Page 710 Olaudah Equiano

Slaves ships took a few steps to ensure maximum profits: physical beatings, psychological punishment, and restraining movement of the Africans. This stopped the rebellion and suicide of slaves, which in turn kept them alive to be sold across the Atlantic Ocean.

Physical beatings includes the whipping of Africans who attempted suicide by jumping out of the ship. Also, Equiano was beaten and force-fed food after refusing to accept their food. These physical beatings tie into the psychological punishments. The Africans on board the ship had to decide between remaining on the ship with filthy conditions, knowing that their future was empty of any hope. Or they could have attempted suicide and end their torture, and if they failed, then they would be tortutered hourly before they return to the same hopeless situation they were in before. The ships also restrained the movement of Africans on board. There was netting of some sort that prevented them from jumping overboard. In addition to that, many were chained to the ship, and the ones who weren't were placed under the supposedly careful watch of some crewmembers.

Map of Africa and DBQ

Map of Africa

The document based question is really different, and to me, not in a good way. There's so much more to write for the document based question, each document requiring 4 sentences with specific targets. I think with enough practice, the requirements for each document will become ingrained, making the DBQ relatively easy because there's no need for outside knowledge regarding these questions. Grouping the documents was a bit challenging for me as well. For me, it's something that needs to click, and that could take anywhere from a minute to 15 minutes. I think the organization will also come with practice too. Time management is also a key point in this essay compared to the other two essay types. It's different, but not too challenging except for the writing cramps.

Promotional Video

Looking at these videos, there are a couple of things that are key for a good promotion. Confidence is key, and this can be done with a strong voice. A quiet voice can easily be overwhelmed with white noise, so it's necessary to be loud. Asking questions also works really well. It addresses topics that might provide some doubt as to why they would want to come here, and then that question is answered right away. It takes all the doubt and gets rid of it. Presenting only the positives is also a really good idea. I think explanations about specifics like pros and cons about the geography about every region of South America is not a good idea. And speaking quietly is not effective; Mr. Whitten was louder than the people speaking in one of the videos. Personally, I was a fan of Yash and Prateek's promotional video. I found the duo to be entertaining, and the use of informal phrases was also amusing. They got all of their points down, and they didn't lose my interest even though it was a lengthier video. Yash also dresses really well.

Loewen vs. Bentley and Ziegler

Loewen makes a really compelling argument about Christopher Columbus. He clearly expresses his disdain towards the teachings that students have recieved while young about Columbus's heroic actions. 

Columbus was a founder of half of the world. This is not true. There is evidence of vikings finding their way into North America prior to Columbus. There's evidence that Chinese and other countries have made their way to the Americas prior to Columbus. There are also groups called Native Americans. However, Columbus did popularize the travel between the eastern and western hemispheres.

Columbus went against popular "fact" and said that the earth wasn't flat and proved it on his brave expedition. I don't know how much more incorrect it could get. Irving did a good job at bringing this lie into the textbooks. Hardly anybody believed the idea that the earth was flat at the time. So Columbus wasn't really being extremely brave and risking falling into the void of space (if only space travel was so easy); he was just travelling in an unknown direction. And Columbus was not some scientific genius for discovering that the earth was flat.

Loewen does a good job at showing the Eurocentric teachings that have been spread to us. He's very passionate about it; perhaps a bit too passionate. Loewen rants in this selection about how everyone is wrong about Columbus. I believe Loewen, but he just goes on and on. Perhaps it's a bit better to remain concise, but still present your idea. Bentley and Ziegler's approach is much easier to grasp. There's very little bias, and it's concise. Then again, Loewen and Bentley and Ziegler are trying to present two different things revolving around the same person. Loewen is trying to convince his readers that the way Columbus is presented by America is wrong, Eurocentric, and full of lies. Bentley and Ziegler just say what Columbus did in 2 brief paragraphs.

Zheng He in America

Menzie does make some compellling arguments about China discovering the Americas. The accuracy of the maps of the two islands serves as such an important piece of evidence suggesting Chinese arrival. Menzie was fascinated that they even got the three bays down. However, on the next island over with the volcano, the old map has a clear depiction of a bay, but the modern map shows no bay in that same location. I fail to see how Menzie can accept a false placement of a bay and accept three correct ones, unless volcanic eruptions filled in the bay. 

Stones in a peculier arrangement points to an idea that a civilization has come and gone. I don't see why Menzie thinks that it had to have been a Chinese civilization. People have been in America before the arrival of people from ships from the eastern hemisphere, and they could have made those stones. Also, I don't see why an armada of ships would stop to build shelter and then go back to the waters.

Two-Way voyaging

Two-way voyaging occurred much more frequently than I had thought in Pacific Islands.  Regarding politics, voyaging acted as a method of escape.  Mo'ikeha, the chief of Tahiti, fled from his home in order to escape domestic difficulties.  Two-way voyaging allowed for people from Hawai'i and Tahiti to intermingle.  Two-way voyaging allowed for the spread of ideas as well.  La'maikahiki of Tahiti brought a god with him when he traveled to Hawai'i.  Two-way voyaging acted as a vessel for the spread of ideas and ease from turmoil.

Muslims and Christians

Based on the Christian documents, it does not seem possible for them to have had a more positive relationship with Muslims.  William of Tyre, the archbishop of Tyre, had nothing positive to say about the Muslims.  He seemed to have antagonized them at every given opportunity.  In Tyre's story of the Muslims blaming the Christians for placing a corpse of a dog in a Muslim temple, Tyre expresses his dissatisfaction against the Muslims; they threatened to slay every Christian for the action of a Muslim infidel.  This situation seems like a reasonable one to express his dissatisfaction of the Muslims.  However, in his first statements, he claims that Muhammad is not some proclaimed prophet.  Rather, he is an infidel who is the Son of Satan.  This antagonization of Muslims had no specific event to inspire it.  It was simply said, from what I know, from frustration.  And something coming from someone as high as an archbishop has the power to influence many others.