Tuesday, October 2, 2007
What's meaningful to you?
This week I wanted to try on an idea by someone in my 6th period class who suggested rather than have two blogs, one dealing with the news and the other dealing with the content of our course and its significance for our lives today, that we would try both but rotate them every week. So this week I wanted to start an open-ended dialogue about the first six chapters of our text. There is so much material here, but is there something in particular that stands out as meaningful for you personally, meaningful for us collectively? What is it? Why is it meaningful to you? What does it remind you of? Why should we care? Why do you? I know this requires a different set of tools, but give it a try – we can make our second (or third or fourth) comments on anything that get’s mentioned. Tangents are welcomed.
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25 comments:
what attracted me most in our first unit was the time we spent disscusing native american culture. i've always been interested in native american culture, especially because of their harmony with nature. although we, modern americans/british etc, are quick to label them as "savages", i think there's a lot we can learn from them. i try to keep my mind open to facts and ideas that conflict with my own beliefs, so i liked how the book, or the author, although it would be awsome if books could talk, talked about the ways in which tribes were not exactly eutopic. the indian view of marriage and abortion was also something i found particularily interesting.also, the idea of predjudice based on tribes instead of race. there are many indian beliefs, such as land not being ownable, that match my own. i wish we could have spent more time/ learned more about the indians, and maybe explored more of why the british looked down on them.
I think we can all really relate to the American colonists' struggle to break free from Britain's control. As we get closer to moving away for college, it's hard to get along with our parents. My parents and I constantly argue about my independence. Now that I have had my liscense for a year, I feel like I barely ever spend time at home. My parents try to impose rules (especially about curfew), and I get annoyed-- just as the colonists did when England imposed the Navigation Acts and various taxes on them. They rebelled by making a law that the House of Burgesses had to approve all taxes, while I defy my parents' authority by ignoring their "rules." Which way is more effective? I guess we'll have to find out when we learn about the American Revolution and how the colonists gained sovereignty.
Thank you guys so much for taking the leap and really putting yourselves out there.
For me I thought a lot more about the Salem Witch Trails than ever before. I think about how we turn in on each other when things go bad. I think about how easy that is to do in so many situations. and I think about the implications of that for women during this crazy/edgy time.
Sal -- thank you for bringing up how powerful it is to learn the "truth" about Indian peoples --they weren't perfect by any means and that's important to remember, but they also had some liberated ideas. I especially think the issues you mentioned are vital for us today: marriage and abortion. I remember learning about the Iroquois in graduate school and discovering that it was actually the women who selected the chiefs. I think to myself this was happening at the same time as Anne Hutchinson was being sent off to Rhode Island. What vastly different worlds the Puritans and Indians were living in?
Allie I also really appreciate taking your story directly to yourself. I so applaud that. I think the more we can make this personal, the more we can grow as human beings, but also the more we will remember about what we learn.
for the rest of you who have not responded, I think it's interesting to notice how much more challenging it is to make the past relevant for us today. Give it a try, even if you stumble, especially if you stumble.
It's interesting to me how interwoven religious beliefs and social interactions were during the time period we've been studying, and maybe still are. For instance, I sort of feel like religion was one of the major roots of sexism. Sorry if that offends anyone. When reading about the Pilgrims and the Puritans--especially instances such as the salem witch trials and the banishment of Anne Hutchinson--I guess I noticed a connection between the people's objective to serve god and their oppression of women. Women were always the first to be accused, the first to be criticized. We're reading the Scarlet Letter in English, which is based in that time period, and in it the lead character questions whether being a woman is even worth accepting the gift of life. She decides against it. Life for women throughout history has been constantly contained. It seems, in my mind, to be one of the few prejudices that has been gradually built into human nature. With the current possibility of a female president, I'm really taking note of this more, and observing that all throughout time women have been unjustly restricted and abused. I feel like not enough attention is paid to this oppression, maybe because sexism is still secretly accepted in our society. And our text book rarely even skims the surface of this topic. I feel like I often hear people say that we have to learn from history. We study other probably more severe forms of racism and prejudice (slavery, holocaust) and obviously there's been no mass physical mistreatment of women. But maybe we'd be better off if there had been. Maybe we needed something to really obviate the existence of this prejudice, something that has to be covered in elementary school history. Something that could have really forced us to change our subtle stereotypes, and to gradually remove sexism from the already blemished foundation of our societies.
What was most memorable in the first unit was learning how narrow-minded and extreme the English colonists were. Before i thought colonists mostly came to escape religious persecution, but they were often the ones committing atrocities upon the Indians and enslaved Africans. While the settlers found ways to exploit the land and some became extremely wealthy, it came from teh blood and sweat of black slaves and the land forcibly taken from Indian tribes. Because the English only accepted their own beliefs and culture, everyone was segregated. It seems that the period of colonizing really established the racial prejudices in America that are still rooted in our culture.
I have found the last week's of reading really meaningful. I like economics, and it was really interesting to read about British ideas during the colonial era (since that's really where and when economics was invented). I particularly enjoyed reading about the various tax acts that the British imposed on the colonist. I'm actually reading the book right now and I'm on page 121, which is so interesting. It explains the colonists point of view on the Stamp Act ("no taxation without representation"), but there is a whole column defending the British and why they did the things they did. It's really awesome to hear about this particular issue from two opposing points of view. It's amazing how much more I can absorb from the reading when I find it interesting.
What really got to me in this unit, despite not really having a connection to myself (I've been desperately trying to connect something in this unit to something in my life, but aside from Allie's independence thing I've come up with nothing), was the treatment of people the white's thought lower than themselves--both the slaves and the Indians. The brutality of it, especially from watching the movie that portrayed the middle passage, horrifies me. I was most deeply disturbed about how the Africans would sell their own people into slavery, and I still cannot understand what could possess someone to do that to their own. The Indians were also treated very poorly, especially because the whites encroached upon the land they were at first. The way the colonists and everyone else viewed the Indians, as well as the slaves, was with a feeling of superiority. The way our predecessors viewed the people they deemed to be of a lower class is appalling to me, and I feel as though in some way people still do that today. Even recent conflicts today show how people still view themselves as superior to someone else. It is horrible how people treat other “lesser” people, and even though it is wrong, it may never stop. Someone will always deem themselves superior to someone else, and what really made me to start to think about this and how cruel "superiority" leads people to be was reading about the treatment of the slaves and Indians.
Within the first six chapters, I found the Puritans to be very interesting. In fifth grade, we read The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and I thought it was a really interesting book. The main character moves from some British-controlled island (can't remember where) to a Puritan society. Back in fifth grade, it seems pretty terrible for the main character, but after learning about their lifestyle and all the strictness and rules that the Puritans lived by, I actually have a much clearer concept of what they were truly like. The book, even though it has been a long time since I've last read it, now seems to have a more interesting background to it, and I have a much better understanding of Puritan society. I also think that having that book in mind helped me remember the stuff about the Puritans when I was reading the textbook.
i think allie's point is deffinetly one we all, or most, can relate to. i feel like i'm a point in my life where i'm starting to figure out what's important to me and what i want to do. it is so frusterating to be at this stage and not have full freedom to start my own life. it's a great way to look at the american revolution, i hadn't realised how similar the colonies relationship with england was like ours with or parents...and our school at times. nora, charlie, and caroline brought up very important points. the point of studying history is to learn from our mistakes and the first step towards a more equal society is learning about the roots of predjudeces. i deffinetly look at history this way , or try to, and it's really interesting to see what other people pick out. i also responded to charlie's point about how feeling "superior" to others can and does result in cruel treatment. this is exactly what's going on in the meat/dairy/egg/fur/leather industries right now. because we feel that we humans are superior to other animals, we exploit and torture them. speciesism is no less cruel than racism or sexism. although i didn't find the economics very interesting, it's cool to hear that they were something billy really enjoyed. i love how we all respond to different sections in our own ways. this section is certainly very relevant today. i also love jackie's comment about the puritans. backround culture can really add to the experience of a book. our discusion about the puritans has certainly influenced my view of the scarlet letter.
In the first unit, the major goal that connected England, France and Spain was the drive for money. Each of the countries hoped to gain profit from their colonies, and to become the wealthiest nation. They were each striving to be the best and dominant power, and in order to do that they needed to bring in large amounts of money. In the minds of England, France, and Spain, the amount of money they had determined their status as a country. I think that the same is true of individuals in our society today. Many wealthy individuals have a higher status and in a sense are regarded as superior. I don’t think this should be the case. I hate how everyone is so caught up in money and I feel as though everything revolves around money. I know that I’m guilty of letting money control my life. I find myself constantly worrying about how much I spend on gas or each of my meals. But, there are more important aspects of life to focus on other than money. I wish that everything did not have to revolve around money. I wish that our society, myself included, was not so caught up in the value of a dollar. I wish that I could focus on more meaningful things each day. In my opinion, the most important things in life cannot be bought.
I definately noticed what Nisha was talking about, and I really agree with her. The importance of money during the birth of America, though probably on a smaller scale, still translates to our daily lives. Materialism is such an obtrusive obstacle in acheiving the kind of peaceful existance that the Native Americans enjoyed, and I wish we could focus on more wholesome things.
I think that American independence and how it was gained by the colonist's is important today, I think that we need to look back to how our country was founded, so that we don't make the same mistakes we have in the past. I believe that even though there is no enslavement today of any minorities, we still struggle with the idea of equality. Especially when it comes to gay rights and women's rights. We are simply repeating the idea of segregation. Although we aren't going to the extremes, we are following the same thought train. Many Americans are trying to take away the right of gay americans to get married and to have children. 100 years ago people were arguing for the same thing, except then they were banning inter-racial marriage. I think that we can never reach our goal of treating everyone on the same level unless we realize that we are repeating our past mistakes.
Even though I just posted, I would like to respond to Allie's point. I think that most teenagers today would agree with the common situation. The struggle between a teenager trying to gain rights and the colonists is very similar. In the case of American history, rebellion worked and eventually ended in colonists gaining their own rights. However, that doesn't make it the right way for a teenager to gain privliges. This just further proves how extreme the salutary neglect must have been in order for rebellion to end in success.
I completely agree with Allie's comment and I even spent an hour this weekend convincing my mom that I should be allowed to have more independence, and I feel like it was a war. In the end, I gained more independence on one level, but also more responsibility, like the colonists. Allie definately posted an idea that I was thinking about writing, and I completely agree with her. Also, I agree with what Nisha said and how the overwhelming desire to become the wealthiest, no matter what immoral deeds you commit, is still the same today as it was in colonial times. We see it all over this world, and I'm glad she brought up this connection, because I don't think I would have noticed it had it not been mentioned.
I never really learned the true nature of Colombus and always thought he was the first person to discover America. AFter the first unit my eyes were opened to a world completely different from the one i knew. i now realize that colombus is no hero and was a hyporcit in calling the Indians savages. I dont even know why we celebrate columbus day. But overall this class helps me understand the world around me today and how we got this point. I somehwat knew the general idea of our history but now i know the details and the specifics. Theres an old saying that history tends to repeat itself and i believe that the reason is due the our lack of knowledge of history. This class so far as given me the knowledge that i hope i could put to use in the future.
I kind of just felt like skimming through the comments on this post and thought I could comment tomorrow, but Allie's comment caught my eye. I think that she brings up an excellent point, one that I'm sure a lot of us can related to. I never would have thought of that, but her comment seems to be very accurate. Nora makes an interesting point about religion and its roots in sexism. I see where you're coming from, Nora. I, too, agree with Nisha's post about money and its role in our society. Finally, I agree with Charlie's last post about feeling at war.
What has really spoken to me in the past couple units is the human potential for brutality in a group setting due to simple ignorant prejudices. First there was columbus's massacre of the native americans simply because he viewed them as savage. then there was the invasion and slaughter of the aztec people by cortez and his conquistadores. they too viewed the native people as less than human and because of that saw no reason not to kill thousands of them. the mass enslavement of the africans by the europeans was deffinately the scariest thing we studied this unit. The video that we watched in class really highlighted the atrocities the blacks faced on the middle passage as well as the fact that the white crew had no qualms about it. they were neither smarter nor better evolved than the blacks and yet the europeans felt they had a god given right to enslave the black people.
I completely understand Allie's point. It is hard for us to defy our parents and stand up to them because they are, in a sense, a force that is greater than us. I think that the most effective way to get what you want is to compromise, a strategy that was not often used when European countries established their colonies. I think that if the mother countries had compromised with their colonies, there would not have been as many rebellions. Colonists would have been more independent to begin with, instead of being placed in an inferior position where their sole purpose was to benefit their mother country. I also agree with Charlie in that the events that took place during the Middle Passage were absolutely unfathomable. Watching the movie enabled me to really understand just how horribly slaves were treated. We definitely have not escaped prejudice views today and there are still people who consider themselves to be superior to others. Inequality definitely still exists, and unfortunately I think it is something that we will constantly struggle with. It’s so hard for me to believe that there are people in this world who truly think that they have the right to mistreat others because of their feeling of superiority.
Since I'm now reading through the comments after pretty much scrolling down the page with my eyes closed to avoid seeing what other people wrote, I think that Allie's comment on independence is definitely relevant to everyday life. It's so true. I always thought history had no use outside of its historical context, but now I'm rethinking that thought after seeing everyone's applications of history to their lives.
Another random thing...I eat oatmeal in the morning for breakfast, and I always used to stare at the big Quaker Oatmeal label, but I never really knew who the Quakers were before. I mean, I knew that they were some religious sect, but I didn't know the specifics of their beliefs, so learning about them was pretty interesting, especially since they thought in terms that were very different from the rest of society. I kind of wonder...did Quakers actually eat oatmeal?
First of all, I want to say that I'm really glad that so many people could relate to my point about teenagers and the fight for independence.
Also, I completely agree with Nisha that money is unfortunately such a driving force for humanity. It is expecially disconcerting that the three main powerhouses during the colonial era (England, Spain, and France) are still some of the most powerful nations 300 years later. It's a shame because there is probably a lot of potential for greatness in other countries, but because they don't have as much capital, they are unable to compete with the United States, England, and France. (I have absolutely no evidence for any of these claims...it's just a hunch I have!)
I also found Alexa's point about the parallel between interracial marraige in the 18th century and gay marraige in the 21st century very interesting. I never would have come up with it myself, but it really proves that history does repeat itself.
I have to agree with hank on his comments on human brutality. it really is a shocker to see how anyone in their right minds could be so sick. Watching that movie in class on slavery really changed my persepective on the whole issue. Having a visual aid really helps to bring out the true nature/ imagery of human brutality. I just thought it was eye catching and found it interesting that bloodshed could be constant and so completely unneccesary.
I think allie brings up an interesting point in her first comment, and one that i can identify with very very well. my parents and i dont get along at all just for those reasons and i thinking relating the colonists struggle to our struggle with out parents really helps us identify with them.
Thinking back to the first unit, what I really found interesting was the whole misconception about the discovery of the Americas. Although it was based mainly on the supplements, the comparison between the author of the book's opinion and that of the authors of each supplement created lots of conflict over who was the genuine enemy when the conquering the Americas. The discovery of America is common knowledge...1492 columbus sailed the ocean blue...but from comparing documents and seeing different writers' prospectives, a concept that everyone believed to be a basic understanding was be proven imprecise. LIke finding out you're adopted, the whole misapprehension threw me for a loop.
I completely agree with Nisha's point. Money is a concern in the back of many people's minds, and is not nearly as important as people make it out to be. Our community circulates around cash-flow, as it did when the Europeans were colonizing America. Their drive for revenue through trade displayed the English at their egocentric peak. Willing to do anything for money, the English made negociations and established Acts that were solely for the benefit of England. Living in one of the most wealthy towns in America presently, you observe the effects money has on a person's behavior and personality. Money causes competition, which we can channel back to the motives of the colonizing Europeans.
p.s. Sorry my comments are so late, my internet wasn't working.
I think I have to agree with Hank in that the europeans really showed their potential for violence and brutality on mostly innocent people highly due to ignorance. It is just so hard to believe that individual and heartless men would have the power and willingness to do such things. Even if it was just for business im sure there could have been alternatives to at least reduce the heartless killing of non-europeans. But what helped me really understand that along with the book was the movie clip that we watched in class as a viewpoint and visual aid on the situation. I think it will be really helpful if every so often we watched a clip or viewed a picture of what we are learning about in addition to the book.
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