I understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed through analysis of primary sources of many kinds.

A primary source is a document, speech, or other sort of evidence written, created, or otherwise produced during the time under study. Primary sources offer an inside view of a particular event. With a variety of reliable accounts of the past we can piece together what happened and what might of occurred around that event. We can say that an event happened, but we have pure evidence that something did through a primary source. For example, we can have a quote from our world history book saying that poison gas was used during the war. But with the help of a primary source such as a letter we can see from a soldier what actually happens with poison gas and what the benefits of poison gas are. These primary sources give an inside look with events to see what REALLY happened.

WEB MUSEUM OF ARTIFACTS

OF THE NEW IMPERIALISM

PROPAGANDA

Depicted here is propaganda from Britain. It is evident that England is in the middle of the ocean when other countries, such as Canada, Jamaica, India, Egypt, Malta, Australia, and Boers land are surrounding England. England is clearly working to take over the non-European countries. This piece of propaganda was viewed through the University of Pittsburgh website where there is a quote saying, "I think what it meant to dismantle one of the largest empires the world has ever has never really been thought through by the British people, with dangerous results," says Colin MacCabe, a Pitt Distinguished Professor of English and Film. I would have to say I agree with MacCabe on this statement. The British, who were European thought they were indestructible and therefore thought that they would be a world power. All non-European countries were inferior to the Europeans power thus starting the New Imperialism.

ARTWORK

Here is a cartoon of the New Imperialism through the perspective of the Chinese. In the picture there is a Mandarin (China) who is furious, Queen Victoria (UK), Wilhelm II (Germany), Nicholas II (Russia), Marianne (France), and a Samurai (Japan) who are dividing up China. Notice that all of the people slicing up China are all European countries. Each of the countries in Europe are trying to gain more and more territory by taking over non-European countries, such as China. After the British realized that over a fourth of the population lived in the Chinese empire, there were many European countries just dying to have a slice of China. Britain wanted China to be a marketplace to sell Britain-made goods. This cartoon was viewed from Knowledge rush. This site is seen as a credible source because of the various background knowledge given in the site. The information is also given by experts in the subject matter that is on the site.

PHOTOGRAPH
Here is a photograph of a Belgian Congo museum from 1910. The history behind the Belgian Congo museum starts in 1908, the year before King Leopold died and sold his colony to the Belgian state. A year later, the colony was renamed to Belgian Congo and the government ceased the building at Tervuren, which was going to be like another Versailles with a museum. This gallery was finally opened in 1910 by King Albert I. The gallery in Teruven was an African museum, Chinese and Japanese pavilions, a World school, Congress Centre, French gardens, etc. This place was to be a place where all of the manufactured goods from the New Imperialism could be showed off. With all the new goods being produced from the Europeans, the museum was kind of an exhibit displaying all the new trends from the New Imperialism.

ARTIFACT
Displayed here is an artifact of a 1890 Indian Empire silk silver thread skirt. This is a British India late Victorian textile collectible. It has about 1.0 kg of thread and beads. It was also hand stitched, which takes a long time to complete, and nowadays would cost tons of money. Today this skirt is on the market for $2,450. The skirt shows what the types of style clothing were worn during the New Imperialism. The taste in clothing during the 19th century is classy and very expensive looking. This skirts looks very eloquent and today would remind today's society of clothing a queen or princess would wear. The insight to what people wore during a time period shows how much time they put in their textiles. By looking at this silk silver thread skirt, I can tell that a main focus during the New Imperialism was on the textile industry.