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

1. The Three-Fifths Compromise

One of the most misunderstood clauses in the United States Constitution is found in Article 1, Section 2: “Representatives… shall be apportioned among the… States… by adding to the whole Number of free Persons... three-fifths of all other Persons.”

The Three-Fifths Compromise was devised by those who opposed slavery, not by those who were for slavery. Or, to put it another way, it wasn’t the racists of the South who wanted to count slave populations less than white populations – it was the abolitionists of the North.

Description

The Three-Fifths Compromise was a compromise reached among state delegates during the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention. Whether, and if so, how, slaves would be counted... Continue reading "The Three-Fifths Compromise and Other Key Events Leading to the Civil War" »

POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES

1. CAPITALISM/LIBERALISM: Created during the industrial revolution. It was the development of a liberal political belief; it is an economic system where the government plays a secondary role.

Free trade and market economy → prices up and down according to the demand of products.

2. COMMUNISM: 

• The means of production are commonly owned in classless society.

• Decisions should be made to benefit the collective rather than one or several individuals.

•  Create classless society by eliminating the power of bourgeoisie, and creating a dictatorship of the proletariat.

3. SOCIALISM: 

• The means of production are owned by society as a whole.

• Profits produced by the proletariat belong to everyone, instead of a small class of private owners.

• Believes

Global Colonial Powers and Their Influence

United Kingdom

Trade Routes and Territories

• Gibraltar
• Malta
• Suez Canal
• Singapore
• Maldives

African Influence

• Egypt
• Kenya
• Nigeria
• South Africa

Pacific Influence

• Australia
• New Zealand

Asian Influence

• India
• Malaysia
• Myanmar (Burma)

American Influence

• Canada
• Caribbean

France

African Influence

• Maghreb: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia
• Sub-Saharan Africa: Senegal, Madagascar, Guinea

Asian Influence

• Cambodia
• Vietnam
• Laos

Germany

African Influence

• Namibia
• Tanzania

Oceanian Influence

• Marquesas Islands
• Caroline Islands
• Mariana Islands

Netherlands

• Indonesia
• Suriname
• Dutch Antilles

Portugal

African Influence

• Angola
• Mozambique

Asian Influence

• Macau

Belgium

• Congo

Italy

• Libya
• Somalia

United States of America

• Hawaii
• Puerto Rico
• Caribbean

Japan

• Korea
• Taiwan

Spain

• Morocco
• Western Sahara

Key

The Origins and Escalation of the Cold War

The roots of the Cold War can be traced back to the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. Following the Russian Civil War (1918–1922), the USSR did not receive widespread diplomatic recognition until the 1930s. Tensions were further complicated by the 1939 Nazi-Soviet Pact and subsequent disagreements at the Potsdam Conference.

Key Factors in Early Tensions

• US-Soviet Friction: The development of the atomic bomb, the Czech Coup, and the Greek Civil War.
• Diplomatic Shifts: Kennan's Long Telegram, Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech, and Stalin's withdrawal from the IMF.
• Economic Policies: The Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan were countered by the Molotov Plan (COMECON) and Cominform.
• German Division: The London Conference

The Treaty of Versailles

1.The Treaty of Versailles consisted of the signing of an agreement between the partner countries after the 1st war, and also involved international agreements on the guilt of the war and the economic compensation to face. In the treaty involved the payment of compensation and war reparations from the defeated countries to the winning countries. Prohibition of rearmament to Germany; loss of territory and colonies that remained under the dominion of the winning countries or the League of Nations.

The treaty held that Germany was to blame for having started the war for it is the country that will have the political responsibility to correct what happened in the war through indemnities and territories.

The League of Nations

2.... Continue reading "The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations" »

South Africa

• Three Writers from South Africa: Nelson Mandela, Nadine Gordimer, John Maxwell Coetzee
• Number of Official Languages in South Africa: 11
• Johnny Clegg: South African musician
• South African Independence: 1961
• Helen Sebidi: South African artist
• Leader in Diamond Production: South Africa

New Zealand

• Two New Zealand Cities: Wellington, Auckland
• New Zealand Population: 4.8 million
• Jane Campion: New Zealand screenwriter, producer, director
• Janet Frame: New Zealand author of short stories
• New Zealand Flag Description: Blue with the Union Jack in the top left, four red stars on the right
• "All Blacks": New Zealand national rugby team

Australia

• Patrick White: Australian poet
• Geoffrey Rush: Australian actor
• Largest City in Australia: Sydney
• Number of Indigenous

The Francoist Period: Main Phases

First Stage: Early Francoism and Autarky (1939-1959)

Autarky (1939-1950)

The State

• Severe repression marked the early years of the regime, as Franco wanted to impose absolute political control. Repression and retaliation were approved by the Law of Political Responsibilities (February 1939) and the Law for the Repression of Masonry and Communism (May 1940). Many people went into exile, others were imprisoned, there were executions, and penal labor camps.
• These repressive measures engendered an atmosphere of fear.
• The military played a major role during the first years of the regime.
• The Falange's ideology and symbols played an important role in the new state.

Foreign Policy

• The need to strengthen the regime determined

The Renaissance: A Shift from Theocracy to Humanism

Luckily, in 1453, with the Byzantine Empire's fall, the Dark Ages came to an end, and a beautiful new era arose. This was the moment humanity became human-centric, setting aside the dominance of the Church and religion. That moment, known as the Renaissance era, saw rapid development in:

• Physics
• Arts
• General Sciences
• Mathematics
• Many other disciplines

This post-Dark Ages era was one of the greatest periods of human development ever registered. However, humanity had still lost about a thousand years under the Dark Ages, primarily because the Church, through its Inquisition and rigid rules, stifled progress. Yet, the Dark Ages inadvertently helped humanity realize that we could not confine ourselves... Continue reading "The Impact of Religious Imposition on Human Progress and Conflict" »

China's Transformation Under Mao Zedong

For many centuries, China had been an imperial monarchy. In 1911, a revolution deposed the last emperor and established a republic in 1912. Conflicts with Japan were frequent, especially for the control of Manchuria, leading to various wars. During World War II, China had to defend itself from Japanese attacks.

Internally, two sides opposed each other in China: the Nationalists and the Communists. They soon engaged in a civil war. The Nationalists—led by Jiang Jieshi—were at first better equipped and received the support of the U.S. in the late 1940s, as a means to prevent the advance of Communism. However, corruption among Nationalist leaders and the growing strength of the Communists ultimately led... Continue reading "Mao Zedong's China: Transformation and Turmoil" »

Popular Front Program

Introduction

This document analyzes the program of the Popular Front, a coalition of left-wing political parties in Spain's Second Republic. It addresses the program's objectives, the agreements and disagreements within the coalition, and the broader political context.

The Program's Objectives

The Popular Front aimed to win the elections and form a left-wing government to reinstate the reforms initiated during the Reformist Biennium (1931-33). The program outlined a common plan of action for the coalition parties.

Agreements and Disagreements

The coalition partners agreed on key issues, such as granting amnesty to political prisoners from the 1933 elections and restoring the principles of the 1931 Constitution. However, disagreements... Continue reading "Popular Front Program: A Path to Reform in Spain's Second Republic" »