Spanish Empire Essay Example for Free

Spanish Empire Essay The Spanish had little respect for Indian culture. As soon as their boots hit the ground, they set about subverting and destroying every aspect of the Indian way of life. The Aztecs attempted to befriend the Spanish explorers, but when Hernan Cortez heard his capitol of Vera Cruz had been plundered, he capture and killed their leader Montezuma II. The Incas didn’t fare any better. Francisco Pizarro, driven mad with greed, kidnapped the Incan king, Atahualpa and forced his people to pay an outrageous ransom of gold before executing him. Soon after these tragic events, the Spanish set up encomienda, a system of government similar to the feudal system of the middle ages. Under this system, Spanish military commanders were granted land on which several Indian tribes lived. They forced these indigenous people to convert to Christianity, work in the gold and silver mines, and pay tribute for the protection of their homes. The natives of South America had little hope of fighting off these foreign invaders. When the Spanish arrived, they brought with them all of the technological advances of their homeland. The Aztecs and Incas had wood, stone, and bone weapons, the Spanish had steel and gunpowder. One Spanish priest said, â€Å"Gunpowder frightens the most valiant and courageous Indian and renders him slave to the white man’s command.† The only domesticated animals the Aztecs and Incas had seen was the dog. The Spanish brought horses. A mounted warrior was something the Indians had no experience dealing with and it frightened them greatly. The Spanish plundered their way through South America, destroying every important cultural artifact they came across. Virtually nothing remains of the religious writings and histories of these rich cultures. The wealth plundered from South America by the Spanish, made them extremely rich and powerful. Shipments of gold were regularly taken back home. Some ships carried as much as $15,000,000 worth of gold at one time. This made Spanish ships a target for piracy. To combat this, the Spanish invested much of their wealth into an armada. The Spanish armada was the most feared naval unit of its time. The Spanish set up smaller colonies in North America. Most of these were situated along the East Coast and were nothing more than black markets for pirate booty. Some Spanish explorers, like Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, made it all the way to the Grand Cany on. They were most likely the first European explorers to see it. In the end, these colonies were used as  a barrier of protection for Spanish gold interest in the south. Because of the enormous wealth gained from the rich natural resources of the new world, the Spanish would be very reluctant to let their territory go. As powerful as the Spanish empire became, it would soon meet with hardship and eventually disaster. The English and French understood the value of setting up an extensive trade network with the natives. The Spanish thought converting them to Christianity was more important, and this decision would come back to haunt them. The English dispatched privateers like Francis Drake to attack Spanish ships carrying shipments of gold. While reluctant to declare war on Spain, England had no problem funding terrorist like attacks against their shipping industry. This outraged this Spanish King Phillip, and he promptly dispatched his armada to attack the English criminals. The English destroyed his armada and subsequently gained dominance in the Atlantic and eventually in the Caribbean. With their armada destroyed and no trade network in the Americas, the Spanish slowly lost their grip on their once mighty empire.

South African Diamond Trade: Enforcement and Perpetuation of Apartheid

South African Diamond Trade: Enforcement and Perpetuation of Apartheid, Past and Present I. Introduction South Africa was a rich country with a beautiful landscape and a rich culture. There were tremendous natural resources in South Africa and spectacular beauty. South African society was fluid and accepting, allowing people to move from one tribe to the next, without discrimination. This accepting and truly benevolent moral system, perhaps turned out to be a fatal flaw, manipulated and abused by European colonists who arrived in 1652 and have left an indelible legacy on the nation of South Africa (Thompson, 33). Upon their arrival, the Dutch and then the English systematically exploited black South Africans, taking advantage of their welcoming demeanor. Blacks began to be pushed off their land and natural resources monopolized by whites. Then on a fateful day in 1866, a new discovery by Erasmus Jacobs took the manipulation and exploitation of South Africa to all new heights. On this day, the Eureka diamond was discovered on the banks of the Orange River. The Eureka was 21.25 carats rough and confirmed earlier rumors of diamonds in South Africa and ignited the diamond rush (debeers.com). With this rush came the advent of large mining corporations such as Anglo American Corporation and DeBeers, who created an intricate system that kept the Africans they employed in poverty, while destroying traditional African society, all the while earning tremendous amounts of money. These companies, De Beers in particular, are depicted today as the benevolent liberal foreign company, but in reality they systematically exploited South Africans and their resources. They are applauded throughout the world for their cu... ...ngering presence of the stark inequalities that curse South Africa. However, if this is recognized and acknowledged, perhaps South Africa can take a critical step towards true equality, not just with words, but with economic opportunity. Works Cited De Beers Group. De Beers History. 5 March 2005. www.debeersgroup.com/debeersweb/About+De+Beers/De+Beers+History/. Ferguson, James. â€Å"Introduction to Humanities: Encounters and Identities.† Stanford University. Stanford. 14 February 2005 and 3 March 2005. Mathabane, Mark. Kaffir Boy. Free Press (Simon & Schuster): New York, 1986. Moodie, T. Dunbar. Going for Gold. University of California Press: Berkeley, CA, 1994. Summa, John. â€Å"Anglo-American Corporation.† Multinational Monitor. Vol. 9: 9. September 1988. Thompson, Leonard. A History of South Africa. Yale Nota Bene: New Haven, 2001.

GIS – Harrow

For my report I've chosen 4 GIS maps from the Harrow council's official website (to make the results more reliable) that show the differentiation between the standards of living across the London borough of Harrow. The GIS maps that I chose (and copied as evidence) include: population density, life expectancy, street crime, and income levels; I have analysed them and described what the variations in each map are and what they show us. To conclude my report I have compared the variations in all the maps, and described what they show us. This map shows the main wards in the borough of Harrow. Pop. Density This map (see above) shows the population density levels in wards across Harrow. The map shows us that there is a mix of both high and low population density levels across the borough. The north east and west of the borough is the most sparsest, as it's got the lowest amount of people per hectare- 5-less than 40 people and 40-less than 55 High per hectare. Population density levels are more concentrated in the centre of the borough, where wards like Wealdstone, headstone north, Kenton west, and Marlborough are located, with equally high density levels spreading towards the south of the borough-towards the south east, where high pop. density levels are also highly concentrated, Kenton east is situated there. The south west of the borough has more of a mix of pop. density levels, as they're between mostly 40-less than 50 people per hectare, and 83-less than 107 people per hectare. (Wards like Roxbourne, and West Harrow which are situated in the south west of the borough have higher population density levels). Life expectancy This map (see above) shows the life expectancy levels in wards, across Harrow. The map shows us that the life expectancy levels across the borough are generally low- they're mostly around 78.5 years to less than 80 years, and 80 years to less than 81 years. The map shows us that generally the centre of the borough has got the lowest life expectancy levels in the borough, with a life expectancy of 76-less than 78.5 years and 78.5-less than 80 years. The areas with the highest life expectancies in the borough are the far north east where Cannons is located, with a high life expectancy of 81.5-less than 83 years, and the far south east, where Edgware is located, with a life expectancy of 81-less than 81.5 years. In general, I think that the graph shows us that the west-north /west of the borough has got the highest life expectancy, with mostly a life expectancy of 81.5-less than 83 years; the north-west has got a high life expectancy of 81-less than 81.5 years. Street crime-darker area=more street crime This map (see above) shows the levels of street crime in wards, across Harrow. The map shows us that generally, fairly high levels of street crime are quite widely dispersed across the borough, the fact that there is no legend available for this map makes it less reliable. The centre of the borough seems to have the most amount of street crime, as generally, there're darker areas are more concentrated, with Greenhill in the south having the highest level of crime as it is the darkest area. The whole of the eastern section of the borough also seems to have a high indicator for crime levels- where wards like Cannons and Edgware are located, as there're lots of dark areas and they're highly concentrated. The north/ west have got the lowest indicator levels for street crime, as there're a lot of light areas that are fairly highly concentrated, wards like Pinner, Hatch End, Headstone north, and Pinner south are located. Income-darker=less income, lighter=more income. This map (see above) shows us the levels of income in wards, across Harrow. The map shows us that generally fairly low income levels are widely dispersed across the borough, the fact that there is no legend available for this map makes it less reliable. The south of the borough seems to have a lower indicator level for income, as these areas are darker and highly concentrated, where wards like Greenhill, Marlborough, and Kenton are situated. Generally the east of the borough seems to have the low levels of income too (second after the centre). The north west section of the borough seems to have fairly low levels of crime as there are lighter areas, wards like Pinner, Hatch End, Rayners Lane, and Headstone north are located. Conclusion By comparing the 4 variations between the standards of living in Harrow for all 4 of the GIS maps, I have found that in general, the north west of the borough has got the lowest indicators for street crime, and population density, while having the highest indicators for life expectancy, and income. I think this is due to the fact that the categories may be interdependent. I think that because people in the north west generally have a higher income compared to the rest of the borough, so this could've had an impact on the other results from the other categories, e.g. the reason why there is a low indicator for population density in the area could be because the house prices are higher in this area, so people can't really afford to live in this area (as the majority of the rest of the borough seem to generally have a lower income level). Also, the results suggest that street crime levels are generally low in this area because of the low indicator of population density in this area. I have also found that in general, the south/west of the borough has got the highest indicator for population density levels, street crime levels, low income levels, and a low indicator for life expectancy levels. I think that this is due to the fact that the categories may have a correlation. I think that because people in the north west generally have a high indicator for population density levels, as they may have a low income compared to the north west of the borough (which has a high indicator for income), so they can't really afford to live in the north west, this could also be the reason why generally street crime levels are higher in the south east, because of the high indicator for population density. Also, the reason that the area in general has a low indicator for life expectancy may be because of the larger amount of people who live there.

Outline Of A Speech On Civil Rights - 916 Words

Kaija Scheuerman COMM 105-BO2 Informative Speech Outline I. Introduction A. In 2016, there were almost 1,400 recorded arrest related deaths, and in arrest African American people are three times more likely to be killed than white people (Banks, 2016). B. Racism is an age-old issue that was named during the Civil War, fought during the 1960s, and is still lingering in modern society. C. I’m not African American, but I am an ally; I have friends and loved ones who are African American, and I cannot stand by and watch people die. D. This speech is about civil inequality in the 1960s, the importance of standing up against it, and how discrimination is still very much woven into the fabric of our society today. II. Body of Presentation A.†¦show more content†¦d. The gesture was seen as a â€Å"Nazi-like salute†, an expression of anger, a symbol of black power, or just bad manners (Hoffer, 162). e. Carlos and Smith were kicked out of the Olympic Village and blacklisted for the rest of their careers (Carlos, 124). B. This photo emphasizes the importance of silent protest and the power of gesture, political climates experience incredible shifts with movements such as these. 1. It was the start of decades of political protests and civil inequality. 2. Recently, another form of silent protest has been occurring called the â€Å"Take a Knee† Movement in 2017 (Smith, 2017). 3. It started with the NFL player Colin Kaepernick and when he decided to kneel during the national anthem. 4. The purpose of this silent movement was to protest police brutality (Smith, 2017). 5. Currently, athletes everywhere are kneeling during the national anthem. C. This photo called attention to the issues in civil equality that are still prevalent today, it was the start of a very long fight for equality. 1. This photo is important especially within the context of the Black Lives Matter and Take a Knee movements that are occurring. 2. Like the 1968 Olympic Games, millions of Americans are ostracizing these athletes for disrespecting the flag and the overall country (Brown, 2017). 3. This photo and the subsequent Take a Knee movement show how powerful gesture and silent protest is. a. A raised fist was nothing moreShow MoreRelatedAccording To Bethel University (2011), Leadership Is An800 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to Bethel University (2011), leadership is an evolving interaction between the leader, the followers, and the situation. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership role in the civil rights movement represents a great leader. In addition, his leadership vividly portrays the dynamic between the leader, the followers, and the situation. 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