Weekly History Quiz No.276

Before the 1630’s was a period of largely unrestricted trade and widespread piracy in Japan, with Japanese mariners and merchants visiting Asia, New Spain (Mexico), and Europe. A large number of foreign traders and pirates were also resident in Japan and active in Japanese waters.

Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu imposed and enforced the sakoku (seclusion) policy in order to remove the colonial and religious influence of Spain and Portugal, which were perceived as posing a threat to the stability of the shogunate and to peace in the archipelago. This policy persisted until 1853 when the Perry Expedition of the US Navy arrived and forced the Japanese to open to American trade. The full edict is below:

No Japanese ship … nor any native of Japan, shall presume to go out of the country; whoever acts contrary to this, shall die, and the ship with the crew and goods aboard shall be sequestered until further orders. All persons who return from abroad shall be put to death. Whoever discovers a Christian priest shall have a reward of 400 to 500 sheets of silver and for every Christian in proportion. All Namban (Portuguese and Spanish) who propagate the doctrine of the Catholics, or bear this scandalous name, shall be imprisoned in the Onra, or common jail of the town. The whole race of the Portuguese with their mothers, nurses and whatever belongs to them, shall be banished to Macao. Whoever presumes to bring a letter from abroad, or to return after he hath been banished, shall die with his family; also whoever presumes to intercede for him, shall be put to death. No nobleman nor any soldier shall be suffered to purchase anything from the foreigner.

Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu

Beginning when forces from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea invaded the Republic of Korea in 1950. The United Nations Security Council unanimously condemned the invasion, as the Soviet Union had boycotted Security Council meetings, and therefore couldn't exercise their veto power.

Created under President Dwight D. Eisenhower as a national and defence highway system, construction was proclaimed complete in 1992.

Born in Saxony, Germany in 1844 Nietzsche became one of the leading philosophers of the 19th century. Perhaps best known for his quote “That which does not kill us makes us stronger”. He was not the best example of his own philosophy, having a mental breakdown at age 44. He didn’t produce any further works and died 10 years later.

Harrison died a month after Inauguration Day, from what is believed to be complications of pneumonia.

The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. There are four Inns of Court – Gray’s Inn, Lincoln’s Inn, Inner Temple and Middle Temple. All barristers must belong to one of them.

In 1234 Henry III decreed that no institutes of legal education could exist in the City of London. The secular lawyers moved to the hamlet of Holborn, near to the law courts at Westminster Hall and outside the City. It was here that the Inns of Court were established in the early 1300’s. The exact date is not known, as all of the Inn’s records were burned during the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381.

The Medicis were bankers and innovators in financial accounting. They established a bank in Florence in 1397 which went on to become spectacularly successful. For a time the Medici family were possibly the wealthiest family in Europe, and controlled a vast financial network.

Ghana – 1957, from Britain, becoming the first colony in sub-Saharan Africa to achieve sovereignty.

India – 1947, from Britain.

Cuba – 1902, from the USA.

Argentina – 1816, from Spain.

Founded in 1754, Columbia was originally named Kings college in honour of the monarch. It’s name was changed after American independence.

George Washington University - 1821

King's College London - 1829

Stanford University - 1891

Part of the broader 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, the tanker war saw many tankers owner by non-combatant countries attacked in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz by both Iraq and Iran.