1. What is History? By Miryam Hernandez The Journey of Man Catastrophe! Guns, Germs, and Steel The Columbian Exchange
2. Journey of Man The documentary of Journey of Man by Spencer Wells begins with an American Geneticist and Anthropologist taking the journey that our ancestors made many years ago. Wells describes our blood as a time machine that links us to our family. Genetics helps us to understand our history and why we were made. When DNA was introduced in the 1950’s it became a tool to understanding genetics. Isolated tribes, the San people became Spencer Well’s study of human evolution. Spencer Wells begins his journey in Africa, takes us to Australia and eventually to other different continents that are scientifically proven to show our ancestors made this journey for survival.
3. Journey of Man continued Global climate changes such as ice caps expanding by monumental environmental change and levels dropping drying out caves were a few factors that forced our ancestors to make the long journey. Bone fragments found in Australia that resembled those of African descendants is proven theory supported by evidence that our ancestors traveled from Africa to Australia. Spencer Wells refused to believe our ancestors traveled by foot or by Sea to make the long journey. The only theory would be that at some point our continents were all connected. Our ancestors hunting adventures and ways of society are depicted on caves that were drawn by our ancestors many years ago. Spencer Wells thanks the Navajo Indians, Russians from far East, Central Asia and Australian Aborigines. Because of our ancestors who began their journey in Africa fifty thousand years ago, we are the most successful creatures on earth.
4. Catastrophe! 1500 years ago a catastrophe changed our climate which ultimately changed the course of history. Keys is a historian and archeologist who studied a catastrophe that occurred in 535. Tree rings are used by archeologist to predict the weather from the past. A meteor 65 million years ago is believed to have killed dinosaurs. There is no human record of an asteroid or comet striking earth and creating a tsunami which can only mean if a meteor did occur, it occurred during the time of the dinosaurs before man. Ice caps related to atmosphere buried deep under the water are examined and sulfuric acid is found in them, which is believed to prove volcano activity did occur years back.
5. Catastrophe! continued Scientist believe the 20th century has had the less volcanic activity. Keys travels to Solo, Central Java and researches the Book of Kings. Books of Kings records all of Java History. Java tells of a notorious volcano, Krakatoa. Krakatoaerrupts. Similar eruption of Mount Merapi (today’s Indonesian volcano eruption). However Krakatoa’s was much greater. Keys believes a catastrophe in 535 was changed not only the atmosphere but also life. Cooler temperatures allowed bacteria to flourish. The cooler temperatures in 535 allowed diseases to spread and made many people sick. Keys believes the great catastrophe killed many people, formed new worlds, religion and the prophet Mohamed was accidentally accepted as a religious leader. Because he came during the time when many major environmental changes were occurring, it gave people hope. Keys believes we should pay more attention to Natural forces for it will change history.
6. Guns, Germs, and Steel Jared Mason Diamond, America Scientist and Author. He published the award winning popular science book Guns, Germs and Steel in 1997. Initially subtitled ‘The Fates of Human Societies.’ Translated in to 25 languages and sold over millions of copies around the world. The book is about a biological study of human history. The book tells about European trade influence. In his book he uses a group’s history of environmental factors to describe their current life status.
10. Continental differences in area or total population sizeDiamond’s book Guns, Germs and Steel emphasizes the importance of why we should scientifically study human society of the past to understand how modern society was shaped and perhaps predict our future with exact data.
11. Columbian Exchange From the old world (pre Columbus) to the new world (after Columbus), diseases and crops from different parts of the world were shaping the world. For example, small pox killed a large population of Native Americans while coffee from Africa became popular in the new world. Plants and transportation helped to introduce the old world to the future. The horse helped both Europeans and Native Americans to travel for hunting purposes and to trade goods with others.
