Module 8

2.

After WWII led capitalists to avoid any return to the conditions from the Depression-era. Thanks to the Bretton Woods Conference rules were negotiated for the commercial and financial dealings among the major capitalist countries. This promoted a stable currency for the US dollar, promoted free trade, and high levels of capitalist investment. Adding on that new things were making it cheaper to transport goods which resulted in global capitalism. 

3.

It linked the world’s peoples because it accelerated the circulation of goods and skyrocketed world trading. There were some things that I saw as negatives such as exploiting people like “foreign direct investment” which took advantage of these developing countries in way of cheap labor and bad environmental regulations. This also made people from these developing countries move out to Europe and North America to escape poverty. A lot of new things were created like personal funds being transferred from international credit cards to go to national borders. 

15.

First, environmentalism in developing countries was more locally based and had fewer large national organizations. Also in these developing countries, the poor people were more involved than members of the middle class. This caused a movement because of social justice in these developing countries. Environmental activists in these countries confronted foreign mining companies from exploiting their resources. The main concern was issues of food security, health, and basic survival in these developing countries.   

Module 7- Essay

Christopher Hernandez

World History

Patricia Andrews

April 16, 2020

Module 7

As stated by the CDC, “A pandemic is a global outbreak of disease. Pandemics happen when a new virus emerges to infect people and can spread between people sustainably. Because there is little to no pre-existing immunity against the new virus, it spreads worldwide.” A few weeks ago, March 11, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic, a disease caused by the new coronavirus (Sars-Cov-2). Since then, the term has not left the news. Outbreaks, on the other hand, occur when there is a sudden increase in the number of cases of the disease in a specific region. There is also a disease that is classified as endemic when it happens very often only in a specific location - not reaching other communities. A Pandemic is the worst because on a severity scale, it’s the most delicate case.

According to the CDC’s definition, a disease needs to impact the entire globe to be considered a pandemic, but I don’t think that a disease needs to impact every corner of the world to be considered a pandemic. I think this because any population affected by a rapidly spreading disease should be considered a pandemic because it’s still affecting a population. Smallpox killing native Americans after in contact with European conquerors is an example of a pandemic to me. 

There have been cases throughout history where there have been similar pandemics and outbreaks. Some occurred in 1792-1889. As discussed in module 5 a pandemic that I chose to focus on was the Great Plague Of London (1665-1666). This regional pandemic took place in Great Britain and started in April 1665. It spread pretty rapidly in the summer with an overall total of 75,000 deaths which is 15% of Great Britain’s population. This began because plague-infected rodents carrying fleas. The reason for it spreading so rapidly was because of the hot weather and because of how small fleas are. From this plague came more precautions from the people and more safety rules to help prevent another incident. 

Another incident was the Flu Pandemic of 1918. Between 1918 and 1920 an outbreak of influenza tore across the globe making it a pandemic. Over a third of the world’s population were affected and ending around 35 million peoples lives. What made this worse than other influenza outbreaks was the way it affected not just the young and old but even healthy adults. Even some children and others whose immune systems were weaker were still alive.

This pandemic has affected everyone worldwide and has put a strain on people and families around the globe. Many people have been affected and many people have passed away. By doing this social distancing and quarantine techniques we are slowing down the spread of COVID-19 while doctors and scientists work to find a vaccine. There are many people that aren’t following the rules and making this pandemic spread even more.  

This all happened so quick and no one was prepared for it. I think the working class is taking it especially hard and it’s affecting our economy. Many businesses have closed and we are only allowed to go out for essential things like groceries or if you are one of the lucky people, you go to work. This has affected everyone, myself included because my company put the majority of its workers on furlough. I had to move all my things out of my dorm room and move back home and to top it off our school is closing which adds the stress of where to go next. 

I think the hardest part of this pandemic is schooling. For many students, including myself, online learning isn’t for us and we are more hands-on workers. It’s very hard to maintain focus in online classrooms and we are still drowned in school work all at once while trying to adjust to the new system. Many teachers are understandable and flexible right now because of this change and that helps but many are still struggling. I hope that we are allowed out soon and everyone’s days can go semi-normal once again. We all know that the recovery won’t be an easy or simple process.

Citations

“Situation Summary.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 Mar. 2020, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/summary.html#:~:text=A pandemic is a global, pandemic by the WHO.

Staff. “Outbreak: 10 of the Worst Pandemics in History.” MPH Online, www.mphonline.org/worst-pandemics-in-history/.

Module 6

3)
There were many international circumstances and social changes contributed to the end of the colonial empires. One major thing that affected and weakened Europe was the world wars. It hurt Europe structurally and mentally. Mentally mainly because this just extinguished their superiority complex. The complexity was all they had and now that they just have nothing to support that.  Now the new big powers, the United States and the Soviet Union strongly opposed the European colonies. The connection between the European empires completely diminished and no further progress could be made. Also in these colonies western-educated elites rose up through the colonial world and were familiar with European culture, they were fully aware of the gap between its values and its practices.

4)

During this time the leaders of the movements for independence faced many difficult situations in order to fight for independence. Many of the obstacles they faced were plotting their strategies, recruiting members, and organizing political parties. In some regions of South Africa and the Portuguese territories, the leaders also used their military operations. Anti-colonial groups did struggle over the questions of power, leadership, and strategy even though they all had a common goal. Although these internal struggles between the anti-colonists rose they still had the same goal.

6)

 During the 1920s and 1930s, Gandhi became a leader in the Indian National Congress while also a lawyer as a western-educated elite. Gandhi was active and confrontational through a nonviolent method and had strategies of resistance that supported the foundation for the Indian independence movement creating Truth Force, political nonviolent philosophy. He also imposed nationalism, but opposed a modern industrial future for India. Gandhi had a major role in turning the Indian National Congress (INC) into a mass organization he also unified people with principles of duty and morality and even created a concept of India with both Muslims and Hindus. Gandhi wanted to unify them through a peaceful method.

Module 5

There have been many great plagues in our history including the one we are currently in that have severely affected the way we live. One pandemic that I chose to focus on was the Great Plague Of London (1665-1666). This pandemic took place in Great Britain and started in April 1665. It spread pretty rapidly in the summer with an overall total of 75,000 deaths which is 15% of Great Britain’s population. One of the main causes for the spreading of this was plague-infected rodents carrying fleas. The reason for it spreading so rapidly was because of the hot weather and because of how small fleas are. From this plague came more precautions from the people and more safety rules to help prevent another incident.

Module 4

Fascism was an ideology created in Europe during this time and it sought out to take away individualism, liberalism, feminism, parliamentary democracy, and communism. This ideology also praised violence against the enemy. Austria, Hungary, and Romania’s governments all took root in this movement. Another fascist power that rose during this time period was the Nazi Party of Germany led by Adolf Hitler who use this movement as a scapegoat for the country’s desperate need of leadership and also outlawing other political parties. 

For my research, I found how different this idea is to others and how this basically tries to destroy the other forms of government. I think it’s still in the world we live in today as our current president Donald Trump has done some things that would be considered fascist. For example, he is always blaming others for his mistakes and taking a hostile standpoint in order to protect his reputation. The government also has made the tendency to have race and poverty main factors in the economy.