Hits

I felt that even though I struggled with the DBQ essay I still did well on it. I felt that  was able to read and analyze the articles and put them into a research paper properly. My second hit is an article that I got from Fox. I Felt that in this article I was able to portray the basic ideas and themes of this article after reading it and displaying it into a blog post. My third post is about my high school soccer season. Whilst writing this post I felt that I was able to put emotion on to the page like I have never done. I am extremely proud to represent my school and I think that in that blog post I felt I put it all out there. 

Silk Road

The Silk Road was a system of intricate trade routes throughout the Middle East that connected China and Europe. Around 200 BCE was when the Silk Road had started to expand and start. The first Silk Road route was in China’s capital (“Silk Road”). It was called that because China used the Silk Road to trade and distribute a desirable good, in silk. It was not a road. It was a trade route that helped many people. The route is significant because it was the base of economies and it created cultural diffusion that has shaped the world. The Silk Road was important to the surrounding areas because it affected the way people traded and shared ideas with other cultures. The exchange of ideas, inventions, and the globalization of their world that had not yet been seen. It was crucial to the ways of life and the culture that came with it. The culture is important because without the mix of cultures and the sharing of ideas many civilizations would not be the same. It was one of the first intricate trade routes and set the way for many other trade routes and trade in general.

The Silk Road affected every economy that it was around. The economies in most areas were affected positively because of the ideas that were exchanged were from different cultures. Silk was very important to the Byzantine Empire and the route helped export and gain silk among the empire ("Byzantine Culture"). The Byzantine Emperor built their trade relations allowing the trade to flow and their economy thriving due to the flow of goods through the Silk Road (“Byzantine Culture”). The Silk Road was significant to the Byzantine Empire's economy and was very successful.  The trade networks were significant because they helped with the Byzantine Emperor's plans but also caused certain problems. Some problems that occured included over inflation of goods, theft, and the spread of disease along the Silk Road (“Byzantine Culture”). Besides these problems, the Silk Road was crucial to every economy it was related to due to the vast land it stretched across. New ideas like the production of Silk, were considered precious and many countries who did not have these items would attempt to duplicate these products or pay heavy prices for these items ("Byzantine Culture"). By paying these pair prices places that made and distributed Silk highly profitable. This was not only for silk. Many products were priced highly because they were only available in certain areas and were highly sought after items ("Byzantine Culture"). These items affected economies throughout the world because they were distributed amongst the world for immense profits.

The Silk Road affected many people including Genghis Khan and Marco Polo. It influenced them as rulers, businessmen, and explorers.  It was crucial in Genghis Khan's conquest. Khan uses the Silk Road City, Bukhara, strategically in this conquest. Khan knew that the city of Bukhara was a wealthy city and would be very powerful if taken (“Genghis Khan Conquers the Silk Road City of Bukhara”). Khan used terror tactics such as fireballs until the city decided to go into submission. Khan used fear tactics to take over the areas that he wanted (“Genghis Khan Conquers the Silk Road City of Bukhara”). This was an easier way of not having to fight and lose troops. By conquering an important trade city such as Bukhara, he had added on to an immense and wealthy Empire ("Genghis Khan Conquers the Silk Road City of Bukhara"). Khan knew that by taking over Bukhara it was a quick and easy gateway to wealth, power and an easy way to add to his impressive list of areas he had taken over (“Genghis Khan Conquers the Silk Road City of Bukhara”). The Silk Road provided a place for Khan and his men to travel and take over areas for wealth and power. Polo used the Silk Road differently. Unlike Khan, Marco Polo used the route to make him wealthy, an easier way to travel along the Middle East and not necessarily to gain power ("Asian Experiences: Marco Polo and the Silk Road"). Marco Polo traveled the route by camel, making it easier to travel distances faster and without getting tired ("Camel Caravan along the Silk Road"). Polo knew that the Silk Road would be beneficial to travel along the Silk Road because it was a mostly safe place to travel, it was a good place to exchange ideas and easier routes to travel. He was also favorited by Kublai Khan, a wealthy, powerful man who controlled areas of the Silk Road ("Asian Experiences: Marco Polo and the Silk Road"). This is important because Marco Polo and Genghis Khan are to history. The two also show two different ways to use the Silk Road yet, both, were successful.  Most routes within the Silk Road were traveled along by foot or by camel. Travelling by camel had benefits such as not having to stop for water and, they are easy to maintenance. Most stops were for trade cities or eventually water and a place to stay ("Traveling The Silk Road"). Camels were important to the Silk Road because it was one of the top ways to travel and had benefits in doing so.

The Silk Roads' geography was beneficial to all who used it because it connected China and Europe who had very different ideas. The routes' geography created cultural diffusion by taking two places that were far away and connecting them and the areas in between with an intricate trade route. Throughout Europe and China, the spread of ideas was crucial because without the geography of the Silk Road this would not be possible. Technology such as s irrigation and farming made areas away from the Silk Road thrive because of concepts that had never been heard of before were being brought into their lives. Silk was distributed amongst various places amongst the route as said in this quote, "Accompanying the trade in silk was the slow but cumulative diffusion of the craft of silk-making, which traveled from China through Central Asia, Persia, Anatolia, North Africa, and Eastern and Southern Europe, and finally, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, took hold in the newly discovered America continent." (“Silk Road”). This quote is important because it shows that they are able to disperse goods from one area to across the world using one main route (“Silk Road”). The Silk Road was a major contributing factor to cultural diffusion. These trade routes throughout the Middle East were important because it mixed the culture. The cultural diffusion created by the Silk Road was largely credited to where the Silk Road was located. The Silk Road started in China and ended in Europe (“Silk Road”). It was not only a place to to exchange goods, but it was a place to trade thoughts and religions as said in this quote. "More significantly, the Silk Road was an avenue for the exchange of ideas." This quote is important because the successful exchange of ideas was in part to its location.  The route spanned across such a large area the Silk Road mixed all of the cultures together by trade and the exchange of ideas. They used each other ideas for their own good and to spread new technologies. Precious items such as stones, cloths, pottery were highly sought after. The exchanging of ideas was not only for goods. Many ideas shared included different religions and beliefs ("Silk Road"). These religions influenced the way people lived. Many travelers and businessmen traveled along Silk Road because the ideas were different and they were from other places looking to learn new knowledge. Along the route, the trade amongst countries could be disrupted based upon whether or not the political boundaries were under distress. This is important because the Silk Road was not always reliable because it was dependent on the surrounding areas. (“Silk Road”)

The Silk Road is significant to history because of the way the culture changed within the surrounding areas. It is important to history because it paved the way for trade and business. It created a place where cultures clashed and thrived. Helping these cultures improved relations of all types amongst these territories. The exchange of ideas along the Silk Road was crucial to the reason why it was significant. The exchange of ideas along the Silk Road changed the world and the way many people lived their lives. That being said, it created a place where people came to travel and to trade, buy, and sell their goods. This affected rulers, travelers, businessmen, and regular people because of the opportunities and profits it created. The Silk Road influenced many historical people, and brought new ideas that has shaped our world.

In this article it explains the chemical attacks in Syria that has reportedly killed over 40 people and injured more. It explains what President Trump says about the recent attacks and what actions he would take. It is reported that President Trump has threatened Syria with an airstrike amongst the actions. President Trump believes that the Syrian Government is involved. In this article it is also questioned what other countries were involved or if any other countries were involved.
         I chose this article from Fox because I believe they are the least biased and most reliable news source. I have always been intrigued with the military and government and how they respond to these attacks. I also chose this article because I agree with Mr. Trump's planned actions and I feel that military action is necessary when it comes to Syria which is an ongoing issue. I believe that the loss of innocent lives is tragic especially when your own government is performing the attacks. I think that the planned actions Trump has taken will be good for the future. I think these actions will be great but could also have backlash for our country because It could start political discourse amongst other countries but it would also resolve an ongoing issue.

Soccer has just ended and club soccer has just started. These two styles and the rosters of the team are very different. The School 2017-2018 program has been one that has changed my life. Before playing high school soccer, I had no idea what dedication meant. My coaches and the players on my team were tremendous in whatever they did. We bonded as a group and were a family. One that was serious when we needed to be serious but also had laughs along the way.

 As most freshman have never played high school sports, it is very different but in the same sense makes you much better. By playing for your school instead of a club gives a whole new insight on what it means to represent something or someone. When wearing a school jersey you never feel so proud. When playing any sport for School it isn't just playing for your team. You play for the entire school and everyone who contributes to that school. It is not about the game itself, it is about how you represent what is on the front of your jersey.