The War of the Spanish Succession was fought mostly between countries in a. Europe b. Asia c. Africa
A “privateer” was someone who a. used military funds to hire pirates b. enlisted in the military to hunt down pirates c. attacked foreign merchant ships to help their country’s military
The island of Nassau was important during the Golden Age because a. there was often buried treasure there b. there was a military outpost there c. a group of pirates formed a government there
Discussion/essay questions
In 1883, Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson published Treasure Island, a pirate adventure novel. Many common pirate tropes are inspired by his work. Why do you think people like to read about pirates? Can you think of some other popular pirate stories?
Transcript
In the early 18th century, several European countries, including Spain, Portugal, France, and Britain, fought in the War of the Spanish Succession. Many of these countries disputed each other’s control over colonies in the Americas and the Caribbean. During the war, militaries often hired independent sailors, or “privateers,” to attack merchant ships from other countries. When the war ended, privateers lost their source of income. Piracy allowed them to use their skills to steal riches for themselves. During the Golden Age, a group of pirates even formed their own government on the island of Nassau. Many tropes of pirate legends, such as the Jolly Roger flag, come from the Golden Age. Piracy became much less common in the 19th century, but pirates still operate around the world today.
The Silk Road was a. a landmark b. a military route c. a trade network
The use of the Silk Road began during a. the Black Death pandemic b. the Han Dynasty in China c. the rise of the Ottoman Empire
Merchants stopped using the Silk Road during a. the 14th century b. the 15th century c. the 16th century
Discussion/essay questions
How has the spread of ideas changed since the Silk Road? What are some of the effects of information being widely available?
Transcript
The Silk Road was an ancient trade network that allowed people to transport goods across Eurasia. It gained its name because silk was one of the most popular commodities traded on its routes. Merchants who travelled along the Silk Road also traded horses, spices, tea, weapons, and gunpowder. However, people didnât only trade goods on the Silk Road. The travelling between countries caused the spread of religion, including Christianity and Buddhism. Journeys along the Silk Road also may have caused the spread of the Black Death. The use of the Silk Road began during the Han Dynasty in China, and continued until the mid-15th century. By then, the Ottoman Empire was making it difficult to travel from Europe to Asia, which caused explorers to look for different routes through the sea.
One problem with Esperanto is that it is more difficult to learn for people whose native languages donât use the Latin alphabet. Do you think it is possible to create a language that is equally accessible to everyone?
Transcript
Esperanto is a constructed language. It was invented in 1887 by a Polish doctor named L. L. Zamenhof. Zamenhofâs goal was to create a universal second language so that people around the world could communicate with each other. Esperanto does not belong to any country or culture, but like many languages in Europe, it uses the Latin alphabet and Latin root words. It was designed to be easy to learn, with simple grammatical rules and phonetic spelling. Although Esperanto did not succeed as a universal language, it is still used today. Over 100,000 people around the world can speak Esperanto. Some people have even raised children to speak Esperanto as a native language.
How has our access to information changed in recent years? How do you think it will continue to change in the future?
Transcript
Printing has shaped the world in many ways. The first printed texts date back to 6th century China, when monks printed messages using carved wood and ink. In the 11th century, a Chinese inventor named Bi Sheng created a moveable type press, which made it easier to quickly copy texts. However, Bi Shengâs invention did not become immediately popular. This was because it was difficult to include enough Chinese characters to communicate every kind of message. Around 300 years later, German inventor Johannes Gutenberg developed a printing press for European languages. The Gutenberg press revolutionized written information in Europe. It made books, news, and religious texts accessible to everyone. This spread of information also prompted many more technological advancements throughout history.
Feudalism was a type of political system that was common in Europe during the Middle Ages. The system evolved after the governments in many European countries began to decentralize. This meant that monarchs gave more power and responsibilities to local lords. Under feudalism, people worked for their lords, and their lords paid them with land. People living in feudal systems also had to pay taxes. They owed their lords a percentage of the crops they grew on their land. This system was naturally hierarchical. The monarch, who controlled all of the land, had the most wealth and power. The peasants, who worked on the land, had the least. Feudalism began to decline around the 15th century, when it became more common to buy land and goods with money.
Today, factories are everywhere. Mass production is the easiest way for companies to make and sell their products. However, factories can be very bad for the environment, because they pollute the air and contribute to climate change. How do you think factories can reduce the harm they cause to the environment?
Transcript
The Industrial Revolution was a period of time when people began to use new technology to mass-produce items. It began in Europe in the 18th century, when new power sources like steam engines, electricity, and oil were becoming common. The first country that started to industrialize was Britain, because they had the wealth that was necessary to build new machines. Soon, other European countries began to build machines too. This change caused a lot of people to start working in factories instead of on farms. However, some factories had very poor working conditions. Because of this, factory workers began to form unions so that they could protest against unfair treatment. This was when many countries decided to create laws to help protect workers. These new laws banned child labour, restricted working hours, and tried to make factories safer.
World War II was a conflict that began in 1939. The war began when German dictator Adolf Hitler an invasion of Poland. Hitlerâs goal was to take over Europe entirely. He also believed that the German race was , and began to order the deaths of anyone who he didnât think was âpureâ. The main victims of Hitlerâs regime were Jews. Immediately after the invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Later, the United States and the Soviet Union declared war as well. They became known as the Allied Powers. Germanyâs allies were Italy and Japan, and they became known as the Axis Powers. For six years, Allied soldiers tried to regain land and concentration camps. The warâs end came in 1945, after Allied overpowered the German army and Hitler died by suicide. Over 60 million people died in World War II, making it the worst conflict in history.
Comprehension questions
[wp_quiz id=”20184″]
Discussion/essay questions
World War I ended in 1918, only 21 years before World War II began. Why do you think conflict was so common in Europe at the time?
Do you think another world war could happen in the future? Why or why not?
One of the most tragic events of World War II was the Holocaust, or the genocide of European Jews. Why is it so important to remember and learn from this tragedy?
Transcript
World War II was a global conflict that began in 1939. The war began when German dictator Adolf Hitler ordered an invasion of Poland. Hitlerâs goal was to take over Europe entirely. He also believed that the German race was superior, and began to order the deaths of anyone who he didnât think was âpureâ. The main victims of Hitlerâs regime were Jews. Immediately after the invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Later, the United States and the Soviet Union declared war as well. They became known as the Allied Powers. Germanyâs allies were Italy and Japan, and they became known as the Axis Powers. For six years, Allied soldiers tried to regain land and liberate concentration camps. The warâs end came in 1945, after Allied forces overpowered the German army and Hitler died by suicide. Over 60 million people died in World War II, making it the worst conflict in history.
How has the Renaissance affected art, science, culture, and politics today?
What do you think was the most important invention from the Renaissance period?
Transcript
The Renaissance was a period of cultural change in Europe. The term ârenaissanceâ is a French word, meaning ârebirthâ. The Renaissance began in Italy in the 14th century, when a movement called humanism became very popular. Humanism emerged after 14th-century Europeans began to rediscover ancient Greek philosophy. The main ideas of humanism were that humans deserved to pursue wealth and happiness, and that science, literature, and the arts were essential to human life. This was a contrast to the Middle Ages, when religion was often considered the most important part of life. Humanism encouraged many people to study and create art. One of the most well-known artists of this period was Italian painter Leonardo Da Vinci, the creator of the Mona Lisa. Although the Renaissance ended around the 17th century, the ideas and discoveries from back then are still influential in many cultures today.
Some historians have debated about which country was at fault for the Cold War. However, many believe that the Cold War was always going to happen, because the U.S. and the Soviet Union were powerful countries with opposing beliefs. Do you think it is possible for two powerful countries with different ideologies to exist without conflict?
Transcript
The Cold War was a political rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union that lasted from 1947 to 1991. It was caused by the opposing ideologies of the American and Soviet governments. While the U.S. was a capitalist country, the Soviet Union had a communist system. After World War II, the Soviets controlled communist governments in Eastern Europe, while the Americans were allied with democratic governments in Western Europe. The divide between Eastern and Western Europe became known as the Iron Curtain. Throughout the Cold War, both the Soviet Union and the U.S. tried to prove their superiority by gathering and testing nuclear weapons. While the two countries never fought each other directly, they became involved in conflicts between other countries. In the 1980s, the U.S. and the Soviet Union began to sign agreements restricting nuclear weapons. However, the treaties divided the citizens of the Soviet Union. Some people still strongly supported communism, and didn’t want to make peace with the United States. Others wanted to convert to a capitalist system. This division eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, which ended the Cold War.
The Voynich Manuscript is a mysterious that was written in Europe back in the 15th century. The manuscript was named after Polish bookseller Wilfrid Voynich, who brought it to public attention after he purchased it in 1912. The Voynich Manuscript contains bizarre of mysterious plants and constellations, and the text is written in an unknown language that humans have still not been able to . The author of the text is also unknown. Some theories suggest that the manuscript was written by aliens, while other people believe that it was simply written as a guide to medicinal plants. It is likely that the alphabet used in the text is a code, and that the manuscript was originally written in a known European language. However, no one knows what the original language is. Recently, have turned to artificial intelligence to help them decipher the text, but so far, its meaning is still unclear. The Voynich Manuscript is currently kept at Yale University in the United States.
Comprehension questions
[wp_quiz id=”19391″]
Discussion/essay questions
Do you think that we will ever be able to decipher the Voynich manuscript? Why or why not?
Transcript
The Voynich Manuscript is a mysterious text that was written in Europe back in the 15th century. The manuscript was named after Polish bookseller Wilfrid Voynich, who brought it to public attention after he purchased it in 1912. The Voynich Manuscript contains bizarre drawings of mysterious plants and constellations, and the text is written in an unknown language that humans have still not been able to translate. The author of the text is also unknown. Some theories suggest that the manuscript was written by aliens, while other people believe that it was simply written as a guide to medicinal plants. It is likely that the unfamiliar alphabet used in the text is a code, and that the manuscript was originally written in a known European language. However, no one knows what the original language is. Recently, researchers have turned to artificial intelligence to help them decipher the text, but so far, its meaning is still unclear. The Voynich Manuscript is currently kept at Yale University in the United States.
