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Where did the silk road start and end?

The Silk Road began in the 2nd century B.C., under the rule of China's Han Dynasty, whose rulers realized that bandits in the West were attacking caravans and damaging foreign trade opportunities. To control the trade routes better, the government built walls and garrisoned troops in the area. This guaranteed the safety of trade caravans, spurring merchants to begin traveling in greater numbers. The Silk Road gradually declined in importance until the Mongols conquered Asia in the 13th century. Their control of the entire route made peace, allowing for thriving trade again.

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How did ancient Rome begin?

In the early days of the republic, any male who was 15 years old that was a descendant of the original Roman tribes became a citizen. Citizens could vote, conduct acts of commerce and marry freeborn women.The wealthy class, or Patricians, dominated the Roman Senate and elected two officials called consuls, who were commanders-in-chief of the republic's empire. The Plebeians were the lower class and did not gain rights to participate in the government until later in the republic's history.The first Roman Law code was recorded for the first time officially in 450 B.C. Laws concerning c..

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How did Jackie Kennedy die?

The type of cancer that Mrs. Onassis suffered from attacked the lymph nodes and severely compromised her immune system. She checked in to New York Hospital - Cornell Medical Center on the Monday before her death, returning home to Fifth Avenue on Wednesday because the doctors had no further treatment options for her. She was the widow of President John F. Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis, a Greek shipping magnate.

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Who invented the iron plow?

During the Zhou period, there were improved iron casting techniques leading to its use in creating tools and weapons. By 400 B.C., iron was prominent in agriculture. The Chinese grew soybeans and rice in rows, which were more effective by plowing. The plows were shaped like a "V" with a sharp point and side wings to cut and move the soil. At first, these plows were pushed by cultivators; however, by the first century B.C., cattle were used to pull them more quickly.In the Western world, Jethro Wood became the first to patent the iron plow in 1819. This plow was made of interchangeable parts an..

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How did the Great Plague end?

The Great Plague was a severe outbreak of the bubonic plague which occurred in London, England, from 1665 to 1666. The bubonic plague, also known as the "Black Death," had been present in Europe for centuries, and is thought to have originated from East Asia, possibly China.\nThe bubonic plague caused swollen glands and black patches on the body, as well as vomiting and migraines. The plague was so severe that once a member of a household became infected, the entire family was considered doomed to die and a red cross was painted on the infected house. The bodies of those who were killed by the..

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What were some diseases in colonial America?

Smallpox was also a sinister threat at the time. One epidemic of smallpox in colonial Williamsburg from 1747 to 1758 affected 754 people. Large populations of Native Americans were wiped away during the colonial period when they contracted illnesses including smallpox. Epidemics of European-introduced disease reduced the population of Native Americans in New England by 90 percent between 1615 and 1633.

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What are some facts about Mercy Otis Warren?

Despite not receiving formal education as a girl, she learned to read and write and sat in on her brother's tutoring sessions. Her husband, James Warren, and her brother, James Otis, Jr., were involved in efforts to break away from British rule. She counted John and Abigail Adams and Thomas Jefferson among her friends and frequently corresponded with them. She published some of these letters in her history of the American Revolution.\nShe supported efforts to solidify opposition to the British by publishing propaganda plays. Her first, "The Adulateur: A Tragedy," skewered Thomas Hutchinso..

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How did the Treaty of Paris affect North America?

Despite its dwindling number of representatives, the appointed committee of Americans convened with British officials for a lengthy discussion and negotiations. At the time of the first meeting, the United States shared political alliances with France; the duo considered Great Britain an enemy. Despite defeating British troops at Yorktown, Adams, Jay and Franklin announced the United States' intentions of independence. That announcement surprised the French officials previously convinced of American allegiance with France. Through the series of pre-treaty talks, the committee of the Unite..

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How was imperialism justified?

While the theory of Social Darwinism is similar in nature to Darwin's theory of evolution of plants and animals, it was proposed by Herbert Spencer. Spencer is credited with coining the phrase "survival of the fittest" to predict the outcome of imperialism, or the competition between social groups. The first group, the imperial power, maintained more power and resources than the colonized nation. Thus, the cultural and societal characteristics that would distinguish one culture from another were erased, resulting in cultural assimilation.\nSocial Darwinism is criticized for its exploitati..

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What year was the wheel invented?

While the oldest wheel was found in Mesopotamia, modern day Iraq, linguistic evidence points to the Tripoyle people in modern day Ukraine, as words used to refer to wheels stem from the language of that culture. Also, the oldest drawings of wheels have been excavated in Poland, rather than the Middle East.

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