Author: Nazaria Mitchell

Hey guys! Today we are going to talk about the main causes of the French Revolution.

 

During the thirteenth century French society was legally divided into three groups. Though the groups were technically legal the burdens of taxation were unequally distributed.

 

The First Estate was made up of clergy (church leaders) which made up about one percent of the overall population. This estate owned a majority of French land, collected church taxes(tithes), had tax exemptions (they paid none at all!!!), and enjoyed many other major privileges.

 

The Second Estate consisted of nobility (people related to royalty) which made up about two percent of the population. This estate controlled a lot of land, were in high military and government positions, and enjoyed some of the same privileges as the First Estate.

 

Lastly, the Third Estate consisted of rich but not insanely rich people, working class people, and peasants. They made up about ninety percent of the population. They paid the most direct taxes and feudal dues while having the least amount of political power.

 

PAUSE. If you were here last week then you know about the Enlightenment. Guess what gave the French commoners an idea to resist the power of the higher classes…? That’s right, the Enlightenment!!!

 

Around the fourteenth century leading into the nineteenth century France had a lot of economic problems.

 

Since France spent heavily on wars (mainly on supporting the American colonies during the American Revolution) creating war debts.

 

Since the privileged estates (the first and second estates) refused to pay taxes, the monarchy struggled to raise enough revenue. This was the downfall of France’s government finances.

 

France resorted to regressive taxation which meant many taxes fell most heavily on the ordinary, mostly working class and peasants. (Funding a nation by draining poor people dry instead of the rich) now what does that sound like?!!

 

Poor harvests in the late 1780s increasing food prices increased the price of bread (the main source of food for most of the population).

 

When wages failed to keep pace with food prices, urban workers had less money for necessities. This led to economic hardship.

 

A financial crisis forced the king to call the Estates-General in 1789, giving the estates a chance to challenge the political system (this was a political consequence).

 

When the Estates-General was called, the First and Second Estates outvoted the Third Estate 2-1. The members of the Third Estate argued that representation should reflect the number of people they represented.

 

In June 1789, Third Estate delegates declared themselves as the National Assembly. This is when the Ideas spark…See you next week!!!

Hey guys! Welcome back! Today we are going to talk about the Enlightenment and what it accomplished.

 

The Enlightenment is a movement that occurred during the 17th and 18th centuries to emphasize reasoning and logic, which challenged the established traditions and authority (the church). These ideals were drafted from the Scientific Revolution. The Enlightenment had many characteristics that we are going to learn about.

 

Rationalism, reason, is the arbiter of all things.

Cosmology, a new concept of the existence of earth in the universe (earth is NOT the center of the universe).

Secularism, an application of the methods of science to religion and philosophy.

The Scientific Method, consisted of Mathematical Analysis, Experimentation, and Inductive Reasoning.

Utilitarianism, the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

Tolerance, meaning everyone can have free ideas and no opinion is worth beating your neighbor over.

Optimism and self-confidence, the belief that man is intrinsically good and the belief in social progress.

Freedom, bringing liberty to all men and making them free to express themselves.

Education of the Masses, this meant that everyone would get an education, not just the rich kids.

Legal Reforms, this means the people were treated with justice and kindness and NOT tortured.

Constitutionalism, there were written constitutions which listed citizens’ rights.

Cosmopolitanism, this means we all belong to the global community.

 

Later on, down the line an English philosopher by the name of Francis Bacon tagged along. He laid the foundation for the Enlightenment by supporting the idea of empiricism, and the idea that knowledge is power. He also supported separation between faith and reason which was a division of science from religion, enabling independent inquiry.

 

French philosopher, scientist, and mathematician, René Descartes saw man’s ability to reason as the proof of their existence. He wrote “Discourse on Method” in 1637.He rejected all forms of intellectual authority (higher ups telling him what to think) which he used to prove the existence of God.

 

English philosopher and mathematician, Thomas Hobbes’ political theory portrayed politics as an exact science like geometry. He was an admirer of Galileo Galilei’s (man put on house arrest for telling the truth about the solar system) ideas concerning the nature of the physical and studies of motion. Hobbes wrote “Leviathan” in 1651.

 

A whole generation later, English philosopher and physician, John Locke developed a completely different notion of the basic nature of humankind, which was seen as innately good. When he witnessed the almost bloodless,” Glorious Revolution” in England he was convinced that people can live together peacefully.

 

This concludes today’s blog you guys’ bye!!

 

Hey guys! Today we are going to talk about the scientific revolution that eventually led to the Galileo trial. 

Around the 1400s the earth was believed to be in the center of the universe this was called the Geocentric Universe. This was based on the work of Aristotle and Ptolemy. This model was supported by the catholic church who were in complete control of the government.

A Polish mathematician and astronomer named Nicholaus Copernicus proposed that instead of the earth the sun was in the center of the universe. This new Heliocentric model contradicted the beliefs of the church which were the established authority at the time.

Galileo Galilei improved the telescope and turned it to the sky. He observed and documented the sky at night. He discovered the four largest moons of Jupiter. He observed sunspots and the rough surface of the moon. He documented the phases of Venus, which proved it orbited the sun.

In 1616, there had been an order to not teach heliocentrism as a proven fact but as a theory. After his findings he publicly supported heliocentrism (the belief that the sun is the center of the universe) by publishing “Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems” in Florence in 1632. This book contrasted the geocentric and heliocentric models, and the heliocentric model made more sense and had a simpler explanation. The catholic church (one-sided beef for real). Galileo was ordered to come to Rome even though he was very wise in age and was poor in health, but he still came and there he was accused of heresy (disagreeing with the beliefs of the church/contradicting scripture). When on trial Galileo claimed that he presented arguments for both sides(which he did). He argued that he gave arguments for heliocentrism,but didn’t actually flat out say it was a proven fact.

The courts had three theologians to examine the book. They claimed that the book strongly favored the heliocentric model. The authorities believed that he had provided arguments in its favor, despite the restrictions in 1616.

In his written defense he argued that the book had been written to indicate that the heliocentric model arguments were not conclusive (basically copping a plea). He pointed out that the book concluded with an argument from the Pope. No matter how much he pleaded his case the Roman Inquisition still saw the book as problematic. In the end he was found guilty of heresy and was put on house arrest until he died. It took the church almost three hundred years to admit he was right.

Have you ever walked into a room and a smell hit your nose that wasn’t quite right? It may have been dirty laundry, the toilet, the bathroom, or the owner of the room. No matter what the smell is- it most likely came from odor-causing microbes. A microbe is a microorganism, most likely bacterium causing fermentation or disease.

 

Bad smells come from fungi, bacteria, streptomyces, and other nasty microbes. Microbes feed on organic residues like skin cells, sweat, food particles, and more. They also thrive in moist, warm places like fabrics (mainly polyester), food storage areas, and humid basements. They can spread because of direct contact, like a smelly microbe touching wet surfaces like foams, plastics, or rubber. Microbes tend to break down organic matter and release compounds such as, amines, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur-containing thioalcohols, and short chain fatty acids.

 

Every microbe carries a different scent. Molds and fungi often produce a musty, mildew like odor in damp and humid areas. Gram-negative anaerobes result in bad breath. Candida bacteria obtain a yeasty smell, and honestly who wants to smell like a bakery worker. Staphylococcus Lugdunensis creates an earthy hay-like smell.  Streptomyces produces an organic compound called geosmin which gives soil its earthy smell. Staphylococcus Hominis is known for producing a pungent smell caused by the breaking down of sweat components. NO ONE WANTS TO SMELL LIKE THIS OR SMELL THIS!!!

 

There are many ways to prevent microbes from spreading. Control moist surfaces. This means fixing leaks, keeping surfaces dry, and avoiding placing wet items in humid areas. Improve ventilation. Let your air circulate to reduce humidity and trap those nasty smells. Disinfect using EPA approved disinfectants on frequently used items and surfaces. Wash your hands regularly. Use hand sanitizer if soap is not available. Keep perishable food items in the refrigerator within two hours of buying (one hour if room temperature is over ninety degrees). Wash your clothes in hot water because it kills bacteria and fungi on clothes. Dry clothes completely to avoid the buildup of mold and mildew. Clean all spills immediately. Replace your kitchen sponges weekly even if they look clean, they harbor bacteria. Use paper towels or sanitization wipes instead of sponges on countertops (they are disposable). Using air purifiers with HEPA filters helps reduce airborne microbes. Clean and disinfect shared tools. Inform your household members so they can take the necessary steps to prevent the smelly microbes.