Exam 6

Question: Were the Vikings "Barbarians"?

Thesis: Yes, Vikings are Barbarians.

Primary Source 1:
"Raids by seaborne Scandinavian pirates on sites in Britain, especially largely undefended monastic sites, began at the end of the eighth century AD. "

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings/overview_vikings_01.shtml

Primary Source 2:
" The Vikings were made up of landowning chieftains and clan heads, their retainers, freemen, and any energetic young clan members who sought adventure and booty overseas. "

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/628781/Viking

Primary Source 3:

Exam 5

Question:
What were Michelangelo's influences? Consider his works in fresco, sculpture, architecture, poetry and underlying humanist beliefs.

Thesis: Michelangelo's influences were the things that happened in his life and the events that occurred that inspired him to do the thinks he did.

Primary Source 1:
"Michelangelo was considered the greatest living artist in his lifetime, and ever since then he has been held to be one of the greatest artists of all times. "

http://www.all-art.org/early_renaissance/michelangelo1.html

Primary Source 2:
"1481 His mother died"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/02_february/05/divine_michelangelo_timeline.shtml

Primary source 3:


Explanation:
Michelangelo had many things in his life that influenced and inspired him to do the things he did. Many of his art pieces tell stories that relate to stories in his life and what he experienced.

Exam 4

Question: Do you think Alexander honestly felt like he was avenging Persian wrongs? Or was that just propaganda to mask his goal of conquest?

Thesis: Alexander honestly felt like he was avenging Persian wrongs.

Primary Source 1:
"The Battle of Issus. Darius's mother, wife and children taken captive by Alexander, as well as the immense state treasure of Persia."

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Curtius/home.html

Primary Source 2:
"the Macedonian king who defeated his Persian colleague Darius III Codomannus and conquered the Achaemenid Empire. During his campaigns"

http://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexander/alexander00.htm

Primary Source 3:
"When he arrived in Egypt, Alexander faced no resistance. The Egyptians were glad to be rid of the Persians, who forced Persian gods and customs upon them, and to welcome the Greeks, who liberated them and restored their liberties -- provided, of course, that they become allies of Alexander. "

http://www.the-orb.net/textbooks/westciv/alexander.html

Explanation:
Alexander honestly felt like he was avenging Persian wrongs because he was happy to have destroyed the Persians. He was proud of himself and many other people were proud of him.

Exam 3

Question:
What was the significance of the Black Death and the 100 Years' War to the development of Europe as we know it today?

Thesis: The significance of the Black Death and the 100 Years' War to the development of Europe as we know it today was it decreased the amount of population in Europe.

Primary Source 1:
"This is one reason why the Black Death marks a dividing line between the central Middle Ages, with medieval culture in full bloom and at its greatest strength, and the later Middle Ages. The later period was one of chronically reduced population. "

http://www.boisestate.edu/courses/westciv/plague/15.shtml

Primary Source 2:
"On average, between 30-45% of the general populace died in the Black Death of 1348-50."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/black_01.shtml#nine

Primary Source 3:

"During the epidemic the people who needed and bought many types of goods and services died,…."

http://books.google.com/books?id=yw3HmjRvVQMC&pg=PA62&dq&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false

Explanation:
The Black Death killed much of the Europe population and they have had a hard struggle to come back from the great loss. Their death rate increased a lot. Also their economy fell due to Black Death.

Exam 2

Question: Who is a better model for modern historians: Herodotus or Thucydides? Why?

Thesis: Herodotus is a better model for modern historians because he was lived through much more and had much more educational background.

Primary Source 1:
"Greek historian, called the Father of History, was born at Halicarnassus in Asia Minor, then dependent upon the Persians, in or about the year 484 B.C. "

11th Brittanica: Herodotus

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/eb11-herodotus.html


Primary Source 2:
"THESE are the researches of Herodotus of Halicarnassus, which he
publishes, in the hope of thereby preserving from decay the
remembrance of what men have done, and of preventing the great and
wonderful actions of the Greeks and the Barbarians from losing their
due meed of glory; and withal to put on record what were their grounds
of feuds."

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/herodotus-history.txt

Primary Source 3:
"He seems to have made but few journeys, one to Crotona, one to Metapontum, and one to Athens (about 430 B.C.) being all that his work indicates." 

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/eb11-herodotus.html



Explanation:
Herodotus had a better education than Thucydides. He had a background of better more important things. He lived through a lot and it improved and gave him a better education. He wrote many things to prove he had a good education. He traveled the world to many places which helped enhance his education.

Exam 1

Question: Why do you think so many conspiracy theories surround the pyramids and the megaliths?

Thesis:
So many conspiracy theories surround the pryamids because they are widely known around the world but not much information is given about them. we do not have a lot of background information on the pyramids and they are a big deal in Egypyt.

Primary Source 1:

Builders arrange a variety of megaliths from Wales at Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain. Although the exact use and meaning of the structure remains unexplained, it probably served in a ceremony associated with the changing of the seasons.

Source:Western and Central Europe, 2000–1000 B.C. | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/?period=03®ion=euw#/Key-Events

Primary Source 2:

"However, there are actually over 100 pyramids in Egypt, many of which are relatively unknown to anyone who is not an ancient Egypt enthusiast. "

Source: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/pyramids.htm

Primary Source 3:

"Djoser's Step Pyramid is generally considered the first tomb in Egypt to be built entirely of stone. "

Source: http://www.arthistory.upenn.edu//zoser/zoser.html

Explantation:
In Egypt everyone knows about pyramids. They may not know a lot about them, but they do know about them. when most people think of Egypt they think of pyramids. We do not have very much background education on them so theories were made up to fill in the blanks of what we do not know.

Battle of Tours Prezi

http://prezi.com/1iolwongnvcr/the-battle-of-tours/">The Battle of Tours on http://prezi.com">Prezi

Review

1. Mesopotamia
• Code of Hammurabi
• First code of law
• Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth
• Ziggurat
• Temple
• Eden is a place within Mesopotamia
• Mesopatamia
• Birth place of civilization
• First writing
• First law
• First mathematics
•  monumental architecture
2. Egypt
• Pharoah
• Tombs hold the remains of the pharoahs
• Ka
• Mummification
• Nile flows north
• Pharoah becomes symbol
3. Greece
• King minos
• Indus valley culture fell
• Trojan war
4. Academic Writing
•  

1066

Futule  system

Once you are a knight you must stay a knight

Live a peasant you die as a peasant no changing.

Midevil turned to the bibles and teaching of the churches all the time

Three categories

Animals

Humans

Spirit beings

Scared of the unknown

They believed the world was going to end very soon

They focused on social classes

Kings

Nobles/knights

Peasants/serfs

Slaves

Killer had to pay if they killed someone

Black Death

Also known as the bubonic plague

1300 the gothic period

They filled the catapult with dead bodies

1348-1350 many men died

Week 10

England rises in power in 14 century

Hundred years war is broken into three different phases

Edwardian War

Caroline War

Lancastrian War

1455 Johann Gutenberg first bible 

Notes

Dangerous past

Major trading center was Florence

Florence was the place to be

Pope John 23- remembered his friends Medici when he became pope.

Built the largest dome in the world but failed

Without a dome you don’t have a sacred village

Cracked egg and it stood up so the dome was created

Sandstone rings would hold structure together

Medici died

Cosimo found guilty and he must face execution now 

Medici

Juliano Medici Stabbed 19 times died instantly

Wanted divorce by pope would not grant henery the 8th the divorce

So he splits from roman catholic church

New church is created

Queen Elizabeth of England

Came to thrown in 1555 when she was 25

Childhood was key to her life

"elizabethan age"

Anne had a daughter and then miscarried a boy so he dumped her because she could not produce a son for him

Assainate Elizabeth

1587 mary was beheaded

Bruteleshki

Invented perspective

Built dome in Florence

 Civil war started because of Michelangelo in Florence.

After nine years of exile the medici arrives in rome

Renaissance Food

Tarte of Strawberies.

Seson your Strawberyes with sugar, a very little Sinamon, a little ginger, and so cover them with a cover, and you must lay upon the cover a morsell of sweet Butter, Rosewater and Sugar, you may Ice the cover if you will, you must make your Ice with the white of an egge beaten, and Rosewater and Sugar.

Pasted from <http://jducoeur.org/Cookbook/Cookrye.html>

Pasted from <http://jducoeur.org/Cookbook/Cookrye.html>

Review

Invasion on Carthage

Romans invade the Carthage

Rome comes back from the 3rd Punic War as the superpower

Greeks tried to revolt but they crushed them so they didn’t revolt anymore

Optamarus vs. poptumares

Caesar ran against people and got all the votes but the people he ran against now hate him

Battle of  Tours:

Primary source

Encylopedia

Pictures

The Code of Hammurabi

http://animoto.com/play/c90hFs7rhFX0p2uDpmmYXQ#

Ancient Greece Map

Is a Monarchy or Democracy More Successful?

Monarchies and democracies are two different types of government systems. These are systems that are used in the government to separate the power. A monarchy is type of government which the power is given to one person or individual and they are the leader, or controller. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/monarchy+) A democracy is a type of government system in which the power is given to the people. It can be given directly to the people or the people have the power of election, to elect someone. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/democracy)  The monarchy system was mainly used in the past times and power and power countries are switching to democracy. In the United States today we use the democracy system. Democracy is more effective than monarchy because it is a more advanced and developed government system.

                One place monarchy was used is England. England used to use a monarchy government system. There were wars that broke out because everyone wanted to be the monarch. This caused a lot of tension and problems. Since this happened Tudors were used. The use of Tudors ended when the death of “Virgin Queen” occurred in 1603. (http://www.royal.gov.uk/HistoryoftheMonarchy/KingsandQueensofEngland/KingsandQueensofEngland.aspx) The monarch in England didn’t last very long and caused tension in problems within its own country and breaking it apart. Scotland is also a place where monarchy used to be used and also ended in 1603. Both the countries monarchs ended in 1603 but the United Kingdom’s monarchy had just begun at that time.  This happened because the English and Scottish Crowns separated. This left the United Kingdom alone as a single monarchy. Although many changes have occurred within the United Kingdom’s monarchy they still use it today. (http://www.royal.gov.uk/HistoryoftheMonarchy/KingsandQueensoftheUnitedKingdom/KingsandQueensoftheUnitedKingdom.aspx) Scotland also once used a monarchy.  One single king took control and started to govern most of Scotland by himself making Scotland a monarchy. The monarchy caused and instigated many wars within Scotland. The Union of Crowns occurred in 1603 when Scotland and England separated. Two crowns are now under one, the queen. (http://www.royal.gov.uk/HistoryoftheMonarchy/Scottish%20Monarchs(400ad-1603)/KingsandQueensofScotland.aspx) The queen is the monarch or leader of them. Queen Elizabeth is a widely known monarch today. In monarchies the deciding factor of who is the monarch is mainly hereditary.

                Democracies are very widely used throughout the world. Although, there are more commonly used today rather than past times. Democracy lets all the people have a say on what is going to be done and happen. The first democracy started in Athens in 510 BC. Once other countries saw how well the democracy was working in Athens they adopted they idea into their country until many countries were using it. That is why today so many places are using democracy rather than Athens. It works better because people are not fighting as much because everyone as a say. The ways things get decided in democracies are by voting. In the voting majority rules so the majority of the people are happy and pleased with the decision. (http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/government/democracy.htm) Democracy is better for the people because they get to decide what works best for them. Monarchies caused to much tension and problems within the own country.  Many places today use democracies and have been successful. Starting a while ago and still being used today, democracies have changed a lot and have been greatly altered to work better for the countries. (http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/democrat.html). The U.S is a good example of a recent country using democracy and we have been very successful.

                Although monarchies are a good way to rule the government democracy works better for the people and makes more people happy. Monarchies cause to much problems and tension within the own country. Democracies allow everyone to be involved and have many ways to maintain the power to everyone and avoid one person gaining all power and destroying the country. Democracies is a more successful government system rather than monarchies.

Works Cited

"Ancient Democracy - History for Kids!" Kidipede - History and Science for Kids - Homework Help for Middle School. Web. 23 May 2010. .

"Democracies of the World." Piero Scaruffi's Knowledge Base. Web. 23 May 2010. .

"Democracy) | Define Democracy) at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 23 May 2010. .

"Gold Crown on Flickr - Photo Sharing!" Welcome to Flickr - Photo Sharing. Web. 23 May 2010. .

"Monarchy | Define Monarchy at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 23 May 2010. .

"Page Not Found." Web. 23 May 2010. .

RelAddImage('/Legacy%20Assets/unsorted%20images/athelstan_lrg.jpg','/Legacy%20Assets/unsorted%20images/athelstan_lrg(88x128).jpg' Web. 23 May 2010. .

Web. 23 May 2010. .

               

                        

Do you think Leonardo deserved the title "Genius"?

Yes I think Leonardo deserved the title "Genius" because he was very smart. He had a lot of knowledge that many people living in the same time as him couldn’t even understand. He was very smart and his mind was always working. "Leonardo wrote in Italian using a special kind of shorthand that he invented himself." (http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/LeonardoRighttoLeft.html)  He invented his own way of writing so nobody could read and steal his work. He thought of this way of writing himself and nobody could figure out to read it at first.  No one could figure out his way of thinking and he learned most of his things on his own. He did not have all the background knowledge and tools we have to help us think of good ideas and smart plans. He was so smart and had such a good mind he could think of it on his own. 

 "Leonardo: Right to Left." Museum of Science, Boston | Home. Web. 12 May 2010. .

History of Scotland from the 14th to 16th Century

In 1314 Robert the Bruce defeated the English at Bannockburn. In 1320 Scottish gained Independence. In 1371 Robert II becomes the first Stewart King. In 1402 the English defeat the Scots. In 1513 James IV and many other Scots were killed at Flodden. In 1568 Mary, Queen of Scots, flees to England following the defeat of her army at the Battle of Langside. In 1578 James VI takes over government from his regent, James Douglas. In 1587 Mary is beheaded by the order of Queen Elizabeth I of England.

"Timeline of Scottish History." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 01 June 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Scottish_history>.

Is Exploration a Good Thing?

Exploration is a good thing. Exploration as defined by dictionary.com is “the investigation of unknown regions.” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/exploration).   It has many advantages that come a long with it that make it positive. It has advanced the world today and made it become what is is. Exploration plays a huge role in advancing the world. Explore is a verb that can be used in many different instances and people can explore many different things. Exploration is a good thing because without it we wouldn’t know many of the things we know today. Exploration helped us discover many things in the past, present, and future.

                Some of the things people can explore are places. Think about it, without exploration would Christopher Columbus have discovered America. Probably, no because he was an explorer and he found this by exploring the land around him. He traveled the world and was exploring around and in 1492 he came across America. (http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/1492.exhibit/c-Columbus/columbus.html). People in this world have jobs to be explorers. They spend their lives exploring different things. By exploring the world you will find new things like land, objects, or even people. Many things are out in the world waiting to be discovered. As people study the past they look back and analyze many of the things that happened. Some of the ways the analyze things is study the grounds of past locations and try to find objects that made lead them to new discoveries. By exploring the time period of The Renaissance we discovered many fabulous pieces of art designed back that. Some of this art is useful today.  We have explored the past and have came up with many explanations for things. Because of exploration we have discovered many ancient Renaissance pieces of art. The art from The Renaissance had a lot of meaning. The artist put a lot of work into their art and it all had meaning. It meant something to the artist and by looking at a piece of art you could tell a lot about how the artist was feeling or some of their beliefs. Inn one painting an artist painted their image of hell on one side and one side paradise. In the middle is a group of people following a ritual in a community pool. There is a story behind what hey are doing and behind that picture that the artist is trying to get across to the viewer. Many hidden messages were put in the artwork.  (http://ht.ly/1GeOt). Many artist today do the same thing, they will put hidden messages in their artwork for the viewer to interpret. Viewers who look at the painting may interpret the art work completely different from each other and even what the artist was hoping to get out of it. Art can be interpreted in many different ways. By exploring the art we can find these different meanings. That is one way you can explore objects. By exploring these things it can help us interpret things now and in the future. What we know that happened in the past is always helpful knowledge in the present and future.

                The use of exploration can help us gain a lot of information and help us learn a lot. We can explore many things like land, people, and objects. Each of these things as its own advantages when it comes to exploring it. In the time of The Renaissance we explore more objects, more specifically art.  They are many different pieces of Renaissance art. Each one tells its own story and has its own deeper meaning then what is just painted or drawn on. The artist has the intention of sending a deeper message through his use of art. When we explore this art we learn it’s deeper meanings.

"Exploration | Define Exploration at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 10 May 2010. .

Search, In. "1492 -- Christopher Columbus." Ibiblio.org - Travel and the Outdoors. Web. 10 May 2010. .

"YouTube - Northern Renaissance - Image Wars 1/6." Ow.ly - Shorten Urls, Share Files and Track Visits - Owly. Web. 10 May 2010. .

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OrteliusWorldMap1570.jpg

Which Has a Bigger Impact, External or Internal Exploration?

I think internal exploration of human understand has a greater long-term impact on society rather than external exploration. Humans use the information found in internal exploring more than they do external exploring. We use our exploration of human understanding everyday and it benefits us greatly. We have improved our ways of external exploration because of our internal exploration. Since our internal exploration has such a great impact it has made our external exploration because we have invented new tools and techniques to help us. For example we now have shovels, microscopes, computers, and we are smarter which helps us better explore. 

Reflection to Alien Article

I agree with Hawking. I do not think we should be trying to contact the other life because next thing you know they will be taking over earth. "aliens might simply raid Earth for resources, then move on." This could very likely happen if we associate with the aliens and try to talk them. If one thing goes wrong the could ruin our lives forever. I think we should not try to contact them and keep our lives the way the are. By contacting them it is totally going to change our lives. 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/04/aliens_stephen_hawking.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/madslucky13/3887916047/

What Do You Think?

Thinking is something that is different for each person.  Each person has a different brain and the way it works may vary.  Something that may cause people to think differently is their social classes. Based upon what social class you are born into can determine the type of thinking you do.  Everybody’s brain works differently based on what you do and how you act. Although people can be thinking about the same things what or how they think about them can differ. The views of the people in each social class are influenced by the way the people act and what they do causing each person to think differently.

            In the medieval times the people were broken up into many social classes. These social classes included, the knights, merchants, nuns, and peasants. (http://ht.ly/1F8XK) Each one of these classes had different views on life which caused their brains to think differently. For example peasants think more of how to survive in life not plan for the future. They are more worried about the present. They were treated so poorly and not wealthy at all surviving was something very difficult for them. This is why they lived in the present and not the past of future.  “Hence it happens that, abandoning their own dear country, the inhabitants of that land are forced to flee to that most cruel nation, the Lombards.” http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/600Theisles.html). They were worried about the present and didn’t plan very well so they were forced to flee. Each person’s brain is wired to think differently based on the lifestyle they live. Knights lived a violent fighting lifestyle so their mind was wired to fighting and violence. The way they thought always involved fighting. Someone was always the bad guy and the solved all problems by fighting. Not only were they trained to fight but also to protect their fellow citizens. They were guards and in charge to protect the land at which they live on. “Around the age of 13, the boy was apprenticed to a knight and became a squire. He was taught skill with the sword, lance, and shield and he learned the duties and responsibilities of a knight.” (http://ht.ly/1F8XK). At such a young age they are trained how to live their life and how to act and think according to being a knight so as they get older it becomes naturally to them and it becomes their normal way of thinking. Just based upon how these people live their lives it is apparent that they way people think is different and depends upon how you act and your lifestyle.

            In modern day, people also think different. Just like in medieval times it depends on your lifestyle and how you act. Two people could be thinking about the same exact thing but have different views and opinions on it. They way the interpret it can vary causing their thinking not to be the same.  If something simple like a piece a string and two people are each asked its purpose completely different answers could be given. One person might say a bracelet and the other might say it is used to tie something together. Both of these answers are right but are different based on the way the person thinks. They interpreted it differently. A person who thinks more about style would say it is a bracelet and someone who puts things together would use the other answer. Each person is different causing them to think differently also. Thinking can involve many different things and is influenced by many things. Any little thing can cause a huge change in the way someone thinks. No matter what time period it is people think differently and this is varied by the social class people are in, and they way they live their life.

"Choose a Guide." Ow.ly - Shorten Urls, Share Files and Track Visits - Owly. Web. 04 May 2010. .

"Choose a Guide." Ow.ly - Shorten Urls, Share Files and Track Visits - Owly. Web. 04 May 2010. .

"Medieval Sourcebook: Pope Gregory the Great: Concerning Taxation in Sardinia, Corsica, and Sicily, C 600." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 04 May 2010. .

http://www.flickr.com/photos/17657816@N05/1971827663/ 

12th Century Renaissance

What was the 12the century renaissance

The 12th Century Renaissance is a time period in which many changes occurred in the middle ages. These changes were social, economical, and political. Many new inventions occurred and advancements were made. Some inventions include a compass. Contact with other countries as something that also increased, being a social change. Although the Black Death occurred many good changes occurred that helped the country.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_of_the_12th_century#Notes

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brújula_azimutal_española_s.XVIII_(M.A.N._Madrid)_01.jpg

Medieval Stained Glass Movie

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Medieval Knights Movie

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Medieval Architecture Movie

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

French Gothic Architecture and British Architecture

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AUJD3KI7IZ17ZGdocDRoa3JfMTZjd2ZrbW5mNg&hl=en

this is the link to my google docs because blogger wouldn't let me upload my pictures.

Favorite Artwork for Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

My favorite piece of artwork from France, 1000-1400 AD was Chrismatory.  This was a small box decorated with angles all around the outside. It would be used to hold many different things like oils and chrisms for baptism and other purposes. I liked this piece of artwork because it is very colorful and I like the designs on the outside of it. This box was used to store many different things. They come in different designs but this design was catchy to my eye because of the colors and beautiful angles on the outside. 

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/17.190.853

^ picture source and information source. 

What's So Wrong With Social Orders?

Social Orders are bad for many reasons. One reason they are so bad is because you are born into the class and are not allowed to change. It doesn’t give you the chance to define who you are, it is given to you. In medieval time periods there were many social orders. Some of them were slaves, peasants, aristocrats, and knights. People were but in these orders based on their heritage and the rest of their family. When they are born they are already put into a social order.

                People never got the chance to choose who they wanted to be. Today we have the chance to succeed and become an upper-class person. In medieval times they were stuck with what they were born with. Some peasants could be smart and have the ability to be aristocrats but they were never given the chance so they remained peasant. Slaves were slaves from the time they were born until the time of their death. They never got to be a part of any other social class. Once you were a knight you must stay a knight no matter how hard you try and how much you do not like it you will always be a knight. This forces many people in life to do things they may not feel comfortable doing or do not like doing. They never get the chance to change and they die miserable because they are forced to do things they do not want to. Social Orders always break the unity of a country. Instead of letting everyone be one and equal they have different social classes. Most of the people only associate with their social class because it is who they are with all the time. It is good to have unity in the nation because it shows that the nation is one and together fighting strong to survive. The medieval sourcebook said “a social system based on a society in which peasant agriculture is the fundamental productive activity; in which slavery is non-existent or marginal but peasants are tied to the land in some way; and in which a small elite defined by military activity dominates.” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook1i.html#Feudalism) This shows that the classes were separated and people were treated differently, not equally base on their social order. The three main social orders were monks and priests, nobles and knights, and peasants. Each of these groups were treated differently based on who they were. Peasants were treated a lot poorer then monks and priest because their social order was not as high. Peasants were similar to slaves because they could be bought and sold. They were not treated as people but more as property. Once you were a peasant you must die as a peasant. This is unfair because they never got the chance to be treated equally and were treated poorly even if they did not deserve it. They were put in their social order based on their family and could not help that. They spent their life working for their owner and doing anything as long as they were working and helping. Nobles were the ones who owned the peasants. They controlled them and lived a better life because they never had to do much work since they owned peasants. This is not good because they never learned to live on their own and do their own work. If something were to happen to their peasant they would not be able to survive without them. Power and equality is different today than it was then. Today people have the same equal rights and everyone is treated equal. The power is given to the people and not just a handful of people. People cannot be bought and sold and used like property because everyone is equal. No one is better than someone else. Although the peasants tried multiple times to became free they would get punished and always stay a peasant. “But if the slave tried to cry out, or to move from one place to another, a naked sword threatened him; and he found great enjoyment in the man's tears.” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/575Rauching.html) The peasants tried to act out and become free but they could not. It is unfair to people who have the ability to be smart upperclassmen but they are not given the chance because of the social order they were placed when they were born. Social orders are unfair and break the unity of a nation. 

Works Cited

FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 23 Apr. 2010. .

"Medieval Sourcebook: Crisis, Recovery, Feudalism?" FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 23 Apr. 2010. .

IMAGE FROM: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Kulikov_In_a_peasant's_house.jpg

Deadly Disease Short Story

Once upon a time  in 1732 in a place called Weeble Land  there was a deadly disease. No one knew what this disease was or how it came to be. But people started to turn green and brown. It starts with one body part and continues  until your body is a completely different color. Chunks of hair would fall off of their bodies until there was no hair left. It hit people at different times and in large groups. So you would see multiple people walking down the street with no hair and green bodies. No doctor or scientist could figure out how or why this was happening and it really started to scare the region.  This started happening to everyone and after they lost their hair, leaves and grass started to grow out of their follicles.  They continued their life as they would any normal day and acted like nothing happened. They didn’t feel bad but they looked bad and went through weird transformation. Although it took a long time eventually the whole population turned into trees and bushes! They would keep their feet and would be able to walk for about a 2 week period. Then they would be stuck in the spot once they lost their legs. This is the end of the transformation and they are now fully trees. Weeble Land lost its whole population and is now what you know as the Amazon Rainforest.

Image from: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:7_-_Itahuania_-_Août_2008.JPG 

Knight Job Application

1. Q. What are some good qualities that you think would make you a good knight for King Arthur?
A: I think that I am intelligent, and well-prepared for battle, if I need to be in it. I can do many jobs, and I am very handy. Though King Henry II never made me a soldier, I think that I would be good at that as well as any other job.
2. Q. Would you be able to work with any horse that King Arthur gives you, regardless of any previous experience with it? (instead of a horse you bring with you).
A: Yes. I can work with trained or untrained horses, so either way, I can work well. However, if possible, I would like to work with my own horse, because we have had time to get to know each other, and I believe that I would be most productive with my own animal.
3. Q. What sticks out most about you that would make you a better knight above other applicants?
A: I think that I am particularly good at adapting to any situation. I can move from being a soldier to guarding a castle, to almost anything else. If you need me to do a job, I can try to the best of my ability to fulfill that task in the most productive way possible. Many people are not able to do this, and I think it is one quality that makes me a more superior candidate.
4. Q. What are your expectations out of this job?
A: I hope to serve the people and King Arthur to the best of my ability by being a Knight of the Round Table. Since I was young, I have always wanted to be in such a noble position as a knight, and this would be the ideal job for me.
5. Q. Prior experience with horseback riding?
A: Yes, I ride horses everywhere I go. In order to get into town, I need to ride a horse. 
6. Q. Who have you worked for? Kings/ Queens?
A: I have worked for King Henry II. He made me stand at the gate of his castle and make sure no intruders came in. 
7. Q. Do you own a horse?
A: Yes, I have owned this one horse for quite some time that is very well trained. 
8. Q. Have you ever taken part in a battle?
A: No, I have never been in a battle before. King Henry II never made me a soldier. I want to get this job to protect the people and the king. If that means participating in war, I wouldn’t mind a bit. 
9. Q. Do you know how to handle and work with weapons?
A.I have never been in battle and had to handle weapons but I do know how to handle things like knives and swords.
10. Q. Do you have any family you will be leaving while your at battle?
A: I do have a family. I am married and have three children. I have prepared my family in case that I get this job for me not being home and told them everything. They want me to have this job and wish for me to fulfill my dreams.
11. Q. Do you know the responsibilities of a knight and that you are responsible for protecting yourself and the rest of the army.
A: Yes, I realize that I am responsible for protecting myself and the rest of the army. They are like my family and once I become a knight I will look out for them and protect them like there are my own family. IMAGE FROM: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blind_beholder/3575959910/

How is Blogger Helpful in Class?

Blogger is helpful in Western Civilization  class because you can post things worldwide that everyone can  look at.  This is helpful because people can leave comments on how you did and how you can improve it or give their views. Also people in your class can look at it for ideas and they can help you by leaving comments. It is a way for anyone to look at your writing and give you feedback on it. It is very helpful because you can get a lot of information and help each other.

How was the Medieval concept of power and equality different from our contemporary concept?

The medieval concept of power and equality is very different than our concept today. In medieval times people were born into their class and that decided the amount of power they had. Today everyone has an equal chance to succeed in life and have a lot of power. In the medieval times you weren't given a chance the chance was given to you based on your heritage. We have the idea of equality in our lives today. We are not categorized into groups like they were in the medieval times. Not everyone was treated equal because some people were in a higher class. Today by law everyone is treated equally and there is no discrimination. Today is different because we are given equal opportunities and not treated based on our heritage and family background. 

image from:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Medieval_armor.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaHvtxFqxjc&feature=related

Describe the Medieval Imagination

The medieval imagination was based mainly on religious beliefs. They were very prepared for things they tought might happen. Their mind was set to always be prepared and they questioned things they weren't sure would even happen. For example, they debated weather or not they should preach to a dog head if they every saw one. It had a human soul so they weren't sure if they should preach to it. They never saw this and it was pretty unlikely that they ever would but they wanted to be prepared. They believed the world was going to end and wanted to be as prepared as possible for when it does. Today we find some of these things crazy but it is the way their minds and imaginations worked and what they thought.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Oj92Ns4Oa0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf2MogoekeE&feature=related

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Assassins2-alamut.jpg

Do human beings have an innate instinct to be free?

Yes, humans have an innate instinct to be free, especially citizens in the United States. In the United States we have a lot of freedom. We have freedom of speech, and can do many things on our own.  We have a lot of freedom with what we do but we also have laws to keep us maintained and under control. In America we focus a lot on freedom and equality without letting our country get out of hand.  The statue of liberty is one way we show our freedom in the United States. The idea developed from a roman goddess that stand for freedom of many things. Making a statue was one way she show we are a free country. Since we have these privileges it is instinct to be free and many humans would not know any better. 

Sources:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution

http://www.nps.gov/archive/stli/prod02.htm#Statue of

image from: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Statue-de-la-liberte-new-york.jpg

Why do you think the Church and the monasteries became the centers of learning?

The church and monasteries became the centers of learning because people trusted them and believed their teachings. The people follow their church leaders and will learn from them because they trust them and want to know the knowledge of God that the leaders have.  They base everything they know on the bible and their Gods. Learning from the church will give them more knowledge about their Gods and help them to become smarter. The Charta Caritatis says that "also that there shall be sedulously directed to God prayers, beseechings and exhortations as well for me as for all, according to the order in which mention has been made of them above." God helps them with everything they know so their churches become the center of their learning.  

Primary Source: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/chart-cluny.html 

Image From: Wikimedia Commons