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The US Civil War is important in the global context because it ensured that industrialization, of both agriculture and manufacturing, would spread across an entire continent based on mechanized land transport, i.e. railroad and then motor vehicles, in a context of free-market economy and elected government.
This was an unprecedented achievement in human history when in the previous 12,000 years or so almost everything was done painstakingly by hand and, when transported, mainly by sea at great risk and land transport was very, very slow and very expensive (ask the western Romans as they expanded and tried to maintain their rule in what later became central and western Europe) in the context of mostly command economy and brutish military government (ask the Venezuelans).
The US Civil war contributed zero to the spread of mechanise world transport and trade. Railways were already in the Americas well before the civil war. Steamships were already sailing the oceans.
The US Civil war contributed zero to the spread of mechanise world transport and trade. Railways were already in the Americas well before the civil war. Steamships were already sailing the oceans.
Here's my hot take: civilization is overrated. We tend to think of civilizations as bigger cities/more toys = more advanced and better, but that's not necessarily true. There were plenty of nomadic or hunter/gatherer societies that were perfectly happy, and well-adapted to their environment, without cities and industry. European civilization for example developed as a response to the environment in Europe, but it is not necessarily superior in any inherent or objective way (ditto China, Egypt, etc.).
It's easy to get wrapped up in our own viewpoint and forget that success doesn't have to be defined in the context of a relentless march toward the technological singularity.
I wouldnt overrate or underrate any cultures or civilization . Its their beliefs, culture and practices and fully respect that. But I have a problem when its imposed on others or when others are treated with disdain. Power and prosperity doesnt have to make you mean. A man born 5000 years ago and now have the same features.
You do know that the Normans who conquered Britain were Viking stock? Norman is a contraction of Norseman. That area of France had previously been invaded and the Vikings intermarried..
In somewhat more recent history, I’m in Alsace quite a bit. I like the countryside and Alsatian wine. I remember stopping along the Route du Vin at Koenigsgorg Castle. The Swedes occupied it in 1674. I’m also in Turckheim a lot because I like the Zind-Humbrecht wines. There was a famous Battle of Turckheim. That’s as far south as the Swedes got. It’s 45 miles short of Switzerland. It’s 780 miles to Sweden.
Arabs did more than preserve. For example, Al-Khwarizmi arguably invented algebra. Indian contributions to math and astronomy are also underappreciated.
You do know that the Normans who conquered Britain were Viking stock? Norman is a contraction of Norseman. That area of France had previously been invaded and the Vikings intermarried..
Right. And Swedish Vikings brought law and order to Russia. They initiated a great dynasty.
In somewhat more recent history, I’m in Alsace quite a bit. I like the countryside and Alsatian wine. I remember stopping along the Route du Vin at Koenigsgorg Castle. The Swedes occupied it in 1674. I’m also in Turckheim a lot because I like the Zind-Humbrecht wines. There was a famous Battle of Turckheim. That’s as far south as the Swedes got. It’s 45 miles short of Switzerland. It’s 780 miles to Sweden.
The Swedes made it all the way to Byzantium, via Russia's rivers.
The Viking longboat was a superbly engineered design. They crossed the Atlantic in them.
Peel Castle in the Isle of Man. We would take part in organised children's games inside. 100% designed and built by Vikings.
Wikipedia
Vikings never really crossed the Atlantic like traveling from Denmark to the mid Atlantic coast. They island hopped from northern Europe to Iceland, to Greenland, to North America....big difference. Some Eskimos did the same thing in reverse.
The Aztecs are a bit underrated in that they're either known for their religious practices or skills at urban planning, but not many know that they also produced a lot of poetry and had schools of thinkers similar to ancient Greece. Unfortunately most of the texts were destroyed by the Spaniards. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_philosophy
The Islamic Golden Age was slightly overrated in that many of accomplishments attributed to them, especially those in mathematics, actually came from India. By the same token medieval Indian was somewhat underrated at least in the West today.
I thought the Mali Empire was also somewhat overrated. Mansa Musa, the "richest man in history", was only rich because of the gold mines in his domain. His empire does not produce a lot of great art or good that other civilizations would want, and is primitive for its time in many ways. For example, the absence of coinage and the lack of widespread literacy outside of Timbuktu.
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It would be great if this were taught in schools.
