In chapter nine (The Columbian Exchange) of his book, The Unending Frontier, John F. Richards argues that the “Columbian discovery and colonial rule in the West Indies brought drastic changes to the people and natural environment of the Greater and Lesser Antilles.” For instance, the biological exchange of diseases such as smallpox and swine flu to which the indigenous peoples had developed no antibodies for “thinned (the native’s) numbers, destroyed their institutions, and broke their resistance to Spanish aggression.” In fact, after only a century after European contact, the indigenous population in the New World shrunk to one tenth its previous size from 53 million to 5 or 6 million people. Spanish rule, therefore, only expedited the eventual
GSR is short for gun shot residue; the residue is created from a firearm being discharged. Residue is deposited on the hand or the clothes of the individual who discharged the firearm. The residue is made up of burnt and unburnt particles from the bullet and the cartridge case. GSR residue helps investigators to determine who fired the firearm and what type of firearm was used. In some cases it helps investigators know the distance of the shot that was fired based on the residue
On the other hand, Cynthia J. Van Zandt argues that despite military disputes among the two bodies, trade alliances between the groups continued. Van Zandt further claimed that relational failure stemmed from conflict among various Europeans nations advocating for dominance over the New World. The overarching purpose of the argument is to determine
Chapter nine in Guns Germs and steel goes to describe how and where many of the domesticated animals in history came from, and how many of the larger species could not be domesticated and why. He uses the analogy of the Anna Karenina principle, that there are many reasons why an animal could be undomesticable, but in order for an animal to be domesticated, it must fit a multitude of requirements for it to be advantageous to use it in this way. He specifically refers to large animals, those over 100 pounds, and of those, only five species were used worldwide, and nine were used in specific geographies, this out of approximately 148 candidates throughout the world. Diamond then describes why most (13 of the 14) of the domesticated animals came
How did the dominant countries of the world come to be dominant? Or, how did people living in the same time period, with crude and primitive technology come to overthrow other neighboring countries? Especially since these countries were inhabited by people with relatively the same intelligence levels as themselves. However, some historians would conclude that intelligence was, in fact, the main deciding factor for the overthrow of some countries. However, in this book, Jared Diamond tells how guns, germs, and steel are, in effect, the reasons for some cultures being superior over others.
Historians differ on what they think about the net result of the European arrival in the New World. Considering that the Columbian Exchange, which refers to “exchange of plants, animals, people, disease, and culture between Afro-Eurasia and the Americas after Columbus sailed to the Americas in 1492,” led to possibly tens of millions of deaths on the side of the American Indians, but also enabled agricultural and technological trade (Henretta et al. 42), I cannot help but reflect on whether the effects should be addressed as a historical or a moral question. The impact that European contact had on the indigenous populations of North America should be understood as a moral question because first, treating it as a historical question is difficult due to lack of reliable historical evidence; second, the meaning of compelling historical claims is contestable as the academic historian perspective tends to view the American Indian oral history as invalid; and finally, what happened to the native Indians is morally repulsive and must be discussed as such. The consequences of European contact should be answered as a moral question because historically, it is hard to be historically objective in the absence of valid and dependable historical evidence.
Diamond again appeals to logic by using these specific examples of the differences between the cultures that flourished and those that were destroyed. In doing this, he is able to support his claim that the effort to solve problems in a civilization is what makes or breaks
The Europeans had the advancement of guns, horses, and navigation. The mastery of gunpowder technology was crucial for the European conquests. Gunpowder weapons allowed small numbers of Europeans to conqueror and win wars in far away lands. With guns, European conquerors were able to kill their enemies and be within
In modern society, guns are seen as a form of control. Those who have guns are able to overpower those who do not. This trend was set when guns were first invented and has stayed the same throughout history. The one place where guns are not a symbol of power and control is in literature, specifically “The Old Gun” and Hamilton. In Mo Yan’s short story “The Old Gun”, the protagonist is a hungry boy who does not even know how to use the titular firearm.
Imagine an object so influential it could change the weapons of warfare, revolutionize battle tactics, and transform the ways of hunting. Anyone from soldiers to blacksmiths, to nobles, could have used it. It allowed the massacre of armies from a distance, warranted gun usage, and the idea traveled across the globe. It has evolved and changed in significant ways over time. One may imagine an object that speaks with great power, but in reality, it has a quite simple appearance.
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. Jared Diamond exclaimed book Guns Germs and Steel emphasizes that the success of the human race is not related to intelligence but instead the environment. Diamond correlates the advantages the environment plays in essentials deciding the progress that a group of humans have. He goes on and provides numerous examples of how the environment plays a big part in the deciding who the dominant race will be.
During the nineteenth century, gun control was almost exclusively a Southern phenomenon. Its main objective was to not allow slaves and free blacks to obtain guns before the Civil War. The only kind of gun control that found favor outside the region was restricting the concealed carrying of handguns. Although openly carrying a weapon, also known as open carry, was considered reasonable and was protected by the Constitution, the carrying of a concealed weapon, also known as concealed carry, was seen as something only someone who was up to know good would do. It was not until the 1920s that the movement to ban handguns began.
I had never given much thought as to why some civilizations prospered while others died out. When putting my mind to the topic, I would assume it was due to stronger civilizations conquering or absorbing the weaker ones. In PBS’ Guns, Germs, and Steel, anthropologist Jared Diamond explains his theory on how some of the greatest civilizations came into existence. According to Diamond, geographical luck, domestication of animals, and worldwide expansion of ideals allowed for these civilizations to continue forward. Diamond’s main theory revolves around the geographical luck of certain civilizations.
Jared Diamond reflects back on Guns, Germs, and Steel six years later in 2003. Diamond expresses that his central message of the book has not changed since he first published the book and is still valid today. The essence of the book has always been that alterations among societies is due to environmental influences rather than psychological reasons. Though many people have made remarks about parallels or contrasts between the ancient world and the modern world. The revelations were about New Zealand’s musket wars, Europe vs. China, and differences in societies being rich or poor.
Gunpowder is a deadly accident. After being discovered by an ancient Chinese alchemist in 142 AD, the Chinese found multiple uses for it, one being in warfare, changing their standards of fighting. Gunpowder was introduced to Europe because opposing armies had started to use it. It traveled to Europe along the Silk Road, which allowed it to expand to the rest of the world. Europeans discovered new ways to use gunpowder more efficiently in battle and created better, more efficient guns and canonry.
