Mid-Term Thesis Development

Writing 1/3 of the COT and COMP while evaluating 60% of the WHAP curriculum for

the mid-term… and beyond!!!!!

Directions:As you read the first two arguments (either

COT or COMP) ask yourself which 2 are they (continuities or changes or similarities or differences)

Fill in the missing argumentIdentify region(s)Identify key people, places, events and

developments in the region(s)Expand your thesis to reflect an expansive

core argument

In the Middle East from the Neolithic Revolution to 600 C.E, monotheistic religions will begin to dominate the geopolitical landscape and Empires like the Greek, Roman and Persian will battle for predominance

Think of:Ancient river valley developments( agriculture, specialization of labor, rise of technologies like metallurgy)and development of relgious architecture, texts, and universalizing belief systems. These seem to illustrate cultural and political changes

Thesis: however, the development of agrricultural staples like wheat, ceareal grains and barley will remain an important component to foster stability of the varying governments

The Indian Ocean 600-1750 would utilize the same monsoon winds for trading such lucrative items as spices and sugar

Think of:Role of technologies to facilitate Indian Ocean trade, empires and groups involved from Chineses and Indians to Dar Al Islam. Beliefs and laws governing these territorial expanses of the Indian Ocean basin. These appear to be continuities to identify a change

Thesis: however the European forces of the Portugese, Spanish, Dutch British and French would gain a footing in trading port enclaves on the coasts of Africa and Asia to tap into the pre-existing trade of sugar and spices

The Silk Route 200 B.C.E- 1450 C.E was an important trading region linking the East to west utilizing nomadic caravanseri

Think of:Groups controlling trade including China, India, Rome, Byzantine, Dar Al Islam and the Mongols, items being traded like silk, horses, gems, paper, gunpowder. Religions spread like Islam, Buddhism and Christianity. This appears to be two continuities requiring a change

Thesis: However, the Mongols control over the entirety of the Silk route facilitated the travel of such notables like Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta whose travelogues became the inspiration for countless explorers for years to come

The Atlantic World 1492-1750 forever changed the social make-up of Latin America through miscegenation and developed a socio-political castas system based on the racial constructions of the Europeans

Think of:The Columbian Exchange, Motivations including God,Gold and Glory and the manipulation of markets for the favorable balance of trade and the Trans-Atlantic slave trade ( Chattel slavery) the rise of slave trade kingdoms in Africa ioncluding Dahomey, Kongo and Benin as well as the Great dying and introduction of new crops and animals on both sides. This one looks like its looking for a continuitiy

Thesis:However , the staple crops of corn, tomaoatoes and potatoes would still be maintained on the encomiendas utilizing the traditional labor system in Latin America known as mita.

Eastern Asia 600C.E-1450 C.E was guided through the Chinese Mandate of Heaven controlling the favorable balance of trade along the Silk Route

Think of:The Chinese Dynasties of Sui-Tang-Song-Yuan and early Ming Dynasties are involde in here as well as Japan and Korea(Sinification), The Mongol conquest, early voyages of Zheng He and Chinese proto-Industialism also known as their commercial revlution can all be included as it looks as if a change is required here

Thesis:Howver the Mongol conquest of the Yuan Dynasty dimunitized the role of Chinese citizens rendering them second class in favor of foreign rulers

South Asia 600-1750 was ruled through a series of Muslim powers including the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire and became increasingly divided amongst religious divisions of Islam and Hinduism

Think of:The role of trade and Islam as it penetrated the region, the role of the Mongols and how they paved the way for the rise of the Mughal, the role of geography on the fragmentation of South Asian society. This one seems to be looking for a continuity.

Thesis:However, Hinduism and its caste system would serve as the glue to cement the fragmented sub-continent providing a sense of morality, social rigidity (caste) and identity

Eastern Europe 1450-1750 continued to be influence by trade in the Boshorous, Black and Baltic seas while continue its Orthodox Christian leadership

Think of:End of the Byzantine Empire and the rise of the Ottoman Empire, the role of Russia’s rise and their Westernization campaigns under Peter the Great as well as the constant need for warm water ports. This appears to be looking for a change.

Thesis:However , the rise of Russia and their need to thwart off the yoke of Mongol oppression (Golden Horde) led to the modeling of Russia first navy and the Baltic Sea city of St. Petersburg ( window to the west)

North America 600-1750 underwent dramatic changes through European deforestation and the expoitation of markets through private joint stock companies like the Virginia Company

Think of:The Columbian Exhange and the influence of diffeent European nation’s settlement pattern including the English and French settlers (in addtion to Dutch and Spanish) the role of family settlements, great dying, racial segregation laws, colonial trade for tobacco, timber and fur and the beginnings of self-governmet which would foster the revolutions of the next periodization. This one looks like its lookibg for a continuity

Thesis:However, Native Americans would continue to battle over territories maintaining their dominance of the fur trade market and isolating themselves in forest and mountainous communities of their ancestors.

In Western Europe 200 B.C.E- 1000 C.E witnessed the decline of the Roman Empire’s centralized authority and the interconnectivity of the trade in the Mediterranean World

Think of:Fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of medieval regional kingdoms known as feudalism and the system known as manorialism, think isolation and the role of Moors ( Southern Spain in 711) and Vikings and Magyars the role of the Roman Catholic Church and monasteries, the breifly lived Carolingian Empire. This one looks like a continuity its looking for

Thesis:However, the role of the Roman Catholic Church would serve as the glue to hold the decentralized European kingdoms together providing them faith, morality and record keeping and tax collection.

Central Asia 600-1450 gave rise to Mongol conquest and subsequent political domination under the Great Khan in Kharakorum leading to trade items passing through silk routes on its periphery

Think of:Role of the Central Asian Steppes, Mongols unification under Ghengis Khan, the rise and fall of the Mongols and their impacts including the role of Samarkand along the Silk Route trade and its greatest Muslim ruler Tamerlanse and his Timurud Empire. This one looks like its looking for a continuity

Thesis:However, the lack of arable land would lead to furthered nomadicism and their essential role as tourguides, protectors and navigators along the 8000 miles of the silk route

From 600-1750 both the Sudanic Kingdoms and the Aztecs utilized their strong military to maintain safe trade routes, both were profoundly guided by their religious zeal, however

Think of (Now Comparisons):The role of the Columbian exchange, the fact the Europeans could get into the interior of the Americas but not Africa, the role of disease, religion, and trade. Who gets the favorable balanec of trade and why, the role of slavery, indentured servitude and the mita system. Impacts of gunpowder weaponry on both Africa and the Aztecs. The role of polytheism, Islam and Christianity. This one looks like its looking for a difference.

Thesis:However, the Europeans were interested in conquest of the Americas leading to the great dying (due to AmerIndian lacking immunities to smallpox) while reaming in port cities in Africa primarily interested in Slaves fro their sugar plantations

The Middle East and East Asia from 200 B.C.E- 1450 C.E both restricting women’s rights by limiting their access to realms outside the domestic sphere, denying them political equality under the law, however

Think of:Rome, Byzantine , Abbasid and Mongols in the Middle East while the Han, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan and early Ming Dynasty (as well as Japan and Korea in East Asia) and the roles these empires have on trade, empire building, role of nomads, religion/philosophy. It’s a pretty wide series of choices you have here. Its looking for a difference.

Thesis:However, Islam will serve as a unifying political and cultural component of the Umma (Muslim Community) while Buddhism will have to be compromised initiall reviled by government then compromised through neo-confucianism

In Latin America and Western Africa 1900- Present, the role of race would play an important component in the face of the law and politics, both would be economically dependent on the “West” for neo-colonial pattern of debt regulations , however

Think of: ( oh wait, we have’nt covered this yet)Imperialism (old and new), Atlantic Revolutions, Industrial revolutions, Social Darwinism, Capitalist ideas ( finite amount of materials so the competitive idea of maintaning favorable balance of trade, WWI, decolonization, Cold War, Globalization and other stuff we will cover fro ch 17-24)

Thesis:However, decolozization would become established with the help of the United nations giving way for the irth of independent nations like Ghana, and Kenya although through violent measures and incomplete at times.

Both the Han Dynasty and the Mauryan Empire in the classical era ushered in great periods of peace and prosperity, both would regulate its populace through the governance of law through either religion or philosophy, however

Think of: (this is more like it)”The classical era is 600 B.C.E-600 C.E and involves specifically the Han and Mauryan here. Think of the role of religion (Hinduism and Buddhism) as well as philosophy (Legalism, Taoism and Confucianism) the role of trade, military and governance, This one is looking for a difference

Thesis:However, lack of a clear line of succession would create over 500 years of fragmentation for the Mauryan Empire (until the rise of the Gupta ) while the reinforcement of Confucians 5 relations ships and the Mandate of Heaven would lead to a smoother transition into the next periodization

The Inca Empire and the Roman Empire both centralized their authority through the development of roads, both provided for the social services of their large populations , however

Think of:This on infuses two different periodizations, both actually have so much in common including roads, forced labor, engineering, role of religion, large centralized empires, great monumental architecture . The geography, however leads to distinct differences including terrace farming, vertical economies and lack of wheel and written language in Inca. This is looking for a difference.

Thesis: However, the Incas had to overcome tremendous geographic adversity in the Altiplano of the Andes while the Roman’s had an environmental mosaic which facilitated great centralization

North America and Africa 1492-1750 were both exploited by the European desire to manipulate the land, labor and capital, both were infused with Christian beliefs through missionary zeal. However,

Think of:The Columbian Exchange and the role , chattel slavery, decline of Sudanic Kingdoms, role and pattern of European colonial settlement in the Northern colonies, role of protestantism and racism as well as trading networks which were now prominantly focused on the Atlantic world. This one is looking for a difference.

Thesis:Africa would thwart off any pattern of European settlement due to geographic constraints, disesae as well as pre-existing Empires (Kongo, Benin, Ife, Dahomey) while the great dying and gunpowder weaponry would facilitate an easier pattern of settlement for Europeans in North America

Decolonization in South Asia and Sub Saharan Africa both followed a pattern of violent and non-violent resistance, both struggled with the dependency of their former colonial overlords, however

Think of ( have’nt covered this yet)WWI and WWI , United Nations establishment of decolonization, Cold War powers entaglement, legacy of the exploitation of colonialism, nationalist leaders like Ghandi, Mandela, Kwame Nakruma, etc. This one is looking for a difference

Thesis:South Asia would inevitably get its independence through the peaceful protests of Mohandis Ghandi while the violent protests of the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya would see independence but with close economic ties to its former coloinial Ruler (Great Britain)

The role of religion in Western Europe and the Middle East 600-1450 served top bolster the political authority of its leaders, inspired monumental building of impressive edifices, However

Think of:Feudalism/dark ages/manorialism/ recovery and commercial revolution (Crusades) in Western Europe and the rise of Dar Al Islam ( Abbasid Caliphate-Golden Age) as well as fall to the Mongols 1258 to identify the comparative rise and fall of these notable regiosn whose interactions would be integral to understand their developments. It looks like you’re looking for a difference.

Thesis:The Mongol interactions would lead to increased interaction and a Renaissance and age of exploration for Western European Kingdoms while the last Abbasid Calip will be sacked in Baghdad by the Mongol Il-Khanate paving the way for the rise of the Ottoman’s Turkish Empire

Coercive labor patterns in Latin America and Eastern Europe1450-1750 was utilized to provide intensive agricultural labor, was a means of subjugating a particular minority of people, however

Think of:Serfdom in Russia and Indentured servitude and chattel slavery in Latin America. This labor was essential to the Empires which exploited it and contributed to the wealth and rise of Russia, Spain, France, England, Portugal and the Dutch. It looks like you are looking for a difference here

Thesis:Serfdom in Russia was done by Russia authorities to Russian people’s who were treated harshly while it was the European colonial authorities which were forcing labor of indigenous and Africans to procure wealth in materials through mercantilistic policies.

Feudalism in Japan and Europe 600-1750 saw the decentralization of political authority due to the lack of centralized political leadership, established militarism to protect against neighboring enemies, however

Think of:Decentralized governments and the comparative role of geography in both Europe and Japan and the need for military aristocracies with absent centralized governments. Think , also, of religious and historical development differences ( who were their cultural influences). This one is also looking for a difference.

Thesis:Europe’s Crusades, black death and Age of exploraton would centralize their authority and lead to the oveseas expanse of their empires while the Tokugawa Shogunate’s centralization and ethnocentric manner would lead to the increased isolationist policies even closing thei doors to immigration and emmigration.