Portfolio

What is history?

Moves towards equality have been made. Men use to play a bigger role in the family. Women had no power. They did what they were told and married the man there father told them to.

“Pastoralist offered a technological solution to the ecological problems.” With there population growing they had to adjust the way they lived. They had a strong army and military system.

Complex Civilization trade between Pastoralist could lead to war. It could also lead to interactions between new people and discoveries of land and goods.

Religion is no longer public it stays at home and in church. It doesn’t play as big of role in everyday life. During complex civilizations “Religious ideas heavily influenced behavior.”

Knowledge is very important; no matter what you are doing. Scribes had power because of their knowledge. People moved up in social hierarchy based on their knowledge.

Hammurabi’s law played a big part in history from 1700 BCE and even in today’s society. Hammurabi’s laws were made “to seek to uphold social order in Babylon.” (WFHUA, L 3.3 p. 18) Hammurabi’s law “117. If a man sells his wife or child to settle a debt, they shall work in the house of the buyer for three years, and regain their freedom in the fourth.” (p. 18) In Things Fall Apart it’s a patriarchic society. “Gender plays a big part in what your role is in a family. The Men are in charge and the women did what they were told to do by the men. Once a women was married her “main jobs were to cook for their husband and children and to look after the children.” In communities money always brings power. “Titles played a big part in everything weather it was roles, economy, family, or marriage.” To earn titles you needed money. “Men ruled all of the communities and women didn’t have much say in anything.

Women had no say in marriage. The fathers would negotiate a deal and then display the daughter and then finalize the deal.

Hierarchy maintained order the men were the security force so they had the privilege of being in control.

Ancient civilizations where hierarchical. Women were considered less than men. They were the head of the family and had control over

women’s lives and this has been established since the Code of Hammurabi was written in

“Social Hierarchy arose in complex civilizations in order to keep people in line on the other hand in pastoral civilizations, since

everyone shared everything there was no need for social hierarchy.”

“Pastoralist and Complex civilizations and different due to the nature of their governments”, but they could no live without one another. Pastoralist and complex civilizations trade and sold good with one another to make money. Trade could lead to war. Pastoralist and Complex Civilizations would try to cheat one another by ripping them off during a trade. Trade could also go peacefully. Pastoralist need grains and luxury products and settled farmers needed surplus of live stock.

Pastoralist had simple commandments which anyone could memorize wile complex civilizations needed priest to interpret the words of the god or goddess. Complex civilizations had temples to worship their gods while pastoralist just worshipped their sky and fire gods in hope of a good crop season. Pastoralist had a social hierarchy, specialized government and government while pastoralist didn’t.

Pastoralist and Complex Civilizations differences in life style could lead to war.

Trade and selling of good lead to a lot of new interactions of people and new discoveries of lands and goods.

Having knowledge gives you power. Scribes had the knowledge of reading and writing giving them power in

society

“Knowledge is power.” In order to have control, freedom, and democracy you must have knowledge. “The richest people had land on the river,” because it was the most valuable. During 700 BCE-4000 BCE complex civilizations were discovered. Scribes had a lot of power because of there knowledge and ability to write. An Egyptian father wants his son to be a scribe so he told him “ I have seen how the laboring man is burdened. You should search your heart on pursuing writing instead. The scribe’s place is in the Residence City, and he shall not be poor in it. Men greet him with respect. No scribe lacks food.” (WHFUA p 22) Scribes have “Life, prosperity, and health!) (p 22).

Scribes were highly respected my everyone. They were high up in the hierarchy because they could read, write, and control taxes. Having this knowledge gave them power.

“Pastoralist offered a technological solution to the ecological problems as their population grew

“Pastoralist offered a technological solution to the ecological problems.” With their population growth that brought new challenges. Pastoralist were warriors and had a strong military, they started training their children at a young age. They need a strong military to protect their animals and people, but to also keep enemies away. To get food you had to hunt and gather. They domesticated animals for meat, milk, wool, hides, and power. They could sell this stuff to people in complex civilizations for good money. They used pull carts, wagons and chariots.

Domesticating animals was the Pastoralist solution to their ecological problems.

Religion was public and played a big part in everyday life, religion explained why the world was created.

Religion played a big role in every day life, everyone had a religion they believed in and were very loyal to it. “Religious ideas heavily influenced behavior.” (WHFUA L. 3.3 P 12) people would confess to their gods to keep themselves from going to the underworld. Religions like Judaism were known for their ten commandments. In Hinduism you had to follow your dharma to be reincarnated into your next life.

Religion explained why the word was created. Religion brought people together and tore them apart. People believe in their religion and their religion was the was of living and the only way to live. Their was no acceptance of other religions

Religion playing a big role in society influenced behavior, decisions, and social life.

Things Fall Apart Interpretation on Religion.

Knowledge leads to power but power can lead to conflict between groups.

Knowledge traveled on global trade routes and caused an explosion of ideas in the golden age of Greece .During the Golden Age ancestors passed down their knowledge and rules to the next generation.

“By not allowing the Goths entry into the Rome Empire, Rome lost infusion of new blood into its dying empire. One key ally whom Rome lost was the Goths.” Instead of becoming allies and having them become of their military for extra protection against the Huns they turned the Goths against them. “The Romans instead caused the Goths to hate them by shaming, lying, and mistreating them, and they lost this key alliance.”

Pastoralist and Complex Civilizations differences in life style could lead to war.

Trade leads to new ideas and independent thinking, Sparta did not trade because they didn’t want their people to independently think and question the government.

Sparta’s “key to success is obedience.” There was no trade because trade could bring in new ideas which could lead to people questioning the Spartan way of living.

Athens was a friendly open place that welcomed trade and new ideas. They did not raise their children in a military was of living. Athens “wanted to be educated and intellectual thinkers.” They enjoyed good from all over the world and worked hard for everything but still enjoyed life.

The trade and selling of goods lead to ideas and goods being exchanged by a larger group of people, also leading to new discoveries. Trading and selling of goods for the Portuguese let to them traveling to new places in search of gold and land. They started sailing across the ocean in hope to find these and other new goods.

The Spanish would take advantage of the Indians when trading with them. They would trade glass beads for gold because Indians didn’t know the value of gold. They originally wanted to save their souls by making them Christian and teaching them how to trade properly. “They wanted Indian Men to marry a Christen women a Indian women to marry a Christian men.”

Pastoralist and Complex Civilizations differences in life style could lead to war.Trade and selling of good lead to a lot of new interactions of people and new

discoveries of lands and goods.

Conclusion

In today’s society marriages and families are more equal. Today women have much more say in everyday life. Their fathers do no make bids for them or choose who they are married too.

Not everything is based around religion because of all the different religious beliefs. Not everyone belongs to a religion and goes to church every Sunday. You don’t have to marry some of the same religion or belief. Theirs a lot more equality.

Today we still sell and trade goods with each other but we do it with more technology. Trade can still lead to war and conflict between two or more groups.

If you have knowledge you are more likely to be highly respected. Social Hierarchy is still present today but in a different way. If you have your master you are more likely to get a better job over someone with a Bachelors degree.

My transformation from a caterpillar to a butterfly.

At the start of this year I was a caterpillar, who’s knowledge of world history was only on the first level. As the year went on I became more and more hungry for knowledge. After a few months I wasn’t hungry anymore. I became so full I felt I couldn’t take anymore knowledge in. I built my self a cocoon and didn’t want to come out. After a few weeks I was ready to come back out of my cocoon as a beautiful butterfly refreshed and renewed ready to learn some new knowledge.

At the beginning of my transformation, I started out not really knowing anything about history, now that the year is over my knowledge and learning has grown but hasn’t stopped. I learned that you will never be able to learn everything about history but as long as you never stop you will be a more well rounded person.

At the beginning of the year my drawing interpretations were good but my essays and interpreting writing was weak. As the year went on I grew and had my set back but by the last interpretation of the year I finally got it.

References

• Hammurabi’s law Seeks To Uphold The Social Order in Babylon (About 1700 BCE). In World History For Us All. Big Era3, Landscape 3.3. Retrieved from http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/eras/era3.php