Difference between revisions of "325--2011--Week 2 Questions/Comments"
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To change the subject somewhat, what particularly struck me was McGaw's take on frontiersman sort of spearheading the push for industrialization spurred by their technological creativity. Does anyone have a take on this? I have always thought that farmers, ranchers and the like have been looked down upon by "modern" eyes. In truth, they are constantly helping to evolve their industry to make it more efficient, productive and less labor intensive. As jacks-of-all-trades it stands to reason that real genius can be found in their solutions to problems they encounter. One part artist, one part engineer (so why didn't you get a bonus for choosing a farmer in Oregon Trail?). --JoshW. | To change the subject somewhat, what particularly struck me was McGaw's take on frontiersman sort of spearheading the push for industrialization spurred by their technological creativity. Does anyone have a take on this? I have always thought that farmers, ranchers and the like have been looked down upon by "modern" eyes. In truth, they are constantly helping to evolve their industry to make it more efficient, productive and less labor intensive. As jacks-of-all-trades it stands to reason that real genius can be found in their solutions to problems they encounter. One part artist, one part engineer (so why didn't you get a bonus for choosing a farmer in Oregon Trail?). --JoshW. | ||
| − | McGraw's concern over the lack of cross-disciplinary historical research was very enlightening. Having technological historians only study the plow creates a very narrow view of history which can only be explored so far. Combining that research with research done by, say, and agricultural historian and a commercial historian will paint a much clearer picture of how it was used, who used it and what effect it had on the economy at the time, which can also give us a better picture of where our current economy came from. Her removal of the "pioneering spirit" of the frontier farmer was also interesting. Now knowing that bibles were more scarce than axes and that many "new" inventions created for life on the plains was either engineered out of necessity or was taken from other cultures which had dealt with similar terrain first made me wonder what other miss-conceptions there are in our society about our past. - Scott | + | McGraw's concern over the lack of cross-disciplinary historical research was very enlightening. Having technological historians only study the plow creates a very narrow view of history which can only be explored so far. Combining that research with research done by, say, and agricultural historian and a commercial historian will paint a much clearer picture of how it was used, who used it and what effect it had on the economy at the time, which can also give us a better picture of where our current economy came from. Her removal of the "pioneering spirit" of the frontier farmer was also interesting. Now knowing that bibles were more scarce than axes and that many "new" inventions created for life on the plains was either engineered out of necessity or was taken from other cultures which had dealt with similar terrain first or simply out of mundane necessity made me wonder what other miss-conceptions there are in our society about our past. - Scott |
== American Colonial Wealth (Document A) == | == American Colonial Wealth (Document A) == | ||
