Assignment #3
Good Day Folks,
This will be the last summer assignment before school starts next week. It will again be in two parts. Please finish and post your answers BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS ON 8/26/2015.
Part One: Reading Brinkley pp. 23-31.
While you considered the causes for European exploration and settlement in the New World, we need to focus more specifically on England(to become Great Britain after 1707) as their explorations and settlements became the United States. Using the information from the reading, explain the specific causes that led England to begin to establish colonies along the Atlantic seaboard of North America at the beginning the 17th century.
Part Two: Reading Brinkley Where Historians Disagree pp. 6-7 and 8-10, as well as pp. 18-20 "Biological and Cultural Exchanges"
After completing the readings, Explain the reasons that historians interpret the past differently. Then examine the arguments about the population of Native Americans in the Americas pre-contact. Why has there been a debate about this issue, and what does it tell us about historical arguments?
Have a great final week, I will be in my room during the week, mainly in the mornings so stop by if you have a chance. See you next week.
Mr. Predmore
1) At the start of the 1600s, English settlers began to establish colonies in North America, mainly along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. One of the reasons colonizing became more attractive to England was the idea of a perfect society where civilization could restart. Somewhat related to this desire of a "Utopia" was the economic troubles in the English countryside. Due to the demand for wool rising, pastures quickly replaced crops. With the number of crops decreasing and the population rising, England could not feed its entire country. On the other end of the economic spectrum, merchant capitalists were prospering with the expansion of trade. Over time, merchants began forming chartered companies, like the East India Company. These merchants were part of a new concept, mercantilism, which involved gaining wealth from foreign lands, like the Americas, and exporting little wealth from home. However, the market in Europe became cluttered and was basically useless. The idea of colonies then became useful as new markets for these merchants. On the religious side of things, reformation began in the church in the 16th century. After Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church, the Church of England led Christianity in England. Mary tried to return to the Catholic Church but persecuted many people. Eventually, Elizabeth took the throne and returned the Church of England, but it did not sit well with all Christians in Europe. Two main groups, Puritans and Separatists, became frustrated with the government and its refusal to meet their demands. When James I took the throne, he did not feel necessary to compromise. The Puritans and Separatists began looking to colonies as the solution to their problems.
ReplyDelete2) To interpret the past, historians must both have the facts and interpret them. Some historians believe history should just be facts. But to truly understand history, interpretation is necessary. That is where most disagreements take place. To have the facts is one thing, but to decide what those facts mean is another thing. For example, did a nation act out of economic interests or cultural interests? Viewpoints also have to be taken into account. An elderly historian may interpret something different than a young scholar. Furthermore, the time period of when a historian is studying history can affect how they read information. In the 1960s, racial issues played a major role in how historians thought. All of these, plus other factors, lead to differences in the past. Specifically, the population of Native Americans pre-Columbus is highly debated. This is debated because of many reasons, all that deal with European contact. For one, Europeans introduced diseases that decimated the population of the Native Americans. By the time colonies began to take off, millions were already killed. Estimates of then settlers are not accurate because of how many were already killed. Another reason arguments exist over the population is because early historians thought the Native American were too primitive to have a civilization as large as the oral history of the Indians said there was. Now, historians acknowledge that Europeans did kill off a high percentage of Indians and that it was possible for them to have tens of millions of people. Still, there is no exact way to determine an approximate population size. From this, you con conclude that historical arguments are ongoing and indecisive. The debate about the Native American population has been around since the 1800s, yet there is still no definitive answer. This can be applied to other arguments too. The facts only say so much. When it comes to interpretation, history is in the eyes of the beholder.
1) In the beginning of the 1600s, many English settlers began to establish colonies in North America along the Atlantic coast. One reason colonizing was becoming so attractive to the English was that the new world could create a perfect society with out the flaws and inequities of the old world. Another reason England dreamed of colonizing is the inability to feed its population due to the growth in the wool industry . As the wool industry grew more and more farmers began to convert their farm fields to pastures for their herds of sheep. However the growth of the industry was not all that bad, as the industry grew so did trade with other countries, in result some of the first charter companies were formed such as the Barbary company of 1585. The Religious incentive for colonization all started when King Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in 1529, and established himself as the head of the Christian faith in England. When his Catholic daughter Mary came to throne she immediately restored Alliance to Rome and harshly persecuted those who did not return to the catholic church. When Elizabeth took throne back came the church of England, which did not sit well with the English Christians. When King James I came to throne and did not find it necessary to compromise with the Christians 2 groups Puritans and the separatists thought that colonizing was the solution to their problems.
ReplyDelete2) To understand the past, Historians must have facts and must interpret the facts. Positivists (historians who believe that history is based completely on cold hard facts. But to honestly understand history, interpretation is needed. This is where the majority of the argument occur. History is how you interpret the facts. If you were to ask 3 different age group what the most important cause of World War 2 was, you most likely would get different answers because of how they interpret the information. In the past centuries historian have used different methods to find "Accurate" historical information some used scientific methods. during the 1960s racial issues had an effect on how the scholars interpret information. The debate on the population of the Indians has been around since the 1800s. There is no set answer on history, its how you interpret the facts that gives you your answer.
(Sophia) 1: In the seventeenth century there became a peaked interest in colonization and the expansion of the English empire. There were many reason as to why this interest had become increased. One reason colonization became more popular would be the idea of finding a "perfect society". England had been suffering from its own ails from within so the people of England looked for an outlet like a perfect society. Novels ,like Sir Thomas More's Utopia, became popular due to the inclusion of a perfect society that did not have the any of the problems at home. A second reason for colonization would be the complete switch in the main exports and goods of England, this of course would be the switch from crops to wool. The once plentiful fields with many workers were switched to pastures for sheep, causing many workers to lose their jobs. Not only were jobs lost but the growing population had a decreasing supply of food, leading to even more poverty in England. Expansion would allow for the people to stat a new life. A third reason for the interest in expansion would again come from the changing economy but more so from the desire for new markets and new resources. The belief spread across the country that in order to succeed a country must export more goods and resources than it imports. Colonization would allow for England to access to new markets and new resources. The creation of charter companies, like the East India company, would allow for the ability to move these goods as well. This would in turn create more prosperity for the English Empire. A final reason for the increased interest in colonization would be the search for religious freedom. As the crown was passed from ruler to ruler the official religion of England switch many times and the laws and persecution of those become more harsh. This led groups of religions to look for a place to practice in peace. In conclusion we can see that most reasons for colonization spawned from the want for a better life and a prospering economy
ReplyDelete2: Due to the fact the historians have most likely not experienced the historical events that they write and research they must rely heavily on already known facts, primary sources and interpretations to put together the puzzle that is the past. Some historians believe that we must only trust the facts while others believe that the past must be interpreted. But since we of course do not have all of the facts we must rely on interpretation on how events effected a nation or for early populations since those things were never recorded. A historian from the 1950s will interpret situations differently than one from today considering the new information we have learned and the different racial tensions and the change in mindset. The population of the Native American people is one topic that is debated as well since no one recorded it and the population was seen as savage and the settlers believed there was no way for a people to grow that large. Much of the population was wiped out during the colonization of the lands as well.
Delete1) There were many factors to why English settlers wanted to start colonizing in the New World. One was economic factors. With starting a new society in a new land, that opened up new markets for England. The population sprouted in the 1600s and left the country in a surplus population. The wool industry also started to grow, and more farmers replaced crop growing with sheep herding. Colonization would help because England would trade wool to them in return for crops back, and the population would start to even out. Another cause was religion. Even though Martin Luther started the branch away from the Catholic Church, it didn't affect England until King Henry VIII broke off ties with the church. After his reign, the next rulers switched back and forth between Catholicism and Christianity. Puritans and Separaists wanted more from the church. They wanted less power for the bishops and clergy and more focus on the word of God. When their needs were still not met, that is when they turned to starting colonies.
ReplyDelete2) History comes with facts, and how each of us sees the facts makes us different. There will always be different opinions on non-set facts like in the reading, how many slaves resisted slavery, that is determined my estimation. Plus the way things are viewed changes with time. It changes because events happen that make us look at the past differently. For example, before World War 1, historians probably looked at war differently than historians would today. How we estimate the population of Native Americans in the Americas pre-contact will always be different. Like in the text, George Catlin used his travels throughout tribes to estimate 16 million natives. Some may argue that he might not had seen all the tribes. When some hear the word debate, they think of arguing, but there can be healthy debates. I think the Native Americans population before pre-contact is a healthy debate because it makes us think and see how many natives there were before settlers arrived. It makes you also really think about how much of an impact settlers cause to the natives, since their population is nowhere near 16 million like in the 1830s.
Part 1)
ReplyDeleteThere are many reasons England began to establish colonies along the Atlantic seaboard of North America at the beginning the 17th century. The ideas that America was a place were a new beginning could happen drew the peoples of England in. Their dreams of a nearly perfect society were found in the classic expression in Sir Thomas More's "Utopia." Also, the pastures for the sheep quickly took over the crops because of the rising demand of wool. In need of food to feed its growing population, while crops were decreasing, England was looking for a way to expand its colonies. The rise of wool did increase trade with other countries, though. Mercantilism was one technique used by merchants, which was used to gain wealth from foreign lands and export little wealth from home. The market was not very useful, therefore new colonies would provide new markets. There were also religious motives as well. The Church of England now satisfied the queen and other leaders, but failed to satisfy the religious desires of many English Christians. This led them to believe colonizing would solve their problem.
Part 2)
Interpreting facts is very important in the act of being a historian. As looking at the facts is important, so is the interpretation of the facts. There has been debates and arguments between historians because they may interpret the information they are discovering simply in a different way. One person may take information in a different way than another person. As time goes on, historians find out more about history. For example, the debate about the population of Native Americans has been around since the 1800s. As there are many reasons why people may think differently of the topic, more than one idea could be correct. The way the history is interpreted is how the answer is provided to you. There has been a lot of debate over this issue because of the way different people interpret the data and facts provided to them.
1.) England began to establish colonies along the Atlantic seaboard of North America at the beginning of the 17th century. England began this colonization of the Atlantic seaboard for many reasons. One of these reasons was the desire to have a new start and to create a perfect society. The desire to create a new and perfect society pointed out the things that needed change. Landowners began converting their land from fields to pastures for sheep. The conversion of farms to pastures led to a lack of food for the massive surplus of population. Despite the distress, there was a growing class of merchant capitalists. These capitalists benefited from the growing expansion with the growth of foreign trade. They were able to create a growing domestic cloth industry because of the growth of the English. The central drive of these capitalists was Mercantilism. They believed that they should extract as much as they could from foreign lands and export as little as possible so the growth of colonies meant that they could continue to extract from foreign lands. There were also religious incentives in the idea of colonization. It began when Martin Luther began to separate from the church. Once he was excommunicated he began to lead his followers out of the church entirely. The English Reformation, however, is what gave the people the greatest desire for colonization. The changes the occurred throughout the reign of the Tudors split the religious portion of society into two groups, the separatists and the puritans who thought that the colonies would provide them with answers.
ReplyDelete2.) Multiple factors have to be taken into consideration when trying to interpret the past which often sparks arguments between historians. To interpret the past you have to do just that, interpret it. Some historians believe that the past is purely facts while other historians put thoughts of the people of the past into consideration. Historians can also have different perspectives due to their age. Younger generations always have a fresher, different outlook on most things that most older generations do not agree with. One very highly debated topic among historians is the population of Native Americans before the settlers came to the Americas. One of the main reasons for this argument is that historians don’t know the exact number of Native Americans there were when the settlers first came to the Americas. It is accepted that the presence of settlers wiped out a large number of Native Americans due to diseases but the exact number is unknown and the argument continues today. This debate tells us that facts don’t show us the whole picture and it shows us that moral issues aren’t always put into consideration.
In the beginning of the seventeenth century. England began to establish colonies along the Atlantic seaboard. There were many reasons for this increased interest in colonization. One reason was the idea that a perfect society could be created in the New World. Another reason was the economic troubles in the English countryside. Many farmers became unemployed as fields were turned into pastures because the growing demand for wool. With a decreasing number of farms and a growing population, England could not feeds its entire country. A third reason for colonization was mercantilism. The merchants profiting from the wool trade led to this new concept. The main goal of mercantilism was to profit by exporting as much as possible while limiting imports. Colonies would create new markets for exports and allow England to acquire goods that were previously imported. A final reason for colonization was the desire for religious freedom. As the rulers in England changed, the official religion also changed. There were also many demands to reform the church that political and religious leaders did not respond to. As a result, two groups, the Puritans and the Separatists, looked to the colonization as a solution to their problems.
ReplyDeleteThe study of history includes two things: the facts and the interpretation of facts. The interpretation causes the most debate among historians. How someone interprets the facts depends on many things such as age, race, where they're from, and more. For example, the population of the Native Americans before Columbus is highly debated. George Catlin, a painter who lived among the tribes, estimated it to be 16 million. While estimates by other European settlers are much lower because they introduced diseases that killed many and they thought native Americans were too primitive to have a large civilization. Today historians agree that millions of Native Americans were killed by disease but it is impossible to do anything more than estimate the population. From this, you can conclude that historical arguments are never ending and no one can ever be proven right or wrong.
part A:There was many reasons for the English to start establishing colonies in North America. People came for the idea of a new beginning. America seemed a place where human settlement could start anew, where a perfect society could be created without the flaws and inequities of the old world. They found classic expression in sir Thomas More's "Utopia"."Utopia" described a mythical and nearly perfect society on an imaginary island. The people of Tudor England suffered from frequent and costly European wars. A demand for wool was growing rapidly, many landowners were finding it profitable to convert their land from fields for crops to pastures for sheep. There were also religious reasons. The Church of England now satisfied the Queen and other leaders, but failed to satisfy the religious desires of many English Christians. This led them to believe colonizing would solve their problem.
ReplyDeletePartB: Interpreting facts is important for historians. Interpreting facts depends on the age, race, where they're from, etc. There is much debate between historians simply because they interpret information differently. As time goes on historians find more out about history. Like the population of the Native Americans before the whites came to the Americas. This is debated so much due to nobody really knows what the exact population was. Most people will have a different outlook on the facts. Once the settlers came to the Americas they wiped out most of the Native Americans from diseases. You can conclude that historical debates will most likely never end, and that anything is possible. Also you cant be proved wrong or right.