Already this reading has me very
interested and I only read the first sentence! I have never thought about the
issues that come along with the name “American”. Of course Canadians would be
upset about this. Talk about selfish! We don’t even think to re-consider our
names even though there are other countries that take up America.
I am completely fascinated by the
Renaissance era. To think that so many ideas occurred because of this movement.
Other religions, art, music, and now the idea that there is a “new world” out
there all were born because of this era. It is almost scary to think what our
world would be like if the renaissance did not occur.
Knowing what we know today it
seems silly for early settlers to think that the American continent was so
small. To think that they could march to the south sea or that the Mississippi
River flowed to China is just blasphemous! But at the time these people really
had no idea. As far as they were concerned, they were some of the only people
inhabiting the world. However, it is very selfish and self-centered to think
that there are no other groups of people or continents out there. It just goes
to show you that it is the people who think out of the box and take the leap of
faith that make history.
I understand the authors point about where the
term “America” actually stops. If Greenland is not counted as “American” but
Ireland is, where are the boundaries? What actually constitutes “America”? If
America is to stretch as far as Ireland, then we are being extremely conceded.
We should just get used to saying that we are from the United States, not
America.
It is very funny to think that
the United States is exceptional to Canada because it is very similar. I also
find it funny that usually people from the United States will say that
Canadians are “crazy” or “loony” or just “weird” when in reality the countries
are extremely similar. It makes you think what Canadians call people from the
United States. People just have a funny way of always discriminating and
picking on people who are different from them when in reality they are very
similar.
This statement makes so much
sense, “The world was made by migrations”. It is so incredibly true. I never
thought about it in that way. It almost makes me wonder why people think they
can be so selfish about their country because at one time each person, or their
family, belonged to another country because someone in their family decided to
migrate to their current country.
The second chapter of this
section of reading talks about the discoveries of ancient peoples. At one point
the author talks about how the people found were civilized because the produced
food instead of gathered it. This is very true. Yet another way of looking at
something that really can define civilization. The ability to produce also
shows the ability to adapt and create a world where a group of people can
survive. Agriculture absolutely shapes our country today. Each section of our
country and the world specialize in a specific crop and has that crop
perfected. From this, a country and group of people can thrive. It is the
ability to adapt and succeed from that adaptation that has lead the people of
the world to the civilizations we have today.
