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Ethnocentrism

            The majority of cultures think they are the center of all, they believe that things that they do are clearly the best way. If we analyze this word; ethno refers to an ethnic group and centrism refers to center, for that reason Ethnocentrism mean a group in the center of all.

            Ethnocentrism is a normal problem when we travel to a new country, for that reason we need solve it, the principal element of ethnocentrism is the reject or disagree with all the new things (language, food, people), this is bad because we can get depress; for that reason we need to fight whit it. To avoid ethnocentrism we need to be observers, patients and tolerant; if we do this three steps, we can look all in the eyes of the local culture, in addition we can understand and practice some customs; we should not  take all the custom but we must understand them.

            One of the most important things when you travel is to know the culture; ethnocentrism block which is an important benefit; for that reason if we want enjoy our trips, we must avoid ethnocentrism.

Connerton, P., & Reid, F. (1993). Linkages: A Content-based Integrated Skills Text. Boston: Heinle& Heinle Pubishers

Discuss the major events that led up to the American Revolution.  Include dates in your discussion.

Many events led up to the American Revolution, but the principal cause of these events was the big taxes paid to the mother country. Those taxes were set because England claimed more land; in addition, England needed more money to protect their new territory. Taxes consisted in a royal stamp; that stamp increased the price of the news papers, magazines and other legal papers. The colonies must also pay import taxes on long list of British goods.  This action increased resentment toward parliament because the colonies did not have representation in the parliament. Parliament set the taxes without talking with the colonies. The colonies replied to this action with protests; they made a group called sons of liberty; this group organized a boycott; in other words they didn’t buy any taxed products. 

In 1768 Bostonians set fire to tax collectors’ house; for this reason, the king sent 4000 British soldiers to quiet the leaders and protect the tax collector. On March 5, 1770 a group of protestors threw rocks at British soldiers; therefore, soldiers fired their weapons, killing five citizens. This event was called the Boston massacre.  In 1772 parliament decided to repeal all the import taxes, except tea. As a result, colonial merchants refused to buy or sell tea. On the night of December 16, 1776 Sons of liberty, boarded three British ships, and threw all their tea into the water; it was called Boston tea party.  As a result of the Boston tea party; the parliament and the king decided to punish the colonists. For that reason, in 1774, they closed the Boston’s port, removed the power of the Massachusetts assembly, put the colony under military control. The other 12 colonies wrote a letter of protest to the king. The colonies wanted that the relationship between mother England and her colonies would improve.

The relationship between the colonies and England did not improve. In 1775, the war for liberty begun; parliament closed all the colonial ports; for this reason, on July 4, 1776 the colonies declared themselves independent. All this events led up to the American Revolution that continues until 1783 when Great Britain recognized the American independence.

Connerton, P., & Reid, F. (1993). Linkages: A Content-based Integrated Skills Text. Boston: Heinle & Heinle Pubishers.