Major History help!!!

Question

what do you think people 350 years ago thought the world would be like today.

Answer 1

People in 1650 did not have a concept of rapid technological or social change.  (When a society sees rapid technological or social change, that became the pre-condition for the birth of speculative literature - for example, science fiction.)  

Since no one of the time wrote to predict what the world would be like in 350 years - except for Cyrano de Bergerac, who wrote a sci-fi story about a voyage to the moon - It's safe to assume they indeed expected little change.

Answer 2

I think many would have thought that Humanity will not see the 21st century.

Answer 3

I don't think they thought much would change from their own time.

Answer 4

They were just finding out  the earth wasn't flat.. and that meant a lot in terms of merchandizinmanufacturesuring and TRADE..oh, there is a new place lets go trash it and sell them beans or something cheap.  

The language would be so different they would barely understand us, or us them.  NO I know they didn't speak Shakespeares english but it was different.  

I think people would be shocked, deeply shocked by the decline of religion in society.  

They would see cars and planes and trains as faster ways to get products to market. I don't think they would understand gas shortages.  They didn't have gas then and farmers raised a lot of hay.  

I think they would be disgusted by the actions and language and attitudes of many people. The nudity would horrify them into real medical shock at least for a while.  Then they would like it or avert their eyes.  

They would be facinated by gobal..whole world..news.. the Instant minute by minute covererage of the Olympics would be the Grandest Fairing they would ever see.  All the lights, all the colors, all the people,  and the men would do what men do,..give ;em ale and a stool and they will watch for hours.  They wouldn't like the beer much though.  The Olympics and football would delight them.  And to think people get paid to do that! It is not acting, real games..better than dice and cards.  Running someone down and knocking them in to the dirt..and trying to steal a ball..what fun!  Yeah, they would 'get' football' and they were somewhat familiar with golf..and sailing

Space they would not understand, the stars are the stars, no matter where you are.  Do we really understand?  No much.  Just smile and don't attempt to answer questions.  The moon is still the moon, the stars still guide us.  

Cars and freeways would leave them dizzy, no one, absolutel NO one can move that fast. and watching NAS CAR would make them throw up the beer they had guzzled.  And want more. They'd like the snacks fine.especially spicy ones.  But on the whole

our food would be largely tasteless, and not enough would be served. They ate big in those days.  

they would be afraid of tomatoes. love apples, deadly posion and you eat it ?   About the only food that might be familiar would be multigrain breads, fresh butter, milk, cheese, eggs and ham or haunches of beef, Sir Loin!  Chocolate was known but a novelty and they would drink tea by the gallon, when they weren't drinking beer. Coffee was new, not well known, a novelty. They were fond of sweets, and probably would make themselves sick unless supervised.  

The softness of life, the lights after dark, the feeling of being safe most places you go.  The buildings, more than London, more than Paris, higher than the great Cathedreals.. overwhelming, then cool, yeah they could do that.  There would be a facination with technology.  "How did you do that?  exact information wanted.  Remember they have the begining of our world in theirs.  Do we really want them to take skateboards back?  Or Bicycles,  Careful of what you answer or OUR today will be different.

Plays were held in the afternoons when they were around.  Clocks were new to to the average person and wristwatches would be facinating. Wearing a clock on your hand??  Telephones and Cells and iternet might well be looked at as witchcraft.  magic.. until they see the pastor logging in to search a subject.  

There is more but I am tired..Oh, almost forgot, do not give them anything stronger than beer to drink, it was a right to carry world back then, and they will expect people to fight with the same flaring bursts of temper that pulled out swords, and clubs and knives,  they had guns, but not anything like our most primitive pistols.. guns meant the military, cannons, long shots,  not illegal weapons that can take out half a block .  Lets be nice to our visitors and not kill them. We also do not want them killing a brash bro, who asks an impertinet question that they cannot understand.  They would also be astonished at our legal system and by our Constituion.  

even though the ground work is found in their legal system.

Answer 5

So you're talking around 1650?  Well, look at all the things that were going on at that point in time.  That was right before London burned, and much of Europe at least was gripped with the plague.  The first colonies were beginning to be established here in America around this general time.  The answer of "I don't think they thought it would change much" I think is VERY poor.  This is a time of deep philosophical thought for Westerners.  LOTS was being written, astronomy was huge, empires were being fought for...  Without doing your homework for you, you should think of the things going on, the authors writing, the scientists discovering things, the artists creating MASTERPIECES...  and THEN formulate your answer.  There were people at this time working on complicated machines, of COURSE they knew the world was going somewhere!