Bill Wang - Week 12 - The fall of Constantinople in 1453 on American High School
How did the fall of Constantinople in 1453 lead to the creation of American High School?
The fall of Constantinople in 1453 annihilated the Silk Road trade and caused many scholars to seek sanctuary in Italian city-states. This led to the Renaissance, which emphasized secularism, and art. Developments during this period led to the Scientific Revolution and the Age of Exploration, leading to the discovery of America. Then, the Industrial Revolution spawned Marxist thought, while strengthening the countries that had first industrialized.
These powerful countries soon discovered and exercised their newfound economic power, creating a new era of imperialism. The acceleration of power led to the acceleration of militarism, tension, and alliances.
Going back a little, colonialism led to France and Britain fighting over colonies, and tensions sparked the French and Indian War.
Higher costs to Britain led to the American Revolution through increased taxes, a revolution that the French helped fund, leaving France poor, and causing the French Revolution, allowing Napoleon to take power, leading to the Peace of Vienna, in which land conquered by Austria and Prussia was given to them.
Austria and Prussia fought over the land leading to Austria consolidating its power by consolidating the Balkan people, which they were not happy about, leading to the assassination of Ferdinand and WW1. The October Revolution caused by expenses in WW1 and Marxist thought led to an ideological and diplomatic disconnect (the new government chose not to uphold debts to the US), later leading to the Cold War.
American High School was founded in 1972, and perhaps was named such as a result of the emphasis on Patriotism during the Cold War.
Going back to colonialism, the British colonization of India led to the spreading of English and poor infrastructure. Harsh living conditions, a difficult education system, post-WWII US power, and some understanding of English are believed to have led to immigration to the US, and the developing West Coast, which promised more opportunities. It also caused a butterfly effect of more and more immigrants following the same path, leading to a relatively high population of Indians in California.
Going back to the Fall of Constantinople, the shutting off of trade between Asia and Europe may have led to closed diplomatic relations, perhaps leading to China’s eventual colonization by Europe. This led to declining economic opportunities. Due to its proximity to the developing West Coast, many Chinese opted to go there, leading to a relatively high Chinese population in California.
Our power as human beings lies in our understanding of language. And through language, we can understand history which strengthens us, empowers us, and allows us to understand how the fall of Constantinople led to the creation of American High School. Our school is the most drastic and important effect of modern history and should be considered as such.
(more on our wonderful school: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_High_School_(California))
Hey Bill! I really appreciated this brief history lesson on the creation of our school, because it was something trivial enough and entertaining enough to make the bad feelings go away :). That aside, I like that you mentioned a purported "butterfly effect" because it gave your blog post a touch of self-awareness and playfulness, which is a nice divide between your post and some of the more serious/dry posts during this cohort (mine included). While your narrative connects various historical events in a creative way, it's important to note that some of the cause-and-effect relationships presented are a bit oversimplified. You present a likely chain of events, but some of the connections are a bit of a stretch, and the formation of American High School is more directly tied to educational reforms and societal changes in the United States during the 20th century. With me being snobbish aside, I thought that your writing style was engaging and pleasant to read, and is a mental exercise that can be branched out to many other historical events. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi Bill,
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting take on tracing the major historical events and developments that ultimately led to the creation of American High School. You did a commendable job attempting to connect numerous pivotal moments in world history in a cohesive narrative. I think the core strength lies in highlighting how major shifts like the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, which disrupted trade routes and scattered scholars, helped catalyze seminal eras like the Renaissance, Age of Exploration, and the wars and revolutions that fueled industrialization and capitalism. Linking those transformations to colonialism, immigration patterns, and the growth of the West Coast displays your extensive knowledge and communication skills. The assertion that American High School's name reflects a post-WW2 patriotism portrays your thoughtful analysis. It's thought-provoking where you theorize about major events catalyzing future developments, like trade disruptions souring Asia-Europe relations and thus enabling European colonization of China. You conclude with the power of language and the understanding of it. I agree with this claim as language has been the key to the development of our world; through language, we can understand the history that strengthens and empowers our understanding of our world and ourselves.
Hi Bill, I was really curious how you were going to tie the Fall of Constantinople to the founding of American High School (many said it couldn't be done), and you executed it very well. It's funny to think that if Constantinople hadn't been taken over in 1453, we'd (potentially) be going to a school under a completely different name. The tying in to language at the end was very interesting, and it puts into perspective how language enables us to make connections like these and analyze history this way. Your claim that American is the most drastic effect of the historic event is undeniably true, and I feel shame that the human race had not realized this sooner. I commend you and your blog, Bill. Great job.
ReplyDeleteHello Bill! I often find myself pondering why American High School is so American. We present ourselves with a bald eagle, red, white, and blue, and "American", how can it get more patriotic than that. I find it very interesting how you head cannon the name we coined for our high school as an attempt to show how proud we are to be American during the Cold War. You must pay a lot of attention during history because you mentioned so many events and dates I forgot about. I love how the history around the world all falls back into how it is today. It is so interesting how power has such a control over the world, some are just greedy while other fight for more so others can not over taken them. If everyone in the world was just fine with what they had, then we would not have the world we have today.
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