Period 5 1750 CE - 1914 CE Crash Course
What were China's strengths that debunk arguments for why the Industrial Revolution started in Europe?
The superiority argument can be countered because China has been recording its history before Confucius, they had a lot of bronze, painting, and poetry. Economically China created paper money and led the world of trade exports. Their population grow was also the surest sign of economic success - had the biggest population in the world. Culturally, the invented gunpowder, printing, paper, and compasses.
Why did India not need to industrialize to produce cotton?
Their agriculture was so productive that laborers could be supported at a very low cost. They also had a large population, so their manufacturing rates could be super productive without using machines (did not need to industrialize)
LATIN AMERICAN REVOLUTIONS
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Latin America Before the Revolutions
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Results of the Revolutions
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Revolutions: List the changes and continuities of each Latin American Revolution.
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What technologies facilitated Europe's domination of Africa?
First, steam ships made it possible for Europeans to travel inland, bringing supplies and personnel via Africa's navigable rivers, so horses were no longer required for transportation. Even more important was quinine medicine, Quinine isn't as effective as modern antimalarial medication, and it doesn't cure the disease, but it does help moderate its effects. But of course the most important technology that enabled Europeans to dominate Africa was guns. By the 19th century, European gun technology had improved dramatically, especially with the introduction of the Maxim machine gun, which allowed Europeans to wipe out Africans in battle after battle. Of course, machine guns were effective when wielded by Africans, too, but Africans had fewer of them.
Why wasn't France's Revolution revolutionary? What stayed the same?
France's Revolution was not so revolutionary because things went back to a King, nobility, an established religion, and there still wasn't democracy or a republic.
What is the connection between high wages and the use of machines to produce goods?
High wages combined with cheap fuel costs meant that it was economically efficient for manufacturers to look to machines as a way of lowering their production costs.
How does the percentage of people involved in agriculture symbolize the effect of the Industrial Revolution?
80% of people were farmers before the revolution and now the percentage of farmers is less than 1%. It symbolizes how effective the industrial revolution actually was.
What is a positive feedback loop? What did it continually lead to in Britain?
A positive feedback loop typically enhances or amplifies changes (one success feeds success). In Britain the agriculture there was one of the loops. If you improve the agricultural technology, you improve the crop yield. And if you improve the crop yield, you can buy more agricultural tech.
How much of the Latin American population was racially mixed?
About 25% of the Latin American population was racially mixed.
What does John Green describe Karl Marx as "above all else?
Although he's often considered the father of communism, because he co-wrote The Communist Manifesto, Marx was above all a philosopher and a historian. It's just that, unlike most philosophers and historians, he advocated for revolution.
Why did most European powers use indirect rule to control their colonies?
Because of their small numbers relative to local populations, most European colonizers resorted to indirect rule, relying on governments that were already there but exerting control over their leaders. This worked particularly well with British administrators, who were primarily middle class men but had aristocratic pretensions, and were often pleased to associate with the highest echelons of Indian or African society. It was cheaper, easier, and involved less malaria.
Why would slave in the British colonies have been better off if the British had won the American Revolutionary War?
Britain had promised that all slaves who fought with them would be freed.
By what year was almost all of North America free from foreign / colonial rule?
By 1825 the majority of North America was free from foreign/colonial rule.
What is the ultimate goal/need of capitalism?
Capitalism is also a cultural system, rooted in the need of private investors to turn a profit. So the real change needed here was a change of mind. People had to develop the capitalist values of taking risks and appreciating innovation. And they had to come to believe that making an upfront investment could pay for itself and then some.
What were the castas?
Castas was a hierarchical system of race classification created by Spanish elites in Latin America during the eighteenth century.
What are some parts of the U.S. economy where the government still plays a socialist-esque role?
Determining whether capitalist competition natural and good, if there should there be systems in place to check it for the sake of our collective well-being, if we should band together to provide health care for the sick, or pensions for the old, and if governments should run businesses. Those are the places where industrial capitalism and socialism are still competing.
Why did indigenous rulers agree to cooperate with European colonizers?
Europeans could almost always rely on their superior military technology to coerce local rulers into doing what the Europeans wanted. And they could replace native officials with Europeans if they had to.
For each Enlightenment Thinker listed, describe their argument/new ideas and their influence on the American Revolution. Immanuel Kant, John Locke
Immanuel Kant: He claimed that human reason made belief in God less important, which was an example of a radical idea from the time of the American Revolution. John Locke: Locke presented the ideas of life, liberty, and property, which heavily fueled the colonist's view on government.
Venezuelan
In Venezuela, well-trained creole revolutionaries seized power in Caracas and formed a republic. However, the interior was controlled by the Llaneros who were mixed race and supported the king. Simon Bolivar wanted to overcome the class divisions by appealing to a unison of South Americans. He led an army to Bogota and by 1822 his forces overtook Caracas and Quito. In December of 1824, Latin America was freed at the battle of Ayacucho. There was a massive change in the way the government was run and the power of the people of Latin America in this revolution.
Brazilian
In the Brazilian revolution, the creoles wanted to maintain their privilege while still gaining independence from the Peninsulares. The creoles organized themselves with the idea that they were culturally different from Portugal and eventually formed the Brazilian party to lobby for independence. They convinced Prince Pedro to become king of Brazil and 1822, it was distinguished as its country. The same people who had privilege kept it, so that was a continuity. The monarchy also did not change.
Which imperialism factor does Green claim was a more powerful one and why?
Industrialization was the biggest reason that Europeans were able to extend their grasp over so much of the world. But it was mostly about controlling the means of production. Europeans wanted colonies to secure sources of raw materials, especially cotton, copper, iron, and rubber, that were used to fuel their growing industrial economies.
How did Khedive Ismail efforts to modernize and expand Egypt's territory lead to his downfall?
Ismail had ambitions of extending Egypt's control up the Nile, west toward Lake Chad. But to do that, he needed money, and that's where he got into trouble. His borrowing bankrupted Egypt and led to Britain's taking control over the country's finances and its shares in the Suez Canal that Ismail had built, with French engineers and French capital, in 1869. The British sent in 1,300 bureaucrats to fix Egypt's finances, an invasion of red tape that led to a nationalist uprising, which brought on a full-scale British intervention after 1881 in order to protect British interests.
It is wasn't primarily about Enlightenment ideas, what was the French Revolution about to many at this time?
It was about the lack of food and the economic oppression that the poor faced.
What are joint stock exchanges?
Joint stock exchanges finance big expenses, and lower risk with investments.
What did Marx believe human nature was actually like (if not to compete)
Marx believed that "production," or work, was the thing that gave life material meaning.
Mexican
Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to instill the liberal principles of the French Revolution into Latin America, he made an effort to do this by putting his brother on the Spanish throne. This angered the Peninsulares (the elite) because they wanted a divine right monarchy with a strong church. The Mexican Creoles saw opportunity and swore loyalty to the Spanish king. There was a massive peasant uprising and the Peninsulares and Creoles clashed. In 1820, Spain came under the rule of a Spanish ruler and had an actual liberal revolution with a new constitution that limited church power. The liberal movement changed Mexico but the previously elite had pretty much stayed in their high positions.
What was the process of enclosure?
One of the ways the British achieved all this agricultural productivity was through the process of enclosure, whereby landlords would reclaim and privatize fields that for centuries had been held in common by multiple tenants. This increased agricultural productivity, but it also impoverished many tenant farmers, many of whom lost their livelihoods.
Cheap coal led to what three things?
Railroads, steel, use of steam engines all created positive feedback loops
What were significant changes that were brought about by the American Revolution?
Significant changes brought on by the American Revolution were that people began to consider themselves equal to each other. It also brought a change in the view of revolutionary ideas.
Why did African resistance fail? What African exceptions does Green mention?
The Africans resisted often but they were ultimately defeated by a technologically superior enemy. They can be compared to the Chinese, Indians, and the Vietnamese.
How was the American Revolution influenced by Enlightenment thinkers?
The American Revolution was heavily fueled by the ideas of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which can be found in the Declaration of Independence.
How was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen different from the Bill of Rights?
The Bill of Rights was tacked on at the end and only applied to non-slaves, making it different from the Declaration.
How did the Chinese government resist the British trade of opium?
The Chinese decided to confiscate much of the opium and dispose of it in the ocean. They also threatened to cut off trade with the British if they did not stop selling opium.
What was the Enlightenment?
The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement where people aimed to improve the world through reason.
How was the end of the Seven Years War a victory for British colonists in North America?
The Seven Years War was a victory for the British colonists because they gained Canada and Florida from France and Spain. These were important territories as they were located in crucial spots in North America.
Before the revolutions, what were the 3 institutions that exercised control?
The Spanish/Portuguese crown, the Catholic Church, and patriarchy exercised control before the revolutions. Rulers controlled their people using taxes. The church controlled the everyday lives of the population, including their time. Husbands controlled their wives in that they were the leaders of the household. Only men were allowed to own property. If men cheated on their wives, it was considered ok; however, if women cheated on their husbands, they were punished.
Who were the Three Estates? First Estate, Second Estate, Third Estate
The Three Estates were the First Estate, which included the clergy, the Second Estate, which included the nobles, and the Third Estate, which included everyone else.
What two words we now use nearly every day didn't even really exist until the 17th century?
The word "individuals" did not apply to persons until the 17th century. And in the 18th century, a "career" still referred only to horses' racing lives.
What resources did Britain have that led to the Industrial Revolution?
They had a ton of coal which was a prime source of energy - it was a cheap source.
List 3 reasons why the Latin America Revolutions were not very revolutionary.
While the Peninsulares were gone, the social hierarchy with wealthy creoles at the top stayed the same. The Catholic Church remained very powerful in Latin America. Women still faced heavy oppression in Latin America.
What two factors drove imperialism?
industrialization and nationalism
How did the war in 17th century England help jumpstart capitalism in England?
the growth of capitalism was helped by the half-century of civil unrest that resulted from the 17th century English Civil War. he British crown had put a lot of regulations on the economy: complicated licenses, royal monopolies, etc. But during the turmoil it couldn't enforce them, which made for freer markets.
AMERICAN REVOLUTION
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CAPITALISM AND SOCIALISM
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COAL, STEAM, AND THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
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FRENCH REVOLUTION
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IMPERIALISM
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How did India's cotton production spur British textile growth?
It was cotton textiles that drove the early industrial revolution and the main reason that Britain was so eager to produce cotton was that demand was incredibly high. Their cotton created the markets which Britain then invested in the machinery to compete with India.
Why does John Green argue the American Revolution was completed by the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence?
John Green argues that the American Revolution was completed by the time of the signing of the DOI because most colonists were self-governing and did not consider themselves British anymore.
According to John Green, why was the French Revolution more revolutionary than the American Revolution?
John Green argues that the French Revolution was more revolutionary because it applied universally. It also opened up questions about rights and how people should be governed.
In what ways does John Green argue Karl Marx still matters and is relevant?
John Green argues to what extent do we use socialist principles to regulate free markets, and one that is answered very differently in, say, Sweden than in the United States. And this is where Marx still matters.
List 2 reasons why Latin America was the leader of 19th century history.
Latin America was deemed to be the leader of the 19th century due to their introduction of popular sovereignty to the New World and the decision to divide into nation-states before Europe.
Who was Napoleon Bonaparte?
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader who led many campaigns during the French Revolution.
Latin America is very famous for transculturation or the blending of cultures. List the 4 distinct cultures that were created in Latin America after the Europeans arrived.
Peninsulares, Creoles, Native Americans, African slaves were four distinct cultures that were created in Latin America after the Europeans arrived.
Why was the Industrial Revolution so revolutionary?
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, which began in Britain in the late 1700s, manufacturing was often done in people's homes, using handtools or basic machines. Industrialization marked a shift to powered, special-purpose machinery, factories and mass production.
What were the American Revolutionary goals? Describe the result at end of American Revolution for each. Was this a change or continuity? Explain.
Property Rights: At the end of the American Revolution, those who wanted to keep the property they already had were able to keep it. This was a continuity. Equality: Equality increased slightly among property owning white men, which was also a continuity.
What were the basic demands of the Treaty of Nanjing?
The Chinese counterattacks were unsuccessful, and they eventually signed the treaty of Nanjing, which stated that Britain got Hong Kong and five other treaty ports, as well as the equivalent of two billion dollars in cash. Also, the Chinese nearly gave up all sovereignty to European spheres of influence, wherein Europeans were subject to their laws, not Chinese laws. The balance of trade did not automatically work in Britain's favor. In fact, the British were importing so much tea from China that the trade deficit actually rose more than 30 billion dollars.
What were the Committees of Correspondence? How were they seen as a shadow government?
The Committees of Correspondence were a group who observed who was and was not observing the boycotts occurring at the time. They were seen as shadow governments because they had power without officially leading the people.
How was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen a significant change from before?
The DRMC was a significant change from before because it gave more rights to regular citizens instead of the aristocracy.
What was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen?
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen laid out a system of rights that applied to every person. This declared that everyone had the rights to liberty, property, and security.
What was the Estates General?
The Estates General was the closest thing that France had to a parliament.
What made the French Revolution so radical? Explain.
The French Revolution was so radical because the ideas were applied universally instead of just to one group of people.
In what ways did the French Revolution being change? What were its successes?
The French Revolution was successful in spreading Enlightenment ideals.
Who were the Jacobins?
The Jacobins was a radical wing in France. They called for the creation of a republic.
Did the Latin American Revolutions live up to the Enlightenment ideas of liberty? Why or why not?
The Latin American Revolutions did live up to Enlightenment ideas of liberty because the people of this region were determined to gain freedom from their European rulers. Although the ideas of secularism were not entirely met by the Latin American countries due to the Catholic Church still having significant control over them.
Define, describe the colonial reaction/complaints and results of the following: Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party
The Stamp Act was passed by the British once they were in debt from war, the colonists had a very negative reaction due to the lack of representation in the tax and it was eventually repealed. The Townshend Acts led to further unrest in the colonies but most importantly led to more organization. The Boston Massacre occurred when 5 colonists were killed by the British, leading to more rebellion. The Boston Tea Party eventually happened where colonists dumped tea into the Boston Harbor after being unfairly taxed.
How did the United States participate in imperialism?
The US participated by taking control of Native American tribes such as the Apaches and the Lakota and their land.
What was the struggle going on between capitalists and workers in 19th century England?
The capitalists owned most of the factors of production (in this case, land and the capital to invest in factories). The workers just had their labor. So, the class struggle here is between capitalists, who want labor at the lowest possible price, and the workers who want to be paid as much as possible for their work.
What was revolutionary about the American Revolution?
The colonists were able to rid of a monarchical government and replace it with a more democratic one that was uncommon.
Why did China have a favorable balance of trade with Great Britain until the Second Opium War?
The constant flooding of opium into china by the british created an instability of drug addicts who were incapable of working and buying, or contributing to the economy.
Why was the first phase of the French Revolution not all that revolutionary?
The first phase of the French Revolution was not all that revolutionary because it really only involved the movement of the King and Queen to Paris instead of Versailles.
What is John Green's definition of "Industrial Revolution"?
The industrial revolution was an increase in production brought about by the use of machines and characterized by the use of new energy sources.
What are the ethnocentric arguments for why the Industrial Revolution happened first in Britain?
The revolution first happened in Britain because there is cultural superiority, science and invention that made the creations possible. There is also the argument that Europe has freer political institutions, encouraging innovation and strong property rights for inventors. Finally Europe's small population because small populations need labor-saving inventions.
What prevented the Europeans from colonizing Africa before the nineteenth century?
They failed to colonize Africa before the nineteenth century because they couldn't, mostly due to disease. Unlike in the Americas, Africans were not devestated by disease because it was so common that they were immune to it. Africa had diseases of its own, all of which killed Europeans. Also, nagana was a disease endemic to Africa that killed horses, which made it difficult for Europeans to take advantage of African grasslands, and also difficult for them to get inland, because their horses would die as they tried to carry stuff.
How did business imperialism compare to political imperialism? How does the legacy of business imperialism affect Americans today?
This business imperialism, as it is sometimes known, is really at the heart of the imperialistic impulse. Industrialized nations push economic integration upon developing nations, and then extract value from those developing nations, just as you would from a mine or a field you owned. But ultimately, whether the colonizer is a business enterprise or a political one, the complicated legacy of imperialism survives. It's why your bananas are cheap, why your call centers are Indian, why your chocolate comes from Africa, and why everything else comes from China.
