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Lauren Benton wrote about the importance rivers played in the eyes of European explorers as well as how empires claimed the land they visited. Benton wrote that Roman law played a key role in how land was claimed, although the concept was a little vague (Benton, 55). Maps and towns were also ways that Europeans claimed land for themselves (Benton, 56). The idea that rivers in Africa would be similar to rivers in the Americas was interesting. Derek Taylor wrote last week that Native Americans had to know the “ins” and “outs” of the inland waterways during the different seasons. It goes with what Benson wrote about the Spanish in South America. Benton wrote that the Spanish did not believe the local Indians when they explained that the area (present-day Buenos Aires) had changed due to flooding and thus, the Spanish decided to move inland by river (Benton, 71). It shows that Europeans were not yet aware of how different the Americas were from Africa and Europe and that the local Indians had a better idea of the land they lived on. While the rivers provided Europeans a chance to explore different areas, it also gave them a chance to claim land. An interesting part of the chapter explained that rivers played a major role because Europeans would place markers where two rivers met to show others that the area had already been claimed (Benton, 57). Benton wrote that due to the Roman law that was known throughout Europe, claimed land was respected by other empires (Benton, 55).
Another part of the chapter explained how flexible the idea of treason was. The idea of treason had changed to different meanings in Europe but throughout Europe, actions against the royal family and their property was huge (Benton, 61). Treason was often brought up in places far from Europe, and debated due to the flexible interpretations (Benton, 68). It brings up an interesting point that the further Europeans traveled, the higher chance that treason would be interpreted differently between explorers and the king back in Europe. It gives us a glimpse of how men perhaps started to become less dependent on the crown the further away they were and started making decisions themselves.