This document contains summaries of several chapters from Big History courses. It outlines key ideas from chapters on the evolution of human knowledge and migration patterns, natural disasters and their impacts on history, Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel theory about the role of geography in societal development, and the economic and cultural exchanges that resulted from Columbus connecting the Old World and New World.

1. Big History
By
Tysen Quaintance
History 140
Dr. Arguello

2. The Day the
Universe Changed
We are a product of what
we Know.
Knowledge changes
perception.
We are limited by
knowledge of our
surroundings.

3. The Day the
Universe Changed
Questioning leads to
progression and Change.
Western society is “insatiably
curious”, constantly pursuing
progress.
Other cultures value ideals
and are excepting of what
they are thought. Some
cultures may be viewed as
living in the past.

4. The Journey of
man
Spencer Wells argues that
the answer to the journey of
man and where our common
ancestors are from, is in our
blood rather then the stone
and bones on archeological
dig sights.
By following the common
genetic mutations or markers
in the DNA (specifically the Y
chromosome) of men around
the planet, he claims to have
traced the path of human
migration. This coupled with
archeological evidence
determines the path and time
frame of the migration.

5. The Journey of
man
Wells studies the DNA of
tribal population with the
smallest amount of genetic
integration and finds that the
African Bushman more
specifically the Lisoan tribe
have the most original genetic
markers. They have genetic
markers that all man poses
but do not have the markers
of others.
It was hardship during the
Ice age that drove early man
to migrate.
It was early mans mental
ability of language, the use
and development of new
tools, and its ability to hunt
and track pray that made it
possible.

6. Catastrophe
Themes:
David Keys develops a
theory that a dramatic global
catastrophe effecting the
entire planet occurred
between 500 and 600AD.
Keys theory is supported by
the rings of tree trunks
showing decreased growth
during this period.
Keys goes further to theorize
that the catastrophe was a
massive volcanic eruption
due. Supporting this is the
presence of Sulfur in ice
extracted from polar ice caps
dating back to the mid 500’s
AD.

7. Catastrophe
Themes Continued:
Keys also produces written
evidence from all over the
world from that time period.
Accounts from Romans,
Chinese, and Indonesians may
describe such an event.
Keys then describes the
effects of this event on world
history. I would have brought
about a decade of drought,
famine, and later flood.
Keys suggests that it can be
credited with propelling the
Bubonic Plague, the defeat
and migration of Mongolians,
the formation of England,
most controversially the
creation of Islam and much
more.

8. Guns, Germs, and
Steel
Jared Diamond seeks to
answer the question, ”Why
have some societies
progressed rather then
others.
Jared claims that the ability
to farm and utilize
domesticated animals, allowed
people the time to develop
new technology and ideas;
time that would have been
spent hunting and gathering
to sustain life.
 Jared goes further to claim
that it is then the geographic
location which dictates this
possibility and the progress of
its inhabitants.

9. Guns, Germs, and
Steel
Jared claims that there are
only 14 domesticated farm
animals 13 of which originated
in a region called the Fertile
Crest (the middle east).
According to Jared Large live
stock provided, milk, manure
(for crops), wool, leather, meat,
and muscle power.
The time provided by these
animals and agriculture they
support, gave birth to advances
in technology(metal tools and
weapons), written language,
new ideas, crafts, and
prosperity.
 These people would have
migrated east (Europe) and
west(Asia) in search of
resources, creating civilizations.

10. Guns, Germs, and
Steel
Jared credits the relationship
between humans and
domesticated animals with the
development of infections
diseases such as spall pox.
These diseases and
domesticated large animals
were only present in Eurasia
until the discovery of the new
world.
In the new world as much as
95% of the indigenous
population died from germs
alone; not to mention written
tactics for conquest, and of
course, guns and steel.

11. The World and
Trade
In the time of Columbus
Europe craved spices, gold,
silk, and technology from the
far East.
Muslims of the Middle east
were the enemy of Christian
Europe but they controlled
eastern trade and were
getting rich from European
merchants.
It was clear that Europe
needed to cut the middle
eastern middle man and stop
making the enemy stronger.
They needed a trade rout to
the far east.

12. The World and
Trade
The two worlds that
Columbus united changed
each other forever.
Domesticated animals
flourished in America. The
horse had an amazing impact
on native American culture.
While cattle and wheat took
the plains.
Potatoes and corn fed and
continues to feed millions in
Europe and Africa.
African slaves made up most
of the American immigrants
and have made the country
what is today.