Construction of the Suez Canal

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of Global History Hub! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this massive world we all call home! In today's edition of GHH, we'll be taking a look at the construction of the Suez Canal, the canal that a certain ship got stuck in for almost a week. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it.

     The Suez Canal is a man-made waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Red Sea. It enables a more direct route for shipping between Europe and Asia, effectively allowing for passage from the North Atlantic to the Indian Ocean without having to circumnavigate the African continent. The waterway is vital for international trade and, as a result, has been at the center of conflict since it opened in 1869.

     Interest in a marine route connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea dates back to ancient times. A series of small canals connecting the Nile River and by extension, the Mediterranean to the Red Sea were in use as early as 2000 B.C., but it wouldn't be until 1869 that the Suez Canal would open for international trade. Excavation took 10 years and utilized approximately 1.5 million workers to complete the feat.

     The Suez:

     

Sources: Suez Canal - HISTORY

The Protestant Reformation

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of GHH! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this massive world we all call home! In today's edition of GHH, we'll be taking a look at the Protestant Reformation, a reform that would eventually form a new religion. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it!

     The Reformation was a split in the Latin Christian church started by a man named Luther in 1517 and evolved over the next decade, becoming a campaign that created and introduced a new sub-religion of Christianity called "Protestantism." This split has never been corrected and most likely never will. The Protestant way of thinking was not just a carbon clone of Christianity, it meant new ideas and beliefs that would solidify itself as a wildly different religion that we recognize as its own.

     In 1517, Luther, a professor of theology grew angry at the sale of indulgences and produced 95 theses against them. He privately sent them to friends and opponents and as legend has it, had them nailed them to a church door. These theses were soon published and the Dominicans, who sold many indulgences, called for punishments against Luther.

     Despite the wishes and actions of some old church governments and the pope, Protestantism established itself permanently in Europe. People were affected at both a personal, and spiritual level, finding a new faith as an entirely new layer of the division was added to the already divisive society. The consequences and troubles of the Reformation remain to this day.

Luther himself.

Sources: Reformation 101 - The Protestant Reformation in Europe (thoughtco.com)

The History & Legacy of Constantinople

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of GHH! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this massive world we all call home! In today's edition of GHH, we'll be taking a look at the legendary city of Constantinople, one of the most well-defended and notable cities in ancient history. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it!

     Constantinople is an ancient city that is located in modern-day Turkey that's now known as Istanbul. First settled in the seventh-century B.C.E, Constantinople developed into a thriving port thanks to its prime geographic location between Europe and Asia and its natural harbor. Constantinople stood as the seat of the Byzantine Empire for the next 1,100 years, enduring periods of great fortune and violent sieges, until being overrun by Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire in 1453.

     While Constantinople was a very prosperous and wealthy city, the fall of it was not unexpected. Over the 1,000+ years of its existence, Constantinople was sieged at least a dozen times, each of which weakened its defenses. Mehmed II would be the strongest of these sieges, effectively taking over the city and ruling it under the Ottomans. You can read more about the fall of Constantinople here.

     Artist's rendition of Constantinople:

     

     Sources: Constantinople - HISTORY

The History of Castles

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of GHH! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this massive world we all call home! In today's weekly post, we're going to be discussing one of the most fascinating topics regarding the middle ages and the Renaissance, castles, and castle warfare. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it!

     Since the dawn of large civilizations, rulers and leaders have required large fortifications to keep invaders and mutinous citizens out, but also provide a comfortable life for those that live inside. It is believed that between 5,000 to 7,000 years ago, the first fortified settlements were created in places like China, India, and Egypt. Soon, knowledge about these fortified villages spread to Europe, and European monarchs ordered their architects and engineers to construct their own beefed-up palaces.

     But the innovations of castles didn't just spring up out of nowhere. Early forms of fortified settlements utilized cliffs and rocks as protection, essentially forming "natural walls" that settlers could utilize as protection from invaders. Building artificial walls wouldn't become the norm for castles until around the 9th or 10th century. But these fortifications were mainly used for military or government purposes, not for living. 

     After people realized the huge potential castles had for safety, living quarters began to be constructed inside of them. Castles were constantly being re-engineered to have better defenses, living quarters, and more space. Unfortunately, castles were often cold, dark, and very difficult to build, sometimes taking upwards of thirty years! Castles soon fell out of fashion, but many can still be seen around the world.

     Neuschwanstein Castle, one of the more elegant castles.

     

     Sources: History of Castles - Ancient, Medieval Castles (famouscastles.net)

Sputnik Rocket Launch

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of GHH. I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this massive world we all call home! In today's edition, we'll be taking a look at the launch of the Sputnik rocket, one of the first rockets ever launched. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it!

     The launch of Sputnik in 1957 marked the beginning of the legendary Space Race and is recognized as the first artificial satellite launched from Earth. Sputnik has a circular shape, weighed 184 pounds, and traveled at 18,000 miles an hour. The entire purpose of the ship was to send small radio blips back to Earth. The highest that the small spacecraft ever went was 584 miles, a small distance, when compared to the rockets, shot up today.

     Before the Apollo 11 mission, American officials and rocket aficionados alike tuned in to the blipping rocket, completely fascinated by Russian ingenuity. Soon, the rocket descended low enough into the atmosphere and was eventually burned up entirely. Turns out, many Americans were intimidated by the leaps and bounds Russians had made in space exploration, and that is how the Space Race began, which you can read more about in previous posts.

     Sputnik:

     

Sources: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sputnik-launched

     

History of Laptop Computers

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of GHH! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this massive world we all call home! In today's weekly post, we'll be taking a look at the history of portable laptop computers, one of the biggest technological innovations concerning the consumer-oriented world. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it!

     The desire for the power of a desktop computer compacted into a small, portable chassis had been around for some time but was mainly limited by the massive size of CRT displays. They were very large and difficult to move around on their own, so it wouldn't be until LCD displays were popularized that laptops would make their way into millions of homes around the world. The very first laptop computer was called the Osborne 1, (released in 1981) featuring a five-inch screen, a modem port, and two 5" 1/4 inch floppy disk drives. It looked like this. 

     It's quite a heavy-looking machine, to say the least, and doesn't look very portable at all. However, this would be the turning point of computer manufacturing. Much like calculators, the race for a smaller laptop had begun, and it was down to computer manufacturers to make them as small and cheap as possible.

     Computer manufacturers such as Compaq, IBM, Toshiba, HP, and Epson were among some of the biggest names in the business, each releasing new and more affordable laptops at a breakneck pace. The release of LCD displays and Windows 95 led to much smaller, but far less powerful PCs when compared to desktops at the time. It wouldn't be until the early '00s that laptops would start to rival desktop PCs and with the release of the legendary operating system, Windows XP, laptop sales shot through the roof.

     Comparing the chunky laptops of the early '00s and '10s to the laptops of this decade is astonishing. Microsoft came out with their own line of touchscreen laptops called the Surface in 2012, an unimaginable feature in 1992 or 1982. Modern laptops have come very far in the last ten years.

     Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_laptops

The History & Legacy of the Lone Star Republic

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of Global History Hub! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this massive world we all call home! In this edition of GHH, we will be taking a look at the Lone Star Republic and the legacy it left on the United States as a briefly governed state that would soon become Texas. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it!

     Texas is a very large state, and before we would come to know it as the Lone Star State, it held the name "Lone Star Republic", for nearly a decade before being annexed into the United States and becoming modern-day Texas. At the time, Texas was sparsely populated, and as such, the Mexican government made the decision to Anglo-American settlers to move in. This decision was made partially because the government wanted stronger cities to fend off the Comanche raids. The first 300 families to move in were led by Stephen Austin and were called the "First 300". 

     Despite the clear rules laid out by the government, the settlers opted to call themselves Texans rather than Tejanos and decided not to learn the Spanish language or convert to catholicism. Because of this flagrant breaking of the rules, tensions between the Tejanos and the Texans worsened, largely thanks to the rise and fall of dictators in Mexico City. On March 2nd, 1836, the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed, granting their freedom from Mexico. That didn't mean Mexico was going to let go so easily, however.

     Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna led Mexico's forces against the Texans and massacred many in the process. A man named Sam Houston captured and defeated Santa Anna, leading to Texas being recognized as a state by the president, but not by the Senate. In 1836, a Constitutional Convention had been formed to declare Texan independence and write the nation's constitution. The country was led valiantly for nearly a decade before being annexed and becoming a part of the US.

     Lone Star Flag:

     Sources: https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-lone-star-republic-definition-president.html

History of Apple Inc.

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of Global History Hub! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this massive world we all call home! In today's edition of GHH, we'll be taking a look at the history of Apple Inc., one of the most well-known tech giants ever. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it!

     Apple Inc. was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who partnered together to form the tech giant we all know and (might) love today. However, the two started from humble beginnings. The first business venture the two embarked on was selling "blue boxes" that enabled one to make long-distance calls free of charge. Jobs later told his biographer that if it wasn't for those blue boxes, "there wouldn't have been an Apple."

     The birth of microcomputers fascinated Wozniak and led to his desire to own a microprocessor. Unfortunately, the only two chips that existed that would suit his standards were an Intel 8080 and a Motorola 6800, both costing around $800 in today's money, so he bided his time and learned more and more about computers, which would prove to be very valuable knowledge.

     The first computer Apple produced was fittingly named the Apple I. It was a bare-bones computer, coming with the bare necessities for it to work. It did not include a case, mouse, keyboard, or monitor, just the exposed machinery inside. They would produce many other PCs, including the smash hit Apple II, but in 1985 an issue would soon arise that would cause Jobs and Wozniak to leave the company. CEO John Sculley and Steve Jobs had wildly different views about where the company should go next, and ultimately it led to him leaving entirely. 

     Today, we recognize Apple as one, if not the, largest tech company in existence.

     Apple Logo:

     

     

Invention of the Sewing Machine

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of Global History Hub! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this massive world we all call home! In today's weekly post, we'll be talking about the history of the sewing machine, one of the most important inventions created during the fascinating Industrial Revolution. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it!

     Sewing has a history that goes as far back as society itself. It wasn't until the population grew quickly and the population expanded that we needed a machine that automated this task, and thus the sewing machine was born. One of the first prototypes was invented by Charles Fredrick Wiesenthal, a German-born engineer working in England was awarded the first British patent for a mechanical device to aid the art of sewing, in 1755. His invention consisted of a double-pointed needle with an eye at one end.

     Several other sewing machines were invented, some were for other materials such as leather and canvas, others utilized a different stitch to try and speed up the process. In 1804, a sewing machine was built that had the ability to embroider. It was a revolutionary device and many would make similar devices to cash in on the fervor. 

     Soon, the market for sewing machines began to expand as consumers realized the potential behind these devices. Many began to mass-produce them, and they exploded in popularity. Today, sewing machines are not as popular as they once were, with the majority of sewing machines being sold to manufacturers creating huge amounts of clothing in short amounts of time. Vintage machines are very common, with many able to be found in thrift stores and antique stores, but the majority of these do not work. Despite this, sewing machines offer a cheap and easy way to both make clothing and a livelihood.

     Vintage sewing machine:

     

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewing_machine#:~:text=In%201790,%20the%20English%20inventor%20Thomas%20Saint%20invented,to%20be%20used%20on%20leather%20and%20canvas%20material.

Industrial Revolution

    Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of Global History Hub! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this massive world we all call home! In today's edition of Silly Saturday, we're going to be taking a look at the Industrial Revolution, a crucial part of the development of the United States. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it!

     The United Kingdom was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution before the reaches of the era reached the United States. Between the years of 1850 and 1914, much change came to Europe, including the modernization of the manufacturing industry and the fall of bartering and trading.

     During this period of rapid change, the agricultural way of life quickly fell to the wayside in favor of rapid urbanization and industrialization. The cornerstone of this era was technology. Without it, none of the rapid growth of industry could be achieved. Large amounts of electricity were required to run this heavy machinery, and as such the electrical infrastructure had to be expanded to accommodate the massive demand for electricity.

     Factories opened during the time produced a wide variety of objects, such as clothing, textiles, glass, paper, and pottery; all things needed to start a prosperous business. This led to more growth, demonstrating the massive ripple effect the era had on the history of the United States and Europe.