of the German currency, Germany is requirement to pay its allies, speeding up American production, economic depression in Germany, and hyperinflation (Palmer et al., 2014). Some social outcomes include; the death of empires, the birth of new nations, the redrawing of national boundaries worldwide, and culture change.

Events when the US and the USSR fought by Proxy during the Cold War

Korean War: North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950, and the US came to back up South Korea as part of UN forces composed of many different countries. China and the USSR joined the war supporting North Korea, where they launched attacks against the American Forces (Pomeranz and Topik, 2017).

The Vietnam War: It began as a civil war between the pro-Western South and the communist North. The US and the USSR intervened in the war, and each took a different side to support. Although it had initially started as a small uprising guerrilla war, it rose to a significant conflict era of the Cold War.

How Globalization Had Uneven Impact on the World

Globalization initiated the rising of inequality among the nations that took part in it. Some nations gained while others did not gain much from globalization. Those nations that most gained were the developing nations who substituted their policies to exploit globalization while the ones who were isolated to change gained the least from globalization. Globalization's effect on inequality in nations goes both ways where nations losing most from globalization are the non-participants who are excluded (Punchenko et al., 2019).

Ways People Fought Against Colonization for Independence Following WWII

Decolonization did not have one process. People used different approaches to drive away their colonialists. Some people used orderly and peaceful ways to gain independence, while others only got their independence after the protracting revolution (Palmer et al., 2014). Those who used peaceful ways talked and approached their colonizers where dialogues were held. After several mutual understandings, the European rulers agreed to let go of the colonized lands and return to their natives. Some other European colonialists did not want to give independence to the natives (Puchner, 2017). The natives, in turn, came up with strategies to chase the whites away from their land where they organized raids on the whites, which eventually made the colonialists flee for their safety, leaving the natives with the power to rule over themselves.

References

Palmer, J., Turney, C., Hogg, A., Hilliam, N., Watson, M., van Sebille, E., ... & Petchey, F. (2014). The discovery of New Zealand's oldest shipwreck–possible evidence of further Dutch exploration of the South Pacific. Journal of Archaeological Science, 42, 435-441.

Pomeranz, K., & Topik, S. (2017). The World That Trade Created: Society, Culture, and the World Economy, 1400 to the Present. Routledge.

Puchner, M. (2017). The Written World: The Power of Stories to Shape People, History, Civilization. Random House.

Punchenko, O. P., Voronkova, V., & Andriukaitiene, R. (2019). Sociodynamics of the globalizing world in its civilization dimension.