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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The first English colonies during the 16th century were financed by private companies. There was a large risk in overseas trade, but these companies spread out the risk by bringing investors together. These investors purchased shares in the enterprise, and they collectively made a profit (or lost money).
Today, the idea of shared investment is used in many different ways. People can invest in shares of a company, where they can become an owner of a small portion of the company.
For some reason, our discussion on whether or not we would have gone to the 13 colonies really stuck out to me. I'm not really sure why but when I first read about the voyagers I didn't understand why they would do such a trip when there were so many risks. But after our discussion in class I realized that most likely I would be one of the people on the ship going to America.
-Sayumi
So....it's interesting that this discussion seems a little more challenging and not so many voices have appeared. Why do you think?
I love your responses Andrew and Sayumi -- thank you for going first! I have a ton of questions and this is what I think might be really interesting. So Sayumi you first -- why would you have been on one of those ships? What about your life could you relate to the adventures who crossed the Atlantic? And Andrew -- how can we talk about investment from a personal perspective? Did you admire the idea of sharing the risk? Why? Is this something that you care about? Why?
For me.....I said I have been thinking a great deal about the Salem Witch trials on the other blog, but in this moment I'm thinking about religious fundamentalism and what the dangers of this kind of dogmatism can be and whether or not we think of the Puritans in the same way? I'm reminded now especially as we begin our next reading that choosing Canada over the sugar islands actually included in-depth conversations about having all of those French Catholics roaming around. I'm reminded of how deeply religion has played a role in the founding of this country -- curious to know what others think of this --the pros and the cons.
I want to hear you make sense of the material from another place in your brain (the place that doesn't memorize). For some of you this might be a different way of learning for other perhaps it might come really easy. give it a try. stumble several times -- that's totally ok.
Well after our discussion in class I realized that people go on this journey alot of times not just for the sake of going, but to have a better life for themselves and for their families. I also believe I would go just to be able to do something different in life. I believe that there is only one life to live so you have to live it to the fullest.
the comment above was from Sayumi sorry
Well I have to agree with Sayumi on what I thought was one of the most interesting parts of the first 6 chapters. I find what we are starting to read now the most interesting but that doesn’t really count as the first 6 chapters. I think that how if I was in the situation to go to a new place that was completely new would be AMAZING. Not only would the experience itself be amazing but the possibilities of what could happen would be amazing! With such high stakes with such a huge move would just make it even more intense. But I feel like I would go not for money or for a new life but rather to go and explore all the uncharted lands and to see all the new things to be found. Just being able to see something that has never been seen by the world I would have come from would be the main reason to go to the colonies. To risk my life to do what I want to do.
Well I have to agree with Sayumi on what I thought was one of the most interesting parts of the first 6 chapters. I find what we are starting to read now the most interesting but that doesn’t really count as the first 6 chapters. I think that how if I was in the situation to go to a new place that was completely new would be AMAZING. Not only would the experience itself be amazing but the possibilities of what could happen would be amazing! With such high stakes with such a huge move would just make it even more intense. But I feel like I would go not for money or for a new life but rather to go and explore all the uncharted lands and to see all the new things to be found. Just being able to see something that has never been seen by the world I would have come from would be the main reason to go to the colonies. To risk my life to do what I want to do. Something interesting.
dont know why that was posted twice
Money?
The drive for economic success seems to have been the central motivation for mother countries to try different things and, contextually-speaking, establish profitable colonies. It hardly mattered who settled in the colonies, in the mother country's perspective, as long as profits were being reaped.
This core attribute is extremely evident in today's society, everywhere in the world, and it truly brings into consideration the importance of money in the modern era. It is rather obvious to us that money is practical and a necessity for survival, but did the explorations of the 1500's and beyond set precedence for such a mentality?
We have the U.S. maintaining its power as the richest nation in the world. We have the likes of China and India growing economically, which would potentially establish these countries as future superpowers. We have Dubai, a rather unresourceful state, gradually finding the wanted economic success through tourism. We have small nations like Japan and Korea revolutionizing technology, hoping to find and maintain their places in the ranks of the world.
In a way, my question and thought is a little bogus. Of course, for a nation to succeed in the material world it needs a thriving economy. But there is hardly ever a Renaissance feel, a state of mind filled with passion, or a sense of doing something for the sake of something. Are we being educated for the sake of education... or is it for something else in the future?
Oh haha, now I get it. I kind of have been talking about mercantilism. It seems very much alive today as it was 3, 400 years ago.
I agree with what Sayumi said in the idea of leaving for the unexplored New World in hopes to live a more fulfilling life.
That being said, if I were well-suited in England, the thought of taking leave for a mysterious area would not have been inviting, or considered for that matter. It is pretty evident, from those who were persecuted to those of the poor, that people in dire need of an improved life had taken the challenge across the Atlantic Ocean.
This is an extremely circumstantial question; but personally, provided that the world was technologically and philosophically (in modern standards) rather undeveloped, I would have been skeptical of such a significant risk just because so many factors were left unknown.
I'm also thinking a lot about the discussion we had in class about whether we would go to America or not. I personally don't know if I'm courageous enough to make that decision, which makes me even more proud of my great grandfather for coming to America. He lived under the harsh conditions of Mussolini in Italy, and disliked how the country was changing. As a young man, he came all alone with no family and carrying nothing but his pocket watch. I never met him, but my dad tells me stories about him and loved him very much. I admire his courage and now realize what risks he took in hopes for an independent life, just like the Puritans. This knowledge of my great grandfather gives me a deeper understanding of what the colonists went through.
For many colonists that moved to America, their voyage was meant to be a solution for their financial problems in England. These colonists chartered unknown territory with the single aim in new economic opportunities. They were taking a step in darkness in hope of hitting a gold mine. They risked everything to achieve economic success; their lives, family, and material possessions. For some, it was really a “hit or miss” situation.
Today, the ability to step out of our comfort zone and to take intelligent risks is an important ingredient in anyone’s level of achievement. I think all of us are like English colonists, because we all take risks when our chances are favorable. Yoonkee, I don’t think anyone is “educated for the sake of education.” Education allows us to make better decisions with lower risk and fear.
Also adding on to Yoonkee’s mercantilism statement. Dubai’s economy was built on the back of the oil industry. They have tremendous petroleum and natural gas resources. Dubai has the fastest growing economy in the world right now – surpassing China and India. Though tourism does contribute to this growth, it is mainly owed to their oil exports.
NOT sure why this post wasnt showing up Alright soo...what stuck out to me the most was the slave trade. I cant even begin to imagine how terrible it was and how anyone could ever think that it was ok to do things liek that to people. when we watched la amistad in class i started crying and when asked to talk about it was so hard for me to speak. It is one of the most disgusting cruel parts in our history and im embarressed and ashamed that its a part of mine. However Im so happy that it ended because a lot of my best friends and good friends are black. I don't know what id do without them and if the slave trade continued on today they wouldnt be there for me. Im so glad we studied it though just to make sure that everyone is aware of what happened. But thats the thing slavery and other types of discrimination still go on today. I will never understand it and i want to know howww to make it all stop -brittany
also like sayumii loved that discussion on if we would go to the colonies or not. Right now i would loveeee to go back into time and live in the colonies i think it would be sooo awesome. However even thoi would love to go now, if i lived back then and had the choice to go to the new world i would have no idea how great it would end up being. I still think I would decide to go and explore but you can never know for sure depends on the circumstancess i guess -brittany
It stuck out to me how from the bible, the indentured servants worked for 7 years and then were set free. It just seemed funny to me because in the torah, a guy wanted to marry the hot sister Rachel and needed to work 7 years for her and was given the ugly hair Leah with big feet (no joke, the torah says that). I always remembered how my hebrew name is the ugly hairy sister's.
Also, the idea of traveling with your religion was especially interesting when I went to a sepharadic temple today and they sang a song in hebrew then in spanish, because the sepharadic Jews came from Spain. I was like flipping out at temple just by the way.
Paulina
I think the one thing that stuck with me was the issue on immigration and how the United States wants to set stronger borders to keep people out. I found it ironic while I was reading the first couple chapters that the first Americans were so cruel to the Indians when they were actually the first ones here; pushing them out of their homes, enslaving them, and killing many of them. America was established on immigration,the first Americans were immigrants. We were tolerated so why not give immigrants a chance? Aren't they the ones who get jobs we have no interest in pursuing? I just feel that it's unfair that we are continuously kicking people out of our country when the first Americans were a great example of immigration.
hey guys,
something that really struck me as extraordinary was roger williams' founding of rhode island. for one i greatly support the idea of separation of church and state, and feel that the lines have been blurred recently. i greatly admire him for speaking up against the government and voicing his views. in addition the fact that after being banished he ventured to found a religiously liberal colony and harbor for dissenters is admirable. also, i wikipedia'd him and apparently he also had very liberal views regarding the native americans, which is pretty legit.
i guess i enjoyed when we talked about whether or not we would go to the 13 colonies. for some reason relating that to whether or not we would go to the moon today made me realize what a big deal that was because they didn't really have any clue what they were getting themselves into just like how we truly don't know what's on the moon. it helped me understand what a huge decision that must have been but also how brave it was for these colonists to really give up a lot to come here.
i agree with andrea about the irony in which the americans treated the indians. it's true that they were the first ones here and it's interesting that they thought they could just come in and displace them all like it was no big deal. it's also interesting to see the contrast in which the french treated them, with so much more respect and intermarrying with them.
William Penn's founding of Pennsylvania was very meaningful to me. Although it was not the first colony in the Americas that had tolerance (Maryland), it was the first colony that had COMPLETE tolerance to any race or religion. In a time where persecution and racism was running rampant, William Penn saw through these things and viewed everyone as a human being rather than distinguishing them by race or religion. Pennsylvania's foundation is something we all should admire and follow, the destruction of segregation and the beginning of tolerance.
I agree with Sayumi as well. the discussion we had about the 13 colonies really enlightened me on the tough decision Europeans encountered, to risk the venture for the possibility of a brighter future. This also showed me my peers views on the subject, which was very interesting for me.
We always thing of the 13 immigration to the 13 colonies as just something that happened, as if people just came and that was that. Even moving from New York was a big deal, a big change and a big undertaking. It was hard starting from scratch, even though we had been here over a million times. For the colonists, there was no promising Los Angeles, California on the other side of the road. They had no idea what they were getting into. They went and had to make the best out of it and couldn't come back. So I agree with Sayumi and Adam in that the immigration conversation stuck out to me too.
Also, being a slave really sucked. The movie we watched was so heartbreaking how people treat each other. Its crazy to think that there are stories beyond that movie that they had to omit; being captured, the Middle Passage, slave stations and plantations were harder than we can ever imagine.
One thing that I think about sometimes is us right now; in many cases, housekeepers aren't paid minimum wage, have to work really hard and don't have all their rights either. Although they won't be flogged if they run away, it's hard to just leave their job. They do whatever they are told and in a way that is slavery too. It's pretty weird.
Paulina
It still disturbs me to think about the movie we watched in class. How this country was formed was horrific. It's hard for me to grasp that the background of this country was full of cruelty. There was no sense of kindness amongst the slave traders. Babies were dying by the minute, along with women and men. They were completey helpless. Sitting in class and watching the movie made me feel like I needed to do something, but it's too late now. It has opened my eyes to realize that I need to be more aware of what is going on in our world today.
I agree with Amanda as she talks about migrating to the new colonies. Our class discussion really got me to think. I don't think I would be willing nor brave enough to go to a place of such uncertainty. I really respect those men or families who moved to the colonies for a chance to live a better life. They were willing to sacrifice living for an opportunity to help their family.
One aspect of our reading that I feel we can all relate to is the idea of mercantilism and the Navigation Acts. Today, there are certain imported items which are more expensive than others. For example, imported fabrics such as wool and polyester have high taxes, as opposed to imported silk from China. This is because the United States produced both wool and polyester, and has to compete with these fabrics which are imported from other countries. On the other hand, the United States produces very little silk, therefore Chinese silk is very cheap because the U.S. is does not have to compete for silk sales. This situation is also similar to the Townshend Acts because they also taxed foreign goods imported into the colonies.
-Candace
I completely agree with Andrea's comment that the U.S. should be open to immigration, however it should not be open to ALL immigration. There are thousands of people in 3rd world countries who apply to legally immigrate to the U.S., and I feel that they should have priority to enter the U.S. This is a personal subject to me, because without immigration, I would not be in this country. As a first generation American, both of my parents and grandparents emigrated from Iran, so I understand the importance of open immigration. However, some boundaries are necessary. Just like the Indians were open to a certain amount of immigration, we should do the same.
-Candace
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