Orienting the World

South Asian Diaspora
The focus of this application is on the complex web of relationships that characterized the migration of indentured labor from the Indian subcontinent to distant parts of the world. The basic objective of this application is to illustrate specific related factors such as

1. Significant aspects of British colonialism in the Indian subcontinent.
2. Changing structures of power in the areas being colonized (the subcontinent and the various colonial destinations of indentured labor).
3. Specific historical features of each colony where South Asians were indentured. In the case of indentured labor in British Guyana and Trinidad, the relationship between indentured Indians and Africans leads into a consideration of the institution of slavery and its impact on Africa and the Americas (this will link into a whole component on the trans-Atlantic slave trade, including data on numbers of people transported, regions and destinations-under construction).

Mapping the World Video
This video illustrates differences in various map projections and describes how maps can distort information. It uses the Mercator and the Peters projection by way of example, but also highlights how time zones are subject to similar distortions. The video as well attempts to visualize how map projections are created.

European Cartography from the Age of Exploration
Maps from the Wesleyan's Special Collections.

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Credits

Indira Karamcheti: Author
Wolasi Konu: Graphical Designer
Anne Loyer: Graphical Designer
Raja Swamy: Graphical Designer
Rob DeMeulemeester: Content Provider
Luis Henao: Content Provider
Phil Isaacs: Programmer

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