Politics of the Possible: The Decade Our American Democracy Worked

1. Politics of the Possible: The Decade Our American Democracy Worked By Mary Ellen McCaffree and Anne McNamee Corbett…guess what!

2. “History is a set of lies agreed upon” Wait…what?

3. What History is and what it is not… History is the study of past people and civilizations. History is not just for reclusive people who play Skyrim and Mass Effect. Hollywood’s fascination with it has proven that, name any good historical movies you have seen lately? History is not stagnate, just because it happened in the past does not mean it cannot change…huh? Essentially, history (or rather our interpretations of it) is not set in stone…

4. Well, it’s not all about the dates…sorta • BC: Before Christ • AD: Anno Domini (in the year of Our Lord) • bce: Before the Common Era • ce: Common Era • Numbers are the same, no year “0”

5. Yes, more dates…blaaachy • You may hear me periodically refer to ‘centuries’ ie, we live in the 21st century (2012). WW2 (1939-1945) took place during the 20th century while the Civil War (1861-1865) took place during the 19th century. • The same applies to before the year 0. Alexander the Great died in 323 BCE or the 4th century BCE.

6. How do Historians piece together the past? • Interpretation. Interpretation of what? Sources and Evidence. • Main sources/evidence used; Primary and Secondary. (language barriers)

7. Primary Sources • ‘-documents, images, or objects produced by the very people we are studying and at the time of or soon after the events that they describe or depict’ Strayer, xxxiv. • Primary sources are twofold; Visual (ie and artifact) and written. • Give some examples of?

11. Secondary Sources • A secondary source is a document or anything else that studies or discusses information originally presented elsewhere. • Give some examples of?

12. Essentially, its mostly relative baby!? Wait, what? But, I hate relativity…ok, let’s move onto something else

13. Throughout this class you may hear me refer to… • “The West” and ‘westernization’ and the • “The East” and every where in between…it really is complicated… • ‘industrialization’ and ‘modernization’

15. Imperialism I am frightened

16. How would you define Imperialism?

17. A classic textbook definition: • ‘Western’ economic expansion into Asia and Africa. • The efforts of capitalist states in the West to seize markets, cheap raw materials, and lucrative avenues for investment in countries beyond Western civilization. • Sometimes used alongside ‘colonialism’…

18. Causes • Nationalism…what is this? Need to talk about in depth… • Social Darwinism…what is this?...see next • Economics: New Markets • Especially during the ‘high tide’, increased desire for oil, tin and rubber… • “Military (ie: sepoys) • To quiet internal, domestic discontent • “Humanitarianism” (White Man’s Burden) and Racism • And…”Empire for Empire Sake”

19. ‘Social Darwinism’ • A ‘twist’ on Charles Darwin’s (1809-1882) theories, applying it to peoples and nations. • Herbert Spencer (1820-1903), “Survival of the Fittest” to society itself… • Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855-1927) Germans were true Aryans. Protect West from lower races (Jews, Negroes, and Orientals)

22. Nationalism • A person’s identity is based upon their nationality which consists of a common language, tradition, culture, and history… • Remember, it is a ‘western’ concept…yet many of the colonized peoples adopted it and used it to overthrow imperial control…

23. A perfect example…

24. The Consequences of Imperialism • Local self-sufficient economies replaced by one-crop economies… • Classic example would be in India where British textiles overwhelmed the local textile industry in Bengal… • Local customs/languages/cultural norms overwhelmed/replaced by the European culture…quiz? • Two-tiered social system • Western technologies introduced (Westernization) • Western forms of government, religion (again, Westernization) • 1881-1914 Age of New Imperialism or High Imperialism • During this time, imperialism is accelerated…

25. The Colonizers… And the colonized…

26. British in India • British East India Company (1600) • Joint-stock company, trading rights • Took 150+ years to consolidate power • ‘Consolidation’ meant securing of land, raw materials, troops, etc… • 1857 Sepoy Rebellion • Sepoys had been dissatisfied for a long time, why? • Nail in the coffin? 1853 Enfield Rifles… • Rebellions wide spread…British respond ruthlessly… • British Raj • creation of British India that included India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar • Done because of extent of Sepoy revolt… • Some benefits: Sati (widows could legally remarry), education (Calcutta University by 1900, leads to an educated upper class…and women), health and sanitation conditions, railways, telegraph, ect…

27. 1853 Enfield Rifles (American Civil War, Fredericksburg)

28. Sepoy troops (1910ish)

29. Wealthy Brit family with native female house servants…

30. Europeans in Africa • Dutch East India Company (late 17thcentury) in South Africa • Boers (Afrikaners)…same thing…know who the Boers were…establish themselves at Cape Colony • Eventually Brits move in and take over sending the Boers on their ‘Great Trek” northeastward. • 1880-1881 and 1899-1902, The Boer Wars • Between British and the Boers • Costly…imperialism “economically or morally defensible” • West Africa • Europeans there as early as late 15th century…why? • By the 19th century slave trade not considered ‘legitimate’ and outlawed… • British establish their first colonies in West Africa on the ‘Gold Coast’…what for?

31. “Scramble for Africa” or Empire for Empire’s sake, oh yes, and the 3 C’s

32. France: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos = French Indochina French education led to future resistance leaders (ie: Ho Chi Minh)

33. The United States also looks abroad…in the Pacific and Caribbean…

34. The Philippine Islands…why did the Americans turn the Philippines into a colony?

35. Japan and the West • We will look more at the EastAsia next week…just remember that Japan was able to avoid colonial rule and subjugation…because it…made various political and economic reforms…and it…

36. Japanese Westernization -An army on the German model -A navy on the British model -American industry and finance -French administration