History, Science & Trade

By: Brooke SotoDr. ArguelloHistory 140

What is History?• According to the Institute of Texan

Cultures, history is story—written or carved, painted or sung—a collection of events, often explained and interpreted, somehow always important.

• History cannot repeat itself, and it cannot be tested like science can.

• In history, proof is everything. There must be reliable witnesses, logical possibility, observable causes and effects, and all facts must be consistent.

• History can be primary - someone who was a witness or a participant in an event, or secondary - record made by someone not present at an event, but who uses primary and other secondary sources as evidence.

The Journey of Man• Spencer Wells, geneticist and scientist,

has tested the entire world’s blood samples to come to the conclusion that we are all derived from a man in Africa about 60,000 years ago.

• Our blood is the time machine, and we are the time travelers.

• From tribes in Africa, 60,000 years ago, they have created every color, creed, and nationality in our world today.

• We are the human family tree, with 2,000 generations to show for it from past to present.

• We are all related!

Catastrophe• David Keys scientific studies help to

figure out what caused the “dark ages”

• This period had extreme weather, which caused much of the destruction during that time.

• The Bubonic Plague struck and brought down the Roman Empire and the Celtics.

• Keys research included studying tree rings to find out the climate at the time, and ice cores to see any presence of sulfur and carbon that might have linked volcanic activity as the cause of this time period.

• Natural disasters, as we have seen, can cause incredible destruction.

Changing Interpretations of America’s Past

• Columbus traveled to the Americas, and established continents in the Western Hemisphere.

• There were advanced natives there at that time than we knew existed before.

• Coming in contact with Europeans caused disease to spread rapidly to the New World.

• Farming and trade were of high priority to maintain commerce.

The World of Trade

• Spices were a main ingredient in trading, along with corn, wheat, and rice.

• Commerce was just the start of expansion.

• Trade has not only helped our food production of crops increase, but also brought information.

• Unfortunately, trade also brought disease.

• The benefits have impacted the world greatly.