Chapter 13

I found it was interesting that the Europeans were so powerfully motivated to be one of the best countries on Earth at the time due to trade and commerce. Innovations were soaring at this time for them as they understood that China was one of their biggest threats and competitors. With that, Europe ended up finding what is now the Americas which also led to the Great Dying. I find it so interesting what destruction the Europeans did when they first sailed to the Americas but without realizing what they did. It is really disappointing to hear that these innocent people were forced to bring new ways and suffering. This is an issue that I see almost every day on Facebook, interestingly. I have always been fond of the lives of the Natives. It is really hard to understand that disease wiped the Natives out of existence and that this was only a few centuries ago and that this could happen all over again as it is doing in other places in the world. It is also interesting that in some places in the world, people still do live like the Natives as described in Strayer’s book.