Brother Against Brother: A Comprehensive Study of the Causes of the Civil War

The American Civil War was the bloodiest war in American history, with casualties clocking in at 600,000 men—a percentage that, when converted, would be today’s equivalent of the state of Washington being completely wiped off the map. The Civil War is notorious for being so controversial that it tore families apart—turned brother against brother. What could have caused carnage and controversy of such great magnitude? The average person might immediately, and unthinkingly, blurt out “slavery”. While this is technically true, the full answer is much more complicated and split, just like the United States right before the War. In this report, one will attempt to understand what led to the start of this horrific war. First, the differing economies of the North and the South led to rising sectional interests. Second, their different ideas about slavery increased tensions and carved the way to the formation of the Confederate States of America. Finally, the United States’ failure to efficiently and effectively create a political compromise finally broke the back of the South and sparked the most horrific war in American history. Learning the full extent of the cause of the Civil War will be difficult; to start, one should look at the differing economies of the North and the South.

The drastic distinctions between the economies of the industry-mogul United States and agriculturally-based Confederate States are extremely prominent and can be easily proved. Firstly, if one looks at the number of railroads in comparison to the amount of cotton produced and slave density, one would see that most of the railroads are criss-crossing the North, while all of the slaves and cotton are in the would-be Confederacy and the border states. This suggests that the North was industrialized (thus the need of railroads to transport machinery and other goods), while the South was centered around farming (thus the little need of railroads; the South typically used the Mississippi River to move cotton). If one looks harder, one would see that typically the density of slaves is directly proportional to the amount of cotton produced, further suggesting that the South, to grow cotton and thus create revenue, needed slaves to do it (Document 1). Secondly, if one were to compare the different resources of the Union and the future Confederate States, one would see an obvious trend of differing financial systems. The North had 92% of all industrial workers and 91% of the revenue, whereas the South had a 100% of all cotton bales grown in the United States—a whopping 5 million. The South also had 88% of all slaves, which would again suggest the Southern policy of “slaves = cotton” (Document 2). Finally, if one were to examine the opinion of one North Carolinian, Hinton Helper, it is apparent how the different economies led to rising tensions. Hinton Helper, a well-known political writer, stated in his book The Impending Crisis of the South, among other things, “It is a fact well known to every intelligent Southerner that we are compelled to go to the North for almost every article of utility…that we are dependent on Northern [manufacturers] for the means necessary to build…public improvements” (Document 3). This affirms the fact that the South, having little manufacturing, relied on the North, therefore making the South uneasy about the power-hold the North had over them. As illustrated in these evidences, the conflicting economies led, over time, to the Civil War. Next, upon learning this information, it is crucial to acknowledge that different North-South beliefs about slavery contributed greatly to the rise of the Civil War.

Second in our quest for the truth is the idea of slavery and the different reactions to it between the North, the South, and even slaves themselves and how it caused the Civil War. First, the Southern view of slavery must be presented in the form of George Fitzhugh’s book Cannibals All! Or Slaves Without Masters. George Fitzhugh, a sociologist who is again from North Carolina, says many things about slavery, including “The Negro slaves of the South are the happiest, and, in some sense, the freest people in the world. The children and the aged infirm work not at all, and yet have all the comforts and necessities of life provided for them. They…are neither oppressed by care nor labor. The women do little hard work…The Negro men and stout boys work…not more than 9 hours a day…they can sleep at any hour.” Fitzhugh’s writing plainly shows the common Southern belief that they are taking care of the slaves opposed to abusing them (Document 5). Second, one should look at the point of view of a slave to get a fuller comprehension. Fredrick Douglass, a famous African-American abolitionist, gave a speech on July 5th, 1852 titled “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro”. Douglass spoke about how July Fourth, to the slave, is a meaningless sham and “hollow mockery”. He accuses the United States of “bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy” and of “crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages”. Douglass’s speech really conveys the point of view of a slave that free Americans do not truly take time to think about (Document 4). Third, the reaction to the John Brown incident illustrates how different the responses are between the North and the South when provoked with the issue of slavery. John Brown was a staunch radical abolitionist who attempted to organize a slave rebellion to overtake Harpers Ferry (a federal arsenal) in Virginia. The endeavor was, however, to be his last. John Brown took his five sons to spread the word to the slaves and to attack the arsenal. His call, unfortunately for him, remained unanswered, so when it came time to attack, Brown led a whopping “band of 18 men, black and white, into Harpers Ferry” to stand up to throes of local troops and U.S. Marines. All of his five sons were killed, along with five others and Brown was turned over to Virginia for trial. In the end, Brown was publicly hanged for treason. The real story, though, starts here when the hanging sparked fierce reactions from both sides. Northerners called Brown’s motives “sublime” and “expressed admiration for him or his cause”. In the North, “Bells tolled at the news of his execution, guns fired salutes, and large crowds gathered” and some Northerners even hailed Brown as “a martyr for the sacred cause of freedom”. The extreme reaction in the North, however, mirrors the one in the South. Outraged mobs would attack suspected antislavery whites Southern whites became paranoid that Northerners were plotting slave uprisings everywhere. How did this lead to the Civil War, though? John Brown’s antics caused the South to think more seriously about secession. Even long-time Union supporters changed their minds about secession. One former Unionist explained that “I am willing to take the chances of…disunion, sooner than submit any longer to Northern insolence and Northern outrage” (Document 6). Obviously, this finalizes the fact that the opposing views on slavery led to the secession of South Carolina and the start of the Civil War. Now that we are even more aware of why the Civil War started, one must examine how the failure of creating an effective political compromise to fill in the final missing piece.

Although many compromises were tried, they all failed in the end, leading to higher tensions between the seceding states and the Union. To prove such a point, one should analyze several different sources for confirmation. Firstly, if one looked at a Supreme Court case by the name of Dred Scott vs. Sandford, one would see some interesting things. Dred Scott was a slave whose owner had taken him to live in the free North for many years. After his master had died and he had moved back to Missouri, Scott sued for his freedom on the basis that by living on free territory, he had become a free man. It was continually appealed until it made it to the Supreme Court and, after nine years, Chief Justice Roger Taney ruled in 1857 two things. First, he stated that “slaves…had no rights which the white man was bound to respect…And, accordingly, a Negro of the African race was regarded by them as an article of property…”, basically saying that African Americans had no rights and that they were property instead of people. Second, Taney used the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution as grounds for voiding the Missouri Compromise. The Fifth Amendment “provides that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, and property without due process of law” and the Missouri Compromise “prohibited a citizen from holding and owning…slaves in the territory of the United States north of the line therein mentioned”. By this logic, Taney concluded that if no one can be deprived of property without due process of law and if slaves were property, then Congress could not prohibit slavery in any territory of the United States. Taney’s ruling essentially wiped the United States of all free soil; there was no more “free” territory now. Slaves, as property of their owners, could be taken anywhere as easily as you could take a purse or a book. The Northerners became furious at this decision, which soon led to the Civil War a mere 5 years later. The Dred Scott decision is a prime example of how the government’s inadequacy infuriated the people into war (Document 9). Secondly, another example of this insufficiency would be the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. The Act granted popular sovereignty for the Kansas and Nebraska territories, repealing the Missouri Compromise line of 1820. When Stephen Douglass enacted popular sovereignty, a bitter contest between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery supporters broke out. The pre-Civil War was simply over one thing: control of Kansas. The Kansas-Nebraska Act is another chief reason the Civil War started. Thirdly, the caning of Senator Charles Sumner on the Senate floor sparked a reaction equally extreme on both sides, helping to lead to the Civil War. On May 19 and 20, Sumner gave a long speech entitled “The Crime Against Kansas” insulting South Carolina and the well-liked Senator Andrew Butler. He also affronted the pro-slavery men, saying they were “hirelings from the drunken spew and vomit of an uneasy (unstable) civilization”. Two days after the speech, House member Preston Brooks stormed into the Senate and beat Sumner with his cane. The North and the South had drastically different reactions to this incident. The North published thousands of copies of Sumner’s speech and vilified “Bully Brooks”. The South send Brooks dozens of gold-headed canes emblazoned with the words “Hit Him Again!” to replace the one he broke giving Sumner brain damage. The Sumner-Brooks incident was a horrible example of the political tensions in the pre-Civil War United States. Now that one has examined all of these evidences of failure of political compromise, one must go over all of the points again to cement these causes.

In brief, many factors influenced the start of the Civil War, but there were three main reasons. The first was the giant economic difference between the North and the South. Since the two were so different, sectional loyalty and interests continued to rise among both sides until a clash was eventually inevitable. The second was both sides’ wildly opposite beliefs concerning slavery, which obviously caused problems on both sides. The opposition flared when a controversial event took place that concerned slavery, making it only a matter of time when a larger incident would spark the Civil War. The third was the government’s failure to reach an effective political compromise, leading to rising tensions with each failed negotiation. The carnage and controversy in the American Civil War was higher than any other war in America; now, by reading this report, one would know why it started—a crucial portion of American history that all Americans should know.

The Miners of Somerset: The Strike for Unionism, 1922-1923

“The power of capital aligned against the exploited miners was overwhelming.”

—John Brophy, 177

Today, the country is fretting as unemployment rates continue to remain high. A few years ago, the auto industry went bankrupt and the President of the United States decided to bail out the three biggest car corporations in America. In the 1920s, a similar situation occurred. Irving Bernstein writes in his book, “A number of once proud and powerful organizations met with disaster. The downfall of the United Mine Workers was most important” (85). Unfortunately, this story goes differently. The miners of Somerset, Pennsylvania, didn’t have fair wages even before the coal mining industry plummeted. By 1921, bituminous coal production was down to 407,000,000 tons, compared to the 556,000,000 tons of the year before. Production of the mines continued to drop in 1922 and the market demand grew even weaker, as nobody seemed to need bituminous coal anymore (Brophy 179-180). The purpose of this study is to inform the populace of the little known miners’ strike of 1922-1923 in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and how it changed history. First, to properly understand the topic, background information about mining, John Brophy, the president of District 2, and the how the condition of the rest of the nation affected the strike must be known. Second, the miners’ strike tactics against the corporation, who had the upper hand, must be more thoroughly examined. Thirdly, and on the contrary, the actions and retaliation of the Berwind-White Mining Company are a necessity to analyze. Finally, the reason why and exactly how it ended will be thoroughly appraised. The mining industry was one of the biggest in United States history. How did this strike happen? What caused it? What did the miners want? Some background information is in order to understand what transpired.

The coal industry was not doing well; it had been beginning to plunge into the deep end in the recent years before the strike. John Brophy, the president of District 2, sent a letter appealing to the President of the United States for help. As known, a few years ago the auto industry fell into bankruptcy and the President came to their aid with federal help. Regrettably, instead of bailing the miners out and responding to John Brophy’s pleas to extend the work week, President William G. Harding gave “only the barest acknowledgement” to Brophy’s letter and “soon made it clear that no action was ever contemplated” (179-180). Brophy realized that no governmental help would be forthcoming and took matters into his own hands as he turned to the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). “The 2,200 delegates to the February 1922, international convention at Indianapolis stood firm against wage cuts and demanded a six-hour work day and five-day week to reduce unemployment,” recalls Brophy in his writing. “They decided that…if that agreement was not reached by April 1, a general suspension of work should be ordered” (180). The miners wanted six things to happen with this agreement: collective bargaining and the right to affiliate with the union, fair wages, accurate weighing of the coal they mined, fair pay for the “dead work”, a system where the miners were fairly represented and disputes and grievances could be settled in a peaceful manner, but “above all, they struck to assure their rights as free Americans…to put an end to the absolute and feudal control of these coal operators” (Primary Sources). After all, according to the United States Census of 1920, miners, on average, got paid roughly 54% of the value that their products are actually worth. Disappointingly, “these reforms won widespread support from both coal miners and delegates…but John L. Lewis [President of the UMWA] rejected these proposals” and no agreement was reached (Strike for Union). Hence, the miners declared strike and set down their mining tools. It would not be an easy fight, however. The miners were striking under all economic odds (Mountjoy). The mining company controlled the miners’ entire lives. They got their wages from the company, they lived on company owned land, and they spent their wages at a company owned store. What could the miners do to undermine the corporation and obtain the fair wages and free rights they deserved? What little wages they got all went back to the company through rent and supplies. To learn further about this strike for unionism, the miners’ tactics has to be analyzed with care and thoroughness.

With the miners practically under the complete control of the Berwind-White Mining Company, they used everything they could get their coal-streaked hands on. District 2 had three major tactics at their disposal: seek help from non-union miners, broadcast the strike and get the public on their side, and create a pact with Berwind-White through the UMWA that met all of their requirements. John Brophy “became convinced that the spread of the strike to the non-union fields on a big scale was our only salvation, and that publicity had to be used to the utmost end”. He called on the non-union miners to come on strike and prepared 20,000 throwaway cards with a strike call. He prepared an additional strike call that briefly stated the arguments against the corporation that was to be released to the press on March 31. Once prepared, they took action, trying to spread the word with these throwaway cards to the non-union miners “particularly in Somerset County”. Though some miners were arrested, it worked. The non-union miners were sufficiently rallied and “there was no stopping the spread of the strike” (180-4). The strike gained ground. The miners picketed outside of buildings and held secret meetings. The mayor of New York City sent a commission of inquiry and found that the condition of the striking miners was “worse than the conditions of the slaves prior to the Civil War” (McCollester).They invited in newspapers and had one of their own: Pick and Plow—later changed to Penn Central News. In fact, the News enjoyed its greatest circulation during the strike when the district bought 20,000 copies of the paper to blanket the entire striking area (Brophy 201). Brophy also asked for help from outside sources, such as a thousand tents from the army (Mountjoy). With such innovative tactics, it seems almost inevitable that the strikers would gain the reforms that they wanted and needed. Before jumping to hasty conclusions, though, an inspection of the Berwind-White Mining Company’s retaliation must be performed.

The Berwind-White Mining Company had several tactics that they used to block out the effects of the striker’s plan. After all, even though the miners had the element of surprise, the company had everything else. “They were in a better position to make the adjustment to the situation than the union was. They had vast funds at their disposal and could hire all the men they needed for any kind of work, no matter how sinister,” recalls Brophy (186). And sinister deeds there were. For a mere nine days after the miners declared strike, Berwind-White evicted several miners from their homes. Newspapers boldly declare the terrible news: “Men Ordered to Vacate Homes—Eviction notices received by a number of Berwind-White miners” (Mountjoy). The miners fought back and lived in tents as they were forced out of their houses. The Berwind-White Mining Company complained to judges under the interpretation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, which made any effort of unionizing workers without their employers’ consent illegal. “We were forbidden to hold meetings, to pass out leaflets, to picket, to use union funds to house and feed strikers, or to do almost anything else the bosses might object to…hundreds were arrested for ‘trespassing’ on company property and other trumped-up charges,” Brophy writes. “Company guards were free to ignore the law and the rights of Americans in any way they chose. Strikers were beaten up, their homes invaded, their wives and children terrorized without any recourse. We were driven from meeting places…on the excuse that our meetings ‘might lead to violence’, or with no excuse at all” (187). They even took it so far to rape the wives of workers. No punishment was given to the guards. Unfair use of the law was exploited all over. On June 5, 1922, 60 men and 20 women were arrested for “throwing eggs and annoying the guards”. On the very same day, seventeen more miners’ wives were accused of “annoying the guards” in Windber (Mountjoy). Now that both sides’ tactics have been examined, how and why the strike ended must be inspected.

With two powerful tactics, the press versus numerous dishonest methods, going head to head, the outcome would be hard to predict. Both the UMWA and the Berwind-White Mining Company were still going strong. However, after a while, things started going awry for the strikers. First, in Penn Central News, which could have been an invaluable resource, Thomas D. Stiles, the editor, bashed the strike instead of endorsing it, lowering the strikers’ morale (Brophy 201). By the time they threw him out, it was too late. Then, on April 2, 1922, Ellis Searles, editor, wrote a letter that was published in the United Mine Workers’ Journal that stated, among other things, “Communist and reds are in Somerset County…working under the direction of a headquarters in New York…Unfortunately a few of these reds have worked their way into the membership in the United Mine Workers…If your report of dynamitings and other crimes is true, then these crimes can be traced to these red agitators.” John Brophy states that, “Coming from the international union itself, at a time when the country was still obsessed with the red scare and the bosses were using it on every hand against labor, this letter had a devastating effect on public opinion and on the morale of the strikers, laying a basis for the charge that anybody who supported the Somerset strike and its implied criticism of the Cleveland settlement was a Red” (205). However, the tides really turned when John L. Lewis, president of the UMWA, negotiated a controversial agreement that left out the non-union miners (Strike for Union). John Brophy says that he “put up a fight for the principle that no agreement be signed with an operator unless it covered all of his mines that were on strike, both in the newly organized and in the old, established fields...Instead, Lewis accepted any and all who came to his Cleveland conference” (191). These negotiations left thousands of newly organized workers stranded (Mountjoy). The contract ruined many hopes of winning the strike. Once the paper was signed, there was no going back. In fact, Brophy states that “the whole tremendous effort of 1922 was a failure, because of Lewis’s shortsightedness” (192). However, the miners of Somerset survived on the strike for another year before “succumbing to the superior wealth and power of the Berwind-White coal company and its allies” (Strike for Union). For that entire year, however, there really was no fight. The miners were just holding on—barely, at that. Having examined all of the tactics and the end, it is time to study how all of this affected the overall conclusion.

Despite how it ended, the Somerset miners’ strike of 1922 still changed history. First, we learned that the union and the coal mining industry were declining for years before the strike. Second, we learned that the miners used publicity and the non-union miners to try and win their fair share. Third, the Berwind-White Mining Company played unfairly and used the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to forbid anything the miners were doing. Finally, we learned that the entire strike, which was going well for the miners, toppled once John L. Lewis signed a controversial contract that omitted the newly initiated miners. This strike was one of the first instances where we truly saw blatant mistreatment of workers in American society that wasn’t due to race or religion. It showed America that we need to stand up to these corporations and be brave. The miners of Somerset were indeed brave. John Brophy says that “The Somerset strike was an inspiring demonstration of the heights of self-sacrifice and devotion that ordinary people can attain for a noble cause.” This was one of the noble causes. America knows now, hopefully, that we should not be taken over by capitalism. We should keep an eye on ourselves to make sure nothing gets out of hand. The miners will never be here again, but their message remains. Not much has changed overall since then. Corporation still dominates in America. And the Berwind-White Mining Company is celebrating its 126th anniversary this year (Berwind: History).

Works Cited

Bernstein, Irving. The Lean Years: A History of the American Worker, 1920-1933. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1972. Print.

"Berwind: History." Berwind: History. Berwind Corporation, 2011. Web. 20 Dec. 2012. <http://www.berwind.com/history.htm>

Brophy, John. A Miner's Life. Madison and Milwaukee: University of Wisconsin, 1964. Print.

McCollester, Charles. “Less Than Miraculous.” Nation 276.10 (2003): 21-23. Academic Search Elite. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=6454b203-c8ba-4ec7-87c6-05f5c55764b9%40sessionmgr104&vid=6&hid=128&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=afh&AN=9208888>

Mountjoy, Eileen. "That Magnificent Fight for Unionism." IUP.edu. Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.iup.edu/page.aspx?id=86115>.

"Primary Sources about the Windber Miners' Strike for Union in 1922-1923." IUP.edu. Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.iup.edu/page.aspx?id=86481>.

"The Windber Miners' Strike for Union in 1922-1923." IUP.edu. Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.iup.edu/page.aspx?id=86481>.

U.S. Census of Population and Housing, 1920: Mines and Quarries, 1919. General Report and Analytical Tables and Reports and Selected Industries: Pennsylvania. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1991. <http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/1920.html>

My Top 10 Books in Random Order

1. The Mysterious Benedict Society Series (along with Ex Ed of Nick B)
2. Percy Jackson Series
3. The False Prince
4. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles
5. A Long Way from Chicago
6. The Floating Islands
7. Lunar Chronicles
8. Artemis Fowl Series
9. Sisters Grimm Series
10. Keeper of the Lost Cities

Honorable Mentions: Half/Twice Upon a Time (also Once Upon the End/best one), Septimus Heap, The Girl Who Could Fly

Realizing the Dream: Equality for All

Ever since James Truslow Adams wrote the words “the American dream” in his book The Epic of America, the name has been used to represent a dream sought after by people all around the world—equality regardless of race, religion, gender, ethnic background, or sexual orientation; the dream of a land where anyone can become successful and have the same opportunities. Equality for all, however, has proved elusive in the United States over the past 237 years, ever since Thomas Jefferson first penned the Declaration of Independence.

Discrimination has existed in America even before it was the United States. In fact, the first Puritan colonists came here to escape religious persecution. However, this truth did not stop discrimination from happening in the colonies. Native Americans were branded and stereotyped as murdering savages. In 1750, over sixty percent of the population in South Carolina were enslaved African-Americans. Even in more modern times, discrimination remains high. Women did not gain the right to vote until 1920. There was a large anti-Catholic hysteria in the early 1900s. Many, many other acts of injustices remain unsaid, but discrimination is common throughout American history. This trend continued over the decades and still happens today, even after many measures aiming to prevent it.

I like to think that all injustices are rectified. Sadly, this is not the case. Injustices occurred throughout history without solutions. This is a difficult subject though, as “justice” is a subjective term, since all cases are different. Even little injustices should be set right. Not just conventional “crimes” that are tried in court, either. Justice, however, is specific to every case, which is why we have judges and juries. This system is still faulty, as shown in the Dred Scott vs. Stanford case where the Supreme Court ruled that any person of African descent could not be American citizens. Many, many others still happen today. The “correcting” of an injustice should start with identifying and acknowledging it. After this step, however, it is difficult to make a standardized system to remedying an injustice. Therefore, we need to correct all wrongs with whatever fits the situation.

However, eliminating discrimination still remains a daunting task. One may think that doing this is near impossible; nevertheless, I believe we can take steps toward it. We can start by educating the next generation about the history of discriminations and the importance of equality.  Through a curriculum to increase awareness in young children, we will be much closer to this social ideal. After all, every generation, the problem of discrimination diminishes. As a second generation immigrant, I have faced no discrimination at all. However, generations before me, my parents and my grandparents, have shared their personal stories of unjust treatment and discrimination. But the million dollar question will forever be: will discrimination eventually die away? The answer rests on what we do from now onwards.

So far, we may not have been perfect in treating people with balance and equality. But we can change this! Eradicating discrimination and rectifying injustice may be a tall order, but we can do it if we have the work ethic and the gumption to fix America’s problems in unfair bias. We need to educate our next generation about this crisis. We need to set things right and not only strive to be the judicial ideal, but work towards it and be the model for the other countries that look up to us. Let us set new and improved standards for preventing injustice everywhere.  America, the Immigration Nation, the great melting pot, should set an example for the world. So, start righting wrongs in your actions and your community, no matter how small. No law can fix this problem without the consent of the people. You can contribute to a fair and just society, one piece at a time. Right now. Right here. Step up for the less fortunate, the victims of unlawfulness and discrimination, and fix the problems in your community. Contribute to a discrimination-free America, a discrimination-free world, by treating people around you with fairness and equality, regardless of their race, religion, gender, ethnic background, or sexual orientation.

Book Review: The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen

It is beyond my understanding how this book became one of the Truman nominees. I really had high expectations for this book; it was a great idea. I especially liked how Bodeen brought up serious issues like world hunger and moral issues on bio-engineering to make a story. Growing humans that can photosynthesize  has great potential as sci-fi story material. Unfortunately, her character development practically stops when Mason, the main character, meets Laia, the human autotroph.

The narrative makes me feel like he was only helping Laia because she was pretty. Plus, I honestly didn't think that the science experiment was “gruesome”. Personally, I thought it was pretty interesting! I thought that Bodeen exaggerated Mason’s reactions when he was in the greenhouse and the plot was so predictable. The Gardener is his dad? Really?  That’s the best you could do?

Still, I’ve read plenty of books with predictable endings that I still enjoyed. Why? I think I simply didn't like reading this book. It was bland and boring. The whole story just seemed fake. It just felt like all of the thoughts and actions of all the characters were played out too perfectly by the author. If Bodeen had made it seem more real and less artificial, I think the story as a whole would have been much better.

Glog

Guns, Germs, and Steel Essay #4: Bronze v. Steel: Why Spain Trumped the Inca

Why were Spanish weapons so much more advanced than the Inca’s? Professor Jared Diamond of UCLA thinks this is due to geographic luck. Geographic luck is the term coined to describe the phenomenon of the fact that some people are placed on a better geographic latitude than others. Nevertheless, advanced steel swords were developed only in Europe because of geographic luck. First, Incan bronze knifes should be examined. Then, Spanish steel will be inspected thoroughly. Lastly, a side by side comparison between steel and bronze as weapon material will ensue. However, before conclusions can be drawn, Incan bronze must be studied in further detail.

Incan bronze was pitifully primitive. Its soft and malleable consistency makes the weapons made of this metal prone to breaks if heated to too high temperatures and inclined to bend if put under too much pressure. Such a weapon can make it dangerous in a fight; if it breaks or bends, it strands the owner without any defenses. Nonetheless, why did the Inca use such pliant material to make weapons? The answer is simple: they had to. First of all, bronze was the most reliable and most suited to weapon making material that they had. They also had a plethora of the semi-precious metal. In addition, the Inca could not make long burning fires required to make steel. Given that they could not create these fires, it was easy for them to use bronze since it was so easy to mold. However, this came at a price. Using the supple material made it easy to shape, but its effectiveness as a weapon decreased as a result.  If the Inca’s weapons were so hopeless, how did they become such a large empire?  Though the Inca could only make these weapons, the rest of the Americas were stuck with them. Since everyone had the same weapons, they could easily overpower others by sheer numbers or strategy. Having now evaluated the tools of the Americas, steel must likewise be appraised.

Steel was wickedly sharp and advanced. It was strong, but not brittle. It was flexible, but not soft. It was lightweight, but still weighted. It was long and maneuverable. How did it get to be this way? The answer lies in the lines. The geographic lines, that is. Since Spain lies on the same latitude as the Middle East, they got to inherit all of their special tricks. They got the secret of gunpowder. Developed and domesticated farming. Most of all, they got their centuries of metallurgy. Since the people of the Fertile Crescent had already started Europe off, Europeans had an easier time; instead of wasting time trying to find the secret of steel, they could begin right off perfecting it. They got a running start ahead of the rest of the world. In addition to having years of inherited experience, they also had large deposits of iron ore and generous amounts of forests to burn. Now, the Spanish had the experience and the materials that are needed to create steel. For another reason, the Spaniards were constantly at war with their neighbors, creating the element of competition. Spain had the wisdom, the resources, and the drive to make the best steel in the world. Now having examined both materials individually, a side by side comparison is essential.

Spanish steel is better than Incan bronze in many ways. Spain had sharp, hard swords. The perfect balance; neither pliable nor brittle. The Inca had blunt knives, unable to sharpen bronze to a point. In war, the Spanish can use the long reach of their swords to thrust, hack, and slash their way through a battalion of enemies. The Inca can only use their 5-6 inches of range. Spain can use their weapons without much danger of snapping or deforming their weapons. On the contrary, the Inca’s soft weapons bend easily, causing constant worry of warping a weapon. When all is said and done, it can be easily recognized that Spanish steel was a more preferable alternative to Incan bronze.

All things considered, Spanish steel is definitively a more beneficial weapon than Incan bronze. Incan bronze is a soft, pliant metal, unfit for making top grade weapons. Alternatively, Spanish steel is a deadly sharp and flexible metal, the best in the world for making swords. Since steel has so many more advantages, it is a metal more suited to making weapons than bronze. All in all, steel has more desirable characteristics as a weapon making material than bronze. But a person has to give it to them. The Inca can sure make a shiny knife.

Guns, Germs, and Steel Essay #3: Domesticated Animals to World Riches

Ever wondered how Europe became such a successful empire? Part of the reason is because of the livestock they owned. Their blessing of good latitude placement, or geographic luck, allowed them to have livestock, one of the most important factors in the development of a booming civilization. Animal domestication played a large role in the development of rich societies throughout the world. Livestock passed on smallpox, a crucial part in European conquest. Next, material items gave the societies in question a nutritional edge. Finally, domesticated animals performed important services that greatly improved the workings of a certain people. To start, however, an explanation of livestock in the development of smallpox is appropriate.

Smallpox was one of the ways that domesticated animals aided advanced civilizations. How is this possible? Well, among the general populace, it is a little known, although crucial, fact that smallpox was originally a cow’s disease. It was passed on through drinking their milk, eating their meat, and keeping them in close contact. How would this be useful though? Would being sick not be a disagreeable experience? Would a plague that swept over an empire’s population not be a bad thing? Here’s the thing. The answer is both yes and no. While in the short term it would dramatically reduce the inhabitants of the land and contribute to a declining economy, in the long term, a civilization would eventually breed against smallpox. Since only the strongest and most immune survive, the weak and sickly genes eventually die off. A plague is nature’s pruning system; breeding only the best and brightest allows the survivors to become more resilient. Consequently, in the case of the Europeans, they were able to “grow out of it”, so to speak, and use it as a weapon. Everywhere they went to conquer, where smallpox was a foreign disease, the indigenous people were swept off of their feet, bombarded by artillery and the more dangerous ailment of smallpox. On top of smallpox, livestock’s material items gave farmers a significant upper hand.

Domesticated animals supplied many material items that assisted considerably in the creation of great civilizations. It might be thought that materials may not give one much of an advantage, but in reality, the opposite is true. Meat and milk from livestock enabled societies that owned livestock to gain a sizable advantage over other empires. It gave them important sustenance food; a nutritious counterpart to other protein sources. Additionally, without milk, finding calcium would be difficult. Good nutrition is one of the most important things you can keep track of. Why do they teach about it in schools today? Livestock provided the extra head start for civilizations that owned them.  Domesticated animals provided tools. Their bones became weapons. Their hides became shelters. These primitive tools gave Europeans and other civilizations with domesticated animals a wide advantage. In addition to providing material items, livestock also executed services crucial to a society’s development.

Domesticated animals carried out key services for people in advanced civilization. In war, they rode horses into battle, giving them the ability to trample and scare their enemies. When Spain was battling the Inca, they scared off them with their giant horses, causing the Incan infantry to collapse in panic. This allowed Spain to capture and hold their leader hostage. That’s not all. In farming, oxen and donkeys plowed the land in a shorter time than it would take to do by hand. As a result, farming became a more efficient and, therefore, beneficial process. They were also able to move trade and ideas throughout their continent faster, making it more worthwhile to make a long journey. After analyzing the many services given from livestock, it can be concluded that domesticating animals was one of the prime reasons why certain civilizations became successful while others failed.

Through domesticating animals, civilizations were able to glean off of their benefits and, therefore, became rich and successful. Smallpox, which came from cows, made conquest easier for the occupiers in question. Material items procured by livestock allowed for good nutrition and tools. Services provided by domesticated animals gave advanced civilizations the edge in trading and battle.  To sum up, domesticated animals aided critically in the creation of advanced societies.

Guns, Germs, and Steel Essay #2: The Inca’s Fall to Europe

Even though the Inca had a mighty force of 80,000 men and Spain only 168, the Europeans easily defeated them. Why did this happen? Europe conquered the Inca without difficulty, despite their large numbers, because they were more advanced than them. They had many weapons on their side. One of their most deadly being the silent killer: smallpox. They had one of the smartest strategies, proven to work from previous battles.  And finally, they had top-notch swords and guns while the Inca had none. To look at this issue further, one needs to look at how European smallpox was one of the most potent weapons in history.

Smallpox played a key role in the Inca’s collapse to Europe. Smallpox was a deadly European disease that killed almost everyone who contracted it. According to Professor Jared Diamond of UCLA, 95% of indigenous Americans were wiped out completely by smallpox. So why didn’t the Spaniards suffer from the same fate? Well, turns out, they did. Smallpox was a disease that came from domestic cows. The Inca had no cows, only llamas. The Spaniards had, over time, built up immunity from smallpox. Over the generations, when smallpox was an epidemic in Europe, only the strongest of people survived to regenerate. So after many centuries, the Europeans had become almost a super-breed; practically immune to smallpox, they could fight wars without danger of a large breakout. However, the Inca had no helpful animal friends to develop any sort of resistance. Their vegetation did not serve as proper feeding grounds for cows. Moreover, they did not allow their llamas into their homes, nor did they milk them. Therefore, since the Inca had no cows, smallpox was a foreign disease. During the war, the Americans were either sick, nursing, or dead. However, while it is important to recognize that smallpox was a vital aspect concerning the Inca’s downfall, it is equally essential to realize that the Spaniard's strategy also played of utmost importance.

The strategy employed by the Spanish was one of the reasons they won over the Americans. What the Spaniards lacked in quantity was redeemed in brains. However, their brilliant strategy would never have come to be had the gift of writing not occurred.  According to Professor Diamond, the expedition’s leader had taken a page out of a war strategy from a few years ago. A former conquistador, Hernando Cortez, had written a book containing the surprise attack tactic. The Inca had no writing because of the continent they were placed on. Since the Maya had writing, it should have passed on to the Inca. But since they did not lie on the same latitude, it did not pass on. During the battle, they employed the scheme beautifully. When they fought, their priest showed the Inca’s leader, Atahualpa, their bible in attempt at peaceful conversion. But since Atahualpa had never seen books, he scoffed at the Spaniards and called for his massive army to attack. They obeyed, but foolishly fell apart into a mass panic when the Spanish brought out their guns. They thought the Spaniards were gods, sitting majestically on giant horses with lethally sharp steel swords, compared to their own blunt bronze ones. Now that the army was in a panicked frenzy, the Spanish promptly capture Atahualpa and force him to command his people to obey Spain and give the Spanish 20 tons of gold and silver. After they gather their riches, they kill Atahualpa, realizing that he was of no use to them. The Inca have now been cleverly reformed by Spain. Having examined this brilliant line of attack, it is imperative to note that none of the stratagems utilized here would have worked without Europe’s weapons.

Spain’s development in weaponry was superior to that of their adversary’s. First of all, Europe's guns were top of the line in the world at the time. They were developed because of gunpowder brought from China. The Inca never got to make them because China was an entire ocean away. Steel was also one of Spain’s fineries. They had the best in the planet, while the Inca had no steel at all! Incans did not have the proper climate to have long burning fires required to make steel while Europe had centuries to perfect it. They had inherited all of the Fertile Crescent’s metallurgy. Now that all of these have been examined, it can be concluded that Europe was more advanced than the Inca.

As can be seen, Spain was infinitely more sophisticated than the Inca, which is why they were able to defeat the enormous Incan army relatively effortlessly. Smallpox went on a rampage, making the Spaniard's job simpler by incapacitating most of the Americans. Then, their outstanding strategy involved staging a surprise attack, then capturing Atahualpa. Of course, the strategy depended on Europe’s fine weapons. Finally, on the whole, the reason why Europe’s exiguous cavalry overpowered the Inca’s extensive infantry was because of Europe’s degree of experience and good fortune was vastly superior to that of the Inca’s.

Guns, Germs, and Steel Essay #1: Geographic Luck in the European Domination of the World

Have you ever thought about how Europe became such a large empire? Jared Diamond, a UCLA professor, explains on the TV program Guns, Germs, and Steel, that it is due to geographic luck. Geographic luck is the term used to describe the phenomenon of the fact that people in some areas are just luckier than others. For instance, the Fertile Crescent got nutritious wheat and barley while Papua New Guinea got sago palm. However, Professor Diamond has the right idea. Geographic luck shaped the path to European dominance. Firstly, farming, which played a huge role in Europe, came through their good fortune. Second, key roles in Europe’s conquering spree came through their well-placed civilization.  Finally, Europe’s weapons, the finest in the world, came through their good geographic placement. In order to understand geography’s role in Europe’s superiority, farming and agriculture are essential subjects to look at.

Farming was a vital character in Europe’s progressive march towards global dictatorship. According to Jared Diamond, Europe’s domestic animals provided crucial items, such as shelter made from skins, bones for tools, meat, and milk. Using these, they were able to develop more as a society compared to other places without livestock. Domesticated animals helped Europe evolve against smallpox since smallpox was originally a cow’s disease. Over the generations, after the fittest and strongest had been put into the gene pool, the Europeans had become almost completely immune to smallpox. Europe’s livestock were also used for war and to plow land for nutritious foods that Europe’s geographic luck had pulled through for. While the Inca got bad land and the New Guineans got sago, the Europeans got arable land with nourishing wheat and barley to grow in it. As a result, Europeans became a more stable culture than hunter-gatherer nomads. In understanding farming’s benefit to Europe, it is also important to recognize how the Europeans were more developed than the empires they conquered.

Europe was superior to the civilizations they conquered in every way, except in numbers. Disease came to Europeans early, so they could suffer in an unimportant time when they were not fighting. The Inca and the Khoi San were not so lucky. According to Guns, Germs, and Steel, they were mostly killed by smallpox during the heat of war against Europe. Because it was a foreign disease to them, they had no resistance like the Europeans. Europe also had incredible weapons. Soft Incan bronze was no match for European steel. While Europeans frolicked about, defeating empires right and left, their victims had to fight against the most innovative weapons at the time, all while ailing through one of the most deadly diseases in the world. The final area to be examined is Europe’s authority in weaponry.

Weapons, along with Europe’s war power, came to existence only because of Europe’s environment. Europe inherited decades to centuries of metallurgy from the Fertile Crescent and had even longer to perfect it. The level of steel Europe had existed only because their climate was dry enough to create long burning fires required to heat the iron ore. While Europe had strong steel, the Inca were still using soft bronze weapons. In addition to top-notch swords, the Europeans also had guns. Gunpowder came from China. If the two empires were not on the same latitude, gunpowder would not have arrived at Europe for them to perfect the gun. Examining all of these factors, it can be confirmed that Europe was clearly influenced by geographic luck.

As can be seen, geographic luck helped Europe conquer the rest of the world. Farming allowed Europeans to form villages and develop advanced societies. It assisted them to evolve against diseases like smallpox. Farming also let them develop transportation and labor through livestock. Europe’s advancements in society were all due to their geographic location. It was the reason why they conquered other disease-ridden, primitive empires so easily. Plus, weapons and metallurgy were only developed through the good fortune of the European’s placement and climate. As a result, it is obvious that geographic luck paved the way to the Western-dominant present.

Round Moon (Haiku)

15th of 8th month,
the moon shines bright; the moon festival.
Eat mooncakes.

Brush and Floss! (Tanka)

Sweets rot teeth, you know.
I beg you; cease your feasting!
Bring not this shamed fate
upon you. Of repulsive
features, decayed molars win!

Beware (Diamente)

Ghosts
Spooky, Creepy
Floating, Gliding, Scaring
Bedsheets, Eyeholes...Wings, Wands
Flying, Granting, Casting
Sparkly, Magical
Fairies

Late (Tanka)

School starts on the first
of September at seven.
Wake late for the bus,
running down the muddy street.
Then stop to take in sunrise.

Life Cycle (Haiku)

Swirling down to death
The journey—big, yet small,
ends, healing within.

Thank Thankfulness (Cinquain)

Thank you.
For of the things
celebrated today,
our blessings I thank most.
Thank you.

Why Hare is Nocturnal - A Pourquoi Tale

Once upon a time, when the earth was still young, the hare still slept at night and worked in day like all other animals. One day while the hare was still in bed on a sunny spring morning, he heard a knocking at his door.

“What?” he mumbled sleepily.

“It’s me! Speeecial delivery!”

Hare slowly bounced to the door. He contemplated what this could be. Heron was the mailman for the entire country, and door deliveries were rare. As he sluggishly opened the door, Heron wagged his finger at him and held out a letter.

“You better be faster if you’re going to work for the king.”

“What? Really?”

Hare snatched the letter out of Heron’s hand and tore it open, scanning over the basics of the letter. It was true! He had been accepted as the Chief Courier to the King!

“You’re lucky that the king is accepting you after the incident with Tortise. You better be on your best behavior.”

Hare grimaced.

“I’m different now! Really! But I’m still faster than everyone else, and no offense, but even you!”

Heron looked at him skeptically and then shrugged, resigned.

“Whatever you say, Hare.”

The next morning, Hare was on his best behavior. He woke up at precisely 5:30 AM and got to the palace at 6 to meet the wise Elephant that Lion had given his crown to in his dying breaths. At the minute the sun’s first rays touched the king’s throne, he knelt with his head bowed respectfully. He heard King Elephant lumber up to the seat and sit himself down.

“Ah, hello Hare. Congratulations on becoming my Chief Courier. Not everyone can do it, you know. You did a very fine job on your intelligence test and your sprint times were amazing! But I’ll cut to the chase. I’ve found that you have not been very dedicated during previous events. Obviously competition does not spur you into action, as shown in your history. So I’ve decided to go on an honor system. If you deliver my letters and packages properly, nothing will happen. I’m willing to give you a second chance, Hare. So today, I’m giving you this packet to read by tomorrow. You can start delivering then. Since I just started my rule a few months ago, I have had few packages to send until now. Anyway, you may return to your dwelling and begin reading.”

Hare fidgeted uncomfortably, still waiting for Elephant to tell him he could rise. After a few minutes, the king realized his mistake.

“Oh, my apologies, you may rise. I’m really sorry, like I said, I’m new to this business.”

Hare looked up, grateful, when he saw the packet. His eyes bugged out.

“Ah, yes, it is a bit big, isn’t it? Well, I have complete confidence in you. Now, go on!”

Hare went back home and sighed. He looked at the packet again. He began leafing through it when after lunch, he began to feel drowsy. He thought to himself One nap couldn’t hurt, right? I have 17 full hours before I really have to read this. Plus, I am the fastest animal in all the savannah, so I shouldn’t have a problem. So Hare laid himself into bed and dozed off, dreaming about his job as  Chief Courier, racing around at top speed and being the hero of the entire country.

Hare was jerked back to reality and looked at the sun outside. Oh no! The sun wasn’t there anymore, just the moon. It was already 11 o’clock! Hare panicked and started madly flipping through the pages. Owl, who was nocturnal to begin with, saw this and he coined the term “Mad as a March Hare”. But that’s another story. So when Hare finally finished the booklet, it was already 5:30 and time to get ready for his first day at work.

King Elephant looked at Hare, standing at attention... kind of. Hare felt completely exhausted, but he couldn’t figure out why. He told the king that he was ready for his first assignment. The king skeptically raised an eyebrow but nonetheless gave him the package for delivery that was clearly marked in bold red print “IMPORTANT: TO BE DELIVERED TO COUNCILMAN FROG ASAP” Hare blearily focused on Elephant.

“So, um, who am I delivering this to?”

King Elephant frowned and pointed to the package. Hare grinned.

“Oh, yeah. I knew that. I’ll deliver it ASAP, Your Majesty.”

Elephant looked disapproving again, but still waved him away.

“Go on. You do know where Councilman Frog lives, correct?”

The king chuckled at his own joke. Even the smallest children knew where the infamous Frog lived. In the giant red toadstool house, the distinctive color was hard to miss.

“Well, maybe. The...um... purple one, right?”

The king looked at him incredulously and decided that he must be going along with his joke.

“Yes, yes, just go on.”

Hare rushed out of the palace and sprinted toward the purple house in the next district. He had the entire day to make a 6 hour journey, round trip. This would be a piece of cake! He hopped as fast as he could until he became unbearably tired. It was only 8 o’clock! He flopped on the ground surprised at the sudden bout of fatigue and his eyelids drooped. Well, I do have 22 full hours to make it to Frog’s purple condo and back right? So a measly 1 hour snooze wouldn’t make a difference.Even if I didn’t make it, I can run faster than the wind itself and make it to Frog’s house and back. Hare closed his eyes and drifted off to dreamland once again...

Hare bolted upright, startled at the sudden cry of “HOO HOO” in his ear.

“AHHHHH! What was that for?”

“Hoo! I thought you might be injured so I HOOed as loud as I could to see if you were awake.”

“Well, I’m awake now. Hey, I thought you only awoke at night, not the day.”

“Hoo! Well, if you use your eyes, it is nighttime. It’s 12 o’clock.”

Uh oh. Hare looked around and realized his dire situation. He jumped up and told Owl that he was going to Frog’s house to deliver his package.

“That might take a while. You’re 2 provinces away, right? Hoo!”

Double uh oh. Now Hare had only 6 hours to hop the full trip of... Hare did some quick calculations. Triple uh oh. The full trip of 8 hours. This might be a problem. He had to get going, pronto!

“Gotta go Owl! See you around!”

He ran off, leaving a trail of dust in his wake.

The next morning, Hare looked even more disheveled than the day before. He had made it to the palace... at 8 o’clock. He looked meekly up at the king.

“Now, Hare, I would like to know what all this gossip going around is all about.”

Hare was stunned. His mind raced. What had happened? Gossip? What was there to gossip about?

“Why does Owl report that she found you sleeping in the next province over at midnight with your package still undelivered? And that you were sleeping the day before that and waking up at 11 to start reading as ‘mad as a March Hare’? And that she found you every single night before that partying or doing last minute work?? Many of your neighbors also report that you have been sleeping frequently throughout the day.”

Hare thought back. He had partied and procrastinated quite a few times, but it didn’t seem like that much. After all, he was so fast. He had never had problems.

“If you are going to sleep the day away and stay up all night, you might as well be nocturnal! Hare, I was obviously wrong about you. I know better know that you are unresponsible. But the best punishment is giving people the thing they want most. So I, as King, officially decree that you, Hare, and all of your descendents must be nocturnal and not do any day duties, instead doing night duties, since that seems to be what you love most!”

Hare slunk off, mortified, and was ridiculed by the entire country because of his procrastination. Added on to the previous Tortise Incident, the teasing and mocking was ramped up to even higher levels. Some animals even stayed up late just to tell him about it. But soon the craze had faded away into just a memory. Even to this very day, Hare still remains nocturnal in fear of further taunts of “Half-Asleep Hare” and “Slowpoke Sleepyhead”.

The Average Day of a Young Irmisosuan

During my travels as an anthropologist, I had the liberty of visiting a particularly interesting community by the name of Irmisosu. I was assigned to a family in this community that went by the name of Lai. The main subject of my research was the oldest child in the family, a 12 year old girl named Isabel. Though they may not seem especially unusual so far, I observed many strange quirks throughout my visit. Children in Irmisosu are ritually initiated into a strange repository at a young age. I also studied some of the habits of the youngest child. He was often found staring directly into a strong light source, burning out his retinas. However, no parental action was taken.  
         
In the morning the child would ceremoniously force herself to listen to shrill, high pitched tones. Then at the crack of dawn, would arise from the box that she slept on. Once off of her hard, angular box, she would proceed to yank a wooden club bristling with spikes through her hair and squeeze a thick, brown paste onto a plastic stick to put in her mouth. The people of Irmisosu believe that, without this paste along with long strands of string that often cause bleeding in the gums, their health will decay dramatically. Then she will proceed to bind every individual strand of hair into a formation involving using a piece of stretchy-string to secure the strands.
         
After this ritual, Isabel proceeds to walk, only to board a clunky, tawny colored metal box-on-wheels that takes her to the repository. At the repository, she walks around aimlessly for 30 minutes before a screeching alarm alerts them to each division, or work group. These work groups are commanded by a high master, a person whom demands the utmost respect and obedience from children. Between each work group, children must ferry around sacks that weigh 20+ pounds while navigating crowded passageways within a time limit of five minutes. In some of these work groups she does various things like jabbing with memorized strokes at a slab of plastic or staring at inkblots and telling the high masters what she thinks the inkblot means. Or reviewing and identifying various shapes. Or observing and identifying rocks.
         
Upon the completion of her seven hours of service to the repository for the day, she is shuttled to her dwelling in the tawny box-on-wheels where she is forced to work for 3 or 4 more hours, most of which involve using a device that worsens her vision by flashing sharp lights into her face, which in turn is magnified into higher proportions by the pieces of molded and heated sand she must wear over her eyes. Using this device usually involves mindless, repeated tapping on its surface to create and shape the inkblots the high master requests. It is unknown what exactly the high masters do with the toil of hours of labor that the children create, however Isabel did say that a number was assigned to the project and then returned to the child.
         
When the work is all finished, Isabel and the rest of the family participate in a ritual that is performed by most Irmisosuans. It involves stepping into a scalding-hot barrage of a very dangerous chemical that if inhaled, will cause imminent death. When in the small, claustrophobic chamber, one must now slather oneself with many thick chemical gels. Extra gel is typically provided for the scalp. Then the individual must painfully scrape the scalp in repeated motions. The ritual is completed when you attack your hair with a high powered jet-blast of oven-like temperatures.
         
To complete the day, Isabel would again apply the sticky paste to her teeth and gums, wash her mouth ceremoniously and climb back into her box, and get ready for another day at the repository.
         
In conclusion, the Irmisosuan culture is extremely interesting and should deserve further study in the field of cultural anthropology. From what I have observed so far, the Irmisosu people are very durable, especially the children who get sent to the harsh repository. Isabel even seems to enjoy her work at the repository. I personally would enjoy coming back to Irmisosu to conduct a more detailed study, especially on family dwellings and their inner workings.

A Trip to Hokkaido: Part 2

Hi! After my last article on the Daisetsuzan National Park, I will now write about 2 flower farms we visited.

I'm not sure what the first one was called, so I apologize about that. However, the name of the second farm was Farm Tomita. Both of them were very beautiful, but we were on a tractor ride for most of the part of the first one, so I don't have many good pictures of it. On the first farm, we got to sit on a ride. On the second farm, we had to walk. It was a colorful scene. It was really cool. It was orderly and neat yet chaotic. To top it off it was a cool, cloudy day! It's so rare to have a refreshingly chilly day in the summer. Here are some more pictures that are surely worth more than 1000 words. 

A Trip to Hokkaido

A few days ago, my family went on a trip to Hokkaido. For those unfamiliar with the geography of Asia, Hokkaido is the northern most island in Japan. 

Many highlights outlined this trip, including a few national parks and fish markets. From bike trips to mountain-top views. Flower farms(?) and marine parks. There was more of course.. So instead, I'll tell you about one thing everyday. I will go in chronological order for the 5 days we spent in Japan. 

In this article, I will be writing about Daisetsuzan National Park. We saw 3 waterfalls there. It was a cool day, only about 70oF (20oC) and it was perfectly tranquil what with the roaring sound of the waterfalls and the wonderful coolness, for a change. You felt inclined to be silent. Almost no one even whispered. It was breathtaking. There was even an added bonus of trees and gurgling creeks. I hope you enjoyed this description. I will leave you with some pictures of this incredible scene!