Penelope Partridge

Week 5 paper

Gunpowder for Toys and Fireworks

            The Orient is seldom the place we think of when we consider some of the most revolutionary inventions of our time. Usually an image of a scholarly European or a  pretentious white bust that we once saw in a library comes to mind. Yet, it was the Chinese who made many important discoveries and inventions before the nineteenth century. The Eurocentric outlook that we carry with us as a culture completely disregards much or the hard work of the orient , and is wildly incorrect. Gunpowder, and the misconstruction of its history are a fine example of this err the keeping of history.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->-          <!--[endif]-->widely renound as common knowledge is very far from

<!--[if !supportLists]-->-          <!--[endif]-->History of gunpowder invention

<!--[if !supportLists]-->-          <!--[endif]-->Isolationism began in efforts to save a declining economy…trade continued?

<!--[if !supportLists]-->-          <!--[endif]-->P. 59 naval innovations

<!--[if !supportLists]-->-          <!--[endif]-->P 78 low taxes and economy

<!--[if !supportLists]-->-          <!--[endif]-->Much gunpowder history