Reflection 6

These chapters were definitely informative. Strayer talked about how major empires expanded and the start of the Modern era.  It was interesting to find out how the Europeans carved out huge empires an ocean away from their home land by the maritime expansion.   Columbus’ accidental discovery of America was significant because of the Europeans’ technology which made a tremendous difference for the country. According to Strayer; the distance made it easier for  the European Empire to sail to America where as other major empire of the world did not, such as; China. On other hand, the American Indian was already here but they were not civilized nor technologically advance until the conquest of the Europeans. I understand more why there are so little Native American Indians after reading the chapter; it was the diseases the Europeans brought who already have strong immunity where the natives’ were lacking. For that reason and starvation it wiped out 90 percent of the Native American Indian population. Europeans were taking control of America, due to the sharply diminished population they had labor shortage for cultivation and animal husbandry which led to slave trade and other items from African.  While Europeans were controlling America, Strayer stated that China was building their empire in the modern era by mastering the language, Confucian teaching, using Chinese bureaucratic techniques to govern the empire; and so did other major empires were solidifying.

It was impressive to see that trades were expanded globally and strengthened the world’s economy in the early modern era.  Agriculture, spices, gold and silver were of course the main goods for trade as well as the Atlantic slave trade-a major process of this time. Porcelain was one of the goods in the trades through China. I found that I keep learning new thing as I read through the chapters; all these year that I have been in the United States I have been wondering why porcelain dishes were called “china” in the back of my head, but I was not curious enough to search for the answer. I felt satisfied to finding out my long question that is finally answered.

Globalization of religion was long chapter to read how Christianity became globalized pretty all across the European countries, Spain, The Philippines and some part of Asia. I was surprised to find that Indonesia has a big Islamic population I thought the vast majority of them were Buddhist interestingly it is the other way around. Christianity is such a wide spread religion to my understanding the religion is spread through doctrines and practices; preaching plays a significant role in spreading the religion; where as in comparing to Buddhism there is no preaching involved. In my understanding, it does not matter what one’s religion is all religion teaches people to be benevolent to have a good heart. All religion helps people mentally aware of what’s good and what’s not. It guides people to have good behaviors and to influence other in the society to do good deed for their communities they reside in.