World History Spring 2018

It was super interesting to learn that one of the huge imperial advantages for the Europeans was that the winds blew towards the Americas, where they were hoping to expand. Contrary to this, in Asia the winds were unpredictable especially because of the monsoons that came from the Indian Ocean, which made Asian imperialism much more of a challenge. Also was surprised to learn that Asia was not very motivated to expand as their markets were so diverse and rich that they were content with where they were! Totally contrasts what was going on in Europe at the time. It only logically made sense then that the Europeans looked for direct access to the wealth and prosperity that was in Asia.   I love that Strayer consistently makes it a point to reference what the minorities were doing at every period in time, in every chapter. He mentions in this chapter that many persecuted minorities saw the conquering of the Americas as an amazing opportunity to start a new life and to become wea...

I thought it was interesting that Strayer referenced that the early modern era is commonly associated as showing “initials signs or markers of the modern world” (547). Interesting largely because for the most part we associate the early modern era as being so long ago that it’s almost impossible to relate. His descriptions of globalization in the early modern era (and even before the early modern era) did, however, make this time relatable to things I see prevailing in our culture and in society as I know it today. It was especially interesting to see that many of the countries Strayer referenced as being big powerhouses of trade and manufacturing are still big international players in those areas (ex. Vietnam).   Despite all of this, I was actually very surprised to learn that cultural and social progression was not taking place at the same rate at which technological and military changes were happening. For example, Strayer mentioned that in Europe, “male landowning...

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