Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for History

Consequences of Imperialism (Colonies)

Demographic Growth: Increased due to a decrease in mortality thanks to improvements in hygiene and health. However, it also led to starvation and poverty in some regions.

Destruction of Ethnic Structures: Indigenous artisan crafts could not compete with manufactured goods from the colonists and gradually disappeared.

Resource Exploitation: Colonies practiced single-crop agriculture serving the colonial power's domestic needs. Industrialization was suppressed, and colonies primarily provided raw materials and markets. Mining was also significant.

Cultural Imposition: European languages, religions, and cultures were imposed, relegating indigenous cultures to a secondary status.

Artificial Borders: Colonization... Continue reading "Impact of Colonialism: Demographic Shifts, Economic Effects, and Global Conflicts" »

Henry David Thoreau's *Walden*: A Transcendentalist Experiment

Thoreau's Experiment in Simple Living

Finally, although Thoreau's life at Walden Pond between 1845 and 1847 constituted a community of only one, his stay there was just as much an experiment in living and an attempt at applied idealism as were Brook Farm and Fruitlands.

The Transcendentalists believed in the importance of a direct relationship with God and with nature.

*Walden*: A Journey of Spiritual Discovery

Thoreau, who was born and lived almost his entire life in Concord, went to live at Walden Pond in 1845 to experience nature directly and intensely and to test his Transcendental outlook in the concrete physical world. The full title of the work is *Walden; or, Life in the Woods*... Continue reading "Henry David Thoreau's Walden: A Transcendentalist Experiment in Simple Living" »

Robespierre and the Reign of Terror

Believing that the revolution was in danger, the radical revolutionaries, or Jacobins, used this support to increase their powers. The Jacobin leader, Maximilien Robespierre, assumed all powers and established a dictatorship. The danger of foreign invasion and the internal threat from French opponents of the revolution led to the Reign of Terror (1793-1794), a ten-month period of violent repression. A special tribunal, the Committee of Public Safety, was established by Georges Danton and Robespierre. They tried people who were suspected of opposing the Republic, even without proof, sentencing them to death by the guillotine, a famous symbol of the French Revolution. Around 50,000 people were executed. Robespierre... Continue reading "French Revolution: Robespierre, Napoleon, and the Rise of Nationalism" »

World War Two: Main Ideas and Big Idea

Main Ideas:

• Economic and political problems troubled Europe in the years after World War One.
• World War Two broke out when Germany invaded Poland.
• Nazi Germany targeted the Jews during the Holocaust.
• Allied victories in Europe and Japan brought the end of World War Two.

The Big Idea:

Problems in Europe led to World War Two, the deadliest war in history.

Great Depression

It was a global crisis in the 1930s.

Meaning of Dictator

It is a ruler who has total control.

Most Famous Dictators

• Russia: Vladimir Lenin
• Germany: Adolf Hitler
• Italy: Benito Mussolini

Threats to Peace

After World War One, European countries wanted peace. Many countries helped to prevent another deadly war, but by the late 1930s, attempts at peace had failed.... Continue reading "World War Two: Main Ideas, Big Idea, and Timeline" »

The novel Oroonoko: A Critical Analysis

The novel Oroonoko, written by Aphra Behn (1610-1689), is one of the most important works of its time. Behn tells the story of Oroonoko, the prince of Coramantien in Africa, who becomes a slave after his woman, Imoinda, is captured. Behn, who was against slavery, contributed to the beginning of the novel in England. This essay aims to discuss the signs of racism in the novel, where Behn, despite her anti-slavery stance, makes some racist comments that reflect the prevailing attitudes of the time.

Throughout the novel, Behn idealizes Oroonoko, using a literary technique known as the idealization of the hero. However, she also makes racist comments, such as describing Oroonoko's nose as 'rising and Roman,... Continue reading "Racism in Aphra Behn's Oroonoko: A Critical Analysis" »

Solutions to the Great Depression

Maynard Keynes, an economist, proposed state intervention in the economy to stimulate investment, employment, and consumption.

Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed an economic program called the New Deal:

• Banks were forced to offer low-interest rates.
• Subsidies for agriculture were implemented to reduce production and eliminate surpluses.
• Working hours were reduced.
• Minimum wage and unemployment benefits were created.
• Public investment in infrastructure was increased to reduce unemployment.

Other countries adopted similar policies, and the economy began to recover.

Totalitarian Regimes: Fascism and Nazism

Characteristics of Totalitarianism

• Authoritarian System:
  • Controlled by a charismatic leader.
  • No freedom; only one political

1931 CONSTITUTION: The constitution was of left influence. It was approved on December 9, 1931.

State: Democratic Republic and National Sovereignty

·State: democratic republic and national sovereignty

Power Organisation:

• Legislative: congress (only one chamber)
• New figure: president of the Republic (elected for 6 years)
• Constitutional court was created

Women's Right to Vote

Many left-wing parties voted against it because women weren't prepared and they were very religious and easily influenced. They were afraid of left-wing parties obtaining more votes.

Citizens' Rights

Individual rights were accepted for the first time, including education, work, health, and housing.

Limit of Property Right

It was possible to disentitle lands in favor of general interests.

Postcolonial Writers and Themes

African Writers

• Buchi Emecheta - The Joys of Motherhood (Lagos, Nigeria)
• Wole Soyinka - Telephone Conversation / The Lion and... (Nigeria)
• Niyi Osundare - Not My Business (Nigeria)
• Gabriel Okara - Once Upon a Time / Spirit of the Wind (Nigeria)
• Nadine Gordimer - WSA - The Train of Rhodesia (South Africa)

Caribbean Writers

• Jamaica Kincaid - A Small Place (Antigua)
• Dolores Prida - Coser y Cantar (Cuba)
• V.S. Naipaul - "The Mystic Masseur" / "The Suffrage of Elvira" (Trinidad and Tobago)
• Derek Walcott - "Dream on Monkey Mountain" (Saint Lucia)

Indian Writers

• Salman Rushdie
• Bharati Mukherjee - The Management of Grief
• Arundhati Subramaniam - The Welsh Critic Who Doesn't Find Me Identifiably Indian
• Rabindranath Tagore

Other Writers

• Alice

Greece: An EU Member State

Greece joined the EU in 1981.

Location

Greece is located in southeastern Europe, bordering Turkey, Bulgaria, Albania, and North Macedonia.

Capital City

The capital city is Athens.

Currency

The euro is the official currency.

Religion

95% of the population belongs to the Orthodox Church of Greece.

Language

Greek is the official language.

Economy

Historically agriculture-based, Greece's economy is now led by industry. Tourism and shipping are also vital economic sectors. However, the Greek economy faces challenges, including high unemployment, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and corruption. The financial crisis and austerity measures have led to public discontent and protests.

Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate in Greece has increased... Continue reading "Greece: Essential Facts, Economy, Culture, and Business Practices" »

Civil War: Examining Key Issues and Events

1. Frederick Douglass's Argument Against Slavery

How did Frederick Douglass argue against the institution of slavery? What evidence of the evils of slavery did he present?

Frederick Douglass highlighted that enslaved people were treated as property, lacking control over their own bodies. He pointed out that enslavers could buy, sell, and bequeath enslaved people like any other possession. Enslaved people were dictated what to eat and drink, when and where to speak, and whom to marry, and were often separated from their families.

2. Georgia's Reasons for Seceding

What reasons did Georgia give for leaving the Union?

Georgia argued that the Northern states had strived to weaken their security, disturbed their