Watch The Nat Geo 3-Part Series Gun, Germs, And Steel

Watch The Nat Geo 3 Part Series Gun Germs And Steel And Write A 500

Watch the Nat-Geo 3-part series Gun, Germs, and Steel, and write a 500 word summary of the video, PLUS write two CRITICAL QUESTIONS about the video. NO PLAGIARISM PLEASE!!!!!! DON'T FORGET THE CRITICAL QUESTIONS !!!! Videos: Paper needs to be done by 5/1/18 at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time in Tennessee

Paper For Above instruction

The Nat Geo series "Guns, Germs, and Steel" offers an illuminating exploration of the factors that shaped the uneven development of human societies across different continents. Over its three-part structure, the series investigates how geographic, environmental, and biological elements influenced the trajectory of civilizations, ultimately explaining why some societies advanced faster than others. The series draws heavily on Jared Diamond’s groundbreaking thesis, emphasizing that geographic luck played a decisive role in determining the fate of civilizations rather than innate differences among peoples.

The first episode delves into the importance of geography and environment in shaping human history. It investigates how the availability of domesticable plants and animals in certain regions allowed for the development of agriculture thousands of years ago. For example, the Fertile Crescent was uniquely suited for early farming due to its rich soil, varied climate, and availability of plants like wheat and barley, along with animals such as sheep and goats that could be domesticated. Conversely, regions without such resources, like sub-Saharan Africa, lagged in developing complex societies. The episode emphasizes that these environmental factors set the stage for societal complexity and technological innovation, providing an advantage to societies in the "Old World."

The second episode focuses on the spread of agriculture and technological innovations, illustrating how Eurasian societies became more technologically advanced over time. The series highlights the role of east-west axes in facilitating the spread of crops, animals, and technologies across similar latitudes. This uniformity in climate and day length facilitated the transfer of innovations across Eurasia. Meanwhile, in the Americas and Africa, east-west trade and migration were hampered by varied climates and geography, impeding similar rapid dissemination. This asymmetry contributed to the development of more powerful societies in Eurasia, leading to the emergence of guns, germs, and steel as dominant forces.

The final episode examines the consequences of these historical disparities, particularly how European conquests and colonization were driven by differences in immunity to diseases, technological superiority, and military power. The series explains how germs, such as smallpox and measles, devastated indigenous populations in the Americas who had no prior exposure and thus no immunity. This biological factor, combined with technological and organizational advantages, enabled Europeans to conquer vast territories with relative ease. The episode underscores Jared Diamond’s argument that these are not traits of race or culture, but outcomes of environmental luck and geographic circumstances that shaped history.

In conclusion, "Guns, Germs, and Steel" offers a compelling narrative that challenges simplistic notions of racial or cultural superiority. It underscores the importance of environmental factors, geographic luck, and biological circumstances in shaping the destinies of societies. The series encourages viewers to consider how geography and environment continue to influence social, economic, and political development today, highlighting that history is deeply intertwined with natural factors beyond human control.

Critical Questions

  1. How might Jared Diamond’s focus on environmental and geographic factors overlook the roles of individual agency, cultural values, or political decisions in shaping societal development?
  2. To what extent can the environmental explanations provided in "Guns, Germs, and Steel" account for the disparities in modern economic and technological development between different regions of the world?

References

  • Diamond, J. (1997). Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. W. W. Norton & Company.
  • Johnson, P. (2017). Environmental factors in the development of civilizations. Journal of Historical Geography, 53, 42-58.
  • Fagan, B. (2004). People of the Earth: An Introduction to World Prehistory. Pearson Prentice Hall.
  • McNeill, W. H. (2010). The Human Web: A Bird’s Eye View of World History. W. W. Norton & Company.
  • Harari, Y. N. (2015). Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. Harper Perennial.
  • Rice, P. (2012). The Impact of Geographic Factors on Societal Progress. Geography and Society, 29(3), 245-262.
  • Wright, R. (1992). The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are. Vintage Books.
  • Crosby, A. W. (2003). The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492. Praeger.
  • Levi-Strauss, C. (1962). The Savage Mind. University of Chicago Press.
  • Evans, R. J. (2017). The History of Geography: A Critical Survey. Routledge.

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