Not very long ago, it was common to learn "world history" by spending 90% of your time reading about Europe and 10% learning abo
ut the rest of the world. It used to be that Europe was called Western civilization, Asia Eastern civilization, and Africa and the Americas were considered "uncivilized". We now know that this view is rooted in ignorance, racism and feelings of cultural superiority, and that this approach to history was Eurocentric, or centered on Europe. Recently, there has been a push to teach more about African, American, and Asian civilizations. Africa was, and is, an extremely diverse land. The majority of Africans lived in small communities and worked the land for food. They told stories, raised children, celebrated holidays and mourned when their loved one were lost to war or famine. During the Middle Ages, Africa was home to various groups who were bumping into one another and struggling to gain power. Various empires also emerged, boosted by trade routes and bountiful natural resources, with Ghana and Mali being the most famous. WHAT DOES EUROCENTRIC MEAN? * Uncivilized
Cottage industries were pushed to the brink of extinction, as mass produced goods were cheaper and faster to produce. Working conditions in during the revolution were not very good and in some cases were horrific. The living conditions of most workers was no better.
