Open Letter to Incoming History Students

My expectations for this class was to do a lot of reading from our textbooks, and a lot of projects. I also thought that this class would be difficult and that I wouldn't learn that much.

The difference between what I expected and what I experienced was a little different. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be but it wasn't too easy either. I found out that our teacher Mr. Blas the most chill teacher you will ever have unless you don't listen. If you listen and do what you are supposed to do it will be fun and easy. I expected that I wouldn't do so well in this class and at first I was doing well then I started falling behind and almost had an F but then he caught me and started helping me to get my grade back up. It is the last week of school and I did a few things yesterday and got my grade from a low B to an A in less than a day, so its not that hard to get your grade up in this class, and I thought it would be hard but it wasn't at all.

The one most important thing I learned in this class was nothing, there wasn't only one most important thing I learned, there was a lot and it would take up half my blog page, if I tried to tell you so one of the things I learned was about Gandhi and how against imperialism he was, but he wasn't a violent type of person.

I think if I could have done anything differently to have a better experience it would be to do all of my work in the beginning and try not to miss any assignments, and if I did miss an assignment I would make it up.

I think you could achieve more success by doing the extra credit he gives you even if you don't want to, you should because you may miss an assignment or you may not get a good grade on an assignment and that extra credit will help your grade.

Causes of WW2

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-VdVe1m7Z9ZSzVpdDlDS015dXc/edit?usp=sharing
The main causes of WW2 were appeasement, bad feelings left from the first world war, and the Treaty of Versailles.

Life after WW1

After WWI there were many negatives and positives. Some of the negatives were that many people died most soldiers and families that had nothing to do with the war. This also impacted art and the way people thought these were bad because after the war it turned some people insane. The positives were that it gave people such as artists a different view of art giving it a new perspective. Some other reasons to why the war was good; it brought lots of women rights. Women could now vote and work. It also made philosophers think a lot about how humans work and lots of science was discovered such as theory's.

People would question every idea about reason and progress. T.S. Ellioe said "the world was a "waste land" drained of hope and faith. Existentialism believed no meaning to life. Writers and authors got out of Germany and told people what was happening there.

WWI also affected the way art was made. Before the war happend artists would make sure their portraits were perfect and excact to the object they were duplicating. After the war, it messed with lots of artists head this made them start drawing and painting their thoughts and what was going on inside. Piccaso created cubism and he would use it a lot in his art their was also doli who created surilism. Artists, depicty the inner world of emotion and imagination rather than realistic. Pablo Picasso, Cubism in 1907 natural shapes into geometric forms. Surrealism movement to link dreams to real life.

There were many things that WWI effected but another was science and how it was seen. many philosophers saw different theory's. Albert Einstein was one of them he created the thoery of relativity.

The United States gets in on WW1

Woodrow Wilson was the president of the United States. He did not want his country in WW1. He said No "Remain neutral in thought as well as dead." He also didn't want to lose international trading rights. In 1916 his presidential slogan was, "He kept us out of the war."

The U.S was led into war by many things such as Economic ties with Britain and France-war time trade and U.S financing of allied effort. Ethnic loyalties. And Native born Americans (not Indians) favored Britain and France victories. British war and they feared Propaganda.

The U.S. did not have a problem funding the war because while everyone else was fighting in the war they were getting rich. They had money for funding the military. They also had a National Security League.

The Americans used the Zimmerman Telegram. The Americans liked the Russian revolution. Russia had unrestricted submarine warfare. Wilson said, "The world must be made safe for democracy." There were voluntary efforts to conserve food for soldiers. People were put in jail if they were disloyal or made abusive remarks.

Their were 2.8 million draftees, and 2.9 volunteers. 400,000 served, few officers. Blacks hoped for equal rights at home (but no). 2 million were sent to Europe. Women took the jobs that men had. Mexicans left Mexico and took jobs. They got soldiers to fight in the war by offering things that the people thought they would receive and the same for blacks who would join the war.

World War 1

World War 1 isn't the only name, it has at least 2 other names. The Great War. The War to end all Wars.

A generation of Europeans were killed and civilian casualties. All together 14 million people died. 2 million Germans, 1.7 million Russians. Austria-Hungary lost half a million and 3 million wounded. Great Britain lost 900,000, Italy lost 400,000, the Turks lost 350,000, 45,000 Serbians died, and the United States lost 53,000.

The whole war together cost about $190 billion dollars. United States $22,625,2253,000. Great Britain $35,334,012,000. France $24,265,583,000. Russia $22,293,950,000. Italy $12,413,998,000. Belgium $1,154,468,000. Serbia $399,400,000. Germany $37,775,000,000. Austria-Hungary

$20,622,960,000. Turkey $1,430,000,000. Bulgaria $815,200,00. There are many more but these are the main countries you here about. But that amount was in 1914 dollars.

Europeans were propersus and peaceful. Major powers had not had a war for 100 years. In 1893 the major powers had a Celebration in Chicago to promote more peace. The Europeans also thought that the summer of 1914 was beautiful and some thought that they should be happy to be alive. They also had modern sanitation.

In the summer of 1914 on June 28th Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were murder while they were in Serbia in the city of Sarajevo. That is why Austria declared war on Serbia, and when the why happened. July 28th 1914 the Austrians got their revenge.

Kaiser Wilhelm II was insecure and unstable. He thought that Germany deserved a massive empire. He also said that Germany was way ahead technologically and was the mightiest country. He thought that Germany deserved more.

Der Tag, means "The Day," the day when Germany would defeat all its enemies. August 1, 1914 Der Tag came, Germany and then Russia two days later declared war on France. On the 4th of August Germany invaded Belgium.

Causes of World War 1

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzsBnYt3LKhaaXhkYVo4djdjZDQ/edit


About 30 years before the 1900's and leading into the 1900's Europe was at peace.  The Europeans thought that war was in the past.

Imperialism is when a stronger country takes over a weaker country. A stronger country is like Europe taking over a weaker country like Asia. Militarism is when a country believes that they should keep a strong military. 2) The Rise of Nationalism, Included Germany, Austria-Hungary, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, and France. 3) Bad Alliances, An example of a bad alliance is Great Britain and Germany.

The Triple Alliance, Germany made an alliance with Austria-Hungary in 1879, and Italy joined them 3 years later. The Triple Entente: Great Britain had an alliance with Germany but Britain got so annoyed with Germany that they formed an alliance with France and Russia.

Imperialism in India



Nathuram Vinayak Godse was the sole assassin of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi was shot in the chest 3 times at point blank range, on January 30, 1948 in New Delhi. Nathuram approached Gandhi during an evening prayer at 5:15 p.m.. Nathurams motive to kill Gandhi was because he showed more interest to Muslim ways because of fasting on many occasions. Nathuram thought that he was more of a Muslim than a Hindu because of fasting.

The British were the imperialists in India. What made this situation imperialism was that the Indians that didn't agree with Gandhi or his methods wanted to control that and killing Gandhi told them that they would have control.

Mahatma Gandhi used a strategy of fasting unto death for the people to stop fighting the British and fighting and wars between Muslims and Hindus. The only way for India to gain independence is to not fight and to become friends with the British before they left India to be independent.

I think that Gandhi was very successful in getting India to the way it is now. I think that he was successful because he did not want any violence while trying to become independent from the British. He used non-violent methods. He told the people that if they hit you don't hit back, try and get back up, if someone tells you to get off the sidewalk and into the street you can either do as they say and continue even if they hit you.

I think that Gandhi did many things in his life that I could not do and things he did that I don't know about. I think that one of the main things that would be very difficult for me to repeat is standing up and talking to a small amount of people and then talking to thousands of people about non-violence and what they shouldn't do like not fight back. But that they should also rebel but not in a violent way but some people didn't always listen and some police hit them and the groups got mad and ran after them.

The way Gandhi lived was that he first started out wearing a suit and becoming a lawyer. Then he loss the perspective to wear suits and started wearing clothing like Indians but made by the British. Then he started only wearing clothing he made himself and told others to do the same to burn British clothing and only wear homespun. This is important because people now don't do that they buy clothing when they could make their own clothing but most people think that it would take them too long to make their own clothing and that they don't have time to make clothing. But if people stopped working for maybe a year and just bought cloth and yarn and made their own clothes they would be like Gandhi. But no one now a days would be able to live like him and wouldn't have the courage to do what he has done.

Imperialism in Southeast Asia

There was mixed results to imperialism in Southeast Asia, economies grew, roads, harbors, and railroads. Millions migrated to work on Asian plantations and mines. The melting pot of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Buddhists. 

The pacific rim is southeast Asia. It was important to the colonizers because the lands was a strategic location along the sea route to China. Tropical agriculture, minerals, and oil. They were Asian countries that border the pacific ocean.

The Dutch discovered oil and tin. The Dutch created classes 1) Dutch 2) wealthy Asians 3) plantation workers at the bottom. The British needed workers for tin and to top rubber trees, they encouraged the Chinese to immigrate to Malaysia. The Malays became a minority in their own country. Wars between the resident Chinese and the native Malays that are still unresolved today. The French, Napoleon the third sent in an army to invade southern Vietnam, the French added Laos, Cambodia, and northern Vietnam. They did not encourage local industry. 4 times the land for rice production, peasants' consumption of rice decreased. The Malays started a resistance against the French.

Imperialists believed in Social Darwinism, that God chose them to be people to take over other people and use their resources.

Imperialism in Africa



Imperialism: When stronger countries take over weaker countries political, economic, and social life. Like when Europe took over Africa because the Africans were weak in political, economic, and social life.

In 1850 Africans were divided into hundreds of ethnic and language groups. Africans followed traditional beliefs, others came and tried to convert new people to Islam and Christianity. African land was difficult to travel until the Steamship. Even though they were divided they were able to keep out the Europeans for more than 400 years.

Europe wanted African land because there was an abundance of raw materials and natural materials. They needed those materials for more factories and new markets to sell the stuff they have taken from the Africans.

Africans allowed Europeans to take over land because other European countries were also coming for Africa. This meant that the Europeans invited others expect the Africans to say that they had claimed the land. They needed the land and they thought they were Superior to everyone or that they were better. They feared war amongst themselves which created the Berlin conference.

The Zulus stood up to the Europeans with spears and shields, against rifles and guns. The Dutch and British wanted land to start farms but the Zulus stood up and said no and the Dutch and British fought.

Threats to Capitalism

Karl Marx said that the capitalists system is flawed and on it's way to communison.

Capitalism is massive social, technological, and economical change. Run by private individuals. Free market system, supply and demand. Increasing the value of wealth.

Capital: Used to generate wealth. Money, wood sold to make money.
Assets: Someone that can generate wealth. Competitive system.
Marginal Cost: Has existed since people started talking. How much it cost to make something.
Paradox: Not it's literal meaning.
Propel: Move, or push something like the propeller on a boat to move the boat through the water.
Inherent: To be friendly or being friendly.
Abundant: A lot of something like there is an abundance of McDonald's around the world.
Wreaking Havoc: bad habits that cause trouble.
Phenomena: what you see and can't explain.
Bypass: To go around.
Formidable: A difficult challenge(s).
Analytics: A data analyzer.
Algorithms: Key word.

Change & Social Media

The Industrial Revolution affected every part of Great Britain for good and bad. England was the first, they had a lot of changes and they came quick. Earn higher wages rather than on the farms, they could afford to heat their homes with coal, they were able to eat beef, wear nice clothes. Cities grew, and news of higher wages spread, urbanization, city building and the movement of people to cities from the country.

Cities grew in England, no development plans, and sanitary laws. Lacked adequate housing, education, police protection for people who came from the country to find jobs, no drains, collected in piles. They lived in dark dirty apartments, families crowed in one bedroom, sickness was widespread. Epidemics, deadly disease cholera, sickened workers, families. The average life span was 17 years compared with 38 years in the country. Factory owners kept their machines running about 24 hours a day. Employee's worked 14 hours a day 6 days a week. Work did not change with the seasons, like in the country. Factories were not lit well or clean, they were regular injuries. In coal mines they were frequent accidents. Many women and children worked in the mines.

The Industrial Revolution had enormous amounts of wealth in England. Most of the new money belonged to factory owners, shippers, and merchants. Part of a growing middle class and social class was made up of skilled workers, professionals, business people, and wealthy farmers. Landowners and aristocrats had top positions in Britain. Factory owners, merchants and bankers grew wealthier than landowners and aristocrats. Landowners looked down on those who made their money in the lower classes and considered them "Vulgar." The upper middle class consisted of government employees, doctors, lawyers, and managers of factories. The lower middle class consisted of factory over seers, skilled workers as tool makers, and laborers, they saw little improvement in living and working conditions. The lower middle class watched their livelihoods disappear as machines replace them and was very little stability.

The positive effects of the Industrial Revolution, created jobs for workers, wealth of nations. Technological progression and inventions increased production of goods and raised the standard of living. Provided hope of improvement. Healthier diets, cheaper housing. The upper and middle class prospered immediately but lives improved gradually.

The negative effects of the Industrial Revolution, created pollution, poor living conditions for new workers from the country. The farmers were bought out and had to move to the cities. Most poor children were placed in factories to work. Parents who had children and worked long hours gave up their children to orphanages and they were put to work in the factories. The average life span was 17 years of age and 10 years shorter if they worked in the mines.

The Industrial Revolution

Industrialization is the process of developing machine production of goods. But it is also an outgrowth of capitalism and it's effects on society are still undetermined to some content.

The revolution required a lot of natural resources, water power and coal to fuel the new machines. They needed an Iron ore to construction machines, tools, and buildings, Rivers for inland transportation, Harbors from which merchant ships set sail, new innovations. They used science to make money. It was the beginning of working people in cities and around the world.

The Industrial Revolution started in England in the 1700's. Farmers moved from the country to the cities. The more machines the more people they can feed and get people and children to work in the factories. Rich land owners could buy family farms and be pushed into the cities and start work here. So the population exploded, the increasing population boosted the demand for food, land, and clothes.

Farmers were pushed off their land and had no where to go but the cities and find jobs there. But with all the factories and the more people moving to the city there became massive pollution problems, and children from age 5 and older forced to work in the factories and they weren't rich they were poor and didn't have much of a choice and most of the children that worked in factories died. Because of the farmers moving from the country to the city there became a major lack of housing. With all these problems there were many solutions to reduce those problems but they didn't focus on them. They could have spread there factories around and introduced it to other societies and wouldn't have so much pollution in one area but they could have found more ways to reduce the pollution.

The transition could have been less difficult if they didn't push so fast and so hard. If they had put factories further a part then they were and if they hadn't pushed most of the farmers off their farms. If they had kept more farmers on their farms they would have more reasons to have more factories. The rich land owners put up fences around the farms that they bought from the farmers, to hide the science they were coming up with and didn't want others to steal their ideas. The land owners shouldn't have pushed so fast because then they would have bought the farm but also kept the farmer and his family and workers then they wouldn't have to let anyone else into see what they were doing. That would have protected some children from the factories in the cities. I think that most of the children that were forced to work in the factories were from farms, that had been bought by land owners.

Obama Ukraine letter

Ukraine has a population of 44.9 million. It's capital is Kiev, Their main religion is Christianity. It used to be a part of Russia. It has been in the news lately because of the revolution and because he got out of the Ukraine and went to Russia. The people are searing anger because the president went back on his word to sign a treaty. And the west has made it's own country called Crimea.

The Ukraine is separated politically because the west wanted to be closer to Europe. And the president said he would help make them closer to Europe. The people are are mad because the government is contradicted because the Ukraine is supposed to be identified as peaceful.

Russia is interested because they became alarmed when they found out that the Ukraine wanted to become closer to Europe and make ties but Russia didn't want them to. They were also worried because they have a Navy fleet based in the Ukraine. They also have crucial pipelines that carry Russian natural gas, they also saw an ulterior motive, which was the expansion of the western military army.

The U.S. and Europe are interested because they want to help make the Ukraine democratic. And the Ukraine is interested because they wanted a better judicial system.

Obama should respond by showing us what he has to say about this issue and how it could effect us if we focus on it to much. He should also become aware that people might think that, they could resolve this issue and get involved and to tell us that there is no reason to get involved and that it isn't our fight to fight.

Europe after Napoleon

After Napoleon was defeated the Europeans wanted to reestablish peace on the continent. They wanted stability and security.

They met for the Congress of Vienna, and mostly aristocrats, who were very wealthy and socially-connected elites, attended. They wanted to prevent the French from getting aggressive again, so they surrounded it with strong countries. Restore Balance of Power. So France wasn't a threat to others.

The Congress of Vienna wanted to restore Europe's royal families to their thrones  they held before Napoleon's conquests. A group of 39 German states were joined, Switzerland was recognized as independent.

The Congress of Vienna didn't want to weaken France but they also didn't want to make it to strong. They vowed to help each other in aid. They also restored kings and queens to their thrones to stabilize political relations among the nations. That is what the purpose of Balance of Power and Legitimacy.

For Europeans the Congress of Vienna was very successful. They did what they wanted to do to make the nations of Europe strong and stable once again.

Simon Bolivar & Thomas Jefferson

Simon Bolivar was born in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 24, 1783 and died December 17, 1830 he died at the age of 47. He was born into a wealthy family who owned gold and copper mines. His parents died when he was 9 years of age. Thomas Jefferson was born in Virginia on April 13, 1743 and died on July 4, 1826, he died at the age of 83. He was born into a famous wealthy family. Jane Randolph Jefferson comes from English and Scottish royalty. Peter Jefferson was a surveyor, cartographer and a former map-maker. Jefferson became a lawyer in 1767. He was elected to congress in 1775.

I admire that Jefferson served his country for more then 50 years. And that he had 6 children and only 2 made it to adulthood. I don't admire that he favored slavery and that he had children with one of his slaves, even though he still treated them poorly.

Bolivar got his ideas through his tutors that were very intelligent and taught him about freedom. Jefferson mostly learned from John Locke's writings about natural rights.

Bolivar became the person he was because his parents died when he was young and it was probably because of something that wasn't available to them at that time but he grew up to make those things available. But he also learned for his wife's death and from Napoleon Bonaparte. Thomas Jefferson got a good education and learned from John Locke's theory on natural rights. That is mostly how Jefferson became who he was.

I think that the world would be very different because there wouldn't have been the Declaration of Independence and there also wouldn't be peace of freedom in the places they went to and fixed.

Venezuela and the Enlightenment

The capital of Venezuela is Caracas, the population is 29,100,000, their presidential system is, socialist, and constitutional republic, they have diverse wildlife in a variety of habitats.

Nicolas Maduro replaced Hugo Chavez 10 months ago after he died. The citizens don't really like him because there wasn't as much problems with Hugo Chavez as president. They didn't have a problem until Maduro became president. The citizens are starting demonstrations now because they are out of jobs there isn't food on the shelves of stores and 9 people have died since this started and they started after 3 people died. I hopefully think they are doing it now because Maduro is weak.

Essential Documents of the Enlightenment

The "due process of Law" is  laws that should be orderly and should be known, Including independent courts, where laws would be determined if they were violated. We should have independent courts because then the judge or the jury would not be pressured into proving you guilty or not guilty. The king is also prohibited from taking property.

Popular Sovereignty is where governments get their power from the consent of the governed. The people can give'et power and take away'et. Governments can't change that because they wanted it to.

Yes, "Unalienable rights" are essential in a democratic government because, it is our natural rights, we were born with them. This includes, liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. The government must protect those rights. Because they wanted them as much as the people did and we deserve them.

A "Representative Government" is, a group of people who made laws and that group of people acts for the people. The American Colonists expected this because they didn't want the government making all the laws based on what they see and witness, they wanted some of laws based on what will help them with what they need and don't need and what needs to be prohibited.

After the French Revolution

 The "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen," Only white males had rights, not women, not slaves, not native Americans. They wanted Liberty, Freedom, Freedom of speech, and Freedom of Religion.

They were spilt into 3 parts, the Left Wing who wanted to radically change the government, they didn't want a king, a emperor, or a president. Then they were the Centrist, they had moderate views on the government which meant they wanted changes but not to many and not to little. Last but not least, they were the Right Wing, who wanted few or no changes what so ever to the government.

Napoleon Bonaparte was a military genius, because he was sent to a military school at the age of 9. As he grew up he fought in many wars. He seized power in France and proclaimed himself emperor. The people of France liked Napoleon and looked up to him because of how powerful he was and his experience in the military. He took hold of western Europe and most of central Europe, but the people started to rebel against him.

I disagree because, the dictator's can feed people and give them jobs but they might not give the people the rights they want and deserve. The dictator's most likely wont give them the right to vote and they might threaten the people into taking the job and food, but they might not even have a place to live. But the people can react and betray the dictator's to get what they want because they have been bribed and that means that the dictator's are not okay.

The French Revolution was different.

The French Revolutinaries  were divided into 3 social classes. The privileged estates were two of the social classes, they had high paying jobs and did not pay taxes. Unlike the 3rd estate which paid all the taxes.  The French Revolutionaries hacked guards to death and cut off people's heads and walked around with heads on sticks. But the privileged estates did not lose their rights. In the American Revolution they did not cut off people's heads, or soliders heads. Britian started to pay taxes after the Americans defeated the King, unlike the privileged estates they did not lose their rights.

The French Revolution

The French were inspired by the American Revolution's Declaration of Independence.

The French Revolutionaries were from the third estate, they were peasants and they wanted liberty, equality, and democracy.

The memebers of the third estate were dissatisfied  because they paid the taxes, and did most of the work and paid 50% of their income to rich nobles.

The changes in the French government were inevitable because they wanted a democratic government and the people of the third estate were fed up with food shortages, and high taxes and the government didn't change anything.

Enlightenment & Arab Spring

Science was able to prove that the earth wasn't the center of the universe

The revolution of Tunisia started with an unemployed 26 year old man, Mohamed Bouazizi. Mohamed was born on March 29, 1984 and died on January 4, 2011. It started when the police took Mohamed's only source of money for him and his family, his fruit cart they assaulted him and beat him. That was December 17, 2010 he started work at 8:00 a.m. and set himself on fire at 11:30 a.m. less then an hour after the governor refused to see him or listen to him. And when he died on January 4, 2011 that pushed the people to start the revolution. Due to the anger and violence of the people President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali stepped down on January 14, 2011.

The people of Tunisia wanted freedom, direct democracy, freedom of speech. They found that there was food inflation corruption, high unemployment, poor living conditions, and a lack of freedom of speech.

It is similar because they figured out that they didn't have the freedom of speech. And they also didn't have the freedom of press. They didn't let the government control them they retaliated and argued. They used these freedoms against their governments to get their way. To have a better country and better living situations and more employment.