Wikipedia Article Bibliography: The History of The Patent Law (3/31)

WIKIPEDIA:

1.       This article clearly defines what a patent is. It explains ‘patent law’ generally, not specific to any country or place. I believe knowing exactly what I am writing about, is important when narrating the history of this concept and law.

“Patent.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 25 Mar 2008, 15:15 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 30 Mar 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Patent&oldid=200811051>.

2.       This article cites the actual “statute of Monopolies,” which is perhaps the first recorded patent law. Most patent laws originate from here.  The article also explains the situation prior to the Statute, and discusses the first ‘patent letter’ that was awarded. These are all important in the “history of THE PATENT LAW.”

“Statute of Monopolies 1623.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 10 Mar 2008, 01:57 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 30 Mar 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Statute_of_Monopolies_1623&oldid=197138197>.

3.       This entry explains what exactly a “letter of patent” is, and also explains how they are still used today. Since letters of patent issued by the British Royalty led to the Statute of Monopolies, this article helps to understand the background of the Statue. There is also a picture of a letter of patent. This furthers the development of the “history of the first patent law.”

“Letters patent.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 27 Mar 2008, 12:28 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 30 Mar 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Letters_patent&oldid=201306822>.

4.       This article explains the field of Intellectual Property (IP), which includes patent law. I believe the development of IP law is important in developing the Patent law. In this manner the article provides information on the history of patent law.

“Intellectual property.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 28 Mar 2008, 21:10 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 30 Mar 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Intellectual_property&oldid=201668661>. 

BOOKS:

1.       The first chapter in the book lists important conventions and rulings in developing the EU patent law. It summarizes the Paris convention, The patent corporation treaty, and the European patent convention amongst others. These were all important historic events in the development of the Patent Law.

Muir, Ian, Matthias Brandi-Dohrn, and Stephan Gruber. European Patent Law : Law and Procedure under the Epc and Pct. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.

2.       The book provides a lot of information about the existing patent law, in a simple manner. (Not too technical) This is helpful in understanding the Patent law today. It has a section that dates and lists various conventions and treaties that are important in founding the Patent Law.  The book dedicates a chapter to Patent Laws and the dates they were founded in various countries. This information is useful to explain the development of the Patent Law after the Statute of Monopolies in England.

Junghans, Claas, and Adam Levy. Intellectual Property Management : A Guide for Scientists, Engineers, Financiers, and Managers. Weinheim

Chichester: Wiley-VCH ;

John Wiley distributor, 2005.

EXTERNAL WEBSITES”

1.       This website by a leading law firm has a section with the history of the US patent law. It starts with a patent law in the medieval times, and narrates how it developed into today’s patent law. It also dates, and cites, important cases and acts in the history of the patent law. This article is extremely useful in attaining knowledge on the development of the Patent Law in the US. 

LLP, Ladas & Parry. “A Brief History of the Patent Law of the United States”.  New York, 1999. Web Page. <http://www.ladas.com/Patents/USPatentHistory.html>.

 The article within this website: The 212th Anniversary of the First American Patent Act.

2.       This article clearly narrates how British ‘letter of patents’ were used in the US, when the US was colonized by the British. It then narrates how the US patent came into effect. It has a description of one of the first cases that helped sculpt the US patent law. It also has the actual image of the “Original Patent one,” and Patent offices. This article is useful to help tie the development of the patent law from Europe to the US.

Bellis, Mary. “The 212th Anniversary of the First American Patent Act”.  2008. About.com: Inventors. Ed. The New York Times Company. (2008). <http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa073100a.htm>.

 

Class Reflecion #6: Immigration & Imperialism (3/24)

 I would have never imagined that “The Irish” were once considered ‘subhuman,’ in America, alike the blacks. Today, the Irish are known for their business skills amongst many others. This depicts that Americans in those times were discriminating against any foreigner and not just a specific race. From our class, I understood that the reason the Irish were discriminated was because of their ‘unruly’ nature and their belief in the Catholic Church. This was furthered by the illustration of Catholic Crocodiles trying to eat American children!

At the time, a sense of Nativism inspired Americans to try and assihimilate immigrants into a melting pot.  I would like to know, when the idea of a melting pot changed into the acceptance of multi-culturism. This huge leap in thinking goes to show an immense development in American perception.  Nativism creates an aversion to ‘Non-Americans’ like Chinese, Asians and Irish, whom the Americans believed couldn’t be assihimilated. This is sharply contrasted by the American appreciation for the immigrants ‘barbarian values.’  It’s ironic how they see the immigrants as barbarians, portraying ‘white supremacy;’ however, they still realize and accept certain immigrant characteristics as virtues. This is similar to the American views on slaves:  slaves were ridiculed; however, white people were secretly jealous of them.  It is interesting that Americans have always been so open and able to appreciate the positive even in immigrants that they ridiculed. This is probably the birth of a culture that appreciates critical thought; whereby, it is important for people to recognize the good even in the bad.

Americans saw simplicity and strength as virtues. This thought is extended in American imperialism; which was partially fueled by the need to show American strength and ‘masculinity.’ Imperialism also portrays traces of American supremacy. Americans believed their ideology, ‘democracy,’ was better than any others. American imperialism was finally motivated by economic growth. American imperialism was a way to spread American ideals, show masculinity, and gain economically. We see traces of American imperialism today in Iraq. The Iraq war was fueled by the need to spread democracy and gain oil (economic).

 While America tries to spread its values in other nations, in a sincere and positive effort to bring about improvement; many nations have seen America as interfering. I believe that American interference worldwide has gone too far, and it has damaged America’s reputation internationally. However, Americans living in the US would never know about the international perspective. The outside world almost vanishes when you live in the US. News about a local train catching fire, will take precedence to a burning temple or massacre in a third world country.  Perhaps, in the same lines, I found it interesting that you had to show a map to demonstrate where Philippines was! Was this because you thought people may not know?

At the end of class I understood how imperialism (masculinity), nativity and the aversion to foreign immigrants were related. After some thought, it was my observation that all these factors: imperialism fueled by a need to portray strength, nativity a concept of distinguishing Americans from others and the aversion of foreign people; all portrayed the American need to find a sort of “national identity.”  Perhaps this was the origination of ‘creating an American identity.” We see this with Americans looking up to Tarzan and Sandow. The irony: although imperialism and immigration were believed to take away from the ‘national identity;’ today, they are integral to American identity.

class reflection #5: Reconstruction after the civil war (3/17)

The interpretations of the civil war were interesting, and broad, because some concepts would apply to most “wars.” The “Lost Cause” interpretation of the war, sympathizing with the South that lost, can be seen throughout history in other wars as well. In fact, I believe war is always a lost cause. Both opposing sides, and specially the people, always ‘lose.’ Most wars, alike the American civil war, start out trying to resolve pertinent issues; most wars never address them and just become a show of military power. Finally, society is always quick to move forward from tragedies. This is seen with the people forgetting about the civil war in the ‘roaring 20’s.’ War never seems to have a purpose that justifies its damage. However, the reconstruction phase and the 13^th and 14th amendments that ensued after the Civil War, was important in the way that they have shaped the US today.

 The interpretation of history or the science of “historiography,” which is the manner in which historians analyze history, was interesting. I would definitely like to learn more about how historiography affects the views of society. This also makes one wonder, how much of history is fact and how much is opinion, and which is more important?

The discussion on the reconstruction phase was important in its depiction of Lincoln and Johnson.  Lincoln adopted a milder approach, whereas Johnson adopted a harsher approach. Johnson was a “doer,” who moved forward with his plans without consulting congress; which led to tensions and eventually his impeachment. It was important to find out about the first US president to be impeached. I wondered, which approach was better, Lincoln’s or Johnson’s?

The “40 acres and a mule” was a familiar concept. In Nepal, similar concepts have been adopted by the government, where farmers are given a certain amount of land.  In fact, a law in Nepal states that if a farmer plows land for a certain number of years, he can claim certain ownership rights. Farmers in Nepal were pleased when the government implemented. It was revealing how the same enthusiasm wasn’t seen in the US; could this be because farmers in Nepal were just poor but not slaves?

Finally, the “separate but equal” concept was the most interesting aspect of US History that I have learned about in class. Despite the written law, and the 13 and 14^th amendments; people still found a way to discriminate. This depicts that people will always find a means to express themselves. The defacto versus dejure, is seen throughout the world. What was even more eye opening was the outcome of the Plessy versus Ferguson case. The decision of the Supreme Court, implying that the government couldn’t discriminate; however, the local restaurant could – was shocking! The map of Richmond went to portray the extent of how the whites felt threatened by the “slaves.” I wonder what prompted this to such an extreme, that a law stated whites and blacks were not allowed to live in the same street! The fact that this was all written, and documents were drafted defining “who is white and who is black” portrays how important this was at its time. This reminds us of the universal theme, that race is a social construction rather than just a physical characteristic. The best part about this class was seeing the actual bathroom signs; it made me realize that this was a “reality.” Most times, history seems like a “story,” the signs helped me realize that this was a “reality,“ and a very terrible one…  

Class Reflection #4: American Civil War (3/3)

Today, people learn a lot more from movies then just written history. The clips we watched in class were insightful in gaining interpretations of the Civil War. In Gods and Generals, facts were represented from the generals’ perspective, which was informative. The movie seemed extremely factual, based on events and happenings, and portrayed the larger picture. Gods and Generals would help the audience realize ‘what happened when,’ and what tactics were used in the war. The personal narration of Cold Mountain was more interesting because it portrayed the personal struggle of common people during the time. Cold Mountain would help the audience understand how people were affected by the war. I believe Cold Mountain’s narration is important, because although the Civil War is ‘history,’ the change of attitudes brought about by the Civil War is certainly not history. The civil war affected millions of people and changed the way they think and act. This change in people’s attitudes will continue over generations, and understanding how and why they occurred are important.  Prior to the Civil War many Americans were opposed to the idea of a central government and pro-slavery. Towards the end of the Civil War, we see changes in their attitudes such as: Confederates realized the need for a strong central government in order to fight war and sustain industry, they also considered having slaves in the army.  This change in attitude, would be better depicted in Cold Mountain than Gods and Generals. Cold Mountain’s depiction of the American Civil War is important as it portrays the affects of large circumstances on individuals, which are inherited over generations and finally shape the manner in which people think today

Our class discussion made me note that slavery wasn’t being abolished due to the concern for human rights, but more for political reasons. This can be seen in the Emancipation Proclamation by Lincoln. It seems that his intent for freeing slaves, in certain states was to cause chaos, and had little to do with human rights. Furthermore, during the Civil War, many people were racist and against slavery.  This irony clearly marks that the primary concern of people were not human rights, but money and economics, because they wanted to abolish slavery so the South wouldn’t prosper. The Fugitive Law furthers this point. If abolishing slavery was about human rights, why would runaway slaves have to be returned? This shows that slavery was an accepted human condition, and the real underlying concern was money and prosperity. Furthermore, it was interesting to note that something as demeaning as slavery gave the poor, white people status. This goes to show how deprived and insecure people were, and how they had to be better than someone else to value their selves. It would be interesting to know if the violence in Kansas was the true beginning to abolishing racism and slavery, or just an extension of other societal factors that was reflected in the conflicting attitudes towards slavery?

It seemed to me that the basis for the Civil War was money and economics. I think the seed of the Civil War was planted by the Nullification crises, which affected the sale of Southern exports. This resulted in a division, which was furthered by the conflicting attitudes towards slavery.  This division marked the first differentiation between the ‘South’ and the ‘North.’ This attitude of belonging to the South or North, has carried on over generations and can still be seen today.

 It can be concluded that although the world has changed dramatically, since the Civil War, greed and money still fuel most of the conflicts faced today. This can be seen in the intent behind the ‘The War in Iraq.’ Finally, the Civil War resulted in 350,000 casualties. Do so many people need to die for a country to change their attitude and ways?  Is war ever worth the price or even the consequence? Despite the change of times, we can still ask ourselves these questions today in regard to the Iraq war!

Post #2: Utopia: Gauisus

Dear friend,

I hope this meets you in good health and happiness. My family and I are fine. We have been living in “Gauisus” for the past six months. Gauisis is a self sufficient, individualistic, city located on the banks of river Gauise.

I no longer work 16 hours in a factory that exploits me, away from my loved ones, with the constant fear of being cheated. I am happily employed in the profession I love, that of a writer. I spend my time writing for the community and teaching at our school. My wife Elda, has taken up her fondness for children, and opened a children’s nursery. In Gauisus, woman work and pursue their interests, and produce with the same value as men. Elda and I will have saved enough Gaus (the currency here,) to own our residence soon. We are truly happy! In fact, that is the meaning of Gauisus, Latin for “happy.”

In Gauisus we believe it’s the human constant, and right, to be happy. Happiness is not sought in Gauisus, happiness prevails. We are motivated by our own interest, not by the necessity to earn a meager living, or by profit. We live in a manner that calls for excellence in all we do. We can love, life and be employed by our own choice as long as we dedicated to our choices.

I live close to the school where I am employed. Our city is divided in the center by river Gauise. The Northern part, where I reside, is devoted to production and is also the heart of the city.  Our lodgings surround our school, prayer and community buildings. This is to portray our society values higher learning, and respect to our neighbors. It also marks the importance of our religious module. The prayer hall consists of a small church, a temple, and a prayer room for all faiths. In Gauisus, we are all free to worship and believe, or not believe, in what inspires us the most. We have no right to criticize the choices of others; as we are all individuals who seek the best for themselves first.

Behind out houses are beautiful woods and orchards, representing the beauty of life. These lead the way into our production units.  Our production units are divided into basic and specialized units, employees reside closest to their work places allowing convenient access to our public facilities and to our work places. The city council meets every Friday in the prayer building to seek methods to better our society. We have a theater in our public building. We all enjoy plays in the weekend with a glass of wine from our local brewery, and parlor.

Our southern side is primarily agricultural. Similar to our northern side, it is centralized about a school and public building. The farmlands are behind the house and segregated into staple farms and other farms.

 Currently, most land and property is owned by the city itself. However, we are allowed to buy property from the city. The money collected by the city on property sales is used to improve the city’s structure.

In Gauisus, we enjoy our employment as there aren’t any factory owners to exploit you. Although, we have seniors in our production units, they serve to guide us and help us reach our potential. Those who are good at their work will serve as teachers to those who want to learn. We have the best farmers, the best producers, the best bankers, the best teachers; because they are motivated by their love for their work. Furthermore, we don’t need to leave our families to earn a living, we can live with the people we love while enjoying our truly, gainful employment. Whatever we produce is given a currency value that we can trade with. Every month the town council buys our products. With Gaus, we buy what we need from the markets. Our excessive products, especially sugar cane, are traded in another society for what we require. Therefore, we never lack in anything.

Our scientists have made a turbine, sourcing electricity for our production units and our houses. Our doctors are advanced and healthcare is accessible and free to all members of our community.  We enjoy free public transportation and education. We have an efficient waste management system and irrigation system, perhaps, more sophisticated than those you may be familiar with. Our council supports these necessary services, enabling all our citizens to live well. Our council manages this from the profits that the city makes from selling our excess produce. I can assure you, my dear friend, we are not void of comfort or leisure.

There is no government in Gauisus which tries to limit our minds. We are governed by the highest morals of humanity. We respect competition and the creation of others. We believe in earning not stealing. Our community is for all those who value the human mind. We will not tolerate laziness, or lack of motivation. Those who cannot value themselves, their work, and their fellow neighbors, will be asked to leave by our council. In times of need we heed the advice of our council. Our council constitutes the founders of this community; with the likes of Professor Artson, Dr. Wilmart, Schlor Jones and other intellectuals. Our council revolves periodically.

Gauisus, is a closed community. You may be admitted by invitation only. Our land is marked by high walls to fend of intruders.  I believe, my friend, with your keen ability to work wood and your dedication, you and your family will add value to Gauisus. I understand that your family is far away, and you will need to consult with them. I feel your wife, Emily, will find contentment here. Her hand is particularly fast with wool, and I am sure she can use this skill to enjoy a gainful employment. With this letter I invite you, and your family, to join us in Gauisus. Please send a message for us to arrange for your departure. You will need nothing to come here. At Gauisus we value your mind. Your money will be worthless here. You must come here on the supreme faith of human ability, and goodness. I will be expecting you my dear friend.

-Elliot.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23261616@N07/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23261616@N07/

Reflection #3: Westward Expansion 2/18

The class discussion has helped me understand important concepts of America’s westward movement.  It’s interesting that people believed it was their ‘right’ to own the western hemisphere; and defined this as their ‘manifest destiny.’ I wonder where, and how, this concept originated? Does the concept of manifest destiny portray an extension of American ambition, or does it show that Americans believed they were supreme?

I felt the first election was important to US History and to the world. The translation of power without bloodshed, represents a true beginning of ‘Democracy’ in the world. This historic election was followed by the historic westward expansion. The motivation for the westward movement is extremely intriguing. People moved in one direction, ironically seeking two different ideals – capitalism and anti-capitalism. The attraction towards the ‘West’ was in the minds of the people, showcasing that only humanity can inspire itself.

The westward movement also changed the nature of employee and employer relationships. I feel the westward movement freed the employees and initiated the creation of the individualistic, corporate culture of contemporary America. This movement also fueled the separation of domains between men and woman. Women and men started valuing themselves by their ability to earn money. I believe that in America today, although separate domains for men and woman don’t persist and gender equality has been established, many people still value themselves by the amount of money they earn.

The westward movement, fueled social and lifestyle changes. The views of the working class are reflected in the entertainment they sought. This concept was particularly interesting; as it defines a way of interpreting the values of people in a given time. The minstrel shows, which ridiculed the black slave, indicated that the working middle class was jealous, of what it imagined was the life of a slave. My interpretation of this, made me realize how shallow the thoughts of the white middle class people were.  Slavery was a moral wrong, how could anyone be jealous of a slave? Did these people even understand or know what slavery was? Shouldn’t the working middle class be sympathetic towards the slaves for what they had to endure? Where was the spirit of human brotherhood? I further question, when did Americans realize that slavery was a moral wrong and so was racism? How did American morality change from this radical, racist extreme to how we know it today? I believe the roots of modern American culture, lie in this answer.

Post 1: Slaves Search for Natural Rights

 “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”  

As the founding fathers drafted these words, the mission statement of the US constitution; slavery was abundant in the US and many of the founding fathers themselves owned slaves. The constitution preached the right for ‘life, liberty and a pursuit to happiness;’ in a sharp contrast to the millions of people who were deprived of their personal freedom, and compelled to perform labor and services. The irony of this situation and era in US history is alarming, implying that slaves were not considered ‘people’ but property.

The slaves were also people, similar to the founding fathers, who sought freedom.  Although little is known, or documented, about the slaves, the runaway advertisements depict that most slaves risked their lives and fled seeking freedom.  After searching the runaway advertisements, it can be suggested that slaves also recognized ‘natural human rights’ and sought them in their ‘intent’ for running away; they fled to seek freedom, protection, family life and a right to life by choice.

A brief reading of the advertisements portray many physical characteristics of slaves, their attire, belongings and their skills. It is interesting to note that the only human insight, of the slaves and their desires, are reflected in the “intent” for the slaves’ escapes.  I brief search by “intent” of the runaway advertisement derives that 17 advertisements were placed under change in home/work or owner; suggesting that slaves ran away to seek choice. 44 advertisements are categorized under the intent ‘fear of punishment,’ asserting that slaves sought some sort of protection and equality. 305 advertisements are placed under the intent to rejoin family, and 805 listed under the intent of freedom; clearly depicting the slaves’ desires for some sort of natural rights and liberty.

Anthony, a 17 year old slave fled from his owner, one of the founding fathers of the US constitution, James Madison.  The advertisement placed in the Virginia Gazette, on November 22, 1786, explains the physical characteristics of Anthony. It mentions that he was a “servant” in Madison’s residence. The advertisement allows us to create a physical impression of Anthony as it is very descriptive. We can also assume that Anthony was clever, from the writing, which notes that Anthony may have already got a “Pass” and changed his clothes and name. This proves that Madison believed Anthony to be smart and quick. It is apparent from this advertisement, that Anthony sought the most basic of all rights – freedom and a right to life by choice.

Johnny also fled in search for freedom. Johnny was owned by Edmund Randolph, another founding father. From the advertisement printed in the Virginia Gazette in December 12, 1977, it is understandable that Johnny had been a slave for a long period. Johnny had also “waited” upon Randolph’s uncle. Similar to most announcements, Johnny’s physical attributes and clothes are described in great detail. In this notice, we gather an insight to Johnny as person who described as a heavy drinker. The ad is revealing as it mentions that Johnny could read and write; and helps us understand the life of a slave in a manner not depicted through other readings. An advertisement for Ben, who also escaped in a quest of freedom, is particularly interesting. This advertisement refers to a ‘settlement of free negroes,” educating us of the existence of such a settlement. These small snippets of information help us comprehend the lives of the slaves, and assert that slaves too risked their lives in a quest for freedom.

The pursuit to happiness includes closeness to families. Many slaves sought, by means of escape, to be near their loved ones. Tom, a 28 year old slave is said to have run away to rejoin his wife, who is also a slave. This ad allows you to think that slaves were married to each other.  Tom’s advertisement is interesting as it claims that Tom has already had the small pox.  It is possible to assume, from this advertisement, that Tom may have been treated by his master, Griffin Stith. This would help us to understand the relationship between the slaves and the masters, a matter that could never be comprehended by reading the ‘history’ of slavery in the US.

One of the most interesting advertisements that I came across was for Mann, placed by John Smith. We learn that Mann is a fifty year old man, who speaks well and has slit ears. This depicts that Mann was an intelligent person who had a hard life, and probably spent most of it as a slave. The advertisement makes it apparent, that Mann ran away to seek the most fundamental of ‘natural rights,’ the right to protection and the right to live. Mann has been outlawed for threatening to burn his master’s house! John Smith’s notice states, “If any person will deliver me his head, severed from his body, they shall receive 10 l. current money: If taken alive and delivered, 40 s…”  This clearly defines the agency possessed by the slave owners over the slaves.  Mr. Smith wants Mann to be beheaded; endorsing that owners deemed themselves demigods, with a right to chose life or death for their slaves. This is explicit in explaining the lack of agency of the slaves. A clear grasp, of the life of a slave and how they were treated, is perhaps best defined by the advertisements rather than other readings.

The advertisements provided me with a solid understanding of slavery; which could never be understood from the factual readings in Wikipedia. A mere definition,” Slavery is a social-economic system under which certain persons — known as slaves — are deprived of personal freedom and compelled to perform labour or services. The term includes the status or condition of those persons who are treated as the property of another person…” and a surplus of facts, cannot in essence portray why slavery and the slave trade was called “Maafa” (Swahili for holocaust.) The horror of slavery and its affect, on millions of people, will never be known due a lack of documentation from the victim’s perspective. An interpretation of the runaway advertisements, gives us a deeper picture into the lives of the slaves. Ironically, from the perspective of a “subscriber,” we learn about: the physical characteristics of the slaves, what skills they possessed and how some were literate, and in this manner we can start to acquire miniscule amounts of knowledge on their personal lives, hopes and desires.  The one fact, missing in the history readings, ascertained by the advertisements is that the human desire for natural rights, presides in every man, in every situation. The elite, with agency, wrote elaborate documents to assert their need for ‘natural rights.’ Similarly, in the same nation at the same time, the slaves ran away from their masters to seek freedom, family, and life -endorsing the human need for ‘natural rights.’

Reflection #2: American Revolution

Watching the clip from patriot and analyzing the perspectives of the director was interesting.The director or producer’s chose to represent the motive for Mel Gibson’s violence to personal matters rather than political ones. Furthermore, the director chooses to mention that Mel Gibson doesn’t own black slaves; which is highly unlikely given the time and situation of the movie. I felt the producers of the movie were concerned about using ideas and themes that were commonly accepted, so that their audience reach would be larger. In a small way this makes you realize that “slavery” is an avoided and almost taboo topic in the US. The reason for this general discomfort with ‘slavery’ could be due to several factors such as:  it’s a sensitive topic to many African Americans who may still be able to trace their ancestors to those days, the horrific nature and cruelty by which slaves were treated could be provocative even today, many are embarrassed by it and most don’t want to accept it as part of their great history. A sense of denial is easily seen, similar to the Germans regarding the holocaust. In fact, in the wiki article the word “maafa” is used  to describe the transatlantic slave trade, which essentially means “holocaust” in Swahili.

Considering the large amount of slaves that were present during the US revolution, it would be interesting to know what the slaves’ perspective on the US Revolution. Were they involved in anyway with what happened? Were they forced to fight? How did they feel about it? Did this bring about any hope to them? Perhaps, a director willing to consider history for what it is, should make a movie on the life of a slave, from the slave’s perspective, and how different political movements affected him and what he thought of it. Wouldn’t that be really interesting?

I felt, one of the most important aspects of the US revolution was that everything was documented and written. This was never represented in the reading, and it is crucial in understanding not only the US revolution but also American society. This need for documentation distinguishes the US revolution from others, in its approach towards freedom. I believe the US revolution was neither radical nor conservative but rather very educated. The unique nature of the US revolution helped me understand the importance of documentation, and law, to the US culture. I thought it was important, and with the theme of the US revolution, for John Locke’s natural rights to be documented .The notion that you shouldn’t state the obvious, or that writing the natural rights may seem redundant can be understood; however, I feel redundancy is sometimes good in reminding and making a point. I understand how stating the obvious can give doubts, but I feel the natural rights have gained immense value because they were documented. In line with American thinking and history, would the natural rights have received as much honor and importance if someone hadn’t made an effort to spell it out?

It was easy to relate to the fate of the elite colonists and the whole concept of ‘all men are created equal” and how this worked against the elite colonists. The same thing happened in Nepal last year. The political leaders joined together to over throw the despotic monarch; after this was accomplished the notion of “we are all equal” remained in the nation. This led many people to question the authority of the politicians, creating a similar confusion for Nepali politicians as it did for elite colonists centuries ago.  

Class Reflection 1: Prespective in History (colonial US) 2/9

I found the magnitude of the transatlantic slave trade to be overwhelming! It was odd that such a massive violation of human rights, affecting millions of people, could transpire for years without anyone raising their voice against it! I wondered, did people retaliate against this brutality? Who were they, and did they achieve anything? Or did the world watch in silence, reaping the twisted benefits that this brought to their lives? Were they afraid to have an opinion due to the power bases involved? Or perhaps they did speak up, but historians never included them in their stories.The concept of perspectives in history, portrayed in John’s Smith Map and the “new world” was very interesting. It made me think that history is not just a recollection of facts, but more an interpretation of the historians’ views. The word “history” depicts this – his story!  It also made me wonder, how credible is history? It seems to me that history was a novelty for the rich and educated, to express their opinions by representing what they thought was important. In this manner the ‘historians’ could delete the actual history of the uneducated and the poor. By erasing, or overlooking, certain factors that the historians didn’t find important; they recreated ‘history.’ They took what they felt was important and showcased that, eliminating the experiences of others; and thereby, creating a new history for the readers! In a way, the historians told what they wanted to, so that they could shape the views of the readers and future generations.I think we see this in the depiction of Native Americans, who are portrayed in the pages of history as savages who scalped the settlers! Similarly the settlers have shown their acts as “conquests.” However, upon a closer look, what actually happened was an invasion, which is morally wrong. It is quite obvious that history had a view, and perhaps the real history can be found in the lines that were never written. I believe the internet will have a profound effect on history.  The greatest aspect about the internet is that every story is recorded in a 1000 different perspectives! The power exercised by previous historians to pick and choose what they wanted to maintain as history is definitely gone. Today we don’t write history, we write our opinions as well.