TOPIC OF INTEREST #4: LIFE BEFORE & AFTER THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Our readings for this week touch on the topic of the Industrial Revolution. In this post, I will explore what life was like before the Industrial Revolution and the impact it had on society as a whole.

(Picture of woman working out of her home before the Industrial Revolution from http://www.lhslobos.org)

The Industrial Revolution is a period of time in history in which machines began replacing work that was done by hand, beginning in England in the 18th Century and lasting until the turn of the 20th Century. It changed the way the world did everything, from communication to work and living conditions to medical care. Before the Industrial Revolution, most people lived outside of urban areas; they farmed land to support themselves and if something was needed they made it in their homes. As a matter of fact, "less than 10 percent of the people of Europe lived in cities" (http://www.puhsd.k12.ca.us/). Many people died of common illnesses that are treated today with simple antibiotics. Male children often followed in the footsteps of their fathers, taking on whatever trades their fathers taught them. People made their own clothes, furniture, food, and medicines with recipes handed down to them from the previous generation. The average life expectancy in England in 1837 was "in the high 30s" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/). Numbers for the United States in the mid 19th Century were similar.

The Industrial Revolution was sparked by the textile and iron industries; the demand for such goods made businesses compete with one another for sales, ushering in new ways to mass produce these goods and transport them to buyers (http://www.puhsd.k12.ca.us/). Factories began to replace working from home; buying goods in stores began to replace farming the land. The list of things invented during the Industrial Revolution is staggering and laid the ground work for the technologies that we enjoy today; some of these inventions include: locomotives, the telegraph, electricity, indoor plumbing, and the phonograph. Every modern item that we enjoy today was invented during the Industrial Revolution.

(Picture of child working in a mill during the Industrial Revolution from http://teacherlink.org/)
(This picture illustrates common living conditions within cities during the Industrial Revolution; these buildings where people made their homes were called tenemants. Picture from http://teacherlink.org)

Not everything about the Industrial Revolution was good; it did create new problems that people before the revolution never faced. Factories introduced pollution and smog, mass migration out of the country side into the city created unsanitary living conditions and crime, and the need for mass production of goods created forced child labor. Eventually, activists and governments got involved to regulate these problems; however, we face these problems still today. On the other hand, the technologies born of the Industrial Revolution improved healthcare and today we enjoy a life expectancy of 78.3 years in the United States (http://www.census.gov/). In England, males can expect to live 77.7 years and females, 81.6 years (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/). Because of the Industrial Revolution, life expectancy has more than doubled.

This is an interesting video, about 20 min. long, pertaining to the Industrial Revolution from http://videos.howstuffworks.com)

TOPIC OF INTEREST #3: THE NATIONAL HOLOCAUST MUSEUM

(Picture of museum from http://www.inetours.com/)

The article that I chose to write on for the Readings Project touched on the topic of the Holocaust; it got me thinking about this topic. I have always wanted to visit the National Holocaust Museum. My daughter visited the museum on a school trip and I so wish that I could have shared that experience with her. This posting is my little way of visiting the National Holocaust Museum and sharing my "trip" with the reader.

The National Holocaust Museum is located in Washington D.C. by the National Mall; it opened in 1993 to preserve the memory of the more than 6 million Jews murdered by order of Adolf Hitler during World War II. (http://www.inetours.com/DC/Holocaust-Memorial-Museum.htmlMemorial-Museum.html) It also serves to preserve the living stories of survivors and the memories of those non-Jews who were also murdered or persecuted by the Third Reich. Admission into the museum is free and the exhibits are arranged in a way to make it very real to the visitor. According to the above website, visitors even walk through a train box car that was actually used during the Holocaust to transport Jews to concentration camps. The exhibits are very vivid and it is recommended that anyone under 12 be accompanied by an adult.

(Picture of train box car from http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/exhibit/)

According to http://www.planetware.com/washington-d-c-/washington-us-holocaust-memorial-museum-us-dc-403.htm, there are three floors of exhibits in chronological order. The tour begins with the rise of the Nazi party and Hitler's plan. Then it moves onto carrying out what Hitler called "the final solution" (deportation of Jews and other enemies of the state to concentration camps and their murders). Finally, one sees the end of the war with the liberation of the concentration camps and aftermaths. At the very end of the tour, an eternal flame burns in memory of all of the victims of the Holocaust. The museum also works to educate students and the public with the availability of a research library, workshops, and classes.

Congress voted in 1980 to create the museum. (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/ushmm.html)

*For video of the museum exhibits as well as pictures and anything else one can imagine, I would really recommend visiting http://www.ushmm.org/. Of particular interest is an exhibit called "Daniel's Story" that takes one through the stages of what life was like before the Nazi's, going to live in the "ghettos," deportation to Auschwitz concentration camp, and the aftermath through the eyes of a child.

TOPIC OF INTEREST #2: HINDUISM IN KAUAI, HAWAII

We were fortunate enough to visit a good friend on the island of Kauai in Hawaii recently and much was learned about the unique cultures and religions of the state. Hawaii has a heritage unlike any other state that I've been too. This is in large part due to Hawaii's young status as a state, a state that is still fighting, in a sense, to reclaim its roots as its own sovereign nation. Hawaii's unique customs are also due to its far removed location from the rest of the United States- sum 2,400 miles from the coast of California in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. One of the places that we visited on our trip was the Hindu Sacred Forest; we also briefly visited the Hindu Monastery on Kauai. It gave us insight into what the Hindu religion is, its belief system, and its practices.

As defined by Princeton University, Hinduism is a compilation of religious and philosophical ideas born of the Caste System in India with unique beliefs in reincarnation, a "supreme being of many forms and natures," an eternal truth, and a desire to seek freedom from "earthly evils." It is the main religion of India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.

In reference to other information that I found in my web search on Hinduism, there is what's called the four goals of life: Dharma (virtue), Artha (success), Kama (pleasure), and the "life negating" goal of Moksha (release). Living a virtuous life is very important in the Hindu religion and the definition of virtue is different for each person depending on where they fall within the Caste System. For example, if one ranks high in the social class system, then they must successfully fill their role within that particular class to be considered virtuous. Doing the job required of someone in a lower class would be considered wrong and therefore not virtuous; the same can be said if someone in a lower class attempted to do the work of someone ranked high in class. It would be safe to say that one obtains virtue in Hinduism by fulfilling their pre-ordained destiny. These life goals must be met with balance while avoiding Moksha ("earthly evils"). Hinduism is characterized by much prayer and meditation on a daily basis.

These fall from the trees within the sacred forest where Hindus go to pray and they use them to make prayer beads. The Hindu Sacred Forest on Kauai. These trees are worshiped by Hindus; it is forbidden to cut them down or use them in manufacturing of goods. They are very old and you can see the complex root system that contains them.

The above photos show the sacred shrine within the Hindu Sacred Forest. When Hindus come to the forest to pray, they make offerings to the shrine. The flowers are left for those desiring peace and beauty; money is left for those desiring prosperity. You can also see where they burn incense while they pray and the bell is rung to let the supreme being know that they are present; it is also rang for good luck. The Hindu Sacred Forest is a place for quiet reflection and meditation; it is the only one of its kind in the United States.

Sources:

http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/religionet/er/hinduism/HRLIFE.HTM

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=hinduism

*For more information on Hinduism in Kauai and its Hindu Monastery visit:

http://www.himalayanacademy.com/ssc/hawaii/