1. In an overall way, how would you define the impact of the Atlantic World on Africa? What did Africa have that the Europeans needed in the Americas? How did the new interactions between Africa and
Discussion 3: Africa and Asia in the Era of Early Globalization
Your discussion assignment for this week has one step:
By Sunday, post an initial post that answers the following discussion questions. Try to write at least a full paragraph for each discussion point
Discussion Questions:
In an overall way, how would you define the impact of the Atlantic World on Africa? What did Aftrica have that the Europeans needed in the Americas? How did the new interactions between Africa and Europe change Africa?
What was the experience of the Africans who were forced into the Atlantic World system of slavery (that is forced labor)? How did Africans transform the Americas, both as forced labor and culturally?
The 1619 Project has sought to better highlight the impact of Atlantic World slavery on the United States and the horrors of forced slavery of Africans. How do you think we should think of Atlantic World slavery as a historical event? What legacies did Atlantic World slavery produce in our current society that you have experienced or noted?
What made East Asian civilizations (China and Japan) very advanced and powerful? Why didn’t the Chinese and Japanese create new global links? Basically, this question is asking why East Asian Civilizations opted to shut themselves off from the global system. In historical hindsight what was the impact of the decision of the Chinese and Japanese to ignore the developments of Europe, did it help them or hurt them in the long run?
What made the three major Muslim civilizations very advanced and powerful? Why didn’t the Ottoman, Safavids, or Mughals create new global links? In historical highsight, what was the impact of the decision of the Muslim civilizations to ignore the developments in Europe and the Atlantic World?
The historical events tend to show Europeans as the drivers of new global links in the 1500 to 1750 era. Is this a correct interpretation driven by Eurocentric views? Why or why not? If we should focus on a different interpretation, what should that interpretation be?
