Abstract The paper looks at two rebellions in Chinese history; the Tai Ping Rebellion, which was a rebellion of religious fanatics seeking to overthrow the traditional culture of China, and the BoxerRebellion, which, although religious based, sought to rid the country of European influence. The paper examines the history behind the Tai Ping movement that led it to rebellion, the damage it caused and how it was squashed. However, it also shows how Taiping leaders adopted many policies that would later become the marks of modernizers in China. The BoxerRebellion, on the other hand, was neither a rebellion or a war against the Europeans, since it was limited to only a few places. By 1901, the imperial government was forced to agree to the humiliating terms of the Boxer Protocol, under which European powers got the right to maintain military forces in the capital. The Boxer Protocols established a new course of reform for China.
From the Paper "While China was involved in conflicts with Europeans during the Opium War, it was also convulsed by a number of rebellions during the mid-century, including the rebellion in Nien, 1853-1858, where several Muslim rebellions in the southwest and northwest, and especially the Taiping rebellion, resulted in devastating consequences for China. The Taiping rebellion alone lasted for twenty years, leading to some thirty million deaths, in fact, from 1850 to 1873, the rebellion, together with drought and famine caused the Chinese population to drop by over sixty million people, a truly tragic period for China. The Taiping rebellion was an internal disturbance instigated by Hung Hsiu-ch'uan, who possessed a unique mix of European and Chinese cultural. He was the son of a poor farmer near Canton, who had visions which led him to believe that he was sent by God to earth in order to eradicate the demons. After studying under a Baptist minister, Hung and some followers formed a new religious sect called the God Worshippers, dedicated to the destruction of idols in the region around Canton. He believed that the Manchu rulers were the main propagators of demon worship and that to overthrow them would help bring in the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. During the late 1840's, Hung reorganized his movement into a military organization, and began to build a treasury, consolidate forces, and store up weapons. In December 1850, he was attacked by government forces, and successfully defeated them, and the following year declared that the Kingdom of Heavenly Peace at been established with himself as the Heavenly King, thus the era of the Taiping or Great Peace began."
Abstract The paper relates that the BoxerRebellion took place from 1898-1900, in Northern China and was waged between ordinary, lower class native Chinese peasants against the foreign missionaries. The paper explains that Cohen's book is more of a history as to how the rebellion has been interpreted, than it is of the immediate implications of the event itself and its aftermath. The paper discusses how Cohen's ideas are useful in terms of how to approach history, particularly historical events that have become especially fraught with meaning in modern culture, way beyond their immediate impact.
From the Paper "Paul Cohen is a professor of East Asian history with an openly postmodern orientation. The title of the book refers to Cohen's understanding of the rebellion as an event that can be viewed with a series of lenses, rather than a singular historian's lens. The rebellion is an event, experience and also a myth. Significantly, Cohen does not refer to any specific detail about the rebellion in his title; he is more concerned with describing his three-keyed approach to understanding the Boxers, rather than referring to the Boxers themselves. Even the name, the Boxer rebellion, is polluted to some extent in Cohen's eyes, because the idea of the Boxers has become so subject to political influences of people with agendas beyond mere understanding."
Abstract This paper takes a look at a slave uprising as documented in Stephen Oat's book Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Fierce Rebellion. It analyzes the main character of the book, Nat Turner and how his seemingly small scale revolution set the wheels in motion for the eventual abolishment of slavery.
From the paper:
"Stephen Oates, in his book Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Fierce Rebellion, crafts a compelling story. The story of this slave rebellion is indeed so compelling a one that it would be hard to imagine a telling of it that was not fascinating. But in the end Oates, despite his credentials, does a disservice both to Turner and to the larger forces at work in the decades before the Civil War. In order to assess Oates's treatment of Turner, it would be useful to examine what is generally known and agreed to about Turner. He was born on a plantation in Southampton County, Virginia, in 1800 and was from a very early age a popular religious leader among his fellow slaves. In part due no doubt to whatever had motivated him to become interested in preaching and in part because he was so popular with other slaves who came to listen to him talk about God, Turner became convinced that he had been chosen by God to lead his people to freedom."
Abstract This paper examines how the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 is one of the most controversial events in Canadian history through the review of two articles. It looks at how the rebellion that mostly involved Metis insurrectionists and government troops has raised many questions about the composition of communities in the North-West, how people lived in these communities and the relationships between Metis, European Canadians and First Nations people.
From the Paper "The Northwest Rebellion of 1885 is one of the most controversial events in Canadian History. This rebellion that mostly involved Metis insurrectionists and government troops has raised many questions about the composition of communities in the North-West, how people lived in these communities and the relationships between Metis, European Canadians and First Nations people (Francis and Smith 44-45). One the most frequent debates concerns the level of popular support for the rebellion among the Metis. Canadian historians display a range of opinions about the support for the rebellion among the Metis."
A review of the book "The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Fierce Rebellion," by Stephen B. Oates that sets the stage for the slave rebellion that shook Southampton County in Virginia on August 22, 1831.
Abstract This paper discusses the book "The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Fierce Rebellion," by Stephen B. Oates, a tale of what it was to be a slave in the South in the 1800s, and how it drove some blacks to violence and hatred. It analyzes the historical value of the book which is part novel and part biography and looks at the qualities of the main character Nat which make him a leader.
From the Paper "From the opening paragraph, historian and biographer Stephen B. Oates sets the stage for the slave rebellion that would shake Southampton County in Virginia on August 22, 1831. The author shows in graphic detail the abject poverty of the slaves, the cruelty of their owners, and the utter hopelessness of the slaves' situation, from the "pungent" outhouses, to the ramshackle houses of the poor. He is carefully setting the stage to introduce the main character of the book, Nat Turner, famous for fathering a slave rebellion, and for the "justice" meted out after he was caught. The early portion of the book lays the foundation for the rebellion, by explaining how oppressed the blacks were, and how they felt they had no other option than to take the law into their own hands, and revolt. Oates succeeds in laying this foundation well ? making us understand the desperation and disgust that led to these rash measures."
Abstract This paper discusses the significance of slave rebellion in the American South prior to the Civil War. It explores resistance and violent uprisings. The paper addresses the issue of runaway slaves and the underground railroad. The author mentions Nat Turner and leaders of other rebellions.
From the Paper "The issue of slavery in contemporary American history is often studied within the context of the Civil War or the antebellum period directly leading up to the Civil War. While these studies are useful in examining causes of secession and elements of Southern culture they typically focus on Southern White and economic issues and provide little insight into the actuality of slave culture. Perhaps one of the most significant indicators of slave culture was the incidence of slave rebellions. The study of American ..."
Tags: slavery, rebellion, Nat Turner, Civil war, black culture
Abstract This paper discusses the controversy surrounding the African American boxer who was falsely accused, convicted, and imprisoned in reference to the Bob Dylan song. . The author examines the movie "Hurricane" and how it portrayed the racism in America that condemned a successful black man in the worst way.
From the Paper "Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was born on May 15, 1937 in New Jersey . He was a rough street kid from a lower-class family in the inner city. After having run-ins with the law at an early age, he joined the Army and later became one of the greatest boxers of all time. He should have been the middle weight boxing champion of the world, but instead spent almost 20 years in a New Jersey prison for a triple homicide that he was falsely accused of in 1976."
Abstract This paper looks at the events of the Indian rebellion of 1857 and examines which groups of individuals were involved in the rebellion. It looks at how the rebellion spread to different demographics throughout the North-West of the country and how the main base for the action and dissatisfaction was concentrated in the countryside amongst the peasants. It also looks at how the rebellion was encouraged by the conservative elements in the country who had the most to lose under the British Raj. The paper also examines the British official opinion after the rebellion and how this caused a major reform of the Indian Army.
From the Paper "The 1857 Indian rebellion was a crucial event in the history of the British Empire, "because of the scale of the disturbances, the conjuncture of military and civilian revolt, and the threat it posed for British power throughout Northern India" . The reason why the rebellion, which was a regional affair, being confined to the North West and central parts of the country has been a point of such historical interest and contention is that the makeup of the individuals who took part in the rebellion has been highly debated, with the blame being apportioned to the sepoys of the Bengal Army. Directly after and during the later stages of the rebellion the British official opinion was that the rebellion was not a mass movement, but rather a sepoy mutiny, and the civil unrest which accompanied that mutiny was made light of or ignored altogether."
Abstract The Taiping rebellion is often regarded as a domestic civil war, but it was a response against European imperialism as well. The rebels, after all, were fighting a ruling class, the Manchu dynasty, that was at the subservience of European powers. This meant, in turn, that the Manchus were exploiting the Chinese people. In the end, the Taiping rebellion had failed, partly because the wealthier classes, who were in league with European imperialists, preferred to support the Manchu dynasty, which to them stood for stability. The anti-imperialist nature of the Taiping rebellion was well illustrated by the fact that its forces were eventually put down not only by Chinese imperial troops, but also by their allies -- a mixed force of Europeans, who feared to lose their commercial interests if the Manchu dynasty fell. In order to understand China's response to imperialism in the late 19th century, therefore, it is necessary to perceive the role that the Taiping rebellion played in moulding China's anti-imperialist ideology and capability.
Abstract This paper explains that the dilemma of conformity vs. rebellion is common in both life and literature as demonstrated by Amy Tan's "Two Kinds", Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail", Herman Melville's "Bartleby the Scrivener" and Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery". The author points out that rebellion may be not only personal as Amy Tan writes but also societal, as Martin Luther King wrote while imprisoned in the Birmingham, Alabama jail in 1963 for leading a civil rights protest seeking equal rights for African-Americans. The paper concludes that all four pieces illustrate that rebellion -- personal or societal -- is integral to the human condition; moreover, rebellion has its risks, benefits, drawbacks and rewards, based on time, place and circumstance.
From the Paper "In Amy Tan's story "Two Kinds" (424-32), Jing-mei's Chinese mother wishes for her to conform to her own high standards of persistence and achievement in music, though Jing-mei lacks motivation. Her mother: "believed you could be anything you wanted to be in America" (424). If Jing-mei is "Not the best" it is "Because you not trying'" (426). Jing-mei's mother decides, since anything is possible in America, her daughter will become a child prodigy. Seeing a Chinese girl playing piano on the Ed Sullivan Show, she determines that Jing-mei will become a piano prodigy."
This paper puts the Taiping Rebellion into a global context and elaborates on how the global economics manifested into a local setting. This paper touches on the idea of "context mixed with vision" and explains how the Taiping Rebellion started.
Abstract The Taiping Rebellion was a religion-based rebellion brought about directly through the peoples' dissatisfaction with China's socio-economic and political situation of the time, which caused the poor and oppressed people to look up to Hong Xiuquan's millenarian vision and follow him into a violent rebellion. This paper elaborates on the preceding thesis and puts it into a global context.
From the Paper "At the same time that Britain and other countries across the globe were coming into an "Industrial Revolution", China was just trying to survive. They were not evolving industrially but instead were making use the resources and labor they had at hand. However, the critical shortage of land and lack of resources further hindered China from beginning their own Industrial Revolution. Labor-intensive agriculture and the Qing Dynasty's rules on restricted trade put a strain on the Chinese economy and thus trickled down to the people who were also facing other persecution and restrictions put in place by the Qing dynasty (Marks, 117-118). All of this funneled into the Taiping Rebellion."
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that Nat Turner lead the largest and one of the most successful slave rebellions in American history in 1831, long before the American Civil War took place. However, the writer points out that most of the other facts about Turner's life remain elusive in the eyes of writers and historians alike. The writer discusses that to flesh out the myths and legends surrounding Turner's complicated theology, rebellion, and psychology, 19th century American historian Stephen Oates attempts to provide a speculative history as to the context of the plantation life in which Turner was reared as a slave. The writer looks at how Turner came to view himself as a prophetic figure and lead the fierce rebellion of the title. The writer notes that Oates suggests that Turner was both an extraordinary figure, a man whose rebellion changed the South, but also an ordinary man, who showed amazing courage, intelligence, and brutality in the face of history.
From the Paper "In his book, Oates portrays slavery and the slave community as a totally enclosing institution, with heavy white control upon slave mobility, intellectually and geographically. This partially explains why more blacks did not rebel with Turner, he surmises. He also examines the empowering nature of slave religion, which originated as an instrument of white control upon slaves, but which also acted as a tool of empowerment for some slaves like Turner, who believed that his visions gave him prophetic status and the right to free his people. Religion and Christianity was a double-edged sword for slaves, preaching meekness when transmitted in the voices of slave-owners, but also a gospel of judgment, where the mighty would be brought low by the oppressed, in the name of justice."
Abstract This paper discusses the book, "The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Fierce Rebellion" by Stephen B. Oates, which recounts the life and times of Nat Turner as he led the 1831 slave rebellion in Virginia. A background is provided about the author. The book is summarized thoroughly, presenting all the central characters and the main points of the historical account. The writer offers a personal critique and evaluation of the book.
From the Paper "The author also discusses the plight of Nat's mother, Nancy who was born in Africa and lived through the Trans Atlantic voyage known as the middle passage. Nancy was taken from Africa when she was only a teenager. The book was graphic in describing the voyage and the plight of the Africans aboard and the way that they were treated by white Europeans. Nancy was very opposed to slavery and taught her son that people should be free. The lessons that Nancy taught Nat stayed with him for the rest of his life."
Abstract This paper discusses the sixties youth rebellion and how it changed the role of young people in society. It looks at how the 1960s youth rebellion is famous in American history since it created the hippie movement, showed young people could be extremely involved in current world events, and shaped an entire generation. It attempts to show how the youth rebellion of the 1960s was one of the most defining moments in American culture, and helped change the face of society.
From the Paper "The youth rebellion of the sixties encompassed several important factors. When the rebellion began, it was partly in response to the ongoing war in Vietnam, which many young people were against very strongly. It also embodied the free thinking, free sex, drug culture that grew up around the hippie movement, as a strong rebellion against society and the "older generation," who they felt were uptight and ruining the country. As one historian writes, "The sixties youth revolt was in part about the possibility of redefining 'adulthood' in our society. If a single theme united the otherwise disparate forms of political and cultural protest that characterized the period, it was the romantic belief that the young could make themselves into new persons" (Flacks, and Whalen 2). "
Explores the theme of the individual's rebellion against society in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" and Ursula Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas".
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 2 sources, 2002, $ 35.95
Abstract This paper explores the nature and the relationship of the individual within society in the classic tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare and "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula Le Guin. Through investigating the position of the individual and society, it can be seen that the simplest solutions to problems are not even considered due to the lack of value that the sum of society places upon individuals and that rebellion against the status quo helps to demonstrate why society creates a scenario in which the individuals feel trapped and where rebellion is their best option.
