Session Two (Fall 2019)

[Dennis O'Connell]

During Session Two, I appreciated being reminded about the longevity of the Qing Dynasty (268 years - from 1644 to 1912) and the keys to that longevity.  The Qing Dynasty made many accommodations in the ethnic, cultural, political, and economic arenas.  They were able to expand into Taiwan, parts of Russia, Mongolia, Xinjiang, Tibet, and parts of the Northwest.  This expansion and accommodation came at a price, however.  There was a loss of "distinctiveness" and what it meant to be "Chinese".  Additionally, it became more and more difficult to mobilize resources across such great distances.  I would be interested to compare and contrast this to the situation of United States expansion.  Was there a loss of "distinctiveness" about what it meant to be "American"?  What were the challenges for mobilizing resources across the USA?  How has the USA met these challenges and how is this similar or different from the ways China has sought to meet these challenges?