Jared Diamonds Views on Environmental Determinism Essay

Many geographers have attempted creating a unified theory explaining why cultures advance much more readily than others. Very few have actually reached mainstream society and even fewer seem reasonable. However, Jared Diamond shines where most do not. His book, Guns, Germs, and Steel, proposes an idea that has long been established called environmental determinism. Most view environmental determinism as a racist theory attributing a peoples’ intelligence only to their oppressive climates and geographical barriers. Diamond instead has created a theory that applies environmental determinism to only a peoples’ technology—not the people themselves. This has given researchers valuable tools that allow them to explain why some nations have†¦show more content†¦The spreading of horses additionally explains how the United States conquered what it did. The New World possessed no horses until the arrival of Europeans, creating an inability to travel, fight, or hunt as efficiently as Europeans before the late 17th century (Diamond 164). Had tribes like the Sioux acquired horses earlier, they may have developed more rapidly and had a better chance thwarting enemy Americans. Nevertheless, because the east-west axis favored the United States both in Eurasia and the New World, the consequences permitted ascension to a world power. While a landmass’s orientation determines its basic resources and geographical advantages, the large societies that this constructs produce the technology. Diamond surmises that increased food production leads to populous nations. He notes that, â€Å"more consumable calories means more people† (Diamond 87). Because the United States obtains food though both trade and agriculture, it has always had an excellent chance to become large and urban. The larger civilization, the easier conquest becomes. In his chapter titled How China Became Chinese, Jared Diamond explains that China has, â€Å"st eamrolled,† neighboring nations so often because they had a, â€Å"head start in food production† (Diamond 332). The United States subjugated their Native American neighbors using the same assets—both livestock and plants. These large societies have always required a government andShow MoreRelatedGuns Germs and Steel Chapter Summary2530 Words   |  11 PagesPrologue: Yali’s Question Jared Diamond has done extensive field work in New Guinea.   His indigenous New Guinean politician friend Yali asked why whites had been so successful and arrived with so much cargo compared to the locals.   Diamond rephrases this question: why did white Eurasians dominate over other cultures by means of superior guns, population-destroying germs, steel, and food-producing capability?   Diamond’s main thesis is that this occurred not because of racial differences in intelligence

Apollo John F. Kennedy Space Center - 1502 Words

Where Apollo 13 took place and launched, was at the complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. It happened at 2:13 p.m. EST, April 11, 1970. What had caused it to orbit the moon and come back, was a ciple in the oxygen tank. One thing that happened was on the Apollo 13 spacecraft, a oxygen tank was crippled and they had to orbit the moon and return home. The main event was that for the third time, they successfully lifted off once more, just to run into a problem with the oxygen tank. The people involved (meaning on the Apollo 13) were: Fred Haise, Jack Swigert, and Jim Lovell. It kind of ties in with Apollo 11 because they both went to the moon but, Apollo 11 was made up to beat the Soviet Union in the Space Race by John F. Kennedy. Apollo 13 ties in with the three theme words, Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in these three different ways: Exploration, they explored outer space and learned many new things about plants, if anything grows on the planets, if anything lived there they d idn t know about, etc. Encounter, they encounter many new materials (plastic is one of those things). They had encounter a cripple and the oxygen tank that happened on the Apollo 13. Exchange, they exchanged ideas about what to do about the cripple of the one of the oxygen tank. They were trying to exchange communication on how they were doing in space. A fun fact about Apollo 13 is that it is the seventh manned mission in the American Apollo Space Program. Shortly after the incident with theShow MoreRelatedApollo John F. Kennedy Space Center1411 Words   |  6 PagesApollo 13 Where Apollo 13 took place and launched, was at the complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. It happened at 2:13 p.m. EST, April 11, 1970. What had caused it to orbit the moon and come back, was a ciple in the oxygen tank. One thing that happened was on the Apollo 13 spacecraft, a oxygen tank was crippled and they had to orbit the moon and return home. The main event was that for the third time, they successfully lifted off once more, just to run into a problem with the oxygen tankRead MoreThe Eagle Has Landed Essay913 Words   |  4 Pagesintend to win, and the others, too.† (John F. Kennedy) The nineteen-sixties were the most important decade during the Space Race, because American perseverance overcame a more advanced Soviet space program and reached the moon. Accordingly, national leaders of the sixties were a huge driving force behind the Space Race as they inspired their people to literally shoot for the moon and take the lead in the ‘Space Race’. Likewise, ambitious projects like Apollo and Mercury really took off in the nineteen-sixtiesRead MoreJohn F. Kennedy: An Influential Person Essay1335 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Fitzgerald Kennedy led the start of a new era in human history. He was born on May 29, 1917 in the small Boston suburb of Brookline, Massachusetts. He majored in government and international relations at Harvard University. In 1961 Kennedy served as President until his assassination in 1963. John F. Kennedy influenced and touched the lives of people everywhere through his efforts with the Apollo 11 space mission, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the founding of the Peace Corps. Kennedy wasRead MoreThe Dark Side of the Moon Landing1479 Words   |  6 PagesCold War’s Space Race. The Cold War began in 1947, between the Soviet Union and the United States. There was no actual fighting in the Cold War, just political conflict, military coalitions, and numerous competitions of brain rather than brawn. Among these competitions is the most famous Space Race. Although the Cold War commenced in 1947, the Space Race did not begin until 1955. The President of the United States at this time was Dwight Eisenhower. The first competition of the space race was toRead MoreThe World Of The Soviet Union1699 Words   |  7 PagesSpace Race What would the History of the world have be if the United States never landed on the moon, but instead the Soviet Union was successful at sending cosmonauts to the moon and were the first humans to ever step foot on a celestial body? This is what I wanted to explore in my research, this is all subjective we cannot go back in time to see what the outcome would have been if it never happened the way it did. The idea has been talked about even with the sceptics who think the whole moon landingRead MorePresident John F. Kennedy1738 Words   |  7 Pages President John Fitzgerald Kennedy Our Nation’s 35th President Andrew Hogenson History 112 June 15, 2015 John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th President of the USA and served at that position only for three years as at the end of the third year he was assassinated in Texas. Even though his presidential term was not long, it was significant, mostly with the strong opposition against the USSR (in a person of its Prime Minister of that time, Nikita Khrushchev). President Kennedy’s name is associatedRead MoreThe Presidency Of John Fitzgerald Jr.801 Words   |  4 PagesWhen people think back to the presidency of John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr., many people think of his assassination, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Cold War. Although there is one major event that forever changed the course of the world, that being the mission labeled Apollo 11. This mission was to put men on the moon. In words it may sound simple, but so much had to be put into this mission. They did some amazing experiments while on the moon. It is also the origin of many famous sayings used on aRead MoreApollo 11 : An Annual Holiday For Americans1110 Words   |  5 PagesFor years the thought of landing on the moon and coming back safely seemed impossible. Before Apollo 11 it was impossible. America proved everyone wrong in the world. It started in 1963 and was a long term project. There were many attempts but were failed. NASA never gave up on this idea because they thought it was achievable and were devoted to landing on another atmosphere. I think we should have a national holiday on July sixteenth every year to celebrate the people who contributed to this goalRead MoreNASA Apollo 11: Neil Armstrong Essay1348 Words   |  6 Pagesthe NASA Apollo 11 expedition to the moon. No man has ever been to the moon before and NASA, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, was the first to get someone to land on the moon. NASA has had many great accomplishments in exploring the new frontier that have affected the United States ever since it was first created in July 1958. The idea for NASA f irst started when the Soviet Union launched the first satellite on October 4, 1957. United States started up its own space travel programRead MorePresident John F. Kennedy1013 Words   |  5 PagesS.A because we showed we were the leaders of technology in space, and it ended the race to space. â€Å"I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth† said President John F. Kennedy. At this time in history the United States was trailing to the Soviet Union in space developments, and in the cold war (history.com). So President Kennedy proposal came into action and then a team of highly skilled

European Women’s Fashion in the Eighteenth Century Free Essays

Fashion has been always been a dominate part within every society throughout the years. Fashion is â€Å"a prevailing custom or style of dress, etiquette, socializing, etc. † and â€Å"conventional usage in dress, manners, etc. We will write a custom essay sample on European Women’s Fashion in the Eighteenth Century or any similar topic only for you Order Now , especially of polite society, or conformity to it† (â€Å"fashion†). When it comes to fashion, Europe happens to be the most influential continent. For centuries, Europe has always been fashion-forward, influencing many other continents and countries with its style. There has always been the misconception, as stated by fashion historian Aileen Ribeiro in Dress in Eighteenth-Century Europe, â€Å"[that] most think immediately of Paris and the French court when they ponder that time [of eighteenth century fashion], forgetting reverberations in England, Italy, and elsewhere worldwide† (Cullen). However, in the eighteenth century (around the 1750s), France was well-known for its rococo style, which was simply â€Å"wide skirts, fine fabrics, and an overdose of embroidery† (â€Å"Women’s Fashion of the 18th Century†). Like most French fashion, it spread across Europe. The rococo style emphasized the love of shell-like curves and decorative arts (â€Å"Rococo Fashion Era†). During this time in the late eighteenth century, certain undergarments, gowns, shoes, and simple, refined hairdos and make-up were essential for the fashionable European woman. In the late eighteenth century, women only wore certain undergarments. For example, they wore chemises, stays, panniers, free-hanging pockets, and waistcoats, but they did not wear underwear during this time. The chemises that the women often wore had very low necklines and elbow-length sleeves that flushed out fully. Over the chemise, they wore stays, or corsets, in hopes of attaining the correct, fashionable posture of a woman during this century, which consisted of standing with the shoulders back only slightly; stays generally kept women with cone-like torsos and accentuated large hips. Stays were also usually tied tight but comfortably and offered women back support. At the hips were panniers, or side hoops, which were important when it came to court fashion because they dilated the hips. Free-hanging pockets were tied about the waist, and waistcoats or petticoats were worn over the corsets for warmth. These were the types of undergarments that most late eighteenth century women wore. (â€Å"1750–1795 in Fashion†; Cullen) Aside from the necessary undergarments, low-necked gowns were typical attire in the 1750s. Usually, the gowns had skirt attachments, and the skirts would have an opening in the front to expose the petticoat that the woman wore beneath it. If the gown’s bodice had an opening, then there was usually a stomacher pinned to the corset that was beneath the gown for decoration. The sleeves of the gowns normally had tight elbow-length sleeves that flushed at the ends with frills or ruffles. During this period, gowns were very popular and versatile and could be worn extravagantly or plainly. Upper class women would often have the more expensive, extravagant gowns while the middle and lower class normally settled for the plain â€Å"shortgowns. † (â€Å"1750–1795 in Fashion†) When it came to shoes during the late eighteenth century, women wore them like they wore their clothes. Much like now, in most societies, people dress in terms of their wealth, i. . the rich dress fanciful and the poor dress in what they can afford. The same rules apply to women of the eighteenth century. Women wore shoes with high, curved heels made of colorful silk or delicate leather, sometimes decorated with gold and silver lace and braid. Even though most women of this time dressed in silk gowns that were heavily decorated (as is a requirement of the rococo style), it was rare that the women would have shoes of the same, matching material. The reason for this was that it would just be too expensive. Some of the women’s shoes were laced, and some had decorative buckles. The toes of their shoes were either pointed or a bit rounded. However, further into the eighteenth century, the extravagance behind the fine shoes was simplified. (â€Å"Eighteenth – Century Footwear†). Lastly, women of the eighteenth century didn’t necessarily change their hairstyles much. Women rarely wore wigs, aside from special occasions. Normally, women kept their hair powdered and coiffed, decorated with a small bonnet or flowers, jewelry, and bows (â€Å"Rococo Fashion Era†). Along with the hairstyles came make-up. These hairstyles were fairly simple, leaving more focus onto the woman’s face and her make-up. The point of make-up in the eighteenth century was to make women look â€Å"artificial,† hence why many women strived for pale skin (â€Å"Women’s Fashion of the 18th Century†). It wasn’t until later, after the rococo era, that high wigs became fashionable. Fashion has always been an important aspect in history. As mentioned earlier, Europe has always been the â€Å"fashion-forward† continent in the world, influencing many other countries around the world. The rococo style, also known as the baroque style, was one of the influential fashion changes that occurred throughout Europe and was emphasized by the French. With a popular style that emphasized shell-like curves and elaborate decoration, the fashion-forward European woman of the eighteenth century embraced the new era – the rococo era – taking in the customs of only wearing certain undergarments, gowns, shoes, and simple, refined hairdos and make-up. This was fashion in the eighteenth century. 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