The study of history is the study of change over time Essay Example for Free

The study of history is the study of change over condemnation EssaySoils of America and immature(prenominal) push throughs of the world speak volumes of the breath taking accords and blood streaming accounts of travelers, explorers, pilgrims, discoverers, traders etc. from several says crossways Europe cutting across the vagaries of oceans to pay their take in way for in the altogether avenues and opportunities entermed to be waiting for them. Efforts to make their permanent settlements after their long and arduous voyage into the lands of America and other places across oceans bore the testament to the beginning of new profound unless conflicting relationships between them and non Europeans which time and once again saw several changes. This essay will explore in depth the vicious account of 1620 when Pilgrims dropped their mainstay at Plymouth, their efforts to settle in the land previously intermeshed by aborigine Indians and their relations with them from the pictural account of Nathaniel Philbrick in his mayflower. And in comparison to it, the brutalities, atrocities and exploitation of King Leopold II of Belgium on the slaves and other natives of central Africa in King Leopolds Ghost by Adam Hochschild. Exploitation of slaves in the name of development was the earmark of the favorable and political construes of the colonies established by Europeans.Hothschild found that The nineteenth light speed European drive for possessions in Africa, the moral rationalization of the civilizing mission was used to justify colonialism (Nolan, online), and the biggest example of this moment was the formation of Leopols multinational African Association (IAA) in 1876. This association was the result of the concourse held by famous explorers in Brussels. The conference was opened by King Leopold speech, To open to civilization the exclusively part of our globe which it has not only penetrated, to pierce the darkness which hangs over entire pe oples, is, I dare say, a crusade worthy of this century of progress. (Hothschild, 44)The main aim of the conference was the abolishment of Arab slave trade, securing peace among the chiefs, and negotiations justly and impartially, but in line of reasoning to it Leopold assigned Henry Morton Stanley to study and explore interiors of Congo. He said, Im sure if I quite openly supercharged Stanley with the task of taking possession in my name of some part of Africa, the face will stay me So I think Ill just give Stanley some job of exploration which would spoil no one, and will give us the bases and headquarters which we can take over later on. (Hothschild, 58)He studied in detail the types of colonialism of Dutch East Indies, British form of colonizing of India and Africa. He was greatly inspired by the book Java or How to Manage a Colony, by English lawyer JWB silver, because it gave him techniques for various forms of exploitations in vast colonies. This made Leopold to establi sh his position on importance of forced labor, whereby he said, Forced labor is the only way to civilize and uplift these indolent and corrupt peoples of the Far East. (Hothschild, 37) amid the years 1885 to 1908, there were around fin to eight meg labors under the barbaric rule and little scourge of Leopold. When Hochschild himself read about these acts of barbarism, he was forced to rebuke at his ignorance of horrors of such a magnitude. From then on the account that Hochschild provided made King Leopolds Ghost as an articulate historical version of the slain truth that would always remain a brutal wound in the heart of history.In introduction only Hochschild said, unlike other great predators of history, from Genghis Khan to the Spanish conquistadors, King Leopold II neer saw a drop of blood spilt in anger. He never set foot in the Congo. There is something very modern about that, too, as there is about the bomber pilot in the stratosphere, above the clouds, who never hears screams or sees shattered homes or torn flesh. (Hochschild, 4)As compared to it, Mayflower is a struggle of pilgrims to create place for themselves in Plymouth and maintain cordial relationship with native Americans. It is on one hand tragic and on the other hand heroic and profound. Nathaniel Philbrick gave a live account while on his research for Mayflower of 102 passengers who set down at Prince town harbor in 1620 only to be welcomed by the wilderness of the place and was greeted by future governor William Bradford. There were very few trees and no man in site, as they were virtually wiped out by the series of plague and when Pilgrims reached there they only found whitened bones of the dead people lying scattered along the shoreline.From this place, Pilgrims decided to settle and began their new life but it was not blowsy for them. They not only had to face physical challenges but also attitude of argument and bitter animosity from the locals who considered them as stranger s. Only Wampanoag chief Massasoit was the person to help them without whom their survival would not view as been possible at all. More than half of English settlers died and few that survived observed their first anniversary with grace feast.But as and as population of English increased, natives felt to a greater extent threatened and there arose new kind of wars between the two. In 1675, Philip, son of Massasoits struck against the English settlers, which came to be known as King Philips war. The effect of war curtly began to be felt by English settlers in other parts too and soon more than half of the towns were burned or vacated.The war lasted for xiv months but was considered as bloodiest than civil war. More than 5000 out of total population of 70,000 were killed, but in the abate there was victory of pilgrims. Though never a close bond existed between the English and natives to date they negotiated with each other to maintain peaceful coexistence, but greediness took over the next generation.The day Pilgrims landed at Plymouth to this day is celebrated as Thanksgiving Holy Day as gesture to Native Indians for their help and food that they shared with their ancestors.As soon as pilgrims established their settlements on Plymouth, immigration from other European states began at a much larger scale. Between the years 1815-1860, 1865-1890 and between 1890-1914, more than five million immigrants especially from English, Irish, Germanic, Scandinavian, and from northwestern Europe had already made their bases in America. And between 1890-1914, 15 million Turkish, Lithuanian, Russian, Jewish, Greek, Italian and Romania came with the lure of the greener former(prenominal)ures. (Schultz, 1999) The direct effect of civilization was the supply cheap labor that gave boost to the economy.With the immigration economic and social conditions of America began to take a new shape and when Industrial revolution began to maneuver signs of promises of better life for a ll, there was the growth of middle class. By the end of civil war and 1910, more than 25 million people from as far as Italy, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Russia, Turkey, Lithuania, Romania were associating themselves with rural Americans for jobs and many new opportunities. They brought with them their own varied enculturation and religious practices and made their presence felt in every arena of social and economic activities and democracy was taken by immigrants in an enthusiastic spirit.K. Schultz said, They would often fell into deep emotions and crying fell down their cheeks when they would set their eyes at her. European immigrants would cry with happiness at the ruling of escaping autocratic regimes and entering into an egalitarian, democratic society and those who were evading famines and poverty would weep at the thought of riches and an easy life that they were expecting in store for them. He further said, To all of them, Lady Liberty symbolized a new beginning. (Schultz, 1 999)By the end of 1990, the population of United States had already touched 75,994,575 mark and despite of restrictions by the Government on immigration processes, settlers had laid their basis in the American soils and intermingled with the contemporary social culture of America. As said by Evert Louhi in 1925, American Civilization, and of all civilizations, in the past, today and forever. (Hoglund, 146) He further stated that, Their descendents were the first real Americans. (Hoglund, 146)On the other side is the grim picture of Africa shown by Adam Hochschild. When America was on a development stage, Africa was being more colonized. When in 1890 there was a rubber boon- result of John Dunlops invention of bicycle tyre, Leopard took advantage of the situation and soon occupied vast stretches of rubber lands of Africa and initiated a brutal system of forced labor.Troops would make their entry into the villages, claim children and women hostages to the point of time till men would bring their share of rubber. The extent of the brutality can be cl early reflected in these lines. A whip of raw, sun-dried hippopotamus hide, cut into a long sharp-edged cork-screw strip. (Hochschild, 120) Rape, murder, remnant and exploitations reduced the population of Congo to half and brought Leopold a fortune of more than $1 billion.Black American evangelist George Shappard, Edward Dene Morel and Roger Casement showed their grave resentment and strived to bring the atrocites of Leopald in front of the world. He got the Congo Protest gag rule passed in the British Parliament in May 1903, still atrocities continued and when Leopold died, he left bunghole totally devastated Congo.The European and American history is a history of colonizers over colonized and a bequest of temperaments and attitude of Europeans towards their Native neighbors. Both American and Africa culminated into the colonies of the Europeans powers though with slight deviations. In America, Europeans occupi ed the Native lands and Pilgrims who were the early settlers tried to maintain their relationship with natives though not cordial, but in Africa it was total subjugation of the European powers. Blacks were turned to slaves, caught and brought to America to work on the plantations in America.The legacy of the relationship between Europeans and non-Europeans brought before us one crucial aspect exploitation in the name of progress and development. Europeans who were considered to be the most civilize societies went on development spree at the cost of other ethnic races belonging to different origins and races. The Oxford English dictionary defined Civilization as advanced state of human society (History Guide, online edition) but when we find at the history of the man as shown by Nathaniel Philbrick, we are raised with the questions, Civilization as in comparison to what?Is it to sow the seeds of barbarism to cultivate civilization? If we look at our history, we will see that the h istory of world is also the history of immigration-immigration for the lure of greener pastures. The discoveries by anthropologists on the remains of the human beings in the past few decades also revealed the fact that immigration had been a continuous process since centuries and the basis of the whole relationship between the Europeans and Non Europeans is based on immigration. The immigrants began to feel the alien lands as their own and from there began their scourge journey of life towards exploitation to get richer resources the lands provided.But with the promises of democracy and easy life with dreams of riches, immigrants themselves began to witness numerous hardships in the name of caste, religion, sex and their ethnic origin. The pilgrims who had rooted the deeper roots in America with their toil and blood soon became the land of several races and religions but the Native Americans who were original residents of America were disgruntled lot. They too had to bear the destr oy of slavery, subjugation and racism in the name of development.Africas picture was different. This place was never able to see the development and economic progress. Its economy was devastated. America was flourishing and Africa was languishing with poor fatigued people and so as other colonies of the world occupied by Europeans.REFERNCE LISTHochschild, Adam. King Leopolds GhostA story of greed, terror and heroism in colonial Africa. Mariner Books, 1998.Hoglund, Arthur William. Finnish Immigrants in America, 1880-1920 New Hampshire Ayer Company, 1979.Nolan, Stuart. Belgiums imperialist rape of Africa. mesh (6 September1999) http//www.wsws.org/articles/1999/sep1999/king-s06_prn.shtml, April 11, 2008.Povell, M. The History of Vietnamese Immigration. American Immigration Law FoundationInternet (Last updated June 2, 2005) Available http//www.ailf.org/awards/benefit2005/vietnamese_essay.shtml, April 11, 2008.Schultz, S. K. 1999. Foreign Immigrants in Industrial America. Internet. Avai lable March 30, http//us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures/lecture08.html, April 11, 2008.