ETHN 110 Study Guide

 

Kenneth Pomeranz: The Great Divergence

Eurocentric History: Professor James Blaut: Myth of the European Miracle

Chinese Civilization: 7^th-17^th century

Comparisons: 7^th century Guangzhou, 12^th century Hangzhou (capital): > 1 million

-1400 Paris: population slightly > 100,000

Admiral Zheng He: 1371- 1433

-Ming Dynasty Naval Fleet (Largest Military Armada)

-Largest naval fleet until WWI

-Ming Treasure ship (fleet command ship)

China’s conclusion: “Europe was a backward region” &

Pomeranz, The Great Divergence

China and Britain: Need for Natural Resources

-China: Yangtze River Valley, Internal Colonies

-Britain: coal buried underground, External colonies & markets

 

The search for Asian markets and finding “Indians” in the early 16^th century

-“Europeans sailed the ocean blue,” looking for  “Spice Islands” & secret location

Arabs & Africans kept routes a secret

Venice= Main market place

“Magellan’s crew once sold a cargo of 26 tons of cloves for 10000 times the cost”

-British Expansion and Imperialism

-British East India company: Trade deficit with China, silver pesos

-Opium from Ganges River Region (Patna Opium)

American drug dealers, Turkey, Lintin Island

Chinese burned opium in Canton

Nemesis (British ship in the Navy)

Summary: 1842

Gunboat Diplomacy, financial crisis in China, Devaluation of silver from war damages, Collapse of copper money, Crisis in cottage industry

EFFECT: Major migration to urban/port cities & Major outmigration from China to Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia, etc.

China Today: Largest economic boom in History, Largest population

-2^nd largest economy: Paul Krugman predicted that

China will have the largest economy in 15 years

 

-1849 Gold Rush, Means of Transportation (Contract labor vs. Credit-ticket system)

Mining methods:  Placer, Hydraulic, Quartz

1870: 25% of Californian miners = Chinese, 2/3 of all Chinese were mine workers

Legal Discrimination:

1852  Foreign Miner’s Tax, Mining tax to foreigners ($20), 1790 Naturalization act

1853  1854 People vs. Hall

Theodore Judah, Swindled by the Big Four and died relatively poor

-Chinese built the Trans-Pacific railroad

Railroads and land ownership

-Land grants for internal improvements were given

-Total number of acres received outnumbered land grants to individuals

-CA: 8.5 million acres

-Spanish- Mexican claimants: 8.8 million acres

-Railroad companies: 11.5 million acres

Why Recruit Chinese:  labor shortage, JH Strobridge needed 5000 workers,

EB Crocker suggested hiring Chinese, “blue Mondays,” Drinking tea

Ethnic Antagonism & Split labor market (Edna Bonacich)

Promontory Point, Utah 10 May 1869: Charles Savage

 

“Land of the morning calm” vs. Invasions and Wars

Pre-Confucian Korea, women, property, public office

Hangul (alphabet),  yangban (ruling class)

Policy of Isolation, Hermit Kingdom

Korea’s warship: “Turtle” ship (Kobukson)

 

Japan’s “Gunboat Diplomacy” & Treat of Kanghwa (1876)

1882 Gunboat Diplomacy: Admiral Robert W. Shufeldt signed treaty

 

Horace N. Allen, Missionary, banker, saved King Kojang’s relative

Hawaiian Sugar plantation Association (HSPA), David Deshler

1902-1905: 7000 immigrants

-Bad working conditions

-Japanese territory protected Japanese workers in Hawaii

Korean immigration to Hawaii and California

-Role of Korean Churches

Port of SF

-Ahn Ch’ang Hoe, Friendship Society 1903

-Korean National Association, 1909

-KNA moves to LA, 1937

 

Migration to LA

Context of Vietnam War and military industry: Supplies and military bases

Heavy/ Chemical Industry Drive: 1907s

President Park Chung Hee’s rapid modernization and economic plan

-Large outmigration from Korea to LA

LA Koreatown: 1992 LA riots (Rodney King Verdict), Soon Ja Do

Korean Americans seen as “middle-men” and blamed by African Americans

SF Bay Area=Oakland: telegraph and McArthur BART

 

CONTEXT: Tokugawa Japan 1600-1868

Tokugawa Ieyasu, Daimyo, Shogun, Samurai, Centralized feudalism

Policy of isolation, Funded by silver mines, Emperor= figurehead

Peasants (75% population) Agriculture society (grew rice), Artisans

Merchants Occupied lowest strata

Economic price of oppressive bureaucracy

Merchants were gaining wealth but no political power

Friction between merchants and samurais

Dutch traders Nagasaki (Deshima Island)