Tools of the Historian: Assessing time in world history( changes and continuities)

1. Do Now: Read article Educators Fight back to maintain World History Tools of the Historian: Assessing time in world history( changes and continuities)

2. Why the change? new old

3. Chronology-the study of time • Various historians break-down or compartmentalize history in a variety of ways. Important technologies, events, people, places or developments ( turning points) provide a perspective about when a period, epoch or era should begin and end. Like geography, chronology can be an important tool to view perspective (POV)

4. More “manageable” and attuned to college curriculum or Eurocentric and marginalizing of other groups? 1200-1450 compartmentalizes integration Of cultures, groups, empires. Unit one as Regional and unit two as combined 1450-1750 sets up the Columbian Exchange and Age of Empires with Unit 3 Focusing on land empires and Unit 4 on Maritime Empires ( increased interaction) 1750-1900 focuses on significant developments/change with Unit 5 focusing on political revolutions and Unit 6 Focusing on the cause and effects of industrialization and Imperialism. 1900-Present Unit 7 clearly establishes the cause and effects of the two world wars ( 1900-1945), while Unit 8 covers The impacts in the Cold War and end of imperialism ( 1945- 1991), Finally Unit 9 the Globalization also runs concurrent with The end of WWII but picks up steam after the Cold War ( 1945- Present) The four periodizations are defining events of the eras, while The 9 units ( 2 for 3 and 3 for one) are thematically and Regionally divided based on units.

6. Political • Major Dynastic rule (Chinese Mandates of Heaven, ruling families • Rise and fall of empires (and Emperors) • Presidencies • Dominant powers of the time ( this is disputed by historians based on varying degrees of evidence) • Cycles of political revolutions ( usually identifying a change) • Events ( 9-11, Pearl Harbor, Sacking of Rome, Conquest of the Americas)

7. Historical periodization can be broken down politically through viewing which empires were most dominant in an era, through presidential administrations to view foreign and domestic policy or through significant dynastic rule to determine who a family impacted various global exchanges

9. Time is measured by key economic technologies which define the times • Stone Age (paleo and Neolithic) • Bronze Age • Iron Age • Industrial Age • Nuclear Age • Commodities like drinks :” A History of the World in Six Glasses” by Tom Standage • These technologies signify a turning point in how things are done.

10. Eras of invention and innovations define historical periods through the global mosaic where innovations in technology dominated Indian Ocean trade 1200-1450, the industrial age 1750-1900 illustrate the tools of colonization and capitalism while the nuclear age 1945-Present punctuated the fear of total annihilation

12. Culture • Christian Gregorian calendar ( originally B.C and A.D for before Christ and Anno Domini in Jesus’ life) • Jewish and Muslim calendars are lunar as are Chinese calendars • Mayas developed the most accurate calendar based on their astronomical observations. • Eras of peace and prosperity and are often called Golden Ages of Pax( Romana, Sinica, Islam, Mongolica)

13. Time is tricky • Regardless of how history is broken down, it signifies that great changes come about by these cycles. These changes are debated by historians as to the impacts and whether they garner mention or merit. As a historian, you will be asked to not just evaluate periodization to determine changes but also evaluate continuities ( what remains the same and why) Think of your own life since you were born. What has changed (Think S.P.I.C.E)? What has Remained the same? (Why?)

14. To date events • Before the birth of Christ or B.C., historians count backward from the year 1. • After the birth of Christ or A.D., historians count forward starting at the year 1. • THERE IS NO YEAR 0!!! • World History has replaced this with B.C.E and C.E to reflect less cultural bias for before and during the common era

16. Theses • The study of time is problematic for historians because of the differentiated way to break chunks of time down politically through the dominant empires and politically entities which clearly defined these eras, economically through the technologies which were utilized by those societies who thrived and culturally by the hegemonic religions which guided people’s worldview whether linearly or cyclically. • Chronology troubles world historians as there is no universal manner to encapsulate time by , rather, view it politically to break down important events which served as turning point ( wars, attacks, fall), economically by the dominant commodities traded and networks of distribution, and cultural framework for looking at the religions who provided a framework for living. • Time allows the student to view the historical narrative through a political view through the cyclical ebbs and flows like Chinese dynasties, historiographically looking at commodities like beverages who altered human development and cosmologically by viewing the developments as they unfolded in the universe starting with the Big Bang and narrowing it down into the present.

17. The study of time is problematic for historians because of the differentiated way to break chunks of time down politically through the dominant empires and politically entities which clearly defined these eras, economically through the technologies which were utilized by those societies who thrived and culturally by the hegemonic religions which guided people’s worldview whether linearly or cyclically