Saturday 14 March 2009

The Age of Exploration .. & Discovery .. and its global impact - part 3/3


Dear Mr Postman .. ok .. so America has been discovered .. what happens next? Your positive letter will tell us all .. oh good!

Great explorers had explored, the missionaries had gone out and spread the word of their various religions spreading education, teaching all the new things being developed in Europe; Alexander Mackenzie, a Scotsman, had emigrated to Canada and was the first person to traverse the continent of north America - he began life as a stonemason and subsequently became Prime Minister of Canada from 1873 - 1878.

In Asia the explorers' motives were also mixed - they were impelled by their love of adventure, their thirst for knowledge and, of course, the political considerations from their respective Kings, Queens and governments of the day... these constantly changing over the years ... eg:In 1534 the Portuguese appropriated the Bombay islands from the Gujaratis, and ceded in 1661 Mumbai (Bombay, India) to the British as part of the dowry provided by Catherine de Braganza to King Charles 11.

New York was originally called New Amsterdam in 1624, before coming under British colonial rule in 1664. San Diego long inhabited by the Kumeyaay Indians, before falling to the Spanish in 1542. In 1602 a cartologist arrived in the San Diego flagship and the town was renamed on San Diego day, November 12th. There was another mix .. as Mexico held sway for a while under the label of secularisation and the Franciscan friars, until it became incorporated as a city in 1850.

So much has changed and we've had the good days .. during which time America has taken over a great deal of the European trade; now ceded out to China, India and the far east .. but with the present downturn and globalisation who knows what's coming.

It'll be important to know how to do things for yourself and to shop locally supporting your farmers' markets and outlets .. technology does however provide a wonderful window to the future, if you're prepared to look.
Mr Postman thank you for bringing us your positive letter and we have our enjoyed the succinct three part series .. it's really fun and thank you for showing us New York and San Diego in the pictures in this post ..

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