"Revolutions are Super Fun!"

The American and French Revolutions share similarities such as economic issues such as taxation, and political representation as they demanded for equal rights; they were different in their opponent: America opposed the British, whereas the French opposed their own government, and the social classes of the rebels. Americans in general rebelled, while only the lower classes rebelled in French.

Both the American Revolution and the French Revolution resulted when people began demanding proper representation. Americans were tired of the pressure of unreasonable taxes and wanted their own freedom. The lower class and middle class Frenchmen also wanted to reduce their taxes, and they were unwilling to give their savings to the oppressive king.

Another similarity they share is economic issues among the poorer classes. Americans revolted and rebelled against taxation- an example of this is the Boston Tea Party- and attacked the British in the hopes of becoming America's Next Top Model independent from them. The British were in large amounts of debt; in turn they forced harsher taxes onto the colonies. In France, the similar thing happened when the King imposed taxes on the peasants, while the wealthy didn't have to pay. A reason for this is because of France's separation of the social classes.

The third similarity between the two is their government. In the Americas they formed the Continental Congress to lead the rebellion, and in France, the National Assembly was formed to rebel against the King. The reason for these formations is because the people's awareness of the oppressive government.


Differences in the two is the enemy. In the Americas, their opponent was an all-dominating overseas force, whereas in France, the people are against their own government, hoping to make a better place for themselves.

Another difference resides in which class of people initiated the war. In the Americas, everyone joined into the movement because they all had disadvantages as long as they were under British rule. In France, the lower class and middle class were the rebellious ones, since the upper class were untouched by much of the issues from the government. A reason for this difference is because of the size of each entity; the Americas were always under oppressive British rule, and Britain controlled everything there. In France, the majority of the issues were dealing with the lower classes.

The third difference between the two is the differing amount of bloodshed and violence. In France, after the storming of the Bastille, the people would kill all supporters of the monarchy, whereas in the Americas, they were not as violent and blood thirsty. A reason for this is because of the colonies' lack of proper metal work and weapons. Though the Americas did have the force of angry colonists.

Ottoman Art

The Ottoman Empire was renowned for its architecture, mosques, caravansaries, and also did a lot of typography and miniature painting. In their structures, they had massive domes, vaults, minarets, and columns that became the aesthetic style of the Ottomans. The miniature paintings were influenced by the Persian miniature paintings. Colors were obtained from ground powder pigments mixed with egg whites - most common colors were red, green, and shades of blue. Their paintings were stylized and abstract, but became more realistic when they were influenced by Baroque styles. The Ottomans were also famous for their woven art: carpets, door hangings, and curtains.

Mughal art borrows mostly from the Renaissance, Persians, and Indians. They built monuments, such as Humayun's Tomb, the Pearl Mosque, and the Taj Mahal. It was decorated so meticulously, the Taj Mahal still stands today. When painting, the Mughals adopted the miniature paintings from the Muslim tradition.They had lavishly decorated texts, and images depicting scenes of wildlife, hunting, court life, and battles. The paintings were realistically shown from the beginning.

The Magna Carta

Eight hundred years ago, King John and the feudal barons signed a treaty that states that the king will govern the people with feudal laws. In 1215, John had spent most of his finances trying to hold onto France. He alienated Pop Innocent III, expelled the monks from from Canterbury, and the pope excommunicated him. England became a rogue nation, but to prevent invasion, he accepted the pope's offer for archbishop much to humiliation. John signed the Magna Carta, but it was a failure: it had an enforcement clause  that no self-respecting monarch would have stuck to—establishing a council of 25 barons with the right to seize all the king’s possessions if he broke any of the other clauses. He asked the pope for an annulment a month later. The Magna Carta created a better power balance between the barons and the monarch, and is still relevant today in legal cases. 


1. OMG what was the king's hostage doing to her son??!!??!
She was chewing his face like he was a large slim jim. 

2. At the time, what was England's relationship with its neighbors?

England became a rogue nation, so large powers - France, Wales, Scotland, Rome - tried to overthrow the regime.

 3. Why did King John agree to the Magna Carta? 

He was afraid of being invaded, and when rebels gained ground and invaded England, he had to find a solution.

4. What was the impact of the Magna Carta at the time? 

It was considered a failure at the time, since the idea of pplaying by certain rules wasn't a new idea. 

5. How did later kings use the charter to their advantage? 

Well, John's son was nine, so one of the loyal barons, William Marshal, took over the throne. He reissued the charter, weakening the king's power dramatically, thus the rebels had no more reason to rebel. 

6. How did Edward Coke revive the importance of the charter? 

Coke was the leader of the group of lawyers who fought and successfully brought back the Magna Carta to soothe the English War. 

7. How did American colonial leaders use the Magna Carta? 

The Massachusetts Assembly used it to argue the against taxation without representation.

8. Why is the Magna Carta more important to modern Americans than to the British?

Americans use it to justify their actions towards oppressive forces. 

Failed Colonies in the Americas

1. Excerpts from the Spanish do not consider that the French forces had been reduced by a hurricane prior to the attack. Instead, the chaplain of the Spanish expedition glorifies the leadership of the general in defeating the French and justifies it with support from God. Both sides emphasize the religious tensions underlying the attack, which points to the larger social and political context in Europe at this time.

2. The criteria and justification of their actions stem from a religious base. The Spanish sees their conquest as spreading the Catholic religion and combating Protestantism, even if it requires murdering otherwise innocent people. Since the Church was closely tied to the state at that time, this justification also serves as a political motivation, since successful conquests could simultaneously spread Catholicism and gain territory. Also, the French recognize the possibility that they could be killed over their religion, Lutheranism, but they accept defeat as a punishment for their previous sins, according to the text. Therefore, in both cases, religious arguments are used to explain and justify the circumstances.

3. The strength of their colonies lies in their conviction that their home countries will support them in their endeavor that aims to serve and to please God. However, a major weakness of the settlements is the consistent lack of food and resources.

4. The settlers ascribe famine and population decline to the work of God, but as is shown in the letter by Chaplain Quirós, he attributes their lack of ability to get free food from the Indians an error on their part.

5. The colonists' exhibited poor planning for their settlements, mainly by not bringing enough resources and not being knowledgeable of the landscape beforehand, which is true for both Fort Caroline and Ajacan. In Ajacan, the settlers adapted by getting food from the Indians, but this soon caused problems, especially in the winter since their food ran scarce. 

6. The Indians may have been able to help them in the short run, but since they didn't return the favors, that discouraged the already-suffering Indians from doing so in the long run, and may have even led to conflicts with them.

7. Their underestimation of the hardships presented by the terrain caused them many problems in finding and growing food, and also prevented them from navigating it effectively. All these issues result in a waste of their resources, which were already scarce.

8. The French leadership in Fort Caroline was already discouraged by their deteriorated forces in the face of the sudden attack by the Spanish, their surrender was an easy victory for the Spanish. In Ajacan, the leader prevented the settlers from bartering with the Indians, which led to their downfall as they lost resources and increased tensions between their two groups.

9. Demonstrated by the plight of the settlers in Fort Caroline and in Ajacan, sufficient resources and material reinforcements from the home country are vital for a successful colony. Equally important to a successful colony is cooperation with native populations and an attempt to understand the existing culture.

10. The colonists prepared for failure by having distress signals in place to alert White (if he ever returned) of their fate. The colonists also had a backup plan to go to Croatoan.

11. Fort Caroline ended with the Spanish conquest, while Roanoke ended supposedly from lack of resources.

12. Accounts of successful colonies will include those written by settlers themselves and provide a better picture of everyday life.

13. Better organization and preparation could have enabled the colonists to better face the challenges of the new environment.

14. Settlers can gain information about why these colonies failed (lack of reinforcement, tensions with natives) and hopefully learn from previous colonists' mistakes.

15. European rivalries' resulted in competition and fighting for these colonies that may have perpetuated their downfall, similar to Fort Caroline.

English Civil Wars

Although the population opposed King Charles I's execution, the English parliament carried out this desperate and aberrant act. The regicides were self-righteous fanatics, who had vengeance for the ungodly king who reopened the civil war in 1648. The Puritans believed that the world was distinguished between the pope and true religion. They also believed that Scriptures were the formulas for politics and other reformations. 

Thomas Dugard, a parliamentarian clergymen preached that King Charles I's issuing of the Book of Sports was the cause of the bloodshed. Charles's religious policies mimicked those of popery, and many believed that he had brought God's wrath upon them. Many believed that a lot had to be done in order to secure peace once again. 

After the king's death, Parliament regained power, and proceedings towards the king has some real basis in the political culture of England. Edmund Ludlow rejoiced that the king had sinned so openly, thus providing an excuse to execute him. Charles had attacked the constitution of the kingdom and had stirred bloody and unnecessary wars.   

Look at all this art!!!!

Medieval ArtStyles from the Middle East and Africa meshed with this time period (400-1300 AD). The medieval period encompasses eight major artistic movements : Byzantine, Islamic, Vikings, Carolingian, Celtic, Atonian, Romanesque, and Gothic art. Christianity was also flourishing around Europe when Constantine declared Christianity tolerated. Constantine's Byzantine relied on trade and stability. Catholicism reflected art of the east, though emerged in the west. Because of Christian belief, artists avoided three dimensional sculptures and stuck with one dimensional representations. Religions mosaics and frescoes appeared in medieval churches and cathedrals. Tessellated art reflected Islam, the Vikings had migratory art and wood and metal art. The Vikings are known for their golden brooches, with a geometric arrangement of gems. Emperor Charlemagne funded the construction of churches and encouraged the depictions of the human form. He spread literacy among his nobles, which led to the appearance of the Carolingian minuscule script. These manuscripts were covered in precious jewels and metals. The illuminated manuscripts were used for their daily activities, universities and monasteries. The Anglo-Saxon obsession with animal art influenced Celtic styles in the 7th century. Gothic Art Gothic art was first seen in cathedrals, having emerged out of France. In architecture drew inspiration from the Romanesque style. Romanesque cathedrals were low and wide, while Gothics were tall and flood with natural light. Ribbed vault, flying buttress, and pointed arch were the main identifying factors. France's cathedral of St. Dennis served as a burial place for every king. It is believed to be the first Gothic construction ever made. The art took on a naturalistic style, stain glass were introduced into churches for the first time. Flowers and geometrical design paint the windows. Sculpted saintly figures were used as columns, and illuminated manuscripts holds much evidence of these arts. By the end of the 14th century, the invention of the printing press more light-weight, compact, and accessible. The Book of Hours featured original illustrations and historical scenes. Gothic art was highly symbolic: Christ as a lamb. A gentle and innocent heart of a lamb is chosen to represent Christ. RenaissanceIt was the time of rebirth, exploration, and flourishing of the arts. Between the 14th and 16th century, a new age would bring Europe out of the dark period. It took place mainly in Italy but had massive influence. Knowledge and personal responsibility were the main points of this age. Linear perspective and the play of the light and dark tones of a painting were characteristics. It began as a literary movement, and it was quickly picked up by the arts, science, and math. New understanding of perspective made paintings sophisticated and deep. The Church was one of the most powerful forces of Europe asked artists to make sculptures and architecture. Using antiquity as a backdrop, artists began blending Greek and Roman symbols into Christian art. The Medici family became the most powerful dynasty in the region, and they commissioned hundreds of paintings. Leonardo was intelligent and his knowledge of anatomy, the stars, mechanics allowed him to paint powerful paintings. 

OMG! Mesoamerica!!!!

1. How does the speaker define the area that is "Mesoamerica"? 

Tiwam defines Mesoamerica as Mexico and Central America.
2. How did the topography of Mesoamerica impact civilizations?

In the center of Mesoamerica, there are high plateaus and mountains, whereas surrounding it would be lower elevation sloping to the sea. Topography was important because the lowlands and highlands produced different trade items that helped Mesoamerica prosper as a whole.
3. What goods were produced in the highlands and lowlands?

The highlands produced obsidian, and the lowlands, they produced seashells and feathers.
4. Why was is so difficult to move goods in Mesoamerica?

There were no navigable rivers, no beasts of burden, and no large domesticated animals making it difficult to move goods.
5. What accomplishments can we credit the Olmecs with?

The Olmecs had phenomenal sculptures (huge carved heads), they had ceremonial complexes (pyramids), and was the first to play basketball essentially. The Olmecs had two calendars, a solar one and a lunar one.
6. Describe the Olmec calendar system.

The solar calendar had 365 days, while the lunar only had 260 days.
7. What was the purpose of Olmec pyramids?

The purpose to to be able to hold ceremonies.
8. How were Mayan pyramids different than Olmec pyramids?

Mayan pyramids were steep and narrow compared to other pyramids.
9. Why was Mayan history "lost" at the time of contact?

Though the Mayans collapsed around 900, they were still present, but they abandoned many ceremonial sites. By the time the Spaniards arrived, the Mayans couldn't read the inscriptions on their temples.
10. How does she say that the Aztecs were different than other Mesoamericans?

The Aztecs were the most successful expansionists, they would enforce a harsh tribute system, and conquered from the Pacific coast to the Caribbean.
11. What was the purpose of the tribute systems of the Aztecs?

The tribute system aided in the growth of the population, as they conquered more and more people, the tribute system allowed them to add even more people.
12. Describe the Aztec creation myth. 

They believed that the world had been created and destroyed four times before their lives, and in the fifth, called the fifth sun, the gods met to create something out of the darkness. They asked one god to throw himself into the fire so the world could be created, but the god was a coward. So they asked a lesser god to sacrifice himself; ashamed, the first god also threw himself in. One by one the gods threw themselves into the fire and the sun and the moon and the universe rose.
13. How was sacrifice of women different than men?

Women usually danced at the base of the pyramid and then beheaded, while the men were taken to the altar and pierced in the heart with an obsidian blade,