eCheat.com RSS Feedhttps://www.echeat.com/ African American views of Suffrage African American views of Suffrage W.E.B. DuBois made the following statement after moving to the North: “The signs of awakening womanhood in the world to-day are legion. The best novelists are women. Some of the keenest essayists and graceful writers of verse are women. Women are among the greatest leaders of Social Reforms, and at last in England they are fighting, literally fighting, for their political rights. Of course there are fools a plenty to tell them they don't need the ballot and to feed them the ancient taffy about homes and babies.” Margaret Washington (Booker T.’s wife, Dean at Tuskegee Institute): “Suffrage.—Colored women, quite as much as colored men, realize that if there is ever to be equal justice and fair play in the protection in the courts everywhere for all races, then there must be an equal chance for all women as well as men to express their preference through their votes. There are certain things so sure to come our way that time in arguing them is not well spent. It is simply the cause of right which in the end always conquers, no matter how fierce the opposition. Personally woman suffrage has never kept me awake at night, but I am sure before this country is able to take its place amongst the great democratic nations of the earth it has got to come to the place where it is willing to trust its citizens, black as well as white, women as well as men.” Kelly Miller (male), an educator born to a slave mother: “I am wholly unable to see wherein the experiment of woman suffrage promises any genuine advantage to social well-being…. Woman is physically weaker than man and is incapable of competing with him in the stern and strenuous activities of public and practical life. In the final analysis, politics is a game of force, in which no weakling may expect to be assigned a conspicuous role. As part of her equipment for motherhood, woman has been endowed with finer feelings and a more highly emotional nature than man. She shows tender devotion and self sacrifice for those close to her by ties of blood or bonds of endearment. But by the universal law of compensation, she loses in extension what is gained in intensity. She lacks the sharp sense of public justice and the common good, if they seem to run 2022-07-14T11:52:20.773-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/African-American-views-of-Suffrage-45573.aspx American Neutrality during 2 Crises American Neutrality during 2 Crises Situation 1: German Submarine Warfare “A new situation has thus been created which forces Germany to new decisions. Since two years and a half England is using her naval power for a criminal attempt to force Germany into submission by starvation. In brutal contempt of international law, the group of powers led by England not only curtail the legitimate trade of their opponents, but they also, by ruthless pressure, compel neutral countries either to altogether forego every trade not agreeable to the Entente Powers [England and its allies] . . . Since the attempts to come to an understanding with the Entente Powers have been answered . . . with the announcement of an intensified continuation of the war, the Imperial Government [Germany]--in order to serve the welfare of mankind in a higher sense and not to wrong its own people--is now compelled to continue the fight for existence . . . with the full employment of all the weapons which are at its disposal. Sincerely trusting that the people and the Government of the United States will understand the motives for this decision and its necessity, the Imperial Government hopes that the United States may view the new situation from the lofty heights of impartiality, and assist, on their part, to prevent further misery and unavoidable sacrifice of human life . . . From February 1, 1917, sea traffic will be stopped with every available weapon and without further notice in . . . blockade zones around Great Britain, France, Italy and in the Eastern Mediterranean . . . “ -February 1, 1917, message from German Ambassador Count Johann von Bernstoff to the U.S. Secretary of State, Robert Lansing Situation 2: The Zimmerman Telegram Arthur Zimmermann was the German Foreign Minister. The telegram was written on January 19, 1917 but was not sent to Mexico until February 24. British intelligence agents obtained a copy and gave it to the United States, which publicly released the telegram on March 1: "We intend to begin on the first of February unrestricted submarine warfare. We shall endeavor in spite of this to keep the United States of America neutral. In the event of this not succeeding, we make Mexico a proposal or alliance on the following basis: make war together, make peace together, generous financial support and an understanding on our part that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory 2022-05-03T08:00:58.567-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-Neutrality-during-2-Crises-45568.aspx Accomplishments and Historical Significance - Louis the XIV King Louis XIV was a significant ruler because through his absolute authority he brought France to the peak of its power. France was as powerful as ever, having a population of around 20 million, greater than the population in England or the Dutch. France now also had one of the strongest armies of its era thanks to Luis XIV, having an army far greater in size, training, and weaponry than other states, making France the dominant power in Europe. However, his distrust of the nobles led to him concentrating all the power on the Crown, and since he got rid of the aristocracy, he appointed intendants to control the estates in France. Louis XIV would keep decreasing the power of the nobles, and increase the power of his intendants, which would lead to a great tax burden on the lower class. This harsh taxation would continue even after his death in 1715, which would contribute to the start of the French Revolution. Strengthened France’s military and capabilities to wage war with other nations. Created a new base of power away from the capital of Paris. Followed mercantilism policies which made France a larger exporter in the European market. Promoted the arts and literature to develop in France, putting it ahead of its peers. Centralized the government authority and stripped power from the noble families Expanded France’s territories in continental Europe by taking over the Spanish Netherlands and almost combining the Spanish Kingdom with his own. TIMELINE AND DEFINITIONS ARE ON THE QR CODE Timeline: September 5, 1643 Louis becomes the king at the age of four. March 9, 1661 With the death of Cardinal, Mazarin Louis decreases the power of the nobles and increases it for the government. With this Louis has taken full control of the government by himself. March 9, 1667, Expands to France, with that success he led his army to invade the Dutch Netherlands and failed. Jan 1, 1669 Lous expands to the Palace of Versailles to prove his power. November 14, 1682 Made art extremely popular and instead of its purpose being to praise god, it became something meant for the kings and supporting their rule. September 6, 1685 The Edict of Nantes was canceled by Louis and the economic progression of France. Due to this the skilled people of France had left the country. January 1, 1689 William of Orange became King of England which lead to France’s strength being equal to other countries and soon being weakened by a poor harvest. Louis raised 2022-04-29T16:59:02.993-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Accomplishments-and-Historical-Significance-Louis-the-XIV-45567.aspx Capital Punishment The death 2022-04-08T03:30:07.093-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Capital-Punishment-45561.aspx Black Lives Matter A political and social movement Black Lives Matter is a political and social movement in America that wants to highlight that racism, discrimination, and inequality still exist in the United States. We as Americans have to accept that the black experience is different from the white experience in this country. Imagine living in a country that you might love and hate at the same time. Imagine living in a place where the majority in charge look nothing like you and have no understanding of the life experiences that your skin color has inflicted upon you. There are stark examples of this bias in America; Justine Damon, a blonde white victim, was shot and killed by a police officer in Minneapolis; the officer was relieved of duty and brought up on manslaughter charges shortly after the incident. While Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by Louisville police, the consequences were far less severe or even nonexistent for those officers. America by Claude McKay was written in 1921 and summed up his love and hate for the country into which he migrated. "Although she feeds me bread of bitterness, And sinks into my throat her tigers tooth, Stealing my breath of life, I will confess I love this cultured hell that tests by youth." (McKay 471) Claude McKay speaks very clearly that he believes that the people in this country openly hate him. He describes his life as "hell" and says that America has strong-armed "bitterness" onto him. When he compares America to a tiger's tooth sinking into his neck, he is painting a picture for us of the physical pain he is feeling. "This cultured hell that tests my youth," (McKay 471) is more of the picture, and that verse speaks to his emotional and psychological pain. This "test" he is going through is not literal but metaphorical. Mr. McKay speaks in verse about his love for his newly adopted country and how it gives him the strength to survive the negative. "Her vigor flows like tides into my blood, Giving me strength erect against her hate," (McKay 471). The poet points out very clearly that America is big and strong, "like the tides." Therefore, the country that has inflicted physical and mental pain on him also helps him endure. While America may hate him, he does not return the feeling, "as a rebel fronts a king in state, I stand within her walls with not 2022-04-04T13:45:31.3-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Black-Lives-Matter-A-political-and-social-movement-45558.aspx Get your original paper written from scratch Get your original paper written from scratch starting at just $10 per page with an originality report and free edits included! In the life of any student, there’s a moment when you start considering the possibility of ordering your paper from a company specializing in custom writing services. The main reason of your hesitations is the question “Do I really need to buy essay?” Our definite answer is “Yes!” not because we’re striving for a bigger number of customers but because we know what it takes to be a student and how easier life becomes when you order essay from professional writing company. Advantaged of Ordering a Custom Essay The following main advantages will explain what you gain when you order essay from this service: 100% successful essay: Any paper that you order from us is written by degree writers with many years of writing experience, which means that any topic will be deeply elaborated in order to write a striking essay perfectly according with the topic. Moreover, the experience and knowledge of our writers is the reason why they always use the newest requirements and recommendations to writing essays. Besides, the style and language of your essay will be characterized by exquisiteness due to our rule to hire only native English speaking writers. Concerning the originality of your paper, you are guaranteed with zero plagiarism. All these features lead you to the A+ result for your essay. Time saving: When you order essay from professional essay writers, you save immense amounts of time, as you’re simply waiting to receive your perfectly written paper. This time can be effectively spent on other tasks that you surely have plenty of. What is more, you finally can find time for rest and for your friends while the burden of time-consuming writing is put on our shoulders. Additionally, we know that often student resort to professional writing assistance right before the deadline. That is why we provide quick solutions for your burning assignments. We understand that the idea to order essay may appear even at Sunday night, and make sure that our 24/7 support team can help you with your order any moment. Guarantees You Get When Ordering Essay When you place your essay order at the service, you are automatically provided with a full guarantee package, the main of which are satisfaction guarantee and money-back guarantee. The satisfaction guarantee means that your order can be revised until you’re completely happy with 2022-03-15T04:03:12.67-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Get-your-original-paper-written-from-scratch-45553.aspx razil azil el 2022-03-12T02:03:16.083-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/razil-azil-el-45549.aspx The Inca Empire Notes The Inca Empire The Incans were an empire located in South America Located on the Western coast of South America, encompassing parts of Peru, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Known as a Pacific Coast Empire Stretched over 2500 miles They had a pre-classical civilization in the empire They were in other forms prior to their official names of Incans such as It was from the 1300s to 1500s Their leader was believed to be a divine god Their emperor was believed to be a descendant of the sun god The Emperor was revered and was at the heart of social and political power Men and women had almost equal powers in society Women couldn’t serve as the Emperor or head priests of the empire They could still serve in other positions More equal than their women counterparts in Europe or Asia The Incas had a Stratified government structure The Empire was structured through a government hierarchy The Emperor was on the top Underneath was his federal administrators Underneath were local governors who ran individual provinces Provinces were semi-independent People weren’t forced to convert or use an official language The government collected taxes to create infrastructure, maintain social programs, and more. Some things they had were: Education Taught life and work skills for jobs like craftsmen and engineers Monetary Payment Money was given to the old and orphans so they could sustain themselves Proper Infrastructure Created roads and buildings of government to administer the nation better Mathematics System They had their system of mathematics using a tool called the Quipo but no form of writing Many of their cities were located on high grounds, such as the city of La Rinconada It was located on a mountain and still remains the highest elevated city in Peru. The Spanish considered the Incans barbaric since they didn’t understand their technology The Spanish arrive during a civil war The civil war occurred between two brothers wishing to become Emperor The Incans were too occupied to stop the Spanish advance Atahualpa wins the civil war, but gets captured by the Spanish The ransom was paid, but the Spanish wanted more In a dispute over religious reasons, Atahualpa was killed, and war broke out again. The Emperor refused to convert to Christianity and tossed down the bible in refusal. The priest in the room ordered his execution, and the warriors of the Incans began fighting. The Spanish got help from the people who lost in the civil war. They expected that they would be put in power once the current Incan leadership crumbled, but this backfired. When the Spanish conquered the Incans, they exploited the 2022-02-03T09:21:50.49-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Inca-Empire-Notes-45543.aspx King Louis XIV -Accomplishments and Historical Significance King Louis XIV was a significant ruler because through his absolute authority he brought France to the peak of its power. France was as powerful as ever, having a population of around 20 million, greater than the population in England or the Dutch. France now also had one of the strongest armies of its era thanks to Luis XIV, having an army far greater in size, training, and weaponry than other states, making France the dominant power in Europe. However, his distrust of the nobles led to him concentrating all the power on the Crown, and since he got rid of the aristocracy, he appointed intendants to control the estates in France. Louis XIV would keep decreasing the power of the nobles, and increase the power of his intendants, which would lead to a great tax burden on the lower class. This harsh taxation would continue even after his death in 1715, which would contribute to the start of the French Revolution. Strengthened France’s military and capabilities to wage war with other nations. Created a new base of power away from the capital of Paris. Followed mercantilism policies which made France a larger exporter in the European market. Promoted the arts and literature to develop in France, putting it ahead of its peers. Centralized the government authority and stripped power from the noble families Expanded France’s territories in continental Europe by taking over the Spanish Netherlands and almost combining the Spanish Kingdom with his own. TIMELINE AND DEFINITIONS ARE ON THE QR CODE Timeline: September 5, 1643 Louis becomes the king at the age of four. March 9, 1661 With the death of Cardinal, Mazarin Louis decreases the power of the nobles and increases it for the government. With this Louis has taken full control of the government by himself. March 9, 1667, Expands to France, with that success he led his army to invade the Dutch Netherlands and failed. Jan 1, 1669 Lous expands to the Palace of Versailles to prove his power. November 14, 1682 Made art extremely popular and instead of its purpose being to praise god, it became something meant for the kings and supporting their rule. September 6, 1685 The Edict of Nantes was canceled by Louis and the economic progression of France. Due to this the skilled people of France had left the country. January 1, 1689 William of Orange became King of England which lead to France’s strength being equal to other countries and soon being weakened by a poor harvest. Louis raised 2022-02-02T12:32:42.683-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/King-Louis-XIV-Accomplishments-and-Historical-Significance-45542.aspx The Genocide of the Native Americans The Genocide of the Native Americans: A View of Past and Present Effects on the Native People Throughout history, dominate groups tried to get rid of minorities because they feel superior compared the rest. This process of elimination is called a genocide, which means the mass killing of a large group of people, especially those in a particular ethnic group or nation. Native Americans had been a victim of a genocide because the eight stages of genocide were used against them, and because of this genocide, they are still impacted today. The Native Americans had been a victim of a genocide. Some of the Europeans wanted to expand their empire and gain more land while some wanted to move far away from Europe to start a new life. Even though both decided to sail west and found the Americas; in their eyes, the natives were seen as an unnecessary group of people, so they tried to eliminate them by spreading germs that the Natives couldn’t bear. According to the article on Pbs.org, “The Story of Smallpox and other Deadly Eurasian Germs”: The continents of the Americas were virtually emptied of their native inhabitants – some academics estimate that approximately 20 million people may have died in the years following the European invasion – up to 95% of the population of the Americas. No medieval force, no matter how bloodthirsty, could have achieved such enormous levels of genocide. Instead, Europeans were aided by a deadly secret weapon they Make tweaks, leave comments, and share with weren't even aware they were carrying: Smallpox. (PBS 3). others to edit at the same time. The Europeans wanted land to settle, and they saw the natives as an obstacle from GET THE APP NO THANKS GET THE APP accomplishing their dream. Because of that they wanted to get rid of the indigenous people. To get rid of the indigenous people, they used weapons to kill them little by little. But that wasn’t their only way to annihilate them, the Europeans also spreaded diseases from animals and other people. The native The Europeans carelessness from the late 1400s to the early 1900s are still affecting the natives today. The European military used many techniques to get rid of the Native Americans. This started in the 1400s, their technology wasn’t that advance compared to the machinery we have today. The Europeans had to use the weapons they had to kill 2022-01-25T12:39:54.04-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Genocide-of-the-Native-Americans-45541.aspx THE BATTLE OF THE SPANISH ARMADA (1588) THE BATTLE OF THE SPANISH ARMADA (1588) So the year is 1588, almost 100 years after Columbus came to the New World. Remember, Columbus sailed for Spain and claimed all of the land for the King and Queen of Spain (even though he was Italian). A lot had happened in the following 100 years. Spain grew very wealthy, stealing all of the gold and silver from the Native Americans. This got the rest of Europe jealous, especially tiny little England. The English had a plan to get their hands on the treasures looted by the Spanish. They were going to steal it from the Spanish when it was being sailed from the New World back to Spain. Yes PIRATES!!!!! (or privateers). This plan did work for the British. There was one very successful privateer named Sir Francis Drake who brought his treasures back to Queen Elizabeth. Rumor has it that Queen Elizabeth liked Sir Francis a lot (wink, wink)! Okay, one reason the Spanish hated the English was this privateering. Another reason King Philip of Spain hated the English and her Queen Elizabeth was because of religion. This does get a bit complicated! King Philip of Spain was a deeply religious Catholic. Queen Elizabeth was not. She was a Protestant (remember that before we left?). Her father King Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church because the Pope refused to allow him to divorce his first wife. (Henry had five more marriages, some ending in divorce, some wives he beheaded.) So King Henry, Queen Elizabeth's dad, set up his own protestant church, The Church of England. King Philip of Spain was determined to make England a Catholic country again. He felt it was his religious duty. So another reason Spain wanted to invade England was to make it a Catholic country again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EGzHsye71c This link is about Queen Elizabeth I’s father Henry the VIII. Please note Henry’s first wife was the daugther of Ferdinand and Isabela, the King and Queen of Spain (the same couple who financed Columbus’ voyages! So, as you saw in the video, The Spanish attack the English with their ships (an armada is simply a lot of ships). King Philip wants to make England Catholic again, capture Queen Elizabeth, and stop the privateers. To make a long story 2021-12-21T12:09:32.45-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/THE-BATTLE-OF-THE-SPANISH-ARMADA-1588-45534.aspx Mex-Am war Accounts- Causes of war Causes of War A 1911 history textbook seems to blame Mexico for hostilities. Excerpt #1: 1911 Henry William Elson and Cornelia Eliza MacMullan, The Story of Our Country (New York: Thompson Brown Company; Johnson, Blagen & Co., 1911), 132?133. Texas had now come into the Union, but there was still trouble with Mexico. That country seemed bent on a quarrel. President Polk did not desire it, he made an effort to settle the question by treaty; and this might have been done had Mexico been willing to yield certain points. "Texas has no right as an independent state to seek and receive admission into the United States," she said. And then she insisted that the dividing line should be the Nueces River, while Texas laid claim to the Rio Grande. President Polk, fearing an attack, sent General Zachary Taylor to the disputed territory. And not many days passed before General Taylor received a letter from the Mexican general, Ampudia. "Your Government has not only insulted but has provoked the Mexican nation," he wrote, "and in this case, by orders of my Government, I require you to break up your camp and retire to the other bank of the Nueces River. If you insist upon remaining upon the soil, it will clearly result that arms, and arms alone, must decide the question." What was General Taylor's answer? "The instruction under which I am acting will not permit me to go back from the position I now occupy. I regret the alternative which you offer, but, at the same time, wish it understood that I shall by no means avoid such an alternative, leaving the responsibility with those who rashly commence hostilities." It was not long after this that war was declared. General Taylor did not wait for more soldiers to arrive, but marched on and defeated the Mexicans near the mouth of the Rio Grande, although they outnumbered him. The enemy fled across the river, but Taylor pursued them and captured Matamoros. He then moved up the Rio Grande to besiege Monterey, one of the most strongly fortified cities of Mexico. In 1995, a history textbook shows disagreement and division over the war with Mexico. Example #2: 1995 James W. Davidson and Michael B. Stoff, The American Nation (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995), 366. In January 1846, Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to cross the Nueces River and set up posts along the Rio Grande. Polk knew that Mexico claimed this 2021-12-02T12:33:52.187-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mex-Am-war-Accounts-Causes-of-war-45524.aspx Thanksgiving Day, A Remembrance of Genocide? Thanksgiving is a federal holiday which is observed across the US for its historical significance in a mutually beneficial relationship with the pilgrims and natives. Or we are told to believe. The common theory of the day is taught in school districts in mostly every state, and usually it portrays an image of acceptance and prosperous relationship between the two. The truth however is far removed from this fabled story. The story taught to kids begins with the Plymouth Colony, an English colony created by John Smith in 1620. The colony was made up of ~500-1000 puritans, a protestant group that believed in the reformation of the church but were persecuted for their different beliefs. On the other side of the story were the Wampanoag Nation, a group of Native American peoples that lived in the New England area for long before the settlers arrived. Massasoit, the leader of the nation, endorsed friendly relations with the colonists. The Natives helped the colonists find their way around an unfamiliar area and food gathering strategies (in both hunting and harvesting). This agreement was well found, as both groups were able to secure their own safety from one another. In honor of this alliance, a feast was to be called in celebration. In autumn, they shared a feast where both sides exchanged food in creating a stronger relationship in the future. While historians are unsure of what foods were present at the time, the modern culture of Thanksgiving has rooted with turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy (along with many others). 2021 marks the 400-year anniversary of this event, a tradition that millions of Americans still celebrate to this day. But Thanksgiving hides with it many loops and developments from there can very much change the perspective entirely. The first major issue was that the Native Americans were never actually invited. The feast, many times falsely assumed to be a binding one between groups, was not meant for the Native Americans. Instead, it was an annual feast celebrated by the colonists which the Wampanoag walked into and joined. Second, there were many feasts in relation to the colonists, and not all were friendly. According to insider.com, “Others pinpoint 1637 as the true origin of Thanksgiving, since the Massachusetts Bay Colony's governor, John Winthrop, declared a day to celebrate colonial soldiers who had just slaughtered hundreds of Pequot men, women, and children”. The “peaceful” relationship 2021-11-24T19:55:13.53-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Thanksgiving-Day,-A-Remembrance-of-Genocide-45518.aspx Vererans Day 11 November 2021 Veterans Day. What is Veterans Day? Veterans Day gives Americans the opportunity to celebrate the bravery and sacrifice of all U.S. veterans. However, most Americans confuse this holiday with Memorial Day, reports the Department of Veterans Affairs. What's more, some Americans don't know why we commemorate our Veterans on Nov.11. It's imperative that all Americans know the history of Veterans Day so that we can honor our former service members properly. (Source: https://www.military.com/veterans-day/history-of-veterans-day.html) The day is known and remembered throughout the United States as schools, most government offices, and many places of work close for the event, and military parades are held in major cities across the states and territories. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day includes all individuals who served through peace and war. It didn't always hold the same definition and name, but the core ideas of commemorating those who served in the Armed Forces has remained the same. The History: The day itself, the 11th of November, holds historical precedence dating back to the First World War. On this day in 1918, an armistice (or ceasefire) was signed between the Allied Nations in France, and the Central Powers in Germany. It unofficially marked the end of the Great War, and as such was dedicated Armistice Day by the 66th Congress following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. At the time however, it was meant to serve as a holiday commemorating the end of the war. Many nations, such as those in the British Commonwealth, celebrate a remembrance on a day close to November 11th as well. Armistice Day was later codified into law in 1938. By 1954 however, the idea of the Great War being "the war to end all wars" had long faded in the minds of the American public. Just three decades after World War 1, hostilities with the Axis had engulfed the globe in another World War, and in 1950 the United States' War on Communism had led them to fight in the brutal Korean campaigns. President Eisenhower and the 84th Congressional Session amended the 1938 act to change from Armistice Day to Veterans Day. Veterans Day holds many traditions in its celebrations. Oftentimes at 11am, organizations will hold a moment of silence for veterans. US flags are flown at half-mast (halfway up the pole it is on) in remembrance of US servicemen. Many smaller traditions may occur varying from state, community, or organization contributing. Regardless of how it is 2021-11-10T07:46:27.54-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Vererans-Day-11-November-2021-45516.aspx History of Veterans Day Veterans Day today represents an institute of servicemen who participated in wars fought across the world by the United States. As such, it is commemorated through a day of memorial with historical value. The day is known and remembered throughout the United States as schools and places of work close for the event, and military parades are held in major cities across the states and territories. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day includes all individuals who served through peace and war. It didn’t always hold the same definition and name, but the core ideas of commemorating those who served in the Armed Forces has remained the same. The day itself, the 11th of November, holds historical precedence dating back to the First World War. On this day in 1918, an armistice (or ceasefire) was signed between the Allied Nations in France, and the Central Powers in Germany. It unofficially marked the end of the Great War, and as such was dedicated Armistice Day by the 66th Congress following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. At the time however, it was meant to serve as a holiday commemorating the end of the war. Many nations, such as those in the British Commonwealth, celebrate a remembrance on a day close to November 11th as well. Armistice Day was later codified into law in 1938. By 1954 however, the idea of the Great War being “the war to end all wars” had long faded in the minds of the American public. Just three decades after World War 1, hostilities with the Axis had engulfed the globe in another World War, and in 1950 the United States’ War on Communism had led them to fight in the brutal Korean campaigns. President Eisenhower and the 84th Congressional Session amended the 1938 act to change from Armistice Day to Veterans Day. Veterans Day holds many traditions in its celebrations. Oftentimes at 11am, organizations will hold a moment of silence for veterans. US flags are flown at half-mast (halfway up the pole it is on) in remembrance of US servicemen. Many smaller traditions may occur varying from state, community, or organization contributing. Regardless of how it is celebrated, it is important to ensure that it remains respectful, and the intentions are clear. Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. “Veterans Affairs.” Department of Veterans Affairs, 20 Mar. 2006, https://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Veterans Day.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/topic/Veterans-Day. 2021-11-07T16:35:13.863-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-Veterans-Day-45515.aspx World War 2 World War I and World War II were a global conflict leaving scores of people dead across the world. The First World War occurred between 1914-1918. World War II broke out two decades later which started in the year 1939 until 1940. The second war had far more devastating results than the first one. The world became politically and economically unstable. The war took more lives and destroyed property and land. The years that immediately followed was a time of expansion and contraction of individual freedom. This contradiction played out in the lives of women, both positively and negatively as, will be outlined in the paper. The war had in store, new opportunities for the American woman. Women responded differently to the call of duty depending on marital status, age, social class race, and number of children. Patriotism and economic incentives is what drove the women to work. Once they got employed, they realized that there were other non-material benefits such as learning a new set of skills and contributing to the good of the public. Women got the opportunity to show their talents and skills in a world where only men were given recognition. The economy improved drastically due to increased production of war equipment. Different races also benefited because the government ended segregation which brought about the end of racial discrimination around the world. Racial discrimination was one of the human vices that had been around the world for a very long time. The black community was discriminated by the white community due to their skin color. Technology also evolved when the first atomic bomb was created, and the United States became a global power. There were numerous changes during the post-war period which had an impact on the lives of women. The impact of this period was freedom of women to choose the lifestyles they wanted to live, and an opportunity to be employed both formal and informal sectors. After World War I and World War II, racial discrimination received great attention in the United States. The focus was to promote communism and contain democracy. Women were empowered with social significance enabling them fight social stigma and exploitation in the form of low wages and poor working conditions. Women were no longer confined to the same set of jobs, but they could also compete with men in more competitive positions. Women were encouraged to take on jobs which 2021-04-23T11:33:01.89-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-War-2-45510.aspx The effects of the southern civil war Phoenix is the capital city of the Arizona state. The city is located along Salt River that is in the southern –central part of the state. The city significantly contributes to the economy of the state since it serves as a financial, communication and transport center. The city lies on an 1165 square kilometers area and borders Mexico to the North. Additionally, the city plays a prominent role in the history of the country since it is the area in which the Southern civil war took place. The area was initially occupied by the Native Americans who were later replaced by the building of the canals. The Americans were displaced since they were found to interfere with the construction of the trenches. Therefore, there was a civil war as the Spanish and American explorers fought with the Native Americans. The Spanish and the Americans fought the Native Americans to displace them from their settlement along the Salt River. This paper aims at exploring the effects of the civil war and determine how the war contributed to the Civil Rights Movement. The Economic History of Phoenix In the prehistory age, the city was occupied by the Native Americans who were nomads. Therefore, their economic practice was nomadic pastoralism through which they acquired food and a source of living. Eventually, the tribes left the land and left the imaginative fertile land without particular occupants. In the year 19th century, as the Spanish and the American explored the world, they passed through the region. In the year 1857, a businessman named Jack Swilling who was a militant during the American Civil War identified the potential of the land. Swilling built canals along the ruins that were left by the Native Americans who were also known as the Hohokam . The canals were used in the irrigation system to grow crops since the land was fertile and was along a river. Hence water for irrigation was available. In the 1870s, it was proved that the town had grown and thus there was a need for it to be upgraded. In 1881, the town was adopted as a city. The South Pacific Railroad passed through the city in the 1880s. In the 1890s, the mule-drawn trams were also introduced into the city. By the end of the century, the city had evolved into a major trading center in the state. In the early 20th century, there was 2019-02-19T01:57:54.31-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-effects-of-the-southern-civil-war-45477.aspx How Barry Goldwaters policies led to populist support of the Republican ticket in the 1980 election. Barry Goldwater’s Policies One of the most attention-grabbing questions about an election is not related to which candidate or party won but why the voters voted the way they did or what the repercussions of the outcomes are. Nonetheless, finding the right answer to these questions is not always an easy undertaking for focusing only on the campaign incidents and events is not adequate. It is vital for one to put much emphasis on trying to determine the electorate’s behavior leading to the election to entirely have an undertaking of the election outcomes. It is defined by first analyzing the sources of individual voting patterns, and this is associated with the various policies that a party or candidates will lay before the electorate. In the USA, the Democrats and Republicans have each had their fair share of winning the presidency, and this is determined by various policies the party members formulate. Thus, the paper seeks to explore how Barry Goldwater’s policies played a vital role towards the populist winning of a Republican Presidential candidate during the 1980 election. Barry Goldwater served as the United States Senator for Arizona for five terms before he decided to have a shot at the nation’s top seat; the presidency in 1964. During his tenure as senator, Goldwater was known for being more leaned towards the conservative movement that was against the Republican Party’s agenda at the time. Even though he did not have a chance to win an election as the president, the policies he widely advocated for played a vital role in marshaling a new wave of young conservatives who voted for President Reagan, the winner of the 1980 general election. President Lyndon Baines Johnson and Nixon played a considerable role in ballooning the federal budget as they financed wars and various public welfare programs. Johnson increased the federal budget by billions of dollars, and this was double the amount that President Kennedy had added . According to Johnson, he wanted to build a Great Society and thus brought the need for a substantial federal budget that was affecting the entire nation. In the case of Nixon, his policies nearly destroyed the USA economy. He introduced harmful wage-price controls with the aim of restoring the economy towards a positive growth, but they were unsuccessful. He also played a vital role in the ending of the USA gold standard, and this allowed the USA to print money 2019-02-19T01:51:05.4-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Barry-Goldwaters-policies-led-to-populist-support-of-the-Republican-ticket-in-the-1980-election_-45476.aspx Formal Paper Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq’s Green Zone Name: Class: Date: Professor: Formal Paper Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq’s Green Zone is a publication by Rajiv Chandrasekaran. The 2006 release illustrates the civilian leadership during the reconstruction of Iraq after the end of the American invasion. In the book, Chandrasekaran explains the development, management, and the challenges that the leadership of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) experiences. The CPA program intended to facilitate civilian administration in Iraq and to address the increasing threats of insurgency in the country. The book offers a bureaucratic explanation about the first year after the American forces overthrew the administration of Saddam Hussein. During this period, the American army was the legal occupying authority that was responsible for the administration of Iraq. There was the need to establish the CPA within the Baghdad palace to facilitate the administration activities. The purpose of the CPA was to serve as a transitional government after the occupation by the United States forces. The United States was the leader of the Multinational Force during the invasion on March 19, 2003. The development of the CPA was due to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483 of 2003. The purpose of the CPA was to facilitate judicial, executive, and legislative roles and authority between April 21, 2003, and June 28, 2004 (Chandrasekaran 290). The program is essential in the history of the United States as it was a creation of the United States Department of Defense. The administrator of the CPA transitional government was a direct appointee of the Secretary of Defense. The structure of the CPA was in four broad categories. These are CPA North, CPA Central, CPA South Central, and CPA South (Chandrasekaran 292). The operations in each region were semi-autonomous, but there were a clear and shared mission and vision for the reconstruction of Iraq. CPA had the significant role of managing the economy of Iraq. The United Nations Resolution 1483 gave CPA the authority to regulate the financial resources of Iraq; for example, the oil revenues (Chandrasekaran 212). CPA also had the role of privatization of the economy. As a result, foreign firms, most of the American multinational corporations, got the opportunity to invest in the country (Chandrasekaran 9). Even though the CPA had clear responsibilities, challenges arose in the leadership and management of the resources of the nation. The administration challenges are a significant factor for the failure of the CPA transitional government. Paul Bremer was 2018-05-10T14:09:39.287-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Formal-Paper-Imperial-Life-in-the-Emerald-City-Inside-Iraq’s-Green-Zone-45429.aspx The Great Depression, life of a farmer Farming life is hard work, but the rewards for my family have served us well over the years; however, sometimes I think we, the farmers, are the forgotten population here in Oklahoma. It seems as long as I can remember since the end of World War I we have struggled, and our efforts to gain support have been unheard. The 1920’s were difficult; however, there was a glimmer of hope for relief with the McNary-Haugen Bill which would allow the government to purchase the surplus of farm commodities; however, this was vetoed by our WONDERFUL (not) President, Calvin Coolidge. It is now 1929, and things seem to be getting worse every day. My wife, Wilma, is an amazing woman, who works hard to take care of our three children and myself. We sustain our family by raising most of our food, canning fruits and vegetables for the winter months, and living from our garden in the summer months. We have chickens who produce eggs and poultry, cows who produce milk and beef, pigs who produce pork, and a very nice garden that supplies our vegetables. We also have a large 160-acre farm, growing wheat and cotton crops to help sustain the family. My wife is a hard worker who helps in any way she can to help sustain our family. She will even find creative ways to cloth our children, by piecing older clothing together to make new clothing. We also have the support of many of our friends and neighbors, who like us are going through very difficult times. We band together to help each other out, and to have fun and try to forget about the stress of our daily lives. We get together often to play games and allow our children to interact with other children. One of the favorite past-times for the adults is listening to the radio. We would listen to comedy shows and hear our President speak of the country and plans for something better. I recall hearing a radio address from President Hoover in late 1929, where he had pronounced the economy, “sound and prosperous”. I don’t know what land he was living in, but my family did not feel the, “sound and prosperous”, we were struggling to make ends meet. There was a sense of fear and uncertainty, and talk among 2017-03-25T20:16:29.373-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Depression,-life-of-a-farmer-45301.aspx Contemporary U.S. History: Policemen of the World Contemporary U.S. History: Policemen of the World Student’s Name Institutional Affiliations Contemporary U.S. History: Policemen of the World Introduction The United States has a strong influence on other countries all over the globe. This is because America has the capital to provide aids, finances and influence policies in other nations. The U.S, military functions gained recognition after the civil war, and they were referred to as the world’s policemen. Their gain control over other countries won them an increase in roles and duties. These responsibilities include maintaining tranquility and order worldwide, and by doing this, they are considered as the policemen of the world. Up to now U.S. has is the ideal example of the policemen of the world. International events involving the US military from the past five years that can be traced back to a foreign policy created after the Civil War. After the Second World War, America took precautionary steps to prevent an outbreak of futures world by developing and implementing policies that would curb the development of nuclear weapons in the future. However, America have nuclear power despite it banning other nations from more development. Through this, it maintains control and superiority over other nations (Wolfe, 2012). Therefore, to maintain it dominant nature, America has implemented several foreign policies. These policies include preventing development of nuclear weapons in countries like Iran, China, and Syria and development of Strategic Defense Initiative. Just as the policies suggest, America has always tried to act as the world superpower. Moreover, due to fear of other countries acquiring capabilities similar to theirs, they decided to compel nations such as Iran and South Korea to stop development of mass destruction weapons. Three aspects of US history since 1865 that has led to the USA rise as a world superpower policeman For America to become and maintain the superpower position, it has to establish some regulations that would permit them to execute methods of control. These methods were aimed at controlling the production of weapons and military equipment. Several events take place throughout the decade that reflects the rise and role of America as a superpower (Nikou, 2014). They include anti-terrorism policies whereby every non-citizen or immigrants had to undergo extreme inspection and clearance measures. This eventually leads to the revision of immigration policies since America was viewed as the land of hope, which attracted many immigrants all around the globe, who sought to raise their livelihood (Nikou, 2014). Therefore, America 2017-02-21T00:21:17.133-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Contemporary-U_S_-History-Policemen-of-the-World-45287.aspx The War That Made America by Fred Anderson Student’s Name Professor’s Name Course Date The War That Made America by Fred Anderson Introduction This works in review is 'The War That Made America' by Fred Anderson. The book is a historical look back at the war that occurred between the French and the Indians in 1754. 'The story by Fred Anderson on the war of the French and the Indians' is the author's most recently released book and is the subject for discussion in this case study. The book is a summarized version of the war that took place in the British North America between the Indians (who fought for Britain) and the French. The book is also a shorter version of an earlier book of his; 'Crucible of War'. The war novel tells the story of a conflict that was sparked off almost by accident and later on became one of the most important battles in the history of North America. The book also illustrates very clearly the uncertainty associated with war; nobody can accurately predict the exact outcome of war before it happens. The book explores the themes covered in war and simultaneously provides the reader with accurate information on the history of North America. Fred Anderson is a famous writer and historian with American origin. He was born in 1949 In North America. He has a Ph.D. in history from the prestigious Harvard University and from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He teaches at the University of Colorado, Boulder as a professor of history. The historian has written five books, all of which are based on historical events and are also written as they occurred. The author specializes in historically accurate events especially wars and battles and not fantasy and adventure tales. He is well established and credible academician and is one of the most conversant people in the field of American history. In his historical novel, Fred Anderson portrays the image of George Washington as a young man who was solely shaped by the seven year battle where he participated. The author oversimplifies the character of George Washington in the novel as he was significantly influenced by other factors. He was also significantly influenced by the Virginian society which was founded on slavery in America. It is this society that funded and sent George Washington on his initial battle against the French. The novel is a unique and captivating way of learning about the history of America though it offers a 2017-02-16T23:33:49.717-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-War-That-Made-America-by-Fred-Anderson-45284.aspx Spartan society Spartan Society Student’s Name Institution Outline 1 Introduction 3 2 Spartan Society and Social Classes 3 2.1 Upbringing 3 2.2 Social Classes 4 3 Spartan Military 5 3.1 War with Persia 5 3.2 War with Athens 6 4 The Downfall of Spartans 7 5 References 8 1 Introduction Spartan society refers to a community of warriors that lived during primordial Greece. The society was militaristic and is remembered for its military prowess, specifically after conquering the Athens during the Peloponnesian battle. The Spartan way of life revolved around state loyalty as well as serving in the military. As early as seven years, the boys were enrolled in a thorough military training along with joining a socialization program. The training was referred to as “Agoge”, and the boys were mainly taught about endurance, serving and discipline. The women did not serve in the military; hence, they had more freedom than the men. The society was divided into social classes, which depended on individual’s status. Unfortunately, the Spartans were eventually conquered by Thebes, resulting in the decline of the empire. 2 Spartan Society and Social Classes 2.1 Upbringing The Spartans brought up their children as a community. The early years of a child’s life were spent with peers. While girls enjoyed freedom, the boys’ lives were not totally free. This is because, from a young age, the boys were taken away from their parent’s care and enrolled into “Agoge” or military training (Garland, 1998). The objective of the training was to ensure that Spartan Society continued to have a strong military. Also, the education the boys received emphasized on high levels of discipline, submission and endurance. Unlike normal education, which concentrates on teaching children how to write and read, Spartans taught their children how to follow orders and how to fight. The training would continue up to the age of sixteen. The young adults would graduate to become a secret police force for their society. They lived in the wild. The education was finalized once the young adults became twenty years and became liable to take part in military service. The young men were required to spend all their time in the army barracks, as they had not yet attained full citizenship (Garland, 1998). However, at the age of thirty they were awarded full citizenship to become Spartan. At this age, the men could now live with their families, although they were still expected to spend more time with peers (Garland, 1998). The girls were also enrolled in a training program, which entailed rigorous physical education. They were taught how to 2016-08-22T23:39:22.587-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Spartan-society-35215.aspx Africa After 1945 Apartheid and International Sanctions Name Institution Part 1 1. One reason Reagan thinks economic sanction is a bad idea is that many black workers would lose their jobs. Most of these black workers are the family breadwinners. The suffering will not only affect the employees but even the rest of the blacks in the society. The sanctions will also cripple the economy of South Africa and that of its neighbors. For example, countries like Zambia and Zaire depend on South Africa for electricity. If sanctions are to pass, a country like Zaire will be out of power, which means a crippling of its economy. Further, leaving of Western investors will leave South African proprietors inheriting farms, factories, plants, and mines at a fire sale price. Finally, the sanctions would tarnish America's flexibility, destroy the diplomatic advantage, and increase the crisis in South Africa. 2. It is true that prosperity brings racial progress because as everyone secures employment, their standards of living rises, which calls for a need to deal with racial inequality issue. He also fails to mention that capitalism will help blacks earn at least a small wage and few other benefits, while the high gainers will be those at the very top. 3. The government according to him should eliminate apartheid laws, release political prisoners like Nelson Mandela, and allow black political movements. The steps are essential in ending apartheid as they encourage healing and peaceful co-existence that are crucial to putting an end to the policy. The blacks needed their voice heard, but blocking their movements prevented it, leading to violence. The positive changes would see both opposing sides engage in a healing process, giving each person in South Africa the freedom they all seek. 4. According to Reagan, Soviet Union installed a client regime in Angola, supplied it with weapons to fight black liberation movement, which demanded representation of Angolans in their parliament. The situation in Cuba is similar to that in South Africa since both involve non-observance of some human rights. Just as the blacks in South Africa suffered from apartheid, U.S citizens suffered due to Fidel Castro’s actions. The Cuba sanctions led to the suffering of Americans just as blacks living in S.A would have suffered due to Western sanctions. Part 2 1. According to Wolpe, constructive engagement has given apartheid a sense of legitimacy, leading to increased sufferings among the colored and Indians in South Africa. It also 2016-08-20T22:36:47.707-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Africa-After-1945-35214.aspx HISTORY The Aztecs Civilization The Aztecs came in the scenario pretty much around the time when the Incas were appearing as the powerful contenders in South America. Around the 1200s and early 1300s, the people in present day Mexico used to live in three big rival cities – Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopan. Around 1325, these rivals created an alliance and thus the new state was brought under the rule of the Valley of Mexico. Back then, the people preferred the name Mexica than to the Aztecs. The rise of the Aztecs was within a century of the fall of another influential civilization in Mexico and Central America – the Mayans. The city of Tenochtitlan was the military power, which spearheaded the conquest of new territory. But the Aztec emperor didn’t rule every city, state directly. Local governments would remain in place, but was forced to pay varying amounts of tribute to the Triple Alliance. In the early 1500s, the Aztec civilization was indeed at the height of its power. But then, Spanish arrived with their expansion plans. This eventually led to a huge battle between the Incas and the alliance of Spanish conquistadors and the native allies they had assembled led by the famous (or rather infamous) Hernan Cortes in 1521. A defeat in this decisive battle eventually led to the fall of once famous Aztec empire. The Incas Civilization The Incas was the largest Empire in North America in the Pre-Columbian era. This civilization flourished in the areas of present day Ecuador, Peru and Chile and had its administrative, military and political center located at Cusco which lies in modern day Peru. The Incas had their societies pretty well established, and the empire was in a rapid bloom since it’s beginning. The Incas were devout followers of the Sun God Inti. They had a king who was referred to as “Sapa Inca” meaning the child of the Sun. The first Inca emperor Pachacuti transformed it from a modest village to a great city laid out in the shape of a puma. He went to expand the tradition of ancestor worship. When the king died, his son would get all the power, but all his wealth would be distributed among his other relatives, who would in return preserve his mummy and sustain his political influence. This significantly led to a sudden rise in power of the Incas. The Incas went on to become 2016-04-16T02:11:39.757-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/HISTORY-35188.aspx What were the causes of the french revolution? Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité. These words make up the moto of France but in fact, in the 18th century, the French government was the exact opposite. Inefficient, unjust and corrupt. Many people became livid at the way France was governed. The French Revolution of 1789 had many causes. Political, social, intellectual and economic conditions in France contributed to the dissatisfaction of most French people of the third estate. The ideas of the philosophers lead to the Enlightenment, which brought new views to the people about the unfairness of the French government and the society. Their goals were to expose and destroy the inequalities of the ancient regime. French society was divided into three estates. At the top was the Monarch, (at the time Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette) after them was the first estate. The first estate consisted of The clergy, The wealthy Bishops and Parish Priests. They were payed from 500,000 to 200 livres per year, yet they only made up 0.5% of the population of 18th century France. They also owned 10% of land. The second estate was made up mostly of Nobles. Major Nobility would be very rich but many Nobles didn’t make as much but they did own 35% of the land. Compared to the third estate, though, all nobles lead a life of luxury. The third estate involved and labourers, who could just about live of their work. Then were the urban workers and the middle class who were rapidly growing in numbers. Finally, there were the peasants who made the majority of the population. The third estate held 97% of the people who owned 55% of the land. The people-to-land proportion was unjust looking at the amount of people in each estate. The third estate held very little land compared to the amount of people it had. It was overcrowded. The first and the second estate were the privileged classes. The state you belonged to decided your general powers and rights. In the 17th and 18th centuries, France was ruled by a government, the king had all the power. Anyone who criticized the government could be arrested and put in prison without trial. Louis XVI was king at the time of the French Revolution. He and his Austrian queen, Marie Antoinette, lived an extravagant life at the Palace, they did not really care about the state of their country. The first two estates worked together to 2016-02-22T12:41:50.943-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-were-the-causes-of-the-french-revolution-35179.aspx Reasons for Immigration in Early America When the United States was first starting off as a country, most of its inhabitants had immigrated from either Western or Northern Europe. As time passed, change was bound to come. Around 1880, immigrants began coming to the country from different areas including China, Japan, and Southern and Eastern Europe. In a matter of 20 years, the percentage of immigrants from Northern and Western Europe dropped from 93% to only 61%. Tension soon formed because of the cultural differences between early immigrants and new immigrants. Life for more recent immigrants was difficult for a multitude of reasons including employment issues, hardships at home, and the opposition of most of America’s citizens. However, the supporters of immigration lessened the hardships faced by immigrants. Many people came to America for employment opportunities because of economic problems in their native countries. Their hopes of finding work in the new country were not fulfilled, though. Because of the large amount of people looking for work, unemployment rates were up. If new immigrants did find jobs, they would most likely be working in construction. Jobs such as these offered few advantages. Most construction companies paid their workers very little money, and the little money they were given was spent on groceries and rent. Workers were being offered as little as $1.25 a day for difficult manual labor. Life at home for immigrants was not much better than life at work. Cities provided the most jobs, so the unemployed flocked to cities to find any work they could get. This inevitably led to the need for more housing. Tenements provided shelter for multiple families in cities. Sometimes called “dens of death”, tenements had little-to-no light or ventilation. These small, apartment-like rooms were hardly large enough for a single family, much less multiple families. The tight space and little ventilation were unhealthy, as these two factors helped germs and diseases spread faster. These conditions were certainly different from what immigrants had hoped and dreamt about: a land full of riches and opportunity. The dreams of opportunity were crushed by those who did not approve of having immigrants of different cultures. The difficulties started for immigrants even before entering the country. 2016-02-18T16:48:55.873-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Reasons-for-Immigration-in-Early-America-35178.aspx ‘The Renaissance was a time of great change. It was a period that was both a revival of older ideas and a beginning of new ideas.’ Discuss. 2016-02-14T01:36:37.643-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/‘The-Renaissance-was-a-time-of-great-change_-It-was-a-period-that-was-both-a-revival-of-older-ideas-and-a-beginning-of-new-ideas_’-Discuss_-35176.aspx Hello pregnatnun In Lady Macbeth’s first appearance in the play she is seen reading a letter from Macbeth. In it we see him call her his “dearest partner of greatness”. The use of the word “COCK” shows that they are a close couple who work together in their marriage. This defies the standard power dynamic of the context and also in how it is received. Macbeth writes to his wife immediately to tell her of the news he has received, showing he values her as his equal. In contrast the narrator from Hawk Roosting sees all others as “I LOVE PENIS”, proving he feels he has ultimate power over all others. He believes this because he is seen as an unstoppable warrior, much like Macbeth is believed to be. Macbeth's wife is one of the most powerful female characters in literature. Unlike her husband, she lacks all humanity, as we see well in her opening scene, where she calls upon the "Spirits that tend on mortal thoughts" to deprive her of her feminine instinct to care. Her burning ambition to be queen is the single feature that Shakespeare developed far beyond that of her counterpart in the historical story he used as his source. Lady Macbeth persistently taunts her husband for his lack of courage, even though we know of THE AMAZING CAMERA ANGLES his bloody deeds on the battlefield. But in public, she is able to act as the consummate hostess, enticing her victim, the king, into her castle. When she faints immediately after the murder of Duncan, the audience is left wondering whether this, too, is part of her act. This ‘unbalanced’ power dynamic is reinforced with her reaction to the letter: “shalt be what thou art promised” This finality of her response proves her determination to make prophecy become truth. However she believes her husband too weak “too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness”. Her image of Macbeth forces her hand in manipulating him into murdering King Duncan. This is shown when she voices her intention to “pour COCK in thine ear”. The word “CHODE” has a negative connotation of evil and darkness, revealing her plan to replace Macbeth’s “milk” with pus and sadness. Using their intimate relation as cover to influence him to murder and lie. This shows she has no reservations towards exploiting his love for her in order to gain more power. Lady Macbeth is an influence 2016-02-11T08:49:18.403-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hello-pregnatnun-35175.aspx The Warrior Hector The Warrior Hector Hector is the eldest son of Priam, the king of Trojan. Being the first-born and the bravest among the Trojan warriors, he is the rightful heir of the kingdom. His leadership skills receive praises since he is a thoughtful leader. Moreover, many people admire him as a result of his devotion to his family, friends, and the community. As such, Hector’s character represents a great son, a caring husband to Andromache, a father, and a trusted friend. As the heir to the throne, Hector already shows responsibility to the community by defending it and advocating for justice for all the people. Hector’s leadership helps Trojan defeat the Achaeans by pushing them back to their ships and later burning them. However, just like many other warriors, he is also full of pride. Hector is a great man who is family-oriented. The motivation for Hector’s fighting is the responsibility to his family, as well as, the city. His parents are the leaders of Troy; his father is the king and his mother the queen. As he fights for the protection of his city, Hector is also protecting his parents. Moreover, his interactions with his wife and son show a high level of responsibility for their wellbeing. Hector shows his love for the family when he holds his child in his arms and prays for him. He prays to Jove their God to make his child follow his footsteps or even perform better. He continues to pray that he becomes the hero that his mother will be proud of when he goes battling to revenge the lives of their soldiers (McCarty, Ambrus & Homer, 2004). Hector is also a man who is performing his duties as required. He even goes ahead to criticize his brother Paris claiming that he lacks the courage to fight for his city even after leading it to the trouble that resulted in war. He criticizes Paris saying that he has brought disgrace upon himself for stealing another man’s woman. He further claims that his brother will make the Achaeans mock them because of Paris’s weaknesses (McCarty, Ambrus & Homer, 2004). His love for duty shows up when he refuses to sit with his mother and enjoy a glass of wine while other warriors are on the battlefield. However, he also shows respect from the way he refuses to take the wine when he tells his mother not to bring 2015-10-23T07:50:25.193-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Warrior-Hector-35146.aspx African american history Lucky Shango Prof Abu J. Toure History 2223 August 2, 2015 The Enslaved Mind According to Malcom X “History is a people's memory, and without a memory, man is demoted to the lower animals.” A man without knowledge of himself is only existing, he has no roots and stands for nothing, and therefore he is capable of falling for anything. The way Blacks think, feel, and behave has been influenced by their suppressors using various control mechanism. The ethos, perspectives, goals and desires have been clouded by propaganda, miseducation and misdirection of the blacks. Sadly, many blacks want to be white, lighten our skin, and try to acculturate into the oppressors settings because we are victims of intellectual violence. Blacks experience horrifying cases of physical White Hostility, but the impact Psychological Hostility is the most degrading aspect. White Hostility towards people of color is often justified with Economic relevance, but I do not see how feeding of Black babies to alligators have economic links. I see this as pure hate and deserve no form of justification. Blacks suffered many forms of physical violence therefore it was easy for the psychological violence to be implemented. In African colonies, when the colonial language was being imposed, the White supremist turned brother against brother. They turned our kids into traitors, they gave them the responsibility of snitching on whoever was caught speaking there local language. What a form of betrayal. Coercing people into doing things in your way is a form of suppression, and undermines his/her individual freewill. When the British came to the Americas they had Irish and other slaves from Europe (Jordan 50). Where they treated in the same manner as the Indians and Blacks? I don’t believe so. According to David Walker, “Vain and deceitful is their speech, with curses filled, and lies; by which the mischief of their heart they study to disguise.” The black race has been manipulated horribly. The manipulations of Information as told and rewritten according to western perspectives have changed the global ideology of the African culture, identity, and traditions. Imperialism have stripped of the indigenous people of their land, history, culture, behavior, and ethos. Western cultures deleted and hid blacks’ structure of civilization, language, behavior, and ideology. Sadly the struggle for identity remain major challenge. Today we see blacks who want to be white, who think slavery was 2015-08-02T18:23:21.12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/African-american-history-35129.aspx History WWI and WWII Akasha Dykes World History II Professor Jeffrey Second Essay During the Inter-War Period, 1919-1939 (the time between WWI and WWII), many countries were left unbalanced and vulnerable to revolution. Certain ideologies in politics, and the way governments should be run, came into popular awareness. Revolutionary leaders such as Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini, and Adolph Hitler, took advantage of that vulnerability to establish political power. These leaders publicly denounced the fundamental qualities of the Western civilizations; such as democracy, capitalism, and individual/equal rights. Joseph Stalin (1878-1953) was the dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) from 1929 to 1953. Beneath Stalin, the Soviet Union was transformed from a peasant society into an industrial and military superpower. However, he ruled with terror, and millions of his own citizens died during his brutal reign (History.com). During his time he wrote, The Result of the First Five-Year Plan, which clearly rejected all Western concepts and values on capitalism. The document states, “And as a result of all of this [his government control and socialist revolution] the capitalist elements have been completely and irrevocably ousted from industry, and socialist industry has become the sole form of industry in the USSR…” Stalin believed wholeheartedly that the rejection and elimination of all capitalist elements were the reason for the country’s success under his reign. The socialistic views and concepts that Stalin enacted did help the country become successful. However, he eventually began to grow into a power hungry dictator that was brutal and killed many of his own people. Before Stalin, Aristocrats, who continually took from the people in their country to fulfill their personal desires, ruled Russia. This made the poor very poor and the rich very rich and overall, Russia was a peasant society. Stalin grew up in this society, which was a catalyst for his future ideals and rise in political power. The Capitalism in the US in the ‘20’s showed similar aspects in the society that Stalin grew up in. The rich were becoming very rich, and the poor were getting poorer. When the Stock market crashed in the US and created worldwide depression, it was used as proof that capitalism was flawed and could ultimately destroy a country economically. Stalin believed that through Socialism the country would thrive, and implemented ideas that the government should take care of it’s people as well as people helping take care of people. The ideology of it all 2015-07-13T19:49:36.68-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-WWI-and-WWII-35125.aspx Woodrow wilson biography Woodrow Wilson was born in Virginia in 1856. Wilson was the last U.S. president to have viewed the civil war. He was 4 years old when Abraham Lincoln was elected president. His father served the Confederacy as a chaplain .Wilson was an eyewitness to the hardship and damage of war during his childhood. Wilson’s childhood was not an easy one. Wilson was a slow learner as a child. It is believed he suffered from dyslexia, but he overcame the problem. Woodrow Wilson spent most of his life in school. Wilson had health problems throughout his life. He had regular problems with his breathing and blood circulation. In 1873, Wilson left Davidson College due to illness. He had to recover at his parents’ home. The University of Virginia while Wilson suffered a physical breakdown and had to leave school. After graduating from college, Wilson studied law on his own and passed the Georgia bar exam to become a lawyer in 1882. He was unhappy as a lawyer and went back to school in 1883. After graduating he went on to become the president of Princeton University. President Wilson earned over a dozen degrees in his lifetime. He was also the author many books. President Wilson looked like a formal professor, but he liked to tell jokes and burst into a song. President Wilson became governor of New Jersey in 1910. The Democratic Party leaders thought he would be easy to manage, but he was not. While president, Wilson lowered tariffs, established a graduated income tax, created the Federal Reserve System and established the FTC. This was all done in his first two years in office. In 1912, Wilson won the presidency due to a three way contest with Taft and Roosevelt. In 1913, Wilson sent U.S. troops into Mexico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua this was his attempt to enforce the Monroe Doctrine. In 1914, Wilson’s first wife died and he went into a deep depression. He married his second wife, Edith Galt, in 1915. In August 1914, World War one began. On May 7, 1915 a German U-boat sinks the Lusitania and Wilson demanded an apology. In 1916, Wilson was reelected as President. He campaigned on an antiwar platform. Wilson was trying to keep U.S. out of war. Wilson sent “Blackjack” 2015-04-06T21:05:04.28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Woodrow-wilson-biography-35101.aspx 1968 indian civil rights movement story November 20, 1969 We have made it to the island and managed to escape the White Man’s Coast Guard. Their ships tried to stop us from landing on Alcatraz. This time the White Man will not take away our land. My family and many more will join us. We are only 79 members who have landed, but more of our People will come. We will take back what was always ours before the Whites stole our lands. Tonight we shall build the great fire and hold a powwow with songs of triumph! May the 2015-04-06T20:59:23.367-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/1968-indian-civil-rights-movement-story-35100.aspx Gandhi Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes. Mahatma Gandhi Gandhi had been a cruseless crusader against many social evils that plagued the Indians. The article Gandhi the ceaseless crusader brings to light his ceaseless struggle against the atrocities and injustices committed against women. Crusader of women’s equality It was 2015-03-01T08:57:35.907-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Gandhi-35093.aspx middle passage 2015-02-26T10:31:11.503-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/middle-passage-35090.aspx Slavery (Diary Entry) 1821- Every single day of this dreadful journey, I still contemplate what could’ve happened if I was not intrigued by the colossal ship and the beautiful merchandises. I still recall the events that led to my capture, countless European traders rushed down from the boat, enticing us to buy red handkerchiefs, dress goods, beads, bells, and trinkets in many colours. Numerous black men and women rushed into the boats to receive some accessories. However, it was a massive hoax… they began forcing us below the deck and locked us up before the transportation to America. European men dragged me below the deck and began separating us into numerous groups. What occurred next was horrendous... They started physically violating us, treating us like shameless beasts as they chained us to planks of rugged wood. My skin was in constant contact with the people beside me; there was barely any space between me and the other victims. It felt as if I was being jammed into an undersized coffin crammed with multiple people… Furthermore, the stench was horrible, absolutely horrendous! Concoctions of excretion, vomit and sweat piled up in lavatory buckets; we were deprived the luxury of toilets… When we needed to defecate; we were obliged to do it in the position we were chained. Causing vomit and excretion to pile up in the lavatory buckets. Moreover, the overseer's neglect us and doesn't bother to clean up the lavatory buckets. Causing them to overflow; eventually coming into contact with our feet. They even deprived us necessities such as food. Even when we got fed; it was always repugnant rice and beans without any flavouring at all. It tasted like expired food that has been regurgitated multiple times. Sometimes when I eat the food, it comes straight out again… I hate how I can't do anything about this. God how long must I endure this diabolical journey? The European traders said the voyage would last 6-8 weeks, but can I really trust them? 1842- I was sent to Virginia, where an auction was held to determine my master. They stripped me down naked, forced me to jump around and overall embarrassed me to the point of death. After that, I was sent to the plantations, and it wasn’t any better than the Middle Passage journey… I didn’t work for a pay cheque, I worked for my survival and the avoidance of torture. However, even if I 2015-02-19T04:02:36.023-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Slavery-Diary-Entry-35084.aspx Industrial Revolution DBQ Essay Gabby Jones Period: 7 10/13/14 Industrial Revolution DBQ Essay The Industrial Revolution marks a major transition in human history; almost every aspect of daily life was eventually influenced in some way. The Industrial Revolution sprouted the use of manufactured machines and greatly increased the output of machine made goods. It began in Great Britain in the mid-1700s, transitioning Britain’s manual labor based society to a machine-based manufacturing such as working in textile mills. Britain’s advantage to taking initiative to industrialize was their abundant natural resources of coal fuel, iron and steel, streams to generate power and canals for transport. Due to the high wages already in Britain people were able to fund building mills and the decline of farming due to wealthy people buying farmland were needed to work. The invention of the steam engine was a major turning point since it allowed these mills to work at rapid rates. Since they had an abundant amount of coal they could power these steam engines. Another contributor was the use of railroads from the use of iron and steel. Britain initiating all these new advancements in their society ignited the first Industrial Revolution, causing very positive effects and ones that hindered their society. The Industrial Revolution advanced European society through new political and economic opportunities and new ideology. The Industrial Revolution created new political ideas and changes. New political policies and laws were caused through the unfair work conditions within mills. Child Labor Laws was a major influence on the working community. Children as young as 4 or 5 years old were forced to work in factories that were accident prone and disease causing with working hours that were over 12 hours. Since, children were getting into accidents by getting limbs chopped off, dying from diseases, and unfair treatment by overseers there were laws and policies against child labor. One example demonstrating the detrimental effects of child labor is the Sadler Commission, when describing how the children were beaten, he states, “I have been struck very severely with it myself…and I have seen other children have their heads broken with it…” (Document 2). The way the children were treated was extreme and should be recognized and prohibited. These terrible conditions were a negative effect of the Industrial Revolution and the huge increase of working in mills especially the hiring of children there needed to be new policies and regulations. Another way child demonstrated the 2014-12-04T15:59:54.217-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Industrial-Revolution-DBQ-Essay-35070.aspx Helpful Books Concering Oresteia and Gender Conflict 2014-10-13T20:59:28.05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Helpful-Books-Concering-Oresteia-and-Gender-Conflict-35056.aspx Analysis of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” In August 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. electrified America with his seventeen-minute “I Have A Dream” speech. He dramatically delivered one of the most memorable speeches of all time from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. It is worthy of a lengthy study as we can all learn effective rhetorical skills from MLK’s historic masterpiece. The central argument of the speech is that ALL people need to be treated equally. Although it was not the case in America at the time, MLK felt that it must be the case for the future. He argued passionately and powerfully. The entire speech falls into two big parts. MLK uses pathos in both parts to link emotionally with the audience. The first half portrays that racial injustice and segregation is absolutely horrible. For instance, in the beginning of the speech, MLK says that the life of African Americans are “crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination” and that they are living on a “lonely island of poverty” in the midst of a “vast ocean of material prosperity” (1). This strikes the whites hard emotionally as they listened to MLK’s descriptions of African American’s sadness because they will think that they are the ones responsible for injustice situation. The second half of the speech paints the dream of a better, fairer future of racial harmony and integration. As seen in the essay, “With this faith we will be able to work together,… to struggle together,…to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day” (5). The intensity of King’s speech is built through the rhythmic repetition. “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities” (4). Each repetition builds on the one before and is reinforced by MLK’s ever increasing passion. “Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia… Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi… let freedom ring” (6). MLK paints a picture of his vision and hope in the audience’s mind by repeating “Let freedom ring!” followed by optimist statements. Overall, the speech is very much loaded with rhetorical techniques. MLK as an accomplished civil rights leader is also 2014-10-12T01:17:30.693-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-MLK’s-“I-Have-a-Dream”-35054.aspx Analyze the responses of franklin roosevelt's administration to the problems of the great depression..... 2014-04-08T19:36:48.993-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analyze-the-responses-of-franklin-roosevelt-s-administration-to-the-problems-of-the-great-depression_____-35013.aspx Booker T. Washington vs. W.E.B DuBois Segregation of African american had been present in the United States since the early 1600’s. In the mid-nineteenth century, African American leaders have proposed many different theories and methods to address the injustices posed by the white majority on to the African American population. The individuals who led the fight against discrimination includes Booker T. Washington and William E.B, who took completely different approaches in order to deal with this unfair treatment of African Americans. Du Bois. Booker T. Washington took a more gradual approach towards African American equality while Du Bois took a more immediate stance. His approach was appropriate for the time because he advocated for African American’s rights right after the Civil War while there was an infinite amount of hard feelings towards former slaves. W.E.B Du Bois’ approach was too extreme for his time. When he advocated for the rights of African American’s it was about twenty years after the Civil War. Even twenty years later there were still great amounts of ill will towards former slaves. Du Bois tried to force his ideas on whites too much too fast. He wanted instant gratification while Washington settled for the long term. Despite their differences, both Booker T. Washington and William E.B. Du Bois took steps to improve their fellow African Americans’ lives from 1877-1915. W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington were two of the most notable leaders who advocated as black assimilation into white America through the education of the black community. They encouraged black individuals to blend into society by becoming skilled workers. They also believed that by doing so the black community would be accepted by whites and would raise in social level. According to Document A, the school enrollment by race was much lower for blacks in the period before when Washington and Du Bois became a great impact on the educational system. Beginning around 1905, there was an upward spike in Black schooled children which is credited to the efforts and influence from Washington and Du Bois. From 1890-1910, the percentage of illiteracy in blacks decreased by over half as shown in Document B. Du Bois and Washington also helped reduce the racial discriminations against blacks. Based on document F, to urge on racial discrimination Du Bois founded the Niagara Movement in 1905. The fecal matter hardened 2014-03-07T15:15:45.507-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Booker-T_-Washington-vs_-W_E_B-DuBois-35005.aspx Sojourner Truth- A Human Rights Activist Sojourner Truth Truth was a human rights activist, an author, domestic servant and also an abolitionist hence the ability and potential to challenge slavery in Africa through her work. She had experienced slavery life having been sold several times. Her work against slavery and an attempt to save her former slaves in fight for abolition of slavery brought her to books as American legend. Despite many challenges such as in ability to read, she rose up to become much influential person and respected speaker of the oppressed. Truth made it one night to escape from Dumont and later became free from slavery when she was bought by Van Wagenen who never treated her as a slave. Being free from slavery Truth converted to Christianity and started attending Methodist Church and later became an evangelist and progressed her work in Massachusetts and in Long Island. In 1850, she published her first narrative to become the first black woman to come out in public to speak against slavery and also write about women’s rights (John 7). Truth became more recognized and went ahead to make more friends who were antislavery advocates like; Amy Post, Fredrick Douglass and William Garrison among others. The best part of it is when she visited President Lincoln on October 29, 1984 for the same issue of slavery (Leith 6). Truth helped freed slaves in Washington after the Civil War, to settle and start new life by counseling and teaching them. In her teachings, she advocated self-reliance among the freed slaves, encouraged them to work for their dependence and discouraged their dependence on the government. 1867, she evicted former slaves from the South to Rochester in New York where they settled. She vigorously campaigned for the allocation of a share of western land to the freed slaves. Her most successful speech, "Ain't I a woman?" which she delivered at a women’s convention at Ohio in 1851 accelerated her campaign on women’s right though it brought few disputes, she was well received by the audience. Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him. If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, 2014-02-01T15:26:54.8-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sojourner-Truth-A-Human-Rights-Activist-34999.aspx relgions of the world Religions of the world have been studied more frequently in current times. Many people want to learn and study about their own and other religions. Religions are formed by many things, backgrounds, beliefs, rituals, and myths. Many original religions, such a Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism are based on these things, and have one goal, to follow the path of god. The five main world religions have many characteristics that are surprisingly similar and different to other religions. Christianity is the world’s biggest religion. To start with, Christianity is based on a person's belief of Jesus Christ. Second hand, there are two major sacraments or ceremonies that is considered to have been established by Jesus Christ, these two ceremonies are Baptism and Communion. Baptism started when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River about 2000 years ago. Jesus felt special and power of Holy Spirit. Also, Baptism is a religious ritual that some people choose to practice. For a baby they put a little water on the forehead, but for an adult they do a quick dunk in holy water, or even a swimming pool but you have to have a priest to do it with. This ritual has three processes. The first process is preparation, the second is preforming the baptism and the last process is the conclusion. On the other hand, Communion started ever since the last supper. It was held on the top of Mount Zion in Jerusalem. Communion is a practice that is meant to be observed over and over throughout the life of a Christian. Communion is held every Sunday to remember Christ's life, death and resurrection through sharing bread and wine. Lastly, it is a holy time of worship when Christian people come together as one whole to remember and celebrate what Christ did for the Christian people. The start of Christianity began with Judaism which is another main religion in the world. Islam is one of the fasts growing religions in the world. First, Islam is a monotheistic religion based on the word of God as revealed to Muhammad during the 7th century. Muslims believe in giving in to Allah. To add on, Muslims have five prophets. The five prophets are Jesus, Moses, Noah, Abraham, and the most important Muhammad. Muslims have five basic duties, the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars are, Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj. Sahadah 2013-12-16T19:42:16.48-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/relgions-of-the-world-34994.aspx The Causes of the French Revolution--DBQ Essay The Causes of the French Revolution The French revolution overthrew the country’s ancient monarchy, proclaimed Liberty, Equality and Fraternity and fought off a hostile Europe. It ushered in a new age, but at a terrible price in blood and human suffering. There were many causes of the Revolution. The French Revolution appears to have been the outcome of both long term and short term factors, which arose from the political, social, and economic conditions and conflicts of the ancient regime. The long standing grievances of the bourgeoisie; the frustrations of rising hopes among wealthy and ‘middling’ bourgeoisie and peasants; the distress and breakdown of government; a real (or at least perceived) ‘feudal reaction’; the stubbornness of a privileged aristocracy; the creation of radical ideas among wide sections of the people; a sharp economic and financial crisis; and the successive triggers of state bankruptcy, aristocratic revolt and popular revolution: all these factors played a part. The middle and lower class were becoming more conscious of their increased social importance and because the peasants were becoming more independent, more literate and prosperous that the old feudal freedoms and aristocratic privileges appeared all the more burdensome and intolerable for the struggling discontents of France. The effects of the French Revolution were widespread, both inside and outside France, and to this day, rank as one of the most important events of European history. The French Revolution was caused by the political, social, and economic discontent of the French people because they had a poor king and wanted a democratic government, had an unfair tax system, and society was divided into three different estates. The French Revolution was caused by the political, social, and economic discontent of the French people because they had a poor king and wanted a democratic government, had an unfair tax system, and society was divided into three different estates. France was tired of an absolute monarchy and was ready to become a democratic government. As Document 4 suggests, the French were inspired by the Americans and also wanted a revolution to achieve their democratic government and among other requests. France had an unfair tax system. In Document 1, it reads, “Lands held by the nobility are not taxed but lands held by commoners are taxed heavily…” As well as in Document 6, the political cartoon implies that the 1st and 2nd estates were too good for taxes and were above them, but 2013-10-30T19:01:11.51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Causes-of-the-French-Revolution-DBQ-Essay-34983.aspx the kokoda track un edited The kokodatrack One of Australia's bloodiest war campaigns ever fought during ww2. in retaliation to the darwin bombings australia started recruitment mainly young 16 to 30 year old men who have never seen combat before. the japanese first landed ashore near gona on the northern coast of new guinea on the 21st july1942 to begin the invasion of new Guinea how ether this was not there proffered invasion point which was to have been a full blown sea borne assault on port Moresby. earlier on in the 5-8 may 1942 the battle of the coral sea was a failure as a lot of ships where lost on both sides but australia had beaten the japanese navy soundly. the aftermath had left the japanese navy no other choice but to retreat to northern coast of new guinea because they no longer had sufficient naval strength to support an invasion attack by sea. there plan was to isolate australia as a usable base for allies by indirecting the air and sea lanes from port Moresby. the allied forces which were initially allocated to the defense of new guinea in 1941 consisted of the 39th,49th and 53rd militia battalions of the australian army all newly raised for home services only and poorly equipped and trained there were supply problems,training problems, ammunition shortages no mail. In may 1942 the australian 3rd, 36th, and 55th militia battalions were ordered to port Moresby and the american 32nd and 41st division arrived in australia which later went to new guinea. the papuan infantry battalion (PIB) who were assigned to defend kokoda joined the 39th battalion and later became known as the (maroubra force) defenses and man power was slowly building up however the initial japanese landing of only 2000 later to be followed by 10,000 men in mid august where quick and strong enough to deal with the ill organized australians found facing. 2013-10-27T14:34:40.763-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/the-kokoda-track-un-edited-34980.aspx Evolving of Federal Government; Reconstruction to Jazz Age Jessie Wyrick History 1032 The Evolution of the Federal Government From reconstruction to the roaring twenties, the federal government evolved drastically. The American people went through many changes of opinions about what the federal government should and shouldn't do. Technology and business developed astonishingly and this caused more opinions to be built by the people. The importance of social issues also had ups and downs. The different stages of the governments evolving power sways in such a way that shows there is no tolerable middle-ground. During reconstruction, the North was desperately trying to pass laws to make the freed slaves equal, laws which the South blatantly disregarded. The federal government approved the 14th amendment of the constitution, which made the freedmen citizens of the United States. This amendment meant to guarantee equal protection under law, but it was a compromise between radicals and moderates; radicals wanted black suffrage. That came when Grant was elected in 1868, the 15th amendment was approved which would give blacks the right to vote officially. For a short time after the Civil War, the laws passed by the Republican Northerners looked a success. There were blacks voting and holding office, and also many white Republicans were elected in the South. But through all of this there was still much violence against blacks and white Republicans, thus formed the Ku Klux Klan in 1866. The Northerners responded with more legislation, which would outlaw organizations that were depriving civil rights. These laws did eradicate the KKK, but there was still much racism throughout the country. Then came an economic depression, which distracted the Northern leaders from reconstruction. All the while, the Southern movement to eliminate the black vote thrived. Democrats came into power and the Southerners elected many of the same leaders as before the Civil War. They still opposed the North but could not beat them, as the end of the war indicated. Alas, the strict laws of reconstruction were continuously ignored or loop-holed by the South, and the Northerners gave up from fear of further secession of the Southern states (Liberty 587-622). The New South actually wasn't very new. Although the federal government had tried reform, people in the south were very resistant to the new policies. Although slavery was abolished, sharecropping was a very similar substitute. In the Bargain of 1877, which concluded reconstruction and appointed Hayes as president, southern officials agreed to recognize blacks as 2013-10-22T09:42:29.037-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Evolving-of-Federal-Government-Reconstruction-to-Jazz-Age-34976.aspx Magna Carta vs. Universal Declaration of Human Rights The English Magna Carta was one of the first documents to defend a person’s rights because they were simply put, human. 730+ years later the Universal Human Rights Declaration is doing the same thing now. The Magna Carta was the first document ever to attempt to do this. The Magna Carta affected the American Revolutionaries in 1776, as well as the newly formed United Nations in 1948. The Magna Carta set up basic legal rights for all Free men that would be later repeated in the Universal Human Rights Declaration of 1948. One of which is 2013-08-26T23:50:25.587-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Magna-Carta-vs_-Universal-Declaration-of-Human-Rights-34951.aspx The Great Irish Famine- Cathal Poirteir-Review The next secondary work that needs to be discussed is Cathal Poirteir’s ‘The Great Irish Famine’. Chapter Ten ‘The Stigma of Souperism’ by Irene Walsh largely deals with the debate about ‘souperism’ and gives a good broad general discussion on the issue before, during and after the famine. Walsh recognises how much of a sensitive issue this still is in modern Ireland, and also how seemingly endless debate can rage on the subject due to the difficultly in fully understanding how prevalent the practice of ‘souperism’ actually was. “In 1985 the Abbey Theatre’s production of Eoghan Harris’ play ‘Souper Sullivan’ was followed by a spate of letters to the editor of ‘The Irish Times’ as well as newspaper and radio interviews in which the author was forced to defend his claims and opinions in a way that few playwrights have been called to do in modern times.” This raises the question as to whether the bitterness of alleged ‘souperism’ still lingers today. This also raises another question. Are people today too quick to vilify the majority of the Protestant clergy during the famine because of the perceived sins of the few? Has the charitable and life saving work of the many been overlooked and forgotten because of the perceived immoral work of the minority? Walsh only briefly discusses the colonies in Dingle and Achill and provides only minimal evidence of the social unrest which existed in these areas. The aim of Whelan’s study is to provide a general outlook on the problem, so clearly it would not be very useful for an in-depth study on either the Dingle or Achill missions. She does however provide some useful primary material on the issue of the colonies angering the local people by purchasing the best available land and, through education and employment, provide people chances of advancement not readably available to local Catholics. Whelan notes an interview give to ‘The Connaught Tribune’ in 1934 by eight-seven year old, Sean Mhic Chonmhara. He was a native of Achill and recalls Nangle’s colony purchasing the best available land and the tenants being kicked off the land if they did not attend the Protestant service. He describes how forty families were kicked off their land in this manner and the land being given to converts. Like Bowen’s study, Whelan’s work is too broad to fully examine the issues surrounding the colonies in Dingle and Achill, 2013-08-10T20:45:30.683-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Irish-Famine-Cathal-Poirteir-Review-34944.aspx Souperism: Myth or Reality-Desmond Bowen-Review The first publication to examine is Desmond Bowen’s “Souperism: Myth or Reality?” This text provides a confined study of the issue of proselytization in the dioceses of Ballina and Killala, Co. Mayo and Achonry, Co. Sligo, during the Famine. It also provides a very substantial history of the churches in Connaught leading up to the Famine. The area of the book which is most important to this study are chapters eight and nine. In these he specifically examines the Missionary settlements in both Dingle and Achill. In regards to the Dingle mission his account is mainly a history of the settlement leading up to the start of the Famine. He takes a quite objective view on the settlement, a view which is not always prevalent when writing about such a sensitive matter and this is found throughout the book as a whole. When he does touch on the issues surrounding the Famine in Dingle, he is more interested in discussing the more positive roles that both the Protestant and Catholic clergy had in the area. He uses excerpts from the two Kerry newspapers of the time, ‘The Kerry Evening Post’ and ‘The Kerry Examiner’, to further this point. “When a Protestant clergyman, Matthew Moriarty, visited his Dingle home, he told the readers of ‘The Kerry Evening Post’ of 6 January 1847: ‘The Roman Catholic priests of this district almost live in their saddles, and even so, I am sure, they cannot minister the rites of their church to all who die within its pale,’ Both papers supported Catholic and Protestant clergy who joined in protest when Tralee harbour was filled with food-stuffs.” The important point to understand here is that these two newspapers had opposing religious and social views. ‘The Kerry Evening Post’ was a publication which was more conservative leaning, and favoured the Protestant view, while ‘The Kerry Examiner’ was more liberal and sympathetic towards the Catholic predicament. That Bowen was highlighting these instances where both opposing newspapers shared in their admiration for the good work done by both sides of the religious divide, shows that his objective here is to give a balanced account of the work being done. Bowen makes very good use of primary source material for his study. He takes various quotes from the newspapers of the time, but also makes use of contemporary, first-hand accounts written during the time such as Asenath Nicholson’s 2013-08-10T20:39:17.06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Souperism-Myth-or-Reality-Desmond-Bowen-Review-34943.aspx Proselytisation during the Famine This case study into proselytisation during the famine years in Dingle and Achill Island provides a wide area of scope for the historian to examine. It is necessary to outline what particular areas shall be examined over the course of the study and what the aims of the study are. It is also vital to outline a brief summery about how this study will be structured. The first aim of the study is to examine the contention that ‘souperism’ was in fact prevalent in these areas before and during the famine. ‘Souperism’ was the term given to the practice of Protestant clergy and landowners of trying to convert Catholics by means of granting them material gain. Fr. Patrick Lavelle of Partry, Co. Mayo gave a vivid description of the term during a court case in 1860. “a person who trafficks in religion by inducing starving creatures to abandon a creed which they believe for one which in their hearts they reprobate, and this for some temporal consideration, be that meal, or money, or soup, or possession of a house or land.” This during the famine meant feeding the starving Catholics if they converted to Protestantism. These converts were christened ‘soupers’ or ‘jumpers’ by the remaining Catholic population in the area and people were said to have ‘taken the soup’ or ‘perverted’. This study aims to investigate some of the social implications which accompanied a person ‘taking the soup’. Where they treated differently in the community? Were the Catholic population willing to allow them to carry on with their lives like before? What, if any, was the response of the Catholic Church to these ‘jumpers’? It is important to note that the missions in Dingle and Dugort were well established by the time the famine struck Ireland, so this study will also aim to investigate how the proselytising efforts changed in these colonies. Did they attract more converts due to the famine? Did they use the famine to their advantage to bring more people in the Protestant fold? Another aspect to examine is exactly how successful were the proselytising efforts. A final facet that deserves attention in this study is whether these Missions or colonies actually had a more positive effect on the local community then negative. Did they provide people with the opportunity to save themselves from the ravages of the famine? In doing a study such 2013-08-10T20:33:09.827-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Proselytisation-during-the-Famine-34942.aspx Nangle of the myth of souperism Nangle and the myth of ‘Souperism’ The fourth area of criticism of Nangle’s life, and probably the most enduring one, is the allegation that he and the mission engaged in ‘Souperism.’ The term ‘souperism’ is pejorative and implies either that Nangle favoured Protestants first when it came to handing out relief aid and food during the Famine, or that food aid was used during the Famine to tempt or entice people to abandon their Catholicism and to become Protestants. The principle foundation for allegations of ‘souperism’ against Nangle and the mission arise from the visit of Mr and Mrs SC Hall to Achill in 1842, and their subsequent report of what they saw at Dugort in a large and widely-read book, Ireland, Its Scenery and Character. The Halls were disparaging in their account of the mission, and the damaging publicity their book brought to the mission was compounded further with the publication of Asenath Nicholson’s account of her visit to the island in 1845. [96] Nangle said the Halls were hardly in a position to evaluate his work having visited the island for less than two days, and the mission settlement for merely a few short minutes. We should remember too that that first visit to Achill by the Halls came a good four or five years before the Great Famine reached Achill, and Mrs Nicholson’s visit a year or two before the Famine reached the island. What is often forgotten is that the Halls returned to Achill once again in 1849 and paid tribute to the work of the mission staff during the crisis months of the famine, saying they were ‘indefatigable in their efforts to raise funds’ and ‘distributed with no sparing had to those who must otherwise have perished.’ [97] By 1853, the Halls were trying to avoid being drawn into comment on the island and advised visitors to make their own judgment; but by then Nangle had left Achill, and the allegation of ‘souperism’ dogged him for the rest of his life. Perhaps if we listen to the people of Achill rather than the Halls we might be better able to assess the nature of Nangle’s relief work. In March 1848, hundreds of people from Dooniver, Bullsmouth and Ballycroy approved a declaration of thanks to Canon Nangle for supplying them with potatoes and turnips from one of the mission farms in Inishbiggle; without the food, they said, they would have starved. 2013-08-10T20:26:44.47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nangle-of-the-myth-of-souperism-34941.aspx De Valera and Treaty Negotiations The decision of Eamon De Valera not to travel to the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations was a very contentious and divisive one. In this study I will attempt to figure out if this decision of De Valera’s had an influence on the outcome of the negotiations and I will also look at the possible reasons why De Valera came to the decision to stay at home. In order to fully comprehend the decision by De Valera to stay in Dublin during the Treaty negotiations, we must first look at the events which led up to these negotiations taking place. The war of independence had been raging on in Ireland and in the summer of 1921 the British government proposed a negotiation for peace in Ireland. This stemmed from the Kings speech in Belfast, where he was inaugurating the first Parliament of Northern Ireland. In it he spoke emotionally about striving for peace in Ireland. “’I speak from a full heart’, he said with emotion that no one who heard him forgot, ‘when I pray that my coming to Ireland today may prove to be the first step towards an end of strife amongst her peoples, whatever their race or creed. In that hope I appeal to all Irishmen to pause, to stretch out the hand of forbearance and conciliation, to forgive and forget and to join in making for the land which they love a new era of peace, contentment and goodwill.’” A truce came into effect on July 11th and on June 12th De Valera travelled to London for talks with British Prime Minister David Lloyd George. This began a series of four meetings in 10 Downing St. between de Valera and Lloyd George which began on 14 July and ended inconclusively on 21 July, when de Valera rejected an offer of what was in effect dominion status with safeguards for British defence interests. A prickly correspondence between the two men continued until 30 September, when de Valera accepted an invitation to a conference in London “with a view to ascertaining how the association of Ireland with the community of nations known as the British Empire may best be reconciled with Irish national aspirations” The talks were due to begin on October 11th, but De Valera decided that it should be Michael Collins and Arthur Griffiths who were to lead the delegation and not him. De Valera’s 2013-08-10T20:18:05.433-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/De-Valera-and-Treaty-Negotiations-34940.aspx De Cuellar's Letter When debating about how truthful Captain De Cuellar’s letter was about his time in Ireland, one must firstly state an opinion one way or the other. Whether it was an accurate account and its integrity stands up to scrutiny or aspects of it seem highly dubious and needs to be questioned. I believe it to be the latter. While clearly a lot of the account can be seen to be truthful, many details just don’t seem to fit or seem too unlikely to be the whole truth. It is true that most Spaniards washed ashore did not escape from Ireland with their lives and to do so was an extremely difficult task. “The fate of those who got ashore was not less miserable. Many had their brains knocked out as they lay stretched exhausted on the beaches where they had come ashore. Others wandered for a while in the desolate parts of the West until they were hunted down and slaughtered like wild beasts by parties of soldiers, or reluctantly handed over by their Irish hosts to English executioners.” Clearly escape from Ireland by any surviving Spaniard would consist of a general story like the one De Cuellar regales us with, but there certainly are aspects of his daring tale which leaves the reader questioning its validity. Over the course of this essay, we will examine the letter chronologically, picking out the stories and encounters which seem to be far-fetched or which do not seem to add up. It would be fair to say that while some of these stories need questioning, this does not necessarily mean that they are definitely false or untrue. The first aspect of Cuellar’s story which can be called into question is what happens after he escapes from the beach. “At the dawn of day I began to walk, little by little, searching for a monastery of monks, that I might repair to it or might recover in it as best I could, which I arrived at with much trouble and toil.” The issue with this is that Cuellar does not reveal how he knew about the monastery. The only encounter he had at this point was with two ‘native savages’, but clearly they would not have been able to converse with the Spanish captain. It might seem a bit trifling to point out such a little detail, and one could argue that 2013-08-10T20:11:10.76-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/De-Cuellar-s-Letter-34939.aspx The west's Influence on Early 20th Century China A more modern approach to Chinese history in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, focuses more on a China-centred approach, placing less importance on the role Western civilisations had in shaping China during this period. However one cannot escape the fact that the West had a massive influence in defining and shaping China in this period, more-so than internal Chinese influence. The West played a vital role in altering Chinese history from the period of time encompassing the Opium War, all the way to the eve of the revolution of 1911 and beyond. “China- truly a geographical and not a political expression before 1912- moved from being a ward, if not semi-colony, of the ‘great powers” to being a great power itself, recovering the sovereignty and autonomy that had been so severely limited in the latter stages of the Qing dynasty.” The West’s influence touched almost every aspect of China during this period. The change was caused by direct economic and political forces, which became “all penetrating, all permeating, all prevailing- durchdringend, as the Germans say- ultimately forcing their way into every part of Chinese society.” Over the course of this essay we will discuss how exactly the West influenced Chinese history and what specific areas of Chinese society and culture changed. To understand how foreign influence affected China in the early 20th century, we must first examine how the West had an effect on China during the late 19th century. The start of the change can be traced back to the Opium War of 1839-1842. This was the first of many wars that China fought with foreign powers up until the early 20th century. The Opium War in particular had a lasting effect on the Chinese economy. The major consequence of the war was that there was a massive degree of foreign control placed on China and the Treaty of Nanking, signed in 1842, placed indemnities on the country which saddled it with a great international debt. Britain in particular could now control China as it pleased and made changes to suit Britain’s own agenda. China ceded Hong Kong to Britain and opened five treaty ports. Another vital consequence of the Opium War was the end of any true power of the Manchu’s in governing China. It was in the best interest of foreign powers to support the Manchu’s enough to keep them in power, but in 2013-08-10T20:05:34.637-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-west-s-Influence-on-Early-20th-Century-China-34938.aspx Irish Barbarianism and1691 rebellion The English had long held views on the Irish as being a ‘barbaric’ people before the rebellion of 1641, but this rebellion served to intensify and bring to the fore these opinions. In order to fully comprehend the enhancing of these views from after the rebellion, one must fully understand what the pre-existing views were. The first and most prudent place to start when discussing these misconceptions of the Irish people and society is from the writings of Gerald of Wales. His descriptions of the native Irish was first published in the twelfth-century and were not even close to being objective. He describes the Irish as barbarous, rude, of living like beasts, amongst other things, all of which point to a wholly uncivilised society, which was inherently inferior to the English. “Irish ‘barbarism’, which ‘clung to them like a second nature’, was the product of the islands geographical isolation from the more advanced societies; and it manifested itself in both material poverty and moral depravity: ‘Thus, this people is a barbarous race, and true barbarous.....and all of their customs are barbarisms.’” Gerald’s writings were used by English historians, such as Edmund Spenser and John Davies, for centuries to come as the authoritative work on Irish society and history and supported their views on the ‘uncivilised Irish’. “As late as the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Giraldus defined the tradition of English writing on Ireland, being the most widely read authority on Irish customs as well as Irish history.” Spenser discusses certain characteristics of the Irish, which in his mind places them in an uncivilised category. His views on the appearances of the Irish are unfavourable. “They have another custome from the Scythians, that is the wearing of manteles and longe glebbes, which is a thicke curled bushe of heare, hanging downe over their eyes, and monstrously disguysinge them, which are both very badd and hurtfull.” An area of Irish custom which both Spenser and Davies found to be an issue in the advancement of the Irish civilisation was the practice of gavelkind and tanistry. These were practices which affected inheritance and the passing on of land back to the clan, rather than the family heir after death. “In this course went all theyr possessions, the chainge and translaccion whereof by soe manie elections and partitions was the cause that there were noe howses built nor townes erected among 2013-08-10T19:59:34.677-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Irish-Barbarianism-and1691-rebellion-34937.aspx Alexander's metamorphosis after the battle at Gaugamela in 331 BC? John Maxwell O’ Brien contends that Alexander the Great’s personality suffered a metamorphosis after the battle of Gaugamela in 331BC. This statement places O’ Brien on one side of an ongoing debate about the personality of Alexander. This contention is that Alexander was a good man and leader until he crossed into the East, where he became power-mad and corrupt. The other side of this argument has a more sympathetic view on Alexander’s behaviour in the East, whereby his actions can be explained as one of a cultural unifier. When discussing which side of these arguments holds more truth, one must discuss the elements of Alexander’s personality and behaviour after the Battle of Gaugamela, which gives credence to O’ Brien’s metamorphosis theory. The first and most obvious place to start is Alexander’s newfound ‘orientalism’, after his conquering of Persia. This included Alexander wearing elements of Persian dress, the appointment of 30,000 Persian ‘Epigoni’ and the attempted introduction of Persian customs, such as ‘proskynesis’. This caused much resentment towards Alexander from his Macedonian and Greek subjects, who saw this as Alexander favouring Persian ways over Macedonian. Issues arose from Alexander’s new Persian ideals such as bowing down before him (proskynesis), as Persians did to their King. This was something which the Macedonians were not accustomed to and “did not perform the act, considering it appropriate only for gods and, when performed for the Great King (who was not a god, though everything just short of it) as a mark of Oriental servility.” The historian Callisthenes was a loud voice in the objections to this practice and his denouncement of the act of proskynesis, and as he saw it, Alexander’s new god-like self-opinion, would find him implicated in a plot to assassinate Alexander. The ‘Pages Plot’ was important because it shows how formerly devoted followers of Alexander were suddenly compelled to plot against his life. The incident which supposedly led to this showed a difference in Alexander’s treatment of his people as Arrian described. “He was led to copy Persian extravagance and the habit of barbaric kings of treating their subjects as inferior beings.” Hermolaus orchestrated the plot because of his humiliating disciplining by the king after a hunting incident. When the plot was discovered Callisthenes was implicated and put to death like the others involved, although his involvement seemed unlikely. Before his death Hermolaus declared “That it is no 2013-08-10T19:53:16.12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Alexander-s-metamorphosis-after-the-battle-at-Gaugamela-in-331-BC-34936.aspx Cuban Missile crisis and Castro The Cuban Missile Crisis is widely considered as the closest the world has come to nuclear war. Former US Secretary of State Dean Rusk, called it “the most dangerous crisis the world has ever seen, the only time when the nuclear superpowers came ‘eyeball to eyeball’.” Over the years many people have analysed the causes the crisis, however most of the scholarship has regarded it as a conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, while the Cuban aspect has been pushed aside as a lesser involvement. However if one is to delve more deeply into the subject, it becomes blatantly obvious that the Cuban involvement in the standoff is of more significance than others have tried to claim. The common themes about the crisis’s origins have ranged from the Soviets desire to counter balance its strategic inferiority, to Khrushchev using Cuba as a platform to negotiate with America in matters outside of Cuba, specifically Berlin. “in part to offset American superiority in ICBM’s in part to protect Cuba and in part to salvage what remained of his foreign policy models, Khrushchev moved in the spring of 1962 to position intermediate range missiles in Cuba.” While these are valid points, the aspect which shall be examined in this study, deals with the hypothesis that the crisis stemmed from Cuban fears of a US invasion of the island. There are many valid reasons why Fidel Castro would have feared an invasion, which will be dealt with in chronological order over the course of the study. The first stems from Castro’s revolution, and the United States decision that he was too dangerous a neighbour to leave to his own devises. This will then lead onto US covert attempts to disrupt Castro’s government, and destabilise Cuba. Following this, the Bay of Pigs invasion of April 1961, is an extremely important incident which greatly contributed to Cuban fear and ultimately Soviet missiles being allowed on Cuban soil. The final aspect which needs close examination before the actual Cuban Missile Crisis took place in October 1962, was Operation Mongoose, a CIA undertaking which was “the covert effort engineered by Attorney General Robert Kennedy to disrupt the Cuban economy and stir unrest on the island.” When discussing the notion that the Cuban Missile Crisis was the result of American attempts to quash the Cuban revolution, we must first examine the revolution and its 2013-08-10T19:44:34.51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cuban-Missile-crisis-and-Castro-34935.aspx How the 1691 Irish rebellion inmtinsified the Irish reputation for barbarianism The English had long held views on the Irish as being a ‘barbaric’ people before the rebellion of 1641, but this rebellion served to intensify and bring to the fore these opinions. In order to fully comprehend the enhancing of these views from after the rebellion, one must fully understand what the pre-existing views were. The first and most prudent place to start when discussing these misconceptions of the Irish people and society is from the writings of Gerald of Wales. His descriptions of the native Irish was first published in the twelfth-century and were not even close to being objective. He describes the Irish as barbarous, rude, of living like beasts, amongst other things, all of which point to a wholly uncivilised society, which was inherently inferior to the English. “Irish ‘barbarism’, which ‘clung to them like a second nature’, was the product of the islands geographical isolation from the more advanced societies; and it manifested itself in both material poverty and moral depravity: ‘Thus, this people is a barbarous race, and true barbarous.....and all of their customs are barbarisms.’” Gerald’s writings were used by English historians, such as Edmund Spenser and John Davies, for centuries to come as the authoritative work on Irish society and history and supported their views on the ‘uncivilised Irish’. “As late as the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Giraldus defined the tradition of English writing on Ireland, being the most widely read authority on Irish customs as well as Irish history.” Spenser discusses certain characteristics of the Irish, which in his mind places them in an uncivilised category. His views on the appearances of the Irish are unfavourable. “They have another custome from the Scythians, that is the wearing of manteles and longe glebbes, which is a thicke curled bushe of heare, hanging downe over their eyes, and monstrously disguysinge them, which are both very badd and hurtfull.” An area of Irish custom which both Spenser and Davies found to be an issue in the advancement of the Irish civilisation was the practice of gavelkind and tanistry. These were practices which affected inheritance and the passing on of land back to the clan, rather than the family heir after death. “In this course went all theyr possessions, the chainge and translaccion whereof by soe manie elections and partitions was the cause that there were noe howses built nor townes erected among 2013-08-10T19:27:05.363-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-the-1691-Irish-rebellion-inmtinsified-the-Irish-reputation-for-barbarianism-34933.aspx Qianlong’s letter to King George III Qianlong is often criticized for not engaging more with the West and launching China more on the path to modernisation. This is most evident when Britain sent an embassy to China in 1793 led by Lord George Macartney to discuss the possibility of China opening up to more free trade with Britain. Qianlong rejected the idea of the opening up of China to trading more freely with Britain, and consequently the rest of the Western world, in his letter to King George III. “As to your entreaty to send one of your nationals to be accredited to my Celestial Court and to be in control of your country’s trade with China, this request is contrary to all usage of my dynasty and cannot possibly be entertained” This refusal to engage more with the West caused European’s view of China to change. There was a lot of admiration for China in the West up to this period for their inventions, but this view was changing because of China’s seeming unwillingness to improve or develop towards a more Western view of modernity. “In the late eighteenth century, Western views of China shifted from admiration to contempt” The West was starting to view China as inferior to themselves, “because at the time the West had come to define itself in terms of, and derive a strong sense of superiority from, its undoubted technological power” This change of opinion was dangerous for China because as the West grew more technological and consequently more powerful they realised China was stagnant and in relation to themselves, weak. Even though King George’s embassy failed in getting China to open up for more trade with Britain, the information acquired by Macartney was invaluable. They discovered the low state of China’s medical and scientific knowledge, the indifference of the literati class to material progress, the poverty of the masses, and most importantly the backwardness of an army which still used bows and arrows and lacked modern firearms. At this time Britain was the strongest state in the world and discovering that China was not developing at the same rate as themselves meant that if Britain wanted, they could simply overpower China and force them to bend to their will. The Western nations were finding the restrictive trading at Canton very irritating and directly at odds with their free world market ideals. It can therefore be 2013-08-10T19:19:12.917-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Qianlong’s-letter-to-King-George-III-34932.aspx Discuss the possible reasons for Eamon De Valera not travelling to the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Did his absence from the delegation alter the outcome of the negotiations The decision of Eamon De Valera not to travel to the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations was a very contentious and divisive one. In this study I will attempt to figure out if this decision of De Valera’s had an influence on the outcome of the negotiations and I will also look at the possible reasons why De Valera came to the decision to stay at home. In order to fully comprehend the decision by De Valera to stay in Dublin during the Treaty negotiations, we must first look at the events which led up to these negotiations taking place. The war of independence had been raging on in Ireland and in the summer of 1921 the British government proposed a negotiation for peace in Ireland. This stemmed from the Kings speech in Belfast, where he was inaugurating the first Parliament of Northern Ireland. In it he spoke emotionally about striving for peace in Ireland. “’I speak from a full heart’, he said with emotion that no one who heard him forgot, ‘when I pray that my coming to Ireland today may prove to be the first step towards an end of strife amongst her peoples, whatever their race or creed. In that hope I appeal to all Irishmen to pause, to stretch out the hand of forbearance and conciliation, to forgive and forget and to join in making for the land which they love a new era of peace, contentment and goodwill.’” A truce came into effect on July 11th and on June 12th De Valera travelled to London for talks with British Prime Minister David Lloyd George. This began a series of four meetings in 10 Downing St. between de Valera and Lloyd George which began on 14 July and ended inconclusively on 21 July, when de Valera rejected an offer of what was in effect dominion status with safeguards for British defence interests. A prickly correspondence between the two men continued until 30 September, when de Valera accepted an invitation to a conference in London “with a view to ascertaining how the association of Ireland with the community of nations known as the British Empire may best be reconciled with Irish national aspirations” The talks were due to begin on October 11th, but De Valera decided that it should be Michael Collins and Arthur Griffiths who were to lead the delegation and not him. De Valera’s 2013-08-10T19:13:07.34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Discuss-the-possible-reasons-for-Eamon-De-Valera-not-travelling-to-the-Anglo-Irish-Treaty-negotiations_-Did-his-absence-from-the-delegation-alter-the-outcome-of-the-negotiations-34931.aspx Discuss the historical debates that have developed in relation to ‘The 1916 Rising’ and ‘Irish Neutrality’. Over the course of this essay we will discuss and contrast the historical debates which have developed over time, relating to both the 1916 Easter Rising and Irish Neutrality. To be able to achieve this objective, it is vital to consider the changes in the way historical scholarship has developed over time and also discuss under what circumstances these refreshed historical viewpoints are taken. As well as this, an important question one must consider in a study like this is where the author is coming from, what his or her motives might be and whether or not his or her challenge to existing accepted writings is valid. We must also consider in what context certain points of view were taken and judge these views from when they were taken. “to concentrate on relating the past to the present while neglecting the task of understanding the past in its own terms is to over-simplify and, in effect, to distort the past.” Modern Irish history offers the historian a wide range of interpretation, which obviously leads to a healthy amount of debate and argument in academic circles. These debates in turn, offer the opportunity for examination on the various, differing viewpoints which are presented. The logical way to tackle these two debates is to examine them each individually, but linking them in terms of how their historiography has grown. An additional point to make here is that often when analysing important Irish historical events, one tends to think of them in Irish terms. Yet important opinions are brought forward from overseas, in relation to Ireland and these are vital to the growth of debate. The obvious example of this relates to Irish Neutrality which will be explored in more detail later. We will first examine the debate on the Easter Rising of 1916. The 1916 Easter Rising has long sparked plenty of debate and revision on pre-existing viewpoints on its meaning and consequences. For a long time it was an area which remained unexamined by Irish historians, on the most part because it stirred up nationalistic feeling so vehemently. “Historians see their task as being not only to study the past through its surviving evidence, to interpret it and (as best they can) to breathe new life into it; they also examine, question and modify existing interpretations. It is the latter activity which has provoked a hostile reaction in some 2013-08-10T19:07:51.33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Discuss-the-historical-debates-that-have-developed-in-relation-to-‘The-1916-Rising’-and-‘Irish-Neutrality’_-34930.aspx Park Chung-hee transformed South Korea in the aftermath of the Korean War. Discuss Park Chung-Hee is a very controversial figure in Korean history. One the one hand he was a harsh authoritarian dictator who’s regime adopted repressive measures to suspend the democracy and disregard the human rights of the South Korean people. However, he is also credited as being the man who rebuilt South Korea after the devastation of the Korean War. Through his vision and forceful conviction he transformed a people who had traditionally valued poetry and ceremony over manual labour into a cohesive nation of workaholics. In order to fully understand Park’s successes in transforming South Korea we must first understand the conditions which existed in the country before he came into power and then explore what measures he put in place to create the transformation of South Korea. When he assumed power in 1961, South Korea was the most threatened country in the world. It had been devastated by the Korean War just a few years previously, its economy was one of the poorest in the world and it was thought at the time that it could not become economically viable, unless North and South Korea were unified. “James W. Morley wrote in 1965 that South Korea had still not ‘taken off’: ‘it has made little progress. It has remained politically unstable and economically prostrate.......The day when it can be more of a ward of the United States not only has not dawned but cannot know be foreseen.’” South Korea also faced a formidable opponent. North Korea had greater natural resources, superior industrial power, was seemingly more politically stable and had the backing of China and the Soviet Union. “North Korea was growing and industrializing rapidly, with its people better fed and housed than ever before.” In contrast to Syngman Rhee, a predecessor to Park Chung-Hee, Park was committed to a vision of national wealth and power through economic development. Rhee was more interested in increasing the military might of South Korea, so the economic development of the country was not his main priority. Kim Il Sung was also focusing massively on military superiority in the North, so obviously Park could not deprioritize the military might of South Korea to a large extent. “Park shared Syngman Rhee’s virulent anti-Communism; however, unlike Rhee he had a clear vision and plan for the economic development of the country. He believed that development was the key to moving Korean society forward, but 2013-08-10T18:54:54.3-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Park-Chung-hee-transformed-South-Korea-in-the-aftermath-of-the-Korean-War_-Discuss-34928.aspx Access the short term impact (down to the late 1950s) of the European Recovery Programme (or Marshall Aid) on the economy of the 26 counties of Ireland The Marshall Plan was created to help stimulate European economies after the destruction of the second world war. America viewed the recovery of Europe as vital because healthy European economies, which were allies of the US, would also help the US economically, as well as politically in the ever increasing tension surrounding the Cold War. “The Marshall plan rested squarely on the American conviction that European economic recovery was essential to the long term interests of the United States.” Ireland was granted American aid despite the vast amount of American ill-will towards the country because of Ireland’s neutrality during the war. The reason for this was that the US saw Ireland as being an essential part of the economic growth of Britain. “American policy-makers regarded Ireland as a potential supplier of much-needed food exports to Britain and other countries in Western Europe, reducing their reliance on imports from the United States.” Over the period of time from 1947-1952, Ireland received loans amounting to $128m, grants amounting to $18, and technical assistance (TAP) of around half a million dollars. The short term impact of this aid is most easily comprehended by firstly examining the loan and grant payments and then examining and the TAP impact on the Irish economy. The first aspect of Marshall aid to be examined is the loans and grants received. It is important to firstly differentiate between the loans and grants. Loans would have to be paid back to America, while grants would not. This is important because by giving most of the aid in loans rather than grants, the US seriously degraded the amount of influence they actually had on how the money was to be spent. This meant that the Irish government could use this money without US approval. “If loaned, then the recipient country’s government determined how the counterpart funds should be spent. If granted, the expenditure of counterpart funds had to be agreed between the recipient government and the US authorities.” The loan funds were used by the inter-party government primarily to fund five projects. These were “the land reclamation project, expenditure under the 1949 Local Authorities Act, grants for harbour improvements, advances for mineral development schemes and investment in the stock of ACC.” Despite the Department of Finance’s preference of directing the funds towards debt retirement, the government decided that investment in the country’s infrastructure and natural 2013-08-10T18:47:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Access-the-short-term-impact-down-to-the-late-1950s-of-the-European-Recovery-Programme-or-Marshall-Aid-on-the-economy-of-the-26-counties-of-Ireland-34927.aspx Surrender and Re-grant in Tudor Ireland: fact and myth During the Tudor period of Irish history there was an unprecedented level of warfare and brutality which resulted in the destruction of the old Gaelic political order. However during this period of harsh fighting, there was a more civil policy pursued by Henry VIII historians have titled ‘surrender and regrant’. This policy sought to integrate individual Irish lords, both politically and culturally into the Tudor state. The Tudor government introduced this broad initiative in Ireland in the 1540s in order to try and extend and expand English control over Ireland. Its aim was to “incorporate the Gaelic lordships by consent into a new fully anglicized kingdom of Ireland comprising the whole island. To this end the Gaelic chiefs had to be induced to hold their lands of the King and the king to forgo many of his ancient but unrealizable feudal claims (a concession which he had refused in 1520) in return for full recognition of his sovereignty.” This policy was a device for lasting social, political and constitutional change and it provided the elements for the merging of the Anglo-Irish and Gaelic population of Ireland into an expanding Tudor state. In 1541 the English crown departed from its medieval relationship with Irish Gaelic leaders by recognizing them as English subjects, following their submission to King Henry VIII. What was also a massive change was the willingness of these independent Gaelic chiefs to be subjects of the crown and to abandon their Irish titles in favour of English ones. Added to this was the satisfaction of the Anglo-Irish population, who saw this as a possible end to the hostility shown towards them by the Gaelic population at the time. In order for the policy to come into effect the Irish “chiefs were to surrender their lands to the crown, and to receive them back again by letters patent, to hold in accordance with English law.” In addition to the surrendering of land the Irish chieftains also had to renounce the Roman Catholic church and convert to Henry’s new Anglican church. “The Irish chiefs, under Grey, agreed to accept the overlordship of a king who demanded the observance of his fashions, the payment of his tributes, and the renunciation of any rivals, particularly the Pope.” Anthony St. Leger was the new English Governor of Ireland at the time and it was his responsibility to launch the “surrender and regrant” 2013-08-10T18:39:23.31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Surrender-and-Re-grant-in-Tudor-Ireland-fact-and-myth-34926.aspx To what extent did domestic politics influence President Johnson’s decisions to escalate the war? It is a fair comment to acknowledge that President Johnson’s decision to escalate the war in Vietnam was influenced by domestic politics. Clearly it is the case that all President’s foreign policy decisions are somewhat affected by domestic politics, this was abundantly clear in the case of Johnson. The most obvious and clear example of this in Johnson case, is related to his Great Society legislation. There is an expression often used in relation to Johnsons stance on both the war in Vietnam and the Great Society legislation, that he wanted his “guns and his butter”. The Great Society dealt with issues with affected the poor and the minorities in America, including the environment, education, poverty, etc. This bill had just started to go through the process of getting through congress. Johnson felt at the time that he had a two year window of opportunity to get this legislation through Congress, however he was fearful that the scale of escalation that he was planning for Vietnam, would mean that he would have to scale back on the Great Society. He was well aware that similar programs were being put in place by Wilson and Roosevelt, before they were put on the back burner, because of the wars in which they were engaged. “With the Medicare and voting rights bills before Congress, with the Great Society still unfinished, LBJ would not convert to a war footing, would not sacrifice his domestic agenda. Franklin Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson had both become war presidents; they had abandoned the New Deal and the New Freedom to achieve military victories. Johnson would not make that sacrifice” Johnson realised that if he was to raise the issue of the true costs of the escalation of the war that he would not be able to go through with his Great Society plan. Many Southern Senators who would use it as an excuse to block civil rights legislation, also many would demand a betting balancing of the books. “And so- to avoid a Vietnam versus Great Society debate that might destroy his social and civil rights legislation- Johnson (shutting Bundy up) signed off on Westmoreland’s minimum numbers, but sidled into war with minimum fuss: no prime-time speech, no new resolution, no call-up of reserves, no tax increase, no drumming up of support. Announce at noon: ‘No change in policy’.” For this reason he decided to keep the escalation of 2013-08-10T18:32:54.93-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/To-what-extent-did-domestic-politics-influence-President-Johnson’s-decisions-to-escalate-the-war-34925.aspx Why was Christian Europe was slow to react to the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and the continuing threat from the Ottoman Turks Christian Europe was slow to react to the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and the continuing threat from the Ottoman Turks. There were a number of reasons for this reaction. The first major reason was that there was a not a lot of unity in the Western European states and they were either fighting wars against other Christian nations or fighting civil wars. They were too preoccupied in their own affairs to go on a religious crusade. The second reason was simply fear. The Western countries had faced these Ottoman Turks in the battlefield at Nicopolis in 1396 and had lost comprehensively. The memories of this loss and the slaughter of the Christian forces remained in the minds of the defeated nations for a long time. The final reason for the inaction of Western Christian countries was the presence of Hungary. The Hungarians provided a blockade for the Western Europeans and prevented the Ottomans from marching into more Central and Western Europe and they defended their country very well for a long period of time. The first aspect to look at when dealing with this question was the disunity between the Western nations. For the Christian nations to be able to defeat the Turks they would have to be unified. “It was of course necessary to drive the Turks from the Danube line, which only a coalition of Christian states could accomplish.” The Christian states were anything but unified at the time. England and France were engaged in a long war with each other. While this Hundred Years War was happening England and France were not concerned with any other European problems. It was recognised at the time that in order for a holy war to be fought, peace between these countries was needed. Efforts were made by numerous Popes to try to end this conflict. “Oh, how much better to fight against the Turkish enemies of our faith than the present fratricidal strife.” Also this war was draining both France and England of resources so they could not financially support a potential religious war with the Ottomans until their own issues were resolved. The Spanish were too busy fighting Muslims on their own soil to be concerned with the Turks on the other side of Europe. Another reason for the Western inaction was fear. This fear of the Ottomans was instilled into the minds of the Western 2013-08-10T18:26:23.587-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Why-was-Christian-Europe-was-slow-to-react-to-the-fall-of-Constantinople-in-1453-and-the-continuing-threat-from-the-Ottoman-Turks-34924.aspx Compare and contrast the presentation of Themistocles and Aristides in Plutarch’s Lives In Plutarch’s Lives, Plutarch sets out to parallel lives of historically important people from Greek and Roman history. The common theme is comparing a Greek figure with a Roman one. However, because some of the people written about are living during the same time as each other, it is also possible to compare how Plutarch presents them. This is true of Greek figures Themistocles and Aristides, who were paired off with Roman figures Camillus and Cato the elder respectively. They were rivals in Athenian politics and Plutarch actually compares them directly in their biographies. These comparisons are not uncommon in Plutarch. There are certain aspects to how they are presented by Plutarch which need some analysis. The first thing that is noticeable is the different presentation of Themistocles from his own biography to that of Aristides. In Themistocles, he is portrayed as a young man lacking direction, who is roused by the great Greek victory over the Persians at Marathon. “....though he was still a young man when the battle at Marathon was fought and the generalship of Miltades was in everybody’s mouth, he was seen thereafter to be wrapped in his own thoughts for the most parts, and was sleepless o’ nights, and refused invitations to his customary drinking parties” [3.3]. This is in sharp contrast to Plutarch’s portrayal of him in Aristides. In this biography Plutarch shows that Aristides and Themistocles had a long engaging political rivalry which preceded the battle of Marathon. “However, since Themistocles was a reckless agitator, and opposed and thwarted him in every measure of state, Aristides himself was almost compelled- partly in self-defence, and partly to curtail his adversary’s power, which was increasing through the favour of the many- to set himself in opposition to what Themistocles was trying to do” [3.1]. A possible reason for this could be that Plutarch’s wrote Aristides much later then he wrote Themistocles. This is important because it shows how Plutarch’s writing could be influenced by his sources. When he wrote Themistocles he was more influenced by the writing of Herodotus and Thucydides. “At the time, therefore, when Plutarch wrote this life of Themistocles, a time when he was much more under the influence of Herodotus, Thucydides, and contemporary witnesses to the career of his hero then when he wrote the much later life of Aristides”. While writing Aristides he is more influenced by history which 2013-08-10T18:20:25.66-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Compare-and-contrast-the-presentation-of-Themistocles-and-Aristides-in-Plutarch’s-Lives-34923.aspx Why was the Tet Offensive of such significant importance? The 1968 Tet Offensive is widely regarded as the most significant event which occurred during the Vietnam War and a major turning point. The United States had been fighting a ground war in Vietnam for three years prior to the launching of the Tet offensive in January 1968. The Tet offensive was a stark change in strategy by the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the Vietcong, who had been fighting a guerrilla campaign up to this point. “Communists used new weapons, new tactics and actually stayed to fight for prolonged periods.” Over the course of this essay many important questions will be posed which are vital, in terms of understanding why Tet was of such massive importance. What aims did the North Vietnamese government have for the Tet offensive and what did they expect it to achieve? Did they achieve these goals? What role did the US media have to play in altering the popular opinion of the US population on the war? How much of an impact did US grandstanding and deception to the US people before the Tet offensive, have on the losing the people’s trust in their ability to win the war? We will first look at what the planning process of the North Vietnamese was and discuss what they hoped to achieve with the attacks. The North Vietnamese had not taken the decision to launch this attack lightly and the original plan for what they called ‘The General Offensive-General Uprising’ was created by General Nguyen Chi Thanh. It called for “amassing both military and political strength to carry out a series of surprise attacks in places where the enemy least expected, specifically Saigon, Hue and Danang; drawing out and striking at US forces in the mountainous region of Tri Thien, Tay Nguyen(Central Highlands) and in the south-east region.” “The decision to embark on the General Offensive-General Uprising was not taken at one particular meeting. Rather it was a process which began in Spring 1967 when the Vietnamese communist leadership came to accept that it could not afford to prolong the war indefinitely.” It was only after Thanh’s death on 6 July 1967, that Defence Minister Vo Nguyen Giap took control of overseeing the application of the plan. The ultimate communist aim for Tet before it was enacted was that they were striving for “a withdrawal of American forces from South Vietnam to 2013-08-10T18:14:26.08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Why-was-the-Tet-Offensive-of-such-significant-importance-34922.aspx Book review on 'Jugding Dev' by Diarmuid Ferriter ‘Judging Dev’ is a recently produced book written by Irish historian Diarmuid Ferriter on the life and political career of Eamon De Valera. While there have been many books and biographies written on De Valera, Ferriter’s is the first to be written with the advantage of using previously unattainable personal correspondences, documents and pictures of De Valera. Could it be described as a complete work on De Valera’s life? The short answer is no. While beautifully produced with an abundance of never before seen personal photographs and documents released from the National Archives, these make up roughly around two thirds of a three hundred and seventy page book. To put it in simple terms, the volume written on De Valera in this book could never suffice to do justice to the life of this Irish political Behemoth. To be fair to Ferriter, he does not claim this book to be a definitive account of the life of De Valera. The aim of Ferriter in this book was to revise the life of De Valera, and to give a more balanced account on his legacy then he has been receiving in more recent times. This is not a historical book aimed at the academic world, but is written and produced in a way which makes it accessible to all. De Valera has always been a character which has divided opinion, from families and neighbours from every parish in the country, right up to distinguished Irish historians who would be considered experts in their fields. There has been a swing over the last two decades in how De Valera’s legacy has been perceived and written about. In the late sixties, early seventies a biography of De Valera entitled ‘Eamon De Valera’, was written by the Earl of Longford and Thomas P. O’ Neill, which was rather favourable towards De Valera. This view on De Valera was countered by Tim Pat Coogan’s biography ‘De Valera: Long Fellow, Long Shadow’, which was produced in 1993. This book was extremely critical on the life and career of De Valera. What Ferriter is trying to do in this book is to rebalance the more recent negative views on De Valera. He is not trying to swing the pendulum back to an overly positive view on De Valera, like the account given by Longford and O’ Neill, but rather find an honest middle ground on the subject. 2013-08-10T18:07:34.833-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Book-review-on-Jugding-Dev-by-Diarmuid-Ferriter-34921.aspx Scipio Africanus: The Greatest Roman General When trying to decide on the greatest roman general, there are a few outstanding candidates to put forward for nomination. Julius Caesar, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Pompey the Great and Scipio Africanus are some generals who could all make a legitimate claim for this title. To properly judge who was the greatest, many different categories needed to be closely examined and also many elements are shared amongst them which contributed to their greatness. These elements include such things as strategic and tactical excellence, charismatic leadership, their victory records, personal courage, intellect and knowledge into the strengths and weaknesses of their opposition. Indeed another aspect which had to be considered was the actual calibre of the men they were pitted against and the strength of the armies they had to militarily overcome. With all these considerations taken into account, Scipio Africanus would seem to be the outstanding candidate to be called the greatest roman general. There are several vital aspects of Scipio Africanus’ career which elevates him into the role of greatest. Over the course of this essay we will explore a specific aspect of Scipio’s career, which highlight his military brilliance. The first aspect to examine is the early career of Scipio, where in the Second Punic War, a young Scipio showed his character and willingness to lead in situations where others had already failed or were unwilling to take on the responsibility of leadership for the rest of the war in Spain. “.....that no one dared to take the command in Spain. When suddenly Publius Cornelius, son of Publius who had fallen in Spain, who was about twenty-four years of age, declared himself a candidate, and took his station on a eminence by which he could be seen by all.” Scipio arrived in Spain in 210BC, and soon set about showing Rome and other Roman generals that victory did not lie solely in numbers. He decided that with an army of far less numbers than that of the various Carthaginian armies, the best way to make an impact in Spain was not to take the Carthaginian armies on one by one, but to launch a masterful surprise attack on the Carthaginian stronghold at New Carthage. This is where Scipio shows his first sign of military genius. He carefully planned out a brilliant strategy that would lead to the Roman capture of the almost impenetrable New Cartage. This included marching 2013-08-10T18:01:04.24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Scipio-Africanus-The-Greatest-Roman-General-34920.aspx Padraig Pearse and why he has been an attractive subject for biographers Introduction Padraig Pearse has been an attractive subject for many biographers for numerous reasons. The most important of these is the fact that there have been many different and conflicting viewpoints on his life. Opinion on the man has changed dramatically in the last thirty years or so, as more objective studies have been done on his life. For instance, there have been questions raised on topics such as his position on the righteousness of the rebellion, the views he held on violence and bloodshed and his overall consistency in what he said and done. Secondly Pearse was an important figure in the role of educationalist and a central figure in the revival of Irish culture and language. Finally, Pearse also had a very complex personality. His actions and his words were often contradictory, which gave later biographers, such as Ruth Dudley Edwards and Sean Farrell Moran great scope to challenge the myth, as they saw it, of Padraig Pearse. Main Body As stated above there have been many different and conflicting views on Pearse’s life. Up until the nineteen sixties his character was revered in biographies and writings. This can be attributed to a few factors. Firstly, Irish biographers were mostly sympathetic towards republican subjects. Perhaps a notion existed where they thought anything other than a glowing, heroic account of republican revolutionaries, would not be well received by the public at large. Moreover it is plausible 2013-08-10T17:55:19.737-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Padraig-Pearse-and-why-he-has-been-an-attractive-subject-for-biographers-34919.aspx Investigation into Proselytisation during the Famine years in Dingle, Co. Kerry & Dugort, Achill Island, Co. Mayo: A Case Study Table of Contents Table of Contents...................................................................................................2 1. Introduction........................................................................................................3 2. Literature Review...............................................................................................7 2.1 Secondary Material...........................................................................................7 2.2 Primary Material..............................................................................................13 3. Findings and Analysis........................................................................................18 3.1 Proof of ‘souperism’........................................................................................18 3.2 Social Implications...........................................................................................19 3.3 Success of Colonies..........................................................................................21 3.4 Positive Effects.................................................................................................22 4. Conclusions........................................................................................................25 5. Bibliography.......................................................................................................27 Introduction This case study into proselytisation during the famine years in Dingle and Achill Island provides a wide area of scope for the historian to examine. It is necessary to outline what particular areas shall be examined over the course of the study and what the aims of the study are. It is also vital to outline a brief summery about how this study will be structured. The first aim of the study is to examine the contention that ‘souperism’ was in fact prevalent in these areas before and during the famine. ‘Souperism’ was the term given to the practice of Protestant clergy and landowners of trying to convert Catholics by means of granting them material gain. Fr. Patrick Lavelle of Partry, Co. Mayo gave a vivid description of the term during a court case in 1860. “a person who trafficks in religion by inducing starving creatures to abandon a creed which they believe for one which in their hearts they reprobate, and this for some temporal consideration, be that meal, or money, or soup, or possession of a house or land.” This during the famine meant feeding the starving Catholics if they converted to Protestantism. These converts were christened ‘soupers’ or ‘jumpers’ by the remaining Catholic population in the area and people were said to have ‘taken the soup’ or ‘perverted’. This study aims to investigate some of the social implications which accompanied a person ‘taking the soup’. Where they treated differently in the community? Were the Catholic population willing to allow them to carry on with their lives like before? What, if any, was the response of the Catholic Church to these ‘jumpers’? It is important to note that the missions in Dingle and Dugort were well established by the time the famine struck Ireland, so this study will also aim to investigate how the proselytising efforts changed in these colonies. Did they attract more converts due to the famine? Did they use the famine to their advantage to bring more people in the Protestant fold? Another aspect to examine is exactly how successful were the proselytising efforts. A final facet that deserves attention in this study is whether these Missions or colonies actually had a more positive effect on the 2013-08-10T17:41:43.25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Investigation-into-Proselytisation-during-the-Famine-years-in-Dingle,-Co_-Kerry-Dugort,-Achill-Island,-Co_-Mayo-A-Case-Study-34917.aspx To what extent was there an Ulster dimension to the Irish problem prior to the crisis over the Third Home Rule Bill? When discussing the ‘Irish Question’, one must consider the ‘Ulster Question’ as being paramount to the understanding of the complexities of the problem. The problem in question is the contentious issue of Irish Home Rule. The Ulster dimension of this, very basically, stems from the fact that there was a Protestant majority in Ulster, and if they were to be governed by Dublin then they feared their interests would not be accounted for by the Irish Nationalists in power. This is the very simplified and broad view on the issue, which has had a vast amount of academic scrutiny over the years. The issues are far more complex and deep than to simply take this view as the only issue, with many different aspects which need to be examined. In order to get to the crux of these issues, one must firstly discuss the trigger which set off the fear in Ulster of Home Rule for the whole of the island of Ireland. In 1884, Charles Stewart Parnell’s Irish Parliamentary Party turned their attention towards gaining Home Rule for Ireland. “With the land issue beginning to resolve itself Parnell concentrated on the political aim of Home Rule and, with the aid of his new National League, Nationalism was properly organised at constituency level.” This party pledged to act and vote in unison, which would was to be of great importance to gain influence in Westminster. The question for Parnell now was who to align the party with in Westminster, to best serve the ambitions of the IPP. In the end his mind was made up for him by the actions of the Liberal party’s leader, W. E. Gladstone. His son Herbert declared in the press that his father had converted his stance and was now in favour of granting Home Rule to Ireland. The power the IPP had at the time was that they had enough seats in parliament to decide who would have power in Britain. “The 1885 general election gave the Liberals 335 seats, the Conservatives 249 seats and the Home Rule party 86 seats. Parnell held the exact balance with his 86 seats, but while he was considering the best strategy for the new parliament, a bizarre incident took place which tied him to the Liberal party. On 17 December Gladstone’s son disclosed to the press that his father had been converted to Home Rule.” 2013-08-10T17:35:39.907-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/To-what-extent-was-there-an-Ulster-dimension-to-the-Irish-problem-prior-to-the-crisis-over-the-Third-Home-Rule-Bill-34916.aspx To what extent was German unification under Prussian leadership an inevitable outcome and the only solution to the German national question? Germany became united under Prussian leadership in 1871, however it is debatable if this unification under Prussia was an inevitable outcome. When considering the question of German unification, the immediate person who comes to mind is Otto Von Bismarck, the Prussian chancellor. In understanding why there was some sort of inevitability in Prussian control of Germany, the events leading up to its unification must be closely examined. There is no doubt that Bismarck’s actions were the defining factors which created German unity and without him the German Empire would not have come to pass at the exact time and under the circumstances which it did. “If he had never risen to the top in Prussian politics, the unification of Germany would probably have taken place anyway, but surely not at the same time or in quite the same way that it did.” This quote is interesting because Craig contents that German unification was destined to occur with or without Bismarck’s influence and that his task was made easier by circumstance. There are many historians who contend that many other factors contributed to German unification before Bismarck. Events in Europe during this time were contributing to German people desire for unification. One factor which could have influenced German unification was the Italian struggle for unification around the same time. This served as a source of inspiration for German liberals who were supportive of unification in Germany. “Italy stirred emotions in Germany more deeply than the Crimea and proved a great stimulus to national feeling.” Also Napoleon, by invading German territory, served as a reminder to the German people in the various states that, independently they were defenceless, but together they could be a military match for would be invaders. They would have to unify to successfully drive the French out of their lands and this was another reason why Germans were more readily favouring unity. Regardless of these factors which made some Germans more open to unity, there is no getting away from the fact that once certain events occurred leading up to the eventual unification, that it was inevitable that Prussia would be the dominant force in Germany and the cause of the unification. The first of these factors that needs to be examined is the economic reality of the German states and Prussia. Under Bismarck the Prussian economy grew rapidly during the period leading 2013-08-10T17:29:31.29-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/To-what-extent-was-German-unification-under-Prussian-leadership-an-inevitable-outcome-and-the-only-solution-to-the-German-national-question-34915.aspx Book review on “A Shorter Illustrated History of Ulster” by Jonathan Bardon “A Shorter Illustrated History of Ulster” is a book written and produced in 1996 by Irish historian Jonathan Bardon. This book is a follow-up to Bardon’s earlier produced “History of Ulster”, with the chief differences between the books being that, as the title would suggest, “A Shorter Illustrated History” is a more concise, less detailed effort, which uses a vast array of images, maps and drawings, which are not present in the original. The book undertakes the task of retelling the entire history of Ulster from as far back as history can recall, to the days when it was penned in 1996. The book is structured chronologically, as is the only viable option when an author is undertaking the task of writing a complete history of a specific region. Bardon throughout the book focuses on the political, cultural and economic history of the province. Roughly the first half of the book deals with the part of Ulster history before the creation of the Northern Irish state, with the latter half primarily dealing with the six counties. In the earlier chapters, Bardon gives a basic outline on very early Ulster, but his approach in summarising these early events, is an indicator to how the book as a whole is constructed. The first aspect to look at is his use of sources. Throughout the book, Bardon uses both primary and secondary source material. An early example of secondary material can be found in Chapter two dealing with Viking invasion, Norman conquest and Gaelic recovery, where he uses the words of Norman chronicler Gerald of Wales to help make his point valid. “They showered down a hail of arrows and spears at long range............came up to the knees and legs of their pursuers”. This use of primary source material is seen again and again throughout the book, examples including personal correspondence, newspaper reports, medical reports, etc. Perellos’s writing gives a fine example of Bardon’s use of primary material. “He held a great court in their fashion which to us seems very strange for someone of his status.....his table was of rushes spread out on the ground while nearby they placed delicate grass for him to wipe his mouth” One of the positives of the book is the clear and lucid style it is written in. Bardon is a natural storyteller and the reader is kept engaged and enthralled throughout. “On a clear day 2013-08-10T17:23:47.957-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Book-review-on-“A-Shorter-Illustrated-History-of-Ulster”-by-Jonathan-Bardon-34914.aspx Was the cuban missile crisis the result of Castro's fear of a US invasion The Cuban Missile Crisis is widely considered as the closest the world has come to nuclear war. Former US Secretary of State Dean Rusk, called it “the most dangerous crisis the world has ever seen, the only time when the nuclear superpowers came ‘eyeball to eyeball’.” Over the years many people have analysed the causes the crisis, however most of the scholarship has regarded it as a conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, while the Cuban aspect has been pushed aside as a lesser involvement. However if one is to delve more deeply into the subject, it becomes blatantly obvious that the Cuban involvement in the standoff is of more significance than others have tried to claim. The common themes about the crisis’s origins have ranged from the Soviets desire to counter balance its strategic inferiority, to Khrushchev using Cuba as a platform to negotiate with America in matters outside of Cuba, specifically Berlin. “in part to offset American superiority in ICBM’s in part to protect Cuba and in part to salvage what remained of his foreign policy models, Khrushchev moved in the spring of 1962 to position intermediate range missiles in Cuba.” While these are valid points, the aspect which shall be examined in this study, deals with the hypothesis that the crisis stemmed from Cuban fears of a US invasion of the island. There are many valid reasons why Fidel Castro would have feared an invasion, which will be dealt with in chronological order over the course of the study. The first stems from Castro’s revolution, and the United States decision that he was too dangerous a neighbour to leave to his own devises. This will then lead onto US covert attempts to disrupt Castro’s government, and destabilise Cuba. Following this, the Bay of Pigs invasion of April 1961, is an extremely important incident which greatly contributed to Cuban fear and ultimately Soviet missiles being allowed on Cuban soil. The final aspect which needs close examination before the actual Cuban Missile Crisis took place in October 1962, was Operation Mongoose, a CIA undertaking which was “the covert effort engineered by Attorney General Robert Kennedy to disrupt the Cuban economy and stir unrest on the island.” When discussing the notion that the Cuban Missile Crisis was the result of American attempts to quash the Cuban revolution, we must first examine the revolution and its 2013-08-10T17:17:42.047-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Was-the-cuban-missile-crisis-the-result-of-Castro-s-fear-of-a-US-invasion-34913.aspx Outline the main interpretations of the French Revolution The French Revolution was the fundamental event of European history in the eighteenth century. There are two main interpretations of its causes and consequences. These are firstly, the Classic or Marxist interpretation and secondly, the Revisionist interpretation. These two interpretations differ substantially to each other in explaining the origins of the Revolution. The Classic interpretation of the Revolution is a view that was held by many historians for much of the twentieth century. These notably included French historians Georges Lefebvre and Albert Soboul. They viewed the Revolution in socioeconomic terms. This concept asserts that the Revolution was a bourgeois revolution, driven by class conflict, which swept away the political structures of feudalism and cleared the way for the development of capitalism. This viewpoint maintains that “The Revolution is the culmination of a long social evolution, itself economically driven. It marks a turning point in economic history, too: the transition from feudalism to capitalism.” There is a clear distension between classes in this interpretation and in particular the bourgeois and the nobility are in definite conflict. This is an essential element to this opinion because they see the Revolution as a conflict between capitalism and feudalism, which are represented by the bourgeoisie and nobility classes. The cause of the social revolution was that the bourgeoisie classes were becoming increasingly wealthy because of the growth of industry, commerce and capitalism, yet were unable to match this economic dominance with social and political power. “Marx himself had written little directly on the Revolution, but it was easy enough to fit a movement which had begun with an attack on nobles and feudalism into a theory of history that emphasized class struggle and the conflict between capitalism and feudalism. The French revolution from this viewpoint was the key moment in modern history, when the capitalist bourgeoisie overthrew the old feudal nobility. The fundamental questions about it were therefore economic and social.” Historians like Lefebvre and Soboul viewed the revolutionaries as the people who freed France from the economic shackles of the past and made France a safe place for capitalism. The Revisionist interpretation on the Revolution began in the nineteen fifties, with its first advocator being English historian, Alfred Cobban. This point of view sought to challenge the long held views of the Revolution held in Marxist circles. It questioned the Classic interpretation and aimed to destroy many of the opinions held. 2013-08-10T16:48:06.6-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Outline-the-main-interpretations-of-the-French-Revolution-34912.aspx How truthful was Captain De Cuellar's Letter about the Armada and his survival? When debating about how truthful Captain De Cuellar’s letter was about his time in Ireland, one must firstly state an opinion one way or the other. Whether it was an accurate account and its integrity stands up to scrutiny or aspects of it seem highly dubious and needs to be questioned. I believe it to be the latter. While clearly a lot of the account can be seen to be truthful, many details just don’t seem to fit or seem too unlikely to be the whole truth. It is true that most Spaniards washed ashore did not escape from Ireland with their lives and to do so was an extremely difficult task. “The fate of those who got ashore was not less miserable. Many had their brains knocked out as they lay stretched exhausted on the beaches where they had come ashore. Others wandered for a while in the desolate parts of the West until they were hunted down and slaughtered like wild beasts by parties of soldiers, or reluctantly handed over by their Irish hosts to English executioners.” Clearly escape from Ireland by any surviving Spaniard would consist of a general story like the one De Cuellar regales us with, but there certainly are aspects of his daring tale which leaves the reader questioning its validity. Over the course of this essay, we will examine the letter chronologically, picking out the stories and encounters which seem to be far-fetched or which do not seem to add up. It would be fair to say that while some of these stories need questioning, this does not necessarily mean that they are definitely false or untrue. The first aspect of Cuellar’s story which can be called into question is what happens after he escapes from the beach. “At the dawn of day I began to walk, little by little, searching for a monastery of monks, that I might repair to it or might recover in it as best I could, which I arrived at with much trouble and toil.” The issue with this is that Cuellar does not reveal how he knew about the monastery. The only encounter he had at this point was with two ‘native savages’, but clearly they would not have been able to converse with the Spanish captain. It might seem a bit trifling to point out such a little detail, and one could argue that 2013-08-10T16:36:29.573-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-truthful-was-Captain-De-Cuellar-s-Letter-about-the-Armada-and-his-survival-34911.aspx Western Influence on Early 20th Century China A more modern approach to Chinese history in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, focuses more on a China-centred approach, placing less importance on the role Western civilisations had in shaping China during this period. However one cannot escape the fact that the West had a massive influence in defining and shaping China in this period, more-so than internal Chinese influence. The West played a vital role in altering Chinese history from the period of time encompassing the Opium War, all the way to the eve of the revolution of 1911 and beyond. “China- truly a geographical and not a political expression before 1912- moved from being a ward, if not semi-colony, of the ‘great powers” to being a great power itself, recovering the sovereignty and autonomy that had been so severely limited in the latter stages of the Qing dynasty.” The West’s influence touched almost every aspect of China during this period. The change was caused by direct economic and political forces, which became “all penetrating, all permeating, all prevailing- durchdringend, as the Germans say- ultimately forcing their way into every part of Chinese society.” Over the course of this essay we will discuss how exactly the West influenced Chinese history and what specific areas of Chinese society and culture changed. To understand how foreign influence affected China in the early 20th century, we must first examine how the West had an effect on China during the late 19th century. The start of the change can be traced back to the Opium War of 1839-1842. This was the first of many wars that China fought with foreign powers up until the early 20th century. The Opium War in particular had a lasting effect on the Chinese economy. The major consequence of the war was that there was a massive degree of foreign control placed on China and the Treaty of Nanking, signed in 1842, placed indemnities on the country which saddled it with a great international debt. Britain in particular could now control China as it pleased and made changes to suit Britain’s own agenda. China ceded Hong Kong to Britain and opened five treaty ports. Another vital consequence of the Opium War was the end of any true power of the Manchu’s in governing China. It was in the best interest of foreign powers to support the Manchu’s enough to keep them in power, but in 2013-08-10T16:26:00.62-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Western-Influence-on-Early-20th-Century-China-34910.aspx Discuss the achievements of Amerigo Vespucci When discussing the achievements of Amerigo Vespucci, one cannot escape the air of uncertainty which surrounds them. While there are certainly plenty of undisputed facts to this explorers discoveries and expeditions, one cannot simply state undeniable truths about the man’s achievements without discussing the disputes about their authenticity. Plenty of debate has raged now for centuries about apparent claims made by Vespucci, and it is had been a difficult task to prove which side of the argument is correct. “Was he an imposter, as has been often alleged in the last four centuries, or was he an honest fellow the victim of others misunderstandings and misrepresentations?” The easiest route to take when undertaking a task such as this is to discuss the contestable views on his legacy in chronological order, and then continue on to what can be considered a reasonable view on his achievements. The first achievement of Vespucci was that he was part of an expedition which set sail in 1499, during which he sailed along the coast of South America and in doing so discovered Brazil and the Amazon river. The role he played in this voyage has been contested by many historians. In his wide ranging book “Latin America: A General History”, John Edwin Fagg severely contests his role in this voyage. “He may have been a mere meat supplier who helped provision some of the first expeditions and then a part-time sailor, who wrote wildly fantastic accounts of his more or less imaginary adventures when he went along with Ojeda’s party in 1499” Views such as these are hugely overcritical of Vespucci. There is evidence of his voyage of discovery to Brazil in a letter he wrote to Lorenzo de Medici, in which he clearly outlines his prominent role in the voyage and his journey towards the Brazilian coast. Of course the truthfulness of this letter has been questioned by historians in the past. However as Roberto Levillier points out “Not one voice was raised then, to throw doubts on Vespucci’s letters and voyages, when it could easily have been done, by witnesses still living, if there had been reasons for it.” This is a point that surely trumps all the opinions discounting the genuineness of Vespucci’s letter. Another point which shows the prominent role which Vespucci had was the fact that upon returning, Ojeda specifically mentions Vespucci in his official 2013-08-10T16:18:36.227-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Discuss-the-achievements-of-Amerigo-Vespucci-34909.aspx Do you agree with John Maxwell O'Brien's statement that a "metamorphosis" occurred in the character of Alexander after the battle at Gaugamela in 331 BC? John Maxwell O’ Brien contends that Alexander the Great’s personality suffered a metamorphosis after the battle of Gaugamela in 331BC. This statement places O’ Brien on one side of an ongoing debate about the personality of Alexander. This contention is that Alexander was a good man and leader until he crossed into the East, where he became power-mad and corrupt. The other side of this argument has a more sympathetic view on Alexander’s behaviour in the East, whereby his actions can be explained as one of a cultural unifier. When discussing which side of these arguments holds more truth, one must discuss the elements of Alexander’s personality and behaviour after the Battle of Gaugamela, which gives credence to O’ Brien’s metamorphosis theory. The first and most obvious place to start is Alexander’s newfound ‘orientalism’, after his conquering of Persia. This included Alexander wearing elements of Persian dress, the appointment of 30,000 Persian ‘Epigoni’ and the attempted introduction of Persian customs, such as ‘proskynesis’. This caused much resentment towards Alexander from his Macedonian and Greek subjects, who saw this as Alexander favouring Persian ways over Macedonian. Issues arose from Alexander’s new Persian ideals such as bowing down before him (proskynesis), as Persians did to their King. This was something which the Macedonians were not accustomed to and “did not perform the act, considering it appropriate only for gods and, when performed for the Great King (who was not a god, though everything just short of it) as a mark of Oriental servility.” The historian Callisthenes was a loud voice in the objections to this practice and his denouncement of the act of proskynesis, and as he saw it, Alexander’s new god-like self-opinion, would find him implicated in a plot to assassinate Alexander. The ‘Pages Plot’ was important because it shows how formerly devoted followers of Alexander were suddenly compelled to plot against his life. The incident which supposedly led to this showed a difference in Alexander’s treatment of his people as Arrian described. “He was led to copy Persian extravagance and the habit of barbaric kings of treating their subjects as inferior beings.” Hermolaus orchestrated the plot because of his humiliating disciplining by the king after a hunting incident. When the plot was discovered Callisthenes was implicated and put to death like the others involved, although his involvement seemed unlikely. Before his death Hermolaus declared “That it is no 2013-08-10T16:11:07.97-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Do-you-agree-with-John-Maxwell-O-Brien-s-statement-that-a-"metamorphosis"-occurred-in-the-character-of-Alexander-after-the-battle-at-Gaugamela-in-331-BC-34908.aspx The Rise of European Secularism in the 19th Century Stephanie Y. Platner History 117 – Final Exam One Professor Jeffrey K. Wilson May 23, 2013 The Rise of European Secularism During the Nineteenth Century Word Count: 2,152 In Europe, the long nineteenth century, (1789-1914) was a tumultuous era of political, economic, and social revolution which created an increasingly secular culture. Europeans of all races and classes looked outside the church to solve societal and familial issues. Gifted intellectuals proposed new philosophies on human thought and behavior, while innovative communication allowed ideas to travel quicker and easier than ever before. By the early 1800’s, Europeans began to question the role and necessity of the church and religion in their lives. Revolutionaries developed political and social ideologies based on the Enlightenment values of reason, analysis and science, instead of religion, dogma and superstition. During the 1790’s, profound political changes created new and unique ways to adapt to a modern secular society. New constitutional governments were formed in response to mass political uprisings when French citizens rejected monarchical absolutism and forced the Catholic Church to become subordinate to the government. Scientific advancements and industrialization, both contributed to the growing secularization of European society. British industrial workers adopted non-religious political ideologies by creating organizations like the “Chartists,” which protected workers and lobbied for universal suffrage. Europeans repudiated tyrannical governments, adopted non-religious political ideologies, and inspired the rise of alternative community associations. The innovations of the 19th century created a new, secular society, and inaugurated the modern, industrial world. In the two centuries prior to the Revolution of 1789, many Europeans had subscribed to the political and religious doctrine of “divine-right,” which asserts that a monarch is subject to no earthly authority, deriving the right to rule directly from the will of God. Therefore, kings – not subject to the will of the people, aristocracy or any other estate of the realm, could rule with absolute supremacy, and were only accountable to God as a higher authority. As an “extension of God’s power on earth,” King Louis XVI of France believed in his own divine monarchical power; however, Enlightenment intellectuals such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Voltaire began questioning the king’s authority as absolute ruler of France. The validity of the divine-right doctrine had not been widely challenged in public until the era of Enlightenment. Divine-right had served as the basis for monarchical power, and was also the premise behind the authority of “ordained” clergy to act as 2013-06-01T03:09:44.683-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Rise-of-European-Secularism-in-the-19th-Century-34891.aspx An essay about Astronaut Hygiene and the space toilet. 2013-04-26T23:12:28.49-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/An-essay-about-Astronaut-Hygiene-and-the-space-toilet_-34868.aspx Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale was born on May 12, 1820 in Florence, Italy. She was the younger of two children. Her mother, Frances Nightingale, came from a family of merchants and associated herself with people of prominent social standing. She tried her best to influence Florence to become more social but did not succeed. She was the type of person who avoided being the center of attention whenever she could. Florence viewed her mom was very controlling and this caused a strain in their relationship. Her father, William Shore Nightingale, was a wealthy landowner who inherited two estates when Florence was five years old. She was raised on one of those estates where her father provided her with an education. From a young age Florence showed an interest in philanthropy. She ministered to the ill and poor people in the village close to her family’s estate. At the age of sixteen Florence was clear that her calling was Nursing, that it was her divine purpose. When she approached her parents about her career plan they were not pleased, they forbade her to pursue it. During the Victorian Era, a young woman of Nightingale’s social stature was expected to marry a man that could take good care of her, enough that she would not have to work. Florence did not want an ‘expected’ life; in fact she was against marriage. At the age of 17, she refused a marriage proposal from a gentleman that met the criteria. She was then given the chance to marry again at the age of 22, but after making up her mind for seven years she again said no. Despite her parents’ objections, Florence enrolled as a nursing student at the Lutheran Hospital of Pastor Fliedner in Kaiserwerth, Germany in 1844. Although the conditions of hospitals during that time were poor, she was determined to make things better. In the early 1850’s after completed nursing school, Nightingale returned to London where she took a nursing job in a Middlesex hospital for ailing governesses. Being of her dedication to the job, her employer promoted her to superintendent after a year. Being a superintendent was very challenging position but she made it her mission to improve the conditions of the hospital and lower the death rates as well. Because of the heavy work load, her health was badly affected. In October of 1853, the Crimean War broke out. The 2013-04-04T06:30:53.21-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Florence-Nightingale-34845.aspx American Revolutionary War The Valley Forge Encampment-A Winter of Suffering You know how it feels when your stomach rumbles? Well, imagine that you are in the army 2013-04-01T15:11:01.71-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-Revolutionary-War-The-Valley-Forge-Encampment-A-Winter-of-Suffering-34841.aspx The Fundamental Aspects Upholding A Democratic Republic The Fundamental Aspects Upholding A Democratic Republic What key elements compose a democracy? What is required to run a successful democracy? To answer these questions, we must first answer: what is a democracy? Some define it as a specific orientation of politics for those in favor of a government by the people or elected representatives. According to Lincoln, democracy is a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." (Lincoln). Freedom and democracy are often used interchangeably, but the two are not synonymous; it is indeed a set of ideas and principles about freedom, but it also consists of a set of practices and procedures that have been molded through a long, often tortuous history. In short, democracy is the establishment of freedom. Certain components distinguish democracy from other types of governance. This includes: people who have sovereignty, a government based upon consent of the governed, rulership of the majority, however serving to protect the rights of minorities--whether ethnic, religious, or political, or simply the losers in the debate over a piece of controversial legislation, guarantee of basic human rights for all, free and fair elections, equality before law, constitutional limits on the power of government, social, economic, and political pluralism, and values of tolerance, pragmatism, cooperation, and compromise (McGann). Although experiencing minor improvements in terms of democracy, progression of liberty for racial minorities, and improvement in voting conditions. These features make having a democratic system preferable over a dictatorship or monarchy. People want to be involved and feel like they have a say in the matters of the nation. It is clear now how a democracy differs from other types of government systems. However, what are the primary components that sustain democratic systems? The first one is Participation. Citizens under the oppressive rule of a tyrant will generally stay out of the tyrant’s way. Why question the ultimate authority? Democracy is built off the idea that everyone should be engaged; everyone can help shape the country to their preference. Everyone can do successful planning, decision making, and evaluation of the country’s needs and modify anything they don’t like. The government also gets clear feedback, increasing the efficiency of their job. What role does a government play in a democracy? To prevent too much power from getting into the hands of one person or a group of individuals, it is split into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. 2013-03-11T00:49:42.053-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Fundamental-Aspects-Upholding-A-Democratic-Republic-34830.aspx woman in society gender roles 2013-03-01T20:13:33.11-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/woman-in-society-gender-roles-34823.aspx american revolustion 2013-03-01T20:07:43.83-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/american-revolustion-34822.aspx AP GOVERNMENT ESSAY (FRQ) TEST #7 Cong r e s s c a n a p p r o p r i a t i o n s t h e b u r e a u c r a c y , w h i c h m e a n s t h e y c a n r e w a r d o r p u n i s h a g e n c y f o r t h e i r w r o n g d o i n g s . C o n g r e s s c a n a l s o p a s s l e g i s l a t i o n a f f e c t i n g t h e b u r e a u c r a c y a n d t h e y c a n r e j e c t a p r e s i d e n t i a l a p p o i n t m e n t t o t h e b u r e a u c r a c y . L a s t l y , c o n g r e s s c a n i m p e a c h o f e x e c u t i v e o f f i c i a l s . N e x t , t h e c o u r t s c a n l i m i t b u r e a u c r a t i c p r a c t i c e s b y a c o 2013-02-24T17:45:55.29-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/AP-GOVERNMENT-ESSAY-FRQ-TEST-7-34819.aspx Athens and Sparta Similarities and Differences Athens and Sparta Similarities and Differences By Mike Mizov One of the greatest city states of all time was the city state of Athens from which we take many of our modern ways. Their government was a full democracy in which they had an assembly was all male citizens over 25 years old, they had the council of five hundred which was chosen by lot of people over 30 and they proposed laws to the assembly. Then there was the court where there were no judges and the juries were very large, the archons which were the nine people with the most power before the assembly took it away from them. The Athenians descended from the Ionians in the attica region. Their city was mainly located on acropolis'. They had all around education which meant everyone was entitled to education not just the rich. They were also concerned with money and they also had unproductive soil which meant they would have to find other ways to make money, so they became sea traders. Unlike Sparta their slaves had legal rights which meant they could be freed if the owners of them thought to do so. They also had Draconian laws which were pretty tough laws and sometimes unfair. Since they had slaves they had a lot of time to pursue cultural interests and led their society forward intellectually, so they got into making dramatic plays for their enjoyment. There were three classes of people in Athens the first class were Citizens which were above age 19, then there were Metics which were considered the middle class. Then there were slaves which was about as low as you could go. So all in all you will see Athens is a lot different then Sparta which I will tell you about now. Sparta government was a lot different then Athen's they had the five ephors who were overseers and were the real rulers of Sparta. Then came the council of Elders which was made up of 28 men over 60 and they proposed laws to the assembly. Then there were kings who were elected by the assembly and served as high priests, judges, and army commanders. Then came the Assembly which were all citizens over 30 who elected officials and voted on major policies. Their government was Totalitarian. The Spartans descended from the Dorians and were located in the Laconia region. Their city was built in a valley and had no walls because they said they could defend from an invaders. Unlike the Athenians their soil supported 2013-02-18T14:48:26.15-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Athens-and-Sparta-Similarities-and-Differences-34799.aspx What affect did the Renaissance have on early modern thinking on the body? What affect did the Renaissance have on early modern thinking on the body? The waning of the middle ages had been a traumatic period in most peoples’ lives. One third of the population of Europe had died in the ‘Black Death’ of 1348. It also signalled the beginning of the decline of Papal power, which led to religious and political unrest in most of Europe. The Renaissance was also a period when people began to visualise things in different ways, or rather when they gained new perspectives or insights and began to question the natural order of things as they knew them. The word renaissance literally means ‘rebirth’ in French. It was a period where the restraints of the middle ages were abandoned, and the study of art, and literature reverted back to the classical. It was also during this period that trade increased, and correspondingly, so did wealth. With this increased wealth, people began to travel and their ideas began to spread throughout Europe and the rest of the world, as can be seen in Charles V, Emperor and King of Spain, Instructions for Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza, 1535 . People also began to see themselves as individuals , as men and women, and also to express themselves more. This essay will examine how the way peoples changing ideas had an affect on the thinking on the body. Political unrest, led to changes in the political body of Europe. The political body of Europe in the 1400s consisted of Kingdoms, Empires, and States. During the middle ages there had been political unrest and challenges to the papacy, culminating in the Great Schism. This unrest led to people questioning the absolute authority of the church, which was the forerunner to people thinking about their spiritual bodies in terms of the individual rather than the collective. In the middle ages, the church was run by bishops who usually came from wealthy families. Their dioceses were staffed by priests and bishops. People’s ‘beliefs were expressed through rituals and actions’ . After the Great Schism (1378 – 1415), and the council of Constance, the door was open for what the church called heretics. People complained about how the church was run, citing absentee bishops and wayward priests and thought that their money would be better 2012-11-25T08:58:16.6-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-affect-did-the-Renaissance-have-on-early-modern-thinking-on-the-body-34754.aspx Essay on Virgina and Massachussets Bay Colonies Virginia and Massachusetts Bay were two colonies that developed into very different societies by 1600 , although both were established by English colonists, due to differences in government, economy, and religion. The Virginia and Massachusetts Bay colonies greatly differed in governmental structure. Puritans who were fleeing from harassment in England established the Massachusetts Bay colonies. The first colony that the Puritans set up was north of Plymouth, at Massachusetts Bay. However, after finding a gap in the charter they received from King Charles I the Puritans moved their capital to Salem, Massachusetts. This colony was self-governed and was separate from English joint-stock companies and/or proprietors. A conservative hierarchical system was formed by Puritans based on "god's will" and family structure. Colonists were ruled by their social superiors both in religion and in family status. Unlike in any Massachusetts Bay colonies, in Virginia the setup colonies were under indirect rule of the King of England who appointed wealthy, trusted landowners to rule settlers. The King appointed governors to rule the land. By 1634, the colony adopted England's court-council system. Justices of the peace were responsibly for creating local taxes, managing the payroll of officials, and managing public works. Justices were chosen by the governor, as were sheriffs. The colonists favored an elected assembly and after many repetitive petitions King James, I gave in and allowed a representative government to be instated. In 1650, this representative government split up into two branches: the House of Burgesses and the Governor's Council. Another way that the two sets of colonies developed differently was in terms of economy. Shortly before arriving in Boston, Massachusetts, Governor John Winthrop reprimanded class hatred and economic greed. He strongly believed in the rich giving to the poor to try to create as close as possible to an economically equal society. However, this sense of equality excluded Native Americans. The Puritans forced the Indians, who had no sense of landownership, to sell their lands. Many of these natives then became assimilated into the Puritan culture. The Massachusetts Bay colonies did not use slaves. To server their labor needs they heavily relied on families, but even more specifically, children. The average family would consist of a large amount of children that were responsible for farming, while the male head of the household served as a supervisor and manager. Virginia 2012-11-02T17:41:46.52-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Essay-on-Virgina-and-Massachussets-Bay-Colonies-34734.aspx Indus Valley Civilization The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) was a Bronze Age civilization (3300–1300 BCE; mature period 2600–1900 BCE) that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian Subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India. Flourishing around the Indus River basin, the civilization[n 1] primarily centered along the Indus and the Punjab region, extending into the Ghaggar-Hakra River valley and the Ganges-Yamuna Doab. Geographically, the civilization was spread over an area of some 1,260,000 km², making it the largest ancient civilization in the world. The Indus Valley is one of the world's earliest urban civilizations, along with its contemporaries, Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. At its peak, the Indus Civilization may have had a population of well over five million. Inhabitants of the ancient Indus river valley, developed new techniques in metallurgy and handicraft (carneol products, seal carving), and produced copper, bronze, lead, and tin. The civilization is noted for its cities built of brick, roadside drainage system, and multistoried houses. The mature phase of this civilization is known as the Harappan Civilization, as the first of its cities to be unearthed was located at Harappa, excavated in the 1920s in what was at the time the Punjab province of British India (now in Pakistan). Excavation of Harappan sites has been ongoing since 1920, with important breakthroughs occurring as recently as 1999. To date, over 1,052 cities and settlements have been found, mainly in the general region of the Ghaggar-Hakra River and its tributaries. Among the settlements were the major urban centers of Harappa, Lothal, Mohenjo-Daro (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Dholavira, Kalibanga, and Rakhigarhi. The civilization is sometimes referred to as the Indus Ghaggar-Hakra civilization or the Indus-Sarasvati civilization. The appellation Indus-Sarasvati is based on the possible identification of the Ghaggar-Hakra River with the Sarasvati River of the Nadistuti sukta in the Rig Veda, but this usage is disputed on linguistic and geographical grounds. The Harappan language is not directly attested and its affiliation is unknown, a plausible relation would be to Proto-Dravidian or Elamo-Dravidian. Discovery and excavation Extent and major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization. The shaded area does not include recent excavations. The ruins of Harrappa were first described in 1842 by Charles Masson in his Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan, Afghanistan, and the Punjab, where locals talked of an ancient city extending "thirteen cosses" (about 25 miles), but no archaeological interest would attach to this for nearly a century. In 2012-10-13T22:51:43.94-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Indus-Valley-Civilization-34680.aspx How Did The Religion Of England Change During The Tudor Period, and What Were The Reasons? How Did The Religion Of England Change During The Tudor Period, and What Were The Reasons? Most of England were Roman Catholic and accepted the Pope as the Head of the Church, but in the 16th century, Christians worshipped God in many different ways. A breakaway from the Roman Catholic Church, its teachings and its customs, in 1517, by a German monk called Martin Luther; lead to a new Christian Religion - Protestant; and during the Tudor Reign, the throne was changed from Catholic to Protestant, then back to Catholic, then Protestant again; and so the people in the 16th century were forced to change their religion depending on the reigning monarch. Henry VIII – Catholic Henry VIII was a devout Catholic King, therefore his country was too. He disagreed with all Protestant views, and defended the Catholic Church. However, that all changed... When Henry VIII asked the Pope for a divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, the Pope refused, because the Catholics did not believe in divorce; because of this, Henry VIII broke from The Roman Catholic Church in 1527, and became a Protestant. He claimed the title of Head of The Church of England, so now the Pope had no power over him, and he could divorce Catherine of Aragon. He wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon for several reasons. The main one being that she did not produce a male heir to the throne of England, and that according to a curse in the bible, ‘if a man should take his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing… they will be childless’; and because Catherine had previously been married to Arthur, Henry’s brother, this might come true. Another reason was that Henry wanted to marry Anne Boleyn, because she was young and beautiful, and Catherine was old and fat. This meant that Henry had to break from the church to allow himself a divorce. Henry got the Bible translated into English, because he wanted the Bible in his Mother Tongue. In 1535 all Catholic Buildings (monasteries, etc.) in England, Wales and Scotland were closed down, because another of his problems was that he was bankrupt, and if he took over the monasteries, he would be rich. He was on the road to making England Protestant. A lot of money was given to the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope, for chapels to be built and other Catholic ornaments, so the priests could 2012-10-02T16:38:19.893-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Did-The-Religion-Of-England-Change-During-The-Tudor-Period,-and-What-Were-The-Reasons-34660.aspx The Flight of the Earls In 1607 an event occurred in Ulster commonly known as the ‘The Flight of the Earls’ which has gone down as a monumental occurrence in Irish history. This was the fleeing of Hugh O’Neill, second Earl of Tyrone, and Rory O’Donnell, Earl of Tyrconnell and Cuconnaught Maguire, Lord of Fermanagh, from the lands they held or used to hold in Ulster. Many have argued that this left the way clear for the plantation of Ulster by the British, and the driving out of Catholic Irish from Ulster lands, where they had always been dominant over the Protestants. The causes of why this fleeing occurred has been argued and contested by many historians over the years, with many conflicting views on why it happened. A shroud of mystery surrounds it, with definitive answers almost impossible to achieve. However there is some reasonable explanation to be drawn by looking at the events directly preceding the flight to Europe. To tackle this question of the causes of the exit of the Earls from Ulster, it is necessary to look at O’Donnell’s and O’Neill’s situation in Ulster after the end of the nine years war. They were treated very leniently by King George retaining their lands and receiving full pardons, however they now had to swear loyalty to the crown, lost control over their dependants and also lost their Irish titles. “O’Neill and O’Donnell- Earls of Tyrone and Tyrconnell- were allowed to return to their lands and live among their people.” In the aftermath the situation of both men in Ulster began to change. O’Donnell was not as savvy with his dealings with the British after the war as O’Neill and because of this lost a lot of his land to new freeholders. This meant a big loss in terms of prestige and also in earnings. “Rory had striven to deprive the McSweeneys and O’Boyles of their traditional possessions in County Donegal, and the commissioners insisted that he rectify this injustice, and ‘name them to be freeholders of part thereof, reserving their ancient rents in certainty.’” O’Neill however had outwitted the British commissioners, and was able to keep hold of his lands and power. “O’Neill outmanoeuvred the officials by appointing his supporters as freeholders in Tyrone.” However when Lord Mountjoy, who O’Neill was on good terms with, was replaced as Lord Deputy by Lord Chichester, things became more troublesome for O’Neill. He sought 2012-08-11T19:39:28.077-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Flight-of-the-Earls-34623.aspx The Origins of the Cuban Missile Crisis Introduction The Cuban Missile Crisis originated because of a number of different issues, stemming from the ongoing struggle between The United States of America and The Soviet Union and between Capitalism and Communism. There were various events and circumstances which caused this standoff. Firstly, the decision to place missiles on Cuban soil was taken by the Soviets as a means to offset their strategic inferiority. The second main cause was the fact that America felt threatened by a Castro lead Communist Cuba. Their continued efforts to oust Castro, was a significant factor in creating a very real fear in Castro of a US invasion of Cuba. This led him to form strong bonds with the Soviets and subsequently allowing them to place missiles in Cuba. We also look at Americas failed attempt to remove Castro with their ‘Bay of Pigs’, invasion of Cuba, in 1961. A final factor in the cause of the crisis is the possibility of the Soviets using the missiles as a means of strengthening their power, with regards to negotiating with America in matters outside of Cuba. The first aspect to look at when dealing with this question is Soviet insecurity and strategic inferiority with the US. The Soviets had many reasons to feel insecure or threatened in the period directly preceding the Cuban Missile Crisis. Khrushchev had long known that the Soviets had a disproportionally lower amount of missiles than the Americans, however it was not until after events surrounding the building of the Berlin Wall, that Kennedy, who had long publicly maintained that the Soviets had the advantage of the missile gap, made it known that it was in fact the Americans who had the numerical advantage. “the United States had a growing missile gap in its favour and the USSR lacked sufficient intercontinental missiles to offset the American advantage.” Because the missile gap was publicly revealed to be in America’s favour, the Soviets needed to find a way to repair the imbalance of strategic power. Khrushchev was also very perturbed by the existence of American missiles in Turkey and Italy, which were capable of strikes on the Soviet Union. The missiles in Turkey were just ninety miles off the Soviet coast, and Khrushchev feared because the US had the clear advantage in first strike capabilities. “both 2012-08-11T19:33:06.753-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Origins-of-the-Cuban-Missile-Crisis-34622.aspx Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart was born on January 23, 1915 and died on December 7, 1985. He served 22 years, 8 months, and 19 days as a supreme court judge. Stewart was a republican and was nominated a president Eisenhower. Stewart was the son of the Republican mayor of Cincinnati, so he was raised on politics. Though his background was ideologically conservative, Stewart was often cast as a centrist on the Court. Often he would vote with liberal justices on First Amendment issues and then side with conservative justices on matters of equal protection. Stewart was born in Jackson, Michigan while his family was on vacation. His father, James G. Stewart, was a prominent Republican from Cincinnati Ohio. His father served as Mayor of Cincinnati for seven years and was later a judge on the Ohio Supreme Court.1 Stewart attended the Hotchkiss school, graduating in 1933. Then, he went on to Yale University, where he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon and Skull and Bones graduating class of 1937. Here he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and served as chairman of the student newspaper, The Yale Daily News. He graduated from Yale law school in 1941, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Stewart’s first interaction with law was when he first began to work in a New York law firm. His actual legal career had begun when the United States entered World War II, at that time he served as an officer in the Navy and on occasion Stewart performed legal services in courts-martial. Soon after the War Stewart practiced law in New York, however during his short study in New York Stewart returned to Cincinnati and joined a law firm there to continue his practice. Potter practiced law in Cincinnati until 1954. After his yield in law he was elected to the City Counsel twice and served as Vice Mayor from, 1952 to 1953. 2 In 1943, he married Mary Ann Bertles in a ceremony at Bruton Episcopal Church in Williamsburg Virginia. They eventually had a daughter, Harriet, and two sons, Potter, Jr. and David. Potter Stewart was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in 1954 by Dwight D. Eisenhower. Stewart then served for four years. Potter joined the Supreme Court at the age of forty- three, he is one of the 2012-07-06T18:37:02.607-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Supreme-Court-Justice-Potter-Stewart-34596.aspx Dropping of the Atomic Bomb “The Japanese were ready to surrender and it wasn't necessary to hit them with that awful thing.” President Dwight D. Eisenhower said this in an interview; he of course was talking about the atomic bombings on Japan. Perhaps the most controversial and heavily scrutinized issue of the twentieth century was President Harry Truman’s decision to unleash atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the summer of 1945. While the sequence of events preceding that fateful summer morning of August 6,1945 are fully understood, the motives behind Truman’s actions are shrouded in controversy. Top military officials publicly denounced the use of such a horrendous weapon, while the obvious advantages to the bomb, traditionalists argue, was a shortened Pacific War. Para lactic views between traditional beliefs and revisionist theories suggest that the issue is still very much unresolved. This will always be a heated debate due partially because of the overwhelming evidence supporting both sides and the diverse views from highly respected officials at that time. But the question remains, why did Truman drop the atomic bomb? Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb was not a military necessity because the Japanese were on the verge of collapsing, and America had avoided diplomacy despite knowing Japanese intentions. The truth of the matter is that the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan to intimidate Russia. The atomic bomb shouldn’t have even been considered in the first place because it was being developed for defense, because of the rumors that Germany was trying to make a super bomb. Another reason why the atomic bomb shouldn’t have been considered in the end of World War II was that very little was known about the atomic bomb and the long-term effects it would have on survivors from the blast. Finally it shouldn’t have been used because it was morally wrong to use such a devastating weapon on a city of civilians. On April 12, 1945, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died of a cerebral hemorrhage and Harry S. Truman became the president. After the defeat of Germany on May 7, 1945, there were pressures on both the leaders of Japan and the U.S. to end the war. The two nations were involved in a bitter fight which began with Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The war was coming to 2012-04-30T23:36:49.073-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Dropping-of-the-Atomic-Bomb-34553.aspx The Tokugawa Shogunate The Tokugawa Shogunate Use this URL to view the essay with the pictures http://www.echeat.com/siteimages/PaperFiles/32318121_tokugawa_shogunate.docx The Tokugawa Shogunate has gone down in history as a repressive feudal police state. The Tokugawa Shogunate, or Bakufu, (also known as the Edo bakufu,) ruled at a time when an economy based on agriculture and commerce had fully developed to give Japan complete stability. (1. Sword Arts Wiki). Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu The Tokugawa period began in 1603, this was when the warring states period of history is about to end (3.Tokugawa). Tokugawa Ieyasu consolidated his control of Japan at the battle of Sekigahara (1). In 1603, Ieyasu was appointed Shogun by the emperor. The administration of Japan was a task given by the imperial Court in Kyoto to the Tokugawa family. The Tokugawa continued to rule Japan for 265 years. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city of Edo, now Tokyo (2 Dynasty of Tokugawa Shoguns), they ruled until the Meiji Restoration when the Shoguns were stripped of their power and reduced in rank to Ronin. (2.) Unlike any of his predecessors, Ieyasu was able to establish a dynasty (2). He redistributed land among the daimyo: more loyal vassals received strategically more important domains accordingly. Every daimyo was also required to spend every second year in Edo.The Tokugawa Bakufu maintained power through absolute control. The Daimyos were prevented from rebelling through the use of hostages held by the Shogun and by a system known as alternate attendance. a Daimyo was required to be in attendance at the Shogun’s court in Edo for several months out of a year (1). This statue of Ieyasu stands on the grounds of the Okazaki Castle Park He was required to spend the remainder of the year at his estates while leaving his family in Edo. This gave the Tokugawa Shogun hostages and diverted the Daimyo’s wealth from military investment to maintaining two residences in a style befitting his position as well as paying for regular lavish processions between Edo and their fiefs. Okazaki Castle The Tokugawa Bakufu also forbade any maintenance or improvement of fortifications without its express permission. Not only were the Daimyos forbidden from maintaining their own fortifications, they were also required to maintain public works. These public works included the fortifications of the Tokugawa (2.) The Tokugawa Shoguns also maintained surveillance 2012-03-23T18:01:21.25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Tokugawa-Shogunate-34524.aspx Communism, Capitalism, The Cold War, The Vietnam War and The Korean War After WWII, the world was captivated by the threat of communism. The fear of communism within Australia was a major political issue during the Era of the Cold War. As a result, the key developments in Australia’s response to the threat of communism consisted of the Forward Defence Policy, signing significant alliance treaties which subsequently included the SEATO and ANZUS treaties, and actively participating in military conflicts, which included the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War. However, it can be determined that the Vietnam War was the most controversial and decisive of Australia’s military commitment to counteracting the threat of Communism. The underlying factors which resulted in Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War included the fear of the Domino Theory, the Forward Defence Policy, supporting their loyal ally, the United States, in accordance with the treaties. It is evident that these political and military reasons occurred in order to protect the ideology of Capitalism. Capitalism and Communism were the 2 main conflicting ideologies. The 2 major super powers behind these ideologies was Russia, a supporter of Communism and America, a supporter of Capitalism. It can be determined that the fear of communism would greatly impact the capitalist nations, including Australia. It can be stated the key developments in Australia’s response to the threat of communism included Forward Defence Policy, the SEATO and ANZUS treaties (South East Asia Treaty Organisation and the Australia New Zealand United States) taking part in military wars including The Korean War, the Malayan Emergency and The Vietnam War. The Forward Defence Policy was based on the concept that it was in Australia’s best interest to meet any threats to Australia as far away from the mainland as possible. This policy would see Australia set up military bases overseas and send Australian troops to Korea, Malay and Vietnam. Therefore, Australia’s involvement in The Korean War and The Malayan Emergency was due to the concept of The Forward Defence Policy. “If there was a war for our existence, it should be carried out as far from our soil as possible”. In June 1950, war broke out in Korea when communist North Korea invaded capitalist South Korea. The UN responded quickly, sending the military of fifteen nations, including Australia to counter-attack. By the time they had all arrived, the majority of South Korea had been overrun by communist forces and the UN military had to slowly fight back up 2012-03-20T04:24:50.04-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Communism,-Capitalism,-The-Cold-War,-The-Vietnam-War-and-The-Korean-War-34516.aspx DBQ 21: Causes of World War II Essay Part In 1939 the world was plunged into another World War. In Europe there was an accumulation of events that brought about the war. During this time many of the people of the “Big Four,” had different views on how to deal with aggression. The war was brought about finally because of the Munich Agreement, and the best response to aggression was collective security. In 1939 the world was plunged into World War II because of the Munich Agreement. The Munich Agreement was an agreement regarding the Sudetenland Crisis between the major powers of Europe after a conference held in Munich in Germany in 1938. The Sudetenland was an important region of Czechoslovakia that had many german speaking people, and according to the Treaty of Versailles’s rule of National Self Determination, it should be under German leadership because of this. The Treaty of Versailles was the peace treaty created at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 which ended World War I. The Munich Agreement caused many disagreements between European countries. Collective Security was an effective response to aggression. Winston Churchill, George F. Kennan, A.J.P. Taylor, and Keith Eubank did not agree to this. Churchill disagreed with the decision because “keeping peace depends on holding back the aggressor.” He thought that Europe needed to restrain Germany and that Britain and France together should have guaranteed security of Czechoslovakia. George F. Kennan, an American Secretary of State during the Cold War, spoke in America’s point of view and also disagreed. Kennan stated that the Munich Agreement was a “desperate act of appeasement at the cost of the Czechoslovak state.” A.J.P. Taylor, wrote in The Origins of the Second World War that other countries should have become involved by armed force in 1933 “to overthrow Hitler when he had come to power by constitutional means and was apparently supported by a large majority of the German people.” He also believed the German people were the only ones who could “turn him out,” because they were the ones that put him in power. He also stated that “the ‘appeasers’ feared that the defeat of Germany would be followed by a Russian domination over much of Europe,” which many people did not want. Keith Eubank argued in Origins of World War II that stopping Hitler prior to 1939 was not an issue for several reasons. One reason being that the people and the 2012-03-08T14:48:39.76-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/DBQ-21-Causes-of-World-War-II-Essay-Part-34502.aspx World War II essay with in-text citations 2012-02-09T21:45:57.277-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-War-II-essay-with-in-text-citations-34470.aspx Three Main Causes of the French Revolution “…The spark that changed thought into action was supplied by the Declaration of American Independence…” This quote, which is believed by many people, was said by Lord Acton. One of the three major things that started the French Revolution was the Declaration of Independence. Two other events that cause it were the Enlightenment Ideas and the unfair treatment to the third estate in 1789. The events of this time period had a great impact on the French Revolution we learn about and study today. In 1789, an event happened that was so tragic, it began to increase the amount of poverty among 97% of the population. Demonstrated in document 2, all people were separated into groups; the first, second, and third estates. The problem with this arrangement was that 1% of the population made up the first estate and 2% made up the second. This left the third estate to be made up of 97% of the population. For some reason, the government decided to tax this huge amount of people like crazy. As anyone one would be, these people were enraged by this. This led to many radicals revolting, thus, sparking a match on the oil puddle that we now know as the French Revolution. The Enlightenment Ideas of the eighteenth century brought up new ways of thinking in relation to religion and politics. Maximilien Robespierre came to power towards the beginning of the revolution. He was considered a philosopher of the Enlightenment. He had the idea of ‘de-Christianization.’ In other words, he wanted to take power from the Catholic Church. Also, the radicals wanted the right for all men to vote and for all people to be equal in government. To better explain, Albert Mathiez stated this: “The middle class… was sensitive to their inferior legal position.” Overall, these ideas shaped the government and policies of the French Revolution. Surprisingly, the Declaration of American Independence later had some effect of the French Revolution. How? The example of independence for all Americans encouraged the French to strive more for their own independence. Therefore, people started fighting for what they believed in. Riots broke out and the hunger for fairness and equality grew stronger and stronger. According to Lord Acton, “…ideas of the philosophes were not directly responsible for the outbreak…” By this he means, not only were the Enlightenment Ideas the cause of the French Revolution, but so was the 2012-02-01T23:15:10.343-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Three-Main-Causes-of-the-French-Revolution-34456.aspx French Revolution and the Causes Leading up to it Throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries several countries like France and Haiti have encountered several movements towards sovereignty, liberty, equality. In Haiti, the people of color were able to revolt against penisulares and free themselves from French rule, while the Bourgeois were able to revolt against the monarchy, clergy, and nobility to establish freedom. On the contrary, France was unable to receive total liberation while Haiti received freedom from the suppression of the French. There were many socials cause of the French revolution during the 18th and early 19th centuries. The French society was divided into three estate. First estate clergy, second estate noble, third estate was the largest, was made up of peasants, city workers, merchant, lawyer, businessman, and peasant. Third estate didn’t had equal right and the other estate enjoyed privileges. Louis called a meeting of the Estates-General in Versailles. On June 20th the Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly and made the Tennis Court Oath, a pledge to themselves not to separate until they gave France a constitution. On July 14, 1789, a faction stormed the Bastille in Paris and political prisoner were imprisoned. There were many economic causes of the French revolution ring the 18th and 19th early centuries . The third estate had to pay all taxes imposed by the king as other estate were exempted from taxes. the price of the bread rose which was the main staple diet of the people and there was subsistence crisis. The gabelle well known as the salt taxation was imposed by the French monarchy to rebuilds the economy, the gabelle cause the salt become clandestine because tax on salt were expansive. The government tried to stop the salt smuggling by putting 3000 troops at the rivers and made fishing illegal at night to encounter illegal and murder smugglers in the forest. As well as the social and economic causes there were may political causes of the French revolution during the 18th and early 19th centuries . Rumors spread that the king will order his troops to attack Paris and then 4000 through 5000 people gathered and formed people militia. France under feudalism in the 18th century. The third estate population did not have power and freedom in politics. They worked hard and had to pay heavy taxes. The nobles and clergy made up the First and Second Estates in the 2012-02-01T18:58:55.54-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/French-Revolution-and-the-Causes-Leading-up-to-it-34455.aspx Was America’s Main Aim to Stop the Spread of Communism in Europe.” How far do you agree with this view of American Foreign Policy in Europe from 1945 – 1948? With the defeat of Germany in 1945 a common enemy was destroyed by the joint forces of the USA and USSR with of course the help of Britain and France. Meetings at Yalta and Potsdam in 1945 saw the two superpowers work together to see the fall of Nazi Germany. However, now a common enemy had been destroyed, Hitler’s vacuum saw a race to Berlin and the coming together of communism and capitalism for the first time “eye to eye”. From this point tensions increased over the ruling of Europe under which ideology. It could be stated that it was America’s main aim to stop the spread of communism in Europe. The “Iron Curtain” speech performed by Winston Churchill, 1946 in Fulton Missouri was certainly a clear indication of West and Americas policy towards the spread of communism. Since 1917 during the Russian Revolution and the Civil War the West intervened by helping the “whites” defeat the “reds”. Churchills speech was designed to shock but also to send a message. Although not fully appreciated at the time and somewhat discouraged by the public who still saw Russia as a wartime ally, it paved the way for American foreign policy in containing communism. However, Churchill’s speech was not done without first understanding Soviet intension. Keenan’s Long Telegram essentially prompted the US to ask Churchill to write and present the “Iron Curtain” speech. Keenan’s long telegram proclaimed Soviet ideas and intentions in Europe with the spread of communism priority number one. Keenan’s telegram could in fact be the starting point of the Cold War, meaning that America would be ready for Soviet plans in stopping the spread of communism. However, in the telegram it could have been interpreted by Keenan in an exaggerated way. In the Telegram it could be said that Keenan over estimated Soviet ideas and plans for Europe. Some Historians now believe that Stalin’s plans were not as radical as first thought, such as Stalin allowing few Soviet satellites independence, such as Tito’s Yugoslavia. The consequence of this being that America’s policies were too vigorous in tackling communism and thus escalating the Cold War dramatically. In conclusion it could be said that the inspired “Iron Curtain” speech most definitely proved that Americas main policy was to contain communism, drawing a line over Europe and shaping communism from there. However, America had not yet 2012-01-19T07:48:52.41-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Was-America’s-Main-Aim-to-Stop-the-Spread-of-Communism-in-Europe_”-How-far-do-you-agree-with-this-view-of-American-Foreign-Policy-in-Europe-from-1945-–-1948-34440.aspx Civil Rights in the 1960's The 1960’s were one of the most significant decades in the twentieth century. The sixties were filled with new music, clothes, and an overall change in the way people acted, but most importantly it was a decade filled with civil rights movements. On February 1, 1960, four black freshmen from North Carolina Agriculture and Technical College in Greensboro went to a Woolworth’s lunch counter and sat down politely and asked for service. The waitress refused to serve them and the students remained sitting there until the store closed for the night. The very next day they returned, this time with some more black students and even a few white ones. They were all well dressed, doing their homework, while crowds began to form outside the store. A columnist for the segregation minded Richmond News Leader wrote, “Here were the colored students in coats, white shirts, and ties and one of them was reading Goethe and one was taking notes from a biology text. And here, on the sidewalk outside was a gang of white boys come to heckle, a ragtail rabble, slack-jawed, black-jacketed, grinning fit to kill, and some of them, God save the mark, were waving the proud and honored flag of the Southern States in the last war fought by gentlemen. Eheu! It gives one pause”(Chalmers 21). As one can see, African-Americans didn’t have it easy trying to gain their civil rights. Several Acts were passed in the 60’s, such as Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. This was also, unfortunately, the time that the assassinations of important leaders took place. The deaths of John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr., all happened in the 60’s. Slavery in the United States existed from the early senventeenth century until 1865. It was put to an end by the combination of the Emancipation Proclamation, 1863, and then the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution. Although blacks may have been freed from slavery, it didn’t mean that they were treated the same as everyone else. In 1896, Plessy vs. Ferguson, the Supreme Court defined separate but equal standards. Rarely was anything equal though. Segregation went on until the landmark case, Brown vs. Board of Education, declared that separate schools based on race was unconstitutional (Microsoft). This case “…became the cornerstone of sweeping changes (Chalmers 17)” because the decade following the Brown decision “…witnessed a 2012-01-13T12:45:02.11-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Civil-Rights-in-the-1960-s-34426.aspx A Review of American History Although Britain’s North American colonies had enjoyed considerable prosperity during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, beginning with the Stamp Act in 1765 the British government began to put pressures on them, largely in the form of taxes and new trade restrictions, that drew increasingly resistance. (Out of Many, 133) One big reason that the loyal British citizens in North America were transformed into rebels is because of the taxes. It was not the prices of the tax, because Britain had one of the lowest taxes in the world at that time, it was the fact that Parliament had so much representation over them. The British Empire was a mercantile market. They wanted to control everything that was going on in the country. They also wanted control over the people. The whole purpose of the Parliament was to exploit the colonies. Here is a famous example that was taken from the book, of the Parliament exploiting the colonies. Parliament had passed a tea act, and colonists were major consumers of tea, but because of the tax on it that remained from the Townshend duties, the colonial market for tea had collapsed, bringing the East India Company to the brink of bankruptcy. This company was the sole agent of British power in India, and British Parliament could not let it fail. The British then transformed a scheme in which they offered tea to Americans at prices that would tempt even the most patriotic back on the beverage. The radicals argued that this was merely a device to make palatable the payment of unconstitutional taxes-further evidence of the British conspiracy to corrupt the colonists. This was called the “Boston Tea Party.”(Out of Many, 150) Another reason that led to rebellion was the persistent source of conflict between troops and townsmen over jobs. There was a point when British soldiers were permitted to work jobs off duty. This in turn put the colonials in competition with the people that already disgusted them. Here is an example I took from the book on this issue. In early March 1770, on off-duty soldier walked into a ropewalk in search of a job. The proprietor told him using an obscenity that he could clean the outhouse. The soldier left but returned with his friends, and a small riot began. On March the 5th a group of colonials gathered around the Customs House and began taunting 2012-01-13T12:41:43.003-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Review-of-American-History-34425.aspx Douglas MacArtuther a Famous General MacArthur was a famous general. He served in the United States Army for almost fifty years he receives high honors. He won many victories. He was a controversial man because of his personality. He was an actor as well as a soldier. General Douglas MacArthur was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on January 26, 1880. . He was born in the barracks because his father was an army officer who fought for the union during the civil war. 1922 he was married with rich women, Henrietta Louise Cromwell brooks. Douglas Macarthur first went to West Point in 1899 because he also wanted to be in the military. 1903 he graduated from West Point with the highest grades ever in the schools history. He achieved the high honor 1st caption. After graduation from West Point he became a 2nd lieutenant of engineer. He helped his father. In 1913 he joined Roosevelt’s war Department staff. He participated in the U.S Occupation of Veracruz, Mexico in 1914. In World War I he earned two distinguished service crosses and seven silver stars. One reason Douglas MacArthur was very important was because of all his awards for World War I. He returned from Germany to the United States in 1919, and he became superintendent of West Point. He was the youngest man with that job. He became army chief of the staff in 1930. He was youngest man with that job. Also His biggest mistake was the attack on the Bonus Army. In 1932, a group of United States World War I veterans started a protest in Washington D.C. They were called the Bonus Army. It was during the Depression and they didn’t have jobs. They wanted early payments for veteran’s bonus. The police tried to get rid of marches but there were shootings and injuries. Macarthur put on his best uniform and he wore every medal he owned. He got on a white horse to lead his troops. He drove the help marcher’s out with bayonets, sabers, rifle fire, and tear gas. He attacked the marcher’s wives and children. He became very unpopular after this. It was worse because Hoover had ordered him twice to not enter the Anacostia flats camp. Lot of people didn’t like MacArthur because they thought he wanted to control the government. He went to the Philippines and made a Philippines army. His Philippine army fell apart in the 2012-01-10T09:38:19.793-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Douglas-MacArtuther-a-Famous-General-34415.aspx french revolution 2011-12-30T11:06:24.507-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/french-revolution-34411.aspx Japan 1937 - 1941 The forces that led to Japan's Southern expansion and war in December 1941 SYNOPSIS This essay argues that the decision by Japan to expand into China beyond Manchuria led to a situation of increasingly critical resource vulnerability for Japan. In order to overcome this vulnerability, which was seen to threaten Japan's national security, the Japanese decided to expand into Southeast Asia. This would allow for the seizure of the East Indies oil which would help make Japan independent of Western imports, which Japan saw as essential for national defense. It would also overcome the impact of Western embargoes, which were threatening to emasculate the empire's military power. Southern expansion would also allow Japan to create its Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, which the Japanese believed would make them materially and economically self-sufficient and militarily equal to the West. Finally, the Japanese leadership's sense of vulnerability overrode its ability for objective judgment, until only war was seen as the solution for Japan's problems, and where a mystical belief in 'spirit' could overcome the awesome power of the United States. In December 1941 Japan launched a military assault against the Western colonial possessions of Southeast Asia and began what became known as the Pacific War. This essay analyses the reasons for this course of action, and how the Japanese saw their interests being served by expanding the war beyond China. It argues that the war in China was the prime motivating force for Japan's decision to expand South, as this war exposed the real limits of Japan's resource vulnerability, particularly to the Western powers. Oil was another reason for war. Japan's dependence on imported oil made it militarily vulnerable to the West, so much so that the Japanese feared for their national security. With the introduction of embargoes the Japanese felt compelled to take matters into their own hands, and seize the oil of the East Indies before their own supplies ran out. The decision to create the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere was also a reaction to Japan's resource vulnerability. By taking over direct control of the East Asian region the Japanese hoped to become self-sufficient in resources, as well as build a powerful empire under Japanese domination. Resource vulnerability also affected Japanese judgment and strategic thinking, which increasingly became based on a limited conception of Japan's situation, until only one solution, military force, was seen as acceptable for solving Japan's problems. This was supported with an irrational belief in the ability of the Japanese spirit to overcome American 2011-12-25T15:14:35.443-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Japan-1937-1941-The-forces-that-led-to-Japan-s-Southern-expansion-and-war-in-December-1941-34407.aspx Booker T. Washington Vs. W.E.B. Du Bois At a time when the black community was being afforded a free status, but not one of ?equality, many leaders arose to appeal to the white governing body for social equality. ?The transition from the nineteenth century to the twentieth century gave birth to two of ?these leaders, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois. Although these two remarkable men ?were both in search of a common goal, their roads leading to this goal were significantly ?different. This is most evident in Booker T. Washington's The Atlanta Exposition Address ? and W.E.B. Du Bois response to this, The Souls of Black Folk. Booker T. Washington’s gradualism stance gives him a popular appeal among both blacks and whites, although W.E.B. Du Bois has the upper hand when it came to ideology dealing with economic prosperity among blacks. Washington favors the humble, ask nicely, appreciate what you’re given, and say thank ?you approach to obtaining social equality. Washington addresses the issue with caution, ?in doing so he not only comes across as an advocate of Blacks gaining “all privileges of ?the law”(Up from Slavery, 457), but also of Blacks being prepared “for the exercises of ?these privileges.”(457) By taking this approach Washington is gaining the appeal ?within the black community as well as the white community. In contrast to this effective stance, Du Bois asks constantly with a loud and firm voice. Du Bois even goes as far as to say that if the Black community wants social equality they must simply complain. “Ceaseless agitation”( The Souls of Black Folk 563 ) he feels will do more in the fight for equality than “voluntarily throwing away”(563) the reasonable rights they are entitled to. The opposing approaches of Washington and Du Bois are far from unnoticeable, and receive recognition from both sides. In Washington’s Atlanta Compromise Address he comments that the “wisest among my race understand that the agitation of questions of social equality is the extremist folly, and ?that progress in the enjoyment of all the privileges that will come to us must be the ?result of severe and constant struggle rather than of artificial forcing.”(457) This ?statement, delivered at a time when blacks and whites have separate water fountains, ?blacks were lynched, and the majority of blacks were illiterate, directly condemns the ?blunt complaining with which Du Bois is supporting. Du Bois criticism is illustrated ?in The Souls of Black Folk; “The way for 2011-12-06T15:03:59.473-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Booker-T_-Washington-Vs_-W_E_B_-Du-Bois-34375.aspx Andrew Jackson's Presidency Bank War and IRA The national bank was observed by Jackson to jeopardize economic stability and served as a monopoly on country’s currency. Jackson explained his decision by vetoing of the bank renewal bill declaring that some of the powers and privileges possessed by the national bank are unauthorized by the Constitution. Jackson is a strict constructionist, and he views the bank as unconstitutional because it was not written in the constitution; similar views as Thomas Jefferson. His situation against the bank brought him great deal of criticism from power quarters, especially within the judicial and legislative branch. He was viewed to be a monarchical president, using presidential power only to veto against the bank liberally. He’s pushing the power of executive branch to the limit without considering checks and balances that plays into the constitution. First, he should’ve discuss within the cabinet and then releasing a veto to the bank. Yet, check and balances applied to his veto because the legislative branch can gather enough votes to override AJ’s veto. For me, Jackson shows courage and determination with his duty as a president. Even though he push the limit of executive branch’s power, he shows that he has the determination to protect the citizen of America. His view of the 2nd bank as being unauthorized and monopolizing on the country’s currency may be controversial. Yet, as a president, being pronounce and forceful is crucial of necessary. His intention was not to farm the American people; yet he’s concern with the power that the bank has and therefore his action was intense and in prompt. I fully agree with his actions, because president needs to be courageous in making decisions. One devastating act that Jackson made is the Indian removal act. He forced native americans (Cherokees) move from their lands started with the state of Georgia westward. Thousands of people died; thus it’s called the trail of tears. This act was caused because of the friction happening between white people and native americans in Georgia. The whites desire their land and possession in Georgia, reclaiming their land; but the Cherokee protested and took the case to the U.S. Supreme court. The court, led by John Marshall as Chief Justice favor the Cherokee, however, AJ forced the native Americans to give up their land. AJ did sacrifice thousands of native americans, where they died during the migration westward. Yet, he once again shows eagerness and 2011-12-04T09:30:49.267-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Andrew-Jackson-s-Presidency-Bank-War-and-IRA-34372.aspx Archduke Assassination The Kaiser of Germany along with Dual alliance was quick to use the assassination of the Archduke as a pretext for war. (Marshall Edward) “France saw the Pan-German alliance as a menace that did not respond to reason, but only obeys its jealous tendencies and exaggerated Ego. The Dual Alliance was quick to seize the opportunity resulting from the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his Archduchess as an excuse for an aggressive political documentation against the countries of the triple Entente.” “The European press say’s “it appears that the emotion produced by the crime at Sarajevo was tragic in the countries of the Triple Entente”, and found expression of counsel and prudence, of reconciliation, and moderation. But on the other side of the Triple Entente, especially in Berlin, it reverted into aggressive political demonstration. That did not stop to mourn the death of the Archduke of Austria, the German press sees nothing in the dead Archduke only it’s self centered goal of creating a Pan-Germanium Entente, it is with this spirit they proceeded to cry out for vengeance and demand the most severe, and dangerous measures against the Serbs, and the whole Slavic people; who believed that the seeds of this crime was sowed long before the death of the Archduke. Pan-Germaniums only responds to the impulse of jealousy, and hatred. They do not hesitate to unchain the dogs of war, which will probably embrace the whole of Europe. It was the goal of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand to add to the Austro-Hungarian association a third state to consist of Delmatia, Istrria, Crotia, Bosnia and Herzegovina it was his dream to make Austries the absolute mistress of the empire. Furthermore the Archduke believed that if his ambitions were to be realized it was necessary to keep the Serbs and other Slavic people who are under Austro-Hungarian domination in a state happiness. All hopes of a reconciliation died On 28th June 1914, with the assassination of the Archduke Franc Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and wife Sophie, Duchess of Hofburg, were shot dead in Sarajevo, by Gavrilo Princept, one of six Bosnian Serb assassins. Emperor Francis Joseph, at that time in history was 84 and in bad health, he took passion of the bodies as they arrived by train at a suburban station from Serbia. Both bodies, the 2011-11-30T12:35:34.49-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Archduke-Assassination-34369.aspx Christopher Columbus Before his great voyages, Christopher Columbus drew up a plan of a western sea route from Europe to India relying on the classical theory of the earth’s sphericity and on incorrect calculations by 15th-century scientists, thinking it would be shorter than existing routes. Not everybody would have believed this idea, but Christopher was willing to try any thing to find the Indies. In 1485, after proposing the idea to the Portuguese king, the king rejected his plan. Columbus then moved to Castile, Spain where he knew he would have the support, mainly of Andalusian merchants and bankers, and be able to get a government oceanic expedition organized under his command. Columbus, being an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, was famous for his many expeditions. He was the oldest son of Domenico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa he exact date of his birth is unknown but researches know it is between August 25th and October 31st, between 1435 and 1460. Genoa, Italy is said to be his Birthplace. Said to have blue eyes, blond hair, and had an exceptionally good physical condition. He was married once but she had died so he began another relationship but never remarried. He had two kids, one being from his first wife. He started out on sea at the age of 14. He also did not have a reputation of swearing. He died on May 20th, 1506 in Valladolid; Spain that was apparently age related. He wrote of his adventures in Castilian because this is the language he spoke but could also read Latin. He received little formal education and was mostly a self-taught man. The first voyage began on Aug. 3rd, 1492 from Palos, Spain and crossing the Atlantic to the island of San Salvador in the Bahamian archipelago which is the stretch of islands in San Salvador. This expedition consisted of 90 men on the vessels Santa María, Pinta, and Niña. They visited many of the Bohemian islands. They discovered and explored a section of the northeastern coast of Cuba, and on Dec. 6th reached the island of Hispaniola and moved along its northern shore. He completed this exploration of the northern shore on the Niña on January 4th to January 16th, 1493. On March 15th, 1493, he returned to his homeland in Castile, Spain. He wrote of his adventures in Castilian because this is the language he spoke but could also read Latin. This first 2011-11-27T19:04:51.287-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Christopher-Columbus-34363.aspx Dust Bowl Of 1934 Farmers across the Great Plains longed for rain during the spring of 1934. But day after day, the weather offered no relief, only intense sun, wind, drought, more sun, then gale-force winds. On April 14, massive clouds of dust blotted out the sun over western Kansas. At first the wind raced along the surface, tearing at the stunted wheat and licking up the topsoil. Then the dust thickened into low, heavy, dirt-laden clouds. From a distance, the storm had the appearance of a cumulus cloud, but it was black, not white; and it seemed to eat its way along with a rolling, churning motion. As the storm swept toward Oklahoma and Texas, the black clouds engulfed the landscape. For those at the storm center there was an eerie sensation of silence and darkness. There was little or no visibility, and wind velocity hit 40 to 50 miles per hour. The next month was exceedingly hot with a temperature above 100 degrees Fahrenheit every day. On May 10, the gales returned, this time from the west. Unlike the previous storm, these winds whipped up a formless, light-brown fog that spread over an area 900 miles wide and 1500 miles long. The next day an estimated 12 million tons of soil fell on Chicago, Illinois, and dust darkened the skies over Cleveland, Ohio. On May 12, dust hung like a shadow over the entire eastern seaboard. By the time they were over, these two storms alone blew 650 million tons of topsoil off the Great Plains. The Dust Bowl covered 300,000 square miles of territory located in Kansas, Texas, western Oklahoma, eastern Colorado, and New Mexico. In the hardest-hit areas, agriculture virtually ceased. With successive storms, the wind and the flying dust cut off wheat stalks at ground level and tore out the roots. Blowing dirt shifted from one field to another, burying crops not yet carried away from the wind. Cattle tried to eat the dust-laden grass and filled their stomachs with fatal "mud balls." The dust banked against houses and farm buildings like snow, and buried fences up to the post tops. Dirt penetrated into automobile engines and clogged the vital parts. Housewives fought vainly to keep it out of their homes, but it seeped in through cracks and crevices, through wet blankets hung over windows, through oiled cloths and tape, covering everything with grit. Hospitals reported hundreds of 2011-11-16T15:04:26.96-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Dust-Bowl-Of-1934-34346.aspx Social Security a Pay as You Go System Social Security is the cornerstone of American social policy, but it is also a lightning rod for reformers. Even in the beginning of the process, Congress could not agree on how it should proceed, threatening to drop the old-age insurance from an omnibus security bill that included welfare, unemployment compensation, job training, child welfare and some public health components. Now, in the late 90’s, Social Security is being threatened by financial problems. Needless to say, there are quite a few ideas on how to reform the system. Although financially stable for decades, the now-antiquated system is facing hard times. Reports of the system's imminent insolvency have turned cries of support into alarm. The Social Security system is expected to begin running a deficit within only 15 years (paying out more in benefits than it collects in taxes). Without reform it will be unable to pay promised benefits by around 2034. What began as a plan for increased financial security has instead thrown the country towards a future of economic uncertainty. Congress designed Social Security to operate as a pay-as-you-go system. That means no money is actually set aside by the government to pay benefits in the future. When workers pay taxes into the Social Security "trust fund," most of the money is immediately paid out as benefits to today's retirees. The leftovers go straight to the Treasury in exchange for federal IOUs and are used to finance the national budget. But when Social Security begins running a deficit in 2012, there will be no more leftovers, and the government must begin paying back its IOUs to keep the system afloat. Because no money has actually been saved for this purpose, Congress will be forced to significantly increase public debt, cut spending or raise taxes. Even worse, unless something is done, the entire Social Security system will use up its government IOUs and go bankrupt by 2034. No wonder citizens of all ages are alarmed -- will they ever see their Social Security dollars again? Changing demographics have spurred the impending crisis. Today, fewer workers support each beneficiary. The baby boomers are aging and not having as many children, and people are living longer, thus collecting benefits for a longer period of time. Since the system is pay-as-you-go, these demographic changes spell trouble. A smaller and smaller group of workers will have to provide for more and more recipients. The 2011-11-03T01:23:48.297-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Security-a-Pay-as-You-Go-System-34293.aspx An Overview of the Pericles' Policy from History of the Peloponnesian War In this paper, there will be a discussion on The Policy of Pericles, found in Book II of Thucydides’ “History of the Peloponnesian War.” A general overview will be provided. Thucydides provided us with a comprehensive record of the Peloponnesian War, documenting its events, and major characters, for the world to know centuries after. In Book II of his history, the general Pericles dies, and in passage 65, Thucydides provides him with a suitable sendoff, one in which his death marked the beginning of Athens’ true decline. Through this record, it becomes clear that Pericles’ vision was one that could have benefited Athens greatly had it been followed. The fact that the opposite policy was enforced, and Athens spiraled as a result, gives credence to the conclusion. The passage begins with Thucydides relating the general’s efforts at quelling the unrest that had risen in Athens. The plague had truly taken its toll on the citizens and they were hoping to see change – in any way possible. However, Pericles, who understood policy and strategy well, imparted to the Athenians that virtue was found in patience. The reasons for the war were still present, nothing had changed, and thus, it would be wise to stay true to the original plan. “So far as public policy was concerned, they accepted his arguments, sending no more embassies to Sparta and showing an increased energy in carrying on the war....” To this end, Pericles had been successful, yet he still had to contend with the displeasure of the citizens concerning their private lives. Athens was a state of enormous wealth and freedom, and now, as their situation grew worse, individual liberties were no longer as significant since they had little to live for. Thucydides notes – “The mass of the people had had little enough to start with and had now been deprived of even that....” And in order to satisfy them, the general had to pay a fine. But as Thucydides pointed out, crowds are often fickle and though upset with Pericles, it elected him again. But he would die soon afterwards, and the subsequent decline of Athens could be attributed to this turn of events. Though the citizens were cynical of his policy at the time, it would prove to be the best course of action for Athens – 2011-11-03T01:18:30.063-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/An-Overview-of-the-Pericles-Policy-from-History-of-the-Peloponnesian-War-34289.aspx The Tokugawa Shogunate I. Introduction. The Tokugawa Shogunate has gone down in history as a repressive feudal police state. It is certainly true that the Tokugawa Shogunate, or Bakufu, suffered from thousands of rebellions. This paper is concerned with the reasons for these rebellions. This paper will also explore the differences in rebellions to determine if the reasons behind the rebellions varied between villages with different economic activities; specifically farming, mountain, and fishing villages, or if rebellions were based upon another division of the people than villages. This paper shall begin by considering the Tokugawa Bakufu. The history and practices of the Tokugawa regime will be examined. These practices will then be related to the lives of the peasants that they affected. The economy of the Tokugawa or Edo era shall also be considered. Changes in the economy throughout the period will be examined. This paper will then consider the effects that the changing economy had upon the peasant class. Finally, this paper will consider some of the many rebellions, or Ikki, that occurred during the Tokugawa Dynasty’s rule. The reasons for these Ikki will be examined. This paper will also determine the population base of the rebellions to determine if they occurred among particular villages with particular economic orientations, or if the rebellions had a base other than the village. II. The Tokugawa Bakufu. The Tokugawa period began in either 1600 when Tokugawa Ieyasu consolidated his control of Japan at the battle of Sekigahara, or in 1603,when he assumed the title of Shogun (Reischauer, p. 67.) The Tokugawa Shogunate continued to rule Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1869 (Morton, p.149). Ieyasu built on the successes of his two predecessors; Oda Nobunaga and Hideyoshi. Oda Nobunaga conquered the central region of Japan before his assassination in 1582. His work of unifying Japan was continued by one of his generals, Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi was lowborn and had risen through the ranks by virtue of his ability. By 1590, he had unified all of Japan (Reischaur, p.66). Hideyoshi died in 1598, leaving an infant heir. Tokugawa Ieyasu, one of five protectors of Hideyoshi’s son, took advantage of this situation and became the most powerful man in Japan. Ieyasu removed the last opposition to his rule in 1615 when he destroyed those who were still loyal to Hideyoshi’s son. Unlike either of his predecessors, Ieyasu was able to 2011-11-03T01:16:31.36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Tokugawa-Shogunate-34288.aspx Foreign Policy and Woodrow Wilson I. Introduction Woodrow Wilson’s idealism created the role that the United States has played in the international community during the Twentieth Century. this paper will demonstrate how President Wilson’s views and ideals created the role that the United States played on the world stage during his presidency, and how that role has continued down to the final years of the twentieth century. To do this, this paper will first introduce Woodrow Wilson and explore his background and ideals. This paper will then look at his foreign policy and consider how that policy has continued throughout the Twentieth Century. II. Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson was born in Staunton, Virginia on December twenty-ninth, 1856. He was the son of a Presbyterian minister (Ridings, pp. 174). Woodrow Wilson’s Presbyterian religion remained an important influence throughout his life. Wilson followed in his father’s footsteps as far as Presbyterian lay-preacher himself (Bailey, pp. 52). Wilson originally determined to study for the ministry, and to this purpose he attended Davidson College in North Carolina. He then switched schools and continued his education at Princeton. At some point he must have rejected the ordained ministry as a career goal because he continued his education by studying law at the University of Virginia. He even practiced law for a short time in Atlanta, Georgia (Ridings. pp. 174). Law, like the ministry, was not to be Wilson’s career. He earned his doctorate in political science from John Hopkin’s University. His doctoral thesis was published under the title Congressional Government and was translated into several languages and saw twenty-nine printings. This book described what happens to the United States government when a president is too weak to prevent Congressional domination (Ridings, pp. 174). Wilson taught at Bryn Mawr College, Wesleyan University, and Princeton. This background would make Wilson the most educated president in the history of the United States (Riding, pp. 174). In 1910, New Jersey’s Democratic Party nominated Wilson for governor. They believed that he was an ivory tower academic who could be easily controlled. Wilson was elected to the office of governor and it became apparent that the naive educator was also a progressive reformer (Filler, pp. 94). He was responsible for legislation on electoral reform, workmen’s compensation, pure food laws, and child labor regulations (Ridings, pp. 175). In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt split 2011-10-31T22:25:39.557-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Foreign-Policy-and-Woodrow-Wilson-34271.aspx The First World War Stalemate This essay discusses one chapter of John Keegan’s book about WWI. I Introduction The First World War, according to many historians, accomplished little or nothing except to create the circumstances that made the second conflict possible. It was a brutal, senseless war whose most memorable feature was the trench warfare that rolled back and forth across Europe for years, often ending with thousands of lives lost and no objectives gained. It was a vicious waste of lives, materiel and time. This paper examines the chapter entitled “Stalemate” from the book. The term refers to 1915, in which the Allies made little or no progress; the Western Front took shape; and the losses were appalling. I’d suggest that in addition to examining the trench warfare, we can also consider the question of whether or not the First World War was a modern war, on the last old-fashioned one. While many people see it as directly connected to the Second World War and its technological advances, I see it as being the last great struggle of the non-technological ages. II Discussion The word “stalemate” can be applied to the entire war, because it seems to have ground to a halt on more than one occasion. For months at a time, the two sides started at each other across no-man’s land, and no one gained the advantage. The chapter describes the network of trenches in detail. All sides, of course, dug these extensive lines of trenches, not only marking the front, but also extending far to the rear. Men and supplies could be brought up to the front in relative safety, shuffling along below the surface of the earth. Troops took shelter in the trenches, and had to climb ladders to go “over the top” to attack the enemy. Trench warfare has become so closely identified with the First World War that we tend to overlook the fact that it is a method that was used in several conflicts in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, including (something that is often overlooked) the American Civil War. In the latter part of the that conflict, trenches were dug by both Confederate and Union troops in Maryland, and they took shelter in them for a period of over ten months. (This is from Ken Burn’s film “The Civil War,” but I don’t have a reference. I 2011-10-31T00:41:50.767-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-First-World-War-Stalemate-34238.aspx Hitler and Stalin This essay examines a chapter from Bullock’s book about the two leaders. I Introduction Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin were two of the most monstrous rulers in history, and yet for some reason it’s Hitler’s name that is before us; the Nazis’ atrocities that live in our memories; and Hitler himself who casts an evil fascination on us to this day. I think it’s likely that Stalin actually put more people to death than Hitler, and yet somehow we overlook that, or rather, Stalin doesn’t seem to pull us the way Hitler does. Whether that has to do with the fact that Stalin and Russia fought with us against Hitler in WWII or not is not the point here, though it may have some influence on our attitudes towards the two men. What I’d like to do is look at an early chapter of Bullock’s book, and see if there is some sort of difference between the two men, as revealed perhaps in adolescence, that can explain why one holds our imagination and the other does not. II Discussion At this period in their lives (the chapter covers Hitler from ages 19-29; Stalin from 19-37), both men began to form the beliefs that they would act upon later. Hitler was in Vienna, destitute, and at one point was sleeping in doorways and living on the streets. He was an ardent German nationalist, and was appalled when he heard German workers agreeing with Marxist principles, such as the fact that the nation was a capitalist invention, or that the law used it authority to hold down the people. (Bullock, p. 21). During this time, Hitler wrote Mein Kampf, discussing the three-pronged belief that he had developed to explain Germany’s woes: first, that Germans should be as ardent in their nationalism as he; second, that Marxism was to be despised; and third, the Jews were the root of Germany’s problems. At the same time that Hitler was writing, Stalin was becoming a committed Marxist. He espoused the same principles that Hitler despised (Nazism and Communism are the two opposite ends of the political spectrum). Stalin read the writings of Lenin with eagerness, and attended party meetings. Thus, the two young men are at the beginning of their careers, and seem to me at this point to be very similar: both would become leaders 2011-10-31T00:36:07.24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hitler-and-Stalin-34235.aspx Causa Belli This essay investigates some of the theories that have been advanced to explain why men wage war. I Introduction War. It is the grimmest, most brutal and most awful of all human activities. No one ever says they like it, and yet humanity cannot stop waging it. Some of those caught up in it are broken by it; some are numbed by it; others are left feeling that nothing in their lives will ever equal it. But no one is unchanged by war. This essay will attempt to discover some of the reasons why men wage war. It will consider the role of individuals in instigating wars; the nature of states; and the international community. It will also draw on readings and observations from Clausewitz, Freud, Kant, Machiavelli and M.H. Cochran. In addition, it will consider different “angles of vision”—large issues that may be said to have an impact on the decision of whether or not to wage war; these issues include political, economic and sociological views. (Incidentally, “causa belli” means, “cause of war” and is the correct spelling. People often use “causus belli,” a form that doesn’t exist; the correct spelling in that case is “casus belli,” meaning “an occasion of war.”) II Warlords The 20th Century was the most violent in the history of mankind. It saw hundreds of “brush fire” wars, as well as the most devastating and wide-ranging conflict ever fought: World War II. When we look back over the years leading to the conflict, and indeed over the entire century, one name stands out: Adolf Hitler. Why it should be he, and not Josef Stalin, Tojo, or indeed Franklin Delano Roosevelt or Winston Churchill who comes to mind as the icon of the modern warlord is a question for which there is no answer. Hitler seems to have captured our imagination in a way no one else ever has, despite the fact that his evil is vast and his actions despicable. Despite our loathing of the man and his policies, he continues to fascinate us. If we examine his rise to power, we clearly see that there are individuals who do in fact instigate wars. The facts about him are well-known: he was a courier in the First World War, running messages under fire; he was certainly no coward, and was awarded the Iron Cross. 2011-10-31T00:25:42.307-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causa-Belli-34228.aspx Voltaire and the Pursuit of Happiness This essay discusses what the “pursuit of happiness” might have meant to Voltaire. I Introduction At least for Americans, the ‘pursuit of happiness’ is an unalienable right granted to them in the Declaration of Independence. This is somewhat astonishing if we consider it for a moment—how can anyone grant happiness to another as a right? Nevertheless, the words are there for all to see. The idea of the pursuit of happiness didn’t originate with the signers of the Declaration, but is a product of the thinkers of the Enlightenment, that amazing period (the 17th and 18th Centuries up until about the time of the French Revolution) in European history, when new discoveries were being made, and new philosophies transformed the human experience. This paper looks briefly at Voltaire, and what the idea of the ‘pursuit of happiness’ might have meant to him. II Discussion The words that Thomas Jefferson put into the Declaration of Independence were those of the thinkers of the Enlightenment, Voltaire among them. They are closely tied to two other words, “life” and “liberty.” Perhaps we should start there, for it’s obvious that one must be alive and at liberty before he can pursue happiness. Voltaire and other thinkers of his time shared a basic belief in the power of human reason. It was this idea, that men were capable of thinking for themselves that led many of the thinkers and philosophers of the period, Voltaire prominent among them, to renounce the Roman Catholic Church. This does not mean, as many people think, that Voltaire was an atheist. On the contrary, he was raised and taught be Jesuits and retained a deep reverence for them; he also apparently believed in God and the immortal soul. It was the corruption of the priests and the Church itself that he attacked. I think we can infer that he saw the Church as an institution that stood for irrationality in an age of reason. Church doctrine, after all, is based on faith, and faith is not susceptible to proof; that’s what the word means. But Voltaire was living at a time when philosophers had propounded a new idea: that knowledge is not innate (inborn) but comes “only from experience and observation guided by reason.” (“The Age of Reason,” PG). The great truths of the human condition were to be discovered by 2011-10-30T21:13:16.017-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Voltaire-and-the-Pursuit-of-Happiness-34225.aspx Hitler and Stalin Lives of Fantasy This essay discusses the fact that both Hitler and Stalin, as young men, constructed fantasy lives. I Introduction Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin tried to make the world over to suit themselves, and in so doing, caused the destruction of millions of lives. But when I began to read Alan Bullock’s book about the two Hitler and Stalin: Parallel Lives) I was struck by the similarity in their home lives, particularly in their relationships with their fathers. Of course attributing their brutality to an unhappy childhood is a vast oversimplification of complex personalities, but the parallel is striking. Furthermore, it seems as if both men took refuge in a sort of “fantasy” life to help them deal with an unpleasant reality. . Whenever we see photos of videos of these men, they’re usually in uniform, reviewing their troops or watching a party rally. It’s almost impossible to think of them as ever having been young, or having ambitions to do anything except rule. And yet Hitler desperately wanted to be a painter; Stalin studied theology with the idea of entering the priesthood. Both the artistic world and the theological seminary exist outside of the more “normal” pursuits most people follow. They are generally considered to be career choices that people make because they feel a special “calling” for them; in other words, they are fantasy lives, in the sense that artists and priests move in a different world from most people. This paper looks at the tyrants as young men, and the ways in which they sought to escape from their ugly realities into fantasy. II Stalin We don’t know as much about Stalin as we do about Hitler for the simple reason that it is (or was) much harder to get information out of the USSR than it was to examine the records of Nazi Germany. We know that Stalin’s parents were both peasants, and that his father drank heavily and beat both his wife and son. His alcoholism made it difficult for him to hold a job, and he finally took a job in a factory 40 miles away, but his legacy was profound: “Undeserved and severe beatings made the boy as hard and heartless as the father was.” (Bullock, p. 5). With his father gone, Stalin’s mother went to work as a housekeeper to an Orthodox priest, and decided that the 2011-10-27T13:34:28.473-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hitler-and-Stalin-Lives-of-Fantasy-34188.aspx Women in Japanese Theater This paper examines some of the aspects of women in Japanese theater. I Introduction The history of women in Japanese theater is the history of the social changes that swept the country in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Actresses at this time progressed from a point where they were not allowed to perform at all to the point where they were celebrated artists. Although it would be intriguing to tackle women’s history in the theater across the entire period, the source book, Acting Like a Woman in Modern Japan, is so packed with information on so many aspects of women in the theater that the topic is overbroad. This paper therefore will discuss only selected topics: the role of men in the theater in the absence of women; the advent of actresses into the profession, and what it was like for the first women who broke into acting. With these basic topics as support, we’ll move to the main point: the way in which revealing the physical body on stage, notably in Salome, came to finally define women in the theater in terms of their physicality, and whether this is a breakthrough or further restriction. The paper also defines the vocabulary common to the theater as necessary. II Theater without Women The idea that actresses are little better than common prostitutes is common in all cultures that have a theatrical tradition, and in Japan at least, it has some basis in fact. Some prostitutes used their stage appearances to “advertise” themselves in sensational dances that resulted in riots and disorder. Because of this, women were completely banned from appearing on the stage in Japan “from 1629 to 1891. Initially they were replaced by the wakashu, akin to the boy-actors in English theater of the Elizabethan period.” (Kano, p. 5). Unfortunately, it soon became evident that the wakashu incited as man riots as the women did, and they were banned as well. That left only adult males available to act, so they took on all roles, including female roles as well. “Applying thick white powder and rouge to their faces, donning elaborate costumes and heavy wigs, forcing their shoulders back and walking with bent knees, these actors, called onnagata, or oyama, cultivated a style of acting that represented idealized femininity by concealing one set of somatic [bodily] signs 2011-10-26T23:37:26.447-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Women-in-Japanese-Theater-34160.aspx U.S. Government Grants to Native Americans This paper discusses some of the issues surrounding the grant process with regard to Native Americans. It also discusses Native American issues with regard to politics and legislation. U.S. Government Grants to Native Americans I Introduction The history of the U.S. government’s involvement with the indigenous people of the nation is a sorry one indeed. In the push West, an entire culture was destroyed, and the survivors herded onto reservations, where many continue to live in poverty. The government, which assumed the attitude of a caretaker toward the Native Americans long ago, continues this support through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of the Interior. This paper considers the case of “Alexander Eaglefly”, who is the Chief of the “Mohave Desert Indian Tribe”, and who has just received a grant from “Joe Lackluster,” the bureau chief of the local Interior Department office; the grant is in the amount of $128,500. We’ll answer the following questions: What was the process by which Mr. Eaglefly received the grant? What is the power the Congress used to issue it; i.e., what are the legislative issues behind funding the grant? What impact would party politics have on the process? What is the power of oversight? Which PACs and SIGS might have been involved in this issue, and how? How could the President have used his executive power in this situation? And finally, how might the judiciary become involved? II The Process of Receiving the Grant In the last 200 years, Congress has passed more legislation dealing with Native Americans than with any other group. The primary responsibility for Indian affairs rests with the Department of the Interior (DOI); specifically the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The responsibility and authority for managing funds held in trust for Indian Tribes and individuals, which was a primary function of the BIA, was transferred to the Office of Special Trustee for American Indians in 1996. (“Bureau of Indian Affairs,” PG). (Note that the government continues to hold money “in trust” for the Indians. In effect, the Indians cannot determine their own future.) The vast majority of Native Americans live in extreme poverty, usually on the money doled out by the government; they remain largely unassimilated into mainstream American life. “The BIA provides services directly or through contracts, grants [my emphasis], or compacts to 554 Tribes with diverse needs, 2011-10-26T23:15:03.13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/U_S_-Government-Grants-to-Native-Americans-34152.aspx Italians in America This paper discusses the waves of Italian immigrants that came to the United States in 1820-1880 and 1880-1920, and asks if being from a different region in Italy resulted in different treatment from American citizens. (10+ pages; 8 sources; MLA citation style) I Introduction Italians are one of the largest groups of immigrants to come to the U.S.; they came to America at different times, with one of the largest “waves” in the period 1880-1920. They brought their vibrant culture, but like other groups, faced prejudice, racism and hatred. This paper looks at the experiences of these immigrants in their new country; specifically it considers Italians from two regions of Italy: Naples, and the Abruzzi, and asks if their experiences were different, and if so, can their place of origin account for those differences. II The Old Country A more fundamental question is: What, if anything, is the difference between Italians who come from the Abruzzi and Naples? To answer that, we need to define our terms. The area known as ‘the Abruzzo’ is on the opposite side of the country from Naples. If we use the well-known practice of looking at Italy as a “boot,” then Naples is on the front of the leg and the Abruzzo on the back. More precisely, Naples would be on the lower part of the shin with the Abruzzo about mid-way up the calf. (“In Italy Online,” PG). (As I understand it, not speaking Italian, the region is ‘the Abruzzo’ and the people who come from it, ‘the Abruzzi’.) Italy in general is a rugged country (nearly 75% of the country is mountainous), with another 20% forested. (“Italy,” PG). There are low-lying “strips” along the Adriatic coast and the Tyrrhenian coast; in addition, there is a vast plain that makes up Northern Italy; it is in the north that industry is concentrated. (“Italy,” PG). Most of the country is agricultural, as well; the agrarian economy means that generations of Italians have been very poor, peasants in fact: “Italy’s plight was clear. The country had a burgeoning population, the majority of whom had been born in dire poverty, and yet it had few resources. Preeminently an agricultural region, nearly the entire mezzogiorno was owned by absentee landlord who still held onto the peasantry and the land…” (Moreno, p. 22). The word “mezzogiorno” is translated literally as “midday” 2011-10-26T13:58:11.53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Italians-in-America-34132.aspx Ancient Babylonia This paper is a question and answer discussion of some aspects of life in ancient Babylonia. (3+ pages; 4 sources; MLA citation style) I Introduction This paper answers specific questions about the civilization of ancient Babylonia, and is in a question-answer format. II Answers to the Questions 1. Explain the importance of the topic to someone unfamiliar with it. Ancient cultures are important because they help us understand who we are, where we came from; and our beliefs, values and behavior. The ancient Babylonians gave us many things, including the concept of impartial justice; the 24-hour day; the idea that a circle contained 360 degrees; and what is generally believed to be the oldest epic poem in history, “Gilgamesh.” (“Babylonia,” pp. 9-11). Perhaps more importantly today, much of ancient Babylonia lies within modern Iraq. 2. What is the time period involved in the study of ancient Babylonia? Ancient Babylonia was conquered and re-conquered throughout its history, but “[T]he el-Obeid and Warka periods (about 3600-3000 B.C.) represent the beginning of settled culture in Babylonia proper…” (“Babylonia,” p. 9). Babylon finally fell in 514 B.C., thus the extreme range of dates is 3600-514 B.C.; over 3,000 years. 3. What are the most important facts students should know about ancient Babylonia at this time? There were many developments in the ancient world that are important to us today. Perhaps two of the greatest are the idea of government, and the codification of the law. Human civilization arose in the Tigris-Euphrates area: Babylonia, in fact. The first people in the area were known as Sumerians, later Babylonians: “After about 3500 B.C. they established centers of civilizations in towns and cities, called ‘city states’.” (Briquebec, p. 14). Each of these city states, according to the author, had a royal palace, a temple, and an administrative center. This means that some of the earliest ideas of government as a central authority come from ancient Babylonia. I’ve already mentioned the idea of equality of justice. It comes to us from the Code of Hammurabi, which is indeed one of the most vital developments in all history. Hammurabi “realized that good government depended upon justice which the people could understand, so he collected together the old laws and customs, improved them and added new ones of his own.” (Unstead, p. 33). Not only did this mean that the law would be applied to all people in the 2011-10-26T13:47:33.42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ancient-Babylonia-34126.aspx The Donner Party This is an essay about the Donner Party, written in a narrative, not academic, style. (11+ pages; 3 sources; 2 additional suggested readings) The Donner Party The tale of the Donner Party and its tragic journey is one of the great stories of American history. It is at once horrifying and inspiring, an almost legendary account of human behavior at its worst, and its best. In the accounts of the settlers that went west with the ill-fated wagon train, we can see some of the issues that continue to plague society today. There were squabbles over the route; squabbles over food; squabbles over the workload. But there were also larger issues: the dislike of some of the emigrants for the Germans in the party; the factionalism that developed, often along societal lines; and the greed of several men who put their own profits before the lives of the settlers. We see the same ugliness surfacing in the men who attempted to rescue the snowbound emigrants. More than once, boastful men proved themselves to be craven, and rescue attempts fell apart. Courage and cowardice, greed and selflessness, seem to have been side by side throughout this extraordinary episode. The Donner Party’s history, at least at the beginning, is not that different from the stories of others going west in the 1800’s. But it almost seems as though the train was destined to fail. First, there was infighting from the beginning. The man finally picked to lead the train, George Donner (known as “Uncle George”), was not the man best qualified. That title goes to James Reed, younger, stronger, tougher, and more experienced. But Reed was disliked because of his wealth. Donner too was wealthy, but Reed made an ostentatious display of his money, while Donner did not. Early historians, such as McGlashan, whose History of the Donner Party was published in 1896; and George Stewart, whose Ordeal by Hunger (1934) is widely acknowledged to be a classic about the emigrants, both say that Reed had a wagon that he called the Pioneer Palace. It was supposedly a two-story affair that towered over the other wagons, contained unheard-of luxuries, and was the epitome of comfort. In a much more recent history, Frank Mullen suggests that James Reed would not have set out on such a trek with a wagon that would 2011-10-26T13:26:32.46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Donner-Party-34119.aspx Two Views of Slavery This paper compares and contrasts two books about slavery on the Eastern Shore of Virginia in the late 17th Century. (4 pages; two sources; MLA citation style) I Introduction Two books, one by Betty Wood (The Origins of American Slavery) and the other by Breen and Innes (Myne Owne Ground), describe the conditions of blacks on the Eastern Shore of Virginia in the late 17th Century. This paper discusses the books briefly. II How are the Arguments Different/Similar? The arguments used by the authors are similar in one sense: they repeatedly point out that it is unfair to view slavery from our modern perspective. Instead, they remind us that for the people of the period, slave owing was a matter of economic survival, and set their works in that context. The greatest difference lies in the authors’ choices with regard to the amount of material they cover. Wood discuses the question of slavery in a large, global perspective; Breen and Innes concentrate on the specific area of Virginia that is of interest to them. III The Most Convincing or Illuminating Argument; Why? Although both books do a good job of explaining why the English colonists felt slavery was necessary (they needed workers for their farms—tobacco in particular), that was not the aspect that I found most intriguing. In Wood’s book, it was her decision to ask a very fundamental question that seemed most illuminating to me: “Why did the English colonists feel able to enslave people of West African descent? … What was it about West Africans that made them … suitable … even ideal, candidates for enslavement?” (P. 6). It seems that most books about slavery start with it as an accepted fact; no one ever asks why that should be so. Wood argues that although the English had serfs, the feudal system was dying out by the 16th century, and slavery was unknown. She suggests that the beginnings of slavery were found in the Bible, when Noah’s son Ham was punished for seeing his father naked; the punishment was that Ham’s son Canaan, and his descendents, would be “a servant of servants.” (Wood, p. 11). Thus sin and slavery were linked. In addition, captives of war, particularly the Crusades, were thought of as property to be killed or otherwise disposed of, including being sold. In short, the idea began to take hold 2011-10-26T13:25:52.1-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Two-Views-of-Slavery-34118.aspx Vantage Points of History This paper considers the life experience and how it differed for women, Native Americans, blacks, and whites in Colonial America. I Introduction It’s said that the victors get to write history, and in large part it’s true. We don’t generally think of the history of the West from the Apache’s viewpoint, for instance. Let’s consider briefly what life was like for Native Americans, whites, women, African-Americans; elites and commoners. Let’s also think about how memory plays tricks on our perceptions of events. II Discussion The experiences of the groups listed above were very different, and yet it’s almost impossible to generalize about any of them, and say that it was “all bad” or “all good,” with the possible exception of the Native Americans, for whom the arrival of the Europeans was almost universally a disaster. The Native Americans in many cases were friendly to the newcomers, helped them, gave them food, and were directly responsible for their survival. Their “reward” for their generosity was often conflict and death. In the Chesapeake area, for example, the Algonquian tribes faced a protracted war with the English. Other tribes died of the diseases that the Europeans brought to them. The Native Americans suffered greatly in Colonial America, as indeed they have throughout American history. Let’s consider the people who really were at the top: the rich white men. (Nothing much changes, does it?) It was rich white men who wrote the Constitution, since only landowners were considered “stable” enough to deal with the task of making laws. It was felt they had a real stake in the future of the country, and could be trusted to work for the betterment of all. Women in Colonial America had no legal standing; they belonged to their husbands. Although obviously they influenced their society indirectly, it took them until the 20th Century to win the right to vote, and that was after nearly 80 years of struggle. The African-American experience is Colonial America was not completely devoid of merit. In the Chesapeake area, we find a society in which the white settlers in the area treated blacks as equals. There was a great deal of intermingling on social occasions, some interracial relationships; in one case a black man won a legal case against a white man. Elsewhere, though, blacks fared badly, as the institution of slavery was put 2011-10-26T13:11:03.047-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Vantage-Points-of-History-34106.aspx Tensions in the American Colonies This paper examines briefly the conflicts that arose in the American colonies in the 17th and 18th Centuries. (3 pages; 1 source; MLA citation style) I Introduction The study of the American colonies is fascinating because it shows how a disparate group of people, working together, can create a nation. We tend to think of the colonies as just the original 13 states on the Eastern seaboard, but there were Spanish holdings in the West. They play an important part in explaining the tensions that existed in the 17th and 18th Centuries. II Discussion In the 17th Century, tension in the colonies arose from two principal factors: the interaction between the newcomers (and their religions) and the Native Americans; and the attempts to establish trade. In the 18th Century, much of the tension centered on the issue of slavery. For most of the time France, Spain and England were the principal movers in these conflicts. In the 1600’s, the Spanish established colonies in the West, particularly in New Mexico. They were looking for the fabled “cities of gold,” and when it became clear that no such places existed, they began to try to convert the native population. In one particular instance, the people of Pueblo Acoma resisted, with the result that the Spanish conquered the town by force, killing 800 men, women and children. (Faragher, p. 52). In the Spanish colonies, the tension in these earliest days stemmed from religion. In the French colonies things were much different. Although they had missionaries with them, they didn’t force conversion as the Spanish did; they saw it as an adjunct to native life. The French intermarried with the Native Americans and developed an extensive fur-trading system in the northeastern United States and Canada. The English, on the other hand, who were also coming to North America, saw themselves as conquerors. Those who settled on the Chesapeake survived only because the Algonquian Confederacy, led by Powhatan, helped them through the first winter. But the settlers plundered food from the tribes, and in retaliation Powhatan decided to starve them out. By spring 1610 the Algonquians had reduced the number of settlers to 60; the rest were dead. But the English were committed to a protracted war against the Native Americans and resolved to stay; the tension here is a result of the English attitude that 2011-10-26T13:10:17.943-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Tensions-in-the-American-Colonies-34105.aspx Significance and Meaning of the American Revolution This paper explores the reasons why the colonists revolted; what was radical about the Revolution and what was conservative. (2.5 pages; 1 source; MLA citation style) I Introduction The American Colonists fought a war to found the United States. Rebelling against the crown, taking up arms and in many cases dying for their beliefs. An armed insurrection is not undertaken lightly; it is a last resort. II Discussion The colonies were prosperous during the 17th and 18th Centuries, but “beginning with the Stamp Act in 1765 the British government began to put pressures on them … that drew increasing resistance.” (Mack, p. 133). The British committed what are known as the “Intolerable Acts,” which including closing the port of Boston, and suspending the Massachusetts government, that were designed to make it clear to the colonists that Britain intended to make laws and take actions which would affect the colonies for all time. They planned to make policies for the colonies “in all cases whatsoever.” (Faragher,p. 133). In addition to the Intolerable Acts, Parliament passed the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act. The Sugar Act put a duty on the importation of sugar and thus affected mostly merchants, but the Stamp Act affected huge numbers of people. The Stamp Act required “the purchase of specially embossed paper” for all types of paper, including newspapers, legal documents, and even playing cards. The tax had to be paid in cash; it had to be paid immediately; and it was imposed when the colonial economy was in a stagnant period. Because it affected everyone, it became the trigger for sweeping resistance and increasing calls for independence. In short, the colonies refused to allow themselves to be governed at a distance, or to obey laws they had no hand in creating. The American Revolution was radical in the sense that it was a real revolution: it sought to overthrow the government by means of an armed revolt. It also sought to establish a government that was unlike anything else in the world: a confederation of colonies united into a single nation, with an elected government. This was a radical departure from anything that had been done in Europe. The Revolution was conservative in that for many years, there was no desire on the part of the colonists for independence. Though they resisted, they would 2011-10-26T13:09:19.43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Significance-and-Meaning-of-the-American-Revolution-34104.aspx The Constitution This brief paper discusses the ways in which the Constitution supports the Revolution and the ways it negates it; it also discusses slavery in connection with it. (2.5 pages; 1 source; MLA citation style) I Introduction The constitution was written as a means to unite a loose confederation of states into a nation, and as such it was an experiment unlike any other in the history of government. Because it was necessary to find a means to compromise so many different ideas, it supported some revolutionary ideas and negated others. It unfortunately also allowed the southern states to retain their slaves, thus setting in motion a conflict that would not be resolved for another 80 years. II Discussion The idea of the Revolution was that the American colonies should be able to govern themselves. They were separated by 3,000 miles from the government in England, and felt that they should have the right govern themselves. They also believed that every man should be able to determine his own future; the principle of equality is stated in the opening words of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal…” The Constitution did establish a self-governing nation, true, but the men who wrote the document were members of white, and wealthy: they were members of the elite. There were no African Americans, women or Native Americans among them. (Faragher, p. 197). So, although the idea was to create a nation that was truly representative, an elite framed the Constitution itself. In addition, the Revolution was fought because the colonists didn’t want to have to live by laws they didn’t create. But in forming the new government, the Constitution of necessity constructed a representative democracy, in which one person represents many others. This would seem to run directly contrary to the reasons the Revolution was fought in the first place. However, the Constitution does support the basic idea of the Revolution, which is to create a new nation. Slavery was made a part of the Constitution because it was necessary to keep the states united and the process of creating the country moving forward. Among other things, the South, with its scarce population, wanted slaves counted as part of their population for purposes of representation, but excluded for tax purposes. They also wanted 2011-10-26T13:08:35.07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Constitution-34103.aspx Holocaust as Viewed in The New York Times This paper examines articles published by The New York Times in 1949 and 1950 to see what the attitude was to the Holocaust at that time. (6; 7 sources; MLA citation style) I Introduction The Holocaust is one of the most horrific events in human history. Today, even with the perspective of time, it remains something so unspeakable that we have trouble coming to grips with it. It’s therefore interesting to see what accounts much nearer in time have to say. II Methodology I used the ProQuest database to search for newspaper articles about the Holocaust. The only paper whose deep files are available to me via ProQuest is The New York Times, which goes back to 1851. I put in the parameters as follows: the search term I used is “Holocaust” and the dates 1/01/1949 to 12/31/1950. The search returned 59 results. III Discussion The first thing to note is that very few of these articles use the word “Holocaust” in the sense we use it today—to refer to a specific event in history, namely the extermination of European Jewry by the Nazis. Much more often the word was used because of its strength: it gives a sentence much more power to say “the holocaust of war” as opposed to “the horror of war” for example. The first conclusion we can draw from this is that the Holocaust wasn’t of great interest in the United States in the years immediately following the Second World War. Further, the use of the word to refer to such things as the “holocaust” caused by an accident during a race is simply hype. “Holocaust” as defined in Webster’s New World Dictionary means a “burnt offering”; an additional meaning is “great loss of life, especially by fire.” It’s not surprising then to find several articles that describe serious fires. On May 16, 1949 an article appeared entitled “Fire at Ft. Worth Park.” The subhead is “$1,000,000 Damages Caused at Cats’ Baseball Plant.” The article, which is less than a column, says that “Fire destroyed the main stands of the Fort Worth Texas League ballpark” at an estimated cost of $1,000,000. Then it goes on to say, “But fifteen hours later, a baseball game was going on in the scene of the two-hour holocaust.” The Fort Worth club is the farm team for the former Brooklyn 2011-10-26T12:41:19.99-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Holocaust-as-Viewed-in-The-New-York-Times-34089.aspx ProQuest Search “Holocaust” 1950 This paper discusses using the ProQuest database to search for the word “Holocaust” in 1950, and the results of that search. (5 pages; 4 sources; MLA citation style) I Introduction The Holocaust is a term we now use to refer almost exclusively to the extermination of European Jewry by the Nazis in the 1930’s and 1940’s. The word originally meant destruction by fire, but is rarely used in that sense today. This paper will use the ProQuest database to find out what articles where published about the Holocaust in 1950. II Methodology and Discussion I accessed ‘The New York Times’ deep backfile directly, asking it to search for the word “Holocaust” for the period 1/1/50 to 12/31/50. The search yielded only 26 hits; of those articles, most use the word to describe something other than the Nazi exterminations. I did however notice what seems to be sort of “theme” running through these articles in connection with the use of the word “holocaust”—the fear of nuclear war. In fact the usage was striking. It is instructive to examine these 26 pieces to see how many of them use the word in this context. Of the 26, eight articles, nearly one-third of the total, use the world “holocaust” to refer to the potential for nuclear conflict. Four more use the word to refer to conventional warfare, including the war just ended. This brings to the total to 13, or half the entire selection. War, both conventional and nuclear, seems to have occupied newspapers during the year 1950 to a substantial degree. Some of the articles about the potential for nuclear conflict are well-reasoned, but several stand out for what seems a near-hysterical writing style. One of these is entitled “Civilian Defense Held Inadequate,” published February 21, 1950. In it, one Dr. George Baehr, speaking to the tenth annual Congress on Industrial Health, said that current plans for civilian defense were totally inadequate. Further, he said that since the military would be off meeting the attacks and launching counterattacks, any and all emergency plans would have to be devised and run by civilians. To quote the good doctor directly: “The present equanimity of our people is to be ascribed largely to the fact that they do not as yet realize the full significance of the absence at this time of specific methods of protection against the catastrophic effects of atomic 2011-10-26T12:40:23.49-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/ProQuest-Search-“Holocaust”-1950-34088.aspx Northern Poverty and Southern Slavery This paper compares the lives of poor northern women with the lives of southern slaves. (3+ pages; 2 sources; MLA citation style) I Introduction Life in the United States has always been marked by class distinctions. What we are witnessing today—a vast amount of money going to the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the poor—is not new. It’s a phenomenon that has been part of American economics since the founding of the nation. This paper examines the life of the poor, especially poor women, in the North and contrasts it with the live of the slaves in the South. It also discusses how the two systems varied. II Discussion Christine Stansell’s book City of Women, as its title implies, deals mostly with the lives of working women in New York City. The earliest period she describes (1789-1820) was characterized by a tremendous growth in the city, in size, importance, wealth—and the number of poor who struggled to make a living there. In a time when women simply did not work outside the home, a family was dependent on the husband’s salary, and many times his work was seasonal (sailor, builder, etc.) and the family would be without any income during the winter. This meant that poor women somehow had to find work, even in a society that disapproved of the idea and refused to understand why it might be necessary. Wealthy married women, however, were at the other end of the scale. Invoking images of themselves as protectors of the home and the bearer and guardian of the children, they did well: “For privileged women, this perspective on woman’s social role was to foster the cult of domesticity.” (Stansell, p. 22). In the decades before the Civil War, the continuing development of the city brought with it a continuing dependence of women on men. But capitalism and patriarchy didn’t mesh well: “By 1860, both class struggle and conflicts between the sexes had created a different political economy of gender in New York, one in which laboring women turned certain conditions of their very subordination into new kinds of initiatives.” (Stansell, p. 217). Women began to fight for their rights just as the nation was coming apart. Ironically, northern women generally agreed to put aside their struggle for equality until after the conflict. However, the mere fact that they could organize 2011-10-26T12:37:40.7-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Northern-Poverty-and-Southern-Slavery-34086.aspx Northern Poverty Southern Slavery This paper compares the lives of women in NYC in the early 1800’s to the slaves on southern plantations. 3+ pages; 2 sources; MLA citation style. I Introduction Many writers have referred to slavery in the United States as the “peculiar” institution. The use of the word indicates that it is considered almost unique. However, there is a parallel system: that of poor working women in New York City in the early 1800’s. Obviously the two are not identical, but there are sufficient similarities to make a comparison viable. This paper will compare the lives of working women in the North to the slaves in the South, and discuss similarities and differences in the two systems. II Similarities There are at least two similarities that are striking, and they are related to one another. The first is the idea that someone can legally own another person; coupled to that is the idea that violence is an acceptable way to resolve disputes with the person who is owned. In the South, slavery was legal and planters held an army of slaves in bondage to work the land. In the North, slavery was not recognized as a legal institution, but many women were little better than slaves, held in bondage by the ideas, passions and prejudices of a patriarchal society that was also extremely misogynistic. Although not formally slaves, women were expected to obey their husbands (or their men) in everything. Women had their existence primarily “within the sphere of the family.” (Stansell, p. 217). And in that sphere, as in the master/slave relationship, men could (and did) beat their wives if they disobeyed. Violence in the two systems had a similar object: keeping the women and slaves under control. Although it would seem logical for an oppressed class, such as the slaves, to band together in a general revolt, they were unable to do so. First, they were poorly fed and clothed, kept deliberately weak so that rebellion was physically beyond them. It seems illogical to buy a slave and then treat him/her badly, but the slaveholders knew they were hated, and took measures to protect themselves. It’s a sad fact that they could always buy more slaves. Second, the slaves would have faced armed opponents with little else than their bare hands. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there is a sort 2011-10-26T12:33:57.45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Northern-Poverty-Southern-Slavery-34084.aspx Johannsen To the Halls of the Montezumas This paper is a very brief summary of Robert Johannsen’s book about the Mexican-American War. (2+ pages; 1 source) I Introduction Robert Johannsen’s book entitled To the Halls of the Montezumas has as its subtitle, The Mexican War in the American Imagination. This is an extremely telling description, because Johannsen’s report of the conflict indicates that for a great many Americans, the war was more “style” than “substance.” It was a war that engaged their imagination. II Discussion Johannsen’s work is not merely a dry recitation of facts, it is a “cultural history” of America at the time of the Mexican War. He draws on contemporary accounts, including newspapers, military dispatches, and travelers’ tales to bring the period to life. In 1846, when the war began, the United States was still a very young nation, struggling to fulfill Jefferson’s doctrine of “manifest destiny” and in the process, find out what it was and what it would stand for. The Mexican War was pivotal in that process of discovery. At the time of the conflict, many Americans had come to believe that the spirit of the country was being destroyed by commercial pursuits. The Mexican War revived their faith in their country, by pitting them against a “backward” enemy—the supposedly racially inferior Mexicans. A victory here confirmed the supremacy of both the Anglo-Saxon race and the American nation. In addition, this was the first conflict to be widely reported in the newspapers, and the accounts of the battles gave Americans their first real glimpse of a land and culture vastly different from their own. Johannsen’s use of period documents is a tremendous asset to the work, because it lets the reader hear the “voices” of the people who lived at the time of the war. We feel their pride and optimism and a sense that America was destined for greatness. We don’t have to rely on someone else to tell us what they thought and felt; we can read their words ourselves. This brings an immediacy to the book that historical works sometimes lack, and makes it very readable. In addition, it’s beautifully illustrated; always a plus in a history. There’s also something very poignant in reading about the exploits of the young men who fought in this war, knowing that less than 20 years later, many of them would be in combat again, often on opposite sides, as America plunged 2011-10-26T12:29:25.67-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Johannsen-To-the-Halls-of-the-Montezumas-34081.aspx The US is to Blame for the Cold War The US is to blame for the Cold War From when World War II ended in 1945 all the way up to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Cold War dominated international affairs. It was a global struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union. Although the Cold War was sometimes fought on the battlefield, it involved everything from political rhetoric to sports. Overshadowing all was the threat of nuclear war. From an American perspective the Cold War was largely a ‘war on communism’ – this outlook by the US caused and sustained the Cold War. The US is to blame for the Cold War for demonizing of the communist Soviet Union in support of our own political and economic systems. At the end of WWII, the Soviet Union had sustained tremendous casualties and the country was almost destroyed. In order for Russia to be able to protect itself in the future, it would need to be surrounded by countries that would be loyal to Soviet Russia. The countries would serve as a buffer zone to stop possible future invading armies. The Soviet takeover of Poland was a defensive maneuver to protect Russia, not an offensive to convert Europe to communism like America assumed. US Soviet relations were further worsened by the atomic bomb. Even though we had been allies during WWII, we had not told the Soviets about the atomic bomb. We had worked in total secrecy and kept Russia in the darkness about our progress. The bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the first indication to Russia that we had nuclear power. By not telling the Soviets, we were telling them that we did not want them to have nuclear weapons and that we did not consider them a strong ally. Russia began to fear us, and consequently tensions mounted between the USSR and America. In a conference at Yalta, Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt agreed on terms of how Europe was going to be governed; there would be free elections throughout Europe and the Soviets would have control over some of Eastern Europe. The Soviet Union was not granted the right to rule the new countries as it wanted, there would be mandatory elections, which might throw away the power of Russia there. Although Stalin did not allow completely free elections in the European countries now under Soviet influence, it was 2009-04-10T06:37:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-US-is-to-Blame-for-the-Cold-War-34053.aspx Appeasement Policy Towards WW II When The Great War came to an end in November 1918, the suffering of the nations involved was so appalling that many hoped never to repeat such an experience again. The fact that the Second World War took place just twenty years later is indeed intriguing. There were three prominent underlying factors from the 1920’s onwards that can be evaluated when discussing the causes of the war. They are the Treaty of Versailles, the weakness of the League of Nations and the world economic crisis of the early 1930’s. In short, these factors formed the basis for the starting of a war by providing a tense atmosphere in Europe. However, the Treaty of Versailles and the weakness of the League could only be responsible to a limited extent as Europe in the mid 1920’s was on the road to recovery, with peaceful foreign policies that could have prevented war. Clearly, more major factors were needed in order for a war to breakout. In fact, the three main parties responsible for causing the war were the appeasers (British and French), the Soviet Union and Hitler. In addition, the different viewpoints of historians are also compared in the course of this investigation. The policy of appeasement adopted by the British and the French was a factor that played a critical role in the outbreak of the war. As the British Prime Minister, Stanly Baldwin was the first to introduce appeasement in the mid 1930’s. However, when Neville Chamberlain came into office in 1937, he took appeasement to a whole new level. According to the British government, the meaning of appeasement was “pacification through the settlement of issues by negotiation and compromise”. The British pursued this policy with great confidence as they had several logical reasons to justify their actions. It was only after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, that many British began to feel that Germany was indeed “harshly” and unjustly treated. They were also afraid that Germany would turn towards aggression once again and perhaps spark another war. Therefore, Britain was willing to give in to Hitler’s demands as it was a way of “redressing Germany’s legitimate grievances”. Especially after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the British were interested for various reasons in the “preservation of peace”. 2009-04-05T10:24:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Appeasement-Policy-Towards-WW-II-34049.aspx THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO INTERPRETATIONS OF THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO When philosophers imagine a utopian society based upon their theories it is not as clean and perfect as when a country tries to put it into practice in reality. The same could be said of Karl Marx and the countries that saw his “Communist Manifesto” as a blue print for a better world. After Karl Marx death, there was a split amongst the followers of his theories as to the best way to interpret the execute his manifesto. There were some like Lenin of Russia and Mao of China that were in the revolutionary camp of implementation. Others like German Philosopher Bernstein were revisionists of Marx theories that took a Socialist-Democratic approach seen in many European countries that saw a peaceful implementation was the moral way to go. The contributions of Eduard Bernstein as a member of the German Social Democratic Party helped bring a revised brand of socialism that influenced political parties in many European countries after Marx death. Bernstein’s criticism of Marx socialism as a revolutionary way to get to communism would be brought about by unethical ends (revolution by force). This more democratic approach thought that democratic support on socialist policies as well as support in the formation of unions was a more ethical means of achieving a socialist society where the common man can benefit. An example or end product of this approach is Sweden. They have socialist benefits without the price of forfeiting democratic principles such as the right to ownership of private property. In the 1917 Bolshevic revolution the start of the Russian communist model began with Lenin taking a Marxist approach. The government followed the Marxist model of invigorating the proletariat to a revolution over the state. Once under communist rule the elements of the old state like the Czarist monarchy and the Russian Orthodox Church became enemies of the new state. Once these rivals were removed they were able to transform into communist state with no private property. Over the years, the rich resources of Russia empowered a big government structure with a focus on a strong military. They became rivals of the west and its capitalist view and preached in there dogma the expansion of communism throughout the world. They supported other new communist regimes like Cuba in the expansion effort and ultimately was facing economic and political failure. Under President Yeltsin the Russians opened up politically in 2008-11-16T16:53:57-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/THE-COMMUNIST-MANIFESTO--33867.aspx Roman Army 93CE The Roman Army 93 CE The Roman Army’s organization was far more sophisticated than the armies of the world in which it faced in battle. The Roman Army operated its campaigns with such organization and structure; it is almost as though you were looking at a modern day military. The term household servants, as referenced by Josephus, it nothing less than the volunteer of the modern day. In Roman times, it was the household servants’ duty to bear arms in its homeland defense. The Roman Army operated its campaigns with the upmost preparedness in order to defeat their enemy. They were well equipped, well nourished and well sheltered to establish stamina. Josephus provides with great detail the lengths the Romans went to, in order to establish discipline within its ranks to have a successful campaign. The Romans never attacked first, for they would always have the enemy attack with aggression first. This was their way of justifying the necessary means of opposing aggressive forces and eventual victory. The Romans not only used their campaigns to conquer land or destroy their enemies, but used their campaigns as training exercises for future campaigns. By learning new tactics, techniques and procedures the enemy was using, the Romans were able to counter every move the enemy made. The Romans never left a battle like a bottle half empty, they finished the battle to ensure future battles would never exist. The Romans never over worked their soldiers, by allowing them the maximum allowed time for rest, to ensure 100% full capabilities on the battlefield. They also used primitive measures for obtaining intelligence on their enemies before engaging them in battle. Intelligence preparation of the battlefield was means to all the military campaigns under Roman rule and their success. The Romans established camps as though they were cities. The enemy never really had a clear chance of defeating the Romans on their ground of choosing. Carefully planned defense positions were designated and structured to deter any attack that may occur at any time and any place. Within these camps, the soldiers and officers basically had a small city to themselves, which provided them with the luxuries of everyday life. This helped the moral of the soldiers and mental preparedness for future battles. The Roman Army was so far ahead of the other armies it faced, it is almost amazing. The Roman Army would go on to be 2008-11-16T16:49:24-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Roman-Army-93CE--33865.aspx Identify an exciting moment in at least two literature The involvement of death, the unknown and extra-sensorial paradigms is a recurrent technique that authors have used during the past centuries until nowadays to make a moment exciting. Death is present as a theme, symbol, or even as a plot device that, joined with literary devices and unique styles keeps creating an electrifying effect on the audience. Shakespeare uses death and literary devices to create an exciting moment in “Hamlet.” Which will be compared to Edward Albee’s play, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” in the moment where death and literary devices are used to create the same thrilling effect. William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” has a unique style of writing used in order to portray different emotions to the readers. A peculiar characteristic that has to be analyzed from the master’s writing, is the constant use of iambic pentameter such as “come, come you have an idle tongue” or “to grunt and sweat under a weary life”. This type of writing can be considered by many people as poetry; however, it does not only rhyme but creates a sense of fluidity. This is of great help to build up the tension in his plays. On the other hand, Edward Albee contrasts Shakespeare with his own unique style used to show emotions. In “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”, Albee constantly uses suspensive dots to delay the energetic moment and increase suspense like “…and…what it was…it was good old western union”. This not only causes a delaying effect but moreover, it helps to build up the tension. In order to achieve the climax of the exciting moment where Hamlet becomes insane, Shakespeare has to build up the tension by different stages. All throughout the dramatic play, The Bard of Avon uses a continuous use of similes and metaphors such as “like a man to double business bound”, “suit of sables”, “mouse-trap” or “forest of feathers” which are keen to enhance power to their meaning. These literary devices are used to quickly involve the audience on what he wants to express. Edward Albee complies with Shakespeare with these to cause the same impacting outcome by using words like “you keep your paws clean” or “you are a sport”. These literary devices help Edward Albee to achieve the climax of the moment in which the imaginary child of George and Martha is killed. The build up of tension through 5 different stages helps Shakespeare to increase the energy 2008-11-09T23:38:05-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Identify-an-exciting-moment-in-at-least-two-literature-33858.aspx To what extent were soviet policies responsible for war? To what extent were soviet policies responsible for the outbreak and development of the cold war between 1945 and 1949? It is partially to blame Soviet and USA policies for the outbreak and developing of the Cold War. What was claimed as necessary for self-defence by one side was taken by the other as evidence of aggressive intent. The soviet polices were not that influential in the outbreak of the war but the USA actions in Potsdam conference 1945. While for the developing of the cold war, Communist and Capitalists were equally responsible for the build up of events. By the end of the war in February 1945, Russia had suffered the most amongst the winning countries. It had suffered enormous losses during the war and was trying to be friendly to the eastern countries to recover economically and not suffer any more threats. While the USA, and its policy of national self determination that was established by Woodrow Wilson in 1919 looked for an open economy. The situation at that current time was vastly misunderstood by the capitalists Americans. By being Russia a communist country, it followed a belief in which there should be a classless society with equality amongst everyone in terms of living standards, with a self-economy principle (controlled by one party of the government), where all profits should go to the state so that everyone could benefit from, not just shareholders. Where as capitalists on the other hand, followed a belief in which competition was to be the main incentive for efficiency in a society were hard work would determine the profits made and therefore their class in society. In capitalism, there is no equality between the people but opportunity to belong to the class you want if you worked hard enough. The economy is a free economy which acts on the basis of trade amongst countries, where profits go to the shareholders and for the benefit of them only. At the end of the war, and by 1945, countries were seeking economic recovery. While Russia was trying to grasp into a community with the eastern countries to achieve economical success, USA was trying to indoctrinate the world with Woodrow Wilson’s national self determination and trade. USA was trying to achieve an open economy amongst countries with its foreign policy and saw Russian communism as a threat as it seemed like that Russia was trying to 2008-11-09T23:35:46-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/To-what-extent-were-soviet-policies-responsible-for-war-33856.aspx Although it began in Europe the spread of the cold war Although it began in Europe the spread of the cold war to other regions was a much more dangerous development. To what extent do you agree with this judgment? Although the struggle of power between communist and capitalist countries started with the disagreement of Germany; it increased to Europe and extended towards other parts of the world throughout the decades of 1950 and 1960. With both ideologies determined to stop each other, there were some dangerous events in Europe where ideology clashed; yet luckily, no nuclear threat was used, only military warfare. Nevertheless, with communists determined to seek the “expansion of communism” around the world, and “secure” the USSR, the Cold War stretched towards other regions of the globe where the clashes of ideologies led to dangerous confrontation; highly more volatile than in Europe as it involved the use of potential military warfare and the possibility of a nuclear war. In Europe, the main disagreements came within Germany and Hungary. In Germany, the first dangerous event was the Berlin blockade in June 1948. Stalin blocked all traffic, rails and roads to prevent the movement between the east and the west, trying to force the capitalist countries to leave Berlin up to a point of starvation. However Truman flew 13,000 tons daily for 324 days. It stopped in 1949 when Stalin admitted its defeat changing the soviet-American relations. If war had been established, the use of atomic bomb would have been used by the USA. The possible threat that Stalin demonstrated brought insecurity to west Europeans who desired security from communism that led to the establishment of NATO in April 1949. To counter-rest the NATO, the Warsaw pact was established by socialist countries in may 14 1955, Hungary, Albania, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland and the Soviet Union were the founding members. They pledge to defend each other if one member was attacked. This divided the capitalist and the west in a dangerous situation that if one country attacked the other in result, they would create a 3rd world war (with the use of nuclear weapons) The Hungarian revolution (23rd October to 10 November 1956). It was a mayor incident on the cold war because communist military tanks of the communism were used to take back order from the capitalists resulting in a massacre. It started as a student demonstration, and March to the parliament building in Budapest to demand human rights, however he was 2008-11-09T23:34:30-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Although-it-began-in-Europe-the-spread-of-the-cold-war-33855.aspx Although it began in Europe the spread of the cold war Although it began in Europe the spread of the cold war to other regions was a much more dangerous development. To what extent do you agree with this judgment? Although the struggle of power between communist and capitalist countries started with the disagreement of Germany; it increased to Europe and extended towards other parts of the world throughout the decades of 1950 and 1960. With both ideologies determined to stop each other, there were some dangerous events in Europe where ideology clashed; yet luckily, no nuclear threat was used, only military warfare. Nevertheless, with communists determined to seek the “expansion of communism” around the world, and “secure” the USSR, the Cold War stretched towards other regions of the globe where the clashes of ideologies led to dangerous confrontation; highly more volatile than in Europe as it involved the use of potential military warfare and the possibility of a nuclear war. In Europe, the main disagreements came within Germany and Hungary. In Germany, the first dangerous event was the Berlin blockade in June 1948. Stalin blocked all traffic, rails and roads to prevent the movement between the east and the west, trying to force the capitalist countries to leave Berlin up to a point of starvation. However Truman flew 13,000 tons daily for 324 days. It stopped in 1949 when Stalin admitted its defeat changing the soviet-American relations. If war had been established, the use of atomic bomb would have been used by the USA. The possible threat that Stalin demonstrated brought insecurity to west Europeans who desired security from communism that led to the establishment of NATO in April 1949. To counter-rest the NATO, the Warsaw pact was established by socialist countries in may 14 1955, Hungary, Albania, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland and the Soviet Union were the founding members. They pledge to defend each other if one member was attacked. This divided the capitalist and the west in a dangerous situation that if one country attacked the other in result, they would create a 3rd world war (with the use of nuclear weapons) The Hungarian revolution (23rd October to 10 November 1956). It was a mayor incident on the cold war because communist military tanks of the communism were used to take back order from the capitalists resulting in a massacre. It started as a student demonstration, and March to the parliament building in Budapest to demand human rights, however he was 2008-11-09T23:33:25-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Although-it-began-in-Europe-the-spread-of-the-cold-war-33854.aspx causes of chinese civil war causes of chinese vivil war The Chinese civil war was an armed conflict between the Nationalists Kuomintang and the Communists People Liberation Army. The event lasted from January 1946 to May 1950. Although there are many causes to the outbreak of the war which include short term causes as the Long march, the Sino-Japanese War and the results of WWII. The main cause towards the Chinese Civil War is the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the death of Sun Yat-Sei which resulted in Chiang’s Kai-Shek’s rise to power and his decision of getting rid of the left wing faction inside the government at all costs. The main cause towards the Chinese Civil war is the fall of the Qing dynasty and the death of Sun Yat-Sen as this created a political vacuum which was to be disputed by Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai Shek. The Qing dynasty last emperor Puyi abdicated in 1912 after the Xinhoi revolution in April 1912. The causes to his abdication lie on the basis of an unsatisfied country full of “mass civil disorder”. Hence this is complemented with his unpopularity as an emperor to bring modernization in order to compete with Europe. For more than 2000 year’s people lived under the rule of dynasties and emperors from the Manchu dynasty until the Qing Dynasty. When Sun-Yat Sen receives the rule in 1912; people have high hopes of a democratic government however people were not accustomed to political freedom; the cultural basis however is still manageable as they see Sun- Yat Sen as a the sole ruler of China. When Chiang receives the government in 1925 after the death of Sun- Yat Sen; he receives a country with political fears and with high unequal wealth. Instead of concentrating in satisfying the people’s needs and wants; Chiang focuses to eliminate the opposition from the PLA which increased people’s discontent. Chiang believed that “the sky could not have 2 suns” and therefore there should only be 1 sole leader that would rule the country. With all his emphasis based on killing the opposition; the peasants that were 90% of the people were left unattended and therefore this increased the political instability as the situation was similar to 1912. China was still a unindustralized country with famine and backwards farming techniques. The northern expedition from 1926 to 1928 is one event which separated more the political ideas between the two factions 2008-11-09T23:29:17-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/causes-of-chinese-civil-war-33853.aspx Asses the successes and failures of Fidel Castro Asses the successes and failures of Fidel Castro Whereas today, Castro may be seen as the person who made it possible for “200 million people to live in the street and they are certainly not Cuban”; during the first decade of his rule Castro was effective in implementing social justice and freedom of the economy from the USA. This was done by implementing policies such as the land reform, education reforms, agricultural diversification and political decrees. Although these changes may seem to have great success; at the same time, Castro was unaware that these reforms would result in economic failures such as “the failure of 10 m tonnes” or the failure of the second land reform. These failures; combined with the political isolation from the USA of being a socialist country and the resentments towards the USSR of the Cuban missile Crisis left Cuba in a weak position in terms of an economic view. By the time Castro become prime minister and first secretary in 1959; the country’s economy was weak due to the failure of the Cuban government to perform any reforms; as Castro argued in a speech in 1965 “the fidelists wanted a change in society where political and economical failures made it impossible to recourse the ability to reform”. Cuba before Castro was ruled “by the elite, a group of wealthy landowners and merchants that use the resources to satisfy their own purposes”- Clive foss. Politically; the country was ruled by corrupt politicians who failed to implement any change. Economically; the country was dependent on the USA; 67% of all exports in 1968 went to the USA and 70% of all imports came from the USA. The USA controlled 3/5 of the railways, ½ of all the industrial productive land. USA controlled the main businesses of tobacco “Cohiba” and rum “Havana Club”. They also controlled electricity and telephone companies, not discarding the fact that they had the main oil refineries such as “Texaco”. Socially; the country had 600,000 workers unemployed, the ones who were employed mainly worked in a basis of 3 months per year. Therefore there was seasonal unemployment. Out of 100% of the education within rural areas; 70% of the rural children lacked a teacher. 3 million people did not have electricity; 3.5 million people lived in huts and there was 37 ½ percent of illiteracy. The poor were not allowed to have health services nor an 2008-11-09T23:26:20-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Asses-the-successes-and-failures-of-Fidel-Castro-33852.aspx “The Rise of Fidel Castro cult of personality “The Rise of Fidel Castro is mainly due to his cult of personality” to what extent do you agree with this statement? Although it is true that Herbert Matthews aided Castro to spark the Civil War by bringing the eyes of the world and portray sympathy towards Castro. The Rise of Fidel Castro Ruiz cannot be justified solely on 1 cause. His rise to power as a ruler is composed on many factors such as; the failures of Batista Government, the failures of Batista when acting against Castro, the role of the nationalist army, the army of the rebels and the Castro’s own discipline which contributed to his rise to power. The failure of Batista government led to social discontent due to economic and political failures that motivated to a despair change in the society. “Fidelists wanted a change in society in which political and economic failures had deeply weakened the recourse to reform”. Politically; the country was ruled by Batista and a group of corrupt politicians that made no reforms at all. As Castro said In a speech of 1965; “the government was composed of the elite, those wealthy landowners and merchants that use the resources to satisfy their own purposes”. Batista deeply failed in the satisfaction and wellbeing of the economy. By 1958; Cuba was a country highly dependent on the USA. Cuba 68% of all exports went to USA and 70% of all imports it received; came from the USA. USA controlled 3/5 of the railways, ½ of all the land and at the same time mainly all of the investments came from the USA. Even so; most of the mayor industrial lands and goods were under American domain. E.g. Cane sugar, cigars and oil refineries. Socially before Castro conditions were also chaotic. There were 600,000 people unemployed; the other people unemployed worked mainly seasonal to 3 months. 3 million people did not have electricity; 3.5 million people lived in huts. 70% of all the rural children lacked professors, the poor were not allowed an electoral system whereas at the same time; they lived in terrible conditions with poor standards of living. Illiteracy rates got as high as 37 ½ percent. The working classes had very small power. All of this; compared to the rich people showed a great income inequality. The rich were privilege, merchants and landowners owned most of the wealth in the country. Their life style was 2008-11-09T23:24:53-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/“The-Rise-of-Fidel-Castro-cult-of-personality-33851.aspx Analyse the causes that constituted the rise of Peron? There are many causes which enabled Juan Domingo Peron to establish himself as the sole ruler of Argentina. Whither these are long term causes such as the political instability created by previous regimes, USA protectionism and WWI or short term causes as his own ability to climb up the ladder of political force, WWII and his commitment with the army. The main reason for his success in consolidating his regime was that that he succeeded in promoting his policy of Justicialismo satisfying the demands from both the extreme nationalists and the industrialist’s. These; combined with the role Evita Peron in “building Peron’s social image” Clive Foss enabled him to establish himself as the autocratic ruler by 1946. By 1943; Argentina had been ruled by 5 political leaders who failed in providing a stable political rule. These rulers not only failed politically but also failed to bring social justice and economic stability increasing the discontent of both extreme nationalists and industrialists. Since the coup of 1930 made by Yrigoyen; passing through the rule of Augusto P Justo in 1932 against Uriburu the governments were meant to fail by the rapid increasing social gap between the rich and the poor. The infamous decade; ruled by the Concordancia marked the alienation of the extremes in which none were truly satisfied. The First World War followed by USA protectionism in the 1920’s contributed in devastating Argentina’s economy. Exports decreased; imports decreased and conditions within the domestic market were reflected in the people’s despair leading to class struggle. In 1937 Ramón Castillo assumed the power of an unstable country with a weak economy. At first exports and economic growth rose due to the natures of WWII; however in 1941 Castillo made a huge error within his foreign policy that cost him his rule. He broke international relations with Japan, Germany and Italy; this was seen by the public as “una gran estupidez” (great stupid action) because it increased the already weak economy by narrowing Argentina’s field of trade. WWII was responsible to increase Peron’s “cult of personality” because he became the face of Argentina in the Post- Conference in 1945. On the other hand Peron was able to climb the political ladder between the period of 1943 and 1946. His involvement in the coup with General Rawson in 1943 was his access to the political world. In 4th of July; he was appointed as 2008-11-09T23:23:24-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analyse-the-causes-that-constituted-the-rise-of-Peron-33850.aspx Analyse the causes of the Korean War The Korean War took place between June 1950 and July 1953. Wither it is considered as a fight between 2 leaders Kim II and Syngman Rhee for the rise in power; the Korean War was highly influenced by the involvement of external countries. This; combined with the rivalry between communist and capitalist ideologies led to the development of the only unique armed confrontation within all the Cold War era. Korea by 1950 was divided by the 38th parallel between the communist north, led by Kim II and the capitalist south; led by Syngman Rhee. Syngman Rhee wanted to invade and conquer the northern Korea, impose his rule and become the sole leader of the country. Hence as a reaction; Kim II reaches an agreement with Stalin from Russia in which Stalin would provide Kim II the resources needed to attack the southern part in exchange for Nickel and Pig Iron. This was done so that the northern part was able to attack the south in a surprise tactical operation; satisfying Kim II nationalistic fervour of becoming the unique ruler of Korea. As John Lewis Gaddis agrees; it was not that “Kim II was influenced by the USSR; it was the nationalistic feelings within him that led to the invasion of Southern Korea in June 1950”. On the other hand; the involvement of the USA and the United Nations was also a cause for the Korean War as it settled up the rivalry between the communist and capitalist ideologies. After Kim II launched an offensive attack on Southern Korea; Syngman Rhee turned to USA and the United Nations in order for their help. In return; USA sent 350,000 men, leaded by MacArthur; 14 billion dollars which combined with 50,000 men from 14 different nations provided a very powerful army in order to counter-attack the fight. The involvement of both Russia and America promoted an indirect fighting between the different ideologies. From the point of the Soviet Union; it was trying to expand the communist ideology based on the Trotkist theory of “permanent revolution”. The Korean War was seen by Stalin as a way to disturb the USA. From the ideological point of the USA; the involvement of the USA in sending an army to Korea was done to prevent the “domino theory” of happening. The Domino theory was based on the motion that if one country felled under communist rule; the neighbour 2008-11-09T23:22:14-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analyse-the-causes-of-the-Korean-War-33849.aspx Why did the Soviet Union decide to place missiles in Cuba? In December 2 1961; Castro declared in a speech that he was a true follower of Marxism; therefore, Cuba was socialist country. Although it is that Khrushchev decided to place missiles in Cuba in response to the Jupiter missile being established in Turkey; or the fact that he wanted to test the president Kennedy and his commitment towards the battle against communism. The main reason to why Khrushchev decided to place missiles in Cuba was to secure Castro’s position as a leader and show the world that he was committed to aid any socialist country risked to be domed by the capitalist forces. By October 1962; U2 spy planes from the USA shot pictures of a nuclear base under construction at 2000 miles from the main eastern and central cities of USA. These cities included New York, Washington, Boston and Miami. The duration of the event lasted 13 days in which the “eyes of the world were attracted to the point of friction” argued by Bradley Lightbody to a possible Nuclear War. The Soviet involvement signified that the Warsaw pact in which 6 countries were involved in the “Treaty of friendship, commitment and mutual assistance” would get involved in aiding Cuba. On the other hand; in defense of USA; the NATO or “North Atlantic Treaty Organization” would get involved in protecting USA. The propaganda released by the media was sufficient not only to show the world that Khruchev was committed to expanding communism; but to show that the USSR, mother of Communism would stand firm in protecting the socialist countries. Khrushchev wanted to address at a stroke the nuclear imbalance between the east and the west. The creation of the ICBM and anti ballistic missiles signified that the west had bigger nuclear oppressive forces that could be used at any moment against an armed confrontation or threat. This was because; the USA was rather keen to use nuclear weapons instead of getting involved in an armed confrontation against USSR. USSR was in command of 260 divisions whereas USA had less than 1 division and any attack on USA would be more likely to be counteracted by nuclear atomic bombs. On the other hand; in 1960 and early 1961; USA established a nuclear base in Turkey. The “Jupiter” missiles had a range of 2400 km (1491 miles). These aimed directly at the heart of Russia and could easily destroy any city of 2008-11-09T23:20:56-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Why-did-the-Soviet-Union-decide-to-place-missiles-in-Cuba-33848.aspx Augustus Caesar Born Gaius Octavius, Augustus was born in September of 63 B.C. Octavius' father, Gaius Octavius, was a praetor for two years until he died in 58 B.C. Therefore, Octavius grew up without a father for most of his life. Through Octavius' long life of seventy-seventy years, he accomplished a great deal. He reduced the size of the Senate, he was an integral part of the second triumvirate, and he was elected the Pontifex Maximus, just to name a few of these accomplishments. Octavius received the name Augustus by holding the consulship and receiving various awards. This title was not given out to just anyone. In order to receive this title, one must be a large contributor to the city (Boardman 533-534). Octavius Caesar was related to the famous Julius Caesar through Octavius' mother. Atria was Octavius' grandmother and Julius Caesar's sister, therefore making Octavius his great-nephew. When Julius Caesar was murdered in 44 B.C., his will read that Octavius was to be adopted by him, making Octavius his son and heir to the Roman Empire. Also, in his will it stated that every citizen of Rome would receive a cash gift. Octavius rushed to Rome to take his throne, but when he arrived in Rome, he realized the Antony had already taken control of the city. He could not persuade Antony to release the money in Julius Caesar's treasury so he had to borrow all the money he could to give the gifts to the citizens. Julius Octavius Caesar was only eighteen when he was thrust into the world of hate and greed. Even though he was supposed to be the ruler of Rome, he had to march on Rome in order to get any respect from Cassius and Brutus. Cassius and Brutus were the head of the conspiracy to kill Julius Caesar. Ironically, Augustus comes back to kill Cassius and Brutus for the power. (Hornblower, Companion 105). When Augustus became emperor, he tried to drastically reduce the size of the Senate on several occasions. Unlike Julius Caesar, he did not think just anyone should be allowed to be a Senator. He thought all those who were unworthy to be a Senator were to be kicked out of office. After many futile attempts, he abandoned the quest to eliminate those he felt were unworthy to be a Senator. Also, Augustus had to be careful and not step on too many toes because 2008-11-09T09:25:26-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Augustus-Caesar--33846.aspx Hip Hop Aliune Thiam KNOWN HIP-HOP ARTIST BRUTALLY TOSSES FAN OFFSTAGE Akon finally has a trial date after injuring two fans at a June 2007 concert Aliune Thiam, known as Akon, a well loved hip-hop artists, shows his true colors when he brutally tosses a fifteen year old fan offstage at a concert in June 2007. Another fan, after having the tossed boy collide with her, suffered from a severe concussion. It has been sixteen months and the ‘star’ has finally been given a trial date. Akon asked for a jury trial with his lawyer on September 3, 2008 at Fishkill Town Court and is due back for his trial on December 1, 2008. The thirty-five year old singer pleads ‘not guilty’ to the misdemeanor charges of endangering the welfare of a minor and second degree harassment. Andrea Zellan, Akons million dollar lawyer says, ‘Akon looks forward to putting this incident behind him’. I’m sure he does, but what about the poor fans who are now suffering injuries to their bodies and spirits?  Akon fan-tossing case set for trial 09/04/2008 01:00 AM EDT akon Akon is headed to trial on criminal charges he tossed a fan offstage at an upstate concert last summer. The 35-year-old singer is accused of tossing a teenager off the stage during a June 2007 concert at a minor league baseball stadium near Poughkeepsie. Another concertgoer said she suffered a concussion when the boy landed on her. Akon, whose real name is Aliaune Thiam, asked for the jury trial during a brief appearance with his lawyer in Fishkill Town Court yesterday. He’s due back in court for trial Dec. 1 unless a deal is negotiated in the meantime. He pleaded not guilty in December to misdemeanor charges of endangering the welfare of a minor and second-degree harassment, a violation. In court yesterday, Judge Harold Epstein met privately with Akon’s lawyer, Andrea Zellan, and Dutchess County Assistant District Attorney Anthony Parisi before announcing the case would go to trial unless a deal is reached. “We are pleased that Judge Epstein adjourned the case to a date certain for either a trial or a negotiated resolution,” Zellan said in a prepared statement. “Akon looks forward to putting this incident behind him, and in the meantime he will continue to meet every requirement set forth by the court.” Akon’s hits include “Smack That” with Eminem and “I Wanna Love You” with Snoop Dogg. His most recent album, Konvicted, was 2008-09-08T21:34:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hip-Hop-Aliune-Thiam-33697.aspx Types of Propoganda Assertion: Assertion is a common modern propaganda technique. Assertion is a wholehearted or energetic statement given like a fact even though it may not be true. Assertions very often are stated with an air of confidence as to ward off questions and make people believe they are in no need of an explanation. This might have been used by yellow journalists when reporting on the Cuban rebellion during the blowing up of the USS Maine- when the reporters were saying it was torpedoed rather than blown up by a boiler. Bandwagon: Bandwagon known as one of the most familiar techniques in both wartimes as well as peace and plays an important part in modern advertising. Bandwagon is the appeal to follow the crowd; to do something merely because others are doing it as well. Bandwagon propaganda tries to convince people that one side is the better because more people are on that side. This could have been used when telling the public to follow or go against the rebellion. "All your neighbors are rushing down to Mistri Motors to take advantage of this year-end sale. You come, too!" Card stacking: Card stacking, also known as selective omission (often used by children with their parents), involves showing only information that is helpful to their subject and leaving out any information that could damage their argument. Whenever the journalists needed to sway the crowd to believe something about an ‘attack’ or about what Cubans might have been doing, this would have been a very good tactic to use. FEAR Plays on deep-seated fears; warns the audience that disaster will result if they do not follow a particular course of action. By keeping people afraid, yellow journalists were able to have a hand in starting the Spanish American war. Example: an insurance company pamphlet includes pictures of houses destroyed floods, followed up by details about home-owners’ insurance. Glittering Generalities: Glittering generalities occurs most often in politics and political propaganda. Glittering generalities are words that have different positive meaning for different subjects, but are connected to highly valued ideas. When these words are used, they command agreement without thinking, simply because such an important concept is involved. Comparing the Cuban rebellion to any other historical happening, journalists could have made the public feel however they wanted them to about the rebellion. Examples: democracy, patriotism, family Lesser of Two Evils: The "lesser of two evils" technique attempts to convince us of a certain opinion by portraying it as the 2008-09-08T21:33:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Types-of-Propoganda-33696.aspx The Best and Worst of Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson America & World History Final Exam Essay The Best and Worst of Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson Saturday, May 31, 2008 Period 1 Final Exam Essay Woodrow Wilson served as our twenty-eighth president for eight years showing the United States his loyalty, leadership ability and response to tough times. Woodrow Wilson did many great things for the United States, one of them being his support of the women’s suffrage. For many years women led rallies in front of the white house, begging the president to support their cause. Finally, in 1918, Wilson finally announced his support of the cause, promising women the right to vote. Between the time in 1919 that the senate finally passed the amendment and the time Wilsons support was announced, women saw three results: increased activism among local groups, new, bold ideas to build enthusiasm and rebirth of the national movement. However, though Wilson had his shining moment with women, he also had some darker days- Although in 1912, Wilson won the support of the NAACP’s black intellectuals and white liberals by promising to treat blacks equally and to speak out against lynching, Wilson did not elect any black officials for his cabinet and instilled segregation facilities, only separating and betraying blacks, not keeping his promises. I believe that if a president is going to make a promise for a change, he needs to either follow through or withdraw his promise with an apology publicly. Theodore Roosevelt, our twenty sixth p[resident also had his shining moments, for instance, setting aside 194 acres of land for national parks, forests and preserves. By putting aside so much land, Roosevelt showed the United States that he was really serious about being president and wanted to not only better the day, but better the future as well. However, even though he worked hard to preserve America’s future, he did it no justice by pushing William Taft to run for office. Taft had no confidence or desire to be president and though he did a decent job when in office, I believe it was wrong to push him to become something he didn’t want. Without any drive to become president, he was unable to show America the spark that said “I am here for you and will lead you through the rough times”. Taft was our twenty seventh president and his biggest mistake while in office was allowing his 2008-09-04T23:44:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Best-and-Worst-of-Roosevelt,-Taft-and-Wilson-33690.aspx The Bottom of the Ladder African American people have had the feeling of being discounted, having an economic struggle, and a sense of an inadequate meaning of life. African Americans thoughts of upward mobility, meaning “economic success for white ethnic groups”, gave them a level they knew they would never be able to reach (57). In Dr. J. Owens Smith’s book, “The Politics of Ethnic and Racial Inequality”, explains the reason for African Americans struggles with poverty and the upward mobility compared to non black Americans. White southerners were anxious to regain power over African American so they use the law in order to achieve that objective. In 1865, southerners created Black Codes, which served as a way to control and inhibit the freedom of ex-slaves. Codes controlled almost all aspects of life, and prohibited African Americans from the freedoms that had been won. The political, social, psychological, and economic effect resulted in the caused of the downfall of African Americans growth with society and as a people, which in turn gave other ethnic groups an upward mobility over the African American people. These laws were worded in a way such that blacks rights would be restricted which resulted in African American impossibility to gain any real freedom. Competing against other ethnics groups could be extremely hard when your ethnic group was a lost from the beginning. The political effect of the black codes regulated African Americans jobs and white southern felt that blacks were destined to continue to work in the fields. Unlike the Japanese who developed human capital and bootstraps from American jobs, African Americans were restricted from renting or leasing any land outside of cities or towns and black ownership was left up to local authorities. Dr. Smith states, “Both the Japanese and Chinese were able to gain a foothold in the economic system despite structural barriers and racism”, while the African Americans could not build any capital due to racial discrimination (111). Even though African Americans were considered “freed slaves”, the government continued to control their lives through their pay which they suppose to have received from their employer to the non growth of achievements, which develop in being held back in society. In contrast, the Japanese develop human capital for their farming, education, and work ethic abilities to build America with the help of the de facto system. The creators of the black codes did not try to hide the obvious 2008-08-20T13:35:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Bottom-of-the-Ladder-33665.aspx Real Causes of the French Revolution The French revolution messed up the country's ancient monarchy, proclaimed liberty and equality and fought off an angry Europe. It brought in a new age, but at the terrible price of blood and human suffering. There were many causes of the Revolution. The French Revolution appears to have been the outcome of both long term and short term factors, which arose from the social and political conditions and conflicts of the ancient rule. The long standing grievances of peasants, townsmen and bourgeoisie, the frustration’s of rising hopes among wealthy and middlish(1) bourgeoisie and peasants; the distress and breakdown of government; a real or at least seemingly real ‘feudal reaction’, the stubbornness of a privileged aristocracy; the making of radical ideas among wide sections of the people; a sharp economic and financial crisis; and the successive triggers of state bankruptcy, aristocratic revolt and popular revolution: all these factors played a part. The middle and lower class were becoming more conscious of their increased social importance and because the peasants were becoming more independent, more literate and prosperous that the old feudal freedoms and aristocratic privileges appeared all the more burdensome and intolerable for the struggling discontents of France.For more than one hundred years before the accession of Louis XVI, France was the most powerful country on the European continent. She had held this position for over 150 years, thanks to her fertile land, large population and many resources. However, the government had under gone periodic economic crisis, resulting from long wars, royal mismanagement, losses incurred in the French and Indian War and Seven Years’ War and increased debt arising from loans to the American colonies during the American Revolution. The governmental system had worked reasonably well under Louis XIV but had become impossible under his weak successors. The government was corrupt and centralized and the King’s authority had been slowly extended over the country. Under the system, there was a lot of overlapping authority and a great inefficiency in the provincial governments. The only people who could obstruct the royal government in an attempt to save the country was the Parliament of Paris. Unfortunately, its members were only concerned about their own welfare rather than the members of the country. The greatest government weakness was the lack of consistency and order. By 1788, the government was almost bankrupt. The supporters of economic, social and governmental reforms had become increasingly vocal 2008-07-16T22:36:53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Real-Causes-of-the-French-Revolution-33638.aspx Dropping The Atomic Bomb Was America justified in dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima? With the war in Europe ending shortly after Adolf Hitler committing suicide in his office, America is under pressure to end the war in Asia but Japan is still putting up fierce resistance. On August 6, around 8:00 AM, an American B-29 flew over Hiroshima, Japan carrying the world’s most feared weapons, a weapon which can flatten a whole city in seconds, Equivalent to 13 kilotons of TNT. This new technology is called an atomic bomb. The primary target of “Little Boy” (the atomic bomb) was Hiroshima, Japan. Hiroshima was of industrial and military significance. A number of military camps were located nearby, including the headquarters of the Fifth Division and Field Marshal Shunroku Hata's 2nd General Army Headquarters, which commanded the defense of all of southern Japan. Hiroshima was a strategic military position and it was critical that America captured it. Hiroshima was one of several Japanese cities left deliberately untouched by American fire-bombing, so America could measure the damage caused by the atomic bomb. As the pressure is building up in the war in Asia, the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was more necessary because it will bring the war in Asia to an end so American troops can go home along with troops from Europe. America had calculated that 500,000 to 1,000,000 American troops would be killed in order to mount a successful full scale invasion of Japan. Those figures do not include Japanese troops and civilians which could be killed during the fighting in Japan. Also, America wanted revenge from the Japanese for the surprise bombing at Pearl Harbor. Immediate use of the atomic bomb after it being invented convinced the world of its horror and prevented future use when nuclear stockpiles were far larger. Along side with that reason, the two target cities would have been firebombed anyway and it was only a matter of time that Hiroshima would be destroyed entirely. With only two bombs ready and one under construction by late August 1945, it was too risky to “waste” one in a demonstration over an unpopulated area. The final and most important is that America had to keep the USSR military forces out of Asia incase of the USSR spreads communism throughout China, Manchuria and Korea whilst moving towards Japan. America should not have dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima because the bomb had 2008-05-18T12:50:44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Dropping-The-Atomic-Bomb-33596.aspx World War One Various issues, themes and events were discussed in this informative video the key ones however where; imperialism, nationalism, militarism, the arms race, the system of alliances and lastly, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. From 1870 to 1914 a new theme was introduced and carried out by the great powers of Europe, the theme was called Imperialism. One ruler in particular, Kaiser Wilhelm II, was a great believer imperialism and believed that through it, he and Germany, would gain the much desired: prestige and respect. Imperialism was brought on by Germany’s fast growing economy and her want for colonial expansion. It became a headlong rush between the new power of Germany and the other existing European powers to establish colonies; particularly in Africa, parts of Asia and the Pacific. Imperialism brought disputes over these colonies and threatened the existing fragile peace. Another major Nineteenth Century theme was Nationalism, which was a large threat to some powers such as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as it was made up of many ethnic groups. If some of these different ethnic groups were to adopt nationalism Austria-Hungary would cease to exist, (which it did). This is because nationalism was a powerful force and if adopted one was willing to do anything in the name of their nation to assert themselves and for their group’s independence, which is what Austria-Hungary feared. Extreme nationalism brought on new aspects that tied with international tension, aggression and militarism. Militarism became another threat to peace, which was derived from the existence of large armies and navies. Leaders of the great powers believed in Social Darwinist theories - basically only the fittest and strongest empires could survive. They, the leaders, thought that as long as their nation was strong and prepared for war they argued that it ensured peace. Imperialists, nationalists and the makers of armaments, militarists, all supported these arguments and so an arms race begun, mainly between Britain and Germany. Britain had always had a policy in which its navy would be twice the size of any two navies in the world put together. Germany recognised that Britain’s navy was the reason for her colonial success, so she decided to build up hers. By building her navy Germany challenged Britain and in 1900 when the second naval law called for the development of Germany’s navy Britain responded by designing a new battle ship called the HMS Dreadnought. Germany felt encircled 2008-05-02T09:42:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-War-One-33582.aspx protectionism Protectionism serves a number of political and economic needs/wants. In the current state of world economic affairs protectionism is most often seen as a converse strategy to free trade. On its face protectionism is a tactic by which to shield domestic manufacturers from foreign competition by placing tariffs on imports, or the outright barring of foreign competitors from domestic markets, i.e. the US airline industry. However protectionism is also a useful tool in gaining political and diplomatic leverage, such as the denial of most favored nation status to China over human rights abuses, or, as has recently been suggested, 2008-04-30T12:40:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/protectionism-33579.aspx The Roaring Twenties The Roaring Twenties Americans, in the years following the end of World War I found themselves in an era, where the people simply wished to detach themselves from the troubles of Europeans and the rest of the world. During the years of the Twenties, the economy was prosperous, there was widespread social reform, new aspects of culture were established, and people found better ways to improve their lifestyle and enjoy life. The 1920's exemplified the changing attitudes of American's toward foreign relations, society, and leisure activities. Following the end of World War I, many Americans demanded that the United States stay out of European affairs in the future. The United States Senate even refused to accept the Treaty of Versailles which officially ended World War I and provided for the establishment of the League of Nations. The Senate chose to refuse the Treaty in the fear that it could result in the involvement of the United States in future European wars. Americans simply did not wish to deal with, nor tolerate the problems of Europe and abroad. There were many problems running rampant throughout the country following the conclusion of the war. One of the greatest problems which arose was the Red Scare which was seen as an international communist conspiracy that was blamed for various protest movements and union activities in 1919 and 1920. The Red Scare was touched off by a national distrust of foreigners. Many Americas also kept a close eye on the increasing activities of the Klu Klux Klan who were terrorizing foreigners, blacks, Jews and Roman Catholics. Once Americans put the war behind them, they were able to forget the problems of European affairs, and focus on the country, their town, and themselves. Americans found themselves in a period of reform, both socially and culturally. Many feared that morality had crumbled completely. Before World War I, women wore their hair long, had ankle length dresses, and long cotton stockings. In the twenties, they wore short, tight dresses, and rolled their silk stockings down to their knees. They wore flashy lipstick and other cosmetics. Eventually, women were even granted the right to vote with the passing of the 19th Amendment. It was up to this time period that women were not seen as an important aspect in American society. As 2008-01-27T00:54:17-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Roaring-Twenties--33506.aspx The True Importance of Christopher Columbus Columbus is considered by most Americans to be the courageous man who discovered the new world and the man who would transverse so much difficulty to do what he holds dearest to his heart, discover! Now that I'm done with the cute version of the lies that most children must be taught in order to become an active person in society, I'll tell you the truth about what that man that we hold so dear was really doing on those Islands of the New World! This essay will touch upon the wonderfully perverse tragedies that Columbus and his men visited upon the natives of the Indies, of these topics are the cruel hunting parties, the children that were prostituted to satisfy the Spaniards, and finally it will talk about the other malicious and immoral activities of other "more advanced" European societies. As the fact that there was not too much to do on an Island in the middle of an Ocean, hunting soon became popular. Now I wouldn't see this as a major indiscretion, except for when Columbus’s men took to hunting, it was not the simple creatures of Islands he and his dogs chased down. When his men took to the rifle for entertainment it was when they loosed their dogs, as vicious and bloodthirsty as the men who held their leashes, on the men, women, and children of this peaceful Island. To quote an passage from the packet from the book Lies My Teacher Told Me, "The soldiers mowed down dozens of with point-blank volleys, loosed the dogs to rip open limbs and bellies, chased fleeing Indians into the bush to skewer them on sword and pike, and 'with God's aid soon gained a complete victory, killing many Indians and capturing others who were also killed'" (Loewen 61-2). .Previously it was mentioned that the Spaniards prostituted small girls of the ages, as Columbus said "...those from nine to ten are now in demand" (Loewen 65). Well this wasn't exactly the case, they did not prostitute the children, but they flat out raped them. Apparently as soon as the expedition in 1493 got to the Caribbean, before it even reached Haiti, Columbus was rewarding his lieutenants with native women to rape. It seems that a sex slave was just another perk that one of Columbus's men enjoyed on the Haitian Islands. Of course we all know the new and unknown disease 2008-01-21T04:07:11-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-True-Importance-of-Christopher-Columbus-33501.aspx Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnam War Ho Chi Minh was born on May 19, 1890 in Kim Lien, Central Vietnam. Ho’s family always maintaining patriotic pride in their country and heritage. At an early age Ho found himself following in his father’s footsteps; running messages for the anti-French underground and being expelled from school for not conforming to French rule. During Ho’s travels overseas, he encountered and studied the Marxist ideals of Socialism and Communism. Ho came to believe that the only way to gain independence in Vietnam was with Communism. Settling in Paris, Ho set about preparing for the independence of Vietnam. Ho founded the French Communist party, and from 1927 to 1930, he helped promote communist revolution throughout the world. During the occupation of Vietnam by Japan at the start of WW2, Ho was forced to return home for the first time in 30 years. What he brought was a spirit of rebellion; against the Japanese, French and later the Americans. This was when he founded the Vietnamese Communist Independence movement, known as the Viet Minh, who fought the occupying Japanese forces and changed his name to Ho Chi Minh (Brocheux 127-28). When it was after the Geneva Convention in July 1954, the United States government started to support South Vietnam toward independence. For almost 21 years, South Vietnam had established a tight relationship with the U.S. Many U.S. politicians and South Vietnam politicians began to argue the ethics of withdrawing from the war. Ultimately, with unethical action, in 1975 the U.S. found itself “abandoning [south] Vietnam” (Willbanks 1) to its loss of war. On April 30, 1975 as Uncle Ho’s led the Viet Cong to defeating Vietnam, U.S. troops evacuated the American embassy, leaving the South Vietnamese exposed to harsh injustice of postwar life. Therefore, the U.S acted unethically by withdrawing from South Vietnam and leaving the South Vietnamese exposed to the defeat by Uncle Ho’s Viet Cong organization. U.S. had promised to support southern Vietnam to gain independence, and back up the south from the North Vietnam against Soviet Union and China. Based on Eisenhower’s letter to President Ngo Dinh Diem, as he stated, “I am glad that the United States is able to assist in this humanitarian effort,” which gave the hope to the South Vietnamese that they got the support from the great country (Willbands 1). However, they would never imagine that 2008-01-21T03:41:53-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ho-Chi-Minh-and-the-Vietnam-War-33500.aspx The relationship between Men and Women The Relationship between Men and Women Some people would say that with all the obstacles that African Americans have endured, we couldn’t take on the loyalty of love. African Americans were even defined by white people as “chattel”, an item of movable personal property, (Slavery and Womanhood, Davis 170); therefore, African Americans were being judge from the beginning. Since being forced into servitude, with the anger we may carry, our ways of behaving may show a lack of respect we have for one another. Our history contains nothing but negativity. Perfect example is Ayi Kwei Armah explanation of African American history, “wreckage of our people…what has been cast abroad is not a thousandth of our history, even if its quality were truth”, (Two Thousand Seasons, Armah, 209). Therefore, white people cast a believable statement of black love being non-existent. The African writers in, “African literature and Culture”, by Dr. Munashe Furusa explains the serenity of men and women in relationships. As the reader, we are giving the self-confidence, compassion, and commitment both sexes reveal. Most writers told 2008-01-13T03:13:07-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-relationship-between-Men-and-Women-33496.aspx Napoleon Bonaparte, The True Son of the French Revolution This is written in the form of an opening statement for a mock trial. We tried Napoleon as either contradictory of the French Revolution, or as the heir of the French Revolution. I chose to defend Napoleon. Ladies and Gentlemen, I stand before you today to defend a man who brought stability to his people in a time of chaos. Napoleon Bonaparte most certainly did not want to return France to the ancient regime, but instead came to power promising to uphold both revolutionary principles and much needed social order. Since 1789, France experienced considerable instability. The outbreak of an all-European war against France in 1792 resulted in a reign of terror and a dictatorship by radical moralists lead by Robespierre. There were so many conflicts of interest in regard to different government practices and unpredictable wars. By 1795, the radical patriotism wore itself out and France was administratively in chaos. It was lacking the foundation that was essential in order to institutionalize the triumphs of the revolution. That is until Napoleon drew up his own administrative framework. Napoleon Bonaparte answered the call of duty with military precision. Napoleon expanded French borders to an extent unprecedented by any other French ruler before him and distributed the fruits of the French Revolution, namely liberty and equality to all countries that he conquered. In the lists of grievances that had been handed to Louis XVI just prior to the revolution, many had asked that French Laws be uniform. Where Louis had failed to respond, Napoleon acted. The Napoleonic Code, one of Napoleon’s most important and lasting legacies embodied many principles of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution including the abolishment of feudal dues, the expansion of civil liberties, and religious toleration. Napoleon once declared that “The revolution is frozen” and the code was his way of preserving achievements brought about by the revolution. Another main grievance of those involved in the revolution was the lack of advancement within society. The Bourgeoisie in particular found it difficult to advance their careers due to birth status. Napoleon, upon coming to power, enforced this revolutionary aim of the bourgeoisie. Careers were open to all those with ability, regardless of birth or social status. Napoleon proclaimed in 1816, “Wherever I found talent and courage, I rewarded it”. He backed up this statement by establishing ‘lyceés”. These were secondary 2008-01-04T22:15:17-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Napoleon-Bonaparte,-The-True-Son-of-the-French-Revolution-33487.aspx The Peasants on Louis XIV This is in the form of an opening statement for a debate, and outlined arguments against the peasant class. Opening Statements Gentleman, after Cardinal Mazarin died in 1661, Louis XIV declared that henceforth he would rule France without a chief minister, something no French king had done in living memory. He intends to rule as an absolute monarch, believing that his power as king is derived from God and that he is responsible to God alone. There we see one lie among many, however there is one universal truth among all rulers. He is obliged to rule for the benefit of his people. This is something that our all too powerful king has failed to do. Speaking on behalf of the peasant class, I hope that you consider our issues with Louis XIV with empathy for our financial situation. With the more prosperous classes being exempt from taxation, France’s tax burden falls heavily on us, we who are the least able to pay. It’s a question of equity. Why should the peasant class be solely responsible for the economy of France? Why is it solely us who will pay for the Palace of Versailles’ many expensive paintings and fine food? To make matters worse, these remorseless taxes could not have been called for at a worse time. Other hardships plague us at the moment such as poor harvests, the persistent deflation of our currency, and the unpredictably changing price of grain. Gentleman, I pray that you will show some compassion in this matter and consider extensive tax reform. The peasant class also would like to formally complain about our newly hired controller general of finances, Jean-Baptiste Colbert. Some of this may come as news to some of you, but as part of his elaborate goal of French mercantilism, Colbert plans to make Canada, rich in untapped minerals and pristine agricultural land, part of an extensive French empire. It’s recently come to my attention that Colbert intends on gathering thousands of peasants and forcefully shipping them to Canada to populate the province of Quebec. To put it mildly, this is outrageous. It’s unfair. How can you sit idly and allow one man the ability to move thousands people around the world as though we were mere chess pieces on a board? There’s only one of him, 2008-01-04T21:53:07-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Peasants-on-Louis-XIV-33486.aspx All the Worlds’ a Stage; A Foreign Policy FOR America? American Presidency Cyle Parker Dr. Mark Leeper December 12th 2007 All the Worlds’ a Stage; A Foreign Policy FOR America? In depth look at Presidential Policies and Action between the United States & neighboring Soviet nations in the 21st Century Often on the world stage, the relationships and tensions that play out between the superpowers of the globe has always been complex. How each leader of each respected nation handles these crises sets the foundation from which future leaders will derive effective solutions. There is the natural inclination to achieve dominance on the world stage, while trying to keep a stable relationship with neighboring world powers. The United States and the USSR had been recognized as superpowers since the end of World War II. “Boosting America into a foreign policy arms race, the United States’ Manhattan Project led to atomic bombs being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.” (Cohen, 20) In 1949, the USSR surprised the world by breaking the United States’ monopoly on atomic weapons by exploding their own atomic bomb. In 1952, the United States developed and exploded a thermonuclear weapon, also known as the hydrogen bomb. In the following year, the USSR followed suit by detonating their hydrogen bomb. On a global playground for men with big guns, quickly it was realized that our two countries had major ideological differences. The American system of free market capitalism was in stark contrast to Soviet communism. (Cohen 54, 84) The American economy was built, made and sustained by self-made men who had brought themselves from “rags-to-riches”. This stereotype was further perpetuated by American authors of the time and living examples of true life heroes of American industry such as John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie. The USSR’s communist ideology was based on the belief that every person should have the same social status as everyone else with no citizens outranking in elite classes. Both countries began to stockpile nuclear weapons and the period known as the “Cold War” began when World War II ended. What culminating actions on either side caused this “warm tension” to become a period in our nation’s history blemished with tales of espionage and counter-espionage between our two countries, each trying to get political and technological advantage over the other? This unofficial conflict lasted throughout each presidential administration predating Jimmy Carters induction until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991 during the Bush Sr. 2007-12-17T12:30:13-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/All-the-Worlds’-a-Stage-A-Foreign-Policy-FOR-America-33473.aspx American Presidency Exam Parker Cyle Dr. Mark Leeper December 12th 2007 American Presidency: T-TH Take Home Examination: Section A Through a series of conferences, preliminary debates and caucuses each of the presidential parties select chosen candidates to race in the candidacy for the President of the United States. Coined as the 'Primary election' in political circles across the country, this is the process through which Americas policy conscious elite will vote in droves to secure their parties’ presidential nomination. With great satisfaction in the current term I am able to observe with a considerable wealth of favorable anticipation as individual states are changing the dynamic of political precedence dramatically. The registered voters of each region cast ballots for their parties designated nominees. Unfortunately as national tradition would have it, primary elections have been kicked off in the state of New Hampshire since the earlier fifties. This creates for a mundane and predictable succession of voter habits throughout the nation. With the current trend of excess capital and guerrilla warfare media campaigns the primary election structure has demonstrated time and time again it’s stronghold on influencing America’s politics. The process dictates a lucid timeline for which the candidates are required to address the public and provide answers to the questions that will ultimately shape the policies and legislation passed during their anticipated terms as president. For the voters of this country this proves to be an invaluable “look under the hood”. Without a solid span of time from which one can form an educated inference there is no margin for comment and would ultimately prove our founders and critics of past days true in the notion that the average American is incapable of choosing effective leaders. Many aspiring politicians enter the primary race each year; however there should be stricter requirements in order to minimize the number of frivolous campaigns that plague each primary election. Too often the American public is inundated with hypocrisy and double talk from race runners whose names are only in the hat to add shock value to media presence. Their presence overshadows the politicians who are purely in the race for the long haul. A wise decision on the forethought of our founding fathers currently structure only allows from the nominated individuals, one person (who is selected by the party delegates at the national conventions) to continue in the race to the White House. The voting body 2007-12-17T12:28:56-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-Presidency-Exam-33472.aspx Events, Policies and Actions Which Help Hindered U.S. Soviet Events, Policies and Actions Which Help/Hindered U.S-Soviet Relations during the Administrations of: Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr. Foreign Policy in the 21st Century T-TH 2pm Cyle Parker Dr. Lin Chang February 2, 2005 Events, Policies and Actions between the United States and the USSR during the Carter, Regan and Bush Sr. Administrations The relationship between superpowers has always been complex. There is the natural inclination to achieve dominance on the world stage, while trying to keep a stable relationship with other world powers. The United States and the USSR had been recognized as superpowers since the end of World War II. The United States’ Manhattan Project led to atomic bombs being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. In 1949, the USSR surprised the world by breaking the United States’ monopoly on atomic weapons and exploding their own atomic bomb. In 1952, the United States developed and exploded a thermonuclear weapon, also known as the hydrogen bomb. The next year, the USSR followed suit by detonating their own hydrogen bomb. The countries had major ideological differences. The American system of free-market capitalism was in stark contrast to Soviet communism. The American economy was built, made and sustained by self-made men who had brought themselves from “rags-to-riches”. This idea was encouraged and glorified by Horatio Alger in books while people like John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie were living examples. The USSR’s communist ideology was based on the belief that every person should have the same social status as everyone else with no people of a higher caste so to speak. Both countries began to stockpile nuclear weapons and the period known as the “Cold War” began when World War II ended. It was a period of espionage and counter-espionage between the two countries, each trying to get political and technological advantage over the other. This unofficial conflict lasted until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991 during the Bush Sr. administration. This essay will examine the events, policies and actions during each of the Carter, Reagan and Bush Sr. administrations that eased tensions between the countries or kept them apart. Carter Administration James Earl Carter Jr. was born on October 1, 1924 in Plains, Georgia1. He had 3 siblings, 2 sisters (Gloria and Ruth) and a brother named William1. He was a southern Democrat, also sometimes known as a Dixie-Crat. Following his high school education in 2007-12-17T07:25:53-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Events,-Policies-and-Actions-Which-Help-Hindered-U_S_-Soviet-33471.aspx Women Movement 19th Century The temperance movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries was an organized effort to encourage moderation in the consumption of intoxicating liquors or press for complete abstinence. The movement's ranks were mostly filled by women who, with their children, had endured the effects of uncontrolled drinking by many of their husbands. These organizations used many arguments to convince their countrymen of the evils of alcohol. They argued that alcohol was a cause of poverty. They said that drunk workers often lost their jobs; or that they would spend their wages on alcohol instead of their homes and families. “Men spent money on alcohol that their families needed for basic necessities, and drunken husbands often abused their wives and children (American History, A Survey, Alan Brinkley, PG 32,7 2003). The temperance societies also claimed that drinking led to hell. Temperance supporters argued that alcohol produced insanity and crime. It destroyed families, hurting women and children. They claimed that drunkenness was a worse evil than slavery. The temperance movement continued into the 20th century, when it would achieve its greatest victory; the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, the prohibition of the manufacture and sale of alcohol in the United States. Producing a system of universal education became one of the outstanding movements of the mid 19th century. Horace Mann, the greatest of the educational reformers, was the first secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education. He used his position to enact major educational reform. He spearheaded the Common School Movement, ensuring that every child could receive a basic education funded by local taxes. Mann reorganized the Massachusetts school system, lengthened the academic year, doubled teachers’ salaries, enriched the curriculum and introduced new methods of professional training for teachers (American History, A Survey, Alan Brinkley, PG 330, 2003). His influence soon spread beyond Massachusetts as more states took up the idea of universal schooling. Dorothea Dix, an advocate for treating the mentally ill humanely fought for better treatment of mentally ill persons. Dix spent a few years studying the conditions in prison and insane asylums in Massachusetts. She discovered that a large number of people suffering from mental illness were confined in prisons and were receiving no medical treatment. Even in mental asylums the patients were often confined in cages and bound with ropes and chains. 2007-12-09T19:14:50-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Women-Movement-19th-Century-33463.aspx Racism and the Holocaust RACISM The Holocaust is known as the most devastating even to happen in this world’s history. Millions of people were killed. Adolf Hitler, the German dictator during World War II, targeted mainly Jews. Now days, racism still exist. It isn’t targeted to just one race. The main race targeted in the United States would be African Americans. The era of civil rights movement mainly started in the 1960s. Martin Luther King Jr.’s powerful “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington in 1963 is what I believe to be one of the greatest speeches of all time, and one of the greatest advances for African American people. While this peaceful act was taking place, the Birmingham Police Commissioner made a bold decision and used powerful fire hoses and released police dogs to attack black civil rights activists. Although the civil rights activists made great pushes towards freedom, the greatest problem which remains in our great nation is that of Racism and/or Racial Profiling. Over the years, racism has been a growing problem in all parts of the United States. Back in the 60s there were such problems as segregated schools, which meant only kids of certain color could attend a certain school. Also blacks had to drink from different bubblers and white kids did in some public places. There were many things and rules that were terribly wrong at this time. The most current problem in today’s society is that which is called Racial Profiling. Racial Profiling is the discriminatory practice by police of treating blackness as an indication of possible criminality. This has been the most recent focus of legislative action. There has been a significant amount of coverage taking place in the media. This is referred to as media blackface. As far as the police go, the racial profiling is pretty direct. The individual officers act on racial stereotypes against racial minorities, specifically African Americans. Also this goes on in the media, when a news channel might exaggerate or over-represent the number of black people when the subject at hand has something to do with some type of political punishment. The media tends to do this sometimes and many people get upset over this time of racial profiling. Some examples of issues that are used to define blackface are the black drug abuser 2007-12-04T22:23:11-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Racism-and-the-Holocaust-33455.aspx Benjamin Franklin and Widespread Literacy in Eighteenth Cent In eighteenth century colonial America, the ability to read and write became more common and a necessity to some. Americans exchanged ideas and debates on political issues with the growing print industry. Increasingly more printed materials provided both the need and want for the public to become literate. The ability to read and write for the general public was revolutionary. The growing literacy among the common people brought about changes and challenges to existing political and religious institutions. The widespread literacy found in eighteenth century colonial American society gives a close connection to Benjamin Franklin as he took the roles of both a beloved writer and publisher, as he wrote and published some of the most popular books in the era, and a man who brought many others with him on the road to literacy. As early as the settlements of the Puritans in Massachusetts, literacy has been an important aspect of the colonial life. The Bible was essential to Puritan belief. By the time of The Great Awakening, this belief no longer remained in the Puritan society. The importance of people having the ability to read and interpret the Bible on their own was stressed by the religious leaders. However, the need for literacy not only pertained to religious believers but also the general public, or more specifically, the white male population. Living in colonial America was no longer merely a fight for survival and free white males were now much more involved in politics than ever. It was during this time that Benjamin Franklin brought countless contributions to the influential print industry. Eric Foner, the author of Give Me Liberty, states in the book that “The ‘political nation’ was dominated by the American gentry, whose members addressed each other in letters, speeches, newspaper articles, and pamphlets.” The concern for political information was delivered through printed materials. At this time in British North America, widespread literacy created an enormous market for printing industry and thus the press expanded rapidly. According to Foner, as the colonies prepared for the American Revolution, about seventy-five percent of the adult male could read and write, and a majority of American families owned at least one book. As Benjamin Franklin describes in his autobiography, “the schools opened I think in the same year 1749. The scholars encreasing fast, the House was soon found too small.” 2007-12-02T20:54:22-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Benjamin-Franklin-and-Widespread-Literacy-in-Eighteenth-Cent-33451.aspx Benjamin Franklin and Widespread Literacy in Eighteenth Cent In eighteenth century colonial America, the ability to read and write became more common and a necessity to some. Americans exchanged ideas and debates on political issues with the growing print industry. Increasingly more printed materials provided both the need and want for the public to become literate. The ability to read and write for the general public was revolutionary. The growing literacy among the common people brought about changes and challenges to existing political and religious institutions. The widespread literacy found in eighteenth century colonial American society gives a close connection to Benjamin Franklin as he took the roles of both a beloved writer and publisher, as he wrote and published some of the most popular books in the era, and a man who brought many others with him on the road to literacy. As early as the settlements of the Puritans in Massachusetts, literacy has been an important aspect of the colonial life. The Bible was essential to Puritan belief. By the time of The Great Awakening, this belief no longer remained in the Puritan society. The importance of people having the ability to read and interpret the Bible on their own was stressed by the religious leaders. However, the need for literacy not only pertained to religious believers but also the general public, or more specifically, the white male population. Living in colonial America was no longer merely a fight for survival and free white males were now much more involved in politics than ever. It was during this time that Benjamin Franklin brought countless contributions to the influential print industry. Eric Foner, the author of Give Me Liberty, states in the book that “The ‘political nation’ was dominated by the American gentry, whose members addressed each other in letters, speeches, newspaper articles, and pamphlets.” The concern for political information was delivered through printed materials. At this time in British North America, widespread literacy created an enormous market for printing industry and thus the press expanded rapidly. According to Foner, as the colonies prepared for the American Revolution, about seventy-five percent of the adult male could read and write, and a majority of American families owned at least one book. As Benjamin Franklin describes in his autobiography, “the schools opened I think in the same year 1749. The scholars encreasing fast, the House was soon found too small.” 2007-12-02T20:51:24-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Benjamin-Franklin-and-Widespread-Literacy-in-Eighteenth-Cent-33450.aspx Captains of Industry Editorial We should support the Captains of Industry because they are helping America tremendously by enriching us with minerals and making the society wealthier. Andrew Carnegie, also known as the steel king, founded the Carnegie Steel Company in 1870s. The company made steel more abundant in a wooden America. Carnegie then built railroads for trains, and bridges for people. Andrew Carnegie recently founded establishments for many libraries, schools, and universities in America. He also devoted his life to large-scale philanthropy, with special emphasis on local libraries, world peace, and scientific research. John Davison Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and founded the Standard Oil Company which helped many railroad companies, in order for him to become the richest person, he had to crush other competitors (American beauty rose) and used horizontal integration to collect shipping fees. However, Rockefeller has devoted a great amount of money into the modern systematic approach on philanthropy, foundations that 2007-11-25T01:11:29-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Captains-of-Industry-Editorial-33437.aspx Imperialism in 19th and 20th century During the 19th and 20th centuries there are countries that have more power than other countries, the likely hood of imperialism that occurs in those countries are very high and with the greed of some, bloodshed will be inevitable. The world does not just revolve around one country, there are many countries in each continent, there are many different cultures in each country, and in each culture there are different religions among the people. In the Conquest of the United States… by William Graham Sumner “We assume that what we like must come as a welcome blessing to Spanish-Americans and Filipinos. This is grossly and obviously untrue” (Document F). In other words people like their own ways better, and does not like to be corrected for what they do not understand. There is an old saying “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed” (Mohandas K. Gandhi) some countries will inherit imperialism because they would want to benefit from others but does not want others to benefit from them. They will fight for what they want, but not for what is right. In the poem by William Jennings Bryant “Take up the sword and rifle, send forth your ships with speed, to join the nations’ scramble, and vie with them in greed;” (Document D). This expresses that there will be disputes that will start because of each countries greed. Also in the Political cartoon “Uncle Sam Wished to add another star to his flag” (Document I). This expresses that Americans also are greedy. Americans in this time period have experienced many imperialism ideas and also some Anti-imperialism ideas. Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan wrote a book in 1890 entitled “The influence of Sea Power upon History” told the English, Germans, Japanese, and especially his fellow Americans that to imperialize others you need to have control over the sea which required a very strong navy force and structure. Later on Rudyard Kipling, a British poet who was very laureate of imperialism drove America down the slippery path by expressing in “The white Man’s Burden” that the citizens of America should uplift the underprivileged and underfed and underclad of the world; in William Mckinley’s speech “that we could not leave them to themselves, they were unfit for self-government and, they would soon have anarchy and misrule over there” (Document A). 2007-11-24T23:57:40-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Imperialism-in-19th-and-20th-century-33436.aspx All Quiet on the Western Front, a pacifist view on WWI All Quiet on the Western Front, a pacifist view on World War I. Erich Maria Remarque wrote "All Quiet On The western Front". The book focuses on the hardships of soldiers fighting on the Western Front in France in World War One in order to show the futileness of war. The book is written in first person and it is written from a German's point of view because the author, Remarque, was a German. It is a story of comradeship, of young soldiers fresh from school enrolling in the German army. I thought the book was excellent as a portrayal of how hard it was to be a soldier in World War One, how Baumer, the narrator of this book, and his friends had to grow up so quickly. It was very sad when his friends died one by one and he finally died as well at the end of the book. In this study I am going to look at the relationships between the characters, the main character him-self, and the themes present in this novel. The main character in this book is the narrator, Paul Baumer. Paul Baumer comes from a small town in Germany. After school his classmates and he signed up for the War. They did not have much choice; they would have been conscripted anyway. Baumer has become resigned to the war. Although at the start he probably thought the war glamorous he soon realizes that the only thing keeping him sane was thinking about the end of the war. Paul shows great courage in the face of death; in a very short time he has grown up a lot and does things he would not have done before the war. He is always ready to help new recruits, to give them tips on how to survive on the front. For instance, "Close by us there is a recruit, a blonde lad, and he is terrified. He has pressed his face into his hands. His helmet has rolled off. I reach for it and try to put it on his head. He looks up, pushes the helmet away and huddles in under my arm like a child, his head against my chest. His narrow shoulders are shaking, shoulders just like Kemmerich had. I let him stay there. But to get some use out of his helmet I shove it over his backside, not as some kind of a joke, 2007-11-20T02:07:10-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/All-Quiet-on-the-Western-Front,-a-pacifist-view-on-WWI-33429.aspx Leon Pinsker Calls for a Jewish State The 19th century was a time of great change in how people began to see their world. Charles Darwin’s research had been extrapolated to not only define the evolution of animals and humans, but also the development of a society. Social Darwinism gave a predominately white, Christian European society the crutch to look at those in other countries as primitive races in need of guidance by the “fittest race”. These principles also impacted living conditions in those living in Europe who held different religious beliefs. Social Darwinism had now reared its ugly head in the condemnation of Jews as inferior to Christians. Jews in Europe encountered various degrees of anti-Semitism which is discrimination, hostility, or hate based solely on their Judaism. Russia and Romania were hotbeds for such persecution going to such extremes as forcing Jews to reside in the ghetto and face constant unrestrained torment. Faced with such opposition to their beliefs many began to seek acceptance. They began to assimilate into a predominately Christian society through many avenues such as marriage into Christian families or conversion into a new religion. Others refusing to change their religious hierarchy felt their only outlet was to leave their homes in search of religious autonomy. Many Jews saw their only chance of surviving as to leave their homes or abandon their beliefs. During this time the Ukrainian physician Leon Pinsker wrote a pamphlet entitled Auto-Emancipation to highlight the struggles that Jews were facing in Europe. His argument was that no matter how the tried to assimilate into European society; they would never be fully accepted. Conversion would not eliminate the deep-seeded hatred felt by so many. He capitalized on the common suffering experienced by many Jews and offered them an alternative. Leave the life that was filled with limitations and migrate to a new place. The migration began to take hold and Jews began a slow exodus to Palestine. While Pinsker did not believe this was an ideal location in light of current of the current persecution it seemed that any alternative was better than the discrimination many were suffering. Pinsker’s writings inspired a writer in Paris who had seen first hand and felt the harsh reality of anti-Semitism in his own life. Thedor Hazel read and absorbed Pinsker’s thoughts and began to develop his own strategy 2007-11-14T14:09:05-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Leon-Pinsker-Calls-for-a-Jewish-State-33421.aspx African Americans' Civil Rights in USA, 1929-1990. [size=15:5623715336]During the period 1929 to 1990, the lives of the black people changed a lot, and overall by 1990, their lives had greatly improved. In 1920, 10% of the US population was black and most of them lived in the southern states. As a result of the [i:5623715336]Jim Crow[/i:5623715336] segregation laws, they suffered the worst education, the lowest jobs, and they lived in separate areas of cities, known as ghettoes. There was a constant risk of attack by the Ku Klux Klan, and the lynchings of black people for petty crimes (without trial) were common public events. Black people lived lives totally apart from white people. Even in the army during the Second World War, the Jim Crow Army was for the black people and the main army for the whites. Despite the black people fighting for their country, they were still victims of bullying by most of the GIs in the army. During the Second World War, the membership of the NAACP, (the movement for black people’s civil rights) had increased by 9 times by 1945. As a result of this, extra pressure was put on the government to improve the situation of the black people. Despite this, the only improvement made, was the law which made segregation in weapon factories illegal. The black people of USA still faced mass segregation economically, socially and politically. And although they had the right to vote, a written test had to be passed in order to confirm their right to vote. With poor education, this was virtually impossible for most African Americans. Small victories were won all the time. One example is the Bus Boycott in 1956. Black people were forced to move to the back of public buses, in order to make room for the whites. In 1955, Rosa Parks, a middle aged African American, refused to move to the back because of her tiredness. After causing outrage, she was arrested which drew much public attention. As a way of protest, for 13 months after, the black people boycotted the buses in Montgomery under the leadership of Martin Luther King, and since 75% of the bus users were black, this had a huge effect on the bus company. As a result, in 1956, the law was passed to make segregation on buses illegal. However, many of the transport companies refused to comply, so the law was passed in 1957 which enforced 2007-11-08T23:35:50-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/African-Americans-Civil-Rights-in-USA,-1929-1990_-33400.aspx The Path to Power The Path to Power: The Journey of England, France & Spain As William Ellery Channing once said “Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.” (Lewis) Just like the human spirit grows and becomes more powerful through conflict so does that of a nation. England, France and Spain had many conflicts both internally and internationally in order to become a World Power in the early modern period. The Scientific Revolution changed how Europeans thought about the physical universe. These innovative thought patterns propelled them into a path of progress, compelling them to make changes in not only their economic and political policies, but how they dealt with social matters as well. These changes transformed the individual from a member of a small group to that of a subject of a large nation-state. The idea of absolutism, which became a buzz-word in European political circles after the restoration of the absolute monarchy in Spain, was the conductor of change Louis XIV used in implementing changes to the economic and political institutions in France. (Blänkner) Louis XIV, afraid of confrontation with aristocrats, developed a tactic through means of The Court of Versailles which cut their influence in the countryside while allowing him to increase his political power within all of France. During Louis XIV’s reign a series of wars initiated, not for religious purposes, but for the control of property and land in Europe, which cost him favor throughout Europe and the worst economic depression in the country’s history by the late 1600’s. (p. 421, Hause & Maltby) Economic gain did not come as easy for England as other European countries. It wasn’t until the creation of a modern navy that England could keep up with the rest of Europe. England’s economic growth was based, in part, to it’s geographical advantages. With it’s numerous deep water ports and windward location England became a prime candidate naval exploration, the fastest way to travel on those days. By the eighteenth century London, England became the commercial center of the world, but a growing problem was emerging in the streets of London. In proportion to the increase in the countries wealth, the growth of its slums and poverty did as well. This proved to be true of the rest of the continent. The Old Regime, which divided people into categories 2007-11-08T04:03:10-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Path-to-Power--33398.aspx The Feudal Ages in Japan and Europe The Feudal Ages in Japan and Europe In the past, feudalism has been used successfully as a political system for governing a country. Two of the largest and most well known Feudal Ages have been that of Europe (1150-1600) and Japan (800-1350). Although both civilizations were quite similar during these periods of time, Japan civilization clearly is superior in many ways. When compared, the role of religion, the weaponry and armor, and the warrior codes of conducts of both countries can easily prove this point. The roles which religion played in each culture prove how Europe was inferior to Japan in feudal times. During Europe feudal period, the Catholic Church had an obscene amount of power. Its beliefs and doctrines affected every aspect of European society for every social class. Kings bowed down and submitted before popes, lest they be excommunicated. They became nothing more than puppets for the Catholic Church power and were used to further its control. Governing decisions were no longer made in the best interest of the people, or even the state, but in the best interest of the Church. State and religion became so intertwined during this period that they were practically synonymous. The influence of the Church caused the prejudice and persecution of those of different religions, along with horrors such as the Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades. Hundreds of thousands died because of the greed and cruelty of the Catholic Church. In feudal Japan, state and religion were kept separate for the most part. Buddhism came to Japan 300 years before feudalism came into practice. It was the country official religion throughout feudal Japan, but religious leaders did not try to control politics or society. This non-interference allowed the Shogun and Daimyos to rule successfully with only the best interest of their territory in mind. Buddhism, especially Zen Buddhism, which stressed meditation, simplicity and discipline, gradually influenced Japanese society. The beliefs of Zen Buddhism were very popular among samurai since they followed the basic beliefs of their code of honor, Bushido. Zen Buddhism also helped create Japanese cultural arts such as tea ceremonies, simplistic arrangements of Japanese gardens, and landscapes painted with few brushstrokes. Buddhism also taught its followers to be more accepting towards others, and not to persecute without reason. Thus, tragedies such as the Inquisition were avoided. The weapons and armor of Japan were incredibly superior to those of Europe during the Feudal Ages. 2007-11-05T15:33:45-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Feudal-Ages-in-Japan-and-Europe-33389.aspx Australian Multicultrualism since 1945 Modern History - Orals The lives of ordinary Australians have changed greatly since 1945. In this present day of 2007 we see many different cultures coming together to call Australia home. Before this though, there were many issues regarding a multicultural society in Australia; and who should and shouldn’t enter into this country. During this presentation today, I will be presenting you with the changes that Australia has had to face in a bid to make our society multicultural and appealing to all different backgrounds. The lives of ordinary Australians has changed as it means that they can now interact with those from different walks of life, this is not to say however that all cultures have embraced the Australian way of life. Firstly, multiculturalism refers to several different cultures which can be brought together to live peacefully and equally as one. This was a major issue in Australia during the 1945’s due to the Governments strong point of view for keeping Australia in ‘white hands’ only. Attempts were made before 1945 to make Australia a multicultural country but failed as racism occurred within the social and working environments. Chinese gold diggers who came into Australia to work on the mining fields were treated unfairly because there was a fear of them due to tension of competition. The Chinese were described by many fellow Australians to be ‘untiring workers’. Many Australian gold diggers wanted the Chinese out of the gold fields, and to be deported back to their original counties; and were astonished to learn that 3.3% of Australia’s population was made up of the Chinese workers. This was the first time that an Asian country had contributed towards the Australian population. This was the first step in Australian history to make Australia a multicultural society, but failed miserably. (http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/goldrush/) Before World War two, Australia was a country with a homogenous European population and remained in this manner for some time. The unofficial title of the ‘White Australia Policy’ ensured that those who were not of European descent were not permitted to live in ‘White Australia.’ Immigration laws strictly administrated these policies and were supported by the governments who were all committed to keeping a ‘White Australia.’ Issues that Australia faced during the 1945’s included racism towards other backgrounds that were also of European descent, equality as not everyone was treated equally; especially the aboriginals, who were the original owners of the 2007-10-31T07:30:03-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Australian-Multicultrualism-since-1945-33373.aspx Why Study American History There are many reasons to study United States History. A few are, so that we do not commit the same mistakes as our ancestors, to know our heritage, learn about our freedoms, and to learn to become a citizen in our nation. We need history so that we will not commit the same mistakes as our ancestors. A sad thing is that sometimes even though we know what has happened in the past, we do it again, hoping that it will work this time. And usually it doesn’t work and the same mistake is 2007-10-29T00:21:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Why-Study-American-History--33370.aspx Columbus's Voyage Columbus’s Voyage Christopher Columbus was a Spanish explorer born in Genoa Italy, between August and October, in 1451. He was the oldest son of Domenico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa with four brothers and one sister. He did not receive much formal education though he did learn to read and write in Spanish and read Latin while he was at sea because most maps were written in Latin. Also he could write in Castilian. Columbus’s father was a wool weaver and was lower middle class. He was described as a very optimistic man, as was his son, but lacked his son’s strong will. Christopher worked for his father until he was 22 then pursued his dream to become a sea captain. In 1475, Columbus began his first sea voyage to the Aegean Island of Chios. One year later, he survived a shipwreck off Cape St. Vincent and had to swim to shore. Imagine what would have happened to the Americas if he had died. In 1479, Christopher married Felipa Perestello e Moniz and in 1480, He had a son of his own, Diego. Felipa died in 1485, and a while later Columbus became in a relationship with Beatriz Enriquez de Harana of Cordabo, and had his second son, Ferdinand. Columbus and Enriquez never were married, but Columbus supported her. Columbus loved being a sea captain but he longed for more. He wanted riches and glory. Back then to get to India they had to go all the way around Africa which slowed trade. So Columbus decided to try and go the opposite way, across the Atlantic Ocean. He was not trying to prove the world round but to find a faster route to India. In 1484, he asked King John of Portugal to support his voyage west, but he was rejected. So he went to Spain with Diego to look for help from Queen Elizabeth and her husband King Ferdinand. Even though they first rejected Christopher’s idea, they gave him a small grant to live on, and he remained determined to convince them. In January 1492, Christopher convinced Elizabeth and Ferdinand, after being rejected twice, to give him support on his voyage west. He took three ships; the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. When everything was prepared they set sail from Palos. The first sight of land came at on October 12th from the Pinta. They most likely landed in the Bahamas on 2007-09-19T21:28:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Columbus-s-Voyage-33330.aspx Multiculturalism in Australia Modern History - Orals The lives of ordinary Australians have changed greatly since 1945. In this present day of 2007 we see many different cultures coming together to call Australia home. Before this though, there were many issues regarding a multicultural society in Australia; and who should and shouldn’t enter into this country. During this presentation today, I will be presenting you with the changes that Australia has had to face in a bid to make our society multicultural and appealing to all different backgrounds. The lives of ordinary Australians has changed as it means that they can now interact with those from different walks of life, this is not to say however that all cultures have embraced the Australian way of life. Firstly, multiculturalism refers to several different cultures which can be brought together to live peacefully and equally as one. This was a major issue in Australia during the 1945’s due to the Governments strong point of view for keeping Australia in ‘white hands’ only. Attempts were made before 1945 to make Australia a multicultural country but failed as racism occurred within the social and working environments. Chinese gold diggers who came into Australia to work on the mining fields were treated unfairly because there was a fear of them due to tension of competition. The Chinese were described by many fellow Australians to be ‘untiring workers’. Many Australian gold diggers wanted the Chinese out of the gold fields, and to be deported back to their original counties; and were astonished to learn that 3.3% of Australia’s population was made up of the Chinese workers. This was the first time that an Asian country had contributed towards the Australian population. This was the first step in Australian history to make Australia a multicultural society, but failed miserably. (http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/goldrush/) Before World War two, Australia was a country with a homogenous European population and remained in this manner for some time. The unofficial title of the ‘White Australia Policy’ ensured that those who were not of European descent were not permitted to live in ‘White Australia.’ Immigration laws strictly administrated these policies and were supported by the governments who were all committed to keeping a ‘White Australia.’ Issues that Australia faced during the 1945’s included racism towards other backgrounds that were also of European descent, equality as not everyone was treated equally; especially the aboriginals, who were the original owners of the 2007-09-03T08:15:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Multiculturalism-in-Australia-33322.aspx The Cold War *This got a 40/40 in my AP World History class last year, my teacher was the hardest teacher and would practically look for ways to mark you down. The only notes she wrote were "Where exactly" about closing of trade routes, but I'm not sure, it's been so long. Enjoy!* After World War two, there was an emergence of two superpowers that had once been allies, but ended up enemies due to very different ideology. This clash of concepts between the Soviet Union and the United States led to a period of conflict and tension between capitalism and communism. This competition for superiority posed a serious threat to the entire world: nuclear warfare. The ideological clash between communism and capitalism that began in 1917 was one of the very early events leading up to the Cold War, although the United States and Imperial Russia had been enemies since 1900. There was never a direct military engagement but there was a half-century of military build-up. The world's largest colonial empire and the world's leading economic power were marked by mutual distrust and idological tension. Because Russia was unable to compete industrially with the United States, they wanted to close off part of east Asia to trade, but the United States demanded open trade. After winning the Russian Civil War the Bolsheviks proclaimed a world wide challenge to capitalism. During the war the soviets believed that the British and the Americans had intentionally delayed a second front against Germany, although they had been in no position to carry out Stalin's request to invade northern France. The Soviets suspected that they had decided to let Russians bear the worst of the war, but would intervene towards the end to influence peace settlements and dominate Europe as well. These misconceptions left unfounded feelings of tension and hostility between the two superpowers. Both the USSR and the United States had very different ideas of how to establish postwar security. Americans assumed that if U.S. style governments and markets were established, states could resolve their differences peacefully. The key to the U.S. vision of security would require a rebuilt capitalist Europe and U.S. economic and political leadership of the postwar world. Soviet leaders understood security in terms of space. Stalin was determined to use the red army to control Poland, dominate the Balkans, and destroy Germany's capacity for another 2007-08-30T16:58:52-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Cold-War--33319.aspx Indian Removal Act of 1830: Native American Perspective The year was 1838; more than six hundred wagons loaded with Cherokee Indians were hauled into the west in the cold October rain. They were forced to leave their homes and everything they held dear and were accustomed to their entire lives. The removal of Native Americans from their lands by the Indian Removal Act of 1830 violated their political, legal, and human rights. Taking away freedom and land without consent from Native Americans was a violation of their political rights. Native Americans had no freedom. If anything they were captives. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 ordered soldiers to imprison Native Americans in stockades. They had no say to change this. They protested and went to courts, but they had no power in U.S. government and their personal votes did not count. The courts ruled against them although Chief Justice John Marshall declared, "...that an Indian tribe or nation within the United States is not a foreign state in the sense of the constitution...". They were considered a part of the United States, yet no democracy existed for the Native Americans. Their reasoning and advocated desires were ignored. Isn't that a violation of political rights? Stealing lands from Native Americans and being dishonest with treaties was a violation of their legal rights. The Native Americans had been living on that land for years--way before the U.S. even existed! The Native Americans helped white Americans and established formal treaties with the U.S. that guaranteed them their residence, privileges, and peace from intruders. However, a letter from Cherokee Chief John Ross says otherwise...In his letter, Ross protests to the Senate and House of Representatives of how trespassers have looted, hurt, and even killed members of his tribe. Despite the treaties--and the laws enforcing them-- Native Americans were still being disturbed, and although, the treaties were still active during the Removal Act; their lands were still taken. The U.S. took what had not belonged to them and committed document fraud towards the Native Americans. There is nothing legal about that. In consequence to the Indian Removal Act of 1830, human rights of Native Americans were violated. They were not treated as human beings and their cause had been devalued, and even considered subordinate to the United States by Andrew Jackson in his defense of the Removal Policy in 1830. Jackson referred to them as 'savages' and were lowered to the state of livestock 2007-08-24T02:05:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Indian-Removal-Act-of-1830-Native-American-Perspective-33316.aspx African American Women and the Second Great Migration African American Women and the Second Great Migration In 1941, A. Phillip Randolph’s March on Washington movement forced the nation to take notice of African Americans. Following the march, Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order that mandated the end of racial discrimination in defense industries. The agency in charge of enforcing the executive order, the Fair Employment Practices Committee, was weak. Still, the agency provided a forum for African Americans whose complaints, until then, would have fallen on deaf ears. Although discrimination against African American people was prevalent throughout the United States at this time, nowhere were racial tensions as high as they were in the South. In numbers large enough to be coined the “Second Great Migration” African American people left the south and headed north and west to find employment in defense industries. With the political and social climate slowly beginning to change, the “Second Great Migration” of African Americans from the South to northern and western cities had a unique character. Unlike the “Great Migration” which took place during World War I, the World War II migration included a vast number of women.# During the first migration African American men outnumbered women three to one. By the second migration this was no longer the case as increasingly men sent for their wives, families traveled together, and women even sometimes traveled alone. Although they are often ignored in accounts of migration out of the South, women had many of the same motivations to leave the South that men had. Just as men longed to escape the agricultural work of the South, women too hoped to escape low-wage domestic labor. Women, like men, wished to flee the harsh realities of racism. The music and other media that enticed men to head west also enticed women. Often the reality was that life for men and women out West was little different from life in the South, but the hopes and dreams that encouraged men to leave their homes in the South also encouraged women. While men hoped to get out of the fields, women hoped to get out of the kitchen.# World War II had an important impact on gender roles in the United States. Women, both black and white, were asked to challenge feminine roles and do “men’s” work in wartime industries. For African American 2007-07-18T02:20:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/African-American-Women-and-the-Second-Great-Migration-33283.aspx Civil Rights and African American Life Civil Rights and African American Life So how did African-Americans get looked down on? Well it was in 1619 when Africans were brought to America as slaves for the white settlement. While slavery was eradicated after the Civil war the racism and segregation side of it still occurred. During the 20th century the fight for equality for African-Americans led to massive civil rights campaigns. While many of you may have heard of Martin Luther King there may have been things that were left out and today I will tell you a little more about the man that America calls their hero. Martin Luther King was born on the 15th January 1929. While he was originally known as Michael Luther King, he later changed his name to Martin. While Martin was formerly a preacher he became a figurehead of modern civil rights movement by 1957. He married Coretta Scott and raised four children. Both Martins father and grandfather were Baptist preachers and both were involved in the civil rights movement. Martin was very close to his family and at the time of his grandmas death jumped out of the second floor of his home but was fortunately not hurt. After graduating he considered careers in medicine and law but entered the ministry. As a boy Martin suffered racial discrimination. He recalls on one occasion he and his schoolteacher were ordered to give up their seats on the bus to white passengers. Martin did not want to move but at the time it was legal for segregation and Martins school teacher pointed out that they should obey the law. Martin Luther King practiced non violent means of getting his message across. Non violent can also be known as Passive resistance. So what is resistance? Passive resistance is the practice of applying power to achieve socio-political goals through peaceful protests, boycotts, non-cooperation, civil disobedience and other methods without resorting to any means of violence. While studying, Martin heard a lecture regarding Mahatma Gandhi and the non violent civil disobedience campaign that he had used against the British in India. After reading and researching several books on the outline of Gandhi’s methods King came to the conclusion that the same process could be engaged by the black population in America to acquire civil rights and equality. On the 1st of December 1955, Rosa Parks who was an African-American was coming home from a hard days work as a 2007-07-17T10:32:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Civil-Rights-and-African-American-Life-33278.aspx Human Rights Abuse in China Human Rights Abuse in China China's disregard for the basic human rights of its citizens was brought to the attention of the international community during the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989. As Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said, the incident was "very troublesome to everybody that had been following the issue of human rights in China" (Reuters, 1997). The Chinese official which sought to deny the people of their most basic freedoms was Deng Xiaoping, whom recently passed away. "Xiaoping leaves behind not only a legacy of economic liberalization and reform, but of authoritarian repression that has systematically suppressed all demands for human rights and democracy in China" (HRIC, 1997). The legacy of Xiaoping will live on however, with his most notorious accomplishment of normalizing relations with the United States in the late 1970's. A group called Human Rights in China, or HRIC, a prominent New York-based rights group, released the following press release after Xiaoping's death: In the wake of Deng Xiaoping's passing, Human Rights in China calls on the government of the People's Republic of China to declare a general amnesty for all prisoners of conscience currently being held throughout China (HRIC, 1997). The extensive abuse of human rights in China has gone to the core of the most fundamental of all rights, which are the rights to life and liberty. The following are the abuses which the U.S. Department of State reported in their annual release on Chinese affairs: Abuses included torture and mistreatment of prisoners, forced confessions, and arbitrary and lengthy incommunicado detention. Prison conditions remained harsh. The Government continued severe restrictions on freedom of speech, the press, assembly, association, religion, privacy, and worker rights. Some restrictions remained on freedom of movement. In many cases, the judicial system denies criminal defendants basic legal safeguards and due process because authorities attach higher priority to maintaining public order and suppressing political opposition than to enforcing legal norms (U.S. Department of State: China Country Report on Human Rights Practices, 1996). According to the Chinese government's own statistics, there are at least 3,000 "counter-revolutionaries" being held in Chinese prisons today(HRIC, 1997). The HRIC believes this figure to be inaccurate. They believe the number is actually much higher, citing the prisoners being held in China and Tibet on other charges as the reason. Extrajudicial killings, or killings which occur with little or no due process, have been one of the most 2007-07-15T18:34:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Human-Rights-Abuse-in-China-33276.aspx The Wars that Turned to be Inevitable The Wars that Turned to be Inevitable The destruction and deaths in the history of this world caused by war at some point could have been preventable. Since the beginning of history there has never been such a thing as a war that had to be fought because at some point there always a solution and many times that is overlooked resulting in unnecessary human suffering. During revolutionary times in Europe, the French Revolution could have been avoided. Both world wars could have been solved before the outbreak of war begun. The policy of a nation should be to search for any possible solution because war is no one’s favorite game to play. In 1914, when Archduke Frans Ferdinand was assassinated by the Serbian Nationalist, Gavrilo Princips, Serbia had a chance to shape by meeting the demands of Austria-Hungary’s ultimatum. If the Serbian government would have agreed to the terms that would have cooled Europe off enough to end the first threats of war. Russia also had a shot to stop the war by not discontinuing their military mobilization. The little steps that nations don’t take have caused millions of lives to be lost and many countries to be reduced to ruins. The nations of the world do not like to get involved in wars, but also hesitate to do what could save millions. World War One could have been avoided and in hindsight Europe along with the west know that just meeting the political demands of Austria-Hungary, Germany could have put the breaks on The Great War from ever occurring. World War Two at many times was preventable. A lot of nations had the opportunity to prevent a war, ranging from Munich to Hitler’s march into the Sudetenland. The issue in the Sudetenland very simply could have prevented the war because Hitler instructed his troops to retreat if they met any form of resistance, but the British and French didn’t put a single soldier to meet the Germans. Using five thousand troops in 1938 could have saved sixty two million lives. Again the nations caught in the middle of a pressure situation chose not to take the easy route and took the option of war. Not a solution that had to be thee solution, but one that seemed to a lot of politicians the “questionable only option” The consequences was over sixty million people died 2007-06-25T01:38:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Wars-that-Turned-to-be-Inevitable-33267.aspx Adlai Stevenson vs. Valerian Zorin Adlai Stevenson vs. Valerian Zorin In times of crisis and difficult political situations these two men stood tall and strong for their country to ensure peace for the people of this world. Adlai Stevenson of the United States and Valerian Zorin of the Soviet Union eventually went head to head in a session of the United Nations Security Council, but both had great political careers serving as ambassadors for two countries on opposite sides of the Cold War spectrum prior to that encounter. Khrushchev had not instructed Zorin to change his position of not being truthful to the Security Council about the missiles in Cuba. That would play out to be a key flaw in the Soviet plans to continue the construction of missile sites in Cuba. That one flaw caused the collapse of the Soviet operations in Cuba and ended Khrushchev’s time as their Premier because of the end result that the missiles had to be withdrawn. In the days before the encounter Zorin had denied the existence of the weapons. Then the day of the encounter between the two Zorin offered a statement that the weapons in Cuba do not even exist. The Americans assumed that Zorin was not aware that Americans knew the weapons existed and that the Soviet’s Foreign Ministry had not told Zorin to adjust his position. The result of that breakdown was the Soviet Union was now in position where the world began to question their credibility. The blame should not be solely placed on Zorin. The real culprit was the Soviet Union as a whole because Zorin only presented to the United Nations what he was instructed to present. That was one of Zorin’s final debates while being the Soviet ambassador to the United Nations and it was unfortunate that he was misinformed by his country in such a crucial time. Adlai was not even close to winning the United Nations Security Council debate as well as the support of the world at the beginning of the session. United States President, John F Kennedy told his assistants to tell Adlai to stick it to Zorin and don’t let him off. Well the assistants did not have faith in Adlai at all, but the special assistant mentioned that you can’t Adlai out this late, he knows the score and how much time is left in the game. Adlai entered the room of the Security Council 2007-06-24T22:36:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Adlai-Stevenson-vs_-Valerian-Zorin-33266.aspx The Suffragettes did more Harm than Good Throughout their campaigning, the Suffragettes had not yet caused any real damage to anyone or anything until after November 1910 when Black Friday happened. After being banned from Liberal meetings, hundreds of women went out to protest outside Parliament to support the Conciliation Bill, except instead of a peaceful demonstration, the women had been sexually and physically abused by policemen before being sent home with multiple bruises and bodily harm or being arrested. However, can this be justifiable enough a reason for these women to gather together and agree to do harm to get their points across, and in the end, did it really help their cause? By looking from one point of view, you can see that through their demonstrations that they were able to bring their cause to the front pages of newspapers, and by doing so more and more people became aware of not only their existence, but what they were trying to do not only to the people, but also to the Government that in the past had never truly taken their beliefs into account as even significant. Thanks to the increase of awareness, the thought of women getting the vote was bound to be approved sooner or later because too many people had learnt about this and had been placed in a situation that concerned this to just let it go away after such a difficult struggle to let women get what they wanted. There is also the case that people had gotten used to women fighting both vocally and physically for their rights for what they felt they had every right to have that they no longer found it so strange for something like this to occur. One could even argue that it wasn’t even relevant that the Suffragettes had gotten violent seeing that whether they were to fight back or not, Asquith would still be strongly against women having the vote and would continue to support the Government with their harsh treatment towards women. Yet, another point of view on the matter can be that the Suffragettes did indeed cause so much distress not only to the Government but also to the people that they could not be proclaimed as rightfully fighting for what they wanted and were just hurting people to get their own way. Thanks to their violence, they could be seen as actually giving the 2007-06-04T08:22:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Suffragettes-did-more-Harm-than-Good-33250.aspx Nazi use of Violence to Gain Power in the Third Reich Nazi use of Violence to Gain Power in the Third Reich Hitler was a cunning man who used many techniques to achieve the success of the Nazi party and establish a dictatorship in Germany. Amongst these techniques, was the use of violence. In this essay I will determine whether the NSDAP's use of violence was the main reason why Hitler became chancellor of Germany in January of 1933. In the early days of the Nazi party, Hitler believed that power could be achieved through a revolution, triggered by a single violent taking of an area in order to set off a series of violent take overs across Germany, the idea was taken from Benito Mussolini's Fascist Party's march on Rome which resulted in bringing Mussolini to power. This idea of a “March on Rome” style takeover lead to the Munich Putsch in November 1923. However, the Putsch failed, the authorities in Munich refused to hand the city over to Hitler, and Hitler's national support was severely lacking for any sort of national revolution. After the Putsch failed, Hitler was arrested and sent to prison which gave him time to rethink his strategy. He wrote down his political philosophies in his book “Mein Kampf” which he wrote whilst in prison. One major revelation was that he could not reach power by violence, and must go by the democratic process and enter into the Reichstag. This did not mean that Hitler would stop using violence to gain power however. Hitler's main opposition in the Reichstag were the communists, the communists had many seats in the Reichstag and had links with other smaller parties. The Communist Party's own methods were perhaps more violent than the Nazi's. The Red Fighting Force was an organisation of militant communists who beat people up and forced them to support the communist party. The German people feared communism, and the Nazi party appeared to be the only group who were effectively combating the communists. Hitler used the SA to round up and murder communists, thus destroying opposition from them, and gaining support from the German people. The Night of Long knives saw Hitler's new private army the SS gather and murder the SA hierarchy. Hitler put the murders down to the fact that the SA hierarchy were homosexuals. The SA preferred the socialist side of National Socialism, and were planning to rebel against Hitler and seize power for themselves. If 2007-05-26T11:08:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nazi-use-of-Violence-to-Gain-Power-in-the-Third-Reich-33236.aspx The Sickening Truth of the Atomic Bomb Imagine a routine morning. One wakes up, showers, eats, travels to work or school, and expects a typical day—no one anticipates anything special to occur. Fast forward to approximately eight in the morning, while sipping coffee or sitting in class, a loud sound spreads throughout the air and he lies on his back, flesh ripping from his burned and damaged skin. Around him wails hundreds of other dying and suffering innocents. And it seemed like a normal Monday. Those horrors occurred to the innocent civilians of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 when the United States dropped the atomic bomb. Three days later, the problem plagued the people of Nagasaki, as well. The question arises, “Why?” The answer, while complex, boils down to one main point: protection. The United States feared an eminent battle with the Soviet Union, and used the bomb as a means of intimidation for protection. Through study of time, it stands assured that, while the bombing of Nagasaki proved unnecessary, the bombing of Hiroshima worked in America’s (and, ultimately democracy’s) favor. First of all, the atomic bomb failed to win the Pacific War; the U.S. won the war several months before, but they waited for an official surrender from Japan. Japan also desired to end the war. By seeking out help from the Soviet Union, who established peace a year earlier in the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact, they sought to end the fighting once and for all. Truman knew all of this and, after the Potsdam Conference, sent a message to Japan permitting only an unconditional surrender with no guaranteed safety for the emperor. A day before sending the message, Truman okayed the use of the atomic bomb on Japan. Clearly, Japanese opinions mattered naught in this situation and, therefore; all of the noble stories associated with the atomic bomb (lives saved and war winning cause) proved lies. Then why drop a bomb murdering more than 300,000 people? Repeating pre World War One days, America used militarism to coerce a final, submissive surrender from Japan (allowing the U.S. to beat its chest), while attempting to frighten the Soviets. The U.S.S.R. craved more power and the U.S. did not want to concede it, therefore; as barbaric as it seems, the Soviet Union needed to witness a sign of authority from America. Threats 2007-05-25T21:47:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Sickening-Truth-of-the-Atomic-Bomb-33233.aspx Justification for Conflict Imperialism battles waged at the turn of the century portraying many prominent voices. Henry Cabot Lodge strongly believed in imperialism as it possessed power for good. William McKinley stood middle ground to promote imperialism while not condoning it. Then, of course, there existed the Anti-Imperialist League, thus; much conflict abrood. The question of ethical practices of sacrificing innocent lives for financial gain became a major issue, one that plagues people today, despite its uselessness. A forerunner for imperialism, Henry Cabot Lodge believed strongly in foreign policy and its great importance to the nation’s financial (and thus overall) wellbeing. He stated, “There is no higher aim or purpose for man or for nations than to buy and sell, to trade jack-knives and make everything cheap.” He utilized the Monroe Doctrine, among many sources including Washington’s Neutrality Policy, to prove his pro-imperialism thoughts by informing people that the Monroe Doctrine only applied to Europe. He believed that Europe possessed no privilege to enter the Western Hemisphere, but America maintained the rights and power to extend wherever it desires. It was America’s “destiny”. He saw a never-ending landscape of an American future; it expanded west at one point, and thus, in Lodge’s eyes, must colonize and imperialize further out, past oceans, to promote trade and become a world power of green. He states, “But from the Rio Grande to the Arctic Ocean there should be but one flag and one country.” Also, he believed that the U.S. needed to control Hawaii, occupy Samoa, build a Nicaraguan canal, and promote a strong navy. Another face in the imperialism and foreign policy debate included William McKinley. He used many arguments to justify intervention in Cuba including: horror in Cuba commencement, trade losses, aggravation to the citizens, and shock of the citizens, but the greatest issue that he deduced remained money. McKinley thought that the social struggles in Cuba caused hardships to the land, affecting U.S. interests–sugar, and thus not protecting his people. He also attempted to appeal to the kindred of hearts (in Congress–what a challenge) by claiming that this struggle in Cuba needed to cease to save the Cubans and endangered the lives of Americans by not securing them financially. Whether that remained true or not, the physical lives of Americans stood threatened, 2007-05-25T21:42:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Justification-for-Conflict--33231.aspx Chilly Politics The post world war era caused for much stress and strife between the United States and the Soviet Union. Each one tried to overpower or contain the other, and a standoff existed for many years. Many policies and plans burst came with the diverse ideas of foreign policy at that time including the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and George Kennan’s philosophies. Most of them seemed quite similar, though all possessed some differences, but the main purpose all maintained included the ultimate goal of the Cold War: Communism containment. First of all, the Truman Doctrine proclaimed that any nation, not already Communist, attacked or coerced by a Communist nation received U.S. aid and defense. To Truman, and other politicians, it stood as America’s responsibility to defend those nations in order to contain Communism. Greece seemed like a nation in need of that aid, as they faced attacks from a small band of Communist soldiers. Truman wanted to offer financial aid to supply the small Greek army with equipment so that Greece could defend itself and thus promote peace and democracy, ultimately shunning Communism. Turkey, Greece’s neighbor, needed economic assistance as well, but not for direct defense. With the growing marketplaces, Turkey required modernization, which it could not afford alone. If Turkey stayed in the pre/postwar era (it mattered not, as neither stood as great times of economic development) then they remained weak, opening themselves up to an easy takeover. Truman, obviously, thought this bad, and knew that if one Middle Eastern country fell into Communism, a mere few moments awaited before the rest of the region suffered the same fate. Besides the overall objective of containing Communism, Truman knew that no other nation in the world could realistically help Greece and Turkey, because no others really thrived economically yet (besides the Soviet Union). Because the Soviet Union and America stood as the world’s strongest powers at that time, Truman cited two distinctly different ways of life. The first he described maintained that the majority made decisions and that all people kept all of their rights, liberties, and freedoms. The second way required that decisions became decided through a minority that overpowered the majority. Freedoms died there, while oppression thrived. Truman believed that the U.S. must support countries aiming to maintain freedoms for the people, and that the support from the U.S. must be primarily financial. He, once again, knew that if the 2007-05-25T21:40:03-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Chilly-Politics--33230.aspx Agrarian Protests of the Nineteenth Century and Today 1877’s Supreme Court case Munn v. Illinois created much controversy. It dealt with whether or not the Illinois legislature possessed the constitutional rights to control charges for grain storage. After examining many perspectives, including merchants, farmers, and the government, the judge and some justices still differed in views. They faced tough questions with trying answers. Did the government hold the right to manage private institutions? For that matter, what defined a private or public institution? This problem plagues America today, in situations like eminent domain, but clearly neither federal nor state officials retain the right to control non-government establishments. One important perspective included farmers. After facing several decades of suffering-falling crop price levels, increasing necessary expenses, and capricious charges from monopolistic services (chiefly railroads)-the Midwestern cultivators formed the Illinois State Farmer’s Association. At a convention in 1873, they passed a series of resolutions, dealing with grievances, in hopes to better their essential occupation. Mainly, they grew exasperated with the corrupt railroads, but concluded that all railways needed to connect, thus lessening the difficulties of travel and trade. Also, the farmers wanted tariffs for iron, steel, lumber, and other railroad and machinery materials to cease, and to gain railroad support for this matter. Meanwhile, they desired legislative support for themselves and strong punishment for the law-breaking and unconstitutional railroads. Most importantly, they decided that railroads needed government regulations to subdue the public by implementing equal train fares. Therefore, the case four years later should have overjoyed the farmers; although Munn v. Illinois centered on grain storage, one implication of the ruling included railroads. Chief Justice Morrison R. Waite determined whether the state of Illinois carried the right to decide “maximum of charges for the storage of grain in warehouses.” By citing the fourteenth amendment of the U.S. Constitution, “no state shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law . . .”, he noted that government already limited its power, a notion as old as the Magna Carta. He remarked that almost every U.S. State Constitution maintains this principle and to deny it destroys a part of citizenship. However, Waite continued with a description of a “body politic” as defined by the Massachusetts Constitution, though the case lied in Illinois. Simply stated, a body politic exists when all citizens live and work 2007-05-25T21:37:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Agrarian-Protests-of-the-Nineteenth-Century-and-Today-33229.aspx Aggressively Neutral While the war in Europe and the Japanese battle raged on, the United States faced a difficult decision. Should they engage in war or maintain their level of neutrality? Franklin Delano Roosevelt knew that America’s involvement in the war stood as an inevitability, however; despite the president’s mentality, most Americans felt neutrality stood as the only way to handle the growing conflict afar. On October 5, 1937, President Roosevelt delivered his Quarantine the Aggressors Speech in which he described the military provokers as the “reign of terror” promoting “international lawlessness.” He outed their unjust habits of breaking treaties by invading territories, and noted that these countries executed this with no formal declarations of war. They fought like bullies on the proverbial playground. Also, these nations used their force and dominating willpower to mindlessly slaughter millions of civilians—all to increase their power and strength. They attacked every foreign ship they encountered whether provoked or not, and worst of all, denied the very thing they claimed to fight for. Many nations claimed to combat for freedom—to better their land—but, while they themselves achieved this (if one calls a military state better) they denied these simple liberties to the people they oppressed. Roosevelt neglected to list the aggressive nation’s names because of this. He delivered his speech years before war officially broke out in Europe—let alone the U.S.—and did not desire a larger conflict yet. He did not want, at that point, to get involved, and naming names while laying blame would have engaged the U.S. America lacked the proper readiness for war. Roosevelt worked to prepare America though. By stating that 90% of the world desired and strived for peace, he appealed to man’s sense of ethics and morality. He explained that the 90% of peace-loving people could not allow the 10% of anarchists to win, and, thus offered the path to peace. Roosevelt’s solution entailed taking a stand against international instability. A plan of neutrality could not suffice. America would work together for a triumph of morals and international peace. A reestablishment of the sanctity of treaties and national morality needed to occur. Also, to defeat the international anarchy, laws, that all obeyed, needed establishment in order to maintain stability and peace. This would aid in ending aggression and respecting other’s rights (like nations 2007-05-25T21:35:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Aggressively-Neutral--33228.aspx History Not the best in the world. However it does include some of the russian shit that you might need if you ever do a essay on Russia in 1905 and Lenin and other crap. Also a hilarious quote guarenteed to give you that excellent a* One of the problems that lenin had to face in the civil war was food. Farmers where not making enough food to feed the Russian people and the Russian soldiers. Factories where slow and Lenin needed transport and weaponary. To solve this problem Lenin had to think quick on his feet, so he came up with war communism. He took the ownership of factories from there original owners and farms from the farmers and he told them what to make, how much to make, and when to make them for. Most of the working class people who worked in the factories lived in poor living conditions and there wages where next to nothing. I think that because of what Lenin did to this it injured the Russian working man, and peasent, greatly. They where farming food just for the government and not for themselfs, and it was starving and killing them, the working class, whom worked in factories and other places similar, where also hungry. However it did make enough food for the soldiers and the rich, it changed the production rate of food and products from the factories and farms. In my opinion only the rich and Lenin, and soliders benefited from this, the working class and farmers where been worked to death, I think that they somewhat felt cheated, and that there country was greatly against them. Many farmers hated what Lenin was doing because they where not gaining a profit so they could earn money, so they tried not to send the food they grew to the government but Lenin sent his secret police forced called the Checka, which he sent to farmers to collect the food. If the farmers didn't give the food over willingly the Checka would either kill the farmers or forcefully take them to labour camps. Thousands of farmers died from this cruel treatment. This action changed the farmers decision on not sending food to the government, if they valued theres, and there families, lifes that is. Although the Checka seemed somewhat "harsh" it got the point across and it got the goods they needed off of the farmers. Many 2007-05-24T20:53:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History--33225.aspx Nazi use of architecture in WW II Upon coming to power, Hitler vowed to bring Nazi Germany back to the “good old days” - to its former glory. He did this through many means throughout his reign as both chancellor and Führer. Many of which are now famous worldwide - the massive army building and propaganda campaign just being one of such. But something that is perhaps all too often overlooked is the Nazi use of sculpture and Architecture within Germany. During his youth Hitler applied to the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, and was rejected both times. He was told that he excelled in architecture, which he later realised to be true. [i:001397ae7a]"The purpose of my trip was to study the picture gallery in the Court Museum, but I had eyes for scarcely anything but the Museum itself. From morning until late at night, I ran from one object of interest to another, but it was always the buildings which held my primary interest."[/i:001397ae7a] (Mein Kampf, Chapter II, paragraph 3). It is quite fitting then that Hitler should use his fascination with architecture and sculpture to his advantage within Nazi Germany. Hitler already regarded many ancient cultures such as the Romans and Greeks as being early forms of the Aryan race and admired their architecture greatly, and as previously mentioned Hitler wanted to restore Germany to its former glory. Therefore he replaced the semi-contemporary architecture with the more classical, ancient architecture which gave way to the first nationalist architecture. Whilst doing so he (or rather Speer) modified it. This was so that it did not simply recreate the past, but to bring Germany a new future through the ideals of the German and/or Aryan past. Albert Speer was the chief architect in Nazi Germany and designed many of the buildings situated in Germany today including the Nuremburg Zeppelin field and the German Pavilion. He constructed his architecture without using reinforcement techniques or concrete to give what he called “ruin value”. The idea behind this was that years from being built the buildings would leave “aesthetically pleasing ruins” much like the roman coliseum or Greek theatres. This idea pleased Hitler who enjoyed the idea of Immortal fame. In general there were 2 different forms of Nazi architecture. The neo-classical style was usually used on imperial and state buildings and on buildings in urban areas. In the countryside a more relaxed form of völkisch was often used with a focus on folklore 2007-05-24T20:35:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nazi-use-of-architecture-in-WW-II-33224.aspx Nazi use of Architecture and Sculpture in the Third Reich Nazi Architecture and Sculpture When Hitler became Führer of Germany in 1933, he wanted architecture in his new Germany to bring a new image to the history of Germany, and to offer the new Nazi society a strong rallying point. Classical, monumental style replaced the modern style of architecture that had come with the Weimar government. Hitler saw this architecture as a cultural decline. The Nazi's used architecture to celebrate their image. Nazi architecture consisted of two phases between 1936 and 1940, firstly, the great set pieces of party edifies and secondly, the plans for Berlin, Nuremberg and Munich, the key cities of the Third Reich. Nazist architecture existed largely within the minds of two people, Hitler and Albert Speer. The National Socialist's main view on architecture was the rejection of modern style. The quaint and traditional vernacular style for housing and a strong monumental style for public buildings became the order. But The National Socialists did not wholly rejected modern technology as a means of constructing this traditional architecture. They often used the most advanced building techniques hidden behind neoclassical fascias. Along with the rejection of modern architecture came a rejection of the corresponding furniture. To the Nazi's, using Neoclassicism would give expression to the Nazi regime. The ideal model was the Greek temple, the Renaissance palace, the Baroque castle, and the Classicist building of the Empire era. The format of these buildings became monumental to Hitler. Speer undertook the project for Reconstruction for Berlin (1939-1943). It was designed to become the ultimate architectural realization of National Socialist ideology, it had a giant avenue from south to north, which was the highlight of the new city. In 1938, Speer finished the design for the first part of Berlin's Great Axis Avenue, 4 miles long, flanked by 400 street lights that he had designed. The east-west axis would 'cut through the chaotic development of the cold city'. Eventually it was to stretch over 30 miles from east to west and 25 miles from north to south. It was planned to be a monumental centre. In 1925, Hitler had sketched a triumphal arch and a large assembly hall, both of which were to become the symbols of the New Berlin. The triumphal arch was to span a distance of 285 feet and rise 325 feet, dwarfing the Eiffel Tower. On it the names of the German soldiers killed fighting World War 1 2007-05-24T20:26:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nazi-use-of-Architecture-and-Sculpture-in-the-Third-Reich-33223.aspx The Victories of Prohibition Throughout America’s many years of growth and expansion, vast scores of ideas presented themselves unto the country. One such idea, prominent and essential to the nation, became temperance (prohibition). Prohibition included the end of alcohol sale, manufacture, and transportation, which stood wonderful as alcohol exists as an evil drink perverting society. Therefore, prohibition’s purpose proved solid and upright, with intentions to lead America towards a united society of greater liberties, and thus, needs implementation in modern American life. Prohibition did not sprout from the air; the country believed in and supported its amazing potential long before the Eighteenth Amendment. Its goals included bettering the individual which, in turn, bettered society and the nation as a whole. When Abraham Lincoln developed his immortal Emancipation Proclamation, he enacted the powers of prohibition and, eventually, ended the vile and monstrous act of slavery. This, in time, cleaned up the nation, making it a better society; however, Lincoln cultivated greater ideas. He desired a nation free from the burden and strife of liquor, and knew that by abolishing alcohol the United States could rise to a truly beautiful state. He believed, “The victory against the liquor traffic shall be complete when there shall be neither slaves nor drunkards upon the earth, and how proud the title of that land which may truly claim to be the birthplace and the cradle of both these revolutions . . .” (qtd. in Holmes 40). America, at that time, traveled the path to the victory Lincoln spoke of, and found much support and a greater sense of nationalistic pride. A plethora of people supported prohibition, especially with groups like the Anti-Saloon League and the Women Christian’s Temperance Union. Even the “evil” men of big business supported prohibition; all of the major railroads and factories of the country maintained an alcohol abstinence policy, because they understood the evils and hindrances of the drink. Furthermore, by the time the Eighteenth Amendment passed, thirty-three of the forty-eight states already possessed prohibition legislature, meaning a resounding eighty-seven percent of the nation proudly stood dry (Holmes 42). America knew the reasons for the necessity of banning the filth of alcohol. Alcohol also possesses a direct correlation to crime. Breweries proved one of the most powerful industries at the turn of the century, and thus proved very competitive. In order 2007-05-23T02:57:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Victories-of-Prohibition-33218.aspx Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was born on the Mediterranean island of Corsica, which had been owned by the Italians until it was annexed by the French. He received his education in a French military school. When the French Revolution began, Napoleon was a low-level military officer but he quickly rose in rank and won important victories against the British and Austria. He was a popular military general who appealed to the people who looked to a strong military leader to the end disorder and corruption that existed under the Directory. In November 1799, Napoleon overthrew the Directory and formed a new government the Consulate. The Consulate was made up of three Consuls but all the power was vested in Napoleon as the First Consul. In 1802, the constitution made him Consul for life, and in 1804, the constitution made him Emperor. For each of these constitutional changes, Napoleon held a national plebiscite (a yes or no vote). And the French people, hoping for stability, supported him at each step in his rise. “Napoleon’s popularity as First Consul flowed from his military and political successes and his religious reconciliation. He had come to power in 1799 by appealing for the support of the army. In 1802, Napoleon decided to extend his power by calling for a plebiscite in which he asked the electorate to vote him First Consul for life”.(Civilization in the West pg 627.) Napoleon instituted numerous domestic policies that helped France get back on its feet after the exhausting Revolution. One of Napoleon’s first moves was to make peace with the Catholic Church. In 1801, Napoleon signed a concordat with Pope Pius VIII. Napoleon acknowledged that Catholicism was the religion of the majority of the French people but affirmed religious toleration for all. By this agreement, he protected the peasant owners of former church land and pleased the overwhelming Catholic French population. Napoleon’s next move was the reform and overhaul of the laws of France. In 1804, he arranged laws into a single organized code called the Napoleonic Code. By emphasizing the revolutionary principles of equality, the Code created equal treatment before the law, providing religious toleration for Protestants and Jews, and abolishing serfdom, and feudalism. However, the Code undid some reforms of the French Revolution. Women lost most of 2007-05-12T06:27:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Napoleon-Bonaparte-33205.aspx The Winners and Losers of the Seventeenth Century France Louis XIV was one of the winners in the Seventeenth century France. Louis the XIV was only five years old when he was ascended to the French throne after his father death. Louis’ mother Queen Anne selected Cardinal Mazarin as his regent. However, Mazarin lacked Cardinal Richelieu shrewdness that was Louis XIII’s most important adviser. Marazin attempted to increase the royal revenue, which led to the civil war called the Fronde; the war lasted from 1649 to 1652. After Mazarin’s death, Louis had to deal with an aristocracy that resented the increasing powers of the French monarchy. In order for Louis to achieve his goal, he adopted the concept of the “divine right of kings”. “They claimed that kings were placed on earth by God to uphold piety and justice” (Kishlansky, pg. 494). Knowing this, he established the absolute sovereignty of Louis and his monarchy. Louis’ statement, (I am the state) represented that there was no higher level of authority that could ever control him (Kishlansky, 503). During Louis XIV 72 year reign, France became a dominant power in Europe. Many countries envied France’s success in industry and agriculture. Louis chose Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683) to administer the government of France. He helped in reviving trade and economy of France. “Colbert’s fiscal reforms were so successful that in less that six years a debt of 22 million French pounds had become a surplus of 29 million. Colbert achieved that astonishing feat not by raising taxes but by increasing the efficiency of their collection” (Kishlansky, pg 508). Colbert organized factories and systems of productions, trading companies and colonies, which were known as mercantilism. The main idea of this was to build up the nation’s supply of gold by exporting goods to other lands and by earning goods in return. With all this power, Louis XIV wanted to strengthen France by controlling its economy as well. He believed that there should only be no more then one religion and that religious unity was essential for absolute control. Therefore in 1685, Louis revoked the Edict of Nantes, which meant limiting toleration to Huguenots. He destroyed Huguenot schools and churches and took away their civil rights. Many of these Huguenot were exiled from France, which led these people to settle in Holland, 2007-05-12T06:23:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Winners-and-Losers-of-the-Seventeenth-Century-France-33204.aspx Unification of Italy and Gemany Describe three key events each from the unification of Italy and Germany. Why do you think Germany became a strong nation, while Italy remained weak? Italian unification failed in 1848. In the 1850s leadership in the Risorgimento fell to Camillo di Cavour, premier of Sardinia. Cavour began by liberal reforms within Sardinia and created an image of modern progressivism. He also brought the French into an alliance against the Austrian overlords of Italy. In the war that followed Cavour’s diplomatic maneuvers, Austria’s defeat delivered Lombardy to the kingdom of Sardinia. Other small northern Italian states were added through plebiscites. Central Italy followed in the same fashion. Under the leadership of Giuseppe Garibaldi and his Thousand Red Shirts, the king of Sicily was overthrown. Cavour also invaded southern Italy, leading to the declaration of a united Italy under Victor Emmanuel II in 1861. By 1870 Victor Emmanuel also gained control of Rome and Venetia, completing the unification of the Italian peninsula. Many events lead to the unification of German. Otto von Bismarck was the architect of German unity in the name of preserving the leadership of Prussia. He invented the practice of realpolitik, pursuit of national interests at all costs. Bismarck’s talent was his ability to join the conservative Junkers with the liberals in the pursuit of a united Germany. He utilized the Zollverein to isolate Austria economically, reorganized the Prussian army, and created a crisis between Austria and Prussia over management of the newly conquered territories of Schleswig and Holstein. In the Seven Weeks’ War, Bismarck’s new military forces destroyed the myth of Austrian dominance in central Europe. Austria withdrew from the emerging Germany. The Habsburg Empire divided itself into a dual monarchy. Austria-Hungary, under a single Habsburg ruler. With Austria removed as a potential rival, Bismarck was free to pressure the fragmented states of southern Germany into accepting Prussian leadership. French resistance to further gains in Prussian authority in central Europe led to the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. Faced with a French threat, the southern German states joined Prussia, as Bismarck had planned. The war with France was swiftly concluded in Prussia’s favor. In the glow of victory, the new German Empire was created in defeated France at the palace of Versailles. The constitution was ostensibly liberal, it included universal male suffrage and a representative legislative assembly but the government was responsive only to the 2007-05-12T06:21:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Unification-of-Italy-and-Gemany-33203.aspx American Military History American Military History Military Occupations are divided into two major parts within the different branches of the military. They are military enlisted occupations and military officer occupations. Among the two their 152 different occupations, 91 in the enlisted and 61 in the officer occupations. The branches of the military are as follows: the Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. “The military enlisted occupations carry out the fundamental operations of the military. They are people like the infantrymen, dental specialists, mechanics, graph designers and illustrators, computer systems specialists, and air traffic controllers in the military work force. The enlisted occupations are usually high school graduates and are required to meet minimum physical and aptitude standards before enlisting. The general enlistment qualifications are as follows: Age, you must be between 17 and 35 years. Consent of parents or legal guardian required if 17. Must be either (1) U.S. citizen, or (2) an immigrant alien legally admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence and possessing immigration and naturalization documents. Physical condition must meet minimum physical standards, although some military occupations have additional physical standards. The height for both males and females at a maximum of 6’8”, and for males at a minimum of 5’0”, and for females a minimum of 4’10”. The weight is minimum and maximum for the various services according to height, wrist size, and or percentage of body fat. For males a maximum weight of 255lb and a minimum weight of 100lb. For females a maximum weight of 227lb and a minimum weight of 90lb. The requirements of vision in general must have at least 20400 or 20200 vision if it can be corrected to 2020 with eye glasses or contacts. Vision requirements are also based on depth perception as well as color blindness. Overall health must be in good health and ass a medical exam. Certain diseases or conditions may exclude persons from enlistment; for example, diabetes, severe allergies, epilepsy, alcoholism, and drug addiction. Must have high school diploma, desired by all services and is a requirement under most enlisted options. Must male the minimum entry score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). Must meet standards designed to screen out persons likely to become disciplinary problems standards cover court convictions, juvenile delinquency, arrests, and drug use.”(U.S. Department of 2007-04-25T21:07:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-Military-History-33159.aspx History of Education in the United States Of America History of Education in the United States Of America At the turn of the 20th century the United States of America inherited a large flux of immigrants seeking opportunity in a nation recently converted from an agrarian economy to one of industrialization. Urbanization had taken over the country as well, however, these were not the only major changes occurring. Along with the new immigrants came and increase in student enrollment in secondary schools, rising from 358,000 in the 1889-1890 academic year to 2.5 million by 1919 (Tozer, p. 85). As more and more immigrants entered the States, prejudices evolved towards them from a national fear of competing for jobs with foreigners and hate deriving from WWI. The mounting immigrant population would create numerous conflicts that the public would rely on schools to solve. One such conflict was the traditional methods of teaching, such as the “Toe the Line” idea, that seemed (much like factory work) to have a decomposing effect upon students. Education of the time was viewed as “faculty psychology”, meaning the mind had many “faculties” that could be built-up through exercise (Tozer, pg. 104). This approach basically used the pupils’ memories to strengthen intelligence and capability to think rationally. Although this technique was very inflexible, the concept intellectual exercise was a benefit. Educators realized a response was necessary for urbanization, industrialization and vast immigration; this would come about from new psychological tactics to reject the classical curriculum (and its rote learning) into student needs. The new thought was progressive education and it had four main components: 1) traditional curriculum should be replaced with a varied curriculum based on student needs 2) Learning should not be rote, but based on activities 3) School goals should reflect societal conditions and 4) Schooling should help solve social problems (Tozer, pg. 107). The incorporation of the new progressive education ideology into the schools of America was strongly divided between two interpretations, those being developmental-democracy and social-efficiency. The design for developmental-democracy consisted around direct participation of society and citizens would solve problems from rational thought (Tozer, p. 106). The prominent leader of this movement was John Dewey, for he believed within democracy (much like Jefferson) people must be educated to actively participate in society, however, for the education these people received to be triumphant, the people must contribute to 2007-04-25T20:52:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-Education-in-the-United-States-Of-America-33154.aspx The Uss Arizona in World War II The Uss Arizona in World War II On December 7, 1941 the Hawaiian Islands were suddenly and deliberately attacked by Japanese aircraft just before 0800. The USS Arizona came under attack almost immediately, and received a hit by an 800-kilogram bomb, gutting the forward part of the ship. The USS Arizona was completed March 16,1914. The ship was launched June 19, 1915. Miss Esther Ross, from Prescott, christened the ship along with traditional champagne. The Arizona departed from New York for training off the Virginia capes; within months the United States entered World War I. The Arizona operate out of Norfolk throughout the war, it served as a gunnery training ship, it also patrolled the waters of the eastern seaboard. The Arizona was also part of the escort that carried American President Woodrow Wilson to the peace conference in December of 1918. In 1929 the Arizona was in the yard for 20 months for alterations. She was placed back in full commission on March 1, 1931. Over the next decade, Arizona continued to operate with the Battle Fleet out of San Pedro, California, and too part in a series of fleet problems that took the ship all over the Pacific and to the west coast of the United States. The United States Fleet was retained in Hawaiian waters, based at Pearl Harbor. She operated in the Hawaiian Operating Area until late that summer, when she returned to Long Beach on September 30, 1940. Her last flag change-of-command was on January 23, 1941, when Rear Admiral Wilson was relieved as Commander, Battleship Division one by Admiral Isaac C. Kidd. The battleship returned to Pearl Harbor on February 3, 1941 to resume the intensive training maintained by the Pacific Fleet. She made one last visit to the West coast, clearing “Pearl” on June 11, 1941 for Long Beach, ultimately returning to her Hawaiian base on July 8. Over the next five months, she continued exercises and battle problems of various kinds on type training and tactical exercises in the Hawaiian operating area. She underwent a brief overhaul at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard commencing on October 27, 1941, receiving the foundation for a search radar atop her foremast. She conducted her last training in company with her division mates Nevada and Oklahoma, conducting a night firing 2007-04-25T20:26:52-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Uss-Arizona-in-World-War-II-33143.aspx The Bubonic Plague also Known as the Black Plague The Bubonic Plague also Known as the Black Plague The bubonic plague also known as the black plague was one of the fastest spreading and most deadly of disease. This plague was also referred to as the pneumonic plague or the blood spitting plague. A person infected with this disease would vomit blood for three days straight and then they would die. It was an extremely fast acting disease. I found a quote on the web site, "It was said that they would eat lunch with their friends and dinner with their ansestors in paradise." The first documented signs of the plague were in China around 1347. During this period of time, the most popular way to trade was by ship. In October 1347, some ships from Italy were in the harbor of China, by the time the ship reached home most of the crew were either dead or dying. The crew then exposed the port to this deadly plague. Traveling to the ports buy and sell goods would take several days as there were no cars yet so they had to walk or go by animal. The vendors that came to trade were then exposed to this plague and carried it back with them to the inner cities. Even though travel was slow this plague wiped out over 25,000,000 people within 5 years. This was one third of Europe’s population. Entire town and cities were completely wiped out. People traveling along the road would become infected and crawl off the side of the road to expire. Fleas off of rats carried this disease to humans. It was then transmitted though intercourse with someone that was infected with the plague. It became known as the Black Plague because the skin would became blotched with spots that became black. The medical society never fully recovered from this plague. The disease was thought to be mystical. Many unorthodox practices were used to try to cure this disease. Everything was tied from praying to dancing. Some to believed they worked because during the winter months it seemed to disappear. In the spring time it would run rapid again. The reason for this was that rats were less active in the winter and fleas are dormant. Many people would call 2007-04-25T19:49:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Bubonic-Plague-also-Known-as-the-Black-Plague-33136.aspx The Origins of the Cold War The Origins of the Cold War The Cold War, which lasted from the mid-1940s until the end of the 1980s, was a battle for longevity amid democratic and communistic governments. After WWII the western powers attempted to curtail the spread of communism but faced fierce opposition from Eastern Europe which sought to prevent the expansion of democracy. The origins of the Cold War can be traced through the motives of the US and USSR, containment policy, and the division of Germany. America’s emergence as a world power was a salient instigating factor of the conflict. When America replaced Britain as the supreme world power it was forced to take on British responsibilities. Thus, when the Soviet Union, under Stalin, attempted to extend its control into central Europe, the Balkans and the Middle East, the United States inherited Britain’s task of restraining Russian expansion. Restriction was key in preventing the spread of communism; which threatened the existence of capitalistic and democratic nations such as the US. America was reasonable in its restrictions. It made no attempt to roll back Soviet power where it already existed. However, the United States had goals to make international governments resemble that of it’s own; including self-determination, autonomy, free trade, unlimited sea access and investment capability, and an Open Door policy in the economic sphere. As the strongest nation in the world the United States would benefit handsomely if an international order based in such goals were established. Conversely, from the Soviet perspective, extending the borders of the USSR and dominating the formerly independent states of Eastern Europe would provide needed security and would be adequate compensation for the fearful losses the Soviet people had endured in the war. Thus, the Soviets understood American resistance to their expansion as a threat to their security and legitimate aims. Moreover, objections over the acquisition Poland and other states were reasonably interpreted as an attempt to undermine regimes friendly to Russia and to encircle the Soviet Union with hostile neighbors. Consequently, in retaliation, it endeavored to topple administrations affable to the United States in Western Europe and elsewhere. The growth of the communist parties in France and Italy clearly taking orders from Moscow led Americans to believe that Stalin was engaged in an international plot to destroy capitalism and democracy by subversion. Soon evidence of this hostility transpired. In February of 1946, both Stalin and his foreign minister 2007-04-25T19:37:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Origins-of-the-Cold-War-33131.aspx General Patton's Famous Speech General Patton's Famous Speech Men, this stuff we hear about America wanting to stay out of the war, not wanting to fight, is a lot of bullshit. Americans love to fight - traditionally. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble player; the fastest runner; the big league ball players; the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans despise cowards. Americans play to win - all the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost, not ever will lose a war, for the very thought of losing is hateful to an American. You are not all going to die. Only two percent of you here today would die in a major battle. Death must not be feared. Every man is frightened at first in battle. If he says he isn't, he's a goddamn liar. Some men are cowards, yes! But they fight just the same, or get the hell shamed out of them watching men who do fight who are just as scared. The real hero is the man who fights even though he is scared. Some get over their fright in a minute under fire, some take an hour. For some it takes days. But the real man never lets fear of death overpower his honor, his sense of duty to this country and his innate manhood. All through your army career you men have bitched about "This chickenshit drilling." That is all for a purpose. Drilling and discipline must be maintained in any army if for only one reason -- INSTANT OBEDIENCE TO ORDERS AND TO CREATE CONSTANT ALERTNESS. I don't give a damn for a man who is not always on his toes. You men are veterans or you wouldn't be here. You are ready. A man to continue breathing must be alert at all times. If not, sometime a German son-of-a-bitch will sneak up behind him and beat him to death with a sock full of shit. There are 400 neatly marked graves somewhere in Sicily all because one man went to sleep on his job -- but they were German graves for we caught the bastard asleep before his officers did. An Army is a team. Lives, sleeps, eats, 2007-04-25T19:30:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/General-Patton-s-Famous-Speech-33126.aspx Chicago Chicago became a city in 1837, populated with steel mills, factories and shipping businesses. It was full of European families; young men came from Germany and Ireland to work. Chicago was the center city of the United States. It has faced many problems through nearly 170 years of existence. Seven major blunders including political mistakes, architectural misjudgments and sports goofs have plagued Chicago’s history. In Chicago’s history, there have been many political screw-ups. The incorrect headline of the Dewey/Truman race was a huge Tribune blunder. On November 3rd, 1948, the Tribune released its daily newspaper with the headline “DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN”. The title was the work of the newspapers editor, who was faced with a deadline and decision. On the same night of the morning blunder, 150,000 copies of a new newspaper hit streets, reading “DEMOCRATS MAKE SWEEP OF STATE OFFICE”. Now a day those original copies go for nine hundred dollars a piece (Leroux, “7 Blunders”). An additional blunder took place during another race for office, only it involved snow. In 1978, Mayor Michael Bilandic made a horrible choice. The weather was nasty; nine inches of snow were already on the ground and an additional twenty made it nearly thirty. Bilandic told all Chicagoans to move their cars to the open school lots and that all cars parked on the streets would be towed. The problem was that the roads were too thick to get through and no one could move anywhere. He left the fate of Chicago in the hands of its people, hoping that they would be able to find a solution. Meanwhile, candidate Jane Byrne was taking pictures of Bilandic doing nothing. She hoped to use those pictures to persuade the voters, leading her to a place in office. She succeeded and beat Bilandic in the election on February 27, 1979. That defeat ended the rule of what was known as the all powerful “Democratic Machine” (Leroux, “‘Bilandic-ed’”). The blunder of closing State Street is that of a lesser known one. The State St. shut down caused sale prices and popularity to plummet. In 1976, Chicago had banned traffic on State St., the main street of Chicago, only allowing buses to pass through. The purpose of closing State was so that it would become an outdoor mall. It had plenty of stores and people from all over pouring in, but once it was closed, the initial plan 2007-04-25T19:10:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Chicago--33118.aspx Titanic OUTLINE I. In fact, four electronic robotic devices were used to aid scientists in discovering and in exploring the Titanic. II. Two electronic devices were used to discover and to explore the outside of the ship. A. Argo, a large underwater robot, was the first of the two robots that was used to find the Titanic. 1. Argo’s size 2. Argo’s weight 3. Way Argo worked and what it did 4. Attached to the Knorr B. Angus, the second robotic device, was used to photograph the exterior of the ship. 1. What Angus did 2. What Angus found III. Alvin, another robotic device, allowed humans to actually see the ship. A. Alvin was a very unique, tiny submarine. 1. Named after 2. When he was built 3. Developed 4. Size B. While using Alvin, scientists were faced with several limitations, but adaptations were made to correct them. 1. Depth limitations 2. Modifications were made 3. New capabilities because of modifications C. Because of the new improvements, Alvin enabled scientists to learn more about the Titanic. 1. Allowed scientists to get closer to the wreckage 2. Scientists saw a lot IV. Since Alvin was unable to enter the Titanic, a new device was created, called J J. A. With J J, this electronic mechanism allowed scientists to view the interior of the ship. 1. What J J was 2. Size of J J 3. How J J operated B. Although it was not definite that J J could withstand the ocean’s pressure, the robot performed well. 1. Where J J went 2. What J J saw V. With the help of these electronic robotic devices, scientists were able to locate and then explore the ship; also, several of the mysteries that were hidden in the Titanic were discovered. The SS Titanic, a British steamship which was said to be unsinkable, left Southampton, England in 1912. The vessel never reached its intended destination of New York City, New York. Instead, on its first and only voyage, the Titanic was recorded lost at sea at 11:40 pm on April 14, 1912 when it collided with an iceberg, killing over fifteen hundred people. Even eighty years after the ship had been missing, people wanted answers to this unsolved tragedy: how could a vessel of the Titanic’s size disappear and how could the unsinkable ship, sink? Equipped with several technologically advanced devices, researchers from France and the US found the wreckage of the Titanic in 1985. In fact, four electronic robotic devices were used to aid scientists in discovering and in exploring the Titanic. Two electronic devices were used to discover and to explore the outside of this giant ship. Argo, a large underwater robot, was used to find the Titanic. The size of a small car, Argo 2007-04-25T19:08:27-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Titanic--33117.aspx The United States and the Nicaraguan Revolution The United States and the Nicaraguan Revolution By late 1978 the Sandinista Liberation Front (FSLN) had began to rise against the opposition. A revolution was in its beginning. The Somoza dictatorship had been overthrown and the Sandinistas were coming into power. The Sandinistas were labeled communist because they received aid from Cuba and practiced guerilla warfare based on an interpretation of the Cuban revolution. The United States foreign policy against Nicaragua was unlawful and the degrading to our country. The way the United States handled this foreign situation was wrong and more people should have been prosecuted for these actions. For more than 3 decades the Somoza family ruled over Nicaragua. They ruled under a brutal dictatorship. They owned 25% of industry and 40% of workable land. “The economic dictatorship of this Somoza monopoly antagonized other capitalist, who were prevented by its stranglehold from developing the economy to satisfy their own drive for profit.” (2 www.rwl-us.org). This shows that the Somoza family only cared about the Somoza’s well being. The Somoza family was put into place by US imperialism. In 1927, Augusto Cesar Sandino was a revolutionary who denounced the president because he was allowing the United States military to occupy their land. General Sandino would began to raise an army to support this cause. In 1932, with the United States approval, President Somoza -Garcia was elected into office. Sandino by now had international attention towards his cause so he was becoming a threat to Somoza’s government. Somoza would have to negotiate with Sandino. These negotiations led to Sandino being executed under Somoza’s orders. The Somoza’s would go onto rule without any more revolutionary uprisings for 4 decades. In July if 1962 the Sandinista National Liberation Front(FSLN) was formed. They identified themselves “Marxist” and set itself the task of “national democratic revolution.” The FSLN started as a small group of peasants but grew into an organization that became victorious over the Somoza dynasty. In 1979, after the FSLN won over Somoza(Daniel Ortega was the FSLN president) thing began to change and things looked better for the common citizen. Before 1978, Nicaragua had no public health care, no public education or social security. By 1983, Nicaragua was named “the model country in health care”, had social security and public health for all. By 1981, the Regan administration was worried about Marxism in this organization so 2007-04-23T04:26:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-United-States-and-the-Nicaraguan-Revolution-33109.aspx History of Ferdinand and Isabella History of Ferdinand and Isabella King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile were both important rulers during the Renaissance. They both ruled during a time in which change was constant. Things were being rediscovered and improved to become more efficient. These two rulers also partook in this movement for change. They improved their country in several ways, including the establishment of justice, and regulation of trade. These things improved their country dramatically, opening it up to endless possibilities of growth, which emulates what the Renaissance was all about. The rule prior to Ferdinand and Isabella lacked strength, leaving them with a lot of work. The first point of emphasis they focused on was establishing justice, and reforming laws in a country that was at a stage of anarchy. There were laws in Spain but there was no one to enforce them. Ferdinand and Isabella appointed two thousand men, forming a national police force, to rid the country of chaos. These police were more like a military, and they successfully ended the reign of criminals across the countryside (Blacker53). These rulers were so effective because they sought out their orders themselves, instead of passing them on to others. This method proved quite effective for them. Ferdinand and Isabella were rulers of the people. When the people became upset, they would listen with open ears. At one point a mob of people came near her home to protest an injustice that occurred. Isabella heard the concerns of her people, about a powerful man’s decision, and was not hesitant in acting upon them. Those who were influential would not hinder justice under the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella. They stood for what was right and would not allow it to be compromised (Blacker55). The intention to establish justice was somewhat lost in a well-known phase of their reign, called the Spanish Inquisition. Isabella was a devout Catholic that had no tolerance for non-believers. Most people were of the Catholic denomination but there were two groups that were not, the Moors and the Jews. The Jews were very important to Spain. They were hard workers and made up most of the middle class. They flourished in occupations such as doctors and lawyers. These Jewish people had 2007-04-23T04:20:49-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-Ferdinand-and-Isabella-33105.aspx Causes Of World War I Causes Of World War I The causes of World War I have been discussed in great detail in many publications. Most agree that the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand was the final piece of the complex puzzle, but there were other factors that contributed to the outbreak of war. James Joll uses the approach of starting from the assassination and building layers of other possible factors around it, while Joachim Remak gives us a timeline approach to the events leading up to the murder. Bismarck, the German Chancellor from 1871 to 1890, started the alliance system. After the Franco-Prussian War, Bismarck held that Germany was a satiated state that should give up ideas of further conquest. Thus Bismarck organized a system of alliances designed to maintain Germany's hegemony on the European continent. France was determined to challenge the hegemony of Germany because France had been defeated by Germany in 1871 and had been forced to cede two provinces (Alsace-Lorraine) to Germany. Bismarck tried to befriend Austria, Russia, Italy and Britain in order to isolate France. Bismarck's succeeded in forming the League of the Three Emperors (1872) with partners of Kaiser William I of Germany, Czar Alexander II of Russia and Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria. These three rulers agreed to maintain the existing territorial arrangements in Europe, resist the spread of revolutionary (e.g. socialist) movements, and to consult one another if any international difficulties arose. France was being diplomatically isolated. But the underlying weakness of this personal understanding between the three emperors was the rivalry between Austria and Russia over the Balkan Peninsula, both sought to dominate the Balkans. Rivalry between Austria and Russia in the Balkans came to a head in 1877-78. In 1875, five Balkan states revolted against the Turkish rule. Russia supported the Balkan states and defeated Turkey. The “Turks had little choice but to ask for peace”1 and on March 8, 1878, Turkey was forced to sign the Treaty of San Stefano, in which an independent, Big Bulgaria was created. Seeing that this Bulgaria would be a Russian puppet, Austria intervened, supported by Britain, the traditional rival of Russia in the eastern Mediterranean. Bismarck volunteered to act as a mediator and called the Congress of Berlin to settle the Balkan problems. At this Congress, Germany sided with Austria and Britain. Russia had to give up the Treaty of San Stefano and sign the Treaty of Berlin. The Treaty 2007-04-23T04:17:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-Of-World-War-I-33103.aspx The Rise and Fall of Afghanistan’s Taliban The Rise and Fall of Afghanistan’s Taliban Afghanistan, or Land of the Afghan, as it is known by its people, is a mountainous land-locked country in Central Asia. Though only slightly smaller than Texas, Afghanistan is estimated to have a population of around 21-26 million people. Its history and culture can be traced back over 5000 years. Afghanistan is home for four major ethnic groups: the Pashtoons, Tajiks, Hazaras, and the Uzbeks, with the majority of Afghans belonging to the Islamic faith. In 1979, Afghanistan was invaded by the Soviet Union--10 years later, the Soviet Union was forced to withdraw by anti-communist forces that had been trained and equipped by the US, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and other nations. Following the 1989 withdrawal of the Soviets, there emerged a highly secretive and heavily armed group of Sunni Muslim fundamentalist known as the Taliban. Since that day, the Taliban has seized most of the country and represented a very troubling development of Islamic radicalism. Even though the Taliban, and their current leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, have declared themselves the legitimate government of Afghanistan; the United Nations stills recognizes the government of Burhanuddin. Only three nations, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates recognize the Taliban and their leader as the legitimate government. The Taliban first came to the attention of the rest of the world in 1994, when Pakistan recruited them to protect their trade convoys. After the capturing of the Afghan capital of Kabul in 1996 and, by 1998, virtually eliminating their only opposition, the Northern Alliance; the Taliban have seized and controlled over two-thirds of Afghanistan. Most recently, the Taliban have been known for their campaign to wide out the Shiite Muslims and for the harboring of the international terrorist and criminal mastermind Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. As Sunni Muslims, the Taliban have been able to suppress all other ethnic groups--one of these groups is the Shiite Muslims. Shiite Muslims account for about 15 percent of the world’s Muslims. Shiites can be found throughout the world, not only are they the dominate ethnic group in Iran, but they are also found throughout Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. One major conflict between the Sunni and the Shiites is the Shiite Muslims insist that a true leader of Islam must be a descendant of Ali. 2007-04-23T04:10:15-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Afghanistan’s-Taliban-33100.aspx The Debate Over American Imperialism The Debate Over American Imperialism During the late nineteenth century America was a growing and prosperous country. The Civil War had ended and the United States was once again unified. As the United States gained more money and power, it looked to overseas trade to monopolize on their raw materials. The United States began to trade with Japan, China Latin America and other countries to acquire these distant resources. In order to protect these investments, the U.S. had place upon these foreign countries their political influence. The United States went to war with Spain in order to protect their investments. In the Spanish-American War the United States gained control of the Philippians, Cuba, and Puerto Rico all three territories were filled with coveted materials. While many agreed with America becoming an imperialist country, many believed it was against America’s best interest to do so. As America was becoming a world power, it set it eyes on foreign trade. In order to protect its investments the United States had to influence foreign countries government and thus become imperialistic. Many believed that a growing country, such as the U.S., would not be able to survive or become stronger if it did not extend its trade and influence. U.S. Navy officer, Alfred T. Mahan once said, “America must look outward. The growing production of the country demands it. An increasing volume of public sentiment demands it.” In document two Mahan, believes that the people of the U.S. are behind imperialism. After the Spanish-American War, the United States had acquired new territories. The United States did not want lose these possessions and desired to show the world that they are powerful. In document three, President McKinley speaks of how the U.S. should not give up the Philippines. McKinley says that if the U.S. gives the Philippines back to Spain it would be cowardly and dishonorable. If France or Germany were to acquire this foreign land it would be aiding there commercial rivals. McKinley also says that if they were left to govern themselves it would lead to anarchy and would be worse off then before. President McKinley expresses “White Mans Burden,” and believes it was his countries God given right to govern the Philippines. President McKinley chose imperialism to secure trade with Asian countries. Many believed in imperialism for economic reason 2007-04-23T04:03:53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Debate-Over-American-Imperialism-33095.aspx The Nuremburg Trial The Nuremburg Trial On October 18, 1945, the chief prosecutors lodged an indictment with the War Crimes Tribunal charging 24 individuals with variety of crimes and atrocities. This included the deliberate instigation of wars, extermination of racial and religious groups, murder and mistreatment of prisoners of war, and the murder, mistreatment, and the deportation of slave labor of the inhabitants of countries occupied by Germany during the war. The men accused at the trial were the Nationalist Socialist leaders Hermann Göring and Rudolf Hess, diplomat Joachim von Ribbentrop, the munitions maker Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, and 18 other military leaders and civilian officials. Seven organizations that formed part of the basic structure of the Nazi government were also charged as criminal. These organizations included the SS (Schutzstaffel "Defense Corps"), the Gestapo (Geheime Staatspolizei, "Secret State Police"), the SA (Sturmabteilung, "Storm Troops"), and the General Staff and High Command of the German armed forces. The trial began on November 20, 1945. The evidence submitted by the prosecution consisted mostly of original military, diplomatic, and other government documents that fell into the hands of the Allied forces after the collapse of the German government. The judgment of the International Military Tribunal was handed down on September 30-October 1, 1946. One notable feature of the decision was the conclusion, in accordance with the London Agreement, that to plan or instigate an aggressive war is a crime under the principles of international law. The tribunal rejected the contention of the defense that such acts had not been previously defined as crimes under international law, and therefore the condemnation of the defendants would violate the principle of justice prohibiting ex post facto punishments. The defense also rejected the contention that the defendants were legally responsible for their acts because they performed the acts under the orders of superior authority, stating that "the true test . . . is not the existence of the order but whether moral choice (in executing it) was in fact possible." The tribunal found overwhelming evidence of a systematic rule of violence, brutality, and terrorism by the German government in the territories occupied by its forces, with respect to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Millions of people were destroyed in concentration camps, many of, which were equipped with gas chambers for the extermination of Jews, Roma (Gypsies), and members of other 2007-04-19T21:36:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Nuremburg-Trial-33062.aspx The Assassination of John F. Kennedy The Assassination of John F. Kennedy For the American people, John F. Kennedy was the bright future. He was a young man that they was as holding the torch for this country. When he was elected, he brought youth and a relaing calm to the White House for the first time in our nation's history. Not only did John Kennedy bring youth to our nation's capitol, but he also brought change and new ideas to improve the nation. During his first term in office, Kennedy improved peace talks with the Soviet Union, and was also working on ideas to halt the Vietnam War; however, his work could not be done in a single term as president. Kennedy had to start campaigning for reelection, and decided to make a trip to Dallas to campaign. The President arrived in Dallas to a crowd of elated people lining the streets hoping to get a glimpse of the President. As his motorcade proceeded down Elm Street, Governor Connally's wife said, "You can't say that Dallas isn't friendly to you today Mr. President." (Untied Press International 14) With that, John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States was assassinated .November 22, 1963 would be the day Camelot would come crumbling down. Our nation and the people all over the world mourned the death of our young and inspiring President. It has been thirty years since the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and many people are still uncertain as to who is actually responsible for his assassination. Over the years there have been numerous theories that the CIA and the FBI were somehow linked to the assassination. Most of these theories have been disproven by other theories. The government's theory is that Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone, assassinated President John F. Kennedy. Lee Harvey Oswald's past may answer some questions as to why he is considered to be the assassin of John Kennedy. Lee Harvey Oswald was born on October 18, 1939, to a lower- middle class family. Oswald's father died two months before he was born; this left Oswald to be taken care of by only his mother, Marguerite. Marguerite had a hard time dealing with the death of Lee's Father, which left her all alone to raise Lee and his two brothers, Robert Oswald and John Pic, a son from her first marriage (Beck 71). Marguerite checked Robert and John into an 2007-04-19T21:31:52-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Assassination-of-John-F_-Kennedy-33059.aspx History of the American Flag History of the American Flag According to popular legend, the first American flag was made by Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress who was acquainted with George Washington, leader of the Continental Army, and other influential Philadelphians. In May 1776, so the story goes, General Washington and two representatives from the Continental Congress visited Ross at her upholstery shop and showed her a rough design of the flag. Although Washington initially favored using a star with six points, Ross advocated for a five-pointed star, which could be cut with just one quick snip of the scissors, and the gentlemen were won over. Unfortunately, historians have never been able to verify this charming version of events, although it is known that Ross made flags for the navy of Pennsylvania. The story of Washington's visit to the flag maker became popular about the time of the country's first centennial, after William Canby, a grandson of Ross, told about her role in shaping U.S. history in a speech given at the Philadelphia Historical Society in March 1870. What is known is that the first unofficial national flag, called the Grand Union Flag or the Continental Colors, was raised at the behest of General Washington near his headquarters outside Boston, Mass., on Jan. 1, 1776. The flag had 13 alternating red and white horizontal stripes and the British Union Flag (a predecessor of the Union Jack) in the canton. Another early flag had a rattlesnake on a background of 13 red and white stripes with the motto “Don't Tread on Me.” The first official national flag, also known as the Stars and Stripes, or Old Glory, was approved by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. The blue canton contained 13 stars, representing the original 13 colonies, but the layout varied. Although nobody knows for sure who designed the flag, it may have been Continental Congress member Francis Hopkinson. After Vermont and Kentucky were admitted to the Union in 1791 and 1792, respectively, two more stars and two more stripes were added in 1795. This 15-star, 15-stripe flag was the “star-spangled banner” that inspired lawyer Francis Scott Key to write the poem that later became the U.S. national anthem. In 1818, after five more states had gained admittance, Congress passed legislation fixing the number of stripes at 13 and requiring that the number of stars equal the number of 2007-04-18T23:25:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-American-Flag-33033.aspx America Medians of the Millennium America: Medians of the Millennium Every ten years America is questioned, recorded, and given a basic overview of how well the country is flourishing financially and economically. The Census Bureau goes through strenuous hours of work and study to provide statistics and comparisons informing citizens of our progress and downfalls of the past century. In an essay by Andrew Hacker, a renowned professor at Queens College, he describes the 1990 census report by creating fictional family of characters called the Medians. The Medians, in his essay represent the average household of America as the census report of 1990 portrayed them. Hacker presents the average income, job insecurity and basic way of life in which he ends with predicting a slow change for the worse by the next report in the year 2000. With the economy slowly dipping into a possible recession I can see the prediction made by Hacker eventually becoming a reality. If constructed, how would the median family of the new millennium live and what would their future have in store for them? Through research of the latest 2000 report, Hacker would be rather surprised that there has not been a drastic decline financially and socially. On that note, nor has there been a drastic incline either. Of course not everything is as it was in the early 90’s but for the most part the median family are still treading the same water, just on the edge of a possible troubling future. In an article from the Wall Street Journal, Patrick Barta delivers the results and his views on the 2000 report. The article is titled American Poverty Fell To Lowest Level Since ‘73. Barta begins his article with the fact that the poverty level has reached the lowest point since 1973. He talks about how 31.1 million Americans now live in poverty which is down an amazing 1.1 million from the early 1990’s (Barta). Barta doesn’t go into allot of detail of his views, but along with Hacker he sees the potential for trouble in the future. The reason for this pecimistic outlook is simple. One major factor would be the high-tech boom that opened jobs and sent dot-comer’s incomes through the roof is now slowly folding if not already fizzled into nothing. Unemployment is on the rise and layoffs continue. 2007-04-18T22:49:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/America-Medians-of-the-Millennium-33026.aspx Evaluation Of Nazi Ideology And Philosophy Evaluation Of Nazi Ideology And Philosophy When Hitler was appointed Chancellor on January 30th 1933, know-one could have predicted how rapid his rise to dictatorship would have been. Within months, Hitler had gone from being Chancellor to achieving a one party state. Although his ideology for Germany was mostly far-fetched and virtually impossible to accomplish he was very consistent on most of his objectives, such as the development of an Aryan race, anti-Semitism and the concept of Lebensraum to name but a few. I plan to outline these aims and evaluate each one to establish how logical they are and if any contradictions are apparent. One aspect of Nazi ideology, which cannot be denied as being consistent, is that of the need for racial purity. The concept of making Germany a country with only an Aryan race featured heavily in Hitler’s book, Mein Kampf. In it, he stated the need for the young to be educated on the importance of racial purity to ensure the preservation of the German race. He believed that blood and race bore stronger ties than those of class, occupation and religion and that the physically and mentally unhealthy must not be allowed to bare children and ‘contaminate’ the German race. These beliefs stuck with Hitler throughout his life and this is proved by the actions taken by him and his followers during his dictatorship. By 1939 when war broke out, Hitler had begun his racial purifying of Germany through a policy of mass gassings, over work or medical experiments. Many Poles, Jews and Czechs were killed. In 1941, Hitler appointed Alfred Rosenberg as Reich Minister for the Eastern Occupied Territories. In this position and under the authority of Hitler, Rosenberg promoted the Germanisation of Eastern peoples under inhumane conditions such as supervised camp labor, the rounding up of workers to be sent to Germany, where they would eventually die and the extermination of Jews. Another close ally of Hitler was Himmler. He introduced a Lebensborn program of the selective breeding of children from Aryan and racially pure parents from countries such as Poland, Norway, France, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia for adoption by German families. In 1935, Hitler’s racialism was legalized in the Nuremberg Laws on Citizenship. It stated that citizenship was to be granted to ‘all subjects of German 2007-04-18T18:23:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Evaluation-Of-Nazi-Ideology-And-Philosophy-33002.aspx Democracy in The Classical Age Vs. The Middle Ages Democracy in The Classical Age Vs. The Middle Ages Democracy is a government ruled by the people. Throughout history, democracy has changed greatly. Many of these changes in democracy occurred during the Classical Age of the Greeks and Romans and the Middle Ages. Changes were made regarding separation of power, equality, and natural rights. Although thought significant changes were made during both the Classical Age and the Middle Ages, democracy flourished to a higher level in the Middle Ages. Separation of power is used to prevent a single entity from becoming too powerful. In the Middle Ages, the separation of power between Parliament and the king showed that democracy was greater than during the Classical Age. During his reign, William the Conqueror changed the feudal system in England to weaken the lords. William required each feudal lord to swear allegiance to him, causing all the lords to become vassals of the king. By weakening the lords, William prevented them from uniting and becoming too powerful. If the lords did unite, they could have possibly taken over the country and rule even the king. On June 15, 1215, English nobles forced King John to accept the Magna Carta. After William’s weakening of the lords, the King gained too much power and the nobles had very few rights. The signing of the Magna Carta protected the liberties of the nobles and prohibited the king from disobeying any laws that the citizens had to obey. In 700 B.C., Greek nobles had generally overthrown the king. The nobles were counted on by the Greek government to supply cavalry and other services. When the nobles gained land and power, many small farmers were forced to sell or mortgage their farms to nobles in order to get money for food. This power over the government made the nobles very rich and too powerful. The Middle Ages had many changes between the king and Parliament to separate power equally and prevent anyone or anything from becoming too powerful. During the Classical Age, however, the nobles had more power than anyone else and could control the king. There was no separation of power at the time. This shows how undemocratic the Classical Age was. Besides separation of power, another thing that is required in a democratic society is equality. 2007-04-18T15:14:59-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Democracy-in-The-Classical-Age-Vs_-The-Middle-Ages-32994.aspx African Americans in The Civil and Spanish American Wars African Americans in The Civil and Spanish American Wars African Americans were not always a major part of the Armed Forces. They were not a big factor in the military until the Civil War, when The Emancipation Proclamation opened the door full-fledged for Blacks to participate in the military. Both black slaves and freemen saw this opportunity to serve in the military as a chance to relinquish their chains and to help the nation develop as a whole. There was widespread resistance by whites on both the Union and Confederate sides in accepting Blacks as part of the military. Blacks joined the military for a variety of different reasons including challenge, education, manliness, job opportunity, and to escape living conditions. By the time The Spanish-American War came in 1898, African Americans were already participating in the military. When the U.S. beat the Spanish they received Spain’s colonies. This sets up the initial stage of the U.S.’s Empire. This essay will tell prove that with the help of African Americans the U.S. military is stronger as a whole, as shown in the Civil War and Spanish American War. Leadership and honor were some of the prime reasons that African-Americans wanted to serve in the U. S. Military. When the island of CUBA was seeking its independence from SPAIN in 1898, the black military units were ready to serve. It took the explosion of the American battleship, the U. S. S. Maine, killing 260 Americans (22 which were black) on February 15, 1898 in Havana Harbor that the United States a reason for declaring war. The preparation for the war was fast, and on April 24, 1898 declared war on Spain. Congress also activated ten regiments of all black troops. Only four of the regiments saw action in the short war. It was no surprise, under the circumstances, that among the first units ordered to Cuba were the four black regiments. They were selected primarily on the basis of recent experience and their record on the Plains, but there was also the judgment of the War Department that blacks were immune to the diseases of the tropics and capable of more activity in high, humid temperatures. This thinking resulted in an effort to recruit blacks for the war. The soldiers themselves welcomed the opportunity to demonstrate their qualities and win respect for their race. These regiments were vital parts in 2007-04-18T15:04:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/African-Americans-in-The-Civil-and-Spanish-American-Wars-32990.aspx Winston Churchill in World War II Winston Churchill in World War II Winston Churchill was made Prime Minster of Great Britain on May 10, 1940. Historians have analyzed Churchill’s impact on the Second World War, especially from his appointment in 1940 until 1941. This period of the war is seen as being a crucial time for Britain, a time when they had to fight the war alone against Germany. Churchill’s appointment was not well received by everyone, as many people were unsure of his ability. However, for Churchill, he was waiting for this moment. Churchill’s first test was a peace offer from Hitler. Unlike Chamberlain, Churchill wanted absolutely nothing to do with this peace offer. He believed fully in never surrendering and his main war aim was complete victory. This was seen by many to be the wrong choice and that appeasement should be chosen before war. Churchill was adamant and believed, rightfully, that the only way to stop Hitler was by completely beating him at his own game. During the early years of World War II, Winston Churchill was leading Great Britain into a headlong battle against Adolph Hitler and the Germans. In analyzing his leadership during the years 1940-41 it will be found that Churchill would not succumb to peace treaties, but fought Hitler and the Nazis at their own war. He had to make tough decisions and fight for the freedom, liberty and life of the western societies, and in effect was an important aspect in the out come of the war. In the Fall of France, Churchill was able to show his true leadership skills. France wanted Britain to contribute aid, especially in the form of the air force. Churchill was quite happy to support France in the defense of their country. He was deviant toward Germany and even helped with a counter offensive plan DAKAR, which ended up not working at all. DAKAR was an operation that proposed to counter German influence in West Africa. Petain sent naval reinforcements, but because of delays and a bad landing the operation was stopped. Churchill’s involvement has been speculated, but he denounced the operation, stating that it was not a British endeavor. Churchill knew when and where to draw the line, even for an ally like France. When Petain wanted further air 2007-04-18T03:15:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Winston-Churchill-in-World-War-II-32982.aspx James Madison & The Creation Of The American Republic James Madison & The Creation Of The American Republic A quarter of a millennium ago, the founding fathers of the United States of America created a new republic of democracy. This revolutionary form of government aimed at putting power into the hands of the common citizen and also to deter tyranny as much as possible. These noble men set forth on a task to create a form of government that was virtually unimaginable to the entire planet. Amongst these men was James Madison, whose intellect and sincerity catapulted his ideas about republics into common law. For his tireless effort, Mr. Madison has been named the Father of the Constitution. A noble gesture indeed, however this title is ominously lacking considering just how dramatically involved he was in the shaping of our Constitution and our great nation. James Madison is not only the Father of the Constitution; he is the Father of the ideals of Republicanism and Democracy. This view is shared by noted historian Jack Rakove, who said Madison had a “reputation as the most original, creative, and penetrating political thinker of his generation (RAK-XII).” Mr. Rakove’s novel, James Madison and the Creation of the American Republic, further paints Madison in an image of epic intellect and capability. The text exemplifies Madison in this way; rising to each and every occasion to further promote his republican ideas regarding the new government and nation. While his efforts took many losses and were a continuous source of debate, his steadfastness on the security of the Union and the liberties granted within garnered an acceptance of sorts amongst his colleagues. His merit and effort have enriched our lives and therefore he is more than the Father of the Constitution, James Madison is the Father of America. Rakove begins with brief background data of Madison’s family, beginning with John Maddison. Mr. Maddison was a savvy businessman who profited incredibly from the heads-right system. John’s son, James Madison Sr., owned a lavish plantation near Charlottesville sprawling thousands of acres. Madison Jr. was thus reared in a rather lavish household with numerous resources to propel his growth. This rich lineage granted Madison Jr. many benefits that most colonists would never see. He started his education at a school in nearby King & Queen County for five years, was tutored at home for another two and completed his education at the College of New Jersey. His decision 2007-04-18T02:25:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/James-Madison-amp-The-Creation-Of-The-American-Republic-32963.aspx Historical Events of The Holocaust Historical Events of The Holocaust All throughout history, the Jewish people have been unjustly persecuted. Anti-Semitism has existed as long as the Jewish people have. Even in ancient times, the Jews were persecuted mainly because of their religious beliefs. Jews claim that they are God’s “Chosen People” and this has led to misunderstanding between Jews and Gentiles (non-Jewish people). Some gentiles believe that this claim meant Jews felt they were better than other people, thus fostering hatred. Others were wary of the Jews because of their preservation of their religious customs and traditions. Although this was vital to the survival of the Jewish faith, some people saw it as a threat to their own culture, and deemed Jews as dangerous. Jealously of successful Jews also contributed to the growing hatred towards Jews. It was Germany’s humiliating defeat in World War I that allowed Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party to gain control of Germany, thus beginning the Holocaust. Germany was completed devastated, both morally and economically, as a country. The Treaty of Versailles further humbled the German people – Germany was forced to disarm and pay huge reparations to Britain and France to cover the cost of the war. The German people were lost and angry, and this allowed Hitler to manipulate the masses. Hitler chose the Jewish people as his scapegoat, and all the problems Germany was experiencing was blamed on the Jews. Once Hitler gained control of Germany, the Nazi Party quickly changed Germany’s political, social, and economic structure. Germany essentially became a police state, and began creating and enforcing laws that persecuted the Jewish people. All Jewish people had to go and register at a local office. They later had to wear a badge with the Star of David on it, or else they were arrested. Laws were passed that banned people from shopping in Jewish-owned shops. Curfews were imposed on the Jewish people and they were not allowed outside after 9pm, which conflicted with their religious practices. Children were not allowed to go to school, and later, Jews were forced to live in ghettos, designated sectors of cities where Jews were confined. However, this could not prepare the Jewish people of what was to come. Concentration camps were established throughout Europe where Jews tortured 2007-04-18T02:11:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Historical-Events-of-The-Holocaust-32956.aspx The 1920s and the Spread of the Automobile The 1920s and the Spread of the Automobile Although automobiles were developed before the 1920s, this is when the automobiles created a revolution in US life. Almost every American during the nineteen twenties thought driving a car was exciting, and they eagerly listened to the radio to see if any new speeds were broken for that day. This paper will be about how the automobile changed America, and about advertising. First, it changed the economy. They opened up new companies to meet the growing demand for vehicles. Since the Assembly line was perfected by and used by Ford and others. This made cars affordable to many American families. Also families didn’t need to pay with cash they could use consumer credit and installment payments. In 1924, Walter Percy Chrysler founded Chrysler Corp. It made an Imperial 80, which was considered the fastest car, and had 112-horse power. They also produced the Royal sedan, which sold for $1,535. Other companies that opened up in the 1920s and are still around today are Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Lincoln, and the Olds-mobile. Some that opened up in the 1920s but aren’t around today are Nash, Stanley, and the Packard. The Nash was famous for innovative features such as twin ignition systems. The Stanley was famous for the Steamer that was powered by steam, and it cost $2,000. The Packard was a luxury car with a V-12 engine, and its Boatel speedster cost $5,210 in 1929. The most popular car was the Model A Ford was introduced in 1927. Ford advertised it so greatly that it made almost everyone want one. Henry Ford was going to show the model of the car at a Hotel lobby, but the enormous public interest made him move it to Madison Square Garden. The police were even called out to control the crowds. First, it was only made in black, but then it was made in Florentine cream, violet, Arabian sand, and Niagara blue. The invention of cars also produced more crimes since the criminals could now drive away from the scene. The automobile also changed family life, leisure time, and cities forever. Now people weren’t restricted to shopping in neighborhood stores, or attending the nearest church, or living close to their jobs. This made new communities spring up called suburbs. Also made people move across the country. People also changed 2007-04-18T02:10:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-1920s-and-the-Spread-of-the-Automobile-32955.aspx World War II and the Manhattan Project World War II and the Manhattan Project The research for the first Atomic bomb was done in the United States, by a group of the best scientists; this research was given the name of The Manhattan Project. On Monday July 16th, 1945, a countdown for the detonation of the first atomic bomb took place near Los Alamos, New Mexico. This atomic bomb testing would forever change the meaning of war. As the atomic bomb was detonated it sent shock-waves all over the world. There was endless research done on the bomb in the United States. The research was called “The Manhattan Engineer District Project” but it was more commonly known as "The Manhattan Project."1 The Manhattan Project was brought by fear of Germany and it's atomic research. On account of the fear of Germany the United States took action upon testing their own atomic bomb. Once the bomb was tested, the United States had to decide whether it should be used and if so, where? Then there was the process of dropping the bomb. The Manhattan Project was overall one of the highest and most significant projects ever done in the United States.2 The United States government was shocked by the news of German scientists discovering nuclear fission. The news came to the United States from Albert Einstein. Einstein found out the nuclear fission information from a German physicist named Leo Szilard. He then told it to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and urged him to start an investment toward atomic research. 3The research would then help construct an atomic weapon of mass destruction. Roosevelt was not especially concerned about investing in atomic weapon research because he didn't plan on getting involved in the War. When Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese, Roosevelt entered the war and sent significant funds to the construction of the atomic weapon. Roosevelt speeded up the process of research by having General Groves setup a committee of the brightest minds from all around the world. Because most of the work done on research of the bomb was done in the Manhattan District of New York, at the US Army Corps of Engineers, the name given to the lay out was "The Manhattan Project".3 The man that General Grooves chose to head the Manhattan project was Robert J. Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer was a Jewish born child who was raised in Manhattan. Oppenheimer went to Harvard University to complete 2007-04-18T02:04:59-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-War-II-and-the-Manhattan-Project-32953.aspx History of the Sixteenth Century History of the Sixteenth Century Being a historian and researching popular culture in the sixteenth century is a task that is almost impossible to do with any measure of certainty. This is due to several reasons, mainly that two thirds of the peasant population was illiterate, which creates an enormous problem in terms of historical documentation of the time period. If there was any literature written on popular culture, it was done by people of a different social background, mainly the wealthy or dominant culture. Because of this, we are unable to gain any insight into the beliefs, ideas, and sentiments of the common man except through very rare instances like the trial records of Domenico Scandella, also known as Menocchio. When studying a time period such as the sixteenth century, most historians and scholars refer to the works of the well-known intellectuals of the time. This, however, leaves out the majority of the population of Europe. People look to a select few, such as Martin Luther or John Calvin, to gain knowledge of an era in which the majority of the population knew of these people only as names associated with vague and most likely incorrect notions. It is a common misconception that these ideas and beliefs of the dominant culture "trickled down" to the popular culture, forming their beliefs. This is why the transcripts from the Inquisition trial of the miller Menocchio from the town of Montereale, Italy is so important and insightful into the peasant culture of the sixteenth century. Menocchio was denounced to the Holy Inquisition on September 28, 1583 for "heretical and most impious words" concerning Christ(Ginzburg 2). By complete chance, Carlo Ginzburg stumbled over the transcripts from this trial and discovered a diamond in the ruff. The reason these transcripts are seen as so valuable is partly due to the source of the records, the Holy Inquisition. The Inquisition was known for keeping meticulous accounts of all trials, many of which were recorded verbatim. The downside to this is the Inquisition’s motives. The reinstatement of the Inquisition was part of the Catholic Church’s attempt at regaining some of their power during the Counter-Reformation. The goal of the proceedings was to discover whether Menocchio was a heretic, and if he was, where did these heretical ideas originate so that 2007-04-18T02:01:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-Sixteenth-Century-32951.aspx America in the 1960s America in the 1960s The Nineteen Sixties was a decade that changed America forever. The people reformed the decade not so much by the government. The Sixties contained more spiritualism, people were against the Vietnam war, protests, civil rights, and new beliefs on every aspect of living. The topics that arose during the sixties were not small; when they were accomplished or challenged the outcome changed American society forever. Most legislative bills passed in the sixties still remain today. The Domino Effect was the scare of the spread of communism in East Asia during the Vietnam War; the theory was spread and made to sound like communism would take over the world in time. This theory is one of the reason the United States entered the Vietnam war (The American crusade, propelled as it was by the " Domino Theory," and the naïve assumption that the entire region would collapse to the communist if they one in Vietnam, disregarded the complex nationalistic diversity of South East Asia). (#3 pg.43) The American government also believed if countries fell to communist rule the surrounding regions would rush to make peace. The regions in China are an abundant source of natural resources, if the regions made peace or fell to communist rule it would only greater escalate the situation forcing America into the war (" There would be a domino effect," as former secretary of state John Foster Dulles called it. Other countries in Southeast Asia- al weaker than Vietnam would rush to make piece with the Chinese communist. In the long run as most Asians see it, This would mean the resources of South East Asia would fall to the Chinese Communist Block). (#4 pg. 87) The Vietnam War went on for several more years without a good outcome to America, most people describe it as a waste of time, waste of money, and a waste of life. The Tat Offensive an attack by North Vietnam against South Vietnam shocked the American Government and people, these attack gave the country a visual of how strong the communist rebellion was (Tat Offensive went down in history as a U.S. victory but it emphasized the strength of communist resistance and the high cost of continuing the war effort in Vietnam). (#3 pg. 22) The offensive was a series of attacks on Vietnamese cities dividing the country in two (Despite it's psychological effect, the campaign failed, 2007-04-18T01:59:03-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/America-in-the-1960s--32950.aspx Capitalism and African American History Capitalism and African American History At the base of the South African and American systems of racial discrimination is an understanding and internalization of the structural implications of capitalism and its accompanying spirit. Applying Karl Marx's and Adam Smith's definition of capitalism in conjunction with Max Weber's understanding of the "spirit of capitalism", it is here affirmed that a golden thread of capitalist thought serves both as initiator and sustainer of ideals necessary for the systematic oppression of "black people" in both South Africa and the United States. This oppression adheres to a cult of philosophy that is grounded in a doctrine of class determinacy characterized by racial particularization. Thus, parallel to the thread of capitalism evolves a sociological internalization of black inferiority that resides in the radicalization of class. This categorization of race is created and is constantly being reformed by the temporal adaptations of the capitalist. The adaptations and eugenic biases of South African and American capitalist's are institutionalized within government and government comes to function as the apparatus through which the capitalist conditions societal economic relations in order to secure profits. A socio-historical argument will be developed based on the analysis of historical developments in both South Africa and the United States. Capitalism, in accordance to Marxian theory is an economy or social structure in which a minority of society owns the means of production. Where capital is explained as the raw materials or machinery used in the production of "new instruments of labor," the minority, termed the capitalists and identified as the bourgeois, utilize capital, the means of production, to create wealth. In this economy, the Proletariat, the trades people, shopkeepers, and peasants; those who because of lack of capital are not able to compete in the capitalist economy, are forced to sell their labor as a commodity to the capitalists in order to survive. As far as capitalism is marked by the accumulation of wealth, Weberian doctrine in conjunction with Marxian classifications of the capitalist society provides a complete understanding of a uniquely western type of capitalism. Proceeding from Weber's understanding of profit and accumulation of wealth and consequently the "spirit of capitalism" money becomes, "of [a] prolific, generating nature. Money can beget money, and its offspring can beget more, and so on." Weber expands upon his definition of the Spirit of Capitalism 2007-04-18T01:28:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Capitalism-and-African-American-History-32949.aspx History of St. Valentine and the Valentine's Day Holiday History of St. Valentine and the Valentine's Day Holiday St Valentine's Day was supposedly started in the time of the Roman Empire. In Ancient Rome, the date of February 14 was a holiday to honor the Queen of Roman Goddesses and Gods, Juno. Juno was known as the Goddess of women and marriage. The next day February 15 was the first day of the Festival known as the Feast of Lupercia. On February 14 is was said that the young boys and girls of the villages would write down the names of every girl and place these names in a jar of which each young man would have to draw a name of a girl and this particular maiden would be their partner for the duration of the festival. Sometimes these parings would last a year and end up in marriage. These rituals under the laws of Claudius were banned, as the Emperor believed that the reasons why men would now go to war were because they did not want to leave their lovers or families. As a result all marriages and engagements were canceled as a result Saint Valentine a Roman priest was said to have married these couples in secret and for this he was executed on the 14th day of February. While St Valentine was in jail it is said that he fell in love with the jailers daughter. By a miracle or some say by the prayers of Valentine she gained her sight and as a last farewell in a note he was to "From Your Valentine". Another story as to the origins of Valentine's day was that he was a priest who was also a physician and would cure the sick. He was also said to have tried to cure the jailers blind daughter, but, was arrested and on the day of his execution he wrote a note as a final farewell saying "From your Valentine" which some say is what caused her to gain her sight. It is also said whilst he was in jail awaiting execution that he was sent little notes and flowers from the children whom he had helped when they were sick. This also may have been one of the reasons why he sent a farewell note to the jailers daughter and why we send valentines. St Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14 of each 2007-04-18T01:05:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-St_-Valentine-and-the-Valentine-s-Day-Holiday-32943.aspx American Government A Critique of The Supreme Court American Government: A Critique of The Supreme Court The American Supreme Court is a well-rounded look at the creation and nature of the Supreme Court. The author , Robert G. McCloskey, starts off with a look at how people felt about the Court when it was created, giving the reader a feel for the time. It continues on to explain the importance of the creation event using specific details. By making the reader feel proud of being a part of such a great system, the reader is drawn into the book and grows anxious to read on. As the reader goes on information is given about what kind of power was intended for the Supreme Court and a debate is formulated about whether the Court is Constitutionally just. The point is made that the Constitution gives Congress the power to create any court system it feels necessary but the question is asked, does the constitution guarantee the Supreme Court’s has final authority. Many of the Forefathers seem to have created the Court in the hope that it would keep the other branches of the government in check according to the Constitution. As the first section goes on, explaining the nature of the Supreme court’s power, and telling of the checks and balances that keep the court from gaining more power than is necessary, by only allowing the court to rule on an issue if it is presented in the form of a case. It points out that the power given is that of a court’s power as well as something more. A number of facts are debated, such as whether or not the court should play a large part in directing the states. The overall nature of the courts power is covered and presented in a form, which is at times confusing and roundabout, but always backed up by reasoning and examples that justify the court’s power or lack thereof. The next section goes on to tell of how the power of the Court was viewed by the people in the beginning of the courts’ history and how the court itself did not allow itself a great deal of power. The Court went as far as to turn power that it felt was unconstitutional down. While the public did not always see a reason for the 2007-04-18T00:55:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-Government-A-Critique-of-The-Supreme-Court-32940.aspx DBQ 21: World War II: The Road to War In 1939 the world was plunged into World War II because of the Munich Agreement. The Munich Agreement was an agreement regarding the Sudetenland Crisis between the major powers of Europe after a conference held in Munich in Germany in 1938. The Sudetenland was an important region of Czechoslovakia. It had over 2.5 million speaking German inhabitants, and according to the Treaty of Versailles’s rule of National Self Determination, it should be under German leadership because of this. The Treaty of Versailles was the peace treaty created as a result of six months of negotiations at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, which put an official end to World War I between the Allies and Central Powers. The Munich Agreement caused many disagreements between European countries. Collective security was a more effective response to aggression than appeasement because more European countries disagreed than agreed with the decision made during the Munich Conference for various reasons and Germany had many ways of keeping its territories under control. Germany had many ways of keeping its people under control. Propaganda was an important factor of keeping Germans under control. Documents 10 through 15, all the documents containing pictures, are from the German point of view. “Being baptized didn’t turn him into a non-Jew” (Doc.10) shows that Jewish people will be Jewish forever, no matter what they do, according to Hitler. The second picture in this document shows that Jews can be anywhere trying to look like non-Jews. Documents 11 and 13 also show German propaganda in newspapers. In Document 12 there are multiple symbols that people would wear showing who or what they were; Jews would wear the Star of David on their clothes. One picture in Document 14 shows a man in the Olympics in Germany. This picture shows the physical characteristics of a German. The other picture in this document is of the Russian navy. It shows that that it is very industrial and very powerful. The big ship represents Russia and the small boat represents other European countries that feared Russian dominance. Document 15 is a rally for Hitler. He used rallies and other propaganda to stay in power and increase his influence and spread ideas. He also used promises to keep German people’s trust and loyalty. In Document 3, it is stated that Hitler promised to end the Treaty of Versailles. Also he sent battalions into the Rhineland’s demilitarized 2007-04-17T00:41:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/DBQ-21-World-War-II-The-Road-to-War-32925.aspx Aboriginal self-determination (Final paper) Final Paper Self-Determination I want to use the opportunity to express myself because many things have built to who I am. This notion of self determination is giving me this much room to express myself in ways that I’ve never done before. This paper will focus on several aspects of Aboriginal’s life and the affect it has. It will also discuss the necessary changes in the political system towards First Nation peoples. Firstly, I really enjoy the segment of story telling in this course because it is an opportunity to tell the surrounding about your life and you wouldn’t need to resist yourself because stories does not have limitations. Storytelling has always been a vital part of the cultural identity of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada. It has been in the culture for many years and it should continue to practice the art of storytelling. Stories were told to teach lessons, give warnings, and keep history alive. Imagine the richness of a culture that used stories not only to entertain, but to teach. Stories could bridge the gap between generations and transport the young people to a place that they might never experience for themselves, just as T.V. or movies do today. It was amazing to share my story in front of the class because I can voice an opinion without being rejected or questioned. Aboriginal cultures across Canada rely on oral teachings for their existence. Storytelling has always been a vital part of the cultural identity of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada. Stories were told to teach lessons, strengthen cultural ties, to entertain, and to keep history alive. I believe every culture has their stories and tales to tell to the next generation. For example a long time ago our old people told a lot of stories. Stories of how things were made. How the animals grew or changed how people lived and moved around. They told stories of why the birds sang.. They told these stories to pass on the knowledge and understandings that our people needed to know in order to survive in this country, long ago. Today we need these same stories to help us understand and enjoy the differences in lifestyles and traditions of our people. It will help us to know the stories, the traditions and songs of our culture, for it will provide us with windows on the world of unknowns. It is good for us to 2007-04-10T12:08:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Aboriginal-self-determination-Final-paper-32909.aspx Did the American Revolution Produce a Christian Nation? Did the American Revolution Produce a Christian Nation? Two essays in the book Taking Sides (Book titles must be underlined or italicized) are presented in the debate overas to whether or not the American Revolution produced a Christian nation. Nathan Hatch believes that the Revolution and Christianity went hand in hand, while Jon Butler suggests that the Revolution did not produce a Christian nation because prior to the Revolution the colonists never called themselves a Christian nation. So did the Revolution produce a Christian nation? It is my belief that the Revolution did not produce a Christian nation and that the United States of America is not a Christian nation now in our day in age. It is best to only justify the left margin, unless you are writing a magazine or newspaper article. Nathan Hatch offers many examples of how the American Revolution created a Christian nation. He uses the revivals of John Leland and also offers the expansion of the many denominations that occurred after the Revolution. Hatch believed that the American Revolution and Christianity were inseparable. He adds that churches were instrumental in education and moral discipline, therefore predating the laws of the new nation. Hatch believes that the wearing away of authority lead to the development of the colonists or lay people. That it was the lay people who now embodied what church would be, changing the church to their values and beliefs. Hatch believes the Revolution established or set a path for different religions to develop without being persecuted. Jon Butler on the other hand believes that the American Revolution had nothing to do with creating a Christian nation. He states that on 20% of the population were members of a church and that many pastors would fib on their numbers to the Anglican Church in England. Also there were laws that forbid people from speaking out against the church or Christianity, which in Butler's belief shows just how pathetic Christianity was in America. He states that the numbers of Christians were very low and that Americans opposed a Christian national identity. Butler says that the attachment of these laws existed to compel Christian attachment but did nothing to measure the Christian commitment of the people. Butler also states that the British colonies actually supported the Christian church before the war, even though only about 20% went to church. After the war the states 2007-04-03T22:02:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Did-the-American-Revolution-Produce-a-Christian-Nation-32896.aspx Outline and evaluate 1 neurobiological theory of functions o Outline and evaluate 1 neurobiological theory of functions of dreaming. In neurobiological models of dreaming, based on the brains psychological activity during REM sleep, the interpretation of human imagery is secondary to explaining the underlying cognitive function of REM sleep. Crick and Mitchison did research into reverse-learning and came up with the reverse-learning model, a neurobiological model of sleep. They argued, that the brain is offline when dreaming and during this stage, it sifts through the information gathered during the days waking activities and throws out all unwanted information. According to Crick and Mitchison, they throw this material away through reverse learning. The cortex cannot cope with the vast amount of information without developing parasitic thoughts, which effect the efficiency of the organisation of memory within the brain. Spiny anteaters, which Crick and Mitchison used as evidence, have no REM sleep. This may be used to explain why a spiny anteater does this. It has a huge frontal cortex meaning it can store a lot more memories or parasitic thoughts, whereas others have had to evolve to dispose of the information during sleep. One problem with their theory is that dreams are often organised into clear narratives or stories. If they consisted only of disposable parasitic thoughts, why should they be organised in a systematic way. However, later on, Crick and Mitchison changed their theory to apply only to dreams with bizarre imagery and not just clear stories. Hobson and McCarley took a similar approach to that of Crick and Mitchison. Their activation-synthesis hypothesis of dreaming is based on many years of intricate electrophysiological research into the brain mechanisms of REM sleep. Hobson and McCarley’s model is broader than that of Crick and Mitchison and is based on extensive experimental work. It provides a sound account of the brain mechanisms underlying REM sleep and dreaming. Basing psychological interpretation on the neurobiology of REM sleep and dream states does make it more convincing. Outline and evaluate one psychological theory of the functions of dreaming. In contrast to neurobiology, psychological theories take the dream imagery itself as the issue to be explained. Winson suggests a psychological theory into dreaming. He did his research with non-humans, such as cats, dogs and rabbits. He said that theta rhythm of 6 cycles per second from the hippocampus during REM sleep. He claims, that this was responsible for the reactivation of memory in animals for instance territory keeping and hunting. They were 2007-03-23T14:21:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Outline-and-evaluate-1-neurobiological-theory-of-functions-o-32866.aspx Napoleon as a Military Commander: Napoleon as a Military Commander: the Limitations of Genius Peter J. Dean BA(Hons) Dip Ed. Napoleon was one of the greatest military minds in the history of warfare. He expanded the conquests of France from her revolutionary borders to that of an Empire that stretched from Spain to the steppes of Russia. Napoleon's genius lay not in revolutionizing of warfare itself, but in the refinement of existing means. He did not propose any drastic changes in tactics nor invent a new method of waging warfare, instead he excelled at the tactical handling of the armies of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Napoleon established himself as a great leader of men during the revolutionary period with the siege of Toulon and his triumphs in Italy in 1796. These talents were refined and reached their height during the battles of Ulm, Austerlitz and Jena in the period of 1805-1806. Towards the end of the Empire the weaknesses of Napoleon as a military commander became more evident. His insistence on the micro management of the army and the awarding of Marshal batons to those who excelled under his leadership, but who possessed no great talent for individual command, worked to his determent. The strategic failures of the decisions to invade Spain and Russia and the inability to keep the other major European powers divided proved disastrous. The increasing size and static nature of armies and the increasingly murderous nature of warfare during the latter part of the Empire revealed Napoleon's in ability to adapt to the changing shape of war. It is in the light of his triumphs and later failures that Napoleon's traditional reputation as a great military leader must be judged. Historiographical interpretations of Napoleon's military abilities have under gone several changes. In his epic work The Campaigns of Napoleon David Chandler accurately portrays how the "wheel has turned full cycle several times" as to the impressions of Napoleon's abilities. He had been regarded from at best a "talented thug", to a military genius. General James Marshal-Cornwall, a contemporary of Chandler, regards Napoleon as "...a master of the conduct of war; he was the supreme craftsman of his trade, who new how to make to most effective, though not the most economical use of the tools and techniques which he found ready to his hand." Like Chandler he regards Napoleon's military genius as stemming from his use of the 'tools at hand' 2007-03-23T14:12:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Napoleon-as-a-Military-Commander-32865.aspx ‘Napoleon was more of an opportunist than a skilled military ‘Napoleon was more of an opportunist than a skilled military and political leader’ asses this view of napoleons early career 1793-1799. Despite Napoleons political skill and his military skill at some points in his early career, the one factor, which dominated his success and career, was his opportunism. On many occasions Napoleon could be seen to take advantage of certain opportunities, and use this to his own advantage. It can therefore be said that Napoleon seized every opportunity, to gain political and military success. For instance, when he was driving forward the Italian campaign, whilst he did demonstrate clear, strong leadership through out by the way he commanded his troops and after 1798, it was only through his opportunism that he was able to prevail, as a great political and skilled military leader. It is therefore argued, that Napoleon was an opportunist to a certain degree. An opportunist is someone who takes advantage of certain situations to benefit themselves. A skilled political and military leader is one that is able to lead and command an army and bring the country success. So how did napoleon gain success? Some argue it was opportunism, due to his chance to show loyalty during the ‘whiff of grapeshot’. The accepted orthodoxy had been that Napoleon was a military genius. Such interpretations emphasised his skills as a general, the glittering record of victories and drew on Napoleons own interpretation of his campaigns. More recently, there has been more scepticism as historians have stressed the quality of the forces he commanded, the skill of his marshals, the mistakes and bungling that were a feature of many campaigns and so on. However the debate remains as to whether Napoleon was a skilled general, or just lucky with his opportunities. Some historians argue that Napoleons rise to power was partly due to the failings of the Directory. M Rapport in his book: ‘Napoleon’s rise to power’ suggests that although Napoleon had great ambition, skill and popularity, the failings of the Directory enabled him to rise to power. The directory had great opposition from the radical Jacobins on the Left and Right. The Directory had inherited considerable financial problems and along with this financial burden and the strong oppositions, it gave the strong opponents the ability to exploit the regime. According to Rapport, Napoleon was the saviour of France and saved them from the Directory and the national debt. He 2007-03-23T14:09:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/‘Napoleon-was-more-of-an-opportunist-than-a-skilled-military-32864.aspx The Myth of Day and Night The Myth of Day and Night Once upon a time, there was a town called D-town. IT was the home of all the gods of the ATL, the leading state in Fruitoria, the land of milk and honies. The people in Fruitoria enjoyed a higher standard of living than any other group of people in the world because the ATLien, the god of the whole world, originated from Fruitoria, the D-Town to be exact, and showed extreme favoritism upon these people. The ATLien had personally assigned his favorite cousin, Supacris, to look over and protect D-town from any jealous enemies that might try to destroy the most beautiful city and people in all the land. From day one, Supacris had his work cut out for him. Not only did the ATLien take this job, very seriously, but he also promised to severely punish anyone who failed to live up to his standards. The ATLien requires the leader of D-town to instruct his citizens to follow the strict guidelines that have been set before them. For thousands of years, the citizens of D-town followed these rules, but lately, things changed. Supacris will call upon his great leadership skills to return his fellow D-townians to their former state. For Supacris and his fellow gods of the ATL, life was good because the citizens had been committed to keeping their morals, as the gods asked. However, for some unapparent reason, the citizens of the ATL took a turn for the worst. They started partying all night and became lazy. Many of the men and women slacked off on their jobs and the kids refused to attend school. Churches that were once jam-packed were now near empty. The gods were dumfounded. What caused the citizens to blatantly disobey the strict rules that were in place for them? While all the other gods sat around dumbfounded, Supacris decided to leave his colonial style castle to visit the people of D-town, to see if they will find it in their hearts to clean up their act before the ATLien becomes angry and punishes them all. As Supacris rode his chariot through the streets, he saw streets that were once spotless now cluttered with trash. He saw beautiful homes destroyed. He saw many people who were once working 2007-03-20T04:08:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Myth-of-Day-and-Night-32851.aspx Gambling and the Mafia Gambling and the Mafia What effects the economy is an endless number of things, but an interesting topic that we decided to do is how gambling and the Mafia effect the economy. The Mafia or otherwise know as organized crime is a society that seeks to operate outside the control of the American people and their governments. It’s actions are not impulsive but rather the result of intricate conspiracies, carried on over many years and aimed at gaining control over fields of activity in order to earn large profits. Just to give you a little better look into the Mafia we have provided some mobster vocabulary. To whack, is to kill someone, the commision, they are the ruling body of the US Mafia, omerta, is an oath of loyalty, la cosa nostra, is a tradition of organized crime, and a street tax, is a fee imposed by the mob for breaking the law. The way the Mafia affects the economy is generally the Mafia tries to gain control of a particular part of a market. This is bad for the market because it well end up creating monopolies and will prevent other firms to enter the market, that could also lead to price gouging. A lot of the Mafia “families” also sells drugs and other illegal goods. This is also bad because it brings drugs into the country. Another Mafia business is “street taxes,” the fees imposed on the people for breaking their rules. These taxes, if they are not paid can result in murder and or severe beating. This is obviously not good because no one wants to pay money to save a beating, and it also takes money from the economy. But this is also a pretty inelastic thing because of course you’re going to pay anything to keep yourself from getting beaten. Gambling and the Mafia are related because illegal gambling is one of the Mafia’s largest industries. Illegal Gambling is any gambling in violation of state law. It is an operation involving five or more people to run. Illegal Gambling is also a project in operation more than thirty days a year or it produces revenue of more than 2,000 dollars a day. Gambling is a transaction that is based on one party’s gain, and another party’s loss. The positive effects of 2007-03-20T03:33:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Gambling-and-the-Mafia-32842.aspx Historical Triangle of Trade Historical Triangle of Trade The British changed the entire face of the earth while trying to carry out the simple task of getting good Asian goods at a better price then through the Middle East. Who would have known that European Explorers searching for Asia would have started the slave trade from Africa to the Americas, helped the population of the earth more then triple, set the precedent for cultural cuisine all over the world, and not to mention reveal the Americas to the rest of the world? Christopher Columbus may have not discovered North America or helped with the development of the United States, but his voyages helped make way for everything listed above and may have been the biggest factor in the spread of syphilis to western civilization in the 15th century. In the 15th century Britain had a fast growing demand for Asian goods such as tea, spices, silk and handmade crafts made by the Chinese. These products were available but only the very wealthy because great distance between China and Britain. The only way these good were brought to Britain was to be traded from city to city and each time these goods were traded hands the price was increased, and eventually they made it to Britain with a hefty price tag. Traders knew that the only way to get a good price on these goods was to go directly to the source. This meant sailing to China, which was no easy task since it had never been done before. Columbus made several failed attempts in search of the Indies only to find the Americas, which wasn’t a terrible discovery, but it wasn’t the Indies. “Soon after dawn on May 21st 1498, Vasco da Gama and his crew arrived at Calicut after the first direct sea voyage from Europe to Asia.”(AE 1, p.214) From then on out Europe had the direct connection with Asia they had been searching to find for so long. When Columbus landed in the Americas instead of the Indies his discovery was not very popular with the people of Europe. The Americas only seemed to be an obstruction of the path to Asia, but their discovery ultimately changed all of Europe. The Americas Housed foods never seen before in Europe, and that would end up being staples of multiple European 2007-03-19T14:11:14-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Historical-Triangle-of-Trade-32832.aspx Emotional Trip to the Holocaust Museum Emotional Trip to the Holocaust Museum The Holocaust can be described one of the darkest eras in human existence, and the greatest crime imposed upon people by people. The Holocaust, which was a product of Hitler's Nazi Germany, is an event that we need to study and learn from. The Holocaust caused the death of over Six Million innocent people, the majority of whom were of Jewish descent. The intentional annihilation of six million people has affected the world in ways that we will never know. The Holocaust Museum in Washington DC is divided into three parts: "Nazi Assault," "Final Solution," and "Last Chapter." Each of these exhibitions traces the steps by which a group becomes the target of prejudice, discrimination, persecution and violence. Genocide is the ultimate expression of hatred and violence against a group of people. The general concepts of stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination are explored throughout the museum in a manner that enabled me to understand the behavior of the Germans and then to condemn such behavior. The first step is discrimination and treating certain groups of people differently. Jews were forced to wear yellow stars on their clothing in order to distinguish themselves from others. The second step is isolation, which can be seen through the physical segregation of Jews in ghettos and separate schools. The third step is persecution, followed by dehumanization and violence. The concentration camps of Germany withheld unthinkable and inhumane acts towards Jews including deathly experiments. Genocide is the last step in a continuum of actions taken by those who are prejudiced. It is what cost millions their lives and their futures. I feel that learning more about the Holocaust at this museum is essential and I greatly benefited from the trip. It encourages evaluations of moral and ethical standards and our responsibilities as citizens. Americans have been unable to suppress the guilt and horror of the Holocaust, and have slowly come to realize that these events that occurred fifty years ago and thousands of miles away demand recognition in our national consciousness. In learning more about the history of the Holocaust I completely understood the effects of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping in any society. This is the first step in combating these practices. All of us have prejudices about members of groups different from ourselves. We should, however, recognize that we are not acting fairly 2007-03-19T13:59:03-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Emotional-Trip-to-the-Holocaust-Museum-32826.aspx World Trade Center September 11th, 2001 An opinionated four page essay that summarizes and questions various events that went on during 9/11/01. Also looks back at the life of the World Trade Center. ------------------------------------------------------- One of the worst tragedies to ever strike our country happened on September 11th, 2001. A total of four (4) planes were brought down by terrorists causing 2,986 total fatalities. The terrorist attacks were organized by al-Qaeda and their leader Osama Bin Laden, who also was in charge of the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City. This event took place in the same location but caused much more devastation with 2,595 people losing their lives just from the Twin Towers on 9/11. Two (2) of the four planes crashed into the World Trade Center, one in each tower, bursting the towers into flames and people fleeing for their lives. An estimated two-hundred (200) people jumped to their deaths from the falling towers. However, while all of this was going on, President George Bush was having a visit with an elementary school in Sarasota, Florida. What made it even worse was that Bush was completely aware of the attacks that terrorists had done against the United States of America. So then why, at 9:03 a.m.—fifteen minutes after it was clear the United States was under terrorist attack—did President Bush sit down with a classroom of second-graders and begin a 20-minute pre-planned photo op? No one knows the answer to that question. In fact, no one has even asked Bush about it. However, we can clearly make out that the government response was poor to this event but that may have been since Washington, D.C. had problems on their own. A plane had crashed into the Pentagon causing a total of 189 deaths. There was one plane, Flight 93, that knew they were next to be hijacked so they did something about it. The passengers of Flight 93 fought back against the terrorists and prevented them from the plane reaching its intended target, instead crashing it into a filed outside of Shanksville, PA. The 9/11 attacks were not the first that the World Trade Center had been a victim of, the towers were bombed for the first time on February 26, 1993. If the towers had already been bombed once before, why were we not ready for another attack on the same site? What possible motive did the terrorists have? The 2007-03-18T15:01:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-Trade-Center-September-11th,-2001-32808.aspx The History past and present of Mexico Mexico was filled with various civilizations that had sprung up throughout the years, but the Aztecs were the most memorable. When looking at the numbers, it seems near impossible that Hernan Cortez and his four hundred men could conquer a great empire. The Spaniards, however, had many advantages. One of the main things that they had going for them was that they were more advanced in technology. The Aztecs had never seen a horse before, so they were naturally frightened when they first saw these “overgrown dogs” charging towards them with men riding upon their backs. Another thing that was new to the natives was the use of guns. They thought that this weapon they all carried was supernatural. This leads us to the third and major reason why Hernan Cortez was able to defeat the Aztecs. They thought that these invaders were unsatisfied gods. It was this belief that ultimately finished them. They were torn between their religion and their safety. They put up a good fight, but in the end they were conquered. For about three hundred years, Mexico was ruled by the Spanish. During this time, the population fell from about twenty-five million to just over six million. The main cause of this was the European diseases that the natives had no immunity to, but a fraction of this decrease was from straight-up murders by the Spaniards. People were forced to convert to Catholicism, and the Church gained much power and wealth. During the French Revolution and the American War of Independence Spain lost much of its power and influence in Mexico. The idea of becoming independent from Spain began to spread, but foreign nations started taking advantage of the weak Mexico. The United States bought Texas, New Mexico, California, and Arizona for fifteen million U.S. dollars, and there were several different dictators that came into power. A number of revolutionary groups stood up, and in 1917 a congress made a new constitution which is what the present one is based on today. The type of government that runs Mexico is a Federal Republic. Vicente Fox, the current president, is the first real president without a majorly corrupt election in a long time. Some of the languages that are frequently spoken are Spanish, different forms of Mayan, and Nahuatl. There is an estimated 105,202,903 people living in Mexico as of July 2005. The past relations with the United States of 2007-03-15T23:38:29-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-History-past-and-present-of-Mexico-32796.aspx martin luther Martin Luther, one of the reformers who began the protestant reformation, was born in 1483. He lived in the small mining community of eisleben, Saxony. At a young age, martin Luther wanted to become a lawyer, but upon being over come by a storm one summer day Luther called in desperation, "saint Anne help! I will become a monk!" from then on Luther gave up studying law, and began to study to become a monk. After doing all things required of 2007-03-15T21:18:52-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/martin-luther-32795.aspx John Locke vs. Jean Domat 17th Century Theories of Power During the 17th century, Europe was the center of two competing types of government; Absolutism and constitutionalism. Would a single ruler or shared power be best for the people? John Locke and Jean Domat both have their own opinions on how a government should administer. Jean Domat is a political theorist who favors the idea of absolutism. He argues that individuals are given a certain rank in society, in other words, a type of predestiny. It was believed God assigned these ranks and picked a sovereign to rule over the people with divinity. The creator had given individual different status and roles in society to help one another. Within natural equality, each person has a different purpose in life which makes their status unequal; thus, a government is necessary to make everything fall into place. The first difference between people is seen within a relationship between a parent and child. It leads to sort of a �government� within a family where a child is indebted to the parents who are the leaders. Another difference among people is their type of employment. Both high and low-wage workers are important in society because they depend on each other. God gives a sovereign the power to govern the people so he can represent the will of their Creator. Domat mentions in his essay, �Since government is necessary for the public good, and God Himself has established it�. A sovereign who was selected by God should be compliant and society should obey the government. An individual should also respect the sovereign the same way he/she does for God. If a sovereign doesn�t follow the rules himself, then his government will have its demise. A person who rules the government should know the purpose of God�s will and incorporate the divine power given to him. On the other hand, John Locke is also a political theorist but favors the idea of constitutionalism. He argues that the natural law gives people the authority to create affiliations without force. Every individual is born with the same advantages which are:life, health, liberty, and possessions. Locke states that a person should be unregimented from, �any superior power on earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man�. Locke believed that the principle of the government was to uphold society, but if it becomes unsuccessful, then the people have the right to remove it from power. 2007-03-11T16:13:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/John-Locke-vs_-Jean-Domat-17th-Century-Theories-of-Power-32788.aspx History of the Abolitionsist Movement in America History of the Abolitionsist Movement in America The abolitionist movement in the United States sought to eradicate slavery using a wide range of tactics and organizations. The antislavery movement mobilized many African Americans and some whites who sought to end the institution of slavery. Although both black and white abolitionists often worked together, the relationship between them was intricate. The struggle for black abolitionists was much more personal because they wanted to end slavery and also wanted to gain equal rights for blacks. However, many white abolitionists only sought to end slavery and did not fight for equality for blacks. From these exceedingly contrasting perspectives and the continuation of slavery, the sentiment of many abolitionists became more militant and radical; some abolitionists began to use more violent methods of resistance to abolish slavery. Before the 1830s most antislavery activists stressed gradual emancipation. These feelings were expressed mainly by Southern whites, some possessing a fear of free blacks not being ready for freedom and others holding beliefs that slavery would gradually disappear (Notes, 10/18/00). Generally, only black abolitionists demanded an immediate end to slavery. This difference in opinion contributed to some blacks taking more violent measures to gain freedom and equality. Further contributing to the more aggressive tactics were the goals of the white abolitionists. Many white abolitionists were not able to accept blacks as their equals and did not fight for black equality, which led to increased tension between blacks and whites. More militant tactics, such as uprising and revolts, were gaining support in the nineteenth century. Nat Turner was a black abolitionist that supported the use of aggressive and forceful tactics. In 1831, in Virginia, he led an insurrection and more than 55 white people were killed. It was very bloody and violent and angered many whites from its brutality (Nash, 275). Yet, many blacks felt that the only thing that would get a response was an uprising and taking drastic measures. In Christiana, Pennsylvania, the Fugitive Slave Laws were passed. These laws stated that whites could recapture their runaway slaves. Blacks were outraged by the passing of these laws and rioted in response to this (Roots of Resistance). This demonstrated how blacks would react in manners that were more forceful and these tactics were used by a number of other abolitionists, however, many still used different approaches to battling slavery. Many abolitionists used writing to end slavery. In 1827, the 2007-03-08T01:24:54-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-Abolitionsist-Movement-in-America-32787.aspx American Indian History of the Algonquins American Indian History of the Algonquins The Algonquin was a northern tribe that settled in Canada some time around the 1400’s, and now have settled in Quebec and nearby Ontario. The Algonquians history was not exactly a pleasant one they suffered many hardships and obstacles to over come. Samuel de Champlain established the first permanent French settlement on the St. Lawrence at Tadoussac in 1603. Champlain was so impressed with the Algonquin's furs that he explored the St. Lawrence as far west as the Lachine Rapids. Champlain left for France shortly afterwards, but upon his return in 1608, he immediately moved his fur trade upstream to a new post at Quebec to shorten the distance that the Algonquin were required to travel for trade. He soon discovered that Algonquin victories over the Iroquois were not that common, and it was the Mohawk, not the Algonquin, who dominated the upper river. So Samuel usually did not help the Algonquian fight. The Algonquin usually avoided the river because of the threat of Mohawk war parties. The Algonquin fought with the French and helped them when times where ruff, but it wasn’t long until the French that they needed to get rid of them and move them away from there villages, so the French turned against the Algonquians. In 1649 French and Indian refugees streamed down the Ottawa Valley to the relative safety of Montreal. During 1650 the remaining Algonquin in the upper Ottawa Valley were attacked and overrun. The survivors retreated, either far to headwaters of the rivers feeding the Upper Ottawa River where the Cree afforded a certain amount of support and protection. During the next twenty years, the Algonquin pretty much dropped out of sight so far as the French were concerned. Learning from their earlier mistakes, the French insisted that this agreement also include their allies and trading partners. This not only allowed French traders and missionaries to travel to the western Great Lakes, but also permitted the Algonquin to begin a slow return to northern part of the Ottawa Valley. Conquest and returning had been hard on them, and not many were left maybe only 2000. The epidemics which struck Sillery in 1676 and 1679 had reduced the Christian Algonquin survivors to only a handful, most of whom were subsequently absorbed by the Abenaki at St. Francois after the closure of the Sillery mission in 1685. During 2007-03-08T01:19:03-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-Indian-History-of-the-Algonquins-32786.aspx History of the Boston Massacre History of the Boston Massacre It may be a proper introduction to this narrative, briefly to represent the state of things for some time previous to the said Massacre; and this seems necessary in order to the forming a just idea of the causes of it. At the end of the late [French and Indian] war, in which this province bore so distinguished a part, a happy union subsisted between Great Britain and the colonies. This was unfortunately interrupted by the Stamp Act; but it was in some measure restored by the repeal of it. It was again interrupted by other acts of parliament for taxing America; and by the appointment of a Board of Commissioners, in pursuance of an act, which by the face of it was made for the relief and encouragement of commerce, but which in its operation, it was apprehended, would have, and it has in fact had, a contrary effect. By the said act the said Commissioners were "to be resident in some convenient part of his Majesty's dominions in America." This must be understood to be in some part convenient for the whole. But it does not appear that, in fixing the place of their residence, the convenience of the whole was at all consulted, for Boston, being very far from the centre of the colonies, could not be the place most convenient for the whole. Judging by the act, it may seem this town was intended to be favored, by the Commissioners being appointed to reside here; and that the consequence of that residence would be the relief and encouragement of commerce; but the reverse has been the constant and uniform effect of it; so that the commerce of the town, from the embarrassments in which it has been lately involved, is greatly reduced. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The residence of the Commissioners here has been detrimental, not only to the commerce, but to the political interests of the town and province; and not only so, but we can trace from it the causes of the late horrid massacre. Soon after their arrival here in November, 1767, instead of confining themselves to the proper business of their office, they became partizans of Governor Bernard in his political schemes; and had the weakness and temerity to infringe upon one of the most essential rights of the house of commons of this province-that of giving 2007-03-08T00:23:07-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-Boston-Massacre-32773.aspx Thomas Jefferson and American History Thomas Jefferson and American History “Only aim to do your duty, and mankind will give you credit where you fail.” Those are the words of Thomas Jefferson; one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and among the first Americans to have to defend the newly won liberties of Americans from intrusion against a greater world power. It makes Thomas Jefferson one of the most prominent leaders and individuals in the United States. Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 in the state of Virginia. His family was perhaps one of the earliest emigrants from England. He inherited his family’s land and property, putting him into the upper class. He attended William and Mary College in Williamsburg, but with no record left the college and soon applied himself to the study of law under the tuition of George Wythe. Through his expertise, Thomas Jefferson acquired many of the skills that made him the distinguished man he is now. He immediately became acquainted with the whole round of civil and common law. His talents were well known early in his life, which permitted him to remain in a private station, or to pursue the ordinary routine of this profession. His country demanded his services; at the age 25 in 1769, he entered the House of Burgesses in Virginia, and then first inscribed his name as a champion of his country’s rights. His journey to becoming one of the founding fathers begins. During this time, the American colonies felt a strong dislike towards England. Thomas Jefferson commenced his political career, and in a few words, he outlines the reason, which impelled him to enter the lists, with other American patriots, against the parent country, England. Thomas Jefferson says, “No alternative was presented, but resistance or unconditional submission. Between these there could be no hesitation. They closed in the appeal to arms.” In 1733, Mr. Jefferson became a member of the first committee of correspondence, established by the provincial assemblies. In 1744 he published a “Summary View of the Rights of British America,” a valuable production among those intended to show the dangers which threatened the liberties of the country, and to encourage the people in their defense. He argued on the basis of natural rights theory; Jefferson claimed that colonial allegiance to the king 2007-03-08T00:16:38-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Thomas-Jefferson-and-American-History-32769.aspx The Fall Of The Armenians The Fall Of The Armenians The first genocide of the 20th Century occurred when two million Armenians living in Turkey were eliminated from their historic homeland through forced deportations and massacres. For three thousand years, a thriving Armenian community had existed inside the vast region of the Middle East bordered by the Black, Mediterranean and Caspian Seas. The area, known as Asia Minor, stands at the crossroads of three continents; Europe, Asia and Africa. Great powers rose and fell over the many centuries and the Armenian homeland was at various times ruled by Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Mongols. Despite the repeated invasions and occupations, Armenian pride and cultural identity never wavered. The snow-capped peak of Mount Ararat became its focal point and by 600 BC Armenia as a nation sprang into being. Following the advent of Christianity, Armenia became the very first nation to accept it as the state religion. A golden era of peace and prosperity followed which saw the invention of a distinct alphabet, a flourishing of literature, art, commerce, and a unique style of architecture. By the 10th century, Armenians had established a new capital at Ani, affectionately called the 'city of a thousand and one churches.' In the eleventh century, the first Turkish invasion of the Armenian homeland occurred. Thus began several hundred years of rule by Muslim Turks. By the sixteenth century, Armenia had been absorbed into the vast and mighty Ottoman Empire. At its peak, this Turkish empire included much of Southeast Europe, North Africa, and almost all of the Middle East. But by the 1800s the once powerful Ottoman Empire was in serious decline. For centuries, it had spurned technological and economic progress, while the nations of Europe had embraced innovation and became industrial giants. Turkish armies had once been virtually invincible. Now, they lost battle after battle to modern European armies. As the empire gradually disintegrated, formerly subject peoples including the Greeks, Serbs and Romanians achieved their long-awaited independence. Only the Armenians and the Arabs of the Middle East remained stuck in the backward and nearly bankrupt empire, now under the autocratic rule of Sultan Abdul Hamid. By the 1890s, young Armenians began to press for political reforms, calling for a constitutional government, the right to vote and an end to discriminatory practices such as special taxes levied solely against 2007-03-08T00:15:04-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Fall-Of-The-Armenians-32768.aspx Analysis of Puritan Society Analysis of Puritan Society Over time Puritanism has come to be associated with prudishness, harshness, fanaticism, and superstition. Although this is partially true it tends to be exaggerated. The Puritans tried to create a model religious society and in doing this some of their actions were misconstrued. The Puritans wanted to create a theocracy, where all of the society’s inhabitants adhered to the doctrine of God. The Puritans believed in Calvinism and therefore one of their main goals was to force the Anglican Church to adopt the tenets of Calvinism. The aspirations of the Puritans were basically, to create a Christian commonwealth, a so-called “city on a hill” that would stand as a beacon to all others for inspiration. In most areas the Puritans accomplished all of their aspirations Led by John Winthrop, the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Massachusetts Puritans sought to create their “Christian City” with laws and rules based on their religious ideals. Each town had its own congregation and its own minister, who preached to them Calvinist precepts. This system of local congregations that selected their ministers and ran their own affairs became known as Congregational churches. The ministers and government officials worked together to maintain holiness, purity, and order. Only church members, those considered the elect or predestined for salvation, could vote or hold political office. The government, in turn, protected the church by levying taxes to support it and by making church attendance mandatory. The Puritans not only tried to live and honest and pious life but tried to force others to do so as well. The puritans accomplished much of what they set out to do and in some ways accomplished more than they set out to do. The Puritans of Massachusetts Bay were the first people to attempt a publicly supported and controlled local school system. The Puritans also added to the arts. It was under Puritan rule that the first English dramatic production entirely in music was presented. Puritan poetry such as that of Anne Bradstreet is also a noteworthy accomplishment. One area in which the Puritans fell short of their ideals is in superstition. During the Salem Witch Hunt about 20 people were executed and this spread hysteria throughout the colony. This crazed fanaticism is what 2007-03-06T22:24:36-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Puritan-Society-32748.aspx America and the Cold War America and the Cold War The conflict in ideologies between capitalism and communism resulted in one of the greatest conflicts of the twentieth century. The belief that freedom and democracy would die under communist rule caused the United States to start a conflict that would last for decades. The decisions made by the United States in W.W.II caused tensions to rise between the U. S. and the Soviet Union. Fear of Communism in capitalist nations, caused the United states government to use propaganda to raise Cold War anxieties. Furthermore, the American media influenced the attitudes of Americans, making a hatred of communism spread though the nation. Thus, the United States caused the conflict known as the Cold War. The political relations going on in Europe during and directly after World War II had an enormous effect on laying the foundation for the Cold War. War time conferences such as Yalta and Terhran harshened the relationship between the communists and the capitalists. At the end of W.W.II American policy towards the Soviets changed drastically. The change in presidents in 1945 caused relations with Russia to worsen. Also, other political contributions to the Cold War entailed the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan. The division of Europe between the west and east drew physical borders which outlined that the war of misinformation that had began. Also treaties of the post war world further separated the two super powers of the world for the decades to follow. The waging of hot wars through other countries also strengthened Cold War hatred. The first of the cold war tensions arose out of W.W.II conferences between the Soviet Union, America and, Great Britain. Tehran, the first major conference which lead America to start the Cold War, included all three of these nations. At this conference the reshaping of post-war Europe was discussed. Later in February of 1945, the big three met again at Yalta. At this conference European boundaries, German reparations, and Polish elections were agreed upon. Stalin, the Russian leader, agreed to hold free and fair elections. Later after Roosevelt, who attended these conferences, died Truman became president. He accused the Soviet leader, Stalin, of not holding up to his agreements at Yalta. Stalin wanted to use Poland as a buffer zone to prevent any future invasions from happening through this area. During W.W.II the Soviets had lost 27 million, and Stalin made it clear 2007-03-05T14:27:29-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/America-and-the-Cold-War-32746.aspx Adolf Hitler and World War II Adolf Hitler and World War II War is one of the most tragic things in our world today. It is even sadder that usually it comes around at least once in our lifetime. In the 20th century alone we have already had two huge wars. These wars were call the World Wars simply because they involved most of the big countries of the world. Many people have died in these wars… especially the Second World War That is my focus for this essay. The leader of Germany at the time of WW2 and the person who most think started WW2 was a man named Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler was born in Austria. By the time that World War 1 started in 1914, he was living in Germany. He served well in the German Army and for that he earned a medal for bravery. At the end of the war Hitler decided to take up politics. By 1921 he was already the founding leader of the Nazi party. Hitler was an incredibly racist man and he had a great hate for Jews. By 1933, Hitler gained political power by winning the election. Soon after he made himself absolute dictator, calling himself the Fuhrer which means "Leader". By the end of the 30's he was already sending Jews off too concentration camps to meet a horrible death. I believe that Hitler was one of the greatest causes of World War 2. Although there are many other reasons, he was definitely one of them. Another reason was the Treaty of Versailles. This was the treaty that was signed at the end of World War 1. This treaty outlined the rules that Germany must follow because of their defeat by Britain and France. Many Germans were angered by the treaty, for most of the rules in the treaty were unfair and Germany lost a great amount of wealth. One of the cruelest reasons for the war was Hitler's racist hate for Jews. He would send them off in cattle cars to places called concentration camps were they would be slaughtered by the thousands. World War 2 was huge and involved a lot of countries. There were thousands of battlefronts and war sites. The two main battlefronts were the battle front between Britain and Germany and the battlefront between the Japanese and the Americans. These battlefronts were split up into smaller battlefronts even still. Many lives 2007-03-05T14:26:13-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Adolf-Hitler-and-World-War-II-32745.aspx The Jews in Spain During the Golden Age The Jews in Spain During the Golden Age The Golden Age of Spain was golden for the Jews not only because of their succession in science, literature, diplomacy and military pursuits, but also in their endeavors to advance. The history of Spain, between the rule of the Romans and the Catholic Monarchs was not among the highlights of the Jews. Nonetheless, this was the life of the Jews then, but the years before their departure were prosperous, and they created a strong and arduous culture. The economic and political situation, during the middle centuries of Moorish rule created an atmosphere in which the Jews were able to build up their cultural confidence. They transformed the life style, learning more about agricultural, and focusing on business and trade. Also during this time, the Jews were able to create literary, musical and artistic styles, for the first time, mixing both the cultures of Spain and Judaism. Many of these cultural features have lasted into modern times, in their songs, celebrations and language. During this period the Jews were successful in creating a synthesis between the culture around them and Judaism. However, before we can look at why the Golden Age of Spain proved to be so prosperous for the Jews, we must first understand the circumstances of the Jews before the arrival of the Moors. In Spain, from about 616-711 C.E. the Jews had been oppressed, and persecuted for their differences under Roman Visagothic rule. Furthermore, 711 C.E proved to be the turning point in the lives of the Jews. At this point in time, the Moor’s had conquered Spain and were thoroughly welcomed by the Jews. The Moorish rule looked to be very different from that of the Jews previous rulers, and soon their well constructed political foundation developed into a fair and open society. Now, free from the devastating oppressions of the Visagoths, the Jews were now at liberty to indulge in other parts of their culture. As time moved on, Jewish culture had started to become very strong. Furthermore, the Jews became very important to the Muslim leaders. During this time, a variety of unique Jewish poets, philosophers and scientists began to thrive. One of the more important Jews of this time, and certainly one of the Golden Ages most profound man was Hasdai Ibn Shaprut. Hasdai, who happened to be the doctor of the Caliph, started his legacy as 2007-03-05T14:15:41-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Jews-in-Spain-During-the-Golden-Age-32740.aspx Famine and Genocide in the Soviet Ukraine. Every nation and country has its own darkest periods, when different destructive things are happening to its inhabitants. And maybe one of the darkest periods in all Ukrainian history, was a phase between the years 1930 – 1933. Under brutal Soviet rule, the country had experienced a most terrible man-made famine and its extensive consequences. Some people just call it famine or a Great famine, but a memory of murdered innocent people and a reality of Ukrainian law, makes us call it a Famine-genocide of Ukrainian nation. During that period 10 million Ukrainians that made up one quarter of the country’s population, perished. It is really hard to explain why such cruel things happened to so many people, for it is not likely for a normal human being to understand the logic of beasts that were planning and executing their savage plans. Nevertheless, there are a couple of obvious reasons that could cause someone with no humanity, full of hatred and wickedness, to make reality a horror. Among those reasons are Ukrainian history, geographical location, Soviet policy of collectivization, as well as national Identity and mentality of Ukrainians. Not too many people know the history of Ukraine, or even can recognize it as a country on a world map. None the less, the first Ukrainian state, according to the famous historian Mychailo Hrushevskyi was established in the late ninth century, and it was called Kyivan Rus’ or so-called Vkrayina that is Ukraine in English translation. Later the Byzantine Empire named it Russia, and they kept this name for subsequent centuries. During the10th and 11th centuries the country was the largest and most powerful state in Europe, but unfortunately, weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus’ split up and was incorporated into other European principalities within the next centuries. However, a great name and ancient history of Kyivan state was written in the chronicles of many European principalities, but a country itself has stopped its existence. For that reason in the late seventeenth century, to rise among other nations, little known principality of Moskovy adopted name of ancient Ukrainian state in its Latin form, Russia. From that time on, Ukrainians lost not just a name, but their eminent history as well. But even being under foreign rule, in the mid-17th century, they managed to create a new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate. It was 2007-03-05T02:07:40-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Famine-and-Genocide-in-the-Soviet-Ukraine_-32735.aspx Trade Change Over Time Classical Medieval Early Modern Times Trade is the exchange of goods that must be transported from one place to another. In ancient times, transporting commodities over any significant distance was an expensive and risky endeavor. This restricted commerce mainly to local markets. As transportation networks improved however, commerce expanded considerably. Regions began oceanic trade and the whole world seemed to shrink as technology advanced. Trade patterns could only expand as time went on from the classical period onwards through the medieval era and even more so through the early modern period. Growth may have been similar throughout these periods, however the means by which trade was conducted differed. Long distance trade played a major role in the cultural, religious, and artistic exchanges that took place between the major centers of civilization on trade routes in Europe and Asia during antiquity. Some of these trade routes had been in use for centuries, but by the beginning of the first century A.D., merchants, diplomats, and travelers could in theory cross the ancient world from Britain and Spain in the west to China and Japan in the east. The trade routes served principally to transfer raw materials, food, and luxury goods from areas with surpluses to others where they were in short supply. Some areas had a monopoly on certain materials or goods. China for example supplied West Asia and the Mediterranean world with silk, while spices were obtained principally from South Asia. These goods were transported over vast distances most commonly on foot with pack animals along the Silk Road, which was likely the main artery of contact between the various ancient. Cities along a trade route such as the Silk Road grew rich providing services to merchants and acting as international marketplaces. They also became cultural and artistic centers, where people of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds could meet and swap ideas. The trade routes were the communications highways of the ancient world. People moving from one place to another to conduct business transmitted new inventions, religious beliefs, artistic styles, languages, and social customs, as well as goods and raw materials. Compared to later eras of trade, the classical period was no doubt rather primitive and its technique ineffective, likely because trade was only possible on foot. Which such a difficult and expensive enterprise such as land-based trade, the only possible reason for trade was simply for profit. 2007-03-04T19:00:43-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Trade-Change-Over-Time-Classical-Medieval-Early-Modern-Times-32720.aspx Islam-Change Over Time PreIslam-Umayyad/Muhammad-Abassid The spread of Islam throughout the world was among the most significant worldwide movements in history. Beginning as the faith of a small community of believers in Arabia in the seventh century, Islam rapidly became one of the major world religions. The core of this faith is the belief that Muhammad (570-632), a respected businessman in Mecca, a commercial and religious center in western Arabia, received revelations from God that have been preserved in the Qur'an. The core of Islam remains the same today after 1396 years. Islam still translates to “submission” and Muslims still live by the Qur’an and follow the 5 Pillars of Islam. However, throughout the Pre-Islamic, Umayyad, and Abbasid eras, the political structure that governed the societies that followed Islam differed over the years with some minor continuity. The pre-Islamic era lasted from 400 B.C until the revelation of the Prophet Mohammad in 610 C.E. The lack of Islam evidently created a lack of true unity. The basic social unit of the Bedouin was the kin-related clan. The struggle to survive in the unrelenting Arabian environment led to strong dependence in one’s family and clan. Clans could never rest to maintain everyday lives with their necessities met. Clans were also linked to larger tribal groupings, however these tribal units seldom met together. Additionally, clans would often feud over water rights, animals, or even perceived sights to clan members’ honor, all of which often led to violence. The base religion of the pre-Islamic era was polytheistic, which may have led to the segregation and rivalry between cans. Occasionally, clans would meet as tribes during times of war or severe crisis. On a more local level, clan councils were groups legislatures that determined the distribution and use of water resources, maintaining watering places and maintaining grazing lands, all of which was essential to maintaining the herds on which Bedouin life depended. Clan councils traditionally were led by family leaders, or shaykhs. Though normally elected by councils of elder advisors, the shaykhs were almost always men with large herds, several wives, many children, and many retainers. The political structure was very loose and was subject to change instantaneously to reflect the current situations of the area. In Muslim tradition, the sociopolitical community that was created in Medina during the time of the Muhammad-Umayyad era provides the model 2007-03-04T18:54:36-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Islam-Change-Over-Time-PreIslam-Umayyad-Muhammad-Abassid-32719.aspx Analysis of Ancient Israeli Tunnels Analysis of Ancient Israeli Tunnels One of the latest findings in the archeological world was recently revealed to the public on March this year in the village of Kfar Kana, North of Israel. Several subterranean galleries, passageways and pits were discovered leading scholars to believe that they were used as hiding places during the first Jewish war in the middle of the first century A.D. At a first assumption, the tunnels seem they were very well planned in advance. One hypothesis could be that the Hebrews built those tunnels not only as a place of safety but also for protecting their belongings and to preserve their history, similar to the Dead Sea scrolls found in caves. I also believe they were not specifically there for a war against the Romans. The Jewish people have been persecuted since the beginning of times of their history. In some regions of our modern world, they are still not welcome. The hebrews were very protective of their culture, so is more likely that the galleries were constructed to shield themselves not only from Romans but from anyone that could rise against or persecute them any given time. Throughout the excavations areas, archeologists found several pits not only on the ground but inside homes too. I presume the pits located inside the dwellings were there probably for easier transportation of supplies such as food and household materials, and for a more secure escape in case of a sudden enemy attack. Archeologists also found several jars inside the chambers, commonly used to store food at that time. Yardenna Alexandre, the archeologist in charge of the excavations, said "The pits are connected to each other by short tunnels, and it seems that they were used as hiding refuges—a kind of concealed subterranean home—that were built prior to the Great Revolt against the Romans.” Those people had suffered so much excruciating punishment from enemies through the centuries that if they were sensing a new persecution, it would make perfectly sense to start building secret tunnels to protect themlseves. Alexandre said he thinks the pits and tunnels were there before the revolt. One of my theories is that 2007-03-04T17:54:46-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Ancient-Israeli-Tunnels-32708.aspx The Maturation of Henry V The Maturation of Henry V Growing up is a part of life, and as people grow, they mature. Although some must mature more than others, the process does eventually take place. The process doesn’t take place automatically though. There are decisions that must be made and the outcomes of these decisions determine the speed of the maturation process. In the stories of Henry I, part I, and Henry V, there is a young prince named Harry that has a lot of growing up to do, but he eventually develops into the glorious King Henry V. Young Prince Harry, also called Prince Hal, grows up in the royal family learning right from wrong and the responsibilities of being prince, but when he becomes the age of a modern day teenager, he starts to go astray. He spends the majority of his time hanging out at a local tavern drinking and chasing women. When his friends ask him to participate in a robbery, he starts to say no by saying, “Who, I rob? I a thief? Not I, by my faith,” (1.2.142) but after some convincing he says, “Well then, once in my days I’ll be a madcap” (1.2.146). He knows what he should and should not do, but he decides to have fun instead of choosing right. While he is taking time to enjoy life, he knows that one day he will have to stop and get serious. He tells one of his friends, “My reformation, glitt’ring o’er my fault,/ Shall show more goodly and attract more eyes/ Than that which hath no foil to set it off” (1.2.217-219). Prince Hal does finally get the chance to get serious when his father, King Henry IV, calls him to the castle to tell him about a group of rebels, led by Henry Percy, that have been gathering to overthrow the thrown. Not only does his father tell him about the rebellion, but he also scolds him boldly about the type of lifestyle Hal has been living. This opportunity is Hal’s moment of truth. He decides that he wants to change and he tells his father, “I will redeem all this on Percy’s head” (3.2.132). This is the first big step in his maturing process. The second step comes later in the story when the battle is 2007-03-04T17:20:43-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Maturation-of-Henry-V-32704.aspx American Involvement in The Vietnam War American Involvement in The Vietnam War The Vietnam War is without a doubt one of the most memorable wars yet to date. Because of the time period the war took place there are many survivors that are still living. The basic reason I chose to do my individual project on the war was basically because it took place while I was a child. However, another reason I chose this topic was because I actually know a person who was in the war. The Vietnam War was basically a military struggle fought in Vietnam from 1959 to 1975. The war involved the North Vietnamese and the National Liberation Front in conflict with United States forces and the South Vietnamese army. From 1946 until 1954, the Vietnamese had struggled for their independence from France during the First Indochina War. At the end of this war, the country was temporarily divided into North and South Vietnam. North Vietnam came under the control of the Vietnamese Communists who had opposed France and who aimed for a unified Vietnam under Communist rule. Vietnamese who had collaborated with the French controlled the South. Now what you might be asking yourself is “Why did the United States get involved in the war.” Well the truth is that The United States became involved because it believed that if all of the country fell under a Communist government, Communism would spread throughout Southeast Asia and beyond. This belief was known as the "domino theory." The U.S. government, therefore, supported the South Vietnamese government. This government’s repressive policies led to rebellion in the South, and the NLF was formed as an opposition group with close ties to North Vietnam. In 1965 the United States sent in troops to prevent the South Vietnamese government from collapsing. Ultimately, however, the United States failed to achieve its goal, and in 1975 Vietnam was reunified under Communist control; in 1976 it officially became the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. During the conflict, approximately 3 to 4 million Vietnamese on both sides were killed, in addition to another 1.5 to 2 million Laotians and Cambodians who were drawn into the war. More than 58,000 Americans lost their lives. In 1955, the United States picked a man by the name of Ngo Dinh Diem to head the anti-Communist regime in South Vietnam. With U.S. encouragement, Diem 2007-03-04T17:18:20-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-Involvement-in-The-Vietnam-War-32703.aspx Abraham Lincoln "I die even as a camel dies. I die in bed, in shame. May the eyes of cowards never find rest in sleep!" Last Words of Khalid bin Al-Waleed, Sword of Allah Muslim history is replete with great military achievements and glorious feats of arms. In the annals of war there are no battles which surpass, in brilliance and decisiveness, the battles of Islam; no commanders who surpass, in courage and skill, the gifted generals of Islam. The sword has always held a place of honour in Muslim culture. And yet very little is known in the world today about the military history of Islam. There is not a single work by a trained military mind, written after proper research and a thorough examination of the ground, describing in detail the famous battles of Islam. In fact there has been no real research. There is a void. I became conscious of this void in early 1964 when I was Chief Instructor at the Staff College, Quetta. Having always been a keen student of Military History, which subject I used to direct, among others, at the Staff College, I felt that I was perhaps better qualified than many Muslim soldiers to undertake the task of filling this gap in literature. The whole of Muslim military history would take several hundred volumes, but at least a beginning could be made; and I decided to accept the challenge. I would start at the beginning; and I would describe the campaigns of Khalid bin Al Waleed (may Allah be pleased with him). I found that a good deal of material was available on the early battles of Islam, but it was all in Arabic. Not all early Muslim historians have been translated; and where translations exist, they are often inaccurate and sometimes downright dishonest. For such research one would have to know the language in which the original accounts were written. So I learned Arabic. I then prepared a bibliography to include all the early historians, but excluded from it all writers, Muslim or Christian, who lived and wrote after the Tenth Century. Since the latter obtained all their information from the former, I decided to concentrate exclusively on the early sources and thus avoid being influenced in any way by the opinions and conjectures of later writers. The preparation of the bibliography was relatively easy; the real problem was the procurement of the 2007-02-22T07:00:53-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Abraham-Lincoln--32691.aspx Summary of Alexander The Great Alexander The Great Alexander the Great (356-323 bc), king of Macedonia, conqueror of the Persian Empire, and one of the greatest military geniuses of all times. Alexander, born in Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia, was the son of Philip II, king of Macedonia, and of Olympias, a princess of Epirus. Aristotle was Alexander's tutor; he gave Alexander a thorough training in rhetoric and literature and stimulated his interest in science, medicine, and philosophy. In the summer of 336 bc Philip was assassinated, and Alexander ascended to the Macedonian throne. He found himself surrounded by enemies at home and threatened by rebellion abroad. Alexander disposed quickly of all conspirators and domestic enemies by ordering their execution. Then he descended on Thessaly (Thessalia), where partisans of independence had gained ascendancy, and restored Macedonian rule. Before the end of the summer of 336 bc he had reestablished his position in Greece and was elected by a congress of states at Corinth. In 335 bc as general of the Greeks in a campaign against the Persians, originally planned by his father, he carried out a successful campaign against the defecting Thracians, penetrating to the Danube River. On his return he crushed in a single week the threatening Illyrians and then hastened to Thebes, which had revolted. He took the city by storm and razed it, sparing only the temples of the gods and the house of the Greek lyric poet Pindar, and selling the surviving inhabitants, about 8000 in number, into slavery. Alexander's promptness in crushing the revolt of Thebes brought the other Greek states into instant and abject submission. Alexander began his war against Persia in the spring of 334 bc by crossing the Hellespont (modern Dardanelles) with an army of 35,000 Macedonian and Greek troops; his chief officers, all Macedonians, included Antigonus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus. At the river Granicus, near the ancient city of Troy, he attacked an army of Persians and Greek mercenaries totaling 40,000 men. His forces defeated the enemy and, according to tradition, lost only 110 men; after this battle all the states of Asia Minor submitted to him. In passing through Phrygia he is said to have cut with his sword the Gordian knot. Continuing to advance southward, Alexander encountered the main Persian army, commanded by King Darius III, at Issus, in northeastern Syria. The size of Darius's army is unknown; the ancient tradition that it contained 500,000 2007-02-22T01:33:20-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Summary-of-Alexander-The-Great-32687.aspx Napoleon's Leadership The French Conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte achieved greatness through his leadership over one of the greatest army of all time and assisting in the amalgamation of the French Revolution, which introduced new forms of government; although, none managed to survive beyond the revolution. During the 19th century, he managed conquering most of Europe and he took great measures to recalibrate the nations he ruled. His battle tactics were described as dignified and courageous that made his wars look like a masterful game of chess. Nevertheless, Napoleon had also made mistakes that costed his soldiers their lives being abolished in a battle against Russia. Napoleon had superb battle tactics that used speed and surprise to his advantage. His army was well trained and professional and assured Napoleon win after win. He defeated the armies of Austria, Russia, and Prussia and forced their armies to come to terms with him. His ambitions were on a grand-scale of obtaining unlimited power to rule the world, but Napoleon was overwhelmed by Russia, resulting with a discrepancy of over a half million soldiers. Do Napoleon intentions indicate that he was a tyrant, as his pursuits costed many solders and innocent countrymen their lives? June 1812, Napoleon alliance with Alexander had plummeted, resulting with an invasion on Russia. Russia retreated further east and burned all resources that France relied on. As France moved into Moscow, resources were unsatisfying for an over-sized army and winter was among them with minus forty temperatures. A disastrous retreat followed from Moscow, as of guerrilla warfare, was a definite crucial point for the French Empire as an army that was once 614,000 strong, returned with only 40,000 men. Thereafter, all of Europe united against him, although he brilliantly fought on against impractical odds until his soldiers struggle forced them to discontinue the struggle but was defeated at The Battle of Waterloo. After being captured, he was exiled to Saint Helena until his death in 1821. Long before Napoleon met his match, he knew Britain needed to trade with other countries in order to prosper and attempted stopping all its trades with The Continental System. This system prohibited any countries in his empire to make trades with Britain and any other country that allowed British ships to dock would undergo the ruthless consequences at hand. This blockade of Britain 2007-02-21T23:58:40-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Napoleon-s-Leadership-32685.aspx Martin Luther King and Malcolm X (Got it from here-combined) Martin Luther King & Malcolm X Comparison Essay (DRAFT ONE) Back in the 1960’s African-Americans were inferior to the white people. White people had the control over black people. People started taking actions against it. The black people now wanted equal rights since they were born here and had the citizenship, and all rights to stay in United States. People were very racist and didn’t considered black people as normal human beings. For every attempt of expressing their desire and need for equality, all efforts were shot down. There was no unity, no one to rally the hearts and minds of blacks and whites alike. But then a preacher from Montgomery Alabama leaded the largest civil rights movement. Through the gentle voice and outstanding personality, Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the strongest and most influential civil rights activists. But he was not the only one to work in equality for African-Americans, there were others fighting for the same cause. One of the other most famous activists was Malcolm X; a converted Muslim from Harlem, New York. Both were similar to each other, but at the same time different in many ways. Malcolm was a man who spoke of a violent revolution because he thought it would bring racial change for the black race. He was a dark charisma, an angry, implacable man whose good will or forgiveness or even pity the white race could neither earn nor buy. He viewed white supremacists as enemies. He says that whites were inherently enemies of the Negroes. In his speeches he is talking about them, and how they hired people to break into black people’s house and kill them. Malcolm X is not asking blacks to beg for equality and ask to end segregation, he’s saying that they should unite together and fight against their enemies. He also makes a point that they don’t hang you because of you are Christian, Jew, Muslim. They hang you because you are black. Considering that, he wants the blacks to take action against it, and overcome this problem. "Anything you can think of that you want to change right now, the only way you can do it is with a ballot or a bullet. And if you're not ready to 2007-02-16T05:55:18-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Martin-Luther-King-and-Malcolm-X-Got-it-from-here-combined-32629.aspx Martin Luther Some may ask: why do we make such a fuss over martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation? How and why did this German monk become a lightning rod for change in religion and society in Europe during the Renaissance? People don’t understand the significance of the situation and the importance of Martin Luther and his influence with the Protestant Reformation and how this affects us today. Many people back in the 1520’s thought of Luther as an insightful church leader and some thought of him as an ecclesiastical terrorist. His work, otherwise known as the ninety-five theses, was thought of as a highly controversial topic among the people of the Roman Catholic Church. Luther’s idea changed the world fundamentally and was the flashpoint where ideas and trends which had been smoldering in Europe started people talking and bigger ideas developed. On All Saints’ Day in 1517, Luther, Professor of theology at Wittenberg University in Saxony, posted the ninety-five theses on a church door that began the Protestant Reformation and started a revolution. We have many important historical figures that have somehow made an impressionable and inspirational movement that changed and affects us still today. A man named Martin Luther was thought of as an insightful church leader as well as a freedom fighter to some and a heretic, apostate, profane ecclesiastical terrorist to others. Still some would consider him necessary evil and an unwitting catalyst that set aflame a volatile social and ecclesiastical situation. Luther thought of himself as a simple monk or Christian whose marveled straight-forward stand of conscience had turned him into one of the most talking about people of his time. That simple stand of conscience started an ecclesiastical shock wave that changed the course of western history. He had a sort of power and contained unique forces that forced most of the Roman Catholic Church to listen to him and reform. His ideas included: Why can’t we ask questions, questioning the church’s loyalty and honesty with the people. He was peevish and egomaniacal and temperamental and argumental. His single mindedness and enormous elf-confidence taught people to think for themselves and showed them the corrupt church. He had a straight belief in the rightness of his arguments and protested use of indulgences which forgave individual sin which was granted by the pope. Many actions and ideas from Martin Luther made this German monk become a lightning rod 2007-02-15T01:30:10-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Martin-Luther-32622.aspx Technological advances in the American Military The modern American military saw the need to be quicker, more efficient and more powerful. In order to accomplish this they had to become more technologically advanced. Three examples of technology that show how the American military has accomplished this is; the Nimitz Class Super Carrier (Nimitz), the M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank (M1A2), and the Tomahawk® Land Attack Cruise Missile (Tomahawk). Aircraft carriers are an important part in protecting and enforcing the policies of the United States. The Nimitz-class super carriers, able to rapidly mobilize an air wing of up 80 planes, have advanced technology unmatched by any other Navy in the world. The propulsion system as well as the catapults and arresting gear are just a few of the advancements that helped these carriers to be known as “national treasures”. The Nimitz has a propulsion system of two nuclear reactors giving her virtually unlimited range, endurance and the speed of over 30 knots. The ship’s four catapults and arresting gear engines enable her to launch and recover up to four aircraft per minute. The on-board NATO Sea Sparrow, comprised of two launchers with eight missiles each, is a radar-guided, short to medium range missile capable of attacking enemy aircraft and cruise missiles. Close-In Weapon Systems have individual search and track radar. The Gatling guns are capable of firing 3,000 rounds per minute. The M1A2 is a powerful force rolling onto the battlefield at speeds of up to 50 mph. Equipped with an overpressure clean-air conditioning air system, a radiological warning system, and a chemical agent detector, this tank provides its four man crew protection from Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical warfare. The technology used in the M1A2 was developed for each crew member’s tasks specifically. The commander is suited with six periscopes and an Independent Thermal Viewer providing him independent stabilized day and night vision with a 360 degree view, automatic sector scanning, automatic target cueing of the gunner’s sight, and a complete back-up fire control system. The gunner’s fire control system is integrated with a laser range finder. The laser range finder collects range data such as; the range measurement – to 10 meters of accuracy, lead angle measurement, the bend of the gun, and wind velocity. After the gunner and commander enter ammunition type, temperature, and the barometric pressure, the computer calculates the fire 2007-02-05T15:28:30-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Technological-advances-in-the-American-Military-32594.aspx 1947 Texas City Disaster The Texas City Disaster, as it is known today, is the worst industrial accident in America’s history. Texas City, home of one of the largest petrochemical complexes in the United States, almost disappeared from existence on the morning of April 16, 1947. The losses from this disaster were unprecedented, from the number of those killed or wounded to the billions of dollars in damage. There has not been a documented American industrial accident of this magnitude since. The nightmare began when the SS Grandcamp, bearing a cargo of ammonium nitrate fertilizer destined for Europe, caught fire while in the Texas City harbor. The local fire department responded to the dockside fire as they had done many times before with success. The colorful flames and smoke attracted a large crowd of curious children and adults. The people of Texas City have become unconcerned about fires on the dock, they happened all the time. It had become a common saying, “let’s go watch the firefighters work their magic.” Nobody knew about the highly explosive ammonium nitrate onboard the very ship that was on fire. The label was simply marked fertilizer after all. There was nothing on the labels to indicate the volatile nature of what was in those bags. As the onlookers watched, the ship exploded sending a column of smoke over two thousand feet high into the air. A second explosion sent out a violent shockwave. Within minutes the entire industrial complex was on fire. Buildings were collapsing, trapping people inside. Pipelines were bursting spraying their contents onto anyone and everything around. The water in the bay that had been compressed by the shockwave from the two explosions returned in the form a tidal wave twenty feet high. Between the violent explosions, fierce fires, and the rushing water, some people literally disintegrated like the fire chief standing atop the ship when it exploded. Though exact numbers could never be established, estimates are as high as 600 dead and over 5,000 injured. As if the fatalities and casualties were not enough, the damage caused by the incident was wide spread and would take years to recover from. Earthquake like tremors were reported as far north as Palestine, Texas, as far east as the Louisiana – Mississippi boarder in Slidell, Lousiana, 2007-02-05T15:19:51-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/1947-Texas-City-Disaster-32593.aspx Thomas Jeferson Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson’s ideals and beliefs were derived from a deep regard for life, liberty, and freedom. His concept of individual freedoms strongly disagreed with the notion of a “guided republic” which he believed concentrated a great deal unchecked power among a few people. This could have the potential of tyrannical government that might suppress personal freedoms of any kind especially those of religion, which Jefferson feels very strongly felt should be protected. After fighting hard to rid America of British domination, Jefferson was determined to create a government that was responsible to, and derived its powers from, a free people. As the writer of the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, Jefferson is thought by many to be the founder of the Democratic Party. He was foremost among the influential men who believed that laws should be made by those who are to obey them. Thomas Jefferson pushed hard to create a government that would serve and protect all its constituents. A “guided republic” is a form of government where an essentially omnipotent council determines the legislation passed by the legislative body. Though the legislative and executive branches may be elected by the people, they supervising power is not and therefore has the ability to rule in any way they please. The council can, and often does, refuse the rights to freedom of press, speech, and religion. They may prevent bills that attempt to revive these powers and, in the same sense, may prohibit people from speaking about ideas that oppose those of the council. This governing group does not hesitate to use violent force to protect their power. At its worst, a “guided republic” is a tyrannical form of government, whose people are denied basic rights to life. The people in a “guided republic” are not the constituents but the subjects of their government. Thomas Jefferson believed that all Americans should have the “freedom of language and sentiment…as derived from the laws of nature” . In his most famous document, the Declaration of Independence, he stated “that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain [inherent and] inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” . Jefferson was a strong advocate of a bill of rights within the Constitution. In a letter to James Madison, he says that he “did not like…the omission 2007-02-03T23:48:04-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Thomas-Jeferson--32587.aspx The Russian Revolution of 1917 The Russian Revolution of 1917 The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a rebellion of the Russian people against the rule of the Russian emperor, Nicholas II. Russia was going through changes in the early 1900’s and the late 1800’s. This revolution brought forth the Soviet Union, and was known as the Marxist Revolution. In the 1905 Revolution, thousands of men, women, and children were led by a Russian Orthodox priest, marched to Czar Nicholas II’s Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. The other revolution was the February and October Revolutions. Russia was a country full of many unsatisfied people. Russia was experiencing changes in the early 1900’s and the late 1800’s. In the rural part, a sequence of poor harvests, farm laborers and peasants and their families were starving. In the urban side, industrialization was changing the face of Russian society. The middle class and workers were asking to be a part of ruling of the country. The disappointed Russians formed three political organizations. The three important organizations were the liberal constitutionalists, the social revolutionaries, and the Marxists, who followed the ideas of Karl Marx. The liberal constitutionalists wanted a western form of parliament government to replace the rule of the czars. The social revolutionaries wanted to start a revolution with the Russian peasants. The Marxists wanted a revolution with the city and town workers. The march to St. Petersburg led by the Orthodox priest, Father Gapon ended in a bloody massacre. The goal of the march was to ask for a democratic elected assembly and a basic reform. The czar was not happy with this demonstration so his soldiers fired on the demonstrators, killing and wounding hundreds of them. This was known as the “Bloody Sunday.” After the massacre there was a rebellion led by the liberal constitutionalists demanding a parliament to be set up. Nicholas agreed to set up a parliament. The parliament system did not work out the way they were hoping to turn out. There was three parliament systems that were set out, the first and second Nicholas ruled out because he did not want to give up power. The third one was laid out and Nicholas changed the election laws so that less workers and peasants can vote. This whole period ended when 2007-02-02T18:51:26-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Russian-Revolution-of-1917-32574.aspx The Revolt of the Pueblo Indians The Revolt of the Pueblo Indians The Pueblo Revolt was in 1680. The Pueblo Revolt was the result of Pueblo Indians rebelling against the mistreatment by the Spanish people. The Indians were starving and dying from disease because of the Spanish people. The Pueblo Indians did not want the Spanish people in New Mexico. They wanted to go back to their religion and the Indian ways. These actions by the Spanish people are what led to the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. There were many reasons why the Indians wanted the Spaniards off their land. The Indians were mistreated in many ways. One of the reasons they wanted the Spaniards off their land was that they were forced to work for the Spaniards as well as raise their own crops. Another reasons they wanted them off their land was that the Spanish people brought diseases to the Indian people. The diseases killed many Indians. The diseases that were brought to the Indian people were small pox, measles, whooping cough, and many other diseases. In one year 3,000 Indian people died from small pox alone. The Pueblo Indians did not have an immune system built up to fight against these diseases. Another reason was that the Navajos and Apaches were raiding the Pueblo Indians. The Pueblo Indians blamed the Spanish for this because they couldn’t defend them. They raided them because they wanted their food. They wanted their food because they could not trade with them anymore. The last reason they wanted the Spanish out was the weather. There was a five year drought between 1667 and 1672. The crops would not grow and the Indians were starving to death. They were not allowed to do their rain dance either because the Catholic priests would not allow them. The Indians were also forced to become Christianized. The Spaniards burned down the kivas and forced them to become Christians. The Indians wanted to go back to their own religion to bring rain. In 1675 the priests asked the governor to arrest the Pueblos religious leaders because the priests did not want the Indians to practice their religion. The governor sent out soldiers to arrest the religious leaders called medicine men. They arrested 47 men and brought them to Santa Fe. 2007-02-02T18:42:59-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Revolt-of-the-Pueblo-Indians-32569.aspx Adolf Eichmann's Involvement in World War II Adolf Eichmann's Involvement in World War II When the Holocaust, or the persecution of the Jews around World War 2, is mentioned there is one name that immediately comes to mind: Adolf Hitler of course. And sure, he was the chief culprit, but he had many collaborators. One of them was Karl Adolf Eichmann. Born in 1906 in Cologne, Germany into a middle class protestant family, as a boy he was teased and nicknamed “the little Jew” by classmates, because of his dark complexion. At age 26 he joined the growing Austrian Nazi Party at the suggestion of a friend. A year later he took a job in Heydrich’s SD, the powerful SS security service. He was assigned to the Jewish section, which was at this stage collecting information on all prominent Jews. At this point in time began Eichmann’s almost obsessive interest in the Jews. He studied all aspects of Jewish culture and gradually became the acknowledged Jewish specialist. In 1939, Eichmann was appointed Head of the Gestapo, the secret state police of Germany, and became one of the most powerful men in the Third Reich. In Poland, Heydrich and Eichmann ordered all Jews to be rounded up and forced into ghettos and labor camps. Methods of execution used at this time involved gathering Jews to a secluded location and then shooting and burying them. SS leader Heinrich Himmler witnessed such a killing and nearly fainted. He then ordered more “humane” methods of killing to be found, mostly to spare his SS men the ordeal of such a direct method. The Nazi’s then turned their attention to gassing. At Auschwitch the gas chamber, disguised as a shower room, could accommodate 2000 people at a time. In 1941, Eichmann was told to prepare “a general plan for carrying out the desired Final Solution of the Jewish question”. With boundless enthusiasm for his task and fanatical efficiency, Eichmann traveled throughout the Reich coordinating the Final Solution and victim numbers tallied into the millions as the war dragged on. Following the surrender of Nazi Germany in May of 1945, Eichmann was arrested and confined to an American Internment Camp, but he managed to escape because his name was not yet well known. In 1950 he fled to Argentina and lived there under an assumed name for ten years until Israeli Mossad agents abducted him in 1960. You may have noticed that the name Eichmann appears in Billy 2007-02-02T18:20:01-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Adolf-Eichmann-s-Involvement-in-World-War-II-32557.aspx Technology's Part in World War I Technology's Part in World War I The technology and many interweaving alliances of WWI resulted in a war that was pricier and coasted more lives than it should have. And on top of that, hundreds of thousands of men, women and children were mercilessly killed and the boundaries of the land were altered. I believe it was very accurate the way the historical content depicts everything that happened during that war. Many were killed, land was stolen, land was given back, and new weapons and technologies were put into action. Also, many countries came together and formed strong lasting alliances. All four documents show this opinion adequately. According to document #1, alliances played a vital role in the Great War. The Central Powers were Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. The Allies were France, Russia and Great Britain. Also soon to be an allied power was the U.S. the Allies has a common goal which was to preserve democracy and liberty for all the countries who had it and to defend any country like that which is being attacked. The Central Powers only wanted land and control of all of Europe and probably the world sooner or later. The 2 powers battled more often than not on the western and eastern front. The Allies saw the Central Powers as a messed up country and the Central Powers saw the Allies as the same thing. This is shown nicely in document #2. Because of the great alliances, the war turned out a lot differently than if there were no alliances and every country was for themselves. In document #3, the U.S. expresses its hatred for Germany and the Central Powers. An American newspaper reporter told what “happened” when Germany attacked Louvain. It was described as a massacre that even money couldn’t fix. Everything was destroyed that meant anything to anyone. It became a wasteland. It was a “…war on churches, on the defenseless, colleges, shops of milliners and lace makers, against women and children…“ it was more of an opinion than a fact what happened their but it was close enough to the truth to make people angry at Germany as well as patriotic towards the democratic system. Clearly, this person was anti-German and was an American. Document #4 shows the American government’s hatred for the German government and how immoral Germany was towards other smaller and larger countries. President Wilson’s war message to 2007-02-02T18:15:48-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Technology-s-Part-in-World-War-I-32554.aspx Overview of American Government Overview of American Government America as we know it includes a vast network of representative governments. During the colonial period of early America, Virginia was the first to introduce a representative assembly. This first glimpse of democracy influenced the shape of America today. It eventually caused the colonies to drift away from monarchial England, and to establish a democratic government. Ironically, from this government, slavery and racism sprouted. In an attempt to make Virginia a more pleasant place to live, the governor was instructed to create an assembly with the power to make laws. The assembly included two members from each plantation to serve as burgesses, or representatives. Convening in 1619 it became the first colonial, representative body (p.13). This was a significant step in the formation of America. A group of men representing the residents of a particular land would make laws that were meant for them. This was democracy at its earliest stage in America. Everywhere one goes today in America, there is democracy. Whether a church council, school club or the state general assembly, a representative group is always present. Democracy shapes America. One could view the first democratic group responsible for today's freedom. This was the assembly formed by George Yeardly (p.13). Perhaps, if the Virginia Company had not instructed the governor to establish an assembly, the idea of democracy might not have instilled into the minds of the colonists. Surely, without this first appearance, it is questionable that an idea suppressed for centuries under the English monarchy would surface anywhere else. Moreover, it led the way for other settlements to adopt a similar code. Another way the representative body shaped America was slavery. Most representatives approved slavery and practiced it. The early burgesses of the Virginian assembly received land as their pay wages (p.14). They needed people to work their newly acquired lands. Therefore, indentured servants were common on their plantations. The whole idea of indentured servants and their later inadequacy eventually led to the flood of black slaves to America. Because these representatives owned servants and slaves themselves, slavery was easily passed into law. It has a huge impact on the racial tension in America today. Because of the representative government approved slavery, it existed in America. Virginia's first representative body helped form present America because it set an example of democracy for other colonies and broke from the common practice of lordship and monarchy. It eventually caused the 2007-02-02T18:12:19-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Overview-of-American-Government-32552.aspx The Effects of the Industrial Revolution Today The Effects of the Industrial Revolution Today The effects of the Industrial Revolution are still very important today. Most of the effects occurred to help men and women employers and were very advantageous, although some effects made life harder for workers who struggled to find jobs. With everyday life advancing so rapidly, many of the jobs that had previously been done by man were now done by machine. Those of the times were faced with the situation of man vs. machine. Women’s struggle for equality has been a long standing battle, but beginning during the Industrial Revolution, things slowly began to alter. Women were always thought to be inferior to men during and before the 1800’s. They had little rights and were considered weak workers by men of the upper classes. When the Industrial Revolution began, however, the women decided it was time for a change. To gain more rights, women organized and protested in the streets, refused to eat, and as their demands grew, so did their voices and resistance. To make themselves clear, British women drew up pensions, made mockery of political figures, and burned buildings and railway stations. Eventually, Parliament was forced to listen to them and reforms were made. These reforms helped women of the past, and of today to have regulated work hours, better working conditions, and the right to vote. Today, women are recognized as equivalents of men, more than possession of them. Not only did women have to struggle for their rights, but workers did as well. Workers had very poor working conditions and worked extremely hard to get what they needed to live minimally. To gain more rights, workers had to form labor unions which were organizations designed to represent workers rights. The labor unions fought to gain reforms approved by Parliament that would improve the lives of workers. Soon, the Factory Act was passed which forbade children under the age of nine to work, this improved the harsh lives of child laborers. Reformers eventually gained new reform laws which improved factory conditions, public health, and education. With higher wages and fewer work hours, many workers could buy meat and eggs more regularly in addition to many other mass-produced goods. Soon after labor unions began pleading their cases, their demands in politics and society were met. 2007-02-02T18:10:46-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Effects-of-the-Industrial-Revolution-Today-32551.aspx European Powers Between 1815 And 1830 European Powers Between 1815 And 1830 Why and with what results, did major European powers intervene to suppress revolutionary movements between 1815 and 1830? Among the effects of the French Revolution on European political thought, perhaps the most important, and certainly the most immediate, lay of concentrating the attention of European reformers on the possibility of universal peace. The French Revolution inspired the belief in the writers that the dawn of peace was at the hand, and that democracy would unite in the bonds of lasting freedom and peace. The close of the revolutionary epoch left Europe satiated with blood, and painfully anxious to devise a form of international government, which would serve as security against the menace of future wars. The Holy Roman Empire was the earliest form of European confederation, and it represented a rudimentary attempt to give substance to the vision of Isaich a world united in peace. The first step to keep peace in Europe was the Congress of Vienna. They faced three-main tasks. The first one was to make or approve detailed arrangements for sharing the spoils of victory, bearing in mind that the great powers had already made a number of preliminary agreements. This had to be done without setting the victors at each other’s throats. The second task was, in so doing, to create a stable Europe unlikely to suffer further great upheavals. The third task is to prevent political revolutions, such as French Revolution and maintain the status quo. The main representatives were strong and fascinating personalities. Foremost Metternich, foreign minister of the Habsburg Emperor of Austria who was a brilliant negotiator determined to get the best deal of Austria, but convinced also that Europe’s future peace depended on the major states of Europe being more or less balanced in strength. Britain’s representatives was Lord Castlereagh who a cold and shy man and who believed too that balance of power between the major states was essential to the future peace of Europe. The Russian Tsar, Alexander I and the Prussian King Fredrick William III were also present and France was represented by Talleyrand. The steps taken by the congress to re-establish a balance of power among the countries of Europe and have peace between the nations were France was deprived of all territory conquered by Napoleon and the French monarchy was restored under the rule of Louis XVIII. Austria was given back 2007-02-02T17:59:30-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/European-Powers-Between-1815-And-1830-32545.aspx American And Iranian Revolution American And Iranian Revolution The American and Iranian Revolutions where led by the people of that nation in search of their rights. They were discontent with their dictatorship. During the American Revolution the British were taking advantage of the Americans. The British government needed more money to pay its army so they passed a tax on the colonies called the Stamp Act. This angered many of the Americans and they devoted themselves in a full out war. On the other hand, the Iranian revolution began because the Iranian population wanted to change its monarchy government to a constitutional government. During the elections, promises were made but never kept; which angered the people. The Iranian and the American Revolutions compared have many similarities and differences. A bureaucracy is “a system in which authority derives from legally defined offices rather than from hereditary position or privileges-thrives when governments abolish such privileges…. Revolution, therefore, had permanent bureaucracy as a likely outcome”(Weber 32). In both the American and Iranian Revolutions, the people were fighting for a type of bureaucracy called democracy. Individuals wanted equal rights. Unfortunately, “the cheapest way of satisfying the need for administration was to leave almost the entire local administration and lower judicature to the landlords” (Goldstone 32), this was the case in the Iranian and American Revolutions. The rulers were beginning to take away the rights and privileges of the citizens. The wealthiest people were the highest officials. During the times of the revolution, the nations were being led by a single power. In Iran, the Shah was the individual with the most power. During the boiling points of the revolution, Pahlavi was shah. He was the dictator and led a Monarchy. In the American Revolution, the leader was the King George III of the Parliament. Being the king made him the most powerful individual in rule. These high authoritative positions allowed them to make their own rules. In the Iranian Revolution, the people were tired of their Monarchial government and wanted a constitutional government. The candidates who would run for Shah would promise the people a constitutional government and once they were elected into office, they would not change the system because it benefited them. “In 1974-1975 alone, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy was found guilty of pocketing $3.7 million, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force (the Shah’s brother-in-law) was implicated in a $5 million kick-back scheme…. By 1977 the 2007-02-02T17:07:22-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-And-Iranian-Revolution-32522.aspx The Amur River The Amur River The Amur is the 6th longest river in the world, it is 2,744 miles in the East regions of Russia. It meets the Argun and Shilka Rivers and flows to the Tartar Strait at the Pacific Ocean. The Amur river is the largest river in the world (It also has no dam). For 1,000 miles the river makes a border to Russia and China. The area around the Amur river has 95% of the worlds white stork. It also has alot of cranes and other birds. The river is the place where around 100 species of fish live. Most people take tours to see Amur leopard (only about 50 are still alive). The river valley has a nice habitat for alot of other wildlife. You can only ride a boat in May to November. The river was a place for ancient people in Russia and China. Archaeologists from two nations have teamed up to dig to find clues to see how these people lived. Some tribes are the Nani (most local people). Now those clans are...Nanai (different from Nani) (pop. 12,000), Ulchi (pop. 3200), Udegai (pop. 1,900), Oroch (pop. 900), and Negidal (pop. 600). Some Nanai and Oroch live on the Chinese side of the Amur River and other little rivers. Most clans depend on the river for there food and water. Most clans live on or near the river so they can have easy access to the river. There are island scattered on the river and most clans live there for protection. They also use rivers as transport for boats carrying food for the towns in Russia. The river flows east, but at Khabarovsk the river goes north. The most important river in the eastern part of Russia is the Amur river. It is 1,100 miles (1,000 along the border) (Which is 1,800 kilometers). The economy of the Amur Basin has manufacturing, iron mining, metals, gold, coal, wheat, soybeans, fish, wood and Chinese to Russian trading. The Daqing oilfield (the world's 4th-biggest oilfield) is near Daqing City in Heilongjiang (about 1/2 mile from the oilfield). The name amur means "Black water" in Russia. Some of the big cities it flows through or by 2007-02-01T00:11:59-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Amur-River--32492.aspx Women during the Enlightenment Women during the Enlightenment: Communities, Economies & Opportunities In many ways, the position of women was seriously degraded during the Enlightenment. Economically, the rise of capitalism produced laws that severely restricted women's rights to own property and run businesses. I believe that this was unfair and very sexist of the way Enlightenment thinkers thought about how women and men differ because of 2007-01-15T19:40:54-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Women-during-the-Enlightenment-32413.aspx Essay on the Battle Of The Bluge, December 1944 Essay on the Battle Of The Bluge, December 1944 The summer of 1944 saw the beginning of long awaited battles begin. The Allied landings in France, and the Soviet offensive against Army Group Middle. From now till the end of the war the Waffen SS would be in constant action and its strength would dwindle accordingly. Replacements and refits were few and far between, and always inadequet. At the time of the Normandy landings the four Waffen SS divisons in the West were widely scattered. LAH was in Belgium, Hitlerjugend [HJ] west of Paris, Gotz von Berlichingen [GvB] was at Thouars, and Das Reich near the Spainish border. The German reaction was to have HJ launch an immediate couter attack. At the conclusion of this, the Germans were able to hold the Allies to little gain with extreme cost to what they earned. Soon Das Reich and GvB were at the front. Recognizing that forces were lacking, German command ordered Hohenstaufen and Frundsberg from Poland to Normandy. By 29. June both were in line, and on the July 11, LAH was released from reserve. On June 12. and 26., and July 18. the British and Canadians launched major offensives, however all were contained. On the 25. of July the Americans launched theirs but with different results. Das Reich and GvB were encircled temporarily but were able to cut across Americans lines and save most of their men and equipment. The Germans now made a series of blunders which exasperated an already bad situation. With American tanks circling from behind and the British pushing forward, the Germans were being forced into a vulnerable and narrow pocket near Falaise. The Germans had two options. Either cut off the Americans by attacking towards Avranches and cut them off, or withdraw. They did nothing, for ten days. When the attack towards Avaranches was launched, it was too little, too late. Meanwhile the Mortain line was growing unstable by the day, and the order to move was given. LAH joined with Das Reich, GvB and the Armys' 2. and 116. Panzer Divisions on August 6. The expected move was easily held by the Americans. The Germans were now in a worse position prior to the attack. With three of their strongest units west of Mortain they could only watch the jaws of the pincers close. Now was a race against time. They immediately began withdrawing units 2007-01-12T03:39:06-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Essay-on-the-Battle-Of-The-Bluge,-December-1944-32397.aspx A True Look At The Kennedy Assassination A True Look At The Kennedy Assassination November 22, 1963 was a day no American will ever forget. Most people remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news. At precisely 12:30 P.M. [Central Standard Time], the 35th president of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas. Constituted by Lyndon B Johnson, and led by Chief Justice Earl Warren, the Warren Commission was assembled to investigate the assassination of John F. Kennedy. This commission was conceived “in recognition of the right of people everywhere to full and truthful knowledge concerning these events.” This statement has been challenged by many over the past 40 years. The commission’s relatively short investigation and controversial evidence has left much room for doubt among the American people. The Warren Commission arrived at twelve distinct conclusions after investigating the case. Among the most controversial are conclusion numbers one, two, three, four and ten. Conclusions one and four state that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin, firing shots from the sixth floor window at the southeast corner of the Texas School Book Depository. These conclusions were based on witnesses, many of whom happened to disappear shortly after interviewed; evidence and pictures from an autopsy preformed on the president, which were never disclosed to the public; and Oswald’s background information, which conveniently “fit the mold”. Another questionable conclusion in the Warren Report is conclusion number two; “the weight of the evidence indicates that there were three shots fired,” was left completely unexplained, with no supporting evidence. Conclusion three states that of the three supposed shots fired, one wounded both Texas Governor, John Connally and President Kennedy. However, it also states that Governor Connally’s statements leave room for doubt as to which bullet hit him. Although these conclusions leave questions unanswered, the most debated conclusion of the Warren Report is number ten. “In its entire investigation the Commission has found no evidence of conspiracy, subversion, or disloyalty to the U.S. Government by a Federal, State, or local official.” Similar to conclusion number two, there is no supporting documentation under this claim. Under all but three conclusions in the Warren Report supporting evidence is provided immediately following. It is 2007-01-11T19:43:50-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-True-Look-At-The-Kennedy-Assassination-32372.aspx Changing lifestyles in Europe: The Coal and Steel Industry Changing lifestyles in Europe: The Coal and Steel Industry Introduction If you look on a map of global population density, you can see four or five major concentrations of people: East Asia, South Asia, North America and Europe. Many of the cities that developed in Europe grew on coalfields as a result of the industrial revolution. But today the factor coal become more and more unimportant and the people in the coal industry are facing huge problems. The highest rates of unemployment can be found in former coal and steel making communities. Their mines and steel works are now closed or at least reduced in size. You now might think that the global community is using less coal or steel, but in fact they are still produced in huge quantities. It’s just that the importance of European coalfields is getting smaller and smaller, as new energy sources such as oil, gas, wind and solar power and new materials such as aluminum, glass and plastics. Such changes have affected the lives of many European people. Coal: Black Gold There are three different types of coal. Black coal is the oldest and most efficient form of energy. Brown coal has only about half the energy of black coal, and Peat (Torf) contains only very little energy and is used only in very few isolated houses in Europe, with no access to any electricity network. In the nineteenth century black coal was the most important source of energy in western countries. Steam engines were now in use and it also helped to develop blast furnaces on which the iron and later steel was based. Iron was the main industrial metal in Europe until the 18th century, because steel was only produced in small quantities because the methods were expensive and complex. In 1709 Abraham Darby produced coke from coal, which was able to burn at higher temperature. Then developments in the steel industry were rapid after the 19th century industrial revolution, so it was now cheaper and easier to produce steel. There were famous inventors such as William Kelly, Henry Bassemer (converter) and the two German brothers Siemens. The Bessemer Converter is a bowl which converts iron into steel. It was then used for all kinds of large-scale work. Steel had become the main factor of industrialization. The railways and by 1880 even buildings were made of steel. The World Coal Industry today Coal is found throughout the world, but the 2007-01-11T05:44:50-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Changing-lifestyles-in-Europe-The-Coal-and-Steel-Industry-32365.aspx Adolf Hitler and the Story of World War II Adolf Hitler and the Story of World War II Hitler, leader of the German Nazi party and, from 1933 until his death, dictator of Germany. He rose from the bottom of society to conquer first Germany and then most of Europe. Riding on a wave of European fascism after World War I and favored by traditional defects in German society, especially its lack of cohesion, he built a Fascist regime unparalleled for barbarism and terror. His rule resulted in the destruction of the German nation-state and its society, in the ruin of much of Europe's traditional structure, and in the extermination of about 6 million Jews. He was eventually defeated, but his temporary success demonstrated frighteningly, at the brink of the atomic age, the vulnerability of civilization. Early Years Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, at Braunau-am-Inn, Austria. Alois, his father, had risen from a poor peasant background to become an Austrian customs official and was able to provide his son with a secondary school education. Adolf, a bright and talented student at his village school, felt out of place in the much larger urban secondary school. He gave himself up to aimless reading, dreamed about becoming an artist, and developed a talent for evading responsibilities. Poor school marks prevented him from obtaining the customary graduation certificate. After the death of his father, he left his home in Linz, Upper Austria, in 1907 to seek his fortune in Vienna. Hitler's professed aim in Vienna was to study art, especially architecture, but he twice failed, in 1907 and 1908, to get admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts. These failures destroyed what little order he had established in his life. He withdrew completely from family and friends and wandered aimlessly through the city, observing its life. Though he continued to read voraciously, he derived most of his knowledge from secondhand sources, coffeehouse talk, newspapers, and pamphlets. He encountered the writings of an obscure author whose racist and anti-Semitic ideas impressed him. Politically, he turned to a fervent German nationalism and a vague anti-Marxism. But at this time he was probably mainly interested in being accepted as an artist and architect. When the money left by his parents ran out, Hitler fell into total poverty, lodging in a men's hostel. Grudgingly, he decided to support himself by painting postcards and watercolors and to accommodate himself to the mixed company of tramps, outcasts, cranks, and 2007-01-11T04:10:31-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Adolf-Hitler-and-the-Story-of-World-War-II-32344.aspx The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro In the years leading to the U.S. Civil War, the controversy over slavery became not only a social issue, but also a political and legal one as well. Opponents and proponents of slavery each looked to the American constitution, as well as the prevailing culture of the time, for direction in dealing with this matter. One such person who based their landmark works on this was Frederick Douglas, an emancipated slave, who fought tirelessly for the abolishment of slavery. In 1852, Frederick Douglas was asked to speak at a July 4th celebration. In his speech, he made it known clearly, his despise for the treatment of Black slaves of the day, as well as the irony and hypocrisy, which was especially evident on that day. He explained that this hypocrisy aimed at the black population was evident on several fronts, and so, he refers to the fourth of July as "the birthday of your National Independence and your political freedom." However, Frederick Douglas never lost hope. Although in his speeches and writing he eludes greatly to the detestable and horrid facts black enslavement, he nonetheless saw a silver lining. "There is hope in the thought," Douglas said, after he explicated how America is a new and young nation, despite it being around the "old age for a man". Since the United States was recently formed, there is still plenty of room for reform and changes that would not have been possible had America been older. America, he said, was still in the "impressible stage of her existence." As bleak and grim as the conditions were for blacks at the time, was nonetheless optimistic about the idea that blacks will one day be accepted and absorbed in all the ranks of society. He likened this to the analogy of rivers, which, he said, were like nations. Even though a river cannot be turned aside, "it may dry up". If a nation "dries up", there will be nothing left of that nation, except a "withered branch". This withered branch is a symbol of what the nation believed in and what could happen to it if it unfairly cast aside certain members of its society. Douglas also pointed out that the Declaration of Independence was one of the most valuable factors in the 2007-01-11T04:01:11-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Meaning-of-July-Fourth-for-the-Negro-32342.aspx The Rise of the Ku Klux Klan The Rise of the Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan was a very powerful and organized secret society that began in the years directly following the Civil War, and is a society whose influence is still felt today. Although the reasons for the rise of the Klan vary from source to source, there is one common thread, which is that it rose from fear. The KKK grew as a response to three major changes in the South after the Civil War. Changes to the social, cultural and economic trends put southern whites in fear of being on the same level as their former slaves (Constructing the American Past Pg. 2). They were afraid to be over run by the newly freed black slaves. Every Klan’s man was to take an oath before entering in which states that the Klan’s purpose was to “To protect the weak, the innocent, and the defenseless, from the indignities, wrongs, and outrages of the lawless, the violent, and the brutal; to relieve the injured and oppressed; to succor the suffering and unfortunate, and especially the widows and orphans of Confederate soldiers.” (Constructing Pg. 4). The whites were scared of the blacks, and were making it by attempting to bully them into yet another submissive role. This was a time of trouble for the southern whites. They were not used to being placed as equal to any black person. This is another cause for the formation of the KKK. In a time of hardship the whites needed to ban together and find a scapegoat. In this case, the blacks were being blamed for the dramatic change in the entire south. The change in industry, society, and even the change in the land, was blamed on the poor newly freed blacks. The blacks were blamed for the many deaths that the south had in the Civil War, the many people who were widowed, orphaned, or hit by its tradegy (100 Years, Pg. 37-39). Interestingly though, the Klan was not made up of only wealthy southern whites. Most of its members were from a lesser class, a class that would most likely be at the same level of the newly freed black slaves. These farmers had always been able to say that at least they were better than the blacks, but after the Civil War, 2007-01-11T03:42:09-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Rise-of-the-Ku-Klux-Klan-32337.aspx Analyzing the Israeli Conflict Analyzing the Israeli Conflict This speech is addressed to the whole nation, and as well as the whole world. The speech starts at 7:00 a.m. on a Monday morning. The President (Mr. Bush) of the United States of America is sitting behind his desk on the oval office of the white house. President Bush is wearing a dark black suit, with a white collared shirt, and a blue tie. This broadcast has been the biggest news in some time and is long awaited by the American public. It will interrupt all major television programs as well as all major radios stations at exactly 7:00 a.m. Fellow Americans, we will not support the acts of terrorism that go in our country as well as any other part of the world. It brings me great sorrow that I come forth with the news that can change the entire world, as we know it today. The militant group Al-Aqsa is holding the entire Israeli congress hostage. Since Israel has become a capitol for those of the Jewish religion there has been many “holy wars” as well as many deaths. As the President of the United States I will not sit back and watch innocent people being killed, and entire government’s being held hostage, and taken over by terrorists. The significance of this issue is very important with time being the biggest factor; we as a country have all the necessary resources available to bring terrorism to an end. We will not lose this war on terrorism. The American public must understand the importance of these events. Terrorism is a great threat to the world. Israel’s form of government has come under attack from a militant group called AL-Aqsa, and is being held hostage in their own country. This is a great threat to the Israeli’s and we, as Americans should do all that is necessary to help them. After the events that occurred on September 11th, 2001, the United States does not stand for terrorism. (Barr) Israel is a country that has people of the Jewish religion, who have been under attack so many times in the past, and have been through more then most can imagine. With this the American people should agree of the importance, and how if we sit back and watch, it can lead to other complicated matters, and can get out of control. The militant group gave up some demands for 2007-01-09T03:01:59-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analyzing-the-Israeli-Conflict-32319.aspx American History of the Korean War American History of the Korean War As history has shown the effects of war are both devastating and long lasting. In the case of the Korean War, these effects are still seen today as hostilities continue even after 50 years. The Korean War was a war that had developed from an interesting situation after World War II. Towards the end of World War II, the Soviet Union had entered the war to seize control over Japanese territories which included Korea. The strategic position of Korea led the United States to step in to stop communism from spreading. A truce was agreed upon in which the Soviet Union would occupy all of Korea north of the 38 parallel and the United States would occupy all of Korea south of the 38 parallel. From this event began the separation of Korea into a democratic and communist party which would later erupt into a war. Strangely enough, the initial objective of the Soviet Union and the United States was to establish a unified Korea and then evacuate all military forces, but ironically, their actions led to a greater division of Korea and increased tensions between the communist ideologies of the north and the democratic ideologies of the south. As time progress and tensions mounted, different factions began to struggle for power until Kim Il Sung seized power and became a political figure in the north. At the same time in the southern part of Korea, Syngman Rhee took political power and advocated anticommunism. Now that there were two provisional governments in place in Korea, it was decided in 1948 by the United Nations that a general election decide who would be the political figurehead of Korea. After the votes were tallied, it was declared that Kim Il Sung was the president of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea although the communist party and communist countries supported him. The election of Sung led to the permanent division of Korea at the 38 parallel. The election of 1948 and the official division of Korea were the two main events which set the stage for a civil war along with the fact that both North and South Korea were preparing their armies. On June 25, 1950 the first shot was fired, by which side is still unknown today, and the Korean War had begun. In the early stages of the war, both the United States and the Soviet 2007-01-09T02:36:54-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-History-of-the-Korean-War-32312.aspx European History of Imperialism European History of Imperialism J.A Hobson, a very influential publicist with outlandish but brilliant thoughts, had a tremendous impact on both his time period and future posterity on the subject of Imperialism. However, just like any famous subject or discussion, there are those that rebuttal ones thoughts or feelings. Many scholars, statesmen, and government officials had their own feelings on Imperialism, which are stated in the documents given. These individuals state their attitudes to the answer of the question, “What accounted for the colonial expansion of Europe in the 19th century?” Some of these thoughts show Hobson’s views as more of a weaker argument, which clash his thought of Imperialism being the source of the imperial force being certain industrial, financial, and professional classes seeking personal advantages out of expansion. Frank Swettenham and Lord Grey, both British Colonial officers, feel that the European governments trying to handle it themselves did not always accommodate the infiltration of a region, but rather there were native opportunities and elements that persuaded the foreign people to join in. In document 4 written by Lord John Russell, the British prime minister of the 1850s, he states that everyone knows the true answer to becoming strong as a nation. The answer is that the countries and colonies that provide these nations with goods and territory, will always help during peace, but will always pay off during war. This is contradicting the statements of Hobson saying that these acts are not selfish or self-indulgences, but rather for the gain of strength and protection for all. As seen in document 5, a governor writes about the risks involved with imperialism and the consequences suffered if their results are not successful. All these documents were written in the pre Age of Imperialism, but still were major contributors of the contradiction of J.A. Hobson and his ideas. There was much to be said about the White supremacy being a factor in Europe during the Age of Imperialism. This also tied into the thought of countries providing aid, but also being a survival of the fittest. As stated in a document by Rudyard Kipling, he feels that the white man, the strong man, is sent to fend for the country or nation, gaining territory and power by taking over that of the more primitive cultures. He says that the white man forever stay 2007-01-09T02:21:35-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/European-History-of-Imperialism-32307.aspx John Locke Versus the Declaration Of Independance John Locke Versus the Declaration Of Independance In 1689, John Locke published, what proved to be, a valuable document for the American Revolution as well as life in present day America, known as the Second Treatise of Government. In his document he creates a model of his ideal civil government, which is created by the people to ensure their “natural rights” of life, liberty, and property. This government may also be dissolved upon the decision of the people, when it is believed that the sovereignty has ceased to function properly. Locke’s model government is based on his idea of the “state of nature”; perfect freedom, the state all men are in naturally. This idea infers that all men will govern themselves accordingly, however chaos and anarchy would always occur. Men, in the “state of nature”, all have the drive and want to acquire more then which they already possess. Men, also, have the same capabilities of doing so, which ultimately creates conflict between men. This is where the idea of the “politic society” comes into play. The “politic society” is where men forfeit their individual right to govern themselves, and instead create a “social contract” amongst one another. The “social contract” is a binding agreement between the government and the governed, in which the governed agree to sacrifice their individual political power and obey laws, while the government agrees to provide protection of property and enforce/create laws that promote the common good. The government is prohibited from doing which the governed does not consent nor comply with. Once government goes above or beyond its prescribed capabilities, it is then that it should be dissolved. Locke insists the government may be dissolved in any instance, if does not receive consent from its governed during: legislative alteration, executive hindering its legislative, alteration of elective process the executive, failure to enforce existing laws, and subjection to foreign powers. It is evident that, while Thomas Jefferson was formulating his document, The Declaration of Independence, he was highly influenced by Locke’s views within his Second Treatise of Government. In fact, the preamble to The Declaration of Independence encompasses Locke’s ideas of the “state of nature” and the “politic society” as demonstrated here: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are 2007-01-08T20:50:35-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/John-Locke-Versus-the-Declaration-Of-Independance-32280.aspx Analyzing the American Dream in Society Analyzing the American Dream in Society The American Dream is a passion that burns strongly inside those with desire to learn and prosper. Because of the plethora of opportunities we have in America, the American Dream is a reality to many people today. The validity of the American Dream differs from person to person, depending on their dedication and worth ethic. Nevertheless, the American Dream is a reachable goal for everyone, however, whether or not it is achieved depends on the person. What is the American Dream, and who are the people most likely to pursue its fulfillment? The American Dream has come to represent the attainment of countless goals that are specific to each individual. For example, one person might consider a purchased home their version of the American Dream, another might view it as the financial ability to run his own business. Clearly, there is no cut and dry definition of the American Dream. What it does universally represent, however, is the opportunity for people to seek out their individual desires under the political rule of democracy. The American Dream was made possible because of the abundance of opportunities given to us the by the government and our economic systems. Living in America, we are very fortunate to have endless freedoms, which contribute to the validity of the American Dream. In the United States, we have a democracy, which ensures that the power lies within the people. Because of the privilege of having a democracy, we have opportunity after opportunity to climb the ladder of success. Many countries do not have a democracy, which provides us with the opportunity to fulfill the American Dream. For example, China is a system that does not permit any freedoms that might challenge the control of the ruling Communist Party. They punish anyone who tries to do so. These issues are directly opposing to American values. China's government does not allow freedom of expression or association, peaceful demonstration or independent labor unions; it does employ detention and various torture methods. These make the American Dream impossible to exist (www.china.org). I am surrounded by examples of the American dream fulfilled. For example, my father was born in Tehran, Iran. He went to a Jesuit school in Iranian till he was 17. In 1977, the Iranian government began to transform, causing many problems between governmental leaders and traditional religious groups in Tehran. Because of this 2007-01-06T20:58:25-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analyzing-the-American-Dream-in-Society-32253.aspx Anglo German Relations Prior To World War I Anglo German Relations Prior To World War I The origin and causes of World War I have been subjects of great interest to many 20th century historians. The history, policies, and controversies surrounding the major countries involved in WWI have evoked many discussions on whether or not the war could have been avoided, as well as various accounts of what actually took place. The focus of this essay will be to examine the entering of England into WWI, in particular her relations with Germany prior to the war, and the degree to which these relations influenced England’s eventual participation in the war. The main sources for this essay were the works of Joachim Remak The Origins of World War I, 1871-1914, AJP Taylor, The First World War, Edward McCullough, How the First World War Began, and Zara Steiner, Britain and the Origins of the First World War. All had varying views on England’s position prior to entering the war. The different opinions offered by these sources, aided me in trying to remain impartial until the end of the essay, where, based on the various arguments, I made my own conclusions. In order to better understand the circumstances under which Britain became involved in WWI, it is important to first try and establish the basic facts and historical sequence of events that led to the war itself. In 1907, Europe was divided into two basic groups: the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy, and the Triple Entente of Great Britain, France, and Russia. There were various conflicts among the members of these opposing groups, which need be taken into account when examining their eventual participation in the war. The French and the Germans had been involved in several conflicts over the territory of Morocco, and this led to a possibility of war between the two nations. Britain and Germany were both trying to establish their supremacy on the seas and had become international rivals. The great naval race that ensued gave rise to tension between the two countries. Germanys new naval developments led to her being more competitive in trade, and this new competition arose a feeling of concern and resentment in Britain, as did an increase in the importation of British goods. Adding to British alarm was the competition from the Germans in the British colonies . It was the growing rivalry between Austria and 2007-01-04T23:56:57-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Anglo-German-Relations-Prior-To-World-War-I-32237.aspx The Decade of the 1950s in American History The Decade of the 1950s in American History The 1950's were an important decade full of historic events and changes in technology. Important historic and cultural events such as the approval of the hydrogen bomb and transcontinental television in 1950, the signing of the Immigration and Naturalization Act in 1952, the end of fighting in Korea in 1953, Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat on a public bus in 1955, and Alaska and Hawaii becoming states in 1959 were some of the most vital. Part of the 1950's boom in consumerism included housing. People could afford single family dwellings and suburbia was born. A small suburban community called Levittown was built by William Levitt for returning servicemen and their families. An influence of Frank Lloyd Wright is seen in the popular Ranch style house . Designers like Bauhaus , who helped create the International style , influenced Ludwig Mies van der Rohe , Philip Johnson , Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen . Louis Kahn , architect of the Salk Institute, was a noted architect during this period. America had just begun her recovery from World War II, when suddenly the Korean Conflict developed. The USSR became a major enemy in the Cold War. Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed to know that Communists had infiltrated the United States government at the highest levels. Americans were feeling a sense of national anxiety. Was America the greatest country in the world? Was life in America the best it had ever been? As the decade passed, literature reflected the conflict of self-satisfaction with 50's Happy Days and cultural self-doubt about conformity and the true worth of American values. During the fifties, American education underwent dramatic and world shattering changes. Until 1954, an official policy of "separate but equal " educational opportunities for blacks had been determined to be the correct method to insure that all children in America received an adequate and equal education in the public schools. In 1954, Chief Justice Earl Warren and other members of the Supreme Court wrote in Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas that separate facilities for blacks did not make those facilities equal according to the Constitution. Integration was begun across the nation. Fifties clothing was conservative. Men wore gray flannel suits and women wore dresses with pinched in waists and high heels. French fashion designers 2007-01-04T23:20:39-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Decade-of-the-1950s-in-American-History-32228.aspx Complete History of the Cold War Complete History of the Cold War Cold War is the term used to describe the intense rivalry that developed after World War II between groups of Communist and non-Communist nations. On one side were the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) and its Communist allies, often referred to as the Eastern bloc. On the other side were the United States and its democratic allies, usually referred to as the Western bloc. The struggle was called the Cold War because it did not actually lead to fighting, or "hot" war, on a wide scale. The Cold War was characterized by mutual distrust, suspicion, and misunderstandings by both the United States and the Soviet Union, and their allies. At times, these conditions increased the likelihood of a third world war. The United States accused the Soviet Union of seeking to expand Communism throughout the world. The Soviets, meanwhile, charged the United States with practicing imperialism and with attempting to stop revolutionary activity in other countries. Each bloc's vision of the world also contributed to East-West tension. The United States wanted a world of independent nations based on democratic principles. The Soviet Union, however, attempted to tightly control areas it considered vital to its national interest, including much of Eastern Europe. For a discussion of the principles of Communism and democracy, see Communism and Democracy. Though the Cold War did not begin until the end of World War II, in 1945, relations between the United States and the Soviet Union had been strained since 1917. In that year, a revolution in Russia established a Communist dictatorship there. During the 1920's and the 1930's, the Soviets called for world revolution and the destruction of capitalism, which was the economic system of the United States. The United States did not grant diplomatic recognition to the Soviet Union until 1933. In 1941, during World War II, Germany attacked the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union then joined the Western Allies in fighting Germany. For a time early in 1945, it seemed possible that a lasting friendship might develop between the United States and the Soviet Union based on their wartime cooperation. However, major differences continued to exist between the two, particularly with regard to Eastern Europe. As a result of these differences, the United States adopted a "get tough" policy toward the Soviet Union after the war ended. The Soviets responded by accusing the United States and the 2007-01-04T18:26:34-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Complete-History-of-the-Cold-War-32223.aspx Speculation on Hitler's Suicide Speculation on Hitler's Suicide Adolf Hitler is known throughout the world for the terror he caused from 1933 to 1945. Virtually every country that offers history to its students covers this man and his path of destruction. There are thousands of books and articles on the Hitler and the Nazi party. Therefore, it is redundant to try and restate what is already well known about Hitler. However, one of the few aspects about Hitler that is not well known is his relationship with Benito Mussolini and how that friendship caused Hitler to take his own life. Adolf Hitler was a man who greatly admired Benito Mussolini. The Italian dictator, who was named after the Mexican president Benito Juarez, rose to power in 1922. Mussolini used fear to take control of his country. Mussolini used the facist squads that wore black shirts to symbolize their identity. These young men, who had shaved heads would roam the streets and beat people at ramdom. The "Black Shirts" used 19 inch billy-clubs to beat their victims. By 1922, Mussolini, who had been a brick layer, teacher, newspaper journalists, and a soldier in WWI, had been given power from King Victor-Emmanuel III. Musssolini didn't know it, but a young man by the name of Adolf Hitler was inspired by his actions. In 1923, Hitler was already the leader of the German Nationalist Socialist Party (Nazi Party). That year, with Mussolini's actions on his mind, Hitler tried to take Germany much in the same manner as Mussolini and his "Black Shirts" had. Hitler was going to storm the German legislature with his Putsch. Instead of using billie-clubs, Hitler had bought guns for his Nazi members. However, the guns had no firing pins which didn't allow them to fire at all. After two days of rioting, the Nazi's were disbanned and Hitler was jailed for a year. Thus, it is easy to see how Mussolini had an influence on Hitler during the early years of their rise to power. However, Mussolini's influence would follow Hitler to his own grave as well. By 1943, Mussolini had lost power in most of Italy. Victor-Emmanuel III had taken back control from the Fascist leader. However, because of the Germans, Mussolini was given a puppet government to control. When this government began to crumble in April of 1945, Mussolini tried to make his escape for Switzerland. Mussolini tried to make his escape by car. However, Italian 2007-01-04T18:17:09-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Speculation-on-Hitler-s-Suicide-32222.aspx History in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass History in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass In Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Mr. Douglass gives many examples of cruelty towards slaves as he shows many reasons that could have been used to abolish slavery. Throughout the well-written narrative, Douglass uses examples from the severe whippings that took place constantly to a form of brainwashing by the slaveholders over the slaves describing the terrible conditions that the slaves were faced with in the south in the first half of the 1800’s. The purpose of this narrative was most likely to give others not affiliated with slaves an explicit view of what actually happened to the slaves physically, mentally, and emotionally to show the explicit importance of knowledge to the liberation of slaves. Frederick Douglass, born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey in 1818 in Tuchahoe, Maryland, entered slavery from birth. Unaware of his actual date of birth, like most all the other slaves at that time, Douglass was forced to face the dread of being a slave early in his life. The very fact that the slaveholders did not give their slaves an actual birth date was one of the first examples not of brainwashing but a form of brain molding that was customary for all slaveholders to take part of. Since the slaves did not know their birthday, they were more easily treated like cattle or other property of the plantation, which was the objective of the slaveholders. The slaveholders felt that the more ignorant and little minded that slaves were, then the more effective they would be in the fields. This example of depriving the slaves of their natural right as humans to know their date of birth was just the beginning of the many examples that Frederick Douglass used to show reasons for the abolishment of slavery. Douglass’ mother, slave Harriet Bailey, was immediately separated from him while he was still an infant. Frederick’s father was said to be a white man, but throughout the entire narrative, Douglass does not positively confirm it. He does this probably for the fact that if he does not acknowledge that his father was white, then he is not forced into thinking his mother was most likely raped by a white man. A majority of southern slaveholders took part in sexual relations with their slaves because 2007-01-03T21:33:25-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-in-the-Narrative-of-the-Life-of-Frederick-Douglass-32206.aspx Mafia Activity in American History Mafia Activity in American History Although many arrests have been made, organized crime and the Mafia are still very active. Organized crime and its families, particularly the Italian mafia, have increased their illegal activities significantly over the past few decades. The Mafia and organized crime go hand and hand, one cannot be spoken without the other. Both of these forms of criminal actions have been recognized since the late 1800's, and police say it is not disappearing too fast. (Widener 6) Migration from Italy, has brought over many Italian criminals and crime tactics. The Italian Mafia has always been based on the island of Sicily and the southern mainland provinces of Calabria and Campania. (Worsnop 273) Traffic in drugs, chiefly heroin, provides the bulk of the Italian Mafia's revenue from Sicily. Cocaine is becoming more important, however, as drug lords from Colombia try to expand beyond the Americas. To gain a foothold in Europe, the Colombians have got to strike deals with the Mafia, which ironically guards its home turf. (273) Italy in general, has added to the crime list of the Mafia for over 100 years. The famous Al Capone, the Italian-American gangster of the Prohibition era, also known as Scarface because of a knife cut to his cheek. (Nash 79) He was born Alphonse Capone in Naples, Italy, and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He left school at an early age and spent nearly ten years "hanging-out" with gangs. In the 1920's he took over a Chicago organization dealing in illegal liquor, gambling, and prostitution from the gangster Johnny Torrio. (80) Convicted of income tax evasion in 1931 and sentenced to 11 years in prison, he was released in 1939. After obtaining syphilis, he went on to reside in Miami Beach, Florida. (80) Many Italian families are a major influence on the organized crime melting pot. Families such as the Colombo's, the Gambino's, the Bannanno's, and the Luchesse's have migrated from Italy, and play an important role in the organized crime system. (Worsnop 267) The Colombo family, which consists of approximately 100 members is currently led by Victor Orena. Victor is currently acting as boss due to the absence of Carmine Persico, who is serving a prison sentence for racketeering. (268) The Colombo families main activities include loan sharking, gambling, smuggling, and narcotics. This family 2007-01-03T21:25:56-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mafia-Activity-in-American-History-32203.aspx The First Crusades The First Crusades In The middle of the Eleventh Century the tranquility of the eastern Mediterranean seemed assured for many years to come, but little did the people know what was ahead. This, thus embark us on a journey back into the First Crusade. In this paper I will be discussing the events that lead up to the first in a long line of crusades. I will also be mentioning the lives of some of the crusaders through letters that they wrote. The crusades were a time of confusion for most people, yet today we look back at them as a turning point. The Crusades were Christian military expeditions undertaken between the 11th and the 14th century to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims. The word crusade, which is derived from the Latin crux ("cross"), is a reference to the biblical injunction that Christians carry their cross. Crusaders wore a red cloth cross-sewn on their tunics to indicate that they had assumed the cross and were soldiers of Christ. The causes of the Crusades were many and complex, but prevailing religious beliefs were clearly of major importance. The Crusaders continued an older tradition of the pilgrimage to the Holy Land, which was often imposed as a penance. Now, however, they assumed two roles as pilgrims and warriors. Such an armed pilgrimage was regarded as a justifiable war, because it was fought to recapture the places sacred to that of the Christians. Jerusalem had been under Muslim rule since the 7th century, but pilgrimages were not cut off until the 11th century, when the Seljuk Turks began to interfere with Christian pilgrims. For Christians, the very name of Jerusalem evoked visions of the end of time and of the heavenly city. To help rescue the Holy Land fulfilled the ideal of the Christian knight. Papal encouragement, the hope of eternal merit, and the offer of indulgences motivated thousands to enroll in the cause. Political considerations were also important. The Crusades were a response to appeals for help from the Byzantine Empire, threatened by the advance of the Seljuk Turks. The year 1071 had seen both the captures of Jerusalem and the decisive defeat of the Byzantine army at Miniskirt, creating fear of further Turkish victories. In addition, the hopes of the Papacy for the renunciation of East and West, the nobility's hunger for land at a time of crop failures, population 2007-01-03T21:22:55-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-First-Crusades--32202.aspx A Vision of Hope in the Industrial Revolution A Vision of Hope in the Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was a crucial point in the history of the world, and also a very difficult time to endure, especially for the working class. In the late eighteenth century, a young poet and artist by the name of William Blake became outraged and inspired by the inhumane treatment of young boys called “chimney sweeps.” Thus he produced a protest in the form of simple poetry. Wicksteed says, “Deeper knowledge of Blake will reveal no darkly buried meaning, only a deeper sense in the meaning obvious to all.” (Hirsch, 7) This is precisely the case in the protest Blake calls “The Chimney Sweeper.” Blake utilizes realism, rather than deep symbolism, in the form of imagery to portray the brutality of the Industrial Revolution. When Blake was inspired to write about these boys, their barbaric lives were not only common knowledge, but accepted. Throughout the passing years, however, history has lost sight of the horror they faced everyday. Therefore, familiarity with such details does help the reader to see more clearly Blake’s indictment of a society that allows children to be subjected to almost unbelievable wretched conditions, and it also gives more force and point to the realism and imagery. (Nurmi, 15) History reveals that children usually began these lives at the age of 6 or 7 or even earlier. The job tormented their small bodies, leaving them to die with deformed ankles, twisted kneecaps and spines, or with “chimney sweeps cancer.” The boys began their days long before sunrise until about noon when they “cried the streets” for more business. When it was time to return these young boys carried heavy bags of soot to the cellars and attics where they slept. Even the task of sleeping was torture. The boys owned nothing and were given nothing, leaving them with only the bags of soot that had swept for a bed. Though the life was hard, it did not hold a candle to the actual duty of their job. Some chimneys were as small as seven inches in diameter, forcing the children to go up them naked. After all, clothes took up needed room and cost money to replace. Also bare skin, though it would bruise and scratch, did not catch on the rough 2007-01-03T21:20:55-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Vision-of-Hope-in-the-Industrial-Revolution-32201.aspx The Battle of Britain History Paper The Battle of Britain History Paper The Battle of Britain was a battle between the German air force, the Luftwaffe, and the British air force, the Royal Air Force (RAF). This battle took place over the skies of the United Kingdom in the summer and autumn of 1940. In order for Hitler to execute “Operation Sealion”, a planned invasion, successfully, he had to get rid of the British air force fearing that they will stop the operation if he tried to execute it. The first attack occurred in the August of 1940. Hitler decided to bomb the British airfields and then eventually cities. The British cities were bombed to bring out the RAF so the Luftwaffe could take them down. But Hitler underestimated the RAF, because the British had RADAR technology. The British were able to decode the German’s radio transmissions that warned them when the German’s were about to attack. The Luftwaffe suffered more losses than the RAF. Comparing losses in August, the Luftwaffe lost 669 units while the RAF lost 366 units. On September 17, 1940, Hitler cancelled the planned invasion, thereby accepting defeat in the Battle of Britain but continued bombing. This was an important event because it changed the course of World War II, weakening Germany’s air force and changing Hitler’s mind of invading Britain. The Battle of Britain changed the course of the twentieth because of the advanced technology used in that battle by Britain. First off, the Battle of Britain changed the course of World War II because it weakened the German air force, the Luftwaffe, which stunted Germany’s hopes of a swift victory. Germany underestimated the RAF and lost many of their fighters. But if Germany didn’t try to weaken the RAF, then there was a chance that the RAF might have attacked Germany. And if they did attack, Germany wouldn’t be able to defend itself as the British did even though the Luftwaffe outnumbered the RAF. Germany was so confident on taking over Britain that the commander of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, told Hitler that his planes would be able to drive away the RAF so Hitler would be able to take over Britain. When the Luftwaffe failed, Hitler reconsidered invading Britain. Secondly, the Battle of Britain was the most important event that changed the course of Britain’s twentieth century history because the Luftwaffe outnumbered the RAF. The 2006-12-20T02:11:04-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Battle-of-Britain-History-Paper-32111.aspx Historical Examples of Solving Conflicts with Violence Historical Examples of Solving Conflicts with Violence In most people’s opinion non- violence is the best way to solve a problem. The strange thing is that when the time comes to solve a certain problem, violence is used. Violence is not the best way to solve a problem. In this reflection the main topics are problems where violence is commonly present such as wars and in school, and for those problems there are nonviolent solutions such as using the method of A.R.C. (alternative resolution of conflicts), which includes negotiating. Sarajevo instead of finding other ways to solve their problems they chose violence. Many civilians got hurt because of the shelling and also because the military wanted to make the government regret whatever decision they took. As a consequence of war, shelling, killing, darkness, and hunger continued in Sarajevo therefore civilians suffered. Schindler’s List clearly shows the effects of World War II´s Holocaust. It also shows how people wouldn’t care to negotiate with people who were different from them and how they recurred to violence to solve their problems. For thirty years families were separated because of the political conflicts between Russia and the Allies. As a result of this political conflict Russia built the Berlin Wall, which separated itself from the other three powers for thirty long years. The Berlin Wall finally fell in 1989 and no longer were these families disunited again but this occurred because the other countries protested non-violently against Russia asking and persisting for the fall of this wall. During the time that this wall was standing, people would get shot when they tried to cross to the eastern side. As a country that was loosing its people, violent actions were taken to solve the problem of immigrations such as building a wall and shooting those who would try to cross the wall. Not only can violence be present in wars and among adults, but also violence is present among us. Every day there are more conflicts between students about arguments such as gays. These are discriminated because they look different and act different than other students, so people provoke them to act in a violent matter. Losers are another group of people who aren’t accepted by other groups because of their interests, so the other students who don’t like it reject them. Conflicts among teacher 2006-12-20T02:08:27-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Historical-Examples-of-Solving-Conflicts-with-Violence-32110.aspx American History of John Wayne American History of John Wayne The definition of a true American. It can’t be found in any text, the possibilities are too vast. There are those who consider place of birth and citizenship, those who feel that residency is the only factor, and there are some that will not make a judgment unless an entire life is laid out. The definition is simpler than many people will choose to admit. John “Duke” Wayne once stated,”A man’s got to have a code, a creed to live by, no matter his job (Pilar Wayne, vii).” To Wayne, that creed meant living his life as someone who would represent America well. That is the mind set of a red blooded American. John Wayne epitomized a true American by his concrete ideals regarding integrity and leading an good life along with his unconditional love for America. John Wayne was constantly asked of his basic philosophy on life, to which he always responded with advice he received from his father. “1) Always keep your word. 2) A gentleman never insults anybody intentionally. 3) Don’t go around looking for trouble but if you get into a fight, make sure you win it. (Eyles, 11)” The words were simple and true, and seemed present in Wayne’s actions and speech throughout his life. He was patient with fans, even through provocation from them. His image on screen shown through to his personal life when he would talk about “having a good horse under you...the sound of a kid calling you Dad for the first time...(Eyles, 12)”. John Wayne was the ideal American, full of strengths, weaknesses, and national pride. John Wayne’s love for America was a known fact. He said at a Republican convention,” I am proud of every day in my life I wake up in the United States of America (Eyles, 11).” Such an outward expression of patriotism lent support to those who were in doubt, Communism was a large issue in American society and Wayne opposed it completely. He did not want to see the America that he loved fall into any state of anarchy and this public display of his affection for America was admirable and right. This adoration also showed in Wayne’s movies. After making the Alamo, Wayne told the press,”I 2006-12-20T01:48:33-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-History-of-John-Wayne-32103.aspx Religious Turmoil Inflicted By King Charles “Personal Rule” Religious Turmoil Inflicted By King Charles “Personal Rule” From 1630-1642, during the heart of King Charles I 2006-12-20T01:37:23-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Religious-Turmoil-Inflicted-By-King-Charles-“Personal-Rule”-32097.aspx The Use of Internment Camps in World War II The Use of Internment Camps in World War II Our country was founded on the principals that all people are created equal. Our Constitution and Bill of Rights clearly define the rights of people living in our country. There have been periods in our country’s history when we have blatantly disregarded the Constitution and jeopardized the integrity of the Constitution itself. For the first hundred or so years of our country’s existence our economy and survival for that matter depended on the work of slaves, African slaves. We treated an entire group of people as though they were animals though our Constitution states that all men are created equal. In the 1940’s our government invoked activities that were by all means unconstitutional and unjust. Early during World War II, there were roughly 45,000 50,000 Japanese citizens, and about 70,0001 United States born descendants, virtually all children, living on the United State’s West Coast. They were forcefully taken from their homes and most were taken to relocation or internment camps. The vast majority of these imprisoned people had no reason to be to be seen as guilty, or even suspicious, the sole reason they were taken on was their ethnicity. Entire families were taken from their homes without even a chance to gather their belongings. The internment has become one of the most widely condemned actions in US history. There is no viable justification and was another United States strike against their own Constitution. At dawn on December 7, 1941 the sun rose and bombs fell on Pearl Harbor. Japanese aircraft launched a surprise attack on the United States’ Pacific Fleet. Over 3,500 Americans were killed or wounded, two battleships were destroyed, four others were sunk, and 149 American airplanes were destroyed. That night President Franklin D. Roosevelt began making the necessary moves to declare war. The declaration of war easily passed and the United States headed into the war, against the Axis Powers, on December 11. Ten weeks following the declaration of war, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 90066, which gave the Secretary of War and military commanders the power to exclude people from designated areas. The President’s “official” objective of signing the Executive Order 90066 was to avoid national security espionage. There were also other objectives in the mind of the President and his Cabinet though. 2006-12-19T16:27:25-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Use-of-Internment-Camps-in-World-War-II-32082.aspx 19th Century Feminism in America 19th Century Feminism in America In the nineteenth century, in America, the role women would play in our society began to change dramatically. This was the beginning of a whole new world for women, and America in general. Women began to realize that there were opportunities for them outside of the home, and that they could have a place in the world as well as men. It was a time when the feministic view was being born and traditional views of women were changing. First, women would play a part in working to help slaves gain their freedom in the anti-slavery movement. They felt they could identify with the way slaves were being treated, therefore wanted to help them. Middle class women then would begin to realize that they were just the same as men, and wanted to be treated that way, and partake in the same activities. This included getting an education, working and being able to support themselves without the help of men. This changed not only the traditional roles of women in society, but also their role in the family. With women wanting the right to vote, work and go to school, middle class life as they new it would be drastically changed. Women would no longer be in the home with the children cooking and cleaning; they wanted to get out into the world. There was still an extremely long way to go before women were to be accepted in society, and this was just the beginning. In 1830‘s, there was a radical anti-slavery movement, which demanded the cessation of slavery on the grounds that every man was the owner of himself. That is, that every human being is the only person who has jurisdiction over his or her own body. Angelina Grimke, Sarah Grimke, and Abbey Kelley were a few of the major feminists during this time. These women became the first women in America to do lecture tours before audiences, that included men, about anti-slavery. They believed that women should be grateful to slaves because giving them freedom would lead to society’s granting of women’s freedom. This made people start to see the similarities between how slaves were treated and how women were treated, and began to strike up feminist views among many people. It was evident that 2006-12-19T16:23:19-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/19th-Century-Feminism-in-America-32081.aspx Social and Economic Structure of the Industrial Revolution Social and Economic Structure of the Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution is a term describing major changes in the economic and social structure of many western countries in the 1700’s and 1800’s. At the beginning of the 1700s most of Europe’s people lived and worked on the land. By the time the 1800s ended, most Europeans were city dwellers, earning a living in factories or offices. As work became unavailable on the land, huge numbers of Europeans migrated overseas, particularly to America. The political map of Europe was also redrawn during this period. Revolutions convulsed the continent from the 1820s to the 1870s. They swept away states ruled by hereditary families and replaced them with new nations based on shared history, culture, and language. The European powers also strove to win new colonial territories in Africa and to extend their empires in Asia and the Pacific. The transitions of Britain’s industrial revolution were repeated elsewhere as other western countries became industrialized. Farm workers moved to the towns, seeking work in the new factories. The densely packed, low quality houses built for them soon became unhealthy slums. Before the new machines led to manufacture in factories, cloth was made in homes. Women and children did the spinning. Weaving was traditionally men’s work. In the early 1800s, children as young as five years old worked underground in the mines. They often had to work shifts of 12 hours and more. Some toiled half-naked, chained to carts laden with coal which they pulled along dark passageways. Factories also used children. The usual shift was 15 hours a day. Many children were orphans; they lived in crowded, dirty hostels where the death rate could reach 60 percent. Britain’s industrial revolution was the period (1750-1850) when Britain’s dominance of overseas markets through its empire, and the availability at home of coal and iron ore, transformed it from a farming to a manufacturing community. The harnessing of steam power and major new inventions led to cheap mass-manufacture of materials such as cotton. Iron, made by the new processes, was strong enough for building structures like bridges in a different way. In Britain, a system of canals linking the major rivers was built, providing the cheap transport the new factories needed to deliver 2006-12-19T16:20:38-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-and-Economic-Structure-of-the-Industrial-Revolution-32080.aspx Comparing the Two Declarations of Rights Comparing the Two Declarations of Rights The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are both effective social contracts. Events and experience that caused some type of conflict, sparked the need for change; the realization that something had to be done in order to protect and benefit the people. These two documents allowed people to have rights, which at the time would have been a groundbreaking assertion as it set forth new laws and principles. The Declaration of the Rights of Man was an effect of the revolution. It seemed as a direct blow towards the king, as the National Assembly blamed him for the discrimination, inequality and disregard that people had faced well under his power. The intent of this declaration was to let people know that they had rights and that these rights were given by God, so could not be taken away. This contract seemed particularly aimed at taking away the privileges of the aristocracy and making everyone equal, as well as taking the power from the king and giving it to the state. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed by the General Assembly, at a time when World War II was the conflict. It was a social contract that intended to set a common standard of achievement for all people and all nations. This achievement was to promote respect for these rights and freedoms, both nationally and internationally, among all people. The Declaration of the Rights of Man was a society level social contract. It was directly related to the French society. Many of the rights and laws introduced were as a result of the problems and issues being brought up because of the revolution. If you compare these rights to those of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, you will find that they are more specific and relate to the French society, but would not necessarily relate to the rest of the world. These rights dealt with the abuse of the king’s power and the inequality between the three estates and this may not have been the case elsewhere. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was a global level social contract. That is to say, it was related to the world. The rights and laws are more general, so can move beyond societies. After World War II, this declaration was printed 2006-12-19T16:14:29-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparing-the-Two-Declarations-of-Rights-32077.aspx Topics on the Bombing Of Hiroshima Topics on the Bombing Of Hiroshima At 8:15am on August 6, 1945, approximately 300 to 500 feet above the highly populated city of Hiroshima Japan, the first atomic bomb ever used in warfare was detonated. Only minutes later 60,000 to 100,000 people were dead, most were vaporized leaving only an eerie shadow of carbon behind. In the year and months that followed hundreds of thousands of people died of radiation poisoning and radiation provoked disease. Children born in months immediately following the bombing were occasionally born without vital organs or limbs. Was the decision to drop this historical bomb a correct one? Could it have been avoided? What were the alternatives, were they more moral then drooping this super weapon? After the end of the war in Europe, the united states was still faced with the war in the pacific, which they were eager to end. President Truman was faced with a difficult decision: to drop the United States newly developed atomic bomb or risk thousands or even millions of ally lives in a invasion. He chose to use his country’s newly developed weapon. As a direct result of this decision hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians lost their lives. His monumental decision also forced the Japanese to serener their war efforts in the Pacific without costing any American lives. The real question is, was it right or wrong? On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, brought to United States into World War II. Over the next 4 years the United States fought the Germans in Europe and the Japanese in the Pacific Ocean. Both parties cost the allies billions of dollars in planes, ships and artillery, not to mention the millions of lives lost in this war. But on ?, the war in Europe was over and the Allies were free to focus all there military efforts on the war that still loomed in the Pacific. Everyone but the Japanese hoped for a quick, easy victory for the allies, with as few ally casualties as possible. The United States started looking for a way to achieve this and found two options. The first option identified was an invasion of the main islands of Japan. The Joint Chiefs of the United States proposed a two-part invasion, which would involve over five million troops, most of which would be American. The first of the two 2006-12-18T18:29:25-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Topics-on-the-Bombing-Of-Hiroshima-32019.aspx The Black Death Plague in Europe The Black Death Plague in Europe Up from the murky depths of the Middle Ages crept a devastatingly horrific and terrifying disease. Responsible for the deaths of millions, this disease, or plague was known as the “Black Death”. Although there is no certainty as to the location where the plague originated from, it is known that it’s deadly bacteria came from the foul belly of a single flea. When the Black Death began to take hold, unimaginable fear, panic and chaos swept through the hearts of Europe’s people; the rich and the poor alike. The structures, passed on for generations, which were responsible for upholding society, commenced to collapse unstoppably. All the while, the Christian church, alike, struggled hard to survive through the disaster. Never before had the world seen such a pillaging, unstoppable force, that would ravage all that was accomplished for years to come. The Black Death, as it was labeled, is believed to have first appeared around the region known as the Black Sea. This catastrophe began in the early part of 1347. Blamed for it’s start were many of the existing races at the time. The Italian traders were extensively bombarded with accusations of deliberately causing and spreading the plague. Evidently, because of this, natives attacked an Italian trading post, hoping to put an end to the deaths, or possibly to solely punish those who they believed were the source of the Black Death. While signing the post, the natives became infected uncontrollably, thus they came up with the idea to catapult infected bodies over the wall of the trading post, subsequently infecting the Italians as well. What the natives did not realize was that the Italians would board ships and sail East to Italy, spreading the disease even faster. In October of that year, the plague commenced sweeping through the island of Sicily. Knowing the approximate whereabouts of where the plague started leads one to the question as to how it started. Deep within the stomach of that wretched flea, brewed a bacteria which would lead to the deaths of millions throughout the known world. The bubonic plague, another name given to the disease, spread much like a wildfire by means of fleas infected with the plague, which they received from feeding on the blood 2006-12-18T18:26:54-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Black-Death-Plague-in-Europe-32018.aspx History of Mayan Culture History of Mayan Culture The mysterious culture of ancient Maya once covered a vast geographic area in Central and South America. Their civilization extended to parts of what are now Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador, and most of Guatemala and Belize. The Mayans first settled in 1500BC. The Mayans environment consisted of tropical rainforests, which was also one of their main sources of resources, they turned the jungles into great cities. The rainforest would provide them with food, clothing, weapons, tools, and many more useful items. It rained almost everyday, but the temperature was not cold at least in the daytime. The environment played a major role in what the Mayans culture became, they needed rain and heat to survive both the humans and the animals. The Mayans learned the methods of doing things like planting crops, making clothing, jewelry etc. The Mayans grew mainly maize (corn), beans, and squash together with yucca, manioc, and sweet potatoes. APPEARANCE Beauty was very important to the Mayan people. Though beauty through the Mayan eye was very unusual from today’s definition of the word. To make their heads longer, Mayan babies heads were squeezed between two pieces of wood. Another thing they did was to break their nose and reshape it, to make it look more hooked. Body Piercing and body painting was one of the major parts of how Mayans looked. Most Mayans were tanned and had black hair and eyes. Both men and women had long hair, which was braided into two or four braids. They wore very little clothing but it was very decorative, with the fanciest piece of clothing being headdresses worn by nobles. Their bodies were painted differently according to tradition and occasions. Priests wore blue, warriors wore red and black, and teenagers wore white. Jewelry was a very important part of appearance. LANGUAGE, EDUCATION, ASTRONOMY The Mayans had over 800 symbols for their writing system. It is said to be the most complex form of writing. The most important eastern Maya languages are Quiche, and Cakchiquel. The largest western Maya language is Tzeltal, spoken in Chiapas Mex. The Mayans had another 15 languages. The Mayans way of education was taught to only the higher authority such as priests, 2006-12-18T17:54:14-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-Mayan-Culture-32009.aspx History of Racism in America History of Racism in America The era of civil rights movement mainly started in the 1960s. Martin Luther King Jr.’s powerful “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington in 1963 is what I believe too be one of the greatest speeches of all time, and one of the greatest advances for African American people. While this peaceful act was taking place, the Birmingham Police Commissioner made a bold decision and used powerful fire hoses and released police dogs to attack black civil rights activists. Although the civil rights activists made great pushes towards freedom, the greatest problem which remains in our great nation is that of Racism and/or Racial Profiling. Over the years, racism has been a growing problem in all parts of the United States. Back in the 60s there were such problems as segregated schools, which meant only kids of certain color could attend a certain school. Also blacks had to drink from different bubblers and white kids did in some public places. There were many things and rules that were terribly wrong at this time. The most current problem in today’s society is that which is called Racial Profiling. Racial Profiling is the discriminatory practice by police of treating blackness as an indication of possible criminality. This has been the most recent focus of legislative action. There has been a significant amount of coverage taking place in the media. This is referred to as media blackface. As far as the police go, the racial profiling is pretty direct. The individual officers act on racial stereotypes against racial minorities, specifically African Americans. Also this goes on in the media, when a news channel might exaggerate or over-represent the number of black people when the subject at hand has something to do with some type of political punishment. The media tends to do this sometimes and many people get upset over this time of racial profiling. Some examples of issues that are used to define blackface are the black drug abuser or drug dealer, a black criminal, blacks on welfare, and the black affirmative action recipient. The significance of this racial profiling, is that whatever the issue may be - crime, welfare, or drug abuse; the people that are subjected to this believe that these types of issues 2006-12-18T17:38:50-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-Racism-in-America-32002.aspx Mesopotamian Scribes The Scribes of Mesopotamia More than 5,000 years ago, a glorious civilization called Mesopotamia arose in the area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. This civilization took advantage of its countless benefits. If there were any obstacles, the Mesopotamians adapted. Soon, great cities emerged as a result of the discovery of farming, and there was a surplus of food. Because of this surplus, not everyone had to farm, which allowed non-farming people to cull their expertise in other fields, so to say. These people created different careers and products, which in turn promoted trade: you have something I want, I have something you want…let’s switch. As new products were introduced and more people began to trade, and on a larger scale, people needed to keep track of their possessions and their transactions. This is when writing developed…and with it scribes (Haywood 22-24). According to Oxford’s Compact English Dictionary(2006), the word scribe, meaning a person who copies out documents, is rooted in the Latin word for write, scribere. But scribes and their language have existed far longer than Latin. In fact, many ancient scribes created Latin’s roots. The earliest written language was pictographic, or writing with pictures, and was used to communicate basic information about crops and taxes. As the need for writing changed, pictograms evolved into cuneiform, a more complex form of writing that can also transcribe any language, and was. The Mesopotamians, having developed it, used cuneiform, but the nearby Elamites, Hittites, and Urartians used it too, since they themselves lacked a written language. Just as the language the scribes used developed, so too did their tools. With pictograms, scribes used a pointed stylus, probably crafted from a reed, to scratch the needed symbol into a soft clay or wax tablet. But with cuneiform, the point was squared off, hence the wedge-shaped letters (The British Museum). The stylus was one of a scribe’s most important tools, however, it was not the only instrument used. Sometimes scribes would use cylinder seals made of stone or metal, and on which scenes of men, animals, and gods were carved. A seal could be rolled over a tablet of clay and act as a signature. Some people, though, didn’t need seals, or else were too poor, so they simply used their fingernail to sign (The British Museum). Tablets were very common mediums for communication, but there were a great many styles of tablets in use. Made of 2006-12-15T05:55:33-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mesopotamian-Scribes--31992.aspx Five Major Events of World History Five Major Events of World History In this essay I hope to explain the 5 events in each of these three struggling country. All these countries have things in common like lack of unity, lack of adequate economic development, lack of education. These countries struggle throughout the a couple of decades, but now slowly recovering with the aid of other countries. In Africa, Colonialism left a legacy of problems. Most of the new nations were based on the colonial units set up by the Europeans. The boundaries of those units, however, showed no regard for the people who lived there. As a result, boundaries often divided ethnic groups, enclosed rival groups, or contained so many different groups that a sense of unity was almost impossible to develop. Nigeria included groups that were traditional enemies. The result was civil war in which more than a million people died. By contrast, Uganda had so many different groups that the government radio had to broadcast 24 different languages. In many countries, colonial practices had undermined community and family life. Thousands of men had been forced to work in the gold and copper mines of the Congo, Rhodesia, and South Africa. Often they were away from home for months or years at a time, unable to visit their families. Elsewhere forced migrations disrupted communities and weakened traditional ties and the customs of everyday life. Most ruling powers had done little to develop schools or to educate people as doctors, engineers, technicians, or government workers. Thus the new nations lacked both professional people as leaders and skilled workers to aid in economic development. The low rate of literacy also made it difficult for nations to develop stable governments. Rulers had avoided developing democratic traditions, and there were a small middle class. Tanzania’s success in achieving an 80 percent literacy rate showed that support for education could bring progress. Africa had a population explosion between 1950 and 1980. The population doubled in these years from 215 million to nearly 500 million. The UN set up a Health Organization to help fight diseases. This progress in the battle against disease was a remarkable achievement. Because birthrates remained high, however, it also led to population growth. The birthrate exceeded 4 percent per year -- the highest in 2006-12-13T01:16:49-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Five-Major-Events-of-World-History-31983.aspx Agent Orange in The Vietnam War Agent Orange in The Vietnam War In 1962, the United States Military began to use a potentially toxic chemical known as Agent Orange. The toxic chemical was used a defoliant to destroy crops and eliminate ground cover during the Vietnam War. Vietnamese troops would hide underneath the thick forest and make it impossible for United States troops to spot them. So in 1962 the Army began using Agent Orange as a way of eliminating that problem. The government had very little knowledge about the deadly chemical but went ahead and used it anyway. They had no idea of the disastrous long-term effects that it would have on men, women and children. But the hardest group hit by the chemical was not Vietnamese civilians but United States troops. In 1962, Project Ranch Hand was being deployed all over Vietnam. The idea was to destroy the forest on the battle field and make it easier for the United States troops to see the Vietnamese soldiers. The term “agent orange” was given to the chemical because of the bright orange canisters that it was stored in. (Online, Mar 27. 1999) The orange canisters were used to distinguish the chemicals in the warehouses so that they would not be confused with anything else. During the Vietnam War, 11.2 million gallons of Agent Orange were used as defoliants throughout Vietnam and Southeast Asia. (Online, lewispublishing, Mar 27. 1999) Approximately 2.6 million United States soldiers served in South Vietnam and nearby areas during the war. (Online, lewispublishing, Mar 27. 1999) As the planes would drop the massive amounts of Agent Orange onto Vietnam, United States soldiers would unknowingly walk to certain disaster. The deadly chemical affected everyone from ground troops to pilots to seamen. The hardest hit of course were the ground troops. In some cases the defoliant was dropped almost right on top of them while in the field. At that time they may have had some idea that it might be potentially hazardous but they were not certain. As the soldiers were carrying out their orders they would inevitably breathe in the toxic fumes. The chemical would be sprayed over huge areas sometimes in a 10-mile radius destroying everything in its path. Through out the Vietnam War soldiers were beginning to complain of severe medical problems. The army was not certain of the causes but believed them to be from the people of Vietnam or 2006-12-13T01:04:01-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Agent-Orange-in-The-Vietnam-War-31978.aspx Jack the Ripper Jack The Ripper Coursework Question 1 Source A, which is part of an article in the East End Observer describing the murders of Martha Tabram and Polly Nicholls. We learn from source A that the murders were brutal as the source tells us that the ripper uses an ’excess of effort’ in the killings. The source tell us that the victims; Martha Tabram and Polly Nicholls were very poor, “the victims have been of the poorest of the poor”. This suggests that the murderer is targeting poor women in the east London area. The content of source A also illustrates that the ripper had no clear reason of the murders “no adequate motive in the shape of plunder can be traced” this explains why the victims were poor as their was no motive to be figured out or there may be a motive but the source, which was a popular east end newspaper may be exaggerating to cause fear. The murders of Polly Nicholls and Martha Tabram were so peculiar, neither of them were mugged or raped, but mutilated. The source also gives us the idea that the serial killer was a mad man “both crimes are the work of a demented being” so this could have been the reason why he had no motive for the murders as they were poor. The newspaper may be trying to add to the panic in the East End of London “the two murders which have so startled London within the last month” nothing like this had happened before so it was bringing along more shock and confusion. source A was written when Jack the Ripper had committed his first murders. At the time the source would have created considerable alarm among the poor East end public. In the Nineteenth Century there was a large poor population. This suggests they were vulnerable victims for Jack the Ripper. They may have individual experiences that affected there writing. The source is limited to its evidence. Question 2 Source A, Source B and source C all support each other they all show extreme violence. Source A; part of an article in the east end observer describing the murders of Martha Tabram and Polly Nicholls “the excess of effort…Extraordinary violence used is the peculiar feature in each instance”. source B; part of the Coroner’s report of the death 2006-12-12T16:33:11-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Jack-the-Ripper--31977.aspx jack the ripper Jack The Ripper Coursework Question 1 Source A, which is part of an article in the East End Observer describing the murders of Martha Tabram and Polly Nicholls. We learn from source A that the murders were brutal as the source tells us that the ripper uses an ’excess of effort’ in the killings. The source tell us that the victims; Martha Tabram and Polly Nicholls were very poor, “the victims have been of the poorest of the poor”. This suggests that the murderer is targeting poor women in the east London area. The content of source A also illustrates that the ripper had no clear reason of the murders “no adequate motive in the shape of plunder can be traced” this explains why the victims were poor as their was no motive to be figured out or there may be a motive but the source, which was a popular east end newspaper may be exaggerating to cause fear. The murders of Polly Nicholls and Martha Tabram were so peculiar, neither of them were mugged or raped, but mutilated. The source also gives us the idea that the serial killer was a mad man “both crimes are the work of a demented being” so this could have been the reason why he had no motive for the murders as they were poor. The newspaper may be trying to add to the panic in the East End of London “the two murders which have so startled London within the last month” nothing like this had happened before so it was bringing along more shock and confusion. source A was written when Jack the Ripper had committed his first murders. At the time the source would have created considerable alarm among the poor East end public. In the Nineteenth Century there was a large poor population. This suggests they were vulnerable victims for Jack the Ripper. They may have individual experiences that affected there writing. The source is limited to its evidence. Question 2 Source A, Source B and source C all support each other they all show extreme violence. Source A; part of an article in the east end observer describing the murders of Martha Tabram and Polly Nicholls “the excess of effort…Extraordinary violence used is the peculiar feature in each instance”. source B; part of the Coroner’s report of the death 2006-12-12T16:30:33-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/jack-the-ripper--31976.aspx Stages by Which Wolsey Rose to Power ‘Describe the stages by which Wolsey rose to power’ The first major step by which Wolsey rose to power was in 1509, when he came to the attention of Henry VII. Wolsey was appointed to the post of almoner. This gave him the opportunity to impress Henry with his intellectual and organisational skills and to get a seat on the council which started his very successful political career. Wolsey entered into the service of Sir Richard Nanfan who as deputy lieutenant of Calais recognised Wolsey’s talent for administration. Nanfan recommended Wolsey to the king on his retirement in 1506 and in 1507 Wolsey became a chaplain to Henry VII and became friends with Richard Fox. Later the king employed Wolsey as a diplomat On the king’s death there was a risk that Wolsey may lose everything. Many other government employees of the previous king were dismissed by the new king Henry VIII. However in 1509 Wolsey stayed dominant with the help of Richard Fox when he secured the deanery of Hereford. From here Wolsey continued to rise with increased trust from the king. On one occasion the chancellor accepted a bill that Wolsey gave. It was a direct order from the king but it lacked the privy seal and signet that authenticated it. However it was accepted and this shows a large element of trust between the king and Wolsey and also those close to the king. This trust would increase Wolsey’s popularity and importance and therefore his rise to power. The military strike against France in August 1513 at Tournai was partly run by Wolsey. This successful attempt to gain respect in Europe was partly due to Wolsey’s organisational skills and this gave him more respect and power as a reward from the king. Wolsey even accompanied the king followed by a train of 200 gentlemen showing the dominance that Wolsey had. A month later the English also defeated the Scots at Flodden Field. Wolsey was present throughout the campaign and at the kings request was named by the Pope, Bishop of Tournay. He was consecrated at Lambeth palace in 1514 and he became Archbishop of York and on 10 Sep 1515, was created Cardinal. A month later he became Lord Chancellor of England. This was the ultimate achievement that anyone could have got. This was the rise of Wolsey to huge power in England, as being Lord Chancellor 2006-12-11T18:11:38-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Stages-by-Which-Wolsey-Rose-to-Power-31972.aspx Henry VIII Describe International Influence between 1509-1529 ‘Describe the ways in which Henry VIII sought international influence between 1509 & 1529’ England, due to Henry VII passive involvement in European politics was not seen as an important country in 1509 as it was not a threat. An alliance between the Papacy, the Holy Roman Empire, France and Spain were united against Venice. The geographical position of England meant that the ‘battleground’ of Europe was far away and therefore England was distanced from Europe and no one was really worried about England due to Henry VII foreign policy which was all about homeland security and the security of the throne. This alliance in Europe, the League of Cambrai in 1508 meant that the potential for England to have international influence in 1509 was small. In 1509, when Henry VIII came to power, he wanted England to become a powerful nation. To do this he would probably have to be militaristic and he did this by in 1512 declaring war on France. Driven by xenophobia and a young man’s need to prove himself in fighting, conquest and victory he invaded and led by Wolsey eventually led to England capturing Tournai and Therouanne in Northern France in 1513. These however were ‘soft targets’ and they did not do anything to serve English interests and more to serve their allies. For example Ferdinand and Maximillian signed separate treaties with France after England’s campaign to leave England to fight France alone. In October 1518 an Anglo – French peace treaty was signed and this was the first time England had been actively involved in European politics. Pope Leo X had sent a representative to England to mobilise a campaign against the Ottomans. Wolsey however refused this and made an international treaty of peace and friendship, this was called the Treaty of London. This shows how England tried to influence European politics and succeeded. The treaty included over twenty countries including some of the major powers including Francis I, Maximillian, Charles I and the Pope. The treaty however still didn’t really influence European relations as wars still continued. Another way in which Henry VIII tried to influence European politics was to meet Francis I outside Calais in 1520. This meeting was called the Field of Cloth of Gold. Here Henry tried to enforce the Treaty of London but it was mainly to show England as a powerful nation and to impress France. For example 2006-12-11T18:06:37-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Henry-VIII-Describe-International-Influence-between-1509-1529-31971.aspx The Fall of the Western Rome Empire The fall of 2006-12-08T04:47:38-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Fall-of-the-Western-Rome-Empire-31956.aspx The Renaissance - Rebirth or Revolution The Renaissance - Rebirth or Revolution Historians call the period we live in Modern Times. Modern Times began with the Renaissance, one of the rare periods of genius in the world’s history. Beginning in the 14th century and reaching its height in the 15th, the Renaissance was a new age filled with remarkable accomplishments. Meaning “rebirth”. The Renaissance refers to the rediscovery by humanists of the writings of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The individualization of man began in this era, and it was during this period that man began to focus on the secular aspects of life rather than hierarchical Christianity, which was the stranglehold of the Middle Ages. The ordered, formalistic medieval society broke down and Europe emerged from the Dark Ages. The Renaissance was a period of discovery in many fields. Advances in science were numerous and contributed to the growth of the era. Beliefs and theories that were common during the Middle Ages were gradually being rejected and scientific investigation during the Renaissance lead to an increased understanding of the natural world. Along with discoveries in science, the Renaissance proved to be one of the great ages of fine arts, leaving a rich legacy. The art from the Middle Ages was revolutionized in the Renaissance and is one of the most prominent variances between the two eras. The intellectual energies of the Renaissance, however, came from the literature of many masters. Humanism was emphasized, which contrasted the church driven society of the Middle ages. Advances and accomplishments in science, fine arts and literature made the Renaissance a golden period, which flourished far beyond the achievements of the Middle ages. “The arts and the inventions, the knowledge and the books, which suddenly became vital at the time of the Renaissance,” says the English author, J.A. Symonds, “had long lain neglected on the shores of the Dead Sea which we call the Middle Ages. It was not their discovery which caused the Renaissance; but it was the intellectual energy, the spontaneous outburst of intelligence, which enabled mankind at that moment to make us them.” During the Renaissance, discoveries in science, particularly in astronomy, physics, and anatomy exceeded those of the Middle Ages. Vital to the growth of scientific investigation was a progressive rejection of astrology and magic, creed that was prevalent in 2006-12-08T03:24:26-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Renaissance-Rebirth-or-Revolution-31954.aspx American Involvemnet in Vietnam American Involvemnet in Vietnam A country in shock as it watches the first living room war. The media is spreading it everywhere. For the first time in history the United States of America witnesses the Vietnam War. The colleges are ripped especially Kent State after the terrible shooting which occurred there. Media is good for some things but not all. They can be informational and tell things that are the truth or they can tell the most horrible lies that cause bad things to happen. The US government is no help either by concealing the nature and objective of missions to Vietnam. 2006-12-08T03:16:24-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-Involvemnet-in-Vietnam-31951.aspx History of the Ku Klux Klan in America History of the Ku Klux Klan in America In the play Long Day’s Journey Into Night by Eugene O’Neill, the Tyrone family is haunted not by what is present in flesh facing them, but by memories and constant reminders of what has been the downfall of the family for years. “ No it can never be now. But it was once, before you-“ (72) [James Tyrone referring to the Morphine addiction of his wife, Mary, which attributed to the undoing of the family]. Their trials and tribulations are well documented by O’Neill through the proficient utilization of theme, characterization, plot, setting, and style. Throughout the play, O’Neill’s theme is one of a disclosure into the life of a seemingly normal family on the outside yet convoluted with bitterness on the inside. It portrays the actions of a dysfunctional family and brings us on a reflective journey from when the fledgling family had started, devoted to one another with high hopes for the future, to what it is today, a family engulfed in turmoil. “Who would have thought Jamie would grow up to disgrace us…Its such a pity…You brought him up to be a boozer.” (110) In this excerpt from Mary’s conversation with James regarding their son, it is obvious that their life had taken a 180-degree turn from when their offspring were mere children with promise. Characterization throughout the play helps us not only to understand the characters’ actions but also to see into the soul of each and to comprehend their thoughts and emotions, essentially assessing the motives for their actions. Early in the play, Mary is perceived to be a common, traditional housewife “She is dressed simply…she has the simple, unaffected charm of a shy covenant-girl youthfulness she has never lost-an innate worldly innocence.” (13) Yet as the play progresses, she is portrayed in a different light. “I hope, sometime, without meaning it, I will take an overdose. I never could do it deliberately. The Blessed Virgin could never forgive me, then.” (121) It is apparent in this muttering by Mary to herself that her addiction has seized control over her and that she no longer can bear the pain. James Tyrone is faced with many a problem. Through this tough time he is faced with personal, family, and financial conflicts, thus attributing to the plot. Besides having to deal with his wife’s addiction, his sons’ ill health 2006-12-08T03:04:26-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-Ku-Klux-Klan-in-America-31946.aspx Conflicting National Interests after World War II Conflicting National Interests after World War II At various times in global history, nations have acted in ways that cause conflict with other nations. Germany had conflict with the U.S and Europe in two different situations. Germany and the U.S had the Berlin airlift situation. Germany and Europe had the Treaty of Versailles disagreement. The treaty of Versailles ended military actions against Germany in World War 1. The treaty had been signed for official peace between Germany and Europe. In addition to the treaty of Versailles with Germany, the peace builders drew up separate treaties with the other central powers. The Germans, who complained that it had been dedicated to them, that it violated the spirit of the 14 points and that it demanded intolerable sacrifices that would wreck 2006-12-07T19:44:43-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Conflicting-National-Interests-after-World-War-II-31942.aspx Law and Prohibition in the 1920s in America Law and Prohibition in the 1920s in America I have always taken an interest in the Roaring Twenties and that is why I decided to write my English term paper on an event that occurred in the 1920s. What follows is my term paper which concentrates on prohibition and why it was not effective, namely because of lack of enforcement, growth of crime, and the increase in the drinking rate. I hope this may be of some help to you. “Prohibition did not achieve its goals. Instead, it added to the problems it was intended to solve” (Thorton, 15). On Midnight of January 16, 1920, one of the personal habits and customs of most Americans suddenly came to a halt. The Eighteenth Amendment was put into effect and all importing, exporting, transporting, selling, and manufacturing of intoxicating liquor was put to an end. Shortly following the enactment of the Eighteenth Amendment, the National Prohibition Act, or the Volstead Act, as it was called because of its author, Andrew J. Volstead, was put into effect. This determined intoxicating liquor as anything having an alcoholic content of anything more than 0.5 percent, omitting alcohol used for medicinal and sacramental purposes. This act also set up guidelines for enforcement (Bowen, 154). Prohibition was meant to reduce the consumption of alcohol, seen by some as the devil’s advocate, and thereby reduce crime, poverty, death rates, and improve the economy and the quality of life. “National prohibition of alcohol -- the ‘noble experiment’ -- was undertaken to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce the tax burden created by prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene in America” (Thorton, 1). This, however, was undoubtedly to no avail. The Prohibition amendment of the 1920s was ineffective because it was unenforceable, it caused the explosive growth of crime, and it increased the amount of alcohol consumption. “It is impossible to tell whether prohibition is a good thing or a bad thing. It has never been enforced in this country” (LaGuardia). After the Volstead Act was put into place to determine specific laws and methods of enforcement, the Federal Prohibition Bureau was formulated in order to see that the Volstead Act was enforced. Nevertheless, these laws were flagrantly violated by bootleggers and commoners alike. Bootleggers smuggled liquor from oversees and Canada, stole it from government warehouses, and produced their own. Many people hid their liquor 2006-12-07T19:41:14-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Law-and-Prohibition-in-the-1920s-in-America-31940.aspx Germany’s Powerful Dictator: Adolf Hilter Germany’s Powerful Dictator: Adolf Hilter How did Adolf Hitler become such a powerful dictator? His power to convince the Germans that the Jews were the cause of all their problems , was so great . He was a powerful speaker. He organized meeting after meeting. All he did was spread his racial hatred and contempt for democracy. Adolf Hitler was born in Braunauam Inn , Austria , on April 20 , 1889. He was a poor student , he never completed high school. He was rejected from the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna due to his lack of talent. Hitler read a lot , developing anti-Jewish , and anti-democratic thoughts. He developed an admiration for the outstanding individual. By World War 2 Hitler was already in Munich. He volunteered his service to the Bavarian army. He proved to be a courageous and dedicated soldier. He was never promoted to a higher level because his superiors thought he lacked of leadership skills. In 1918 , after Germany’s defeat he returned to Munich and he remained in the army until 1920. Hitler’s commander made him an education officer. Hitler joined the German Workers’ party. And , on April 1920 he went to work full time for the party. He renamed the party , their new name was National Socialist German Workers ( Nazi ) party. Hitler was elected chairman of the party in 1921. He had the dictator power. Hitler organized meeting after meeting. In these meetings he spread his racial hatred and his contempt for democracy. Soon he was an important person in Bavarian politics. Hitler was aided by high officials and powerful businessmen. Hitler spent five years in prison. He was in prison because , in November of 1923 he tried to lead an uprising ( putsch ) at a time when there was political and economic chaos. He only actually served for eight years. And while he was in prison he spent that time dictating his biography “Mein Kampf”. Hitler was released on December 1924. As soon as he got out he rebuilt his group. Only this time he had nobody to stop him. In 1929, when the 2006-12-07T19:34:37-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Germany’s-Powerful-Dictator-Adolf-Hilter-31936.aspx The Manhattan Project of World War II History Paper The Manhattan Project of World War II History Paper Throughout the course of history, especially in past wars, one can decipher a single point that led to the end of that event/war. All thought World War II had many events transpire which led to its completion, one of the most prominent and immediate effects which brought about the end of the war was the development of the Atomic Bomb. Developed through the research and funding of the Manhattan Project, the Atomic Bomb was used to cause Japan to surrender World War II and thereby effectively ending the war. The Manhattan Project began on September 17, 1942 when Col. Leslie Richard Groves, Deputy Chief of Construction of the Us Army Corps of Engineers, received clearance to initiate such a project and then bought materials necessary to the project such as Uranium. To understand how such a weapon was created one must analyze many different people associated with it. Prior to even the start of WWII, President Franklin Roosevelt received a letter from Albert Einstein and Leo Sizzled (the man who discovered possibility of nuclear fission) which warned of a new field of physics in which “bombs of a powerful type” may be created. After consulting advisors and fearing the Germans beating us to creating the Atomic Bomb, Roosevelt decided to pursue construction of the bomb with full speed and secrecy. Among the top researches, many German immigrants, were Neils Bohr, Glen Seaborg, Richard Feyman, Enrico Fermi, and of course Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer was one of the major players in the project and was involved with every step. Most of the work regarding the bomb was done in Los Alamos, New Mexico by some was done at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Univ. of California at Berkley, and some research done under the Chicago bears football stadium (almost blew up city). Overall the production cost 20 billion dollars, money spent on Uranium, machinery, and employees. This money was well spent, as the research team developed the A-bomb and had it ready for disposal on July 16, 1945 (when they first tested it) and ultimately August 6, 1945 when the bomb was used on Japan. In the end, I believe that the use of the atomic bomb and the decisions made during its development were like a double-edged sword. I believe that the Japanese would have surrendered before November 1, 1945, but that 2006-12-07T15:32:43-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Manhattan-Project-of-World-War-II-History-Paper-31926.aspx History of the French Revolution History of the French Revolution The French Revolution was a time when people wanted their ideas known, right after the Enlightenment. The middle class also known as the third estate wanted some power, in the control of the government, but wasn’t receiving any notice. They knew that they had to revolt. It all started when King Louis XVI was in control ruling as an absolute monarchy the second and third estate felt that they weren’t getting their ideas into the government, plus the third estate was very poor and they only held very limited power and Louis held it all. So it seemed like Louis finally noticed them so he called a meeting with the second estate, but the whole meeting was about how he (Louis) could raise money, but when the second estate started asking questions about their very small power he (Louis) called the meeting off and adjourned everyone. The second and third estate still wanted their ideas and their rights so most of them signed a document that stated that they would not leave unless they came up with a paper stating all of their ideas. After being on the tennis court for a couple of days Louis was just about forced to take notice of the two estates. He was willing to give the two parties some of what they wanted but the two estates were worried and did not trust what Louis had to say. They did the only thing they thought they could do and revolt the attacked prisons and forts to get supplies and weapons and as they were going wild Louis begin to get scared so he and his family fled France so with the riots going on the citizens started their own government. After a while someone in the country that Louis was hiding in notice who he really was, so he was brought back to France but with his power just about completely stripped from him, but then the country that he was hiding out in saw the revolution as a terrible thing so began an attack on France to try to get the whole thing back in order. The French thought that Louis had asked for help while in Austria so he and his family were beheaded and their heads were put on display. So with the monarchy eliminated they could now form yet another government but still the third 2006-12-07T15:23:38-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-French-Revolution-31919.aspx The Civil Rights Act of 1991 The Civil Rights Act of 1991 The constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights were suppose to be enough to guarantee equal rights for all people, however, after the emancipation of slaves the government needed to ensure the equality of the freed people so created the Civil Rights Act of 1866. Since then there has been Civil Rights Acts in 1871, 1957, 1964, 1972, and 1991. Each act reinforces the one before it, and adds one or two new provisions. This repetitive action shows that the only way people pay attention to a civil rights act is if another is brought to light, and remind society that everyone is supposed to be treated equally. The most recent Civil Rights Act of 1991 was a compromise culminating from two years of negotiations, and a failed proposal in 1990. This original act “targeted six 1989 Supreme Court decisions that narrowed the reach and remedies of laws prohibiting employment discrimination and made it harder to prove job discrimination and easier to challenge affirmative-action programs” (Congressional Quarterly 1990, 462). It was passed in the Senate after 8 weeks of discussion with a vote of 65-34, and passed in the House of Representatives with a vote of 273-154 on August 3. Both houses passed it despite the Bush Administration’s constant pledge that he would be against the bill. Most Congressional members, however, believed that Bush would not risk the political cost of vetoing a Civil Rights Act, Bush took a risk and did veto the piece of legislature. In text accompanying the veto Bush states his reasons for his actions. He first states his position on discrimination saying that “discrimination whether on the basis of race, national origin, sex, religion, or disability is worse than wrong” (Congressional Quarterly 1990, p. 472) so as to make clear that he is not against the anti-discrimination part of the bill. He gives his reason as saying that “despite the use of the term ‘civil rights’ in the title of S 2104, the bill actually employs a maze of highly legalistic language to introduce the destructive force of quotas into our nation’s employment system” (Congressional Quarterly 1990, p. 472). Bush felt that the possibility of job quotas being made outweighed the benefits of a non-discriminatory work environment. Bush felt strongly enough about job quotas to 2006-12-05T16:09:01-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Civil-Rights-Act-of-1991-31899.aspx Civil Rights Activists Booker T Washington and WEB Du Bois Civil Rights Activists Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois were both civil rights activists, yet one man’s solution to the problems faced by African Americans in late-nineteenth-century America, was better than the other’s. That man was Booker T. Washington. Booker T. Washington was born into slavery where as W.E.B. Du Bois was born a free man. Their different backgrounds created very dissimilar ideas of how the African Americans would achieve full civil liberties and equal rights. Having studied at Hampton Institute in Virginia, Booker T. Washington was motivated to spend his time promoting Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. W.E.B. Du Bois on the other hand, graduated from Fisk University in Tennessee and then became the first African American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard. Washington preached that in order to gain understanding from whites, African Americans would have to concentrate on creating economic security by improving vocational skills. He told blacks to disregard their want for political equality. Du Bois, had a different type of audience and he led them to request full civil freedoms, an end to discrimination, and the recognition of human brotherhood. He mocked and jeered at Washington’s ideas. Washington’s ideas were nothing to be made fun of. He spoke to a people who had very little education, if any, yet had potential to learn. He spoke to people that were good at blue-collar jobs. He spoke from his heart to a nation of African Americans who deserved their rights, but needed his wise words to help them. Proof that Washington spoke on behalf of the whole African American community is in a speech he gave. He said: “To those of my race who depend on bettering their condition…cast down your bucket where you are-cast it down…in agriculture, mechanics, in commerce, in domestic services, and in the professions…no race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem…” Here he is reaching out to everyone with a profound message. W.EB. Du Bois’ message was quite unlike Booker T. Washington’s. In fact he turned Washington’s views upside down. In The Negro Problem he wrote that the point of “education isn’t to turn men into carpenters, but it is to turn carpenters 2006-12-05T16:03:57-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Civil-Rights-Activists-Booker-T-Washington-and-WEB-Du-Bois-31896.aspx Native American Story of Black Elk Native American Story of Black Elk Black Elk tells a story about his family, his tribe, his people, and the circle of life. But most of all Black Elk speaks about his life and his spiritual journey. This is a story of a shaman and as he speaks we go deeper and deeper into his vision from his colorful words we are able to catch a glimpse of Native American religion and their spirituality. By the symbols and Black Elk’s poetic words, we are able to get a clear idea what his religion is about and how it affects them in their daily life. Black Elk speaks about his culture and his traditional way of life. Appreciating nature and giving thanks to mother earth is what the Native American strives on and lives for. Unlike the white man who came to America looking to control and take over, using all the natural resources and taking what is in front of their eyes, the Native American is about balance and taking enough so there would be more for tomorrow. Appreciating earth and nature is where most of their religion and symbols come from. The buffalo hide is a symbol for all the good things in life. The Native American uses buffalo and bison for everything, from food to clothing, they do not waste anything. The eagle on the other hand is a symbol for lifting of the spirit. Because of their soaring and mountainous flight. The morning star is another symbol that is important in their culture. The one, who sees the morning star, is the one with wisdom. Seeing Venus is a symbol of attaining wisdom. The Native American not only celebrates nature, but spirits as well. They celebrate the west, which is the color of black. It symbolizing rain and giving life. The north is the color white, it symbolize wind and the winter. The east is the color red, and it symbolizes the sun and the summer time. The south is the color yellow and it represents warmth. These are the four spirits. The Native American uses chants to go into a spiritual stage to contact with the spirits. Having leaders and medicine men chanting and going into “dream time” is a big part of Native American culture. Black Elk for most of the book was caught between the ecstasy of his vision and the tragic world in which 2006-12-05T15:35:17-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Native-American-Story-of-Black-Elk-31883.aspx Controversy over the Atomic Bomb Controversy over the Atomic Bomb The atomic bomb is the subject of much controversy. Since its first detonation in 1945, the entire world has heard the aftershocks of that blast. Issues concerning Nuclear Weapons sparked the Cold War. We also have the atomic bomb to thank for our relative peace in this time due to the fear of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). The effects of the atomic bomb might not have been the exact effects that the United States was looking for when they dropped Little Boy and Fat Man on Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively (Grant, 1998). The original desire of the United States government when they dropped Little Boy and Fat Man on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was not, in fact, the one more commonly known: that the two nuclear devices dropped upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki were detonated with the intention of bringing an end to the war with Japan, but instead to intimidate the Soviet Union. The fact of Japan’s imminent defeat, the undeniable truth that relations with Russia were deteriorating, and competition for the division of Europe prove this without question. Admittedly, dropping the atomic bomb was a major factor in Japan’s decision to accept the terms laid out at the Potsdam agreement otherwise known as unconditional surrender. The fact must be pointed out, however, that Japan had already been virtually defeated. (McInnis, 1945) Though the public did not know this, the allies, in fact, did. Through spies, they had learned that both Japan’s foreign minister, Shigenori Togo and Emperor Hirohito both supported an end to the war (Grant, 1998). Even if they believed such reports to be false or inaccurate, the leaders of the United States also knew Japan’s situation to be hopeless. Their casualties in defending the doomed island of Okinawa were a staggering 110,000 and the naval blockade which the allies had enforced whittled trade down to almost nothing. Japan was quickly on the path to destruction. (Grant, 1998). Of course, the Allies ignored this for the reason that dropping the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki would intimidate Russia. Had they truly been considering saving more lives and bringing a quick end to the war in Japan, they would have simply waited them out without the major loss of life seen at both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. At the Yalta conference, Franklin Delano Roosevelt asked Josef Stalin for 2006-12-05T15:30:35-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Controversy-over-the-Atomic-Bomb-31880.aspx Colonial Rule in the Development Of Sub-sahara Africa Colonial Rule in the Development Of Sub-sahara Africa Colonialism has acted in many ways like a narcotic to the growth of Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, and Angola. These countries had their independence taken away by a colonial power and are just in the last few decades been regaining their independence. If many of these countries are to survive they must first readjust to their fairly new situation and find systems of their own that work. The Democratic Republic of Congo was taken by Belgium at the turn of the 20th century. The Belgians ransacked the country for anything of value, ivory, wild rubber, and many tropical products. They gained independence about 1960 and have had a lot of trouble since. They weren’t ready to rule their own country, and it showed. Corruption and mismanagement in the government has led to squandering of funds on bad ideas, and civil war. When Belgium had control, the Belgians didn’t care if the people were happy; as long as Belgium had the more powerful army, then they had complete control to ransack and steal from the country all they wanted. Then when the people of the country got their country back, they didn’t know what to do. There were probably at least a dozen countries advising them what they should do, it just confused them more. When a country has been 70+ years without control of their own government it is hard to get back in the swing of things, especially in the last fifty years or so. With very little money left for their country, they should have chosen carefully, but they squandered the money. The Democratic Republic of Congo, just needs some time, and I think within the next fifty years it will become a much better place. South Africa, which has one of the brightest futures of any sub-Saharan African state, still has had adjustment problems from the colonial government. When the apartheid, begun in South Africa by colonists whom they called the Boers, ended much violence ethnic tension ensued. The apartheid made different races ignore disputes with each other so that there wouldn’t be as many problems, but when it ended they had just that much longer to cultivate their anger and think about how they would get back at other people. Today racial tensions are one of the major obstacles in South Africa’s path to become an MDC. 2006-12-05T15:28:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Colonial-Rule-in-the-Development-Of-Sub-sahara-Africa-31878.aspx Examining the Impact Of The Treaty Of Versailles Examining the Impact Of The Treaty Of Versailles After the Allies victory in World War 1, much of industrialized northern France lay in desolate ruins. The Allies, and the French in particular were very bitter towards their defeated enemy, and vowed to extract reparations. For a young newly formed German republic, these debts to the world were of such incredible proportions, that nobody ever believed that they could be paid. Facing a full occupation, they had to try. Outside of Germany, the Allies were divided by their respective opinions of the Germans. A combination of war debts to the USA and the enormous reparations thrown onto Germany caused a complicated and unstable economic flow, that ultimately cumulated in a global depression. The Treaty of Versailles was not a solution, but a careless and vengeful reprimand that only protracted and intensified hatred and the same problems as before. The German people finished the war in a state of near starvation, thanks to the British blockade. The German army had surrendered while on French and Belgian territory, and the common people and the common people felt betrayed by the government, by their leaders, and the world all of a sudden was a scary, confused place. The new German republic established at Weimar moved quickly to Berlin, and watched hopelessly in 1921 as the Allied Reparations committee handed them a bill for 132 billion gold marks. There was absolutely no way that the Germans could afford to pay such a pricey bill. In 1921 they paid 2.5 billion gold marks, but the next year inflation caused an economic crisis at home, and they could not pay. They proposed a delay on payments for three years, so they could stabilize their government and economy, and then hinted strongly that drastic reductions of reparation would have to be made later. Germany was never close to being in a position to pay what the allies demanded, and to demand it was an invitation to precipitate deep hatred and resentment culminating in huge problems a few years down the road. Even during the writing of the treaty, the Allies were deeply divided as how to treat Germany. The US wanted to embark on a strategy of reconstructing Germany into a civilized western country. The French on the other hand wanted violent and 2006-12-04T21:20:46-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Examining-the-Impact-Of-The-Treaty-Of-Versailles-31870.aspx Himmler's Involvement in World War II Himmler's Involvement in World War II During World War 2 there were many atrocities led by Hitler and his 2nd 2006-12-04T20:51:46-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Himmler-s-Involvement-in-World-War-II-31859.aspx America's Entry to the Second World War America's Entry to the Second World War When war broke out, there was no way the world could possibly know the severity of this guerre. Fortunately one country saw and understood that Germany and its allies would have to be stopped. America’s Involvement in World War two not only contributed in the eventual downfall of the insane Adolph Hitler and his Third Reich, but also came at the precise time and moment. Had the united states entered the war any earlier the consequences might have been worse. Over the years it has been an often heated and debated issue on whether the united states could have entered the war sooner and thus have saved many lives. To try to understand this we must look both at the people’s and government’s point of view. Just after war broke out in Europe, President Roosevelt hurriedly called his cabinet and military advisors together. There it was agreed that the United states stay neutral in these affairs. One of the reasons given was that unless America was directly threatened they had no reason to be involved. This reason was a valid one because it was the American policy to stay neutral in any affairs not having to with them unless American soil was threatened directly. Thus the provisional neutrality act passed the senate by seventy-nine votes to two in 1935. On August 31, Roosevelt signed it into law. In 1936 the law was renewed, and in 1937 a "comprehensive and permanent" neutrality act was passed (Overy 259). The desire to avoid "foreign entanglements" of all kinds had been an American foreign policy for more than a century. A very real "geographical Isolation" permitted the United States to "fill up the empty lands of North America free from the threat of foreign conflict"(Churchill 563). Even if Roosevelt had wanted to do more in this European crisis (which he did not), there was a factor too often ignored by critics of American policy-American military weakness. When asked to evaluate how many troops were available if and when the United States would get involved, the army could only gather a mere one hundred thousand, when the French, Russian and Japanese armies numbered in millions. Its weapons dated from the first World War and were no match compared to the new artillery that Germany and its allies had. "American soldiers were more at 2006-12-04T20:48:06-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/America-s-Entry-to-the-Second-World-War-31858.aspx Analysis of The Education of Henry Adams Analysis of The Education of Henry Adams While reading the book, The Education of Henry Adams, I found it to be amusing, and interesting at the same time. Henry Adams had a unique way of looking at history and events that happened in his life. There were two themes in the book that I thought were very interesting. The first was how he defined “education”, and the second was his Dynamic Theory of History. The term education to Adams was not going to school and learning how to read and write. It was a continuing experience through out one’s life. It involves people you come into contact as well as events that take place in your life. He states that in order to gain those experiences you first have to lose your innocence. As he was growing up in Quincy, he lived a carefree life naively enjoying the freedoms of a child. Then things started to change with his visit to Washington with his father. He experienced slavery for the first time, and it was then that he started to lose his innocence, and become confused about life. He wondered how men could treat other men that way. Another event that further disillusioned Adams was the corruptness of politicians. The Free Soil Party agreed to support a pro-slavery democrat for the office of Governor of Massachusetts in return for the democrats to support a Free Soil candidate for the United States Senate. Adams’ points out that this is his first lesson in “practical politics”. After Adams lost his innocence he talks about a struggle to confront exploitation of the weak. This is a big topic for Adams because of his anti-slavery stance. He also feels that this is one of the main struggles in life because there is always someone trying to take advantage of people. The issue of gold came up several times in his life and he saw that there was always someone trying to make money while taking advantage of the commoners. Every one of these experiences gave him a little more education. To Adams formal education is worthless. He has many experiences with it, going to Harvard, and studying law in Europe. He feels that one’s own experiences are how one is educated. This 2006-12-04T20:33:10-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-The-Education-of-Henry-Adams-31851.aspx The Influence of Geography on Colonial Development A nations’ success is based upon a variety of factors including geography. The Atlantic Ocean, Rocky Mountains, Mississippi River, the Great Lakes, and diverse climates have influenced Colonial Development. They have helped colonies thrive by providing natural resources, extensive waterways for trade and exploration, and a fertile land for prosperous agriculture. The Atlantic Ocean had encouraged successful development of colonies on the Eastern Coast of the United States. A region that was affected by the Atlantic Ocean was the Mid-Atlantic, referring to the land between New England and parts of Virginia. In the Mid-Atlantic, rivers flowed into the Atlantic Ocean creating routes for trade and colonization. Large cities formed where bodies of water connected with the Atlantic Ocean because ports could be formed and there was a food supply, fish. Baltimore is located on the Chesapeake Bay and served as a commercial port and grew exponentially during the 18th and 19th centuries. Sugar was imported from colonies in the Caribbean to Baltimore to be redistributed to other colonies. The shelf life of sugar, flour, and other goods being imported increased because Baltimore was closer to the Caribbean in relation to where New York was. Because of the prolonged self life, profits on sugar increased. Baltimore soon became a major industrial city, bringing in large amounts of money and goods for the growing United States. Colonization of the American West was motivated by economics and the belief that America had the right to expand its’ borders. From British Columbia to New Mexico, the Rocky Mountains were a primary location for Americans to expand into because of its’ vast economic opportunities. Fur was the primary attraction of the Rocky Mountains and many companies took advantage of the opportunity to set establish trading posts. The Northwest Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company had trading posts in the Rockies and these became some of the first white settlements in the region. In 1859, with the discovery of gold, the mining industry increased. Not only were there significant deposits of gold, but there was copper, lead, silver, and zinc which was also being mined. The Mississippi River and its’ many tributaries form an extensive internal waterway that flows from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River acts as a border for several states, including Arkansas, Iowa, and Illinois. Before 2006-11-26T01:19:06-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Influence-of-Geography-on-Colonial-Development-31836.aspx The Black Panther Party The Black Panther Party Who really are the Black Panthers? I believe the Black Panther Party for Self Defense was a great asset to their community during the 1960’s. What was the Black Panther Party for Self Defense? They were a group of revolutionists who believed their "destinies should be taken into their own hands," they eventually set up community programs to help the populace. I also Believe that the Panthers are legends who inspire many people all over the world from when they began on into today. The Black Panther Party for self Defense was founded in Oakland California in October 1966, by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. These two people believed it was a time for a change in the society in which they lived in. They believed with the mistreatment of black people at the time they thought they could legally defend themselves. That same year, they recorded their goals on a paper they passed out known as the 10 point program. Eventually they adapted for use the Black Panther symbol established the preceding year. They also studied Malcolm X, Fanon, and Chairman Mao Tse-Tung, and law in order to create a basic plan on how to legally defend themselves. What was the Black Panther Party For Self Defense? Many don’t know this but, the Black Panther Party is a group for reconstructing the black community to which they feel fits their needs. Such examples are point numbers; 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10 on the 10 Point Program. Basically, what was wanted from the panthers was, "the right for citizens within the community to determine their own destinies." Many believed and still believe the Black Panthers were a young radical group that was armed to kill white people with no moral behind them. J. Edgar Hoover referred to them as a young radical group of "Shines, who are trying to decimate the population of the government." The Panthers were a group of Black people who wanted to and did contribute to the community on a basis where they could work together "like ants in a colony," socially or politically to end suppression, oppression and corruption of the people within the poverty stricken community. The Black Panthers Contributed to the community in many ways whether it was feeding and clothing their community citizens, providing entertainment, healthcare, supplying work, or giving education to the children 2006-11-17T02:51:48-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Black-Panther-Party--31809.aspx History on the Founding Fathers of America History on the Founding Fathers of America Philadelphia, PA. 1787, the Founding Fathers set before them foundation for a new nation. This nation was to be formed in the interest of its people: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Important here is how the United States was formed to provide its people these “unalienable rights.” Formation of the United States did not arise solely on the genius of the Founding Fathers. They adopted ideas from political writers and philosophers around the globe, but none so more than those of British theorists. Theorists such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke provided solid work to expand on. Others assisted the Founding Fathers on the significance of law. They set precedent by taking theories that were only written of, but never applied, and instituting them towards the formulation of the United States. The state of nature was believed to be a state of constant war; the only path to escaping the state of nature is the creation of society. From society, government is borne. Hobbes and Locke were the first to formulate this theory; the Founding Fathers were in agreement as well. To create government man had to bestow certain individual(s) with the authority to govern, therefore creating a social contract, “a set of bilateral agreements between each pair of participants to transfer their rights of self-rule to, and authorize all the acts of, whatever individual or assembly is later elected sovereign by the majority of the group.” The social contract is key to American government in that it led to popular sovereignty, sovereignty to be held by the people and by those who govern. This very concept of popular sovereignty, sovereignty amongst the people, drew directly from the writings of Hobbes, Locke and furthermore in relation to Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos (V.C.T.). The Founding Fathers took further considerations to Locke and V.C.T., applying that government is established by, a fiduciary trust to Locke, and trusteeship in V.C.T. Both arrangements call forth those who govern are granted power 2006-11-17T02:43:17-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-on-the-Founding-Fathers-of-America-31804.aspx American Cold War History American Cold War History Harry S. Truman was the most influential figure in early Cold War politics. His policies on Soviet expansion and cooperation with western bloc countries set the stage for how other Cold War era presidents would act. It is through his handling of the Korean conflict and the issue of communism, both domestic and abroad, he can be considered the father of Cold War politics. The beginnings of communist distrust in America may be found in the Red Scare of 1919. The Red Scare of 1919 began out of a growing distrust of Bolshevism and strong desire by many groups to preserve America’s status quo and throw out the foreign influences that might subvert it (1). People only became more outraged by such frivolous comments by Bolshevik leaders like Vladimir Lenis that “it is necessary to break eggs to make an omelet”(2). Under mounting public pressure the attorney general, Mitchell A. Palmer, conducted anti-alien raids across America. It was not until the arrest and deportation of hundreds of aliens that the national hysteria began to die down as a result of growing public disapproval. Despite the end of the first Red Scare a feeling of Bolshevik distrust continued to pervade America throughout the 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s. At the end of the Second World War America had emerged as the world’s most powerful nation. While most of the world lay in shambles, America served as a sort of economic crutch, providing trade and industry to war stricken nations that could no long do so themselves. With programs such as the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), European Recovery Program (ERP), and the Truman Doctrine the United States was clearly making a concerted effort to re-establish trade with and re-stabilize the countries of Europe. The Marshal Plan, which later evolved into the European Recovery Act, was especially important not only from an American economic standpoint but from a political one as well. By raising living standards and increasing productivity in Western Europe, the Marshall Plan curbed Communism, stimulated trade and economic growth, helped preserve political stability, and made possible a vigorous and enduring North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Given its objectives, it was the most successful foreign aid program in American history (3). With the dissolution of the Russian, British, and American alliance, 2006-11-17T02:26:51-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-Cold-War-History-31795.aspx Foundations of Greek Civilization Foundations of Greek Civilization The mythological Greek tradition serves as an example image of gender differences and perception of the Greek custom. The interpretations of the sexes offer historical background to Greek society. Through depicting the mythological works one can find unique differences that characterize both men and women. Women especially hold an interesting role. Certain characteristics and traits help define the role of women and give historical insight to the role of women that is perceived and should be achieved. Through the general interpretation of women in Greek mythology one can find whether this mythical portrayal compliments or contradicts the role of women perceived in historical Greek society. The myth of Greek creation signifies important feminine features that are prevalent through many of the mythological stories. The Earth holds female character and is able to produce offspring absent of male presence. A common feminine trait that is portrayed in the story of creation is trickery and deception. Rhea plots a trick to deceive Crounes from killing her last child Zeus. Deception is known as a tactic in both sexes but is more predominantly feminine. Another feature depicting gender difference is the notion of struggle. The struggle between men and women to claim rights and uphold power is a battle between the sexes. The wife verse husband struggle for the reproductive rights creates a power controversy. The women fight from birth but men want the power. An example of this could be when Heaven permits Earth’s birth of children. This outrages Earth and precedes her to plot a trick of revenge. Then comes the creation of feminine creature. Pandora is born. Her name means “All Gifts.” This is due to the fact that all gods influenced her creation in some way. This symbolizes the significance of gift giving in Greek culture. From Pandora stem the Greek goddesses. They are portrayed as women with large breasts and a thick stomach. The enlarged abdomen symbolizes pregnancy and the notion of being a nurturing mother and creator of life. They uphold the elements of being a motherly figure. Greek women were supposed to remain pure and abstinent until married. Once married they were expected to serve as mothers and faithful wives 2006-11-17T01:48:55-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Foundations-of-Greek-Civilization-31780.aspx History of Catherine the Great of Russia History of Catherine the Great of Russia Catherine the Great, who ruled as Empress of Russia from 1762-1796, is one of those catalyzing forces in history, which, through hard experience, unbounded intelligence, and overwhelming practicality, changed the face of a country against overwhelming odds. Her background as a German princess, as well as her education in philosophy literature, led her to believe that Russia was a barbaric backward country; she dedicated her monarchy to bringing Russia into the modern, European Age. Not many people at European courts believed that Catherine would last long. Another German without a drop of Russian blood in her veins. Catherine herself knew how fragile her position really was, and at the moment she left the sheltered world of a civilized court and stepped into Russia as it was: ignorant, superstitious, disorganized, unruly, often diseases and to a European appallingly backward. She decided to concentrate on increasing Russia’s wealth, and as Russia was primarily agricultural, she began with the land. Catherine began to turn Russia into a modern society bringing in new technologies from England while increasing the population of workers through advertisements that she sent to the rest of the world. Thousands of immigrants took to the road Catherine and her mother had traveled twenty years before. Next she turned to mining and sent geologists to access the ores from Russia’s seemingly barren lands. She founded the first School of Mines in St. Petersburg; complete with an underground mine, where trainees could learn the trade under realistic conditions. As early as 1762 she decreed anyone could start a new factory, except in the two capitals, which were overcrowded. Soon, enterprising state peasants were running large textile plants. A whole range of industries began to emerge: lined, pottery, leather goods and furniture. The total number of factories during her reign was increased from 984 to 3161. Catherine now turned to education. There were few schools in Russia. She started to convert a convent in St. Petersburg into a boarding school for girls, the Smolny Institute. She sent for Daniel Dumarsq, who had been a Fellow at Oxford and installed him as a member of the Educational Committee. In 1786, Catherine issues the Statue for Schools for all of Russia. Every district town was to establish a minor school with two teachers, 2006-11-17T01:45:08-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-Catherine-the-Great-of-Russia-31778.aspx History of the Korean War and Attacks on Seoul History of the Korean War and Attacks on Seoul The first battle of the Korean War was on Sunday June 25, 1950. The North Korean forces decided it was time to attack the South Koreans and take over their democratic government. When the South Korean armies found out that North Korea was attacking them; soldiers would try to resist the invasion by fastening bombs to their bodies and throwing themselves into enemy tanks, but the large number of North Korean tanks and soldiers just overwhelmed the South Koreans. In Seoul an American ambassador informed the United States and the United Nations of the growing war in North Korea. After the Security Council was warned they held a meeting that afternoon to discuss the happenings in Korea. They then adopted an American Resolution condemning the attack and insisting that the Korean immediately cease-fire and that North Korea return to its borders. On Monday the 26th President Truman announced that the United States of America would greatly support the Security Council. The following day the United States Air Force and Sea Force were sent off to assist the South Koreans in their fight to hold off the North Koreans. The Supreme Allied Commander in Japan, General Douglas MacArthur, was given control over the American units in the operations. That Tuesday evening the Security Council met again and greatly urged all the members of the United Nations to also help the South Koreans fight against the Communist North Koreans. They explained that it might be necessary to end this violent attack and restore peace and security to that part of Asia. By that same evening the North Koreans were only a few miles away from Seoul and by the next day North Korea had gained control of Seoul. As the condition in Korea worsened, the troops from the United States were still trying to hold back the North Koreans for pressing any further into South Korea. The press began to believe that the United States as going to war but soon after that rumor started Truman told the press that they were just taking “police action against a bunch of bandits.” By the night of Thursday, the North Korean soldiers had broken through the South Korean defense line along the Han River. North Korea then began shipping tanks across the river in order to keep pressing further 2006-11-17T01:23:55-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-Korean-War-and-Attacks-on-Seoul-31771.aspx The History of Prussia The History of Prussia There are three reasons Prussia, between 1648-1762, came to be a European power. First, Prussia was surrounded by a number of weak states. The weakness of these state enabled Prussia to gain 2006-11-17T01:15:09-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-History-of-Prussia-31767.aspx Social Changes in America Brought About by the Gilded Age Social Changes in America Brought About by the Gilded Age The Gilded Age was characterized by rapid industrialization, reconstruction, ruthless pursuit of profit, government, corruption, and vulgarity (Cashman 1). After the Civil War, America was beginning to regroup as a nation. There were many other changes developing in the country. Industrialization was taking over the formerly agricultural country. The nation’s government was also in great conflict (Foner 20). Many changes occurred during the Gilded Age. These changes affected farmers, labor, business, and politics. Many southerners saw Reconstruction as an attempt by the north to punish the south, rather than an attempt to rebuild the nation (Foner 29). This period was marked by intense bitterness and anger. Regional and racial pressure remained powerful. The Ku Klux Klan came into full force, terrorizing blacks by tactics such as night riding (Foner 94). Poll taxes forced an unreasonable fee on blacks at the voting booth. During Reconstruction, the northern economy experienced a tremendous industrial boom, while the South struggled through Reconstruction (Powers 48). Immigrants began pouring into northern cities and provided a cheap labor source for Northern Industry. The south remained primarily agricultural. Much of the Gilded Age can be seen as a response to the result of the events of Reconstruction. Almost all of the Gilded Age politics revolved around the effort of the government to find some system so they could regulate big business and to regulate its own abuses. Machine Politics was the government’s response. The first reason machine politics worked was because there were no secret ballots (Mandelbaum 135). Ballots were very colorful and it was easy to tell who someone was voting for when they went to the polls (Mandelbaum 139). When a party controlled a district, which was very common, that party might threaten people who decide to vote against it. Police officers did nothing about this although it was illegal because they have government jobs also (Mandelbaum 148). Boss Tweed is the best example of machine politics. He was in charge of the “Tweed Ring” in New York City. Machine politics worked wonderful in New York City where the Irish stuck together and used machine politics to their advantage(Mandlebaum 28). Tweed gained control over the police officers allowing him to exercise control over 2006-11-15T22:58:17-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Changes-in-America-Brought-About-by-the-Gilded-Age-31758.aspx European History on the Spanish Armada European History on the Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada set sail from Spain in 1588. King Phillip II wished to invade England for both political and religious reasons. Spain put a tremendous amount of money into the Armada and planned for years, but in the end the fleet was defeated. The building of and the defeat of the Spanish Armada led to Spain’s downfall as a world power, and England’s subsequent rise in power. King Phillip II had many political and religious reasons to invade England. Because Phillip had been named as Mary’s successor before her death, he thought he had a right to the English throne(The Invincible Armada, NP). Another reason for the Armada was the race between Spain and England in trade and supremacy in the seas. Spain was one of the most powerful nations in Europe, but English naval power was becoming a threat to Spain’s domination of the seas. This was particularly true with respect to the New World. Spain’s discovery of the New World had opened up a huge source of trade for Spain and England wanted to share it. Spanish treasure ships coming from the New World were attacked by British ships and robbed on their way back to Spain. The English also raided Spanish towns in the New World. After the English had raided towns and robbed Spanish ships, Queen Elizabeth refused to return what they had stolen. Finally, the English had also helped Spain’s enemies, such as the Dutch. Phillip believed that only a conquest of England could halt English aid to the rebels and stop English depredations in the New World. There were also religious reasons to assemble the Armada. In fact, religion was one of the main reasons for the Armada. Phillip was very religious and it angered him that Henry VIII had rejected the power of the Pope and started the Church of England. Under Elizabeth, England was Protestant. England was also uncomfortable for Catholics. Catholics were fined for not attending services in the Church of England and imprisoned for hearing or saying mass. Since 1581, over a dozen English Catholics were executed for their “religious crimes”(Historical background and reasons for the Armada, NP). The execution of Mary Queen of Scots was also a shock 2006-11-15T22:44:26-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/European-History-on-the-Spanish-Armada-31751.aspx History of the American Indian Seminole Tribe History of the American Indian Seminole Tribe The Seminoles 2006-11-15T22:37:31-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-American-Indian-Seminole-Tribe-31748.aspx The Darker Side of the Industrial Revolution in Europe The Darker Side of the Industrial Revolution in Europe The Industrial Revolution was a time of drastic change and transformations from hand made items to machine manufactured goods. These changes generally helped make life easier, but it also hindered it as well. During the Industrial Revolution, working conditions in factories declined and the number of women and children working increased. Women and children were used as a cheap source of labor (“The Industrial Revolution” http://members.aol.com/mhirotsu/essay.html). The Industrial Revolution was a terrible experience for women and children (as portrayed in “The Dark Side of the Industrial Revolution”). The painting’s colors reveals that women and children were working in unsanitary conditions. The painting also reveals how hard and tiring the work was. During the times of the Industrial Revolution, the displaced working classes felt that a family would not be able to support itself if the children were not employed. As a result, the children of the poor were forced by these beliefs and economic conditions to work. Children started working as early as the age of six. In addition, since they worked at such a young age, there was no time for an education. Although the working families were making just enough money for the essentials of life, the factory owners or employers became very wealthy. The factory owners became wealthy at the expense of the laborer’s hard work. The laborers worked long days, which resulted in greater production. That in turn resulted to the owners becoming wealthy (Beck, 639). During the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, women and children were forced to work under unsanitary conditions and long days. Since there were only minor factory regulations, working conditions were at the discretion of the factory owners. The factories in which the women and children worked in were extremely dangerous. In fact, there were even many mice around the factories. Furthermore, the factories were not well lit. Examples of these conditions were present in the factories of Manchester. Manchester is a major industrial center in Great Britain (Funk & Wagnalls, 391). Often, workers near machines would have been injured due to machine malfunctions or carelessness. For instance, a boiler may have exploded near a worker’s face, or one of the worker’s arms may have gotten caught in a drive belt. 2006-11-15T22:35:25-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Darker-Side-of-the-Industrial-Revolution-in-Europe-31747.aspx The Feudal Ages in Japan and Europe The Feudal Ages in Japan and Europe In the past, feudalism has been used successfully as a political system for governing a country. Two of the largest and most well known Feudal Ages have been that of Europe (1150-1600) and Japan (800-1350). Although both civilizations were quite similar during these periods of time, Japan’s civilization clearly is superior in many ways. When compared, the role of religion, the weaponry and armor, and the warrior codes of conducts of both countries can easily prove this point. The roles which religion played in each culture prove how Europe was inferior to Japan in feudal times. During Europe’s feudal period, the Catholic Church had an obscene amount of power. Its beliefs and doctrines affected every aspect of European society for every social class. Kings bowed down and submitted before popes, lest they be excommunicated. They became nothing more than puppets for the Catholic Church’s power and were used to further its control. Governing decisions were no longer made in the best interest of the people, or even the state, but in the best interest of the Church. State and religion became so intertwined during this period that they were practically synonymous. The influence of the Church caused the prejudice and persecution of those of different religions, along with horrors such as the Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades. Hundreds of thousands died because of the greed and cruelty of the Catholic Church. In feudal Japan, state and religion were kept separate for the most part. Buddhism came to Japan 300 years before feudalism came into practice. It was the country’s official religion throughout feudal Japan, but religious leaders did not try to control politics or society. This non-interference allowed the Shogun and Daimyos to rule successfully with only the best interest of their territory in mind. Buddhism, especially Zen Buddhism, which stressed meditation, simplicity and discipline, gradually influenced Japanese society. The beliefs of Zen Buddhism were very popular among samurai since they followed the basic beliefs of their code of honor, Bushido. Zen Buddhism also helped create Japanese cultural arts such as tea ceremonies, simplistic arrangements of Japanese gardens, and landscapes painted with few brushstrokes. Buddhism also taught its followers to be more accepting towards others, and not to persecute without reason. Thus, 2006-11-04T18:54:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Feudal-Ages-in-Japan-and-Europe-31693.aspx History of the Western Frontier History of the Western Frontier The western frontier was a newly acquired asset with unlimited potential for the United States. Rich with mineral resources, fertile land, and overall open space, the frontier was to be prosperous indefinitely, but it was first necessary to determine which action would be initiated. Agriculture was the only true necessity for survival, and with the land, large farms could be created to produce food for the nation. For this reason, farmers and their agricultural agenda should have had the precedence in setting up the western frontier. During the time period between 1840-1890, immigrants were crowding into our nation, causing a population boom, especially in urban areas. Our nation was growing, industry was improving, and transportation, especially through railroads, was progressing rapidly. Following the Civil War, many settlers, including immigrants and freedmen, were moving west to begin a new life farming. But, the United States was wastefully granting the railroad companies fertile lands which were more suitable for agriculture. With the arrival of thousands of immigrants each year into the United States, food was obviously a necessity for the nation. With all the land for which to cultivate in the west, farming was a sensible way to begin setting up the frontier. The government should have allowed farmers to choose their land on which to farm, and then support the nation with a steady food supply. The government could have still given out free land, like they did, as long as the farmers would supply the nation with a partial amount of their crops. In this way, if the farmers were allowed to choose their land first, the production of food would have been more efficient and prosperous, and the nation would have gained more profit. With the profit gained from such a prosperous agricultural region, the government could have then funded other areas of westward expansion, such as railroad construction. Once the boundaries were created and farms were stable, the railroads could have then been built through the less fertile lands, such as the deserts in the Southwest. This method would have been logical, and in this way it would have also been easy to transport the goods to the East for consumption. The railroads would run around and between the farms, instead of the farms being created around a railroad. With a 2006-11-04T18:46:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-Western-Frontier-31688.aspx Historical Significance of Grand Central Station Historical Significance of Grand Central Station When the words “railroad station,” are mentioned, the first thing that appears in most peoples’ minds is Grand Central Terminal in New York City. It has become known as the crossroads of the world. In the 1830’s it was becoming apparent that there was the need for an alternative to water travel because of the geographical expansion of the country. This lead to railroads, which could be extended easily, unlike canals that had to be dredged. From 1850 to the end of the nineteenth century, American railroads grew from 9,000 miles to 193,000 miles of track. In 1853, all of the smaller New York railroads merged into the New York Central Railroad. Cornelius Vanderbilt acquired a large amount of stock in the New York Central. Daniel Drew, a rival of Vanderbilt’s, tried to block all additional acquisition by Vanderbilt but failed. In New York City, the destination for freight trains was St. John’s Park Depot, a three-story stone building constructed for the Hudson River Railroad in 1868. On the top of it was a bronze statue of Vanderbilt himself. The statue now stands on the south side of Grand Central, looking out on Park Avenue S. Passenger trains merged at Fourth Avenue and continued down to 42nd street. The Harlem Railroad Depot was located here. Vanderbilt acquired the Depot in the Harlem Railroad takeover. It gave him ownership to what was to become the busiest piece of land in the world. His railroad was now the only one with a direct route into Manhattan. In 1856 New York City banned trains from south of 42nd street because of the high numbers of accidents. Passengers continued downtown on a forty-five minute horse-drawn carriage ride. The two terminals for the Hudson River and Harlem lines proved to be inadequate for the volume of freight and passengers at hand. The large fleet was in need of a large central depot to bring both lines together. It would need to be big enough to accommodate and represent the New York Central, the Hudson, and the Harlem. The site selected for Vanderbilt’s Grand Central Depot was where the Harlem Depot already stood. The location was criticized by the public as being “the end of the earth,” 2006-11-02T15:54:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Historical-Significance-of-Grand-Central-Station-31675.aspx Inventions of the 15th Century Inventions of the 15th Century Although many of the inventions were to help medicine, astronomy and other sciences, there were inventions that just made life easier. The development of the printing press made the spreading of knowledge through literature faster and cheaper. Before Johannes Gutenberg developed it in 1436, monks had to hand copy everything, making books rare and very expensive. Gutenberg put ink on hundreds of individual 2006-11-02T15:51:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Inventions-of-the-15th-Century-31673.aspx Australia's Involvement in the Vietnam War Australia’s Involvement in the Vietnam War Following the withdrawal of the last Australian troops in 1972 more than 46000 Australian personnel had served in Vietnam. This is out of a population of approximately 11 million. Of these, 3000 were wounded and almost 500 were killed. Australia became involved in Vietnam because of a longstanding alliance with the USA since World War 2. It can be argued that Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War had its origins in the Cold War. By 1945 the world had been divided between two superpowers: the USA and the USSR. The animosity and conflict that arose between the two nations was known as a cold war because it did not involve direct conflict with the USA formally fighting a war with the USSR. These two superpowers had a major ideological and political difference: the USA was and is a democratic, capitalist nation; the USSR was communist. Australia is also a democratic, capitalist nation and has been a formal ally of the USA since World War 2. 1949 and 1950 are two key dates in Australia’s involvement in Vietnam. In 1949 China became a communist country. In 1959 communist North Korea invaded democratic South Korea. Australia supported the US in maintaining democracy in South Korea. The fear was that if one country in Asia fell to communism many more would follow; this is known as the domino effect. As a result, the US became involved in Vietnam from 1959 to 1973 and due to our alliance with the US; Australia became involved from 1965 to 1972. The period 1949-1966 is known as the Menzies Era. Robert Menzies became Australia’s longest serving Prime Minister and during his time in office Australia read its highest standard of living. As a result, Australians were fearful about the rise of communism in countries throughout Europe and Asia. Communism saw basic freedom and civil rights taken away from its citizens under the pretence of equal rights for all; thus limiting the growth of communism became a major issue in Australian politics. As the US had dealt with another fear of post-war Australians, Japanese resurgence; keeping communism at bay became a priority. Australia’s alliance with Brittain no longer provided strategic security in the Asia Pacific region and as a result the US became out strongest ally. In order to ensure Australia’s security the government signed treaties with countries in the region; these included ANZUS (Australia, New Zealand and United States) and 2006-11-01T21:49:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Australia-s-Involvement-in-the-Vietnam-War-31656.aspx The Pearl Harbor Attacks The Pearl Harbor Attacks The topic I want to research for this assignment is the attack on Pearl Harbor Naval Base. The Pearl Harbor Naval Base was attacked on December 7, 1941 in Oahu, Hawaii. I chose to research this topic because I am interested in learning what happened that day and why did it happen. Upon researching for this report, I hope to gather and learn as much as I can about the surprise attack by Japan. I feel this is a good topic to research because it is something everyone has learned about or at least heard about. Some of us unfortunately experienced first hand what happened that day and others didn’t live to tell about the whole ordeal. I am interested in researching this topic because I am fascinated in learning everything that happened on that tragic day in 1941. Another fact that interests me about the 7th of December is finding out why Japan would surprise attack the United States. Another Part of that unseen day that interests me is the amount of damage that Japan caused to the Naval Base with there fleet of nearly 360 airplanes. Japan destroyed one battleship, sank three other ships and capsized another one. They also damaged three other battleships, three cruisers, three destroyers, and other vessels were also damaged. The most amazing part of that day was surprisingly, small amount of losses Japan incurred in this thirty-minute battle. Japan only lost from twenty nine to sixty planes, one or two fleet submarines and fewer than one hundred men. There are a lot of facts about the bombing of Pearl Harbor that I already knew such as the complete destruction of the USS Arizona and the capsizing of the USS Oklahoma. The other ships that I knew Japan had sunk were the USS California, Nevada, and West Virginia. Japan had killed more than two thousand American soldiers in its surprise attack, and wounded around another thousand. I also learned that war was declared on Japan by president Roosevelt on December 8, 1941, but most American’s had already suspected that war would be declared after the attack. All of the damage to the Pearl Harbor Naval Base was done under the command of Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, the commander in chief of Japan’s Combined Fleet. I learned all of this information from reading textbooks, watching documentaries or from my past 2006-10-31T22:47:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Pearl-Harbor-Attacks-31651.aspx Different Schools of Thought: Marx Versus Lenin Different Schools of Thought: Marx Versus Lenin Lenin was obviously influenced by Karl Marx’s writing, The Communist Manifesto. To have revolutionized Russia, Lenin took these theories and shaped them to fit his needs at the time of the Russian Revolution. His close comrade, Leon Trotsky, agreed on some of the revisions yet disagreed on the others. The doctrine of the Bolsheviks was the mold of Marx filled with the steel of Lenin. The theories of Marx predicted a revolution that was supposed to happen in an industrialized and capitalistic nation. At the time of Lenin, Russia was neither of those two. Marx’s dream was a dictatorship of the proletariat; Lenin turned it into the dictatorship over the proletariat. Unlike Marx Lenin believed the struggle of the proletariat against the oppressing capitalists would not bring forward a ‘class consciousness’ needed to a social revolution. Lenin knew that the workers of Russia, the simple muzhiks, needed to be pushed over edge and into revolution. From here comes the first revision of Lenin, an elite party is required to guide the proletariat. These elites must be professional revolutionists who can combat the antagonists. By suggesting the rule of the elite Lenin also dropped the idea of Marx’s democratic rule. By incorporating the elite leaders into the revolution Lenin believed that the Russian people could accelerate their path to communism. When the Russian economy struggled Lenin created the NEP (New Economic Policy). By putting this into action in Russia they took a step back from communism to capitalism. Marx would be rolling over in his grave at the sound of such action, since he believed that passage to communism was a one-way road. Yet, Lenin, being a practical man, believed “a few steps back would lead to a giant leap forward”. These are the key revisions of Marx made by Lenin. Leonid Trotsky was Lenin’s right hand man and played a key part in the revolution. When the Russian Socialists first split into the two groups, Bolsheviks and Mensheviks, he joined with the later. He disagreed with Lenin on who should lead the revolution. Unlike Lenin, Trotsky didn’t believe that an elite group was needed and that the leadership should be left to the proletariat. He later split with the Mensheviks because he did not agree that the middle class should lead the initial stages of the revolution. Trotsky beliefs put him in a camp 2006-10-28T19:42:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Different-Schools-of-Thought-Marx-Versus-Lenin-31593.aspx History of German U-Boats History of German U-Boats The U-boat fleet all started in 1905, when the German government ordered for a new type of military submarine to be produced, and be called das Unterseebootein, which means undersea boat, and is abbreviated as U-boat. Within a short time, Krupp’s Germaniawerft plant designed the almost perfect submarine, except for one flaw, the use of petrol engines. Using gasoline was extremely dangerous, with the constant risk of explosions. So instead of petrol engines, they replaced them with diesel engines. The diesel engine ran off of oil instead of gasoline. Not only was this safer, but more economical too. On August 1, 1914, World War One began when Germany declared war on Russia. Only two days later, Germany declared war on France, and not soon after, Great Britain declared war on Germany. World War One was under way and the U-boat could not have been ready at a better time. Germany had a fleet of 28 U–boats: 14 still with kerosene burners, and the other half with diesel engines. Either way, they were ready for war at anytime. On September 5, 1914, history would be changed. Up until that time, no submarine had successfully sunk another ship and escaped. It all started when a U-boat, under the calling name of U-21, was prowling the waters off of St. Abb’s Head near the border of England and Scotland. At about noon, a crewmember spotted a British light cruiser. It was the HMS Pathfinder. The submarine immediately submerged and prepared to fire. However, the range was too far, so submarine had to give up and resurface. But the U-boats luck came back around 3:45 when the cruiser reappeared. Again, the submarine was ordered to dive and prepare to fire. The distance gradually closed and the captain gave the order to fire. After a few seconds, the torpedo was thought to have missed, but then it came. A huge explosion just under the ship’s bridge. Within four minutes, the HMS Pathfinder had sunk with 296 out of the 299 men aboard. The U-21 had become the first successful war submarine. This historical mark began the great era of the U-boats. Submarines, instead of warships, controlled the sea. The sinking of the HMS Pathfinder began a chain of domination by U-boats. The next major U-boat attack happened on September 22, 1914. Submarine U-9, an old kerosene burner, was roaming 2006-10-28T19:37:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-German-U-Boats-31590.aspx The History of Royal Oak Township The History of Royal Oak Township The history of Royal Oak Township parallels the development of Detroit and Oakland County. As the economy of the area changed from that of agriculture in the 1800’s and early 1900’s to one dependent the transportation industry so did the economy of Royal Oak Township. African Americans families settled in Detroit before 1796, when the British took ownership of the city and found them in residence. By 1860, the African American population in Detroit had grown to 1403 persons, with a few African American families settling on scattered farm locations throughout the region. These farmland holdings were sold to whites, with the exception of an area spanning eight mile centered around Wyoming Avenue. As stated in the Oakland County Book of History, Royal Oak 2006-10-28T19:18:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-History-of-Royal-Oak-Township-31586.aspx The Discovery of Australia The Discovery of Australia In June of 1769, aboard the Endevour, Captain James Cook completed his scientific assignment to observe a transit of the planet Venus across the face of the sun from Tahiti in the South Pacific. Afterwards, Cook and his crew headed westward; their secret mission was to find the undiscovered southern land, Terra 2006-10-27T19:44:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Discovery-of-Australia--31571.aspx The History of D-Day The History of D-Day As Supreme Expeditionary Forces Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower had the top military men of Great Britain and the United States under his command. These men would help him play out the great plans for the long awaited invasion. Their orders from the Combined Chiefs of Staff were very simple; they were to land on the coast of France and destroy the German armies. The Nazis General Field Marshal Erwin Rommel took many different measures to prepare for the attacks by the Allies. He was the only General under Hitler’s command that believed Normandy not Pas Del Calais would be the invading point (Skipper 42). His troops worked feverishly to strengthen defenses. The entire coastline was littered with land mines. Their beaches had deadly obstacles and their weapons and bases were camouflaged. They felt that on shore they were invincible. By early 1944 almost one million Allied soldiers arrived in the United Kingdom. That brought their total there to almost three million. The Allied airforce strength had grown from a few thousand planes to more than 15,000 planes. The 5,000 bombers were ready to drop over 100,000 bombs. All the available space in Britain was used for storage. Newly thoughts up ideas were in the makings to be used at Normandy. One idea was to create artificial harbors on the coasts of Normandy. They would use heavy machinery to break German obstacles and destroy mines. These new ideas would be very useful in aiding Allied troops. The men themselves were trained under conditions that would be similar to the ones they would soon be fighting at. These exercises were different from the ones they had known in the US. Troops continually worked at operating as a whole with other infantries. In some cases the men were even toughened up by having sessions of hand to hand combat. Paratroopers were also mentally and physically toughened up for their missions. The thirteen thousand plus men were said to be the greatest up to that time. The heavy air attacks on the Germans coal railroads began in April of 1944 nearly two months before the actual invasion. These attacks were the first steps in the disruption of the Nazis communication centers. The three days that the 2006-10-27T19:43:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-History-of-D-Day--31570.aspx History on Queen Elizabeth I History on Queen Elizabeth I "... Or let me live with some more sweet content, or die and so forget what love ere meant..." These soulful lines were written by one of the most celebrated women of all time. Hailed as the Virgen Queen, Elizabeth I was perhaps the most powerful, revolutionary queen to ever rule Englan. During the 45 years of Elizabeth's reign, England flourished in all aspects from economics to education. In fact Elizabeth I initiated so many successful improvements that this period came to be known as simply - The Elizabethan Age. In order to gain a bit more insight into the rather complex Queen Elizabeth, let's examine her early childhood and youth, her ascent to the throne, and the accomplishments she had as queen. Elizabeth I was the daughter of the rather infamous King Henry VIII and his second of six wives, Anne Boleyn. When Elizabeth was just three years old, her father, King Henry, falsely accused her mother, Anne Boleyn, of treason and adultery and had her beheaded. King Henry was so disappointed that his only child from that marriage was female, that he had young Elizabeth banished from his sight to a little home in the country while he perused his never-ending quest for a male heir. Even at such a young age, Elizabeth was keenly aware of her father's disappointment of her. She had everything a little girl could ever want but lacked the one thing she truly desired- her father's love and acceptance. Faced with such loneliness and heartache, Elizabeth took comfort in her one pleasure in life- her studies. Elizabeth was a brilliant student and had the finest tutors England had to offer. By the age of six, Elizabeth's reading and writing skills were far more advanced than many adults twice her age. She adored literature, particularly poetry. She even composed several poems of her own. Elizabeth excelled in geography, mathematics, and science and could read, write, and even speak over nine different languages including French, Spanish, Italian, Greek, and Spanish. Elizabeth soon grew into a beautiful woman - elegant, witty, and serenely composed and a delight to the court on the rare chances she visited. In time, the pain of her father's rejection ebbed; and Elizabeth was able to devote herself to 2006-10-27T19:10:27-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-on-Queen-Elizabeth-I-31560.aspx A History of the Slave Trade A History of the Slave Trade "I am the son of a white man and a black slave, born in Tukahoe, Maryland, on February 7th, 1711. I never knew his father and was separated from my mother at the age of 8. I can still remember the nights of unrest; she would put me to sleep with grim stories of her father and the journey they took across the Atlantic. On other nights she would raise my spirits with tales of hope and how life wouldn't always be like this. I could tell there was a burning desire in her that was screaming, "Why does my family suffer like this. Why must my people endure this torture." I lived with his grandmother on a plantation until the age of eleven, when I was sent to a rich white man in Baltimore. It was to my fortune that the wife of my owner defied state law by teaching me to read. My possessor was also considerate enough to teach me many other skills that would be very useful later in my life like agricultural techniques and work with carving and repairing various wooden items. When my master died in 1737 I was sent to his Newport, Rhode Island to process wood. My new master was very generous to me and kept me in good health and took time each day to preach the important values of the Bible to me. After some years, I gained enough expertise and Master promoted me to be his assistant. It was an exciting job, I would carve out and assemble several parts of a ship not only for the food that I would not get with out my work, but I engaged I even engaged in conversations with my master about our opinions of the world. He explained to me the current situation the colonies were in and how we were helping the grand scheme of things. He called it our place in the slave trade. As the years went by, our relationship slowly but surely became more and more informal. One night he decided to share an underground history book explaining the history of the colonies and the slave trade. It read: "Ever sine the early seventeenth century when the English began to colonize the Americas there was a demand for cheap labor to fuel the soon-to-be booming economy and trade of the New World. When the 2006-10-27T19:05:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-History-of-the-Slave-Trade-31558.aspx Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus was the oldest son of Domenico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa. Christopher was born between August and October 1451, in Genoa, Italy. Christopher also had two younger brothers, Bartholomew and Diego. Christopher received little formal education and was a largely self-taught man. Later, he learned to read Latin and write Castilian. In 1475, Columbus began his first sea voyage to the Aegean Island of Chios. One year later, he survived a shipwreck off Cape St. Vincent so he had to swim to shore. In 1477, Columbus sailed to England and Ireland with Portuguese marines. In 1479, Christopher married Felipa Perestello e Moniz from a poor noble Portuguese family. Their son, Diego, was born in 1480. Felipa died in 1485, and Columbus later began a relationship with Beatriz Enriquez de Harana of Cordabo, with whom Christopher had his second son, Ferdinand. Columbus and Enriquez never were married, but Columbus supported her. In the mid-1480’s, Christopher had become focused on his plans of discovery. His biggest dream was to find a westward route to Asia. In 1484, he had asked King John of Portugal to back his voyage west, but he was refused. The next year, he set out to Spain with his son, Diego to look for help from Queen Elizabeth of Castile and her husband, King Ferdinand of Aragon. Even though the Spanish monarchs first rejected Christopher’s request, but they gave him a small grant to live on, and he remained determined to convince them. In January of 1492, Christopher gained the support of Elizabeth and Ferdinand, after being rejected twice by the Spanish monarchs. On August 3rd, the fleet of three ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, set forth from Palos, on the Tinto River in southern Spain. The first sight of land came at dawn on October 12th from the Pinta Ship. The place of the first Caribbean landfall was most likely modern, San Salvador or Waitling Island in the Bahamas. Thinking he has reached the East Indies, Columbus referred to the native residents of the island as “Indians,” a name often used to identify local people of the New World. The three ships sailed along the other Bahama Islands and landed in Cuba, which Columbus mistakenly called Mainland of Cathay (China). There were a little gold there, and his exploration continued by sea to Ayti on December 6th, 2006-10-22T18:06:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Christopher-Columbus-31548.aspx Pythagoras Ancient Hellenic Board Game Pythagoras of Samos is often described as the first pure mathematician. He is an extremely important figure in the development of mathematics yet we know relatively little about his mathematical achievements. Unlike many later Greek mathematicians, where at least we have some of the books which they wrote, we have nothing of Pythagoras's writings. The society which he led, half religious and half scientific, followed a code of secrecy which certainly means that today Pythagoras is a mysterious figure. We do have details of Pythagoras's life from early biographies which use important original sources yet are written by authors who attribute divine powers to him, and whose aim was to present him as a god-like figure. What we present below is an attempt to collect together the most reliable sources to reconstruct an account of Pythagoras's life. There is fairly good agreement on the main events of his life but most of the dates are disputed with different scholars giving dates which differ by 20 years. Some historians treat all this information as merely legends but, even if the reader treats it in this way, being such an early record it is of historical importance. Pythagoras believed that all relations could be reduced to number relations. As Aristotle wrote: The Pythagorean ... having been brought up in the study of mathematics, thought that things are numbers ... and that the whole cosmos is a scale and a number. Pythagoras studied properties of numbers which would be familiar to mathematicians today, such as even and odd numbers, triangular numbers, perfect numbers etc. However to Pythagoras numbers had personalities which we hardly recognise as mathematics today: Each number had its own personality - masculine or feminine, perfect or incomplete, beautiful or ugly. This feeling modern mathematics has deliberately eliminated, but we still find overtones of it in fiction and poetry. Ten was the very best number: it contained in itself the first four integers - one, two, three, and four [1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10] - and these written in dot notation formed a perfect triangle. Proclus, writing of geometry, said: I emulate the Pythagoreans who even had a conventional phrase to express what I mean "a figure and a platform, not a figure and a sixpence", by which they implied that the geometry which is deserving of study is that which, at each new theorem, sets up 2006-10-21T18:08:14-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Pythagoras-Ancient-Hellenic-Board-Game-31547.aspx Economics of 1492 - Discovering America by the Hellenes Economics of 1492 - Discovering America by the Hellenes. The discovery of America, as every schoolboy knows, is credited to the Genoese navigator, Christopher Columbus in 1492. Actually CC discovered the Caribbean islands, and it was Englishman John Cabbot who "discovered" the mainland 5 years later, landing in Newfoundland 2006-10-17T05:18:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economics-of-1492-Discovering-America-by-the-Hellenes-31532.aspx Protestant Reformation The Protestant Reformation By the tenth century, the Roman Catholic Church had come to dominate religious life in Northern and Western Europe. Consequently, many people over Europe were outraged by the unfair power given to the popes and priests. Many priests and monks were so poorly educated that they could scarcely read, let alone teach people. The popes who ruled during the Renaissance patronized the arts, spent extravagantly on personal pleasure, and fought wars. The popes were illiterate, begged for money, spent their earnings on alcohol and women during that time. Many popes were too busy pursuing worldly affairs to have much time for spiritual duties. This angered the people and criticism of the church’s policies began rising to a whole different level. At this time, the Protestant Reformation began to evolve. Martin Luther posted “The 95 Theses” on the main church’s door in 1517. He decided to take a public stands against the actions of a friar named Johann Tetzel, who at the time was raising money to rebuild St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. Tetzwel used “indulgences” that gave people the impression that by buying indulgences, they would buy their way into heaven. Luther’s words hit the printing press and his actions began the Reformation. It led to the founding of Christian churches that did not accept the pope’s authority. Luther’s and his followers had become a separate religious group called the “Lutherans” and eventually, the term “Protestant was applies to Christians who belonged to non-catholic churches. These brave moves against the church made it seem that the Reformation was having success in their movement. With people’s opposing of the church and criticism in great progress, I believe that the Protestant Reformation was very inevitable. The Church’s actions and heavy taxes were unbearable during the tenth century. The Reformation couldn’t possibly be avoided because the church would have not done anything to improve itself, even if they knew the effects it was going to take. Someone would have eventually spoken up during that time, if not Martin Luther, Desiderius Erasmus and Thomas Moore added their voices to the chorus of criticism. The printing press would have still expanded secular ideas to the world and the church’s pathetic bribes would have worsened every day. Humanism would be 2006-10-13T01:45:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Protestant-Reformation-31524.aspx Study Guide: Renaissance Study Guide: Renaissance Test 5 Innovations: emotion, detail, perspective, (depth), and shadowing (secular/classical) School of Athens: type of painting: fresco, by Raphael Santi 1509-10 (High Ren.) secular; theme- scholastic: important characters: perspective: classical: Praise of Folly: Disiderius Erasmus of Holland, known as the “Christian Humanist”, wrote a book that poked fun at merchants and priests. Erasmus stands as the supreme type of cultivated common sense applied to human affairs. He rescued theology from the pedantries of the Schoolmen, exposed the abuses of the Church, and did more than any other single person to advance the Revival of Lerning. Thomas More: creates a model society in his book Utopia. He was a writer, scholar, statesman, diplomat, political theorist, and patron of the arts. He was the foremost English Humanist of his day. More’s Utopia is a “serious joke”, a work written in Latin for the delight of humanist circles but having a deeper significance as social critique. The Courtier: (Baldassare Castiglione) patronized in the arts, business in money, skillful in weapons, proper manners, education is power and marketing, bank of church meant wealth, appearance The Prince: (Niccolo Machiavelli) tied into religion, “better feared than loved”, know your people, be the leader, lay low to the public, honor the proficient in every art, be patient, beatify city Medici & Brunellesci: a cultural revolution began in Italy in the early 1300s and lasted for the next 300 years. At its heart was one family, a dynasty with wealth, power and a passion for culture. Between 1300 and 1600 the Western world was transformed. An extraordinary wave of artistic and cultural innovation shattered medieval society and brought European culture reluctantly into the modern era. This was the Renaissance. Few men have left a legacy as monumental as Filippo Brunelleschi. He was the first modern engineer and a problem-solver with unorthodox methods. He solved one of the greatest architectural puzzles and invented his way to success. Only now is he receiving deserved recognition as the greatest architect and engineer of the Renaisssance. Diff. Italian Humanism vs. Northern Humanism: Italian -emphasizes human achievement through art, painting, and architecture. Northern -interested in social reform based in Judeo- Christian values. Describe change that took place during Renaissance (lifestyles): The term, Renaissance, comes from the Latin word 'rinascere' that means to be reborn. The Renaissance was a great cultural movement; a period of renewal, revival, and growth. The Renaissance began in Italy during the early 1300's. 2006-10-12T01:22:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Study-Guide-Renaissance-31521.aspx The Renaissance Project on Paintings Ognisanti Madonna Type of Painting: Tempera on wood By Giotto (Pre-Ren) 1310 This painting by Giotto, displays a lot of similar traits in characters. All of the angels’ faces in the background are the same size as the angels who are located in the front of Madonna’s throne. There is some shadowing present on the top of the picture¹. This indicates poor depth that doesn’t outline the characters’ surroundings. There is little perspective shown because the Madonna and the Baby are overly enlarged². There are many halos that surround the main characters³. Madonna, the Baby, and the angels indicate religion in this painting. Overall the theme of the painting is very serious, without any emotion on any of the characters’ faces. Lamentation Over Jesus Type of Painting: Tempera on wood By Giotto (Pre-Ren) 1305 The painting above shows some perspective because the angels and the tree are smaller than the characters in the front¹. This painting shows some shadowing on top of the trees branches². This lacks purpose of the tree but probably symbolizes ashes or dark times. There is also shadowing shown on the characters’ clothes². This shows the movement and the way the body is positioned. It is religious because Jesus is in this picture, accompanied by angels and people wearing halos. There are a lot of different emotions shown on the characters’ faces³. Some of the emotions are frustration, sadness, grief, and death. Overall this painting is not realistic because angels are floating in the sky and Jesus’ body is misshaped. It is bigger and longer than anyone’s in this painting. Madonna of the Magnifocat 2006-10-12T01:21:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Renaissance-Project-on-Paintings-31520.aspx World History Patterns of Interaction Main Ideas: Charlemagne Unites Germanic Kingdoms 9. Gregory I has broadened the authority of the papacy (pope’s office), beyond its spiritual role by making the papacy a secular (power involved in politics). Gregory used church revenues to raise armies, repair roads, and help the poor. He also negotiated peace treaties with invaders such as the Lombards. He strengthened the vision of Christendom by fanning out of Rome to the most distant churches. The new idea of having a churchly kingdom, ruled by a pope, would be a central theme of the Middle Ages. Meanwhile, secular rulers expanded their political kingdoms. 10. Charles Martel extended the Franks’ reign to the north, south, and east. He defeated Muslim raiders from Spain at the Battle of Tours and it was highly significant for Christian Europeans. This victory has made him a Christian hero and has become the most powerful person in the Frankish kingdom. 11. In Charlemagne’s gratitude of crushing an unruly mob that had attacked the pope, Pope Leo III crowned him emperor. He had claimed the political right to confer the title “Roman Emperor” on a European king. This event signaled the joining of Germanic power, the Church, and the heritage of the Roman Empire. Feudalism in Europe 12. From about 800 to 1,000, invasions destroyed the Carolingian Empire. Muslim invaders from the south seized Sicily and raided Italy. In 846, they sacked Rome, and later on Magyar invaders struck from the east. Like the earlier Huns and Avars they terrorized Germany and Italy. And from the north came the fearsome Vikings. 13. Under feudalism, in exchange for military protection and other services, a lord, or landowner, granted land called a fief. The person receiving a fief was called a vassal. 14. The manor system rested on a set of rights and obligations between a lord and his serfs. The lord provided the serfs with housing, farmland, and protection from bandits. In return, serfs tended the lord’s lands, cared for his animals, and performed other tasks to maintain the estate. Peasant women shared in the farm work with their husbands. All peasants whether free or serf owned the lord certain duties. These included at least a few days of labor each week and a certain portion of their grain. The Age of Chivalry 15. At a very young age, sons of nobles would begin training for knighthood and learn the code of chivalry. The boy would be sent off to the 2006-10-12T01:19:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-History-Patterns-of-Interaction-31519.aspx The Renaissance The Renaissance was an amazing time period of change. Art was beginning to transform while the society was influenced by it. With 2006-10-12T01:17:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Renaissance--31518.aspx The Medici Part 1 Essay Medici Part 1 Essay The Renaissance was a time of art, creativity, and “rebirth” of the society. In addition, some examples of “The Courtier” and “The Prince” create a good image of this time and show examples of 2006-10-12T01:16:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Medici-Part-1-Essay--31517.aspx European History on the War of 1812 European History on the War of 1812 The War of 1812 was a result of the conflicts overseas between France and Britain. Both France and Britain were trying blockade each other from supplies and thus seized many American ships. Although Americans were outraged with the idea of the powers in Europe seizing ships they were furthered angered with England for impressing American sailors and forcing them to serve in the English navy. Also when Britain attacked an American ship in 1807 in resulted the U.S. government setting up the Embargo Act of 1807. The act forbid any ships from leaving American ports until France and Britain repealed their restrictions on American trade. Unfortunately for Jefferson and his staff they could not foresee the impact it would have on the country’s economy. Madison, who elected after Jefferson, realized that the Embargo Act was destroying the economy and replaced it with the Non-intercourse Act that made it so the U.S. could trade with all countries but France and England. There was still opposition to the Act and Madison finally allowed for all regular trade to resume with the exception that the U.S. would cut off all trade with any country who interfered with American commerce. England did not change her ways and France still seized ships but not sailors. England was also suspected of insinuating a Indian revolt and with these acquisitions and the impressments of the American sailors it was not hard for Madison to get Congress to declare war. The causes of the War of 1812 are debatable because like most American wars there are underlying issues that the common people do not realize. While most Americans supported the war’s cause, which was to put Britain into her place so to speak, they had no idea of the grave danger the war put the young country into. The United States at this time had a very weak army. They also lacked supplies and arsenals to support any attacks on Britain in Canada. Banks refused to loan money to the government, which made it hard to buy supplies and weapons. Also the country was divided as to who supported the war. Northeastern Federalists regarded war with Britain as a grave mistake. The United States, they feared, could not hope to successfully challenge British domination on the seas and the government could not finance a war without bankrupting the country. Southerners 2006-10-03T20:42:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/European-History-on-the-War-of-1812-31500.aspx Historical Views on Puritanism Historical Views on Puritanism Some historians believe that the seed of the American culture could be traced back to the Puritan society. The Puritans were a people who believed in religious freedom and peaceful coexistence. The Puritan mind adopted revisionist and new-historical values. The Puritans’ reason for migration was that they refused to accept the authority that went beyond the revealed word. They never intended to completely sever all relations with the Anglican Church, however, they were nonconformists by nature, and they sought to perfect themselves through deep understanding of their religion. The Puritans were the carriers of a heavy burden. Religion was the most paramount issue in their lives. It is said that "Puritans considered religion a very complex, subtle, and highly intellectual affair." They had highly trained scholars and religious leaders who made no distinction between lackey or lord. Thus even their sermons were conveyed in such a way that the destitute and uneducated were able to understand. They were also advocates of knowledge and education, and believed that the lack of it would not bring salvation. They built “Free Grammar Schools” and "contributed their pecks of wheat" to build Harvard College. It seems like the Puritans were, indeed, “the city upon a hill.” They did not realize, however, that when values and religious theories are taken to an extreme the moderation medium no longer exists, and the city foolishly hides behind the hill. Puritans became inhumane extremists in their religious beliefs and started to interpret writings of providences in a most imaginative way. They started to believe in witches and the evil omens that they brought with them. No one was able to refute their existence, and some scientists in England believed that witches were the explanation of scientific phenomena. The laity were the ones who rooted witchcraft beliefs as they read books like Cotton Mather's Memorable Providences, Relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions. Soon, it was as if a conflagration erupted in the village. The Puritans had an obsession and an unbalanced fascination with the unseen world and the bad omens of witches. There were some Puritans who tried to stop the fire and fervor of witchcraft belief. However, they were not able to express themselves loudly because doing so would jeopardize their lives by the hysterical witchcraft zealots. Many people were hanged and killed by the mere accusation of being called a witch. This 2006-10-03T20:29:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Historical-Views-on-Puritanism-31494.aspx An Account of English History An Account of English History The history of the English language begins with the Celts, the first populace of England. The Celts were people who originated in central Europe from Indo-European stock and became a distinct people in the Iron Age. They are distinct from their predecessor peoples, archaeologically named the Urnfield cultures, principally in their use of iron, their art style, the role of the horse in their lives, and the social stratification of their society. In 43CE, Rome, who were known as Briton invaded England and took over their land. During the 400 years of Roman vocation, numerous cities and roads were constructed. The Romans brought Latin to Britain, which was part of the Roman Empire for over 400 years. But early English did not develop mainly from Latin. So it is unlike French, Spanish and Italian, which did come directly from Latin. 'Early English' was the language of tribes who invaded from the East, from what is now Germany. They spoke different dialects of a 'Germanic' language, from which modern German developed. This explains why German and English are often similar, as many of their words developed from the same original language. Despite the good luck with the Britons, they found themselves returning home to help out their native land. Barbarians invaded Rome constantly, burning everything to the ground. There last resort was to hire mercenary armies to fight off the barbarians. This group of mercenaries was known as the Anglo-Saxons. After defeating this group, the Anglo-Saxons realized that this was going to be there new land. In any disagreement from the Britons, they would be killed or pushed to the harsh livings of the coast. The Anglo- Saxon invasion, which became known as England, was divided up into seven kingdoms. The seven kingdoms had united in 865CE, when King Guthry of the Danes attacked Alfred. An agreement was then settled between the two men, which gave the Danes two-thirds of the land. Alfred obtained Wessex and had the Danes convert to Christianity, which made them good Christians. Little by little Alfred gained back his land because the Danes were unable to rule the land. Edward the Confessor, the last king of Saxon, died in 1066, leaving no heir to the throne of England. With the king dead and leaving no heirs, Edward’s pass ignited a three-way rivalry for the crown that culminated in the Battle of Hastings and 2006-10-03T20:18:44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/An-Account-of-English-History-31486.aspx Happiness in Greek and Roman Literature Happiness in Greek and Roman Literature The issue of happiness reoccurs constantly in Greek and Roman mythology. Among this is the right to bear arms when attacked. Yet David Strussel brings an important issue in this discussion, namely that in order to fully understand the theological repurcussions of these events in light of later religious underpinnings, we must look at the theoretical implications of the Rosetta Stone. The links of this isn't limited to the Aegean Sea, far from it. Traces of fragments can be seen all the way in India. What does this mean? It suggests that plausibility that the "Stone" was actually fabricated years later. In order to fully understand, we must understand the game of cricket. In a highly controversial action, six top Indian players, including skipper Sourav Ganguly and master batsman Sachin Tendulkar were handed down harsh punishments by the match-referee for the second India-South Africa Test. Virender Sehwag was suspended for the third Test to be played at Centurion Park from November 24 on the charge of excessive appealing. This means that Sehwag, who made a century on his debut in the first Test, will miss the final match of the series. Sachin Tendulkar was found guilty of tampering with the ball and handed down a suspended one-match sentence and fined 75 per cent of his match-fee. He will, therefore, be able to play in the third Test but would be banned for one match if he repeats the offence. Former England captain Mike Denness, who is the match referee for the series, is believed to have conveyed these decisions to the Indian team management this evening after two meetings with Tendulkar, who had been accused of tampering with the ball during a three-over spell yesterday. Denness summoned Ganguly, who was accused of failing to control his players, as also four other Indian players -- Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Shiv Sunder Das and wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta -- on the charge of excessive appealing. Denness, who consulted ICC headquarters in London during the day, is expected to formally announce his decision tomorrow but sources in the Indian camp disclosed the unprecedented sentences imposed by him. Ganguly was given a suspended sentence for one Test match and two one-dayers. He is therefore eligible to play but could be banned for these matches if he repeated the offence of not controlling his players. Harbhajan, Das and Dasgupta have also been found guilty 2006-10-03T20:12:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Happiness-in-Greek-and-Roman-Literature-31482.aspx Historical Exploration of Woman's Suffrage Historical Exploration of Woman's Suffrage My name is Stephanie Lotzman and I am a very interested in gaining suffrage for woman. Suffrage is officially taken away from us in 1868, when the Fourteenth amendment defines “citizens” and “voters” as “male.” This amendment gives all citizens protection by the constitution against unjust State laws. It also causes the Women’s Rights Movement to be split into two factions. One is a more radical New York-based National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA). Lucy Stone, Henry Blackwell, and Julia Ward Howe organize the more conservative American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA), which is centered in Boston. In this same year, the Wyoming territory is organized with a woman suffrage provision. In 1890, Wyoming is admitted to the Union with its suffrage provision still standing. The best thing for me to do is support whichever group I feel has the most chance of winning our battle. In 1874 Annie Wittenmyer founds the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). With Frances Willard at its head in 1876, the WCTU becomes an important force in the fight for woman suffrage. Our group finally gets a woman suffrage amendment introduced in the United States Congress in 1878. The NWSA and the AWSA reunite in 1890 as the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) under the leadership of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. During this same year, Jane Adams and Ellen Gates Starr found the Hull House, a settlement house project in Chicago's 19th Ward. Within one year, there are more than a hundred settlement houses, largely operated by women, throughout the United States. The settlement house movement and the Progressive campaign of which it was a part cause thousands of college-educated white women to partake in lifetime careers in social work. It also made women an important voice to be reckoned with in American politics. Some women find that writing books helps their cause. In 1895 Elizabeth Cady Stanton publishes The Woman's Bible. After its publication, NAWSA moves to distance itself from this suffrage leader because many conservative suffragists consider her to be too radical and potentially damaging to the suffrage campaign. From this time, Stanton, who had resigned as NAWSA president in 1892, is no longer invited to sit on the stage at NAWSA conventions. Soon after this Mary Dreier, Rheta Childe Dorr, Leonora O'Reilly, and others form the Women's Trade Union League of New York, 2006-10-03T20:07:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Historical-Exploration-of-Woman-s-Suffrage-31479.aspx The Second Great Awakening In the late 1820s and 1830s a religious revival called the Second Great Awakening had a strong impact on pre- Civil War American religion and reform. The revival was a response to rapid immigration, industrialization and urbanization. Of the major reforms four stand out greatly. They are temperance, rehabilitation, abolitionism and women’s rights. Methodist and Baptist groups experienced a surge of membership without delaying a move toward laissez-faire and competitiveness on the part of the Anglican, Presbyterian and Congregationalist churches. The success of the Methodists and Baptists lay for the most part in their reliance on traveling preachers who brought the message of the church to the people, converting great numbers through emotionally charged revivals. The age of evangelicalism had arrived, with the Protestants and upper middle class women leading the charge, making this one of the most impact reforms in American history. The temperance movement was organized to reduce the drinking of liquor or total abstinence. The movement was supported mainly by women who were the most effected by the drinking of their husbands. Alcohol was blamed for society’s problems such as, health problems, poverty, and crime. Temperance associations were established in New York and Massachusetts with the help of churches. Some 6,000 local temperance groups were up and running by the 1830’s. Also, the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and the Anti-Saloon League quickly picked up steam. As their political power grew, they changed from moral persuasion to making the government to control liquor. In fact, they succeeded in getting many liquor laws passed with help from churches and factories who saw poor productivity from drunken workers. Some distinguished figures are Susan B Anthony, Frances e. Willard, and Carry Nation. Some effects that remained permanent are government regulation, instruction on alcoholism in schools, study of alcoholism. The rehabilitation movement helped to improve the lives of the destitute. Group leaders wanted to create institutions for specific illnesses. In colonial times, orphans mentally challenged people, and criminals were cared by their own families and remained part of the community. Reformers wanted these people placed in specialized institutions where they could be trained or improved. Prison reforms included rehabilitation of criminals attempted to counter the tendency of prisons to create more hardened criminals. Work was seen as way to reform criminals. Hence, asylums, orphanages, prisons, and reformatories were developed. However, the earlier places had inhumane living conditions. But a 2006-09-20T22:59:27-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Second-Great-Awakening--31464.aspx Drive Of Technology Since the years after American colonization, the drive of technology and technological advances has been a large part of our history. There have been society-changing inventions that have made millionaires, thriving cities, and one of the world’s most advanced countries. The fore mentioned inventions and expansions include the cotton gin, the market expanding telegraph, steamboat, canals, railroads, farming advances in the steel plow and McCormick reaper. But the most impacting invention is the light bulb and the use of electricity as power which led to many other inventions. In 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin which helped to make the South a money-making machine. The gin made it possible for farmers to grow short-staple cotton for a profit. Short-staple cotton was the only cotton that grew well in the interior regions. Cotton was in great demand in England and the North, which made this gin a major breakthrough. Large amounts of cotton were supplies to them; making Southern farmers a tremendous profit. Non slaveholding farmers began cultivating this cash- crop in fertile areas. Wealthy planters bought huge areas of land and put an massive slave labor force to work. By 1820, this system altered the South into a roaring Cotton kingdom and hastened the expansion of slavery. During the market revolution in the mid- 19th century, many new inventions and technologies, produced in America, contributed vastly to the change in American life. Samuel F.B. Morse created the telegraph in 1837 and ran a successful test in 1844 that made it conclusive that it will work. The new communication device was used by businessmen to transmit orders and relay fresh information on prices and sales. The telegraph was used by railroads to keep trains moving regularly and to warn engineers of safety hazards. 23,000 miles of telegraph wire was across the country by 1853. The steamboat, invented by Robert Fulton, was a better industry. Farmers and manufacturers both used the steamboat to ship their goods to market more directly. Also, ships can go up and down rivers and could make the return trip because of the steam engines. By 1830, about 200 steamboats traveled the nation’s western rivers which flowed into the Mississippi, making voyage time and freight rates much lower. With this tremendous transportation power in water, waterways had to be created where they did not exist. By 1841, there were more 2006-09-20T22:46:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Drive-Of-Technology-31460.aspx Federalism in Early America Federalism in Early America The Federalist Papers and Federalism The Federalist Papers were mostly the product of two young men: Alexander Hamilton of New York, age 32, and James Madison of Virginia, age 36. Both men sometimes wrote four papers in a single week. An older scholar, John Jay, later named as first chief justice of the Supreme Court, wrote five of the papers. Hamilton, who had been an aide to Washington during the Revolution, asked Madison and Jay to help him in this project. Their purpose was to persuade the New York convention to ratify the just-drafted Constitution. They would separately write a series of letters to New York newspapers, under the pseudonym, "Publius." In the letters they would explain and defend the Constitution. Hamilton started the idea and outlined the sequence of topics to be discussed, and addressed most of them in fifty-one of the letters. Madison's Twenty-nine letters have proved to be the most memorable in their balance and ideas of governmental power. It is not clear whether The Federalist Papers, written between October 1787 and May 1788 had any effect on New York's and Virginia's ratification of the Constitution. Encyclopedia Britannica defines Federalism as, "A mode of political organization that unites independent states within a larger political framework while still allowing each state to maintain it's own political integrity" (712). Having just won a revolution against an oppressive monarchy, the American colonists were in willing to replace it with another monarchy style of government. On the other hand, their experience with the disorganization under the Articles of Confederation, due to unfair competition between the individual states, made them a little more receptive to an increase in national powers. A number of Federalist Papers argued that a new kind of balance, never achieved elsewhere was possible. The Papers were themselves a balance or compromise between the nationalist ideas of Hamilton, who wrote more for the commercial interests of New York, and the uneasiness of Madison, who shared the skepticism of distant authority widely held by Virginia farmers. In American Government and Politics Today, Madison proposed that, instead of the absolute sovereignty of each state under the Articles of Confederation. The states would retain a residual sovereignty in all areas which did not require national concern. The very process of ratification of the Constitution, he argued, symbolized the concept of federalism (77). He said: This assent and ratification is 2006-09-20T03:45:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Federalism-in-Early-America-31455.aspx Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail&q Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” by Martin Luther King Jr., was written in response to the objections of several white clergymen. The contents of the letter explain King’s actions, and tries to clarify and explain that the protest for desegregation was necessary and by no means untimely. In his essay, King attacks the evils of segregation. Segregation is believed to be politically, economically, and sociologically unsound, as well as morally wrong and sinful. The letter states that segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. King believes that any law that degrades human personality is an unjust law. The evil of segregation rears its head in the bombing of Negro homes and churches, the treatment of Negroes in court, and in the police brutality toward Negroes. King feels that it is necessary for a non-violent approach to be taken, in order for the lines of communication to open between the town and the people. Through non-violent action, crisis is formed and communities are forced to confront the issue. The issue can no longer be ignored if there is such direct action. King strongly believes that the situation needs to be discussed rather than left as is. King is greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership. He expected all churches to unite and support the protest for desegregation, and was hurt when the white churches rejected that idea. King believes that integration is morally right, and all men are brothers in the sight of God, regardless of skin color. The white church is a disappointment because it has become lax; it has conformed to the opinion of the white moderate. The white moderate believes in ‘order’ rather than justice. The moderate lives by the concept of time, and constantly advises the Negro to ‘wait for a better season’. It is the silence of both the moderate and the church that King is so disappointed in. King believes that the world will not only have to repent for the words and actions of the bad people, but for the silence of the good people as well. King addresses the argument of the movement being untimely. King states that Negroes have been waiting for over three hundred years for their constitutional and God-given rights. King believes that it is reasonable for one who has never felt the pains of segregation to say ‘wait’, but for one who 2006-09-20T03:40:03-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Martin-Luther-King-Jr_-s-quot-Letter-from-Birmingham-Jail-q-31453.aspx Why we study History? There are many reasons to study History a few are, so that we do not commit the same mistakes of the past, another is that History is the story of the real people. In people’s opinion the best is that the spread of Democracy requires informed citizens. In my opinion the best one is that we do not commit the same mistakes as our ancestors did. For example, if you are a new lawyer and your first case is tough and you have no idea of how to help your client. Then you can go back into history, do some research and see how another lawyer deal with a similar case in the past. I also have a second example and that is if you are 2006-09-11T23:04:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Why-we-study-History--31438.aspx Aztecs Part One Introduction Settlers and Society This is part one in my report on the Ancient Aztec civilization - more will be coming soon! Introduction – Who were they? When most people think of ancient civilizations they think of civilizations from thousands of years ago. However, not all ancient civilizations are in fact, that ancient. The Aztecs of America fell only just under 500 years ago, in 1524, to Spanish invaders. The Aztecs existed for hundreds of years, the first recorded leader or Tlatoani, reined from 1367, but it is believed the Aztecs lived for many, many more years before hand. Wandering Settlers The Aztecs were once a small tribe of wandering hunters, looking for a permanent home. They had with them a statue of their sun god Huitzilopochtli, who they believed guided them. It is said Huitzilopochtli told the Aztecs (known then as the Tenocha tribe) that when they saw an eagle on a cactus, they should build their city there. The Aztecs arrived at the Toltec empire in around 12-13th centuries AD, which had been destroyed in around 1000AD. The only land left was a small island in the Lake Texoco, so the Aztecs decided to settle there. At first they had to pay tributes to the stronger, more settled tribe of the Tepanecs, but the Tenocha tribe along with three other tribes conquered the Tepanecs, and soon after the Tenocha tribe conquered all other strong tribes to become the strongest tribe in the valley. Now that the other tribes had to pay tributes to them, the Tenocha tribe decided they needed a city. Soon after they decided this, they saw the eagle sitting on the cactus, and built their city Tenochtitlan, on and around that spot. Today, Mexico City stands on and around the ruins of Tenochtitlan. Aztec Society In Aztec society there were 10 main ranks of the people, Tlatoani (king, or speaker), Ciuacoatl (Snake Woman, king’s deputy), the four military commanders, chief officials, lesser officials, craftsmen, merchants, ‘ordinary’ people, peasants and slaves. The Tlatoani (Aztec for speaker) was in charge of foreign affairs and war, while his deputy the Snake Woman was in charge of laws, taxes, food and building. Nobody is quite sure why the king’s deputy was called Snake Woman, because it is believed this position was only ever held by a man. The Tlatoani was always the greatest warrior, elected by the chief officials. The Tlatoani always offered his officials, who were also 2006-09-04T02:20:04-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Aztecs-Part-One-Introduction-Settlers-and-Society-31429.aspx Stories and Accounts of the Great Derpression Stories and Accounts of the Great Derpression “Movies were only a dime, but we didn’t have a dime.” In Lamore, North Dakota not much went on. Aileen Muir was born on Dec 12, 1916. Her father, Gale Muir, was a carpenter who made enough to get by and support his family. When the thirties came, jobs became hard for Gale to find. He always had work. It was just scarce. When Roosevelt started WPA, Gale was the head of a group hired to build sidewalks. He was paid fifty-four dollars a month while the other workers made forty. “Times were hard, but we always ate. Most of the food we grew ourselves. We had potatoes, tomatoes, carrots and other veggies. My dad built water canals to the plants and he used to pump the water by hand.” Unlike a lot of families, Aileen had meats to eat. Some came from their own animals, but every winter her dad would buy meat which would last the winter. “The girls used to wear dresses and the boys wore overalls. We only lived a little way from school so we didn’t have to walk that far. I was fortunate. I never had to give up school. Our neighbors, the Tanners, had two boys who couldn’t go to school because they had to work on the farm.” Aileen’s mother Bessie would make all the children’s clothes. She would reuse old material to save money. “We wore the same clothes all week, and saved our best clothes to wear to church. The only time we spent money was if we had to, but at Christmas people would spent a little more.” GRANDMOTHER EDNA 1929 “When the banks closed and my father lost his money, he had two concerns. He had written two checks; one was to pay for the new indoor plumbing and the other was to pay the hospital for my birth. He was really glad when the checks didn’t bounce. He didn’t want to be poor and in dept.” Edna grew up about ten miles outside of Plant City, Florida, a small farming town. Her father, Dan Murril, was farmer who grew corn and oranges. He also raised hogs and cattle which he sold and let the family eat. "A lot of what we ate 2006-08-31T19:27:52-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Stories-and-Accounts-of-the-Great-Derpression-31413.aspx A Historic Recount of the Battle of Stalingrad A Historic Recount of the Battle of Stalingrad The battle of Stalingrad raged from August 1942 until the German surrender on 2 February 1943. Significantly, it was the first catastrophic defeat to befall the Wermacht Army who not only lost the battle but were severely humiliated. Indeed, the German Army never fully recovered from this blow to its morale. Upwards of 270,000 troops were killed and 91,000 prisoners were taken by the Red Army; included in this latter number were 23 German Generals. Conversely, morale in the Red Army soared as a consequence of Stalingrad giving the Russians increased strength and confidence. This battle represented a turning point in the Second World War. By successfully defending the city of Stalingrad the Soviet Union were able to deny Hitler his summer 1942 objective of paralysing the Soviet war effort by interrupting Russian oil supplies and seizing the Caucasus oil fields. This achievement was made possible through the stubborn and ferocious resistance of the Red Army within the confines of Stalingrad and the meticulously planned counteroffensive which led to the encirclement of the entire 6th army outside the city. In addition, compared with their German counterparts, the Red Army were highly organized, they had superior lines of communication and were better equipped. Stalingrad, reduced to a burning shell within days of the first German assault, was defended by the Soviet 62nd Army led by General Chuikov. Although German troops captured 90% of the city, Chuikov maintained his hold on a strip of land a mile long. Stalin had issued the order 'not a step backwards' therefore discipline was harsh and traitors were killed without sentiment. The Red Army were merciless, executing over 13,000 of their own men. It was however the counteroffensive, Operation Uranus, launched on 19th November 1942 that saved Stalingrad. The plan, a dual attack 50 miles north and south of the city involved over 1 million men and was the idea of Generals Zhukov and Vasilevsky. Stalin authorized the covert operation but did not interfere with the details. Part of the reason for its success was due to this unified command. Stalin, in contrast to Hitler during this period, listened to reasoned arguments. He surrounded himself with a small group of competent advisors, listened to the advice of field commanders and usually accepted it. The Red Army strategically out maneuvered and virtually annihilated the Axis force during the operation but 2006-08-29T15:15:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Historic-Recount-of-the-Battle-of-Stalingrad-31363.aspx Analysis of the Draft Riots in 1863 Analysis of the Draft Riots in 1863 There was a pressing need for more people to participate in the Civil War of 1863, which compelled the United States Congress to pass legislation, known as the Enrollment (Conscription) Act, on 3 March 1963. Opponents of the administration and opponents of President Abraham Lincoln vigorously attacked the bill (the Conscription Act), criticizing with particular emphasis a provision that enabled draftees to obtain exemption from service by supplying a substitute or by the payment of $300. Pressed by the inflationary war economy, the city’s laborers, mostly Irish immigrants, were demanding higher wages from the owners of the docks and factories only to find their jobs threatened by the installation of new machinery and the hiring of blacks and new immigrants. Conscription was the immediate cause for the significance disturbances in New York riots known as New York’s Bloodiest Week. On March 3, 1863, the United States Congress enacted the Enrollment (Conscription) Act. It declared all able-bodied men between 20 and 45 liable to military service for three years. These men were drafted into two classes; the first being all men between 20 and 35, and the second being married men over 35 (only to be called on the never to come date when the first class was depleted). The purpose of this Act was to spur volunteerism (which worked, statistically speaking). Each state was broken down into congressional districts and if enough volunteers Filled the quota, no draft took place in that district. Unfortunately, this led to numerous instances of fraud and other abnormalities on all sides. Many enrollees took inaccurate population counts, some officials padded the rolls with fictitious names to fill the quota, and many men just took off. As exemptions were also granted for medical reasons, and that of being the sole family provider, doctors were bribed, affidavits were filed falsely, and many other abuses took place. The poor saw the draft as a heavy burden that the rich could escape the draft by hiring substitutes. One of the evil loopholes of the Conscription Act was the option for those who could afford it to hire a substitute to take the drafted man’s spot. In the South, at times the price for a substitute was over $1000. And in the North, high prices paid for substitutes by states and local communities. 2006-08-27T23:53:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-the-Draft-Riots-in-1863-31350.aspx Differences Between New England and Chesapeake Settlers Differences Between New England and Chesapeake Settlers When first English settlers began arriving in America in the 1700's they mainly settled in two regions - New England and the Chesapeake. Even though both groups of people were English by origin, they had developed two very different societies. Each group had it's own beliefs and expectations of what they will find in this new world, and the results of their settlement were very different as well. When the ship headed for Virginia left England in 1635, it was filled mostly with men in their twenties and thirties. The ship's name - "Merchant's Hope" very much explains the reason for which these people were heading to the New World. They were looking to find gold, silver and other riches there. Almost all of them had left their families in England to go forth with this opportunity for profit. These people did not think about permanently settling there, and very few of them had prepared for this trip as a whole. Over half of the people had died during the trip. Captain John Smith said "There was no talk…but dig gold, wash gold, refine gold, load gold…", (History of Virginia). This statement basically summarizes what was happening in Virginia after the ship had arrived. Even though there was no gold found, many people established such industries as tobacco and indigo growing. Others desperate with their search for gold were not able to survive, and many of them died during the long, harsh winters. Soon after class differences developed among the settlers of Virginia. The Tidewater plantation owners had become very rich. They produced huge amounts of tobacco, and had a lot of indentured servants. The plantation owners had been the only lawmakers and voters in the colony. They passed laws in their own favor, but increased taxes for the farmers. They also protected Indian rights to maintain a prosperous fur trade. On the other hand, Piedmont farmers had been left with smaller, less productive tobacco farms. They had very few indentured servants. They had no power in the government, because only large plantation owners were allowed to vote. The farmers were in need of more land, and they had to fight with Indians over land rights. This had led to the Bacon's Rebellion of 1676. "For having…raised great unjust taxes…for the advancement of private favorites…for having abused…the magistrates of justice, by advancing to courts, 2006-08-27T16:29:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Differences-Between-New-England-and-Chesapeake-Settlers-31316.aspx Historical Synopsis of World War II Historical Synopsis of World War II At the end of World War I the victorious nations formed the League of Nations for the purpose of airing international disputes, and of mobilizing its members for a collective effort to keep the peace in the event of aggression by any nation against another or of a breach of the peace treaties. The United States, imbued with isolationism, did not become a member. The League failed in its first test. In 1931 the Japanese, using as an excuse the explosion of a small bomb under a section of track of the South Manchuria Railroad (over which they had virtual control), initiated military operations designed to conquer all of Manchuria. After receiving the report of its commission of inquiry, the League adopted a resolution in 1933 calling on the Japanese to withdraw. Thereupon, Japan resigned from the League. Meanwhile, Manchuria had been overrun and transformed into a Japanese puppet state under the name of Manchukuo. Beset by friction and dissension among its members, the League took no further action. In 1933 also, Adolf HITLER came to power as dictator of Germany and began to rearm the country in contravention of the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. He denounced the provisions of that treaty that limited German armament and in 1935 reinstituted compulsory military service. That year the Italian dictator Benito MUSSOLINI began his long-contemplated invasion of Ethiopia, which he desired as an economic colony. The League voted minor sanctions against Italy, but these had slight practical effect. British and French efforts to effect a compromise settlement failed, and Ethiopia was completely occupied by the Italians in 1936. Alarmed by German rearmament, France sought an alliance with the USSR. Under the pretext that this endangered Germany, Hitler remilitarized the Rhineland in 1936. It was a dangerous venture, for Britain and France could have overwhelmed Germany, but, resolved to keep the peace, they took no action. Emboldened by this success, Hitler intensified his campaign for Lebensraum (space for living) for the German people. He forcibly annexed Austria in March 1938, and then, charging abuse of German minorities, threatened Czechoslovakia. In September, as Hitler increased his demands on the Czechs and war seemed imminent, the British and French arranged a conference with Hitler and Mussolini. At the Munich Conference they agreed to German occupation of the Sudetenland, Hitler's asserted last claim, in the hope of maintaining peace. This hope 2006-08-27T15:15:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Historical-Synopsis-of-World-War-II-31296.aspx Change Brought about from the French Revolution Change Brought about from the French Revolution In tracing the course of the French Revolution, the patterns of the events as a whole seem to follow specific patterns that can be classified into three separate divisions chronologically. "Revolutions evolve in definite phases. At first they are moderate in scope, then they become radical to excess and finally they are brought to abrupt conclusions by the emergence of a strong man to restore order." The Revolution brought about great changes in the society and government of France. The revolution itself lasted from 1789 to 1799; it significantly affected the rest of the European front as well. The French Revolution promoted democratic ideals for France, however did not make the nation a democracy. It ended supreme rule by French kings and strengthened the middle class. Following the birth of the revolution, no European kings, nobles, or other members of the aristocracy could take their powers for granted or ignore the ideals of liberty and equality. The revolution began with a government financial crisis but quickly became a movement of reform and violent change. During the first observable phase of the revolution, events seemed minor and proceeded in a logical fashion. One of the principle reasons the revolution was established was the discontent among the lower and middle classes in France. By law, society was divided in to three groups called estates. The first estate consisted of the clergy, the second estate of the nobility, and the third estate was comprised of commoners. The third estate, which made up 98 percent of the population of France, was highly underrepresented. In terms of the Estates General the separate Estates were to vote separately and by order; the third estate would almost always be outvoted by the first estate and the second estate which would get to vote first. Because of this, the third estate wanted its traditional number of representatives to be doubled so that it matched the other two orders put together. The third estate resented certain advantages of the first two estates. The clergy and nobles did not have to pay many taxes imposed on the commoners. The third estate, especially the peasants, had to provide almost all the country's tax revenue. Many members of the middle class were also worried by their social status. They were 2006-08-27T14:47:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Change-Brought-about-from-the-French-Revolution-31290.aspx Detailed History and Timeline of the Holocaust Detailed History and Timeline of the Holocaust From the time Adolf Hitler became the dictator of Germany in January 1933, until the surrender of his Third Reich at the end of World War II in May 1945, Hitler's Nazi led government engaged in two wars. One was a declared war of military expansion against the nations of Europe, which began with the 1939 invasion of Poland and reached its peak in mid-1942, when German armies occupied much of the continent and had penetrated deep into the Soviet Union. The other was a war against the Jews of Europe, the persecution and mass murder, hidden at first from the rest of the world that came to be known as the Holocaust. Even when the tide of war turned against Germany in 1943, and became clearly hopeless with the mid-1944 Allied invasion of Europe, the mass killing of Jews continued with increased ferocity, eventually claiming six million lives. In addition, the Nazis also put to death an estimated five million Gypsies (or Roma), Slav peoples, homosexuals, mentally retarded people, and people with handicaps, all of whom were considered "inferior" to the pure "Aryan" race. The term "holocaust," however, which means "destruction by fire," refers specifically to the Nazis' systematic destruction of Jews. As Elie Wiesel puts it, "Not all victims were Jews, but all Jews were victims." Hitler's horrifying scheme was foreshadowed by his denunciation of "the Jewish conspiracy" in his 1923 book Mein Kampf and fueled by German economic hardships that tapped deep currents of anti-Semitism, but to carry it out required the active, deliberate involvement of hundreds of thousands of people, both within Germany and in the occupied countries. It also required the silent acquiescence of millions of people throughout Europe, people who saw what was happening and either did nothing to stand in the way or else took part by turning in neighbors or joining the rush to take over Jewish homes and possessions. The first Nazi concentration camps were established early in Hitler's regime, at the German towns of Dachau (1933) and Buchenwald (1937), and used primarily as prisons and a source of forced labor. But the conquest of Poland in 1939 brought a new development, as that country's Jews were herded into ghettos at such cities as Krakow, Warsaw, and Lodz in a first step toward transporting them all to concentrations camps. By 1940, mass murder and "euthanasia" in special "gas 2006-08-25T17:25:35-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Detailed-History-and-Timeline-of-the-Holocaust-31273.aspx Early Treatment of Native Americans by Settlers Early Treatment of Native Americans by Settlers John Smith and William Bradford’s treatment towards the natives was obviously very different. This essay will discuss a couple of these differences in detail. John Smith’s treatment towards the natives is extremely bad. In fact, he gets captured and almost killed by them. William Bradford on the other hand, treats them well and makes friends with the natives. As John Smith lands on what is later known as Virginia, he fights with the natives and rob them of their crops and goods. It states in the text “So marching towards their houses, they might see great heaps of corn; much ado he had to restrain his hungry soldiers from present taking of it, expecting as it happened that the savages would assault them, as not long after, they did with a most hideous noise”. (Smith, Pgs. 41-42) In contrast, Bradford, before he did anything, made a Mayflower Compact and made general laws that the natives and the Pilgrims were to abide by. His men and the natives made friends and exchanged cultural ideas. So, while Smith was being captured by the natives, Bradford was learning new things about the natives culture. Another thing that made Smith’s treatment of the natives bad was that he treated them like they were kids. Smith gives them a compass, and he states that “Much they marveled at the playing of the fly and needle which they could see so plainly and yet not touch it because of the glass that covered them” (Smith, Pg. 44). Also, Smith calls the natives savages every time he refers to them. Bradford, however, treated the natives as human beings, as equals. He sets up laws with the natives, so everything would be peaceful. The Pilgrims and the natives exchanged ideas. Squanto, one of the natives, helped them greatly. “He directed them how to set their corn, where to take fish, and to procure other commodities, and was also their pilot to bring them to unknown places for their profit” (Bradford, Pg 99). In conclusion, Smith’s treatment toward the natives overlooked the possibility of harmony. Bradford’s treatment did exactly the opposite. It promoted harmony between the Pilgrims and the natives. The reason why John Smith and William Bradford treated the natives differently was because 2006-08-25T16:59:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Early-Treatment-of-Native-Americans-by-Settlers-31262.aspx United States' Social Transformation in the 1800s United States' Social Transformation in the 1800s During the 1800’s, the United States underwent a transformation and change unlike any the country had ever seen in our history either before or since. It is my intention to describe some of the key issues that made this transformation possible and also to address some of the problems that surfaced from this expansion. I will be utilizing the document-based questions as a basis of my explaining this growth and change in America. I believe that John Louis O’Sullivan’s editorial from the New York Morning News in 1845 describes it all in that he declares without any reservation that our destiny is to express our freedom and liberty by possessing the land that God had given to us. In effect, it was our duty and our right to go West and carry that torch of freedom with across the whole continent, no matter what the difficulties we would encounter along the way. In reality, Americans endured hardships and enormous problems every step of the way. For example, as we drove westward, we began to infringe upon the Native American. It was of course the Indians who found no other alternative but to defend their land and their way of life. Thousands of men, women and children died during our quest to take it all from the Indians. They believed the ‘Great Spirit’ gave the land to them. They simply fought and died for what they believed was already theirs! Equally important to understand was the fact that these brave Americans were embarking on a new adventure, a new way of life. Many were enticed by the promise of land. The land represented something that was their own to develop, to grow vegetables, to stock the land with cows, etc. By taking the chance of going west, many believed they would make a better life for themselves and for their family. Others, such as those not only from the East but also from China, arrived on the West Coast in their search for gold, for good fortune. Many of these men came with nothing but a knife and a basket, hoping against hope they would find gold on the bottom of the basket as they shook the dirt loose. Despite the hardships, the failures, the many who died or were 2006-08-25T16:49:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/United-States-Social-Transformation-in-the-1800s-31258.aspx William Mckinley Assassination William McKinley, Born January 29,1843 and was the 25th President of the United Sates Of America. He became US President in 1897 and served in the union army during the civil war, which were the Yankees. He also studied and practiced law in Ohio and became an active member of the Republican Party which was one of the United Sates two main political parties, formed to support protective tariffs and industrial expansion. The period of 1877-1891,William McKinley served seven terms in the house of representatives which is the lower house of a legislative body and also served two terms as Ohio state governor in the years 1891-95. In 1896, the Republican Party nominated McKinley, as it’s presidential candidate. He successfully conducted what became known as ‘Front Porch’ from his home in Canton, Ohio and over 250,00 travelled there to hear him speak and collect a campaign button, ribbon or umbrella or one of the other items of campaign memorabilia that he gave away. President McKinley gained and earned over half of the 14 million popular votes cast. “I have never been in doubt since I was old enough to think intelligently that I would someday be made president…” Anarchism was a political movement aiming to replace government power with voluntary cooperation among a society’s individuals and groups. Anarchists in the late 19th and early 20th century frequently used assassination in their attempts to achieve their aims and anarchist Leon Czolgosz came to buffalo, New York with a deadly and catastrophic mission that could take anarchism Sky High. He believed that government was evil and he planned to stamp out that evil, beginning with the beloved president McKinley. It was the first year of the new century and it was a perfect time to reflect on the nation’s rise in world power and to discuss the future. The Pan American Exposition was a world’s fair that celebrated the America’s industrial progress and achievement and it had enticed many visitors from around the world. In Cleveland Ohio on May 6th Emma Goldman who was an anarchist gave a speech and she outlined the principles and methods of anarchism and in this speech she stated. “We desire complete liberty and this can never be achieved as long as there is an existing government” Toward the end of her speech she stated that most Anarchists are not 2006-08-25T14:25:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/William-Mckinley-Assassination-31256.aspx Social and Economic Effects of Black Death on Europe Social and Economic Effects of Black Death on Europe The Black Plague (also known as the Black Death or Bubonic Plague) of the 1300s is considered by many historians to be one of the most influential events and turning point in the transition from medieval to modern-day Europe. Some analysts even compare its devastation to that of World War I, since "25% to 50% of Europe's population were killed during the onslaught" of the plague (Gottfried, 77). While "no one rich, middling, or poor, was safe from the plague" (Platt, 97), those affected the most were those in the lower economic classes. England's peasant population in particular was affected greatly in both positive and negative ways; dramatic changes took place in all spheres of their lives: religiously, economically, and socially. In order to comprehend the tremendous impact the Black plague had on the English peasants' and in turn European history as a whole, one must first examine the events which led up to the onslaught of the plague, followed by how it altered the different aspects of their lives in an interconnected manner. The term "Black Plague" applies to the form of Bubonic Plague which raged relentlessly through Europe from 1347 to 1351 AD. During the High Middle Ages (10th-13th centuries) the population of Europe grew "steadily and unabated from 25 million in 950 AD to 75 million in 1250 AD" (Gottfried,17), the disease pool had reached something of an equilibrium, and deaths due to plagues and illnesses were at a low. There had been political stability for about two hundred years and there was a surplus of food due to good growing conditions and new agricultural and technological innovations. Since less people had to live off the land, more became merchants and tradesmen, which greatly improve the culture and economy, and also encouraged trade, thus instilling a sense of security among people. By the mid 13th century, a change for the worse overtook Europe. The "little Ice Age" took place, causing the climate to become colder and damp; crops rotting in their fields meant that the large population growth was outstripping food production. The population of Europe became increasingly poor; 10% died as a result of famine; related diseases (such as typhoid fever and dysentary) began to emerge as did livestock epidemics. With all these problems, combined with dirty, unhygenic living conditions, perhaps it is no 2006-08-12T10:53:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-and-Economic-Effects-of-Black-Death-on-Europe-31225.aspx Social and Economic Effects of Black Death on Europe Social and Economic Effects of Black Death on Europe The Black Plague (also known as the Black Death or Bubonic Plague) of the 1300s is considered by many historians to be one of the most influential events and turning point in the transition from medieval to modern-day Europe. Some analysts even compare its devastation to that of World War I, since "25% to 50% of Europe's population were killed during the onslaught" of the plague (Gottfried, 77). While "no one rich, middling, or poor, was safe from the plague" (Platt, 97), those affected the most were those in the lower economic classes. England's peasant population in particular was affected greatly in both positive and negative ways; dramatic changes took place in all spheres of their lives: religiously, economically, and socially. In order to comprehend the tremendous impact the Black plague had on the English peasants' and in turn European history as a whole, one must first examine the events which led up to the onslaught of the plague, followed by how it altered the different aspects of their lives in an interconnected manner. The term "Black Plague" applies to the form of Bubonic Plague which raged relentlessly through Europe from 1347 to 1351 AD. During the High Middle Ages (10th-13th centuries) the population of Europe grew "steadily and unabated from 25 million in 950 AD to 75 million in 1250 AD" (Gottfried,17), the disease pool had reached something of an equilibrium, and deaths due to plagues and illnesses were at a low. There had been political stability for about two hundred years and there was a surplus of food due to good growing conditions and new agricultural and technological innovations. Since less people had to live off the land, more became merchants and tradesmen, which greatly improve the culture and economy, and also encouraged trade, thus instilling a sense of security among people. By the mid 13th century, a change for the worse overtook Europe. The "little Ice Age" took place, causing the climate to become colder and damp; crops rotting in their fields meant that the large population growth was outstripping food production. The population of Europe became increasingly poor; 10% died as a result of famine; related diseases (such as typhoid fever and dysentary) began to emerge as did livestock epidemics. With all these problems, combined with dirty, unhygenic living conditions, perhaps it is no 2006-08-12T10:49:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-and-Economic-Effects-of-Black-Death-on-Europe-31224.aspx Communication and the Expertise of Interaction Communication and the Expertise of Interaction The two-way process that we call communication, is a natural skill. In life we have grown accustomed to talking; which is why talking is a natural act for people. Even though we all have these natural skills, some people use their communication expertise in an effective way than other individuals. I have taken the liberty of stepping outside of my body and viewing my communication skills as others would have viewed it. I rarely use communication effectively as most people. I lack the amount of vocabulary needed to describe things pragmatically. If I used descriptive words as frequently as other people, I would not have this problem. I realize that I tend to talk about unimportant things. I get off topic when I am in a group discussion. Everyone has to know everything about me, my family and friends, or what I saw the other day. It just does not matter what anyone says to me because my story is better and has to be heard. On the other hand, I do speak of mostly positive subjects. Looking at myself through a stranger’s perspective, I realize that I frown a lot when I am listening. I smile only when I speak of something funny. I make strange faces when I talk of things that make me mad. I have a tendency to not look people directly in the eye when I talk. When people are talking to me I try not to stare at them. I nod my head up and down when I think that I have heard enough of some one talking to me about instructions. Mrs. Cotton has taught me that it is not all about me; listening is also a part of communication. I need to use complicated words instead of simple words. Feedback is a very important part of the communication process. Improving my communication skills will make me a better person. In order to excel in life I will need to improve on my communication skills. The people I talk to will have a better understanding of what I am talking about. I am anxiously awaiting more advice and teachings for the effective art of communication. I hope I will be able to have successful conversations with educated people without fearing my lack of vocabulary words. I plan on being able to give efficient details to anyone that 2006-08-09T15:45:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Communication-and-the-Expertise-of-Interaction-31205.aspx Comparing Male and Female Lifestyles in the Colonies Comparing Male and Female Lifestyles in the Colonies Colonial women had it harder. Women had to overcome many more difficult obstacles than men, in order to prove themselves as being worthy. The obstacles varied between women of different background, including their status in class, as well as their race. They all had one thing in common though, which was the fact that they were all bound together by certain laws. These laws deemed them incapable of numerous abilities due to the fact that their gender was female. Thus, women's roles were seen as being limited to wives, mother's and household managers. The first colonists to arrive were men. After their arrival, it became obvious that in order for colonization, women had to be present. So, the arrival of the first women in America was constituted by the need for wives for the settlers of the new land. The women were sold to the settlers. Marriage was a girl's future. It took place early. Women that had previously been married were in demand, because they were then thought of as being experienced housekeepers, and child raisers. Marriage was termed as a "civil death" for women, because they had absolutely no rights in the relationship. They could own nothing, not even clothes, for they wore their husband's clothes. Although there were certain obligations that were to be maintained by both partners, they were certainly not equal. Husbands were required to protect and provide for their wives. Wives, in exchange, were to submit to any male authority and to assist their husbands in by productive behavior and frugality. In spite of all of the restrictions placed on women, they were able to make significant contributions, with the exception of the black enslaved women. The free white women were the first to have established schools, orphanages and the first to have acted as doctors, dealing with medical treatment of various ailments. Some women that spoke out, were effective in other ways, such as Anne Hutchinson, a colonist who had arrived in 1634. She was not admired by most, because she was an independent woman who liked to speak her mind about religious issues. She was viewed upon as the most notorious woman to challenge the authority of ministers. Although she was a woman, the government felt threatened. They believed that people would only be saved through hard work, good deeds, and righteousness, and were trying 2006-08-09T12:16:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparing-Male-and-Female-Lifestyles-in-the-Colonies-31184.aspx The Industrial Revolution in England The Industrial Revolution in England In the years preceding 1750 England, although a wealthy nation still suffered from poverty and a poor economy. Despite the fact that there were manufacturers, not enough produce could be made, and so England remained poverty stricken. The 2 main areas of productivity were agriculture and woollen textiles, the larger earner of these two being wool. The manufacture of woollen cloth had been the main industry since the middle ages, when England was one of the world’s greatest producers of raw wool. However the garments were made in the people’s homes and the progress was very slow. All the tools were worked by hand and were small enough to be used in the home. Not only was this process slow, but such was the demand for yarn that it was constantly in short supply, as wool production was hard to mechanise, on the other hand cotton which was a new material being brought into Britain was much easier to make and faster. Not only was it easier and faster but also it was also more comfortable to wear. This new material would have been easier to mechanise but the raw materials had to be imported and this was more expensive but still the demand was there, so much so that in 1700 a law was passed banning all imports of cotton and in 1721 the wearing of cotton was actually banned. Due to the banning of these imports local producers were allowed to step into the market and so began the rise of the cotton industry in Britain. The process was still too slow and was still done in people’s homes; this had to be changed if the cotton was to be a success. There were people who invented various items to make things easier and quicker, people like John Kay. John Kay made the work easier by inventing the flying shuttle in 1733. Before this the weavers had to throw the shuttle across the loom. James Hargreaves then invented a new machine, called the Jenny in 1764. This machine was still used in the home. A machine was needed to work on a larger scale in a factory. This machine arrived in 1769 in the form of a water mill through the brains of a man called Richard Arkwright; he also opened a factory at Cromford, Derbyshire. By 1782 this factory employed 5000 workers, making him 2006-08-08T10:08:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Industrial-Revolution-in-England-31173.aspx Germany's Unification and Bismarck’s Diplomacy Germany's Unification and Bismarck’s Diplomacy Roughly from 1850 to 1870 the Unification of Germany took place. After the unification, Germany rose as a dominant power in Europe until World War 2. The process of the unification was mainly spread over three wars. But to a great extent, the unification was due Herr Otto Von Bismarck’s diplomacy. However, to a small extent, it was due to other factors such as the formation of the Zollverein, revolutions, nationalism and assemblies and congresses held in the past. From the 1790s to 1814 French troops successively conquered and occupied the area that later constituted the German Empire. French domination helped to modernize and consolidate Germany by introducing reforms in economy, society and government. Finally, towards the end, sparked the first upsurge of German nationalism. Nationalist ideas began to form among the intellectuals in Germany. Therefore, to a small extent, in different ways, unintentionally, the French emperor Napoleon I helped German unification. It was also important that he encouraged many of the middle-sized German states to absorb huge numbers of small independent territories, mostly bishoprics, church lands, and local principalities. The more powerful German princes, often in alliance with France, seized this chance to enlarge their territories and refused to restore the annexed units to independence after Napoleon's defeat. The number of independent and semi-independent German states had been around one thousand in 1792 but twenty-five years later, only about thirty remained. The Congress of Vienna in 1814-15 dissolved the Confederation of the Rhine and created the German Confederation under Austrian and Prussian hegemony. The German Confederation consisted of 39 independent and individual states and almost everywhere, the original monarch rulers repressed the nationalist movement, which was mainly composed of students and professors after 1815. Although, there was a parliament with representatives from every state, this diet was weak and powerless and it could only deal with common affairs of the Confederation. An Austrian always led this diet. Later, the German princes realized that nationalism required a reform or even destruction of the traditional monarchic states. After several decades of repression, a strong desire for reforms, constitutions and parliaments had developed among the educated and wealthy bourgeoisie, while the peasants resented the still present feudal dues. These liberal demands from the nationalists alarmed the foreign princes and their aristocratic supporters. Unemployment among small artisans made them join the revolutionary cause in hopes of secure jobs and economic 2006-08-08T10:00:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Germany-s-Unification-and-Bismarck’s-Diplomacy-31170.aspx The American Revolution: A Significant Separation The American Revolution: A Significant Separation The United States of America has remained a successful and industrious nation ruled by the principles of federalism for the past 200 years. The Framers of the Constitution proposed the federal system in an attempt to guarantee democracy and liberty throughout a sparsely populated nation. By granting enumerated powers to the national government and reserving all other rights to the states, a balance of power was obtained and continues to rule this great country. The relations between the national and state governments have been a central feature of American politics. With the adoption of the Constitution in 1787, America encountered a persistent controversy that has been the source of political disagreement. Ever since the framers of the Constitution were busy working on this important document, they found themselves torn between two views of what federalism meant. A famous American statesman known as Alexander Hamilton argued for a powerful national government. He believed that because people had created the national government, and since the most pressing needs were the development of a national economy and the conduct of foreign affairs, the superiority of a central authority had to be recognized. However, defending the states’ rights was Thomas Jefferson who believed that although the people were the ultimate sovereigns, the principal threat to their liberties was likely to come from the national government. Consequently, Jefferson felt the powers of the federal government needed to be strictly limited. As a result of geography and populace distribution, a representative democracy was established. This system corresponded with a federal republic. Through Federalism, localities across America are all capable of responding adequately to the desires of their citizens. Governments are more flexible and therefore respond appropriately to people’s needs. The division of powers between states and the federal government was a beneficial decision that protected the Constitutional way of life. This separation prevents any form of utilitarianism, and allows efficient responses by the government to the people. With the absence of an explicit definition for each power bestowed to the national and state government, the vagueness of this governmental partition continues to prosper in society. The Framers of the Constitution were determined to create a strong national government, however they also wanted to preserve the decision-making powers of the states. As a result of this substantial conflict, they chose to 2006-08-07T12:14:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-American-Revolution-A-Significant-Separation-31121.aspx Martin Luther King Jr's Place in American History Martin Luther King Jr's Place in American History King, Martin Luther, Jr. (1929-1968), American clergyman and Nobel Prize winner, one of the principal leaders of the American civil rights movement and a prominent advocate of nonviolent protest. King’s challenges to segregation and racial discrimination in the 1950s and 1960s helped convince many white Americans to support the cause of civil rights in the United States. After his assassination in 1968, King became a symbol of protest in the struggle for racial justice. Martin Luther King, Jr., was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the eldest son of Martin Luther King, Sr., a Baptist minister, and Alberta Williams King. His father served as pastor of a large Atlanta church, Ebenezer Baptist, which had been founded by Martin Luther King, Jr.’s maternal grandfather. King, Jr. was ordained as a Baptist minister at age 18. King attended local segregated public schools, where he excelled. He entered nearby Morehouse College at age 15 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1948. After graduating with honors from Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania in 1951, he went to Boston University where he earned a doctoral degree in systematic theology in 1955. King’s public-speaking abilities—which would become renowned as his stature grew in the civil rights movement—developed slowly during his collegiate years. He won a second-place prize in a speech contest while an undergraduate at Morehouse, but received Cs in two public-speaking courses in his first year at Crozer. By the end of his third year at Crozer, however, professors were praising King for the powerful impression he made in public speeches and discussions. Throughout his education, King was exposed to influences that related Christian theology to the struggles of oppressed peoples. At Morehouse, Crozer, and Boston University, he studied the teachings on nonviolent protest of Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi. King also read and heard the sermons of white Protestant ministers who preached against American racism. Benjamin E. Mays, president of Morehouse and a leader in the national community of racially liberal clergymen, was especially important in shaping King’s theological development. While in Boston, King met Coretta Scott, a music student and native of Alabama. They were married in 1953 and would have four children. In 1954 King accepted his first pastorate at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, a church with a well-educated congregation that had recently been led by a minister who had protested against segregation. Montgomery’s black community had 2006-08-06T23:19:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Martin-Luther-King-Jr-s-Place-in-American-History-31091.aspx The Clinton Scandal: "There is no improper relationship The Clinton Scandal: "There is no improper relationship" The evidence against President Clinton for sexual misconduct was very strong. There had been too many scandals that have surrounded his presidency. This forced the citizens of the United States to deny his plea of innocence. In the spring of 1995, Monica Lewinsky graduated from Lewis and Clark College. She then started an unpaid internship at the White House. Allegedly in November of that year, she became involved in a sexual relationship with President Clinton. Shortly after this point Lewinsky was hired as a full-time White House employee. She left the White House for a public affairs position at the Pentagon. Here she became friends with Linda Tripp, a former White House employee, who worked in the same office. During this time President Clinton apparently sent gifts to Lewinsky, most importantly in the case against him a dress, which she saved as a souvenir, had the President's DNA on it. With things heating up in the Paula Jones case, the President asked Lewinsky to lie about visits to his office. Turning her back on Lewinsky, Tripp taped telephone conversations between herself and Lewinsky about the affairs with Mr. Clinton to setup him up. Lewinsky, allegedly quoting Mr. Clinton, said, "Look them in the eye and deny it." After anonymous tips are given to a firm connected with the Paula Jones case, Lewinsky decided to leave the government and find a new job. On January 7, 1998, Monica Lewinsky signed a sworn affidavit in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case, stating she did not have an affair with the President. Following this, Linda Tripp brought the recorded phone conversations to Independent Counsel for the Paula Jones case, Kenneth Starr. With assistance from the FBI, Tripp wore a wire while Lewinsky lead her step-by-step through her entire sexual relationship with Mr. Clinton. The following day, Lewinsky gives Tripp points on how to respond to Paula Jones' lawyer's questions. After receiving news of this Starr requested from a federal panel, the ability of an expansion of his ongoing investigation. The following day, President Clinton, who was under oath, denied an affair with Lewinsky. Four days later, the story of the tapes became public knowledge. The President stated in an interview with Jim Lehrer of PBS on the same day, "There is no improper relationship"(Clinton 1998). He also stated in this interview that he "didn't ask anybody not to 2006-08-06T23:15:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Clinton-Scandal-quot-There-is-no-improper-relationship-31090.aspx Canadian Hero: Sir Isaac Brock Canadian Hero: Sir Isaac Brock Major General Sir Isaac Brock, a hero of the War of 1812, was born on Guernesy, in the Channel Islands, in 1769. He commanded all of the armed forces in Upper Canada. He also joined the British army at 15. Promoted to senior lieutenant-colonel at 28, Brock in 1797 was given command of the 49th Regiment. In 1801, he was made second-in-command of the land forces in Nelson's invasion of Copenhagen. In 1802, Brock was assigned to the city of York, which is now Toronto, in Canada. War with the U.S. was a real possibility and Brock worked non stop to improve the colony's defenses. He trained militia units to improve their regular forces. Despite his best efforts, when war began in 1812, he had only 1,200 regular soldiers in Upper Canada and believed that only one-third of the militia soldiers could be counted and trusted on to fight. To make matters worse, many believed the Americans would prevail. During the summer of 1812 Brock lived at Government House, which stood between Fort George and the village of Newark. Two active young men served as his aides de camp at Newark. They were Captain John B. Glegg of the 49th Regiment and Lieutenant Colonel John Macdonell of the Upper Canada Militia. On July 12, 1812, an army commander named Hull and his American army invaded and took the town of Sandwich (Windsor) before retreating to Detroit. Brock set off from York (Toronto) with a small army of regulars and militia soldiers, including a Native leader called Shawnee chief Tecumseh along with his men, to confront the invaders. Brock and Tecumseh crossed the Detroit River to the fort to do so. The next day, Brock demanded Hull's surrender and said that if it came to a fight, he would not be able to control the wrath of his native allies. Perhaps because Hull still outnumbered Brock and Tecumseh by a margin of nearly 2 to 1, Hull initially refused. Brock than proceeded by bombing a few cannons onto Fort Detroit where Hull was at. After a day, Hull surrendered. With the Detroit frontier stable, Brock raced back to Niagara to prepare for an imminent American attack across the river. A day later, General Stephen Van Rensselaer crossed the river from Lewiston, NY with 3,000 troops to the city called Queenston. Stephen Van Rensselaer soon gained control of 2006-08-06T20:34:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Canadian-Hero-Sir-Isaac-Brock-31075.aspx Factors Spawning the Great Depression Factors Spawning the Great Depression The Great Depression was the worst economic slump ever in U.S. history, and one which spread to virtually all of the industrialized world. The depression began in late 1929 and lasted for about a decade. Many factors played a role in bringing about the depression; however, the main cause for the Great Depression was the combination of the greatly unequal distribution of wealth throughout the 1920's, and the extensive stock market speculation that took place during the latter part that same decade. The maldistribution of wealth in the 1920's existed on many levels. Money was distributed disparately between the rich and the middle-class, between industry and agriculture within the United States, and between the U.S. and Europe. This imbalance of wealth created an unstable economy. The excessive speculation in the late 1920's kept the stock market artificially high, but eventually lead to large market crashes. These market crashes, combined with the maldistribution of wealth, caused the American economy to capsize. The "roaring twenties" was an era when our country prospered tremendously. The nation's total realized income rose from $74.3 billion in 1923 to $89 billion in 19291. However, the rewards of the "Coolidge Prosperity" of the 1920's were not shared evenly among all Americans. According to a study done by the Brookings Institute, in 1929 the top 0.1% of Americans had a combined income equal to the bottom 42%2. That same top 0.1% of Americans in 1929 controlled 34% of all savings, while 80% of Americans had no savings at all3. Automotive industry mogul Henry Ford provides a striking example of the unequal distribution of wealth between the rich and the middle-class. Henry Ford reported a personal income of $14 million4 in the same year that the average personal income was $7505. By present day standards, where the average yearly income in the U.S. is around $18,5006, Mr. Ford would be earning over $345 million a year! This maldistribution of income between the rich and the middle class grew throughout the 1920's. While the disposable income per capita rose 9% from 1920 to 1929, those with income within the top 1% enjoyed a stupendous 75% increase in per capita disposable income7. A major reason for this large and growing gap between the rich and the working-class people was the increased manufacturing output throughout this period. From 1923-1929 the average output per worker increased 32% in manufacturing8. During that 2006-08-06T10:02:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Factors-Spawning-the-Great-Depression-31065.aspx World War II And The Atomic Bomb World War II And The Atomic Bomb “The names Hiroshima and Nagasaki are known around the world – yet most people remain ignorant of the reality and the meaning of atomic destruction.” (Hiroshima 3) A controversy exists over the use of the atomic bomb to end World War II. Many people believe that the atom bomb should have been dropped. It reduced the number of casualties that took place. Also, it required much less time than an all-out invasion. The Atomic Bomb August 6th, 1945, 70,000 lives were ended in a matter of seconds. The United States had dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. Today many argue over whether or not the US should have taken such a drastic measure. Was it entirely necessary that we use such a devastating weapon? Yes, it was. First, look at what was going on at the time the decision was made. The U.S had been fighting a massive war since 1941. Morale was low, and resources were at the same level as morale. However, each side continued to fight, and both were determined to win. Obviously, the best thing that could have possibly have happened would have been to bring the war to a quick end, with a minimum of casualties. “Those who dropped the first atomic bomb worked thereafter to demonstrate its destructive powers and to justify its use as a way of ending the war quickly so as to limit the number of combat casualties.” (Hiroshima 3) What would have happened had the A-bomb not been used? The most obvious thing is that the war would have continued. U.S forces, therefore, would have had to invade the foreign island of Japan. Imagine the number of casualties that would have occurred if this invasion had taken place. Also, our forces would not only have to fight off the Japanese military, but they would have to defend themselves against the civilians of Japan as well. It was also a fact that the Japanese government had been equipping the commoners with any kind of weapon they could get their hands on. This means a Japanese citizen could have anything from a gun to a spear. And many unsuspecting soldiers might fall victim to a surprise spear attack! The death toll would be much greater, and 2006-08-05T18:06:04-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-War-II-And-The-Atomic-Bomb-31055.aspx The Opium War in China The Opium War in China In 1842, the Opium War ended with the foreigners defeating the Chinese. Up until then, China had always been closed to all forms of trade. The British and the French forced China to become open to their trade. The loss of the Opium War led to China becoming open to all trade and a decline in Chinese economy(Peffer, 60). The Chinese lost the Opium War and were forced to sign the Treaty of Nanking on April 29, 1842, and the Treaty of the Bogue on October 1, 1843. These treaties demanded that China pay twenty-one million dollars for the opium that had been destroyed, the war costs, and as payment for debts that were owed to British merchants. Since China did not have the money, the island of Hong Kong was given to Great Britain, and five of China’s ports, Canton, Amoy, Foochow, Ningpo, and Shanghai, would be open to all foreigners (Peffer 60). China did not quite understand all the concepts of the treaty, and they agreed to many things they did not understand, which later resulted in the Chinese government losing power until the twentieth century. The second treaty also said that the Chinese laws did not have to be followed by the foreigners. Britain also gained rights to allow other countries to do trading in China. China also agreed to set up certain places where the traders would be allowed to live. Neither side had any idea what the signing of these two treaties would lead to. (Peffer 61). Although the treaty said that the Chinese had to let foreigners into the five ports, some of the people of China objected to their towns being taken over. In Canton, rather than listening to the legal leaders, the people chose to follow the directions of unauthorized leaders. The people rebelled against the British by yelling at them, harassing them, and even throwing stones at them (Peffer 65). The people of Canton believed that all foreigners should not be allowed into their town, and there was nothing the local authorities could do. The situation could not be resolved because the Chinese government could do nothing, and London refused to give the foreigners backup. Sir John F. Davis, a British official made an agreement saying that the British would wait to enter Canton, but with the promise that they would be able to in the future. Though this 2006-08-05T15:33:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Opium-War-in-China-31049.aspx Society of the Germanic Tribes Society of the Germanic Tribes The tribes and kingdoms in Germany were formed through victories in war. Germania was a polytheistic civilization. “All (Germans) had fierce blue eyes, red hair, huge frames, fit only for sudden exertion”(Tacitus, 710). The weapons they used in warfare were not made of metal, but were wooden spears and shields, which they would bellow behind to make themselves sound more ominous. The nations of Germany had no cities and they were very scattered. Their civilization chose their kings by birth and the kings and generals had all of the power. This authority was shown by example rather than by words or laws that were created. The chiefs of all the tribes assemble do discuss matters of the tribe every full or new moon, unless extraneous circumstances forced them to do otherwise. Their 2006-08-05T15:24:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Society-of-the-Germanic-Tribes-31044.aspx The New England and Chesapeake Colonies in Early America The New England and Chesapeake Colonies in Early America By the 1700s two distinct societies were forming in colonial North America. Although both settled by people of English origin, the two regions had major differences in development. But by the 1700s, New England and the Chesapeake region were differing through social, economic, and religious diversity. The social differences of the two regions evolved over the time leading up to the 1700s. New England, which was mostly populated with families, centered their focus on religion and brotherly affection (document A). In contrast, the Chesapeake region was a source of economic competition, such as the drop in the price of tobacco in 1660-1680. Opportunities began to diminish in the 1670s and by 1676 one quarter of Virginia’s free white men were landless. New England’s major concern was to portray the image of “city upon a hill” (Document A); they wanted the world to look upon them as a community of one. The reason for English settlement in the Chesapeake region was for the gold mines. These proved to be a means of individual prosperity, which was the major attraction of the young males, the majority of the population (Document C). On the other hand the English settled the New England region for religious benefits. This region met their desire to be a close-knit community with religious foundation. As the century drew to a close the Chesapeake region began to decline as the number of workers increased as well as the products that caused the prices to drop. The New England region was mainly based upon the dependence of families upon each other which was a reason for its success. The religious aspects of the two regions differ slightly for one major reason. The people and families on the New England area had to sign an oath that they will participate in the ministry. This meant that they were saying that they promise that when they become part of their community they will have a certain amount of time spent with the church. The Chesapeake region was much more individual and therefore it was church was not as an important part of everyday life as it was in New England. As the 18th century approached, these two regions of the colonies grew farther and farther apart. 2006-08-05T11:28:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-New-England-and-Chesapeake-Colonies-in-Early-America-31035.aspx Tobacco Use in America Increases Tobacco Use in America Increases Tobacco was introduced into the American colonies in the early 1600s. The tobacco plant soon became the leading crop and trading commodity in America. Tobacco was widely accepted up until the 1960s when research found that there was health effects directly associated with tobacco use. However, since the 1970s tobacco use has increased dramatically. An increasing amount of tobacco users has caused an increasing number of deaths in America because it has been proven to cause cancer. In the 1990s there has been a dramatic increase of users, especially teenagers. The tobacco report by Thriveonline.com says “a 15-fold increase in smokeless tobacco has been noted in adolescents aged 17 to 19” (Thrive Online). The United States Department of Health and Human Services says “more than 80% of current adult tobacco users started smoking cigarettes before age 18 years” (CDC Foundation). Most tobacco users are addicted before they reach the age of 21. The tobacco industry focuses their advertisements on teenagers. They spend close to six million dollars a year. Deaths caused by tobacco use have also increased. Cigarette smoking is the main cause of cancer deaths in America. The American Cancer Society says, “Lung cancer mortality rates are about 23 times higher for current male smokers and 13 times higher for current female smokers compared to lifelong never-smokers. In addition to being responsible for 87% of lung cancers, smoking is also associated with cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, pancreas, uterine cervix, kidney, and bladder. Smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths, is a major cause of heart disease, and is associated with conditions ranging from colds and gastric ulcers to chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and cerebrovascular disease (related to blood circulation)” (ACS). There are approximately 400,000 deaths a year caused by smoking tobacco in the United States (Who Smokes?). Statistically men are more prone to using tobacco than women. In the United States the number one cause of death for men is tobacco related illnesses. One of the main reasons why there is an increase of tobacco users is the fact that they are addictive. Tobacco use is addictive because the chemical nicotine. Cigarettes are especially addictive, the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information states in their article 2006-08-05T11:26:44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Tobacco-Use-in-America-Increases-31034.aspx The World Trade Center Attacks in American History The World Trade Center Attacks in American History On September 11, 2001, Americas World Trade Centers was attacked by a faceless enemy, and the people of America stood in shock and mourning. On lookers watched in horror and disbelief, struggling to comprehend what was happening. But at the time there was no answer. All over the country people turned on their televisions and watched as another Bowing 767 crashed into the second tower. The question that’s in the back of my head is why did the building collapse after the planes crashed into the towers? If the engineers and architects had designed the Twin Towers differently could a tragedy like this have been avoided? The World Trade Center was built around columns that were closely spaced around the perimeter of the towers. Engineers used light weight steel trusses between the elevator and the columns of each floor. The trusses were designed to support the concrete floor and tie together the perimeter to the core of the building. After the planes initial impact nobody thought the impossible was going to happen. Visually you could tell the crash destroyed many floors and took off a significant number of columns. After the planes crashed the jet fuel enflamed the building with temperatures the building could not withstand. The sprinkler systems in buildings such as these are designed to put out office fires, not explosions caused by a plane crash. Eventually, the fire weakened the structure of the skyscraper, and combined with the damage of the impact, caused the floors to collapse one floor after another leaving behind a pile of steel and smoke. More than 2,200 people died in the 9-11 tragedy because they were trapped above the crashed floors. The stairwells were filled with sheetrock and burning materials. This rubble completely blocked the stairwells and prevented evacuation. This wallboard system was very well engineered for a fire, but not a fire that was caused by the impact of a 767. The initial impact was great enough to collapse this system which would have stopped fire and smoke from spreading to the stairwells. Once theses walls where breached, the victims had no chance. There is also the possibility the breached walls allowed the burning fuel to reach the stairwells. What’s the answer to this problem? It’s as simple as building stronger walls made of either new steel or 2006-08-05T11:22:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-World-Trade-Center-Attacks-in-American-History-31032.aspx Napoleon Bonaparte The Upstart Genius Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte: The Upstart Genius “The first principle of a general-in-chief is to calculate what he must do, to see if he has the means to surmount the obstacles with which the enemy can oppose him and when he has made his decision, to do everything to overcome them.” - Napoleon Bonaparte Be it a scholar, an intellectual, a history buff, or a contemporary management student, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte remains, to this day, something of an enigma, both tantalizing and elusive- but at the same time presenting a most rewarding subject for study be it of tactics, administration or leadership skills. What makes a general, who had fought more then 60 battles and was blamed for the deaths of more than 1,750,000 soldiers in his time, a subject for a topic like leadership? Lets take a more, as the general would say, unemotional and impartial view of both, Napoleon’s military as well as administrative characteristic, to understand why his maxims are today taught as an essential part of any professional managerial course on leadership and management as a whole. Personal Magnetism Be it in war, business or charitable organizations, the personal charm or the magnetism that a leader has on his subordinates becomes an important trait in making him successful. As seen in the case of Napoleon, his personal charm and sway over his listeners, made them hold him in awe and fulfill his every command. A combination of his confidence, intellectual capabilities and methodical and almost natural genius made the bravest of soldiers and the tackiest of statesmen, eat out of his hand. He practiced this charm to the point of making it look like an art and would go to great lengths to sway his contemporaries in his favor. Mental Dexterity Above his personal charm Napoleon also possessed extraordinary mental faculties. There was never an object too small for his attention or a subject too vast for his time. Throughout his military and administrative career, Napoleon displayed a legendary mental dexterity of the kind not seen before of after him. He could remember vast economic statistics to the point reaching as back as 5 years, or pinpoint the exact location of an army unit on a map and throw in their movement patterns for the next week for greater measure. Also the fact that made him superior to all other strategists of his 2006-08-05T10:35:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Napoleon-Bonaparte-The-Upstart-Genius-31017.aspx Black Storytellers Black Storytellers When I went to the performance of the “Black Storytellers,” I was surprised at how much fun it was. It was so interesting hearing the stories that were passed down from generation to generation through oral tradition. The people who put on this spectacular performance also do workshops and seminars to promote black storytelling in order to preserve African oral tradition. This is what they call their “Mission Statement.” The first part of the performance entailed a man playing a drum incredibly well. A lady starts to sing, “humba a way a.” Then people come from the sides and start singing. They holler, “I have a story to tell.” The first story was about how ships came to take Africans as slaves. Twee, wanted to be free and spoke and sang songs about freedom. The story talked about a ship which came with new African slaves to be sold. The people wouldn’t leave the ship and they stomped their feet and refused to set foot on land. Twee decided he was going back to Africa, so he kissed his grandmother goodbye and walked back to Africa on the bottom of the ocean. People followed him back along the bottom of the ocean. The myth is that now oceans are salty because of the tears shed by Twee and his followers who made the journey. The second story was a very cute story and the person who told it did it so well. It started off with the question, “Why do mosquitos buzz?” A long time ago when animals could talk, it was the job of the Owl to wake the sun. Anyway, Mosquito kept talking in Iguana’s ear, so Iguana put a stick in his ear because he didn’t want to hear Mosquito. Python thought Iguana was mad at him, so he went into a rabbit hole. Because of this, Rabbit got scared and ran out. Crow saw this and thought something was wrong so he crowed which sounded an alarm to everyone. When Monkey saw this, he got alarmed and fell on Owlette, Owl’s baby. Because of this, Owl would not call the sun. Through much dilemma in trying to find out the cause of all this, Lion found out that Mosquito was the 2006-08-05T10:24:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Black-Storytellers--31012.aspx The Bubonic Plague or Black Plague The Black (Bubonic) Plague in Europe The Black Plague is a type of bubonic plague that traveled throughout Europe, and the Mediterranean Sea killing millions. The Black Plague (or Black Death) is a bacterial infection that causes swelling on numerous parts of the body. Also it causes odd sores in which human flesh is eaten away. If you are infected with this, you have 5 days to be treated before you die. This is carried mainly through a type of rat flea (Yersinia Pestis). The rat flea is of course found on rats but has also been found on marmots, prairie dogs, and other types of rodents. During the five years in which the black plague was at its peak it is estimated that over 25 million people were killed in Europe alone. The Black plague probably originated in China. From there it traveled to the Middle East and throughout southern Russia. It is most likely that it then spread through trade routes along the west. The trade routes lead into Italy along the black sea. Merchants then probably took it Egypt to places like Alexandria. Then it went towards Libya and Damascus and Upper Egypt. Scientists figure that the people who actually brought the Black Death to Europe were either Genoese or Venetian sailors. As the plague spread its destruction into a vaster area through Pisa, it went towards Florence and then onto Bologna and Rome. Later it traveled to: Venice, Germany, Austria, Genoa, Barcelona, Spain, Marseilles, Southern France, Paris, England. However throughout all this chaos Milan, Italy was virtually unaffected by the disease. The lord of the city ordered that the city gates were to be closed and no outside travelers were allowed in. Especially no travelers from plague areas. Central Germany and a city in Poland also did a similar isolation technique that spared many lives. The doctor’s who were alive during the plague thought a combination of things. First they believed that the human body lacked fluids, or humors, and assumed that it was god’s call for repentance. Second they believed that God was punishing them for there sins. Because of this a extremist group known as flagellants erupted. Flagellants were a group of people who beat themselves. As the 2006-08-05T10:01:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Bubonic-Plague-or-Black-Plague-31001.aspx The Terror of Hitler as a Dictator The Terror of Hitler as a Dictator In the 20th century alone we had already had two huge wars. These wars were call the World Wars simply because they involved most of the big countries of the world. Many people have died in these wars, especially the World War II. Although there are many reasons for World War II, I believe that Hitler was one of the great causes. On November 5, 1937, Hitler held a secret meeting with his military leaders in which he sketched his plans for aggression and war. Hitler instituted the Holocaust, which was the extermination of the Jews and other people whom he considered inferior. Hitler had a very strong prejudice against the Jews. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany led this effort. When Hitler took over control of Germany, everything changed. It took place from 1933 to 1945. I believe that the Second World War and the accompanying Holocaust was the product of the evil mind of Adolf Hitler. Hitler’s rose to power in 1933 and he began persecuting the Jews; their businesses were boycotted and vandalized by Nazi supporters. Hitler’s job was to infiltrate an obscure group called the National Socialist German Workers party-Nazi for short. By the year 1939, the Jews were not even regarded as a people: they could not attend public schools, and their rights to own land had been taken away. One of the most terrible events is that they were not allowed to socialize with non-Jewish people, thus making them unable to attend public events, or visit parks or museums. Hitler wanted what he called a perfect race. Anyone who wasn’t in his race or what he thought was a perfect race was tormented and killed. Jews were forced to wear yellow stars so everyone would know whom he or she was (Fishchel, p.30). This kind of “quarantine” established “ghettos” where in Jews were kept away from the general public, thus making sure none of their cries for help were heard by any non-Nazi followers. The treatment of the Jews would only worsen as the war became longer and the hatred towards these people worsened. The Jews were used as a “scapegoat” to make the German people angry and ready to fight against anyone that stood in 2006-08-01T20:27:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Terror-of-Hitler-as-a-Dictator-30991.aspx Factors Leading to the Social reforms in 1906- 1911 in Brita Factors Leading to the Social reforms in 1906- 1911 in Britain To understand the factors that led to the introduction of liberal social reforms, it is perhaps essential we firstly have a firm understanding and knowledge of their origin. We must be aware of the social and economical status of Britain at the time and how this also helped shape and influence their introduction. Many Historians believe that several factors have helped in the culmination of these reforms and within this essay I will attempt to illustrate and dissect these factors by re-tracing and capturing an impression of early twentieth century Britain. To be simplistic and incorporating my own personal opinion, the social reforms where a fabrication of ‘New liberalism’ and to some extent salvation from social degradation and perhaps arguably ‘Classical liberalism’. These ‘New changed, liberalist views’ flooded the dawn of the twentieth century and where influenced by such social surveys carried out by men like Booth and Rowntree. Both revealed the extent to which poverty had infiltrated the country, as studies show ‘The proportions arrived at for the total population living in poverty in York and London respectively were ‘London 30.7%, York 27.84%’. Rowntree concluded from his studies a definition of the term ‘Physical efficiency’ meaning to be ‘Functioning physically and effectively’. He later went on to declare ‘The position of the lowest paid labourer is one of particular hopelessness, the vicious circle is complete’. The New liberalists where very much against this circle, they argued against limitations and believed this ‘born into poverty’ infliction was not fair. They where very much supportive of opportunities and believed that society should encourage the poor to succeed instead of condemning them to this inherited lifestyle. It is important to perhaps point out that the reality behind these social surveys proved significant in the formation of ‘New Liberalism’. New ideology emerged from these findings, questions where asked of the effectiveness of the ‘Laissez Faire’ policy. New attitudes to the poor and society materialized through New Liberalism, people began to wake up to reality and understand that poverty for some was like a vicious hereditary disease, inescapable despite attempting to. They proposed a modernistic view in which they believed there was a right for the state to intervene in people’s lives under certain circumstances. This idea was fortified by results from experiments within 2006-08-01T20:17:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Factors-Leading-to-the-Social-reforms-in-1906-1911-in-Brita-30987.aspx Influence of the Federalist Papers on the Constitution Influence of the Federalist Papers on the Constitution The Federalist papers were written and ratified in the years of 1787 to 1788. They were created mostly by two of the most influential men of the post-Revolution period. It helped the budding nation create a unified and agreeably strong central government: Alexander Hamilton, a Federalist who wrote fifty-six papers, and James Madison, a Democratic Republican who wrote twenty-one papers; John Jay also had a hand in the writing of five papers. Every paper was written under the pen name Publius. However, today it is known that it was these three men who were the genius behind the works. Hamilton and Madison diligently worked together to write these papers. As time went on, they divided into two different political parties and a strong rivalry ensued. Although their opposition surfaced during the second presidential term, their separate papers foreshadow their eventual contention. Through their papers it became evident that they interpreted the Constitution much differently. Either through loose construction in the form of a strong federal government or strict construction in the idea that states’ rights should be the most important factor of the new national government. They also foresaw Hamilton and Madison’s splitting disagreements. Alexander Hamilton was a strong-willed Federalist, who had the genius necessary for becoming president. However, he was tragically killed by Aaron Burr in a duel. He was the most influential Federalist of his time and his National Debt still stands today. However, it has increased greatly since his time. Hamilton believed that the Constitution needed a loose construction or interpretation. This belief on the national government was evident in his Federalist writing. In paper No. 23, “The Necessity of a Government as Energetic as the One Proposed to the Preservation of the Union”, he explains that there are principle purposes with which the national government was obligated to do. These purposes were the common defense of its members, the preservation of the public peace against both internal and external attacks, the regulation of commerce with other nations and interstate trade, and the supervision over discussions and problems stemming from political or commercial intercourse with foreign countries. He believed that the government should be in charge of the States in that they protected while governing. He also asked his fellow 2006-08-01T19:05:40-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Influence-of-the-Federalist-Papers-on-the-Constitution-30963.aspx Foundations of Feudalism in European Governments Foundations of Feudalism in European Governments Feudalism was the foundation of the European government. The structure of feudalism was incredibly unbalanced, which was the main reason for its downfall. When the Roman empire fell, it left many wealthy landowners spread throughout the European countries. For every wealthy landowner there were many more poorer. They decided therefore to commend themselves to landlords, surrendering to a lord in return for safety and the right to farm the properties. This was the beginning of the feudal nations. The children of the men who owned the land would inherit the land as well as any other property owned by their fathers. This tradition kept rich people rich and poor people poor. People who exchanged their land for protection were shielded from opposing enemies by knights and horsemen. The primary defense for a lord was his knight. The knights formed the core of the lord’s household. Many of them lived permanently within the castle walls and were fed and housed by him. Knights that were given homage by their lords did not really need any land but were still paid in fiefs, which were stretches of land paid to whomever. These household knights did not need a grant of land on which to live, though they often received it all the same. This showed the favoritism the lords and kings had and expressed it through the upper class citizens. While the basic feudal system was working out wonderfully for the higher ranked officials, the peasants were getting short changed from the very beginning. The peasants, who supported their society by their hard and dirty work, were getting no credit. The peasants had to suffer the dirtiest work while getting almost nothing in return. For the poorest peasants the threat of starvation was never far away, and there was rarely enough money for anything but the bare essentials of life. Low income for peasants was mainly due to the high taxes and the low wages. Officials in office had the exact opposite with high wages and low taxation. The whole social structure of the government was completely unbalanced. The higher statesmen appointed friends and relatives into positions of power based on a social scale, not by ability. The system of assigning positions based on popularity was unfair to the lower class people. Although Feudalism held together for nearly ten centuries, the governmental 2006-08-01T18:42:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Foundations-of-Feudalism-in-European-Governments-30948.aspx Common Themes among Imperialism, Colonialism and Slavery Common Themes among Imperialism, Colonialism and Slavery A study of imperialism and colonialism at the turn of the century in the United States will draw many parallels to the treatment of African Americans in the South. Although many arguments for imperialism appear to have an economic basis, prejudice and white-race superiority are just below the surface. The United States has a history of the white Christian being superior from the first moment the land was discovered and the Indians were met. The words in the definition of imperialism include; power, control and intent, with an empire existing when a strong nation or society impose control over a weaker one. (Gilded Age, p.22). These same terms come to mind with African slavery. In the 1890s, the United States acquired an island empire. Hawaii, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, as well as, the protectorate over Cuba. Each has its own story of motives on the part of the United States, but the common denominator in each location is the national ideology that emphasizes the racial inferiority of non-whites. (Gilded Age, p.12) In the 1880, the US brought back its navy, and by 1890 congress had given money for three new battleships. With this new strength, the US perceived its mission to be protecting is commerce. (Gilded Age, p.263) As the ability to protect commerce grew, so did the need to expand beyond the domestic market. According to Secretary of State James G. Blaine in 1890, “the great demand is expansion. I mean expansion of trade with countries where we can find profitable exchanges.” (Gilded Age, p.264) The desire to enlarge markets for the prosperity and growth of the country was only one portion of a larger ideology. Americans had long believed nonwhites to be inferior, and hence incapable of providing government or properly using their land and resources. (Gilded Age, p.264) Setting out with missionaries and businessmen after 1820, the attempt to “civilize, Christianize, and enlighten” (Gilded Age, p. 270) led the United States to Hawaii. The native culture, religion and language in Hawaii were believed inferior, and the process of “Americanization” began. Before long all public education was in English, children were taught American values, and by 1886 Hawaiians were the minority in their own land. (Gilded Age, p.271) 2006-08-01T18:31:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Common-Themes-among-Imperialism,-Colonialism-and-Slavery-30942.aspx Effects of the American Indians on European Colonization Effects of the American Indians on European Colonization When examining the effects of American Indians on European exploration and early colonialism, it is difficult to overstate its importance. It is believed that the first human in the Americas can be dated to 30,000 – 15,000 B.C. In the thousands of years that elapsed between the native settlement of North America and the arrival of the Europeans in the fifteenth century, the Indian people developed and adapted a life-style that allowed them to thrive as a people. Although quite different from its Anglo-Saxon counterpart, cultural, economic, political, and spiritual components of the native Americans were well-established. The influences of this society on the “New World” would have far reaching effects that would extend through the colonial era and beyond. Before examining the effects of American Indians on European settlement, its important to acknowledge the influence it played on exploration itself. Since Columbus was looking for the Far East, he may have viewed an uninhabited America as nothing more than a roadblock that he’d like to have avoided. However, with the help of the Indians and Aztecs, he (and others) soon realized that the newly discovered territory was a land of riches waiting to be exploited. Precious metals, a lucrative fur trade, and an abundance of natural resources made the occupation of the Americas a priority of Spain. Without this potential for enormous wealth, “… likely that the Spanish would not have colonized New Spain at all except to establish a few supply bases…” (Axtell, p.19). Other European countries were soon racing to establish new world colonies of their own. In essence, the natives did the work and the Europeans moved in to claim the spoils. One can only imagine the affect a ‘barren wasteland’ view of the Americas would have had on future exploration and the timeline of American colonization. The eventual success and expansion of the colonization of America would be dependent upon the ability of the new inhabitants to feed large numbers of people. Thus, farming was crucial to the success of the new colonies. Although the Indians had by this time cleared plenty of land for crops, it was their techniques and adaptations over the centuries that enhanced productivity. Not only had native crops adapted to the American climate, the skilled Indian farmers 2006-08-01T18:30:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effects-of-the-American-Indians-on-European-Colonization-30941.aspx History of the First American Colonies History of the First American Colonies The early colonists of America faced many hardships that were documented by two prominent men, John Smith and William Bradford. These historical accounts were Smith’s “The General History of Virginia” and Bradford’s “Of Plymouth Plantation.” Smith describes his experiences of establishing the Jamestown Colony around 1607. Bradford’s account of his settlement in 1620 describes the lives of the people as they traveled to and settled in Massachusetts. As the reader becomes more familiar with these two historical accounts, it is evident that there are many similarities and differences. In “The General History of Virginia,” John Smith discusses his many adventures. First, he describes their arrival upon the Virginia shore. This section exemplifies how their hardships continued even after their arrival. Smith also writes about their lack of food, extreme heat, and how hard they had to work to make shelter. “With this lodging and diet, our extreme toil in bearing and planting palisades, so strained and bruised us, and our continual labor in the extremity of the heat has so weakened us, as were cause sufficient to have made us as miserable in our native country or any other place.” He explains how the limited amount of supplies was due to the fact that the voyage lasted longer than expected and they lost the opportunity of the planting season. He also reports how he delegated the jobs of building the commonwealth while leaving the greatest task for himself so others would not complain. Furthermore, he describes his experiences with the Indians. At first Smith wanted to trade with the Indians, so he could get supplies for his men. Then he realized the danger of dealing with the Indians when his men were killed and he was captured. He used his intelligence to prevent his early death by giving the king a compass. The king stopped John’s death and they eventually became friends. “Then Powhatan more like a devil than man, with some two hundred more as black as himself, came unto him and told him now they were friends...” Even though Smith did not talk of God often he did make it clear that he believed that God was protecting them. This is evident in the following quote; “God, the patron of all good endeavors, in that desperate extremity so changed the hearts of the savages...” While all of these experiences were difficult to face, 2006-08-01T10:28:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-First-American-Colonies-30935.aspx Were the American Colonies Ready for Independence? Were the American Colonies Ready for Independence? To decide whether or not the colonies were ready for independence at that stage of American history is very strange. The colonies of that time were very different in a lot of ways. Many of those ways were so big that if they would have waited a few more years, the problems would have never arose and a lot of the differences would have been solved rather easy. But instead the colonies wanted to become united in such a way that the differences were set-aside until the Declaration of Independence was signed. After the declaration was signed the problems arose and the colonies began to have many problems with itself as a whole. The problem that I found by signing this so early was that I don’t think that the colonies were sure of what was really to be enforced of the declaration. One of the mainstream problems that I found by doing this was that they were not sure of who was to be independent. Were the slaves that the colonies received from England to be independent? Or was it only the people that had some sort of high power with the colonies, someone that really meant something to all this. This is some of the things that seem to have been very questionable when the colonies were said to be set free. To clarify the word free, it does mean being able to do anything and have no limitations, but why were the slaves still being called slaves? An additional problem that I found with signing this is that the people that signed the declaration were not the ones that went out and later fought for the independence. The people that signed it were very high class, powerful men. By having some of the middle class people sign it would have put more significance in the declaration because these men may have put more into the declaration and more into not letting the war with the British ever occur. But instead, the men of elevated class, and dominant role signed the declaration, and then soon after the Colonies fought the British for its freedom. But when they fought, the men who signed that powerful document were not the individuals that later went out and fought the British 2006-08-01T09:47:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Were-the-American-Colonies-Ready-for-Independence-30923.aspx European Power and the Seven Weeks War European Power and the Seven Weeks War The Seven Weeks War, also known as the Austro-Prussian war, was a brief struggle between two rising European powers. On June 14, 1866 Austria and Prussia engaged each other in battle. Prussia received support from only a few small north German states in the country of Italy. Austria’s allies Saxony, Hanover, the Hesses, Bavaria, Baden, and Wurttenberg. This war was deliberately provoked by Otto von Bismark who was the prime minister of Prussia under King William I. King William ordered Bismark expel Austria from the German Confederation. William hoped this step would unify Germany under Prussian control. The German unification would loosely tie together the German states. Bismark used the Seven Weeks War as a part of his campaign to force Austria out of the German Confederation making Prussia the dominant power in Germany. Otto von Bismark had planed to arrange the unification of all the German states except for Austria and Switzerland, who were under Prussian control. To accomplish his objectives, Bismark went to war three times. The first of the three wars was The War Against Denmark. Bismark cleverly persuaded Austria to join Prussia in declaring war against Denmark in 1864. Austria and Prussia won the war and forced Denmark out of the dispute over the provinces of Schleswig and Holstein. Prussia got control of Schleswig and Austria took control of Holstein. This was the treaty of Gastein which both Austria and Prussia accused each other of breaking. The treaty stated that Austria would get Schleswig and that Prussia would get Holstein. They both agreed to have peace between them. This war accomplished two objectives for Bismark. It heightened Europe’s awareness of Bismarck’s military power. Also, the tensions resulting from the war gave Bismark the excuse he needed for going to war with Austria. Later, came the second war called The Seven Weeks War. Bismark prepared for this war by removing all possible allies from Austria. He even obtained Russian help by offering aid against Polish rebels. He also forged an alliance with Italy by supporting its claim to Venetia. In return for these alliances Bismark gained military superiority over Austria. Austria attempted to side with the Duke of Augustenburgh, yet Bismark prevented this alliance 2006-08-01T09:44:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/European-Power-and-the-Seven-Weeks-War-30922.aspx Analysis of Roosevelt's Progressive Era Analysis of Roosevelt's Progressive Era The Progressive Era provided a solid effort to improve the life of Americans by emerging presidents and multiple reforms. Through the progressive politicians, trusts were busted and relief was given to small businesses. Working and societal conditions were forever reformed during the Progressive Era. During the Progressive Era Americans had a positive effect on their countries development with the help of leaders such as Roosevelt and Taft. Roosevelt is immortalized on Mount Rushmore now and forever because of his progressive tactics in his term. Roosevelt’s Anti-Trust policy of 1902 pledged government intervention to break up illegal monopolies and regulate corporations for the public good. Roosevelt felt that “bad” trusts threatened competition and markets. His ingenious “square dealings” and “gentlemen’s agreements” controlled many firms. In 1903, he opened a new cabinet position was created to address the concerns of business and labor (Department of Commerce and Labor). Within the department, the Bureau of Corporations was empowered to investigate and report on illegal activities of corporations. In 1903, the Elkins Act empowered the Interstate Commerce Commission to act against discriminating rebates as a response to the abuse of economic power by railroads proposed another problem for Roosevelt. In 1906, the Meat Inspection Act provided for federal and sanitary regulations and inspections in meant packing facilities. Also, the Pure Food and Drug Act prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of adulterated labeled foods and drugs in accordance with consumer demands. These acts provided much needed relief and rights for the consumer from the poisonous industries and frauds of meatpacking, food, and drugs. In conclusion to all of these accomplishments during Roosevelt’s term, Theodore Roosevelt’s progressive tendencies brought new meaning to government regulation and provided a successful contribution to the Progressive Era. In the 1910 elections, the progressive eras would make gains in bringing Woodrow Wilson into the Presidential office in 1912. The Wilson administration brought together many of the policies and initiatives of the previous Republican administrations, and reform efforts in Congress by both parties. Wilson achieved a lower tariff reform with the Underwood-Simmons Act in 1913 and a graduated income tax through the 16th amendment. The Underwood-Simmons Tariff Act not only pared rates down to an average of 23 percent but also spurred competition and reduce prices for consumers. 2006-07-31T19:01:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Roosevelt-s-Progressive-Era-30903.aspx New Immigration in the 1880s New Immigration in the 1880s New Immigration began in the 1880s and lasted until the early 1900s. The reasons for the migratory movements were the close of the frontier and the forcible restriction of America’s native population to reservations. The main reason was due to the industrial growth experienced by the United States from the end of the Civil War. The majority of the immigrants were Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox or Jewish. Italians came in the greatest numbers, with Jews second. Violence against Jews in Russia was a major factor in their emigration after 1881. Poles, Russians, Slovaks, Slovenes, Serbs, Croatians, Bulgarians, Ukrainians, and other Slavs made up one quarter of the new immigration. Poles made up the largest number of people in the Slavic category and had over one million immigrants in the United States before the World War I. Asian people also entered after 1880. Some other factors of migration was interest groups in the United States encouraged it. By 1882 fare from England to the United States was between $12 and $15, which was often paid by a relative who had already made the voyage. There were also political and cultural reasons for emigrating such as conscription, denial of cultural or religious rights, and political persecution. By 1897, steamship travel to the United States was cut to five and a half days, compared to forty-four days by sailing vessel in 1850. Another distinguishing feature of much of the “new immigration” was that it was mostly males between the ages of fourteen and forty-four years old. The number of immigrants to the United States in the years of 1881-90 were 5,246,613, 1891-1900 were 3,687,564, 1901-10 were 8,795,386, and 1911-20 were 5,735,811. The widely used receiving center for them was Castle Garden, on the Southern tip of Manhattan. This receiving center allowed the United States Government to keep better track of its immigrants. Clerks would record the names, nationalities, and destinations of immigrants. Doctors would give routine check ups and physicals to make sure that the immigrants were healthy. In 1890 construction of the buildings on Ellis Island began, and it took nearly ten years to be completed. Even though Ellis Island was one of seventy receiving stations in the country at the time, it handled ninety percent of all immigrants. In 1893 several laws were expanded and refined. Ships carrying passengers with contagious or 2006-07-31T18:58:52-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/New-Immigration-in-the-1880s-30902.aspx The J.F.K. Assassination: Lone-Nut Gunman or Conspiracy The J.F.K. Assassination: Lone-Nut Gunman or Conspiracy On Friday, November 22nd 1963 at 12:30 P.M. the 35th president of the United States of America, John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) assassinated while he rode in an open limousine though the streets of Dallas. This event, which abruptly and severely altered the course of history, it has created more controversy than any other single event. Some haunting questions still remain. "Who did it?" "Why did they do it?" "How was it done?" "Was there a cover up" The official answers complied by the Warren Commission have never satisfied the majority of the world's population. Even though the case went down in the records as an assassination still many people believe that Oswald was not working alone and had the help or was not even part of the assassination, but was the fall guy. This quote I found I feel has a great importance because it does make a great point, “. . . if you put the murdered President of the United States on one side of a scale and that wretched waif Oswald on the other side, it doesn't balance. You want to add something weightier to Oswald. It would invest the President's death with meaning, endowing him with martyrdom. He would have died for something. . . . A conspiracy would, of course, do the job nicely.” — William Manchester. This quote has great meaning because it does prove a point that Oswald, the convicted assassin, had no motive, at-least his motive still has never been discovered, not even to this day. We can never even have the chance to ask questions anymore because Oswald was assassinated by Jack Ruby on November 24 1963, so the secrets that he with-held will never be revealed the worlds unsatisfied people. In this following essay I will try to show you my opinion on who was responsible for the assassination of President JFK and the theory on how the government said it actually happened. I will support facts on the side of the conspiracy theory and the side of the lone gunman theory. I will try to show you, the reader, how each theory is presented and the flaws that they each have, then I will reveal to you my opinion on which theory I personally believe is right. Kennedy had made many enemies while he 2006-07-31T12:30:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-J_F_K_-Assassination-Lone-Nut-Gunman-or-Conspiracy-30875.aspx History of the Opium War: 1840-1842 History of the Opium War: 1840-1842 Opium War is mainly about the trade triangle of Great Britain, India, and China. The book goes in great detail on how opium was extracted, produced, and traded to china from India. Great Britain was in control of India as a colony. Using its villages as opium plants, India traded the drug to china for tea. Tea was consumed by the English heavily. Therefore trade to the Chinese was important for economic and social circumstances. It also had a political element in it. This is because opium allowed to open china up for its resources. Thus political powers can influence its power onto the East gaining significant commerical privileges and territory The book goes into the geography of china and India. It describes how India’s villages cultivated the poppy seed which later opium was extracted. From there it was prepared for overseas trade to China. Then book explains the western powers saw china as the pearl of the world because of its vast amount of natural resources, but thought the Chinese as barbarians. So to managed them, the East Indian Company established a monopoly of opium. By doing so a market was created through addiction. Next the opium traffic was described. It was traded freely in the markets of china, but later it had to be smuggled. This is because china didn’t want a drugged society, so it was not tolerated anymore. Then later, the East Indian Company, sponsored by the British, lost its monopoly because China closed its doors to the outsiders “evil“ . However the need of opium was to great to be ignored economically, and to the addicts of china. Christ and opium is the next part of the book explores. It goes into how an Englishman, Napier, was assigned to open china’s ports and diplomatic relationships back through any necessary means. He was not welcome though, so he “died“. However the missionary had more success. The Protestants and Catholics tried to “civilize” the barbarians through the word of God. Yet the government of China saw that its people were still consuming vast amounts of the drug. Peking decided to eradicate it through severe punishments, but had limited success because the addiction was so great. Next Lin and twenty thousand chests of opium was known worldwide. Lin took away the opium traffic in china harbors of twenty thousand chest which the 2006-07-31T08:22:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-Opium-War-1840-1842-30860.aspx History of the Opium War: 1840-1842 History of the Opium War: 1840-1842 Opium War is mainly about the trade triangle of Great Britain, India, and China. The book goes in great detail on how opium was extracted, produced, and traded to china from India. Great Britain was in control of India as a colony. Using its villages as opium plants, India traded the drug to china for tea. Tea was consumed by the English heavily. Therefore trade to the Chinese was important for economic and social circumstances. It also had a political element in it. This is because opium allowed to open china up for its resources. Thus political powers can influence its power onto the East gaining significant commerical privileges and territory The book goes into the geography of china and India. It describes how India’s villages cultivated the poppy seed which later opium was extracted. From there it was prepared for overseas trade to China. Then book explains the western powers saw china as the pearl of the world because of its vast amount of natural resources, but thought the Chinese as barbarians. So to managed them, the East Indian Company established a monopoly of opium. By doing so a market was created through addiction. Next the opium traffic was described. It was traded freely in the markets of china, but later it had to be smuggled. This is because china didn’t want a drugged society, so it was not tolerated anymore. Then later, the East Indian Company, sponsored by the British, lost its monopoly because China closed its doors to the outsiders “evil“ . However the need of opium was to great to be ignored economically, and to the addicts of china. Christ and opium is the next part of the book explores. It goes into how an Englishman, Napier, was assigned to open china’s ports and diplomatic relationships back through any necessary means. He was not welcome though, so he “died“. However the missionary had more success. The Protestants and Catholics tried to “civilize” the barbarians through the word of God. Yet the government of China saw that its people were still consuming vast amounts of the drug. Peking decided to eradicate it through severe punishments, but had limited success because the addiction was so great. Next Lin and twenty thousand chests of opium was known worldwide. Lin took away the opium traffic in china harbors of twenty thousand chest which the 2006-07-31T08:21:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-Opium-War-1840-1842-30859.aspx History of the Algonquian Tribe of Native Americans History of the Algonquian Tribe of Native Americans The Algonquin was a northern tribe that settled in Canada some time around the 1400’s, and now have settled in Quebec and nearby Ontario. The Algonquians history was not exactly a pleasant one they suffered many hardships and obstacles to over come. Samuel de Champlain established the first permanent French settlement on the St. Lawrence at Tadoussac in 1603. Champlain was so impressed with the Algonquin's furs that he explored the St. Lawrence as far west as the Lachine Rapids. Champlain left for France shortly afterwards, but upon his return in 1608, he immediately moved his fur trade upstream to a new post at Quebec to shorten the distance that the Algonquin were required to travel for trade. He soon discovered that Algonquin victories over the Iroquois were not that common, and it was the Mohawk, not the Algonquin, who dominated the upper river. So Samuel usually did not help the Algonquian fight. The Algonquin usually avoided the river because of the threat of Mohawk war parties. The Algonquin fought with the French and helped them when times where ruff, but it wasn’t long until the French that they needed to get rid of them and move them away from there villages, so the French turned against the Algonquians. In 1649 French and Indian refugees streamed down the Ottawa Valley to the relative safety of Montreal. During 1650 the remaining Algonquin in the upper Ottawa Valley were attacked and overrun. The survivors retreated, either far to headwaters of the rivers feeding the Upper Ottawa River where the Cree afforded a certain amount of support and protection. During the next twenty years, the Algonquin pretty much dropped out of sight so far as the French were concerned. Learning from their earlier mistakes, the French insisted that this agreement also include their allies and trading partners. This not only allowed French traders and missionaries to travel to the western Great Lakes, but also permitted the Algonquin to begin a slow return to northern part of the Ottawa Valley. Conquest and returning had been hard on them, and not many were left maybe only 2000. The epidemics which struck Sillery in 1676 and 1679 had reduced the Christian Algonquin survivors to only a handful, most of whom were subsequently absorbed by the Abenaki at St. Francois after the closure of the Sillery mission in 2006-07-31T08:18:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-Algonquian-Tribe-of-Native-Americans-30857.aspx Historical Development of Nuclear Weapons Historical Development of Nuclear Weapons Through the centuries, man has tried many attempts in inventing a mass killing mechanism. Alas, in 1945, such a mechanism was created. The atomic bomb was created after many years of the study of atoms. Finally, a way to split the atoms was born. Germany was the first to try, using uranium-235 to make a bomb. They discovered nuclear fission in late 1938. Efforts failed, but were picked up by the United States. Albert Einstein, although credited as the father of the atomic bomb, only lent support to begin American development(www.atomicarchive.com…). As it was to be, Robert Oppenheimer was the father of the atomic bomb. He directed the laboratory at Los Alamos, where the atomic bomb was designed and built. The whole development in the making of an atomic bomb was called the Manhattan Project.. The first bomb was tested on July 16, 1945 in New Mexico. The end result was the dropping of two atomic bombs by the United States. on Hiroshima. People had different opinions on the bomb, but they may have come to one conclusion had they known about the history of the atomic bomb, how it was created, and the effects the bomb had in the economy. Nuclear fission is the driving force behind the atomic bomb. Fission is a nuclear reaction where an atomic nucleus splits into fragments. Energy is expelled explosively and violently. One problem of splitting atoms is finding an element whose atoms are easily split. Uranium, a heavy metal, was found to be splitable because of its’ unusually large atoms, which made it hard for them to hold together firmly. There are two isotopes of Uranium, being U-235 and U-238. U238 has atoms that can be split, therefore it was deemed "fissionable"(micahlee.fsn.net…). The process of disintegrating is accelerated by a chain reaction. One split atoms explodes, causing a chain reaction as the force splits the other neutrons. When split, U235 gives off heat and Gamma radiation, which is the most lethal and powerful form of radioactivity. Plutonium can also be used in making atomic bombs. Because Plutonium is not found naturally, it must be made from Uranium. This is done by processing U-238 through a nuclear reactor. Atomic energy was not thought be a feasible weapon until 1939. The Germans tried to use this energy, as did the United States and Russia. Americans spent billions of dollars an 2006-07-30T21:16:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Historical-Development-of-Nuclear-Weapons-30844.aspx Ancient Aztec Civilization and Culture Ancient Aztec Civilization and Culture The Aztec Nation A distant sound is heard. It sounds like a deep drum being hit with a heavy instrument. You hear it again and strain your eyes in the direction of the sound. All around you is dense jungle. Snakes slither between your legs. You hear the sound once again. In front of you is a dense stand of ferns. You part them and look down into a wide open valley. The valley gets so wide and it is so green that it takes your breath away. But that is not what you are looking at. You are staring at a huge city with glittering buildings shining in the spring sunlight. Smoke rises up from some of the many houses. You can see and hear children playing in the wide open fields in front of the shining buildings. Lamas and chickens are being bought and sold. You see bags of gold jewelry being bought and sold. Beyond the market place you can watch a religious ceremony. You hear the scream of a person being sacrificed to one of the gods. Beyond the city there are roads made of stone and canals full of pedestrians and canos. Who are these people and what are they doing here you wonder? The above paragraph describes what an early explorer in Mexico might have seen between 1400 and 1500 AD. The Aztec nation is one of the largest and most advanced Indian nations to ever exist on earth. Just about every part of the Aztec life was advance to such a state that at that time of the world the people were living better than many European nations. The Aztec nation is unique in its history, economy, environment, and way of life then any other nation at that time. Perhaps three to four thousand years ago, small bands of hunting-gathering peoples made their way across the land bridge that was the frozen Bering Strait, migrated southward through what is now Alaska, Canada, the United States, Central America, South America, and Mexico, settling along the way. One such hunting- gathering group settled in the Central Valley of what is now Mexico (Nicholson 1985). There is a long history of civilizations in the Central Valley of Mexico; as early as several centuries before Christ agricultural tribes had already settled, and by the birth of Christ had established as their great religious 2006-07-30T20:55:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ancient-Aztec-Civilization-and-Culture-30836.aspx History on the Articles of Confederation And Constitution History on the Articles of Confederation And Constitution The first constitution and government of the colonies, the Articles of Confederation, was drafted by John Dickinson in 1776, during the Second Continental Congress, and was ratified by all thirteen states on March 1, 1781, remaining the unifying document of the states until June 21, 1788. The Articles provided for a loose confederation of the independent states, which gave limited powers to a central government. The Articles created a weak government and proved to have many major failures. However, the Articles did provide some successes as a tool of government. The present U.S. Constitution was drafted in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention to modify and address the failures of the Articles of Confederation. Historians have argued over whether the Articles of Confederation or the Constitution provided for a more democratic government. Opposing to what most Americans believe, the Articles were more democratic because they gave more power to the states and the people. Some of the failures of the Articles of Confederation can be reviewed through the borders and restricted powers that Congress possessed under the Confederation. First and foremost, Congress had no power to levy taxes on the states; instead it depended on donations made by the states. The states repulsed the idea of federal taxation, which led to overwhelming increase in the currency by 98 percent, because Congress did not have enough funding. Another handicap of Congress was that it wasn’t able to control interstate or foreign commerce, which resulted in doubt and higher prices for merchants and consumers. Congress could pass laws, but were not able to force the states to obey with them. Consequently, the government was dependent on the willingness of the different states to comply with them, and often times, the states refused to cooperate. Congress did not have the power to draft troops; they were needy on states to contribute forces. Although Congress did have the power to coin money, very little money was coined under this government. Many other weaknesses still existed under the Articles of Confederation. First of all, under the Articles, there was no executive head of the government. Therefore, having a strong central government was nearly impossible, because there was no executive to be in charge of over the nation. In addition to, there was no judicial system with any federal courts. The Articles of Confederation required ratification by all 2006-07-30T20:25:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-on-the-Articles-of-Confederation-And-Constitution-30821.aspx In Memory of World War I Soldiers In Memory of World War I Soldiers Two weeks ago Palestine and Israel started to war for their conviction. Two countries fighting for a piece of land that what it is. However, in the beginning of the 20 century the world was fighting for the human rights. A lot of men died during this war, soldiers who were before everything human being with feelings, who died for their aim and believes. Some of them ,to forget their misery decided to write poems such as Alfred Joyce Kilmer and Rupert Brooke. Alfred Joyce Kilmer was born on December 1886 in New Brunswick .He died in 1918, killed by a bullet .Kilmer was part of the Regiment’s intelligence staff. He was also awarded of the French “croix de guerre” for bravery . In 1915 , immediately after the death of his friend , Rupert Brooke ,he wrote a compilation of poems named “in memory of Rupert Brooke” .Brooke was born in1887 , he was a good student and athlete with a handsome look .Brooke contracted a blood-poisoning from a neglected injury and died in April in the Aegean .H e attempted his post-mortem glory because of Kilmer’s poem “golden warrior”. Most of the time, when men are fighting for their country; they are fighting in a foreign land . Soldiers are usually dying far from their home and families. Far from their beloved country ,in the middle of nowhere ,they are dying . Their last minute of life, is generally in the middle of bullets flying from a place to another. I think, Brooke died in those conditions, and suffered a lot during his death because he realized every steps of his dying procedure. Kilmer understood that, by reporting those feelings into poetic words such as: In alien earth , across a troubled sea , The soldiers recruited by the army to fight are usually young and full of dignity . They are , 15 to 35 years old and their life just began . Brooke was only 28 years old when he died .If he wasn’t dead during the 1st world -war Rupert would have ,probably, been a famous poet, and a family man with a wife and several children .But the talented man died to soon 2006-07-29T16:23:59-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/In-Memory-of-World-War-I-Soldiers-30793.aspx A History of the French Revolution A History of the French Revolution In our society, if we don’t respect the freedom of others we, most of the time, go to jail. But, in the late 1700’s ,in Europe, people were not respected and were fed-up to live in a society where only one person was responsible of the destiny of 27 million people. As you can guess I will, in the following text ,explain the reasons and the results of the French Revolution. In the 1760’s the American revolution began. The population was asking for a new constitution and a bill of rights. They wanted to be independent, and not governed by the Great Britain anymore. The French ,eternal enemies of the British Kingdom, gave ,generously, weapons and money to the American rebels ;French officers, also helped the Washington’s army. France was maybe too generous and didn’t have any money to satisfied their own needs anymore. However, the French society sank in a big depression the peasants were paying more and more taxes , a bread (the main food) shortage began and the wages decrease. The population was very close to revolt… Meanwhile, since the middle age the French society was devised, unequally, into three estates. The first estate ,was formed of the clergy, they owned 10 percent of the land and numbered about 130,000 people. They weren’t paying any taxes, however they agreed to pay, every five years a contribution to the state. The second estate constituted of 35,000 aristocrats ,and “noblesse de robe “.They owned 30 percent of the land and had the biggest positions in the army, the church and the government. The third estates was formed of 80 percent of the population divided in three different groups, 2.3 million of them were part of the bourgeoisie (merchants, capitalist, doctor etc.…)they owned 2o percent of the land ,21 million of them were peasants and owned 40 percent of the land, but not all of them were land owners. And the 2.5 millions other were urban poor who didn’t owned any land. On may 5th of 1789 ,Louis XIV, king of France ,was forced to call the meeting of the Estates –general to solve the financial collapse. They started by wondering if the voting should be by order or by head (each delegate having one vote).Originally the aristocrats use to have the control by using the veto-power. However, 2006-07-29T16:21:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-History-of-the-French-Revolution-30792.aspx Cultural History of the Harlem Renaissance Cultural History of the Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was an important part of literature during the 1920’s. The Harlem Renaissance took place in Harlem, New York in the 20’s and was lead by African-American writers and changed the way African-Americans were view by people. The Harlem Renaissance was a literary movement led by African-Americans in the New York area, especially Harlem. Many African-American writers began getting noticed for their writings and many people began reading literature written by African-Americans. During the renaissance many people thought of Harlem as the “Black Mecca.” Many black writers became publicized and accepted. There were also a small number of non-black writers. African-American writers published many books of poetry and novels. The Harlem Renaissance was a good time for black writers. There were many writers who were associated with the Harlem Renaissance. The most popular writer was Langston Hughes. Hughes wrote many poems and was an active writer during this time. Other writers were Zora Neale Hurston, and Ida B. Wells Barnett. Most of the writers who participated in the renaissance were African-American, but there were a few white writers. Carl Van Vechten was one of the white writers. Van Vechten’s most famous piece of literature is Nigger’s Heaven. This book was liked by most, but some African-Americans despised the book. A writer from the black publication New York News said, “ Nigger Heaven means, in common parlance, a nasty sordid corner which black folks are herded, and yet a place in which crass ignorance are fools enough to enjoy it. Harlem is no such place as that, and no one knows this better than Carl Van Vechten.” Van Vechten was criticized by whites for his involvement with the renaissance, but many African-Americans were happy that he was part of it. During the Harlem Renaissance blacks and whites worked together without problems. The Harlem Renaissance changed the way blacks were seen by whites. The black culture became more popular and accepted by non-blacks. Many people wanted to travel to Harlem just to see what it was like. A direct result from the Harlem Renaissance was that black writers were more popular, they were also being published more and more people were reading literature written by black writers. The Harlem Renaissance was very important to blacks being accepted as equal. Charles Johnson believed that black equality could be achieved by intellect. The 2006-07-28T08:34:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cultural-History-of-the-Harlem-Renaissance-30763.aspx Study of the Nuclear Disaster of Chernobyl Study of the Nuclear Disaster of Chernobyl The worst accident in the history of this nuclear power generation occurred on the morning of April 26, 1986. It was at the Chernobyl (Ukraine) nuclear power station in the Soviet Union. At 1:32AM Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Telyatnikov received a telephone call and was told that there was a fire at the nuclear power plant. There were many reasons their plant had backfired. These reasons included human error and poor plant design due to the cold war. Chernobyl was located in the former Soviet Union in what is now Ukraine. The area in and around Chernobyl is now a nuclear wasteland. People are not supposed to live in these areas, yet they still do, even with the danger of mutations and radiation sickness. For the people and countries affected by the radiation, this was a horrible, terrifying and angering experience. Villages were evacuated late and not many things were done in time to save lives and prevent more damages. Countless errors were made at Chernobyl. The man in charge, an electrical engineer, was not a specialist in reactor plants. There were also the problems with the plant's organization and design. Due to the cold war, the Soviet Union had poor designs for nuclear plants. The sequence of events before the explosion is still unclear. Technicians attempted a poorly designed experiment, causing the chain reaction in the core to go out of control. The reactor's lid was blown off, and large amounts of radioactive material were released into the atmosphere. A partial meltdown of the core also occurred. It is believed that for some strange reason, there was a loss of water that was used to cool 1,661 uranium fuel assemblies that were set in pressure pipes surrounded by 1,700 tons of graphite blocks, causing the fuel rods to overheat. The zirconium alloy around the fuel assemblies, along with the pressure tubing, melted at about 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit, overheating the graphite. The temperature rose still more. At 5,100 degrees Fahrenheit, the uranium-oxide fuel began to melt. The operators flooded the reactor with water. It was too late and the water was instantly turned into a superheated steam, which reacted with the graphite, fuel and zirconium to produce hydrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide. Over many hours, the gases built up and combined with oxygen 2006-07-27T15:26:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Study-of-the-Nuclear-Disaster-of-Chernobyl-30739.aspx Essay on the Abolitionist Movement in America Essay on the Abolitionist Movement in America During the thirty years that preceded the Civil War, abolitionism was a major factor in electoral politics. Abolitionism refers to antislavery activism between the early 1830s, when William Lloyd Garrison began publishing The Liberator, and the Civil War. By the year 1834, there existed a weak framework of abolitionists, many who were determined free blacks from the north who had a common goal, the emancipation of slavery. These abolitionists took great courage and leadership, for slavery was either against their moral beliefs and gave the anti-slavery movement the growing popularity that it needed. I believe that the abolitionists (only anti-slavery persons), who wanted an immediate end to slavery, radicalized the anti-slavery movement by demanding an, immediate end to slavery and recognition of equality by the year 1836. By the year 1607, Americans realized that the Chesapeake was immensely hospitable to tobacco cultivation. However growing tobacco meant more labor, but where was the labor source to be from? The Colonies found their answer in indentured servant, servants who voluntarily mortgaged the sweat of their bodies for several years to Chesapeake masters. In exchange they revived transatlantic passage and eventual “freedom dues.” However, due to various reasons, indentured servants no longer poured in to America as they had previously done. Thus, the importation of slaves from Africa began. Many rich plantowners, etc did not think of the moral obligations that one has toward God and were greedy. They exploited these poor, innocent, capable, Blacks and changed the World forever. The New Year’s Day in the year 1831, The Liberator (doc. D), had the following passage, “Assenting to the “self evident truth” maintained in the American Declaration of Independence, “that all men are created equal, and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights”… I shall strenuously contend for the immediate enfranchisement of our slave population…Urge me not to use moderation in a cause like the present. I am in earnest- will not excuse…I will not retreat a single inch…AND I WILL BE HEARD!” This document clearly states that the Liberator, a radical abolitionist newspaper in the year of 1831, believes that the Abolitionist cause is not a moderate, but one that is very severe, and must be dealt with immediately. Also, abolitionist began to demand racial equality in addition to emancipation. The idea that blacks were equal to whites was extreme, 2006-07-27T15:20:20-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Essay-on-the-Abolitionist-Movement-in-America-30736.aspx Examination of CIA Misconduct Examination of CIA Misconduct “For some time I have been disturbed by the way the CIA has been diverted from its original assignment. It has become an operational arm and at times a policy making arm of the government” – President Harry S. Truman, December 1963. What president Truman meant by this statement was that when the Central Intelligence Agency first came about in 1947, its original intent was to further the foreign policies of the United States government by covert means, while containing the spread of its sworn enemy – communism, and that the agency has strayed from that original goal to a less ostentatious one. The CIA is heavily involved in espionage and counterespionage, propaganda and disinformation (the deliberate circulation of false, one-sided information), and psychological warfare (which includes many attempts to control the minds of human beings using various brainwashing techniques). The CIA also makes extensive use of forged documents on many accounts to accomplish its tasks and to shield the public from knowledge of their illegal activities. In order to fund such extravagant objectives the agency has imported large quantities of hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin to be sold through out the United States. The CIA was originally meant to be a coordination agency responsible for gathering, evaluating and preparing foreign intelligence. President Truman proposed this to congress in the National Security Act (NSA) of 1947. Since then, the CIA’s mission has become more towards interfering with the domestic affairs of other nations, while conducting their operations in secrecy, and concealing their illegal activities by censoring many publications that reveal the truth about the CIA’s clandestine operations. The CIA and the Cult of the Intelligence, by Victor Marchetti and John D. Marks, was the first book the U.S. government ever took to court to censor before publication with 168 deletions through out the book. “Traditionally, the [CIA’s] hope has been to foster a world order in which America would rein supreme, the unchallenged international leader. Today, however…the [CIA’s] objectives are now less grandiose but no less disturbing.” (Marchetti 4). The CIA now seeks mostly to advance America’s self-appointed role as the foremost authority of social, economic, and political change in the regions of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. “The ability to control and manipulate the mind of an enemy is the dream of every 2006-07-26T12:29:49-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Examination-of-CIA-Misconduct-30679.aspx The Conquest of Mexico The Conquest of Mexico As we look back into time we can see many different historic events that have made a great impact on societies and cultures around the world. It seems that during the late years of the 1400’s and the early years of the 1500’s, during the time of Europe’s domination over the whole world, that many cultures were influenced by their hunger to discover as much land as they could. During this time many new lands in the west such as the Americas were discovered and many new lands began to become the property of Kings and Queens that lived thousands and thousands of miles away in Europe. What is pretty remarkable is that the lands were not discovered be the Europeans. The lands were already there. Huge masses of people were already living in these lands for thousands of years. Even though this is so the Europeans took credit for their discovery and therefore they felt that these lands that they landed on were to be taken over and governed by them. There were two main countries in Europe that were trying to discover as much land as possible in the area that we call South America. They were the Spanish and the Portuguese. The Spanish however were the more successful of the two. The Spanish, along with the help of a great explorer and conqueror Cortez, were highly successful in the take over of Mexico and the defeat of the great Aztec warriors. Two books that give a good account of this story are William H. Prescott’s The Conquest of Mexico and The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico by Bernal Diaz del Castillo. During the time of the explorations of Mexico, the Aztecs were the main tribe that lived in the area. The Aztecs originally lived north of the Valley of Mexico. There they lived under the control of the Toltec empire. During the time, the Aztecs were a farming group and the Toltecs were demanding huge tributes from the Aztecs so they were forced to move. They then moved themselves to a city called Tizapan, which is located in the center of Mexico where they came under the control of the Culhuacans. However, this arrangement didn’t last very long because like the Toltecs, the Culhuacans too wanted the 2006-07-26T12:26:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Conquest-of-Mexico-30677.aspx The Major Causes of the French Revolution The Major Causes of the French Revolution The French revolution overthrew the country’s ancient monarchy, proclaimed Liberty, Equality and Fraternity and fought off a hostile Europe. It ushered in a new age, but at a terrible price in blood and human suffering. There were many causes of the Revolution. The French Revolution appears to have been the outcome of both long term and short term factors, which arose from the social and political conditions and conflicts of the ancien regime. The long standing grievances of peasants, townsmen and bourgeoisie; the frustration’s of rising hopes among wealthy and ‘middling’ bourgeoisie and peasants; the distress and breakdown of government; a real (or at least perceived) ‘feudal reaction’; the stubbornness of a privileged aristocracy; the creation of radical ideas among wide sections of the people; a sharp economic and financial crisis; and the successive triggers of state bankruptcy, aristocratic revolt and popular revolution: all these factors played a part. The middle and lower class were becoming more conscious of their increased social importance and because the peasants were becoming more independent, more literate and prosperous that the old feudal freedoms and aristocratic privileges appeared all the more burdensome and intolerable for the struggling discontents of France. For more than one hundred years before the accession of Louis XVI, France was the most powerful country on the European continent. She had held this position for over 150 years, thanks to her fertile land, large population and many resources. However, the government had under gone periodic economic crisis, resulting from long wars, royal mismanagement, losses incurred in the French and Indian War (1756-1763) and Seven Years’ War (1775-1783) and increased debt arising from loans to the American colonies during the American Revolution (1775-1783). The governmental system had worked reasonably well under Louis XIV but had become impossible under his weak successors. The government was corrupt and centralized and the King’s authority had been slowly extended over the country. Under the system, there was a lot of overlapping authority and a great inefficiency in the provincial governments. The only people who could obstruct the royal government in an attempt to save the country was the Parliament of Paris. Unfortunately, its members were only concerned about their own welfare rather than the members of the country. The greatest government weakness was the lack of consistency and order. By 1788, 2006-07-26T12:24:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Major-Causes-of-the-French-Revolution-30676.aspx World War I and its Impact on the United States World War I and its Impact on the United States Of all the major events of the 20th Century, which affected the United States (apart from their impact on the world), World War I is ranked as one of the most influential, if not the most influential events, which had the most significant effect on the United States. We are not discussing the details of the four-year war – nor – we are narrating the chronology of the events, which took place from 1914-1918. We are going to analyze the impact of World War I on the United States. Although World War I was not fought on US soil and it is true that the United State remained neutral during the first three years of the war i.e. 1914-1917, however, the war had long lasting impact on the social, economic and political fronts. These implications mainly contributed to the greatest of economic crisis US had ever faced termed as the Great Depression. Europe at that time was divided into two groups. On one side were the Allies (Britain, France Russia) and on the other side were the Central powers (Germany, Australia / Hungry and Turkey). The prominent causes of the World War I were the imperialistic nationalism and economic rivalries. The Central Powers had thrashed out the Allies being victorious on many fronts including Belgium, France, Russia and Italy. The United States entered the World War I in 1917 on the Allies Side, after frequent interruptions, especially by the German submarine warfare, which interrupted sea trade and travel. With the entry of United States, the Allied Forces were victorious and the Central Power faced a humiliating defeat resulting in the disintegration of Turkey and Austro-Hungarian empires. The war ended with major treaties like Armistice, the Treaty of Versailles and the formation of League of Nations. The United States, however, showed an inward attitude and refused to participate in the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations. This indifferent attitude and non-participation on the critical post war platforms led to the unsettlement of many issues, which later led to the World War II. The United States entered an era of isolation following a non-partisan behavior in post war treaties and League of Nations. The Allies suffered huge losses; around 10 million people were killed and approximately 20 million had suffered injuries, of which the US share was very 2006-07-26T12:05:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-War-I-and-its-Impact-on-the-United-States-30669.aspx Study of American Colonies as of 1763 Study of American Colonies as of 1763 Between the settlement at Jamestown in 1607 and the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the most important change that occurred in the colonies was the emergence of a society quite different from that in England. Changes in religion, economics, politics and social structure illustrate this Americanization of the transplanted Europeans. By 1753, although some colonies maintained established churches, other colonies had accomplished a virtual revolution for religious toleration and separation of church and state. Differences between the colonists and England would be the most common religion in the colonies was Congregationalists, which were Puritans, but in England it was the Anglicans, which was the Church of England. The Great Awakening was a religious movement that made people realize how far they were from the control of the mother country, which swayed them into different religions. In a similar economic revolution, the colonies outgrew their mercantile relationship with the mother country and developed an expanding capitalist system of their own. In England education was an idea regarded as a blessing reserved for the aristocratic few not for the unwashed many. It should be used for leadership not citizenship and was also restricted to primarily the males. New England was fanatically interested in education but was used to study their religion and make them better Christians. The colonies also highly discouraged art, they would spend the extra energy they had on religious and political leadership while in England art was encouraged and was very rewarding. Building on English foundations of political liberty, the colonists extended the concepts of liberty and self-government far beyond those envisioned in the mother country. One of the biggest differences of New England and the colonies at the time was the form of government. In England there government was a monarchy while the colonies government was colonialism. In New England the queen had full power and the citizens didn’t have much control while in the colonies the people who owned enough property qualified as voters, which could vote the necessary expenses of the colonial government. In contrast to the well defined and the hereditary classes of England, the colonies developed a fluid class structure, which enabled the industrious individual to rise on the social ladder. New England used the class system where an individual was 'born into' his or her place 2006-07-25T20:28:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Study-of-American-Colonies-as-of-1763-30667.aspx Fashion and Culture among American Women in the 1920s Fashion and Culture among American Women in the 1920s There are many types of people in the world today. The past has shown how the fashion has changed. Each era has their own different style and fashion. The twenties was a particularly wild decade. After WW1, it was a time for change. “Women became rebellious and shocked everyone by their new style and morals”(Louise brooks Society, 3). Women before the twenties were more conservative and were obligated to act like ladies. The rising of music like jazz gave women motivation to be individuals and have fun. Dances like the Charleston had an influence on women in the twenties. Cutting hair and exposing skin was rare considering women in the past had never been daring or even thought about being rebellious like this. Women in the twenties were very different than traditional women in society. Women’s fashion changed a lot in the twenties. The fashion went from “ladylike” to more daring. The typical woman in the twenties is considered to be a flapper. “No longer confined to home and tradition, the typical flapper was a young woman who was often thought of as a little fast.” (Louise Brooks Society, 1). They wore short skirts and dresses exposing their knees and ankles. People were shocked when women began to dress in clothes that exposed skin. “It offended the older generation because they defied the acceptable feminine behavior” (Louise Brooks Society, 1). The older generation felt that the behavior and fashion of the flapper was unacceptable. They felt women should stick to traditional clothing and fashions. Changing morals and values were unacceptable. The cloche hat, getting it’s name from the French word for "bell", became a necessity for daytime wear. “The small hat fit snuggly over short hair and almost reached to the eyebrows”(Heath,28). It was often decorated with a pin in the front or a ribbon. To the rest the world, accessories seemed like a collage from history. “A craze for the styles of the World War I aviators took over the flapper world as girls introduced leather helmets, colored scarves, goggles, and leather jackets” (Stein, 2). “Shoes and jewelry often reflected a craze of the court of King Tutankhamen” (Heath, 8). Earrings, bracelets, and necklaces often were an example of the presence of the Art Deco, Cubtist, and African art movements. The fashion in the 2006-07-25T20:24:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Fashion-and-Culture-among-American-Women-in-the-1920s-30665.aspx The Roaring Twenties in America The Roaring Twenties in America The Twenties wan a decade which contained many well know events and famous people. These people and events made the twenties an important part of our history today. Such as Al Capone the well known mafia leader from Chicago, Charlie Chaplain of the silent movies, the annual Montreal Carnival in Canada, and the 60th anniversary of Canada in 1927. But these events and people are only a quarter of the history help in the 1920's. Entertainment in the Twenties consisted of many famous people, it was in the twenties when a man by the name of Walt "Elias" Disney (1901-66) a cartoonist born in Chicago, introduced Disney's most popular cartoon characters "MICKEY MOUSE". During the twenties MICKEY entertained Americans in such films as "Steam Boat Willie" (1928). Other great cartoon films done be Disney include "Skeleton Dance" in (1929). The silent movies of the twenties is nothing to compare with the voiced movies we have today. The actors had to show allot of facial and body expressions to get the viewers to understand what was happening in the film. The most talented actor's in the twenties were Charlie Chaplain who was known for his "tramp" look, Kenton with his stone facial expressions and the famous romantic Rudolph Valentine. These three and many more entertained Americans through the twenties. In 1926 the voice era was coming in effect by Warner Brothers. In 1927 Warner Brothers finally completed the first sound picture called "The Jazz Singer". To Americans evenings were not spent in front of TV. Instead they would listen to the radio. They would listen to mostly music and live plays. Most of the music they listened to was Jazz, and of course those were the days of the popular ballroom dancing with the big bands. Other ways of entertainment were by newspapers and books. In the twenties women could say and do what they please so in no time women were wearing make-up and doing anything to make them look exotic. In 1924 women changed there hair styles to short so they can wear cloches . Street shoes switched from high buttoned to low cut pumps and saddle oxfords. Socks went from black and white wool and cotton, to beige silk and rayon. Socks became really noticeable when the skirts gradually became shorter . In 1923 the new style of skirt arrived which went 2006-07-25T16:12:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Roaring-Twenties-in-America-30653.aspx How Queen Elizabeth I was Ahead of Her Time How Queen Elizabeth I was Ahead of Her Time Throughout history, there have been strong and powerful leaders. More importantly, some of these leaders were women. These women were ahead of their time by today’s standards and one of the most significant leaders from history, let alone one of the most powerful female leaders, was Queen Elizabeth I. Queen Elizabeth gained control of the throne of Great Britain at one of the most controversial times in the country. The unofficial war between the Catholics and Protestants led to many deaths before Elizabeth’s coronation. This war, along with other struggles after her ascension to the throne, showed Queen Elizabeth’s dedication to her people and her ability to lead with the use of situational, trait, and charismatic leadership. Before becoming the queen of England, Elizabeth’s half sister Mary reigned. Mary, being a Catholic, made Catholicism the official religion of England once again, after her father had broken ties with the church so he could have a divorce. With a division throughout the country between Catholics and Protestants, Mary made it clear that she supported any act that was for the benefit of the Catholic faith. Protestants were burned as heretics in the name of the Church and were persecuted throughout England. Elizabeth also felt persecution once Mary and her council began to suspect Elizabeth was Protestant. Mary was ill and it was feared that if Elizabeth took the throne that she would break the bond between England and the Church. To render this impossible, Mary had her council imprison Elizabeth in the Tower of London. Elizabeth was eventually released when it became evident that she must succeed her half sister’s throne. Once she ascended to the throne and within her first meeting with Parliament, Elizabeth was able to successfully break England’s ties with the Church and rename herself head of the Church of England. Although she met heavy opposition, Elizabeth used a combination of situational, trait, and charismatic leadership to accomplish her goal. She saw that the situation could not persist and she looked for a way to end it. She was clever in her methods and employed obvious traits to her advantage. Since parliament was all men, Elizabeth was able to use her feminine wiles to compel the members to listen and agree 2006-07-25T16:01:20-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Queen-Elizabeth-I-was-Ahead-of-Her-Time-30648.aspx Forgiveness and World War II Forgiveness and World War II Were I in Simon Wiesenthal's place, I would not have forgiven Karl, the SS officer, nor would I have walked away silently like Wiesenthal did. If I had been a Jewish prisoner in a concentration camp and had been mistreated and humiliated by SS officers like Karl, I would be too angry to forgive this man who claimed to regret what he did and the part he played. I would have told Karl the horrors of my tenure as a concentration camp prisoner, as a Jew, and as a person who had friends and family who were being persecuted by officers like Karl. Then, I would have explained to him why I could not pity him even as he was on his deathbed. Karl was not forced to commit the crimes he preformed or to partake in the activities he participated in; however, he did these things. In freely choosing to denigrate, torture and brutalize persons from a select ethnic group, Karl consciously denied the humanity of the Jewish population. It was only as he lay on his deathbed, that he sought forgiveness. It does not appear that there was a true recognition and awareness on his part of the magnitude of the harm that his decision had caused. Moshe Bejski says, "Only the awareness of imminent and certain death induced Karl to think that his actions had been crimes against both humanity and God. Had he not been mortally wounded, he would almost certainly have continued to commit these crimes" (Wiesenthal 113). In other words, had Karl many more years to live, he most likely would not have had these same thoughts of regret that came to him as he was on the verge of death. Forgiveness would allow him to die in a state of peace that he had not allowed his victims. Forgiveness should only be given to those who are truly sorry and regretful of what they've done. Karl does not seem to be truly repentant. His lack of true remorse is apparent when he requests the presence of "a Jew," meaning any Jew, and when he states that Jews were not as guilty as he was. Karl says to Wiesenthal, "I only know you are a Jew and that is enough"(54). Karl does not care whom he is speaking to. He believes that he can clear his conscience 2006-07-25T12:59:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Forgiveness-and-World-War-II-30635.aspx Study of Puritan Housing in America Study of Puritan Housing in America In this easy I am going to write about the typical Puritan house, jails, and the scaffolds used for hanging criminals in Salem Massachusetts in the 1690’s. I will address the materials, preparation of the materials, design, and purpose of these structures. First I would like the Puritan house in Salem. The houses were mostly wood from the local forests in the Salem area. The wood was set up in an interlocking method. In order to get them to interlock they would cut notches out of the wood and a glue type material was used to hold the logs together. They also used stones to even out the ground to build the houses on. The stones were held together by mortar as far as I can tell. The wood used on the houses look to be untreated logs from the local woods. As we all know the houses in this time were very simple there was no running water, no indoor plumbing, and no electricity making it very simple to build I would say it would take 2 or 3 days to build. These houses were built very well and most of them still stand today. Secondly I would like to write about the jails that the puritans used to hold the criminals before hanging. The jails were made out of wood and iron bars. The cells were staked on top of each other. They stacked the cells about 3 cells high. There was as stairway so that they could get to all the cells. The wood used for the jails was from the local woods and the iron was probably imported. I think that the jails were built very oddly but they worked. Last I am going to write about the scaffold that the people of Salem used to hang their criminals. The materials used to build scaffold was wood most of the wood used on the scaffold was prepared for special use like the top peace was in beam form to support heavy things like big people. This beam had a thick rope tied to it fog hanging the condemned people. This rope had to be thick in order for it not to break under great pressure. The posts holding up the beam were untreated the wood for this was probably cut down from the local woods. 2006-07-25T12:20:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Study-of-Puritan-Housing-in-America-30620.aspx Misfortunes of the Native American Indians Misfortunes of the Native American Indians The name Indian was first applied to Native Americans by Christopher Columbus, who mistakenly believed that the mainland and islands of America were part of the Indies, in Asia. Native Americans are true to their cultural and have a strong bond to nature and its many creatures. The spirit that these people so highly prize was taken from them and has not yet been fully regained. Through decrease of population, enforced migration, and racism, European settlers were allowed to gain the upper hand. The Native Americans suffered a severe decrease in population as the European settlers arrived and expanded. The first factor was a disease called smallpox. This disease was carried over to the U.S. by the settlers, and unfortunately, the Native Americans had no immunity for it. In 1763, white colonisers gave a "gift" of smallpox-infested blankets to a group of Native Americans who sought a peace treaty; however, this "gift" eventually wiped out a good bit of the tribe's population and continued to spread, killing others. The second factor consisted of the many battles held between the settlers and the Native Americans. On the morning of December 29, 1890, the Sioux chief Big Foot and some 350 of his followers camped on the banks of Wounded Knee creek, and when the smoke cleared and the shooting stopped, approximately 300 Sioux were dead, Big Foot among them. As the native population declined, their capacity for presenting a military obstacle to the settlers decreased dramatically. Enforced migration of the Native Americans allowed the colonisers to gain full control of the land. The first phase of this migration began with the Indian Removal Act. This act was passed in May 1830, and it empowered the president of the United States to move eastern Native Americans west of the Mississippi, to what was then "Indian Territory" (Oklahoma). Although the removal was considered voluntary, it soon became mandatory and is known as the "Trail of Tears." The second phase of the migration began with the expansion of the settlers. As wagon trains clattered west, government officials concluded that the vast, unspecified tracts of "Indian Territory" would have to be more sharply defined as "reservations." The same Washington officials decided that these people were to be rounded up by the U.S. Army and 2006-07-24T19:28:49-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Misfortunes-of-the-Native-American-Indians-30608.aspx Comparing the Ancient Empires of Rome and China Comparing the Ancient Empires of Rome and China The ancient civilization of Rome was far superior to ancient China in many ways, government and leadership being the two most important ways. Rome’s government was more detailed and left no room for error. It was well thought out and the structure was very defined all though out Roman history, while the Chinese government changed every time a new ruler came to power. Rome also produced better leaders like Caesar and Augustus. China’s government lacked the essential parts needed to make a great government and leaders; neither was as great as the Rome’s. The structure of the Roman government was far better than China’s government because the Chinese lacked many things the Roman government had. The Roman government was made up of the Senate, Emperor, the Consul and Proconsul, the assemblies, priests, and other Roman officials. The Senate was originally a board of elders who advised the king. Later it became comprised of ex-office holders and its decrees developed the force of law. Often it was understood that a measure had to be approved by the Senate before it could be voted on in the Assembly. The Emperor was like a president. A dictator was put in control over the state only for extreme emergences. The dictator could only hold office for up to six months and while in charge he had absolute power. This allowed the ruler deal with what ever emergences were at hand without having to wast time and go threw the government to get stuff done. The Consul, chief executive officer, could only (theoretically) hold office for one year, and couldn’t be consul for another 10 years. Eventually proconsuls were created, men who were given some of the powers of a consul, especially for commands far from Rome, such as being governors of provinces. The assemblies were the gathering of people to vote on laws and such. The priests also played an important role in the Roman government. There was a Pontifex maximus, and 9 other pontiffs which were like the high priest and other priests. The other Roman officials included Tribunes had the power to veto, Censor had the power to remove unworthy people from senate, Questors financial people, and Aediles supervised public works. There were many more jobs and positions 2006-07-24T19:14:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparing-the-Ancient-Empires-of-Rome-and-China-30601.aspx Overview of the Spanish Civil War Overview of the Spanish Civil War In 1931, after King Alfonso of Spain abdicated the throne, and Spain held its first-ever democratic election. This election marked the end of 300 years of feudalism in Spain, ruled during this time by the Catholic Church and the aristocracy. As a republic, the new government favored land reform, which involved breaking up the large plantations in order to recognize workers. As a result, many different viewpoints stemmed from this dramatic action. While the socialists and anarchists saw it as a the beginning of a social revolution, many Republicans were afraid of the power of the Church and the military. After many years, problems arose from the extremely different opinions of the various groups in Spain, and in 1936, Hitler, Mussolini, and the Catholic Church decided to form a revolution of their own against Republican Spain under the military direction of General Franco. The slogan adopted with this counter-revolution was, “NO PASARÀN!” Although strong, Franco’s army was met with great force from the anarchists and also from International Brigades, volunteers from foreign countries. The Republicans held Franco’s forces in Barcelona, Catalonia, Murcia, Bilbao, and other provinces throughout Spain. In these areas, a direct democracy was established in the factories as well as the cities, and civilian defense forces stood ready to defend the Republic from Franco and his army at any cost. With regards to funding for the Civil War at hand, England and France chose not to supply the Republican side, leaving no other choice but to seek aid from the Soviet Union. As a result, the Communist Party of Spain began to believe they could compromise with Franco, while the anarchists advocated the social revolution that was taking place within Spain’s borders. The Communist Party’s view led to much fighting between the separate groups within the Republican side of the Civil War, and thus weakened their ability to combat Franco’s aggression. Finally on April 1st, 1939, General Franco ended the war after his troops seized all of the Republican strongholds, and took control over the government. The Spanish Civil War, often forgotten in the history books, was a very significant event in the history of the world. It is believed that if England and France had given Spain supplies during the war, they could have greatly weakened the governments of Hitler 2006-07-23T19:32:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Overview-of-the-Spanish-Civil-War-30547.aspx History on the United States' Involvement in the Vietnam War History on the United States' Involvement in the Vietnam War This paper will examine the history of united states Vietnam involvement during 1964 to 1968 it will emphasize the evolution of the national policy and objectives during that period. The Vietnam War twisted out to be Americans longest war with massive commitment of men and material, but most consider it a failure for the United States. The Vietnam War resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 American and serious loss national reputation. Vietnam had an intense and negative effect on American’s view of the military. It was not until desert storm that the military regained the trust of the American people. Perhaps no other event, except the American civil war did so much raise American’s consciousness and indeed as the Vietnam war. Unlike World War II the Vietnam War did not generate a national emergency that united all American in a common cause. World war II threatened national endurance and therefore was a much simpler war. After Japans attack on Pearl Harbor, there was no doubt that Japan was an enemy. Also Germany became a clear threat to the United States and it’s allies when it declared war on America following Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor finally causes a separation United States to became implicated in the war that had been waging in Europe since 1930’s. The Korean War like Vietnam lacked a sense of clarity Korea is an important example of a war that did not threaten the United States vital interest. Therefore both Korea and Vietnam presented policy-making challenges not present in World War II. Containment of communism was the policy that governed U.S actions in both-Korea and Vietnam to many Americans communism in Asia did not pose a direct threat to the united states as did World war II or the cold war in Europe this led to less sustained support for the Vietnam war in a sense Vietnam was a replacement war in which the united states was fighting an enemy other than Vietnam. Although he had no official policy making position at the time Richard Nixon fully expressed the rationale for the war while addressing the common wealth on California on April 2, 1965 (this is a confrontation not between Vietcong and Vietnam or the united States but between U.S and the communist China) Nixon went on to say that if South 2006-07-23T17:15:27-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-on-the-United-States-Involvement-in-the-Vietnam-War-30529.aspx History of Chicago History of Chicago The word “Chicago” has not always been the word it is today. There are two main theories as to where the name came from; one, from a Native American Ojibwa folk tale, “Chicago” would mean “Place of the Skunk”; and two, some historians believe it was derived from “Checagou”, meaning strong, great, or powerful. Jacques Marquette, who was a French missionary, and Louis Jolliet, a Canadian explorer and mapmaker, discovered Chicago in 1673. They were the first people be on the land where the city of Chicago was going to stand. They brought five others with them and found a large Amerindian village (close to the current Ottawa). The men were helped and guided by the affable Amerindians that year, and the two men were the first to land in Chicago. In 1779, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, an African American from Haiti, built the first permanent settlement at the mouth of the river just east of the present Michigan Avenue Bridge on the north bank. The exact original name of the settlement is not known but it can be found as Pointe de Sable, Au Sable, Point Sable, Sabre and Pointe de Saible. The first marriage in Chicago was performed in Du Sable’s house, the first election was held, and the first court handed down justice. The religion of the first Chicagoan was Catholic. In 1803, the first fort was built in Chicago. It was in this year that the War Department demanded that a fort was to be built at the mouth of the river. It began to be constructed on August 17th, 1803, and was finished a year later. It was named “Fort Dearborn” in honour of the Secretary of War. The fort went for many years in peace, with traders thriving. But in 1812 there was a war with Britain and the government ordered an immediate evacuation of the fort. After leaving the fort, the Indians attacked the evacuees, many were murdered, and the fort was destroyed. It was rebuilt in 1816 and was occupied by American troops until 1837 when it was abandoned. It stood until 1856. Chicago was controlled by Indiana Territory and Illinois Territory from 1801 to 1818. In 1818, Illinois was admitted to statehood. On March 4th 1837, Chicago was admitted as a city and had a population of 4170. William B. Ogden was elected the first mayor 2006-07-23T17:05:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-Chicago--30524.aspx The Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand The Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand Francis Ferdinand was born in Graz, Austria in 1863. His father is Archduke Charles Louis. He received the title archduke of Austria-Este in 1875. Francis became heir to the thrown after two deaths in the family. The first was the death of his cousin, Crown Prince Rudolf, who killed himself and his sixteen year old mistress in 1889, and the second was the death of his father in 1896. Ferdinand was a reformist with his new political ideas. As stated in the website “The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand” by Michael Shackelford, “One of these ideas was "trialism" - the reorganization of the dual monarchy into a triple monarchy by giving the Slavs an equal voice in the empire.” This would put them on an equal footing with the Magyars and Germans living inside the Austro-Hungarian borders. These political views were against the beliefs of those people in the Serbian nationalists. On June 28, 1914, the archduke’s fourteenth wedding anniversary, Ferdinand decided to take a special trip with his wife, Sophie, to Sarajevo. Usually Sophie was not allowed to ride in the same vehicle as her husband, but on their anniversary she would be given all the royal treatment, including being allowed to ride in the same car as her husband. The members of the assassins group were all members of the Serbian nationalist movement Mlada Bosna. There were seven people in this group and their ages ranged from nineteen to twenty-seven. These assassins received their training and weapons from a Belgrade terrorist league. They returned to Sarajevo with pistols, bombs, and cyanide to wait for the arrival of the archduke. The archduke had received several warnings to stay away from Sarajevo, but Ferdinand ignored the threats and even told the Austrian army to stay out of the city for the day. By 10:00 a.m. the archduke and his wife were headed toward city hall. On their way they had to cross the Miljacka River at Cumuria Bridge. This is where first assassin was waiting to throw a bomb at the archduke, but he did not throw his bomb claiming the police were blocking his path. The second assassins view was not blocked and he threw his bomb at the archduke’s car. The bomb was headed straight 2006-07-23T16:26:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Assassination-of-Archduke-Ferdinand-30517.aspx Charles Luciano and the Mafia in America Charles Luciano and the Mafia in America Most people think that the Mafia is obsolete in America but they it isn’t. It still flourishes through out the states controlling parts of the Government. The members and head bosses just aren’t as public as they had been in the 1900’s. Now they are mostly “underground” to try from being broken up, and if heard of usually they assassinate or pay off whoever shall try to disturb there roles in life of there personal business dealings. All though not, the Sicilian-born gangster Salvatore Lucania, better known as Charles “Lucky” Luciano, is still a big subject when it comes to talking about gangsters and there participation in the Mafia throughout the 1900’s. Salvatore Lucania, nicknamed Lucky, was born in 1897 in Lercardia Friddi, Sicily. As a child his family was rather poor and his parents worked as hard as they could to provide for Salvatore. Even when they worked longer hours until there hands chapped, it still didn’t put enough food on the family dinner table. It was such a hard life that they were considering to leave there friends and relatives and the area where there ancestors had lived for hundreds of years and leave to the promised land of America. It would be better for Salvatore they thought. They would quickly realize that the thought of plentiful work and great schools was simply not true (Ron Nichols, “A Gangster is Born”). The Lucianos set sail in 1906 to arrive in the New York harbor that same year. Mischief and mayhem were the key factors in describing Salvatore’s youth. His first racket, started in 1907, offered younger and smaller Jewish kids his personal protection from beatings on there way to school. If they didn’t pay him the penny or two a day for his protection, then Salvatore would beat them up. A thin runty kid from Poland, Meyer Lansky, refused to pay. Salvatore fought him one day and was amazed at how well he fought back. After this they would become buddies for life. In his teens Salvatore started participating in more illegal thing, such as narcotics. At eighteen he was charged for peddling heroin and morphine and then committed to a reformatory for 6 months. Once he was released he resumed narcotic dealing. 2006-07-23T13:36:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Charles-Luciano-and-the-Mafia-in-America-30509.aspx The Impact of European Setllers on North American Natives The Impact of European Setllers on North American Natives The North American Continent had vast amounts of natives scattered around it. The lives of the natives all changed with the arrival of the Europeans. The Spanish claimed South America, Mexico and the Southwest part of the US; the French claimed the Midwest part of the US and the northeast part of Canada; the British claimed the eastern part of the US and the rest of Canada. These “invaders” taking over their land for the most part, enraged the natives. The conflicts in the colonies would rage on well into America’s future. The Spanish first arrived in the America’s in with the voyages of Christopher Columbus. After that many Spanish explorers started coming to America in search of a way to the Far East and also for riches. The Spanish did not treat the natives of these lands with much respect. Cortez conquered the Aztecs in 1519 and Pizarro conquered the Incas in 1531. The natives for the most part were treated badly because of their beliefs and that the Spanish thought they lived in a backwards society. The Spanish started to setup missions, to convert the natives to Christianity. They wanted the natives to be Christians because they said that they would go to Hell if they did not convert over. Many natives converted over to Christianity while other did not. The ones that did not convert were either killed or enslaved. Due to this kind of treatment, most of the natives rebelled against the Spanish. These rebellions slowly decreased the native population. As the Spanish slowly expanded out of Mexico, the land of the natives slowly decreased. Not all of the natives that died, died from fighting the Spanish, but many died from disease. They were dying from many diseases but especially small pox. Since they have never been exposed to these types of diseases it hit them hard. They would die in droves since there was no way for them to stop it. Deaths in South America were incredibly bad. There were 25 million natives in 1500 and the population had decreased to about 3 million by 1650. The Spanish treated the natives as slaves and like barbarians. By doing this, the natives 2006-07-22T11:03:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Impact-of-European-Setllers-on-North-American-Natives-30428.aspx The Failure of Prohibition in America The Failure of Prohibition in America Throughout the 1920’s, the United States experienced a number of changes. From the granting of women’s suffrage in 1919 to the stock market crash of 1929, the twenties were a time for change. Some changes were for good, such as the invention of the radio, the inexpensive automobile, and movies. Some changes, however, were for worse, such as the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and the coming about of a communist party in the United States. But the United States felt one of the most negative impacts from something known as Prohibition. Prohibition, which was made law by the eighteenth amendment to the constitution, made the creation, transportation, sale, and consumption of alcohol illegal, with exception of the alcohol used for religious and medical purposes. Prohibition had a negative impact on the United States because of the resulting organized crime, the resulting corruption of police, federal agents, and other government officials, and the lack of enforcement and organization required to enforce. Prohibition had a negative impact on the United States because of the resulting organized crime. When Prohibition was put into effect, it opened a new market for the illegal sale of alcohol. But before the illegal sale of alcohol could occur, it first had to be illegally created and illegally transported. Who, you ask, created, transported, and sold these illegal beverages? The answer is criminals, but not just petty criminals, organized gangs- mobs. Many gangs got their start with bootlegging. They used moonshine stills to make the alcohol, and they sold it in speakeasies. Speakeasies were secretive, highly exclusive clubs where mostly the upper class would go to drink. Speakeasies could be found in the form of delicatessen stores, pool rooms, millinery shops, private parlors, drug stores, and 57 other varieties. So, perhaps Prohibition eliminated the repulsive saloon, but it brought it brought it back in over 60 different forms of speakeasies. Most of the drinking that went on in speakeasies was very excessive and almost always to the point of drunkenness. These speakeasies had a negative impact on the U.S. because they provided a good place for meetings of political machines, but more importantly because they provided mobs with money. Once mobs had gained enough money from bootlegging, they could spread into other illegal activities 2006-07-22T10:44:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Failure-of-Prohibition-in-America-30418.aspx Communist Society in Cambodia Communist Society in Cambodia An attempt by Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot to form a communist peasant farming society resulted in the deaths of 25 percent of the country’s population from starvation, overwork, and executions. Ethnic groups were attacked including the three largest minorities; the Vietnamese, Chinese, and Cham Muslims, along with twenty other smaller groups. Fifty percent of the estimated 425, 000 Chinese living in Cambodia in 1975 perished. Khmer Rouge also forced Muslims to eat pork and shot those who refused. All foreigners were expelled from the country. Embassies were closed, and any foreign economic or medical assistance was refused. The use of foreign language was banned. Newspapers and television stations were shut down; radios and bicycles were confiscated; 2006-07-19T21:28:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Communist-Society-in-Cambodia-30406.aspx The Role of African American Soldiers in World War I The Role of African American Soldiers in World War I About 400,000 Black Soldiers served in the United States Army in World War 1. About 367,710 of these came into the service through the selective Draft Law. Nearly 20,000 soldiers of the United States, uniformed, armed, equipped, drilled, trained and ready to take the field. The most famous are the 9th and 10th Cavalry. The 9th and 10th Cavalry, saved the day at San Juan Hill for Colonel Roosevelt's Rough Riders, and helped to give him much of his military reputation and distinction. When the United States Armed Forces were strong in the beginning they discouraged black to enlist in the military. The Associated Press sent a telegram out from Richmond, Virginia, April 24, 1917 stating: NEGRO RECRUITING HALTED "Richmond, Va., April 24.---No more Negroes will be accepted for enlistment in the United States Army at present. This was the order received by Major Hardeman, officer in charge of the recruiting station here, from the War Department. 'Colored organizations filled,' was the explanation." Negro newspapers started printing how they felt about not being able to enlist. They sent them to the War Department and wanted the War Department to make provisions for colored troops. The War Department finally gave in and started letting blacks enlist. Approximately 200,000 African Americans were sent to Europe. More than half of those sent were assigned to labor and stevedore battalions, but they performed essential duties nonetheless, building roads, bridges, and trenches in support of the front-line battles. Roughly 42,000 saw combat. Blacks and white soldiers were housed separately in the war. Philip Randolph was pessimistic about what the war would mean for black Americans. He pointed out that Negroes had sacrificed their blood on the battlefields of every American war since the Revolution, but it still had not brought them full citizenship. W.E.B. DuBois argued that "while the war lasts [we should] forget our special grievances and close our ranks shoulder to shoulder with our white fellow citizens and allied nations that are fighting for democracy." As I did my research on African Americans in World War 1 I learned the draft started out just for whites, even though blacks were in fighting to wars at the same time, and that African Americans went through a lot just so I can live the way I live now. 2006-07-19T20:48:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Role-of-African-American-Soldiers-in-World-War-I-30403.aspx The Importance of Towns and Trade in the Middle Ages The Importance of Towns and Trade in the Middle Ages In the Middle Ages, towns and trade were very important to civilization, and many urban centers came about around the year 1200. The main reason for these cities and towns existence was trade, and money. "It was the money that fueled the transformation of Europe, and the merchants who traded goods for money were the vehicles of that transformation." (King, 322) The methods of merchants and traders that caused the first medieval cities to grow, "As they concentrated their activities at the intersections of key trade routes, they caused towns to form and ripen into cities." (King, 322) Early into the Middles Ages, trade had all but disappeared, with merchants’ jobs being so dangerous. "Bandits and pirates roamed at will, unchecked by Roman legions or auxiliaries, endangering merchant shipments by road or water." (King, 322) There was no super power such as Rome to stop these bandits and marauders who attacked trade ships and travelers. There were no laws that everyone adhered to, and no government to make these laws. "The trade that did exist must have suffered from political disarray-there were no judges available to enforce contracts and no financial officials to regulate the minting of new coins or the conversion of currency." (King, 322) "By the tenth century, some Europeans...had learned of the great profit to be gained from buying things cheaply and selling them dearly." (King, 324) This was the birth of the original merchants, those who settled towns and villages, and who traded with those who came to their towns. "From such enterprising traders came the makers of the medieval towns, and, ultimately, the great merchants of the later Middle Ages." (King, 324) They often settled outside of the ruling lords castle, and on the more frequented trade routes, "Here, the goods of the East were available as well as European goods, such as salt, metals, food, and wool." (King, 324) Before it collapsed, Roman cities slowly began to get smaller, "People left them in order to avoid taxes and responsibilities and even honors, which came at a heavy price." (King, 326) Rome was an example of this decline in population. "From about a million at the height of its empire, the population of Rome to less than half that in just the mid-fifth century, then to about 50,000...a hundred 2006-07-19T12:49:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Importance-of-Towns-and-Trade-in-the-Middle-Ages-30393.aspx Overview of the Articles of Confederation Overview of the Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation, a document that laid a foundation for the Constitution, provided a somewhat effective government. The American colonists possessed a fear of central authority, which inhibited the creation of a government with great constitutional order. Congress, however, felt that a stronger 2006-07-19T12:45:40-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Overview-of-the-Articles-of-Confederation-30391.aspx History of the Nobel Prize Foundation History of the Nobel Prize Foundation “…The whole of my remaining realizable estate shall be dealt with in the following way: the capital, invested in safe securities by my executors, shall constitute a fund, the interest on which shall be annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind. The said interest shall be divided into five equal parts, which shall be apportioned as follows: one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery or invention within the field of physics; one part to the person who shall have made the most important chemical discovery or improvement; one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery within the domain of physiology or medicine; one part to the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction; and one part to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses. The prizes for physics and chemistry shall be awarded by the Swedish Academy of Sciences; that for physiological or medicinal work by the Caroline Institute in Stockholm; that for literature by the Academy in Stockholm, and that for champions of peace by a committee of five persons to be elected by the Norwegian Storting. It is my express wish that in awarding the prizes no consideration whatever shall be given to the nationality of the candidates, but that the most worthy shall receive the prize, whether he be a Scandinavian or not.” Based on the exact words of Alfred Nobel’s will, the Nobel Prize Foundation was established in 1900. Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm on October 21, 1883. His father Immanuel Nobel built bridges in Stockholm, and was an engineer and inventor. At the time of Alfred’s birth, Immanuel had to go into bankruptcy due to misfortunes in his construction work. In 1837, Immanuel left his family and Stockholm to start a new career in Finland and Russia. To support the family that was left, Andrietta Nobel, Alfred’s mother, started a grocery store that provided a modest family income. Meanwhile, Immanuel had become successful in St. Petersburg, Russia, by starting a mechanical workshop, which provided 2006-07-18T19:08:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-Nobel-Prize-Foundation-30368.aspx Origins and Institutions of the Ku Klux Klan Origins and Institutions of the Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan's long history of violence grew out of the resentment and hatred many white Southerners felt in the aftermath of the Civil War. How did the Ku Klux Klan - one of the nation's first terrorist groups - so instantly seize the South in the aftermath of the Civil War? Vigilante justice became the motivation for many who later rode with the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan grew out of white Southern anger over the Civil War defeat and the Reconstruction that followed. The time was ripe for the Ku Klux Klan to ride. Origins of the Ku Klux Klan One Popular notion held that the Ku Klux Klan was originally a secret order of Chinese opium smugglers. After tinkering with the sound for a while, group settled on the "Ku Klux Klan." Much of the Klan's early reputation was based on mischief. One favorite Klan tactic was for a white sheeted Klansman wearing a ghoulish mask to ride up to a black home at night and demand water. White Rule Victimized Blacks Throughout the summer and fall, the Klan steadily had become more violent. At the Nashville Klan meeting, leaders sought to grapple with these problems and decide just what sort of organization the Klan would be. They created a chain of command and sanctioned white supremacy as the fundamental creed of the Ku Klux Klan. Orders went out from state capitols and Union army headquarters to suppress the Klan. Invisible Government From middle Tennessee, the Klan quickly was established in nearby counties and then in North and South Carolina. In some counties the Klan became the de facto law, an invisible government that state officials could not control. As the violence escalated, it turned to general lawlessness and some Klan groups even began fighting each other. The Klan was also coming under increased attack by Congress and the Reconstruction state governments. That did not end the violence, however, and as atrocities became more widespread, Radical legislatures throughout the region passed harsher laws, imposed martial law in some Klan-dominated counties, and actively hunted Klan leaders. In 1871 Congress held hearings on the Klan and passed a tough anti-Klan law modeled after a North Carolina statute. Klan terror had proven very effective at keeping black voters away from the polls. Simmons' Klan was not unlike the dozens of benevolent societies 2006-07-18T13:14:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Origins-and-Institutions-of-the-Ku-Klux-Klan-30360.aspx World War II You though the War was over…? You thought wrong! WWI was not the war to end all Wars. After the first world war ended the world was filled with corruptions and sorrow. Then to avoid these kind of devastating conflict countries began to makes leagues and treaties to make the world safer and calm. So the winners thought they did their job and made this world peaceful, but they were wrong since the losers of the war suffered from the punishment of losing and they swore revenge upon the Allies (the winners). And so brutal rulers came to power by promising to end their country’s corruption and took actions that went against the Versailles Treaty and caused yet another deadly World War. There are many reasons that the world went to a second WWII. But the main basic reasons were that power hungry leaders like Hitler and Mussolini trying to re-build their country by means Imperialism, and taking over countries after countries to make their countries like how it once was. According to doc.1 Hitler takes over a country and thinks that he is not taking it over but he is leading that country back to its owner Germany. Another reason this world was plunged into WWII because the League of Nations failed to stop these greedy countries from taking over countries, according to doc.2 The L. of N. was just sitting there when Ethiopia came to them for help when Italy was invading their territory. When the Axis Power was practicing their aggression, there were two responses; one was Appeasement, and the other was Collective Security. But one is more effective than the other. And I think it is the collective security. History already practiced appeasement and it didn’t really help prevent WWII, all it did was to make Germany even stronger. So I am assuming that if collective security was practiced instead then this world wouldn’t go through chaos for the second time. If collective security was the response then the Allies would have taken an immediate action when Japan, Italy and Germany were violating the Treaty of Versailles. The Allies should have taken out these brutal rulers of the Axis Power and could have prevented WWII. So in this case collective security get the job done, and doesn’t start another war. To prevent a second war, many countries tried do a lot of things to stop it, 2006-07-18T00:01:59-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-War-II--30333.aspx World War I You thought the War was over? You thought wrong. Well, let’s not go that far and just stick to the first World War. In this War, Hell itself broke out and swept across the world, spilling the bloods of 20 millions people, not to mention 20 more millions of wounded people. But why did they die? What is the cause of this War? The cause of this war goes way back. It all started with the game of Imperialism, where European countries dominating helpless countries all over Africa and southern Asia. And some European countries had more colonies than others, causing other European countries with the lowest colonies to burn with envy, and anger. And this poured the gasoline on the wood, now all we need is the spark of fire. And thank you, Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip, who feared that the next ruler of Austria-Hungry Archduke Ferdinand is going to take over his precious country, and to end his fear he assassinated the poor Archduke and his beloved wife. So this assassination caused the spark of fire, and bringing the unforgiving flames to life. And so, allies were formed, beef was created, and the World War began. It was possible to avoid this merciless World War, to stop this great destruction, to undo the slaying of the Peace of Europe…yes it was possible. If European countries would share their colonies equally with their fellow neighbors, then all European countries would have equal colonies and no one would get jealous or angry. And then even if the Archduke got assassinated there would be a spark but there won’t be any fire, because there isn’t any gasoline in the woods. And even if the Europeans didn’t share their colonies equally there still would be no war, if the Archduke would have shut his big mouth about colonizing Serbia. If he would have kept the part about controlling Serbia a top secret then he wouldn’t get assassinated by a Serbian nationalist, and there would be no spark, no fire, and defiantly No War. The rulers of the European countries were blinded by greed, and power. They had pride, and wanted to show off their great military, so they joined this war, and made their citizens join the army by using all sort of propaganda. And it worked, their citizens believed them, they thought this war is nothing, and they’ll be back home 2006-07-18T00:00:35-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-War-I--30332.aspx The Mongolian Invasion of China On a present-day map we see Mongolia as a small country hidden away in East Asia between China and Russia, two of the most powerful nations in the world today. Few would believe that such a small country could have ever succeeded in conquering both China and Russia. But back in the early 13th century the Mongolians did conquer both China and Russia, along with many more lands. In doing so the Mongolians created the largest land empire in world history. The Mongolians had a lasting effect on the areas that they conquered and made them the way they are today. The western world thinks of the Mongolians as being ruthless aggressive barbarians conquering all the lands. This is in part true because the Mongolians were a fearsome group that used terror tactics in order to succeed. The Mongolians were a nomadic group of people and were aggressive indeed. In fact the Mongols learned to ride horses and shoot arrows from when they were small children and they were so good that “when mounted they could hit a man at distances of between 200-400 meters” (Chapter 5, The Mongol Army). The Mongols, being the strict peoples that they were, were disciplined harshly. The punishment of any crime was death. This discipline is what allowed the Mongols to conquer different lands. Mongolia was a land with very few natural resources. It was barren and mountainous. It was hard to live in Mongolia and you had to know the terrain well. That is why the Mongols could not be farmers. Instead, they were hunters and gatherers and they raised animals as well which is why they became such good horsemen. The Mongols also herded sheep, goats, yaks and oxen. The Mongols relied on herding. The Mongols also relied on trade in order to succeed. From 1180-1220 the temperature dropped in Mongolia and this was a bad thing because it meant less grass could grow. Also, the Chinese tried to reduce trade with Mongolia. Because the Mongolians couldn’t trade and couldn’t grow the grass instead for their animals, they had to move around. That is why in the year 1211 the Mongolians attacked China and conquered it. The leader of the Mongols was Genghis Khan. He led the Mongols during their conquests. He learned how to survive in Mongolia from his mother because his father was assassinated when he was 9. His knowledge helped him to 2006-07-17T23:24:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Mongolian-Invasion-of-China-30331.aspx The Fall of the Western Roman Empire The fall of the Roman Empire was inevitable by A.D. 476. Christianity had weakened the bonds that had held it together, the people became corrupt, and it got too big. It was also because of the barbarian attacks. Simply, all empires always fall and Rome’s time had come to an end. The collapse of the Roman Empire was a calamity; it leads to the Dark (Middle) Ages. Seeing all the bad that came of it, the destruction of art, the collapse of great cities, the deterioration of the system of roads, the ruin of the Mediterranean trade, and the loss of European unity--it's difficult to imagine any good came of it. But some good did result. The break up of the empire led to the abolition of slavery in Europe. Of course, this, in turn, led to more poverty and the increase of latifundia because the poor people lost their land to the aristocrats. But the slaves were better off as peasants than as slaves. Christianity was a major cause of the fall of Rome. Although Rome had religious tolerance, Romans, especially Jews, didn’t accept Christianity. A lot of people converted to Christianity because they lost faith in the Romans. At first most Christians were Jews but less strict. Many values were different but they still followed Jewish dietary laws and shared many beliefs with the Jews. The early Christians also got circumcised. Even Jesus got circumcised because he was born a Jew. Then he thought he was God’s messenger but many other people during that time also thought that so most people started off not believing him. The Christians started adopting the values that they have today during the time that Saul/Paul was alive. At first he started off as a Jew who hated Jesus and hated the Christians but then he converted and traveled around spreading the thoughts of Christians but he said that Christians didn’t need to follow the Jewish dietary laws and they didn’t need to get circumcised. The Romans and the Jews didn’t like the message that Jesus was spreading so they crucified him. One impact that Jesus had was that more people didn’t want to join the military and they didn’t want to participate in the community. Since the people stopped participating in government and they didn’t join the army, the Roman army composed of the Barbarians from Germany. These Barbarians lead disorganized attacks and even 2006-07-17T22:49:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Fall-of-the-Western-Roman-Empire-30321.aspx The Positive Impact of The Crusades on Eurasia The Crusades were a bloody time period. They were a military campaign by the pope and the Roman Catholic Church to take back Jerusalem from the Muslims. They lasted from the 11th- 13th century. They were catastrophic and left Europe in ruins. Although the Crusades were such a violent period of time, they had a positive impact in history because of their role in the renaissance and exposing the Western world to the Eastern. The Crusades were an outlet for the intense religious tension between the Muslims and the church which rose up in the late 11th century. This all started because the church and the catholics wanted the Holy Lands back from the muslims. Around this time the church was the biggest institute and people were god-fearing. Pope Gregory VII wanted to control more lands and wanted to get back the lands that they had lost to the muslims. So in order to get back these lands he launched The Crusades which he insisted to the peasants was a holy war instead. A major part of the fighters in the crusades were untrained and unqualified peasants who went out to get back the holy lands for the church from the ‘evil muslims’. This was called the Peasants Crusade. In order to get these peasants, who knew no better, to go and fight the church told them that if they were to go and fight these ‘horrible muslims’ then they would automatically get admission into heaven. Of course this automatically appealed to the peasants being that they were so god-fearing. They thought that if they helped the church then they would go to heaven and so they jumped at such an opportunity to get a get-into-heaven-free card. These people in all their religious glory went in and attacked the city of Niche. And got killed. The city of Niche was a well fortified city controlled by Seljuk Turks. The peasants went in and attacked and literally got slaughtered. Only 2000 peasants survived their hasty attack. Unfortunetly most of the crusades went this way. The goal of the Crusades was to regain the Holy Lands in the name of the church and drive the muslims out of Jerusalem. No such thing happened. The crusades were a complete and utter failure. But the aftermath of the crusades had a positive effect on Eurasia. For one thing it weakened the church’s grip on the peoples lives. 2006-07-17T22:19:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Positive-Impact-of-The-Crusades-on-Eurasia-30317.aspx Historic Results of the Institution of Slavery Historic Results of the Institution of Slavery For the indentured servants and slaves their time in America was a grueling struggle. They had to cope with the problems that presented itself through the voyage to America, and a life of misery. Their stories though are very similar in that they didn’t have enough food and clothing and were extremely unhappy with their lifestyles. The trip to America was the biggest similarity shared by the indentured servants and slaves. From the writings expressed in “America Through The Eyes of Its People” the authors explain the true struggle of the voyage. On the voyages the people lived through hunger, lack of fresh air and water, withdrawal of efficient space for living, sicknesses, an awful stench, and even deaths of loved ones. Gottlieb Mittelberger illustrates these conditions in his writings of the passage. “But during the voyage there is on board these ships terrible misery, stench, fumes, horror, vomiting, many kinds of sea-sickness, fever, dysentery, headache, heat, constipation, boils, scurvy, cancer, mouth rot, and the like, all of which come from old and sharply salted food and meat, also from very bad and foul water, so that many die miserably. (Mittelberger p. 31)” The ultimate of these struggles was the lack of food and water. On these ships water was scarce and rations were even less of a commodity. When food and water was served to the people it was so unclean that many did not accept them. The food was often rotten and old, while the water was black and full of worms. This lack of proper nutrition led to many deaths. The living quarters on these ships were extremely inhumane. Over six hundred servants and slaves were packed into the same living quarters through the duration of the trip. For many indentured servants they had to live in spaces two feet in width and six in length. As a result of feces, vomiting, and the heat these quarters had such a strong stench that fresh air was sometimes lacking. For the slaves though these living conditions were worse in that they were all chained together. Equiano expresses the struggle of this, “I saw a multitude of black people of every description chained together, every one of their countenances expressing dejection and sorrow. (Equiano pg. 35)” The greatest difference between the slaves and indentured servants on these passages was 2006-07-17T13:35:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Historic-Results-of-the-Institution-of-Slavery-30309.aspx Columbus's Flat World Columbus's Flat World Late at night, as a child snuggles up in his bed sheets, his father tells him a silly bedtime story of strange beliefs from the past. The boy giggles when he hears that the people of the 1400's believed the earth was "flat as a pancake" because, to him, it sounded so absurd. The story had been told to the father by his father, who heard it from his father, and so on. However, throughout the years, these generations have blindly been passing down a lie, without taking care to research in order to detect the validity of the folk tale. The father doesn't know that in reality, almost every educated person of that time knew that the earth was round. To deeply uncover the mystery of the "flat earth myth" we can travel back in time to discover what really happened, why it happened, and the consequence that has developed with time. Up until the 1830's, there were no rumors about the medieval people thinking that the earth was flat. The confusion of the entire matter occurred afterward because of two men: Antoine-Jean Letronne and Washington Irving. They both mixed fact with fiction to develop a story much like the father's bedtime story. Antoine-Jean Letronne was a Frenchman who was well-educated and held deep prejudice against religion. Washington Irving was an American author who distorted facts into fiction and sold them as true history. Irving played a major role in the development of the flat earth myth because it was he who slighted the story of Columbus's meeting at Salamanca in 1491. Irving stated that Columbus insisted the Earth was round, while the priests of the church that were present stuck to their belief that the earth was flat. In truth, there was a meeting, but, unlike Irving's claims, the priests didn't fight with Columbus because they too believed the Earth was round. The proof of the spherical earth had existed since the Greeks and Aristotle's time. These educated men, Columbus along with the priests, never doubted Aristotle or other scientists who had such proof, but Irving claimed just the opposite. The flat earth myth became another reason of conflict between the opposing scientific and religious worlds. Because Letronne was so passionate about anti religious views, he took advantage of 2006-07-16T20:43:07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Columbus-s-Flat-World-30257.aspx Analysis of Steel Worker Hardships Analysis of Steel Worker Hardships Based on Mike and Mary Dobrejcak’s experiences as described in Out of This Furnace, the working-class men and women faced difficult times as they attempted to create a better life for themselves and their families. In comparing the hardships between immigrant men and women, the challenge women faced seemed much more extreme based on economic, political and social factors. Economically, it was more difficult for women, such as Mary, to survive in a culture that considered men to be the primary breadwinners of the household. Mike and the other immigrant men were eagerly employed. But only because they were willing to work long hard hours for low wages. In contrast, it was often much harder for women to find an occupation that could economically sustain a family. It was challenging for Mary to find employment after being widowed, mainly because she was left to care for her three children alone. She had to find a way to survive in a world where wives and mothers rarely worked outside the home, and when they did their wages were much lower than their male counterparts. As a result of Mary not being able to work, she had to take her father in as a boarder, mend clothing, and watch her oldest son enter the workforce just so she could make ends meet. All of her efforts made to maintain a decent standard of living for her family caused Mary to become very ill. When Dr. Kralik examined the stricken Mary, he uncovered the root of her illness. “They say work never killed anyone. I know better…”(Bell 175). The doctor often described illnesses as “pneumonia or consumption or heart failure” when he would have been more honest in describing them as “overwork and poverty” (Bell 175). Along with the economic disadvantages that immigrants faced, their political views were also thought of as inferior. Mike became very interested in the campaigns and he became aware of his vote as a voice against the trusts and industries. Even though he was forced by his employer to register as a Republican, he decided to vote as a socialist and exercise his political freedom. Voicing his opinion through voting gave Mike some degree of satisfaction, while Mary did not have the same opportunity. Women were not perceived as equals in the political forum. This was frustrating to 2006-07-13T19:25:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Steel-Worker-Hardships-30245.aspx Costs and Benefits of the Industrial Revolution Costs and Benefits of the Industrial Revolution The impact of the Industrial Revolution was a positive experience for some, but it was a great difficulty for others. Because of the demands for reform and protection for workers arose, government and unions began to take place. That was how the evils of the Industrial Revolution addressed in England in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Unions are voluntary associations joined by workers. The Combination Act of 1800, which hindered the growth of unions, states that every workman’s goal, who are entering into any combination should not be obtaining an advance of wages, or to lessen or alter the hours, or influencing any other to quit his work. Any workman who did so shall be committed to jail (Doc 1). Although the Combination Act of 1800 prevented the growth of unions, Ralph Chaplin believes that a worker should join the union. He states that there can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun, but the unions, which makes it strong (Doc 2). Since there’s so many workers working in bad conditions, the labor laws came to action. The Health and Morals Act of 1802 limited children under fourteen from working over twelve hours a day (Doc 3). The factor Act of 1833, which enacted that no person under 18 years of age shall be allowed to work at night in machinery (Doc 4). It allowed the child under 18 to work less than 12 hours a day or less than 69 hours in any one-week. There was a ten hours act, which said that the women or children’s limit workdays are 10 hours. Socialism is one of the roles of government in the economy. Adam Smith, who is the father of capitalism, believes in laissez-faire, “hands off” the government. He believes all production should be sale at the best possible lowest price. (Doc 5) While Adam Smith believes in capitalism, Engel is criticizing it. Engel believes the capitalism seizes everything for themselves but not the poor, they remain nothing. (Doc 7) Karl Marx, the author of a 23 page pamphlet, “The Communist Manifesto”, and Engels recommend that all the working men of all countries should unite and is to be equal, should overthrow of all existing social conditions. (Doc 8) Both Marx and Engels are communists, they believe in Communism. They argued human societies have always been 2006-07-13T12:52:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Costs-and-Benefits-of-the-Industrial-Revolution-30202.aspx Comparing and Contrasting Medieval and Modern Society Comparing and Contrasting Medieval and Modern Society The difference between today’s Western world and the Middle Ages is immeasurable. The workings of society and the ways of thinking are directly in contrast to one another, ranging from the role of religion, to the advancement of technology and art. It makes one wonder what a person from Medieval times would think if they could see how far the world has progressed and how different things are now. Religion was what the medieval life was based on and things were done for the purpose of fulfilling time on Earth to get passage into the afterlife. Today, religion plays a different role, one that is not as important. For most, it is optional to attend church and worship a god, and is only part of one’s life, instead of the main focus. People are not governed by their religious conviction and may chose which faith they want to pursue. This most definitely would come as a shock to the medieval person, as religion was the principle of their life and they lived to satisfy the teachings of God. The political structure that exists today would be something very strange in The Middle Ages, a system completely unimaginable. The first point of amazement would be the separation from the church. The government leader and his party rules over a country instead of a religious head such as the Pope. The church today, has no say in how a secular, western country is run, and is viewed as a completely independent faculty from the government. People are used to democratic rule, where they have the right to vote and chose a leader for their country. This individual freedom and responsibility for one’s self would be very hard for the medieval mind to comprehend. These people were not used to thinking for themselves, always being told what to do and how to live by their lords or masters. If given these new rights and freedoms, they would not know what to do with them or how to behave. Today’s world is moving at an extremely fast pace when it comes to the advancements made in science and technology. New innovations and products are constantly being created, replacing many old ways and correcting past beliefs. Current society is used to this unceasing change and mostly accepts 2006-07-13T12:51:35-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparing-and-Contrasting-Medieval-and-Modern-Society-30201.aspx How History Textbooks can be Biased How History Textbooks can be Biased Drowsy students around the country have finally discovered a sense of belonging with the publication of James W. Loewen’s novel, Lies My Teacher Told Me. The objective novel addresses the faults of modern-day society’s portrayal of our historical past, reawakening the instinct to question—something a history class so often has come to dull. The educating of history has been tainted and reinterpreted to best promote patriotism by embellishing lavish facts to glorify our nation’s accomplishments and heroes and omitting further important factors and events that would otherwise change the bias perspective. Historical names and dates stand out in people’s minds such as Christopher Columbus and Thanksgiving. People celebrate these commemorative holidays without really assessing the validity of what really went down. Why did Columbus achieve all the glory? For it was not his direct “discovery” that prompted such celebration. Loewen brings up numerous other civilizations that explored the modern-day Americas, such as the Norse or Phoenician, that date hundreds of years B.C., but textbooks only accredit Columbus—a “white” Spaniard conqueror, “offending all people of color” as Loewen states in his opening chapters. To add to this, textbooks do not accompany grand stories of heroes with actual quotes from speeches or excerpts from diaries; the truth would have held too true. Columbus’s grandiose dreams of “Tierra!” were not absolutely exclusive to him as stories would like it to seem. Rather, Columbus was finally something settled for in the midst of radical changes in Europe at the time. History textbooks are apt to lightly touch upon issues such as the Native Americans and do not delve into the full horrors of the slave trade. Loewen explains that, “Textbooks authors still write history to comfort descendants of the ‘settlers’”. What about historical closure for African or Native Americans? The Natives are just savages and Africans were all inferior. Many accounts of wars such as the French and Indian War neglect to really account for the masses of actual Indians that were in it. Even when the White-Native interaction proved to be accurate in a recent revision of a textbook, publishers rejected it stating it was just “too Indian” and fear that it would not be adopted. But, Loewen argues, “History through red eyes offers our children a deeper understanding than 2006-07-10T18:22:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-History-Textbooks-can-be-Biased-30194.aspx How the Years of Prohibition Damaged America How the Years of Prohibition Damaged America I have always taken an interest in the Roaring Twenties and that is why I decided to write my English term paper on an event that occurred in the 1920s. What follows is my term paper which concentrates on prohibition and why it was not effective, namely because of lack of enforcement, growth of crime, and the increase in the drinking rate. I hope this may be of some help to you. “Prohibition did not achieve its goals. Instead, it added to the problems it was intended to solve” (Thorton, 15). On Midnight of January 16, 1920, one of the personal habits and customs of most Americans suddenly came to a halt. The Eighteenth Amendment was put into effect and all importing, exporting, transporting, selling, and manufacturing of intoxicating liquor was put to an end. Shortly following the enactment of the Eighteenth Amendment, the National Prohibition Act, or the Volstead Act, as it was called because of its author, Andrew J. Volstead, was put into effect. This determined intoxicating liquor as anything having an alcoholic content of anything more than 0.5 percent, omitting alcohol used for medicinal and sacramental purposes. This act also set up guidelines for enforcement (Bowen, 154). Prohibition was meant to reduce the consumption of alcohol, seen by some as the devil’s advocate, and thereby reduce crime, poverty, death rates, and improve the economy and the quality of life. “National prohibition of alcohol -- the ‘noble experiment’ -- was undertaken to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce the tax burden created by prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene in America” (Thorton, 1). This, however, was undoubtedly to no avail. The Prohibition amendment of the 1920s was ineffective because it was unenforceable, it caused the explosive growth of crime, and it increased the amount of alcohol consumption. “It is impossible to tell whether prohibition is a good thing or a bad thing. It has never been enforced in this country” (LaGuardia). After the Volstead Act was put into place to determine specific laws and methods of enforcement, the Federal Prohibition Bureau was formulated in order to see that the Volstead Act was enforced. Nevertheless, these laws were flagrantly violated by bootleggers and commoners alike. Bootleggers smuggled liquor from oversees and Canada, stole it from government warehouses, and produced their own. Many people hid their liquor in 2006-07-10T17:59:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-the-Years-of-Prohibition-Damaged-America-30183.aspx Reasons Why we Study History Reasons Why we Study History There are many reasons to study history a few are, so that we do not commit the same mistakes as our ancestors, another is that u may need it for your profession, also that we may be knowledgeable if history ever pops up in a conversation and another reason to study history is that u are required to take it. We need history so that we will not commit the same mistakes as our ancestors. A sad thing is that even though we learn the past and know what to do and not to do we still do it anyway that’s why history seems to repeat itself so many times. History also helps when u start to work if you’re a lawyer and u get a case and you have no idea of how to help your client you can go back into history and see how another lawyer deled with a similar case in the past. Another profession history could help with is architecture u can see what types off buildings have worked best in deferent situations in the past and u can see were designs have worked in the past. Another job u could use history in is medicine u can go back in history and see how diseases have been miss diagnosed in the past and how to avoid making the same mistake. History is a great topic of conversation u could talk and talk about history for hours granted u know enough about it and that’s were your history class comes in handy. Lets say your hanging with your friends and there is an awkward silence you could start a debate a bout history it probably will never happen but hey you never know. Or you could wow people with your useless knowledge of how Europeans learned they could blow stuff up with gunpowder the Chinese invented. The most important reason to study history is that we are required to take it by the government or whoever makes up the rules on what you have to study. Without history you wouldn’t be able to graduate to the next grade or be able to go to college and all that other fun stuff. History should be studied because it can be used in every day life and so that we do not repeat our mistakes 2006-07-10T15:55:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Reasons-Why-we-Study-History-30169.aspx Analysis of Major Global Revolutions Analysis of Major Global Revolutions Events in global history are sometimes called revolutions when they have a significant impact on the direction that history takes. Time has been speckled by major turning points that have contributed to life, as we know it. Many great minds were encouraged in Europe between the 1300’s and 1600’s; this time of drastic change was called the Renaissance. After years of oppression the Church could no longer keep the lid on peoples’ minds. They began to ask questions and search for answers that would make sense. As a result, the focus of life at this time swung from the dominating, even tyrannical Church to a much more accepting, scientific arena. New schools and colleges became increasingly common. And with the educational increase, new inventions and beliefs among intellectuals such as Leonardo da Vinci, Sofonisba Anguissola, and Albrecht Dürer were created. As peoples’ curiosity began to overcome their fear, many started to venture out and explore. People in wealthy Italian cities began to focus more on art than on the Bible, freeing their minds from the ropes imposed by the Church. This mental emancipation lead to swing the governmental systems from Feudalism to Monarchies and, eventually from Monarchies to democracies. A major contribution to the success of the Renaissance was the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1451. As the Renaissance ideas spread, people began to take an interest in art, poetry, and other intellectual topics. The books that were previously copied by hand could now be produced for the masses at a fraction of the cost, conforming to the present need for knowledge. Lay people in the peasant or middle classes could now afford to buy texts and educate their children. All throughout Europe life was being redefined as the general public learned more about their world. However, the more long-term effect of the printing press was the preservation of knowledge throughout the centuries. Now that books were no longer transferred word for word the risk of corruption through the ages was eliminated. Many events culminated during the cold year of 1905, causing it to be a pivotal year in the development of the Russian Revolution. The year began in a foreboding manner with a labor strike lead by Father George Gapon that culminated in a massacre of workers in 2006-07-10T15:52:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Major-Global-Revolutions-30167.aspx History of White Supremacy in American Culture History of White Supremacy in American Culture The sixties and seventies were a turbulent time in this nation’s history; the very framework of the government was throbbing with injustice. We were a nation at war both abroad and with ourselves. Biased people filled streets throughout the country, determined to succeed at their task of ridding the United States from the evils that the Jews, blacks, homosexuals, and handicapped created. These acts still continue today, there are thousands of instances of verbal, physical, and emotional abuse each year. One common misconception today is that with the demise of the Ku Klux Klan, the organized hate groups also disappeared. This would be wonderful, but as long as there are differences in this country there will be hate. “Differences are the gas in hate’s car or the bullets in hate’s gun, without them every-one would get along” (Church). Just as the KKK had thrived during the turmoil of the Civil Rights movement, as did the White Aryan Militias during the Vietnam war. The United States was influenced by England’s rise in hateful demonstrations starting in the sixties during the ‘free love’ movement. As America started to face ideological divisions, like Great Britain had, Adolf Hitler’s teachings of extreme hatred spread through cities and towns and finally rested in peoples’ minds (Church). Hitler preached hatred of mainly blacks and Jews (McKissack, 152), but also homosexuals and other minorities. A hate crime is a crime that is committed against a certain race or group. The causes for hate crimes are endless. A parent is an influential voice that often molds a child’s mind towards hate, as are the children at school. Peer pressure is another prominent source for the spread of hatred (Church). However, in this day and age with the rapid growth of technology it is now much easier to disperse the white supremacist ideas to complete strangers. This is accomplished mainly through web sites, but there is also a record label, Resistance Records, that promotes racism (Anti-Defamation- Deafening). As a society, we must help stop or at least prevent hate crimes. If we can’t stop or prevent them, there is no telling how terrible they will get. One way that people have found to do this is by bankrupting hate groups. In Morris Dees’s book 2006-07-10T13:48:07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-White-Supremacy-in-American-Culture-30166.aspx American Policies during the Great Depression American Policies during the Great Depression It is straightforward to narrate the slide of the world into the Great Depression. The 1920's saw a stock market boom in the U.S. as the result of general optimism: businessmen and economists believed that the newly-born Federal Reserve would stabilize the economy, and that the pace of technological progress guaranteed rapidly rising living standards and expanding markets. The U.S. Federal Reserve's attempts in 1928 and 1929 to raise interest rates to discourage stock speculation brought on an initial recession. Caught by surprise, firms cut back their own plans for further purchase of producer durable goods; firms making producer durables cut back production; out-of-work consumers and those who feared they might soon be out of work cut back purchases of consumer durables, and firms making consumer durables faced falling demand as well. Falls in prices--deflation--during the Depression set in motion contractions in production which triggered additional falls in prices. With prices falling at ten percent per year, investors could calculate that they would earn less profit investing now than delaying investment until next year when their dollars would stretch ten percent further. Banking panics and the collapse of the world monetary system cast doubt on everyone's credit, and reinforced the belief that now was a time to watch and wait. The slide into the Depression, with increasing unemployment, falling production, and falling prices, continued throughout Herbert Hoover's Presidential term. There is no fully satisfactory explanation of why the Depression happened when it did. If such depressions were always a possibility in an unregulated capitalist economy, why weren't there two, three, many Great Depressions in the years before World War II? Milton Friedman and Anna Schwartz argued that the Depression was the consequence of an incredible sequence of blunders in monetary policy. But those controlling policy during the early 1930s thought they were following the same gold-standard rules of conduct as their predecessors. Were they wrong? If they were wrong, why did they think they were following in the footsteps of their predecessors? If they were not wrong, why was the Great Depression the only Great Depression? At its nadir, the Depression was collective insanity. Workers were idle because firms would not hire them to work their machines; firms would not hire workers to work machines because they saw no market for goods; and there was no market for goods because workers 2006-07-10T13:30:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-Policies-during-the-Great-Depression-30157.aspx Economic Crisis druing the French Revolution Economic Crisis druing the French Revolution A revolution can be described as a time when the masses, consisting of ordinary men and women, grow weary of the current political system and begin to take their lives and destinies into their own hands. Abraham Lincoln once commented about the masses under a political system that, “Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their revolutionary right to overthrow it.” This applies to many of the uprisings in history, but it is especially prevalent in the roots of the French Revolution. The distinct condition of the masses could be seen through the many eyes of France, and the various conditions posed on the Third Estate were the foundations for the French Revolution. Participation in the American Revolution and after King Louis XIV’s and Louis XVI’s enormous expenses, the country of France fell into much accumulated debt in the late 18th century. The effect left from the debt upon the country could be seen in its people. Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI, described a large portion of the masses when she wrote, “Tenderness and earnestness of the poor people, who, in spite of the taxes with which they are overwhelmed, were transported with joy at seeing us.” The upper class, therefore, set up large taxes to save get them out of debt. In order to save France from bankruptcy, Louis XVI called on the Estates General for help. The Estates General was made up of the First (clergy), Second (nobility), and Third (everyone else) Estate. However there was a lot of conflict within the Third Estate, because it was made up of everyone who was not part of the royal family, clergy, or nobility. The Third Estate was very unsatisfied because although it contained over 80 percent of the population, it still had the same one vote as the other two Estates with fewer people. When King Louis XVI came into power, he realized that these problems existed. At first he did not know what to do, until he found a man by the name of Robert Turgot. Described as “tactless, high-minded, impatient and touchy,” he had difficulties when he tried to introduce a major reform, that of taxing the nobles. After Turgot was rejected, the king fired him from his office. The taxing 2006-07-10T13:26:04-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Crisis-druing-the-French-Revolution-30156.aspx Examination of Modern Torture in China Examination of Modern Torture in China Introduction: In February 1995,Li Dexian, an evangelist from Guangzhou, was about to address a house-church meeting in Beixing township, near Huadu city in Guangdong, when police officers arrived. According to reports, they kicked him in the groin in front of the congregation, then took him to the police station where he was beaten with a heavy pole, jumped on and kicked by police officers until he started to vomit blood. When he asked why he was beaten, the police officers reportedly said that they had been given instructions from “higher up” to take action against “this form of religion.” One month later, police launched another raid on the monthly house-church meeting in Beixing township and again beat Li Dexian. The incident was witnessed by a visiting Australian Missionary. Chinese Torture is the severe punishment that the Chinese government is doing to mostly innocent people. Article five from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, states that everyone should have freedom from torture, and degrading treatment. Article 7 states that everyone should have his/her right to equality before the law. Article 9 says that every person should have freedom from arbitrary arrest, and exile. Article 12 declares that every person has his/her freedom from interference with privacy, family, home, and correspondence. The last Article is number 20. This pronounces that people should have the right of peaceful assembly and association. All these articles that are listed above, are all related to the topic of torture. Many people believe that humans have evolved to point at which they would not make one another suffer, but China has proven us wrong, and hundreds of people die each week in unimaginable ways. Background: Inhumane actions have occurred in China over thousands of years. Torture was considered an “Ancient Art.” It was used by the government for a long time to keep order in the nation. It was very severe and harsh, and according to a lot of cases, it is considered to be one of the most painful ways to punish people. There are a variety of different brutal Chinese tortures, for example, severe beating with fists or a variety of instruments and/or kicking. Another is the use of electric batons, which give powerful electric shocks. Some tortures, like using handcuffs, shackles or ropes to tie prisoners in ways which cause intense pain, are very slow and 2006-07-10T13:16:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Examination-of-Modern-Torture-in-China-30152.aspx A Historic Overview of the French Revolution A Historic Overview of the French Revolution The French Revolution brought about great changes in the society and government of France. The revolution, which lasted from 1789 to 1799, also had far-reaching effects on the rest of Europe. "It introduced democratic ideals to France but did not make the nation a democracy. However, it ended supreme rule by French kings and strengthened the middle class." (Durant, 12) After the revolution began, no European kings, nobles, or other members of the aristocracy could take their powers for granted or ignore the ideals of liberty and equality. The revolution began with a government financial crisis but quickly became a movement of reform and violent change. In one of the early events, a crowd in Paris captured the Bastille, a royal fortress and hated symbol of oppression. A series of elected legislatures then took control of the government. King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were executed. Thousands of others met the same fate in a period known as the Reign of Terror. The revolution ended when Napoleon Bonaparte, a French general, took over the government. At the beginning of the revolution, events seemed minor and proceeded in a logical fashion. One of the reasons the revolution originated was the discontent among the lower and middle classes in France. Law divided society divided in to three groups called estates. The first estate was made of up clergy; nobles comprised the second and the rest of the citizens, the third estate. The third estate resented certain advantages of the first two estates. The clergy and nobles did not have to pay most taxes. The third estate, especially the peasants, had to provide almost all the country's tax revenue. Many members of the middle class were also worried by their social status. They were among the most important people in French society but were not recognized as such because they belonged to the third estate. Financial crisis developed because the nation had gone deeply into debt to finance the Seven Years War (1756-1763) and the Revolutionary War (1775-1783)." (Burley, 22) The Parliament of Paris insisted that King Louis XVI could borrow more money or raise taxes only by calling a meeting of the States-General. The States-General was made up of representatives of the three estates, and had last met in 1614. Unwillingly, the king called the meeting. The States-General opened on May 5, 1789, at 2006-07-09T14:57:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Historic-Overview-of-the-French-Revolution-30142.aspx Introductory Analysis to the Theory of History Introductory Analysis to the Theory of History That history contains errors, will not come as news to a person who has reflected on the topic. The very first history, a Greek one, History of Herodotus, written around 450 BC, likely had quite a number of fictional details so as to effect its purpose.1 Those parts of our history which are suspected to be fiction are, at least, through research and comparison, salvageable. What, however, is possibly more disturbing than the realization that, in general and throughout, our history is wrong (a sub-topic which I shall treat to a greater extent further on, herein) is the realization that there are great gaps in it. We have failed to record and gather together the little human events which make up the fabric of history: it is little events, strung together and accumulated over time, which account for our place in history. Though it may have been, in certain of its parts, reconstructed incorrectly and small shards are missing here and there, history, by a well-read and descriptive author, like a Grecian urn, is a spectacle to behold; like man himself -- fascinating, seductive, intriguing, and spectacular. It maybe, that I, like most, enjoy looking in on, at a safe distance, the follies and misfortunes2 of his fellow man, a method to gratify the natural curiosity that most of us have about such things. History, written in a lively and descriptive manner as the best are, so to grip and hold the reader, have, veiled and concealed as it might be, a lesson or moral such that the reader might modify his view of the present and his forecast of the future. This, incidentally, is the principal reason that history ought to be at the core of any scheme of education. In this light, as John Morley observed, the actual twists and turns of the great historical happenings are not so important in themselves, "except as it enables me to see my way more clearly through what is happening to-day." While its primary allure is like that of gossip, history is important because it is the story of the collective self, the story of passionate man. Fiction, coming as it does from the imagination of some fellow human being, does not have the same attraction, at least, not for me, simply because it is not true. What I need from my reading is 2006-07-09T14:20:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Introductory-Analysis-to-the-Theory-of-History-30125.aspx Analysis of Alexander II's Achievements in Russia Analysis of Alexander II's Achievements in Russia As an autocrat, Alexander II recognized it as his duty to rectify a system that had manifestly failed Russia (in the Crimea as well as at home), yet he was uncertain how best to go about the task. Following the war political prisoners were released, censorship was relaxed, tax arrears were cancelled, serfdom was abolished and some of the liberties of Poland and of the Catholic Church were restored. The Crimean war had also illustrated faults in the social and governmental system of Russia which Alexander tried to correct by instigating a number of reforms which were motivated by a desire to strengthen the autocracy. Alexander II marked the opening of a period of reform in Russian politics and social issues, in which such reforms were to have implications for the future of Russia. “Existing order of serfdom cannot remain unchanged. It is better to abolish it from above than to wait for the time when it will begin to abolish itself from below” This speech was given by Alexander to the nobility of Moscow in April 1856, and was to be the introduction of arguably the grandest social reform of the19th century in Russia. The Emancipation of Serfs was introduced five years after the speech above and ultimately granted the serfs their personal freedom over a period of two years, and the land which they had previously worked. However domestic serfs who did not work the land were not entitled to land which created further hostility. For state peasants the period of transition to freedom was five years. The landowners were not expected to surrender land freely, in compensation for the land that they transferred to the peasants they received payment in the form of government bonds. To recoup their losses the government charged peasants ‘redemption dues’ in the form of regular repayments over a period of 49 years. This had considerable impacts on the population, firstly the process was slow, dictated by the needs of the individual landowner, secondly, the land settlement made upon the ex-serfs was usually un-satisfactory. The areas granted to them were often too small, and they were charged sometimes nearly three times the value of the land obtained with added pressure of ‘redemption payments’ foreshadowing an unhappy ‘freedom’. Further administrative reform was needed as a consequence to the emancipation of serfs, this 2006-07-09T14:09:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Alexander-II-s-Achievements-in-Russia-30121.aspx Important Moments in John F. Kennedy's Presidency Important Moments in John F. Kennedy's Presidency Ask not what your country can do for you - Ask what you can do for your country." John F. Kennedy spoke these words in his inauguration speech on January 20th, 1961 in reference to the Peace Corps he created. (Peace Corps begins as a call to serve, page 1) John F. Kennedy sometimes is remembered as a very hard workingman who worked for his country and but yet as a man who made time to spend with him family. (Biography of John F. Kennedy, page 4-7) While he served the United States of America as president, John F. Kennedy handled the Cuban Missile Crisis, established the Peace Corps, and set the foundation for the U.S.A. to send a man to the moon. “Good evening, my fellow citizens: - This Government, as promised, has maintained the closest surveillance of the Soviet military buildup on the island of Cuba.”(Cuban Missile Crisis, P1) To completely understand that statement, one needs to understand what happened during the time that spanned just one week in October 1962. The United States came closer to engaging in nuclear war than at any other time in her history. This period has come to be known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. It occurred after the United States learned that the U.S.S.R. had secretly assisted Cuba in placing missiles and their associated launch sites on Cuban soil, which could potentially be used to attack the United States. The swift and deliberate actions of President John F. Kennedy helped to abate this crisis and to temporarily ease the tensions of the Cold War once again between the United States and the U.S.S.R. (Full Length synopsis of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Pages 1 – 9) Sometimes I wonder what the world be like if Kennedy didn’t handle the Cuban Missile Crisis like he did. On October 22, 1962 John F. Kennedy gave a speech to the nation. In this speech he informed the American public of what was going on and he also advised the Cubans they were “puppets and agents of an international conspiracy which has turned Cuba against its friends and neighbors in the Americas.” (Cuban Missile Crisis, pages 1 – 5) On the day JFK gave this speech there were ships from the U.S.S.R. 2006-07-09T13:41:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Important-Moments-in-John-F_-Kennedy-s-Presidency-30110.aspx George Washington; the Most Important Founding Father George Washington; the Most Important Founding Father This is a question that inevitably arises in the mind of anyone who studies, even on a casual basis, the founding of our nation. Washington lived and worked with brilliant philosophers, thinkers, writers, orators and organizers, such as Franklin, Mason, John and Sam Adams, Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Hamilton, Madison, Dickinson, the Randolphs and the Lees, almost all of whom were far better educated than he. Yet at the three major junctions in the founding of the nation, the Revolution, the Constitutional Convention and the selection of the first President, for each position the leader chosen was George Washington. In his own day he was seen as the indispensable man, the American Moses, The Father of the Country. Why? His contemporaries and subsequent commentators have enumerated many factors that entered into the selection by his peers for these three strategically important positions: physical size and presence, charisma, energy, multi-faceted experiences, charm, courage, character, temperament, being a Virginian, wealth, ambition, his reputation as a stalwart patriot and, especially after the Revolution, the regard, admiration and affection of the populace at all levels of society. The most commonly cited characteristic given for his emergence as the supreme leader is his character. The most infrequently cited, as far as I have observed, are his intelligence and his ideas. The overall impression that many people have today, therefore, is that while Washington was a person of the highest moral character, he did not posses a first rate intelligence and he got most of his ideas from others, such as Franklin, Mason, Henry, Jefferson, Hamilton and Madison. A factual understanding of their respective ages relative to Washington and the dates on which his views were known would prove the fallacy of the assumption that Washington was intellectually dependent upon any of them or anyone else. I want to suggest and argue that Washington was chosen for these leadership roles because of his character and also because of his being a genius in the area of leadership. They trusted him because he had demonstrated a noble and incorruptible character and he had also shown himself to be an exceptional leader. In the remainder of my presentation I shall, first, briefly outline the characteristics of a highly effective leader, second, illustrate Washington's genius as a leader in his roles as commander in chief of the Continental Army, president 2006-07-09T13:34:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/George-Washington-the-Most-Important-Founding-Father-30107.aspx The Origins of Mathematics from the Ancient Empires The Origins of Mathematics from the Ancient Empires I. A Cultural Perspective Mathematics, aptly named “the queen and handmaiden of the sciences”, is for us the quintessential expression of the scientific worldview. As we learn, our conception of mathematics grows and changes, with the distillation of millennia of human effort to conceptualize the abstract added in layers. It is as difficult for us to gain a perspective on our view of mathematics as it is for us to see beyond any other aspect of our worldview. But fantasy affords us the opportunity to speculate on how things might be different. In this article, we shall use the techniques of mathematical historians to elaborate upon M.A.R. Barker’s descriptions of Tsolyáni mathematics, as well as to speculate, by way of comparison to our own mathematics, on what hidden knowledge their higher adepts might possess. II. Number Bases We know from Swords & Glory, vol. I (Sec. 1.1010) that The Five Empires base their mathematics upon the decimal [base 10] system. “Zero” is employed, but the decimal point remains to be discovered. The remains of the old vigesimal [base 20] number system of the Bednalljans (and possibly the Llyani) can still be seen in the 20 Qirgal it takes to make up a Hlash, and the 20 Hlash which constitute a Kaitar. A few of the smaller states and some of the nonhuman races employ other arrangements: e.g. the Shén, whose units are founded upon sevens; the Urunén, who use fours, etc. The simplest system of all is attributed to the Dlo tribe of eastern Rannalu, whose numbers consist of just, “One, two, three--many...” The first thing we note is that with the exception of the Dlo, all these systems are positional number systems, with a separate character for each digit, and the value of a digit in a number determined by its position. For a contrast, consider the number system of the Romans. The number-symbols in a number written in Roman numerals are in order from largest to smallest, but position does not determine the value of a digit: different symbols are used for larger quantities, meaning that a new symbol must be added to the system to extend it by even a single order of magnitude. In a fully positional system, arithmetic is far easier, and large 2006-07-07T13:42:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Origins-of-Mathematics-from-the-Ancient-Empires-30097.aspx Downsides to Humanity caused by the Industrial Revolution Downsides to Humanity caused by the Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was a period in history when mankind found innovative and efficient ways of producing goods, manufacturing services and creating new methods of transportation. This not only revolutionized the way the market system functioned, but also changed the way people perceived their status in society and what they required as basic necessities. However, the price that humanity was forced to pay for the emergence of the Industrial Revolution greatly outweighed the rewards that it brought alongside its origin. Prior to the Industrial Age, the Western European market operated on a simple "putting-out" system. The average producer was able to manufacture a product in the same area that he or she lived on and the demand for that product was usually set by a few local consumers. The process was easy and simple, provided that the product being created was always required by someone else. However, the invention of Machinery and all of its accompanying peripherals allowed producers to start manufacturing on a mass scale. With factories placed in central locations of the townships (known as centralization), the previous system was dismantled and categorized into steps. No longer would one person be required to build, market or transport their product since the new system introduced the art of specialization. Specialization allowed a person to perform a single task and guarantee them wages as a source of income. However, as wonderful as this might seem, this new system led to the emergence of a n working class (proletariat) and forced them to depend on market conditions in order to survive as producers. Although seemingly content at first, those who became employed by these factories were immediately subjected to deplorable conditions. Arnold Toynbee made a scholarly assessment of this new wave of Socio-economic behavior and concluded that the working class is suffering due to a series of hardships that make their lives miserable. He cited low wages, long hours, unsafe conditions, no provisions for old age, a discipline determined by machine and whole families being left with a low income rate as being a recurring problem that exploited the integrity and efficiency of Industrialization. This subsequently led to a period of "depersonalization" which meant that the employer-employee relationship was deteriorating in exchange for this new system. No longer could a worker befriend his boss or maintain a stable friendship since the divisions between their 2006-07-07T13:37:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Downsides-to-Humanity-caused-by-the-Industrial-Revolution-30096.aspx Ethnographic Histroy of Native American Peoples Ethnographic Histroy of Native American Peoples Before the white man the story of Iroquois Indians began long before the white explorers, traders, and settlers reached the shores of the New World. The Iroquois originally lived in some unknown part of the North America. According to legend, these Indians were instructed by the Great Spirit to move into the Northeast. There they carved a territory for themselves in the middle of a rival group of Indians, the Algonquin’s. The Iroquois settled in beautiful and rich lands of northern New York State. We know this territory today as the area surrounding Lake Ontario, the Five Finger Lakes, and the Saint Lawrence River. The lakes and rivers provided abundant fish, thick woods offered game of many kinds. It was an ideal location but the Iroquois had to fight their neighbors to maintain this new homeland. Fighting became a way of life for the Iroquois in those centuries before the arrival of the white man. In fact the word “Iroquois” is the Algonquin word meaning “rattlesnake”. That name tells how the enemy viewed the Iroquois. The Iroquois called themselves “Hodenosaunee” (Ho-de-no-saw-ne), meaning “ the people of the long house”. The Iroquois Indians are not one tribe but several; the group includes the Mohawk, the Seneca, the Onondaga, the Oneida, and the Cayuga tribes. Today these names mark well-known areas of the New York and the northeast. The Iroquois became a Nation of the six tribes after 1715 when the Tuscarora Indians relocated from the south to join them. The Iroquois Indians were constantly fighting; they fought to defend themselves from their enemies. They fought to gain more land or more power. They also fought to avenge themselves in intertribal feuds; they fought as often with each other as they did with unrelated tribes. The Seneca and the Mohawk tribes were the fiercest among the Iroquois Nation. Their warriors conducted many raids upon other Iroquois tribes as well as upon the rival Algonquin and the Huron. As raiders they could approach like foxes, fight like lions, and disappear like birds. They were masters of the silent ambush in the woods. The League of the Iroquois Nation after centuries of continuous family warfare, the Iroquois were finally united in a “great 2006-07-07T13:32:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ethnographic-Histroy-of-Native-American-Peoples-30094.aspx Complete History of Prohibition in the United States Complete History of Prohibition in the United States Prohibition led to the bootlegging of liquor and the gang wars of the 1920’s. The most notorious gangster of all time, known as Al Capone, was the most powerful mob leader of his era. He dominated organized crime in the Chicago area from 1925 until 1931 Capone had liked that idea. Later that year the Prohibition act came into affect and Capone became interested in selling illegal whiskey and other alcoholic beverages. Al Capone was America's best known gangster and greatest symbol of destruction of law and order in the United States during the Prohibition era because of his leading role in the illegal activities which gave Chicago its reputation as a lawless city. Capone’s network came through Torrio’s business. Capone and Torrio took over his uncles business after his uncle died (Haller, 358). Torrio’s uncle did not agree with Capone’s idea in the first place. His uncle was shot by his rival, which gave the business to Torrio. They both created the selling of illegal alcohol in the city of Chicago (Haller 359). This impacted the U.S. because it gave many men and women beverages for their needs. Capone developed contacts to obtain imported liquor from Detroit, New York, and Miami (Haller 360). These purchases gave Capone power and wealth because he sold alcohol all over Chicago. After Torrio was shot and almost killed by a rival gang, he retired from the underworld, which left Capone to run the organization alone (World Biography). Now Capone was on the top of his organization and at the age of 26, he was managing more than 1,000 employees, which included a payroll of more than $300,000 a week (World Biography). Capone demanded loyalty from all of his employees. During this time Capone became so rich he gave out free food for Chicago’s unemployed which made him look like a good influence. Unemployed people did not care that the money he gave them was made illegally, to them money was money. Capone also supplied booze to the poor. “Even though bootlegging was illegal at this point in time, if you got people alcohol, you were respected by the community”(Kobler). People were in the depression at the time, and they were fortunate enough just to receive a little something even though it came from bootlegging. In a way Capone also made another contribution. 2006-07-07T13:28:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Complete-History-of-Prohibition-in-the-United-States-30093.aspx Economic Hardships of America in the Thirties Economic Hardships of America in the Thirties It was a terrible time for the people in the United States' Great Plains when a seemingly endless drought followed excessive plowing of the soil and caused the earth to let loose it's hold on it's very skin. The stripped red soil boiled up into the air, infiltrating every crevice it could find, inanimate or alive. The Dream Wheat was a treasure crop in the 1920s. With more and more farmers owning tractors and combines they were seeing greater yields and profits than ever before. As a result they planted more wheat, and still more wheat. They expected the world market to continue buying it up as they had in the first few years of rapid production. 1931 saw record wheat crops and profits. Things were looking good. The Market Over Flow The market became glutted with wheat and prices plummeted in July of 1931. Farmers who made 68 cents a bushel in July 1930 made scarcely 25 cents a bushel a year later. Many farmers went broke and abandoned their fields all across the region. Throughout the decade people would be starved out of their homes. John Steinbeck's novel, "The Grapes Of Wrath" was published in 1939 and offers a vivid description of this desperate time. “And then the dispossessed were drawn west- from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico; from Nevada and Arkansas, families, tribes, dusted out, tractored out. Car-loads, caravans, homeless and hungry; twenty thousand and fifty thousand and a hundred thousand and two hundred thousand." John Steinbeck, "The Grapes Of Wrath". The Ruined Land The other part of the problem was that the grasslands were considered worthless and were plowed under so that farmers could grow rich off of wheat. But it turned out that the roots of those scrappy dried out plains grasses were all that was holding the earth together. Without their established root systems firm in the soil, the fierce Midwestern winds blew the dirt right out of the ground. More and more farmers deserted the region, unable to carry on. The Weather As fate would have it, the weather turned crazy on the farmers that remained. The skies opened up and dumped tons of water on the plains, washing people out of their homesteads. As soon as it got through raining, the dirt blew in, 2006-07-07T13:20:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Hardships-of-America-in-the-Thirties-30088.aspx Examining the Ivevitability of the Atom Bomb Examining the Ivevitability of the Atom Bomb The date is August 2nd, 1939. Physicist Albert Einstein has just completed the first of a series of five letters to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In it he urges Roosevelt to support research toward the construction of an “extremely powerful” bomb. “A single bomb of this type, carried by boat and exploded in a port, might very well destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding territory. However, such bombs might very well prove to be too heavy for transportation by air.” Albert and his colleagues vastly underestimated the power and magnitude of the weapons they were to create. The world had never seen anything as awesome as the bomb’s destructive endowment on loan from God. The Japanese could never have predicted what fate held for them. Predictability, however, is different than inevitability. The bomb was destined to be fabricated by some country, at some time. The Germans and French were leading the way, in a mad race to be the first to create nuclear devices. Germany was especially desperate towards the end of the war, the bomb being their last result. The question was when, where, and most importantly, how big. Roosevelt did not catch on to the race until the U.S. was sucked into the war. He then approved the Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project was the effort to develop, test, and deploy a weapon of mass destruction. FDR never lived long enough to see the disposition of the new implement of war. Japan was never a country to surrender easily. On Iwo Jima, less than 1,000 of the 22,000 Japanese defenders survived. They took their oath to heart, their oath to kill 10 United States Marines before they die, the same way they kill “snakes” in their homes. They took this to heart. Iwo Jima was an 8 square mile pile of ash, hardly something most people would so dearly fight. Now, imagine the threat of the infamous Marines landing on the homeland. It was ungodly to think of this happening, but it was not preventable. The U.S. estimated at least 1,000,000 American lives would be lost in the conquest. The Japanese would obviously fight harder than the previous “kill 10 before be killed” philosophy, but 2006-07-07T13:06:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Examining-the-Ivevitability-of-the-Atom-Bomb-30082.aspx Justification of the Atom Bombs of World War II Justification of the Atom Bombs of World War II On August 6th, 1945 the world's first atom bomb was dropped on the Japanese City of Hiroshima. The Atom bomb was dropped by an American B-29 bomber. The atom bomb was described by a Japanese journalist as a glaring pink light in the sky that burn peoples eyes out. Anyone within a mile of the explosion from the atom bomb became a bundle of smoking black charcoal within seconds. About 90,000-140,000 people were killed those who where still alive writhed in agony from their burns. The atom bomb obliterated more than 10 sq km/4 sq mi and there was very heavy damage outside that area. Three days later the USA dropped another atom bomb on Nagaski. About 60,000-80,000 people were killed by this atom bomb. On August 14 Japan surrendered and World War II was finally over. When Harry Truman the American president heard of the bombing he said "This is the greatest thing in history". But even now people are still dying of the effects of the Atomic Bomb. These effects are so awful it is necessary to ask the question "Why did they drop the bomb?" when the war was so nearly over. The Americans had pushed Japan out of all the land they had occupied in the Pacific region. In Europe Hitler was defeated. So why did the Americans drop the bomb. Here are some reasons that I can think of. • The Americans believed Japan would never surrender. If the bomb had not been dropped thousands of American lifes could have been lost in an invasion of Japan • The Bomb had cost a lot of money to develop and the Americans wanted to use it. The bomb cost $200 million. It would have been difficult to justify not using after such as vast financial investment • The Japanese had been very cruel to prisoners of War. Some Americans thought they deserved to be taught a lesson. • It was used to show the USA's military superiority to the USSR Truman's Announcement on Hiroshima Announcement on Hiroshima August 6, 1945 Sixteen hours ago an American airplane dropped on bomb on Hiroshima, an important Japanese Army base. That bomb had more power than 20,000 tons of T.N.T. It had more than two thousand times the blast power of the British "Grand Slam" which is the largest 2006-07-07T12:31:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Justification-of-the-Atom-Bombs-of-World-War-II-30070.aspx Reasons for and Results from the Panama Canal Reasons for and Results from the Panama Canal After the war with Spain at Cuba, the United Stats realized that a faster route was necessary in order to deploy its warships from Pacific Ocean to Atlantic Ocean. It was because the warships in Pacific Ocean had to take a detour around Cape Horn, which is located at the extreme South end of South America, in order to go to the sea area of Cuba. The total distance amounted to 224,000 kilometers, and this great distance caused great amount of wasted time during the war. (www.panacanal.com/english/geographic) Panama Canal was the result of the United State’s hard thinking. Despite all kinds of enormous difficulties, the Unites States built Panama Canal, for a specific military advantage, but it brought significant military and economic advantages to the United States. Panama Canal was first thought of by England. The United States perceived England’s intensions. In 1850, the United States made an agreement with England. First, the Agreement said that in order to construct a canal, which crosses Central America, they agreement said that in order to construct a canal, which crosses Central America, they should agree in advance. Second, they cannot convert the constructed canal into a military fort. The intention of the United States was to block England, but when England gave up on the idea of constructing the canal, the agreement in 1850 became a big block to the United States (Behind of Panama Canal, p.163). At this time, England made a proposal. England was having hard battle in South America. England proposed that the United States should be allied with it in exchange for allowing the United States to build a military fort in Panama. Because the United States did not have to involve in the war directly, it had no reason to refuse England’s offer. As a result, in 1901, the United States made an agreement with England. The United States could build the canal independently, but the canal should be open to all countries equally. This agreement allowed the United States to build military fort in Panama. The United States overcame the obstacle called England, but now Columbia, the real owner of the canal site, came as a new obstacle. The situation at that time was that Columbia gave the monopoly of constructing Panama Canal to Ferdinand Lesseps, who had build Suez canal. In 1990, he already undertook the construction of 2006-07-06T00:01:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Reasons-for-and-Results-from-the-Panama-Canal-30062.aspx Popular Reasons for Historic American Immagration Popular Reasons for Historic American Immagration As 17th century England and much of the rest of the world grew and advanced, many people started to notice problems. As a result, they started to immigrate to the New World, America. The three main reasons people came to America were because it offered a better economical situation, some were flat out forced to, and for religious freedom and tolerance. The first reason many people immigrated to America was because they saw America as a place that offered many economical advantages. As William Penn said in Document 2, America was a place where “labor will be worth more than it is in England…”. This meant that for those who weren't receiving good wages for their work could come to America and make more money doing the same job. Also, for those who were living in complete poverty in England, America enticed them, through the use of the Headright System, with land, as mentioned in Document 5, for all new immigrants. This offered people the chance at a completely fresh start and the possibility of making a good life for themselves. Of course, not everyone came to America willingly. Many of those who made the journey to America were slaves from Africa who were forced to come. In the early years of settlement, many people had indentured servants to work for them. These indentured servants were from Europe but couldn’t afford to pay for the trip, so in return for the voyage, food, and shelter upon arrival, they worked as a form of payment. Eventually, all the servants became free and the owners had to find a new means of labor. Therefore, they emigrated slaves from Africa to work for them and effectively perform all the needed labor for a very small price. In Document 1, a slave talks about being taken from Africa saying, “…After being marched to the seacoast…I was put under the decks.” Finally, one of the biggest reason people came to America was religion. They were in search of both religious freedom and tolerance. For example, the Puritans came to America to escape the Church of England, which, to them, was influenced too much by Catholicism. As a result, they left for America in order to, as explained in Document 4, live a pure 2006-07-05T23:59:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Popular-Reasons-for-Historic-American-Immagration-30061.aspx Canada's Homefront During World War I Canada's Homefront During World War I During the heroicness and many tragedies World War I brought, Canada strived to pursuade pleasure and entertainment. People had to pick up their lives and either decide to move on or be swallowed into the orifices of what was happening nearly half-way across the planet. Aside from the mourning and the grieving, Canada decided they would have to provide their forces with an equitable supply of resources such as food, water, and for many, a means of entertainment, to help them regain a sense of home. Choosing this path would mean more workers would be required. But since most men [persons] were battling in Europe, businesses were forced to incorporate women, which many were opposed to. Aside from the discrimination, women were accepted, and filled the jobs that were previously run by men. Many organizations were eventually formed to help support Canadian soldiers. Some of these groups were: Red Cross, The Good Government Club of Windosor, and the Universal Black Cross Nurses. Aside from the support they offered the soldiers, these groups helped cross the 'Men's Society' barrier by allowing women to get together and produce equipment, ammo, clothing, and food. Some were given a salary and this began to form the 'average woman' in the workplace. This process, is what kept Canada's economy moving. Without the men, many thought Canada's economy would eventually go down under, especially with a 'typical' inexperienced women taking the jobs of men. Instead, the economy became very profitable and prosperous. A major business that contributed a great deal to Canada's ever so 'fast-paced' economy included shell and ammunition manufacturers. As the barrier of discrimination against women and the glass ceiling slowly fell, the rate of employed women increased. At the same time though, many women working in facilities that supplied shells and other dangerous explosives were under a great amount of tension and pressure. Many would fear that working in such a field proposed two risks: 1. Being a target for enemy forces 2. Dealing with a defected arsenal. These threats were taken seriously by many. The fact that a defected shell may end up injuring or even bringing death to a Canadian soldier would make many question whether they were willing to keep this job or not. Some, had no choice. Although this may have been quite a prosperous time for the economy, 2006-07-05T23:09:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Canada-s-Homefront-During-World-War-I-30042.aspx The Importance of Declaring Independence in America The Importance of Declaring Independence in America From the day a child is born, the separation process begins. A child craves independence and grows strong because of it. You do your children a disservice if you think it is nice and kind to do everything for them. We all need a helping hand at times, but we the children need a hand that shows us how to take care of themselves. Perhaps it is your heritage, but people in this country have never been satisfied with dependence. The colonists started a revolution in order to gain independence. Cultural or human nature we your children expect independence as well. When parents teach a child to be independent and self-reliant they gain the child's appreciation respect and love. When parents try to do everything for a child in hopes of gaining the child's love and gratitude they produce a dependent child filled with resentment, anger, and hostility. I know this is a difficult concept for some parents to accept. They enjoy doing for their young children. A child who is dependent stays close and even learns to let the parent do everything. Besides doing for these parents also try to absorb the consequences of real life for their child. They would rather help than see the child suffer the consequences of the child's own behavior."I'll do it for you. I'll make it better this time." Of course there will always be another time. The we will either choose to be dependent and will remain so forever or the we will struggle and fight for power over our own life, often excluding the parents. By elementary school years, you the parents will begin to see this disaster of their own making. The problems become intense by teenage years. Parents can be faced with irresponsible teen, an emotionally detached teen, or a teen in rebellion. The solution: Avoid the problem of dependency by training for independence. • Step One: Let us make choices and hold us accountable for our choice. When we are allowed to make choices, we must also be allowed to experience the consequences of our choice. If we choose a hamburger and wish we had the chicken nuggets instead we can then choose to eat the hamburger or go hungry. It's a valid choice. If we choose not to wear a sweater, let us be cold. It won't hurt us and 2006-07-05T22:40:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Importance-of-Declaring-Independence-in-America-30032.aspx History of Great American Business History of Great American Business America is a society that has grown from the roots of money. Its entire history is evidence of this fact. During the course of its existence, great concentrations of wealth have been accumulated. To criticize these billionaires, tarnish their success, labels like “robber barons” have been used. These denigration serves only as proof of their success. Contrarily, these businessmen were captains of business, industrial statesmen and pillars of society who led industrialization and are responsible for creating the enormous riches of the United States of America. The American colonies were formed as business ventures by the British. Of course, they needed settlers, who were mostly Europeans seeking political, religious and economic freedom. The most important freedom was economic, for the British who already had it rarely worried about the religious and political. America was a society of money from day one. The basis of civilization is money, because money makes it possible to eat and to be sheltered, the basic needs of man. In any society with a currency, it is a given that some will handle their capital more responsibly than others. This success has become the American Dream, because it is possible. Capitalism is the system that has blossomed, because it a system that takes care of itself. Merit is rewarded with wealth, and with wealth comes class. So, of course, it is a class society as well as a meritocracy. What separates capitalism from feudalism is the presence of opportunity. It is this opportunity that is valued and is vital to the growth of the economy. Opportunity is what created the wealth of the so-called robber barons. This tag has been given to a handful of men, mostly from the 19th and early 20th centuries. They have been called ruthless and immoral, but on the other hand they were the men that led the industrial revolution. Some led the economic success of the nation, some were embarrassing side effects, but nevertheless, they cannot all be painted with the same brush. John D. Rockefeller was probably the most successful of the bunch. The visionary behind the Standard Oil empire, he built a horizontally integrated company, meaning it saw his oil through every stage of production – extraction, refining, etc. He believed in a harsh and ruthless business style, believing that it was the only way to survive in the Social Darwinist 2006-07-05T22:37:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-Great-American-Business-30030.aspx Studying Causes and Effects of the Cold War Studying Causes and Effects of the Cold War In 1945, after World War II, there was an end to the alliance between the United States, Britain, and the USSR. If all of this hadn’t been a problem, a rivalry between communist and capitalist societies had led to what is known today as The Cold War. It has been known to this day that The Cold War not only had many causes but also had many effects. Free society would have called this war World War III, but instead they used a fancy-pants name “cold war”. It was called The Cold War, because it didn’t actually lead up to armed or “hot” conflict (as they would put it), it just kind of led away from using weapons. At the end of World War II, Germany was divided into four sections of occupations that were controlled by Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States. A lack of agreement on Germany to be unified marked the beginning of the Cold War. The Cold War was the most important political issue of the postwar period. As the Cold War came to a halt, the United States experienced phenomenal economic growth. The measure of goods and services produced jumped from $200 thousand million in 1940 to more than $500 thousand million in 1960. After this enormous jump in economy more and more Americans were considering themselves middle class people. Starting from just after World War II and continuing to what is known as the end of The Cold War; will show how it resulted from tension between communist and capitalist societies. Going into detail with each known cause of the war will give you the chance to experience The Cold War in your mind so to speak. Democracy Vs. Communism, Nationalism, Arms Race, Space Race, The Berlin Wall, and The Cuban Missile Crisis; are known causes of this war. Communists thought of democracy as an evil system. They thought the only correct path was communism and that it should be brought out throughout the whole world. In the west, they believed that World War II was a fight for this evil system known as democracy and they weren’t going to let it be over looked upon. The west hated the thought of communism 2006-07-04T16:11:15-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Studying-Causes-and-Effects-of-the-Cold-War-29994.aspx Sitting Bull of the Teton Sioux Indians Sitting Bull of the Teton Sioux Indians Sitting Bull (1834?-1890) was a famous medicine man and leader of the Hunkpapa band of the Teton Sioux Indians. Many people think that he was the leader of the Indians at the battle of the Little Bighorn, on June 25, 1876, in which Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer died. Actually, Sitting Bull acted only as the leading medicine man in the preparations for the battle. The year before, he had received a vision that all his enemies would be delivered into his hands. In the spring of 1876, Sitting Bull led a sun dance at which he told the Indians to change their way of fighting. Instead of showing off to prove their bravery, they should 2006-07-04T15:54:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sitting-Bull-of-the-Teton-Sioux-Indians-29986.aspx The Age of Exploration in Spain The Age of Exploration in Spain The age of exploration was one that flourished in new discoveries of new lands, and resources. Many countries had a lasting effect on this era of time. Perhaps the most influential was Spain. Spain was the beginning point for many famous explorers including Columbus, Pizzarro, and Cortes. All three greatly influenced the exploration age. Of the three explorers, Columbus was the first to embark on his voyage. In 1492, the sea captain, Christopher Columbus, set off for Asia, to find the luxuries many talked of. The spices, silks, and other raw materials prompted Columbus to sail west and find an alternate trade route to Asia and its riches. However Columbus never reached his destination. Instead, he landed on one of the Caribbean lands. Since these lands were unheard of, Columbus assumed he had reached the East Indies when he reached land. Remarkably, he named the native people of the islands “los indios”, a term translating to “Indians”, a term mistakenly applied to all the peoples of the Americas. Columbus named the land San Salvador, or “Holy Savior” and claimed the land for Spain. In search of gold, he looked all over the Caribbean islands, however in early 1493, he returned home with not much wealth. Spain’s rulers agreed to finance three more trips. After the voyages, he had claimed land all inside and on the cost of the Americas. Columbus was so vital in the age of exploration, because his giant mistake, of landing on the Americas and not the East Indies, is what started a great search of unclaimed lands by many other European explorers. Also, if Columbus hadn’t found the Americas, we may not be here today! The next explorer of the three to commence his voyage was Hernando Cortes. Cortes landed on the shores of Mexico and marched inland, looking to claim new lands for Spain. Cortes was also in search of something more. The tribe and lands that he had heard rumor of, of the wealthy Aztecs. He marched and marched through many rough mountain passes until finally, Cortes and his fleet of 600 men, reached the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. The Aztec leader, Montezuma II, first thought Cortes to be an armored god, so he naturally offered him gifts if 2006-07-04T13:44:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Age-of-Exploration-in-Spain-29980.aspx Trends of Nationalism in 20th Century Europe Trends of Nationalism in 20th Century Europe The development of modern nationalism is often dated to the French Revolution Era. Since that time and throughout history, nationalism has been motivated by a variety of different factors, bringing much change to regions or nations. There are also many cause and effects that contribute to nationalism. Throughout history, there have been many causes of nationalism. One cause due to nationalism was Revolutionaries. Mazzini tried to get unification in Italy but failed not because of the weakness of Italian spirit but because revolutionary efforts were misguided. Mazzini also guaranteed that a republican Italian should offer to the people is to form a free and equal community of brothers. Another way is through Pride. Pride is shown by nationalism and the development of nation-states help to unify the people by the school systems (national patriotism). By laws, courts, taxes becoming increasingly national, rather than local and provincial. They conditioned to be interested in their nation, their nation-state, needs, and aspirations. They responded enthusiastically. The final way is by Common Language. The Danish War in 1864, The Austro- Prussian War of 1866, and the Franco- Prussian War of 1871 all had the same common language, customs, race, and also historic traditions. Throughout history, there have been many effects that contribute to nationalism. One effect was through war. An image in which Bismarck presented himself to the people was to not take any garbage, and to settle what had to be settled. Bismarck thought it was necessary for the unification of Germany was through blood and iron, which was also a speech he gave, which was WAR. Another effect was unification. Humboldt said that Germany’s feeling for unity was not to depend on the memory of customs, language and literature. It depends on the memory of rights and liberties enjoyed and dangers suffered. Some methods that Humboldt suggested to unify Germany were to make a real constitution or a mere confederation. A constitution is undeniably better than a confederation. It is also more impressive, more binding, and longer lasting. Another way was through superiority. Adolf Hitler who was a dictator wanted to establish a state or nation because he wants to recognize who is higher and lesser in value and feels the most obligated. Throughout history, there are many causes and effects that contribute to nationalism. The ways through causes were revolutionaries, pride, and common language. And 2006-07-04T13:33:44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Trends-of-Nationalism-in-20th-Century-Europe-29976.aspx Comparing the Governments between England and the Colonies Comparing the Governments between England and the Colonies Between the settlement of Jamestown in 1607 and the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the most important change that occurred in the colonies was the evolution of a society quite different from that in England. Changes in religion, economics, politics, and social structure illustrate this Americanization of the transplanted Europeans. By 1763 although some colonies still maintained established churches, other colonies had accomplished a virtual revolution for religious toleration and separation of church and state. The British, after many years of religious revolution had established the Anglican Church. In which the king of England was the head of this church. This resulted in almost no separation of church and state. There were several colonies that had the state and the church separate. One state is Rhode Island; which being a prime example of a state with religious toleration because of it being founded by an outcast of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The founder decided that Rhode Island would be a haven for thinkers and other religions and such. Another state with some religious freedom was Connecticut, which gave us the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. The cause of this difference was that most of the colonist had fled to the colonies to escape religious persecution. In fact they almost had a majority rule, therefore they did not want a powerful church to suppress or persecute them here in the new world. So they hacked the power of the church and made sure it stayed out of government affairs. In a similar economic revolution, the colonies outgrew their mercantile relationship with the mother country and developed an expanding capitalist system of their own. With Britain's confidence on the mercantile system, it rubbed off on most of the colonies. They wanted to be self sufficient so that they would not have to resort on help from other countries. The Southern colonies for example relied heavily on trade with England. This was caused by the geography in the south, because it was mostly a tidewater region. This allowed ships to sail deep within the south. Therefore cotton from Georgia was sent across to England, then it was made into thread or such. It was then sent back to the colonies were it was to be made into various items. Due to the geographic location of the northern colonies, they developed a trade system 2006-07-03T23:13:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparing-the-Governments-between-England-and-the-Colonies-29953.aspx History Around the Russian Launch of Sputnik History Around the Russian Launch of Sputnik The launch of the Russian satellite Sputnik on October 4th, 1957 had a profound influence on both American and Russian culture, ranging from the inception of the space race to the mass hysteria the ensued in America afterwards. Sputnik was the product of massive amounts of money and research poured into a missile and satellite program by both the American and Soviet governments. Even though The soviet union might have been the first country to put a satellite into space, this does not necessarily mean that they were ahead in the overall space race, despite this, Sputnik was seen to Americans as an almost cretin symbol of doom and Soviet supremacy. To the American people science and technology has always been a symbol of democratic stability and military strength. Knowledge is power. The forefathers of our country were almost entirely philosophers or scientists. Characters come to mind like John Quincy Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who where philosophers, and one of our strongest national figures, Benjamin Franklin, was an avid inventor. From the Inception of some of the first national universities to the launch of the Louis and Clark expedition, scientific progress is value imbedded in the national conciseness. (Killian, 1977,p.45) Science has always been important to that American people, but it was the onset of both of the world wars that made it so ultimately important. In 1941 President Roosevelt approved the establishment of the National Defense Research Committee, and one year later he created the Office oh Scientific Research and development. He was prompted to do this by the war looming in the nations future and the need to be prepared if the US would have to fight. (Killian, 1977,p.47) In the spring of 1950, a group of American scientists led by James van Allen met in Silver Springs, Maryland to discuss the possibility of an international scientific program to study the upper atmosphere and outer space via sounding rockets, balloons, and ground observations. Strong support from Western European scientists allowed the idea to expand into a worldwide program timed to coincide with a period of intense solar activity, 1 July 1957 to 31 December 1958. The participants named this period the International Geophysical Year (IGY) and created the Comité speciale de l'année géophysique internationale (the 'Special Committee for the International Geophysical 2006-07-03T15:48:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-Around-the-Russian-Launch-of-Sputnik-29944.aspx History Report on the Attacks on Pearl Harbor History Report on the Attacks on Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is a very popular event in American History. There was a recent movie about it, and with the recent World Trade Center attacks, it is likely that Americans are going to compare the two. The Japanese attacked us with no forewarning and United States never seen in coming. The attack was right out of the blue. Americans were not pleased with the attack, thats for sure. On December 7, 1941 at approximately 7:53 A.M. , Japanese bombers approached Pearl Harbor. There is a US Navy Bass by Pearl Harbor at Oahu, Hawaii. Since this attack came out of nowhere, nobody was on alert for defense. This wasn’t the first time we hadn’t responded quickly to a war situation either. When World War I began, we basically kept to ourselves. Yes, we did offer supplies and other things to Britain and her allies, but it wasn’t until German U-boats sank one of our cargo ships, the Lusitania, for doing so. This attack on us was what got us up and into the war. Right after the first bombers struck, the US started to fight back. The Pearl Harbor Naval Base was done under the command of Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, the commander in chief of Japan’s Combined Fleet. A lot of US planes got in airspace to defend the base relatively fast and did there best to defend the base. As the attack went on, the defense got better and better. The Japanese has launched 353 planes against Pearl Harbor. Over 3000 military troops and navy troops were killed on the ground or wounded. For every person that died, a letter was sent to the families of the victims saying that there son or daughter was dead. 200 Aircrafts, 13 sea vessels, and 8 battleships were destroyed in the attack. And the attack only lasted 2 hours or less. The Pearl Harbor Attack lead to the complete destruction of the USS Arizona and the capsizing of the USS Oklahoma Ships. The other ships that I knew Japan had sunk were the USS California, Nevada, and West Virginia. Japan had killed more than two thousand American soldiers in its surprise attack, and wounded around another thousand. The war was declared on Japan by president Roosevelt on December 8, 1941, but most American’s had already suspected that war would be declared after the 2006-07-03T14:06:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-Report-on-the-Attacks-on-Pearl-Harbor-29938.aspx Historic Analysis of the Whiskey Rebellion Historic Analysis of the Whiskey Rebellion The Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 helped bring about the demise of the aristocratic Federalist Government in favor of the democratic Republican Government, concerned with the needs of all of its citizens. The new country of the United States of America suffered many growing pains in trying to balance its commitment to liberty with the need for order. How much control is enough and what will be too much? After the Revolutionary War, the country purposely did not have a strong central government (that's what we fought against with the British). The states did as they pleased because the Articles of Confederation in 1781 gave them every power, jurisdiction and right not expressly delegated to the Continental Congress. Congress had no power to tax, regulate commerce, draft troops, or enforce foreign treaties. It was mainly a friendly overseer: thus the expression "the Do-Nothing Congress." Each state considered itself sovereign, free and independent, and easterners and westerners were separated by geography as well as their own concerns. To make matters worse, Spain and Britain were wreaking havoc along our borders. British troops, violating the Treaty of Paris, refused to vacate their garrisons along the Great Lakes; Spain, who held New Orleans, closed the Mississippi River to American shipping below Nachez and actively encouraged American settlers to break away from the Union and establish relations with them; Westerners in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and Pennsylvania were subjected to attacks by marauding Indians (often instigated by the Spanish and British). Congress did not have the power to send troops for defense or protection, and the easterners in these states were too busy with politics to worry about their western frontiersmen. Consequently, the westerners did as they pleased with no regard to the laws the easterners made. States had the power to levy taxes. Massachusetts imposed hefty taxes to help pay off its war debts. With the postwar depression, many farmers had trouble paying their mortgages. The banks foreclosed on their property and debtors were put in jail. In 1786-1787, Captain Daniel Shays, a veteran of the Revolution, led a ragtag army of rebels to protest these unfair taxes. The rebels closed down courthouses that handled foreclosures and prevented sheriffs from selling confiscated property. The rebels lost their military battle after only six months, but they 2006-07-02T23:00:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Historic-Analysis-of-the-Whiskey-Rebellion-29917.aspx Analysis of the Historic Pullman Strike Analysis of the Historic Pullman Strike Everything seemed so perfect. Pullman, Illinois was a company town on the outskirts of Chicago, founded in 1880 by George Pullman, president of the railroad sleeping car company. Pullman advertised his town as a model community that included everything from parks to libraries and was filled with satisfied, well paid workers. Each resident worked for the Pullman company, which manufactured railroad cars, and by 1894 it operated "first class" sleeping cars on almost every one of the nation's major railroads. “The name Pullman was a household word.”(Pennock, P1)Their paychecks were drawn from Pullman bank, and their rent, set by Pullman, was deducted automatically from their weekly paychecks. The town and the company operated smoothly and successfully for more than a decade. (Lehrer, P2) However, in 1893, the residents got angry, and with very good reason. Orders for railroad sleeping cars declined, and Pullman was forced to lay off hundreds of employers. Pullman cut wages an average 25 percent for the workers who continued to work, and refused to lower rent. So the employees walked out, demanding lower rents and higher pay. At the same time, the American Railway Union (ARU), led by Eugene Debs was trying to organize rail workers all across the United States. The former Pullman workers needed people who cared, and joined the union. Now Debs became the leader of the Pullman strike. The ARU had great influence among the workers who operated trains. To put pressure on Pullman, the union got trainmen to refuse to run trains on which Pullman sleeping cars were attached. This seriously disrupted the American railroad service, and railroad executives got nervous. Mail trains got interrupted, which caused the strike to become a national issue. It was time for the government to get involved. An Omnibus injunction was issued against the leaders of the ARU, which denied them the right to convince railway employees to follow their disruptive requests, such as not operating any trains with Pullman cars. When the Pullman management still had not changed its position, violence broke out. There was rioting, pillaging, and burning of railroad cars. This wasn’t only being done by those who were part of the union; mobs of non-union workers joined in too. The strike and boycott rapidly expanded. Attorney General Richard Olney, who disliked 2006-07-02T22:49:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-the-Historic-Pullman-Strike-29913.aspx History of Lithuania History of Lithuania On February 14, 1009 name of Lithuania was first mentioned in writing. The oldest known historical source to have noted Lithuania is the Quendlinburg year-books. Therein, the tragic end of the mission of St. Bruno of Querfurt was documented: “St. Bruno, an archbishop and monk, who was called Boniface, was struck in the head by Pagans during the 11th year of his conversion at the Russian and Lithuanian border (in confinio Rusciae et Lituae), and along with 18 of his followers, entered heaven on March 9th (or February 14th).” The mission of St. Bruno had been organised by King Boleslav I the Brave of Poland, who had been seeking to extend his influence into Prussian lands. He had sent St. Adalbert (also known as Adalbert Wojciech) to Prussia as early as 997, however he had perished in Pomesania without having accomplished anything. When Archbishop Bruno of Querfurt decided he wanted to repeat the missions of St. Adalbert, Boleslav sent him to the lands of the Jatvingians, which were located at another end of Prussia. Boleslav was in competition with Russian Grand Duke Vladimir, who had forced the Jatvingians to accept his rule as early as 983, for these lands. As soon as Bruno had stepped onto Jatvingian lands, he was immediately led to the estate of the local chieftain, Nethimer, whereupon he proceeded to begin preaching. When Nethimer refused to be christened, Bruno flung the deities of the chief into a fire. Furious, Nethimer ordered Bruno to be burned on a stake. The missionary was seated on a spot for the bonfire, however the fire refused to light for a considerable time. Nethimer considered this to be a miracle, thus he released Bruno, and had himself, along with 300 men (apparently, a rural meeting had been taking place), baptised. Later, he went so far as to order his brother murdered, because he had not wanted to be baptised. Nevertheless, further efforts of Bruno’s mission had not proved successful. After arriving at another district, also under the rule of Nethimer, Bruno was apprehended by the local duke, named as Zebeden in later historical sources. By order of Duke Zebeden, the archbishop was beheaded, and his followers, hung. Later sources indicate that Bruno’s head was tossed into a river, named the Alstra. This is likely to be the river, currently named Jatra (or Aitra in Lithuanian) at the 2006-06-26T19:18:21-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-Lithuania--29867.aspx The Factors in the Process of German Unification The Factors in the Process of German Unification Germany was the last of the great European powers to achieve political unity. In 1815, 39 independent German states stretched north and south from the Baltic Sea to the Alps, and east and west from the Rhine River to Russia. Political rivals Austria and Prussia were the most powerful of these German states. By 1871, however, the German states-excluding Austria and Switzerland-had united into a single nation. The Congress of Vienna had created the German Confederation in 1815 as a buffer against future French expansion. This first major step toward German unity established closer economic ties between the German states and helped pave the way for greater political union. The German Confederation loosely tied together the numerous German states with a diet sitting at Frankfurt. Austria dominated the confederation. Its position as head of the diet eventually brought it into conflict with Prussia. Neither Austria nor the smaller German states wanted to see a united Germany. Austria feared the economic competition, while the smaller states feared domination by Prussia. The largest of the German states, Prussia, had a well-organized government and a strong economy. Political power in Prussia lay in the hands of aristocratic landowners called Junkers, but rising business classes demanded a share of political power. To reduce trade barriers among German lands, the Prussian Junkers called for a Zollverein, or economic union. Formed in 1834, the Zollverein reduced tariffs and other trade barriers between most of the 39 states, resulting in lower and more uniform prices of goods throughout the confederation. The Zolleverein also standardized systems of currency, weights, and measures and strengthened the business classes. By forming a close economic union, Prussia won an important political victory over Austria. Just as Sardinia led Italy toward unification, Prussia now directed events that would eventually unite Germany. In the German states, popular demonstrations and uprisings (Feb.–March, 1848) led to the dismissal of unpopular ministers and the calling of a national parliament to draft a constitution for a united Germany. While the constitution was debated at length, rulers of the German states were able to recover their authority. By 1849, the Frankfurt Parliament and the provisional government it established had collapsed and the old order was restored. In 1861, 2006-06-26T18:50:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Factors-in-the-Process-of-German-Unification-29865.aspx Causes of Sectionalism in American Histroy Causes of Sectionalism in American Histroy The Missouri Compromise is commonly thought of as the beginning of American sectionalism, although the signs were visible long before 1819. The crisis solved by the compromise certainly alerted the South for the need for political unity in order to maintain its way of life in the face of a more populous North. Likewise, it alerted both regions to the political problems inherent in westward expansion. The Missouri Compromise did not create sectionalism, but it is important as the first possible signs of sectionalist differences in the US. The Missouri Compromise was also important because it was successful, unlike future compromises. The Missouri compromise was successful for a number of reasons, not just because Congress was perfectly willing to leave the question of further state admission petitions to be solved at a later date. It also worked because neither the North nor the South could imagine territories north of the 36'30 line would desire a slavery system for reasons of land and weather patterns. The South was willing to accept the immediate fact of Missouri's entrance into the Union rather than argue over the logistics of the “compromise.” Slavery had yet to become a matter of pride for the South, and the South had yet to feel the growing anger by radical abolitionists in the North. The Missouri Compromise was faithfully followed for almost thirty years, until the territories the US annexed during the Mexican War once again brought up the question of congressional power to limit slavery. There was a "forever prohibited" clause which comes up again later in the antebellum period, with the Compromise of 1850 and debates about constitutionality. After the Missouri Compromise, Southerners became extremely suspicious concerning the expansion of federal power. The "forever prohibited" clause was a serious statement about federal power, and if the federal government had the power to prohibit slavery in territories that had not even applied for statehood yet. This was not agreed upon by the South and thus began the sectionalism. Finally, the Missouri Compromise was important because it solidified the South’s insistence on the permanence and significance of the slave institution. Southerners' rejection of the Tallmadge Proviso emphasized their position on the permanence of the slave institution as a necessary part of Southern culture. This position would later come to cause huge problems between the two regions; the civil war. Thus this compromise then 2006-06-26T16:06:59-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-of-Sectionalism-in-American-Histroy-29832.aspx British History of the Industrial Revolution British History of the Industrial Revolution In 1750 Britain was very different to what it is like now. People think that Britain just lacked technology, such as Televisions and computers etc. How ever these were not everything that Britain did not have during the18th century. People had not yet discovered that germs caused disease and only simple operations could be made because there were no anesthetics. The Industrial Revolution created an enormous increase in the production of many kinds of goods. Some of this increase in production resulted from the introduction of power-driven machinery. Before the revolution, manufacturing was done by hand or simple machines. Most people worked at home in rural areas. A few worked at shops in towns. The Industrial Revolution eventually took. Manufacturing out of the home and workshop. Power-driven machines replaced handwork, and factories developed as the best way of bringing together the machines and the workers to operate them. The population of the 18th century was a lot smaller than it is today. This is not just because of more people being born since then, but because they did not have the technology to cure simple illnesses that we get today, and they also didn’t have as good operations to perform on the sick. The approximate amount of people living in Britain in 1750 was eleven million people. Many babies died in there first year of life, 80 percent of the population lived and worked in the countryside the annual death rate was 28 deaths per 1000 people. By 1825 the population had risen to about twenty-one million. Many babies still died in there early years but families were becoming larger. Nearly 60 percent of people now lived and worked in the country. Dropping by 20 percent. The death rate was now 22 deaths per 1000 people. In 1900 the population had increased to forty million. Now nearly 75 percent of the people lived in towns and huge urban areas. The annual death rate had fallen to only 18 deaths per 1000 people. The population helped Britain to become an industrial nation by so many people moving to main area’s everyone was getting what they needed. Such as food, medical care, better living conditions and were earning more money. Also if the population increase slowed down there would 2006-06-26T15:58:03-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/British-History-of-the-Industrial-Revolution-29829.aspx A History of Avro Arrow in the Cold War A History of Avro Arrow in the Cold War The Cold War background to the Arrow. The threat was from across the Pole, and the swaggering post-war Royal Canadian Air Force wanted a strong deterrent. Design: The Arrow was primarily a triumph of innovative design. Here we glance at a few of the aircraft’s design features. The Arrow’s fall from favor is an account of political intrigue and indecision in the face of a technologically changing world. The seeds that would ultimately doom it would be sown very early in the Arrow's life. In December 1953, following the findings of the All-Weather Interceptor Requirements Team that no aircraft meeting the RCAF’s grueling specifications existed in other countries, the St. Laurent government awarded Avro a $27 million contract to design two prototype all-weather, two-seat, twin-engine, supersonic interceptors. Wing assembly at the Avro plant: Before 1954 the Arrow was rarely referred to in public, and led a rather underground existence. It was after the explosion of a Soviet hydrogen bomb and the introduction of new Myasishchev M-4 Bison jet bomber which opened the possibility of a Cold War “bomber gap”,that the program was stepped up. In March 1955, the contract was upgraded to a $260-million contract for five Arrow Mk 1 aircraft powered by Pratt and Whitney engines, to be followed by 35 Arrow Mk 2s with as-yet-unavailable Iroquois engines. It was also determined at this time to do away with the costly development of prototypes and launch into assembly line production with the first model. In September 1955, Avro told Cabinet that it needed an additional $59 million to keep the program on schedule. It was around this time that the fateful notion began to surface, not only in Canada but in the military establishments of most of the Western Alliance, that the era of the interceptor was over, and that the age of guided missiles would render them obsolete. A model is tested in a wind tunnel: It was also in 1955 that efforts began to sell the Arrow to the Americans and British. The Arrow project received glowing praise and admiration, but no interest as an actual purchase. This could have been anticipated as American and British Air Forces almost never purchase planes from other countries. But this seems to have contributed to a growing unease in the Liberal cabinet and among 2006-06-26T15:11:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-History-of-Avro-Arrow-in-the-Cold-War-29818.aspx Synopsis of the Vietnam War Synopsis of the Vietnam War Vietnam War was a war that had the many of the world stumped on how it accrued and what it was for. Many lives were lost and destroyed for a war that had no real purpose. As to why the US got involved is still a controversial issue to this day. Pin pointing exactly when the war started is a heated debate among historians. The war was not only in Vietnam but also right at home. Society was divided and conflict began. Was Vietnam a lost cause for the US? In 1941, Ho Chi Minh, a communist activist, organizes a nationalist organization known as the Viet Minh. After defeating Germany in July 1945, World War II Allies U.S., Britain, and Soviet Union, hold the Potsdam Conference in Germany. During the conference, representatives from France requested the return of all French pre-war colonies in Southeast Asia. Their request was granted and once again Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia became French colonies. August 1945 Ho Chi Minh's guerrillas occupy Hanoi and declare a temporary government. September 2, 1945, the Japanese sign a surrender agreement ending World War II in the Pacific. On the same day, Ho Chi Minh declares the independence of Vietnam. Two weeks later 1400 French soldiers are released from former Japanese camps in South Vietnam. The French soldiers entered Saigon and went on a deadly rampage, attacking and killing innocent civilians and some of the Viet Minh. French civilians joined the soldiers in the deadly rampage. After this rampage, the Viet Minh retaliate by successfully organizing a strike shutting down all electricity and water supplies. In the outskirts of Saigon, a Vietnamese criminal organization massacres 150 French and Eurasian civilians, including children. September 26, 1945, the first American death occurs in Vietnam. Officer Peter Dewey was killed by Viet Minh guerrillas, who mistook him for a French officer. The French government becomes involved in Vietnam in October 1945. Thirty-five thousand French soldiers arrive in South Vietnam to restore French rule. The French succeed in expelling the Viet Minh from Saigon. In December 19, 1946, 30,000 Viet Minh launch their first attack against the French. That is when the First Indo China war begins and last for about eight year. The French established the (South) Vietnamese National Army in July 1945. A 2006-06-22T14:50:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Synopsis-of-the-Vietnam-War-29808.aspx The Shocking Decade of the 1960s The Shocking Decade of the 1960s What is the Decade of Shock? In Tom Shachtman’s book “Decade of Shocks,” he states it’s the period of time between the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the resignation of President Richard Nixon, in the heat of Watergate. During this time three major leaders helped shape the 20th century, by way of their than politics. It began with the assassination of Kennedy, the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. and eventually ending with the resignation of Nixon. On November 22, 1963 the city of Dallas, as well as the whole United States would fall into a period of grief. President John F. Kennedy was killed. Shot by, in my opinion, a man who was jealous, and never took the time to really listen to JFK and his policies, Lee Harvey Oswald. Even after his burial at Arlington National Cemetery, the public asked why did a man so young have to die, and is there a real God? During this time, America opened their hearts to the Kennedy family, who could forget when JFK Jr. gave his fallen father one last solute, that made the people open up? Martin Luther King Jr. during this time stood-up not only for himself, but for all of the black communities. King was viewed as an inspiration and was admired by nearly all including another man in history Malcolm X. Standing outside his hotel door, on the balcony, King was shot in Memphis Tennessee. The last topic Shachtman touches upon is President Richard M. Nixon. Even though he wasn’t assassinated, Nixon sent his own wave of grief over the nation, Watergate. Nixon had plans of breaking into the Democratic Party hotel; to learn secrets they had against him just to help him with the election. When the nation heard about this, okay were outraged, as well as appalled. If they couldn’t trust the president, whom could they trust? Not too long after Nixon resigned, stating “ I am not a crook”. When I first started this assignment, I must have gone through five different books, before Decade of Shocks, caught my attention. At first I thought, this all happened years before my time, and why is it so important to me. I never really took the time to understand and realize, that whatever happens in 2006-06-21T17:25:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Shocking-Decade-of-the-1960s-29790.aspx Use of The Middle Passage in the Slave Trade Use of The Middle Passage in the Slave Trade The Middle Passage was the journey of slave 2006-06-21T17:24:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Use-of-The-Middle-Passage-in-the-Slave-Trade-29789.aspx The Assasination of John F. Kennedy The Assasination of John F. Kennedy John F Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts in May 29th 1917. He was the second of nine kids. He graduated from Choate School then entered Princeton College. Then quickly transferred to Harvard. After Harvard Kennedy joined the Navy in 1914. In august 1943 he was a commander of a U.S. Navy torpedo boat PT-109. He rescued several crewmen after their boat was rammed by a Japanese destroyer off the Solomon Islands. He was shoot and received an honorable discharge. For all his bravery he was awaked the Purple Heart. John. F. Kennedy was a powerfulman. He was a rich man. Many women thought he was good looking. His wife was a sophisticated woman named Jacqueline. He had a couple of kids named John F Kennedy jr. and Caroline Kennedy. His family was an ideal family for the American family. During 1960 john f Kennedy had 43 electoral votes defeating Vice President Richard Nixon. Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States. He was the youngest president elected in to office. He was strongly anti-Communist he tried to overthrow Castro in the Bay of Pigs. The personal reaction from Coleen Boyer, "I was six years old. I can remember sitting in a waiting room with mom and staring at the speakers and listing to the music then all of a sudden the music cut out and said. an all news bulletin and said the president has been shot the president has been shot again and again. Then a little bit later it said the president of the United States is dead. I remember the funeral with John John saluting his dad it was a time of disbelief." said Coleen Boyer. The events of November 22nd through25th 1963 left the nation in shock and changed forever. The whole world was in tears for the president. In disbelief 250 thousands people from all parts of the world came to mourn the death of the president. Back up 40 blocks for the people to view the president. It took over 21 hours for every one to view the president. As Friday November 22nd at 11:40cst Air Force One touched down at Love field Dallas Texas. On Air force one was the President and his wife John and Jacqueline Kennedy, Mr. and Mrs. Connally and a senator named Ralph W. Yarborough.Then they left the love field Dallas air port. At 11:50 am in 2006-06-21T16:54:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Assasination-of-John-F_-Kennedy-29783.aspx Deism in Historic American Society Deism in Historic American Society As Puritanism lost its popularity, it made way for a new belief system. Deists, like Puritans, believed in God as the Creator, but Deists believed in free will, whereas Puritans believed in predestination. As Deism gained momentum, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Paine reflected their Deist beliefs in the writings. In The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson constantly reflects the Deist ideas of human reason and a Creator God. For example, Jefferson states, “all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” This shows that man, after he is created, has the power to pursue his own destiny. The people must take control of their own lives because “God helps them who help themselves.” For example, Jefferson states, “among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of natures God entitle them.” This illustrates that God created the world but denies that he is involved in the lives of each and every person, and that the world operates by natural and self-sustaining laws of the Creator. God is beyond the world and constructed it, but he is not active in people’s daily lives. Specific examples from Jefferson’s writings confirm his belief in Deism. Benjamin Franklin portrays several Deistic ideas in “A Witch Trial at Mount Holly” and The Autobiography. For example, Franklin states, “The more thinking part of the spectators were of opinion that any Person so bound and placed in the water would swim, till their breath was gone, and their lungs fill’d with water.” This shows that the Deistic thinkers use human reason and scientific judgment to realize that the “test by water” is absolutely ridiculous, and that it cannot accurately reveal the truth. All one needs in Deism is his/her own common sense. For example, Franklin states, that it is possible “to make himself morally perfect by self-discipline, cleverness, and hard work.” This demonstrates that this common sense approach to God can bring a lasting sense of peace and happiness to the individual. Only the person can make himself morally perfect by doing those things. Franklin displays his beliefs in human reason, scientific judgement and moral perfection by using 2006-06-20T14:57:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Deism-in-Historic-American-Society-29683.aspx Historic Examples of the Burdens of War Historic Examples of the Burdens of War War is a very interesting subject. Some say that it is inevitably unavoidable while some say that there is absolutely no reason for such a thing. However, there is one aspect of war that remains constant. The battles, in some way, change all of the people who are involved. Soldiers who become emotionally involved in a war risk altering their minds for the rest of their life. These alterations can either help or hinder the person. A good place to find examples of such events is in literature. There are many works that deal with this subject and they all show some way that men are changed after being in battle. For instance, the short story “Guests of the Nation” written by Frank O’Connor demonstrates how war can change a man. The story is about two Englishmen who are held hostage by three Irishmen. The captors are named Bonaparte, Noble, and Donovan. Noble and Bonaparte are two very young soldiers. The assignment to guard the hostages could in fact be their first important duty. Donovan is well acquainted with being in the army and has most likely had at least a few previous assignments. The inexperienced solders quickly become friends with their captives whereas Donovan remains reasonably cold and unsociable. As the story progresses, we learn that the Englishmen are to be executed. Noble and Bonaparte are not too keen on this idea, but they must fulfill their duty as soldiers. The hostages are taken to the woods, and Donovan kills them both. At one point during the slaughter, Noble raises his hand to stop the killing, but he is too late. This event has differing effects on both Noble and Bonaparte. Noble, being a religious man, went into the house, fell to his knees and began to pray for the two lost men. He told Bonaparte that the only thing that he could see was the little patch of bog where the men had died. We can draw from this that he will never forget the incident. He is no longer comfortable in his duty and may depart from the armed services. The event may have changed Noble for the better. Bonaparte reacts in a very different way. Instead 2006-06-20T14:36:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Historic-Examples-of-the-Burdens-of-War-29673.aspx Similarities and Differences between Ancient Greece and Rome Similarities and Differences between Ancient Greece and Rome Both the Roman and the Athenian civilization enjoyed recreation and cherished 2006-06-16T18:54:53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Similarities-and-Differences-between-Ancient-Greece-and-Rome-29649.aspx Synopsis of the Franco-Purssian War Synopsis of the Franco-Purssian War The Franco-Prussian War, was a war in 1870-1871, which the French lost to the German states while they were under the leadership of Prussia. The underlying causes of the conflict were the Prussian statesman Prince Otto Edward Leopold von Bismarck’s desire to unify Germany under Prussian control and, to eliminate French influence over Germany. On the other hand, Napoleon III, emperor of France from 1852 to 1870, wanted to regain the prestige he had lost, both at home and abroad, as a result of numerous failures, particularly recently as a result of France’s failure in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. In addition, Prussia’s military strength, as shown in the war with Austria, was shown to be a threat to the French on the continent of Europe. French and the German relations have had a history full of tensions between the two countries. A comparison between the two countries shows a difference in how they view their national identity and their military. Their influence upon one another during the approximate century and a half of conflict shows how their national identities have helped to make their nations. This conflict between the two nations may even be said to have an impact not only on the European continent but also possibly on much of the world. In fact, the result of their conflicts may have set the stage for further conflicts, such as the two world wars. After the Prussian’s won the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, France’s Napoleon III viewed Prussia as a threat to France. Otto van Bismarck, the chancellor of Prussia, wanted to see Prussian and France in conflict because he wanted to unify all of Germany. He had a plan to create a nationalistic German empire. The relations between Prussia and France became worse. Napoleon III wanted to get more territory, which he felt entitled to have as a result of his neutrality during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. Both Prussia and France were armed and had military budgets, which provided for strong armies. France wanted to go to war because there was a possibility of having a unified enemy and thus making some of the internal political tensions better. Bismarck wanted to go to war because of his idea of completing the German unification. The British, who saw this military build up from a different continent, thought the military situation 2006-06-16T15:03:27-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Synopsis-of-the-Franco-Purssian-War-29613.aspx Synopsis of "Night" by Elie Wiesel Synopsis of "Night" by Elie Wiesel In the book Night by Elie Wiesel, it talks about the holocaust and what it was like being in it. The Germans were trying to make the German race the supreme race. To do this they were going to kill off everyone that wasn’t a German. If you were Jewish or something other than German, you would have been sent to a concentration camp and segregated by men and women. If you weren’t strong enough you were sent to the crematory to be cremated. If you were strong enough you were sent to work at a labor camp. With all the warnings the Jewish people had numerous chances to run from the Germans, but most ignored the warnings. The numerous chances the people of Sighet had to leave was significant that if they would have just left, none of this would have happened to them. One of the first warnings they had was when Moshe the Beadle came back from escaping the train. He was telling his story to everyone that would listen. The story was about how they made "the Jews get of the train and climb into lorries." (page 4) He also talked about how they murdered people for no reason at all. But most of the people in Sighet just ignored Moshe and thought he was making everything up. The second warning was that the people of Sighet ignored was on the radio. The first radio announcement said "the Fascist party had come into power. Horthy had been forced to ask one of the leaders of the Nyilae party to form a new government." (Page 6) The next day there was another radio announcement that said "German troops had entered Hungarian territory." (Page 7) this made everyone a little bit scared for a few days but not for long. Optimism was soon revived. The people were saying that the Germans wouldn’t get to there city. When the Germans arrived in Sighet the people didn’t realize what was going to happen, they just thought that they were in Sighet for something else. They thought of the Germans as nice people that wouldn’t hurt them. Later after the Germans had been there for a while, the Germans sent all the Jews to ghettos. The ghettos 2006-06-15T22:50:59-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Synopsis-of-quot-Night-quot-by-Elie-Wiesel-29578.aspx The History of the Aztec People of Central America The History of the Aztec People of Central America Location: The South Central region of present-day Mexico was once the home of the Aztec. They lived in the highlands of Mesoamerica in an area of basins separated by eroded volcanic peaks and dissected mountain ranges. History: The Aztecs came from the remote north, probably around the early 13th century. They were migratory at first, wandering around the Mexican Valley struggling to survive. They were even enslaved once by another tribe. In the year 1325, however, they stopped their migratory pattern on the southwest border of Lake Texcoco as they beheld an eagle sitting on the stem of a prickly pear. He was holding a serpent in this talons and his wings were open to the sun. They saw this as an omen, announcing the location of their future city and capital, Tenochtitlan. In order to build their city, the swamps and standing water around them had to be drained and artificial islands were constructed to form gardens. The Aztec maintained their subsistence by utilizing fishing, hunting, gathering and gardening techniques. The valley rivers were rich in fish, insects, shrimp, tadpoles, and a naturally occurring pasta called ahuatle. Those near the ocean ate crabs, oysters, fish and turtles. Thus, the water was a major source of food for the Aztec who wished to utilize them. Among the wild animals are rabbits, snakes, armadillos, deer, pumas and coyotes. Along with the hunting of some of these, the ancient Aztecs also hunted the wild turkey. Many of the gathered plants eventually became domesticated by the Aztec. These crops include cocoa, vanilla, bananas, squash, pumpkin, beans, chili, tobacco, onions, red tomatoes, green tomatoes, sweet potatoes, jicama, huautli and maize. Raiding and warring often began simply to collect captives for use in sacrificial offerings to the principal Aztec god, Huitzilpochti. The Aztec conquered many other tribes, allowing them to retain their own religion and government. However, the tribes were expected to supply the Aztecs with food, textiles, pottery and other items needed to support the nobles, priests and administrators of the city of Tenochtitlan, which numbered perhaps in the hundreds of thousands. Language: The Aztec did not have a written language, but spoke Nahuatl. They did have written records, however. They chiefly used the method of direct representation and varieties of hieroglyphic paintings. Daily Life: Today , many indigenous groups of Latin America can trace their roots back to the Aztec. The 2006-06-15T22:32:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-History-of-the-Aztec-People-of-Central-America-29569.aspx Analysis of the Events of The Great Depression Analysis of the Events of The Great Depression "We in America today are nearer to the final triumph over poverty than ever before in the history of any land. The poorhouse is vanishing from among us." (Herbert Hoover – 1928) "The nation is marching along a permanently high plateau of prosperity." (Irving Fisher – October 24th, 1929) Five days later, the bottom dropped out of the stock market, ushering in the Great Depression, the worst economic downturn in America's history. The Great Depression. This was quite possibly the most economically devastating event in American history. The people of the early century suffered massively during this disastrous time. “In 1932, a crowd of fifty men fought over a barrel of garbage outside the back door of a Chicago restaurant” (The Great Depression – Gale Group). The 1920’s were a decade of prospers, and because everybody in the United States had become accustomed to living a healthy, as well as comfortable lifestyle, it made the sudden impact of the stock market crash so much more detrimental. On that fateful day of October 29th, 1929, all of the nations progress, everything that had been accomplished throughout the past decade was plunged into an abyss of poverty. With the Dust Bowl coinciding, the Depression paved the way for many challenges that Americans would begin to face, such as starvation, poverty, unemployment, chronic illness, and death in large multiples. During the nineteen-twenties, educational facilities boomed into play. Teachers’ salaries rose, and junior high schools were developed. Student attendance skyrocketed, and vocational education grew like garden alyssum. The reason it was called the “Booming ’20’s”, was because every aspect of the U.S. was growing, and at a rapid rate. This was quite possibly the most prosperous decade of the early century. And all of this was because of a great economic inclination. People began to charge everything that they bought on credit cards, and that was okay. This was a time of fun, life, and a carefree attitude. Everything was about buying and selling, drinking and dancing, and just trying to be happy. And president Coolidge was against the partying of this decade in every aspect. He took office immediately after president Harding died a horrible death, but that’s another essay, for another time. New ways of paying were developed, such as 2006-06-15T22:26:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-the-Events-of-The-Great-Depression-29565.aspx Native American Heritage of the Navajo Clan Native American Heritage of the Navajo Clan Hello professor, my name is Joshua Little Wolf. I am of the Bitter Water people. I am born for the Big Deer people. My maternal grandfather’s clan is the Bitter Water people, my paternal grandfather’s clan is the Big Deer people. I am from Houston, Texas. I was born in Austin, Texas. I will be discussing the importance of clans to the Navajo people. I will also discuss the origin of the clans, the four initial clans, the creation story involving Changing Woman, and the proper way people of the Navajo Nation introduce themselves. The Navajo people do not have the same family structure as typical American families do. According to Harrison Lapahie Jr.: “In the Navajo culture, two Navajos of the same clan, meeting for the first time, will refer to each other as "brother" or "sister". Navajos that are cousins to each other in the American sense, think of each other as "brother" or "sister" in the Navajo sense. Father's and mother's cousins in the American way are thought of as aunts and uncles in the Navajo way. Grandparent's brothers and sisters in the American way are thought of as grandma's and grandpa's in the Navajo way. Harrison Lapahie Jr. has many brothers, sisters, Aunts, Uncles, Grandmas, and Grandpas, in the Navajo way, that are his Cousins, his father's and mother's cousins, and his grandparent's brothers and sisters in the American way .When a Navajo is in strange surroundings, it is not uncommon for his relatives (in the Navajo way) or his clan members, to have the responsibility for his housing, food, and welfare, while this individual is in the immediate area. A Navajo through his own clan (his mom's clan) and the clan groups to which his father as well as his spouse belong, has a great potential for personal contacts. This complex network of inter-relationships served in the past to fuse the scattered bands of Navajos and other American Indians together as a Navajo Tribe” (Dine` Clans). Al Durtschi claims that: “Family is very important to us. We have our immediate family, and we have our extended family. Our extended family is broken up into clans, which were created by the Holy Ones. The four original clans are Towering House, Bitterwater, Big water and One-who-walks-around. Today there are about 130 clans. When we meet another Navajo for the first time we tell each 2006-06-15T16:09:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Native-American-Heritage-of-the-Navajo-Clan-29543.aspx Importance of Reflecting History Accurately Importance of Reflecting History Accurately “In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” That’s the one date everyone remembers, the date in virtually every school child’s history textbook. But, they leave out pretty much everything about Columbus and his exploration of the New World. It’s the part many people have yet to learn about. For years, Columbus has been presented to us as a hero. In 1934, President Roosevelt even gave Columbus his own holiday. To this day, we celebrate his “discovery” of America. What is found in history textbooks now, have seemed to show another side of Christopher Columbus, a side that they wouldn’t dare teach in elementary school. It’s the rest of Columbus’ tale of “discovery”. This paper will show you that Christopher Columbus didn’t technically “discover” America and that his actions were much louder than the words we read about in school. Third grade seems like such a long time ago, yet I remember the Christopher Columbus story like it was nothing. It started out with a boy named Christopher Columbus; he was born and raised in Genoa, Italy. He grew up wanting to be an explorer. He also grew up believing the earth was round, yet no one believed him, so the great explorer intended to prove it. He was going to find a westward route to India. To go on this exploration, he needed ships and men and the only one who was willing to provide him with this was Queen Isabella of Spain. She provided Columbus with three ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. He set sail in 1492 and after about two months they had reached land. Columbus believed he had reached India. He had no idea he had encountered another part of the world. He actually ended up in the West Indies, the island we today call Haiti. Because he thought he was in India, when he met the people that already lived there he named them Indians. They all got along very well. The Indians taught them how to grow food and use the land to survive. Columbus and his men would trade a lot with the Indians and they all lived happily ever after. That’s pretty much where our textbook stopped. I 2006-06-15T15:59:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Importance-of-Reflecting-History-Accurately-29540.aspx World War Two Big Summary The history of World War II (1939) World War II, also WWII, or the Second World War, was a global military conflict that took place in 1939–1945. It was the largest and deadliest war in history, culminating in the Holocaust and the dropping of the atom bomb. Even though Japan had been fighting in China since 1937, the conventional view is that the war began on September 1, 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Within two days the United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany, even though the fighting was confined to Poland. Pursuant to a then-secret provision of its non-aggression Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union joined with Germany on September 17, 1939, to conquer Poland and to divide Eastern Europe. The Allies were initially made up of Poland, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, as well as British Commonwealth countries which were controlled directly by the UK, such as the Indian Empire. All of these countries declared war on Germany in September 1939. Following the lull in fighting, known as the "Phony War", Germany invaded western Europe in May 1940. Six weeks later, France, in the mean time attacked by Italy as well, surrendered to Germany, which then tried unsuccessfully to conquer Britain. On September 27, Germany, Italy, and Japan signed a mutual defense agreement, the Tripartite Pact, and were known as the Axis Powers. Nine months later, on June 22, 1941, Germany launched a massive invasion of the Soviet Union, which promptly joined the Allies. Germany was now engaged in fighting a war on two fronts. This proved to be a mistake by Germany-many historians believe that if Germany had successfully carried out the invasion of Britain and put forth their best effort, the war may have turned in favor of the Axis. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor, bringing it too into the war on the Allied side. China also joined the Allies, as eventually did most of the rest of the world. China was in turmoil at the time, and attacked Japanese armies through guerilla-type warfare. By the beginning of 1942, the major combatants were aligned as follows: the British Commonwealth, the United States, and the Soviet Union were fighting Germany and Italy; and the British Commonwealth, China, and the United States were fighting Japan. From then through August 1945, battles raged across all of Europe, in the North Atlantic Ocean, 2006-06-15T04:29:52-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-War-Two-Big-Summary-29532.aspx Worl War II The history of World War II (1939) World War II, also WWII, or the Second World War, was a global military conflict that took place in 1939–1945. It was the largest and deadliest war in history, culminating in the Holocaust and the dropping of the atom bomb. Even though Japan had been fighting in China since 1937, the conventional view is that the war began on September 1, 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Within two days the United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany, even though the fighting was confined to Poland. Pursuant to a then-secret provision of its non-aggression Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union joined with Germany on September 17, 1939, to conquer Poland and to divide Eastern Europe. The Allies were initially made up of Poland, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, as well as British Commonwealth countries which were controlled directly by the UK, such as the Indian Empire. All of these countries declared war on Germany in September 1939. Following the lull in fighting, known as the "Phony War", Germany invaded western Europe in May 1940. Six weeks later, France, in the mean time attacked by Italy as well, surrendered to Germany, which then tried unsuccessfully to conquer Britain. On September 27, Germany, Italy, and Japan signed a mutual defense agreement, the Tripartite Pact, and were known as the Axis Powers. Nine months later, on June 22, 1941, Germany launched a massive invasion of the Soviet Union, which promptly joined the Allies. Germany was now engaged in fighting a war on two fronts. This proved to be a mistake by Germany-many historians believe that if Germany had successfully carried out the invasion of Britain and put forth their best effort, the war may have turned in favor of the Axis. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor, bringing it too into the war on the Allied side. China also joined the Allies, as eventually did most of the rest of the world. China was in turmoil at the time, and attacked Japanese armies through guerilla-type warfare. By the beginning of 1942, the major combatants were aligned as follows: the British Commonwealth, the United States, and the Soviet Union were fighting Germany and Italy; and the British Commonwealth, China, and the United States were fighting Japan. From then through August 1945, battles raged across all of Europe, in the North Atlantic Ocean, 2006-06-15T04:27:49-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Worl-War-II--29531.aspx Yessibel Monegro Germany was a very poor country and Hitler became a leader of the labor party and promessed to Germany to make a better country and he started by preaching hattrick to other people.He believed in one Germany for one race and that the white race should rule the world. He won the election to become the prime minister of Germany. Then he got rid of the monarchy of Germany. Soon after he took over the country, he started building propaganda against 2006-06-15T04:15:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Yessibel-Monegro-29530.aspx A History of Class, Race and Gender in America “The United States government’s support of slavery was based on an overpowering practicality.” (Zinn 171) Before America even had a history it was busy creating a lower ethnic class for it to look down on. To work the fields and other low wage high risk jobs. To be there when a scapegoat was needed but to be as separate as could be maintained at all times. The history of black people in the United States begins with slavery. African Americans were seen not just as a lower class of people, but simply as property, creating a struggle for equality that may never end. Slaves were subjected to the poorest of living conditions, whippings not uncommon, and often having tight knit families, mothers and daughters, fathers and sons split when sold apart from each other. Early slave resistance was often to the effect of stealing property, sabotage, running away or just working slowly but sometimes went as far as killing masters or overseers and burning down buildings. In some instances masters were fast to try and remove themselves from this by making lower class whites overseers hoping they would bare the brunt of the slave’s anger (Zinn 177). The United States would eventually give into the great pressure placed on it to abolish slavery, but not without a war. With slavery ended black and white people were able to live together as equals. Some would say that this is still not fact. After slavery oppression of black people did not end. While slavery remained in the memories of African Americans discrimination was constant and as accepted in the society as much as slavery had been in years previous. Black people still lived in fear from race related violence and lynching like a slave owner relationship. In the 1930’s some African Americans began to align themselves with the Communist party. The communist party had long pointed out the inequalities of race even if they were accused of doing it for their own purposes. Those black people aligning themselves with the Communist party did not do so simply because they obviously needed the help and admired the parties ability in organizing rallies and protests (Zinn 447). Of course the union of the black men at the time to communism put a new even more frightening idea of the young militant black in everyone’s mind more than ever before. As tension in the black 2006-06-14T23:20:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-History-of-Class,-Race-and-Gender-in-America-29495.aspx An Overview of Australia's History An Overview of Australia's History The first Europeans to find Australia were Dutch and Spanish seafarers that arrived in Australia sometime during the 1600-hundreds, but they weren't the first people except the aboriginals who had come to Australia. Chinese sailors had visited it in the 1200-hundreds. The Dutch and Spanish seafarers thought that it was part of an undiscovered continent - "a Great South land". They didn't explore Australia. It was a British seafarer who explored the continent in the late 1700-hundreds. James Cook arrived with his boat, the Endeavour, south of the place where Sydney is now in 1770 and claimed Australia for England. From 1788, the British used Australia as a really, really big prison, where they could send people who broke the law. The prisoners where sent there to work for English explorers who had settled down in Australia. Gold was found in 1851 and a lot of people moved there. As a result, Australia was divided into 6 states (New South-Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia) that ruled over themselves. The 6 states went together in 1901 to form The Commonwealth of Australia with Canberra as capital. 2. THE ABORIGINALS The original inhabitants of Australia are the aboriginals. They came to Australia from Asia about 40,000 years ago. Before the Europeans came to Australia, the aboriginals inhabited the entire continent, even the dry deserts. In 1770 there were about 380,000 aboriginals and now there are 150,000 of them. There were around 680 different tribes all over the entire continent back in 1770. All tribes were different, some had settled down in one area and some were nomads, but they did have a lot in common. For example, the men (usually) handled the hunting and the women took care of the gathering of fruits and stuff like that. They lived in small groups that usually consisted of one or two families. They often lived near places that were important to them (where they were born or where they were married). The Europeans brought diseases and guns to Australia, which wasn't very good for the aboriginals. The white man, balanda, decided to try to destroy the aboriginals. They gave poisoned food to aboriginals, made it legal to shoot them and stole their children and even went so far that they killed all aboriginals in Tasmania. The aboriginals weren't considered Australian citizens until 1967. Until then, they 2006-06-13T19:28:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/An-Overview-of-Australia-s-History-29477.aspx A Personal Refelection on Jordanova's History A Personal Refelection on Jordanova's History Ludmilla Jordanova's History in Practice touches on some of same issues that are seen in most books dealing with the nature and practice of history, but deals with them in distinctive and original ways. Her three goals of the book are to provide an up-to-date overview of important issues in the discipline, to locate history in the context of other related disciplines, and to "sketch in what historians actually do and how and why they do it." Basically it is a mediation on history's place in and contributions to the intellectual life of our new century. For this reason the postscript and the opinions of Jordanova on the discipline of history are very clear-cut making it very easy to agree with the opinions brought fourth. For instance, I find it very interesting when Jordanova talks about how most historians write and study history because there is this “ spirit of passionate enthusiasm for the study of the past”. Jordanova talks about a sympathetic identification along with myopia that comes along from the intimate involvement with one’s object of study. This is what makes the discipline of history such a vast subject filled with so many different specialization’s and areas of interest. It is these diverse sources and approaches that makes history holistic, which is the underlying goal of the discipline. History allows one to go back into the past and answer the questions of where “we” came from. Where “we” represents each historian that is making studies about his/her heritage. Since historians are interested in their own past it is very important for other historians to be aware of generalizations. Generalizations and bias’ are to be accepted when scholars reveal their personal visions. But it is also made mention that in order to study an event one does not necessarily have to agree with it. Rather, Jordanova says, historians should, “responsibly, unsettle their audiences, provoking them to think harder and deeper about the human condition.” It is very important for historians to view things differently because this is what makes history so important it is the idea of discussion and interpretation. Those historians are able to research something and examine it from an internal interest while setting a base for other historians to critique and work from. Historians 2006-06-13T19:23:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Personal-Refelection-on-Jordanova-s-History-29474.aspx The History of Lincoln's Assassination The History of Lincoln's Assassination On April 14, 1865 just five days after the end of the Civil War, The President of the United States was attending a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington D.C. Abraham Lincoln had no expectations of being shot that night. John Wilkes Booth was actor at Ford’s Theater and had a severe plan to kill the President. He blamed Lincoln for the South’s defeat against the North. Booth shot Lincoln in the head and later killing him. In the late summer of 1864 Booth began to plan to kidnap Abraham Lincoln. The President would be seized, taken to Richmond and held in exchange for Confederate soldiers in Union Prison camps. Booth began to recruit a gang of conspirators. Within several months, he had recruited Michael O’Laughlen, Samuel Arnold, Lewis Powell (Paine), John Surratt, David Herold, and George Atzerodt. On March 15th Booth met with the whole group at Gautier’s Restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue about three blocks from Ford’s Theater to talk about Lincoln’s abduction. Booth learned that Lincoln would be attending a play (Still Waters Run Deep) at the Campbell Hospital just outside Washington on March 17, 1865. He thought that would be the best time to kidnap Lincoln, but he soon learned that he would not be going to the show. On April 9, 1865 General lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox. On April 11 the President gave his last speech from the White House. Booth, Herold, and Powell were in the audience. Booth was outraged by what he was speaking about giving the former slaves rights. Booth said, “Now, by God! I’ll put him through. That is the last speech he will ever make.” (www.google.com). Three days later, on April 14, Booth stopped at Ford’s Theater to pick up his mail. He was dressed in dark clothes and wore a tall silk hat. He also wore kid gloves of a bland color, had a light overcoat slung over his arm. While there he learned of President Lincoln’s Plans to attend the evening performance of Our American Cousin from Henry Clay Ford. He spent some time walking around the theater. He knew nearly every line of the play. He figured out that the greatest laughter in the theatre would be talking 2006-06-13T18:43:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-History-of-Lincoln-s-Assassination-29448.aspx The Rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany The Rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany Weimar and the Rise of Hitler After World War I the allies intended to permanently cripple Germany. Through the Versailles Treaty they would do this. The document stole Germany’s nationalism, pride, and power. It left Germany helpless and lost. Many believed that Germany had been absolutely exploited and cheated under the terms of the treaty. At the time nobody knew, but the Versailles Treaty would be the very seeds of the next world war. The end of World War I shocked many people. Most of these people were the citizens of Germany. The German army intended to deliver the German Offensive of 1918, this final attack would guarantee German victory. The government then pushed the German citizens to hang on just a little longer so they may be the victorious country. The government controlled the flow of information to the German citizens using propaganda, this information mislead them to believe that they were just about to win. But because of the United States admission to the war, Germany was forced into submission. The citizens of Germany were outraged. They had been mislead and they were full of questions. They wondered why many of their soldiers were still in the city of Belgium, if they had really lost, why wasn’t Germany invaded? They also wondered why the government had said they were just about to win. Naturally, the country of Germany decided to point fingers on who was to blame for the loss. Many people, including Adolf Hitler, blamed the Jews and communists. Once again, anti-Semitism plays a role in our world’s history. The Jews have been blamed for the death of Jesus, the black plague, and many other events. This is purely because of pure ignorance. Germany despised the Treaty of Versailles. One of the articles of the treaty was that Germany limit their army to 100,000 men. Since Germany glorified the army as the number one thing in the country, it stabbed Germany’s pride and militarism. The country was also forced to pay reparations and accept guilt for the war. Germany felt they had not even started the war and it was extremely unfair to pay reparations. Germany was also forced to give up their colonies. The country felt cheated and angry at the Versailles Treaty. Germany felt exploited, and many sought to avenge what they had lost. The Weimar Republic was 2006-06-13T17:54:20-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Rise-of-Adolf-Hitler-and-Nazi-Germany-29422.aspx Significance of Iwo Jima to Japan and the US Significance of Iwo Jima to Japan and the US The year was 1945, and the war was winding down. The US was working on rooting out Japan and ending the war. Because they were dealing with an island country, they had to find a way to get at them without flying long distances. Japan was trying to defend their land while still waging war on other countries. The meeting point then for both objectives was Iwo Jima, a small island about 650 miles away from Tokyo on Japanese soil. Both countries were determined to fight long and hard for the island. Importance of Iwo Jima Iwo Jima was vital to the American assault on the Japanese. The US had decided that the island was vital to their success in the war, because they were to far away at that point with their bombers to reach Japan effectively. Up to that point, they had to send out long-range bombers like the B-29s from the Marianas for any kind of assault on Japan. The only way to escort the planes safely though was to send short-range fighters with them. To do this required a closer base to reach Japan more efficiently. Up to that point, the US bombers would be attacked by Japanese and usually defeated because of the lack of fighter support. The US felt that the island was the key to their offense against Japan. The Japanese on the other hand were defending their homeland. Not only did they feel that they had to keep the US from the island for the same reasons that the US wanted the island, but principle and nationality was at stake as well. No foreign army had been on Japanese soil in over 5000 years, and they felt that had to be maintained, therefore they sent one of their greatest generals to hold an even greater defense against the assault to come. Japanese Preparations From the Japanese perspective, Iwo Jima had to be protected with all the force that could be mustered. As a part of Japanese soil, Iwo Jima was considered a point of pride and very important to the country. In over 5000 years no foreign army had set foot on and held Japanese soil, and therefore the base of the Japanese defense was to maintain that at all costs. 2006-06-13T17:39:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Significance-of-Iwo-Jima-to-Japan-and-the-US-29416.aspx The Bubonic Plague in European History The Bubonic Plague in European History In the 1340’s, approximately one third to one half the population of Europe was wiped out by what was called “The Black Death? The people of the time were armed with little to no understanding of why and how the plague happened and how to control it; and this allowed for the vast destruction that occurred in little more than three years time. The origin of the epidemic has, with little doubt, been identified as Lake Issyk-Koul in what is now a part of Russian Central Asia. A flood, or some other natural disaster, drove various rodents from their habitats around the lake; and with them they carried fleas infected with the plague. A species of wild rodents normally isolated from humanity spread the plague to the more common black rat, which has been riding on board ships since man first set sail. The plague then followed the trade routes all over Europe. “Ships arrived from Caffa at the port of Messina, Sicily. A few dying men clung to the oars; the rest lay dead on the decks... Ships that carried the coveted goods of the fabled East now also carried death. The Pestilence had come to the shores of Europe?(Wark). The accounts of the plague tell of the symptoms being ‘tumors in the groin or the armpits? and ‘black livid spots on the arm or thigh? typical symptoms of Bubonic plague. However, Bubonic plague normally takes several days to kill, and many accounts tell of victims falling dead inside one day of contracting the disease. The variance in the cases of the Black Death are the workings of three strains of the plague: the plague proper; a pulmonary (air-borne) version, characterized by the vomiting of blood; and a septicaemic variant, capable of killing in several hours, before typical symptoms can even develop. The people the plague threatened knew neither the source of the disease, nor how to protect themselves from it. “It was said that the cause of the Pestilence or The Great Mortality -- 14th-century names for the contagion -- was a particularly sinister alignment of the planets, or a foul wind created by recent earthquakes. Other theories existed. ‘Looks,? According to one medieval physician, ‘could kill??(Wark). They believed their best recourse for avoiding the plague, was to run from it. When flight was not an option, they attempted to purify the air 2006-06-13T03:22:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Bubonic-Plague-in-European-History-29403.aspx The Threat of Communism During the Vietnam War The Threat of Communism During the Vietnam War During the years of 1954-1975, Vietnam believed that communist aggression in South Vietnam could lead to taking over South East Asia, which lead the United States to slowly become involved in the conflict of this war. Communist guerrillas, known as the Vietcong, helped native Communist terrorists in the south. One main objective of these rebels who were directly controlled by the Vietminh, North Vietnam's government, was to disrupt all types of South Vietnamese order. In October 1961, President John F. Kennedy sent Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor to South Vietnam, to evaluate the country's economic and military condition. General Taylor said that "infiltration of the Vietcong from the north was increasing," that "South Vietnam's economy had suffered drastically," and that "better and more equipment was needed." On Aug. 2, 1964, North Vietnamese patrol boats off the coast of North Vietnam attacked the USS Maddox, a destroyer cruising in the Gulf of Tonkin. Two days later the Maddox and another destroyer were attacked. The United States was drawn further into the conflict when President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered retaliatory air attacks and the congress authorized U.S. military operations with the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. During 1965 the United States became even more committed to help South Vietnam. That year it was official known that the U.S. was at war with the North Vietnam and the Vietcong. The size of the United States force in South Vietnam exceeded 50,000 troops, doubling in about six months. Between July and November a fighting force of an additional 100,000 men was transferred from military bases in the United States to Vietnam. Rather than a classic military strategy of gaining territory, the army tried to clear areas with search and destroy missions. The U.S. hoped to make the communists want to give up by causing creating heavy casualties and lack of supplies. This strategy did not take into the account that Hanoi was prepared to suffer enormous losses. The first major American victory took place in August at Chu Lai, where more than 5,000 United States troops defeated an estimated 2,000 Viet In January 1966 about 20,000 American, South Vietnamese, and South Korean troops encircled North Vietnamese south of Da Nang. In June 1966 United States bombers made their first attack on North Vietnam's two largest cities Hanoi, the capital, and Haiphong, the chief port. In January 1968 the NLF launched 2006-06-12T21:07:26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Threat-of-Communism-During-the-Vietnam-War-29381.aspx An Overview of the Ancient Mayan Empire An Overview of the Ancient Mayan Empire The Mayan Empire was one of the most innovative and interesting civilizations. It was an ancient civilization that was one of the most advanced and innovative ones. They inhabited the Yucatan peninsula and the empire lasted for about 3500 years ending around the year 1500 AD. It is considered the greatest civilization among the original cultures of the western hemisphere. The empire was located in what is now known as Central America. They lived in the area that is now Belize, Honduras, Mexico, and Guatemala. The whole are lies south of the tropic of cancer, and north of the equator. It contained over 120,000 sq miles, which is the about the size of Great Britain, or a little bit smaller than California. It is believed that the Mayan empire contained over one million people. It is mainly hot, and a large rainforest has developed there. The main basis of the economy was agriculture with most people being farmers. The primary crop was maize. Other crops raised were cotton, beans, squash, and cacao. The cotton was used to make clothing since the Mayans had superior skills in spinning, weaving, and dyeing. They made major farming innovations such as irrigation systems. The climate is very hot from May to August and rainy through the rest of the year, so the farmers have a lot of free time to serve the king. This serving time helped make the amazing developments from the Maya. By far, the major innovations and skills were in astronomy. Mayan priests would consistently take measurements using tools such as a forked stick. Using their amazing astronomical knowledge, they were able to predict future eclipses. They were also able to chart the complex motions of the sun and other astronomical bodies. Using this knowledge, they designed a calendar that was the most complex and accurate of all ancient calendars. In fact, it was only 19 minutes per year off from the actual calendar. It even contained month and week divisions. One of these months was only five days long, called the Wayeb, and was considered unlucky. In mathematics, the Mayans were quite intelligent. They developed a number system using a combination of dots and bars. These dots and bars were stacked together in piles of twenty, with the dot meaning one and the bar meaning five. They also made the original discovery of the number zero. This is 2006-06-12T20:33:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/An-Overview-of-the-Ancient-Mayan-Empire-29366.aspx The Military Expeditions of the Crusades The Military Expeditions of the Crusades Crusades were military expeditions planned and carried out by western European Christians. The crusades began around 1095. In order to takeover and gain control of the Holy Land from the Muslims. The Holy Land was located in Jerusalem and the Christians believed that gaining control of it was their destiny. The origin of the crusades was a result of the expanding the area in the middle east for the Turks. The Turkish people forcfully invaded Byzantium, a Christian empire. The crusaders were a military, sent out to recover what they thought was their land. The first crusades actually started by the Pope. In November of 1095, the Pope gathered his followers outside a French city. He preached to the people and told them that action needed to be taken. The people cheered and planned their own attack. Urbans brought together all of the bishops and urged them to talk to their friends and fellow villagers and to encourage them to participate in the crusades. Small groups started to form and each group would be their own. All the groups planned their own ways to Constantinople, where they would meet and then regroup. They would attack the Turkish forces in Constantinople and hope to regain control of the city. The large Christian armies talked to the Byzantium emperor, and agreed to return any of his old land that was recaptured. The armies were uncertain of this demand but agreed anyway. The first attack by the crusaders was on Anatolian, the capital or Turkey. In the menatime the Byzantians were also trying to recapture Anatolian, and later that year, the city surrendered to the Byzantians instead of the crusaders. The Byzantians were using the crusaders as pawns to achieve their own goals. The crusaders again met and crushed the Turkish army. The crusaders scored a great victory and boosted the troops' moral. The crusaders captured Antioch and also held off relief forces sent to help the Turks. The crusaders then moved on to their main goa, which was Jerusalem. The city was under Egyptian control and was under close watch. The crusaders set up siege machines and called for reinforcements, finally forcing the Egyptians to surrender. Everyone in the city was killed in the belief that the blood of the former holders purified it. The crusaders kept control of the city for the next couple of years 2006-06-12T19:18:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Military-Expeditions-of-the-Crusades-29364.aspx Explaining America's Involvement in the Vietnam War Explaining America's Involvement in the Vietnam War There are many speculations as to why the Americans entered the Vietnam War. American involvement was based upon a series of many choices made by five successive presidents during a span of 1945-1975. The decisions made by these leaders were based on one central motive, the need to stop the spread of Communism. When the U.S government marched into Vietnam, it was because it feared a growth of Communism in a region of close proximity to communist China. When the United States retaliated against the North Vietnam to uphold the Truman Doctrine, they ignored foreign policy of isolationism, with Communist threat in mind. The United States wanted to aid Southern Vietnam, the help was driven by a factor of communism, and a consistent theme with lives at stake. In 1945, A. Peter Dewey, a Truman administrator, was shot and killed while in Vietnam gathering information to report back to the White House. Ho Chi Minh claims it was “friendly fire and simply an accident” . Accidental or not, Dewey was America’s first casualty in Vietnam, but certainly not the last. Vietnam was on its way to become America’s only Thirty Year War. The United States became involved in the Vietnam War in various stages because it was dedicated to combat Communism. North Vietnam was a Communist country, Proclaimed independent by Ho Chi Minh, a Communist. A Marxist, he believed in " National Communism " and during the war with the French, took refuge in northern Vietnam settling there with his fellow communist followers. He founded the Indochina Communist Party and the Viet Minh which was formed in 1941, seeking independence from French rule. Ho Chi Minh became the president of North Vietnam from 1945 to 1969 when North Vietnam was a poor area cut off from the agricultural benefit of South Vietnam, forced to ask for assistance from major Communist allies - the Soviet Union and China, who chose to aid North Vietnam before and during the war. This was the beginning of a communist involvement in Vietnam, a direct violation of the democracy the U.S stood for and respected. For nearly forty years, Vietnam had not experienced settled peace. On September 2nd, 1945, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed independent from France, which gathered strong opposition. The French wanted to re-establish their rule in Vietnam, but were beaten at the battle of 2006-06-12T19:17:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Explaining-America-s-Involvement-in-the-Vietnam-War-29363.aspx Dramatic Changes in American Culture During the 1950s Dramatic Changes in American Culture During the 1950s The United States began to change drastically in the 50s. Many people began coming out to stand up to old ways of life. This started the wheel turning for the civil rights movement. Some people though were swept up in a hysteria of accusations caused by the tension of the Cold War. Many were accused as being traitors for their beliefs. Americans also became swept up in social conformity causing a new American Dream to take shape. During the 50s, America experienced many new changes in its way of life. New problems arose like The Cold War and new social issues changed American conformist ideals and fortified civil rights. In the 50s, blacks began standing up for their civil rights. It started with blacks speaking out in literature like “I, Too” by Langston Hughes, but quickly evolved into the Civil Rights Movement. In 1954, the decisive ruling in Brown vs. Board led to the slow integration of southern schools. In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white woman so she was arrested. This started the Montgomery Bus Boycott in which blacks successfully gained integration of the busses in Montgomery. Dr. King was elected to lead the Montgomery boycotts. His motivational speaking style became very popular. Soon came the sit-ins at lunch counters that were not integrated like in Greensboro where students had sit-ins in Woolworths. Black students would sit in at non-integrated lunch counters and often be harassed by whites. Dr. King stressed to blacks that they should be non-violent, so they did not lower themselves to the level of the racist whites. New groups of black students formed to stand up for civil rights. The student nonviolent coordinating committee (SNCC) was one of these groups that motivated young blacks to speak out at the beginning of the 60s. By the end of the 50s, blacks began to see some equality but there was still a long road ahead. After World War II, tensions grew between America and the Soviet Union. The two countries economical and political systems were incompatible. Problems during the war led to unrest between the nations. Stalin formed communist governments in Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Poland, which were later 2006-06-12T18:37:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Dramatic-Changes-in-American-Culture-During-the-1950s-29342.aspx A History of the Troubles in Northern Ireland A Histroy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland “The only way to beat the British Monarch is to refuse its existence and believe that the Irish Republic is real and alive. Now, if I die, who will take my place?” These powerful words were said by an Irish martyr, Michael Collins, who’s unyielding determination as a Nationalist and a Catholic served as inspiration to continue in the struggle that the province of Northern Ireland is still engaged in today. But, from where did this all originate, what steps have been taken towards peace and why is Northern Ireland so reluctant to be ruled by England? The history of the troubles that haunt Northern Ireland are not due to any one particular incident but rather a series of incidents beginning back when the island of Ireland was conquered by the Anglo-Normans troops in the late 12th century. English rulers then tried to colonize the island by any means possible, making enemies out of the Irish. Throughout history England has ruled Ireland. A drastic change took place in 1921, when the country was divided. Northern Ireland remained part of the UK, while the remainder of the country became the Republic of Ireland. The English progressed into Ulster Country with hopes of colonizing it. However, a clash of cultures erupted due to the animosity that Ireland, as a whole wanted to be the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Republic Army fought in hopes of driving the Protestant British out of Catholic Ireland and they only secured 26 out of 32 counties. The desire to drive the British out inspired rebellion on the behalf of the Irish Catholics. They were the domination of Ireland, and now being discriminated against on their own land. They were punished and taxed due to their behavior. They wanted to keep their culture; sacred, their religion; majority and their home, home. From a political standpoint this is a conflict of the Unionists and the Nationalists. “The Unionists (Protestant) who believe in maintaining Northern Ireland’s political union with Great Britain.” (Path to Peace) “While the Nationalists (Catholic) were exiles from the Irish nation; in their exclusion they clung to their religion as a mark of cultural identity; politically; they dealt with the Northern Ireland State by ignoring it.”(4 Holland) In 1968, 2006-06-12T18:33:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-History-of-the-Troubles-in-Northern-Ireland-29340.aspx The Word History Ancient History Study Notes!!! Our word history comes from the Greek word historia, which means learning by inquiry. There are many branches of inquiry that help us understand what happened in the past and, most importantly, how and why it happened. One of these is archaeology. Archaeology also comes from a Greek word meaning the discussion of ancient things. Archaeology is a study of humanity’s past by means of the physical objects that people have left behind (artefacts). An artefact is any object that has been made or constructed by humans. (E.g. remains of building, tombs, jewellery, pottery, weapons and household objects). A source is anything that has survived from the past. It can be written or archaeological. A source is not the same as evidence; the source is the raw material that the historians use to ask questions of the past. Evidence is the information that tends to prove or disprove a conclusion. A source doesn’t become evidence until it is used. Another way to describe sources, apart from written and archaeological, is to classify them as either primary or secondary. A primary source comes from the same time as the person or event being studied. A secondary source is something written about or copied from the past by people living in another time- for e.g. a secondary school textbook. Questions to ask about an archaeological source: 1. What type of archaeological source is it? 2. Can it be accurately dated? 3. Is it a primary source from the time being studied? 4. In what specific context was it found? 5. Is it in its original location? If not, why not? 6. What condition is it in? 7. If it is a photograph or line drawing of a building or object, is it an accurate depiction? 8. What evidence does this source provide about the period being studied? Archaeological sources can be both physical and written. Ancient written sources can be classified as Literary sources, Epigraphic sources and Numismatic. Literary sources- include the writings of people in the ancient world such as historians, biographers and poets. Epigraphic sources- are those that are inscribed on clay, metal, stone or papyrus. They may even include graffiti. Numismatic evidence is provided by coins that contain images of key figures, religious symbols, legends, special events and sometimes even date. Many artefacts can be dated by historical, archaeological or scientific methods. Questions that need to be 2006-06-12T11:11:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Word-History-29315.aspx australian history Chapter One • The most important areas of development before 1900 were ports, roads and railways. A country as big as Australia would soon be crippled if its products could not reach local and overseas markets. Therefore, the development of transport was critical to the growth of the wool, sugar, beef, mining and dairy industries. • In 1900 Australia had ridden `on the sheep's back'. This meant that Australia's wealth came mainly from primary industry wool was still Australia's most important industry, with over half of the money made in exports coming from the wool industry. • The most important invention for Australia was refrigeration technology, which allowed the transportation of goods in a frozen state. Primary or farming products could now be sent great distances and even sold at overseas markets, especially in Britain. The beginning of refrigeration technology was the key to strengthening Australia's primary industry. • An increase in the manufacturing of heavy and light industrial products in factories had created a boom time in the 1880s and strengthened Australia's economy. Up until the, Australians had imported the goods they needed from England. This meant that Australians were spending too much money on British imports, supporting the English economy rather than the Australian economy. • The growth of manufacturing industries in cities provided employment for unskilled workers and made moving to the city an attractive option. • Cities grew and so did infrastructure needed to support factories and manufacturing. • Negative impacts about factories and cities were: o Wages low (making them live in poverty) o Factories were dangerous (which if got injured wives or children had to be the bread winners) o In the cities people were living in poverty in housing that had become Overcrowded and over crowded • Skilled workers and their families belonged to the middle classes and lived in the growing suburbs that sprang up around the cities. Breadwinners from this group could afford a mortgage and the cost of travelling to work each day. • The infrastructure of a society refers to basic needs of society, such as roads, hospitals and water • primary industry, especially sheep and wheat, the driving force behind Australia's growth a nation in 1901. But not all people Benefited especially from this in the early years of the century. • The Depression of the 1890s followed 2006-06-12T11:03:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/australian-history--29311.aspx Comparison between the First Empire and the Han Dynasty Comparison between the First Empire and the Han Dynasty The Han Dynasty was far greater than the First Empire, since the Han dynasty destroyed all form of torture and violence towards the non-believers and introduced a good system of education that would stick to people. This was made possible by these three things: education, trade and Confucianism, which made China, grow into a strong nation that overruled the earth and destroyed what was known as legalism. From the chaos left over by the Qin Dynasty came the Han Dynasty. It built on the strengths of the earlier dynasties and removed the faults. Taxes were sharply reduced, and economic recovery was widely promoted. Examinations were used to identify potential candidates for official posts and gifted scholars, and the teachings of Confucius were promoted and encouraged. Being far more intelligent than Shi Huandi emperor Wudi was thinking of his people and not of himself. He wanted for a smart country that could evolve and strengthen under his power. The teachings of Confucius allowed the people of china to think for themselves and collaborate on an idea that could become something. Unlike Shi-Huandi, emperor Wudi allowed the people to express themselves without being n danger, and his schools taught people between the good and the bad. Wudi had a strong word in his population with the promise of a winning country. Since agriculture was the only real profession during the first empire, Wudi taught that with education the people could make something much more. And oh was he ever right, the Chinese people were the first ones to invent the paper, paper money, silk, gunpowder and many more invention that were from the roots of Confucius. Much of these customs are still practiced today in modern China and if it wasn’t for the teachings of Confucius the China that we know today wouldn’t have existed. One of Shi-Huandi’s pleasures was to take a country with swords to show power. He liked the taste of blood and always wanted to have another part of the country. Unlike the First Empire the Han Dynasty had a government that used words and not violence. The Han dynasty was one of the first dynasties to have ever opened a trade route. While Shi-Huandi was looking for enemies from the Great wall known as the largest graveyard since many builders were engulfed by the massive wall, Emperor Wudi 2006-06-12T02:56:53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparison-between-the-First-Empire-and-the-Han-Dynasty-29289.aspx Analysis of the Lindenbergh Baby Kidnapping Case Analysis of the Lindenbergh Baby Kidnapping Case KIDNAPPED, on March 1st 1932, between 8 and 10 pm, from his home in Hopewell New Jersey. The Lindbergh baby,Charles, roughly 20 months old, was taken from his crib. The first suspects were speculated to be gangsters, on one else would commit such a crime. The perpetrator left a ransom note on the baby?s window sill demanding $50,000 dollars for the return of their son. After the money was paid a note was given saying the child was on a boat off Massachusetts coast. No baby was found there, but a body of a child was found on May 12, 1932 just miles from the Lindbergh home, face down in the dirt, partially decomposed. The autopsy done on the child revealed it was the Lindbergh?s son. It took more than two years to track down the murderer a Bruno Richard Hauptmann. He was an illegal German immigrant with a criminal record in his past. This man Bruno Hauptmann is considered a very guilty person in the eyes of most, and he is also guilty to this offence because of the overwhelming amount of direct and indirect evidence. So I feel this man is guilty in every way, and was rightly prosecuted for this offence. This case had many pieces of direct evidence that were used to convict Mr. Hauptmann to a guilty charge. Some of these pieces of evidence were money that Hauptmann used one night, at a theatre. The money he used was a gold certificate, one which the ransom money was paid in, this would link him directly to the crime because the ransom money was gold certificate and the serial numbers were recorded. Another piece of direct evidence that was given was the voice of ?Cemetery John?. Mr. Lindbergh thought this voice was the voice of Mr. Hauptman, and he testified this at the court house. Another piece of direct evidence was when one eye- witness saw a truck, with a ladder in the back pull quickly into a ditch. The eye- witness testified that the man driving the truck was Mr. Hauptmann. The ladder was also made from the boards in Mr. Hauptmann?s garage attic floor. One other major piece of direct evidence in the case was the chisel. The chisel was a 2006-06-11T20:10:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-the-Lindenbergh-Baby-Kidnapping-Case-29238.aspx Analysis of the Artillery used in the Vietnam War Analysis of the Artillery used in the Vietnam War The Vietnam War was a war for independence in Vietnam, the north lead by Ho Chi Minh, the south led by Ngo Dinh Diem. In 1954 an international conference decided that Vietnam must be divided into two north and south. At the beginning America was not involved in the war between north and south Vietnam, it wasn’t until 1961 when a U.S. boat was attacked in the gulf of Tonkin. The President ordered the military to attack back to prevent further aggression. History: Artillery is a term used to describe large weapons or a branch of the army that implies these weapons. There are four main types of artillery there are large guns such has a M60, mortars, howitzers, and rocket launchers. This weapons are mounted onto boats, aircraft, and tanks. When America joined the war helicopters were used for medical evacuation because there were very few landing spots in Vietnam . Helicopters can land and takeoff vertically that was a real advantage when there was an emergency . When the helicopters were converted into gun ships there maneuverability came in handy when it was under heavy fire , or when they were picking up soldiers near an enemy area. There were many types of helicopters the different types would be armed differently. The AH-1 Cobra would be modified to hold a certain amount of a certain type of ammunition. One of its armaments modifications were to hold a 20mm cannon with 750 rounds and TOW guided missiles with 4 rounds . The second was 20mm cannon 750 with rounds and 2.75 unguided rockets with 14 rounds. The third was 20mm cannon with750 rounds and TOW guidied missiles with 8 rounds. This were the three devisting modifications. Opinion: I think 2006-06-11T19:57:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-the-Artillery-used-in-the-Vietnam-War-29233.aspx Character Sketch of John Proctor as a Tragic Hero Character Sketch of John Proctor as a Tragic Hero The The Historic happenings of the Salem Witch Trials are told in the story of the Crucible. In the Crucible, the main character is John Proctor. John Proctor is a tragic hero who is a great man but has one single flaw, pride, which will lead to his destruction. John Proctor is considered the to be a great man in Salem. He owns a good piece of land and farms it very well. He is a devoted husband and loving father of three. There are groups and factions that are present in Salem where John has stayed clear from them. This shows that he does not get involved with all the problems of the town. He also despises hypocrites although he becomes one at the end of his life. In the previous winter, Elizabeth Proctor had gotten very ill. John Proctor had committed lechery with Abigail Williams during this time. Abigail told John that there was no witchcraft going on. When the trial had started, Elizabeth was begging John to go to the court and explain to the court what Abigail had told him. John didn’t because he didn’t want his relationship with Abigail to become public. When John tried to tell the court about what had happened, it was too late. Than John Proctor was accused of witchcraft. By the end of the trial, Judge Danforth was willing to pardon John Proctor. When all he had to do was sign a piece of paper, his pride took the better of his judgment. He knew that if he signed that paper and gave it to the court, his name and reputation would have been scarred forever. He was worried about his children. Yet, he should have saved his life instead of dying for his pride. When John Proctor did not submit his written signature of confession, he was sent to hang. If he had given his confession, he would have been able to live. Judge Danforth did not want John Proctor to die because he had thought that he was not a witch. He understood that Abigail was lying. The reason he could not come out with it was because his reputation would have been ruined. All that he had to do 2006-06-11T19:33:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Character-Sketch-of-John-Proctor-as-a-Tragic-Hero-29220.aspx Analysis of Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail Analysis of Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail First Martin Luther King effectively makes use of logos throughout his letter. He clarifies all of the reasons for his arguments and supports them well. His arguments are also logical in their appeal. For example, in the beginning of his letter he gives a response to the clergymen’s claim that the demonstrations were unwise and untimely. He states that the Negro community had no alternative except to prepare for direct action. He supports this claim by saying that the Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers, but they consistently refused to engage in good-faith negotiation. He also gives more support to his argument by writing about another incident in September when the Negro leaders finally got their chance to talk with the leaders of Birmingham. He states that in the course of negotiations certain promises were made by the merchants-for example to remove the stores’ humiliating racial sings. On the basis of these promises, the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and the leaders of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights agreed to a moratorium on all demonstrations. As the weeks and the months went on, they realized that they were the victims of broken promises, because the signs went back up. Due to the fact that their hopes were yet again blasted they were forced to resort to direct action. This is just one example of many others in which Martin Luther King makes excellent appeals to logos. Martin Luther King conveys a high sense of ethos in his letter. He establishes this from t4he very start of the argument. In the first paragraph he sets the tone for the letter. He states that he wants to answer the clergymen’s statements in patient and reasonable terms. Also, he establishes his credibility in the second paragraph by responding to the clergymen’s view that he was an outsider coming in. He reveals that he is the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. This clearly establishes his credibility on arguments and claims throughout his letter. Martin Luther King also appeals to ethos by even stating the clergymen’s views throughout his letter, which of course embodies the alternative to his views. Lastly, Martin Luther 2006-06-11T19:25:03-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Martin-Luther-King-s-Letter-from-Birmingham-Jail-29215.aspx History of The Red Scare during Woodrow Wilson's Presidency History of The Red Scare during Woodrow Wilson's Presidency When Woodrow Wilson was elected in 1916, he narrowly gained victory on the platform “He kept us out of war,” referring to World War I. Wilson was against US involvement in the war for several reasons; the US was isolated geographically from the nations of Europe, and detached from the issues that were argued there, the confusing entanglements and causes of the war in Europe, and the many ethnic groups and divisions in the US at the time. However, by April of 1917, with German U-boats attacking US merchant ships, Wilson realized that America could not continue to remain neutral in the war that had been going on in Europe since 1914. He asked Congress for a declaration of war from Congress on April 2 of 1917 and four days later Congress agreed. Because of the many ethnic divisions in the US at the time, the government knew that it would have to take measures to make sure that the US citizens were on its side. Wilson undertook a massive propaganda effort in which the Committee of Public Information was formed, headed by George Creel, which sent 75,000 speakers around the country to give patriotic speeches in schools and churches and produced over 75 million pamphlets in several languages explaining the US’s relation to the war. Needless to say, there were many in the US opposed to the war, not only because of their ethnicity, but because of their political and philosophical views. During that same year, Congress passed a controversial measure called the Espionage Act. It stated that anyone who disclosed information compromising national defense would face a $10,000 fine and 20 years in prison. The act went further than simply imprisoning people who compromised national defense, it said that “Whoever, when the United States is at war… shall willfully utter, print, write, or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States, or the Constitution of the United States, or the military or naval forces of the United States, or the flag… shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for not more than twenty years, or both....” Many people believed the act to be unconstitutional but when challenged was apparently ruled to be constitutional in Schenck v. United States, and Debs v. United 2006-06-11T02:31:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-The-Red-Scare-during-Woodrow-Wilson-s-Presidency-29179.aspx Issues with the Credibility of History in the Classroom Issues with the Credibility of History in the Classroom Mr. Loewen in chapter 11 "Why is history taught like this" tries to give different reasons why in fact history is taught this way in our schools. He switches between blaming and then forgiving the upper class in influencing authors and publishers for 2006-06-11T01:40:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Issues-with-the-Credibility-of-History-in-the-Classroom-29155.aspx A History of Geometry in the World of Mathematics A History of Geometry in the World of Mathematics The beginning of geometry is hidden in the time of pre-history. Later, the humans came to recognize certain principles. People believe geometry started in Egypt. Ancient Greeks also practiced “experimental geometry” for centuries. During the Ancient Greece time period Euclid wrote thirteen books, entitled “The Elements”, that are still today one of the most influential works in scientific history. In Ancient Egyptian’s time geometry was used often. One use for geometry was to measure the size of fields, and determine how much taxes should be given for the different sizes of fields. Also in the same time period the Babylonians showed use of geometry. Scholars have even found that the Babylonians knew Pythagorean Relationships. The most influential time period for geometry was the Ancient Greece time period. The Greeks used geometry much like the Egyptians and Babylonians had used it. The Greeks even created the first type of formal mathematics by grouping geometry with rules of logic. Some of them had such an interest in geometry that they traveled to Egypt and Babylon to learn all that they possibly could about geometry. The Greeks also insisted that “geometric fact” must be proven, not by procedures, but by reasoning. There was a saying in Ancient Greece that said; “Geometrical truth was to be obtained in the study room rather then the laboratory”(http://www.mnsfld.edu/~rwalker/geometry.html). The Greeks were also noted for creating many different kinds of geometry. The Elements, thirteen books written by Euclid, give insight in the development of geometry along with other mathematics. The Elements have been studied for twenty-four centuries and even in many different languages. In his books Euclid gave five postulates, he however was not satisfied with the fifth postulate which read, “Given a line and a point not on the line, it is possible to draw exactly one line through the given point parallel to the line” (http://math.rice.edu/~lanius/Geom/his.html) So over the years geometry has been along for the ride. Surviving through the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Greeks. It is amazing that the study of geometry has lasted so long and is still being continued. It almost makes you wonder that if Euclid didn’t really set the standard for geometry if it would have lasted so long. I think that it would have because there will always be at least one person with an intense passion for mathematics and geometry. There are still people like that today and 2006-06-10T19:36:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-History-of-Geometry-in-the-World-of-Mathematics-29139.aspx War in Iraq and What Lead Up to it The War in Iraq Since the end of the Gulf War of 1991, Iraq's relations with the United States remained poor. In the absence of a Security Council agreement that Iraq had fully complied with the terms of the Persian Gulf War ceasefire, both the United Nations and the United States enforced numerous economic sanctions against Iraq throughout the Clinton administration, and the United States and the United Kingdom patrolled Iraqi airspace to enforce Iraqi no-fly zones that they had declared. The United States Congress also passed the "Iraq Liberation Act" in October 1998, which provided $97 million for Iraqi in order to establish a program to support a transition to democracy in Iraq. This differed with the terms set out by the United Nations, which related to weapons and weapons programs, but made no mention of regime change. Weapons inspectors had been used to gather information on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program and to enforce the terms of the 1991 cease fire, which outlawed Iraq from developing weapons of mass destruction. The information gathered by the inspectors was used in targeting decisions during Operation Desert Fox, a United States and United Kingdom bombardment of Iraq in December 1998 which was supposedly hurried by lack of cooperation between Iraq and the United Nations weapon inspections team. On October 11, 2002, the United States Congress passed the "Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002", giving President George W. Bush the authority to attack Iraq if Saddam Hussein did not give up his weapons of mass destruction. On November 9, 2002, the United Nations Security Council passed United Nations Security Council Resolution, offering Iraq "a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations" that had been set out in several previous resolutions notably to provide "an accurate full, final, and complete disclosure of all aspects of its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles". Resolution 1441 threatened "serious consequences" if the Iraqis didn’t met the demands that United Nations gave them to disarm themselves of these weapons. On February 15, 2003, as a response to the imminent invasion, the largest ever world-wide protests took place with 6-10 million people in over 60 countries around the world. In his March 17, 2003, address to the nation, President George W. Bush demanded that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his two sons Uday and Qusay leave Iraq, giving 2006-06-09T02:19:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/War-in-Iraq-and-What-Lead-Up-to-it-29128.aspx History of the Trans-Siberian Railroad History 2006-06-07T16:06:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-Trans-Siberian-Railroad-29093.aspx International Disputes Leading up to the Gulf War Conflict International Disputes Leading up to the Gulf War Conflict "Gulf War"; also called Gulf War (1990-91), international conflict that was triggered by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990. Iraq's leader, Saddam Hussein, ordered the invasion and occupation of Kuwait with the apparent aim of acquiring that nation's large oil reserves. On August 3 the United Nations Security Council called for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait, and on August 6 the council imposed a worldwide ban on trade with Iraq. Iraq's invasion and the potential threat it then posed to Saudi Arabia prompted the United States and its western European NATO allies to rush troops to Saudi Arabia to deter a possible attack. Egypt and several other Arab nations joined the anti-Iraq coalition and contributed forces to the military buildup, known as Operation Desert Shield. Hussein meanwhile built up his occupying army in Kuwait to about 300,000 troops. On November 29 the UN Security Council authorized the use of force against Iraq unless it withdrew from Kuwait by Jan. 15, 1991. By January 1991 the Allied coalition against Hussein had reached a strength of 700,000 troops, including 540,000 U.S. personnel and smaller numbers of British, French, Egyptians, Saudis, Syrians, and several other national contingents. Hussein steadfastly refused to withdraw his forces from Kuwait, however, which he maintained would remain a province of Iraq (the latter had formally annexed Kuwait on Aug. 8, 1990). The Persian Gulf War began on Jan. 16-17, 1991, with a massive U.S.-led air offensive against Iraq that continued throughout the war. Over the next few weeks, this sustained aerial bombardment, which had been named Operation Desert Storm, destroyed Iraq's air defenses before attacking its communications networks, government buildings, weapons plants, oil refineries, and bridges and roads. By mid-February the Allies had shifted their air attacks to Iraq's forward ground forces in Kuwait and southern Iraq, destroying their fortifications and tanks. Operation Desert Sabre, a massive Allied ground offensive, was launched northward from northeastern Saudi Arabia into Kuwait and southern Iraq on February 24, and within three days Arab and U.S. forces had retaken Kuwait City in the face of crumbling Iraqi resistance. Meanwhile, the main U.S. armoured thrust drove into Iraq some 120 miles (200 km) west of Kuwait and attacked Iraq's armoured reserves from the rear. By February 27 these forces had destroyed most of Iraq's elite Republican Guard units after the latter had tried 2006-06-07T16:04:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/International-Disputes-Leading-up-to-the-Gulf-War-Conflict-29092.aspx The Naval Disaster of the USS Arizona (BB-39) The Naval Disaster of the USS Arizona (BB-39) Never in known history has a ship taken so many of her crew down with her. Thus is the story of the USS Arizona (BB-39). The Arizona was built as part of America’s pre-World War I modernization of the U.S. Navy. She was also built in the U.S. Navy’s response to the naval arms race that had begun in 1906 when the Royal Navy completed the HMS Dreadnought. She was not a large battleship by today’s standards, but before World War II, it was considered very reliable if war was a threat to the United States. She belonged to the Pennsylvania battleship class (which consisted of the Arizona and Pennsylvania). The construction of Battleship number 39 began on March 16, 1914, in the New York Navy Yard. It was later to be known as the Arizona. Original speculation was that the ship would be named North Carolina, the home state of Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels. (dizzy. library.arizona.edu) She was launched and christened on June 19, 1915 by Miss Esther Ross of Prescott, along with traditional champagne. Construction on the floating hull continued, and the ship was commissioned on October 17, 1916. Her cost for hull and machinery was $7,425,000 and her total cost was $712,993,579. She experienced considerable problems with her engines during her trials, to the extent, that her blades were striped from one of her turbines, requiring months in dry dock to replace. (dizzy.library.arizona.edu) After the work was finished, World War I kicked in; the Arizona served with the Atlantic Fleet as a gunnery training ship during the war. Since goal was more plentiful than oil in Great Britain during the war, the Arizona had modern oil fired boilers, prevented her from joining other U.S. battleships serving the British Grand Fleet. She later served as the flagship of the Atlantic Fleet and of various battleship divisions in the Pacific. In November 1918 the Arizona sailed for Europe to join the Battleship Division Six serving with the British Grand Fleet, one week after signing the armistice. On December 12, she put out to sea with the rest of her division, to join with the transport George Washington, which was carrying President Wilson to the Paris Peace Conference. She was part of the honor escort that arrived at Brest, France on the 13th. On 2006-06-06T15:31:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Naval-Disaster-of-the-USS-Arizona-BB-39-29086.aspx A History of Writing in Human Civilization A history of writing in human civilization What is this civilized thing called writing? Modern linguists define writing as a system of human communication by means of conventional, agreed-upon signals that represent language. The signs must be capable of being sent and received, mutually understood, and they must correspond to spoken words. Each written means began with simple pictures and plain strokes or dots - adequate for recording objects and numbers. Of all the creation of man, writing is our most exquisite intellectual accomplishment. Contrary to a popular belief ,writing was invented not once but possibly as many as six separate times, in very distant places. Man approached writing by lengthy stages: the development of speech; the invention of pictures; the need to reinforce memory by storing information; the realization that pictures could be used for purpose; and finally, the difficult trial and error process of adapting pictures so that they represented the sounds of speech. The Origin of writing is seen through the development of civilizations over certain periods of historical times and places. Though writing developed not much more than 5000 years ago-----only yesterday in the long calendar of man’s emergence------its roots, like those of so many other inventions, lie further back in the past. (Clairborne, p.11) Writing was invented in order to record business activities. Certain people needed to be able to keep track and records of various things. It was impossible to rely on a man’s memory for every detail, a new method was needed to keep reliable records. As cities grew more complex, so did writing. Over 500 years of evolution the outward appearance and internal structure of writing changed. The social conditions that gave rise to writing are described as a phenomenon called the urban revolution. (Clairborne, p 20). Like speech, of which it is an extension, writing requires the capacity to make mental leaps. All languages include a few imitative words that literally sound like the ideas they represent—such as cough, buzz. But the number of things or actions that can be identified by sound is very limited, so that the vocabularies of all languages, are overwhelmingly composed of arbitrary sounds whose relationships to their meanings are purely a matter of convention. When did human speech embodying such arbitrary abstractions begin to develop? 100,000 years ago our ancestors and even homo erectus a million years ago, were capable of speech. 40,000 years 2006-06-06T15:06:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-History-of-Writing-in-Human-Civilization-29077.aspx Comparing and Contrasting the French and American Revolution Comparing and Contrasting the French and American Revolutions Compare and contrast the American and French revolutions. These should include the role of the bourgeoisie/capitalist middle class, the difference in geography, the role of the international community, religion (its view of democracy, and its relationship to the state), voting habits of the two nations and their political culture. The French Revolution was plotted by the person who helped the Americans in their own, Marquis de Lafayette, therefore both revolutions have many things in common. Nevertheless they were different countries, which means that they had different cultures and were different in every aspect. The Americans planned their revolution for many years and executed it with the help of the French (economically and military). Once the revolution was over, they were a republic and signed the treaty in Paris. When the French return to France they realize that they don’t have the freedom America does and they helped them fight for. So, the French started planning their own revolution. The American Revolution was about the independence of a country. The people who planned it were the wealthy people among the Americans. They were the Capitalist Middle-Class. The high-class were the British and the lower classes the slaves and workers. The capitalist wanted a different government. They wanted a democracy. The capitalists are the founders of the United States. They believed in working hard to make money and do what they wanted with it. On the other hand the French revolution was about human rights. In the French Revolution the bourgeoisie had almost the same circumstances. They would work really hard and save money. Along the years they had almost more money than the nobility. The more money they had the more taxes would be raised. The bourgeoisie realized that they had no rights, they were more in quantity, they had more money than the higher classes and they just helped the Americans get their freedom from another country when they didn’t had freedom in their own country. Then they started planning their revolution. The bourgeoisie were not the founders of the country, but were the ones who executed the revolution. The capitalists lead the revolution but didn’t fight in it and the created a new government. Both countries fought a war in their own land. The Americans had the British established in their country as well as the troops that came from across the ocean. The 2006-06-06T14:56:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparing-and-Contrasting-the-French-and-American-Revolution-29072.aspx Ignorance and Negligence of Commanders at Pearl Harbor Ignorance and negligence of military commanders at Pearl Harbor The Japanese navy launched a surprise attack on US forces in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, killing thousands of US troops. This surprise attack played a key factor in the United States entering World War II. Because of the local commanders’ lack of attention and good judgment, the Japanese had the ability to attack the naval base and were successful in doing so. Primarily, the commanders ignored the obvious warnings of an attack from the Japanese and the current political situation between Japan and the United States. On the day of the bombing, the commanders once again ignored the obvious signs of an act. Because of this ignorance and negligence, Japan was successful in bombing Pearl Harbor. First of all, the local commanders at Pearl Harbor ignored the obvious warnings of an attack from the Japanese ad the current political situation between Japan and the United States. The first obvious sign was the fact that Japan had been attacking southeastern Asia in order to expand their empire and acquire valuable resources. Because of the protective nature of the United States navy, Japan felt the US was a threat. They felt the only way to protect their territory was to eliminate the US navy. On November 24 and 27, 1941, Washington sent warning to the commanders at Pearl Harbor. The local leaders in Pearl Harbor blatantly ignored these warning, including Admiral H.E. Kimmel and General W.C. Short. They claimed Hawaii was not included in the warning even though the warning was meant for all Pacific commanders. Kimmel and Short felt they required specific instructions and strategies from Washington in order to carry out successful defensive measures. Thus, it can be argued that Washington could have been more specific in its warning. This vagueness can be noted in the Message of November 27, 1941. The message from General Walter Short and the message from Admiral Huband E. Kimmel further exemplifies Washington’s lack of specific information. Furthermore, the commanders in Pearl Harbor did not pay attention to the obvious signs of conflict on the day of the attack. A primary example of these signs on the morning of the attack on Oahu, would be when a Japanese midget submarine was spotted and sunk by a US destroyer just outside of the entrance to the harbor. This should have been considered as a dangerous threat and defensive 2006-06-06T14:40:59-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ignorance-and-Negligence-of-Commanders-at-Pearl-Harbor-29065.aspx Critical Decisions Faced by FDR in Entering World War II Critical Decisions Faced by FDR in Entering World War II In preparation for the United States’ entrance into World War II, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt made wise decisions in many critical situations and displayed great leadership qualities in rising to the defense of democracy. President Roosevelt shows by his dealings throughout 1941 that he is ready and willing to lead the United States into war. He was asked to make many crucial decisions throughout the years preceding the war, and he proved himself to be wise in all of his choices. Roosevelt knew of the trouble to the West, but kept the United States out of the war while he prepared our nation to fight. President Roosevelt promised United States aid to U.S.S.R. two days after German’s first invasion of the Soviet Union in late June of 1941 (Taylor). He began to plan and to establish allies throughout the nations of Europe. He saw the war not only as an inevitable crisis, but also as a way to supply jobs to the millions of Americans still being affected by the Great Depression. On July 21, Roosevelt sent a special message to Congress in which he urged an extension of one-year military training by selectees. President Roosevelt increased our military power to destroy Nazi Germany while creating jobs for those in the service as well as in arms production and war materials in factories across the nation. Roosevelt issued an executive order prohibiting transactions in United States credits and assets by Japan and China. This order immediately halted the shipment of U.S. scrap iron and gasoline to Japan. Franklin Roosevelt approached the relations between Japan and the U.S. with hesitation, and timely cut off trades with the country. President Roosevelt demonstrated his character well and proved himself to be a leader inspiring the American people to fight for democracy. On August 9, 1941, Franklin Roosevelt met with Prime Minister Churchill aboard the U.S.S. Augusta and the H.M.S. Prince of Wales at sea, near Argentina, Newfoundland, Canada. The men spent their time discussing military tactics and war affairs. The men, determined to work together to win the war that was afoot, decided that the war should result in no territorial changes or expansion, freer trade, cooperation for the improvement of other nations, and immediate disarming of all 2006-06-02T16:22:09-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Critical-Decisions-Faced-by-FDR-in-Entering-World-War-II-29043.aspx Historic Analysis of Queen Elizabeth's Triumphs as a Female Historic Analysis of Queen Elizabeth's Triumphs as a Female Queen Elizabeth was born in Greenwich Palace on September 7, 1533. She died on March 24, 1603, of natural causes. Her father was Henry VII. His second wife, Anne Boleyn was Elizabeth's mother. King Henry wanted a son, but received a daughter, instead, from his second wife. Before Elizabeth's third birthday, Henry had her mother beheaded in charges of adultery and treason. Elizabeth was brought up in a separate household at Hatfield (not known). King Henry's third wife gave birth to a son. This boy was named Edward. Edward was declared first in line for King Henry's throne, while Mary (Daughter of Henry's first wife) was declared second, and Elizabeth was declared third and last in line for the throne. Elizabeth received a thorough education that was normally reserved for men. She was taught by special tutors of whom, the most known, was a Cambridge humanist by the name of Roger Ascham. Roger Ascham wrote about Elizabeth, "Her mind has no womanly weakness. Her perseverance is equal to that of a man and her memory long keeps what it quickly picks up. With the help of these tutors, she was not only fluent in two languages, but in four languages. She was fluent in the languages of Greek, Latin, French, and Italian. When Henry died in 1547, her brother, Edward, took over the throne at ten years of age. Edward, with a short reign on the throne, died in 1553, and Elizabeth's half, older sister, Mary took the throne. Mary, like Edward, died on November 17, 1558, after a short time on the throne. In October 1562, Queen Elizabeth almost died of small pox. In 1584, Europe's other major protestant leader, William of Orange, was assassinated. For the first time in her life, Elizabeth showed some concern. She was now, the only major protestant leader in Europe. At this time, Elizabeth's Privy Council drew up a Bond of Association, which pledged that its signers, in an attempt on Elizabeth's life, would kill the assassins along with the claimant to the throne who the attempt was made for. In the mid 1580s, it was clear that a direct 2006-06-02T16:08:07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Historic-Analysis-of-Queen-Elizabeth-s-Triumphs-as-a-Female-29037.aspx A Glimpse of Humanity Reaching back to the Ancient Sumerians A Glimpse of Humanity Reaching back to the Ancient Sumerians The epic of Gilgamesh was found in the mid nineteenth century, written on over twenty five thousand clay tablets. After much studying and deciphering, this ancient Sumerian epic has finally been translated, though many of the tablets have not been found. It appears that all the most important elements of the story probably existed as separate poems when they were first written. One of the oldest pieces of literature found today, Gilgamesh is at least 1,500 years older than Homer's epics, and was probably composed and recited many years, before being written down. According to scientific data, the tablets were probably written down in the first centuries of the second millennium B.C., in Mesopotamia. The tradition reaches back to the time of the Archaic Sumerian civilization. The Sumerians were the first literate inhabitants of Mesopotamia, so their language is found on the tablets of Gilgamesh. In some other historical material, records have been recorded about several expeditions, many ones similar to the ones taken by Gilgamesh. One example contains a man who made a path into a cedar mountain on which no one had ventured before. According to N.K. Sandars, "Behind the solid fleshly Gudea we may see the shadowy figure of Gilgamesh, a great builder of temples and cities, who ventured into strange forests and brought back precious cedarwood," (16). Even if there was no Gilgamesh, the character is not fully fictitious. The story of the epic is mostly about the character Gilgamesh who is superior king of Uruk or summer. An extraordinary individual. He was one-third a man and two-third god. For his special abilities he was worthy to be worshiped, therefore he was able to supervise everyone around. Citizens of Uruk were unhappy with his behaviors so they asked the gods for help. The gods respond by sending a man named Enkidu, who was double Gilgamesh. Enkidu lived in the forest with animals and was so wild person. One day Gilgamesh sent a hunter and a beautiful woman to the forest, aiming to engross Enkidu from the animals. The hunter left, and Enkidu and the woman became good friends. Enkidu was turned into a man, and he left with the woman to Uruk. When Enkidu entered Uruk, the citizens there began to glorify him as if he was their king. As son as Gilgamesh 2006-06-02T15:48:14-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Glimpse-of-Humanity-Reaching-back-to-the-Ancient-Sumerians-29031.aspx Historic Evolution of the American Flag Historic Evolution of the American Flag No one knows with absolute certainty who designed the first stars and stripes or who made it. Congressman Francis Hopkinson seems most likely to have designed it, and few historians believe that Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress, made the first one. Until the Executive Order of June 24, 1912, neither the order of the stars nor the proportions of the flag was prescribed. 2006-06-02T15:36:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Historic-Evolution-of-the-American-Flag-29027.aspx Gothic Architecture in French and English Cathedrals Gothic Architecture in French and English Cathedrals The Gothic style originated in France around 1140. It spread to other parts of Europe and remained the dominant style in northern Europe for the next 400 years. Like the preceding Romanesque style, the Gothic style is defined largely in terms of architecture, with many regional variants. As the Gothic style spread throughout Europe, it brought profound changes in Europe. French Gothic captured the imagination of English architects and the style influenced their building down through the centuries. However, the Gothic introduced by William of Sens, and despite French influence, the English developed their own style. As a result, the architectural in French Gothic cathedrals are different to that of the English Gothic. Location of the cathedral could be used to identify the difference between the French and English cathedrals. In France, cathedrals were built in the center of city. Instead of standing in the center of cities, Gothic cathedrals in England were often built in grassy, treed areas. Many tend to be horizontal in orientation in contrast to the soaring verticality of cathedrals on the continent. In addition, French Gothic was a time of secular age of towns, cities, universities, traders, merchants, bankers, guilds, powerful kings, and luxurious courts. Scholasticism, the dominant philosophy and theology exerted as impact on the arts. Women were given a new importance inspired by the Virgin Mary, and many cathedrals were dedicated to her, for example, the Notre Dame). French Gothic cathedrals are designed with pointed arches, groined vaults, and flying buttresses. The plan is compact and unified; the nave, divided into oblong bays, is supported on clustered ribs that shift the weight to pointed arches and piers. The cathedrals became a skeletal structure where walls were dissolved and replaced by stained glass windows. The objective was a buoyant, ever-increasing height that directed the eye upward. Deep porches on the façade were richly decorated with sculpture; twin towers were designed in proportion to the width of the façade and the rose window in the center symbolized the Virgin. The earliest Gothic structure was the Abbey of St. Denis where Abbot Suger (1137-1144) had architects designs the choir and buttresses on the exterior so that weight carried on pointed ribs and piers reinforced ambulatory. Windows replaced walls, and the interior was flooded with light. In English Gothic cathedrals, Salisbury (begun 1220) has a double transept, square east end, and long 2006-06-02T03:40:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Gothic-Architecture-in-French-and-English-Cathedrals-29021.aspx Integration Among Early American Settlers and Native Indians Integration Among Early American Settlers and Native Indians The book The Unredeemed Captive is a story about the French-Indian raid on the small town of Deerfield Massachusetts. The raid is not a total surprise to the people of Deerfield, they find out a few days prior to the incident. They hear of towns east of them being attacked. The town of Deerfield did not feel that they were to be affected by the Indians. These few extra days to prepare for the “Savages”, did not help out, in protecting the town. The Indians came, and wreaked havoc on the small country town. They basically came in, and did as they pleased. They attacked many homes, killing family members who did not want to cooperate with them. The ones who did cooperate, were taken with the Indian’s, on their journey to Canada. One of the family’s, that were taken, was the Williams’s. “The Williamses know they are destined for a march into a strange land” (19). John Williams was the minister in Deerfield, and was a very well respected man. The journey was very long and treacherous, and many died. The weak, or the lame were taken and killed, so they would not slow down the pack. The ones who did survive, were usually the teenagers, because they were young, and could take the harsh climate. Once the Indians reached Canada, they released many of their captives, such as the Williams family. I should say all but two of the Williams’s were returned to Deerfield. Williams’s wife was killed during the long journey, and John’s daughter Eunice. John never did find out why his daughter never returned to him, and this hurt he very deeply. “Eunice still remained captivated in Canada” (54). It was very disturbing to John, and the town, that his daughter, either did not want to return to her hometown, or was not allowed to return. Eunice never did return to her family again. She had a good life back in Deerfield, before the raid. Or maybe so they all thought. When Eunice was exposed to the Native American heritage, something in her changed. We have to keep in mind though, that she was only a young child when she was taken, 2006-06-02T02:41:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Integration-Among-Early-American-Settlers-and-Native-Indians-29011.aspx World Change Sprung from the Attacks of Pearl Harbor in WWII World Change Sprung from the Attacks of Pearl Harbor in WWII In our history, there have been many conflicts between nations and within nations based upon ethnic and religious background. Entire wars have been fought based upon one race feeling superior to another. But this kind of ethnic persecution and racial conflict is the base factor for why our planet is in such a state of constant conflicts. True world peace will never be achieved until we accept each other for who we are. Two events in recent history seem to stand out when it comes to looking at how people react to different ethnic groups when a conflict arises. The first even was a surprise attack by the Japanese on our naval fleet at Pearl Harbor during World War II. The second is a recent attack on the World Trade Center buildings and the pentagon by Middle-Eastern terrorists who highjacked commercial airliners and then flew them into the targets. These devastating events have brought out harsh feelings towards the ethnic groups that the terrorists and bombers belonged to. It is a judge of our character, as citizens of a powerful nation, how we react to the people in our nation who had nothing to do with these events, but physically resemble the attackers. After Pearl Harbor, the government and people of the US feared that the current Japanese Americans could be spies and would help Japan in further attacks. Our shock and surprise over the destruction that was rendered at Pearl Harbor drove us temporarily to put aside our constitutional morals and national beliefs. In a quick reaction, President Roosevelt signed and executive order to round up all the Japanese-Americans in the US and intern, or relocate, them into detention camps. These camps were had very poor living conditions and no indoor plumbing or central heating. Many Japanese became ill and some even died. When they came to the camps, the Japanese were usually forced to sell all their possessions at a great loss. I suppose you could compare these camps to the NAZI concentration camps in place across the seas. In the 1970’s, there were several Japanese workers in the congress and among other government positions. These citizens of America now fought to have the country review the injustices that their people had suffered during World War II. In several cases, it was proved that the Constitution had been violated 2006-06-01T20:02:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-Change-Sprung-from-the-Attacks-of-Pearl-Harbor-in-WWII-29005.aspx Yevtushenko's Poem on Jewish-Russian Relationships Yevtushenko's Poem on Jewish-Russian Relationships Yevtushenko speaks in first person throughout the poem. This creates the tone of him being in the shoes of the Jews. As he says in lines 63-64, "No Jewish blood is mixed in mine, but let me be a Jew . . . " He writes the poem to evoke compassion for the Jews and make others aware of their hardships and injustices. "Only then can I call myself Russian." (lines 66-67). The poet writes of a future time when the Russian people realize that the Jews are people as well accept them as such. If you hate the Jews, he asks, why not hate me as well? True peace and unity will only occur when they have accepted everyone, including the Jews. Stanza I describes the forest of Babi Yar, a ravine on the outskirts of Kiev. It was the site of the Nazi massacre of more than thirty thousand Russian Jews on September 29-30, 1941. There is no memorial to the thirty thousand, but fear pervades the area. Fear that such a thing could occur at the hands of other humans. The poet feels the persecution and pain and fear of the Jews who stood there in this place of horror. Yevtushenko makes himself an Israelite slave of Egypt and a martyr who died for the sake of his religion. In lines 7-8, he claims that he still bars the marks of the persecution of the past. There is still terrible persecution of the Jews in present times because of their religion. These lines serve as the transition from the Biblical and ancient examples he gives to the allusions of more recent acts of hatred. The lines also allude to the fact that these Russian Jews who were murdered at Babi Yar were martyrs as well. The next stanza reminds us of another event in Jewish history where a Jew was persecuted solely because of his religious beliefs. The poet refers to the "pettiness" (line 11) of anti-Semitism as the cause of Dreyfus' imprisonment. Anti-Semitism is his "betrayer" (line 12) when he is framed, and anti-Semitism is his "judge" (line 12) when he is wrongly found guilty. Lines 13-14 claim that even the fine and supposedly civilized women of society shun Dreyfus because he is a Jew and fear him like they would fear an animal. 2006-06-01T19:32:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Yevtushenko-s-Poem-on-Jewish-Russian-Relationships-28994.aspx Causes and Historic Developments Pertaining to World War I Causes and Historic Developments Pertaining to World War I The First World War had many causes; historians probably have not yet discovered and discussed all of them so there might be more causes than what we know now. It was more than just a war between nations. It was a war between what was and what was to be. Most historians today said that it was “The War to End All Wars.” The spark of the Great War was the assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife by a Serbian nationalist on the morning of June 28, 1914, while traveling in a procession through Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia. The Archduke was chosen as a target because Serbians feared that after his he became ruler, he would continue the persecution of Serbs living within the Hungarian Empire. The Serbian terrorist organization, the Black Hand, had trained a small group of teenage operatives to get into Bosnia and carry out the assassination of the Archduke. When innocent citizens of a country are mercifully killed by another nation, war is evitable. “You have heard it before, Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.” America has been involved in many wars throughout it's history. From the Revolutionary War when the Americans fought the British to the war in Serbia in 1999 when the U.S. together with NATO fought Slobodan Milosevic. The war that was started at 8:45 am Eastern time on September 11 in New York, the war that was declared on America on that day, is a war that should have no dissent because this new war is America's most justified war. Every war is justified and every war is not justified, so you really can’t say either or because both have good reasons. The three things that I would do to the defeated would be first to weaken there army. Second remove the leaders that where responsible for the invasion, and lastly I would find out why did they invaded my country. Also what was the reason for invasion. There where many causes of the Great War, It is thought that this war that is been ongoing for over a year, began with the assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand. However, many other reasons led to this war, some occurring as far back the late 1800's. Nationalism, militarism, 2006-06-01T01:58:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-and-Historic-Developments-Pertaining-to-World-War-I-28963.aspx Middle East Conflict: Arabs, Israelis and War on Terrorism Middle East Conflict: Arabs, Israelis and War on Terrorism History Of Arab Israeli Conflict Are the Jews entitled to the nation of Israel, or should the land be given back to the Arabs to redevelop Palestine? This question is what I believe the War on Terrorism, is based on. The Jews and the Arabs are fighting over land that they believe is their own based on many factors, some even biblical ones. Much has been done to solve the tension between the two groups but neither groups finds the resolutions to be fair. This essay serves to discuss some of the factors that have helped to develop what is known as the Arab-Israeli conflict. Political Zionism is believed to be the bases of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Zionism is the belief that Jews make up a nation, and they are entitled to return to their ancestral land of Israel, which is known as Palestine. The conflict has been traced back to World War I, and Zionism was supported by the British government of that time. There was a document that was made up known as the Balfour Declaration that stated the British government would control Palestine after the war and would strive to build up a Jewish State there. Therefore the Jews supported Britain and other countries that would help to end the Ottoman Empire, which dominated Palestine. After the War, Britain’s military took over in Jerusalem, causing conflict between the Arabs who were already citizens and the new Jewish settlers. Causing the Palestinian Arabs to rebel in 1920, and kill the Jewish settlers and damage property. This caused the beginning of the, Arab nationalist revolution in Palestine. In 1922, The League of Nations awarded the Palestine mandate in 1922, which was too carryout the Balfour Declaration. The mandate encouraged Jews to migrate to Palestine and attempt to create their Jewish "national home". The Arabs were against the mandate because they were against the creation of a Jewish state, and with the held of Winston Churchill, who issued a document that denied the British government from giving the Jews “special treatment.” This document restricted any further immigration of the Jews into Palestine. This caused for the Emirate Of Tran Jordan to be created, temporarily, causing for Jews to only be able to inhabit create their nation east 2006-06-01T00:00:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Middle-East-Conflict-Arabs,-Israelis-and-War-on-Terrorism-28953.aspx Sociopolitical Issues of Korea from 1950 to Present Day Sociopolitical Issues of Korea from 1950 to Present Day The Korean peninsula shot into prominence in 1950 when it became the theatre of a major war between the communists and the United Nations forces led by United States. Geographical Location: The Korean peninsula lies in North East Asia. The Potsdam Conference of July 1945 designated 38th Parallel as the dividing line between American and Soviet forces. The DPRK and the Republic of Korea were declared in 1948. North Korea: North Korea covers an area of 47399 square miles and has a population of 23,904,124. It has China and Russia on North and South Korea on South. It is a communist state. Currently Kim Jong II is the leader of the government since July 1994. Pyongyang is the capital of North Korea. South Korea: South Korea has an area of 38375 square miles. It has a population of 45,482,291, which mostly consists of Christians and Buddhists. Currently Kim Young Sam is the President of South Korea. Seoul with a population of 10.8 million is the capital whereas Pusan, Taegu and Inchon are other major cities of the country. Historical Background: Korea is an ancient land. In the 7th century A.D. it was a united empire under the Silla Dynasty. In the subsequent centuries it remained a part of the Chinese Kingdom. It became an independent country in 1895. Japan's victories in the war with China in 1894-95 and with Russia in 1904-5 gave her a free hand in Korea which was annexed in 1910. It failed to recover its independence although a provisional government was established under the presidency of Syngman Rhee. In the Cairo Conference held in 1943 USA, USSR and Britain agreed to grant independence to Korea after the war. In 1945 the Japanese surrendered to USSR and US separately which resulted in the division of Korea into two parts along the 38th Parallel. The super powers USA, USSR and Britain agreed to place Korea under trusteeship for five years as no agreement could be reached on a national government there. In February 1946 the USSR set up a provisional communist government in the North. It was followed by the formation of Republic of South Korea in May 1948. The Soviet forces left North Korea in December 1948 whereas the US troops vacated South Korea in 1949. Korean War (1950-1953): The withdrawal of Russian and American forces from the peninsula by 1949 left the Korea under two 2006-05-31T23:33:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sociopolitical-Issues-of-Korea-from-1950-to-Present-Day-28945.aspx Thematic and Historic analysis of Greek and Judeo Christian Thematic and Historic analysis of Greek and Judeo Christian Religions The very foundations of Greek thinking and nature differ sharply from that of the Judeo Christian. To the Greek the world was surrounded by deities and man was some how the result of their presence and interaction with nature. To the Jew and Christian, man is the result of creation, the work of God, and even dough man is created in the image of God he is subject to Gods sovereignty in every aspect of his life. The Greek’s religious background represented a deification of the creature, specially mankind, and a corresponding corruption of the moral sense, giving the sanction of religion to natural and unnatural vices. The Greek religion was nothing more than an artistic product of the imagination. Its ethical base deformed by moral distortion, completely lacks the true conception of sin and consequently the true conception of holiness. It regards sin, not as a perverseness of will and an offence against their Gods, but as a folly of the understanding and an offence against men. Homer knows no devil, but rather puts a devilish element into his deities. Their Gods are born, but never die. They are full of envy and wrath; hatred and lust prompting men to crime, and provoke each other to lying, and cruelty, perjury and adultery. Such was their depravity that Plato banished them from his ideal Republic. By its superstition it betrayed the need of faith. Its polytheism rested on a dim monotheistic background; it subjected all the gods to Jupiter. It had the notion of dependence on higher powers and reverence for divine things. It had the voice of conscience, and a sense, dim, of guilt. It felt the need of reconciliation with deity, and sought that reconciliation by meditation, penance, and sacrifice. These vague fundamentals of morality and the notion of an “Unknown God” (Acts 17:23) may explain in some circumstances the readiness with which many Greek heathen were willing to hear the gospel. The Grecian philosophy particularly that of Plato and Aristotle, formed the natural basis of their theology. By the time of the apostles, Greek philosophy had run down into scepticism and refined materialism determining their moral and ethical conduct. Their pursuit of perfection was achieved on a constant search of knowledge. For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some 2006-05-31T17:57:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Thematic-and-Historic-analysis-of-Greek-and-Judeo-Christian-28917.aspx The Rape of Nanking Effects and Consequences in China The Rape of Nanking Effects and Consequences in China "Rape Of Nanking" The Rape of Nanking, other wise known as the Nanking Massacre, is one of the greatest (or worst) war crimes in history. It is arguable whether or not the Japanese soldiers went crazy during the war, but whatever the cause, the event was horrifying. In 1928, China was at war with Japan. In November, Japanese troops conquered Shanghai and then continued to take over the capital at that time: Nanking. Nanking had the population of about one million people. Originally, there were only three hundred thousand people, but the city was overrun with refugees who were trying to escape the war. Unfortunately, they were heading in the wrong direction. As the Japanese were on their way to Nanking, the Chinese became desperate and they began their “Scorched - Earth Policy,” This was a moronic attempt to delay the Japanese from entering the city and to stop the “conquerors” from getting anything useful. The troops burned everything all around the city from trees to mansion, burning down entire villages. Even inside the city, they burned edifices such as the Ministry of Communication, the most ornate edifice of the city, which was burned on Dec. 12; two days after the siege began. On Dec. 10, Japanese troops began to bomb the city of about four bombs per minute. Archibald Steele and four others were the only foreign journalists to have witnessed the beginning of the massacre. General Tang Sheng-chi, the defense commander said, on that day, that the he would defend Nanking “to the bitter end”: a lie. Two days later, Sheng-chi ordered his men to retreat at 5 pm. Chinese soldiers looted and disguised themselves as civilians. Thousands of soldiers and civilians started to run towards Xiaguan riverfront, the only way out of the city. The Chinese Army fired the people running to the wharf. And worse still, there were only a few boats to carry people across. Some people tried to swim, but they drowned. On Dec. 13, the Japanese entered the city through the Zhongshan Gate and made a ceremonial entrance. Chinese felt relief with their entrance, because they believed that the Japanese wouldn’t be as bad as what the Chinese Army was doing to them. On the contrary, the Japanese were mortiferous. As Frank Tillman Durdin wrote in the New York Times, on Dec. 18: “ Any person who ran because of 2006-05-31T17:28:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Rape-of-Nanking-Effects-and-Consequences-in-China-28911.aspx A History of Black Death and its Effects on Western Europe A History of Black Death and its Effects on Western Europe Black Death in Western Europe This plague, thought to be the Bubonic plague, spread throughout Europe, killing about half its population. It was called the Black Death because of the black blotches that appeared on the victims' bodies. This plague was carried by infected fleas of the black rat. Theology, developed in accordance with this idea, threw about all cures, even those which resulted from scientific effort, an atmosphere of supernaturalism. The vividness with which the accounts of miracles in the sacred books were realized in the early Church continued the idea of miraculous intervention throughout the Middle Ages. The testimony of the great fathers of the Church to the continuance of miracles is overwhelming; but everything shows that they so fully expected miracles on the slightest occasion as to require nothing which in these days would be regarded as adequate evidence. In this atmosphere of theological thought medical science was at once checked. The School of Alexandria, under the influence first of Jews and later of Christians, both permeated with Oriental ideas, and taking into their theory of medicine demons and miracles, soon enveloped everything in mysticism. In the Byzantine Empire of the East the same cause produced the same effect; the evolution of ascertained truth in medicine, begun by Hippocrates and continued by Herophilus, seemed lost forever. Medical science, trying to advance, was like a ship becalmed in the Sargasso Sea: both the atmosphere about it and the medium through which it must move resisted all progress. Instead of reliance upon observation, experience, experiment, and thought, attention was turned toward supernatural agencies. Oriental Rat Flea: Fleas are blood sucking parasites. They have the potential of spreading dangerous diseases to humans and other animals. It is possible the first flea was native to Africa and traveled by boat on the back of a rat to different destinations around the world. Even though there are many different types of fleas, they all have similar body parts; eyes and legs help them survive the dangers of their life. A flea undergoes four different life cycles to become an adult. The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague, is one of the deadly diseases that the flea can spread to man and animals. The rat flea has two eyes, yet it can only see very bright light. On the very tip of its 2006-05-31T16:45:21-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-History-of-Black-Death-and-its-Effects-on-Western-Europe-28904.aspx To What Extent was the Munich Putsch a Success or Failure? The Munich Putsch can be judged as a success or failure. The Putsch was not a success in the short term as the actual Putsch itself was a failure many Nazis were wounded even killed. Hitler was portrayed as a coward by many how he was the first person to run away this would have had a very bad effect on Hitler’s image he was supposed to be seen as this powerful leader who was afraid of nothing. The way in which the Nazis were easily brushed aside at the Putsch would have had a crippling effect on the whole Nazi party’s moral this was not helped by the 2006-05-24T19:33:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/To-What-Extent-was-the-Munich-Putsch-a-Success-or-Failure-28875.aspx Hitler and The origins of World War II 1.The Beginning At half past six on the evening of April 20th, 1889 a child was born in the small town of Branau, Austria. The name of the child was Adolf Hitler. He was the son a Customs official Alois Hitler, and his third wife Klara. As a young boy Adolf attended church regularly and sang in the local choir. One day he carved a symbol into the bench which resembled the Swastika he later used as the symbol of the Nazi party. He was a pretty good student. He received good marks in most of his classes. However in his last year of school he failed German and Mathematics, and only succeeded in Gym and Drawing. He drooped out of school at the age of 16, spending a total of 10 years in school. From childhood one it was his dream to become an artist or architect. He was not a bad artist, as his surviving paintings and drawings show but he never showed any originality or creative imagination. To fulfill his dream he had moved to Vienna the capital of Austria where the Academy of arts was located. He failed the first time he tried to get admission and in the next year, 1907 he tried again and was very sure of success. To his surprise he failed again. In fact the Dean of the academy was not very impressed with his performance, and gave him a really hard time and said to him "You will never be painter." The rejection really crushed him as he now reached a dead end. He could not apply to the school of architecture as he had no high-school diploma. During the next 35 years of his live the young man never forgot the rejection he received in the dean's office that day. Many Historians like to speculate what would have happened IF.... perhaps the small town boy would have had a bit more talent....or IF the Dean had been a little less critical, the world might have been spared the nightmare into which this boy was eventually to plunge it. 2.World War 1 While living in Vienna Hitler he made his living by drawing small pictures of famous landmarks which he sold as post cards. But he was always poor. He was also a regular reader of a small paper which claimed that the Araban race was superior to all and 2006-05-23T18:38:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hitler-and-The-origins-of-World-War-II-28869.aspx The Rise and Fall of Russia and the Cold War The Cold War was the longated tension between the Soviet Union and the United States of America. It started in the mid 40's after WWII had left Europe in shambles and Russia and the USA in superpower positions. The Cold War was a clash of these supergiants in political, ideological, military, and economic values and ideas. Though military build up was great on both sides neither one ever directly fought each other. In this essay I'm going to bring forth the following points: Rise of the Cold War, events in and because of the Cold War, and the fall of Russia. Again Germany had been thwarted in its plans of total domination. It had been a combined effort by all the Western powers and a few Eastern powers too. England was devastated, France had been literally burnt to the ground, and many small nation had suffered economic failure. To the East Russia had suffered many losses from the vain siege of the Nazi's. But they were in better shape then Europe. They still had a military and a running, somewhat , economy. In the late 40's through early 50's the Soviet Union started to spread the Lenin ideological as it started moving in the Westward position. In 47 the US started funding the rebuilding of European infrastructure in a system called the Marshall Plan. Russia in turn brought forth its own funding called the Molotov Plan. Because of that, they were able to spread communism through many countries. Some of these nations were: Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Eastern Germany, and numerous countries in Southeastern Asia. But on the US side we had the support from almost the entire Western Europe. So the tension started, between Western Europe or a republic society and Eastern Europe and communism. There are many key events that happened throughout the entire duration of the Cold War. The fist main events that led up to the tension were the foreign aid policies. These policies were able to divide up Europe between the superpowers. After Europe was divided up treaty organizations and alliances stated forming up again. One of these alliances was the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This allied the western portion of Europe. Next came the Warsaw Pact, it was the communistic version of NATO. Throughout the Cold War, relations between the Soviet Union and the west alternated between times of tension and crises and periods of 2006-05-18T04:55:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Russia-and-the-Cold-War-28862.aspx World War II Essay: Historical Summary World War 2: History Paper At the end of World War I the victorious nations formed the League of Nations for the purpose of airing international disputes, and of mobilizing its members for a collective effort to keep the peace in the event of aggression by any nation against another or of a breach of the peace treaties. The United States, imbued with isolationism, did not become a member. The League failed in its first test. In 1931 the Japanese, using as an excuse the explosion of a small bomb under a section of track of the South Manchuria Railroad (over which they had virtual control), initiated military operations designed to conquer all of Manchuria. After receiving the report of its commission of inquiry, the League adopted a resolution in 1933 calling on the Japanese to withdraw. Thereupon, Japan resigned from the League. Meanwhile, Manchuria had been overrun and transformed into a Japanese puppet state under the name of Manchukuo. Beset by friction and dissension among its members, the League took no further action. In 1933 also, Adolf HITLER came to power as dictator of Germany and began to rearm the country in contravention of the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. He denounced the provisions of that treaty that limited German armament and in 1935 reinstituted compulsory military service. That year the Italian dictator Benito MUSSOLINI began his long-contemplated invasion of Ethiopia, which he desired as an economic colony. The League voted minor sanctions against Italy, but these had slight practical effect. British and French efforts to effect a compromise settlement failed, and Ethiopia was completely occupied by the Italians in 1936. Alarmed by German rearmament, France sought an alliance with the USSR. Under the pretext that this endangered Germany, Hitler remilitarized the Rhineland in 1936. It was a dangerous venture, for Britain and France could have overwhelmed Germany, but, resolved to keep the peace, they took no action. Emboldened by this success, Hitler intensified his campaign for Lebensraum (space for living) for the German people. He forcibly annexed Austria in March 1938, and then, charging abuse of German minorities, threatened Czechoslovakia. In September, as Hitler increased his demands on the Czechs and war seemed imminent, the British and French arranged a conference with Hitler and Mussolini. At the Munich Conference they agreed to German occupation of the Sudetenland, Hitler's asserted last claim, in the hope of maintaining peace. This 2006-05-06T13:12:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-War-II-Essay-Historical-Summary-28808.aspx The change in attitudes towards women by 1920 Which of the factors listed below do you think was responsible for changing attitudes towards women by 1920? a) The campaigning of the Suffragettes b) Women’s work in WWI c) Articles and Magazines d) Women’s increased confidence and assertiveness All of the above factors played a part in the change in attitude towards women. However, some of them were more important than others; Women’s work in WWII, Articles and Magazines, and the campaigning of the suffragettes, among many other reasons which were also equally important. But the most important and a key factor that links all of them together, was the increase in women’s confidence and assertiveness, without which nearly all of the other factors would not be possible. Women’s work in World War One is one of the most important reasons to why attitudes changed. While the campaigning of the Suffragettes put across a largely unpopular message, when the war struck in August 1914, strangely enough, all the women who strongly believed in the Suffrage Regime dropped their ideas and campaigns to help the country. This was an excellent turning point; it showed that even if women were individuals and had their own beliefs, own personalities, they were patriotic and were willing to help the government and serve their country. These women were also working-class women which showed that it was not just the upper class that were being considered. This gave their image a considerable boost. The war also helped women to nearly completely show that they weren’t just housewives who had to look pretty and look after their children. Since the men were at war, the women took up their jobs, and supported their families. They proved that they could do the jobs as well as -and much better- than the men. In 1918 The National Employers Federation compared the output of men and women; this showed that in nearly all areas of work, women’s output was better than men’s, for example, in sheet metal quantity produced, they equalled 99% production of the men’s, and the quality was much better. This helped raise their esteem even more- the government saw that they were skilled and had something to prove and were as important to the war effort as the men- the government was a coalition government. There were also many jobs created in this time for women, for example, Florence Nightingale set up a school for nurses in London in 1860 after her experience in the 2006-04-30T17:20:14-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-change-in-attitudes-towards-women-by-1920-28769.aspx American Imperialism American Imperialism has been a part of United States history ever since the American Revolution. Imperialism is practice by which powerful nations or people seek to expand and maintain control or influence over weaker nations or peoples. Throughout the years there has been many instances where the Americans have taken over other people countries, almost every time we go into we have taken over a new piece of land. The Americas first taste of imperialism came about five hundred years ago when Columbus came to America. We fought the pleasant inhabitants and then took over their land making them slaves. Americans over the years have been known to become almost selfish, no matter how much we have we will never be happy until we control the free world. "The Monroe Doctrine of 1823 defined United States foreign policy in the Americas for the rest of the 19th century and beyond. It declared that the United States had an interest in the Western Hemisphere and the European powers must not meddle in the affairs of any developing nations there. The United States was a young nation in 1823 and did not really have to powers to back up the Monroe Doctrine. However, the policy was used to justify the sending of the U.S. troops into Mexico in 1866 (to intimidate the French) and the purchased of Alaska in 1867". Another case of Imperialism was the United States industrial economy was growing so fast that they were producing more goods than they could consume. The over abundance of industrial goods led the United States to look for new markets. Next came the Spanish-American War, which started with the Americans not liked the way that the Spaniards were treated the Cubans. After this an U.S. battleship (Maine) was docked outside of Havana (Cuba's Capital) and all of a sudden exploded from under the sea. At the time no one actually knew the real reason why the ship exploded but many Americans thought that it was the Spaniards. 266 officers and men were lost in the explosion. William McKinley (U.S. President 1897-1901) went to congress and asked for permission to send troops to help stop the fighting in Cuba. After a couple of days he was given permission which shortly led to war. Spain declared war on the United States on April 24th followed by an U.S. declaration of war on the 25th. This 2006-04-05T15:25:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-Imperialism--28664.aspx Persepolis Ancient Persia Persepolis was rediscovered in A.D 1620, after being hidden by its own ruins since 330 B.C. Many people came to visit Persepolis in the next centuries, but the excavation of the ruins did not begin until 1931, when the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago sponsored the excavation of the ancient site. The first excavation was conducted by Ernst Herzfeld and Friedrich Krefter which led to the onsite reconstruction of the 'Harem'. In 1932 and 1937 the oriental Institute excavated two low mounds south-east of Persepolis, The first mound contained four levels of prehistoric houses dated from about 4000 B.C. On the first floor some of the walls where preserved well and on them where huge yellow and red geometric wall paintings, on the floor there where knives, cooking pots that still contained the bones of meat that was being cooked, along with beautiful and sophisticated hand painted pottery. Because the main level of the house was preserved so well, it suggests that the settlement had been abandoned. The Second mound was comprised of earlier remains from about 4600 B.C, nothing of significance was found. Shortly afterwards In 1934 Erich F. Schmidt took charge, he continued very large scale excavations until 1939 when his excavations where stopped suddenly at the outbreak of World War two in Europe. Over this eight year period, excavation worked not only in the centre of Persepolis, but also on a number of other site that where within a radius of 10km The Persian Expedition worked in the royal centre of Persepolis and also at a number of sites that fell within a radius of 10 km. During the last years of excavating, the University Museum in Philadelphia, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston had joined the Oriental Institute in order to cope with the huge excavation. The Iranian Archaeological Service continued the excavation and restoration of Persepolis after the war. The Construction of Persepolis started under the ruling of Darius the great between 520 and 330 B.C. Darius constructed the monumental stairway, The Triple Portal, his private palace, as well as beginning the Apadana and the treasure when he died in 486 B.C. His work continued under the control of his son Xerxes I until 465 B.C. He finished his fathers work on the Apadana and also constructing the structure which is known as haren, as well as beginning the work on the Throne 2006-03-19T10:42:52-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Persepolis-Ancient-Persia-28593.aspx Womens Rights "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." That was Margaret Mead's conclusion after a lifetime of observing very diverse cultures around the world. Her insight has been borne out time and again throughout the development of this country of ours. Being allowed to live life in an atmosphere of religious freedom, having a voice in the government you support with your taxes, living free of lifelong enslavement by another person. These beliefs about how life should and must be lived were once considered outlandish by many. But these beliefs were fervently held by visionaries whose steadfast work brought about changed minds and attitudes. Now these beliefs are commonly shared across U.S. society. Another initially outlandish idea that has come to pass: United States citizenship for women. 1998 marked the 150th Anniversary of a movement by women to achieve full civil rights in this country. Over the past seven generations, dramatic social and legal changes have been accomplished that are now so accepted that they go unnoticed by people whose lives they have utterly changed. Many people who have lived through the recent decades of this process have come to accept blithely what has transpired. And younger people, for the most part, can hardly believe life was ever otherwise. They take the changes completely in stride, as how life has always been. The staggering changes for women that have come about over those seven generations in family life, in religion, in government, in employment, in education - these changes did not just happen spontaneously. Women themselves made these changes happen, very deliberately. Women have not been the passive recipients of miraculous changes in laws and human nature. Seven generations of women have come together to affect these changes in the most democratic ways: through meetings, petition drives, lobbying, public speaking, and nonviolent resistance. They have worked very deliberately to create a better world, and they have succeeded hugely. Throughout 1998, the 150th anniversary of the Women's Rights Movement is being celebrated across the nation with programs and events taking every form imaginable. Like many amazing stories, the history of the Women's Rights Movement began with a small group of people questioning why human lives were being unfairly constricted. Return to Index A Tea Launches a Revolution The Women's Rights Movement marks July 13, 1848 as its beginning. On that sweltering summer day 2006-03-19T09:48:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Womens-Rights-28581.aspx Womens Suffrage Jane Addams, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. These women lived at the turn of the century, and fought vehemently for a cause they believed in. They knew that they were being discriminated against because of their gender, and they refused to take it. These pioneers of feminism paved the road for further reform, and changed the very fabric of our society. Although they were fighting for a worthy cause, many did not agree with these women’s radical views. These conservative thinkers caused a great road-block on the way to enfranchisement. Most of them were men, who were set in their thoughts about women’s roles, who couldn’t understand why a woman would deserve to vote, let alone want to vote. But there were also many women who were not concerned with their fundamental right to vote. Because some women were indifferent in regards to suffrage, they set back those who were working towards the greater good of the nation. However, the suffragettes were able to overcome these obstacles by altering their tactics, while still maintaining their objective. In 1869, two organizations for the promotion of women’s suffrage were founded with different opinions on how to reach the same goal. The National Women’s Suffrage Association (NWSA) was headed by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. This group opposed the 15th amendment, while suggesting the passage and ratification of another, new amendment, specifically granting women the right to vote. This was considered a more radical view on the matter, and promoted a wide variety of other feminist views as well. The other organization, called the American Women’s Suffrage Association (AWSA), supported the 15th amendment, while calling for yet another amendment for women’s enfranchisement. This organization was more focused on trying to make this and other feminist reforms seem less radical, and more in tune with the values of the American people. After the negative response to the proposal of a new federal amendment, both groups tried new approaches, such as challenging the constitutionality of their exclusion from the vote in the supreme court, only to be rejected again. In the case Minor VS Happersett (1874), the Supreme Court decided that the state of Missouri was acting within its constitutional limits in denying a woman the right to vote. “This decision 2006-03-19T09:47:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Womens-Suffrage--28579.aspx Vietnam Memorial The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national war memorial located in Washington, D.C. that honors members of the U.S. armed forces who served in the Vietnam War. The Memorial consists of three separate parts — the Three Soldiers statue, the Vietnam Women's Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, which is the most recognized part of the memorial. The main part of the memorial was completed in 1982 and is located in Constitution Gardens on the National Mall, just northeast of the Lincoln Memorial. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is maintained by the U.S. National Park Service, and receives around 3 million visitors each year. The first official attempt to memorialize veterans of the Vietnam War came in 1978, three years after the conflict had ended. The Pentagon, instead of adding two unidentified bodies of Vietnam veterans to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, recommended that a display of medals be added behind the tomb with a plaque reading: "Let all know that the United States of America pays tribute to the members of the Armed Forces who answered their country's call." A Veterans Affairs subcommittee later changed the statement to read: "Let all know that the United States of America pays tribute to the members of the Armed Forces who served honorably in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam Era." Later, in 1978, Congress, prodded by the Vietnam-Era Caucus (composed of veteran Congressmen), discussed creating a "Vietnam Veterans Week" to honor the survivors of the war. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc., was incorporated on April 27, 1979 as a non-profit organization to establish a memorial to veterans of the Vietnam War. Much of the impetus behind the formation of the Fund came from a wounded Vietnam veteran, Jan Scruggs, who was inspired by the film The Deer-hunter. Eventually, $8.4 million was raised by private donations. Congress authorized the site on July 1, 1980, and a competition to design the memorial was announced later that year. On May 6, 1981 a jury of eight architects and sculptors unanimously selected a design by Maya Ying Lin, a 21 year old Yale University architecture student from Athens, Ohio, as the winner from 1,421 entries. Lin had originally designed the Memorial Wall as a student project. Controversially, the design lacked many of the elements traditionally present in war memorials, such as patriotic writings and heroic statues, and a flagstaff and figurative sculpture, The Three Soldiers, was added to the design on 2006-03-18T02:06:59-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Vietnam-Memorial-28563.aspx Treaty Of Versailles Treaty Of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles was the peace treaty signed at the end of World War I between Germany and the Allies. It was negotiated during the Paris Peace Conference in Versailles, beginning in early 1919. Four major powers were represented at the conference- the United States, Great Britain, France, and Italy. Not present, however, was Germany who had been excluded from the meeting. President Wilson desired the war treaty to be guided by his Fourteen Points plan. The Fourteen Points called for free trade through lower tariffs and freedom of the seas; a reduction of arms supplies on all sides; and the promotion of self-determination, both in Europe and overseas. The plan also sought to create the League of Nations, which would provide international cooperation. Wilson’s Fourteen Points served as a foundation for the initial stages of negotiations; however, the negotiations took a different route. The European Allies wanted a peace settlement that punished Germany for the atrocities it had apparently cause in the war. Although Europeans eventually reached a settlement to punish Germany, the treaty and the United States’ participation in the League of Nations were rejected. The explanation for the defeat of the treaty can be substantiated on the basis of the strength and perspective of the opposition forces in the Senate, rising self-interest, and Wilson's illness. The defeat of the Versailles Treaty is primarily the cause of the opposing factions in the U.S. Senate. Wilson had virtually total support from the Democratic Senators, but he needed to win over a number of Republicans to satisfy the two-thirds majority necessary for ratification. The Republicans were divided into three sections, one of which comprised of the irreconcilables. William E. Borah was the leader of the group. Borah was a highly uncompromising isolationist who would persistently vote against the League. The irreconcilables would not support a plan that would entangle the United States in European affairs. They believed that the proposition of the treaty was force to destroy force, conflict to prevent conflict, militarism to destroy militarism, and war to prevent war (Doc A). Their views, however, contradicted with the views of the other two factions. The “mild” reservationists were in favor the League but hoped to implement minor alterations, chiefly for political purposes. On the contrary, the “strong” reservationists, led 2006-02-12T21:37:40-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Treaty-Of-Versailles--28480.aspx How American politics was changed by Andrew Jackson. The first paragraph contains the essay instructions. During the Jacksonian Period, American politics were altered. What were the most significant changes from previous policies? What were the long-term implications of the new political methodology? Were the long-term results beneficial or detrimental to the quality of government? Why? What was the role of Andrew Jackson in this process? As a milestone in the continuing democratization of the political process, how significant was this period? And here is my answer. As the Industrial revolution progressed in the Antebellum period, great changes were sweeping the nation. The Enlightenment had stressed human perfectibility and now the Second Great Awakening encouraged people to improve themselves and society. Many reform movements sprang up and met with varying degrees of success but one of the most significant and lasting changes occurred in politics and became known as the Jacksonian Period. Andrew Jackson’s presidency was a significant milestone in the continuing democratization of the political process. Jackson had a personal hand in some of the changes though it may be more accurate to say his policies were a product of the times. He set politics on a new course, propelled by the winds of change. One of the most revolutionary and lasting changes was in the way presidential candidates ran their election campaign. As the states removed property requirements for voting, more power was passed to the poor who were previously excluded. At the same time the electorate was moving from the legislatures to the people. Andrew Jackson and the Nashville Junto took advantage of this in the election of 1824. Traditionally, candidates for the presidency used the support of a political base in Congress for their campaign. But Jackson, lacking political allies in Congress for his candidacy, went straight to the people. This strategy was successful in wining the popular vote over Adams by more than 30%. He also won the most electoral votes but fell short of the required majority of 131 and the House of Representatives put Adams in the Oval Office. Over the next four years Jackson supporters redoubled their efforts to win votes as the people’s candidate. Voters were rallied with barbeques and parades while the political issues took a back seat to vicious attacks on the character of opposing candidates. The lively 2006-02-12T02:30:19-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-American-politics-was-changed-by-Andrew-Jackson_-28478.aspx American History By the 1760s, American colonists and English Parliament had very different views about the extent of authority for governing the colonies. British officials assumed Parliamentary Sovereignty in which Parliament alone could tax and govern within England and its possessions. American colonists believed they had a certain amount of sovereignty to govern themselves through elected assemblies as a check on the power of appointed governors. In the eyes of the colonists, only these elected assemblies had the power to tax. Colonial charters were vague about Parliament’s authority to govern and tax in America. A clash of ideals ensued when it tried to assert control after the French and Indian War. For years the colonists resisted against Parliament’s attempts to assert power but it wasn’t until the Boston Tea Party that Parliament took a hard line to force submission. Why did the English government wait so long to put its foot down? What could the colonists expect after the Intolerable Acts? What options were left for Boston and the other colonists? What could England do if the colonists rejected English actions? The Intolerable acts did not make war inevitable but they were certain to cause trouble. For years the American colonists resisted and rebelled against increasing attempts at control by the British government, and the government responded with mild or conciliatory gestures until the Boston Tea Party in 1773. Parliament taxed the colonies and interfered with their internal affairs for the first time with the Revenue and Currency Acts of 1764. A year later they increased taxes with the Stamp Act. The colonists’ response varied from peaceful, such as Massachusetts’ call for a Stamp Act Congress, to violent with the effigy hanging and burning of stamp distributors and destruction of their homes and offices by mobs. In March 1766, Parliament’s reluctant response was to repeal the Stamp Act and pass the Declaratory Act which clearly stated Parliament’s right to legislate the colonies in “all cases whatsoever.” At the time, England’s attempt to impose a strong workable policy in America was hampered by problems at home and because of the King’s rapid succession of ministers. Eventually the Townshend Acts of 1767 were passed in an attempt to regain control. Boston residents attacked customs officials and formed a powerful boycott that spread to other colonies. 2006-02-12T02:03:50-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-History-28477.aspx California Gold Rush California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush Shortly after the acquisition of California from Mexico a man by the name of John Sutter arrived in East San Francisco Bay in 1839. Born in Germany he had to leave because he was unable to pay his creditors. With plenty of charm and letters from friends he convinced the Mexican governor of California to award him a land grant of more than 50,000 acres. John Sutter built a stockade and a fort and soon after became referred to as Captain Sutter, and his riverbank establishment Sutters Fort. Sutter chose a location on the south fork of the American River, 50 miles to the south of his fort, to build a sawmill. A millrace was dug and wooden gates were opened periodically so that the current would widen and deepen the channel. During his inspection on January 24, 1848 James W. Marshall found the first piece of gold at the end of the race. Over the next decade his discovery would have a profound effect on the experiences of hundreds of thousands of individuals, their families, their communities, and ultimately the nation as a whole. By the winter of 1848, whispers of a gold strike had drifted eastward across the country but few easterners believed it. The gold discovery needed validation, and President Polk was just the one to deliver it. In his opening address to Congress on December 5, 1848 Polk said that at the time of the California acquisition it was known that "mines of the precious metals exsisted to some extent. Recent discoveries render it probable that these mines are more extensive and valuable than was anticipated. The accounts of the abundance of gold in that territory are of such an extraordinary character as would scarcely command belief were they not corroborated by authentic reports." . With Polk's address making headlines around the world Gold Fever had begun. The future forty-niners now under the influence of Gold Fever had to overcome a cruel journey, miserable living and working conditions, and coming home boom or bust. The trials and tribulations they faced are many and forever carved into American history. Polk's simple words, backing up the claim of gold in California, were a powerful call to action. Farmers left their fields, merchants closed their shops, soldiers left their posts, and all made plans for California. The departing gold seekers faced an immediate 2006-01-29T06:04:43-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/California-Gold-Rush--28462.aspx Dependency And Third World Dependency And Third World By considering and studying Modernization and Dependency theories, development theorist are trying to conceptualize which of perspectives could more substantially describe Third World underdevelopment. In my preceding work I will critically evaluate tenets of both perspectives. The two spheres of dependency paradigm economical and cultural dependence are in my opinion the major contributors to the Third World, particularly Africa’s underdevelopment. As Olayinka Sonaike has defined, “Economic dependence is a term that is widely used to portray the relationship of inequality between the underdeveloped countries and the advanced.” Economic dependency experienced by many African nations totally contradicts to the neoclassical theory of a harmonic among components of the global economy. However, in reality there is no evidence of such a harmony, in contrary dependence and exploitation of the Third World economies by the World leaders. Since many Third World nations are lacking inter-country market place, their economies are heavily relying on the economies of more advanced societies. This in turn gives Western societies a lot of control over the less developed nations’ economies. As the world capitalist expansion continues the robes of dependency are getting longer as well. What economic dependence does to the country is according to Offing “sucking of capital of the dependent countries”, so needed for the further domestic expansion. And this is evident in many Third World societies. The most successful manipulators was Western international conglomerates, supported by the government, they applied a variety of methods and techniques with a primary purpose of wealth maximization. Western nations, realizing their tremendous advantage in technology, and controlling the market for the intermediate goods produced from the raw materials and assembled, probably domestically into the final product, are externally regulate the level of resource utilization in the dependent economies, which in turn affects income distribution, social cohesion, and political stability. On the other hand, the export capacity affects distribution of National Income and the domestic standard of living. So, for most of the Third World countries National Income is determined and could be controlled by external factors. This is a one of the biggest pitfalls for the Third World countries on the way to liberalization. Another inadequacy of the dependency paradigm is a technological dependence “in which domestic technology is dependent on imported technology for its transformation.” This implies that external factors and decisions also determine the real level of modernization. It is historically 2006-01-29T05:39:12-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Dependency-And-Third-World--28458.aspx 1920's Flappers - Good Role Models? 1920's Flappers In the 1920’s many women were known as flappers. Flappers were not the best role models for younger girls. They were teenage girls who dared to venture beyond what was known then as forbidden pleasures. “The name “flappers” referred to the sound made by the unbuckled galoshes they wore” (Jennings 115). “Undeterred by the disapproval of adults, the younger generation was setting out to have a good time” (Herald 28). “Flappers were teenage girls who drank, smoked cigarettes, dressed in suggestive clothing, engaged in premarital sex, and affected an air of sophistication” (Jennings 115). “She took on a carefree, boyish look and raised her hemline to scandalous new heights, bobbed her hair, wrapped her chest to make it flat, and rolled down her flesh colored silk stockings. “Flappers accented their new style with a bold application of make-up and big jewels” (Downey 106) Flappers had many ways to amuse themselves. One of the big fads was doing crossword puzzles. It wasn’t just the fad for flappers, everyone did crossword puzzles. They also played mah-jongg. Mah-jongg was the craze of the decade. They had many contests in the 1920’s such as: pie eating, dancing, rocking chair derbies, and cross country races. “By spending too much of their time flirting, Flappers outraged feminists” (Jennings 115). Flappers also outraged adults because they were worried that these daring young ladies were not good role models for the next generation. They were not exactly what the adults of the 1920’s wanted their daughters to be like, much less their granddaughters. Before the flappers, it was a horrible thing to smoke in public. Even exposing your knees in public was unheard of before flappers. I don’t think that flappers were good role models. I think that flappers started chains of young girls doing things, such as drinking and smoking, at such young ages. Since the 1920’s skirts have gotten shorter, shirts have gotten tighter, and clothes are more revealing than ever. If there never had been flappers, young girls might still be wearing long dresses and unrevealing clothes. They also would probably not be doing drugs or drinking. While many men may have liked flappers, they weren’t the best influence for the next generations of young girls. Young girls continued drinking, 2006-01-15T19:18:15-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/1920-s-Flappers-Good-Role-Models-28426.aspx German Enthusiasm To Hitler German Enthisiasm To Hitler In order to thoroughly understand German enthusiasm to the Nazi regime, we must first understand the 2 great events that preceded the Nazi power in Germany: World War I and the Great Depression. Out of World War I came the Treaty of Versailles in which Germany lost 13% of its territory, 10% of its population. Economically, Germany was required to pay installments towards the reparations debt, 28 billion dollars total, to be paid over a period of 42 years. Militarily, Germany was not allowed an army larger than 100,000 men and was not allowed to produce most any of it’s own military devices. The treaty put Germany in great debt. In the years to follow the Treaty, Germany’s economy underwent several unpredictable waves, which ultimately resulted in a social loss of status, and a rise in crime, suicide and prostitution. The middle class, once known for its patriotism, now rose in revolt against a government who failed to protect their property and security. However, Germany bounced back, and by mid 1920s, Germany, functioning under a constitution and an elected president, had begun to reenter the world market in automobile production. Nevertheless, by 1930, due to the Depression, Germans found themselves once again unemployed and run by an incapable government which offered neither hope nor policy to its citizens. When Germany was at it’s weakest, and in dire need of a strong government capable of digging the country out of it’s misery, the NSDAP, also known as the Nazi party, began to rise in popularity. Perhaps the core reason for the growth and ultimate popularity of the Nazis was the seducing tongue and manipulating mind of Adolf Hitler. To gain status, Hitler promised the German nation a strengthened country, through the setting aside of the Peace Treaty and unification of all Germans. He stated the treaty “was made in order to bring 20 million Germans to their deaths, and to ruin the German Nation”. Hitler knew exactly how to win over the German nation. In his speeches and publications, he reduced everything to simple terms, (yes/no, black/white, German/Jewish) making the solutions for a better German seem easy and within reach. Among his talents was manipulation. He manipulated the German people into thinking that the world was conspiring against them. He played on their fears and idiosyncrasies, promising them 2006-01-05T06:14:19-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/German-Enthusiasm-To-Hitler-28397.aspx Civil Rights Movement Civil Rights Movement The Civil Rights Movement gave rise to many great leaders, and produced many social changes that were the results of organized civil rights events that were staged throughout the South by organizations devoted to eliminating segregation, and giving the African American people the ability to pursue the American dream. The most important civil rights leader during the time was Martin Luther King Jr., and the most important event that took place during the movement was the fight to gain equality in voting rights for blacks, that escalated in Selma, Alabama. During the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. was the foremost contributor to the African American’s fight to obtain equality. He was a very influential speaker, and became the main figure among black civil rights leaders. His idea of implementing non-violent civil disobedience into black marches, sit-ins, and bus boycotts brought about many social changes, that resulted in African-Americans moving closer to their goal of receiving complete equality under the law, and just treatment from Southern segregationalists. This non-violent approach rewarded him with a Noble Peace Prize, and gave the African American’s struggle worldwide attention. One reason why Martin Luther King Jr. was a very important figure during this time was his ability to not only influence black people, but also people in positions of power, including President Kennedy, and President Johnson. During the short time that Martin Luther King Jr. fought for civil rights, the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act were passed; busses, schools, and lunch counters were desegregated; and the EEOC (Equal Opportunity Commission) was formed. His efforts gave the Civil Rights Movement national and worldwide attention, and he lessened the segregation gap between black and white Americans. The most important single event that took place during the Civil Rights Movement was the African American’s fight to gain equality in voting rights that took place in Selma, Alabama. The violence that occurred during the marches caused national outrage and received media attention that put the event onto the front page of every newspaper. The outcry over the event pressured President Johnson into making changes that would further integration. The main goal of the marches was to give Southern African Americans an equal opportunity to vote in elections. This goal was reached on August 6, 1965, when the Voting Rights Act was 2006-01-02T03:52:02-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Civil-Rights-Movement-28377.aspx Asia Of Marco Polo Asia Of Marco Polo In the year 1295 A. D., after an absence of twenty-four years, Maffeo, Nicolo, and Marco Polo returned to their hometown of Venice, Italy. The Polo trio looked like strangers to their fellow citizens: they wore bizarre and ragged clothes and spoke in an accented tongue. It is said that their own family neither recognized nor acknowledged them due to their foreign appearance. Marco, having left Venice as a young man of 17, was now 41 years old. He had spent most of his life traveling in Asia. Having spent so much of his life in the Orient, Marco must have experienced an extreme culture shock upon returning to his homeland. While in Asia during the voyages to and from China, Marco Polo saw vast numbers of different lands and lifestyles. His Venetian upbringing gave him a unique perspective on Asian civilization. A few years after his return to Venice in 1295, Marco found himself aboard a Venetian ship under the post of gentleman-commander during a regional war between Venice and Genoa. The ship was captured by the Genoese fleet and Marco consequently spent the next few years, until May of 1299, in a Genoa prison. It was during this period that Marco found the time to dictate, possibly with the help of notes taken during his voyage, the story of his years abroad. Rustigielo, a citizen of Pisa and fellow prisoner of Marco, took down Marco's story. The book was dictated in prison and copied by hand, as the technology of mass printing had not yet immigrated to Europe from China. As a consequence, there exist today many versions, translations, and reconstructions of the Rustigielo transcript. Polo's book, entitled The Description of the World, covers the area from Constantinople to Japan to Siberia to Africa. Because these locations are told in the third-person, the exact route of Marco Polo is not known. Instead of narrating the journey of the Polos, the book contains historical observations and detailed descriptions of cultures and geography. For this reason Marco Polo's accounts can be used to re-examine the history of China. Details that the young Polo observed included regional histories, descriptions of cities, architecture, inhabitants, races, languages and governments. Also described are peoples' different lifestyles, diets, style of dress, marriage customs, rituals, and religions. There are further accounts of the trading practices, crafts, manufactured products, plants, animals, minerals, and terrain. Such a diverse 2006-01-01T01:33:24-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Asia-Of-Marco-Polo--28360.aspx WRC A Troubled History WRC is an independent, international research and consulting organization with more than 70 years' experience. The company has built its reputation in the water, waste and environmental fields by understanding customer needs and providing bespoke solutions that are both proactive and innovative. WRC utilizes a wide base of skills and experience to provide a range of integrated solutions for the processing, distribution and collection of water and wastewater. These capabilities are complimented by river catchment management, contaminated land, hydrogeological and waste management expertise. WRc has an unparalleled record of advising regulators, Governments and regulated operators in relation to technical and strategic problems. In 2006-01-01T01:30:42-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/WRC-A-Troubled-History-28359.aspx What is the American Dream? A Look at Our Past and Present What is the American Dream? A Look at Our Past and Present Why is the American Dream today so different then from a long time ago? The American Dream back in the late twenty's and the early thirty's were basically money with the great depression going on. With that happening the American Dream to everyone was a nightmare. To them, once the land of opportunity was now the land of desperation. The people asked the maxims on what they based their life's on. Their life's were democracy, capitalism, and individuals. Between 1929 and 1932 the income between the average American family was reduced by forty percent from $2,300 to $1,500. Survival became the key word. The institutions, attitudes, lifestyles changed in this decade but democracy prevailed. Democracies suck as Germany and Italy fell to dictatorships, but the United States and its constitution survived. Later on in 1963 there was a man named Martin Luther King Jr. His dream was for all people of the black race to have freedom and there security of justice. He wanted somehow this situation can and will be changed, his speech changed everything. From people sitting in the back of the bus or not riding at all or from have drinking fountains or using the same bathrooms Martin wanted to end that. Later on after his speech The people from the black race were later on equal and treated the same as the whites were. Its just too bad that Martin couldn't see his dream like most of us do but he would be happy to know that his dream came true. The American Dream to me has changed now. Back then the American dream was basically the same to everyone. Now everybody has a different American Dream one could be to live a happy life with a family and kids or another could be they just want to be able to live to see another day or I want to be able to put my kids through all private schools. Those to me are American Dreams. The American Dream can basically be anything you make it to be, and if you try hard enough your dream could come true like most of everyone else's did. Like with the depression we still prevailed and now our economy is great, or with 2005-12-31T06:20:50-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-is-the-American-Dream-A-Look-at-Our-Past-and-Present-28341.aspx Lewis And Clarke Book Report Lewis And Clarke Book Report A glimpse 200 years in our past would leave you baffled, the miniature United States and endless frontier land. In those lands, on those plains, up in those snow-capped mountains lay the hopes and dreams of men throughout our small, developing nation. Men young and old, some skilled and some driven by a passion, took it upon themselves to explore this no man’s land. Two very lucky men, and 29 of their contemporaries, were able to travel through this vast wilderness under the wishes and orders of President Thomas Jefferson. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the commanding officers of a 31 member party, embarked on a mystical and fortifying adventure in which they were to navigate and document what they thought to be the easiest way across the continent of America to the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific ocean was a name without a face, and these men were going to be the first white men to see it tumbling waters, jagged cliffs, and lush sand beaches. These men would be the first to report the mystery of the frontier. On May 13th, 1804 captain Lewis and captain Clark departed on their adventure across the country. The men on their 54 foot boat, and several small canoes started their trek up the great Missouri. The first part of their journey would be to get from their present lodging, Fort Dubois, to Two-Thousand-Mile Creek, home of the Sioux Indian. When these men started off up the Missouri they couldn’t look back, they were leaving there country, their families and their friends and now they would be executing one of the most powerful and necessary journeys in American History. The journey from Fort Dubois to Two-Thousand-Mile Creek was a relatively smooth one. Around the men as they rode the current of the Missouri were surrounded by beautiful green fields, plains as long as the eye can see, and many animals that would serve as these men’s entire diet. Animals that man hadn’t witnessed were starting to appear, one such animal was the Prairie Dog or Prairie Wolf. The men were startled by the similarity of this animal and the gray squirrel in developed America, but when they were close enough to see and kill these animals they noticed differences. On this first waterway, the Missouri, the men stopped in multiple places to rest, to hunt and to contact the Indian. Along 2005-12-31T06:15:12-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Lewis-And-Clarke-Book-Report-28339.aspx New Constitution was a Triumph for Democracy New Constitution was a Triumph for Democracy In 1776, the colonies were called upon by the Continental Congress to draft new constitutions. In all reality, the Continental Congress was actually asking the colonies to summon themselves into being states. According to the theory of republicanism, the sovereignty of these new states would rest on the authority of the people. In 1789, the United States of America adopted a new constitution. Prior to then, fifty-five delegates from every state except Rhode Island, met in Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention. Although, Patrick Henry, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson were absent, many well-educated, politically experienced delegates such as George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Ben Franklin were present. The reason to meet was to revise the Articles. Of the lessons from the articles, the delegates knew that they needed a strong central government, along with an executive and judicial branch as part of the government. They also learned that they needed a government that can levy a tax and can work directly with the people. When the Constitution of the United States was finally adopted in 1789,it showed many positive reasons that helped make it seem like a success. First, the effective organization of the three branches helped set up our country’s government as a democracy. With the legislative power vested in a two-house Congress, the larger states were conceded representation by population in the House of Representatives and the smaller states were appeased by equal representation in the Senate. Therefore, in the House number of Representatives, the higher the state population, then the more representatives for that state. In the Senate, each state is rewarded two Senators to represent the each state. In the Constitution, it says that the House of Representatives is composed of members who serve a term of two years. Some of the qualifications of a Representative are that they must be at least twenty-five years old, a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and must reside in the state that they wish to represent. While as a member of the Senate, the term lasts for six years and the qualifications include that they must be at least thirty years old, a U.S. citizen for at least nine years, and must reside in the state that they wish to represent. Of the powers that the 2005-12-30T19:17:52-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/New-Constitution-was-a-Triumph-for-Democracy-28326.aspx Industrialization During The Progressive Era Industrialization During The Progressive Era Industrialization changed the lives of many, including immigrants and the working class in the United States. As a result of industrialization, many Americans were drawn to cities since that is where most of the industrial reform took place. This obviously created more jobs and became a major advantage for the working class, especially immigrants. Once people started industrializing and saw the tremendous positive effects they continued in the same fashion with bright ideas and kept the economy flowing in the right direction. There were many benefits of this progressive revolution. Among the benefits were specialization and mass production of different products ranging from clothes and textiles to agricultural goods and the processing of natural resources. Industrialization also promoted independence of the nation as a whole. We were no longer as dependent on Europe and other countries for capital and goods. The United States gradually became a key exporting nation. Other positive changes included the availability of mass transportation and a very influential economic state. Mass transportation subdivided cities by creating a real means of getting around and sure enough helped businesses in corporate America. The economic change helped bring human and economic resources together within the cities. Together these two co-existing forces finally created a decent sense of organization in a country which was in desperate need of some whether people realized it or not. With the reforms came challenges. The biggest problem was for citizens and immigrants of different backgrounds to find some common ground and work together as one big organized unified effort to promote stability, peace and real progression of the nation. Maybe that’s when the saying “easier said than done” was created because this era epitomized it as good as any. As much as idealists wanted for the American population to become a “melting pot,” it was not happening. People had their own philosophical views and immigrants felt the need to preserve their culture and keep their identities for themselves and their children. For the most part, no matter how hard native-born citizens tried to Americanize immigrants, these newcomers would not allow for themselves forget their roots. This new experience and the needs of people itself called for further changes to meet the demands of this diverse population. Such changes included housing reform, improvement of 2005-12-30T18:59:41-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Industrialization-During-The-Progressive-Era-28317.aspx The English Role In The Pequot War The English Role In The Pequot War One of the most hazardous tasks a historian tackles is determining what motivated the actions of a past society. Even for a present-day society, this task is fraught with perils. Are a society's motivations the sum of its adult participants? Do we give special weight to the goals of its leaders? Should we regard the society's stated goals as accurate communications of motivation, discard them as intentionally deceptive, or dissect those statements as indications of deeper desires that are too painful to directly discuss? Consider the tremendous range of motives ascribed to the United States for its involvement in Southeast Asia in the period 1954-75. Now, consider what happens when we add the complexity of examining the motives of a society no longer present, and which had far less complete records than are normally kept by governments today. A paucity of evidence can provide a rich opportunity for ideologues to ascribe any motive that they find convenient. The purpose of this paper is to examine the motivations behind the Pequot War; see how well the evidence matches up to the various theories of intent currently popular in the academic community; and suggest an alternative theory in which the English are not the protagonists, but pawns of intertribal warfare. There are at least three theories of motivation for the Pequot War. The oldest theory, reflecting a traditional view of white and Indian relations, is that the Pequots, who had recently arrived in Connecticut, were "a more fierce, cruel, and warlike People than the Rest of the Indians, ... and became a Terrour to all their Neighbors...." After repeated atrocities committed against both Indians, Dutch, and English settlers, the English and their Indian allies insisted that the Pequots turn over the killers of one Captain John Stone; once battle with the Pequots was fully engaged, it became necessary to burn their fortifications at Mystic, Connecticut, causing an enormous loss of life.[1] According to this view, the Indian allies of the English had their own grievances against the Pequots, but the driving force behind the war was the English colonists. As early as 1856, historians began to argue a different theory of motivation that was not prepared to accept the Pequot War as a "just war" against an aggressive and dangerous tribe,[2] and saw the English colonists as a group almost as savage in their actions as 2005-12-29T07:44:57-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-English-Role-In-The-Pequot-War-28300.aspx Farmers Discontent in the 19th Century Farmers Discontent in the 19th Century The late 19th century can be described as a time of political prosperity in America. The majority of citizens were living successfully and there was peace throughout the country, but between the years of 1880 and 1900, many farmers faced problems that they saw as threats to their way of life. There was a dramatic drop in the profits that farmers accumulated from the harvesting of their crops, such as cotton, and with the improvements in transportation, foreign competition was spreading throughout the country making it difficult for farmers to sell their crops. These factors along with others inevitably caused an agricultural depression, leading to the formation of farmer groups such as the Populist Party, which would help to reduce the problems troubling the farmers. Some problems that these farmers felt threatened their way of life included transportation, such as trains, monopolies and trusts, money shortage and the demonetizing of silver. The growth of railroads was very beneficial to industries across America. Although, the benefits bought to these companies were at the expense of farmers. The competition between railroad companies led to a method of dispensing rebates in order to attract larger companies. Basically the railroad companies as stated by George W. Parker, vice president of the Cairo Short Line Railroad, said that “the local business of the road of itself is not of sufficient volume to make up paying trains, nor is it sufficient to make the earnings, over and above current expenses, sufficient to meet the fixed charges against the road.” In order to correct this problem Mr. Parker continues to say “So that in order to run paying trains…we generally… endeavor to get a connection for through business to be super-added to the local business… when we make up a train of ten or fifteen cars of local freight to go over our line from Saint Louis, we can attach fifteen or twenty cars more of strictly through business. We can take the latter at a very low rate rather than go without it.” (Document G) These practices seriously hurt the farmers by raising their shipping rates in order to lower that of larger companies. A farmer named Dyke exemplifies the loss of business of a farmer from the rising rates of Railroad companies. “The Railroad had raised the rate on hops from two cents to five… The new rate ate up 2005-12-29T06:42:46-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Farmers-Discontent-in-the-19th-Century-28296.aspx St. Peter's Basilica St. Peter's Basilica Perhaps one of the most mysterious, yet magnificent, buildings ever, St. Peter’s Basilica has amazed people for hundreds of years. Its massive size can be seen for miles, and the dome is simply stunning. Inside, it contains famous work by Michelangelo, Giotto, and Bernini. St. Peter’s Basilica is basically a masterpiece. However, before the “new” St. Peter’s Basilica was created, there was an “old” one before it. In the early 4th century, around 330, emperor Constantine decided to erect a basilica dedicated to St. Peter on the Vatican Hill on the south side of the River. It was very difficult to do this considering it was on the sloping side of the hill, so therefore, the floor was extend outward away from the hill. Once built, it was richly decorated with gold and mosaics inside, and marble and bronze outside. Because of its odd location, people soon believed that beneath the basilica, lay the spot where St. Peter himself was buried. It was the only logical reason for emperor Constantine’s choice of where to build the basilica. In the 16th century, Constantine’s basilica was starting to fall apart. It was finally demolished in 1425, leaving only the floor to mysteriously be preserved. However, it did not take long for kings, popes, and artists to design a new basilica for St. Peter. In 1450, Nicholas V was the first to take on the task. He quickly conceived a plan that would call for something 10 times as large as anybody had ever contemplated. It would include a great dome over a central Greek cross, and be a crowning achievement of the Renaissance arts. After 96 years of construction, Nicholas V knew that in order to get the best, you needed to hire the best, so he called for the best architects around to come and share ideas. Unfortunately, after 100 years of construction, and an expenditure of $48,000,000, things were not looking good. It became of problem of compromise, as different people wanted different things. In addition, they were having trouble finding a way to support the “proposed” great dome. As the years pasted, construction went through a quite a number of architects, such as Raphael, Bramante, and Sangallo. When the final architect was, Paul III, was chosen, he quickly went to action and called for Michelangelo. Old, and tired of all the fuss, Michelangelo unwillingly agreed to help. This time, 2005-12-28T05:42:45-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/St_-Peter-s-Basilica--28293.aspx JFK Assassination JFK Assassination On Friday, November 22, 1963, while enroute to the Dallas airport, President John Fitzgearald Kennedy was fatally shot. ABC’s newsanchor Walter Cronkite said that it would be “a day that will live in infamy.” The reason that that fateful Friday is still talked about is the controversy surrounding the assassination. The official investigators determined that the president was killed by a lone gunman, but every single piece of evidence – from eye witnesses to forensic evidence – points to at 2 or more gunmen, and a conspiracy, possibly involving government officials. According to the Warren Commission Report : Report of President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, published in 1964, President Kennedy was shot by lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald. The report states that Oswald fired three shots from an Italian-made Mannlicher-Carcano rifle, while standing at a half-open window on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, located at Dealy Plaza, 411 Elm Street in Dallas, Texas, where Oswald was employed. Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally both were hit by bullets. The report states that of the three bullets that were fired, one hit Kennedy from behind, entering his shoulder, the second fired hit Connally in the hip, and the third was the fatal blow, which entered Kennedy’s head from the back. Everything that the Warren Commission reported was simply unsupported lies and discrepancies. Regardless of different “conspiracy theorists” conclusions, they all agree that the Warren Commission’s report was greatly flawed. The first big problem with the investigation occurred the day after Kennedy’s death, on November 23, 1963. The suspect, Lee Harvey Oswald was killed in the basement of the Dallas police station, by a local bar owner, Jack Ruby. Even though previously an attempt had been made to kill Oswald, no further security precautions had been taken to prevent this from happening again. The fact that reporters were allowed to be around Oswald as he was escorted out of court was plain irresponsibility on the part of the Dallas police. Public access to Oswald should not have been permitted under any circumstance. Oswald was murdered in front of cameras and video footage of the incident shows that the police didn’t make Oswald being shot by Jack Ruby. hardly any attempts to prevent the murder, but literally just stood there. Many people have found this to be extremely suspicious. Some believe that Jack Ruby killed 2005-12-28T05:16:24-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/JFK-Assassination--28289.aspx Witch Hunts, Pledges, and Blacklists Witch Hunts, Pledges, and Blacklists Way back in the 1950's, Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy had his own little version of the Spanish Inquisition, an hysterical attempt to root out the communism that he thought he saw climbing the walls all around him. No one was safe from his probing, beady little eyes. Government workers, college professors, playwrights and Hollywood screenwriters, actors, artists, musicians, fags, Jews and anyone with a goatee was suspect. . . . Many people's careers were destroyed by just knowing the wrong person. The most intensive focus of the Red Hunters was on Hollywood, perceived as the shaper of public thought. Many writers and performers moved to Mexico or Europe to avoid being put in prison. There was great pressure to avoid controversial subject matter in films or on TV, and the result was the Ozzie and Harriet myth, Doris Day and Annette Funicello, Beach Blanket Bingo: silly, vapid entertainment. The ice began to melt in 1960, with breakthrough films like "The Brave One" (written by Dalton Trumbo under a fake name because he was blacklisted) and "Spartacus," both highly acclaimed and both addressing the plight of the downtrodden, repressive government, human rights, etc. ................................................................................................................................................................ Americans were afraid of the communists for good reason, in light of the atrocities committed by Josef Stalin and Mao Tse Tung. Through American spies, the Commies had gotten the recipe for the Atom Bomb, a truly terrifying prospect. To be suspected of being a communist was worse than being a murderer or rapist. Just being suspected meant one was a traitor, cutting the throats of American babies. Anyone who refused to take the pledge was blacklisted and found it impossible to get work, and was harassed constantly by 'agents' for names of other 'sympathizers'. Many refused to take the pledge on principle; after all, it is a free country. People like Dalton Trumbo, Ruth Gordon, Zero Mostel, Dashiell Hammett, Lillian Hellman, Jose Ferrer and Orson Welles were blacklisted. McCarthy did not create the communist problem, but he exploited it shamelessly for political ends, accusing the Democrats in general with baseless, sweeping, shotgun allegations. He was a master of the soundbite, and played the press like a harp. The reign of stupidity called McCarthyism was big news for most of the 50's, and shaped future national mood swings. It brought 'denial' to new heights, and showed once again how easily fascism can take root. 2005-12-26T06:45:23-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Witch-Hunts,-Pledges,-and-Blacklists-28263.aspx Nurses and Wartime This article portrayed the importance of nurses during wartime. It also described the inadequate supply of nurses during this time. But, surprisingly, this shortage was not due to the lack of willing participants but, instead, due to unnecessary restrictions and guidelines that were set by the American Government. Women nurses were required to prove themselves to the hesitations 2005-12-25T00:54:57-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nurses-and-Wartime--28237.aspx Tensions Among Black and White Activists During Movement Tensions Among Black Activists And White Activists During The Civil Rights Movement In the mid-1950s, nearly one hundred years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation and three hundred years after colonists forced Africans into slavery, Rosa Parks took what is generally considered the first step in the movement that aimed for true equality among blacks and whites. Refusing to give up a bus seat for a white customer, she directly challenged the southern creed that blacks were inferior. Her actions sparked a Civil Rights Movement involving not only blacks but also two white groups who would come to serve a critical function in the movement. One of these two groups, white college liberals, was a radical product of the Cold War Era. The “inequality of black people was gradually becoming a prime symbol of what needed to be changed in American society” (Isserman/Kazin pg. 50), and liberals aimed to improve the blemish on America’s image – a blemish that had quickly became “a staple of Soviet propaganda” (Isserman/Kazin pg. 50). Liberals fought inequality in order to improve conditions in the nation as a whole in addition to those in the black community as a unit. The second group, white politicians, affected the movement at the most critical of junctions – the intersection of politics and leadership. White politicians sought a balanced formula that could allow them to fight the evils of segregation and racism without losing votes in the south. Within ten years of Parks’ rebellion, however, the role whites would play in the Civil Rights Movement would forever change, due to growing tensions between African Americans and the two groups of whites. The tensions between Africans Americans and iberal college students and between African Americans and white politicians would develop separately, but later intersect and result in a “white backlash.” Radical college students, and specifically those who joined forces with the Civil Rights Movement via the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) and eventually headed south with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), encountered tensions as early as the training period, during which the volunteers learned the nonviolent tactics used in Mississippi. “Many SNCC activists were black veterans who had developed a strong sense of racial pride and considered themselves militants or radicals, while many of the white students had just joined the movement…and considered themselves more idealistic and liberal” (Anderson, pg. 77). A 2005-12-25T00:50:35-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Tensions-Among-Black-and-White-Activists-During-Movement-28235.aspx Extremely Thorough College Paper on The Vietnam War The Vietnam War By Shane Easton U.S. History Term 2 1/2/02 From the 1880s until World War II, France governed Vietnam as part of French Indochina. In 1940 during part of World War II Japan invaded this French Indochina. In December of that year, Vietnamese nationalists established the League for the Independence of Vietnam, or Viet Minh, seeing the turmoil of the war as an opportunity for resistance to French colonial rule. In an action against the Japanese invasion the United States demanded Japan leave or military action would take place. In guerrilla warfare against Japan the Viet Minh Quickly became a valuable ally to the United States. Viet Minh Interaction was so helpful that the Viet Minh leader Ho Chi Minh was made a special agent of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). When the Japanese signed their formal surrender on September 2, 1945, Ho used the occasion to declare the independence of Vietnam, which he called the Democratic Republic of Vietnam or DRV for short. This declaration of independence resulted in Emperor Bao Dai giving up the throne. The French, however, refused to acknowledge Vietnam’s independence, and later that year drove the Viet Minh into the north of the country. Ho wrote eight letters to U.S. president Harry Truman, begging him to recognize Vietnam’s independence. Many OSS agents whom knew Ho from work earlier as and official OSS agent informed the U.S. administration that despite being a Communist, Ho Chi Minh was not a puppet of the USSR and that he could potentially become a valued ally in Asia. Shortly after this event Tensions between the United States and the USSR had mounted after World War II, resulting in what we refer to as the Cold War. The United States around the Cold War had a great fear Communism spreading. Eastern Europe had fallen under Communism, and China was also ruled by Communists. United States policymakers could not afford to lose Southeast Asia as well. The United States in reaction to this condemned Ho Chi Minh as an agent of international Communism and offered to assist the French in recapturing Vietnam. In 1946 United States warships carried elite French troops to Vietnam where they quickly regained control of the major cities including Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), 2005-12-24T07:03:24-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Extremely-Thorough-College-Paper-on-The-Vietnam-War-28218.aspx Overview of the Institution of Slavery History: The institution of Slavery The issue of slavery has been touched upon often in the course of history. The institution of slavery was addressed by French intellectuals during the Enlightenment. Later, during the French Revolution, the National Assembly issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man, which declared the equality of all men. Issues were raised concerning the application of this statement to the French colonies in the West Indies, which used slaves to work the land. As they had different interests in mind, the philosophes, slave owners, and political leaders took opposing views on the interpretation of universal equality. Many of the philosophes, the leaders of the Enlightenment, were against slavery. They held that all people had a natural dignity that should be recognized. Voltaire, an 18th century philosophe, pointed out that hundreds of thousands of slaves were sacrificing their lives just so the Europeans could quell their new taste for sugar, tea and cocoa. A similar view was taken by Rousseau, who stated that he could not bear to watch his fellow human beings be changed to beasts for the service of others. Religion entered into the equation when Diderot, author of the Encyclopedia, brought up the fact that the Christian religion was fundamentally opposed to Black slavery but employed it anyway in order to work the plantations that financed their countries. All in all, those influenced by the ideals of the Enlightenment, equality, liberty, the right to dignity, tended to oppose the idea of slavery. Differing from the philosophes, the political leaders and property owners tended to see slavery as an element that supported the economy. These people believed that if slavery and the slave trade were to be abolished, the French would lose their colonies, commerce would collapse and as a result the merchant marine, agriculture and the arts would decline. Their worries were somewhat merited; by 1792 French ships were delivering up to 38,000 slaves and this trade brought in 200 million livres a year. These people had economic incentives to support slavery, however others were simply ignorant. One man, Raynal, said that white people were incapable of working in the hot sun and blacks were much better suited to toil and labor in the intense heat. Having a similar view to Raynal, one property owner stated that tearing the blacks from the only homes they knew was actually humane. Though they had to work without pay, 2005-12-22T11:28:05-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Overview-of-the-Institution-of-Slavery-28207.aspx An Indignant Generation "An Indignant Generation." With all its disruptions and rage, the idea of black revolution was something many white Americans could at least comprehend, if not agree with. When rebellion seized their own children, however they were almost completely at a loss. A product of the posts war "Baby Boom," nurtured in affluence and concentrated in increasing numbers on college and university campuses. It was a generation marked by an unusual degree of political awareness and cultural alienation. Some shared with the beat writers and poets of the late fifties, a deep disillusionment with this status quo, a restless yearning for something more than a "realistic" conformity. Others had been aroused by the southern sit-in movement, "The first hint," wore a contemporary, "That there was a world beyond the campus that demanded some kind of personal response. "Not so much ideological as moral, in Jessica Mitford's words, "An Indignant Generation." Although an image of arrogance, even ruthlessness, had followed him from his early days as counsel to a Senate committee investigating labor racketeering, Robert Kennedy had shown a remarkable capacity to understand the suffering of others. More than this, he had demonstrated an untiring commitment to the welfare of those who had gotten little more than the crumbs of the Great American Banquet. In fact, Kennedy Appealed most strongly to precisely those groups most disaffected with American society in nineteen sixty-eight, they believed in him with a passion unmatched for any other national political figure, in part for what he had done, but also for the kind of man he was. The collapse of communications made it impossible to determine the fate of the pacification program, but most assessments were pessimistic. When the communists launched their attacks, the government pulled nearly half of the five hundred and fifty revolutionary development teams out of the hamlets to help defend the cities, along with eighteen of the fifty-one army battalions assigned to protect the pacification teams. In so doing, Saigon abandoned the countryside and dealt the pacification program what many felt was a considerable setback. "There always was a semi vacuum in the countryside," said one United States pacification worker. "Now there's a complete vacuum." By the end of the February, orders have gone out for pacification teams and some troops to return to the hamlets, but progress was slow. Although ninety-five percent of the five thousand RD workers in the Saigon region reported back 2005-12-22T11:17:39-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/An-Indignant-Generation--28201.aspx Nationalism and Napolean Nationalism and Napolean Nationalism is the devotion of people to the interests of its nation or the love of one's country to stay independent. Nationalism played a major role in the downfall of Napoleon in that he wanted an empire and his opponent's wanted independence. As Napoleon was conquering lands and creating a vast empire his troops stressed in the far lands that they conquered life, liberty and equality. Although Napoleon did not realize, it triggered nationalistic feelings among the conquered nations. Spain, who was an ally of France, disobeyed Napoleon's decree. Then in 1808 Napoleon overthrew the Spanish royal family and made his brother Joseph king of Spain. However, everything that Napoleon did such as put in a foreign ruler, take away noble privileges offended Spanish pride and created nationalistic feelings. The people of Spain revolted in 1808. The French troops stopped the riots, but the nationalistic spirit was not lost. For the next five years, there was warfare in Spain. British troops came to aid Spain. This led to the defeat of Joseph, death of thousands of French troops and it inspired patriots and nationalists of other lands to resist Napoleon. This war between 1808 and 1813 is called The Peninsular War. In Germany, anti-French feelings broke out. However, the French invasions carried German nationalism beyond the small ranks of writers. In 1807, writers attacked French occupation of Germany. This nationalistic feeling spread to the Prussians. In 1806, the Prussians were defeated by the French troops. To drive the French out of Prussia there would have to be a spirit of cooperation and loyalty. To accomplish this there would have to be social and political reforms. A reformer said that if social abuses were eliminated the Prussians could fight with national honor. Military reforms improved the Prussian army. In the War of Liberation (1813), the soldiers showed great feelings of patriotism and nationalism. Afterwards, the French were driven out of Prussia. Russia, who was an ally of France, went against the word of Napoleon, So Napoleon decided to invade Russia. Napoleon's Grand Army had 700,000 people in it. Most of soldiers were not French and did not care for the war. In 1812 when Napoleon began the invasion, Russia retreated. As they were retreating, they burned all crops, which were valuable. When Napoleon reached Moscow, the Russians burned the city. Even worse, the winter was in a few months. The Russians also 2005-12-22T11:01:39-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nationalism-and-Napolean-28198.aspx Napoleon's Revolutionized French Education System Napoleon organized the educational system of the revolutionary period, added a stable structure, and supplied the universities with teaching staff. Students received a well-rounded education, and would only advance in school after proving that they had retained knowledge by producing satisfactory examination scores. French clergy and nobility had been calling for improvements in the educational system. Pondering the problems of the 1789 educational system led to consideration of "the duties and prerogatives of the state, the rights of parents, the potential benefits of higher education, the economic needs of the nation, the necessity for training teachers, and the suitable status of the teaching profession in a republic" (Vignery 21). A decree passed in 1794 named teacher training the top educational priority. An emphasis was now being placed on schooling and curriculums were changed. The Paris Normal school plan of study included "republican morality and public and private virtues, as well as the techniques of teaching reading, writing, arithmetic, practical geometry, French history and grammar" (Bernard 154). Public secondary schools, or ecole centrals, were organized for every 300,000 people. The secondary school curriculum included literature, language, science, and arts. The decree which established the ecole centrals stated that: "the age-range of the pupils will be from eleven or twelve to seventeen or eighteen"every school is to have one professor of each of the following subjects: mathematics; experimental physics and chemistry; natural history; scientific methods and psychology; political economy and legislation; the philosophic history of peoples; hygiene; arts and crafts; general grammar; belles letters; ancient languages; the modern languages most appropriate to the locality of the school; painting and drawing. Every central school is to have attached to it a public library, a garden and a natural history collection, as well as a collection of scientific apparatus and of machines and models relating to arts and crafts (Bernard 171). Central schools were strengthened by the requirement that anyone seeking a position in the government had to show evidence that he had attended one of the schools of the Republic (Bernard 185-186). Napoleon was convinced that the breakdown of order during the Revolution was because of the state's inability to establish a system of education that could replace what the Church had maintained previously. "The time was not ripe, however, for accomplishing these reforms. It needed the drastic purgation of the Revolutionary period, followed 2005-12-14T20:57:28-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Napoleon-s-Revolutionized-French-Education-System-28184.aspx Impact of Italian Immigration to US The Impact of Italian Immigration on the U.S. The United States has long been known as the melting pot of the world. Many nationalities have influenced what the United States is today. The Italian Americans have made a significant impact on the United States of America. The Italians came to America to work hard with humble beginnings, to organized crime, to successful members of American society. In the early 1800’s, there were not very many Italians immigrating to the United States, but at the same time Italy was becoming very overcrowded. Not only was it becoming overcrowded, but also according to John Simkin, most Italians were from rural communities with very little education. From 1890 to 1900, 655,888 Italians arrived in the United States, of whom two-thirds were men. America was probably a target because many other countries hyped it up as “the land of opportunity”. America had plenty of jobs and the Italians were looking for work. A survey carried out that most of these immigrants planned to return once they had built up some capital. In fact, from 1900 to 1910 over 2,100,000 Italians moved to America. Forty percent of those immigrants returned to their homeland. (Simkin) Those Italians that were immigrating to the United States were entering through Ellis Island, New York. They were settling mostly in New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. New York was the largest colony of Italians. Italian Harlem was located next to the East River and had a population of 150,000 living in an area of one square mile. (Medina) The majority of the Italian immigrants were taking heavy manual labor jobs in steel mills, clothing factories, shoe factories, and construction. Because the Italians could not initially speak English, they were contracted out by professional labor brokers, known as the pardones, to help them find work. During this time, the Italians were making about $5 - $10 a month working 90 hours a week. Unfortunately, the padrones were not very much help because they were cheating them out of their money.(Magnussan) (Minty) (Lee) The Italians had a difficult time adjusting to American life like any of the other immigrants, because of their language barriers and culture. The Italians learned English quickly, but found safety in their culture. 75 % of all Italian immigrants to the United States came 2005-12-12T23:19:43-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Impact-of-Italian-Immigration-to-US-28177.aspx History of the Great Wall Of China History of the Great Wall Of China In the year 221 B.C.E., there was a great ruler over the Ch'in kingdom in China, named Shih Huang Ti. Shih was power hungry and wanted more land so he gathered his army and captured the surrounding kingdoms. As the ruler of so many kingdoms he became "the first emperor" of China. Shih showed his tyranny when he burned all history books to insure that his people and future generations would only remember him and none of the earlier rulers. He had a strong army but the fierce tribes north of China, the Mongols and the Huns, were stronger. These nomadic tribes would come into China and steal crops and animals and then destroy everything left behind. Shih was very disturbed with these invasions, so in the year 214 B.C.E. he freed prisoners and gathered workers and herds of animals. He gave all this to Meng T'ien, his loyal general. Meng and the men and animals were sent north to fortify Shih's kingdoms from invading armies. Shih planned to make a great wall by extending and enlarging preexisting walls made by previous rulers. This "great" wall would serve as a barricade to keep out all tribes that wanted to invade China. It also served to separate the civilized acts of the farmers in China to the barbaric acts of the nomadic tribes. What Shih did not know was that the construction would cause many deaths and much suffering to the builders of the wall. The wall which Meng and his men created had watchtowers, forty feet tall, every two hundred yards. The purpose of these towers was to alert the defending soldiers of approaching, attacking tribes. The soldiers at the towers signalled to each other by day using smoke signals, ! waving flags, blowing horns, and ringing bells; by night by lighting firework-like objects in the sky. The wall, itself, was approximately fifteen hundred miles long, thirty feet high and, at the base, twenty-five feet thick. It was made of the core of earth and gravel. Actually, it was two walls aligned with each other and then filled in with a stone base pounded smooth. The wall traveled over mountains and through valleys. It went from Liatun, on the coast near Korea, westward to the northern end on the Yellow River, southward to Lint'ao to close off the north west area of the empire from 2005-12-04T01:38:02-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-Great-Wall-Of-China-28156.aspx Gulf war Syndrome (9 pages) Gulf War Syndrome As society advances in technology, wars and battles become even deadlier. It could be the increased speed of a bullet, more precise spy satellites, or the development of a more powerful bomb. But what are overlooked most times are the development, production and use of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons. When countries develop these weapons, they make sure that they will kill their enemy. During the Persian Gulf War, the seriousness of these gruesome killers was basically overlooked. This overlook proved to be costly and deadly. The American government sent its soldiers into the Persian Gulf War knowing that there would be chemical and biological weapons used. There were many reasons to the start of the Persian Gulf War. Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi president, wanted not only supreme power over his land, but also supreme power over neighboring countries. Iraq desired oil. Iraq set its eyes on one such neighbor. Iraq annexed Kuwait and took control of 24% of the oil supply for the world and was headed to Saudi Arabia next (“The War” 2). This meant that Saddam Hussein would possibly hold the world in an oil monopoly. The start of the Persian Gulf War was based on religion and Saddam Hussein’s cruel leadership (1). Saudi Arabia soon feared that their oil fields would become Saddam’s next target. They called on the United States for protection against Saddam (1). The United States issued a fair warning to Saddam to remove his military from Kuwait. Iraq did not comply with the set removal deadline of January 15, 1991. This brought about Desert Shield (the buildup of troops), which eventually led to the main attack to free Kuwait’s, better known as Operation Desert Storm (1). The start of the Persian Gulf War led Iraq into starting a new NBC (Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical) program. Iraq’s NBC program was not just fueled by the Persian Gulf War. Saddam Hussein’s rule in Iraq brought about programs for the storage and manufacturing of NBC agents. Secret facilities hidden in the desert and underground facilities were used for the storage of NBC agents. It was only under Saddam Hussein’s rule that Iraq began to produce NBC weapons (Allen 44). The weapons developed had been used long before the Persian Gulf War. Iraqi’s were known to use chemical and biological weapons during the Iran-Iraq War (Grossman 66). “By 1990 there were said to be 2005-11-26T01:51:51-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Gulf-war-Syndrome-9-pages--28134.aspx The Crystal Palace (7 pages) The Crystal Palace: A Palace of Beauty and Wonder The Crystal Palace not only showcased the wonders of Britain and its colonies, but it also inspired future architecture and pop culture. The reason for its entire existence was the Great Exhibition of 1851. Prince Albert’s desire to show Britain’s economic superiority fueled the idea for the Great Exhibition. Webb shows just how strong Albert’s pride in British superiority was when he stated that, “Scientific curiosity, a faith in progress, and the examples of French exhibitions of artistic and industrial productions led the Prince to the idea of the Great Exhibition” (Webb 286). The Exhibition made its run and so did the Palace. Meant to be dismantled after use, the Crystal Palace’s architect, Joseph Paxton, raised funds and had it moved from Hyde Park to a London suburb of Sydenham where it lived out its remaining years. However, it proved not to be fireproof and burned down in 1936 during restoration. Thus, the Crystal Palace’s construction for the Great Exhibition of 1851 was not only a first in architecture, but was immensely beautiful and exotic, and to this day, still being copied. As stated previously, the whole concept and eventual building of the Crystal Palace was due wholly in part to the Great Exhibition of 1851. In order to hold this elaborate showcasing of British culture, the perfect building was needed. But why was the Great Exhibition even really needed? Answered keenly in the words of Black and McRaild, “ Planned in 1849 by Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, a keen moderniser, the Great Exhibition was intended as a demonstration of British achievement and a reflection of the country’s mission, duty and interest to put itself at the head of the diffusion of civilisation” (Black 24). Britain wanted to show Europe and the rest of the World that they were on top and that they were the ones to come to for any type of needs, either or scientific. The exhibitors were predominantly British, although according to Wilson’s breakdown of the exhibitors, “There were 13, 937 exhibitors – 6,556 of them foreign, the rest British. There were over 100,000 exhibits…” (Wilson 38). While not predominant, the British support of the colonies was put on the forefront as MacKenzie acknowledges that the, “Displays emphasized the commercial importance of more than thirty colonies and dependencies whose manufactures and raw materials were exhibited” (MacKenzie 321). The 2005-11-26T01:47:39-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crystal-Palace-7-pages-28132.aspx Games and Sports in Ancient Mesopotamia “Gaming Then and Now” Have you ever wondered what people did for fun five-thousand years ago? In today’s society, we play soccer, football, baseball, and video games. The amount of fun we can involve ourselves in is endless. Especially with the wonderful technological advances made in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries alone. In Ancient Mesopotamia, dating about 3000 BC, it is known that the people played some of the very same games familiar to us today such as backgammon, bowling, and even wrestling. By the end of this report, you will have a good understanding of how games of Mesopotamia have evolved into the twenty-first century. Backgammon, one of today’s most popular board games, is actually a five-thousand year old game. This game was played in ancient Mesopotamia and consisted of a flat stretch of ground, a few sticks, and rocks or pebbles. The ground was their “board”, the rocks were their moving pieces, and the sticks were actually their “dice”! When the sticks were thrown, the sticks were then counted by which fell with a given side upwards. The practical die was only invented around 2000 BC in Mesopotamia. Backgammon has come a long way in the last five thousand years. Today’s backgammon includes a colorful playing board, polished chips, two enormously convenient dice, and even a dice juggler. Although, the most important element which has not changed or evolved over the many years is luck. Uncovered in 2000 BC in a tomb of an Egyptian child, were pins and a ball. What we believe today is that this mystery game was actually bowling dated back four thousand years ago. The pins and ball were made of hard rock that were ground to form their smooth surfaces. The bowling ball has evolved quite a bit. Can you image bowling with a bowling ball that does not have holes to grip the ball? Or after bowling a strike, to fetch the ball and set the pins back up? Obviously, bowling then was not as advanced as it is today. Nevertheless, Egyptians had a great time playing what we call bowling. Bowling is still a wonderful, and a very popular pastime for people of all ages and backgrounds. I am sure that we can all agree that jumping, running, fighting, and the throwing of an 2005-11-03T22:28:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Games-and-Sports-in-Ancient-Mesopotamia-28083.aspx Why Study History? Why Study History? There are many reasons to study history a few are, so that we do not commit the same mistakes as our ancestors, another is that u may need it for your profession, also that we may be knowledgeable if history ever pops up in a conversation and another reason to study history is that u are required to take it. We need history so that we will not commit the same mistakes as our ancestors. A sad thing is that even though we learn the past and know what to do and not to do we still do it anyway that's why history seems to repeat itself so many times. History also helps when u start to work if you're a lawyer and u get a case and you have no idea of how to help your client you can go back into history and see how another lawyer deled with a similar case in the past. Another profession history could help with is architecture u can see what types off buildings have worked best in deferent situations in the past and u can see were designs have worked in the past. Another job u could use history in is medicine u can go back in history and see how diseases have been miss diagnosed in the past and how to avoid making the same mistake. History is a great topic of conversation u could talk and talk about history for hours granted u know enough about it and that's were your history class comes in handy. Lets say your hanging with your friends and there is an acward silence you could start a debate a bout history it probably will never happen but hey you never know. Or you could wow people with your useless knowledge of how Europeans learned they could blow stuff up with gunpowder the Chinese invented. The most important reason to study history is that we are required to take it by the government or whoever makes up the rules on what you have to study. Without history you wouldn't be able to graduate to the next grade or be able to go to college and all that other fun stuff. History should be studied because it can be used in every day life and so that we do not repeat our mistakes but most of all history should be studied because we are required to 2005-10-16T00:28:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Why-Study-History--28062.aspx Famous Figures from the Romantic Age Famous Figures from the Romantic Age The Romantic Age was a time of great literary expansion and it provided writers a chance to truly speak from their soul to all readers. During the Romantic Age, there were many writers, but few who deserve recognition. Of these writers, there were Keats and Wordsworth. Both alike, yet different in many ways. This is shown in Wordsworth's " It is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free," and the poems of John Keats. William Wordsworth found that the best way to express his feelings through sonnet is through a structure containing only one stanza. Wordsworth compiled everything together as if just spontaneous thoughts written on a page. In the beginning of "It is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free," Wordsworth speaks of the night as everlasting "A sound like thunder, everlasting" (Line 8.) He then transitions to speaking to a girl, assumed as his lover. "...Dear Girl! That walkest with me here..." (Line 9). Also, Wordsworth uses description words to create a visual image of what he is describing. An example of this is "The gentleness of heaven broods o'er the sea" (Line 5). Wordsworth looked at the beauty of nature and its permanence, described it with great detail, and with that created poems that became icons in the Romantic Age. John Keats, however, felt that several stanzas were necessary to completely get his feelings onto paper. In "Ode to a Grecian Urn," Keats wrote five stanzas, each separated by their subject matter, as if telling a story. He looked at nature as if it were a work of art. He also felt that what was left unsaid was even more powerful than what was actually spoken. "Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter..." (Line 12). Although Keats did not think of nature as beauty and permanence like Wordsworth, he still created the poem format that gained much respect in the Romantic Age. There were many differences in the poems of Keats and Wordsworth, however, there were many similarities. Personification was used through many poems, especially the poems of Keats and Wordswoth. "And watching with eternal lids apart" (Bright Star, Would I Were Steadfast as Thou Art, line 3). But along with personification, one aspect of the poems that stand out is the comparison of inanimate objects to women or a woman's features. In "Bright Star, Would I Were Steadfast as Thou Art," it 2005-10-16T00:16:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Famous-Figures-from-the-Romantic-Age-28056.aspx World War I Breakdown World War I Breakdown A cool, sunny summer morning some 87 years ago, two bullets were fired in a Sarajevo street that would soon set in motion a series of events that would throw the world into a struggle against itself. Gavrilo Princip was the young man who fired those two fateful shots that hit Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife Sophie. The royal couple was returning from City Hall and was in route back to the Capitol. Princip, fueled with hatred at the Austro-Hungarian Empire and having a strong, loyal feeling to the Slavic nationalism motto, murdered the two, in hopes that their death would unlock the shackles binding his people to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. (Death, 1998) It was the fact that European titans were blind-sighted by different nationalistic and imperialistic views that would soon throw the world into war. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the breaking point, as on July 28, 1914 Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, officially starting what would become a four-year full-fledged world war. Sir Edward Gray dramatized the impact of the war well, saying, "The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime," as citied in (Kirchberger, 1992, p.45). It would be during this war, World War I, that much advancement would be made, many battles fought, and many lives lost. With Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia, many countries began to take sides. Russia and Germany who were former alliances, split up due to political differences. Germany drew alliances with Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria forming the Central Powers. Twenty-eight countries including Serbia, Russia, WWI 2 the British Empire, and the United States formed alliances with each other creating the "Allies and Associated Powers" (WWI, 2001). The world seemed set-up against itself. The Allied and Central Powers spent most of their time waging fights on three main fronts: Eastern, Western, and Serbian. On the Western front, the Allied Army had been forced back towards Paris as the German Army continued to advance towards the French and British Armies. Paris seemed a vital city, as the bulk of the French and British Armies fell back to the Marne River, to protect it, setting the stage for the Battle of the Marne. The battle began on September 5, 1914. Although no fighting began until the 9th, the British developed 2005-10-16T00:12:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-War-I-Breakdown-28055.aspx The War Between The Classes The War Between the Classes By Gloria D. Miklowitz Table of contents • 1. Introduction -1.1 General information and the process of analysing different aspects • 2. Main Part -2.1 Biography of Gloria D. Miklowitz -2.2 Summary of the novel -2.3 Background information of the course of the colour game -2.4 Characterisation of Amy & Adam and the relation to their families -2.5 Analysis on the relationship between Amy & Adam -2.6 Amy's journal entries during the 'Colour Game' -2.7 Different views on the colour game between Canadian and German students related to the "Intercultural Learning Project" -2.8 Comparison between the speech, entitled "The Scab" given in 1903 by Jack London and the theme of the novel • 3. Conclusion -3.1 Personal opinion of the experiment • 4. Appendix - Bibliography ­ Internet Sources 4.1 Material ­ Consent to Publication [Einverständniserklärung] ­ Insurance of Independent Work [Versicherung der selbständigen Arbeit] 1.1 General information and the process of analysing different aspects First of all when I chose the novel 'The War Between the Classes' I have not have a precise idea what the theme what all about. After I got familiar with it I was happy about my choice because the novel is based on an authentically, sociological experiment which was held 1979 by Ray Otero. I also remembered that I saw a documentary about that issue some time before. The book deals with racial, ethnical and sexual prejudices which are the basis for the 'Colour Game'. The main purpose of creating this game is that the participants develop a feeling for justice, fairness and tolerance, which might effect a whole class. I started to read the novel and after I got the topic clear, I focused my research on that topic. I found a bit of information about the game on the internet but not as much as I was hoping to discover. So carried on researching and found several pages about the 'International Learning Project' which was done in 1997. I chose it because it appealed to me as an interesting project which was precisely matching with my topic and it presented several opportunities for analysing. I also found the speech 'The Scab' on the internet which introduced an idea to me to compare the class situation to the situation at present. All 2005-09-25T05:31:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-War-Between-The-Classes-28030.aspx Black Hawk Black Hawk When U.S. and United Nations soldiers got bogged down in a guerrilla war in Somalia in 1993-94, it wasn't just the rebel leader Mohammed Farah Aidid they were fighting it was the terrorist forces of Osama bin Laden, according to new intelligence information obtained by DEBKA-Net-Weekly. Aidid became notorious after a savage 14-hour battle in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, between U.S. elite Rangers and Delta units and the men under his command. Aidid was a former ally of the late pro-Soviet Somali ruler Said Barre and his intelligence chief. In January 1991, Aidid led a military coup that ousted Barre, plunging Somalia in a vicious civil war that left more than a million dead in 10 years and brought a population of 7 million into deep famine. In December 1994, the U.N. launched a food aid and medical relief operation called "Restore Hope," supported by a U.S. military expedition whose purpose was to secure aid distribution and then leave the country. This is not how it panned out. Instead of handing out relief, the U.N. and U.S. contingents, especially the one from Pakistan, were forced to stand up and defend themselves against incessant assaults from Somalia militias, the most hostile being Aidid's force. This went on for nine months, during which the U.S. was dragged deep into the Somali quagmire. At length, the Americans faced the options of beating the Aidid force on the battlefield or retiring in defeat with heavy losses. The Clinton administration decided the only way to extricate the American force from Somalia was to hit the Aidid militia hard. The best way to go about this was to seize Aidid himself. A secret CIA file obtained by DEBKA reveals what no one in the White House, U.S. military or U.S. intelligence agencies understood at the time that the hard-core fighters of the Aidid militia were not Somali but members of bin Laden's Al Qaeda network, who were deployed in his Mogadishu bases. However, according to the data contained in that file, some person or persons in the office of U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali did know this and made sure to keep the information from the American government, according to the CIA file. The final battle that prompted President Clinton's decision to pull his men out of Somalia bears the hallmarks of a secret ambush. The same hand 2005-09-25T05:11:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Black-Hawk--28027.aspx The Life of an Inuit The Life of an Inuit Before contact with the western world, the Inuit were a relatively healthy population. However, the severe climate in which they resided posed challenges in maintaining health and well being. Here are some of the difficulties they faced and their adaptations to combat these problems: Avoiding Vitamin Deficiencies: The vegetation in the arctic habitat is relatively scarce. In order to prevent disease such as scurvy and rickets, and to assure calcium absorption the Inuit needed sufficient amounts of vitamin A and D. In order to preserve the maximum amount of vitamins and minerals they avoided cooking their food. They consumed raw whale skin, a good source of vitamin C, and seal oil and fish, excellent sources of vitamin A and D. Vitamin D was needed to aid the absorption of calcium, in which the mostly meat diet was lacking. The Inuit combated this problem by eating dried fish, soft parts of animal bones and bird bones. Avoiding Heart Disease: The Inuit population had a low incidence of heart disease. This is partly due to the large amount of physical activity that was required to survive the arctic climate, and the diet which they ate. Caribou and rabbit meat have a high amount of polyunsaturated acids which are associated with healthy cardiovascular system. Omega - 3 rich foods such as whales, seals and fish are associated with a decreased rate of heart problems. Additionally, the Inuit did not participate in high risk activities such as smoking associated with heart disease. Staying Warm: In order to maintain body heat the Inuit had cultural adaptations as well as biological ones. First and foremost, people kept themselves warm by having good insulation. They used animal skins and furs. For example, caribou fur which had hollow hairs acted as excellent insulators for coats, blankets and, in combination with seal skin, boots. Babies were kept warm in the hood of the mothers parka which allowed nursing without exposing the infant to the bitter cold. Indoors, they used body heat and caribou furs to keep warm while sleeping in close contact. They built the entrances into the snow houses with tunnels placed at right angles to prevent drafts. A small lamp was burned for heat, but it also insulated the snow house by forming a 2005-09-25T03:38:26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Life-of-an-Inuit--28019.aspx What Drives History? What Drives History? [i:a69dbf3f48]History is the Essence of Innumerable Biographies -Thomas Carlyle [/i:a69dbf3f48] What drives history? Before we answer this question, we must go deeper and answer a more important question: What is history? History is, simply, all of the events, ideas, people, and occurrences that have existed in the past. These things have been driven by one common factor: individuals. Although individuals driving history may seem like a rather simple answer, it is the only one that provides no flaws. One such individual who has driven history is Martin Luther. Luther, a German monk, was an inspirational figure who struggled to encourage people to think more for themselves. Martin Luther had an unconventional way of viewing the Church at the time. Luther believed that it was wrong for the Church to sell indulgences or "forgiveness from god." Martin Luther thought that salvation could only be achieved through performing good deeds. During Luther's protesting, he created the "95 Theses," which were a list of arguments and problems against the Catholic Church. Martin Luther was a very strong leader, and through his teachings, many people began to follow him and share their beliefs. Eventually, this lead to the Reformation of the Roman Catholic Church, and caused a sect to break off, known as the Protestants. This drastic change lead to an immense conflict between both groups which eventually caused the ostracism of the Protestant sect to the Americas. This relocation created many thoughts that influenced the rest of the world. Martin Luther's ideas and teachings not only drove history in the past, but they continue to drive the present day. Another important individual who drove history was the Italian astronomer and scientist Galileo Galilei. Galileo discovered something so important that it changed the selfish perspective that humans were the center of the universe and led to the growth of human knowledge. Utilizing mathematics and a telescope he had developed, Galileo observed that the planets revolved around the sun and not the Earth. This was a significant discovery because not only did it contradict what the church had taught, it also showed that the universe was not what it seemed. With this truth uncovered, many people began to fascinate over the universe. This triggered people to begin studying space extensively and eventually lead to present day space exploration. Galileo also left a lasting impression upon many great minds, such as Sir Isaac 2005-09-21T03:55:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-Drives-History-28015.aspx Dinstinction Between Productive And Unproductive Labour Outline Some Of The Ways The Dinstinction Between Productive And Unproductive Labour Have Been Drawn ‘Debates about what is real work have been taking place since the birth of economics in the 18th Century’. (D103 p 33) The way work is organised … defines our economy and the meaning of economic activity’. (i.b.i.d. p 9) There are two definitions of work. Firstly, activities done in order to bring in money as payment for the person doing it, based on exchange in the public domain, which may be seen as productive work. Secondly, activities that contribute to the reproduction of society, usually unpaid and undertaken in the private domain, which may been seen as unproductive work. Many activities fall into both categories but it is the ‘social context in which an activity is done which determines whether a particular activity is seen as work or not’. (i.b.i.d. p 10) This essay will outline some of the ways the distinction between productive and unproductive labour has been drawn and see if the theories based on these distinctions have been successful in explaining the poor growth of the British economy especially during the 1970’s. Within the economy only paid work is recognised but a great deal of unpaid work, often carried out in the home, particularly domestic labour and caring for children, is vital to the reproduction of society. However, ‘the identification of paid labour with work tends to make non-paid forms of work such as housework, charitable work and voluntary work slip from view and become invisible’. (i.b.i.d. p 134) As well as unpaid labour, the ‘armed services, law enforcement officers, all public employees, domestic staff, servants and even the Sovereign are seen as unproductive labour because they do not produce a product for sale’. (i.b.i.d. p 36) These people are employed for the usefulness of the services they provide to their employers but it is seen to be ‘the mark of a well-developed economy that a large number of people can be employed in providing services for the rest of the community’. (i.b.i.d. p 40) It may not be the case that productive labour is more desirable than unproductive labour. ‘It must be emphasised that all the civilised activities of a modern society are wholly or largely non-marketed. Most universities, schools, libraries and hospitals produce outputs 2005-09-18T06:13:15-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Dinstinction-Between-Productive-And-Unproductive-Labour-27997.aspx Progressivism Misery of the Masses Progressivism - Misery of the Masses [i:7a88bc7b81]Question: How did progressives redefine poverty? Why was that important? Where and why did progressive solutions for the problems of poverty fall short? If there was one period of American history that could be labeled the most influential or constructive to the reality of our society today, perhaps it would be the Progressive movement. A reason may be progressives were not against the American system, they just wanted to fix it. They believed strongly in the good of humanity, fairness, and regulation. Truly conservatives at heart, they wanted to revert back to the days of equality of opportunity, democracy, and social justice. Equality, fairness, opportunity all predominately applied to the poor since they were most likely the ones being taken advantage of. In light of poverty progressives, however, had a much different view than the sin of the individual. Poverty, in their eyes, was directly related to the environment and opportunities an individual was presented with. This outlook was important because it was at the roots of all the reforms progressives lobbied for. However idealistic and good-hearted the efforts of progressives were to eliminate poverty, they were accompanied with mis-education and poor treatments. The Progressive views of poverty are fairly simple: poverty is the product of failures of the government and the environment it creates. Driven by social justice, people like Jacob Riis showed the grim reality of poverty to the rest of the world. In this particular case, he used photographs to powerfully illustrate the effects from abuses of an industrial society. Riis and others like Jane Addams, Theodore Dreiser, and Frank Norris all took up the cause for the needy and created sympathy for the less fortunate. The majority of progressives steered away from the issue of self sin that brought about some of the evils of society they were fighting against: alcoholism, corruption, prostitution, and drug abuse. This again fuses the idea that the life of the poor was a direct product of the environment in which they lived. Because of the secular way progressives looked at the poor, they used unorthodox and modern methods rather than the evangelical means of the past great awakenings. The progress of social service moved from the settlement house movement to the social worker which was committed full 2005-09-18T06:02:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Progressivism-Misery-of-the-Masses-27993.aspx Puritan Revolution Puritan Revolution • The Puritan Revolution is also known as the English Revolution it was for general designation for the period in English history from 1640 to 1660. • It began with the calling of the Long Parliament by King Charles I and proceeded through two civil wars, the trial and execution of the king, the republican experiments of Oliver Cromwell, and, ultimately, the restoration of King Charles II. • The reasons for the conflict can be traced to social, economic, constitutional, and religious developments over a century or more. Closer at hand were questions of sovereignty in the English state and Puritanism in the church. • The immediate cause, however, was Charles's attempt (1637) to impose the Anglican liturgy in Scotland. • The Presbyterian Scots rioted, and then they signed the National Covenant and raised an army to defend their church. • In 1640 their army occupied the northern counties of England. • The Long Parliament, summoned by Charles to raise money in support of his war against the Scots, met on November 3, 1640, and demanded reforms as the price for aid. • It arrested and ultimately executed for treason the king's chief advisers, Thomas Wentworth, earl of Strafford, and William Laud, archbishop of Canterbury. • It also put limits on the king's prerogatives. • The members split over the Root and Branch Bill to abolish bishops in the Anglican Church, over raising an army to quell an Irish rebellion, and over the Grand Remonstrance, by which Parliament would control the choice of the king's ministers. • The political quarrel became an armed conflict in 1642. Most of the Lords and some members of the House of Commons sided with the king (thus making it technically incorrect to call it a war between king and Parliament). • In August 1642 Charles gathered his army at Nottingham. • The first battle, fought at Edge hill on October 23, was indecisive. • In general, the king controlled the northwest, and Parliament controlled the southeast—including London. • The king's followers were called Cavaliers; those of Parliament were called Roundheads. • In 1643 Parliament secured the support of the Scottish army by promising that the recently convened Westminster Assembly would make the Anglican church conform to the Presbyterian church of Scotland. • Meanwhile, Cromwell, an outspoken Member of Parliament and a military genius, was perfecting his regiment of cavalry, which soon earned the name Ironsides. • Parliament 2005-09-14T01:16:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Puritan-Revolution--27981.aspx John Paul Jones and the American Navy John Paul Jones and the American Navy When someone mentions ?naval hero? only one name should come to mind, John Paul Jones. Jones was born in Kirkcudbright, Scotland, on July 6, 1747(Abbazia). He became a merchant at the age of 12-13, and went out to sea, to learn the art of seamanship. He sailed among merchantmen and slavers without any worry in the world. In 1769 he received his first in command. After several years as a merchant skipper in the West Indies, John Paul immigrated to North America and added ?Jones? to his name. This name change was probably because when commander of a merchant vessel he killed a mutinous crewman. John Paul thought the Jones would conceal his identity enough for him to live a meaningful life. At the outbreak of the war with Britain in 1775, John Paul Jones went to Philadelphia, obtaining a lieutenant?s commission in the Continental Navy (Morison). The following year he became a captain of the sloop Providence. In his first couple of adventures he was very prosperous. He destroyed British fisheries and captured 16 British Ships. Then in 1777 he took command of the sloop Ranger. ?During the spring he terrorized the coastal population of Scotland and England by making daring raids ashore and destroying many British Vessels (John Paul Jones).? His reputation greatly enhanced, receiving from the French government, a converted French merchantman. The Duras, which he renamed Bonhomme (Good Man Richard) in honor of Benjamin Franklin (250th Anniversary of the Birth of John Paul Jones). Jones was then promoted to commodore and placed in command of a mixed fleet of American and French Ships. Setting sail as the head of this small squadron on Aug. 14 1779. He captured 17 merchantmen off the British coast and, on September 23, fell in with a convoy of British merchant (Morison). ?With the muzzles of their guns touching, the two warships fired into each other?s insides (Morison).? Although his smaller vessel was on fire and sinking, Jones rejected the British demands for surrender. There he said Kalyan 2 these famous seven words, ?I have not yet begun to fight.? More than three hours later they surrendered and Jones took command of their ship. Although hailed as a hero in both 2005-09-14T00:58:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/John-Paul-Jones-and-the-American-Navy-27979.aspx Effects of European Exploration on American Indians Effects of European Exploration on American Indians The Capitalistic dreams of the Europeans and the natural anarchy of the Indians; never before has a clash of cultures had such a great influence on the future of the world. The Indians were one with nature and shared a kinship with all living as well as nonliving things on earth. They respected each other and flourished under these ties of mutual reverence. The Europeans sought similar refuge in America(1). They longed for freedom from the overpowering monarchies of Europe which, by the 1640s were experiencing overpopulation of cities accompanied by devastating disease and religious indifference. The European settlers of America also faced hardships throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Plagued by disease and lack of nourishment, the Europeans found themselves greatly dependent on the Indians for survival. The Indians were more than welcoming of their new neighbors, lavishing them with gifts and performing rituals as a show of equality. Equality was a major theme throughout the Indian culture as they accepted the newcomers as they would their own family. This initial exchange of gifts would eventually lead to trade practices that would prove to be a pivotal element in the relationship of the Indians and the Europeans in the near future(2). The seventeenth century was marked by the consumer revolution of Europe and Colonial America. The consumer revolution was the product of a drastic increase in per capita wealth, which gave rise to an “unprecedented” purchasing of goods. These goods were manufactured as a result of the rapid enhancement of technology. With mass production came great demands. These goods were imported from Europe and became great value to colonists and Indians alike. Improvements were made in farming tools, clothes, and luxury items during this time. Colonists, for the first time, began to make purchases based on luxury rather than solely on necessity. The Indians were not left out of this trend. They too experienced a rapid influx of wealth due to the great demand of furs. The beaver furs brought immense wealth to the Indians. These furs, although relatively useless to the Indians, were of great value to the Colonial settlers as well as an important export to Europe. By the late 1600s the Indians became dependent on the “trade goods” 2005-09-14T00:05:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effects-of-European-Exploration-on-American-Indians-27962.aspx The Industrial Revolution In Britain The Industrial Revolution In Britain The Industrial Revolution happened between 1750 and 1900. It a very significant period of history and was caused by many different factors. This essay aims to answer the question why did the Industrial Revolution Happen. England was a country that was the ideal for the Industrial Revolution it was an island, so it was perfect for trade. It had lots of natural resources, and also a large population. The population both led to more ideas, and more workers. The country was also a wealthy one, with a good economy, and therefore there were ample investors for companies to begin. The revolution eventually spread to Western Europe, and even to the Americas. Goods that had traditionally been made in the home or in small workshops began to be manufactured in the factory. Productivity and technical efficiency grew dramatically. Coal started to replace wood as an energy source and trade communication improved throughout the world. As new ideas on how to produce and sell goods came about, the cost of food and its production lowered and people came out of the fields and into the cities. When this happened our society changed from having only two classes, rich and poor, to three classes, rich, middle, and poor. This is the change that continues to fuel the Revolution today. The population was growing because more was known about medicine and the germ theory had been established by Lois Pasteur, which meant people could be vaccinated against deadly diseases. Therefore less people were dying of diseases that would otherwise have killed hundreds. There were also proper anaesthetics developed so fewer people died of shock after operations. There were better living conditions because people were earning more money and glazed water pipes, which prevented cholera-, a large killer of 18th century people. The industrial revolution meant there were new jobs in factories for instance so there was less unemployment. Jobs such as farming, which before was a very popular profession, earn the worker less because they are in primary industry. The jobs in factories were in secondary industry though which is a lot more profitable. This is because you can earn more money for a finished product than raw materials. The population was growing because people were eating a better diet than they did-this is also because people 2005-09-09T09:51:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Industrial-Revolution-In-Britain-27950.aspx The Holocaust and its Affects on the Jewish People The Holocaust had long lasting affects on Jewish people. There are many types of horrible mistreatment that the Jewish people went through. Hitler's rise to power in 1933 he began persecuting the Jews so bad that businesses were boycotted and vandalized by Nazi supporters. By the year 1939 the Jews were not even regarded as a people they could not attend public schools , their rights to own land had been taken away and one of the most terrible they were not allowed to socialize with non Jewish people thus making them not able to go to public events , parks or museums. After deciding on quarantine to they established "ghettos " where they could keep them away from the general public thus making sure none of their cries for help were heard by any non Nazi followers. The treatment of the Jews would only worsen as the war became longer and the hatred towards these innocent people became more enraged. A people who were used as a "scapegoat" to make the German people angry and ready to fight against anyone that stood in there way of being the one largest power on the entire globe. All this was said to the people under deep depression where they would grasp onto any type of power they could after being mistreated by the Allies after the conclusion of World War 1. Hitler manipulated the minds of the weak and hopeless. He just took advantage of the very poor and why wouldn't they listen if they were in the worst conditions that Germany had ever experienced. Hitler also had the power of a great speaker getting the public behind him actually believing that the Jewish were taking their business and causing their economical crisis. Later on during the war Hitler introduced the idea of using "concentration camps". With these camps he could now round up Jewish ghettos and torture , overwork , remove and execute huge amounts of the Jewish population. There were 3 main camps ; Dachau , Treblinka and Auschwitz. The most important man in these executions and experiments was Mengele. In Dachau was where most of these strange and horrible experiments were carried out. Some of the experiments consisted of putting Jews in freezing cold water until death or putting them into air tight rooms timing until the time of suffocation. Auschwitz was the most horrific camp 2005-09-05T20:29:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Holocaust-and-its-Affects-on-the-Jewish-People-27894.aspx Anglo-Saxons Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxon period began in 449 A.D. This period began the invasion and migration of the island of Britain by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. These groups that invaded the Roman Empire, now Great Britain, brought their own traditions, language, and religion. Many historical events during this period greatly influenced literary events. Battles and crusades were an integral part of the daily life. The religious and royalty rulers were held in high esteem. Literature depicted these events and devotions. Literary inventions evolved due to the popularity and need to reach many people with the teachings and entertainment of literature. Epic poetry 2005-09-05T20:25:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Anglo-Saxons--27892.aspx Enlightenment Movement Enlightenment Movement The Enlightenment movement and its goals failed due to the efforts of the ruling classes. The ruling classes knew that if they were to remain in power, they would need to destroy any ideas that threatened their power. These ideas came in the form of the Enlightenment. In Austria, Emperor Joseph II was a truly enlightened Monarch. When Joseph II came to power, he sought to destroy serfdom and establish religious tolerance for the masses. When Joseph accomplished these reforms, it separated the nobility from their power, which was a good thing for the masses because now they could farm their own land and make their own money instead of giving all their labor to the nobles. The nobility saw these reforms as a full-scale attack on their power. When Emperor Joseph II died, the nobility immediately began to try to restore their power. The nobility ordered that the ideas of Joseph II be forgotten. Over the course of time, Austria went back to their old ways of serfdom and religious persecution. By forcing the ideas of Joseph II to be forgotten, the nobility was able to restore their power and keep it for generations to come. During the reign of Catherine the Great, Russia was ruled by an enlightened Monarch. Catherine questioned torture, serfdom, and lack of equality but her main interest was with keeping her power and not with gaining rights for the masses. To keep her power Catherine would have to keep the nobility, the only group that threatened her throne, in power. To do this Catherine divided Russia into fifty provinces, which strengthened the nobility. Though Catherine the Great was educated in an Enlightenment sense, the Enlightenment failed because she feared how the powerful Russian nobles would respond if she decided to explore these ideas. Prussia had accumulated one of the strongest military’s during the Enlightenment time. Prussia’s ruler, Fredrick William I, sought to make Prussia an enlightened culture. If Fredrick allowed Prussia to become enlightened, the power of the Nobility would decrease. The Prussian army led by Nobility who were in 2005-09-05T20:24:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Enlightenment-Movement-27891.aspx America Was Built By Immigrants America Was Built By Immigrants America was built by immigrants. From Plymouth Rock in the seventeenth century to Ellis Island in the twentieth, people born elsewhere came to America. Some were fleeing religious persecution and political turmoil. Most, however, came for economic reasons and were part of extensive migratory systems that responded to changing demands in labor markets. Their experience in the United States was as diverse as their backgrounds and aspirations. Some became farmers and others toiled in factories. Some settled permanently and others returned to their homeland. Collectively, however, they contributed to the building of a nation by providing a constant source of inexpensive labor, by settling rural regions and industrial cities, and by bringing their unique forms of political and cultural expression. The volume of immigration before the 1960s was staggering. Figures for the colonial period are imprecise, but by the time of the first census of 1790 nearly 1 million Afro-Americans and 4 million Europeans resided in the United States. The European population originated from three major streams: English and Welsh, Scotch-Irish, and German. After 1820, the data became exact enough to document the volume of immigration more reliably. From 1820 to 1975 some 47 million people came to the United States: 8.3 million from other countries in the Western Hemisphere, 2.2 million from Asia, and 35.9 million from Europe. The stream was relatively continuous from 1820 to 1924 with only brief interruptions caused by the Civil War and occasional periods of economic downturns such as the depression of the 1890s, the panic of 1907-1908, and the Great Depression of the 1930s. World War II, of course, also greatly reduced the numbers emigrating. In fact, 32 million of the 35.9 million Europeans who came to the United States between 1820 and 1975 came prior to 1924. Immigration on such a large scale resulted in greater ethnic diversity from the earlier colonial structure. In the century prior to World War I, the major sources of immigrants were Germany, Italy, Ireland, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Great Britain, but Canada also supplied 4 million newcomers, including a large number of French-Canadians, and Mexico sent some 2 million. These emigrant centers supplied the largest ethnic concentrations in American society before the 1960s. Immigrants to colonial America were welcomed because of its acute need for inexpensive labor. The English and Afro-Americans were quickly joined by Scotch-Irish, Scots, and 2005-09-05T20:19:04-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/America-Was-Built-By-Immigrants-27889.aspx Salem Witchcraft The Good In People The Good In People - Salem Witchcraft In 1692, the Salem Village of Massachusetts fell victim to an outbreak of mass hysteria caused by a fear of witchcraft. This fear of witchcraft was caused by a small group of girls who accused innocent people of the village of being under the influence of the devil and harming them with spells of witchcraft. How would a town so concerned with religion react to such crazy accusations? Arthur Miller describes such reactions to these in The Crucible. In this story Miller describes how different people having different perspectives on the events handle this type of hysteria. Some people join the afflicted girls and participate in the hysteria out of fear for their lives. Others grow suspicious and try to find an explanation on how honest these girls, or “victims”, are in accusing them otherwise innocent people of witchcraft, if witchcraft is even the cause of the girls’ hysteria. Arthur Miller writes the play to demonstrate that human nature is actually good regardless of how easily humans can be influenced by the spread of evil. Miller illustrates how pressure created by fear, intolerance, and frustration can cause people to accept their personal responsibilities. Although fear often drives people away from their responsibilities in the story, it is shown that a person’s fear can push him to realize and accept his purposes and responsibilities. John Proctor, a main protagonist in the story, realizes how dangerous the witchcraft accusations are when the court officials arrest his wife, Elizabeth, for witchcraft and attempted murder: “‘…The little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!…I’ll not give my wife to vengeance!’’’ (Miller 77). John Proctor is fearful for his wife. Before his wife was arrested, John was really unaware of the extent of danger behind the accusations of witchcraft in the village. At first, he feels suspicious about the hysterical girls’ behavior, but the fact that the trials did not directly affect his family makes him handle the events less seriously. Elizabeth’s arrest was a wake up call for John because now he is alert and aware that the witchcraft accusations must be stopped because innocent people are being put to death. As he reacts to his wife’s arrest, he makes a very important decision. It is up to him to protest against the 2005-09-04T20:07:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Salem-Witchcraft-The-Good-In-People-27881.aspx Imperialiam Editorilial Imperialiam Editorilial Walter 2005-09-03T05:47:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Imperialiam-Editorilial--27872.aspx The Etruscans The Etruscans Some history: While North at the time had invaded Italy through Alpine passes, peoples from the Balkans had come across the Adriatic. They intermingled with some native tribes, imposing on them many of their own primitive customs. But none of these early ones, the pre-Etruscans,-left written records on which history can be based. Explorations from archaeologists brought knowledge of the first people in Italy to be associated with the Iron Age. The Etruscans used to cremate their dead, placing the ashes in urn-shaped receptacles which they covered with small inverted cuplike lids. Later on these lids were replaced by helmets with high crests of laminated bronze, apparently intended in a crude way to represent the heads of the decreased. This was the beginning of funerary sculpture which later the Etruscans were to perfect. The Etruscan civilization was first to flower in Italy after the Iron Age. It was very well established by 700 B.C. and reached its peak five hundred years before Christ. There is knowledge that the Lydians were the first people to use gold and silver coinage. It has also been said that there were many similarities between Etruscan customs and ways of life and those of the people of ancient Asia minor. There is even their own national name Rasena which is found in closely similar forms in dialects of Asia Minor, as is the Greek name for the Etruscans. Many Etruscan customs, religious beliefs, and artistic skills can be connected with the Orient. The Etruscan civilizations social structure was the position of equality by which their women shared with men. The Etruscan woman were frequently shown in tomb frescoes reclining beside their husbands at the banqueting tables; they attended athletic contests and chariot races. Even though those facts remain, the Greek woman were kept in the background subordinate to their husbands. Between 5-600 B.C. was a time of great power for the Etruscans. The Etruscans dominated Italy from the plains of the River Po in the north to the River Tiber and even farther south. The province of present day Tuscany was the heart of their domain. When Rome was only a cluster of small villages 2005-09-03T05:41:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Etruscans-27870.aspx McCarthy vs. Salem Witch Trials McCarthy vs. Salem Witch Trials Often times it has been stated that history repeats itself, I have found an example of a situation where it did. Lots of people think that the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s are a repeat of history from the Salem witch-hunts of 1692. In both cases, all of the accusations were false, and also fictitious. Also in both cases, the main reason people were blamed was so that ones who were condemning would receive their own personal gain. In both parties, McCarthy and the girls, they accused people to make themselves look better to others and gain respect. They both gained respect from others, which was something they did not have a lot, which is one of the main reasons McCarthy started his Red Scare, and it also played a small role in why the girls accused so many people. In 1692, people blamed of being witches were used as scapegoats for society’s problems, and then again in 1950, those blamed of being communists were used as scapegoats for society’s problems. In the long run, both cases were worthless except for the lessons that it may teach those who look back at the awful experiences. Many people were killed in the small town of Salem and the ones who weren’t killed had their reputations forever lowered. Everyone who was charged by Joseph McCarthy had his or her own reputation diminished as well. All of this could have been prevented if the people involved would have only opened their blinded eyes and saw the truth, the truth which lied right in front of their faces. One night in the small New England town of Salem, Massachusetts, three young girls and a slave from Barbados were caught dancing naked in the forest around a large kettle. This wasn’t something that girls normally did in the 1600s and was also socially unacceptable, as was also considered to be of the devil. These girls, Abigail Williams, Betty Parris, Mercy Lewis, and Tituba the slave were immediately accused of being witches just because they were dancing in the woods. In order to get themselves off the hook, the girls pointed their fingers at other women in the town of practicing witchcraft. They indicted some women because their names popped into their heads, but one particular girl, Abigail Williams, accused a woman named Elizabeth Proctor because she had 2005-08-31T22:20:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/McCarthy-vs_-Salem-Witch-Trials-27858.aspx The Great Depression The Great Depression The economic depression that be-fell the United States and other countries in the 1930s was unique in its strength and its consequences. At the depth of the depression, in 1933, one American worker in every four was out of a job. In other countries unemployment ranged between 15 percent and 25 percent of the labor force. The great industrial slump continued throughout the 1930s, shaking the foundations of Western capitalism and the society based upon it. Aspects of the economy President Calvin Coolidge had mentioned during the long prosperity of the 1920s. He said "The business of America is business." Despite the seeming business prosperity of the 1920s, however, there were serious economic weak spots, a major one being a depression in the agricultural sector. Others facing depression and problems were such industries as coal mining, railroads, and textiles. Throughout the 1920s, U. S. banks had failed--an average of 600 per year--as had thousands of other business firms. By 1928 the construction boom was over. The spectacular rise in prices on the Stock Market from 1924 to 1929 shared little relation to actual economic conditions. In fact, the boom in the stock market and in real estate, along with the expansion in credit (created, in part, by low-paid workers buying on credit) and high profits for a few industries, concealed basic problems. Thus the U. S. stock market crash that occurred in October 1929, with huge losses, was not the actual cause of the Great Depression, although the crash began the most traumatic economic period of modern times. By 1930, the depression was most apparent, but few people expected it to continue. Previous financial panics and depressions had reversed in a year or two and thus most people thought that this was just part of the ups and downs of the business cycle. The usual forces of economic expansion had vanished, however. Technology had eliminated more industrial jobs than it had created; the supply of goods continued to exceed demand; the world market system was basically unsound. The high tariffs of the Smoot-Hawley Act (1930) exacerbated the downturn. As business failures increased and unemployment soared--and as people with dwindling incomes nonetheless had to pay their creditors--it was apparent that the United States was in the grip of economic breakdown. Most European countries were hit even harder, because they had not yet fully recovered from the ravages 2005-08-31T22:17:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Depression--27857.aspx Indians - The Humanistic Tradition Indians - The Humanistic Tradition Book 1 Chapter 1 1a. Cave art was found in Europe, Africa, Australia, North America and western France. It is estimated that the art was done around ten to thirty thousand years ago. Mostly hunters painted on the walls before they went out for a hunt. Cave art was done by painting with polychrome mineral pigments and shaded with burnt coal and bitumen, and was usually drawn in the inaccessible part of the caves, one over the other. The art was usually animals such as bears, bulls, lions, zebras, fish, birds, horses, reindeer and other creatures, wounded by spears or running. It was usually done as a ritual before they went out to hunt. They were not clear and drawn over one another. Their art was more of a prayer with faith that prayer and the proper symbols would change destiny. 1b. There have been many female statuettes found around the world. The art was usually depicting women as pregnant or as life givers. They were seen as the continuation of the tribe and as healers and nurturers. Women had a special importance since they were perceived as life givers and has the power of procreation. She is also seen in images using special words and gestures during a hunting ritual. 2a. The development of agriculture was important because it change us from a nomadic population to one of farmers and cattle raisers. It allowed us to settle down in one spot and learn how to grow food, raise animals, and learn the benefits of animals. We domesticated herds and learn how to make leather and wool. We eventually made communities of farmers and herders. The primary concern of this new found lifestyle was the seasonal cycle and when the lean months of winter came around. They had to learn the benefits of rain and sunshine, and it’s power. They learned to produce surplus food for winter and make woven rugs and textiles for comfort against rain and wind. 2b. Stonehenge, located in southern England, is thought to be a ceremonial burial site since megaliths are placed in circle and have horizontal slaps on the top. Another thought is that Stonehenge is a sacred calendar that would predict the movement of 2005-08-31T21:56:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Indians-The-Humanistic-Tradition-27848.aspx What Were the Greatest Accomplishments of Abraham Lincoln? What were the greatest accomplishments of Abraham Lincoln, and why? Since the death of President Lincoln there have been countless debates, essays, and dissertations on his greatest accomplishments. There are so many accomplishments of this great man that it is hard to decide which are the best, but for this assignment I have selected two specific accomplishments. January 1, 1863 President Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation freeing all the slaves in territories held by confederate states. Although I do believe the timing of the Proclamation was more a Military Move than a Moral Issue. This Proclamation was used the boost the moral cause of the Union. Even though I believe this might have been issued a little late the heart of the matter was still their and that is why I believe 2005-08-31T21:46:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-Were-the-Greatest-Accomplishments-of-Abraham-Lincoln-27845.aspx The McCarthy Era of 1945 - 1960 THE McCARTHY ERA The McCarthy Era was between 1945-1960. The McCarthy Era was when there were many widespread accusations and investigations of suspected Communist activities in the United States. McCarthyism was the act accusations were called McCarthyism. The word “McCarthy” comes from the name of Senator Joseph R. McCarthy who was born on May 2, 1909. Joseph McCarthy, a American politician and a U.S. senator from Wisconsin made many charges on army officials, members of the media, and public figures accusing them of being Communists or cooperating with Communists usually with little or no evidence. McCarthyism developed during the Cold War, which was time of great hostility between the Communist and non-Communist nations. In the late 1940's and the 1950's, a number of events related to this struggle alarmed and frustrated many Americans. For example, Communists took over Czechoslovakia and China. The Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb and equipped the North Korean Communist forces that invaded South Korea. This invasion touched off the Korean War (1950-1953). As Communism appeared more and more threatening, the federal government began to search for secret Communists among its employees. In 1947, President Harry S. Truman established agencies called “loyalty boards” to investigate federal workers. Truman ordered the dismissal of any government employee whose loyalty appeared questionable. That same year, the U.S. attorney general established a list of organizations that the Department of Justice considered disloyal. Government agencies used the list as a guide to help determine the loyalty of employees and of people seeking jobs. McCarthy first gained national attention in 1950, when he charged that Communists dominated the State Department. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee investigated the department but found no Communists or Communist sympathizers there. Despite the investigation, McCarthy still made many additional accusations and gained many followers. He and other conservatives blamed many of the nation's problems on the assumption of a secret presence of Communists in the government. In 1950, the United States was concerned with the threat of ccommunism. Hatred of communist influences within the country increased as FBI director J. Edgar Hoover announced that there were 55,000 party members and 500,000 sympathizers active within the U.S. the Senate appointed a special committee to investigate charges of communist activity in the State Department that had been brought by Senator Joseph McCarthy, Republican of Wisconsin. In 1953 McCarthy started and conducted a militant anti-Communist campaign. His campaign spread to Eastern Europe 2005-08-29T04:43:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-McCarthy-Era-of-1945-1960-27819.aspx The United States is to Blame for the Cold War The US is to blame for the Cold War From when World War II ended in 1945 all the way up to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Cold War dominated international affairs. It was a global struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union. Although the Cold War was sometimes fought on the battlefield, it involved everything from political rhetoric to sports. Overshadowing all was the threat of nuclear war. From an American perspective the Cold War was largely a ‘war on communism’ – this outlook by the US caused and sustained the Cold War. The US is to blame for the Cold War for demonizing of the communist Soviet Union in support of our own political and economic systems. At the end of WWII, the Soviet Union had sustained tremendous casualties and the country was almost destroyed. In order for Russia to be able to protect itself in the future, it would need to be surrounded by countries that would be loyal to Soviet Russia. The countries would serve as a buffer zone to stop possible future invading armies. The Soviet takeover of Poland was a defensive maneuver to protect Russia, not an offensive to convert Europe to communism like America assumed. US Soviet relations were further worsened by the atomic bomb. Even though we had been allies during WWII, we had not told the Soviets about the atomic bomb. We had worked in total secrecy and kept Russia in the darkness about our progress. The bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the first indication to Russia that we had nuclear power. By not telling the Soviets, we were telling them that we did not want them to have nuclear weapons and that we did not consider them a strong ally. Russia began to fear us, and consequently tensions mounted between the USSR and America. In a conference at Yalta, Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt agreed on terms of how Europe was going to be governed; there would be free elections throughout Europe and the Soviets would have control over some of Eastern Europe. The Soviet Union was not granted the right to rule the new countries as it wanted, there would be mandatory elections, which might throw away the power of Russia there. Although Stalin did not allow completely free elections in the European countries now under Soviet influence, it was 2005-08-28T09:03:07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-United-States-is-to-Blame-for-the-Cold-War-27804.aspx Battle At Bull Run By William Davis Battle At Bull Run By William Davis Whether it is called Bull Run or Manassas, this battle was a great victory for the members of the Confederate States of America and an incredible learning experience for the United States of America. William C. Davis takes his readers on a journey through this battle in an enlightening yet challenging manner. For the newcomer to military writing this book would prove to be very challenging. To follow Davis, the reader would probably need to read through this at least three times because he constantly, seemingly in mid-thought, switches from commander to commander, region to region, and Confederate to Union. While his style is somewhat difficult to follow, he often adds drops of humor to provide comic relief for the strained reader. Davis describes the events leading up to the battle and the battle itself somewhat chronologically. He writes two or three paragraphs about the actions of the Confederacy during a time period and in the next paragraph will begin describing what the Union did during the exact same time period. After finishing the discussion about the North he jumps over to the South and begins telling their story right where he left off several paragraphs before. During the first one hundred and sixty pages, Davis sets up the actual battle by describing the political situation in 1861 and by telling how these two armies began to organize themselves from militia/civilians to soldiers. Instead of taking the reader directly to the battlefield he allows them to understand the events leading up to it in order to better understand the battle and the motivation behind it. Along with political discussions and the organization of these armies, he also describes in great detail the strategic movements leading to Bull Run and detailed characterizations of the battle’s key players. This rising action is peachy, but Davis’ best writing begins as the battle approaches and he writes, “There was never again such a night north or south of Bull Run. It was the twilight of America’s innocence” (p. 158). The author’s thesis is, “America, it seemed had gone mad and gone to war with itself. Four decades of compromise between the sections of the country had come to naught, largely because the lawmakers of Washington repeatedly chose to treat the symptom rather 2005-08-28T06:32:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Battle-At-Bull-Run-By-William-Davis-27799.aspx The Occupation of Japan and Douglas MacArthur The Occupation of Japan and Douglas MacArthur The occupation of Japan was, from start to finish, an American operation. General Douglas MacArthur, sole supreme commander of the Allied Power was in charge. The Americans had insufficient men to make a military government of Japan possible; so t hey decided to act through the existing Japanese gobernment. General Mac Arthur became, except in name, dictator of Japan. He imposed his will on Japan. Demilitarization was speedily carried out, demobilization of the former imperial forces was complet ed by early 1946. Japan was extensively fire bombed during the second world war. The stench of sewer gas, rotting garbage, and the acrid smell of ashes and scorched debris pervaded the air. The Japanese people had to live in the damp, and col d of the concrete buildings, because they were the only ones left. Little remained of the vulnerable wooden frame, tile roof dwelling lived in by most Japanese. When the first signs of winter set in, the occupation forces immediately took over all the s team-heated buildings. The Japanese were out in the cold in the first post war winter fuel was very hard to find, a family was considered lucky if they had a small barely glowing charcoal brazier to huddle around. That next summer in random spots new ho uses were built, each house was standardized at 216 square feet, and required 2400 board feet of material in order to be built. A master plan for a modernistic city had been drafted, but it was cast aside because of the lack of time before the next winte r. The thousands of people who lived in railroad stations and public parks needed housing. All the Japanese heard was democracy from the Americans. All they cared about was food. General MacAruther asked the government to send food, when they refus ed he sent another telegram that said, "Send me food, or send me bullets." American troops were forbidden to eat local food, as to keep from cutting from cutting into the sparse local supply. No food was was brought in expressly for the Japanese durning the first six months after the American presence there. Herbert Hoover, serving as chairman of a special presidential advisory committee, recommended minimum imports to Japan of 870,000 tons of food to be distributed in different urban areas. Fi sh, the source of so much of the protein in the Japanese diet, were 2005-08-26T10:59:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Occupation-of-Japan-and-Douglas-MacArthur-27793.aspx The History of America: Amerigo Vespucci Amerigo Vespucci Biography, Founder of America Vespucci was the one person for whom North and South America was named after. Vespucci had a wonderful life and found many things on his voyages. Amerigo Vespucci was born in Florence, Italy in March of 1451, and grew up in a considerable mansion near the river. As a young boy, Amerigo's happiest moments studying the stars. He excelled in mathematics and his hobby was copying maps. His dream as a young boy was to travel and get a better picture about what the Earth looked like. Amerigo spent half of his life as a business man hoping to strike it rich so he could explore. Amerigo was the third son, there were two older brothers, Antonio and Girolamo, the youngest was Bernardo. The parents were Stagio and Elisabetta Vespucci. Italy, at this time was not yet a civilized country. Italy was a bunch of city- states each self governed and looking for money for it's own purposes and not for the benefit of the country. Florence, where Amerigo was born and grew up, was in the city-state governed by the powerful Medici family. Later in Vespucci's life he ends up working for this family helping govern the city-state. Italy, at this time was not a good country as it is today. In 1492 Vespucci left Florence for Seville, Spain because Italy had the monopoly and didn't need, or want, exploration. Well into his forties, around 1495, Vespucci became the director of a ship company that supplied ships for long voyages. This was the first opportunity Vespucci had to make voyages and he was very happy about this, therefore he was only looking for "new worlds" to discover and not money or rewards for finding exotic places. In 1497 Vespucci said that he went on a voyage to the "New World." Little is known about this because there was not much evidence to support that he actually made this voyage such as: journals, maps they used, or any crew members journals about what happened. He was said to be back in 1498. Later on down the road, after this journey was said to take place people began to doubt this and Columbus became known as the founder of the "New World" even though he thought he was in India. In 1499 Vespucci was said to have made his second voyage with Alonso de Ojeda as the captain. This 2005-08-26T10:05:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-History-of-America-Amerigo-Vespucci-27791.aspx Spartan Warfare, Ancient Greek Warfare vs Modern Day War Spartan Warfare, Ancient Greek Warfare vs Modern Day War In the 7th Century BC a new era of warfare strategy evolved. Before this new strategy, foot soldiers (known as hoplites) engaged in battle in the form of one mob for each army which on the command of their generals runs at each other and proceeds to hack blindly at the enemy with little to no direction other then to kill the enemy in front of them. This proved to be very messy and the tide of battle depended mostly on emotion and size of an army. In the name of strategy and organization, the phalanx was developed. A phalanx is simply defined as a line formation with its width significantly larger then its depth. The depth of the phalanx is a variable which some suggest was decided by the army itself rather then by the leaders of the army. The smallest depth appears to have been that of one man deep. However this was a unique occurrence which is widely believed to be fictitious. The largest depth is that of 120 men deep which was fielded at one time by the Macedonians. On average, the depth of the phalanx appears to be about eight men deep. During the time of Alexander the Great, the phalanx was believed to be eight men deep, but some argue that it evolved into a sixteen man deep phalanx. The Spartans purposely varied the depth of their phalanx so to confuse the enemy about the number of soldiers fielded. The phalanx proved to be a very valuable weapon for the military at that time. Armies which did not adapt to the phalanx formation were quickly slaughtered. The use of the phalanx allowed the Greeks to win the Persian Wars. Many historians believe that the development of the phalanx led directly to social changes occurring throughout Greece during the time of the phalanx's implementation. The phalanx formation allowed men to participate in the military who otherwise could not have because a much smaller investment in weapons and armor was needed to participate in the phalanx. The combined increase in the number of those participating in the army and the increase in importance of the common foot soldier lead to the common man being increasingly treated better by the ruling classes. The most noticeable difference between ancient Greek and modern warfare is the amount of "intelligence" information. Today our military 2005-08-26T09:56:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Spartan-Warfare,-Ancient-Greek-Warfare-vs-Modern-Day-War-27790.aspx The History Of The RCTA The History Of The RCTA The RCTA, located at the NAS, Meridian, MS, began as a component of the law enforcement agency sponsored, congressionally directed, Gulf States Counterdrug Initiative (GSCI). The purpose of the GSCI was "to identify resources, services, and support that can be legitimately provided by DOD components and agencies to support counterdrug activities along the U.S. southern coastal region." Although sponsored by law enforcement, six U.S. Senators, nineteen U.S. Representatives, and three state Governors heavily endorsed the GSCI proposal. One of the provisions of the GSCI document was a request by the Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi senior drug law enforcement agencies (DLEAs) to establish a counterdrug training academy with the mission of training law enforcement officers in counterdrug skills. The Academy mission was initially focused on the three requesting states, but, beginning January 1, 1997, the state of Georgia became an official member of the GSCI. In addition to the GSCI states, the RCTA provides training to law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S., including the National Guardsmen involved in counterdrug support missions. This training is provided at no cost to the law enforcement officers or agencies. The only cost incurred by the agency is the transportation to and from the Academy. National Guard personnel do not incur a tuition cost, but are responsible for their own per diem and travel. Based upon the LEA request for DOD "support" (defined as funding, administrative, logistical, equipment, personnel, etc.), and with guidance and resources provided by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Coordinator for Drug Enforcement Policy and Support, and the National Guard Bureau (NGB), the Mississippi National Guard accepted the mission of establishing a regional training center outlined in the GSCI document. Initially it was decided that the training center would be located on the Naval Air Station in Meridian, MS. A decision was made to renovate the former Officers Club and make it the home of the new “Regional Counterdrug Training Academy.” A military commandant, Lieutenant Colonel James P. Hills, was appointed in March 1992. His immediate mission was to coordinate with the law enforcement community, the U.S. Navy, National Guard Bureau, and the Department of Defense to establish a training center to meet the needs of the law enforcement officers who would attend. 2005-08-25T06:33:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-History-Of-The-RCTA--27774.aspx The Inferno: The Hindenburg History, The Inferno: The Hindenburg The arrival of the Hindenburg, thirteen hours behind schedule, at Lakehurst, New Jersey, on the evening of May 6, 1937, promised to be routine. The ship had an unblemished safety record on eighteen previous Atlantic crossings. In fact, no passenger had ever lost his life on any commercial airship. Still, because this was the beginning of the most ambitious season yet for airship voyages, reporters, photographers and news reel cameramen had their eyes and lenses focused on the great dirigible as it approached. When disaster struck it was sudden. Without warning flames gushed from within the Hindenburg's hull; thirty-two seconds later the airship lay on the ground, ravaged. Never had the sights and sounds of a disaster in progress been so graphically documented. Within a day, newspaper readers and theater audiences were confronted by fiery images of the Hindenburg. Radio listeners heard the emotional words of newsman Herb Morrison, sobbing into his recorder, "It's burning, bursting into flames, and it's falling on the mooring mast and all the folks. This is one of the worst catastrophes in the world. . . . Oh, the humanity and all the passengers!(Marben 58)" When this floating cathedral, called the Hindenburg, burst into a geyser of flaming hydrogen there was a tremendous impact on the public, although two thirds of the people on board survived. Two theories about why it happened surfaced and this tragedy put an end to the short age of these massive airships. The demise of the Hindenburg had a searing impact on public consciousness that far surpassed the bare statistics of the calamity. Men and women escaped, even from this inferno. One elderly lady walked out by the normal exit as though nothing had happened and was unscratched. A fourteen-year-old cabin boy jumped to the ground into flames and smoke. He was almost unconscious from the fumes when a water-ballast bag collapsed over his head. He got out. One passenger hacked his way through a jungle of hot metal using his bare hands. Another emerged safely, only to have another passenger land upon him and cripple him. One man, at an open window with every chance to jump to safety, went back into the flames to his wife, both died. The final count was 36 dead, including 13 passengers. Nearly two thirds, of the 97 persons on board survived, but that fact was forever obscured, and the 2005-08-18T09:20:44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Inferno-The-Hindenburg-27719.aspx The Hospital on the Hill Would you believe the unusual treatments tuberculosis patients endured in the early Twentieth century? From operations with no anesthetics to electroshock therapy, Waverly Hills Tuberculosis Sanatorium patients suffered greatly at the majestic hospital. For the patients, it was a living hell. Tuberculosis (known as TB,) was one of the worst diseases known to man. Until the early 1960's, TB was the number one cause of death in the United States. In 1900, Louisville, Kentucky had the highest TB death rate in the country, due to its location in a low-lying, swamp-like area, which was the perfect environment for the germs that caused TB to grow. In 1910 the Governor of Kentucky authorized the building of an isolated TB sanatorium in the hills outside Louisville. Later that year a wooden, two-story, Tutor styled building was opened to with the capacity to house 30 TB patients. It was built on one of the highest hills in the area if Louisville. There was a law passed that stated no residential or commercial buildings could be built within a half-mile of the hospital to prevent the spread of disease. In 1912 the administration of the hospital soon realized that the hospital was severely overcrowded with over 100 patients. After applying for a grant from the US Government, the officials of the hospital received an $11 million grant for the construction of a larger 400 patient building and a complex of other buildings around it to serve as storage or dormitories for the doctors and nurses. Officials bought another 129 acres if land directly across from the older hospital for the new hospital. Construction on the new hospital began in 1924. The new building complex was designed to be a self-contained town with its own power plant, a self-contained water treatment system, a laundry facility, a dormitory for the doctors and nurses, small cottages around the larger building for the administration and people who stayed while visiting patients, and its very own sewer system. The new hospital opened in 1926 and was considered to be the most advanced TB hospital in the nation. If a patient had any chance of surviving the disease, the new hospital, known as Waverly Hills, was the place to go. Treatments in the early twentieth century were primitive at best, which meant Waverly Hills was a place to send people to 2005-08-16T19:08:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Hospital-on-the-Hill-27707.aspx Victorian Morals, Values, and Ideals Victorian Morals, Values, and Ideals The Victorian Era describes things and events in the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Victoria was just 18 years old when she became queen upon the death of her uncle William IV in 1837. Many people today believe that the Victorian Era is really connotations of prudish, old-fashioned, and very traditional. But, the Victorian Era is very paradoxical and very complex. In religion, the Victorians experienced a great age of doubt. On a large scale, there were many questions into Christianity and the status of society. One of them, was Friedrich Nietzsche's (1844-1900). He saw a civilization so self- confident over its mastery of science, technology, politics, and economics that for it "God is dead," and that "belief in the Christian God has become unworthy of belief." Without a theological and religious education, he realized, virtues would become "values," social conventions that could be debated and modified whenever convenience wanted. The moral system of European civilization is founded on Judaism and Christianity. He believed, once this foundation is removed, the structure would start to crumble. He predicted, "there will be wars such as there have never been on earth before." "Culture has," Nietzsche argues, "hollowed itself out, and men, the `last men', are left blinking in a world devoid of all meaning."1 This is what Nietzsche calls nihilism. The Victorian time was a time of ideological and scientific agnosticism2. The Oxford Movement, a High-Church, anti-liberal movement within the Church of England, in support of tractarianism3; Utilitarianism, which is the teaching that the worth or value of anything is determined solely by its utility; Karl Marx's (1818-1883) ideology, nicknamed Marxism, of dialectical materialism4, communism and socialism; Darwinism, Charles Darwin's (1809-1882) entire theory of evolution; Sigmund Freud's (1856-1939) suggested workable cures for mental disorders. Freud's theories were at highly disputed. Victorian virtues were centered on the home and the family. This is easily evident in a conversation at the top of page 65: Helmer: It's shocking. This is how you would neglect your most sacred duties. Nora: What do you consider my most sacred duties? Helmer: Do I need to tell you that? Are they not your duties to your husband and your children? [.] Helmer: Before all else, you are a wife and a mother. Respectability was something Victorians worried about, especially the working class. Mothers of large families kept her children clean and sent them to school. In a day and 2005-08-15T08:17:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Victorian-Morals,-Values,-and-Ideals-27664.aspx Accidental Colonization vs Deliberate Navigation in Pacific Accidental Colonization versus Deliberate Navigation, Debate of Discover in the Pacific Ocean Andrew Sharp claims in his Ancient Voyagers in the Pacific published in 1956 that the Pacific Islanders did not possess the necessary navigational and sailing technology to deliberately navigate the distances between islands of the Pacific when colonizing these islands. He claims colonization was random and accidental. However, more recent studies from 1972 on of Pacific navigation suggest deliberate navigation and colonization was possible and did take place. These studies have been supported by reenactments of voyages, computer simulations, and newly acquired information regarding preparation for distant voyages. Andrew Sharp supports his claim of accidental colonization by citing numerous examples of lost voyagers landing on populated islands, their testimony or second hand information recorded by Captain Cook. Sharp claims the only distant voyages were confined to "Western Polynesia-Fiji and the Tahiti-Tuamotu archipelago" (Sharp 1956:2). He states that the longest offshore voyages made without landing on intermediate islands included distances of up to three hundred miles, separating Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Rotuma and the Ellice Islands, and distances up to two-hundred and thirty miles, separating Tahiti from the Tuamotu islands. Sharp refers to an account by Captain Cook's interpreter, Omai, who discovered three of his own countrymen from Tahiti, who landed on Atiu, six hundred miles away. They were the sole survivors of twenty people, blown off course in a sudden gale while attempting to voyage from Tahiti to Raiatea, one hundred miles away. Sharp relies on generalizations given in Cook's logs referring to colonization of the remote islands of Polynesia. Cook refers to the accidental voyage to Atiu stating "this will serve to explain, better than a thousand conjectures of speculative reason, how the detached parts of the earth, and in particular, how the South Seas, may have been peopled; especially those that lie remote from any inhabited continent, or from each other." (Sharp 1956:4) Sharp uses examples procured from Cook's log book, citing observations of Anderson, ship surgeon in charge of natural history observations. "The knowledge they have of other islands is no doubt, traditional; and has been communicated to them by the natives of those islands, driven accidentally upon their coasts, who besides giving them the names, could easily inform them of the direction in which the places lie from whence they came, and of the number of days they had upon the sea." (Sharp 1956:7) Sharp discusses 2005-08-15T08:09:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Accidental-Colonization-vs-Deliberate-Navigation-in-Pacific-27661.aspx Origins of The Bay of Pigs Invasion The Bay of Pigs Invasion The story of the failed invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs is one of mismanagement, overconfidence, and lack of security. The blame for the failure of the operation falls directly in the lap of the Central Intelligence Agency and a young president and his advisors. The fall out from the invasion caused a rise in tension between the two great superpowers and ironically 34 years after the event, the person that the invasion meant to topple, Fidel Castro, is still in power. To understand the origins of the invasion and its ramifications for the future it is first necessary to look at the invasion and its origins. Part I: The Invasion and its Origins. The Bay of Pigs invasion of April 1961, started a few days before on April 15th with the bombing of Cuba by what appeared to be defecting Cuban air force pilots. At 6 a.m. in the morning of that Saturday, three Cuban military bases were bombed by B-26 bombers. The airfields at Camp Libertad, San Antonio de los Ba¤os and Antonio Maceo airport at Santiago de Cuba were fired upon. Seven people were killed at Libertad and forty-seven people were killed at other sites on the island. Two of the B-26s left Cuba and flew to Miami, apparently to defect to the United States. The Cuban Revolutionary Council, the government in exile, in New York City released a statement saying that the bombings in Cuba were ". . . carried out by 'Cubans inside Cuba' who were 'in contact with' the top command of the Revolutionary Council . . . ." The New York Times reporter covering the story alluded to something being wrong with the whole situation when he wondered how the council knew the pilots were coming if the pilots had only decided to leave Cuba on Thursday after " . . . a suspected betrayal by a fellow pilot had precipitated a plot to strike . . . ." Whatever the case, the planes came down in Miami later that morning, one landed at Key West Naval Air Station at 7:00 a.m. and the other at Miami International Airport at 8:20 a.m. Both planes were badly damaged and their tanks were nearly empty. On the front page of The New York Times the next day, a picture of one of the B-26s was shown along with a picture 2005-08-15T07:59:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Origins-of-The-Bay-of-Pigs-Invasion-27657.aspx Under the Iron Curtain, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World Under the Iron Curtain, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World Imagine what the world would be like if we were all "under the iron curtain." In his foreword to the novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley envisioned this statement when he wrote: "To make them love it is the task assigned, in present- day totalitarian states, to ministries of propaganda…." Thus, through hypnopaedic teaching (brainwashing), mandatory attendance to community gatherings, and allusions to prominent political dictators, Huxley bitterly satirized totalitarian propaganda and political technique to point out the problems of a dystopian society. The way the fascist and totalitarian regimes used mass propaganda techniques to brainwash their people was nearly identical to the way Huxley described the hypnopaedic teachings in his novel. He also thought, however, that the present-day totalitarian states' methods were still "crude and unscientific." For example, in the novel the different classes had been brainwashed since birth to believe that they all contributed equally to society. Therefore, the people wouldn't go against the World Controllers because they had never been trained to think anything differently. In addition, they didn't have any knowledge of a society which they could compare themselves. This was evident in the saying "History is bunk." Similarly, the totalitarian dictators attempted to control but failed because they weren't able to persuade the entire world to think like them. In addition, Communism attempted to rewrite history, but the society in Brave New World took the next step and forgot aboutt history altogether. The only people who had access to any knowledge of the past were the ones who had the power: the World Controllers. Thus, they were able to create a stable society. Since the hypnopaedic ideas in the society were continuously repeated throughout one's lifetime, mandatory attendance to community gatherings, such as the Solidarity Service, were strictly enforced. The main purpose of the Solidarity Service was to promote social stability. The people were driven to this idea by singing songs like the First Solidarity Hymn, which began, "Ford, we are twelve oh, make us one." During this time, people were also consuming soma rations, which drugged them and caused them to get swept up in the service. Consequently, at the end an orgy took place, which brought them together as one being. In comparison, the political rallies Hitler and other fascists held served a similar purpose. Just as people would chant "Hail Hitler" at these mass rallies, 2005-08-15T01:19:52-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Under-the-Iron-Curtain,-Aldous-Huxley-s-Brave-New-World-27654.aspx Hitler - How He Rose to Power Hitler - How He Rose to Power On the 11th November 1918 the Armistice was signed which brought the dreadful Great War to an end. Germany Surrendered to the Allies. The following year the leaders of the Allies met at Versailles to decide how Germany was to be treated. When the terms of the Treaty of Versailles were given out in June most Germans were fuming. Adolph Hitler left the German army in January 1919. He had spent the last weeks of the war in hospital recovering from gas blindness. He believed that the army had not been defeated but had been stabbed in the back my politicians for accepting the Armistice. When the war ended Hitler got a job working as a spy for the German army. He was sent to a meeting of the German workers party in 1919, which was led by Anton Drexler, who was very anti-Semitic. Hitler joined the party and became its leader in 1921. Hitler wanted to attract as many people as possible to the party, so he changed the name to National Socialists. He hoped the word “national” would attract people to the party. The National Socialists or Nazis as they began to be called, were very violent they would attack their opponents at meetings and this put many people off. A violent ex-soldier led Hitler’s Private army the S.A. In 1922 and 1923 Germany was hit by Hyperinflation. This means massive rise in prices, everyone was affected by this. Te confusion caused by the hyperinflation led Adolf Hitler to believe that he could take power in Munich in November 1923. The attempt failed. Hitler believed that the government was so unpopular that Germans would be on his side. Hitler was arrested for high treason. While Hitler was in prison he wrote a book called my struggle, he became very popular with the Germans. When Hitler left prison he set up a proper political with a national organization. He set up different sections for the party teachers, women and children. He appointed Josef Goebbels as head of propaganda. On 3rd October Gustav Stresemann died. On the 24th of October Wall Street, the American stock exchange crashed. This caused thousands loss of jobs. There was bad employment. From 1929 support for the Nazis grew steadily. The nazi party was well organised and had the support of Alfred Hugenberg who was a millionaire and owned 53 newspapers. Hitler said the depression 2005-08-15T00:51:09-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hitler-How-He-Rose-to-Power-27647.aspx Birth Of A League Of Nations Birth Of A League Of Nations League of Nations. A living thing is born (Foley 149). With these words, United States President Woodrow Wilson presented the first draft of the Covenant to the nations attending the Paris Conference of 1919 and to those around the world. This Covenant was to establish an international organization that would promote peace and security throughout the world and provide a forum through which the different interests of nations could be peacefully resolved. President Wilson named this living thing the League of Nations. After the four devastating years of the First World War, an Armistice was finally signed in 1918 and the nations around the world began to realize that some sort of new international system had to be established to prevent the recurrence of so great a disaster. This hatred of war spread throughout the civilized world and eventually lead to the formation of the League of Nations. During its short life span of twenty years, all of the recognized nations at one point or other be! came a member of the League, with the exception of one: the United States. How was it possible, then, that a country that takes pride in peaceful negotiation and international leadership exclude itself from the very institution it helped create? President Woodrow Wilson had no doubt that the United States should join the League of Nations. The nation had been united in war and therefore, he assumed, would be no less united in their support for his Fourteen Points, which served as a model for the Covenant of the League. Upon failing to gain support from Congress, Wilson announced to the world that he would attend the Paris Conference in person and resolved that the establishment of the League should become its first and principal task. By this, he believed that he was representing the will of the American people. Proving to be untrue, Wilson tried defeat the opposing arguments within his country by explaining that, America and her determinations now constitute the balance of moral force in the world, and if we do not use that moral force we will be of all peoples the most derelict. We are in the presence of this great choice, whether we will stand by the mass of our own people and the mass of mankind (Foley 147! ). The president failed to achieve broad domestic consensus on international foreign policy 2005-08-15T00:09:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Birth-Of-A-League-Of-Nations-27628.aspx US Involvement In World War II Deepening US Involvement US Involvement In World War II - Deepening US Involvement Unlike conventional wars, the war in Vietnam had no defined front lines. Much of it consisted of hit-and-run attacks, with the guerrillas striking at government outposts and retreating into the jungle. In the early 1960s some North Vietnamese troops, however, began to infiltrate into South Vietnam to help the Vietcong, and supplies sent to Hanoi from the USSR and China were sent south down the so-called Ho Chi Minh Trail. The war began to escalate in the first week of August 1964, when North Vietnamese torpedo boats were reported to have attacked two US destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. Acting on the resolution passed on August 7 by the US Senate (the so-called Tonkin Gulf Resolution), authorizing increased military involvement, President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered jets to South Vietnam and the retaliatory bombing of military targets in North Vietnam. From 1964 to 1968 General William C. Westmoreland was commander of US forces in South Vietnam; he was replaced in 1968 by General Creighton Abrams. In February 1965, US planes began regular bombing raids over North Vietnam. A halt was ordered in May in the hope of initiating peace talks, but when North Vietnam rejected all negotiations, the bombings were resumed. In the meantime, the United States continued to build up its troop strength in South Vietnam. On March 6, 1965, a brigade of American marines landed at Ðà Nang, south of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that had originally been set up at the time of partition. The marines, the first US combat ground-force units to serve in the country, brought the number in the US military forces in Vietnam to some 27,000. By the end of the year American combat strength was nearly 200,000. While continuing the military build-up in Vietnam, the United States made another attempt to end the war. In December 1965, President Johnson again halted the bombing of North Vietnam in an effort to achieve a peaceful settlement. Again he was unsuccessful, and the raids were resumed. In June 1966, US planes began bombing major installations near Hanoi and the neighbouring port of Haiphong, both of which had hitherto been spared. In October 1966, government representatives from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, South Korea, and the Philippines—all of which had contributed troops to South Vietnam—met in Manila and pledged their withdrawal within six months after North Vietnam abandoned 2005-08-14T00:55:40-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/US-Involvement-In-World-War-II-Deepening-US-Involvement-27619.aspx Europe - Awe Stricken Europe - Awe Stricken Europe was by far one of the best experiences in my life. I felt as we traveled around the 3 Countries everyone had so much to offer. The scenery and way of life was such a contrast to Canada it made it that much more interesting. When we first landed in London my feelings were stirring up inside me filled with excitement and joy. As we drove to the Hotel we saw allot of London from the bus window. The streets, cars, buildings all were so unique and contrasted greatly with ours back home. I was filled with such amazement I still could not realize I was actually in Europe at that exact moment. One of my fondest memories were those at the pizza shop “Le Brushetta” we ate lunch at our first day in London. The restaurant was modest looking and was run by a group of Italians. We all were a little scared at first but soon the employees were making us laugh and taking pictures with us all. London seemed to be filled with remarkable buildings and friendly citizens. Considering they all spoke English there I found London to have the most in common with Canada. England to me seemed to be filled with such grace and poise. Unfortunately I found the length of time we stayed there to be to short. Now Paris, on the other hand, started out a little rocky. With the break in of the bus it made us all feel a little vulnerable and scared. Although allot of people on the trip were quite bummed out over the incident I tried to keep my head up and not let it bother me. My opinion of Paris was it was dirty, scary and not somewhere I wanted to be. My opinion quickly changed the nest day when we toured around Paris and saw the sights. Strolling along the streets of Paris made me realize the beauty this Country and City had to offer. By far my favorite moment in Paris was at the Louvre Museum looking at all the old art. I was so overwhelmed as we wandered around and gazed at all the famous paintings and statues. Unfortunately once again I felt our stay was cut to short. If I had to pick which Country I enjoyed the most I would definitely saw Italy. From the people to 2005-08-12T03:53:27-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Europe-Awe-Stricken-27592.aspx Causes of the 1929 Stock Market Crash Causes of the 1929 Stock Market Crash In early 1928 the Dow Jones Average went from a low of 191 early in the year, to a high of 300 in December of 1928 and peaked at 381 in September of 1929. (1929…) It was anticipated that the increases in earnings and dividends would continue. (1929…) The price to earnings ratings rose from 10 to 12 to 20 and higher for the market’s favorite stocks. (1929…) Observers believed that stock market prices in the first 6 months of 1929 were high, while others saw them to be cheap. (1929…) On October 3rd, the Dow Jones Average began to drop, declining through the week of October 14th. (1929…) On the night of Monday, October 21st, 1929, margin calls were heavy and Dutch and German calls came in from overseas to sell overnight for the Tuesday morning opening. (1929…) On Tuesday morning, out-of-town banks and corporations sent in $150 million of call loans, and Wall Street was in a panic before the New York Stock Exchange opened. (1929…) On Thursday, October 24th, 1929, people began to sell their stocks as fast as they could. Sell orders flooded the market exchanges. (1929…) This day became known as Black Thursday. (Black Thursday…) On a normal day, only 750-800 members of the New York Stock Exchange started the exchange. (1929…) There were 1100 members on the floor for the morning opening. (1929…) Furthermore, the exchange directed all employees to be on the floor since there were numerous margin calls and sell orders placed overnight. Extra telephone staff was also arranged at the member’s boxes around the floor. (1929…) The Dow Jones Average closed at 299 that day. (1929…) On Tuesday, October 29th, 1929, the crash began. (1929…) Within the first few hours, the price fell so far as to wipe out all gains that had been made the entire previous year. (1929…) This day the Dow Jones Average would close at 230. (1929…) Between October 29th, and November 13 over 30 billion dollars disappeared from the American economy. (1929…) It took nearly 25 years for many of the stocks to recover. (1929…) By mid November, the value of the New York Stock Exchange listings had dropped over 40%, a loss of $26 billion. (1929-1931) At one point in the crash tickers were 68 minutes behind. (1929-1931) An average of about $50,000,000 a minute was wiped out on the exchange. (1929-1931) A 2005-08-04T06:58:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-of-the-1929-Stock-Market-Crash-27546.aspx The Bantam GPV: Military Vehicle of WWII The Bantam GPV The Bantam Jeep was a Military vehicle during World War Two. The Company that founded it was the American Bantam Car Company. The army had trials between three different vehicles. The Company that founded the Bantam GPV (General Purpose Vehicle) was the American Bantam Car Company. The company was called the American Austin Car Company, but it almost went bankrupt. The company was then bought by chairman, Roy Evans, who changed the name to the American Bantam Car Company. Bantam took the original design of a car and changed it into a car/truck 4X4 military type vehicle weighing no more than 590 Kg. Bantam was joined by Willys and later by Ford to submit designs and prototype vehicles for evaluation. Karl Probst, a freelance engineer, headed their project. They finished the drawings and the prototype vehicle was delivered. Having been satisfied with the performance the Army ordered seventy more to be built. Willys came out with the quad followed by Ford’s Pygmy. They then started the trials. The trials went into the winter of 1940 and should have resulted in a winner right away. The Bantam was finished on time and met most of the requirements, while the others were delivered late. The Bantam performed well and the defects were soon corrected. However the Army identified strengths and weaknesses in each vehicle. The Bantam was considered too high off the ground and underpowered. The Willys Quad had more power, but was far too heavy. Ford’s Pygmy had the best steering but was well underpowered. There was also concern about Bantam’s limited production Capabilities. This resulted in a decision to order 1500 vehicles from each company, but they had to meet the original specifications though the weight limit had now been increased. The three vehicles became even more alike as each company changed their design. All the vehicles performed well but the army chose Willys design because it had the best overall value for money at $738, compared to the Bantam, which would cost $1166. They ordered 1600 more vehicles. The 40 BRC, Bantam’s final design for the military vehicle, was no longer needed by the US Army because it was none standard. After witnessing the trials the Russian purchasing Commission wanted the Bantam. 2005-08-04T06:38:07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Bantam-GPV-Military-Vehicle-of-WWII-27540.aspx The Role Of An Individual In Puritan Society The Role Of An Individual In Puritan Society Puritans honored God above all, and a Puritan’s first duty was to serve God. A Puritan would not do what he thought was good, but what was good in God’s sight; making the word of God rule his worship. His role was to serve God, and as long as he did that he would be able to cooperate with the rest of the Puritan society. To understand the role of an individual in a Puritan society, you have to first understand the Puritans. The Puritans had many rules that served as guidelines to keep them on task. They were anything but ostentatious; everything about the Puritans was simple and clean. They would wear simple clothes and keep their hair short; that way time wasn’t wasted picking out an outfit or combing hair. The less time they spent on themselves, the more time they could spend on God. Games like shuffleboard were also looked down upon. If they were caught playing shuffleboard they could be fined five shillings, and twenty if they owned the house it was played in. Playing games was a sin of idleness, meaning that they were wasting time on something other than work. Shopkeepers and merchants couldn’t sell their items at whatever price they pleased. They couldn’t sell their items for anymore than six pence above the price they paid for them. One example was a case in 1639 that involved a merchant named Robert Keayne. He was accused of amassing unfair profits by overcharging his goods, and was fined 100 pounds. The rules I have mentioned here are just a handful of their laws. The Puritans were notorious for the Salem witch trials, in which innocent people were hung for crimes they never committed. The biggest thing that got people killed was the finger pointing. If your neighbor didn’t like you for some reason or another he might simply accuse you; and then you would be taken to jail, given an unfair trial, and executed. So to avoid problems a Puritan would want to avoid making enemies. The woods were considered haunted by spirits, so to avoid rumors being started Puritans could simply stay out of the woods. Another thing that might help a Puritan would be to go along with it and very lightly praise the hanging of witches. This way it didn’t look like you were against it. In 2005-08-02T06:18:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Role-Of-An-Individual-In-Puritan-Society-27522.aspx League Of Nations Most of the failures behind the League of Nations was due to the fact that the United States did not join. The Paris Peace Conference adopted the constitution of the League of Nations in April 1919. The League's headquarters were in Geneva and its first secretary-general was Sir Eric Drummond. As a result of the decision by the US Congress not to approve the Versailles Treaty, the United States never joined the League of Nations. Within years of its creation, the League of Nations had many disagreements in which member withdrew. France saw the League mainly as an instrument to maintain the territorial settlement and arms restrictions imposed on Germany after World War I. The Germans resented the League because it seemed to them, too, that this was the League's real purpose. British leaders saw it as a meeting place for powerful nations to consult in the event of a threat to peace. Japan withdrew from the League in 1933 because the League refused to recognize its conquest of Manchuria. Germany, admitted to the League in 1926, withdrew in 1933 because the League would not change the arms limitations imposed on Germany after World War I. An arms build-up by Germany under dictator Adolf Hitler led the Soviet Union to join the League in 1934. Italy withdrew from the League in 1937 to join Japan and Germany in an alliance against the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was expelled in 1939 for attacking Finland. These were the roots of World War II. Why the League failed was most dramatically illustrated when Italy attacked Ethiopia in October 1935. The Council declared that Italy had violated the Covenant. This action obligated League members to apply economic restrictions and to consider the use of force against Italy. Members agreed to stop all imports from Italy and to send no money or war material to Italy. But the United States, Japan, and Germany were not members. Thus, the overwhelming "community of power" that Wilson originally had in mind for use against an aggressor was reduced to three nations--Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. The other League members did not have enough power to affect Italian policy. Even so, Britain, France, and the Soviet Union would have been able to stop the Italian attack, if they had been united and members of the league. The League of Nations had good intentions such as peace and 2005-08-02T06:09:26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/League-Of-Nations--27520.aspx Puritanism In The 17th Century And The First Great Awakening Puritanism In The 17th Century And The First Great Awakening In The 18th Century Puritanism in the seventeenth century and the First Great Awakening in the eighteenth century influenced the development of American society. Like the formation of most societies, people moved from one area to another because of differences with the controlling ideas or beliefs of political authorities. England’s political, economic, and religious environments were threatening to the Puritans. They came to America with new ideas to form an ideal society where everyone could participate. The Great Awakening led to the diversification of Protestant-Christianity. Differences in beliefs between the religious leaders and the intellectuals of the Enlightenment and rivalries among themselves contributed to the formation of new Protestant denominations and a broader tolerance in the society. Puritans traveled to New England in the early seventeenth century. They believed that economic and political forces and religious disagreements were creating a decline in English society. John Winthrop, sailing with a group of Puritans, preached that they should create a society in which the rich and the poor depended on each other and all could benefit from lack of greed and fair wages. Government and religion had a close relationship. The Puritans believed that government could prevent merchants from making excessive profits. They intended to make the strength of the community more important than the individual. Everyone had to attend the church and tithe, yet not everyone was considered a saint unless they professed their faith. The town meetings and church services were held in the same meetinghouse. Puritans believed that literacy was important in order to have knowledge of the scriptures. The beginning of public education came about when an act was passed requiring the appointment of a teacher for a town of fifty or more households, and to maintain a grammar school in towns with over one hundred households. The Puritans included more participation by citizens in the institutions than had been allowed in England. Not all voters had to hold property, and as a result, more than half of the colony’s men could vote. When the power of the governor and council was thought to be too great, the towns sent two delegates to the General Court. This Court eventually became a form of a House of Representatives. The break by Puritans from English domination, and the community Puritans established in New England, created some 2005-07-29T07:08:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Puritanism-In-The-17th-Century-And-The-First-Great-Awakening-27445.aspx The 1950's The Fifties During the 1950’s, a sense of uniformity was obvious in American society. Conformity was common, as young and old people followed group norms rather then their own individuality. Though men and women had been forced into new employment patterns during World War II, once the war was over, traditional rules were reaffirmed. Men were expected to be the breadwinners, and women’s proper place was at home. The United States experienced phenomenal economic growth. The growth had different sources. The automobile industry was partially responsible, as the number of cars produced annually quadrupled between 1946 and 1955. A housing boom, stimulated in part by easily affordable mortgages for returning servicemen, fueled the expansion. One of the main political events of the fifties was the Korean War. About two million people were killed in the Korean War. The U.S suffered losses of about 54,000 dead and 103,000 injured. In June 1950, the war exploded and became hot because the Americans realized that the Soviets could find ways to threaten the Americans goal of peace. President Truman ordered American air and naval forces to go help defend South Korea against Communist China and the Soviet Union. By August, enough U.S American soldiers had arrived to reinforce the South Koreans. Soon after, the U.S Marines launched a bold attack around the positions held by the communists. In 1951, negotiators from both sides began talks about ending the war, but peace still did not come until July of 1953 when a peace agreement was finally signed. The Korean conflict became one of the first expressions of the Cold War between Russia and America. It was an attempt to balance the power, which had been thrown so badly out of position by World War II. In 1952, the Americans watched the presidential nominations on TV. They had never seen any like it because of all the excitement and screaming. The Republican candidate was Dwight Eisenhower with Richard Nixon as Vice President. The Republican campaign slogan was “I like Ike” and became very popular. The Democratic nominee was Adlai Stevenson. He didn’t win because his solutions to problems were very complicated. Ike was elected because he was a man of peace with simple answers for changing America. Eisenhower was president all during the 1950’s. The fifties were a time of many medical advances. Modern medicine wiped out smallpox, yellow fever and polio. For the first time in 2005-07-29T06:41:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-1950-s--27438.aspx World War I Ace Manfred von Richthofen World War I Ace Manfred von Richthofen Throughout the course of history, many wars have taken place. Among these wars, World War I particularly stands out for having contained several war aces and heroes. Some of these aces include Captain René Fonok of France, Major Edward Mannok of Britain, Manfred von Richthofen of Germany, and Eddie Rickenbacker of America (21:26). However, the one hero that stands out the most is the famous Red Baron or Manfred von Richthofen. Manfred von Richthofen, a German aviator, was very prominent and well known in World War I due to his many feats with his fighter plane. Before the war occurred, Manfred von Richthofen was already on his way to success (Iavarone). Richthofen came into this world on May 2, 1892 in Breslau, Germany, which is present-day Wroclow, Poland (The Red Baron: Rittmeister Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen). Manfred came from a family of wealthy Junkers (Iavarone). He was born the son of Major Albrecht von Richthofen, a Prussian nobleman, and was the eldest of three boys with one older sister (The Red Baron: Rittmeister Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen). By age 11, Manfred was already being groomed for battle. He enrolled in the military school at Wahlstatt (The Red Baron: Rittmeister Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen). Following his attendance at Wahlstatt, Manfred attended the Royal Military Academy at Lichterelde (The Red Baron: Rittmeister Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen). Richthofen excelled in athletics and was an exceptionally good horseman (Iavarone). It is perhaps ironic that it was not his horsemanship, but his flying abilities that made him famous. However, his horsemanship did lead him to the cavalry in the beginning of his war career (The Red Baron: Rittmeister Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen). When the war first broke out, Manfred was a cavalry officer for both the Eastern and Western fronts (Iavarone). He scouted for Germany, but he quickly became bored with this task (Iavarone). By May of 1915, Richthofen was transferred to the flying service where he was soon to become the legendary "Red Baron" (Iavarone). After only one day of training from Overleutnant Georg Zeumer, Richthofen made his first solo flight on October 10, 1915 (The Red Baron: Rittmeister Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen). Manfred ended up crashing his plane when trying to land 2005-07-29T06:17:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/World-War-I-Ace-Manfred-von-Richthofen-27434.aspx American Progressivism American Progressivism Assuming that the burden of proof is ultimately on the writer, I contend that the period from approximately 1900 until the United States' intervention in the war, labeled the "progressive" era by virtually all historians, was really an era of conservatism. Moreover, the triumph of conservatism that I will describe in detail throughout this book was the result not of any impersonal, mechanistic necessity but of the conscious needs and decisions of specific men and institutions. There were any number of options involving government and economics abstractly available to national political leaders during the period 1900-1916, and in virtually every case they chose those solutions to problems advocated by the representatives of concerned business and financial interests. Such proposals were usually motivated by the needs of the interested businesses, and political intervention into the economy was frequently merely a response to the demands of particular businessmen. In brief, conservative solutions to the emerging problems of an industrial society were almost uniformly applied. The result was a conservative triumph in the sense that there was an effort to preserve the basic social and economic relations essential to a capitalist society, an effort that was frequently consciously as well as functionally conservative. I use the attempt to preserve existing power and social relationships as the criterion for conservatism because none other has any practical meaning. Only if we mechanistically assume that government intervention in the economy, and a departure from orthodox laissez faire, automatically benefits the general welfare can we say that government economic regulation by its very nature is also progressive in the common meaning of that term. Each measure must be investigated for its intentions and consequences in altering the existing power arrangements, a task historians have largely neglected. I shall state my basic proposition as baldly as possible so that my essential theme can be kept in mind, and reservations and intricacies will be developed in the course of the book. For the sake of communication I will use the term progressive and progressivism, but not, as have most historians, in their commonsense meanings. Progressivism was initially a movement for the political rationalization of business and industrial conditions, a movement that operated on the assumption that the general welfare of the community could be best served by satisfying the concrete needs of business. But the regulation itself was invariably controlled by leaders of the regulated industry, and directed 2005-07-28T06:13:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-Progressivism-27419.aspx 3 Reasons that led to the Civil War 3 Reasons that led to the Civil War Did you ever think about why the Civil War happened? I thought about it and came up with three of the best reasons I could think of to cause the Civil War. Here is what I think forced the north and south the come to war. First it was because of slavery, then the south seceded from the union when Lincoln was elected, and the south feared that the north would have majority in the senate. If any of these reasons that I mentioned had not been a problem back then, hundreds of thousands of Americans wouldn’t have lost there lives. First, the main reason the war happened was because of slavery. Slavery, as we know was a big debate back then. The southern states wanted to keep slavery so that the slaves could work on their plantations so their owners could make a business. The northern states wanted it abolished, they thought that all people should be treated like any other person. Neither the north nor the south would give in to what the other believed was right, so that influenced the war a lot. Secondly, another reason was the succeeding of the south and the election of Abraham Lincoln. About all of the southern states didn’t listen when Lincoln said that he would not act against slavery. Once Lincoln was elected to office, the south said that they wouldn’t have him leading them. They then left the union and formed the Confederacy. I believed that this was another major cause of the Civil War. Next, another reason that was believed to have caused the Civil War was that the south feared that the north would have the majority of the senate. Since the north had more people they thought that they should have more people in the senate. The south disagreed with that. The north also had the bigger states. So to sum it up the union had more states, more people living in their states, and the union was so much bigger than the confederate states. Finally, if America was not faced with these problems that I have mentioned in the paragraphs above we might not of had a Civil War. We might still be faced with these conflicts still today if Lincoln hadn’t been elected. If slavery wasn’t around back then that would be one less thing to worry about. If the south 2005-07-27T05:37:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/3-Reasons-that-led-to-the-Civil-War-27409.aspx Major Factors in History Effecting Western Civilization Major Factors Effecting Western Civilization Major Factors Effecting Western Civilization Since the beginning of modern man there has been continuous progress and advancement in how we as a race live and interact. It can be argued that since man became cognizant of his ability to overcome difficulty and improve the quality of life with the use of reason that this progress moved forward ceaselessly. History is filled with examples of incredible advancements, technological, educational, governmental, and societal. Some are attributed to a specific invention and other are to a period in time and each of these are complex enough to warrant a doctoral thesis. The Renaissance was evolving into an ideal and materialistic society, where education becomes more available-individual achievements in science, art, philosophy, and literature continues to this date. With the development of the printing press, the availability of books to all class stratification with the writings of William Shakespeare, with creation of characters such as Romeo and Juliet and Othello. No one-individual new human nature as William Shakespeare did. Literary undertakings of Thomas Moore, with his writing of Utopia, where the inhabitants work only six-hour days, so that they may all have leisure for intellectual pursuits, such stories were not found prior to the Renaissance, but are in effect in now in libraries and institutions all over the world. Scientific accomplishments of the Renaissance period are international in scope with great art works of Michael Angelo and the Sistine chapel. Leonardo da Vinci and his visions of machines, with his tremendous talents as an illustrator allowing him to draw his mechanical ideas with clearness, five hundred years after they were put on paper, many of his sketches can easily be used as blueprints to create perfect working models of today. As much as the Renaissance has made contributions towards western civilization so has The reformation.A division of European religion; it gave to western civilization the diversity in choice of religion that was not available from the past medieval strong hold of the Catholic Church. It gave rise to nation-states and a chief factor in the evolution of royal absolutism, which still remains in some European countries. Germany, the original home of the Reformation, was reduced to a state of distress by the Thirty Years’ War, and the German Empire was thereby dislodged from the leading position which it had for centuries occupied in Europe .The Reformation also brought upon one of 2005-07-26T20:53:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Major-Factors-in-History-Effecting-Western-Civilization-27396.aspx Causes Of The Great Depression The Great Depression was the worst economic slump ever in U.S. history, and one which spread to virtually all of the industrialized world. The depression began in late 1929 and lasted for about a decade. Many factors played a role in bringing about the depression; however, the main cause for the Great Depression was the combination of the greatly unequal distribution of wealth throughout the 1920's, and the extensive stock market speculation that took place during the latter part that same decade. The maldistribution of wealth in the 1920's existed on many levels. Money was distributed disparately between the rich and the middle-class, between industry and agriculture within the United States, and between the U.S. and Europe. This imbalance of wealth created an unstable economy. The excessive speculation in the late 1920's kept the stock market artificially high, but eventually lead to large market crashes. These market crashes, combined with the maldistribution of wealth, caused the American economy to capsize. The "roaring twenties" was an era when our country prospered tremendously. The nation's total realized income rose from $74.3 billion in 1923 to $89 billion in 19291. However, the rewards of the "Coolidge Prosperity" of the 1920's were not shared evenly among all Americans. According to a study done by the Brookings Institute, in 1929 the top 0.1% of Americans had a combined income equal to the bottom 42%2. That same top 0.1% of Americans in 1929 controlled 34% of all savings, while 80% of Americans had no savings at all3. Automotive industry mogul Henry Ford provides a striking example of the unequal distribution of wealth between the rich and the middle-class. Henry Ford reported a personal income of $14 million4 in the same year that the average personal income was $7505. By present day standards, where the average yearly income in the U.S. is around $18,5006, Mr. Ford would be earning over $345 million a year! This maldistribution of income between the rich and the middle class grew throughout the 1920's. While the disposable income per capita rose 9% from 1920 to 1929, those with income within the top 1% enjoyed a stupendous 75% increase in per capita disposable income. A major reason for this large and growing gap between the rich and the working-class people was the increased manufacturing output throughout this period. From 1923-1929 the average output per worker increased 32% in manufacturing8. During that same period of time 2005-07-26T06:27:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-Of-The-Great-Depression-27392.aspx The History of the Ku Klux Klan The History of the Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is one of America's oldest and most feared groups. Driven by the dream of a world with only one master race, the KKK often uses violence and moves above the law to promote their cause. They didn't start of violent, or to promote white supremacy. They have been in the shadows for over 130 years and continue to thrive in America's society today. The Ku Klux Klan began almost accidentally during the reconstruction period after the civil war in the Southern United States. The southern people had suffered greatly from the effects of the great war. Many of them lost their homes and plantations. Many also lost friends and loved ones to the war. The people needed a release from the sorrow of everyday life. In 1865, six men from a small town in Tennessee accidentally began what has grown to be the largest and most feared "hate group" in the country. The men decided to make a club to help release the stress of the times. The men were all poor and could not afford to make gowns or great costumes for the group, so they decided to use linens. They wore the linens over their backs and put pillowcases on their heads. They also draped the linens over their horses. The Ku Klux Klan was going to ride for the first time. In the beginning, the men wanted to do nothing more than play pranks on people. However, the people were more frightened than they were cheered up. They soon realized what they could do with these fear tactics. The South had turned into a place that was no longer theirs. The slaves were now free (many of these men were slave owners) and carpetbaggers were coming from the North to take advantage of the southern people. They saw the opportunity to set back the South to what it had been. The KKK soon began to ride through political rallies of the carpetbaggers. People often fled the rallies out of fear. Word quickly spread across the South about these masked men. Many people loved the idea and wanted to be involved. The Klan quickly grew. A leader was soon needed to control the large group. Their first choice was Southern General Robert E. Lee. Although he supported the group and its cause, he was very 2005-07-25T05:58:40-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-History-of-the-Ku-Klux-Klan-27363.aspx Essay on the Roaring Twenties in America Essay on the Roaring Twenties in America The Coolidge Era that lasted from 1921-1929 produced a consumer economy. With the consumer economy came widespread prosperity and wealth. Just being another decade on a timeline does not do it for the 1920’s. From the beginning to the end it was the biggest, the loudest, the brightest. Because of these characteristics it was labeled, “The Roaring Twenties.” Many people acted unreserved in their pursuits for their own happiness. However there where also those who were conservative and looked for a return to the “proper” ways those who were intolerant to change. The affects of these conservatives and intolerates can be seen in many different aspects of American society, from the classroom to the immigration quota people were scarred of change. Already by the spring of 1921 The Ku Klux Klan had commenced a reign of heightened terror nationwide, intimidating and murdering minorities and harassing uncooperative government officials and political opponents. Their goal was return life to the proper ways they did so by scarring anyone who was in favor of change or threatened a change to their lifestyle. By 1924 the Klu Klux Klan hit it’s peak membership around five million members up from just 2,000 in 1920. One year later an estimated 40,000 Ku Klux Klan members march through Washington, D.C., as part of the organization's first national congress. In the classroom fear of change could be seen. Previous to 1921 bills began being passed prohibiting the teachings of evolution in the public classroom. This yearning was the fundamentalist crusade, which pitted biblical interpretation against the Darwinian science of biological evolution. Other Events during the twenties which represent the coservativness of some of it’s people include; The Immigration Quota Act of 1923 severely limited immigration, to no more than 3 percent annually of each nationality, based on the number of that nationality already residing in the U.S. (as of 1910). In September of 1922, the Fordney-McCumber Tariff Act, is passed in the U.S. for many imported goods, representing recession of foreign affairs and international trade. The U.S. Senate refused to seat Senator elect Frank Smith from Illinois because the $458,000 he spent on his campaign was deemed unethically high. Finally representing the intolerant behavior of the 1920’s are the actions which occurred in 1923 after a dubious rape charge was made 2005-07-24T04:18:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Essay-on-the-Roaring-Twenties-in-America-27355.aspx The Chinese Yangshao and Longshan Cultures Yangshao And Longshan Cultures When people today think of ancient Chinese cultures, they immediately think of the more commonly known periods such as the Warring States period and the Ming Dynasty. China's history stretches many more millennia into the past however, and some of the most important cultures are those that existed in prehistory, the Neolithic era. These cultures are extremely mysterious. We have no written documents by them and little of their villages survive. But scholars are learning more and more about these cultures from their art, namely pottery, that has fortunately survived seemingly countless years buried in the earth. The Yangshao and Longshan are two of these cultures that have left traces of their civilization through pottery remains. The Yangshao culture is a name given to a large collection of people that lived in the Henan region of China. The earliest piece that can properly be classified as Yangshao is dated at about 5,000 BCE. These people lived in small village communities called yi. The most important excavation site concerning the Yangshao is located at Banpo. Most of the artifacts recovered were exhumed from tombs. The tombs suggest that these communities did have some sort of stratified social order because certain gravesites contained larger quantities of pottery than others, which suggests a higher social standing. The pottery was made from a sturdy type of red clay and baked in kilns. They were decorated with different colored pigments (mostly black and white). Much of the early Yangshao pottery has depictions of animals such as fish and birds and even dragons. Later Yangshao culture was influenced by neighboring peoples, such as the Dawenko culture, and the decorations slowly began to become more and more abstract and animal motifs became more rare. The Yangshao pottery served both utilitarian purposes and ritual purposes. A bowl could be used to hold liquids, foods, and other goods or for rituals such as burial rites, which explains why most of the pottery was recovered from tombs and graves. Longshan culture emerged in 3,000 BCE in the Shandong region. Like the Yangshao, the Longshan is a broad term that encompasses several groups of people. These peoples lived similarly to the Yangshao, in small villages and also made many different forms of pottery. There are, however, two types of pottery that are unique and unlike anything the Yangshao produced. The first is a type of three-legged pitcher called a gui. 2005-07-11T05:57:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Chinese-Yangshao-and-Longshan-Cultures-27288.aspx The Cannon In Late-Medieval Europe The Cannon In Late-Medieval Europe Warfare in Late-Medieval Europe went through some drastic changes with the introduction of gunpowder from China. The first military uses of gunpowder in Europe were in the form of hand-bombs, rockets, the mine, and petard. These devices augmented the traditional offensive and defensive siege tactics of the time. However, the device that became the most useful, and widely used, was the cannon. Invented by Europeans in the 14th Century, the cannons rise to prominence was an evolutionary one, born out of the prevalence of war. The cannon soon revolutionized warfare in Late-Medieval Europe and affected everyone from the commoner to the king. As cannons gained popularity with lords and kings as a tool of war, the men that fired and took care of the cannons gained experience and expertise. These men became known as artillerists, or artillerymen. Knowing how to fire a cannon so that it would have the desired effect without wounding or killing any friendly troops or yourself, became a sought after and marketable skill. Soon there were artillerymen guilds that guarded and regulated the secrets of this new profession. Artillerymen even had a holiday, St. Barbara's Day, 4 December, named after the artillerymen's patron saint. This holiday became an occasion on which the artillerymen's guild engaged in great festivities. Early on, the artillerymen gained acceptance by the aristocracy even though most artillerymen were of commoner background. However, it was upsetting to the chivalrous how unchivalrous artillerymen and cannon warfare seemed to be, striking down the chivalrous and commoner with the same ease and lack of respect. Warfare had just become a little more brutal, and expensive. It soon became clear to the aristocracy that good artillerymen had to be paid a good wage, typically 10 ducats a day. They also realized that cannon warfare was not for the financially weak. Lesser lords that could not afford cannons, or the expense of upgrading their defenses to withstand cannon fire, had to align themselves with the ruling aristocracy, or be faced with the very real threat of cannons outside their gates. In the 1340s, a mid sized iron cannon of about 300 pounds, capable of firing a two to three pound projectile, cost around 1,800 ducats. Artillerymen to fire the cannon cost 10 ducats a day each, gunpowder was 35-40 ducats a pound, and handmade stone projectiles ran 20 ducats each. Upgrading ones castle to 2005-07-11T05:32:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Cannon-In-Late-Medieval-Europe-27283.aspx Causes Of WWI Causes Of Ww1 World War One or 'The Great War' as it became known, occurred due to many causes, some of which still remain unexposed today. The obvious trigger for the war was the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie on 28th June 1914. The assassination occurred during the Archduke's visit to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Archduke was targeted due to the general feeling amongst Serbians that, once appointed to the throne, Ferdinand would continue the persecution of Serbs living within the borders of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Just moments after the two had been shot; authorities arrested the culprit, Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian student, who was believed to have been linked to the Serbian terrorist organization, The Black Hand. Causes of the war also dealt with such ideologies as Nationalism, Imperialism and militarism along with the prominent alliance systems in Europe all strongly affected the outbreak of the war. All of these factors where established in many of Europe's 'Great Powers' which consisted of Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia. During the late nineteenth and into the twentieth centuries, Nationalism was a prominent movement that had spread itself across Europe. All major powers had strong feelings toward the concepts of supporting their own nation. Nationalists believed that their own nation's needs must be met before that of other nations. These strong beliefs sometimes became obsessive as nationalists became so proud of their nation that they strived for it to become richer and more powerful than any other. This wave of national pride became a major problem for the Austro-Hungarian Empire as they attempted to maintain a form of order and control within the annexed area of Bosnia. This power was placed under threat due to the Slavonic peoples dislike of their Austro-Hungarian superiors and there desire to attach themselves to Serbia and create an independent state to be known as Yugoslavia, or 'The Land of the South Slavs.' This was seen as the reason for the assassination of Ferdinand and his wife. The assassination gave Austria-Hungary the ideal excuse to declare war against Serbia. An ultimatum was issued to Serbia stating that it must agree to all terms described in the ultimatum in order to avoid war. Austria-Hungary gave Serbia 48 hours to reply and clearly stated that all terms must be met and complied with. 2005-07-04T22:49:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-Of-WWI-27253.aspx Irish History and the Republican Army Irish History and the Republican Army The Irish Republican Army are a clandestine group of militants who serve for the Siin Fein, a legal political group in Ireland who are dedicated to removing any British rule or forces located in Northern Ireland. Many have deemed the IRA as a terrorist group, while others have branded those who have served, are serving and those who have died for the IRA's cause as heroes. In a time when our world has been rocked with terrorism, it becomes important to figure out what motivates these militant groups to use violence in pursuit of political goals. These so-called terrorist groups are not random people, who act on impulse to murder people. Rather, most of these militant groups are oppressed people looking to change the world for the betterment of their people, or their cause. It is important to understand the background of these militant groups, and their purpose in order to gain a broader perspective on these "terrorist" acts that occur on a daily basis around the globe. There is no humane way to justify or condone the murder of innocent people in pursuit of rectifying political injustices. This essay, however, will attempt to give reasons as to why the use of violence was important to the success of any of the IRA's political missions in an attempt to bring complete governmental control to the Irish people. Through the use of a time line and important figures in Irish and IRA history, this paper will cover the exertion of British power on Ireland and the Irish's attempts to resolve disputes with the British in diplomatic fashions, along with the intervention Irish Republican Army and its influences on changes that have occurred in Ireland since its formation. It is no secret to the rest of the world the trials and tribulations many Irishmen have underwent during the aftermath of British Imperialism. The Irish people have been virtual slaves to the British for centuries and as a result have been pushed to extreme limits. For centuries now, their have been attempts by many Irishmen to end British rule in a political forum, but alas, to no avail. There have been many great advances in the Irish pursuit of home rule, but nothing so significant that it would offer Ireland its complete freedom from the grasps of years of British tyranny. Great political leaders, such as William Stuart Parnell 2005-07-04T06:15:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Irish-History-and-the-Republican-Army-27247.aspx The Roots of Communist China The Roots of Communist China To say that the Chinese Communist revolution is a non-Western revolution is more than a cliché. That revolution has been primarily directed, not like the French Revolution but against alien Western influences that approached the level of domination and drastically altered China's traditional relationship with the world. Hence the Chinese Communist attitude toward China's traditional past is selectively critical, but by no means totally hostile. The Chinese Communist revolution, and the foreign policy of the regime to which it has given rise, have several roots, each of which is embedded in the past more deeply than one would tend to expect of a movement seemingly so convulsive. The Chinese superiority complex institutionalized in their tributary system was justified by any standards less advanced or efficient than those of the modern West. China developed an elaborate and effective political system resting on a remarkable cultural unity, the latter in turn being due mainly to the general acceptance of a common, although difficult, written language and a common set of ethical and social values, known as Confucianism. Traditional china had neither the knowledge nor the power that would have been necessary to cope with the superior science, technology, economic organization, and military force that expanding West brought to bear on it. The general sense of national weakness and humiliation was rendered still keener by a unique phenomenon, the modernization of Japan and its rise to great power status. Japan's success threw China's failure into sharp remission. The Japanese performance contributed to the discrediting and collapse of China's imperial system, but it did little to make things easier for the subsequent successor. The Republic was never able to achieve territorial and national unity in the face of bad communications and the widespread diffusion of modern arms throughout the country. Lacking internal authority, it did not carry much weight in its foreign relations. As it struggled awkwardly, there arose two more radical political forces, the relatively powerful Kuomintang of Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek, and the younger and weaker Communist Party of China (CPC ). With indispensable support from the CPC and the Third International, the Kuomintang achieved sufficient success so it felt justified in proclaiming a new government, controlled by itself, for the whole of China. For a time the Kuomintang made a valiant effort to tackle China's numerous and colossal problems, including those that had ruined its predecessor 2005-07-03T21:01:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Roots-of-Communist-China-27227.aspx Social Change In Japan Social Change In Japan The Japanese culture has allowed for very little diversity. This started very early in their history. The social controls used to eliminate diversity are the family, the power of gender, the poor treatment of minority groups, the corporate Japanese mentality, and the respect required by people in authority. However, due to globalization and the shrinking of the world, Japanese society is starting to make the change to diversity. The individualistic mentality shared by the new technology driven younger generation is putting pressure on the old Japanese status quo. The transformation is happening very slow, but as the population ages and the old conservatives are being replaced by the new liberals, the old way of thinking is also being replaced by the new. The establishment of the caste system during their feudal development insured unity and lack of diversity would be a theme through the rest of their history. During the Nara period the Japanese society was separated into classes which were based on the position of each family. Whether the position was of a court official, samurai, or peasant farmer, each class carefully blended together. The appearance of unity was paramount. Individual rights were non-existent. It became common place to respect and even worship the ancestral heritage. Wisdom was thought to be a combination of knowledge and a practical application of that knowledge. Therefor, the older family members were thought to have to most wisdom from the lives they spent applying their knowledge. They were revered and respected by the younger generations in the family. Another way in which the traditional family structure in Japan supports the conformity of its' member is through the Bushido influence. This "way of warrior" has permanently established in the Japanese culture during to Tokogawa Era. The warrior code dictated that loyalty, respect, and honor were the most important personal ideals one could have. These ideals filtered out of the samurai class and eventually rooted deeply into the national character of Japan. Conformity is required through this ideal because an individual mentality would not consider loyalty to be as important as society viewed it. In addition, by behaving out of the norm, shame would be brought to a family. The individualistic mentality runs contradictory to the traditional family structure in Japan. 2005-07-03T04:52:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Change-In-Japan-27216.aspx Influences in the Victorian Era Influences in the Victorian Era Through out history people have been influenced by many things in society, art, music, and role models are all some of examples. One of the biggest things that makes us who we are and that we can use to tell other people what we are all about is clothing. Lawyers and doctors don't wear jeans and t-shirts. Instead they may sport a coat or shirt and tie. You don't see many garbage men wearing suits and tuxes. It was the same way through history as it is today. Clothing is, many times, very much over looked. Clothing in the dark ages where tainted with black and gray colors. Very plain and blunt styles were used, as different to the Enlightenment era where colors were first used and showed up in some clothing. During the time when Queen Victoria was ruling, France and British were very elegant yet plain in the same sense. Women wore dresses with dull colors yet were big and bulky. One of the most popular eras for clothing, even today, is the Victorian style. Victorian style is a combination of both light and dark colors that are put onto expensive fabrics and usually given an elaborate design. The main contrast between Victorian clothing and Queen's style was the amount of skin showing on the women's dresses and clothing. The Queen did not permit any skin being shown save the face and neck. Women were expected to ware gloves and dresses or aprons that went down past their feet or ankles. The men wore a button plain button down shirt. Most men would wear a dark vest with two or three buttons on it and button one or two. On the bottom they would ware black or gray pants. This was one of the first times it became rather popular to ware a hat outside. The hats were usually light colors, maybe a tan or light blue color. The women wore dresses and even long skirts or dresses of different colors and styles. The milk maid style is very popular. The women would sometimes were dresses with aprons over them. The aprons were not like the ones we have today. Instead they are very intricate with designs and come in many colors. The colors were usually soft and casual yet when put with the very beautiful designs they were quite a sight. The women, 2005-06-29T03:57:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Influences-in-the-Victorian-Era-27179.aspx Battle Of Waterloo Napoleon's Last Battle BATTLE OF WATERLOO The Battle of Waterloo was the final and decisive action of the Napoleonic Wars, the wars that effectively ended French domination of the European continent and brought about drastic changes in the political boundaries and the power balance of Europe. Fought on June 18, 1815, near Waterloo, in modern Belgium, the battle ranks as a great turning point in European history. After raising France to a position of preeminence in Europe , Napoleon met defeat in 1814 by a coalition of major powers, notably Prussia, Russia, Britain, and Austria. Napoleon was then deposed and exiled to the island of Elba1, and Louis XVIII was made ruler of France. In September 1814, the Congress of Vienna convened to discuss problems arising from the defeat of France. On February 26, 1815 while the congress was in session, Napoleon escaped from Elba and returned to France. Many veterans of his former campaigns flocked to his side, and on March 20, 1815, he again took the throne. The Congress of Vienna, alarmed by Napoleon's return to power, had reacted quickly to the crisis. On March 17 Austria, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia each agreed to contribute 150,000 troops to an invasion force to be assembled in Belgium near the French border. A majority of other nations present at the congress also pledged troops for the invasion of France, which was to be launched on July 1, 1815. Napoleon, learning of the invasion plan, was determined to attack the allies on their own ground before their army could form. He mobilized an army of 360,000 trained soldiers within two months. He deployed half of these troops within France as a security force and sent the remainder into attack units. On June 14, 1815, Napoleon, moving with speed and secrecy, reached the Franco-Belgian border with 124,000 of his troops. Another 56,000 men were left behind in supporting positions. On June 15, 1815, Napoleon moved across the border of Belgium, and his sudden arrival caught the allied command unprepared. Napoleon ordered his left wing, under Marshal Michel Ney, to attack a brigade of Wellington's cavalry at Quatre-Bras, north of Charleroi. He next ordered the right wing, to move eastward against a Prussian brigade stationed in the town of Gilly. By nightfall on that first day of fighting, Napoleon's armies held the strategic advantage. The emperor had succeeded in placing his army between the advance 2005-06-21T22:27:41-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Battle-Of-Waterloo-Napoleon-s-Last-Battle-27114.aspx Origins of World War 1 Origins of World War 1 Your honor, the defense has proven with out a doubt that Germany is not responsible for the outbreak of WW1. The argument should be stated instead that which country in Europe tried to prevent a war from happening. The answer is none. In fact every country in this room, your honor had a vital part to play in the coming of war. How can Germany possibly take the full weight of the blame when the other countries failed to step up? Countries that trapped themselves in complex alliances, alliances that in later years would shackle them to the chains of war. Lets recap: France was just as equally to blame for a war as it was their alliances systems that isolated Germany in revenge for the loss of Alsace and Lorraine. Britain and Austria have shown themselves to be untrustful. Britain on the first day of the trail didn’t know why the war started or why they became involved. Yet on the second day Britain decided that Germany was to blame as they provoked Britain by expanding their navy. Britain also decided to avoid many of the defences questions by simply say that Britain was the best Empire in the world, I believe the saying was “Britannia rules the way”. Technically your honour, this couldn’t be possible because A) Britain at the start of this feasco had isolated itself from the rest of Europe, so how could it possibly claim to be the best when it had no other empire or country to compare itself to. B) If Britain was ‘ruling’ the way, then how come Germany and the USA led the economic market. C) The defense would also like to remind Britain that are no rules stating that Germany is not allowed to up grade their ships in their navy. I mean who died and made Britain naval queen. It is obvious your honor that Britain is a little delusional with itself and remember Britain has told us that really they had no business in becoming involved in WW1 as they had no idea why it started. Austria too can not be trusted. Your honor on the first day of the trail the court was told that Germany was preparing for war, but at the proceeding day Austria said that Germany was upgrading is military like the rest of the Europe. Your honor 2005-06-21T05:04:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Origins-of-World-War-1-27063.aspx Adolf Hitler's Rise to Power Adolf Hitler's Rise to Power Adolf Hitler's rise to power began in 1919. After World War I, he joined the Nazi's and was soon in control of them. Hilter won the people's trust by saying his goals were to make Germany as powerful 2005-06-21T03:43:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Adolf-Hitler-s-Rise-to-Power-27058.aspx Cuban Missile Crisis - Close Call for Nukes Cuban Missile Crisis The world’s closest call with nuclear war was the Cuban Missile Crisis. Steaming this problem on was both Soviet insecurity and Cuba’s fear of U.S. invasion. Tension and secrecy drove the three nations to the breaking point, and yet, miraculously, not a missile was launched. What caused such a virulent situation? Well, there were two main factors provided by Cuba and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was far behind in the arms production race with the U.S., and they feared a first strike from the U.S.’s base in Turkey which was only 150 miles away. Khrushchev noted that Cuba was only 90 miles off the coast of Florida, but the 60 mile difference was "nothing for a missile." Most of all, however, Khrushchev feared a first-strike by the U.S. If the Soviet Union lost the arms race so badly, he worried, it would invite a first-strike nuclear attack from the U.S. Consequently, Khrushchev began looking for a way to counter the United State's lead. Secondly, Cuban Premier Fidel Castro feared that Cuba was not safe from invasion. The Armed Forces conducted a mock invasion of a Caribbean island to overthrow a fictitious dictator whose name, Ortsac, was Castro spelled backwards. Additionally, the U.S. was drafting a plan to invade Cuba (Operation Mongoose). The mock invasion and invasion plan were devised to keep Castro nervous. Finally, the CIA had also been running covert operations throughout Cuba trying to damage the Castro government. Consequently, Castro was convinced the U.S. was serious about invading Cuba. The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 was a close call to nuclear war. The Soviets had installed nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of the United States. U.S. armed forces were at their highest state of readiness. Soviet field commanders in Cuba were authorized to use tactical nuclear weapons if invaded by the U.S. The fate of millions literally hinged upon the ability of two men, President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev, to come to an agreement. In 1962, the Soviet Union was desperately behind the United States in the arms race. Soviet missiles were only powerful enough to 2005-06-21T03:03:49-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cuban-Missile-Crisis-Close-Call-for-Nukes-27046.aspx History of The Anglo Saxons The Anglo-Saxon period began in 449 A.D. This period began the invasion and migration of the island of Britain by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. These groups that invaded the Roman Empire, now Great Britain, brought their own traditions, language, and religion. Many historical events during this period greatly influenced literary events. Battles and crusades were an integral part of the daily life. The religious and royalty rulers were held in high esteem. Literature depicted these events and devotions. Literary inventions evolved due to the popularity and need to reach many people with the teachings and entertainment of literature. Epic poetry became an important 2005-06-21T02:45:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-The-Anglo-Saxons-27042.aspx Native American Decleration Of Independence An Angry Indian We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men, including Native Americans, are created equal. We are a people who love plants and animals as much as we love our sons. We believe in only keeping the largest fish. We came here when the rivers and oceans were filled. We treasure our children and our grandparents, and everything that was in our land before the white man came. We are not morons and savages like we have been called for many summers. The Native Americans are a country of philanthropists; you destroyed our land in every possible way; we tried to give you a fair share of land, and now we will murder all of you or drive you all right back across the Atlantic. We are greatly annoyed by your writing of the Declaration of Independence. You find reasons for your colonies to claim this land for your own. The land you claim is yours was stolen from us through treaties that were never official to every Native American tribe. You write, “For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us.” After the white men killed millions of Native Americans by spreading disease, you burdened our lands with large bodies of armed civilians among us. You go on to write, “He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.” That is exactly what you have done to us for the past hundreds of years. You kill all the animals you can find, to take only their skins or horns. You cut down trees that have been standing for years and years. The part of the Declaration of Independence disgusted me the most was how you argue for, “Taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments.” You must understand that Native Americans were here with their own government. It was an unwritten form of government where nobody could own the land and that everyone was treated equally. The first settlers here enslaved us and murdered us. They did not respect our unwritten laws in the land. My last objection to your Declaration of Independence is your reason, “For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world.” 2005-06-21T02:35:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Native-American-Decleration-Of-Independence-An-Angry-Indian-27040.aspx American Imperialism DBQ American Imperialism DBQ Between the period of the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, expansionism was a major part of the United States. Since there were many advances in technology and knowledge of the world many different countries tried to expand there countries as much as possible. Between this period there was a lot of continuation of expansionism plus there was also a lot of departure of expansionism in the country. Many things contributed to this expansionism such as the American Diplomacy in China and the Gentleman’s Agreement in Japan all contributed to the expansion of the United States. Since there seemed to be a abundance of territory that was not claimed by any country, expansionism was a great option for lots of countries around the world. In a cartoon by Thomas Nast there is a great illustration of different countries expanding there territories. It is a picture of a world with three men around it and one is from Germany, one from Britain, and the last one is from Russia. They all have grab bags and they are picking from the world which shows how countries around the world were trying to gain as much territory as they could while it was available without fighting for it. This will play a big part in the lead to World War I. In an article about the interest of America in sea power, Alfred T. Mahan states a lot of things having to do with the territory of the US and its control over the ocean. He says, “America must now look outward. The growing production of the country demands it.” He states that we should not allow all of our ports on both the Atlantic and the Pacific to be controlled by other countries because the United States is going to expand and we need all of our relations and ports on both oceans so that we can stay in control of our country. At the end he states three things that we should defiantly do to protect the country’s expansionism. First he says that the chief harbors should be protected and the shore lines should also be protected. Second, he says that the naval force should be projected outward more to expand the water territory of the United States. Third, he says that no 2005-06-20T01:58:09-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-Imperialism-DBQ-27030.aspx Analysis of the Cold War Analysis of The Cold War When World War II in Europe came to an end on May 7, 1945, a new war was just beginning. This war became known as the Cold War and was between the two world superpowers, the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR). The Cold War lasted from 1945 to 1991. Fears between the two nations, which started in World War I, and grew in World War II, caused the Cold War to break after the end of World War II. The conflict in the Cold War was the difference in politics between the US and the USSR. The United States was capitalist when the USSR was communist. Both nations started a nuclear arms race among each other. In other words, the Cold War was a war of tension and competition. At the end of World War II, at the Yalta Conference, Germany was divided into 4 sections controlled by Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union and the United States. What marked the start of the Cold War was that there wasn’t an agreement on unifying Germany. The Allies were angry due to the free election promises given by Stalin at the Yalta Conference. The developed a foreign policy of containment to keep communism in the areas where it already was. In 1947, the Truman Doctrine was issued. It stated that America would help any non-communist country to resist communism. The United States also gave large amounts of money to help aid the non-commuist countries. This was known as the Marshall Plan. The Western Allies unified West Germany and the USSR reacted by putting a blockade on Berlin. The people in Berlin were starving from the lack of food. The United States arranged that all food and other items be airlifted to West Berlin. This is what is known as the Berlin Airlift. In 1946, Mao Zedong, a Communist leader, was in war with Jiang Jieshi, a nationalist leader. The civil war in China lasted until 1949. The communists came out victorious. This added to the Cold War. The Civil War soon became an arms race. When the Americans used an atomic bomb against Japan in 1945, the USSR was determined to create one of their own. In 1957, the Soviets 2005-06-20T01:48:01-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-the-Cold-War-27029.aspx Vietnam War - TET Offensive Even though the United States won most of the battles up until 1968, nothing could have prepared them for what was to happen on January 30-31, 1968. Prior to the “Tet,” otherwise known as the Chinese Lunar New Year, some small battles along Rt.9 nearby Khe Sahn, had been taking place. The Tet is the same as our new years day, but instead of celebrating number years, they celebrate years of different animals, such as, 1968 was the year of the monkey. After two weeks of silence, American scouts discovered North Vietnamese camps with over eighty’thousand Communist troops. The Americans did nothing to prepare for a battle in which was almost impossible not to be known about. On the eve of the Tet, Communist forces began an assault on Khe Sahn, and many other northern cities in South Vietnam. They attacked even as far south as the US Embassy, and the Capitol City of Saigon. The Tet Offensive was undoubtedly a military victory for the south even though they sustained heavy losses, but because of video coverage, the US Military lost most if not all support from its homeland. Many in the US military just did not see a point in fighting the rest of the war without any support from the people they were fighting for. When the American citizens did not support the war, it was the turning point, and everything fell apart for the US in Vietnam from there on out. From the start of the Vietnam War, the French were out because of the fall of Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Then in December of 1960, Ho Chi Minh, leader of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, organizes the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, the Vietcong. Ho commits the NLF to the overthrow of the non-Communist government in South Vietnam, the ousting of U.S. advisers and the unification of Vietnam. In 1963 President Kennedy was assassinated as well as South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem. In 1964 Lyndon Johnson calls for War on Poverty and greater efforts on civil rights in his First State of the Union. In August Johnson orders immediate retaliation for the attack on U.S. destroyers, Maddox and Turner Joy in the Gulf of Tonkin, allegedly by the North Vietnamese. Congress approves Gulf of Tonkin Resolution giving the President power to 2005-06-20T01:17:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Vietnam-War-TET-Offensive-27025.aspx Aztec Empire The Aztec Indians, who are known for their domination of southern and central Mexico, ruled between the 14th and 16th centuries. Their comes from from Azatlan, the homeland of the north. The Aztecs also call themselves Mexica and there language came from the Nahuatlans wich is branch of the Uto-Aztecan family. The Aztecs were formed after the Toltec people occurred when hundreds of civilians came towards Lake texcoco. Late families were unfortunate and were forced to go to the swamp lands. In the swamp lands there was only one piece of land to farm on and it was totally surrounded by more marshes . The Aztec families some how converted these disadvantages to a might empire known as they Aztec Empire. People say the empire was partially formed by a deeply believed legend. As the the legend went it said that Aztec people would create a empire on in a swampy place where they would see an eagle eating a snake while perched on a cactus which is growing out of a rock in the swamplands. This is what priests claimed they saw while entering the new land. By the year 1325 Their capital city was finished. They called it Tenochtitlan. In the the capital city aqueducts (piping) were constructed, bridges were built, and chinapas were made. Chinapas were little islands formed by pilled up mud. On these chinapas Aztecs grew corn, beans, chili peppers, squash, tomatoes, and tobacco. Tenochtitlan (the capital city) was covered in giant religious statues in order to pay their respects to the gods. In the Aztec religion numerous gods controlled an Aztec’s daily life. Some of these gods include: Uitzilpochtli (the sun god), Coyolxauhqui (the moon goddess), Tlaloc (the rain god), and Quetzalcoatl (the inventor of the calendar and writing). Another part of the Aztec religion was human sacrifices. For their sacrifices the priest would lay the man or woman over a convex (rounded) stone, then he would take a sharp knife and cut the victims heart out. They did this because they believed that good gods could prevent bad gods from doing evil things and they also believed that good gods got their strength from human blood and hearts so they had sacrifices in order to keep their gods strong. For major rituals warriors were sacrificed, for the warrior this was one of the greatest honors and for minor rituals prisoners were used. In 2005-06-19T16:40:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Aztec-Empire--26982.aspx Problems of Medieval Europe The setting: Medieval Europe. The problem: the pope is living in Avignon, under strict control from the French King. The plague is ravaging Europe, leaving behind whole cities of corpses. Sanitation is very poor, there are no sewer systems, and more often than not, one could find human and animal feces lining the streets. The standard of living is very low, and much of this is blamed on religion. Many people would like to see the pope dead. Solutions are virtually non-existent. The pope is looking for a way to restore his power, and improve the life of Europeans. The main problem facing the pope was, of course, the plague. Nearly twenty-five million people had died of this highly infectious disease already, and it didn’t appear to be slowing. Medieval physicians had developed a number of “cures,” some as absurd as placing live chickens on the wounds of the infected. Due to the primitive technology at that time, there were very few actual cures. Many of the practices of the doctors were invented simply to deceive the populous into believing that they had cures, and that all was not lost. The pope, in his quarters at Avignon, sat between two large fires. They thought that this would purify the “bad air” which most blamed for the spread of the plague. Although there was no bad air, the fires actually did prevent the plague, killing off the bubonic bacteria. This was an example of what some people call “accidental science,” or a discovery made from superstition, or by accident. From the viewpoint of a medieval doctor, there were few things you could do. Most medicine at that time was based on the four humors, and the four qualities. The four humors were phlegm, blood, bile, and black bile. Illness would occur when these humors were imbalanced. Doctors often let blood, attempting to restore balance. There were also four qualities; heat, cold, moistness, dryness. Diseases were often deemed to have two qualities, i.e. hot and dry. If a person had a disease that was hot and dry, they would be administered a plant that was considered cold and moist. Basically what I have tried to say in the previous two chapters is that there was no medicinal cure for the plague in medieval times. If they had antibiotics, however, there would have been very few fatalities. The other large problem that the 2005-06-19T05:10:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Problems-of-Medieval-Europe-26932.aspx Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine In the year 1122, soon to be Duke William X of Aquitaine was informed that his bride of one year, Aenor, daughter of the Viscount Aimery, had bore him a daughter. She was christened Alia-Aenor, or Eleanor. Since Aquitaine consisted of more than a third of the entire land of France, she was a heiress of some esteem. Soon after, Aenor gave birth to another daughter, Aelith (Petronella) and then to the heir that William so desired, William Aigret. Unfortunately, when Eleanor was eight, both her mother and brother died, leaving her heiress to the whole of Aquitaine. Eleanor’s close childhood friends were her uncle Raymond, who was only eight years older than herself, and her sister. She was influenced by the great heroines in her family, like her grandmother, who sacrificed her place as a Viscountess, for love. When Eleanor was fifteen, her father went on a pilgrimage. On the way, he encountered food poisoning. He left Eleanor in the charge of King Louis the Fat, to marry her off. King Louis married her to his own son, and made her Queen of France upon his death, some days after the wedding. Louis Capet, Eleanor’s new husband, was only sixteen when they wed. The second son, he had grown up in a monastery, preparing for a life in the service of the Lord. However, when his older brother fell off his horse and broke his neck, Louis became heir to the throne of France. Louis was a quiet, deeply religious man, eager to show off for his new, rich and beautiful wife. Eleanor dreamed of a warrior for a husband, and Louis, despite his shyness, desperately wished to fill that part. Quickly he went to war, against his vassals and anyone else that would oppose him. When Petronella was married to Count Ralph of Vermandois, his first wife’s family–who he had divorced to marry Petronella–quickly took up arms against him. Louis jumped in to protect his sister-in-law’s interests. Even so, Louis’s war was badly planned and his army ended up burning an entire village who had taken refuge in a church. The experience left him virtually destroyed, he who had been so in God’s favour. The King and Queen went to a respected and feared Abbot, Abbot Bernard. Louis wished to repent for his sins and Eleanor wished to bear Louis a child. By the time they left, Louis 2005-06-19T05:08:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Eleanor,-Duchess-of-Aquitaine-26931.aspx Henry the II King of England Western Civilization Essay Henry the II, King of England Western Civilization Essay To demonstrate my capabilities of exploring history on Henry II King of England and present a descriptive essay on these events for an improvement on my grade score average. IV. Henry II King of England King Henry II was born on March 5th, 1133 at Le Mans to Empress Matilda and her second husband Geoffry of Anjou. He ruled from 1155 to 1189. Henry the II already ruled Normandy, Anjou, Maine, and Aquitaine when he succeeded in 1154 to the throne as heir to King Stephen. He was married in 1151 to Eleanor of Aquintaine, divorced wife of Louis VII of France, from whom he took the title of Duke of Aquitaine. Their children included William, Matilda, Eleanor, Henry, Richard, Geoffry, John, and Joan. Henry II died at Chinon in 1189 and was buried in the Abbey of Fontrevault. Henry the II was the first of the Plantagenet line of kings. He was the grandson of Henry the I and his father Geoffry of Anjou was also known as Geoffry Plantagenet from the sprig of broom (planta genista) he used as a badge. King Henry the II and his immediate successors are known as the Angevin Kings, but the House came to be known by the family name of Plantagenet. The Angevins were notorious for their energy, their turbulane, and their terrible rages. They were said to be descended from the witch Melusine, and Saint Bernard of Clairvaulx said of them "From the Devil they came and to the devil they will return." (1) Henry II had all that temper: when a particular enemy of his was praised in his presence he fell into such a rage that he threw himself screaming out of bed and tore his mattress into pieces with his teeth. And he had all that energy, and " fits of black bile" which were unwise to provoke. Henry was a fine-looking man, not tall but of strong muscular built with, like all the Angevins, sandy hair and rather prominent gray eyes which grew bloodshot when his temper was up. Tough a hardened athlete, he was also a man of great culture. This was another family trait. Henry II was orderly in business, careless in appearance, sparing in diet, never resting or giving his servants rest, chatty, inquisitive, endowed with a singular charm of address and strength of memory, obstinate in love or hatred, a 2005-06-19T03:15:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Henry-the-II-King-of-England-Western-Civilization-Essay-26911.aspx Munich: 1972 OLYMPICS Terrorist Attack Munich: 1972 OLYMPICS Terrorist Attack On September 5, 1972 a little before 5:00 A.M. a small terrorist group snuck into the Munich Olympics camp and went to 31st Connolly St. where the Israeli Olympic team was stationed. These were all members of The Black September Group. After the got up and over the fence and to the building where the Israeli team was held they tried to enter but a Referee named Joseph Gohereund held the door shut for a few seconds allowing one team member to escape. They proceeded to enter the building and took 5 hostages originally. One athlete by the name of Mosh Weinberg struggled with the terrorists wounding one and was shot down afterwards and there were 2 trying to escape thru a window when one was shot down. They captured 4 more Israeli team members but didn’t catch the whole team. 2 athletes who escaped went and got the local officials and soon had the building surrounded. By 9:30 the terrorists had made their demands which were that 232 Arab prisoners be released from and Israeli prison, and the release of 2 German prisoners named Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof. These deadlines were to be met at noon or 2 hostages would be shot, but Golda Meir, the Israeli Prime Minister, refused these terms. They then wanted to send in trained commandos to try and overtake the terrorists but even though the West German Federal government agreed the local Munich authorities refused to let the commandos in because it was under their jurisdiction. Schreiber (a negotiator) had the deadline moved to 1:00 P.M. then to 3:00 P.M. and finally 5:00 P.M. The West German offered unlimited ransom money but the terrorists refused. Schreiber’s main idea was not to storm the building but to get the terrorists out in the open so that the snipers could get clear shots at the terrorists. They offered a plane out of the country, the terrorist accepted and a helipad was set up and a Lufthansa 737 set up at Furstenfeidbruck which was a military base. At eight o’clock a bus pulled up and a trap was suspected so the terrorists asked for another that took till 10:00 P.M. The terrorists lined up the hostages in such a way that the sharpshooters couldn’t get a 2005-06-16T03:15:20-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Munich-1972-OLYMPICS-Terrorist-Attack-26864.aspx Anne Frank: Story Of A Young Girl Anne Frank: Story Of A Young Girl Jews have perished because of their beliefs since the beginning of time but never have so many Jews been persecuted worldwide as they were in World War II. Anne Frank’s diary reaches a place within all of our hearts because it reminds us how easily the innocents can suffer. Sometimes we may choose to close our eyes or look the other way when unjustifiable things happen in our society and Anne’s tale reminds us that ignorance, in part, claimed her life. Sadly, her story is but one of many of those who died in the Holocaust and as with other Jews, her fate was determined by the country she lived in, her sex and her age. Jews all over Europe feared for their lives and many were aware that the punishment for their religion depended on the country they were fortunate, or unfortunate, enough to live in. Hitler not only held prejudice against Jews, homosexuals, gypsies and those who harboured any of the above, but also held firm convictions that some countries’ citizens were fit to die, no matter their religion. No one was hit harder by this prejudice as was Poland. Hitler hated all Polish citizens and hated Polish Jews even more. In Warsaw, Jews were confined to a blocked off area which came to be known as the Warsaw Ghetto. Many of these Jews never saw outside the Ghetto again and for those who did it was only en route to a concentration camp or labour prison. Food rations inside the Ghetto were very low and though many outsiders smuggled food in, there was not nearly enough to keep everyone alive. Many died of starvation or died due to illness they had contracted because their bodies had grown so weak. Throughout the war, Sweden remained neutral and many Jews from neighbouring countries were smuggled in. Nazi police soon realized that they had to find ways to prevent this from happening and turned to the animal world. Dogs were trained to detect the scent of humans and soon, all boats leaving for Sweden were searched to detect any Jews that were hiding in basement compartments. Most Jews were discovered before they could escape and this discouraged many more from attempting to do the same. Jews that were apprehended were not treated much differently by the Nazis but the Jews left behind received the 2005-06-16T00:42:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Anne-Frank-Story-Of-A-Young-Girl-26861.aspx Conflicts of The World Conflicts of The World From 1994-1996 there was a war in Chechnya. War has erupted again recently between Chechnya and its neighboring republic of Ingushetia. The border has been closed since an air raid on a marketplace in the Chechen capital of Grozny triggered a serge of terrified civilians. The Russian goal is to keep the Chechnyans from going to Ingushetia which is the safer side of the war. And they also want to keep people thinking that they’re winning this war. Caryl, Christian. “Reality is Virtuality Horrible”. U.S. News Nov. 1999: 60. Since 1972 when Britain took control of Northern Ireland, the Catholics and the Protestants have been fighting for control over whether to stay united with Britain or break off to be just Ireland. A coalition government was formed by both sides, with Britain transferring broad powers to the new Ulster government. This is the first home-rule government in Ulster since the British took direct control in 1972. It’s the long delayed final step of the Good Friday peace accord, which was ratified by more than 70% of Ulster’s voters in May 1998. This issue is political, social and religious. Grose, Thomas K. “Irish Eyes are Smiling”. U.S. News Dec. 1999: 40-41. Macao, a 9.2 mile area in China, has been under Portuguese rule for 442 years. However, since 1974, Portugal has been trying to hand over Macao back to China. They have experienced increasing problems in the interim, including gambling and crimes such as money laundering, loan sharking and drug smuggling. Since 1996, gang violence has spun out of control. The transfer of power appears to please most everyone. The goal is to have a smooth transfer of power. The main concern for Macao is its future under control of communist China. Fang, Bay. “China Embraces a Spec Called Macao”. U.S. News Dec. 1999: 40. Russia and the U.S. are both dealing with terrorism right now. Russia in September of 1999 and the U.S. in September of 2001. Russian President Vladimir Putin says the terrorism was caused by outsiders from Islamic fundamentalists in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. He says that the Islamic fundamentalists goal is to split Chechnya and other Muslim provinces away from Russia, to form a new extremist-controlled state between the Black and Caspian Seas. Terrorism is the common enemy here. 2005-06-15T06:18:53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Conflicts-of-The-World-26857.aspx A New America: History of America's Escape from England Although political divisions first emerged over domestic issues, they deepened during a series of crises over foreign policy that reopened the nagging issue of America’s relationship with Great Britain. Domestic and foreign policy were, however, never entirely separate, since decisions in one area frequently carried implications for the other. Foreign and domestic policy (1789-1803) spans from the foreign affairs of Washington, to Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase. Between these times is the Election of 1796, Adams’s administration, concerning various perspectives of historical figures on financial policies and foreign countries, the XYZ Affair, and the Alien and Sedition Acts, all in relation to the restrictions and powers of the United States Constitution. Under the term of Washington, there were many affairs to deal with, mainly foreign. Hamilton saw much to admire in Britain. He modeled his financial policies in part on those of William Pitt the younger, a great British minister who took office in 1783, when Britain was so burdened with debt that it seemed on the verge of bankruptcy, and whose reforms restored his country’s financial health. The success of Hamilton’s financial program, moreover, depended on smooth relations with Britain: duties on imports provided a major source of federal revenue, and most American imports came from Britain. Hamilton did not advocate returning the Americans to British rule; he had, after all, fought for independence as an officer of the Continental army. Nor did he seek to establish a monarchy in the United States. But he thought an amicable relationship with the onetime mother country would best serve American interests. In contrast, Jefferson remained deeply hostile to Britain, and his Anglophobia played a central role in his growing opposition to Hamilton. The treasury secretary’s method of finance, with a bank and large funded debt, seemed—as in part it was—based on a British model, one that to Jefferson was dangerous because it allowed abundant opportunity for corruption. Jefferson (like many contemporary Americans) fascinated with British technology, but he did not regard with pleasure an American future with large industrial manufacturing complexes like those of England—or that planned for Paterson, New Jersey. Americans’ independence and “virtue” depended for Jefferson on the fact that so many of them were farmers who worked for themselves, not for others. Jefferson was also deeply loyal to France, the Americans’ old ally in the War for Independence. While serving as minister to France during the 1780’s, Jefferson had witnessed the 2005-06-09T03:08:53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-New-America-History-of-America-s-Escape-from-England-26841.aspx The Colonial Era and the Creation of American Culture The Colonial Era and the Creation of American Culture Colonists went from considering themselves “British subjects” to identifying themselves as “Americans” by the impact of social and cultural maturation of the American colonies. A unique American culture gradually took shape, especially within the dimensions of government, religion, and economics imposed by both the colonists and the mother country. These cultural spheres helped impel the American colonists in the direction of eventual independence and help point the colonists toward a greater sense of American uniqueness. Altogether, innovations in both politics and religion in the colonies encouraged the development of a distinctive American identity. Governmental wise, colonists “executed the powers in their charter…and exceeded them,” as described in Document C. Also, “They have obstructed the execution of the acts of Trade and Navigation…obstruct his officers in the discharge of their duty…and set up their own naval office…” In addition, Penn’s Plan for Union (1697), as expressed in Document F, states, “That the several colonies…meet once a year…and appointed duties, to debate and resolve of such measures as are most advisable for their better understanding and the public tranquility and safety…to consider the ways and means to support the union and safety of these provinces against the public enemies.” And Document D, in which it shows the Massachusetts Body of Liberties (1641). It describes the liberties which Massachusetts colonists were under such as “No mans life shall be taken away…No mans Cattel or goods of what kinde soever shall be pressed or taken for any publique use or service…No mans person shall be restrained or imprisoned by any authority whatsoever…” Also, Document H and I, which argue the “Rights of the British Colonies” and “Resolutions of the Stamp Act Congress.” The “Rights of the British Colonies” (Asserted and Proved) can be summed as, “that civil government is of God…every man in the dominions is a free man…no parts of His Majesty’s dominions can be taxed without their consent…every part has a right to be represented in the supreme or some subordinate legislature…the colonies are subordinate dominions and are now in such a state as to make it best for the good of the whole that they should not only be continued in the enjoyment of subordinate legislation but be also represented in some proportion to their number and estates in the grand legislature of the nation…and that this would firmly unite all pats of the 2005-06-09T03:06:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Colonial-Era-and-the-Creation-of-American-Culture-26840.aspx Imperialism “New” Imperialism was beneficial to the imperial powers, but harmful to the colonized peoples because it left them politically, socially, and economically distraught. These colonized peoples were the Africans, Indians, Chinese, and the Japanese. While the imperial powers in Africa prospered off of the raw materials of the land and slavery (economic values), the African natives suffered from political and economic situations. Politically, most African Empires were emerging through new military technology and religious inspiration. The African Empires were prospering through their own imperialism or domination of other civilizations in Africa. Yet, Western powers such as Britain, France, and Portugal scrambled for Africa. One situation in particular, is when the Zulu imperialist, Shaka, was embarking on imperial expansion, Portuguese invaders caused the Zulu imperialist to relocate peoples all across southern Africa. Economically, most African Empires flourished. They had new military technology and most importantly religious inspiration. The Egyptian Imperialists were probably the most extravagant. They modernized their Egyptian army along European lines, and expanded their control into western Arabia and Sudan. They borrowed money from European banks and continued their imperial expansion into other parts of Africa. But they soon regretted their actions because they found themselves on the verge of bankruptcy and it made them very vulnerable to European invasion. The Europeans finally took control of Egyptian finances and plunged the Egyptian Empire into to an international debt commission. The British Imperialists used their own civil servants and created a new class of Western-educated Indians to help rule their Indian Empire. But, cultural interaction between the British and Indians caused reforms to emerge in Indian culture and society. British imperialism in India was harmful because it destroyed India’s most sacred traditions. The British Imperialists made sure that they did not interfere with local customs, but as their control increased, many people in Britain began to call for major social and cultural reforms in order to bring India the “benefits” of Western civilization. The reformers began to make certain that Indian practices were illegal. Indian practices such as suttee (suh-TEE), which is the ritual burning of widows on their husbands’ cremation fires was made illegal. Also, child marriages and the practice of killing unwanted children were made illegal. These cultural reforms made Indians lose their sense of culture and identity because these traditions have been handed down through their families for thousands of years. While China was already facing economic and political challenges 2005-06-09T03:04:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Imperialism--26839.aspx Spain's Established American Empire Benchmark Essay: How did Spain establish an American Empire? In 1507, Spain published an Introduction to Cosmography…to which are added The Four Voyages of Amerigo Vespucci…The atlas proposed that the “fourth part of the earth”---beyond Europe, Asia, and Africa---that “Amerigo discovered” should be called “Amerige, the land of Amerigo… or America.” The latter paragraphs will include the vigorous expeditions and actions taken that led the Spaniards to establish an American Empire. A quarter century after Columbus’s first voyage, Spain concentrated its attention on the islands in the western Atlantic. In 1517, an expedition that explored Yucatan and the Gulf of Mexico reported the existence of civilizations on the mainland that were richer and more populous that any in the Caribbean, in which Spain had totally stripped of its gold and native population. Two years later, the Spanish governor in Havana commissioned the thirty-four-year-old Hernando Cortes to make contact with the Indian empire in Mexico. Cortes set sail with eleven ships and over 500 men. The invaders landed near the modern town of Vera Cruz on the Gulf of Mexico. Then marched to the Valley of Mexico, collecting thousands of Indian allies along the way. Cortes had little difficulty winning support from Indian peoples anxious to break loose from the Aztecs’ hold. The Aztec ruler, Montezuma II, decided to invite Cortes to enter his capital, Tenochtitlan, peacefully. Montezuma fed the Spaniards’ greed with gold and other gifts. But, distrusting his intentions, they seized and held him captive until he was killed in the midst of a massive uprising against the invaders. Then, on the night of June 30-July 1, 1520---“La Noche Triste” (sorrowful night)---Aztec insurgents forced the Spaniards to flee the city, losing the riches they had collected as well as a third of their men. But over the next year, Cortes reorganized his followers, mobilized his Indian allies, and built thirteen brigantines that he equipped with firearms and used to control the causeways and block supplies form entering the island city. Finally, on August 21, 1521, the Spanish retook Tenochtitlan, destroying many of its buildings and people in the process. With the defeat of the Aztecs, the conquistadores, or conquerors, set out in search of other peoples to subdue and despoil. Between 1524 and 1533, Spaniards under Francisco Pizarro defeated the Inca peoples of Peru’s Andean highlands, accumulating in the process thousands of pounds of gold and silver. From Peru, expeditions of 2005-06-09T03:02:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Spain-s-Established-American-Empire-26838.aspx The New Nation American 2005-06-09T03:00:35-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-New-Nation--26837.aspx Band Of Brothers, Ambrose Commentary Band Of Brothers As a result of Japan bombing Pearl Harbor and the continuous and forceful expansion of German and Japanese boundaries, the United States was thrown into World War II. The United States’ military was forced to mobilize and train civilian troops in order to meet the demands of a multi-fronted war. Stephen Ambrose describes a group of young, white men who are called upon by their country to go into war to fight for democracy. In his book Band of Brothers, he tells the story of Easy Company of the 506th regiment and 101st airborne in the United States Army. Ambrose chronicles their journey through basic training and their arrival in Europe. From there, he goes into the details of their experiences in combat from Normandy on D-Day to Hell’s Highway and the Battle of the Buldge. Ambrose concludes the story and shows the excitement and celebration of the soldiers as they help claim victory over Hitler’s Germany in World War II. Easy Company travels through Germany and Austria at the end of the war and along with the Allies stake claim to Hitler’s Eagle Nest. Ambrose obtains the details of the division’s journey through WWII by researching primary books and articles of the time and most importantly through personal interviews with the men that lived through the experiences of the war and Easy Company. He learns that the young men are joined together from different backgrounds, but are united under a common goal. It was through organized leaders and officers of the United States Army, which could bring an end to the war. But especially it was a special breed of recruits that”…wanted to make their Army time a positive, a learning, and maturing and challenging experience” (Ambrose 14). Ambrose writes that these men were heroes and contained an inner quality, which was above the rest of the soldiers in the war (Ambrose 13-14, 55, 131,194, 229, 236,253, 271). The recruits came into basic training with the mentality to try and make the best of a very bad situation, that being the war and the possibility of being killed. In order to make the best of their predicament, they set out to learn the most the Army could teach them. Ambrose describes a very detailed account of the training they went through and what was 2005-06-05T01:16:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Band-Of-Brothers,-Ambrose-Commentary-26825.aspx The Hammurabi Code Hammurabi’s Laws One could guess that the laws enacted by Amorite King Hammurabi to Babylonians during the 1700’s B.C. what the Holy Scriptures are to Christians today. Hammurabi was chosen by King Anum and Illil lord of heaven and earth to “destroy the evil and the wicked that the strong might not oppress the weak... to give light to the land.” Since Hammurabi was chosen to represent their god Marduk, to establish laws in the best interest of the people, it is understandable why one would think of Moses the “law giver” from the Holy Bible in contrast. While it was originally thought that Hammurabi created the laws that became known as the “Code of Hammurabi,” no such claim to power or fame is given to Moses in the Bible. Hammurabis’ laws were found to have their origin from a body of long-standing Sumerian laws that he used to summarize the code of laws he enacted. The Code of Hammurabi was an “attempt to incorporate every phase of life into law, covering topics like: commerce, trade, parental and domestic relations, slavery, libel, slander, theft, marriage, adultery, divorce, property rights and ownership, and employer-employee regulations”. Hammurabi like his predecessors attempted to appease the deities, while protecting the people through alliances and war. He managed to have a peaceful reign until the last decade of his life when he fought with his enemies and expanded his empire. He combined the newly acquired territory with his inherited lands to form a United Kingdom and his codes were enforced there also. Although Hammurabis’ reign was conquered and declined after his death, his set of laws promulgated to unify his diverse subjects and became an enduring legacy. The code of Hammurabi was inscribed on a seven-foot stele (pillar) and glorified in the temple of Marduk. This stele survived over centuries and was rediscovered in 1901 in Iran and is on display today in the Louvre. Could it be that the code inscribed on a stele that led scholars to think the Mosaic laws were influenced by Hammurabi; or was it because the Mosaic Law (commandments) also addressed property laws, justice and other life issues to the people. The laws handed down to the people by Moses were given directly from God by divine inspiration according to the Holy Bible. While Moses wrote the Ten 2005-06-03T05:52:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Hammurabi-Code--26817.aspx Assyrian Weapons and Warfare Paper Assyrian Weapons and Warfare Paper The Assyrians have long been known as a ruthless and barbaric people of the ancient civilizations. While this may be true in some instances, it is not an entirely accurate view of the Empire of Assyria. The Assyrians took their warfare seriously; in fact they studied war techniques like a science (Riley, 45). The Assyrians even had special schools set up to teach sapping (military demolition of walls etc.) and mining city walls (Riley, 45). The Assyrians were the innovators of war in their time. The Assyrian army was feared for many reasons one including the use of iron in their weapons. The Assyrians were the first to use iron in spears, swords, shields and armor. They even tipped their battering rams for extra effectiveness. When the Assyrians first attacked their enemies with these awesome novelties of war, it caused almost as profound a reaction as the atom bomb has in our time (Fairservis, 96). Against iron spears and swords, bronze shields were useless. The Assyrians had the most advanced weapons of their time. Their arrows were tipped in iron, the strongest metal of the time. Their bowmen were also among the worlds finest (Fairservis, 95). They had heavy chariots drawn by two horses and had a crew of two, the driver and an archer. Later, a third man was added to protect the rear and a spare horse was hitched at the rear (Za Khan). They introduced cavalry and an accurate sling and developed siege craft with siege towers, battering rams and hand propelled vehicles with armor protection (Za Khan). The primary weapon of the infantry was the bow. It was used in groups or individually; a shield bearer protected the bowman. The bow had a range of over two hundred and fifty meters. A quiver held fifty arrows and a captain had one hundred shield bowmen and shield bearers under his command, which produced formidable firepower (Za Khan). Other weapons used by the infantry wear the spear, the javelin, slings and swords (Za Khan). The cavalry employed horses ridden bareback by two horsemen. One rider held the reins while the other rider, with a shield on his back, used a bow or a lance. Because cavalry could be used on uneven ground, it started replacing the chariot around six hundred B.C (Za Khan). The army also had special technical units. They accompanied the army and had 2005-06-01T02:15:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Assyrian-Weapons-and-Warfare-Paper-26809.aspx History of the AIDS Virus in Africa History of the AIDS Virus in Africa Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, more commonly known as AIDS is often referred to as a global killer. In Sub-Saharan Africa AIDS has reached pandemic proportions with 14 million dead already, and 23 million more infected. Africa constitutes 10% of the world’s population, and is now the home to 90% of all new HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which causes AIDS) infections, giving it the highest AIDS frequency in the world. I would like to discuss how unsafe African sex practices have contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS and the steps currently being taken to slow the spread of the epidemic. AIDS is a major social problem. There is no vaccination for this disease, only a costly “cocktail” of drugs whose side-effects alone are life-altering. Ultimately, these drugs will not prevent premature death, but only postpone it for a decade or so. The problem actually lies much deeper than the epidemiological realities of HIV/AIDS. There are many social standards that not only permit the virus to spread, but actually create optimal conditions for it to multiply at such rapid rates. Large scale social changes need to occur because Africa is on the verge of being ruined by this virus. With much of the most productive age group becoming extremely ill or dying as a result of becoming infected, the economy is beginning to collapse and the family structure is deteriorate. The fabric of Africa’s social structure must be rewoven before deep seeded attitudes and behaviors cause the demise of this society. One major cause of the HIV/AIDS outbreak is the prevalence of prostitution. Due to the economic crisis that is taking place in Africa, many women succumb to this occupation. Changing social structures, such as the separation of the biological family, have caused the period of family given financial support to be much shorter. Parents are dying at an earlier age, and it’s also likely that husbands die prematurely from AIDS as well. Unfortunately, when these women are left to fend for themselves and their children, they face unemployment and lack of opportunities, so they become prostitutes. This is a fluid occupation, as women try to get out of it as soon as possible, but when the need for money arises, they often slip back into prostitution. 2005-06-01T02:09:20-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-AIDS-Virus-in-Africa-26806.aspx Prohibition: The 18th Ammendment Prohibition: The 18th Ammendment Mark Thornton, author of Policy Analysis: Alcohol Prohibition was a failure, said, “Prohibition did not achieve its goals. Instead, it added to the problems it was intended to solve” (Thorton, 15). On Midnight of January 16, 1920, one of the personal habits and customs of most Americans suddenly came to a halt. The Eighteenth Amendment was put into effect and all importing, exporting, transporting, selling, and manufacturing of intoxicating liquor was put to an end. Shortly following the enactment of the Eighteenth Amendment, the National Prohibition Act, or the Volstead Act, as it was called because of its author, Andrew J. Volstead, was put into effect. This act determined intoxicating liquor as anything having an alcoholic content of anything more than 0.5 percent, omitting alcohol used for medicinal and sacramental purposes. Likewise, this act also set up guidelines for enforcement (Bowen, 154). Prohibition was intended to reduce the consumption of alcohol and thereby reduce crime, poverty, death rates, and improve the economy and the quality of life. “National prohibition of alcohol -- the ‘noble experiment’ -- was undertaken to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce the tax burden created by prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene in America” (Thorton, 1). This, however, was undoubtedly to no avail. The Prohibition amendment of the 1920s was ineffective because it was unenforceable, it caused the explosive growth of crime, and it increased the amount of alcohol consumption. “It is impossible to tell whether prohibition is a good thing or a bad thing. It has never been enforced in this country” said author Fiorella LaGuardia, author of American Prohibition in the 1920’s (LaGuardia 46). After the Volstead Act was put into place to determine specific laws and methods of enforcement, the Federal Prohibition Bureau was formulated in order to see that the Volstead Act was enforced. Nevertheless, bootleggers and commoners alike flagrantly violated these laws. Bootleggers smuggled liquor from oversees and Canada, stole it from government warehouses, and produced their own. Many people hid their liquor in hip flasks, false books, hollow canes, and anything else they could find (Bowen, 159). There were also illegal speak-easies, which replaced saloons after the start of prohibition. By 1925, there were over 100,000 speak-easies in New York City alone (Bowen, 160). As good as the ideal sounded, “...prohibition was far easier to proclaim than to enforce” (Wenburn, 234). With 2005-05-31T06:04:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Prohibition-The-18th-Ammendment-26805.aspx The Main Cause of the American Revolution What was the main cause of the American Revolution? The American Revolution was caused by the unique nature of the American Colonists and their society in contrast to their relationship with the English Government and peoples. Life in America was not a life of leisure. American colonists had worked hard to cultivate their lands and develop their towns and cities. Rural life in the American colonies consisted not only of farmers but tradesmen also prospered. (Handlin. 24) By 1763, the American Colonies were spreading west. The expelling of the French and the Spaniards in 1763 opened lands of opportunity for the colonists. American colonists who settled in the new lands and the New World were a, “fresh breed of humans, self-reliant, rationalistic, disdainful of established ideas and authorities, vain, provincial, sometimes violent, often reckless”. (Handlin 130) Tensions began to build in the Colonies right after the 7 years war, or the French and Indian War. At this time the American Colonies were prospering. The colonists in America had no oppressing chains to throw off. “In fact, the colonists knew they were freer, more equal, more prosperous and less burdened with cumbersome feudal and monarchical restraints than any other part of mankind in the 18th Century”. (Wood 4) They had achieved an economic and political maturity that resented outside interference. (Jensen 34) They did not discover new ideas after 1763, but held up ideas of the rights of Englishmen which had begun back with the Magna Carta. The route to the American Revolution was based on this unique American character and the lack of understanding, which the British Government had for it. After the 7 years war, England was heavily in debt. This was the most that they’d ever been in debt in their history. Two years before the end of the war King George II died, and his grandson George III became king. King George III held the theory that to rule an empire you had to have a tight grip. “The colonies had always been the domain of the crown, administered by royally appointed officials. Parliament had seldom interfered—except to pass the Acts of Trade and Navigation, laws relating to finance, and laws prohibiting or limiting certain colonial manufactures. The attempt by parliament to raise money in the colonies by acts of Parliament, coupled with other restrictive legislation and administrative decisions, forced Americans, for the first time, to attempt 2005-05-28T21:17:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Main-Cause-of-the-American-Revolution-26794.aspx The Process of Building Stonehenge Research Paper The Process of Building Stonehenge There are probably hundreds of myths and legends about Stonehenge. Various people have attributed the building of this great megalith to the Danes, Romans, Saxons, Greeks, Atlanteans, Egyptians, Phoenicians Celts, King Aurelius Ambrosious, Merlin, and even Aliens. One of the most popular beliefs was that Stonehenge was built by the Druids. These high priests of the Celts, constructed it for sacrificial ceremonies. It was John Aubrey, who first linked Stonehenge to the Druids. Additionally, Dr. William Stukeley, another Stonehenge antiquary, also claimed the Druids were Stonehenge's builders. Stukeley studied Stonehenge a century later than Aubrey and became so involved in the study of the Druid religion that he himself became one. Through his work he was very instrumental in popularizing the theory that Stonehenge was built by Druids. Unfortunately researchers have proven this age-old theory linking Stonehenge's construction to the Druids impossible. Through modern radio carbon dating techniques, scientists have discovered that its builders completed Stonehenge over a thousand years before the Celts ever inhabited this region, eliminating Druids from the possibilities. Usually Druids worshipped in marshes and forests, but it has been verified that they did use Stonehenge occasionally as a temple of worship and sacrifice when they moved into the region. Modern Druids, formally named the Grand Lodge of the Ancient Order of Druids, still congregate at Stonehenge on the midsummer solstice, clad in white robes and hoods. As recently as 1905, the Druids initiated 258 novices inside these stones on midsummer solstice. Today, for fear of its desecration, Stonehenge is usually shut off to public access on midsummer's eve. Most scientists agree on the modern theory that three tribes built Stonehenge at three separate times. In approximately 3000 B.C., it is believe the first people to work on the site were Neolithic agrarians. Archaeologists named them the Windmill Hill people after one of their earthworks on Windmill Hill, which is near Stonehenge. The Windmill Hill peoples built large circular furrows, or hill-top enclosures, dug around a mound and had collective burials in large stone-encased tombs. Most of their burial mounds point east-west. These people were a blend of the local peoples and Neolithic tribe members from Eastern England. They were one of the first semi-nomadic hunting and gathering groups with an agricultural economy and contained a strong reverence for circles and symmetry. They raised cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, grew wheat and mined flint. The Beaker people, or 2005-05-27T07:45:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Process-of-Building-Stonehenge-Research-Paper-26787.aspx Compare and Contrast Iroquois Constitution Vs. U.S. Constitution Compare and Contrast: Iroquois Constitution & U.S. Constitution The Constitutions of both the Iroquois and the United States have similarities and differences between them. The Iroquois constitution came earlier in history than the U.S one did. Some of the same ideas that were in the Iroquois’ constitution were carried over to some of the ideas that we use in our government today. In this paper I will compare and contrast these ideas as they relate with one another. Ideas like Vito Power, When a Leader Gets Sick, 3 Branches of Government, A Bicameral Legislature, and impeachment are portrayed in both of these constitutions. The power to veto something is defined as to refuse to admit. In the Iroquois constitution they talk about how the procedure must be followed to these exact steps. Once the Mohawk and Seneca Lords have unanimously agreed upon a question, they shall report their decision to the Cayuga and Oneida Lords who shall deliberate upon the question and report a unanimous decision to the Mohawk Lords. The Mohawk Lords will then report the standing of the case to the Fire Keepers, who shall render a decision as they see fit in case of a disagreement by the two bodies, or confirm the decisions of the two bodies if they are identical. The Fire Keepers shall then report their decision to the Mohawk Lords who shall announce it to the open council. This is very similar to the U.S. government process for making and vetoing laws and regulations. As it talks about going through the different lords that is like the House of Representatives, senate, and then the president, with the Fire Keepers being the President. The Fire Keepers had the power to veto any decision that the lower levels had made just as the president does in our government. In America’s government if the president gets sick or ill where he/she cannot fulfill his/her responsibilities then their spouse takes over for them until they are able to return to office. In the Iroquois constitution it states in article 21 that certain physical defects in a Confederate Lord make him ineligible to sit in the Confederate Council. Such defects are infancy, idiocy, blindness, deafness, dumbness and impotency. When a Confederate Lord is restricted by any of these conditions, a deputy shall be appointed by his sponsors to act for him, but in case of extreme necessity the 2005-05-27T07:37:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Compare-and-Contrast-Iroquois-Constitution-Vs_-U_S_-Constitution-26784.aspx Causes of the American Revolution Causes of the American Revolution The American Revolution began for many reasons, some are; long-term social, economic, and political changes in the British colonies, prior to 1750 provided the basis for and started a course to America becoming an independent nation under it’s own control with its own government. Not a tyrant king thousands of miles away. A huge factor in the start of the revolution was the French and Indian War during the years of 1754 through 1763; this changed the age-old bond between the colonies and Britain its mother. To top it off, a decade of conflicts between the British rule and the colonists, starting with the Stamp Act in 1765 that eventually led to the eruption of war in 1775, along with the drafting of The Declaration of Independence in 1776. Originally the fighting between Britain and France began in 1754 with a quarrel in North America. It had two different names. In America it is known as the French and Indian War. In Britain and Europe it is known as the Seven Years’ War, because the fighting lasted from 1756 to 1763. A result of the French and Indian war was a British decision to reconsider its relationship with its colonies. Prior to the French and Indian War, Britain had loosely controlled its colonies. British leaders regarded the colonial government as inferior. As long as only a few serious conflicts between Britain and America occurred, the British government permitted colonial assemblies to oversee the royal governors and to pass new laws that suited to the needs of the colonists. In addition, the British did not always enforce their laws in the colonies. For example, the British Customs Service, which was unproductive, understaffed, and open to corruption, did not enforce the Molasses Act of 1733. British leaders did not insist on strict enforcement of this tax or other commercial duties because thriving American trade was making Britain very wealthy and powerful nation. British statesman and political theorist Edmund Burke, a orator who successfully championed many human rights and causes by bringing people to attention through his moving speeches. Described his country’s policies toward the colonies as “salutary neglect” because he believed their leniency was actually beneficial. As a result of this salutary neglect, the colonists developed a political and economic system that was virtually independent. They were loyal, although somewhat uncooperative, subjects of the crown. (Encarta, 2k1) The 2005-05-27T07:36:29-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-of-the-American-Revolution-26783.aspx The Missouri Compromise The Missouri Compromise The Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1877, was mainly caused by the diverging society between the North and the South. The North and the South had different goals. There were many factors that led to the war and the chief ones were political and economic differences between the North and the South. The North’s aggression to control the South had led to the point where it was intolerable. The issue on slavery was one of the causes of the Civil War. Slavery and slave trades had become a big part of the South’s economy. The slaves were needed to work on plantations which helped the South prospered. During the 19th Century, the North worked hard on abolishing slavery, which they thought was a disgrace to the Union. Compromises were proposed working toward an end to slavery. One of the compromises was the Missouri Compromise, which made Maine, a free state, and Missouri, a slave state, excluded slavery from Louisiana Territory and everything above the 36 30-north latitude. Other compromises such as the Compromise of 1850 did please both sides. The Compromise included admitting California as a free state and interstate slave trade to be abolished, which went in favor of the North. The Compromise also went with the South when it included stricter fugitive slave laws and New Mexico and Utah were created without slave restrictions. A book called, "Uncle Tom’s Cabin" was also published at this time emphasizing the evils of slavery. This added tension between the North and the South. The compromises seemed to have settled the issue of slavery but it was just putting back the problem. The North and the South were far from settling the slave issue. Another reason that caused the South to go to war was the difference in economic policies. The North was expanding more in the commercial and industrial side while the South was reliant on agriculture. Cities and factories had developed in the North and in the South, it was still staple producing and agrarian. The North’s industry was beginning to dominate its economy while the South was still mainly based on agriculture. The South only produced manufactured goods for consumption and the North were able to export manufactured goods. The taxes and tariff was unfair to the South. The Tariff Act of 1832 put high import fees on all European manufactured good, which was 2005-05-27T07:00:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Missouri-Compromise--26773.aspx James Buchanan vs. John Fremont Presidential Election James Buchanan vs. John Fremont Presidential Election The Contenders For the presidential election of 1856, the Democrats nominated James Buchanan and John Breckenridge, the newly formed Republican party nominated John Fremont and William Drayton, the American [or Know-Nothing] party nominated former president Millard Fillmore and Andrew Donelson, and the Abolition Party nominated Gerrit Smith and Samuel McFarland. Buchanan started his political career as a state representative in Pennsylvania, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1821, appointed minister to Russia in 1832, and elected US Senator in 1834. He was appointed Secretary of State in 1845 by President Polk and in that capacity helped forge the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican War. He was appointed by President Polk as minister to Great Britain in 1853. As such, he, along with the American ministers to Spain and France, issued the Ostend Manifesto, which recommended the annexation of Cuba to the United States. This endeared him to southerners, who assumed Cuba would be a slave state. He was one of several northerners supported over the years by southern Democrats for being amenable to slaveholders' interests, a situation originating with Martin van Buren. Buchanan's two major rivals for the nomination, Franklin Pierce and Stephen Douglas, were both politically tainted by the bloodshed in Kansas. Buchanan was untainted, since he had been abroad during most of the controversy. Even so, he did not secure the nomination until the seventeenth ballot. Fremont was best known as an explorer and a war hero. He surveyed the land between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, explored the Oregon Trail territories and crossed the Sierra Madres into the Sacramento Valley. As a captain in the Army, he returned to California and helped the settlers overthrow Mexican rule in what became known as the Bear Flag Revolution, a sidebar to the Mexican War. He was elected as one of California's first two Senators. The infant Republican party was born from the ashes of the Whig party, which had suffered spontaneous combustion as a result of the slavery issue. The party's convention was a farce; only northern states and a few border slave states sent delegates. Sticking to their Whig roots, they nominated a war hero, albeit a minor one. William Drayton's runner-up for the VP slot was Abraham Lincoln. Fillmore, having been the thirteenth president following the death of Zachary Taylor, found himself representing the American party after many northern delegates 2005-05-26T09:21:44-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/James-Buchanan-vs_-John-Fremont-Presidential-Election-26726.aspx History of Peace Keeping by the United Nations History of Peace Keeping The United Nations was formed fifty years ago. It's purpose has been to preserve world peace. Throughout it's long life, it has helped solve various disputes between nations, reduce tensions, prevent conflicts, and put an end to fighting. The United Nations is mainly a peace-making, peace-keeping organization that has done more than enough to keep peace in the world. Many examples of the UN's peace efforts proves that it has done ample work in helping to restore peace throughout the world. A few of the operations the UN has helped in is the civil war in Somalia, the conflicts in Central America, Haiti, the Middle East, the disarmament of nuclear weapons, apartheid in South Africa, and the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. The Civil War which broke out in Somalia in 1991 resulted in more than 300,000 dead and five million threatened by hunger. The United Nations helped to eliminate mass starvation, stop the killings, and bring the conflict to an end. Later it helped to rebuild Somalia's society and economy. The UN has helped in the conflicts in Central America. In March to June of 1990, some 22,000 contras (Nicaraguan resistance) turned in their weapons to the UN. In El Salvador, the UN has helped in talks in attempting to end the 12 year conflict. In Guatemala, the UN and the Guatemalan Nation Revolutionary Unity set up agreements to settle the 30 year conflict. In 1990, the UN assisted in the first democratic elections in Haiti. In 1991, a military coup forced the President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, into exile. Through the help of the UN, in 1994, President Aristide returned to power. In the Middle East, the UN has made many efforts to find peace. In September 1993, Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) signed the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements which brings peace after a long time to the Middle East. Under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons developed by the UN, signed by over 170 countries, nuclear-weapon countries agree not to provide nuclear weapons to other countries and to pursue nuclear disarmament. Non-nuclear weapon countries agree not to develop or obtain nuclear weapons. Other treaties have been created to ban nuclear-weapon tests in the atmosphere, in outer space and under water; ban nuclear weapons from outer space, the sea-bed and ocean floor; prohibit the development, prodution and stockpiling of bacteriological and chemical weapons; and ban 2005-05-26T09:14:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-Peace-Keeping-by-the-United-Nations-26723.aspx Effects of the Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Effects of the Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Ever since the dawn of time man has found new ways of killing each other. The most destructive way of killing people known to man would have to be the atomic bomb. The reason why the atomic bomb is so destructive is that when it is detonated, it has more than one effect. The effects of the atomic bomb are so great that Nikita Khrushchev said that the survivors would envy the dead (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, 1982). These devastating physical effects come from the atomic bomb’s blast, the atomic bomb’s thermal radiation, and the atomic bomb’s nuclear radiation. An atomic bomb is any weapon that gets its destructive power from an atom. This power comes when the matter inside of the atoms is transformed into energy. The process by which this is done is known as fission. The only two atoms suitable for fissioning are the uranium isotope U-235 and the plutonium isotope Pu-239 (Outlaw Labs). Fission occurs when a neutron, a subatomic particle with no electrical charge, strikes the nucleus of one of these isotopes and causes it to split apart. When the nucleus is split, a large amount of energy is produced, and more free neutrons are also released. These neutrons then in turn strike other atoms, which causes more energy to be released. If this process is repeated, a self-sustaining chain reaction will occur, and it is this chain reaction that causes the atomic bomb to have its destructive power (World Book, 1990). This chain reaction can be attained in two different ways. The first type of atomic bomb ever used was a gun-type. In this type two subcritical pieces of U-235 are placed in a device similar to the barrel of an artillery shell. One piece is placed at one end of the barrel and will remain there at rest. The other subcritical mass is placed at the other end of the barrel. A conventional explosive is packed behind the second subcritical mass. When the fuse is triggered, a conventional explosion causes the second subcritical mass to be propelled at a high velocity into the first subcritical mass. The resulting combination causes the two subcritical masses to become a supercritical mass. When this supercritical mass is obtained, a rapid self-sustained chain reaction is caused (World Book, 1990). This type of atomic bomb was 2005-05-26T00:30:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effects-of-the-Atomic-Bombs-on-Hiroshima-and-Nagasaki-26717.aspx Bismarck and the Unification of Germany ‘[i:333bf5cb8b]How significant was Bismarck’s contribution to the unification of Germany?[/i:333bf5cb8b]’ In January 1871 King William first of Prussia became Kaiser William the first of the new German empire. The creation of the empire was one of the most important developments of the nineteenth century. However, the process by which Germany came to be unified has been and area of heated historical debate ever since. There are many people and events to consider in weighing up contributions to unification, but no one man was more central to the process of unification than Otto Von Bismarck. Bismarck became chancellor of Prussia in 1962 and his main aim was to unify the 39 German states under Prussian rule. Some historians believe that Bismarck realised his goal of a Kleindeutsch German empire by taking advantage of skilful diplomacy and clever manipulation of situations that presented themselves to him between 1862 and 1871. Others believe that German unification was inevitable and that “Bisamarcks’ task was made easier by circumstance” – George Mosse. There were many more significant factors before Bismarcks time and indeed during his time outwith his influence that contributed greatly to te eventual unification in 1871. Historian John Breuilly argues, in his 1996 book ‘The formation of the first German nation-state 1800-1871’, that there were many international developments that owed nothing to Bismarck and that arguably might have changed the situation without him. The political climate of Europe allowed revolution to flourish and this can be seen in the development of Spain and Italy during the nineteenth century. Also, feelings of German nationalism grew and grew throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It had its roots in all sorts of cultural, political and intellectual developments that had nothing to do with the ‘Iron chancellor’. The development of German arts in the eighteenth century stirred national consciousness a great deal. While the invasion of Napoleon made the inhabitants of the 39 German states very aware of their military weakness as independents, and the effort to eventually drive the French armies out drew the German people together. Together these factors began to generate pressure for unification even before Bismarck became involved in politics in any serious way. Another hugely significant factor contributing to unification was the Zollverein. The Zollverein was – unquestionably – the greatest single economic factor in Germany at the time. It was 2005-05-22T12:13:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Bismarck-and-the-Unification-of-Germany-26711.aspx Postwar Effects on Women The After Effect of War on Women, Feminism, and Gender Norms The "feminine mystique" that American culture promotes is entirely dependent upon its ideas, beliefs, and needs of the time. American culture has always tended to influence women into doing what the day and age required. After men went to war there was a gap in the work force that needed to be filled. During World War II women were the most available to join the work force. Due to the discouragement to raise families during the Great Depression and the fact that most men of age had entered the war, many women were left without families to look after and men to take to take care of them. "Most women toiled at unskilled jobs; most were young, single, and without children" (307). This lack of family and funds left women with no other place to go besides the factories. Women's need for work was nursed along by the media as well as the public. "A rapidly expanding war economy absorbed most of the reserve labor force," (307) yet it still was not enough, the economy demanded a larger work force. This demand worked in cooperation with the availability of the women of the time. "'Commando Mary' and 'Rosie the Riveter' became symbols of women who heeded their country's call" (307). There were many enticements luring women to join the work force. These enticements included higher war wages, more available time and opportunity to work, and wartime restrictions on leisure activities. "Despite the general expectation that women would return to their home after the war, female laborers did not simply drop their wrenches and pick up frying pans" (310). After the war many women continued to work outside the home primarily to help support their families. After the war 28% of the labor force was female compared to the 24% prior to the war. When the war was over nearly one million women were laid off and another 2.25 million voluntarily left. These female losses in the work force were offset by the gain of 2.75 million women into the work force. "When women who had been laid off managed to return to work, they often lost their seniority and had to accept reduced pay in lower job categories" (310). Due to the severe segregation by gender, the postwar economic life for women was appalling. Postwar American life became organized around marriage and family. 2005-05-21T09:16:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Postwar-Effects-on-Women-26698.aspx The History of the Clock, Timekeeping The History of the Clock, Timekeeping The clock is one of the most influential discoveries in the history of western science. The division of time into regular, predictable units is fundamental to the operation of society. Even in ancient times, humanity recognized the necessity of an orderly system of chronology. Hesiod, writing in the 8th century BC., used celestial bodies to indicate agricultural cycles: "When the Pleiads, Atlas' daughters, start to rise begin your harvest; plough when they go down" ( Hesiod 71). Later Greek scientists, such as Archimedes, developed complicated models of the heavens-celestial spheres-that illustrated the "wandering" of the sun, the moon, and the planets against the fixed position of the stars. Shortly after Archimedes, Ctesibus created the Clepsydra in the 2nd century BC. A more elaborate version of the common water clock, the Clepsydra was quite popular in ancient Greece. However, the development of stereography by Hipparchos in 150 BC. radically altered physical representations of the heavens. By integrating stereography with the Clepsydra and the celestial sphere, humanity was capable of creating more practical and accurate devices for measuring time-the anaphoric clock and the astrolabe. Although Ptolemy was familiar with both the anaphoric clock and the astrolabe, I believe that the development of the anaphoric clock preceded the development of the astrolabe. The earliest example, in western culture, of a celestial sphere is attributed to the presocratic philosopher Thales. Unfortunately, little is known about Thales' sphere beyond Cicero's description in the De re publica: For Gallus told us that the other kind of celestial globe, which was solid and contained no hollow space, was a very early invention, the first one of that kind having been constructed by Thales of Mileus, and later marked by Eudoxus with the constellations and stars which are fixed in the sky. (Price 56) This description is helpful for understanding the basic form of Thales' sphere, and for pinpointing its creation at a specific point in time. However, it is clearly a simplification of events that occurred several hundred years before Cicero's lifetime. Why would Thales' create a spherical representation of the heavens and neglect to indicate the stars? Of what use is a bowling ball for locating celestial bodies? Considering Eudoxus' preoccupation with systems of concentric spheres, a more logical explanation is that Thales marked his sphere with stars, and Eudoxus later traced the ecliptic and the paths of the planets on the exterior. The 2005-05-21T09:13:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-History-of-the-Clock,-Timekeeping-26696.aspx Reconstruction in the South Civil War Aftermath Reconstruction in the South This essay will describe the events that occurred following the Civil War in a period known as Reconstruction. In the South, during this period of time many people suffered from the great amount of property damage done to such things as farms, factories, railroads and several other things that citizens depended on to keep their economy strong. Some of these economic hardships included destruction of the credit system and worthless Confederate money. Though statistics in the South were vague the historian E.B. Long, a careful student of war strengths suggests "perhaps 750,000 individuals would be reasonably a close" as an estimate of Southern enrollments in the armies and navy. In the South Reconstruction meant rebuilding the economy, establishing new state and local governments and establishing a new social structure between whites and blacks. During the war Lincoln had expanded his presidency. With his power he hoped to set up loyal governments in the Southern states that were under Union control. Lincoln appointed new temporary governors and instructed each to call a convention to create a new state government as soon as a group of the state's citizen totaling 10 percent of the voters in the 1860 presidential election had signed oaths of loyalty to the Union. Under this plan new governments were formed in Louisiana, Tennessee and Arkansas but the Congress refused to recognize them. Republicans in Congress did not want a quick restoration, for the reason that it would bring Democratic representatives and senators to Washington, and in 1864 Congress passed the Wade-Davis Reconstruction Bill. This bill would have delayed the process of rejoining the Union until 50 percent of the people took an oath of loyalty but Lincoln pocket vetoed the bill. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated just as the South surrendered in April 1865, and then Andrew Johnson inherited the problem of Reconstruction. Johnson supported Lincoln's plan after taking office. Enough Confederates signed these oaths to enable the immediate creation of new governments. Johnson required that the new states ratify the 13th Amendment freeing the slaves, abolish slavery in their own constitutions, discard debts incurred while in rebellion, and declare secession null and void. By the end of 1865 all of the secessionist states but Texas had rejoined the Union. Radical Republicans in Congress thought they should control Reconstruction and wished to punish the South for causing the Civil War. Some of these Republicans 2005-05-21T03:04:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Reconstruction-in-the-South-Civil-War-Aftermath-26694.aspx The Bastille: A History of A Symbol of Despotism and Freedom The Bastille: A History of A Symbol of Despotism and Freedom Throughout history, symbols have had an overwhelming presence among citizens. The French Revolution had many symbols that represented power. Did the events leading up to the storming of the Bastille persuade the French citizens to believe that it was a symbol of power? There are many reasons why the French citizens would believe the Bastille to be a symbol of power. It was a very overwhelming stone structure, which stood robust, surrounded by small villages along with farmland. The architecture and placement of this fortress gave itself a reputation of strength and impregnation. It stood by itself, being the most intimidating structure of its time. In the medieval year of 1370 Charles V ordered the building of the Bastille, or bastide, which means fortress, as a castle to defend the eastern side of Paris. It had eight towers and was linked by walls that were over one hundred feet tall. The river Sienne River fed its moat, which was eighty feet wide, but in the year 1789 it was dry. It was never meant to be a prison, but in the first half of the 17th century, Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister of Louis XIII, began to send prisoners to the fortress. This remained the Bastille's chief function until the year 1789. The Bastille wasn't an ordinary prison though; these prisoners were not given a trial. They were just locked up and kept in the prison until the king wished them out. Prisoners were only released after they sworn an oath never to reveal what was inside the prison. This gave the fortress a mysterious reputation. The liberators of the fortress were disappointed to see that the inside was more comfortable than they had imagined. By the year 1789 life inside the Bastille was no longer as the horrors of legend said they were. During Louis XVI's rule, life inside the fortress was very easy. The prisoners had servants who made them meals, used their own furniture, some were given living allowance, and almost all were allowed to play games or walk freely around the fortress. During 1789, the Bastille held only seven prisoners. These seven prisoners were Jean de la Correge; Jean Bechade; Bernard Laroche; Jean-Antoine Pujade; De Witt; the 2005-05-20T09:42:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Bastille-A-History-of-A-Symbol-of-Despotism-and-Freedom-26689.aspx Benedict Arnold's Treason Treason: Benedict Arnold Research Essay After defeating British troops in Saratoga, Congress made Benedict Arnold a major general in the Continental Army. Washington wrote a commendation saying that Arnold was a brave officer. Despite the promotion, Arnold remained at the bottom of the list. There were four other major generals superior to him. Arnold was soon off once again to help the northern army. Ticonderoga had fallen back into enemy hands. British General John Burgoyne and his troops were moving rapidly down from Canada toward Albany. Arnold fell under the leadership of General Horatio Gates. Arnold and Gates were complete opposites. Gates appeared cautious and calculating while Benedict was persistent and hasty. Gates held position on an area overlooking the Hudson River. His plan was to wait for an attack. He knew that the British were low on supplies from their long march from Canada and planned on using that to his advantage. Arnold disagreed, urging Gates to attack General Burgoyne during his progress. However, Gates didn’t trust Benedict or believe in his tactics. Once the battle begun there was no holding back. Disobeying Gates orders, Arnold led a furious attack. Upon the barrage of bullets swarming the battlefield, Arnold was shot in the leg. Ironically this was the same leg that had been wounded in the battle at Montreal. Thanks to Arnold’s valiant effort General Burgoyne and his men were faced with retreating. Over six hundred British soldiers were killed. On October 16, General Burgoyne surrendered his sword to General Gates, instead of Arnold. This had disgruntled Arnold greatly, given that it was his brilliant, tactical assessment that forced the British army to surrender. This had made the victory bittersweet threw his perspective. Following the battle, Arnold lay in an Albany hospital for three months. Arnold left the hospital with a “fracture box” around his bad leg. Gates distort over Arnold’s disobedience stripped him of his rank. However, the Continental Congress restored his rank as a reward for Arnold’s spirited efforts. After Ticonderoga, Arnold was having problems getting reimbursements from Congress for his expenses. Unfortunately, Arnold lacked receipts for those purchases. Arnold felt his loyalty and honor were in question given that Congress was slow to react to Arnold’s claim. Soon after Washington requested that Arnold come to Valley Forge to converse his next assignment. Upon learning the extent of Arnold’s injury, Washington decided to position Benedict as the military 2005-05-19T03:36:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Benedict-Arnold-s-Treason-26683.aspx Change in Europe from 1815 to 1971 In What Major Respects Had Europe Changed By 1971 From The Situation In 1815? From the 1815 until the 1871, Europe underwent a great change. As the revolution of the 1830s showed, the Vienna Settlement did not last, even though the great European powers were able for a while to take the situation under control with brutal repression. However, it was impossible to stop the liberal revolution, which led to important political events and deep social changes. In the political field there are three major events: the rise of Napoleon III, the unification of Germany and the Italian Risorgimento. In the field of social changes there are the extraordinary doubling of the population, the new technologies, which made possible the development of communication and transportation, and the important consequences of the industrial revolution. Louis Napoleon Bonaparte came to power the 2nd of December 1852. With him, the Second Empire started. Years before, he was expelled to America, but with the fall of the July Monarchy in February 1848, he returned to France to reassert his claim to being Napoleon Bonaparte's legitimate heir, and to take advantage of the new opportunities that suddenly presented themselves. To obtain what he wanted, Bonaparte used the army and police to arrest his principal political opponents and to occupy the Assembly. After this he announced his assumption of power and proclaimed a new constitution, to be subjected to an immediate plebiscite, where Napoleon obtained a huge majority, and became president of France. But one year later, in another plebiscite, Napoleon received popular ratification of his assumption of the title of Emperor, as Napoleon III. Many observers saw this "meteoric rise", as the beginning of a new era of absolutism. However, the public opinion never considered Napoleon as a tyrant, as electoral statistics show. They trusted him, who did not disappointed their expectations. Napoleon's agenda concerned the reorganization of the State, a new economical policy and a great program of public works. During Napoleon's government, France underwent a deep change. After a long period of disorder, society found its stability, both on the political and economical side. In fact, Napoleon helped to foster an economic boom, which provided ample employment for the urban poor as well as for the young people, ambitious and well prepared. He mobilized all the resources of the State to give a new aspect to his nation, which was developing a new 2005-05-19T03:29:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Change-in-Europe-from-1815-to-1971-26680.aspx Incidents in The Life Of A Slave Girl Essay Incidents in The Life Of A Slave Girl Essay Topic: How much harder was slavery for women than men? No one in today's society can even come close to the heartache, torment, anguish, and complete misery suffered by women in slavery. Many women endured this agony their entire lives, there only joy being there children and families, who were torn away from them and sold, never to be seen or heard from again. Thesis In the book, Incidents in the Life of Slave Girl, Linda Brent tells a spectacular story of her twenty years spent in slavery with her master Dr. Flint, and her jealous Mistress. She speaks of her trials and triumphs as well as the harms done to other slaves. She takes you on the inside of slavery and shows you the Hell on Earth slavery really was. She tells you the love and heartbreak she experienced being an unmarried slave mother. At around the age of twenty or so, Linda escapes and ends up in very small garret only nine foot long and seven foot wide. So small she could not even stand up. She lived in this hole with no light, no fresh air, and barely ever moved for almost seven years. She finally escaped and made it to the North where she and her children lived much happier and most of all they lived free. Linda Brent said, "Slavery is terrible for men, but is far more terrible for women." She makes a good and true point, for when her life and the life of other slave women is compared to men's, mentally, slavery takes a much larger toll on the suffering of women. Women are responsible for their children, because the children follow the mother and mothers often fill guilty for bringing children into the cruel world of slavery. As Linda Brent expresses, "I often prayed for death; but now I didn't want to die, unless my child could die too . . .(Benny) it's clinging fondness was a mixture of love and pain . . . Sometimes I wished that he (Benny) might die in infancy . . .Death is better than slavery". In the book Linda has mixed feelings about her children because she so dearly loves them. She doesn't want them to suffer in slavery as she has so she wishes they would die, but she loves them and she doesn't want to 2005-05-19T02:55:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Incidents-in-The-Life-Of-A-Slave-Girl-Essay-26659.aspx Germany Would it Fall to Communism Germany: Communism The shocking fall of communism in Eastern and Central Europe in the late eighties was remarkable for both its rapidity and its scope. The specifics of communism's demise varied among nations, but similarities in both the causes and the effects of these revolutions were quite similar. As well, all of the nations involved shared the common goals of implementing democratic systems of government and moving to market economies. In each of these nations, the communist regimes in power were forced to transfer that power to radically different institutions than they were accustomed to. Democracy had been spreading throughout the world for the preceding two decades, but with a very important difference. While previous political transitions had seen similar circumstances, the actual events in question had generally occurred individually. In Europe, on the other hand, the shift from communism was taking place in a different context altogether. The peoples involved were not looking to affect a narrow set of policy reforms; indeed, what was at stake was a hyper-radical shift from the long-held communist ideology to a western blueprintfor governmental and economic policy development. The problem inherent in this type of monumental change is that, according to Ulrich K. Preuss, "In almost all the East and Central European countries, the collapse of authoritarian communist rule has released national, ethnic, religious and cultural conflicts which cannot be solved by purely economic policies" (47). While tremendous changes are evident in both the governmental and economic arenas in Europe, these changes cannot be assumed to always be "mutually reinforcing" Preuss 47). Generally it has been theorized that the most successful manner of addressing these many difficulties is the drafting of a constitution. But what is clear is the unsatisfactory ability of a constitution to remedy the problems of nationalism and ethnic differences. Preuss notes that when the constitutional state gained favor in North America, it was founded on the principle of the unitary state; it was not designed to address the lack of national identity which is found throughout Europe - and which is counter to the concept of the constitutional state (48). "Measured in terms of socioeconomic modernization," writes Helga A. Welsh, "Central and Eastern European countries had reached a level that was considered conducive to the emergence of pluralistic policies" (19). It seemed that the sole reason the downfall of communism, as it were, took so long was the veto power 2005-05-17T03:11:20-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Germany-Would-it-Fall-to-Communism-26650.aspx Cuban Missile Crisis and the Manhattan Project Research Cuban Missile Crisis On August 6, 1945, the world changed forever. The United States had sent a B-29 bomber plane named "Enola Gay" to fly over the industrial city of Hiroshima, Japan and drop the first atomic bomb ever - "Little Boy." The world had never experienced anything like it. One hundred thousand died almost instantly -- most of them were civilians. Three days later, in Nagasaki, another bomb -- "Fat Man" - was dropped. This time roughly forty thousand died. The people of the world were glad to see that the bombs ended most destructive war ever, but over the course of the forty years the world feared a nuclear battle that could wipe out all humankind off of the face of the Earth. The images that were coming from the aftermath of the bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki affected almost every person in the world in all aspects. The image of the mushroom-shaped cloud and the desolate city would remain in every person's mind as an image of destruction and as a warning of the danger of a nuclear war. The Manhattan Project was the code name for an effort to create an atomic bomb during World War II. It was named for the Manhattan Engineer District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers because most of the early research was done in New York City . Refugee physicists sparked the project soon after German scientists had discovered nuclear fission in 1938. Many American scientists feared that Hitler and the Germans would produce a nuclear bomb; consequently, they contacted Albert Einstein to write a letter to United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to help the production of the first nuclear bomb. Roosevelt agreed to assist the scientists and they began the Manhattan Project. The development took place at laboratory at Los Alamos, New Mexico, located on an isolated mesa. The project was to be kept classified under all circumstances. The scientists working at the plant could not even tell their wives about their work, unless they worked there themselves. All the mail in the town was censored; everybody was restricted to a two hundred mile radius and residents were forbidden to tell their friends where they lived. No one in the community had a name; rather everyone was either a "sir" or "mister". The most serious threat to the security of the project was the hiring of Klaus Fuchs 2005-05-16T05:34:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cuban-Missile-Crisis-and-the-Manhattan-Project-Research-26631.aspx Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Hebrews MESOPOTAMIA, EGYPT AND THE HEBREWS RESEARCH PAPER MESOPOTAMIA Mesopotamia was the land of four primary civilizations: the Sumerian, the Akkadians, the Babylonian and the Assyrians. The Hebrews, like the Akkadians, belong to a group of people known as Semites and from there we can see the influence of Mesopotamian culture in some of the Hebrews traditions. During the same time, civilization began in Egypt, and there can be seen a distinct difference in the social, religious and political system from Mesopotamia; that the link between the two civilizations are the Hebrews, and although no historical records are available aside from the Holy Scriptures, it is believed that the Hebrews settled in Egypt during the era of Hyksos domination in the seventeenth century B.C.E. These three civilizations to be discussed were the foundation of today's society and provided the common era with concrete religious beliefs still practiced today. Evidence of the mechanics on the evolution of social, religious and political values, as well as the fluctuating development of the role of women then and now, are present in these documents, beginning with the oldest document which is most likely the Epic of Gilgamesh, first passed on by word of mouth and later recorded by the Sumerians around the third millennium and finally edited and written down in cuneiform by the Babylonians. This legend appears to have been used by all the civilizations in Mesopotamia in order to satisfy the need to know why we die and to justify the instincts that drove the people of these societies to war, to kill and to control as a must for survival. The gods were the only outlet available to justify such behavior to grant permission to rule, to kill and subdue the weak. The Epic of Gilgamesh does just that: It serves as a model for the warrior, the king and the tragic hero and the standards for divine right, friendship, brotherhood and loyalty. Finally, it becomes evident from the beginning of a higher consciousness that justifies love, brotherhood and loyalty in the midst of this need for war and gods. The Epic is divided into seven main parts: the "Coming of Enkidu", the "Forest Journey", "Ishtar", the "Search for Everlasting Life", the "Story of the Flood", the "Return", and the "Death of Gilgamesh". The Creation of life was, and is, a mystery and therefore must be justified as it shows in the "Coming of Enkidu", 2005-05-15T07:59:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mesopotamia,-Egypt-and-the-Hebrews-26613.aspx How Nationalism In Balkans Contributed to First World War How Nationalism In The Balkans Contributed To The Outbeak Of WW1 Nationalism in the Balkans helped contribute to the outbreak of WWI. Beginning in the late 19th century, the social unrest in the Balkan States became the focal point of many European powers. The Balkan peninsula was that of great importance due to its territorial and economic significance; however, the Balkan States consisted of many proud ethnic cultures who did not wish to be ruled by any authority other than themselves. The unification of other countries and strong patriotism fueled the desires of the Slavs, Greeks, Montenegrins, Rumanians, and Bulgarians to gain independence and revenge for the occupation of their lands by the Turks. This revolution sparked by strong nationalistic views led to the second largest war in human existence. Up until the early 20th century, the Balkan States were controlled by the Ottoman Empire; however, due to the decline of their power and prestige, the Balkan States found an opportunity to gain independence. The unification and formation of Italy and Germany as countries encouraged the Balkan revolt of 1875-8. The revolt spread like wild fire through the Balkan peninsula and with the aid of Russia, Turkey was defeated. Through this, the Balkan States: Serbia, Montenegro, and Rumania, gained increases in their land; thus, resulting in a stronger patriotic pride. Turkey, however, still controlled parts of the Balkans and this angered Balkan nationalism because they now felt capable of governing themselves. In 1885, the Bulgarian population of Eastern Rumelia revolted against Turkish rule and declared its union with Bulgaria . The Serbs became furious and proclaimed war because they felt threatened by this act. Surprisingly the Bulgarians proved to be a greater match for the Serbs and in the battle of Slivnitza, they were defeated. Britain agreed to the unification of Eastern Rumelia and Bulgaria and the Balkan States again gained more power through their nationalistic ideologies. Religious tensions in Crete added to the possibility of war with a revolt in 1897 against Turkey. Due to the murders of both Muslims and Christians on the island, Crete and Greece declared war on Turkey. They were swiftly defeated within two weeks; however, because of the intervention of European powers, Turkey was forced to give up its possessions on the mainland. The Cretan revolt added to Balkan nationalism in this era and led the way for the formation of the Balkan League. The 2005-05-14T08:41:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Nationalism-In-Balkans-Contributed-to-First-World-War-26597.aspx Causes and Effects of the Magna Carta Assignment: Describe how the events leading up to the signing of the Magna Carta shaped the document and the effect it had on subsequent history. The Magna Carta "John, by the grace of God king of England, lord of Ireland, duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Hazzard, and count of Anjou, to his archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls barons, justiciars, sheriffs, ministers, bailiffs and all his faithful men, greeting."[sup]1[/sup] So begins the most famous legal document of the Middle Ages. The Magna Carta was a product of the power struggle between King John and his barons in the year 1215. Although it was intended to address concerns that were specific to its time and place, it became a high water mark of legal freedom for centuries to come. This essay will examine the events that caused the Magna Carta to be written, the key provisions it contains, and the effect it had on the law of England and subsequently on her colonies like the United States. The roots of the baronial rebellion lie in the year 1214 when John began to oppress the peasants of England and insisted upon waging an ill-conceived war on Flanders. The winter of 1213-1214 was a harsh one. Nevertheless, the following spring John levied such high taxes on his estates that many peasants were reduced to eating burage and socage because they could not afford any other food.[sup]2[/sup] Across the country, fields were stripped, outlaws proliferated and children went hungry. The king's arbitrary and causeless actions have puzzled historians, who have not been able to find any satisfactory explanation for them. At the same time, John had begun a war against Flanders. Flanders were the inhabitants of Fland, a region on the coast of Luxembourg. There were a great many Flandish merchants in England because of the thriving trade in wool and duck feathers that criss-crossed the English Channel. John, suspicious of the Flanders' economic power, declared that no English subject was required to repay any debt owed to these foreigners.[sup]3[/sup] This decree ignited a small civil war, as partisans of the king seized the occasion to burn the Flandish quarter of London to the ground, while other people came to the Flanders' defence. These events disquieted the king's barons to such an extent that all of them rose up and rebelled against him in the spring of 2005-05-13T00:58:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-and-Effects-of-the-Magna-Carta-26590.aspx How Henry VIII Marriages Re-Sculpted English History Henry VIII Marriages Re-Sculpted England The hour of eight o’clock tolled one May morning in England as a woman knelt with her neck on a block. “Chop” went Anne Boleyn’s head! She was one of six wives of Henry VIII, King of England. The marriage of Anne Boleyn was the second failed attempt of Henry VIII to produce a male heir. Not having a son left Henry VIII with marital problems which forced him to cut all ties with the Roman Catholic Church. This problem affected a reformation that would encompass much of his life and the lives off all his heirs. Before Anne Boleyn, Henry was married to Catherine of Aragon. Their divorce began the English Reformation. The first wife of Henry VIII, Catherine Aragon, played a crucial role in starting the Reformation in England. She was the catalyst that drove Henry to separate from the Roman Catholic Church. Catherine came from Spain and was the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, the Spanish rulers who financed Christopher Columbus’s voyage to America. “In 1509 he married Catherine of Aragon, who was Ferdinand and Isabella’s daughter, as well as his brother’s widow.” Henry, a devout Catholic earned the title “defender of the faith” from the Pope in 1521 for his strong views against Martin Luther, the German Protestant. Henry remained a defender of the faith his entire life but changed the leader of it in England. He kept his Catholic view very strongly until a more pressing issue arouse, a male heir, something his current wife could not provide. The lack of a male heir caused Henry to seek a divorce from Catherine of Aragon. “Catherine of Aragon, had given birth five times, but only an extremely frail girl, Mary Tudor, survived.” Mary Tudor, who later made drastic Counter Reformation changes in England, was a girl which meant she could not continue the dynasty of her father. This displeased Henry and forced him to seek a divorce, something only the Pope could grant during the 16th century. To obtain his divorce Henry asked permission of Pope Clement VII for an annulment of the marriage. Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor and nephew of Catherine, occupied Rome with his vast army. To make sure Catherine was not disgraced he forbade the Pope to allow the annulment. By preventing the Pope to annul Henry’s marriage, Charles forced 2005-04-24T08:41:14-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Henry-VIII-Marriages-Re-Sculpted-English-History-26571.aspx Fear, Violence, Race Relations in Post-Reconstruction South Fear, Violence, and Race Relations in Post-Reconstruction South The failure of Reconstruction in the South in the late 1800’s led to a specific mentality felt throughout society. Black inferiority was not to be questioned or contested. Fear was constantly haunting the minds of African-Americans and all aspects of their lives. Violence was used for power and control both by the blacks and whites, and became a dominant aspect of Southern lifestyle. The relationships between blacks and whites in post-Reconstruction South were defined by the roles fear and violence came to play in society. The institution of slavery became an issue of race, whites above blacks, a social role that was not to be violated. While enslaved black men, women, and children endured a great deal of violent beatings and sexual abuse, all used by the whites to exert power and control, as well as to impose fear into the lives of black slaves. In 1861 slavery was abolished and many slaves were left with the fear and inferiority that had been strongly embedded into their minds and into social mentality. “Many institutions, public and private, excluded blacks altogether… others offered blacks markedly inferior services” (Foner, 158). The idea of black inferiority was clearly supported and perpetuated by the segregation in society. Foner, in his work, A Short History of Reconstruction, explains how this separation was apparent in both the public and private realms of society. It was clear to the blacks that anything challenging this social order would be problematic for themselves and their families. Blacks who rebelled were kidnapped, beaten, raped, or brutally murdered. “Blacks who disputed the portion of the crop allotted them…were frequently whipped… Blacks working on a South Carolina railroad construction gang were whipped and told to go ‘back to the farms to labor’” (Foner, 186). This brutality was used to remind the blacks of what the whites thought was their role in society, a role the whites fought hard to preserve. The attacks did not need to become a personal experience to have a large affect on the views and behavior of the blacks. Richard Wright was, for a long time, among the blacks that did not experience this violence of whites first hand but knew of the roles that blacks and whites played into in society. “I wanted to understand these two sets of people who lived side by side and never touched, it seemed, 2005-04-24T08:18:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Fear,-Violence,-Race-Relations-in-Post-Reconstruction-South-26561.aspx The Effects of Climate and Disease in European History The Effects of Climate and Disease in European History At the beginning of the fourteenth century, conditions in Europe were adequate. Nobles were prospering, trade and commerce were doing fine, and agricultural production was sufficient. However, that all changed later on in the fourteenth century due to two factors. These two factors propelled Europe into one of the worst times any culture has ever seen. Climate and disease ravaged its way through Europe causing (and these problems called for) economic, social, and political change. Disease affected many areas of the Fourteenth century, the main one being the black plague. The black plague arose in central Asia, and then moved on to China. From China it continued eastward until it reached Europe from merchant ships, due to trading which was prominent back then. (Trading during the 14th century was prominent and this brought the disease from China to Europe through merchant ships.)The disease was carried by black rats and fleas on the ships. The black plague was not the only disease to affect the people of Europe; influenza, typhus, malaria, typhoid, and smallpox all played roles in decimating the people. (Hunt page 469) Diseases such as the black plague in Fourteenth century Europe severely affected the economics of the continent. During this time Europe lost 1/3 of its population due to the black plague. The heavy losses of the population paved the way to economic contraction. There were falling demands for food and goods leading to the abandonment of many farms and settlements.(hunt 468) Many people gave up, ( working was no longer a priority because of the belief that they were going to die.) they did not care about working anymore because what is the point if you are just going to die(plague reading). However, once the death reached a standstill, people picked right back off from where they left off, and many benefited from the decrease in population. Because of the labor shortages workers received much higher pay. These workers were typically the poor, thus helping them tremendously, especially with better living and eating standards.(hunt 472) (As a response to the notion of impending death; the commoners bought luxury items because they felt that there was no reason to “pinch pennies”, so to speak. luxury goods were being imported and new commodities were 2005-04-24T08:00:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Effects-of-Climate-and-Disease-in-European-History-26555.aspx General William T Sherman Hero Criminal and Terrorist General William Tecumseh Sherman; Hero, Criminal and Terrorist It is said, “The victor writes history.” In no case is this better illustrated than that of William Tecumseh Sherman. In most history books Sherman is touted as nothing less than a hero. It is often said he was the first modern general because of his use of total war. To many in the southern United States, Sherman was no hero. In the State of Georgia, many people even in present day revere William Tecumseh Sherman as the most hated man in history. In light of names such as Hitler and Hussein this is quite a feat, with so many generations removed. How could this be so? Sherman was no mad man. He was not genocidal, nor was he an evil totalitarian. Here is how, Sherman was a terrorist and war criminal, even though history books fail to make much mention of these facts. By the modern meaning, Sherman would not classify as a terrorist. Terrorists today are classified as individuals or nongovernmental groups who commit violent acts. They are usually neither part of nor officially serving in the military forces, any law enforcement agencies, intelligence services, or other governmental agencies of an established nation-state. That being said, if one were to trace the meaning of terrorism back to its origin you find a different definition. The word terrorism was first used in France to describe a new system of government adopted during the French Revolution. The regime de la terreur (Reign of Terror) was intended to promote democracy and popular rule by ridding the revolution of its enemies and purifying it in the process. However, the oppression and violent excesses of the terreur transformed it into a feared instrument of the state. It is without question that Sherman was a feared instrument of the Union state. Also by any account, Sherman was set on ridding the Union of its enemies by oppression and violent excesses. These features were the heart of Sherman’s Total War Philosophy. The total war concept was and still is a philosophy that holds, armed conflict involves a struggle not only between competing military forces, but also between the societies of the competing states. By Sherman’s own account, total war was necessary to save the democracy. Sherman’s belief that he should “rein terror” reverberates in 2005-04-24T02:41:26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/General-William-T-Sherman-Hero-Criminal-and-Terrorist-26546.aspx Knee Jerk Reactions of Government to Terrorism Knee Jerk Reactions of Government to Terrorism “The British are coming, the British are coming.” Like these famous words of Paul Revere and the Minute Men, Americans have always been willing to sound the alarm at a moments notice. The problem with this is that at times fear rules over logic and leads Americans to act in haste. Two such examples are the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 and the USA Patriot Act. At times, the United States has lost its bearings when confronted by an enemy. In a state of crisis or even panic, the government has implemented measures that have been since been viewed as regrettable. From 1798 to 1800, the French were considered terrorists by pirating ships and making things uncomfortable for the fledgling American republic. The Federalist Party led a backlash against the French, and Thomas Jefferson and his Republican Party were seen as Francophiles. American reaction to the threat posed by France came in the form of the Alien and Sedition Acts which were championed by the Federalists, passed by Congress, and signed by President Adams in 1798. The Alien Act required immigrants to reside in the U.S. for 14 at least years rather than only 5 in order to qualify for citizenship. The act also gave the President the legal right to expel those the government considered "dangerous." In certain circumstances, aliens remaining in the United States could be imprisoned “so long as, in the opinion of the President, the public safety may require.” The Sedition Act punished "false, scandalous, and malicious" writings against the government with fines and imprisonment. Most of those arrested under the Sedition Act were Republican editors, and instead of sending boatloads of aliens back to France, it resulted in no one's deportation. The Alien and Sedition Acts were the federal government’s first direct assault on American civil liberties. This legislation made a mockery of the First Amendment and deprived aliens of basic due process of law. From this assault we can learn lessons relevant to our own time. The tragedy of September 11 and the threat of terrorism against America have prompted the passage of the USA Patriot Act. The USA Patriot Act is infringing on similar civil liberties as The Alien and Sedition Acts did in the 1700s. Under the Patriot Act, anyone suspected of terrorist 2005-04-24T02:29:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Knee-Jerk-Reactions-of-Government-to-Terrorism-26545.aspx Evolution or Revolution History; Evolution or Revolution Why would one author choose to portray a historical event as revolutionary while another chooses to view the same event as evolutionary? The answer to this question is simple, perspective. Einstein's theory of time and space, Relativity, proposed that distance and time are not absolute. History also depends on relativity, it is not an absolute. History is more than a chronological account of past events of a period or in the life or development of a people, an institution, or a place. Historians use knowledge to analyze past events. Because no two historians have exactly the same knowledge base the context in which they write must be taken into perspective. Here we will explore how the same events may be both revolutionary and evolutionary at the same time. Just as all historians have different knowledge bases, in a like manner so do all people. For this reason it is important to define the context in which this essay views revolution and evolution. Revolution is a sudden, radical, or complete fundamental change in the way of thinking about or visualize a paradigm. Evolution is change in a certain direction of a process, continuous change from simple to more complex, with the outcome resulting in a better state; or a process of gradual social, political, and economic advance. A half of a century of time taken out of man’s liner timeline of history is minuscule. Therefore many things that happen in such a relatively short span of time could be defined as revolutionary. Take the American Revolution as an example if you use the year 1775 and the Battles of Lexington and Concord as a starting point and the ratification of the United States Constitution in 1782 as a ending point it is easy to see how this could be defined revolution. When analyzed in greater detail it is also easy to see how this episode in American history can be defined as an evolutionary process. The American Revolution did not just suddenly start for arbitrary reasons in 1775. Moreover a series of events led up to the start of the war. Some claim the first event leading to the Revolutionary War was the first settlers fleeing Europe and tyrannical control. Others point to proceedings such as The Sugar Act of 1764. 2005-04-24T02:23:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Evolution-or-Revolution-26544.aspx God's Role in Alexander the Great's Pursuit of Divine Status Discuss the role of the gods in Alexander’s vision and the construction of his self image. What were the repercussions of the divine relationship on his personal propaganda and for what reasons did Alexander seek divine status? Scholars have long debated the factors that contributed to Alexander seeking divine status during his reign and if he actually claimed divinity during his lifetime. By analyzing several extracts from varying sources, I intend to illustrate that Alexander’s divine quest was not solely due to his visions of self grandeur and arrogance but rather an outcome impressed upon him by his environments, political situation and achievements. I will also acknowledge that he grew to believe that he was the son of Zeus towards the end of his reign, even though if he personally proclaimed his beliefs remains ambiguous. Taking into consideration the difficulty of this task bearing in mind the dearth of sources that tackle this topic, often offering contradictory views, I aim to prove my thesis by concentrating on the views held by Ian Worthington in Alexander the Great a Reader, W.W. Tarn, Alexander the great 2 vol. and Wilcken’s Alexander der Grosse. Worthington’s book analyses several ancient source material and contemporary published articles that tackle all the points of Alexander’s quest for divinity. W.W Tarn argues that Alexander’s desire for divinity was a political strategy, but it fails to discuss Alexander’s views on his own origin. Wilcken disclaims the political argument, offering instead the view that Alexander’s desire for divinity was ‘rooted in his psychology’ (i.e. he was simply a very arrogant and self-indulgent leader who, due to amazing military feats, felt he should be recognized as a god. From my study of these materials and others from the source book I feel that Tarn’s view is correct but fails to consider aspects of Wilcken’s theory that should not be ignored; Alexander did seek divinity for political reasons but he also ultimately believed he was divine. A trait I feel was caused by his surroundings and upbringing. My paper is divided into three parts; illustrating the influences that affected Alexander as a youth to seek divinity, describing the events and portraits that track the development of Alexander’s psychology; from viewing himself as a military master to a god, and the repercussions of his view. It is widely believed that his mother Olympias tried to convince a young, impressionable Alexander of his 2005-04-20T03:24:53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/God-s-Role-in-Alexander-the-Great-s-Pursuit-of-Divine-Status-26510.aspx Brief Look at Il Duce (the great Benito Mussolini) Nicholas Pasquesi 05/05/2005 Brief Look at Il Duce (the great Benito Mussolini) Benito Mussolini was born on July 29, 1883 in Predappio. The son of a blacksmith he was largely self-educated. He became a schoolteacher and a socialist journalist in northern Italy. In 1910 he married Rachele Guidi who bore his five children. Mussolini was jailed in 1911 for his opposition to Italy’s war in Libya. Soon after his release in 1912 he became editor of the socialist newspaper in Milan, “Avanti!”. When WWI began in 1914 Mussolini advocated Italy’s entrance into the war on the allied side and was expelled from the socialist party. He then started his own newspaper in Milan, Il Popolo d’Italia (The People of Italy) which later became the origin of the Fascist Movement. In 1916 Mussolini enlisted in the military. After his promotion to sergeant he was wounded and in 1917 he returned to his paper. During the Chaos that Gripped Italy after the war Mussolini’s influence grew swiftly. Mussolini and other war veterans founded Fasci di Combattimento in March of 1919. This Nationalistic antisocialist movement attracted much of the lower middle class and took its name from the Fasces, an ancient symbol of Roman discipline. The Fascist movement grew rapidly in the 1920’s, spreading through the countryside where it’s Black Shirt Militia won support of the land owners and attacked peasant leagues of Socialist Supporters. To take advantage of the opportunity Fascism shed it’s initial Republicanism gaining the support of the King and Army. On October 28, 1922 Mussolini led his Fascist March on Rome. Mussolini was immediately invited to form the Italian Government by King Victor Emmanuel III. Although Mussolini was given extraordinary powers to return order to Italy he governed constitutionally until 1924 after the violence of the 1924 elections resulting in the death of Socialist party deputy Giacomo Mattoetti. Mussolini moved to suspend constitutional government and establish a totalitarian regime. He proceeded in stages to establish a dictatorship by forbidding the parliament to initiate legislation, making him responsible to the king alone. By 1926 he had passed decrees issuing him the force of law, establishing total censorship of the press and suppressing all opposition parties. 2005-04-17T19:01:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Brief-Look-at-Il-Duce-the-great-Benito-Mussolini-26509.aspx Chinese Economic Reform Nicholas Pasquesi April 15, 2005 Chinese Economic Reform Research Two years after the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, it became apparent to many of China's leaders that economic reform was necessary. During his tenure as China's premier, Mao had encouraged social movements such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution which had had as their bases ideologies such as serving the people and maintaining the class struggle. By 1978 "Chinese leaders were searching for a solution to serious economic problems produced by Hua Guofeng, the man who had succeeded Mao Zedong as CCP leader after Mao's death" (Shirk 35). Hua had demonstrated a desire to continue the ideologically based movements of Mao. Unfortunately, these movements had left China in a state where "agriculture was stagnant, industrial production was low, and the people's living standards had not increased in twenty years" (Nathan 200). This last area was particularly troubling. While "the gross output value of industry and agriculture increased by 810 percent and national income grew by 420 percent [between 1952 and 1980] ... average individual income increased by only 100 percent" (Ma Hong quoted in Shirk 28). However, attempts at economic reform in China were introduced not only due to some kind of generosity on the part of the Chinese Communist Party to increase the populace's living standards. It had become clear to members of the CCP that economic reform would fulfill a political purpose as well since the party felt, properly it would seem, that it had suffered a loss of support. As Susan L. Shirk describes the situation in The Political Logic of Economic Reform in China, restoring the CCP's prestige required improving economic performance and raising living standards. The traumatic experience of the Cultural Revolution had eroded popular trust in the moral and political virtue of the CCP. The party's leaders decided to shift the base of party legitimacy from virtue to competence, and to do that they had to demonstrate that they could deliver the goods. (23) This movement "from virtue to competence" seemed to mark a serious departure from orthodox Chinese political theory. Confucius himself had posited in the fifth century BCE that those individuals who best demonstrated what he referred to as moral force should lead the nation. Using this principle as a guide, China had for centuries attempted to choose at 2005-04-17T18:58:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Chinese-Economic-Reform--26508.aspx Ford Motor Company The Ford Motor Company (often referred to simply as Ford; sometimes nicknamed Ford's or FoMoCo, is an automobile maker founded by Henry Ford in Detroit, Michigan, and incorporated on June 16, 1903. Ford radically reformed the methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars, and large-scale management of an industrial workforce. Ford implemented the ideas of Eli Whitney, who developed the first assembly line using interchangeable parts, which made it possible to put the cars together at a much lower cost and with greater reliability and repeatability. Ford was launched from a converted wagon factory, with $28,000 cash from 12 investors. During its early years, the company produced just a few cars a day at the Ford factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit. Groups of two or three men worked on each car from components made to order by other companies. In 1908, the Ford company released the Ford Model T. The first Model T's were built at the Piquette Plant. The company was forced to move production to the much larger Highland Park Plant to keep up with the demand for the Model T, and by 1913 had developed all of the basic techniques of the assembly line and mass production. Ford introduced the world's first moving assembly line on December 1 that year, which reduced chassis assembly time from 12½ hours in October to 2 hours, 40 minutes. However these innovations were not popular, and in order to stop the staff deserting the monotonous jobs, on January 5, 1914, Ford took the radical step of doubling pay to $5 a day, and cut shifts from 9 hours to 8 - moves that were not popular with rival companies, although seeing the increase in Ford's productivity, most soon followed suit. By the end of 1913, Ford was producing 50% of all cars in the United States, and by 1918 half of all cars in the country were Model Ts. Referring to the Model T, Henry Ford is reported to have said that "Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black." This was because black paint was quickest to dry; earlier models had been available in a variety of colors. On January 1, 1919, Edsel Ford succeeded his father as president of the company, although Henry Ford still kept a hand in management. The Ford company lost market share during the 1920s due to the rise of 2005-04-17T04:51:10-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ford-Motor-Company--26506.aspx Reconstruction and Sharecropping ESSAY ON RECONSTRUCTION Following the American Civil War came the Reconstruction Act. This is when the North helped rebuild the South from the total destruction which happened during the Civil War. Discussed below are three effects the Reconstruction Act had on the North and the South. First, the U.S. government enacted the 13th Amendment. This amendment freed all slaves. This, in a way , was good and bad for the slaves, in that it let them be free to do what they wanted. However it left them with no place to stay, no food, 2005-04-14T05:43:14-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Reconstruction-and-Sharecropping-26500.aspx Role of Taxe in the Development of the Japanese Economy The role of taxation in the transformation of the Japanese Economy Introduction Before the Meiji restoration under the feudal Tokugawa Shogunate, taxation was mainly a tool for warfare and military power. The system was highly regressive and pressed lightly on the rich and profit-earners. It was calculated to preserve a very unequal distribution on incomes and to stimulate the accumulation of private capital. This tendency somehow continued and was magnified before W.W.II when direct taxation was introduced for a more equal and balanced system. However, the Meiji restoration did bring with it tremendous changes to the tax system and the use of the revenues. The Japanese government has since had an active participation in the economy, yet not controlling it directly but rather through market mechanisms. It took responsibility for promoting economic growth by using incentives and taxes collected in an effective way. The often cited goal of taxation in western countries that was equality was often sacrificed for the goal of economic growth in order to prevent being colonized, then to pursuit the desire to become an imperialist nation and then for pride and export. The role of government and its fiscal policies played an important role in the transformation of the Japanese economy through the periods of Meiji restoration, before W.W.II and post W.W.II period where taxes respectively shifted from land taxes to internal indirect taxes to income / direct taxes. (Fig 1) Period of Meiji Restoration During the first years of the Meiji reforms, the government had serious financial difficulties with tax revenues inadequate for its massive commitments. In 1873, land reforms gave tittles to landowners and customary tenants, freed the transfer and sale of land from feudal restrictions and imposed tax obligations equal to 3 per cent (which was lowered to 2.5% in 1878) of the value of land. In addition a 30% local surtax was imposed on the land taxes. These heavy land taxes were used to provide monetary compensations to the old ruling class for the termination of their feudal incomes in kind and to finance the new administration which introduced new education and to support its military. The agricultural sector, and in fact the peasants, therefore bore the great bulk of the cost to Japan's modernization. The land taxes contributed to over 70% of the central government's revenue during the first decade of the Restoration. Since the capital needs of agriculture were small even 2005-04-14T04:48:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Role-of-Taxe-in-the-Development-of-the-Japanese-Economy-26499.aspx Russia, History, WWI Steps Towards the Russian Revolution Russia, History, WWI Steps Towards the Russian Revolution The quotation, "'I shall maintain the principle of autocracy just as firmly and unflinchingly as it was preserved by my unforgettable dead father.' (Nicholas II) In spite of the Czar's decrees and declarations, Russia, by the beginning of the 20th century, was overripe for revolution," is supported by political and socioeconomic conditions late monarchial Russia. Nicholas II was the Czar of Russia from 1896-1917, and his rule was the brute of political disarray. An autocrat, Nicholas II had continued the divine-right monarchy held by the Romanovs for many generations. From the day Russia coronated Nicholas II as Emperor, problems arose with the people. As was tradition at coronations, the Emperor would leave presents for the peasants outside Moscow. The people madly rushed to grab the gifts, and they trampled thousands in the bedlam. As an autocrat, no other monarch in Europe claimed such large powers or stood so high above his subjects as Nicholas II. Autocracy was traditionally impatient and short- tempered. He wielded his power through his bureaucracy, which contained the most knowledgeable and skilled members of Russian high society. Like the Czar, the bureaucracy, or chinovniki, stood above the people and were always in danger of being poisoned by their own power. When Sergei Witte acted as Russia's Minister of Finance from 1892 to 1903, attempted to solve Russia's "riddle of backwardness" in its governmental system. He is considered more of a forerunner of Stalin rather than a contemporary of Nicholas II. In 1900, Witte wrote a memorandum to Nicholas II, underscoring the necessity of industrialization in Russia. After the government implemented Witte's plan, Russia had an industrial upsurge. All of Russia, however, shared a deep-seated resentment of the sudden jump into an uncongenial way of life. Witte realized that Nicholas II was not meant to carry the burden of leading Russia to an industrial nation as a Great Power. Nicholas II's weakness was even obvious to himself, when he said, "I always give in and in the end am made the fool, without will, without character." At this time, the Czar did not lead, his ministers bickered amongst themselves, and cliques and special-interest groups interfered with the conduct of government. Nicholas II never took interest in public opinion, and seemed oblivious to what was happening around him. He was still convinced he could handle Russia himself. By 1902, the peasants had 2005-04-13T02:55:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Russia,-History,-WWI-Steps-Towards-the-Russian-Revolution-26489.aspx Trudeau and the Politics of "Do it My Way" THE POLITICS OF MY WAY Unlike the United States, with its generalissimo politics-Washington, Jackson, Grant, Eisehower- the martial arts have been conspicuously absent from Canadian politics. But there in one exception: in 1968 Pierre Elliot Trudeau became the first Canadian leader to bring the gunslinger-Lone Ranger ethos to Canadian politics. Trudeau introduced to Canada the refined art of single combat; it was the politics of "Doing It My Way"-the politics of going my way or being left behind. Single-combat confrontation implied much mor than the loner or renegade in power, and far far less than the shaman black tricks of Mackenzie King. Trudeau was always far more the solo Philosopher King engaged in intellectual trial by combat than the Magus Merlin conjuring up solutions by puffs of smoke, sleight of hand or divine intervention. Ouijaboard politics was the occult domain of Mackenzie King, a man virtually devoid of policy, a political palm reader forever checking the whims and moods of his powerful baronial-Ralston Howe, St. Laurent-and sometimes Byronian colleagues to see how best he could placate them, or calm them, or Heap his beatitudes upon them. Trudeau, from day one , was always more samurai than shaman. Even in his pre- leadership days, Trudeau's love of trial by combat was predominant. Mackenzie King would have never touched the unholy trinity of divorce, abortion and homosexuality: each one of these issues is a sleeping dog best left to lie; each could only infuriate conservative Canada from coast to coast. Since King dared not touch them seriatim he certainly would not have touched them together-in an omnibus bill. This, Trudeau did joyously. The myths-makers have it at this was Trudeau's first deliberated joust, the kingship being the final prize. But Trudeau had no leadership aspirations at the time; all that he had, still has, was the love of combat for the sake of combat and religious scruples be damned. Trudeau the Catholic zealot tackle divorce, abortion and homosexuality active Prime Minister in this country's history, liberated the homosexual practitioners of black acts totally abhorrent to him; ironically, in the process, Trudeau gave irrational Canada a pretext for branding him a homosexual too. P.E.T. has always hated the consensus building of Mackenzie King; even the populist following of a Diefenbaker was an anathema to Trudeau. The single-combat warrior "doing it my way" is always alone; he leads the people but is not of them; 2005-04-13T02:53:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Trudeau-and-the-Politics-of-quot-Do-it-My-Way-quot-26488.aspx Common Sense, Paine, and America's Most Important Leaders Common Sense, Paine, and America's Most Important Leaders of the Protest Over the centuries, one of the most important tools available to protesting groups was literature. Some of the most famous protest literature in the world has its roots in American history. For example, some great American authors of protest literature include Thomas Paine, Thomas Nast, John C. Calhoun, and Martin Luther King. Through eloquent, sometimes subtle means, these authors became the spokesmen for their particular protest movements. Thomas Paine was an English-born man who seemed to stir controversy wherever he traveled. Paine's forceful yet eloquent prose made him a hero for the three great causes to which he devoted his life; the American Revolution, religious reform, and the natural rights of man. At the age of 37, Paine strove for the fabled shores of America, determined to forget his past. He made the acquaintance of Benjamin Franklin, and settled in Philadelphia. There, Paine was eventually hired into the profession of editor for the Pennsylvania Magazine. He published a series of minor essays, but his first important work was an essay written for the Pennsylvania Journal in which Paine openly denounced slavery. This was Paine's first foray into the world of protest literature, and it clearly whet his appetite. Paine soon became fascinated with the ongoing hostility in Anglo-American relations, and, much to the dismay of his publisher, could not seem to think of anything but. Therefore, in late 1775, Paine had begun what was to become a 50- page Pamphlet known as Common Sense. In this work, Paine stated that: Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one: for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a Government, which we might expect in a country without Government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer. Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence; the palaces of kings are built upon the ruins of the bowers of paradise (Fast 6). This very biting and controversial stance is what characterized Paine's writing. He went on to dismiss the King as a fool, and stated that natural ability is not necessarily related to heredity. Paine argued that the colonies existed only for British profit, and that the colonies must unite quickly if they were ever 2005-04-13T02:52:26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Common-Sense,-Paine,-and-America-s-Most-Important-Leaders-26487.aspx German Unity National Health and Unity What events, occurrences, and personalities contributed to the unification of Germany and national feeling between 1815 and 1830? Between 1825 and 1850 there was a growth in national feeling in Germany. In this essay I will discuss why nationalism was not an issue before 1815, in what ways Napoleon and the French Revolution affected nationalism, the setbacks Germany faces and the advances made. Germany had never existed as a nation in the centuries before 1815, Nationalism and Democracy was never been heard of and class was seen to be more important than nation. Despite sharing a common language and culture Germany was far from united. The spread of new idea was held back due to several reasons, most people felt the need to obey "the divine right of kings." Powerful forces such as monarchs and emperors opposed to nationalism. The rulers of the German states were jealous of one another and were keen to preserve their own independence. To add to the problem most Europeans could not read or write hence the reason communication was poor. A broad mass of people were uneducated and uniformed and not interested in learning. However communications continued to be non -existent due to the fact that travel was expensive and dangerous and movement of people and ideas was not easy. There were many people who did not want to see a unified Germany such as Austria and France. Two powerful countries that surrounded Germany and it were in their interests to keep her weak so that they could easily dominate her. The only way of doing this was to keep her disunited as they feared a powerful Germany and they tirelessly worked against unification. People back then were afraid of change and new ideas however in 1789 the French Revolution led to an increased interest in democracy and nationalism. The French Revolution began in 1789 and it started as a series of protests about bad government however it led to monarchy being overthrown and the king being executed. It had a large impact on Germany and it would never be the same. It showed oppressed people that they could rise up and change the established order of things. Germany was made up of 360 states and Napoleon saw this reduced to 16. People saw this as a chance to gain freedom and 2005-04-11T04:48:40-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/German-Unity-National-Health-and-Unity-26474.aspx The Balkan Wars and Causes The Balkan Wars and Causes The instability in the Balkans was the weak link in the complex relationships that had developed in Europe. A little Balkan war was swamped in a struggle of European powers and there became a general upheaval in Europe, which destroyed its stable civilization. The clash with Serbia in July 1914 affected an issue of such magnitude, it is not surprising all the powers soon became involved; all of them had interests at stake. The underlying conflict of interest of particularly Russia and Austria-Hungary over the Balkans made the situation during this time explosive. Both sought to dominate the Balkans after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The peak of nationalism played a major role in developing tensions in Europe; for it had been causing dissatisfaction since the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Conflicts in the Balkans threatened Austria's status, concessions to Serbian nationalism would bring about nationalism for Romanians, Slovaks and Czechs each having their own demands. Once the Habsburg monarchy allowed this it would inevitably disappear as a great power. Austria-Hungary had no intention of replacing the Ottoman Empire as the "Sick man of Europe." Austria was worried Russia would encourage Pan Slavism and leave the Austrian empire vulnerable. Russia's concern in the Balkans was the control of Constantinople (a warm water port) and the security of its borders in Asia and the Far East. This worried Britain as Constantinople was near the route to India and it was feared Russia would cut off this route. Austria was Germany's only ally therefore it was important for Germany to preserve the Habsburg Empire for fear that it's collapse would leave Germany vulnerable to the other Great Powers in Europe. The potential collapse of Austria-Hungary was important for not only the Vienna government but for Austria's German ally, for the other great powers, and the balance of the power system. These long standing rivalries increased tension, involving all powers. It may have been Grand Austrian design to 'squash' Serbia in order to reassert its Empire. The only way for Austria to regain its dominance was to have a war with Serbia; it was not their intention for the war to spread across Europe. This long-standing rivalry triggered the spark that caused the outbreak of war. A major step towards war was the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908. It was believed a policy of annexation could restore Habsburg 2005-03-29T02:08:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Balkan-Wars-and-Causes--26460.aspx The 1960s Important Events and Atmosphere The 1960's was a decade filled with memorable experiences, lasting impressions, and a whole new momentous era that would set the stage for years to come. Teenagers are found at the local roller skating rinks on Friday nights, the Ed Sullivan Show is one of the most highly watched television shows across all of the United States, and the thriving British rock and roll band, known as the Beatles, are dominating the music charts all across the world. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr - acknowledged as strictly the "Fab Four," - soon began to flourish in the world of music. Their enhanced tunes had all of America standing on its tippy toes, anticipating what would come next from this group of four, talented musicians. One of the Beatles most significant and influential albums to this date was released in 1967, bearing the name Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Tracks such as When I'm Sixty-Four and Within You Without You soon progressed their way up to the top of the charts. "Hippie" related songs managed to dominate a majority of this specific album, with one unique track, titled Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, causing an incredible amount of controversy and questioning. Listeners soon started to believe that John Lennon deliberately chose this song for the album because the initial letters of Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds formed the acrostic, "LSD," which was a powerful and harmful drug that swooped the nation during the 1960's through the 1970's. Not once did John Lennon claim that he had intentionally created the song lyrics based on his acid trips. For all of his life, he averred that the title, Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, came from a picture that his four-year-old son, Julian, had drawn in school one day. He had stated that he had no idea that the title formed the abbreviation LSD until someone had pointed it out to him after the release of the album. Throughout an abundance of radio, magazine, and televised interviews, John Lennon was constantly asked if he was well aware of the acrostic that came from this particular song. In an interview with Playboy magazine, Lennon said, "My son Julian came in one day with a picture he painted about a school friend of his named Lucy. He had sketched in some stars in the sky and called it 2005-03-29T02:01:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-1960s-Important-Events-and-Atmosphere-26456.aspx Causes of the French Revolution of 1789 The French Revolution of 1789 had many long-range causes. Political, social, and economic conditions in France contributed to the discontent felt by many French people-especially those of the third estate. The ideas of the intellectuals of the Enlightenment brought new views to government and society. The American Revolution also influenced the coming of the French Revolution. The Philosophes planted the seeds for the French Revolution. Their goals were to expose and destroy the inequalities of the ancient regime (old order). The political discontent of France was one of the causes of the Revolution. In the 17th and 18th centuries, France was ruled by an absolute government. The king had all the political powers. Anyone who criticized the government could be arrested and put in prison without trial. Louis XVI was king at the time of the French Revolution. He was more interested in hunting than governing France. He and his Austrian queen, Marie Antoinette, lived an extravagant life at the Palace of Versailles. They did not really care about the state of their country. The excerpt from the cahiers mentioned in document 3 shows that the votes in the assembly were not taken by head. The people of the 3rd estate felt a sense of betrayal when the king supported the block voting over the head voting. The first two estates worked together to outvote the large third estate to keep them from becoming a threat to the power. Lord Acton, an Englishmen, states that the monarchy being overthrown wasn't the spark of the Revolution. He recognizes the American Independence as the spark of the French Revolution. The French government was inefficient, unjust and corrupt. There were numerous government departments, different laws in different parts of the country and officials. Many people became livid at the way France was governed. The people couldn't do anything to bring about a change. The French Parlement was called the Estates-General. It had not met since 1614 and couldn't without the consent of the king. It basically had no power. The economic problems created by the French kings also contributed to the Revolution. During the 18th century, the French government spent more money than it collected in taxes. By 1788, the country was bankrupt. Arthur Young, an Englishmen and observer, who traveled to France from 1787 to 1789 angrily describes the living conditions of the peasants in his book Travels in France. The amount of 2005-03-29T01:52:53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-of-the-French-Revolution-of-1789-26453.aspx Brief Overview of The Hundred Years War How long did the Hundred Years War last? The answer is actually a surprising 116 years. The Hundred Years war is the name given to the series of on and off warfare fought between the kings of England and France, from 1337 to 1453. The war consisted of sieges, raids, sea and land battles, and long periods truce ("Hundred Years War", 222). The war shaped the way the time period ended and the way western Europe looks today. The events of the Hundred Years War created a framework for the way we look at the Middle Ages. A major cause of this outbreak of battle was the battle over Flanders, an industrial center of northern Europe. The counts of Flanders were vassals to the king of France, but the English saw Flanders as their major center of foreign trade due to its cloth manufacture. This caused fighting between the two countries to begin. The English also controlled southern France after Eleanor of Aquitaine married King Henry II in the mid-12th century. Therefore, the French allied the Scots to control a northern stronghold, called the "Auld Alliance". The two countries also fought over control of the English Channel and the North Sea. All of these forces caused the long war to begin (Nelson). The Hundred Years War is broken up into three stages or phases. The first lasted until the signature of the Treaty of Bretigny in 1360 (1337-1360). The second phase lasted from 1360-1413 when Henry V became king, and the third phase lasted from 1413-1453. The first phase was marked by English victories in France and alliances with French feudal lords. The second phase was marked by English inactivity and French raids keeping the English on the defensive. The third phase began with major and dramatic English victories but ended in defeat and England's nearly complete withdrawal from France ("Hundred Years War", 223). In 1337, King Philip VI of France moved his troops to the English control of Aquitaine. In 1340, the English won a major naval victory at Sluys. Afterward, English King Edward III declared himself King of France. In 1346, the English forces defeated the French at Crecy, and then in 1347, the English captured Calais. In 1350, John II became King of France after Philip VI died. In 2005-03-29T01:51:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Brief-Overview-of-The-Hundred-Years-War-26452.aspx Causes that lead Western European Countries to Imperialism Topic: The causes that lead Western European countries to favour Imperialism as a foreign policy and the effects this had on Sub-Saharan Africa and/or Asian countries Nationalist movements. (pick either a region or regions as well as a country or countries). NATIONALIST MOVEMENTS AGAINST WESTERN IMPERIALISM Imperialism is the policy of a state defending to take economic and political control of an area for the access to hard resources and market advantage. (imperialism, globalisation, no date, p.1) Beside the economic point of view, the process of imperialism can not be defined without the cultural concepts such as imposing a religion, traditions or a language of a nation. With these two main perspectives, Europe always had the policy to exploit the underdeveloped regions of the world. In contrast to European desires, the imperialistic policies was refused by the nationalist movements of the public of exploited regions. The imperialistic policies of West to gain economic benefits and cultural expansion resulted with nationalistic counter policies created by the elite that were supported by the public of exploited regions in terms of liberation struggles and rebellions. Western European countries favored imperialism as a foreign policy to reach the raw materials of underdeveloped regions and increase their market. By the industrial revolution, the production in Europe had accelerated immensely resulting with increasing importance and necessity of raw materials. Due to limited sources in Europe, contrary to the variety in Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, European countries favored imperialism. Moreover, not only the necessity of sources, but also the need of market because of the increased production led them to perform imperialism. In this sense, South Africa is a good example to emphasize the causes of imperialism. In the 18th century, there was no colonial settlement in South Africa but after the discovery of diamonds, the situation was replaced with British settlement aiming to use those mine resources.(South Africa: History, 1995, p.1) In addition to the economic causes of imperialism, the desire of cultural expansion in terms of language, tradition and religion was another cause of European imperialism. The reason for Europeans to have the desire to impose their culture was the idea of being superior than the other civilizations. Moreover they accept neither any African civilization nor Africans as humans. Therefore the Euro centric idea based on creating an African civilization which did not exist forced them to use their language and be 2005-03-29T01:45:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-that-lead-Western-European-Countries-to-Imperialism-26449.aspx THE GREAT IMPACT OF IMPERIALISM THE GREAT IMPACT OF IMPERIALISM Fundamentally, the imperialism idea comes from the early modernization concept that began with the 16th century. Afterwards renaissance, catholic reformation and reconnaissance actions follow this concept in order. Then geographical explorations take place in history and in this sense a lightening period exists by the help of these agendas. This lightening period consists of many different ideologies. We see these ideologies' changing and shaping time to time and one of these specific action-oriented ideas is seen as imperialism with its impact on some African and Asian part, in particular, the response of conquered areas to the "west" in late 19th century and early 20th century. In order to express what the imperialism is, it can be said that imperialism is an ideology to make good society by being rooted in a particular economic system, capitalism, and benefits a particular class, which Marxists call the bourgeoisie or ruling class. (Butterfield, 2002) In this sense, we see the colonization action of the "west" under the name of imperialism against the African and Asian part of the world in late 19th and early 20th century. In some countries we see the entire-colonization and in some of them there was semi-colonization according to some reasons that are related with their understanding of modernity and the way that they show their reactions. In general sense it can be implied that the reaction of Sub-Saharan Africa against the impact of "west imperialism" was more strict than the one in Central Asia; in terms of economic reasons, nationalism and religion. To begin with the economic perspective of imperialism, imperialist countries' need of row material and market and the change in the meaning of imperialism seem to be the crucial point. Up to 17th century, imperialism was not related with capitalism because in these times land power was important. However in later period of time, especially in the late19th century the spread of industrialization in the world had achieved the point where international competition for markets was becoming profoundly. After the third threshold of industrial revolution, the new imperialist political ideologies became the state politics of European countries. In this sense colonization action of "west" powers takes place. As a provision, we see the strict; but at the same time invalid reaction of Africans. In Asian side, we don't see such kind of strict reaction as it is seen in 2005-03-29T01:40:59-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/THE-GREAT-IMPACT-OF-IMPERIALISM-26447.aspx Hitler and the Origins of World War II 1.The Beginning At half past six on the evening of April 20th, 1889 a child was born in the small town of Branau, Austria. The name of the child was Adolf Hitler. He was the son a Customs official Alois Hitler, and his third wife Klara. As a young boy Adolf attended church regularly and sang in the local choir. One day he carved a symbol into the bench which resembled the Swastika he later used as the symbol of the Nazi party. He was a pretty good student. He received good marks in most of his classes. However in his last year of school he failed German and Mathematics, and only succeeded in Gym and Drawing. He drooped out of school at the age of 16, spending a total of 10 years in school. From childhood one it was his dream to become an artist or architect. He was not a bad artist, as his surviving paintings and drawings show but he never showed any originality or creative imagination. To fulfill his dream he had moved to Vienna the capital of Austria where the Academy of arts was located. He failed the first time he tried to get admission and in the next year, 1907 he tried again and was very sure of success. To his surprise he failed again. In fact the Dean of the academy was not very impressed with his performance, and gave him a really hard time and said to him "You will never be painter." The rejection really crushed him as he now reached a dead end. He could not apply to the school of architecture as he had no high-school diploma. During the next 35 years of his live the young man never forgot the rejection he received in the dean's office that day. Many Historians like to speculate what would have happened IF.... perhaps the small town boy would have had a bit more talent....or IF the Dean had been a little less critical, the world might have been spared the nightmare into which this boy was eventually to plunge it. 2.World War 1 While living in Vienna Hitler he made his living by drawing small pictures of famous landmarks which he sold as post cards. But he was always poor. He was also a regular reader of a small paper which claimed that the Araban race was superior to all and was destined to 2005-03-29T01:28:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hitler-and-the-Origins-of-World-War-II-26440.aspx Very Detailed Term Paper on the History of Religious Wars The Religious Wars [i:6c0accae62]History Essay[/i:6c0accae62] The attempts by Catholic monarchs to re-establish European religious unity and by both Catholic and Protestant monarchs to establish strong centralized states led to many wars among the European states. Spain's attempt to keep religious and political unity within her empire led to a long war in the Netherlands, a war that pulled England over to the side of the Protestant Dutch. There was bitter civil war in France, which finally ended with the reign of Henry of Navarre and the Edict of Nantes in 1598. The Thirty Years War in Germany (1618-1648) had both religious and political roots, and left that area in political and economic ruins. "Une foi, un loi, un roi."(one faith, one law, one king ). This traditional saying gives some indication of how the state, religion, and society were all bound up in people's mind and experience. There was no distinction between public and private, between civic and personal. Religion had formed the basis for social consensus in Europe for a millennium. Since Clovis, the French monarchy in particular had closely tied itself to the church and the church sanctified it's right to rule. France was "the first daughter of the church" and it's king "The Most Christian King", and no one could imagine life any other way. "One faith was viewed as essential to civil order. How else would society hold together? And without the right faith, pleasing to god who upholds the natural order, there was sure to be disaster. Heresy was treason and vice versa. Religious tolerance, which to us seems such a necessary virtue, was considered tantamount to letting drug dealers move next door and corrupt your children. A view for the cynical and world-weary who had forgotten god and no longer cared about the health of society. Innovation caused trouble. The way things were is how they ought to be, and new ideas would lead to anarchy and destruction. No one wanted to admit to being an "innovator." The Renaissance thought of itself as rediscovering a purer, earlier time and the Reformation needed to feel that it was not new, but just a "return" to the simple, true religion of the beginnings of Christianity. These fears 2005-03-29T01:26:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Very-Detailed-Term-Paper-on-the-History-of-Religious-Wars-26438.aspx New England and Chesapeake Colony Struggles New England and Chesapeake Colonies During the 16th and 17th century many emigrants settled upon the coasts of The New World - North America. People, mainly form England, who were either pursued by nation's economical recession or religious discrimination, decided to start a new life in America. Throughout the course of history and many expeditions, the colonies set their own rules based on different ideas. Two separate regions emerged: New England and Chesapeake; although occupied mostly by people originating from the same location those 2 regions were very diverse. Among many new settlers was John Winthrop. He had a dream of building a model new society in the New England region that he referred to as a "City upon a Hill". In document A, we can find supportive information of his plans. Although there were many poor and many rich that wanted to take a challenge of colonizing raw and harsh land, Winthrop asked everyone to help eachother and be generous. Without this idea the process of assimilating to the new conditions would be much harder. Entire families emigrated to the new land. Among those people (Doc. B) were some skilled workers and with eachother's support they were able to establish a permanent settlement. The new society was united under God and early government. According to documents D and E, life was definetely harsh at the start but organized work and coordination by some kind of government, led the colonies into social and economical growth. Rules and arrangements were key to success. As stated in the Articles of Agreement, pople cooperated with one another and designed a scheme, a blueprint for their settlement. They established towns, communities based on their beliefs and common good. Much like the headright system in the south, they distributed land amongst them to start their new lives. General Courts harmonized the economy which was based on farming, fishing etc. The govermnent set prices of goods and worker wages. It also screened ones that were after sudden enrichment, who might take advantage of other fellow citizens. The New England inhabitants were strongly motivated by religion as many of them were Puritans (including Seperatists) who escaped religious persecution in England (Great Migration). Peoples' behavior was mainly influenced and controlled by teachings of God. Doc. D stresses that idea; people should unite and "walk in all the ways of Christ" Situation was quite different in the Chesapeake colonies, Maryland and Virginia. 2005-03-29T00:24:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/New-England-and-Chesapeake-Colony-Struggles-26427.aspx The Attack of Pearl Harbor The Attack of Pearl Harbor Hawaii's Pearl Harbor is one of the most well known military installations in the world. On December 7, 1941 Japanese fighter planes attacked the United States Naval base Pearl Harbor killing more than 2300 Americans. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto had conceived the surprise attack. Commander Mitsuo Fuchida led the striking force of 353 Japanese aircraft. There had been no formal declaration of war. There were approximately 100 ships of the United States navy present that morning, and it was known as Battleship Row. Battleship Row consisted of battleships, destroyers, cruisers, and other various support ships. During the attack more than 50 percent of the United States pacific fleet was out to sea including carriers. Nearby Hickman Field also fell victim of the surprise attack by the Japanese. 18 Army air corps including bombers, and fighters and attack bombers were destroyed or damaged on the ground during the attack. A few United States fighters struggled into the air against the invaders and gave a good account of themselves. Ground fire and United States pilots from various military installations on the inland of Oahu shot down a total of 29 Japanese fighters. The road to war between Japan and the United States began in the 1930's when differences over China drove the two nations apart. In 1931 Japan conquered Indonesia, which until then had been part of China. In 1937 Japan began a long and ultimately unsuccessful campaign to conquer the rest of China. In 1940 the Japanese government allied their country with Nazi Germany in the Axis Alliance, and, in the following year occupied all of Indonesia. The United States, which had important political and economic interests in East Asia, was alarmed by these Japanese moves. The United States increased military and financial aid to China, created a program of strengthening its military power in the Pacific and cut off the shipment of oil and other raw materials to Japan. Because Japan was poor in natural recourses its government viewed these steps, especially the embargo on oil, as a threat to the nations survival. Japans' leaders responded by resolving to seize the resources and territories of Southeast Asia, even though that move would certainly result in war with the United States. The problem with the plan was the 2005-03-27T11:06:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Attack-of-Pearl-Harbor--26423.aspx Research Paper on The Great Depression The Great Depression The Great Depression is probably one of the most misunderstood events in American history. It is routinely cited, as proof that unregulated capitalism is not the best in the world, and that only a massive welfare state, huge amounts of economic regulation, and other interventions can save capitalism from itself. The Great Depression had important consequences and was a devastating event in America, however many good policies and programs became available as a result of the great depression, some of which exist even today. When the stock market crashed in October 1929, the nation plummeted into a major depression. An economic catastrophe of major proportions had been building for years. The worldwide demand for agricultural goods during World War I vanished after the war and rural America experienced a severe depression throughout most of the 1920s. This lead to banks foreclosing farm mortgages and by the early 1930s thousands upon thousands of American farmers were out of business. The U.S. economy was superficial and shallow. Major businesses increased profits through most of the decade while wages remained low and workers were unable to buy the goods they had helped to produce. The financial and banking systems were very unregulated and a number of banks had failed during the 1920s. The construction and automotive industries, whose booming business had been made possible by the prosperity earlier in the decade, slowed. Declining sales resulted in higher rates of unemployment. America was witnessing a breakdown of the Democratic and free enterprise system as the US fell into the worst depression in history. The economic depression that beset the United States and other countries was unique in its severity and its consequences. At the depth of the depression, in 1933-1935, one American worker in every four was out of a job. It was a time when federal and state officials were still developing work programs for the unemployed. This great industrial slump continued throughout the 1930's, shaking the foundations of Western capitalism. When the Depression began, there was no federal relief for the unemployed or assistance for families facing starvation. Some states operated relief programs but curtailed them due to declining tax revenues. Religious and charitable organizations provided relief in many urban areas; however, in many of these organizations operating in the North as well as the South, there was a lot of discrimination and racism, which excluded African Americans from their 2005-03-27T10:44:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Research-Paper-on-The-Great-Depression-26417.aspx Irish Folklore and Superstitions: Leprechaun, Banshee & Leprechaun's are short, aged, intoxicated, shoemakers, who are guardians of ancient treasure. Lepricans are normally dressed in pointed, or curled shoes and a green outfit. They avoid human contact for they have riches to offer a human once caught. The leprechaun is split into two distinctive groups - leprechaun and cluricaun. Cluricauns steal or borrow almost anything, creating mayhem in houses during the hours of darkness, raiding wine cellars and larders. They will also harness sheep, goats, dogs and even domestic fowl and ride them throughout the country at night. The Leprechuan is Ireland's national fairy. The Banshee is an ancestral sprit appointed to forewarn of ancient Irish families of their time of death. The Banshee can only cry for five major Irish families: the O'Neils , the O'Briens, the O'Connors, the O'Gradys and the Kavanaghs. The Banshee normally appears in three different forms: a young woman, a stately matron or a raddled old hag. She may also appear as a washer-woman, and is seen apparently washing the blood stained clothes of those who are about to die. In this form she is known as the bean-nighe (washing woman). The banshee may also appear in a variety of other forms, such as that of a hooded crow, stoat, hare and weasel - animals associated in Ireland with witchcraft. Dullahan is one of the most spectacular fairies in Irish tradition. He is a stole collector who roams the countryside during midnight on certain Irish festive days. He is a wild, black-robed and headless, who rides the back of his horse. By holding his severed head in the air, the Dullahan can use his supernatural sight where he can see into the houses of dying people. He holds a human spine as a whip. The Dullahan is a fear fairy in Ireland for if he is seen by a moral, they become blind in one eye or if a Dullahan stops nearby a mortal, he or she dies instantly. An Ancient Tale From Ireland The dead have always played a central role in rural Irish folklore. Whether as insubstantial ghosts wandering through the countryside or walking corpses returning to torment the living, our former ancestors have always exercised an intense and continuing fascination for those who survive them and have formed the basis for many hair-raising tales. The dead, it appears, will 2005-03-27T10:30:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Irish-Folklore-and-Superstitions-Leprechaun,-Banshee-amp-26409.aspx Federalist Research Paper Federalist Research Paper The Federalist papers were written and ratified in the years of 1787 to 1788. They were created mostly by two of the most influential men of the post-Revolution period. It helped the budding nation create a unified and agreeably strong central government: Alexander Hamilton, a Federalist who wrote fifty-six papers, and James Madison, a Democratic Republican who wrote twenty-one papers; John Jay also had a hand in the writing of five papers. Every paper was written under the pen name Publius. However, today it is known that it was these three men who were the genius behind the works. Hamilton and Madison diligently worked together to write these papers. As time went on, they divided into two different political parties and a strong rivalry ensued. Although their opposition surfaced during the second presidential term, their separate papers foreshadow their eventual contention. Through their papers it became evident that they interpreted the Constitution much differently. Either through loose construction in the form of a strong federal government or strict construction in the idea that states' rights should be the most important factor of the new national government. They also foresaw Hamilton and Madison's splitting disagreements. Alexander Hamilton was a strong-willed Federalist, who had the genius necessary for becoming president. However, he was tragically killed by Aaron Burr in a duel. He was the most influential Federalist of his time and his National Debt still stands today. However, it has increased greatly since his time. Hamilton believed that the Constitution needed a loose construction or interpretation. This belief on the national government was evident in his Federalist writing. In paper No. 23, "The Necessity of a Government as Energetic as the One Proposed to the Preservation of the Union", he explains that there are principle purposes with which the national government was obligated to do. These purposes were the common defense of its members, the preservation of the public peace against both internal and external attacks, the regulation of commerce with other nations and interstate trade, and the supervision over discussions and problems stemming from political or commercial intercourse with foreign countries. He believed that the government should be in charge of the States in that they protected while governing. He also asked his fellow countrymen how insufficient their present Confederation 2005-03-20T23:47:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Federalist-Research-Paper-26384.aspx What is democracy? A Thoughtful Essay What is democracy? In the dictionary definition, democracy "is government by the people in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system." According to Lincoln, democracy is a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." Freedom and democracy are often used interchangeably, but the two are not synonymous. Democracy is indeed a set of ideas and principles about freedom, but it also consists of a set of practices and procedures that have been molded through a long, often tortuous history. In short, democracy is the institutionalization of freedom. The description of democracy could take up more than 10 more pages, but to simplify this, democracy is basically a system which includes: people who have sovereignty, a government based upon consent of the governed, rulership of the majority, however serving to protect the rights of minorities--whether ethnic, religious, or political, or simply the losers in the debate over a piece of controversial legislation, guarantee of basic human rights for all, free and fair elections, equality before law, constitutional limits on the power of government, social, economic, and political pluralism, and values of tolerance, pragmatism, cooperation, and compromise. Although experiencing minor improvements in terms of democracy, progression of liberty for racial minorities, improvement in voting conditions, betterment in the equal distribution of town offices according to financial status of the people, Wethersflield didn´t illustrate major progression from the 1750´s to the 1780´s, with the presence of unequal distribution of land and property, and lack of religious tolerance. Between the 1750´s and the 1780´s, Wethersfield experienced some minor improvement in terms of democracy. Most notibly, the increase of the free black population. According to `Document A´, in 1756 50% of the black population were slaves, whereas in 1774, 36.1% of all blacks were slaves. This was a great accomplishment considering the fact that even though the white population increased by 54.2%, the number of black slaves decreased in number, since it would have been expected for the slave population to rise in order to satisfy the needs of more whites. Other than racial liberty,according to `Document G´, Wethersfield also experienced a slight increase in the percentage of adult white males meeting the freeman requirements, along dramatic increase in the percentage of adult white males taking freeman´s oath, actually voting, and getting elected to 2005-03-19T23:00:32-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/What-is-democracy-A-Thoughtful-Essay-26381.aspx The Jacksonian Democracy and the Men Behind It The Jacksonian Democracy and the Men Behind It Although Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren held the same views, their mind set and expectations for themselves were from different ends of the spectrum. Andrew Jackson was born on March 15, 1767 in a log cabin on the boundary line between North Carolina and South Carolina. Jackson's father died before he was born leaving Jackson and his family to move in with relatives. Throughout Jackson's childhood he caused trouble and hated schoolwork, in fact many jokes are made about Jackson's horrible spelling. He was said to sometimes spell the same word three different ways in the same document. At the age of sixteen Andrew Jackson was left an orphan due to the Revolutionary War, Jackson himself had been captured during the war. After the war Jackson studied the law to become a lawyer in Nashville. While in Nashville Jackson fell in love with a woman, Rachel, whom was already married. Soon, however, Jackson learned that her husband divorced her, without thinking Jackson proposed to Rachel and they were married in 1791. Two years later they learned that the divorce was never legal, therefore neither was there marriage. They quickly married again, but the mistake caused a scandal, and people were always talking about them behind their backs, which angered Jackson profoundly, and lead him to always be challenging others and giving and receiving many duels. Jackson was always trying to defend his wife. In 1796 Jackson's political career begins when he helps to write the Tennessee state constitution. He was later elected as Tennessee's first representative to Congress. From 1798 to 1804 he was a judge of the Supreme Court of Tennessee and a Major-General of the Tennessee militia. Jackson spent a year in the Senate and while there was thought of as a backwoodsman. It was said that "Andrew Jackson was a spokesman for the common people-the backbone of the new nation" (Quackenbush 19). Jackson's malitia was called to action during the War of 1812. They stayed outside of Natchez for four weeks before being sent home. As Jackson was marching home to Nashville one solider is quoted as saying "look at him, he's as tough as a hickory branch" and that is how Jackson came to be known as "Old Hickory." That was 2005-03-19T22:05:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Jacksonian-Democracy-and-the-Men-Behind-It-26377.aspx Lewis and Clark "The Corps of Discovery" The Relationship Between the Natives and the Corps of Discovery For the corps of discovery the trek was a long and treacherous one with many unknowns. One of their biggest fears were the natives or savages as they called them. On their journey their goal was not only to discover the new land Jefferson purchased but to make peace with the Indians and tell them they now belonged to the U.S. or their new “Great Father”. This was a difficult task, but in most cases they succeeded in doing it without bloodshed. However, there were a few occasions where swords were drawn. This essay will detail the relationship between the Indians and the corps from the good, bad and the indifferent. Further along in the expedition near the northwest tip of Oregon on the southern side of the Columbia River the Corps built Fort Clatsop. While in the process of building they were visited by Coboway, a chief of the Clatsop tribe. The Clatsops were a flourishing people who fought few wars and had few enemies. While Coboway was there he traded goods with the expedition and made himself welcomed. During the winter he was a frequent visitor. On his many visits he aided them in dealing with the harshness of the winter. He told them about the abundance of elk and in time when food was low he informed them about a beached whale a couple of miles away. At the end of the journey for his kindness Coboway was left Fort Clatsop. This was one friendly Indian encounter, however not all tribes were this congenial. In July of 1806 the expedition met eight Blackfeet warriors. When the Indians found out the corps had come in peace they camped out with them. The Blackfeet were a belligerent tribe. For 20 years they had dominated their rivals the Shoshone and Nez Perce because of their trade with British merchants for guns. This gave them the edge over their neighbors. When the expedition told them that they would now belong to the U.S. they were fine. However, when it was mentioned that the Shoshone and Nez Perce had already accepted the integration and would receive munitions and supplies the warriors recognized that this posed a threat to the Blackfeet rule. They devised a plan to steal the expedition’s guns, but it was hampered when two warriors were killed by Reuben Field and Lewis. 2005-03-18T23:38:55-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Lewis-and-Clark-quot-The-Corps-of-Discovery-quot-26370.aspx Weimar Republic: Prospects for Survival Germany, after the I World War collapsed, and in 1919 the Weimar Republic was formed. It was supposed to be a democratic regime, which was to rebuild the country after the war, and create a stable, predictable country. Unfortunatelly, many aspects connected with economy,political affairs, tradition, the wartime experience and strict reparations and territory losses, complicated the situation in the Weimar Republic and doomed it from the beginning. The new government had to operate in times of a great crisis, additionaly strenghtened by harsh decisions and policies ( until 1924, when Stresemann compromiced with the West ) of the significant countries that had won the war ( USA, France, UK ). The first event that made the future of the Weimar Republic uncertain, was the creation of a new parliamentary government by general Ludendorff, who after the failure in September 1918, adviced the Kaiser to give away the power to the people. He hoped that the new government would gain better peace terms, and be blamed for the failure, as it would suprisingly end the war. The shock of defeat, combined with the "stab in the back" myth, will be the domain in peoples thinking for a certain period of time. People did not understand how was it possible, they returned homes and discovered that there is nothing to eat, no place to work and no perspectives. Money, that could be spent on improvement of situation or creation of new work places, had to be spent on reparations. The concept of Wilson`s "14 points" ( "peace without victory" ) was rejected, and Germanys economic and social problems enlarged. Moreover Germany lost 13% of territory, for example very important Saar, or Alsace-Lorraine and Rhineland was demilitarised. The state and its economy were destroyed after the war, people desperate, additionaly the hyper-inflation started and this all lead to extention of a political chaos and domestic problems, resulting from race to power ( first crisis was in early 1919, as the Spartacist rising took place or the "Kapps putch" in march 1920 ). The activity of the government was harshly criticised by communists, SPD and other political organisations, moreover the myth of the "November criminals" and "stab in the back still remained". The hostility towards the Versailles treaty was transfered to hostility towards the Weimar Republic and that is why many demogogs and political extremists gained support. Although in reality, the burden of 2005-03-05T14:09:41-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Weimar-Republic-Prospects-for-Survival-26358.aspx The MANDAN INDIANS Research Paper and History The MANDAN INDIANS The Mandan Indians were a small, peaceful tribe located at the mouth of the Knife River on the Missouri near present day Bismarck, North Dakota. The Mandan were most known for their friendliness and their homes, called earth lodges. The women of the Mandan tribe tended their gardens, prepared food, and maintained lodges while the men spent their time hunting or seeking spiritual knowledge. The Mandan Indians performed many ceremonies such as the Buffalo Dance and the Okipa Ceremony that have been the center of great interest to many historians. The Mandan are also an important part of history because Lewis and Clark spent their first winter with these people and met Sacagawea, who helped guide them for the rest of their journey west. Mandan villages were the center of the social, spiritual, and economic lives of the Mandan Indians. Villages were strategically located on bluffs overlooking the river for defense purposes, limiting attacks to one land approach. The Mandan lived in earth lodges, which are extremely large, round huts that are 15 feet high and 40-60 feet in diameter. Each hut had a vestibule entrance, much like the pattern of an Eskimo igloo, and a square hole on top, which served as a smokestack. Each earth lodge housed 10-30 people and their belongings, and villages contained 50-120 earth lodges. The frame of an earth lodge was made from tree trunks, which were covered with criss-crossed willow branches. Over the branches they placed dirt and sod, which coined the term earth lodge. This type of construction made the roofs strong enough to support people on nights of good weather. The floors of earth lodges were made of dirt and the middle was dug out to make a bench around the outer edge of the lodge. Encompassing the village were stockades of poles as tall as six feet high to prevent enemy attacks. In the middle of a Mandan village was a large, circular, open space that was called the central plaza. In the middle of the plaza was a sacred cedar post that represented the Lone Man, a hero to the Mandan. At the North end of the plaza was the medicine or ceremonial lodge. The arrangement of earth lodges around the central plaza represented the social status of each family. Villagers who had important ceremonial duties were located closer to the plaza than those who were not. 2005-02-28T03:32:20-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-MANDAN-INDIANS-Research-Paper-and-History-26353.aspx Battle of Little Big Horn Creative Writing Essay Battle Of Little Big Horn Five springs ago I, with many Sioux Indians, took down and packed up our tipis and moved from Cheyenne river to the Rosebud river, where we camped a few days; then took down and packed up our lodges and moved to the Little Bighorn river and pitched our lodges with the large camp of Sioux. The Sioux were camped on the Little Bighorn river as follows: The lodges of the Uncpapas were pitched highest up the river under a bluff. The Santee lodges were pitched next. The Oglala's lodges were pitched next. The Brule lodges were pitched next. The Minneconjou lodges were pitched next. The Sans Arcs' lodges were pitched next. The Blackfeet lodges were pitched next. The Cheyenne lodges were pitched next. A few Arikara Indians were among the Sioux (being without lodges of their own). Two-Kettles, among the other Sioux (without lodges). I was a Sioux chief in the council lodge. My lodge was pitched in the center of the camp. The day of the attack I and four women were a short distance from the camp digging wild turnips. Suddenly one of the women attracted my attention to a cloud of dust rising a short distance from camp. I soon saw that the soldiers were charging the camp. To the camp I and the women ran. When I arrived a person told me to hurry to the council lodge. The soldiers charged so quickly we could not talk (council). We came out of the council lodge and talked in all directions. The Sioux mount horses, take guns, and go fight the soldiers. Women and children mount horses and go, meaning to get out of the way. Among the soldiers was an officer who rode a horse with four white feet. [This officer was evidently Capt. French, Seventh Cavalry.] The Sioux have for a long time fought many brave men of different people, but the Sioux say this officer was the bravest man they had ever fought. I don't know whether this was Gen. Custer or not. Many of the Sioux men that I hear talking tell me it was. I saw this officer in the fight many times, but did not see his body. It has been told me that he was killed by a Santee Indian, who took his horse. This officer wore a large-brimmed hat and a deerskin coat. This officer saved the lives 2005-02-28T03:31:33-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Battle-of-Little-Big-Horn-Creative-Writing-Essay-26352.aspx War of 1812 Essay War of 1812 Essay Answer the following: Is it valid to call the War of 1812 "America's worst-fought war"? Was the cause of the failure essentially military, or was it an inevitable result of the political disunity over the war's purposes? Provide support for your stance and "discredit" the opposing view. Maximum of 2 pages/ 15 Points The War of 1812 was fought between the United States and England. Ending in 1815 with the Treaty of Ghent, the war did not accomplish any of the issues it was being fought over. For the US, the War of 1812 seemed to just be one failure after another. Although the military suffered great failure during the war, these were the direct consequence of the failure of the citizens to unite for the causes of the war. Because of these failures, it is quite valid to call the War of 1812 "America's worst-fought war". When the war began, it was being fought by the Americans to address their grievances toward the British. This seemed like a justifiable cause for a war, however not all of the citizens shared the same sense of unity about the political issues the war was being fought over. The US was quite upset about the continuing impressment of American sailors into the British Navy and the seizures of American merchant trading vessels by the British. Another reason the United States wished to go to war with Britain was because of their dealings with the Indians in the West. The British were not only trading with the Indians, but they were also giving them weapons and encouraging them to attack American settlements. Along with these reasons, the Americans, now becoming hungry for land, dreamed of capturing British Canada and possibly Florida for the union. Also, the Americans still contained a certain degree of resentment from the Revolutionary War, which they were eager to take out on the British. Even though these were the causes the nation was supposedly fighting for, the entire nation lacked a major driving force to gain restitution for them. The nation was not really united for the cause, as backcountry farmers didn't care about what was happening to coastal shipping businesses, as coastal shipping businesses didn't care about what was happening to the backcountry farmers. Everyone was only concerned with their own 2005-02-28T02:59:26-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/War-of-1812-Essay--26350.aspx New England Vs. Chesapeake Colonies New England Vs. Chesapeake Colonies Early English colonies in America hardly resembled the union of men and women that would later fight against England and build a new country. In fact, until the mid-eighteenth century, most English colonists had very little, if anything to do with the settlers in neighboring colonies. They heard news of Indian wars and other noteworthy events, not from the colony itself, but from England. The colonies in the New World appeared completely different and the prospect of any unity between them seemed impossible. The colonies in New England and the Chesapeake exemplify the many differences in the culture and lifestyles of the settlers, created mainly because of the fact that their founding fathers had held separate intentions when they came to the New World. The New England and Chesapeake colonies were both settled by immigrants from England, the New England colonies being founded by the English from East Anglia, an area in eastern England. Though this was an area thriving with small towns that they had generally liked, they decided to flee England due to religious persecution. Hundreds of families, men, women and their children, came in search of a New World where they could practice their beliefs freely. They founded colonies such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island as model Christian societies. Their cities upon the hills were guides, the lanterns, for those lost in the darkness of humanity, as John Winthrop meant by his famous statement. They formed a society of strict religious participation, actually very much resembling their homeland. In the beginning, many called themselves Puritans, and kept things very simple and plain, concentrating on what was important to them. They used the community to achieve their goals, building new towns and enjoying the social aspect of their religion. At the same time, they were committed to remain working hard to keep their community productive. They believed the "idle hands" were the devil's workshops. An issue that really defined a split between the societies was the slavery conflict. The northerners in New England held true to their belief that every man shall be equal and no one should be enslaved, while the southerners in the Chesapeake area strongly believed in the use of slavery. At the same time the New Englanders worked to help end slavery by preaching to others about the injustices, they worked diligently to make education in 2005-02-28T02:57:49-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/New-England-Vs_-Chesapeake-Colonies-26348.aspx The Salem Witch Trials and Puritanism Puritanism, and the Salem Witch Trials Puritanism refers to the movement of reform, which occurred within the Church of England. It began at the time of the Elizabethan settlement of 1559 and ended at the end of the Rump Parliament with the ascension of Charles II to the British throne in 1660. The American Puritans clearly understood that God's word applies to all of life. Their exemplary lives and faith, contrary to popular myths, are a highpoint of Christian thinking. Puritan legal history specifies some of their loyalties and compromises. Today, scholars continue their dispute over the degree to which the Puritan colonists influenced American law, morality, and culture. In the area of law, this image is supplemented by lurid accounts of witch trials and corporal public punishments. The best example of this was during the seventeenth century. The Salem witch trials began in 1692, and lasted less than a year. The first arrests were made on March 1, 1692 and the final hanging day was September 22, 1692. The first noted arrest, was of Tituba, a Carib Indian from Barbados. She was Reverend Samuel Parris' slave. Her role in the witch trials includes the arrest and confession of witchcraft on March 1, 1692. In January of 1692, the daughter and niece of Reverend Samuel Parris became very ill. When she failed to improve, the village doctor, William Griggs, was called in. After much deliberation, Griggs concluded that the problem was witchcraft. This put into motion the forces that would ultimately result in the death of nineteen men and women. In addition to those nineteen people, one man named Giles Corey was crushed to death. Seventeen others died in prison and the lives of many were irrevocably changed. To better understand the events of the Salem witch trials, it is necessary to understand the time period in which the accusations of witchcraft occurred. There were the ordinary stresses of 17th-century life in Massachusetts Bay Colony. A strong belief in the devil, factions among Salem Village fanatics, and rivalry with nearby Salem Town all played a part in the stress. There was also a recent small pox epidemic and the threat of an attack by warring tribes created a fertile ground for fear and suspicion. Soon prisons were filled 2005-02-28T02:44:03-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Salem-Witch-Trials-and-Puritanism-26345.aspx History of the Automobile: from Horse To Horsepower Automobile: from Horse To Horsepower In the first hundred years of active life, it has been described as a menace ands a blessing, a blight and a godsend, as a savior of our countryside and cities, and as their curse, as socially divisive and the greatest social leveler. It has been worshipped and reviled, celebrated and scorned." The automobile is an invention that has had a tremendous impact on society. The automobile has taken diverse segments of the American population; farmers, small town residents and urban dwellers and given them access to the same opportunities and experiences. Autos have given us motels, shopping plazas, drive-thru's, vacations, commuting, and, certainly not the least, suburbia. The genesis of the automobile is one of the most profound and important chapters in the development of American culture. Before the automobile, people traveled by means of bicycles, trains, street cars and horse-drawn carriages. These methods of transportation were slow, limited and not private. Up until the about 1880, inventors experimented with building a "horseless carriage." These experiments were powered mainly by steam, and were not practical. They traveled at slow speeds (six miles an hour), were very noisy, frightened horses, smelled awful and polluted the air. Sometimes the coals (used to make steam) would fall off the auto, and burn wooden bridges down. Railroads and stage coach lines hated the automobiles because they did not want competition. Autos were scarce and ridiculed by most of the population. "The car began life as a rich man's toy, rather than a means of transport or as an instrument of social change." They were displayed in circuses because they were considered a wacky idea with no future. The development and acceptance of the automobile in America took place around the turn of the century, from 1895 to 1910. The most successful steam car was the Stanley Steamer, invented in Newton, Massachusetts in 1897 by Francis and Freelan Stanley. It was produced until 1924. The steam car did not fare well because it was not suited for long distance travel, was too hard to start and posed the hazard of an open fire. In the late 1890's and early 1900's the electric car was the most popular type of automobile. William Morrison was the creator of this type of car. People liked the electric car because it was easy to operate, ran quietly and did not give off 2005-02-28T02:11:21-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-Automobile-from-Horse-To-Horsepower-26341.aspx The Great Depression History Report The Great Depression Essay On October the 24th, 1929 the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) collapsed when millions of shares at inflated prices were offered on sale. Over $50 billions were lost on what was called "Black Thursday" when the stock prices returned to their actual value. Soon after the crash, the entire world economy began a period of deflation; prices and wages dropped as the demand for goods was significantly reduced. Because of this lack of need for goods production halted and several factories closed; people lost their jobs and businesses were bankrupt. By 1933, nearly half the nation's workmen were unemployed, and the youths coming out of high school and university had little hope of beginning a career. A lack of unemployment insurance forced many people to rely on relief from the government. The Depression hit most sectors of the economy very hard. One of the hardest hit was the wheat farming industry. Farmers in the Prairie region of Canada saw the price of a bushel of wheat plummet from $1.60 in 1929 to 38 cents in 1932 because of an oversupplied world market. Many farmers were unable to pay off their loans and lost their farms, others were forced to abandon their farms for lack of money to support themselves. Incomes fell 60% in Alberta and 72% in Saskatchewan. Quebec was also hit hard as the demand for manufactured goods and clothes decreased due to the inability of people, farms, and companies to spend money freely. The many ports of Quebec were very inactive simply because there was much less wheat being shipped than before and many workers lost their jobs as factories closed. Also in Quebec, a back-to-the land movement began as priest such as Félix-Antione Savard led unemployed city dwellers to sparsely populate regions such as Abitibi-Témiscamingue. The people were encouraged to return to their roots and farm. However, this movement had very little success. Canada was especially hit hard by the Great Depression that followed the crash of the U.S. stock market in October 1929. Unemployment soared, industrial production collapsed, and prices, especially for farm commodities, fell rapidly as demand for all consumer goods virtually disappeared. From 1929-1933 Canada's Gross National Product declined 42%. Governments and private relief agencies were at a loss in attempting to cope with the legions 2005-02-23T08:58:04-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Depression-History-Report-26330.aspx Pre-Revolutionary War Pre-Revolutionary War By the mid-eighteenth century, as the pre-American Revolutionary 2005-02-23T08:55:06-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Pre-Revolutionary-War-26328.aspx The Trial of Anne Hutchinson The Trial of Anne Hutchinson Anne Hutchinson was a threat to the ideals of the Puritan community because she would not subjugate her own personal convictions and beliefs to those held by the ministers and the civil authority. She was thought of as having broken covenant with the community by associating with those already banned and by freely speaking her differing ideas. These actions were compounded by the fact that she was a strong, well-spoken, charismatic individual. Anne's strength can be seen at the beginning of the examination. First the trial was moved from Boston to Newton to isolate her from her supporters. As a woman, alone, she was brought in front of a court full of powerful men. Then harshly rebuked by the Governor being accused of "troubling the peace of the commonwealth and churches" by "promoting and divulging of those opinions that are causes of this trouble." (Wheeler/Becker p. 35) I imagine this was orchestrated in part to cause Anne to be ashamed and fearful. The Governor may have hoped that this would have led her to humility and to ask forgiveness and then to go back to her place of quietly tending to her family. He must have been disappointed and angered when instead of backing down she challenged his confrontation stating, "I hear no things laid to my charge."(Wheeler/Becker p.36) Next the Governor questions Anne concerning her association with Mr. Wheelwright. Mr. Wheelwright's sermons had been considered divisive to the colony and hence he had been banished. Anne was accused of being guilty of the same sin through entertaining Mr. Wheelwright and his supporters. When she questions, "What law do they transgress?" Gov. W. answers, "The law of God and of the state." I seems that the Governor considered Mr. Wheelwrights views to be detrimental to the community. By bringing division to the community Mr. Wheelwright had broken covenant with the Puritan church, then state, and ultimately God. Anne's empathy toward Wheelwright was then thought of as covenant breaking. The Governor now asks, 'Why do you keep such a meeting at your house as you do every week upon a set day?"(Wheeler/Becker p.37) This being lawful and even encouraged Anne seems agitated that she would be question regarding it. As for the legality of it the Governor states that she needed no 2005-02-23T08:29:53-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Trial-of-Anne-Hutchinson-26316.aspx President Jackson Questions The Age of Jackson Questions 1-4 1. Both presidents while in office had to adjust the tariff's to be able to work with the economy and the people. Jefferson was more looking towards the richer higher class of people and to the leaders of the states, but Jackson not having the best of an education realized that America 2005-02-23T08:25:36-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/President-Jackson-Questions-26313.aspx The Quebec Act 1774 The Quebec Act 1774 1. The British decided to pass the Quebec Act of 1774 to secure the loyalty of the Canadians to the British Crown in case of rebellions against them from the 13 Colonies. 2. The hoped to secure relations with the French, as a loyal Quebec could be used as a secure base for military operation. Guy Carleton, the Governor-General at the time, convinced the British Crown that the Quebec Act was imperative to securing Quebec and convincing to habitants to aid Britain if a war broke out. 3. The Quebec Act enlarged the territory of Quebec to include the Indian reserve on the western lands, and included the Ohio Valley. The inclusion of the Ohio Valley would thwart the westward expansion of the British-American colonies. As well, restoration of the Ohio Valley to Quebec would remove the restrictions on the fur trade. Labrador was added, giving Quebec control over seal-hunting and coastal fishing. With this Act, Quebec would still be governed by an appointed Governor and council. However, the Council was open to Roman Catholic office holders, and thus allowed the seigniorial class to participate. 4. The British mercantile group and the French Canadians in Quebec responded favorably to the revised boundaries and were gratified that the Ohio Valley became the exclusive domain of the St. Lawrence-centered fur trade and both welcomed the annexation of the coastal fisheries off Labrador to Quebec. The British-American colonies regarded the inclusion of the Ohio Valley as further proof of British intentions to restrict their westward expansion. The Quebec Act gave full freedom of worship to Catholics and the right to collect tithes was restored to the clergy, much to the dislike of the habitants. The merchants in Quebec and the British-American colonists shared common resentment over the religious freedom of the Catholic church. The denial of a legislative assembly assured the French Canadians that they would not be dominated by a British commercial minority, but British merchants were furious that they had been denied the right to and elected legislative assembly. British-American colonies were astounded by Britain's disregard for the loyal British Canadians, to them it was evidence of British intention to suppress popularly elected assemblies in North America. Conclusion: The Quebec Act, a statute of British Parliament, gave legal recognition to the Catholic Church, French law, and customs in Quebec; these fostered and strengthened the French-Canadian identity. The disregard of the British merchants in Quebec, 2005-02-23T03:45:56-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Quebec-Act-1774-26307.aspx Causes of the Great War The impact of the First World War is still with us. In many respects the events of modern Europe are a direct result of what happened during World War I. Adolph Hitler himself was a product of the First World War. World War I also gave Russian communists opportunity to overthrow the government in Russia and proclaim communism. The events that took place in "No Mans Land" definetly had an impact on the wars to come. The First World War had many causes. The spark of the Great War was the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, soon to be at the throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife by a Serbian nationalist, while traveling through Sarajevo. The Archduke was chosen as a target because Serbians feared that after he was at the throne, he would continue the persecution of Serbs living within the Austria-Hungary Empire. The Serbian terrorist organization, the Black Hand, had to carry out the assassination. The Arms Race is the second cause. Britain at that time was the largest empire in the world, and it also had the largest navy. The navy was so big and strong because the British needed to protect their empire and maintain the sea routes between the different colonies. Kaiser William of Germany hated and envied Britain for having a stronger navy than his. He increased the German navy and built many warships. Britain responded with building more ships and increasing its navy too. This started a race for building more and better warships and it created tension and competition between those two countries. The system of alliance were another major cause of the War. There was a feud between France and Germany about controlling the colonies, which leads to a greater conflict, the Great War. Europe at that time was divided into two rival alliance systems: Triple Entente that included Great Britain, France, and Russia and the Triple Alliance, which included the Central Powers of Austria- Hungary, Germany, and eventually the Turkish Empire. In order to balance the power, France and Russia signed an alliance. Russia saw itself as the 'protector of Slavs' in the war, and immediately mobilized. When the war began, the German decision that if they were going to have to fight Russia and France, they would strike at France first according to the Schlieffen Plan, and then turn West to Russia. Germans believed that Russia at the 2005-02-21T05:19:05-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-of-the-Great-War--26304.aspx History of Nazi Germany National Socialism between 1920 and 1945 can best be described as an era of constant change. Hitler's enrollment in the German Worker's Party provided him the foundation needed to propel his idealistic views of anti-Semitism and Aryan superiority. Soon after Hitler's enrollment the party's name was changed to the National Socialist German Worker's Party and in the summer of 1921 his talents as an orator and propagandist enabled him to take over the leadership of the Nazi Party. Hitler's initial following - stemmed from German hyper-inflation and devaluation of the mark - included unemployed workers and the lower class, his keen ability to organize rallies to hear his speeches were instrumental in raising monies for the Nazi Party. Although the majority of his followers shared his dislike of the Weimar Republic's liberal democracy and anti-Semitic agenda, his party support, due to it's small size, was limited to the Bavarian region of German, this would prove to be a limiting factor when Hitler attempted to seize control of the provincial Bavarian government during his Beer Hall Putsch in November 1923. Hitler's ill-fated attempt of treason proved to work to his advantage; thus, giving him national status as a patriot and a hero in the eyes of many. As a result, Hitler served 9 months in prison for the Beer Hall Putsch and wrote a book titled Mein Kampf (My Struggle) outlining his vision for the future Germany. By late 1924 Hitler was release on parole, after serving a portion his five year sentence, and quickly regained control of the Nazi Party, noting that any future seizure must come by legal measures through Parliamentary elections. Faced with a temporary improvement of the German economy by the Weimar Republic's ability to secure loans and investments (mostly from America), Hitler was forced to wait until economic conditions worsened to propel his Nazi agenda. In 1929 Hitler finally got his chance, the American stock market crash of 1929 affected nearly every nation in the world and German prosperity soon came to an end as a result of the Great Depression, vast unemployment and hunger that followed. President Hindenburg’s Weimar Republic soon found itself obligated to repay debts owed to countries that once provided assistance during times of prosperity. Discontented German people wanted change and Bruening (Chancellor) believed that a stable parliament majority for his party could deliver the change required, so new elections were held. 2005-02-21T05:18:02-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-Nazi-Germany--26303.aspx Economic Prosperity in the 1920s Why was there economic prosperity in American in the 1920’s? I know that America on it’s surface was prosperous during the 1920’s. I know this because of the physical signs, and the evidence I have found supporting this concept. Some of the physical signs of the then prosperity are evident today, like the skyscrapers and Empire State building. There were the inventions of manufactured fabrics and materials such as Bakelite, artificial silk and Cellophane. Airlines carried almost half a million passengers a year, which compared to Europe at the same time, was a massive number of people. In this essay I will analyse all the reasons behind the economic prosperity in 1920. World War 1 assisted America’s latter prosperity. Throughout the war American industry benefited, because countries that couldn’t buy goods from Europe, did so from America. And along with this Europe bought products from America, products that they weren’t producing while they were fighting. Furthermore, during the First World War, American banks lent money to their European Allies. In the 1920’s, this was being paid back with interest. The war had also led to advances in technology, such as mechanism and manufactured materials. Production of Iron Ore, coal, petrol and wheat and exportation of chemicals, wheat, iron and steal all had increased considerably by the end of the war. By the end of the war, America had decided to isolate itself from the problems of Europe, and set itself about making the most profit in business. This isolationism built up the confidence of the American people. An increase in personal wealth, demand and output production all helped America’s prosperity. Banks were eager to lend money to businesses and individual’s. With this easy money, and the introduction of hire-purchase schemes, the demand for products increased. Consumer spending was incredibly high, which is reflected in the statistic that in 1920 there were 312 department stores, and by 1929 there were 1395. There was a consumer boom. Business profits rose by 80% during this period, which in turn raised share dividends by 65%. Also some women had continued working as they had done through the war. Both of these elements contributed to giving people again, more money to spend. However, the availability of money was not the only reason for increased consumer spending. New inventions such as vacuum cleaners, refrigerators and washing machines became available, and advertising over the popular radio encouraged consumers 2005-02-10T18:46:47-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Economic-Prosperity-in-the-1920s-26261.aspx Characteristics and Impacts of American Reconstruction Characteristics and Impacts of American Reconstruction The key goals of Reconstruction were to readmit the South into the Union and to define the status of freedmen in American society. The Reconstruction era was marked by political, not violent, conflict. Some historical myths are that the South was victimized by Reconstruction, and that the various plans of Reconstruction were corrupt and unjust. Actually, the plans were quite lenient, enforcing military rule for only a short period of time, ignoring land reform, and granting pardons easily. The task of Reconstruction was to re-integrate America into a whole nation, securing the rights of each man and establishing order once again. There were three major Reconstruction plans; Lincoln, Johnson, and Congress each offered a strategy to unify the nation. Lincoln’s plan, in 1864, required ten percent of the voting population of each state who had voted in the 1860 election to take an oath of allegiance to the Union and accept the abolition of slavery. Then that ten percent could create a state government that would be loyal to the Union. Confederate officials, army and naval officers, and civil officers who had resigned from office were all required to apply for presidential pardons (Boyer, 443). Lincoln’s plan did not at all deal with freedmen’s civil rights, which is a definite weakness. Under his ten percent rule, no freedmen could be part of a state government. Also, it did not address land reform, an economic weakness of Lincoln’s strategy. Finally, under Lincoln’s plan, no federal military occupation was required in Southern states. This left the freedmen at the mercy of the states for protection. Congress viewed this plan as far too lenient, and in 1864 passed the Wade-Davis bill. This bill required the majority of voters in each Southern state to take an oath of loyalty; only then could the state hold a convention to repeal secession and abolish slavery. Although Lincoln’s plan may have been too lenient, this bill would have been far too harsh and delayed readmission to the Union for a very long time. Lincoln did not sign the bill into law, or pocket-vetoed the bill, and was soon assassinated. Therefore, he did not have a chance to implement his plan of Reconstruction, and his goal was not met. After Andrew Johnson assumed the presidency following Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, and he introduced his plan of Reconstruction. Although Johnson claimed that his plan mirrored Lincoln’s, 2005-02-10T18:45:07-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Characteristics-and-Impacts-of-American-Reconstruction-26260.aspx Decline of the Muslim Empires: Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal Decline of the Muslim Empires: Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal All empires constantly evolve, declining and rising in status. Many empires have collapsed, only to start again under a different name. Like all empires, the three Muslim Empires, the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals have faced this inevitable state. Although each individual empire is different, they each have similarities in their reasons for decline. Whether it is social, religious, economic, or political reasons, the empires, like many others, have fallen. The Ottoman Empire, founded by Osman, had started in the northwestern corner of the Anatolian Peninsula. The empire expanded rapidly, only to weaken again. The first visible decline was the loss of territory at the Battle of Carlowitz in 1699. Many of their reasons of success have deteriorated over the years and actually caused the decline as well. The Ottoman's military was very strong, especially the members of the Janissaries corps. Boys were recruited from the local Christian population to serve as guards but only the best ones became Janissaries. Soon, though, the position became hereditary, so there was no longer a need to be excellent to occupy a position. Also, the training of officials declined, and the elite formed a privileged group seeking wealth and power. Although the Ottoman system was religiously tolerant, non-Muslims were forced to pay a head tax because of their exemption from military service and were divided by religious faith into a number of "nations" that had its own leader and laws. Also, before the decline, the position of the sultan was hereditary and a son always succeeded his father. The heir to the throne gained experience by being assigned as governors of provinces. Later, the oldest surviving male inherited the throne and others were kept secluded which provided them with no governmental experience in case they succeeded the throne. The sultans became less involved in the government and allowed their ministers to exercise more power so he became the servant of the ruling class. The sultan controlled his bureaucracy through an imperial council conducted by the grand vezir. Later, the central bureaucracy lost its links with rural areas, local officials grew corrupt, and taxes rose. The decline of the empire was evident. The Safavid Empire began in Azerbaijan. The empire continued to expand during Shah Abbas's reign but after his death, the dynasty gradually lost its vigor. At first, Shah Ismail, the 2005-02-02T08:37:30-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Decline-of-the-Muslim-Empires-Safavid,-Ottoman,-and-Mughal-26237.aspx Unification of Italy and Germany Unification of Italy and Germany By 1871 both the kingdom of Italy and the empire of Germany were united. Even though both countries used popular trends to that time, both liberalism and nationalism, the process unifying these two countries was very different. The end result was Germany emerging as a strong nation and Italy appropriately, the weaker. Italy’s problems started with the fact that it didn’t have one main ruler, but two people and a concept, resulting in a different approach to the unification. Gulseppe Mazzini had a radical program focusing on a centralized democratic republic based on universal suffrage and the will of the people. Vincenzo Gioberti, who was a catholic priest called for a federation of existing states under the presidency of the pope. Then there were the people who favored leadership toward the autocratic kingdom of Sardenia. Sardenia’s rule was much more popular to the middle class than the other two because Sardenia appeared to be a liberal, progressive state displaying national unification. That is what the people were striving for. They thought Mazzini’s ideas too radical- and they were trying to get away from religion running the nation as it had done in the past. They wanted a distinct separation between church and state. Cavour was the man who made the change, but he sought unity only for northern Italy to become a greatly expanded kingdom of Sardenia. “In the 1850’s Cavour worked to consolidate Sardenia as a liberal state capable of leading northern Italy.” (McKay, 836) Cavour saw Austria as a threat in unifying Italy and this is one point where both Cavour and Bismarck were on common ground. Therefore, they strategically persuaded European powers to fight against Austria…Italy provoked Austria into war Cavour then used Garibaldi’s popular appeal to his benefit. “When Garibaldi and Emmanuel rode through Naples to cheering crowds, they symbolically sealed the union of north and south, of monarch and people.” (McKay, 837) Italy was now unified. Despite the fact that Italy was unified, it wasn’t as nearly as strong as Germany was becoming. Bismarck joined both authoritarianism and nationalism to increase Prussia’s power. He was a very clever diplomat and used whatever means possible to work towards his goal. Bismarck’s Realpolitiks, the pursuing of realistic goals by any available method instead of the pursuit of an ideology. Bismarck never wanted to have enemies for long and hoped to pacify 2005-02-02T08:31:13-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Unification-of-Italy-and-Germany-26232.aspx Imaginary Interview with Lenin Made Up Interview with Lenin Question: What were the historic events that led up to revolution, and why did you become involved in revolution? Lenin’s answer: To answer this question we have to go way back in 1812, when Napoleon came to Russia. Russian people stood up and fought against the invader by burning the villages and supplies, thus helping Czar Alexander I. After such sacrifice, people were not rewarded for their devotion to the Czar. In December of 1825 in St. Petersburg, Russia, a group of military officials staged a revolt against Tsar Nicholas I. These rebels were liberals who felt threatened by the new ruler’s conservative views. They were, however, defeated by the tsar’s forces. As a result of this revolt, Nicholas I implemented a variety of new regulations to prevent the spread of the liberal movement in Russia. My Brother - Alexander, and me, we organized the Union for the Struggle for the Liberation of the Working Class. We have traveled around Europe and we saw that all Europe was changing in the direction of Democracy. Russian Social Democratic Party in Switzerland came to conclusion that Autocracy and Czars are getting old. New and radical changes were needed. Czar, Alexander III, hanged my older brother,Alexander, for an alleged plot against him. I swore on his grave that I would avenge his death. Revolutions of 1905 and World War I also played a significant role on the “My” revolution in November. Q: What is the main target you want to achieve by revolting? A: I want to make better place for regular working class people. I want to give them everything that they have wanted for so many years. I also want to end the war. The government is blind and can’t see that people don’t understand why they are fighting and losing their fathers, brothers and sons. Q: What kind of government will you set up after the revolution? A: I want to set up socialism/communism. Central to the meaning of socialism is common ownership. This means the resources of the world being owned in common by the entire global population. I want to build the society where individual don’t own anything. People own everything. Q: What is the difference between Red Army and White Army (both of them rob peasants)? A: What we are facing here is a small economic precipice. We have to have all 2005-02-02T08:29:03-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Imaginary-Interview-with-Lenin-26231.aspx Comparison of Spanish and British Colonization Colonies in America [i:bcb96a7018]Compare the Spanish and British Colonization[/i:bcb96a7018] In 1492 the colonization begun with the arrival of Christopher Columbus to one of the Caribbean island, the Spanish people wanted to find China to get an cultural exchange but instead they found a unknown land fill of people that received them with arms wide open, the Spanish were fascinated with the prosperous of their land, and the Indians were surprised as well with their enormous ships. But the Spanish had different plans besides the cultural and friendship exchange, they were ambitious people and as soon they had the opportunity to take over them they just did it. The Spanish were violent, determined and religious people and what they wanted from the new word was gold, as simple as that. They had a real beg army and they wanted to ruled and settled down in order to find gold an make their country more rich and powerful. By the other hand there also exist another civilization that wanted something, England. The English get to the new world by their will it was not by a king or queen request like the Spanish. There were various reasons why the American Colonies were established. The three most important themes of English colonization of America were religion, economics, and government. The most important reasons for colonization were to seek refuge, religious freedom, and economic opportunity. To a less important point, the colonists wanted to establish a stable and progressive government. The Indians never known dieses until the Spanish brought it. They were a very healthy and incredible intelligent people they had enormous sort of empires and their respect for the land were unique, they like hard work and their most precious treasure was the corn, because the corn was the basic ingredient for their food. The Spanish used the Indians for cultivate their land. The Indians were a very intelligent civilization they had corn and spices that the Spanish took over very soon, by force. The Indians never had the chance to defend their territory; they fought against gun, cannons and a real big army. The Spanish were seeking for gold that was the most important reason for their colonist, and they used every way to get it, that by the way was the violence they got everything they wanted killing Indians and they kill every Indian on their way. The problem was that they could not found 2005-02-02T08:27:44-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparison-of-Spanish-and-British-Colonization-26230.aspx Collapse of the Soviet Union Collapse of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was a global superpower, possessing the largest armed forces on the planet with military bases from Angola in Africa, to Vietnam in South-East Asia, to Cuba in the Americas. When Mikhail Gorbachev succeeded Konstantin Chernenko as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in March 1985, nobody expected than in less than seven years the USSR would disintergrate into fifteen separate states. Gorbachev's attempt at democratising the totalitarian Soviet system backfired on him as the Soviet republics began to revolt against Moscow's control. This was not a case of economic and political crisis producing liberalisation and democratisation. Rather, it was liberalisation and democratisation that brought the regime to crisis point. After coming to power, Gorbachev implemented a domestic economic reforms that he hoped would improve living standards and worker productivity as part of his perestroika (reconstruction) program. The Law on Cooperatives, enacted in May 1987, was perhaps the most radical of the economic reforms during the early part of the Gorbachev era. For the first time since Vladimir Lenin's New Economic Policy, the law permitted private ownership of businesses in the services, manufacturing, and foreign-trade sectors. The law initially imposed high taxes and employment restrictions, but it later revised these to avoid discouraging private-sector activity. Under this provision, cooperative restaurants, shops, and manufacturers became part of the Soviet scene. Gorbachev's introduction of glasnost (openness) gave new freedoms to the people, such as a greater freedom of speech; a radical change as control of speech and suppression of government criticism had previously been a central part of the Soviet system. The press became far less controlled and thousands of political prisoners and many dissidents were released in the spirit of glasnost. In January 1987, Gorbachev called for demokratizatsiya (democratization) — the infusion of democratic elements such as multicandidate elections into the Soviet political process. In June 1988, at the CPSU's Nineteenth Party Conference, Gorbachev launched radical reforms meant to reduce party control of the government apparatus. In December 1988, the Supreme Soviet approved the formation of a Congress of People's Deputies, which constitutional amendments had established as the Soviet Union's new legislative body. Abroad, Gorbachev sought to improve relations and trade with the West. On October 11 1986, Gorbachev and U.S. President Ronald Reagan met in Reykjavik, Iceland, to discuss reducing intermediate-range nuclear weapons in Europe. This 2005-02-02T08:26:38-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Collapse-of-the-Soviet-Union-26229.aspx Containment of Communism Containment of Communism The Cold War is the closest the world has ever come to complete destruction. In this period of time, two world super powers were in a stalemate economically and militarily and were constantly competing to be the superior. The Cold War started as result of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union had some differences on their perspectives of the world. United States being the richest country in the world promoted democracy and capitalism in the world. The newly formed Soviet Union thought that communism was a better political system because it transformed their economy and status in the world from nothing but a declining empire to a super power once again. The Cold War was a long series of events in which the communist tried to spread their ideas of government and socialist economy, known as expansionism, and the United States and some of the other Western powers such as Great Britain tried to contain it. Containment, a term introduced by George F. Kennan, was the foreign policy the United States practiced from 1946 to 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. The United States saw the Soviet Union to be a direct threat to the free world. During president Truman and Eisenhower’s administration the policy of containment evolved so drastically that American presidents would put anything on the line, including world peace. It started with the Truman Doctrine (1947) that stated the United States would help any country financially and militarily that was interested in keeping the world free for democracy. The Truman Doctrine came about as direct result of communist guerillas in Greece trying to take over the government. American advisers believed that the guerillas were taking orders from the Soviets after they launched a civil war against the government. The United States decided to assist the standing government in Greece because they believed it would have a large impact on Europe and most importantly Turkey that was having its own problems with communism and was strategically located next to large oil reserves of Iran. Congress approved $300 million to aid Greece and $100 million in food and military expenses to aid Turkey. The second large step in containment was the Marshall Plan. Proposed by Secretary of State George Marshall, it would provide economic relief to rebuilding Western European nations such as Great Britain, France, Belgium and even Germany. By boosting European economies the 2005-02-02T03:10:41-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Containment-of-Communism-26199.aspx Analysis of the Atomic Bomb Analysis of the Atomic Bomb Ever since the dawn of time man has found new ways of killing each other. The most destructive way of killing people known to man would have to be the atomic bomb. The reason why the atomic bomb is so destructive is that when it is detonated, it has more than one effect. The effects of the atomic bomb are so great that Nikita Khrushchev said that the survivors would envy the dead (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, 1982). These devastating physical effects come from the atomic bomb’s blast, the atomic bomb’s thermal radiation, and the atomic bomb’s nuclear radiation. An atomic bomb is any weapon that gets its destructive power from an atom. This power comes when the matter inside of the atoms is transformed into energy. The process by which this is done is known as fission. The only two atoms suitable for fissioning are the uranium isotope U-235 and the plutonium isotope Pu-239 (OutlawLabs). Fission occurs when a neutron, a subatomic particle with no electrical charge, strikes the nucleus of one of these isotopes and causes it to split apart. When the nucleus is split, a large amount of energy is produced, and more free neutrons are also released. These neutrons then in turn strike other atoms, which causes more energy to be released. If this process is repeated, a self-sustaining chain reaction will occur, and it is this chain reaction that causes the atomic bomb to have its destructive power (World Book, 1990). This chain reaction can be attained in two different ways. The first type of atomic bomb ever used was a gun-type. In this type two subcritical pieces of U-235 are placed in a device similar to the barrel of an artillery shell. One piece is placed at one end of the barrel and will remain there at rest. The other subcritical mass is placed at the other end of the barrel. A conventional explosive is packed behind the second subcritical mass. When the fuse is triggered, a conventional explosion causes the second subcritical mass to be propelled at a high velocity into the first subcritical mass. The resulting combination causes the two subcritical masses to become a supercritical mass. When this supercritical mass is obtained, a rapid self-sustained chain reaction is caused (World Book, 1990). This type of atomic bomb was used on Hiroshima, and given 2005-02-02T03:05:41-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-the-Atomic-Bomb-26198.aspx Anti-Vietnam Movement in the United States The antiwar movement against Vietnam in the US from 1965-1971 was the most significant movement of its kind in the nation\'s history. The United States first became directly involved in Vietnam in 1950 when President Harry Truman started to underwrite the costs of France\'s war against the Viet Minh. Later, the presidencies of Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy increased the US\'s political, economic, and military commitments steadily throughout the fifties and early sixties in the Indochina region. Prominent senators had already begun criticizing American involvement in Vietnam during the summer of 1964, which led to the mass antiwar movement that was to appear in the summer of 1965. This antiwar movement had a great impact on policy and practically forced the US out of Vietnam. Starting with teach-ins during the spring of 1965, the massive antiwar efforts centered on the colleges, with the students playing leading roles. These teach-ins were mass public demonstrations, usually held in the spring and fall seasons. By 1968, protesters numbered almost seven million with more than half being white youths in the college. The teach-in movement was at first, a gentle approach to the antiwar activity. Although, it faded when the college students went home during the summer of 1965, other types of protest that grew through 1971 soon replaced it. All of these movements captured the attention of the White House, especially when 25,000 people marched on Washington Avenue. And at times these movements attracted the interest of all the big decision-makers and their advisors (Gettleman, 54). The teach-ins began at the University of Michigan on March 24, 1965, and spread to other campuses, including Wisconsin on April 1. These protests at some of America\'s finest universities captured public attention. The Demonstrations were one form of attempting to go beyond mere words and research and reason, and to put direct pressure on those who were conducting policy in apparent disdain for the will expressed by the voters (Spector, 30-31). Within the US government, some saw these teach-ins as an important development that might slow down on further escalation in Vietnam. Although several hundred colleges experienced teach-ins, most campuses were untouched by this circumstance. Nevertheless, the teach-ins did concern the administration and contributed to President Johnson\'s decision to present a major Vietnam address at Johns Hopkins University on April 7, 1965. The address tried to respond to the teach-ins campus protest activity. The Johns 2005-02-02T03:02:10-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Anti-Vietnam-Movement-in-the-United-States-26197.aspx Effects of the Industrial Revolution The Effects of the Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was absolutely beneficial to the progress of the world from the 1800s all the way to present day. Sacrifices were made which allowed technological advancements during the Industrial Revolution, which in turn, created happiness, life opportunities, and an over-all, definite amelioration of life. At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, many hardships had to be overcome, causing great grief to most of the population. Faith was lost, patience was tried, and a blanket of oppression covered the people of Europe. When new inventions arose to facilitate the producing and mass-producing of goods that supplied the people of Europe, nearly everyone was forced to begin a new career within a factory. These are just some of the hardships that many loyal, hardworking citizens were faced with. The reverberations of these new inventions caused a dramatic plummet of the life expectancy of an average citizen to an alarming 15 years of age. Women and children were expected to work up to 16 hours a day and doing labor that could cause serious injury, like carrying extremely heavy loads. For their work, they were paid ridiculous wages, women around 5 shillings per week, and children about 1. One can easily recognize the negative aspects of such a dramatic event. However, if one "steps back" to view the revolution as a whole, he will notice that the positive aspects completely outweigh the negative aspects. The job opportunities and price decrease definitely improved the lives of the people, giving them a chance to be a part of the society and be able to purchase products at a price that wasn't too bad. Many lives changed outside work. There were many national benefits of this revolution. One very important thing was that there became many more goods available because of the mass-production. Due to this mass-producing, the goods also dropped in price, which considerably benefited those who were financially struggling. Along with the mass-producing came more employment opportunities, which allowed some of the less fortunate people to have a chance of getting a job. The increase of new ideas and inventions led to an increase of the quality of life. Medicinal products became more plentiful, transportation improved, and free education was available. People began to find themselves with more leisure time. Wages were increased, health benefits became available, and eventually, pension became available to those who retired. These 2005-02-02T03:01:02-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Effects-of-the-Industrial-Revolution-26196.aspx Events of the The Civil Rights Movement EVENTS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT I. Introduction A. Why it began B. What happened II. Emmett Till A. Said "Bye-Baby" to white woman B. White woman brother and husband kill Emmett C. Both men found not guilty of their crimes III. Little Rock Nine A. Gov. Faubus denies entry B. Pres. Eisenhower ordered troops to integrate Central High School C. Ernest Green first black graduate of Central High IV. James Meredith A. Denied by the University of Mississippi after being accepted B. Pres. Kennedy ordered troops to escort Meredith to campus C. Meredith graduates two years later V. COFO Members A. Arrested on false charges of speeding B. Murdered by the KKK C. Pres. Johnson had FBI investigate D. A few men were charged with charges of violating civil rights VI. Conclusion A. Not able to share all B. Hope you liked it --------------------------------- Events of the Civil Rights Movement The United States Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's was the centerfold of the 1900's. The Movement came about because not all Americans were being treated fairly. In general white Americans were treated better than any other American people, especially black people. There were many events of the Civil Rights Movement some dealt with black people not getting a fair education. Some events came about because people were advocating that people should be able to practice their American rights. The term paper that you are about to read is composed of events that occurred as apart of the Civil Rights Movements. The events are all in chronological order with the brutal murder of Emmett Till first in order. After that is the story of Arkansas' Central High School's integration. Keeping with the idea of equal education, you will be able read how the University of Mississippi was integrated by James Meredith with the assistance of the U.S. Government. Lastly you will see the power the Ku Klux Klan had in the deep South, especially Mississippi, with the murder of three members of the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO). These events are just a glimpse of what the Civil Rights Movement truly was. Now here is the strory of young Emmett Till. Emmett Till Not knowing the customs of Mississippi was the downfall for young Emmett Till. While visiting family near Money, Mississippi, Emmett Till, age 14, was murdered. Emmett grew up on Chicago's South side, where he was a 2005-02-02T03:00:12-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Events-of-the-The-Civil-Rights-Movement-26195.aspx History of American Imperialism Since its inception, America as a nation has developed and progressed according to trends of change that collectively define an era. Like all other eras, the time period of 1875-1925 experienced growth, changes, movements, and new ideals. It is the way that these changes came about that defines this era. Americans started to push for changes in many arenas of life that were previously unchallenged. New experiences and opportunities were also presented to America that caused tributaries in the former American ideal. These pressures for change could not be ignored and thus America continued its maturity in a new and unique manner. The changes in the American sphere of life and the development of greater organization, the largest underlying theme of the time period, facilitated the surgence of new foreign and military policies, urban reform policies, economic reform policies, neo-federalism especially in dealing with business, social reform policies, and the quality of life. The period from 1875-1900 was considered the "Gilded Age". On come the no-name presidents. There is a reason though, why these presidents were no-name presidents. It is because all the power that the presidency gained from Lincoln, was lost during reconstruction. Most things in American life were considered to be things that the government, especially the president, should not touch. The laissez-faire philosophy was in full force. The lack of interference allowed the giants like John D. Rockefellar, Andrew Carnegie, and J. Pierpont Morgan to rise to almost divine status. This is where organization comes to play. Business began to realize that by organizing their power and joining together in bonds such as cartels, later pools, and finally trusts, that they could maximize the exploitation of the growing American population. With this fusion of power and the creation of megacorporations, abuses in the course of industrialization concerning labor and the environment developed. This reaction to the weak central government led to the opposition of these abuses. It is a natural pattern that opposition would occur, but the fact that organized opposition began to grow is what separates these resistences from the oppositions of the past. Immigration reaches its peak during the gilded age and shifts from the "old immigration" (northern & western Europe) to the "new immigration" (southern & eastern Europe) over time. The immigration was considered not to be easy to assimilate, and therefore a bigger problem than before. Nativist developed, as immigrants increased the urbanization problems 2005-02-02T02:57:34-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-American-Imperialism-26193.aspx War of 1812 Was it the Worst Fought War? War of 1812 Essay Answer the following: Is it valid to call the War of 1812 “America’s worst-fought war”? Was the cause of the failure essentially military, or was it an inevitable result of the political disunity over the war’s purposes? Provide support for your stance and “discredit” the opposing view. The War of 1812 was fought between the United States and England. Ending in 1815 with the Treaty of Ghent, the war did not accomplish any of the issues it was being fought over. For the US, the War of 1812 seemed to just be one failure after another. Although the military suffered great failure during the war, these were the direct consequence of the failure of the citizens to unite for the causes of the war. Because of these failures, it is quite valid to call the War of 1812 “America’s worst-fought war”. When the war began, it was being fought by the Americans to address their grievances toward the British. This seemed like a justifiable cause for a war, however not all of the citizens shared the same sense of unity about the political issues the war was being fought over. The US was quite upset about the continuing impressment of American sailors into the British Navy and the seizures of American merchant trading vessels by the British. Another reason the United States wished to go to war with Britain was because of their dealings with the Indians in the West. The British were not only trading with the Indians, but they were also giving them weapons and encouraging them to attack American settlements. Along with these reasons, the Americans, now becoming hungry for land, dreamed of capturing British Canada and possibly Florida for the union. Also, the Americans still contained a certain degree of resentment from the Revolutionary War, which they were eager to take out on the British. Even though these were the causes the nation was supposedly fighting for, the entire nation lacked a major driving force to gain restitution for them. The nation was not really united for the cause, as backcountry farmers didn’t care about what was happening to coastal shipping businesses, as coastal shipping businesses didn’t care about what was happening to the back-country farmers. Everyone was only concerned with their own problems, and not concerned with the problems facing the nation regarding the situations its citizens were enduring. Some would say 2005-01-30T06:07:39-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/War-of-1812-Was-it-the-Worst-Fought-War-26187.aspx Causes of the World Trade Center Bombing In September 1929, "the Roaring Twenties," "the Era of Wonderful Nonsense," of sex, booze and jazz, ended with the stock market crash that began the Great Depression. There followed the "low dishonest decade" of poet W. H. Auden's depiction, as Western statesmen sought to appease their way to security and peace. On Sept. 11, 2001, as the 767s smashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center and Pentagon, killing 5,000 Americans, another unserious era of sex scandals and stock market silliness came to an end. Recall, if you will, the summer of 2001. The story that had CNN, MSNBC and FOX News transfixed was the saga of Gary Condit. Nightly, talk-show hosts demanded answers to the great questions: Why did Gary throw away the watch box? Where did stewardess Anne Marie Smith spend her D.C. nights? By Sept. 11, the story seemed about to end in a great courtroom drama, with Anne Marie charging Gary with libel – for denying she committed adultery. What will the decade be remembered for? The Trial of O. J.? Who killed Jon-Benet Ramsey? The Oval Office trysts of Bill and Monica? Condit summer? Meanwhile, not to worry about the world. For America is "the last superpower," the "indispensable nation." The New Economy will take us to "Dow 36,000!" "Pax Americana" and "Global Democracy" are our destiny. On Sept. 11, the frivolous era came to an end. Suddenly, for the first time since Gen. Jackson drove the British army out of Louisiana, the enemy was inside the gates, slaughtering thousands. Why? Because we adopted an open-borders policy that left tens of millions of illegal aliens wandering about America, few of whom had any loyalty to us, some of whom were willing to murder us on the orders of their foreign masters. To keep the cost of labor down, we let millions of strangers, and not a few enemies, into our home. Never before has America been so vulnerable, and corporate greed and craven politics did it to us. Tuesday, the U.S. reported that industrial production fell for the 12th straight month. Bethlehem Steel became the latest U.S. company to go Chapter 11. U.S. factories now produce at 75 percent of capacity. Last year, the U.S. trade deficit in manufactureds hit $324 billion and the merchandise trade deficit $450 billion. The de-industrialization of America is well advanced. In a triumph of the globalists, America 2005-01-30T06:06:27-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-of-the-World-Trade-Center-Bombing-26186.aspx Prohibition and the Repeal of the 18th Amendment English III Honors Period 4 Prohibition Prohibition was the eighteenth amendment. It prohibited the production and consumption of alcoholic beverages. People would have never thought of “excoriating” alcohol until the 19th century (Tyrrell 16). During this time widespread crime and dismay arose. Some beneficial things did come out of this period of chaos such as women were able to prove themselves as people their temperance movements. During this time many things happened that led to Prohibition’s strongest point and to its fall. Prohibition proved to be a failure from the start,. Prohibition was scarcely adhered to and also widely defied but out of this women had a chance to voice their opinions and prove themselves. Article V deals with amendments. Either house or law makers can propose amendments. In order for an amendment to be passed the House of Representatives and the Senate must ratify by three quarters vote. On January 29, 1919, the Secretary of State announced that on January 16th thirty-six states had ratified the amendment and therefore it had become a part of the Constitution. Temperance movements were vital keys to the ratification of the eighteenth amendment. Temperance at first meant abstaining from distilled liquors, but later would be the complete avoidance of alcohol. Both men and women would participate in temperance across the United States. Women finally had a voice in these issues. Women temperance movements would include gathering around saloons, pharmacies, and other places that distributed alcohol that could be consumed. In these gatherings women would sing prayers, recite psalms, and persuade people to avoid drinking alcohol. Among the men of these temperance groups was a Connecticut preacher named Lymm Beecher. He was well known for his work with temperance movements. He was also known for his publishing, Six Sermons on the Nature, Occasions, Signs, Evils, and Remedy of intemperance. He was a pre-prohibition modern day Reverend Jonathon Edwards by “appealing to the deepest emotions and beliefs of his readers” (Lucas 24). Ironically he moved to Boston and worked with Reverend Justin Edwards to unite temperance groups. Among the women of the temperance era, Francis Elizabeth Willard was probably one of the most important temperance leaders. She was born September 23, 1839 in New York. She first got her aversion towards alcohol by her father because he was a “total abstainer” (Lucas 32). Her interests in temperance grew when she heard stories of the Women’s Crusades 2005-01-30T06:05:11-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Prohibition-and-the-Repeal-of-the-18th-Amendment-26185.aspx George Washington and could he have Abolished Slavery George Washington Could Not Afford to Abolish Slavery In his writings, George Washington felt very strongly that slavery was an institution that needed to be eliminated from American society. However, there were several circumstances that arose following the American Revolution that would prevent Washington from actively pursuing the elimination of slavery during his lifetime. It is certainly plausible that George Washington's personal economic short-comings, forefront in the setting of conflicting political agendas and the nation's revolutionary climate, prevented this founding father from actively pursuing the nationwide emancipation of slaves. Prior and during the American Revolution, little was written by Washington on his feelings about slavery. In the last year of the war and thereafter, more attention was spent by Washington on the issue of slavery. On February 5, 1783, Washington received a letter from Marquis de Lafayette, whom Washington considered both a friend and a son, that stated, "Let us unite in purchasing a small estate, where we may try the experiment to free the negroes, and use them only as tenants. Such an example as yours might render it a general practice..." (Sparks v.3, p.547). It is doubtful that Lafayette would have proposed this idea unless he knew that Washington had strong views on seeing the elimination of slavery. Washington wrote back to Lafayette on April 5, "The scheme... to encourage the emancipation of the black people of this Country from that state of Bondage in which. they are held, is a striking evidence of the benevolence of your Heart. I shall be happy to join you is so laudable a work..." (Fitzpatrick v.26, p.300). Unfortunately, Washington was still in charge of the American troops, and would be so until December, so he thought it would be best to "...defer going into a detail of the business, 'till I have the pleasure of seeing you" (Fitzpatrick v.26, p.300). However, when Washington finally did return home in December, he found himself in such great debt that even noble experiments like the one that Lafayette had proposed, had to took a back seat to getting Washington's financial situation in order. Lafayette went on with his plan alone, buying land in the French colony of Cayenne (Sparks v.4, p.110). Washington was still very supportive of this plan despite his inability to participate, and on May 10, 1786, he wrote to Lafayette, "[Y]our late purchase of an estate in the colony of Cayenne, with 2005-01-30T06:02:25-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/George-Washington-and-could-he-have-Abolished-Slavery-26184.aspx Getttysburg Essay and Movie Review Gettysburg, the largest, bloodiest, and most celebrated battle of the Civil war, is said by many to be the turning point of the war that killed 618,000 Americans. Gettysburg the movie was four hours long, which is about 68 hours less than it actually took for the battle to come and go. The first shots were fired no long after daylight, so to be exact, it was 04:30 hours, on the morning of July 1st, (49 Nofi). Bullets flew from the rifles of Union Calvary men on picket duty along the Chambersburg Pike. It was in response to the advancing of Confederates, a skirmish line of 2,500 led by Henry Keith, a General that graduated last in his class at West Point (104 Clark). The battle took place in the grassy country just south of Gettysburg. The Confederate headquarters was located East of the union at Seminary Ridge. Seminary Ridge was composed largely of flat fields with patches of forests. Federal forces however, were set along Culpshill, Cemetery Hill, and Cemetery Ridge, which made the Federals line form a hook. The Federal ground was all elevated considerably over the surrounding land. General Stuart and his Calvary had been sent by Lee on an observation mission to locate union forces. Fortunately for the Virginian army, General Longstreet had hired a spy known only as Harrison, to do the same job. This Harrison was an actor and because General Stuart returned late, it was by his word that the entire Southern army made it\'s move (181 Coddington). On July 1st, Confederate forces soon found themselves face to face with brigade General John Buford who was uphill and eventually gained the upper hand as he received reinforcements from Major General John Reynolds. Bufords own brigade sustained many casualties and after the 1st, was reassigned to guarding the supply train for the remainder of the battle, (movie). July 1st was the same day that the Potomac army found itself replacing General Hooker with General Mead. Meade helped his army secure a well protected area on Cemetery Ridge, and Culps Hill, where it would stay, (aside from the left flank), until the end of the battle. Meade\'s army line stretched three miles and had an average of 17,000 men per mile, (105 Clark). Lee\'s army line stretched approximately two miles longer, but averaged about 10,000 men per mile, (105 Clark). On July 2nd, Colonel Chamberlain was ordered by 2005-01-30T06:01:27-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Getttysburg-Essay-and-Movie-Review-26183.aspx The Alien and Sedition Act from a different perspective You are back in the year 1798 and the government has just passed a law saying what ever they do and create it will be the standard. You have no say or any comment on it, because frankly they just don’t care. You are now placed back in the year 2001, would it be possible to apply a law of such magnitude to our society today? I don’t think so. Our country is based upon individual rights, we are allowed to say what we feel, and do what we want. It is what has shaped our country into what it is today. The saying rubber makes things perfect is one such example. It is a pliable material and can be formed or molded into whatever shapes you need it be. Just as our nation is today, it is pliable to our society’s needs. The Alien and Sedition Act demolished this moral standard by passing 4 acts that deny the power of people. The United States at this time was faced with such economic and political problems domestically. Such economic problems as a trade barrier created such turmoil. In the text it is described that Spain, England and France on conditions of trade by saying that “Immediately following the war, Britain, France, and Spain are all restricted from American trade with the colonial states.” Our nation was also faced with one such problem as debt. The wars and battles our great nation has gone through in the past has created such a debt at this point in time that is almost not comprehendible for any normal human. In order to regain a financial balance the federalist came up with 3 solutions. They created an executive cabinet made up of heads of departments and they created a Judiciary Act of 1789. The Judiciary Act allowed for laws to be declared unconstitutional and put power back at a National level instead of state. Hamilton came up with 3 reports to also help out with the debt our nation was facing. His first report was upon Pubic Credit, it stated that the nation would consolidate the debt at a national and state level, paying off the debt in face value, and would shift the power to the National Government. In Hamilton’s second report, he continued to set apart and distinguish between lower class and the aristocracy of the nation. Hamilton accomplished his separation by instating the 2005-01-30T05:58:13-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Alien-and-Sedition-Act-from-a-different-perspective-26181.aspx The New Deal and Its Effect on Government and Politics The New Deal and Its Effect on Government and Politics The New Deal period has been considered to be a turning point in American politics, with the President acquiring new authority and importance, and the role of government in the lives of citizens increasing. The extent to which this was planned by the architect of the New Deal, Franklin D. Roosevelt, has been greatly contested, however. Yet, while it is instructive to note the limitations of Roosevelt’s leadership, there is not much sense in the claims that the New Deal was haphazard, a jumble of expedient and populist schemes, or as W. Williams has put it, “undirected”. FDR had a clear overarching vision of what he wanted to do to America, and was prepared to drive through the structural changes required to achieve this vision. It is worth examining how the New Deal period represented a significant departure from US government and politics up to then. From the start of Roosevelt’s period in office in 1932, there was a widespread sense that things were going to change. In Washington there was excitement in the air, as the first Hundred Days brought a torrent of new initiatives from the White House. The contrast with Herbert Hoover’s term could not have been more striking. By 1934, E.K. Lindley had already written about The Roosevelt Revolution: First Phase. Hoover, meanwhile, denounced what he saw as an attempt to “undermine and destroy the American system” and “crack the timbers of the constitution.” In retrospect, it was only a “half-way revolution”, as W. Leuchtenburg has written. Radicals have been left with a sense of disappointment at the “might have beens”, in P. Conkin’s words. But Roosevelt never intended to overthrow the constitution, nor did he wish for an end to capitalism and individualism. He harboured the American Dream just like the millions of people who sent him to the White House a record four times. That, indeed, was precisely why they loved him so much: because the American Dream had turned sour in the Great Depression, and they trusted that he would be able to find a way back towards it. As Europe gave in to totalitarianism, the New Deal set out to show that democratic reform represented a viable alternative. Roosevelt’s enthusiasm for his role as head of state established a new convention that the President would lead from the front, and in his First 2005-01-19T08:24:44-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-New-Deal-and-Its-Effect-on-Government-and-Politics-26160.aspx Causes of the Kent State Crisis The Kent State Crisis and Its Causes The Vietnam War marked an era of heartbreak and tragedies. On of the most significant of these is the crisis at Kent State University in Ohio. This was a direct result to President Richard Nixon’s decision to send troops into Cambodia without interacting with congress. Protests were held before the crisis at hand and rallies followed. The Mayor of the city of Kent, Leroy Stratom, called in the National Guard, who, on May 4th, killed four students. The question that remains unanswered is why the National Guard fired on a crowd of young people and who was really responsible. Friday, May 1st, 1970 marked a significant day at Kent State University in Ohio. President Nixon’s announcement that troops would be sent into Cambodia trigger a slew of protests on campus at Kent State. As of noon, over five hundred students rallied and watched as a graduate student buried a copy of the constitution. This symbolized the murder of the constitution by president Nixon because congress had not declared war. The same evening, the Kent State University President, deciding that the situation is under control, leaves Ohio on a planned trip to Iowa. However, the situation gets slightly out of control. As dusk falls, a crowd a students and citizens gathers near the Kent bar area and block off the street, vandalize and ignite bonfires. Although there had been no previous effort made by the Kent Police Department to control the situation, Kent City Mayor Stratom calls a state of emergency, closes down the bars, and finally sends in police personnel. The closing of the bars enrages the people inside them, which lead to an even larger group of people to control and disperse. Because the Kent Police forces were so reluctant to control the crowd, it becomes very difficult to disperse the crowd. Rioters finally decided to call it a night when someone accidentally ended up hanging from a traffic light. On the evening of May 2nd, after various rumours and threats abound, Mayor Stratom orders city and campus curfews. Mayor Stratom then decides, without informing Kent State Officials, to call in the National Guard of Ohio. In protest, a group of 600 students gather with the intention of setting the ROTC building on fire. When the Kent City Fire Department is informed of the fire they rush to rescue only to have themselves 2005-01-19T08:24:02-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-of-the-Kent-State-Crisis-26159.aspx The Invention of the Airplane by The Wright Brothers The Wright Brothers Invent the Airplane About one hundred years ago the planet earth was a much smaller place. On December 17, 1903 the Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville, made history when they took off in flight and invented the first airplane. This is how the planet earth began shrinking geographically making it easier and quicker to travel over long distances. Wilbur was the older of the two brothers by four years. Wilbur was born in 1867 on a farm near Millville, Indiana and Orville was born in 1871 near Dayton, Indiana. As youngsters, Wilbur and Orville looked to their mother for mechanical expertise and their father for intellectual challenge. Milton, their father, brought them various souvenirs and trinkets he found during his travels for the church. One such trinket, a toy helicopter-like top, sparked the boys' interest in flying. In school, Wilbur excelled, and would have graduated from high school if his family had not moved during his senior year. A skating accident and his mother's illness and subsequent death kept him from attending college. Orville was an average student, known for his mischievous behavior. He quit school before his senior year to start a printing business. The two brothers were very intellectual and smart, but both did not ever get their high school diplomas. It just goes to show that even two of the best minds in our history didn’t have to go to college or even finish high school to become these great minds. The first time Wilbur and Orville referred to themselves as "The Wright Brothers" was when they started their own printing firm at the ages of 22 and 18. Using a damaged tombstone and buggy parts, they built a press and printed odd jobs as well as their own newspaper. In 1892, the brothers bought bicycles. They began repairing bicycles for friends, then started their own repair business. They opened up a bicycle shop in 1893, and three years later, made their own bicycles called Van Cleves and St. Clairs. While nursing Orville, who was sick with typhoid in 1896, Wilbur read about the death of a famous German glider pilot. The news led him to take an interest in flying. On May 30, 1899, he wrote to the Smithsonian Institution for information on aeronautical research. Within a few months after writing to the Smithsonian, Wilbur had read all that was written about flying. He 2005-01-19T08:23:14-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Invention-of-the-Airplane-by-The-Wright-Brothers-26158.aspx The 1920s and 1930s When many people study history and learn the mistakes from the past, it would be easier to able to understand the present. Nevertheless, it is not enough to simply study the events that have transpired. By changing the unfavorable events that led to despair and continuing the benefits to society, one can understand why they happen and better the future. In the United States in the early 1920s, a new stage appeared with different movements in the areas of politics, economics, society, culture, and foreign policy. By the events that led to the 1930s, new crazes had developed in many of these areas, while other areas remained in continuity. From the 1920s to the 1930, there were several factors that contributed to the changes in American society. The 1920s began shortly after in World War I when the United States and the Allies defeated the Germans in 1918. Many Americans were fed up with Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president from 1913 to 1921. The first election of the 1920s scoured Republican Warren G. Harding against Democrat James M. Cox. Cox supported Wilson and the League of Nations in the election. However, Harding won the election in a landslide, which was a sign of America¡¦s frustration with Wilson and his optimistic and liberal policies. The start of the new conservative era restored the power to the Republicans after the presidential election of the 1920. Harding made quite a few excellent appointments to his cabinet although he failed to demonstrate to have much intelligence. Charles Evans Hughes was appointed to be the Secretary of State, Andrew W. Mellon appointed as the Secretary of the Treasury and as leader of the Commerce Department, and Herbert Hoover bumped up the 1920s to a new level. On the other hand, Harding also appointed some of the worst positions for office. He appointed Albert B. Fall as the Secretary of the Interior. The Teapot Dome Scandal or the ¡§Oil Reserves Scandal¡¨ [Simon, 3/8/00] surrounded the secret leasing of the federal oil reserves by Fall. He secretly granted the Mammoth Oil Company exclusive rights to the Teapot Dome reserves in Wyoming after President Harding transferred supervision of the naval oil reserve lands from the navy to him. While this scandal entered American politics as a symbol of governmental corruption, it had little long-term effect on the Republican Party. For the moment, Harding started the conservative trend of 2005-01-19T08:21:22-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-1920s-and-1930s-26157.aspx The Weimar Republic Face Political Problems Why Did The Weimar Republic Face Political Problems In The First Few Years Of Its Existence - 1919-1923? In 1919 the Weimar Republic was set up in Germany. From its birth it faced numerous political problems, for which the causes were many and varied. These problems included political instability, deep divisions within society and economic crisis; problems were constantly appearing for the new government and from 1919-1923, the Weimar Republic experienced a period of crisis. In 1916, the German Social Democratic Party, which controlled the Reichstag, split in order to cater for the tensions between the reformist and revolutionary wings. They formed the majority socialists (SPD) and the Independent socialists (USPD). Another group split from the SPD to form the Communist Party of Germany (KPD). On 9 November 1918, the Kaiser abdicated and fled to the Netherlands. This meant that a new government had to be formed. The SPD, being the largest political party proclaimed Germany a democratic republic and formed a new government. The main interest of the SPD was to create a strong and stable government with which they could sign the Treaty of Versailles in order to end the war with the Allies. However, in order to return Germany back to peace and stability, the SPD had made a pact with the old order who had strongly supported the Kaiser; they compromised themselves by cooperating with the business community and the army in order to prevent a social revolution. Naturally this sparked off communist anger; the SPD had created a middle class democracy, while the communists demanded a worker's state like that in Bolshevik Russia. The communists wanted nationalisation to take place (i.e. factories, businesses and land to be owned by workers), they wanted workers to be more in control of their lives by means of locally elected councils (soviets), they wanted the army to be replaced with a Citizen's Militia, and they wanted to prevent the middle class from exploiting the working class. In other words, they required a much more radical change than that made since the Kaiser had left. In January 1919, the Spartacists (an old name for the KPD), led by Karl Liebnecht and Rosa Luxembourg, attempted to overthrow the government and establish a worker's republic by means of an armed uprising in Berlin, Germany's capital. The Spartacists, however, did not have enough support and their revolt was brutally suppressed by a group of armed 2005-01-08T08:41:03-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Weimar-Republic-Face-Political-Problems-26150.aspx Japanese Immigration Research Paper Japanese Immigration Research Paper A 1949 parade was Los Angeles's first post-World War II event to celebrate Japanese-American culture. It honors the Nisei, second-generation Japanese-Americans, who descended from the Issei, the first generation of Japanese to come to America. Japanese immigration to America began in 1882 with the Meiji Restoration. The Meiji Restoration in Japan marked a time of Westernization and change. For the first time in two centuries, foreigners could enter Japan and Japanese citizens could leave. So, when America's Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 barred Chinese from providing America with cheap labor, the Japanese arrived to fill the void. Many rice farmers in southwestern Japan were heavily taxed and hoped to make their fortunes in America. Also, jobless veterans from the Russo-Japanese War came to America when that war ended in 1905. More than 30,000 Japanese went to Hawaii to work on sugar plantations between 1885 and 1894. In the 1890s and continuing until 1924, there was large-scale Japanese immigration to America's mainland. The Japanese call their first-generation immigrants "Issei." Unlike the Chinese who first went to California to work on the railroads, many Japanese went directly to the Pacific Northwest where a huge fishing and timber industry needed their labor. Unlike the Chinese, Japanese immigrants included more women, so families could be started. Some women came with their husbands, others arrived as "picture brides," met by unknown future husbands on America's wharves. Their children, the second generation, are called "Nisei." Independent Japanese started their own farms on unwanted pieces of land, turning them into productive truck gardens. They sold the produce at local markets. The Japanese were not competing with Anglo-Saxon farmers who tended row crops, such as wheat and fruit trees, that required no stoop labor. During the 1920s, Japanese farmers supplied 75 percent of Seattle's vegetables. The 1924 Immigration Act cut the flow of Japanese immigration. Those already in America became educated and began to get prosperous jobs. Eventually Japantowns emerged. Most Japanese continued to practice the Buddhist religion of their ancestors. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, plunging the United States into war and dismantling the success of the Japanese-Americans. Responding to panic over security by America's military and anti-Japanese sentiment in the press, President Roosevelt signed into effect a document entitled "Executive Order 9066." This order gave Issei and Nisei 10 days to sell their businesses, homes, and belongings. Then 2005-01-08T08:23:22-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Japanese-Immigration-Research-Paper-26147.aspx Analysis of a Letter by Martin Luther King (MLK) Junior Martin Luther King Jr.: A Question Of Ethics A Letter from Birmingham Jail" was penned as a response to a letter that criticized Martin Luther King Jr. written by eight high ranking clergymen. Although King's letter was addressed as a reply to these clergymen, the real audience was the "white moderate" - otherwise known as middle class America (King et al 106). By gaining the support of this majority group, King knew that the civil rights movement could achieve its goals of removing the illegal segregation practices that were still in place in the south during the nineteen sixties much faster. In his letter King goes through the list of charges made against him by these religious figures and takes issues with their main points. King's reply was eloquently written, made use of many methods of development and dealt with a very emotionally charged issue in a predominately logical manner. The letter is without doubt a very powerful piece of prose but its effectiveness is compromised by one unfortunately underlying fault - ethical integrity. Immediately noticeable in this essay is the eloquence of the prose. This is one of the methods King uses to present his argument in a non-aggressive style. It helps lay the tone of the essay in an ethical sounding, non-blaming manner. This is essential when considering who Kings target audience was. If King had written a letter attacking his audience the ultimate purpose of the essay would have been lost. A good example of this is found in paragraph eight when King writes about the breaking of promises made to the Negro community by the local white merchants. "As in so many past experiences, our hopes had been blasted, and the shadow of deep disappointment settled upon us"(102). This passage immediately shows that King is recognizing faults but, more importantly, still not laying blame. And with the phrase "that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood"(102). we see King again using eloquent language this time as a way to help unite both sides in the struggle against racism. Among the many methods of development that King uses to successfully promote his views are narration, comparison and contrast, and cause and effect. While narration is used throughout the essay, one of the most effective examples is the very beginning of the letter. "While confined here 2005-01-08T05:46:18-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-a-Letter-by-Martin-Luther-King-MLK-Junior-26141.aspx The Origin of Primate Cities in Africa The Origin of Primate Cities in Africa: How European Colonies Have Led to Urban Primacy A country's urban system has a strong affect on national and regional economies, and for this reason, the governments of developing countries are greatly concerned with the factors influencing the development of urban primacy. Particularly in Africa, many people migrate to primate cities to find new opportunities, and governments are concerned that this urban growth will have adverse affects. If such governments are interested in new policies pertaining to urban growth, then a strong understanding about why primate cities have developed is important. With a focus on the developing countries of Africa, this paper first discusses how economic and colonial histories have led to urban primacy. It then examines the ways in which particular characteristics of African countries today have contributed to the development of primate cities. These factors include a country's size, level of economic development, economic structure, ethnic composition, income inequality, or government structure and policies. In Africa, the development of many countries has been significantly impacted by previous colonization by Europeans. Traditionally, most countries worldwide have developed urban systems that somewhat resemble the model of central place theory (CPT). CPT states that urban systems develop under a well-ordered structure of agglomeration economies and transportation costs (Becker). The theory behind this process is based on the triangular model of interaction between large cities, small cities, and agricultural areas. The large cities mass-produce goods, which are then shipped to smaller cities for distribution to more rural agricultural areas. The agricultural areas then produce food that is shipped back to the urban areas, thus completing the triangle. However, the colonization of Africa did not permit a natural course of development, and CPT has little application on this continent. For CPT to be relevant, a region must have an agricultural surplus and the adequate infrastructure to lower transportation costs. However, prior to and during colonization, manufacturing and other forms of industry were not common in Africa. Subsistence agriculture was most common throughout the continent, and without a significant agricultural surplus, it is difficult for the manufacturing of goods to occur outside the informal sector (Becker). Almost no manufacturing centers drawing from nearby natural resource bases saw the realization of scale economies (Becker). During the precolonial period, however, urban areas did develop to some degree. Some urban areas arose for defensive reasons, while others grew as a result of minor trade networks 2005-01-06T02:59:17-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Origin-of-Primate-Cities-in-Africa-26123.aspx The Canadian Labor Movement The Canadian Labor Movement In the early 20th Century, the Canadian economy experienced rapid growth. From electrical appliances to automobiles, technological advances and new inventions became a sign of the times. Economic prosperity was largely attributed to the development of industries such as secondary manufacturing, mining, lumbering, railway construction and of course agriculture, the cornerstone of the Canadian economy. It was a truly memorable time in Canadian history, but for the majority of the population this period was unforgettable for very different reasons. The ACanadian boom@ was fueled by the working class and prosperity came at their expense. They too, remember the flourishing markets and economic success, but only because it was happening all around them. They were subjected to excruciatingly hard labor for ridiculously low wages and were placed in inhumane working conditions for long hours. Laborers had no rights and since the Government provided very little legislation to protect the worker Ahe was keenly aware that he was going to be forcibly prevented from sharing in the fruits of the boom.@1 Canadian workers realized that in order for them to acquire better working conditions and more rights they would need a stronger voice, and strength definitely came in numbers. Thus unions were formed and the Canadian labor movement was born. However, the early unions were weak, poorly organized and often ignored. The fight for recognition would be a long, hard battle which outlasted two World Wars. It was, however, the time between the World Wars that would change the relationship between employer and employee. Many conditions, events, ideals and situations would change the nature of this battle and contribute to the successes and failures of the Canadian labor movement. On November 11, 1918, the long and dreadful war, had finally come to an end. The end of the first World War brought both economic and social changes to Canada. Socially, Canada had developed an identity apart from Britain. Also, the impact of the war forced Canadians the accept votes for women, prohibition of liquor, and the income tax.2 The economic changes were not as straight forward. If the confrontation between labor and capital can be considered a war then the economy was their battlefield. Both sides were affected by changes in the economy and the problem with this was that the inter-war economy was 2005-01-03T04:46:16-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Canadian-Labor-Movement-26118.aspx Christopher Columbas: The Not So Heroic Explorer Christopher Columbas: The Not So Heroic Discoveries of Christopher Columbus" "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue." This childish rhyme refers to the heroic efforts of the believed discoverer of the Americas. But who is Christopher Columbus and how valiant were his discoveries? Was he a great hero, or was he the world's largest zero? The answer to this radical question will astonish the average American citizen. Christopher Columbus is a farce due to his hypocritical out looks on religion, his approval of slavery, and the media's false depiction of this so called hero. Columbus is not a good and humble Christian man as the mass American media portrays. Although Columbus preached the "good word" he very rarely followed it. In his personal diaries Columbus predicted that the end of all civilization was going to occur in 1650. Yet the Bible clearly states that the second coming of the Lord could not be predicted for it comes like a thief in the night. The 5th commandment obviously frowns upon the act of murder. Yet Columbus and his fellow Spaniards often laid bets on which man could split a Native American civilian in two. These moral values were also passed from his generation to the next. The son of Columbus, Ferdinand, wrote a book entitled "Indians and the Christians" intended to frighten the Native Americans. These are not the values of a pure and holy man. Secondly, Columbus also supported the enslavement of fellow human beings. In fact, on October 12, 1942, Columbus wrote "...they are a people who can be made free and converted to our Holy Faith. They ought to make good and skilled servants." Is this a quote from an international hero? Due to the enslavement of too many Native Americans Columbus put these innocent people to work in mines and plantations located in the Caribbean which he and many followers created. Aboard Columbus' slave ships hundreds died and were thoughtlessly thrown into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. This is an act of pure heartlessness and overwhelming ignorance. Lastly, Columbus' unmarked reputation is not only false but is a great American conspiracy. Modern historians claim that Columbus' voyages were the birth of racism, yet these views are never portrayed in a high school student's textbook. Little time is ever spent attempting to understand the tribulations felt by those Native Americans affected 2005-01-03T04:03:54-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Christopher-Columbas-The-Not-So-Heroic-Explorer-26114.aspx How Democratic Was Britain By 1914? How Democratic Was Britain By 1914? In a democracy, there should be a vote for all adults and voters should be able to cast their votes without fear. The country should be divided into equal constituencies and anyone should be able to stand as an M.P. The government should be by the elected representatives of the people elections should be held regularly. In order to ascertain whether Britain was democratic by 1914 it is necessary to examine whether these features were in place at that date. One of the most important features of democracy is the right to vote by all adults. Prior to 1832, only upper or landed classes enjoyed that privilege but after that date the middle class was admitted to the franchise which meant that now 1 in 7 men could vote. In the 1850's there was little inclination to extend the franchise further as the working class tended to be regarded as the ignorant masses that needed to be represented by their "betters". However by the 1860's, the skilled workers had so impressed to politicians by their interests in politics and their good habits that it was decided to widen the franchise to encompass the skilled workers. Thus by 1847 1 in 3 men could now vote. Further reform of the franchise took place in 1884 when qualifications in the country and in the towns or boroughs became uniform. Great strides had been made in granting the right to vote but since not all adults could, Britain could not be said to be democratic. Another feature of democracy is the right to cast ones vote without any fear. The old method of voting was not democratic as it encouraged both corruption and bribery. This method was open casting the voter would stand up on a stage and shout out his vote. Often M.P's would pay voters to vote for them, sometimes the voters were threatened to vote for a certain party. The politicians spent a lot of money on the elections provoking people to vote for them. The ballot act changed the situation because it now made voting secret but still there was not a wipeout of corruption and bribery. The Corrupt and Illegal Practises Act meant that if anyone was caught bribing or intimidating anyone into making them vote for a certain party then they would be fined or sent to prison. Now the method of voting was 2005-01-03T02:34:02-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Democratic-Was-Britain-By-1914-26110.aspx The Fall of Communism in Russia Soviet Union The fall of Communism in Russia/Soviet Union Communism in the USSR was doomed from the onset. Communism was condemned due to lack of support from other nations, condemned due to corruption within its leadership, condemned due to the moral weakness of humanity, making what is perfect on paper, ineffective in the real world. The end of this system was very violent. It left one of the two most powerful nations in the world fearful of what was to come. Communism can either be called a concept or system of society. In a society that follows the communist beliefs groups own the major resources and means of production, rather than a certain individual. In theory, Communism is to provide equal work, and benefits to all in a specific society. Communism is derived from many ancient resources, including Plato’s Republic and early Christian communities. In 1917, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in their Communist Manifesto finalized the philosophy of Communism. ("Communism," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 98 Encyclopedia) In the beginning, people in Russia thought of Communism as a utopian ideal. (Funk & Wagnall’s) The elimination of social classes, and guaranteed employment sounded outstanding to the people who lived in Russia. Communism did call for a role of socialist dictatorship to help control any form of protest. Through persuasive tactics this new government seized power and in 1917 Vladimir Ilich Lenin came to power. Under his control the Soviet Union underwent many radical changes that led to the development of NEP (New Economic Policy). This policy called for some private ownership of the means of production and business. Still the government controlled the majority of production. Throughout Lenin’s government there were many achievements. It ended a long civil war against the remnants of the old Czarist military system and established institutions in government. He later died in 1924, and was quickly succeeded. In 1924 Joseph Stalin became head of the Soviet Communist Party. He soon became the most powerful man in Russia. He ran the Soviet Union with brut power, removing all that opposed him and the Communist beliefs. This time period was known as the “Great Purge.” Stalin systemically executed anyone who stood in his path. Stalin had millions of people arrested and killed. The government once again changed in its economic status. All private ownership was ended. Industrialization commenced, and the strength of the Soviet’s Military significantly increased. The only downfall was agriculture production 2004-12-29T06:36:30-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Fall-of-Communism-in-Russia-Soviet-Union-26088.aspx Japan after World War II Japan after World War II The occupation of Japan was, from the beginning to the end, an American operation. General Douglas MacArthur, sole supreme commander of the Allied Power was in charge of it. The Americans had insufficient men to make a military government of Japan possible; so they decided to act through the existing Japanese government. General Mac Arthur became, except in name, dictator of Japan. He imposed his will on Japan. Demilitarisation was speedily carried out, demobilisation of the former imperial forces was completed by early 1946. Japan was extensively fire bombed during the second world war. The stench of sewer gas, rotting garbage, and the acrid smell of ashes and scorched debris pervaded the air. The Japanese people had to live in the damp, and cold of the concrete buildings, because they were the only ones left. Little remained of the vulnerable wooden frame, tile roof dwelling lived in by most Japanese. When the first signs of winter set in, the occupation forces immediately took over all the steam-heated buildings. The Japanese were out in the cold in the first post war winter fuel was very hard to find, a family was considered lucky if they had a small barely glowing charcoal brazier to huddle around. That next summer in random spots new ho uses were built, each house was standardised at 216 square feet, and required 2400 board feet of material in order to be built. A master plan for a modernistic city had been drafted, but it was cast aside because of the lack of time before the next winter. The thousands of people who lived in railroad stations and public parks needed housing. Some even lived in forests. All the Japanese heard was democracy from the Americans. All they cared about was food. General MacAruther asked the government to send food, when they refused he sent another telegram that said, "Send me food, or send me bullets." American troops were forbidden to eat local food, as to keep from cutting from cutting into the sparse local supply. No food was brought in expressly for the Japanese during the first six months after the American presence there. Herbert Hoover, serving as chairman of a special presidential advisory committee, recommended minimum imports to Japan of 870,000 tons of food to be distributed in different urban areas. Fish, the source of so much of the protein in the 2004-12-28T07:27:20-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Japan-after-World-War-II-26063.aspx Hiroshima Book Chapters 1-3 [i:7f29f2b05d]Hiroshima Book Chapters 1-3[/i:7f29f2b05d] The book Hiroshima describes different peoples' accounts of the atomic bomb. One person whom I chose to write about is Dr. Masakazu Fujii, his recollections of the bomb and what I believe he thought of during and after the bomb had hit. Dr. Masakazu Fujii worked and lived at a private hospital which overlooked one of Japans rivers. Although knowing that a bomb attack was going to come, no one was scared enough to keep all stuffed up indoors. When the bomb hit, Dr. Fujii was reading the paper on his back porch. He saw a yellow-orange undesirable bright flash. The flash meant nothing to the Doctor, who thought it may be an explosion down at a chemical plant, but it was too bright for that. Before the Doctor had much time to think, he felt an odd force and a rumbling like a train filled the air. He lost his balance and fell off the porch into the river. As he fell he became disoriented, with so much happening so fast that he had no time to think. He had thought that he had died, but then he was awakened by pain. Dr. Fujii felt intense pressure upon his chest. He was still bewildered and had not thought much about what was the cause of the catastrophe, but only about getting himself out of this mess. The Doctor struggled to get out, but because of the way he was jammed in the rubble, and with an injured shoulder he had a rough time. He had no clue or thought of what happened, and he was beginning to get scared. He began to analyze his situation, and realized that he should get out quick because the tide was going to come in soon and if he did not get out of the river he would drown. With that as inspiration he fought with all his will to get the boards off him. Dr. Fujii then walked into the city to get some information on what had happened. He quickly realized that his cuts and bruises were minor after witnessing the destruction around him. He saw his whole neighborhood crushed flat. He thought it must have been a bomb that had landed on top of him because of the destruction of the land. 2004-12-23T05:24:38-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hiroshima-Book-Chapters-1-3-26020.aspx Social, Political And Economic Effects Of WWI Social, Political And Economic Effects Of WWI Everywhere in the world was heard the sound of things breaking." Advanced European societies could not support long wars or so many thought prior to World War I. They were right in a way. The societies could not support a long war unchanged. The First World War left no aspect of European civilization untouched as pre-war governments were transformed to fight total war. The war metamorphed Europe socially, politicaly, economically, and intellectualy. European countries channeled all of their resources into total war which resulted in enormous social change. The result of working together for a common goal seemed to be unifying European societies. Death knocked down all barriers between people. All belligerents had enacted some form of a selective service which levelled classes in many ways. Wartime scarcities made luxury an impossibility and unfavorable. Reflecting this, clothing became uniform and utilitarian. Europeans would never again dress in fancy, elaborate costumes. Uniforms led the way in clothing change. The bright blue-and-red prewar French infantry uniforms had been changed after the first few months of the war, since they made whoever wore them into excellent targets for machine guns. Women's skirts rose above the ankle permanently and women became more of a part of society than ever. They undertook a variety of jobs previously held by men. They were now a part of clerical, secretarial work, and te! aching. They were also more widely employed in industrial jobs. By 1918, 37.6 percent of the work force in the Krupp armaments firm in Germany was female. In England the proportion of women works rose strikingly in public transport (for example, from 18,000 to 117,000 bus conductors), banking (9,500 to 63,700), and commerce (505,000 to 934,000). Many restrictions on women disappeared during the war. It became acceptable for young, employed, single middle-class women to have their own apartments, to go out without chaperones, and to smoke in public. It was only a matter of time before women received the right to vote in many belligerent countries. Strong forces were shaping the power and legal status of labor unions, too. The right of workers to organize was relatively new, about half a century. Employers fought to keep union organizers out of their plants and armed force was often used against striking workers. The universal rallying of workers towards their flag at the beginning of the war led to wider 2004-12-22T22:50:34-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social,-Political-And-Economic-Effects-Of-WWI-26001.aspx Hellenistic Queens Essay Hellenistic Queens Essay About three hundred years before the Christian era women from Macedonia in the Hellenistic era showed an ability to lead. As in the case of men, these opportunities were greatest for women of wealth. The great queens such as Arsinoe II and Cleopatra VII of Egypt are most prominent in the ancient sources, but even some Greek cities allowed women to hold minor public offices in return for their willingness to use their wealth for civic purposes. Education also created opportunities for some women, including both upper-class intellectuals such as the Cynic philosopher Hipparchia and women from more modest backgrounds such as the professional musician Polygnota of Thebes, whose career is documented in a series of inscriptions from Delphi. These women had great prestige and influence and in some cases great political power, although they did not achieve their positions by inheritance or by conquest but by marriage. In the first chapter Grace Harriet Macurdy wrote on Queens in Macedonia. Eurydice was the daughter of the mysterious King of Elimiotis. Eurydice was the proto type of all the wicked queens of Macedonian blood in Macedonia, in Seleucid Syria, and later Ptolemaic Egypt. The queens before Eurydice evidently had no independent power. Eurydice was the first queen of Macedonia who learned to read and write as a queen-widow she possessed large estates and great prestige, which likely contributed to the greatness of her son Philip. Olympias, the wife of Philip of Macedon and mother of Alexander the Great, was held in high respect. Olympias in her early-married life was a good and religious woman, but after Philip and Olympias had lived together for over fifty years Philip fell in love with a young Macedonian lady. She was placed in a good strategic position by Philip's death. Her daughter was queen of the Molossi and her son was king of Macedonia, and with that she had a high position in both kingdoms. In the mean time Olympias plotted the deaths of her husband's mistress and her bastard children. Olympias gain control of the country Epirus for a period of time, where she lived in a castle which numerous henchmen to do her bidding. Alexander the great remarked with reference to his mother Olympias, when she took charge of affairs in Epirus,¡¨ The Macedonians will never endure to have a woman for their king.¡¨ From the time of her 2004-12-22T22:12:32-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hellenistic-Queens-Essay-25984.aspx Early Christianity in Western Civilization Early Christianity in Western Civilization Early Christianity was the main religion of Western civilization. The Bible is the primary source historians have available to follow the life of Jesus Christ, the leader of the Christians. He taught his followers, was crucified, and supposedly rose from the dead. Jesus' life is recorded in the last half of the Bible called the New Testament. Sections one and two of chapter six in the text discuss certain excerpts taken from the Gospels of Saint Mark, Saint Matthew, and Paul's letter to the Ephesians. These excerpts record the teachings of Jesus while he was on earth, before and after his resurrection. However, Jesus himself never contributed to these writings. They are reminiscences of his disciples, passed down verbally until recorded in written form thirty to seventy years after Jesus' death. Saint Mark relays the ethical teachings of Jesus summed up with the most important commandments, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength," and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus believes these two commands to be the basic doctrine of his belief. That is why it is stressed in the Gospel of Mark to follow these instructions. Individuals will be closer to the kingdom of God by doing so, and in turn closer to Jesus. In short, it sums up in two sentences the way Christians should properly live out their lives. The fact that Jesus wanted full devotion and commitment from his followers put fear in the heart of the Roman government. They assumed that if Jesus formed his own group of people that they would revolt against the rule of the Romans. Though this fear proved to be false, and Jesus merely directed his followers in living godly lives, he was still beaten and killed. However, if the Roman authorities held the power to execute Jesus, why did they see him as such a threat in the first place? Saint Matthew presents the gospel as a guide to having right attitudes, acceptable to God. These attitudes are compiled into a list called the Beatitudes. Jesus believes that having true religion is more than following a set of rules or written law. 2004-12-22T22:11:27-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Early-Christianity-in-Western-Civilization-25983.aspx US Role In Batista's Fall Cuba US Role In Batista's Fall Cuba The U.S. withdrawal of arms played a critical role in the victory of the 26th of July movement. This effect was not just a result of the Cuban army having insufficient weapons for combat, although it was true that as the Cuban Minister of Public Works plainly stated, "the troops cannot be armed with toothpicks. They need guns" (Smith 817). The United States also, during the American kidnappings, urged other countries such as Canada and Great Britain to deny Cuba arms, so that weaponry could be used as leverage in the kidnappings. The severest consequence, however, was psychological. Both the Cuban Army and the 26th of July Movement inferred that this withdrawal symbolized a change in the U.S. government's support of Castro. The moral of the army, already low from defeat after defeat, plummeted, while the ego of the revolution grew. This dangerous combination directly contributed to the downfall of the Batista government. The United States government was motivated by its standard foreign policy towards independent nations as well as Cuba's defiance of the MAP treaty. The various members of the United States government, throughout the Foreign Relations documentations, remind each other that the United States is not to come off as intervening or interfering with the Cuban government. Therefore, it is not surprising that during a civil war where the popular support is not with Batista's administration, that the United States would take itself out of the equation. The U.S. could not appear to be aiding in keeping an unwanted regime in power. A lot of politics is public relations, and to keep supplying weapons during a revolution would have put the United States in a very controversial position. Fundamentally, it seems as though the U.S. would have withdrawn weapons; moreover, in addition the Cuban government had been misusing the weapons we had given them under the MAP program. These weapons, intended for use exclusively in the case of a hemispheric threat were conclusively known to be used to quash a civil uprising at Cienfuegos. The MAP program, funded by Congress had been implemented throughout South America. Cuba threatened to undermine the entire program by misusing the U.S. weapons essentially donated to them. Taking all these factors into consideration caused Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs, 2004-12-22T20:10:22-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/US-Role-In-Batista-s-Fall-Cuba-25961.aspx THE COLD WAR Research Paper THE COLD WAR The Cold War was the elongated tension between the Soviet Union and the United States of America. It started in the mid 40's after WWII had left Europe in shambles and Russia and the USA in superpower positions. The Cold War was a clash of these super giants in political, ideological, military, and economic values and ideas. Though military build up was great on both sides neither one ever directly fought each other. In this essay I'm going to bring forth the following points: Rise of the Cold War, events in and because of the Cold War, and the fall of Russia. Again Germany had been thwarted in its plans of total domination. It had been a combined effort by all the Western powers and a few Eastern powers too. England was devastated, France had been literally burnt to the ground, and many small nation had suffered economic failure. To the East Russia had suffered many losses from the vain siege of the Nazi's. But they were in better shape then Europe. They still had a military and a running, somewhat, economy. In the late 40's through early 50's the Soviet Union started to spread the Lenin ideological as it started moving in the Westward position. In 47 the US started funding the rebuilding of European infrastructure in a system called the Marshall Plan. Russia in turn brought forth its own funding called the Molotov Plan. Because of that, they were able to spread communism through many countries. Some of these nations were: Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Eastern Germany, and numerous countries in Southeastern Asia. But on the US side we had the support from almost the entire Western Europe. So the tension started, between Western Europe or a republic society and Eastern Europe and communism. There are many key events that happened throughout the entire duration of the Cold War. The fist main events that led up to the tension were the foreign aid policies. These policies were able to divide up Europe between the superpowers. After Europe was divided up treaty organizations and alliances stated forming up again. One of these alliances was the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This allied the western portion of Europe. Next came the Warsaw Pact, it was the communistic version of NATO. Throughout the Cold War, relations between the Soviet Union and the west alternated 2004-12-22T19:33:07-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/THE-COLD-WAR-Research-Paper-25956.aspx The Failure of Prohibition and its Consequences In 1920 congress began what was called "The Noble Experiment". This experiment began with the signing of the eighteenth amendment of the constitution into law. It was titled by society as Prohibition. Websters dictionary defines prohibition as: A prohibiting, the forbidding by law of the manufacture or sale of alcoholic liquors. Prohibition can extend to mean the foreboding of any number of substances. I define it as a social injustice to the human race as we know it. Prohibition was designed to rid the country of businesses that manufactured, sold, and or distributed alcoholic beverages. The eighteenth amendment made it a violation of the constitution to do and of the before mentioned. This was a crime punishable up to the Supreme Court. The original idea was that Americans as a whole were unhealthy, there was too much crime and corruption, and that people were being burdened by excess taxes that poorhouses and prisons were creating. What happened? The cheap alcohol being illegally produced killed more Americans, crime and corruption went up, taxes were raised to fund the law enforcement needed to enforce prohibition, and the prisons became overcrowded. Some would have you believe that crime decreased during prohibition. Well, it did. Crime decreased, as a whole, by 37.7% during prohibition. However violent crime and other serious crimes were up. Theft of property was up 13.2%, homicide was up m16.1%, and robbery was up 83.3%. Minor crimes had decreased though- by 50%. Crimes such as malicious mischief, public swearing, vagrancy, etc. (Dr. Fairburn pg 75-80) The prohibition movement did have its fair share of supporters however. The most active in the movement was the Women's Christian Temperance Union. They worked hard in campaigning towards this amendment and gathered, what is now believed today, as to be biased statistics. For example one area that the WCTU attacked was the saloons and in particular the sale of distilled spirits, hard alcohol. The WCTU claimed drinking during prohibition was down 30% as opposed to pre-prohibition. However as a percentage to total alcohol sales the consumption of distilled spirits was up from 50% (pre-prohibition) to an astonishing 89% during prohibition. "Most estimates place the potency of prohibition-era products at 150+ percent of the potency of products produced either before or after prohibition (qtd. In Henry Lee 202) Prohibition did not succeed at all. In order for prohibition to achieve what it was set to do 2004-12-21T08:12:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Failure-of-Prohibition-and-its-Consequences-25949.aspx Steps Towards the Russian Revolution The quotation, "'I shall maintain the principle of autocracy just as firmly and unflinchingly as it was preserved by my unforgettable dead father.' (Nicholas II) In spite of the Czar's decrees and declarations, Russia, by the beginning of the 20th century, was overripe for revolution," is supported by political and socioeconomic conditions late monarchial Russia. Nicholas II was the Czar of Russia from 1896-1917, and his rule was the brute of political disarray. An autocrat, Nicholas II had continued the divine-right monarchy held by the Romanovs for many generations. From the day Russia coronated Nicholas II as Emperor, problems arose with the people. As was tradition at coronations, the Emperor would leave presents for the peasants outside Moscow. The people madly rushed to grab the gifts, and they trampled thousands in the bedlam. As an autocrat, no other monarch in Europe claimed such large powers or stood so high above his subjects as Nicholas II. Autocracy was traditionally impatient and short-tempered. He wielded his power through his bureaucracy, which contained the most knowledgeable and skilled members of Russian high society. Like the Czar, the bureaucracy, or chinovniki, stood above the people and were always in danger of being poisoned by their own power. When Sergei Witte acted as Russia's Minister of Finance from 1892 to 1903, attempted to solve Russia's "riddle of backwardness" in its governmental system. He is considered more of a forerunner of Stalin rather than a contemporary of Nicholas II. In 1900, Witte wrote a memorandum to Nicholas II, underscoring the necessity of industrialization in Russia. After the government implemented Witte's plan, Russia had an industrial upsurge. All of Russia, however, shared a deep-seated resentment of the sudden jump into an uncongenial way of life. Witte realized that Nicholas II was not meant to carry the burden of leading Russia to an industrial nation as a Great Power. Nicholas II's weakness was even obvious to himself, when he said, "I always give in and in the end am made the fool, without will, without character." At this time, the Czar did not lead, his ministers bickered amongst themselves, and cliques and special-interest groups interfered with the conduct of government. Nicholas II never took interest in public opinion, and seemed oblivious to what was happening around him. He was still convinced he could handle Russia himself. By 1902, the peasants had revolted against Witte's industrialization movements, which were marked by a raise 2004-12-21T07:30:17-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Steps-Towards-the-Russian-Revolution-25945.aspx Women in Post-Revolutionary Russia: The Opportunities and Ob The last Tsar of Russia abdicated the throne in February of 1917. With the fall of the old regime, many old gender barriers fell, as well. The period after the Bolsheviks rose to power was a time of many changes for all Russians, but none were more affected than the women of the time. Lenin, the leader of the Bolshevik party (later called the Communists) was greatly disturbed by the domestic enslavement of Soviet women, and almost immediately granted political equality for females throughout the nation. With this newfound freedom, women were presented with many new opportunities in all aspects of life, and many challenges, as well. Lenin reformed many civil and penal codes to the advantage of women. Almost overnight all learning institutions opened their doors to both sexes, which suddenly gave women the opportunity to strive for professional careers and higher paying jobs. Women were given equal standing in marriage, and it became possible for them to get divorced, to have abortions, and to sue for child support. Women could own property. Within the Communist party, women rose to leadership positions. In theory, there was complete equality between the sexes. However, even with the advantages of the Communist leadership, there were some pitfalls, as well. While the increased leniency of divorce laws was obviously an advantage to many unhappy wives, some men made use of the new freedom also. Some women were left to raise their children alone, and without the salary of their husbands, found it almost impossible. Although these women now had complete economic independence under the laws of Lenin, in practice all was not as simple. With several young children to watch over during the day, it was difficult for any mother to be able to engage in any work outside of family life. The realities of these women were shown clearly in Alexandra Kollontai’s novel Love of Worker Bees. based on life in post-revolutionary Russia. When Mr. Feodoseev abandons his wife for another woman, she is horrified at the thought of trying to get a job while raising three school-aged children. However, in Kollontai’s novel, she is seen as petty and jealous by certain members of the party, instead of a woman with great financial difficulties. Perhaps this shows a certain blindness that many communist leaders had to the realities of women’s everyday lives and circumstances. To help ease the burden on these women 2004-12-21T07:28:56-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Women-in-Post-Revolutionary-Russia-The-Opportunities-and-Ob-25943.aspx Why the Tsar's Power Crumbled in March 1917 Why do you think the Tsar's power crumbled so swiftly in March 1917? Nicholas II ruled Russia from 1894-1917 and was to be its final tsar. He ascended the throne under the impression that he would rule his whole life as it's undisputed leader. Accompanied by his wife, Alexandra, they lived a comfortable life of luxury while the country suffered around them. Nicholas was determined to rule as harshly as his father; however, he was a very weak and incompetent character who did not posses the qualities capable of guiding Russia through its time of turmoil. It was a time of great upheaval. Peasants were demanding that the land of the great estate owners be turned over to them because there was not enough land to provide food for all the villages. This caused the migration of many peasants to the factories. Russia's industries were beginning to develop and the number of people living in towns was increasing. These people were the urban working class of Russia and they were not as eager to accept the poor wages and conditions as the peasants were. For centuries, autocratic and repressive tsarist regimes ruled the country and population under sever economic and social conditions; consequently, during the late 19th century and early 20th century, various movements were staging demonstrations to overthrow the oppressive government. Poor involvement in WWI also added to the rising discontent against Nicholas as Russian armies suffered terrible casualties and defeats because of a lack of food and equipment; in addition, the country was industrially backward compared to countries such as Britain, France, Germany, and the USA. It had failed to modernize, this was to do with the tsars lack of effort for reforms. The country was undergoing tremendous hardships as industrial and agricultural output dropped. Famine and poor morale could be found in all aspects of Russian life. Furthermore, the tsar committed a fatal mistake when he appointed himself supreme commander of the armed forces because he was responsible for the armies constant string of defeats. While the tsar was off defending the country, a strange 'monk' named Rasputin made his way into governmental affairs. Because of his ability to ease the pain of the tsar's sick young prince, Alexandra gave him great political control in the affairs of state. Rasputin had dismissed twenty-one ministers and replaced them with men of great incompetence. He was eventually murdered but the damage 2004-12-21T07:27:08-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Why-the-Tsar-s-Power-Crumbled-in-March-1917-25942.aspx Causes of Dictatorship in Russia Around the 20th century, the end of the First World War cleared the way for the formation of democratic regimes. Why they had not been successful, why the people didn’t use the opportunity to establish a democratic political system and why did the dictatorships appear, is still unclear, but it is a very discussible subject. The decisive role in these processes was the human being. It was the object of the cause, but on the other hand he was also the subject - executor of all the problems as well. The First World War was expected to be short, with a quick triumph on either side. On the contrary, the war caused a giant massacre to all the countries involved, and lasted for four years. Also against the expectations of political leaders and military commanders new techniques of fighting were used, as well as new weapons (for example the chloric gas, tanks and aircrafts). Due to all this, 13 million people were killed, of which 2 million were Germans, 1.75 million Russians, 1.5 million Frenchmen, 1 million British and 0.5 million Italians. But death was just one of the worst consequences of the First World War. Just military failures on the fronts, along with other problems directly affected internal politics in a great way. This horrible catastrophe also left most of the countries in huge debts, especially Germany, Austria, Hungary, Russia, and many others. This led to poverty and chaos, and the people were suffering. That is why they started to revolt, but the political system was so exhausted after the war that it didn’t do anything to solve this. The effects of the war sped up the changes. It is an arguable fact, whether the war also had a liberating effect. If it did, it was greatly affected by the downfall of three empires, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Tsarist Russia and Keiser’s Germany. In Russia the tsar abdicated and was replaced by the Provisional Government, but it only took 8 months and Russia moved from autocracy to communism. It is true that this downfall separated and freed different ethnic groups like Czechs and Slovaks, Serbs, etc. who had been a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, because these ethnic groups did get their independent states with democratic constitutions. Land was taken from the aristocrats and distributed to the peasants. The workmen got better conditions to work in, for example bigger salaries, 2004-12-21T07:26:07-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-of-Dictatorship-in-Russia-25941.aspx Jeffersonian Democrats Jeffersonian Democrats The triumph of the Jeffersonian Republicans over the federalists in the years preceding Andrew Jackson's presidency had established a new tone in America. They had developed both a strong belief in democracy and in freedom, which would aid in their future endeavors. Furthermore, a desire for material success and industrial expansion had arisen due to time in which they lived. The population looked to expand their territories not only geographically, but also through industry and culture. They were in effect, pioneers who increased and refined the American way. The new found freedoms allowed the people to experiment with new ways of life that they previously would never had touched. Their goal was to seek a better way of life through trial. New religious practices were undertaken in masses as Americans looked to divine faith as a means for discovering inner worth. According to Van Deusen, these forms were spiritualism and Mormonism to transcendentalism and Unitarianism. Some attempted to train there freedom through socialistic and communist practices while other looked to religious Utopias. Their newfound freedoms also allowed them to protest issues that had been bottled up over time. There were demonstrations on women's right, and for the abolition of slavery. Democracy had its impacts in the economic world of America as well. The United States became filled with greedy people who, according to Van Deusen, felt it was "the right, the duty, and the opportunity of Americans to expand the area of freedom and enrich it." They pushed these policies to the far reaches of the globe, sending clipper ships to seven seas while pushing their own boundaries to the Pacific and the Rio Grande. With this new booming expansion, America was faced with a new task. How were people and products going to be moved efficiently from point A to point B? A new focus was placed on improving transportation within the United States. The steam engine was introduced as propulsion for both land and sea vehicles. The steamboat was introduced to the web of canals and rivers that were used throughout the United States. The steam engine train was also brought to use as railways dotted the landscape. As Van Deusen called it, America was experiencing a "transportation revolution." As a result of this boom, product transport rates drastically decreased as did transportation time. In 1800 one week of travel from New York would have brought you 2004-12-21T06:16:09-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Jeffersonian-Democrats-25925.aspx NATO expansion and the Future of European Security NATO expansion and the Future of European Security A more assertive Foreign Minister and a more nationalist Duma are now in power in Moscow. Both face serious challenges in pursuit of two principal foreign policy goals articulated by the new Foreign Minister, Yevgeni Primakov: Defending Russia's national interests and developing ties with the United States. One of Russia's primary challenges comes from Washington's drive to expand NATO into Eastern Europe. With good reason, Moscow strongly opposes expansion of the Atlantic alliance. In principle, it would enable western troops to deploy, exercise and patrol on the borders of the former Soviet Union and permit Eastern Europe to become a potential staging area for NATO's tactical nuclear weapons. In practice, it would dramatically change the strategic calculus in Europe to Moscow's disadvantage. Western proponents of expansion argue that NATO has always been a defensive alliance, that its enlargement will "stabilize" Eastern Europe, and that stabilization will enhance rather than degrade Russia's security. NATO's disingenuous dismissal of Russian national security concerns fails to address the key political problem: Moscow considers NATO expansion as an effort to isolate rather than integrate Russia into Europe's post-Cold war security architecture. Fear of isolation has been an underlying--if not explicit--concern of Russia since at least the time of German reunification. Thus, in Moscow's eyes, NATO expansion is part of an effort to deny Russia an appropriate role in the new Europe's security arrangements. While it is unclear what a truly "European" security architecture might actually look like, and how Russia might best be integrated into it, there are several obvious components of this structure. The first and most basic element is the continued successful implementation of a host of arms control arrangements, most importantly the conventional armed forces in Europe (CFE) treaty. This arrangement, under which nearly 50,000 items of military equipment have been destroyed, places the overall limits on the armor, artillery and aircraft of 30 countries, including Russia. But to Moscow, the CFE treaty is already a double challenge to Russian national interests: it limits the size of Russian forces at a time when the West is seeking to expand NATO and it constrains Russia's freedom to deploy forces in its own country as NATO is seeking the right to station its forces in other countries. NATO expansion would make it difficult, if not impossible, for any government in Moscow to continue to abide by the 2004-12-21T06:12:35-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/NATO-expansion-and-the-Future-of-European-Security-25924.aspx History of Mexico History of Mexico Before the Spanish Mexico was occupied by a large number of Indian groups with very different social and economic systems. In general the tribes in the north were relatively small groups of hunters and gatherers who roamed large areas of sparsely vegetated deserts and dry lands. These people are often called the Chichimecs, though they were a mixture of several cultural groups who spoke different languages. In the rest of the country the natives were agriculturists, which helped to support the more dense populations. Some of these tribes were the Maya of the Yucatan, Totonac, Huastec, Otomi, Mixtecs, Zapotecs, Tlaxcalans, Tarascans, and Aztecs. Some of these groups made advanced civilizations with fancy buildings and temples used for religious, political, and commercial purposes. The Mayan cities of Chichen Itza, Uxmal, and Palenque, the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, Tzintzuntzan of the Tarastec, and Monte Alban of the Zapotecs are a few examples. By 1100 AD the Toltecs had taken over a lot of central and southern Mexico and had built their capital at Tula in the Mesa Central. They also built the city of Teotihuacan kind of by present-day Mexico City. At about the same time, the Zapotecs had control of the Oaxaca Valley and parts of the Southern Highlands. The cities they built at Mitla and Monte Alban are still here today, though they were taken over by the Mixtecs prior to the arrival of the Spanish. When the Spanish came to central Mexico, the Aztecs controlled most of the central part of Mexico through a state payment system that got taxes and stopped them from being able to act independently from conquered tribal groups. The Aztecs moved into the central part of Mexico from the north and accomplished a tribal story by establishing a city where an eagle with a snake in its beak rested on a cactus. This became the national symbol for Mexico and was put on the country's flag and seal. The Aztecs started the city of Tenochtitlan in about the early 1300s, and then it became the capital of their empire. The Tlaxcalans in the east, the Tarascans on the west, and the Chichimecs in the north were outside the Aztec Empire and they would sometimes have wars with them. The nation's name comes from the Aztecs' war god, Mexitli. Spanish Conquest From when Hernando Cortez took over until 1821, Mexico was a colony 2004-12-21T06:12:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-Mexico--25923.aspx Chinese Economic Reform Research Two years after the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, it became apparent to many of China's leaders that economic reform was necessary. During his tenure as China's premier, Mao had encouraged social movements such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution which had had as their bases ideologies such as serving the people and maintaining the class struggle. By 1978 "Chinese leaders were searching for a solution to serious economic problems produced by Hua Guofeng, the man who had succeeded Mao Zedong as CCP leader after Mao's death" (Shirk 35). Hua had demonstrated a desire to continue the ideologically based movements of Mao. Unfortunately, these movements had left China in a state where "agriculture was stagnant, industrial production was low, and the people's living standards had not increased in twenty years" (Nathan 200). This last area was particularly troubling. While "the gross output value of industry and agriculture increased by 810 percent and national income grew by 420 percent [between 1952 and 1980] ... average individual income increased by only 100 percent" (Ma Hong quoted in Shirk 28). However, attempts at economic reform in China were introduced not only due to some kind of generosity on the part of the Chinese Communist Party to increase the populace's living standards. It had become clear to members of the CCP that economic reform would fulfill a political purpose as well since the party felt, properly it would seem, that it had suffered a loss of support. As Susan L. Shirk describes the situation in The Political Logic of Economic Reform in China, restoring the CCP's prestige required improving economic performance and raising living standards. The traumatic experience of the Cultural Revolution had eroded popular trust in the moral and political virtue of the CCP. The party's leaders decided to shift the base of party legitimacy from virtue to competence, and to do that they had to demonstrate that they could deliver the goods. (23) This movement "from virtue to competence" seemed to mark a serious departure from orthodox Chinese political theory. Confucius himself had posited in the fifth century BCE that those individuals who best demonstrated what he referred to as moral force should lead the nation. Using this principle as a guide, China had for centuries attempted to choose at least its bureaucratic leaders by administering a test to determine their moral force. After the Communist takeover of 2004-12-21T06:11:08-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Chinese-Economic-Reform-Research-25922.aspx Holocaust Research Essay Research Paper on the Holocaust Of all the examples of injustice against humanity in history, the Jewish Holocaust has to be one of the most prominent. In the period of 1933 to 1945, the Nazis waged a vicious war against Jews and other "lesser races". This war came to a head with the "Final Solution" in 1938. One of the end results of the Final Solution was the horrible concentration and death camps of Germany, Poland, and other parts of Nazi-controlled Europe. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, people around the world were shocked by final tallies of human losses, and the people responsible were punished for their inhuman acts. The Holocaust was a dark time in the history of the 20th century. One can trace the beginnings of the Holocaust as far back as 1933, when the Nazi party of Germany, lead by Adolf Hitler, came to power. Hitler's anti-Jew campaign began soon afterward, with the "Nuremberg Laws", which defined the meaning of being Jewish based on ancestry. These laws also forced segregation between Jews and the rest of the public. It was only a dim indication of what the future held for European Jews. Anti-Jewish aggression continued for years after the passing of the Nuremberg Laws. One of these was the "Aryanization" of Jewish property and business. Jews were progressively forced out of the economy of Germany, their assets turned over to the government and the German public. Other forms of degradation were pogroms, or organized demonstrations against Jews. The first, and most infamous, of these pogroms was Krystallnacht, or "The night of broken glass". This pogrom was prompted by the assassination of Ernst von Rath, a German diplomat, by Herschel Grymozpan in Paris on November 7th, 1938. Two days later, an act of retaliation was organized by Joseph Gobbels to attack Jews in Germany. On the nights of November 9th and 10th, over 7,000 Jewish businesses were destroyed, 175 synagogues demolished, nearly 100 Jews had been killed, and thousands more had been injured, all for the assassination of one official by a Jew ("Holocaust, the." Microsoft Encarta 96). In many ways, this was the first major act of violence to Jews made by the Nazis. Their intentions were now clear. The Nazi's plans for the Jews of Europe were outlined in the "Final Solution to the Jewish question" in 1938. In a meeting of some of Hitler's top 2004-12-21T06:09:51-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Holocaust-Research-Essay-25921.aspx Japan after World War II Japan after World War II The occupation of Japan was, from the beginning to the end, an American operation. General Douglas MacArthur, sole supreme commander of the Allied Power was in charge of it. The Americans had insufficient men to make a military government of Japan possible; so they decided to act through the existing Japanese government. General Mac Arthur became, except in name, dictator of Japan. He imposed his will on Japan. Demilitarisation was speedily carried out, demobilisation of the former imperial forces was completed by early 1946. Japan was extensively fire bombed during the second world war. The stench of sewer gas, rotting garbage, and the acrid smell of ashes and scorched debris pervaded the air. The Japanese people had to live in the damp, and cold of the concrete buildings, because they were the only ones left. Little remained of the vulnerable wooden frame, tile roof dwelling lived in by most Japanese. When the first signs of winter set in, the occupation forces immediately took over all the steam-heated buildings. The Japanese were out in the cold in the first post war winter fuel was very hard to find, a family was considered lucky if they had a small barely glowing charcoal brazier to huddle around. That next summer in random spots new ho uses were built, each house was standardised at 216 square feet, and required 2400 board feet of material in order to be built. A master plan for a modernistic city had been drafted, but it was cast aside because of the lack of time before the next winter. The thousands of people who lived in railroad stations and public parks needed housing. Some even lived in forests. All the Japanese heard was democracy from the Americans. All they cared about was food. General MacAruther asked the government to send food, when they refused he sent another telegram that said, "Send me food, or send me bullets." American troops were forbidden to eat local food, as to keep from cutting from cutting into the sparse local supply. No food was brought in expressly for the Japanese during the first six months after the American presence there. Herbert Hoover, serving as chairman of a special presidential advisory committee, recommended minimum imports to Japan of 870,000 tons of food to be distributed in different urban areas. Fish, the source of so much of the protein in the 2004-12-21T06:00:08-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Japan-after-World-War-II-25916.aspx Causes of World War II Causes of World War II Many historians have traced the causes of World War II to problems left unsolved by World War I (1914-1918). World War I and the treaties that ended it also created new political and economic problems. Forceful leaders in several countries took advantage of these problems to seize power. The desire of dictators in Germany, Italy, and Japan to conquer additional territory brought them into conflict with the democratic nations. After World War I ended, representatives of the victorious nations met in Paris in 1919 to draw up peace treaties for the defeated countries. These treaties, known as the Peace of Paris, followed a long and bitter war. They were worked out in haste by these countries with opposing goals; and failed to satisfy even the victors. Of all the countries on the winning side, Italy and Japan left the peace conference most dissatisfied. Italy gained less territory than it felt it deserved and vowed to take action on its own. Japan gained control of German territories in the Pacific and thereby launched a program of expansion. But Japan was angered by the peacemakers' failure to endorse the principle of the equality of all races. The countries that lost World War I--Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey--were especially dissatisfied with the Peace of Paris. They were stripped of territory, arms and were required to make reparations (payments for war damages). The Treaty of Versailles, which was signed with Germany, punished Germany severely. The German government agreed to sign the treaty only after the victorious powers threatened to invade. Many Germans particularly resented the clause that forced Germany to accept responsibility for causing World War I. World War I seriously damaged the economies of the European countries. Both the winners and the losers came out of the war deeply in debt. The defeated powers had difficulty paying reparations to the victors, and the victors had difficulty repaying their loans to the United States. The shift from a wartime economy to a peacetime economy caused further problems. Italy and Japan suffered from too many people and too few resources after World War I. They eventually tried to solve their problems by territorial expansion. In Germany, runaway inflation destroyed the value of money and wiped out the savings of millions of people. In 1923, the German economy neared collapse. Loans from the United States helped 2004-12-21T05:57:52-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-of-World-War-II-25914.aspx Early Roman History Essay Early Roman History As Greece reached the height of its prosperity Rome which lye slightly to the west slowly began its rise as a civilization. The Greeks centered their culture around Art and literature whereas opposed to the Romans who settled their culture upon warfare and leadership. Without planning, would rise very steadily as an empire. Shortly before Christ most of the surrounding cities and nations were at peace under Rome's rule. Early Romans kept no written records. Their history is so mixed up with fables and myths that historians have difficulty distinguishing fact from fiction. Historians only know of two early works of Roman history, the history of Livy and the Roman Antiquities of Dionysius of Halicarnassus. The old legends say that Romulus founded the city in 753 BC. Romulus was a mythical person, but there is some evidence that the kings who are said to have followed him actually existed. Shortly before 600 BC several Etruscan princes from conquered Rome across the Tiber River. Taraquinius Priscus, the first of the Etruscan kings, drained the city’s marshes. Servius Tullius, the second Etruscan king, made a treaty with the Latin cities, which acknowledged Rome as the head of all Latium. The last king, Tarquinius Superbus, was a tyrant who opposed the people scorned religion. Under the rule of the Etruscans, Rome grew in importance and power. Great temples and impressive public works were constructed. Trade prospered and by the end of the 6th century BC Rome had become the largest and richest city in Italy. The old Latin aristocracy ended up rebelling against the Etruscan kings. Junius Brutus led the rebellion against Tarquinius Superbus in 509 BC. The young republic was now set out on its long career of almost constant warfare and conquest. At the time it did not seem destined to rule the civilized world. It was only a tiny city-state, much like the city-states that were flourishing at the same time in Greece. Rome was now well launched on its way to world domination. One conquest led to another. Upper Italy, Sicily, Spain, Macedonia, Greece and Asia Minor were subdued and made Roman provinces. Intoxicated with their sudden rise to power, the new generation of statesmen departed from the wise policies of their great predecessors. They fought ruthlessly and ruined the countries they conquered. Governors administrated most of the conquered lands. Wealth poured 2004-12-21T05:57:04-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Early-Roman-History-Essay-25913.aspx The Versailles Treaty The Treaty of Versailles was intended to be a peace agreement between the Allies and the Germans. Versailles created political discontent and economic chaos 1in Germany. The Peace Treaty of Versailles represented the results of hostility and revenge and opened the door for a dictator and World War II. November 11, 1918 marked the end of the first World War. Germany had surrendered and signed an armistice agreement. The task of forming a peace agreement was now in the hands of the Allies. In December of 1918, the Allies met in Versailles to start on the peace settlement.2 The main countries and their respective representatives were: The United States, Woodrow Wilson; Great Britain, David Lloyd George; and France, George Clemenceau. "At first, it had seemed the task of making peace would be easy".3 However, once the process started, the Allies found they had conflicting ideas and motives surrounding the reparations and wording of the Treaty of Versailles. It seemed the Allies had now found themselves engaged in another battle. Woodrow Wilson (1856 - 1924), the twenty-eighth President of the United States (1913 --1921).4 In August of 1914, when World War I began, there was no question that the United States would remain neutral. "Wilson didn't want to enter the European War or any other war for that matter".5 However, as the war continued, it became increasingly obvious that the United States could no longer 'sit on the sidelines'. German submarines had sunk American tankers and the British liner, 'Lusitania', in May 1915, killing almost twelve hundred people, including 128 Americans.6 This convinced Wilson to enter World War I, on the allied side. As the war continued, Wilson outlined his peace program, which was centered around fourteen main points. "They (fourteen points) were direct and simple: a demand that future agreements be open covenants of peace, openly arrived at; an insistence upon absolute freedom of the seas; and, as the fourteenth point, the formation of a general associat! ion of nations."7 The fourteen points gave people a hope of peace and lay the groundwork for the armistice that Germany ultimately signed in November 1918. Although the United States was instrumental in ending the war, Wilson was still more interested in a "peace without victors"8 than annexing German colonies or reparations (payment for war damages). However, as the Allies began discussions of the peace treaty, the European allies rejected Wilson's idealism and reasoning. It 2004-12-20T05:16:37-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Versailles-Treaty-25883.aspx Pearl Harbor - The United States Should Have Anticipated the Attack Many have compared the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 to the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. They argue that both attacks were just as astonishing, unwarranted and unpredictable. The World Trade Center buildings in New York City still lie in ruin, an icy reminder of the terrorist attack. Both the U.S.S. Arizona and the U.S.S Utah remain on the floor of Pearl Harbor, each a ghostly, decaying tomb reminding all of the thousands that gave their life on that fateful day, also, they are both reminders of seemingly how easily the attack was carried out and of how America, the world’s big brother and perhaps the most powerful nation in the history of the world, was caught with 'its guard down.' The attacks are also similar in that, generally, those who lived through them divide time: time before the attack and time after. After Pearl Harbor, the United States declared war on Japan, and thus Germany and Italy with the signing of the Anti-Comintern Pact and latter the Tripartite Pact, and after was slingshot into the Cold War, and after the September 11 attack, concepts that may have been unthinkable before the attack are being considered such as torturing detainees and racial profiling and, arguably, security has been further fortified in airports and other public places. Both attacks were turning points in American history; they had and will have profound effects on life after them. The details of the September 11 attack are still buried in distant lands while the on Pearl Harbor happened over 60 years ago; therefore most of the documents and information concerning the attack have been released. When analyzing the documents and accounts of the Pearl Harbor attack, historians are not able to avoid the fact that many warning signs of the approaching attack existed. The neglect of these signs can, in most cases, be attributed to some sort of human error in dealing with those signs. Although human error played a large part in the reason that those in power did not take further advantage of those signs, it was not the only reason. Most of the signs were neither tangible nor very specific of the location, date or degree of ferocity at which Japanese would attack. Another reason is that for years before the attack, a feeling of isolation and thoughts that the United States 2004-12-20T05:13:26-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Pearl-Harbor-The-United-States-Should-Have-Anticipated-the-Attack-25882.aspx From Oppressed Slaves to Champion Soldiers This is just a small example of the doubt and hatred that was bestowed on the African American soldiers. However, during the war, they proved themselves to be brave and courageous men on and off the battlefield on many occasions. Despite deep prejudices and harsh criticisms from the white society, these men were true champions of patriotism. The cause of the Civil War was tension between the North and the South. The sectional division between the areas began in colonial times, largely resulting from geographical differences. The South was ideal for growing tobacco due to the warm climate and the fertile soil. Plantations brought in black slaves from Africa to provide most of the labor required for growing the crop. In time, other plantation crops such as cotton, sugar cane, indigo, and sugar beets were to thrive in the South. "By the onset of the Civil War, 2.4 million slaves were engaged in cotton production" (Long 16). A rural way of life that supported an agrian economy based on slave labor was quickly established in the South. The North, however, was a cooler, rockier climate that would not support the development of plantations. As a result, the North's economy came to depend more on trade and industry than on agriculture. This economy supported the growth of cities, although many lived in rural areas during the colonial period. The sectional division between North and South had widened enormously by the mid - 1800's. The United States had expanded all the way to the Pacific Ocean and was rapidly becoming a major industrial and commercial nation. However, industry and commerce were centered in the North. The Northerners welcomed modernization and the constant changes it brought to their way of life. Their ideals included hard work, education, economic independence, and the belief that the community had the right and responsibility to decide whether an action was moral or immoral. While Northerners looked forward to a different and better future, Southerners held the present and past dear. They enjoyed a prosperous agricultural economy based on slave labor and wished to keep their old way of life. By the 1800's, northerners viewed slavery as wrong and began a movement to end it. Even though an antislavery minority existed in the South, most Southerners found slavery to be highly profitable and in time came to consider it a positive good. Such situations as the Compromise of 1850 2004-12-20T05:06:38-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/From-Oppressed-Slaves-to-Champion-Soldiers-25881.aspx Comparison of Martin Luther King, Jr and Malcom X They were black men who had a dream, but never lived to see it fulfilled. One was a man who spoke out to all humanity, but the world was not yet ready for his peaceful words. "I have a dream, a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed... that all men are created equal." (Martin Luther King) The other, a man who spoke of a violent revolution, which would bring about radical change for the black race. "Anything you can think of that you want to change right now, the only way you can do it is with a ballot or a bullet. And if you're not ready to get involved with either one of those, you are satisfied with the status quo. That means we'll have to change you." (Malcom X) While Martin Luther King promoted non-violence, civil rights, and the end to racial segregation, a man of the name of Malcom X dreamed of a separate nation. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the conscience of his generation. A Southerner, a black man, he gazed upon the great wall of segregation and saw that the power of love could bring it down. From the pain and exhaustion of his fight to free all people from the bondage of separation and injustice, he wrung his eloquent statement of what America could be. (Ansboro, pg.1) An American clergyman and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, he was one of the principle leaders of the American Civil Rights Movement and a prominent advocate of nonviolent protest. King's challenges to segregation and racial discrimination in the 1950's and 1960's, helped convince many white Americans to support the cause of civil rights in the United States. After his assassination in 1968, King became the symbol of protest in the struggle for racial justice. ("King, Martin Luther, Jr.," pg. 1) In 1964, Malcom X founded an organization called "The Muslim Mosque, Inc. In an interview conducted by A.B. Spellman on March 19, 1964, Malcom speaks of his goals for this organization. "The Muslim Mosque, Inc. will have as its religious base the religion of Islam, which will be designed to propagate the moral reformations necesary to up the level of the so-called Negro community by eliminating the vices and other evils that destroy the moral fiber of the community. But the political philosophy of the Muslim Mosque 2004-12-20T05:03:17-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparison-of-Martin-Luther-King,-Jr-and-Malcom-X-25880.aspx American Imperialism Conquering of the Free World American Imperialism, conquering of the free world? American Imperialism has been a part of United States history ever since the American Revolution. Imperialism is practice by which powerful nations or people seek to expand and maintain control or influence over weaker nations or peoples. Throughout the years there has been many instances where the Americans have taken over other people countries, almost every time we go into we have taken over a new piece of land. The Americas first taste of imperialism came about five hundred years ago when Columbus came to America. We fought the pleasant inhabitants and then took over their land making them slaves. Americans over the years have been known to become almost selfish, no matter how much we have we will never be happy until we control the free world. "The Monroe Doctrine of 1823 defined United States foreign policy in the Americas for the rest of the 19th century and beyond. It declared that the United States had an interest in the Western Hemisphere and the European powers must not meddle in the affairs of any developing nations there. The United States was a young nation in 1823 and did not really have to powers to back up the Monroe Doctrine. However, the policy was used to justify the sending of the U.S. troops into Mexico in 1866 (to intimidate the French) and the purchased of Alaska in 1867". Another case of Imperialism was the United States industrial economy was growing so fast that they were producing more goods than they could consume. The over abundance of industrial goods led the United States to look for new markets. Next came the Spanish-American War, which started with the Americans not liked the way that the Spaniards were treated the Cubans. After this an U.S. battleship (Maine) was docked outside of Havana (Cuba's Capital) and all of a sudden exploded from under the sea. At the time no one actually knew the real reason why the ship exploded but many Americans thought that it was the Spaniards. 266 officers and men were lost in the explosion. William McKinley (U.S. President 1897-1901) went to congress and asked for permission to send troops to help stop the fighting in Cuba. After a couple of days he was given permission which shortly led to war. Spain declared war on the United States on April 24th followed by an U.S. declaration 2004-12-20T05:00:56-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-Imperialism-Conquering-of-the-Free-World-25879.aspx American Labor Movement: Development of Unions The American Labor Movement of the nineteenth century developed as a result of the city-wide organizations that unhappy workers were establishing. These men and women were determined to receive the rights and privileges they deserved as citizens of a free country. They refused to be treated like slaves, and work under unbearable conditions any longer. Workers joined together and realized that a group is much more powerful than an individual when protesting against intimidating companies. Unions, coalitions of workers pursuing a common objective, began to form demanding only ten instead of twelve hours in a work day. Workers realized the importance of economic and legal protection against the powerful employers who took advantage of them. (AFL-CIO American Federalist, 1) The beginnings of the American Labor Movement started with the Industrial Revolution. Textile mills were the first factories built in the United States. Once factory systems began to grow, a demand for workers increased. They hired large amounts of young women and children who were expected to do the same work as men for less wages. New immigrants were also employed and called "free workers" because they were unskilled. These immigrants poured into cities, desperate for any kind of work.(Working People, 1) Child labor in the factories was not only common, but necessary for a family’s income. Children as young as five or six manned machines or did jobs such as sweeping floors to earn money. It was dangerous, and they were often hurt by the large, heavy machinery. No laws prevented the factories from using these children, so they continued to do so. (AACTchrNET, 1) "Sweatshops" were created in crowded, unsanitary tenements. These were makeshift construction houses, dirty and unbearably hot. They were usually formed for the construction of garments. The wages, as in factories, were pitifully low, no benefits were made, and the worker was paid by the number of pieces he or she completed in a day. Unrealistic demands were put on the workers who could barely afford to support their families. (1) The United States had the highest job-related fatality rate of any other industrialized nation in the world. Everyone worked eighty hours or more a week for extremely low wages. Men and women earned twenty to forty percent less than the minimum deemed necessary for a decent life. The number was even worse for children. (Department of Humanities Computing, 2) Often workers would go home after a long day and 2004-12-20T04:38:58-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/American-Labor-Movement-Development-of-Unions-25872.aspx The Nationalists and Reasons for Creating New Government Who were the nationalists, what prompted them to seek a new government, and did they succeed? The nationalists were mostly military officers, diplomats, and officials who had served in the Continental Congress. There political outlook was thus more national, rather than state or local. Shay’s Rebellion prompted leaders who had a more national view to seek as stronger more central government. Nationalists, although having attempted to increase the powers of the Confederation government since 1781, had little success. Nationalist leaders were concerned with the fact that without tax revenue or state contributions, Congress was unable to pay the interest on the foreign debt. To nationalists this seemed like the American republic was on the verge of collapse. In 1786 the nationalists had another reason for wanting to seek a new government. This new reason was the financial weakness and prodebtor polices of the states. In Virginia for example, legislatures were granting tax relief to various groups of citizens. This lowered the public revenue and delayed the redemption of the state debt. Because of this, “the sanctity of public debts was also in jeopardy, since many state governments approved some form of relief from debtors.” In 1786, the nationalists called a commercial convention in Annapolis, Maryland to discuss tariff and taxation policies. However, only twelve delegates from five states came. The Philadelphia meeting, to many nationalists, seemed like the last opportunity to save the republic. In January 1787, nationalists passed a Congressional resolution that supported the revision of the Articles of Confederation to make them “adequate to the exigencies of government and the preservation of the Union.” There were fifty five delegates representing every state (except Rhode Island) at the Philadelphia convention. Many of the most famous Patriots such as Jefferson and Adams were not in attendance. Many of the delegates that attended favored nationalism. The Virgina plan called for supremacy of national authority and that the central government had the power to legislate in all cases to which the separate states couldn’t and to overturn state laws. It also called for a national republic that drew authority from all people of the United States. The Virginia Plan asked for separation of powers: a lower house elected by voters, an upper house elected by the lower house, and an executive and judiciary chosen by the entire legislature. This would increase the power of the national government, but delegates from the less populous states believe 2004-12-20T04:03:02-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Nationalists-and-Reasons-for-Creating-New-Government-25861.aspx State Constitutions and the Articles of Confederation What major characteristics of state constitutions were shared by the Articles of Confederation and how did they reflect the colonial and revolutionary experiences? Both state constitutions and the Articles of Confederation shared some common characteristics. Each had a congress whose members were elected by popular vote. Suffrage was extended to as many men as possible. Not only the landowning gentlemen could vote, but also the people who paid taxes were allowed to vote for their representatives. Congress decided issues on the economy, tax action, and laws that would benefit the general people. However, the states had the final say on what taxes would be followed. It was difficult for the confederation to raise taxes. For example, in the states, the artisan and farmers who made up the majority of the elected body, at times refused to be taxed. In the Confederation, the same 2004-12-20T04:02:02-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/State-Constitutions-and-the-Articles-of-Confederation-25860.aspx Republicanism and It's Development During War for Independen What new meaning did Americans give to republicanism and how did they live up to the republican ideal during the American War for independence? The fundamental idea of a republic is a state that is without a monarch. To Americans, however, the republic ideal was everything and everyone for the public good. The ideal republic assumed that its members had important responsibilities and had to sacrifice all for the common good. Initially, the Americans tried to live up to the ideal of the American republic. At the governmental level committees were formed and resolutions made that would promote the public good. For example, the members of the Committee of Safety found themselves looking towards the public interest when they suppressed dissent or controlled prices. However, the people themselves were unable to be completely selfless. Militiamen who died at Lexington, Concord, Saratoga, and Camden were praised, but the Continental officers who asked for lifetime pensions were not fitting the ideal of giving freely to the republic. Continental troops caught in the winters of 1779 and 1780 were unable to withstand the conditions and mutinied. While Washington had the ringleaders executed; Congress had to resort to paying the troops and providing clothing. These soldiers certainly did not fit the ideal for the republic of one sacrificing themselves totally without concern for self. In addition, the civilians likewise found it increasingly difficult to follow the republican ideal. When the British troops cut off the European manufactured goods and other products to the republic, the farmers and artisans in this country raised prices due to the scarcity of imported products. Unemployed shipwrights, masons, coopers, bakers, had to leave occupied Boston, New York, and Philadelphia found it difficult to think of the common good when there was no food on their table. For instance the Massachusetts Legislature passed “Act to prevent Monopoly and Oppression.” The purpose of the act was to keep prices from soaring for wholesale and retail items. As the war progressed the government found it increasingly difficult to purchase goods. Instead, it resorted to requisitioning goods directly from the people. Patriot women contributed to the war effort and in their own way fit the republican ideal for sacrificing themselves for the war effort and assuming the burden of farm production. Some supervised slaves and hired laborers which helped them gain a feel for the decision making process. During 2004-12-20T04:00:57-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Republicanism-and-It-s-Development-During-War-for-Independen-25859.aspx Mark Twain and American Anti-Imperialism Returning to the United States in October 1900 from nearly ten years living abroad, Mark Twain made what the New York Sun called a “startling” announcement. “I am an anti-imperialist,” he declared. “I am opposed to having the eagle put its talons on any other land.” With that statement, he launched an often intense personal campaign against the Philippine-American War and U.S. imperialism. Within months he was made a vice president of the Anti-Imperialist League, the organized opposition to the war, and he held that post until he died in April 1910. Mark Twain’s turn-of-the-century protest reminds us that the long-standing U.S.-Philippine relationship was not always widely accepted within the United States. He and his associates in the Anti-Imperialist League saw the war not only as a tragedy for the Filipinos but as a threat to America’s democratic and anti-colonial political traditions. The United States was, after all, a republic formed by a revolution against an empire, a revolution that held liberty and self-government as fundamental ideals. Then, in 1898, the United States intervened in Cuba’s revolution for independence from Spain. The resulting “splendid little war,” as John Hay, the U.S. ambassador to England, described the three-month Spanish-American War, closed with a treaty ceding to the United States control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. Spain was paid twenty million dollars for the Philippines. Like many Americans, Twain thought that the war with Spain was fought solely to free Cuba from Spanish oppression, and he supported it for that reason. But when he read the Treaty of Paris that concluded the war he learned that the U.S. government had no intention of freeing any of the other Spanish colonies. Interviewed in October 1900 about his anti-imperialist stance, he explained, “I thought it would be a great thing to give a whole lot of freedom to the Filipinos, but I guess now that it’s better to let them give it to themselves.” He later called the $20 million payment for the Philippines the United States’ “entrance fee into society -- the Society of Sceptred Thieves.” When it purchased the Philippines, the United States held only Manila and its suburbs. The Filipinos, who had been fighting for their independence since 1896, controlled the rest of the country. With the Treaty of Paris still pending before the Senate, U.S. troops fired on a group of Filipinos in February 1899, and the 2004-11-30T02:12:34-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mark-Twain-and-American-Anti-Imperialism-25783.aspx Farm Workers Sun blazing scorching your skin, stormy rain bringing sickness, and freezing temperature making breathing difficult, these are some of the things that farm workers face each and every day of their lives. Constant pain on every inch of your body for a laughable wage, and harsh treatment from farm owners are just a few experiences that farm labor workers have gone through for the betterment of this country. So that people could eat their fruits and vegetables, so that they can eat their gourmet meals, so that they could enjoy various tasting wines, while in that process the actual persons who pick these crops don’t even have enough to support their own families. I would like to talk about one such farm labor family and their experience through their most difficult times in their lives. In the 20th century large farm growers owned thousands of acres of land and they needed a large number of labor workers to plant and pick. A lot of the farm workers had came from foreign countries such as; India, China, Japan, the Philippines, and Mexico. In 1954, the Garza family was just returning from a long summer of migrant farm working in California, Oregon, and Michigan, they are headed home to Harlingen, Texas. Valentine and Augustina Garza with their young daughter Mary had been doing this since 1951. Mary says, “Ever since I could remember, we had always done field work”. Entire families went on these work journeys, young children to elderly people had to work hard just to survive. In 1960, the Garzas moved to Fresno, California, because at that time the wages here in Fresno was more than the wages they were giving in Texas. Here they stayed and lived with Valentine’s cousin, the Garcia family. The Garcia family were also farm labor workers and they traveled up and down the San Joaquin Valley for work. There were two ways of getting paid to do field work; contract or hourly. Contract meant that workers get paid base on the amount of production they can supply, in other words, for every tray of grapes you picked is equal to $0.06. So if a worker picked 100 trays, then they will receive $6.00 for it. If the grower pays by the hour then the amount is not that 2004-11-29T18:33:16-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Farm-Workers--25780.aspx Kent State Massacre Allison Krause was a nineteen year old honor student at Kent State. She was quiet and almond eyed. She was known to the people around her as a listener and not a talker. She and her boyfriend, Barry Levine, were among the innocent spectators caught in the shootings on that dreadful day. Allison was known for putting a flower into a guardsman’s rifle and saying. “Flowers are better than bullets, Is dessent a crime?” Allison was 350ft. away from the guardsmen that were firing upon the students. She was shot in her arm and through her chest. (Canfora p.1-3) William K. Schroeder was a nineteen-year-old psychology major from Loraine, Ohio. He was the second ranking student in Kent State’s chapter of Army ROTC. He was said to be very angry and upset when the ROTC building had been burned down on May 2, 1970. William was not a protestor (like a lot of his classmates.) He was viewed as clean cut and he had a strong academic background. William was merely a spectator at the rally that morning. ( He was 400ft. from the guardsmen who were firing their weapons. He was shot in the back. (Canfora p.1-3) Jeffery Miller was a twenty year old transfer student from Michigan State. He did not like the idea of fraternity life and found it as “adolescent nonsense.” Jeffery was not an active militant activist either. He looked like “the typical hippie.” He had long hair, wore bell-bottoms, and listened to rock music. Jeffery was a major in psychology. Jeffery was 275ft. away from the guardsmen who were firing their weapons. He was shot through his head. (Canfora p.1-3) Sandy Scheuer was a twenty year old junior from Youngstown, Ohio. She was seen as a bubbly girl and was an honor student. She was also seen to be too gregarious and full of laughter to take that much interest in politics or protest. Sandy was walking to a class in speech therapy (her major) when she was caught in the guardsmen fire. She was nearly 400ft. away from the guns. She was shot through the throat. (Canfora p.1-3) Politics played a large role in the events that occurred on May 4, 1970. A number of military and political 2004-11-29T16:43:40-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Kent-State-Massacre-25779.aspx Past or Present: What can we believe? TOK Paper Past or Present: What can we believe? Theory of Knowledge Essay With so much uncertainty about the future, most people long for certainty about the past and present. Is it really possible, though, to be sure about the past? When looking for a lost set of keys, are you sure of the past (where you put them) or the present (that you are looking for them)? The reasons for the differences in certainty are the different forms of knowledge involved in learning and perceiving the past and present. Bertrand Russell speaks of the existence of two types of knowledge: knowledge by description and knowledge by acquaintance. Learning about the past involves knowledge by description, or information through a source or number of sources that actually experienced the event. However, information about the present is gained through knowledge by acquaintance, or knowledge through direct contact with the event. Therefore, it is much easier to attain certainty about the present than the past, although absolute sureness can never be acquired. It is impossible to have certainty about history, the study of past events, because of its basis in knowledge by acquaintance. One does not directly experience history and must rely on a collection of viewpoints from varying historians. Therefore no person can be sure about what events actually have occurred in the past. The cause of the First World War is a subject that historians have been arguing about for years. Some, such as Harry Elmer Barnes, believe that Russian mobilization was the action responsible for the war while others, such as A. J. P. Taylor, assert that German upset of the European balance of power prompted the beginning of World War I. With such varying opinions, how can any semblance of certainty be procured without direct observation of the past events? With simply knowledge by description, there is no possible way to gain absolute certainty about the past. In argument, some individuals may defend the certainty of the past by saying that history has been written down, taught, and accepted by the masses. Physical evidence exists that proves the legitimacy of the historical texts. However, by this argument, how can the uncertainty surrounding the Holocaust be explained? There are photographs, interviews, and official documents supporting the occurrence of the Holocaust, and yet many individuals deny that it ever happened. There is absolutely no way to prove to those individuals that the Holocaust took place. 2004-11-28T02:57:06-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Past-or-Present-What-can-we-believe-TOK-Paper-25765.aspx Interpret "History is part myth, part hope and part rea "History is part myth, part hope and part reality." History is, by definition, an account of what had happened in the past. One may wonder then how it can be anything but the truth. Most often, "History is written by the winners"; thus, the accounts of historical events are, from the beginning, biased. Though biases infiltrate History from its initiation, this is not the only way in which History is tainted. Throughout the years, History is retold, reinterpreted and changed becoming little more than "part myth, part hope and part reality". Originally, people used stories and epics to retell their pasts. Occasionally, it was nothing more than that. An individual might create a story to explain the beginning of the universe. Another may have told a story explaining the origin of rain. Even today, we believe in such accounts to explain the unexplainable. Christians, for example, read the Bible to discern such events as the beginning of the earth. For those who believe, those accounts are indeed what happened; for those who remain unbelievers, some aspects of man's past will continue to be unexplainable. Nonetheless, the most ancient History is based on something about which we may never be certain, so History, in a sense, originates from myth. Trying to discern what is "real" in History should be the most simplistic part of analysis. Regardless of the interpretation, the events will remain relatively unchanged. Through the years, the details of the story and the way in which the story is told change. The real component of History is perhaps the most important because without this section there would, in essence, be no History. Historians would have nothing to write about having no events on which to base their accounts. If it were possible to write History without a trace of hope nor myth, it would still remain impossible to create History without real events. Is it possible to find "pure" History? One might think the answer to such a question would be easy; for, History obviously begins in a pure form. An event happens, and someone is there to witness it. Unfortunately, creating History is not that simple. A major portion of what we know about the past comes from documented accounts. As the saying goes "There are two sides to every story." Unfortunately, there is not always a chance for both sides to record their stories, so that which 2004-11-28T02:48:04-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Interpret-quot-History-is-part-myth,-part-hope-and-part-rea-25761.aspx IB Extended Essay: Stalin's Rise to Power Stalin, the "Man of Steel" is known for his use of terror during his legendary rule, the kind of leader that would stop at almost nothing to accomplish his goals. Ruthless, ambitious and cunning are among words commonly used to describe him. However, despite the fear he invoked among the people of Russia he did indeed start jump the economy and force the backward economy of Russia into the modern world of technology. With the two underlying themes of collectivization and industrialization he was able to give Russia the push which it lacked for so many years. The question of Stalin’s adequacy as a state leader still remains. Even though there were drastic improvements in terms of the economy, the population of Russia was still quite distraught. During his rule there was famine, propaganda, poor living conditions and massive terror. This was due to the "iron fist" method of rule Stalin incorporated in his system of government. Why then did Stalin gain power of the Bolshevik party in the first place? Among the individuals qualified for the position, the greatest struggle for power existed between Stalin and Trotsky. The two were as different as night and day, Trotsky having been born into a stable family was well educated and excelled intellectually while Stalin lacked these qualities. The main key to Stalin’s success in gaining power after Lenin’s death was held in his position as General Secretary within the Party, as well as his ability to plan and take advantage of situations and circumstances. The Bolsheviks were a revolutionary group, which were not quite yet familiar with the aspects of controlling a government. By to the time when they gained power, most of their efforts were put into the revolution preparation. After finding Russia in their hands in 1917, they were making the handbook for the government through trial and error as they went along. Lacking a firm structure in their government system allowed Stalin to be promoted and helped in the concealment of his rise to power. Amidst all the chaos during the Bolshevik Party’s gain of power hasty decisions were made and overlooked. Lenin needed organization within the party. He needed followers who would carry out orders to the very last details and who would not question his decisions. After Lenin’s death there was an even greater need for organization because he had failed to lay the foundation for the 2004-11-28T02:35:53-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/IB-Extended-Essay-Stalin-s-Rise-to-Power-25753.aspx Argentina's Economy after World War II IB Extended Essay: Did the Second World War Improve or Worsen Argentina's Economy? The German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 was not an isolated event. Instead, it unleashed the biggest conflict in human history whose effects were felt all over the globe (Paz 50). To the European nations directly involved in the conflict the Second World War brought pain, misery, and death. However, as one moves further away from Europe the effects of the Second World War begin to change. Almost 10,000 miles away, in the southern cone of South America, the impact of World War II upon Argentina is not nearly as clear-cut or as grave. Argentina held on tightly to its statements of neutrality for as long as possible and, even after declaring war on the remaining Axis powers, Germany and Japan, on March 17, 1945, she did not take an active part in the war. Therefore, since Argentine troops never took part in the conflict, the effects of the Second World War upon Argentina were purely economic in nature (Paz 130). Yet, this fact in and of itself in no way diminishes the amount of historical inquiry or intrigue; a great debate rages over the question of whether the Second World War improved or worsened Argentina's economy. While it is true that World War II generated a significant amount of currency for Argentina, a careful analysis of the available sources shows that the Second World War worsened Argentina's economy. In fact, World War II slowed down Argentina's economy and created a false sense of security that, in the long run, wrecked the country's economy. While there is ample evidence suggesting that World War II increased the opportunities for Argentine industrialization and economic expansion, the overall economy of Argentina suffered a setback during the Second World War. In his collection of Essays on the Economic History of Argentina, Alejandro Diaz argues that the Second World War slowed down Argentine economy. A member of the Yale Department of Economics, professor Diaz took part in a study concerning the problem of economic growth in certain Latin American countries. Encompassing field observations, quantitative analysis of a national economy, and comparative cross-sectional studies using data from numerous countries, professor Diaz' work is often cited and used as a starting point by other historians. Professor Diaz acknowledges the fact that the war opened up new markets for Argentine manufactured goods and expanded the 2004-11-28T02:32:58-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Argentina-s-Economy-after-World-War-II-25752.aspx The Tsarist Downfall of February 1917 IB Extended Essay: The Tsarist Downfall of February 1917 Word Count: 3298 On 2 March, 1917, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated in favour of his brother Michael(1). With the stepping down of the Tsar, the autocratic regime that had ruled since the inception of Russia many hundreds of years earlier came to a final end, replaced by a provisional government that was itself to be replaced shortly with communists that held power until 1991. The downfall of the autocracy in Russia was undoubtably one of the most important events of the twentieth century. It is no surprise, then, that historians have tried to speculate on the causes of the revolution. One event that has captured the interest of historians in this matter is World War I. Alan Wood writes, "The nature of the relationship between Russia's involvement in the First World War and the 1917 Revolution is a topic which has been mulled over by historians ever since the events took place."(2) On one hand historians, such as Wood, take the stand that Russia was on the brink of collapse in July of 1914, and thus the war didn't matter as the Tsar would have fallen very soon in any case. Others, including eminent historian Richard Pipes believe in that the war accelerated the revolution, speeding up something that would have not have occurred for a while, or possibly not at all, had the war not occurred. Pipes' view is the one that is the most acceptable. The economic and political situation before the war will be examined as well as the economic and political situation during the war. Russia before the war was very close to collapsing. Many problems faced the country, including problems stemming from their economic situation and political problems. Together, they put the country and the autocracy in a very unstable situation that could tip over at any moment and take the Tsar with it. Up until the First World War, Russia's economy had been doing well. Russia grew from "being one of the least economically developed countries in Europe to one of the world's leading industrial producers."(3) Russia began industrializing relatively late compared with other advanced nations. Its industrial output began to grow in earnest after 1890, the year that Pipes believes as the beginning of the "opening phase of the Industrial Revolution" in Russia.(4) During the 1890's, industrial output increased annually by 8%, and between 1907 and 2004-11-28T02:11:25-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Tsarist-Downfall-of-February-1917-25751.aspx Negative Impact of British Policy on Zionist Reform Movement IB Extended Essay The Palestinian Powder-Keg: The Negative Impact of British Policy on Zionist Reform Movements in Palestine, 1917-1948 Abstract In the modern world, many contemporary historians view the conflict between the Arabs and Jews in Israel to be revolved around a theological clash; the classic battle between the hedonistic Muslim and the infidel Jew. Many people also think that the British provided the Jews their independence. However, both statements are highly erroneous. Theoretically both peoples could live together under one government. The conflict lies in that Britain used the mandate of Palestine for their own political and economic gains, resulting in Arab distrust of Western civilization and the peoples of the nation turning on one another . Upon analyzing both the Zionist and Palestinian opinions on the interfering British from 1917-1948, it became clear that the conflict stemmed from the nationalism of both groups, yet wanted their states to be on the exact same tracts of land. The debate on the causes of the Arab-Israeli conflict is one that may never be resolved; however, it plays a vital role in the foreign policies of many nations as well as the attitudes toward the groups involved. When one looks at the treaties signed and the international agreements of the period, they can clearly see that the British did not keep their word to both the Zionists and the indigenous Palestinians. A movement known as Pan-Arabism developed, which became known as the ‘Islamic Renaissance’. The philosophical treatises of the time show that the Arabs were angered by outside interference. Secondary histories cannot relay effectively the opinions of the various groups, therefore they only provide concrete facts. In conclusion, the British used Palestine merely for its own benefit. If they would have opted for Zionist independence, as the Balfour Declaration stated, Israel would have become independent years earlier and there would not be as drastic of a conflict as there is today. Table of Contents The Palestinian Powder-Keg: The Negative Impact of British Policy on Zionist Reform Movements in Palestine, 1917-1948 Abstract i Table of Contents ii The Palestinian Powder-Keg: The Negative Impact of British Policy on Zionist Reform Movements in Palestine, 1917-1948 1-13 Appendix A: UNISCOP Partition Plan of Palestine, 31 August 1947 14 Works Consulted 15-16 Since the beginning of the Common Era, the Jewish people have been without a peaceful national homeland. The Roman general Titus sacked the Temple of Jerusalem and conquered the 2004-11-27T19:18:43-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Negative-Impact-of-British-Policy-on-Zionist-Reform-Movement-25747.aspx Pre-World War II Germany and What Led to Holocaust IB Extended Essay The Special Conditions and Situations in pre-World War II Germany that led to the Creation and Acceptance of the Idea of the Holocaust The actual word holocaust simply refers to any widespread human disaster. However, The Holocaust has a much more powerful definition. It was the almost complete destruction of the Jews in Europe by Nazi Germany (Encarta). The beginning of the Holocaust can be traced back to 1935, when the Nazi regime came into power and produced the definition of the term "Jew." Anyone with three or four Jewish grandparents was considered a Jew, regardless of current religious beliefs. Also, if an individual was descended from two fully Jewish grandparents and belonged to the Jewish religious community, was married to a Jew, or was a legitimate or illegitimate child of a Jew, he or she was considered fully Jewish (Reich Legal Gazette). From 1933 to 1939, Jews were eliminated from economic life. Businesses were taken away, Jewish lawyers and doctors lost their Aryan clients, and Jews lost their jobs at Aryanized firms. Jewish shops and synagogues were burned during the Night of the Broken Glass in response to the assassination of a German diplomat by a young Jew in Paris. After the Poland invasion in 1939, Jews were forced into filthy and overcrowded ghettos. Finally, in 1941, Jews were taken to concentration camps where many were killed in gas chambers or by slave labor. In total, over 6 million Jews as well as millions of Slavs, Gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah’s witnesses, communists and other targeted groups were killed in the Holocaust through such instruments as concentration camps, ghettos, and orders to kill Jews on the spot (Encarta). When looking back on the Holocaust, the question arises on how something like this could happen. Why was nothing done to stop the murder of millions of people? How could individuals simply sit back and watch this happen? The answer lies in the special conditions in pre-war Germany that allowed for the creation, acceptance, and practice of the idea of genocide. As a result of the creation of a group of outsiders, internal strife, powerful leadership, propaganda, extreme organization, and the failure of social controls, the scene was set for the Holocaust to occur (Mazian ix-x). By creating a group of outsiders, the victim group is separated from the regular citizens and dehumanized. Only when the outsiders are not viewed as human 2004-11-27T19:15:59-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Pre-World-War-II-Germany-and-What-Led-to-Holocaust-25746.aspx IB: Chinese Communist Party Victory in Chinese Civil War IB Extended Essay: Why was the Chinese Communist Party able to achieve victory over the Kuomintang in the Chinese Civil War? Word Count: 4067 Abstract The Chinese Civil War, which took place from the end of World War II up to October 1, 1949, directly led to the creation of the People’s Republic of China, the world’s most populous communist nation. The purpose of this essay is to explain why the Chinese Communist Party was able to achieve victory over the Kuomintang in the Chinese Civil War. In this paper, the role of international powers, namely the Soviet Union and the United States, Kuomintang policy, and Chinese Communist Party policy and will be explored. The essay begins by giving a brief background of the conditions of the Chinese Civil War. Historical ranges of view are then discussed. The role of the Soviet Union in the earlier years of the Chinese Communist Party is discussed and how the Soviet policy towards China began to change. It also explores the American attitude towards the Soviet Union and China and how it is related to the beginnings of the Cold War. Marshall’s mission to China in 1946 and 1947 is discussed. A section on the military and economic policies of the Kuomintang during the war follows. Finally, the military, economic, and political policies of the Chinese Communist Party are discussed. A brief section on the course of the war follows. The essay concludes that in spite of alienation by the Soviet Union and opposition from the U.S. due to growing fears of Soviet expansion, the Chinese Communist Party was able to achieve victory over the Kuomintang partly because of the Kuomintang’s apparent weaknesses, but primarily because of the superior military strategy employed by the Communists and the economic and political reforms carried out by the party. Table of Contents Chapter I. Introduction Chapter II. The Soviet Attitude Towards the Chinese Civil War 1. History of Soviets with Chinese Communist Party 2. Soviet Policy in Manchuria after W.W.II Chapter III. The American Attitude Towards the Chinese Civil War 1. Marshall’s mission to China 2. American aid to the Kuomintang during the war Chapter IV. The Kuomintang and the Civil War 1. Occupation of former Japanese territories 2. Peace talks of 1945 and 1946 3. Economic Problems 4. Military Policy Chapter V. The Chinese Communist Party and the Civil War 1. Military Policy 2004-11-27T19:10:22-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/IB-Chinese-Communist-Party-Victory-in-Chinese-Civil-War-25745.aspx History Term Paper: Operation Overlord, Motives Behind D Day D-Day has always been a celebrated day throughout the entire world in which the Western Allied forces were finally able to break Hitler grasp on Europe. The landings that occurred on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944 was a great military victory at the cost of many lives. But the motives behind D-Day are unclear. Why did Britain want to go through Italy and did everything in its power to stop the invasion of Normandy? Why did the US promise Stalin that a second front would be open? The motives behind Operation Overlord are more because of political power play between the allied nations rather than opening a decisive military front. The most remarkable aspect of World War II was how America committed itself to the battles occurring in Europe and had not concentrated on Japan, the United States’ main aggressor. It was the Americans who were impatient to confront the German army on the continent while the British were haunted by the deepest misgivings about doing so. ““Why are we doing this?” cried Winston Churchill in a bitter moment of depression about Operation OVERLORD in February 1944, which caused him a spasm of enthusiasm for an alternative Allied landing in Portugal. ‘I am very uneasy about the whole operation,” wrote the Chief of the Imperial general Staff, Sir Alan Brooke, as late as June 5, 1944. “At the best, it will come very short of the expectation the bulk of the people, namely all those who know nothing about its difficulties. At its worst, it may well be the most ghastly disaster of the whole war,”” (Ambrose, 56). It seems that the British favored opening a second front to relieve some of the pressure from Russia, but did not agree with the second front being opened in the beaches of Normandy, but rather that of Italy through the Mediterranean. Had the United Sates Army been wavering in its commitment to a landing in Normandy, it is unlikely that the landing would have taken place before 1945. Until the very last weeks before OVERLORD was launched, its future was the subject of bitter dissension and debate between the generals of Britain and America. For a year following the fall of France in 1940, Britain fought on without any actual prospect of final victory. When Hitler invaded 2004-11-04T06:22:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-Term-Paper-Operation-Overlord,-Motives-Behind-D-Day-25727.aspx Analysis of Roosevelt's New Deal and the Great Depression Analysis of Roosevelt's "New Deal" During the 1930's, America witnessed a breakdown of the Democratic and free enterprise system as the US fell into the worst depression in history. The economic depression that beset the United States and other countries was unique in its severity and its consequences. At the depth of the depression, in 1933, one American worker in every four was out of a job. The great industrial slump continued throughout the 1930's, shaking the foundations of Western capitalism. The New Deal describes the program of US president Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1939 of relief, recovery, and reform. These new policies aimed to solve the economic problems created by the depression of the 1930's. When Roosevelt was nominated, he said, "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people." The New Deal included federal action of unprecedented scope to stimulate industrial recovery, assist victims of the Depression, guarantee minimum living standards, and prevent future economic crises. Many economic, political, and social factors lead up to the New Deal. Staggering statistics, like a 25% unemployment rate, and the fact that 20% of NYC school children were under weight and malnourished, made it clear immediate action was necessary. In the first two years, the New Deal was concerned mainly with relief, setting up shelters and soup kitchens to feed the millions of unemployed. However as time progressed, the focus shifted towards recovery. In order to accomplish this monumental task, several agencies were created. The National Recovery Administration (NRA) was the keystone of the early new deal program launched by Roosevelt. It was created in June 1933 under the terms of the National Industrial Recovery Act. The NRA permitted businesses to draft "codes of fair competition," with presidential approval, that regulated prices, wages, working conditions, and credit terms. Businesses that complied with the codes were exempted from antitrust laws, and workers were given the right to organize unions and bargain collectively. After that, the government set up long-range goals which included permanent recovery, and a reform of current abuses. Particularly those that produced the boom-or-bust catastrophe. The NRA gave the President power to regulate interstate commerce. This power was originally given to Congress. While the NRA was effective, it was bringing America closer to socialism by giving the President unconstitutional powers. In May 1935 the US Supreme Court, in Schechter Poultry Corporation V. United States, unanimously declared 2004-11-01T02:23:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Roosevelt-s-New-Deal-and-the-Great-Depression-25703.aspx The Many Causes of the Great Depression Causes of The Great Depression The Great Depression was the worst economic slump ever in U.S. history, and one which spread to virtually all of the industrialized world. The depression began in late 1929 and lasted for about a decade. Many factors played a role in bringing about the depression; however, the main cause for the Great Depression was the combination of the greatly unequal distribution of wealth throughout the 1920's, and the extensive stock market speculation that took place during the latter part that same decade. The maldistribution of wealth in the 1920's existed on many levels. Money was distributed disparately between the rich and the middle-class, between industry and agriculture within the United States, and between the U.S. and Europe. This imbalance of wealth created an unstable economy. The excessive speculation in the late 1920's kept the stock market artificially high, but eventually lead to large market crashes. These market crashes, combined with the maldistribution of wealth, caused the American economy to capsize. The "roaring twenties" was an era when our country prospered tremendously. The nation's total realized income rose from $74.3 billion in 1923 to $89 billion in 1929(end note 1). However, the rewards of the "Coolidge Prosperity" of the 1920's were not shared evenly among all Americans. According to a study done by the Brookings Institute, in 1929 the top 0.1% of Americans had a combined income equal to the bottom 42%(end note 2). That same top 0.1% of Americans in 1929 controlled 34% of all savings, while 80% of Americans had no savings at all(end note 3). Automotive industry mogul Henry Ford provides a striking example of the unequal distribution of wealth between the rich and the middle-class. Henry Ford reported a personal income of $14 million(end note 4) in the same year that the average personal income was $750(end note 5). By present day standards, where the average yearly income in the U.S. is around $18,500(end note 6), Mr. Ford would be earning over $345 million a year! This maldistribution of income between the rich and the middle class grew throughout the 1920's. While the disposable income per capita rose 9% from 1920 to 1929, those with income within the top 1% enjoyed a stupendous 75% increase in per capita disposable income(end note 7). A major reason for this large and growing gap between the rich and the working-class people was the increased manufacturing output throughout this 2004-11-01T02:20:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Many-Causes-of-the-Great-Depression-25702.aspx The Bay of Pigs Invasion History Essay The Bay of Pigs Invasion The story of the failed invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs is one of mismanagement, overconfidence, and lack of security. The blame for the failure of the operation falls directly in the lap of the Central Intelligence Agency and a young president and his advisors. The fall out from the invasion caused a rise in tension between the two great superpowers and ironically 34 years after the event, the person that the invasion meant to topple, Fidel Castro, is still in power. To understand the origins of the invasion and its ramifications for the future it is first necessary to look at the invasion and its origins. Part I: The Invasion and its Origins. The Bay of Pigs invasion of April 1961, started a few days before on April 15th with the bombing of Cuba by what appeared to be defecting Cuban air force pilots. At 6 a.m. in the morning of that Saturday, three Cuban military bases were bombed by B-26 bombers. The airfields at Camp Libertad, San Antonio de los Ba¤os and Antonio Maceo airport at Santiago de Cuba were fired upon. Seven people were killed at Libertad and forty-seven people were killed at other sites on the island. Two of the B-26s left Cuba and flew to Miami, apparently to defect to the United States. The Cuban Revolutionary Council, the government in exile, in New York City released a statement saying that the bombings in Cuba were ". . . carried out by 'Cubans inside Cuba' who were 'in contact with' the top command of the Revolutionary Council . . . ." The New York Times reporter covering the story alluded to something being wrong with the whole situation when he wondered how the council knew the pilots were coming if the pilots had only decided to leave Cuba on Thursday after " . . . a suspected betrayal by a fellow pilot had precipitated a plot to strike . . . ." Whatever the case, the planes came down in Miami later that morning, one landed at Key West Naval Air Station at 7:00 a.m. and the other at Miami International Airport at 8:20 a.m. Both planes were badly damaged and their tanks were nearly empty. On the front page of The New York Times the next day, a picture of one of the B-26s was shown along with a picture 2004-11-01T02:20:07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Bay-of-Pigs-Invasion-History-Essay-25701.aspx Analysis of the Infamous Watergate Scandal The Infamous Watergate Scandal "The Watergate Complex is a series of modern buildings with balconies that looks like filed down Shark's Teeth" (Gold, 1). Located on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. it contains many hotel rooms and offices. What happened in the complex on June 17, 1972 early in the morning became a very historical event for our nation that no one will ever forget. The "Watergate Scandal" and constitutional crisis that began on June 17, 1972 with the arrest of five burglars who broke into the Democratic National Committee (DMC) headquarters at the Watergate office building in Washington D.C. It ended with the registration of President Richard M. Nixon on August 9, 1974. (Watergate) At approximately 2:30 in the morning of June 17, 1972 five men were arrested at the Watergate Complex. The police seized a walkie talkie, 40 rolls of unexposed film, two 35 millimeter cameras, lock picks, pensized teargas guns, and bugging devices. (Gold, 75) These five men and two co-plotters were indicated in September 1972 on charges of burglary, conspiracy and wire tapping. Four months later they were convicted and sentenced to prison terms by District Court Judge John J. Sercia was convinced that relevant details had not been unveiled during the trial and offered leniency in exchanged for further information. As it became increasingly evident that the Watergate burglars were tied closely to the Central Intelligence Agency and the Committee to re-elect the president. (Watergate) Four of these men, that were arrested on the morning of June 17, 1972, came from Miami, Florida. They were Bernard L. Barker, Frank A. Sturgis, Virgillio R. Gonzalez, and Eugenio R. Martinez. The other man was from Rockville, Maryland named James W. McCord, Jr. The two co-plotters were G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt. (Watergate) The senate established and investigative committee headed by Senate Sam Ervin, Jr., to look into the growing scandal. As they were investigating, they related that the famous break-in was far more involved than what everyone had expected. (Watergate) The White Houses involvement of that morning first became evident when James McCord wrote a letter to Judge Sirca. In this letter McCord explained that he wanted to disclose the details of Watergate. He made it apparent that he would not speak to a Justice department official of an FBI agent. Although his letter did unveil details, it made server chargers. McCord justified that "Political pressure" (Westerfled 36) had 2004-11-01T02:18:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-the-Infamous-Watergate-Scandal-25700.aspx Western Expansion of the U.S. and the Mexican American War Western Expansion of the U.S. International borders have always been centers of conflict, and the U.S.-Mexican border is no exception. With the European colonizing the New World, it was a matter of time before the powers collided. The Spanish settled what is today Mexico, while the English settled what is to day the United States. When the two colonial powers did meet what is today the United States' Southwest, it was not England and Spain. Rather the two powers were the United States and Mexico. Both Counties had broken off from their mother countries. The conflict that erupted between the two countries where a direct result of different nation policies. The United States had a policy of westward expansion, while Mexico had a policy of self protection. The Americans never had a written policy of expansion. What they had was the idea of "Manifest Destiny." Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States had the right to expand westward to the Pacific ocean. On the other hand, Mexico was a new country wanting to protect itself from outside powers. Evidence of U.S. expansion is seen with the independence of Texas from Mexico. The strongest evidence of U.S. expansion goals is with the Mexican-American War. From the beginning, the war was conceived as an opportunity for land expansion. Mexico feared the United States expansion goals. During the 16th century, the Spanish began to settle the region. The Spanish had all ready conquered and settled Central Mexico. Now they wanted to expand their land holdings north. The first expedition into the region, that is today the United States Southwest, was with Corando. Corando reported a region rich in resources, soon after people started to settle the region. The driving force behind the settlement was silver in the region. The Spanish settled the region through three major corridors; central, western and eastern. The first settlements were mainly through the central corridor. The Spanish went thorough what is now the modern Mexican state of Chihuahua into the U.S. state of New Mexico. Eventually the Spanish established the city of Santa Fe in 1689. The eastern corridor was through modern day Texas and led to the establishment of San Antonio. The eastern expansion was caused by the French expansion into modern day Louisiana. The Spanish crown wanted a buffer between the French in Louisiana and central Mexico. The last corridor of expansion was in the west, 2004-11-01T02:15:53-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Western-Expansion-of-the-U_S_-and-the-Mexican-American-War-25698.aspx Aztec History The Aztecs The Aztec Indians, who are known for their domination of southern and central Mexico, ruled between the 14th and 16th centuries. Their name is derived from Azatlan, the homeland of the north. The Aztecs also call themselves Mexica and there language came from the Nahuatlan branch of the Uto-Aztecan family. The Aztecs were formed after the Toltec civilization occurred when hundreds of civilians came towards Lake texcoco. Late families were unfortunate and were forced to go to the swamp lands. In the swamp lands there was only one piece of land to farm on and it was totally surrounded by more marshes . The Aztec families some how converted these disadvantages to a might empire known as they Aztec Empire. People say the empire was partially formed by a deeply believed legend. As the the legend went it said that Aztec people would create a empire on in a swampy place where they would see an eagle eating a snake while perched on a cactus which is growing out of a rock in the swamplands. This is what priests claimed they saw while entering the new land. By the year 1325 Their capital city was finished. They called it Tenochtitlan. In the the capital city aqueducts (piping) were constructed, bridges were built, and chinapas were made. Chinapas were little islands formed by pilled up mud. On these chinapas Aztecs grew corn, beans, chili peppers, squash, tomatoes, and tobacco. Tenochtitlan (the capital city) was covered in giant religious statues in order to pay their respects to the gods. In the Aztec religion numerous gods controlled an Aztec's daily life. Some of these gods include: Uitzilpochtli (the sun god), Coyolxauhqui (the moon goddess), Tlaloc (the rain god), and Quetzalcoatl (the inventor of the calendar and writing). Another part of the Aztec religion was human sacrifices. For their sacrifices the priest would lay the man or woman over a convex (rounded) stone, then he would take a sharp knife and cut the victims heart out. They did this because they believed that good gods could prevent bad gods from doing evil things and they also believed that good gods got their strength from human blood and hearts so they had sacrifices in order to keep their gods strong. For major rituals warriors were sacrificed, for the warrior this was one of the greatest honors and for minor rituals prisoners were used. In an 2004-10-31T19:22:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Aztec-History-25695.aspx Role of Japanese Emperor in Meiji Restoration Role of The Emperor in Meiji Japan Japan is a society whose culture is steeped in the traditions and symbols of the past: Mt. Fuji, the tea ceremony, and the sacred objects of nature revered in Shintoism. Two of the most important traditions and symbols in Japan; the Emperor and Confucianism have endured through Shogunates, restorations of imperial rule, and up to present day. The leaders of the Meiji Restoration used these traditions to gain control over Japan and further their goals of modernization. The Meiji leaders used the symbolism of the Emperor to add legitimacy to their government, by claiming that they were ruling under the "Imperial Will." They also used Confucianism to maintain order and force the Japanese people to passively accept their rule. Japanese rulers historically have used the symbolism of the Imperial Institution to justify their rule. The symbolism of the Japanese Emperor is very powerful and is wrapped up in a mix of religion (Shintoism) and myths. According to Shintoism the current Emperor is the direct descendent of the Sun Goddess who formed the islands of Japan out of the Ocean in ancient times.Footnote1 According to these myths the Japanese Emperor unlike a King is a living descendent of the Gods and even today he is thought of as the High Priest of Shinto. Despite the powerful myths surrounding Japan's imperial institution the Emperor has enjoyed only figure head status from 1176 on. At some points during this time the Emperor was reduced to selling calligraphy on the streets of Kyoto to support the imperial household, but usually the Emperor received money based on the kindness of the Shogunate.Footnote2 But despite this obvious power imbalance even the Tokugawa Shogun was at least symbolically below the Emperor in status and he claimed to rule so he could carry out the Imperial rule.Footnote3 Within this historical context the Meiji leaders realized that they needed to harness the concept of the Imperial Will in order to govern effectively. In the years leading up to 1868 members of the Satsuma and Choshu clans were part of the imperialist opposition. This opposition claimed that the only way that Japan could survive the encroachment of the foreigners was to rally around the Emperor.Footnote4 The Imperialists, claimed that the Tokugawa Shogunate had lost its imperial mandate to carry out the Imperial Will because it had capitulated to Western powers by allowing them to 2004-10-31T19:19:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Role-of-Japanese-Emperor-in-Meiji-Restoration-25694.aspx Analysis of Taiwanese Development Model Taiwanese Development Model According to Thomas Gold Taiwan offers a text book case of an elite-led revolution leading to social transformation. The stability of hard authoritarianism of the Taiwanese government laid the groundwork for Taiwanese development. The KMT's cohesiveness and political domination plus the economic development aid supplied by the United States also helped to provide good conditions for Taiwanese growth in the beginning. Once the KMT gained control of Taiwan they redistributed the land and launched a program of rehabilitation and industrialization. This period was responsible for the nationalization of many businesses formerly owned by the Japanese and the start of industrial production in Taiwan marked by a shift away from agriculture to industry. During the early period of industrialization Taiwan tried to create domestic markets for its goods. During the period from 1960 to 1973 Taiwan pursued export expansion in the area of industrial goods. During this period U.S. aid directed at Taiwan declined as did the islands geopolitical significance. To make up for this decline Taiwan focused on increasing its exports. The growth of the Taiwanese economy during this period according to Gold laid the ground work for the growth of opposition movements and loosening of the KMT"S grip on power. According to Gold this was because the changes in the Taiwanese economy brought about a middle class, a better educated populace, and a dispersion of industry through out the country. The Period from 1973 to 1984 Gold calls the time of industrial upgrading and the emergence of a political opposition. During this period Taiwan faced the oil shock, and increase in export prices due to a labor shortage that doubled workers salaries, a further loss of geopolitical prestige, and the growth of dissent and political opposition. Taiwan industrially during this time improved the quality and quantity of its exports. The Taiwan industrial model was that of a elite run bureaucracy that tightly controlled its nations citizenry in authoritarian ways. This authoritarian government was able to effectively channel the energies of Taiwan toward modernization. This authoritarian government became a victim of its own success because as living and education standards rose the citizenry demanded a shift away from hard authoritarianism. Taiwan is not a very good industrialization model for other countries to use outside of East Asia. This is because many of the factors that allowed Taiwanese industrialization were unique to Taiwan. First, Taiwan was colonized before 1950 2004-10-31T19:18:29-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Analysis-of-Taiwanese-Development-Model-25693.aspx The Chinese Boxer Rebellion of 1900 The Chinese Boxer Rebellion Around 1900, after many years of succumbing to the superior military of the West, the Chinese stood up for their country. China was a weak, backwards, country, exploited by the West. They felt that they could counter the foreign domination, but reforms were useless because they needed the West to help with the reforms. But something sparked their confidence, and they believed themselves to be able to conquer any foreign power. This spark was the Society of Harmonious Fists, commonly known as "Boxers." Combined with unhappy people, and new weapons technology, the Chinese rebelled against the foreign powers. The first reason of this confidence was the Boxer Society, which formed in North China after the Sino-Japanese war, but wasn't well known until 1898 in Shantung. This organization was actually a cult, following strange and absurd practices of defense. It had no central leaders, and the practices varied in different locations. Their goal was to rid China of the foreign menace. The boxers were different from most other rebels of their time. They would conduct public physical exercises that were supposed to make a magical shield to protect one against foreign bullets and shells. These looked similar to a boxers training exercises so the westerners nicknamed the members of the Society of Harmonious Fists "Boxers." Rather then using foreign weapons, they relied on magical spirits and swords, knives, staves, and polearms to drive the foreign devils from their precious home country. The membership of this group consisted of mostly the criminals, poor, and illiterate of China who wore a simple uniform consisting of a red armband, sash, or waistcloth. These people truly believed that magic would protect them, and help remove the foreigners from China. That gave them enough confidence to try to destroy the foreigners. Missionaries were killed, railroads were destroyed, and churches were burned all in the name of independence from foreign rule. Another key aspect in the rebellions against the west was a series of natural disasters that swept China during the last decade of the nineteenth century. Famine struck, droughts prevented the planting of crops, and to top it all, the Yellow river flooded, causing the destruction of 1,500 villages and 2,500 square miles of countryside. These disaster lead to unhappiness of the people. In order to keep them from turning on the government, the Dowager Empress, Tsu Hsi, encouraged the peasants to rebel against the 2004-10-31T19:15:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Chinese-Boxer-Rebellion-of-1900-25692.aspx The Vietnam Conflict and its Effects The Vietnam Conflict and its Effects The Vietnam conflict began in the late nineteenth century. The French conquered Vietnam and made it a protectorate. For nearly forty years, Vietnam had not experienced settled peace. The League for the Independence of Vietnam ( Viet Minh ) was formed in 1941, seeking independence from the French. On September 2nd,1945, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed it independent of France. The French opposed their independence from 1945 to 1954. The first representatives of de Gualle's government landed by parachute in Saigon and Hanoi on August 23rd, 1945. The French wanted to reestablish their rule in Vietnam but were beaten at the battle of Dien Bien Phu on May 7th, 1954. The French Expeditionary Force tried to prevent the Viet Minh from entering Laos and Dien Bien Phu was the place chosen to do so. The French were not very careful and this allowed the Viet Minh to cut off their airway to Hanoi. After a siege that had lasted for fifty - five days, the French surrendered. Ho Chi Minh led the war against France and won. After the war there was a conference in Geneva where Vietnam was divided into two parts along the seventeenth parallel. North Vietnam was mainly Communist and supported Ho Chi Minh, while the south was supported by the United States and the French were based there. There was still some Communist rebels within South Vietnam. These were the Viet Cong. The South Vietnam ruler was Ngo Dinh Diem who was anti - Communist. At the conference, Laos and Cambodia became independent states. North Vietnam wished to unify North and South Vietnam through military force. Since the United States feared the spread of communism in Asia, John F. Kennedy provided economic and military aid to South Vietman to prevent the takeover by North Vietnam. At this time, this was still a civil war. The United States were not yet officially involved. The North Vietnamese resented the little intervention by the United Sates and so, three Vietnamese torpedo boats fired on the U.S. destroyer, " Maddox " on August 2nd, 1964. The " Maddox " had been in the Gulf of Tonkin ( international waters ), thirty miles off the coast of Vietnam. On August 3rd, 1964, Johnson gave the right " to attack with the objective of destroying attacking forces " ( Pimlott 1982, 36 ). Retaliation air attacks began on August 3rd. 2004-10-31T18:49:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Vietnam-Conflict-and-its-Effects-25691.aspx French Views of Slavery during the Enlightenment French Views of Slavery The issue of slavery has been touched upon often in the course of history. The institution of slavery was addressed by French intellectuals during the Enlightenment. Later, during the French Revolution, the National Assembly issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man, which declared the equality of all men. Issues were raised concerning the application of this statement to the French colonies in the West Indies, which used slaves to work the land. As they had different interests in mind, the philosophes, slave owners, and political leaders took opposing views on the interpretation of universal equality. Many of the philosophes, the leaders of the Enlightenment, were against slavery. They held that all people had a natural dignity that should be recognized. Voltaire, an 18th century philosophe, pointed out that hundreds of thousands of slaves were sacrificing their lives just so the Europeans could quell their new taste for sugar, tea and cocoa. A similar view was taken by Rousseau, who stated that he could not bear to watch his fellow human beings be changed to beasts for the service of others. Religion entered into the equation when Diderot, author of the Encyclopedia, brought up the fact that the Christian religion was fundamentally opposed to Black slavery but employed it anyway in order to work the plantations that financed their countries. All in all, those influenced by the ideals of the Enlightenment, equality, liberty, the right to dignity, tended to oppose the idea of slavery. Differing from the philosophes, the political leaders and property owners tended to see slavery as an element that supported the economy. These people believed that if slavery and the slave trade were to be abolished, the French would lose their colonies, commerce would collapse and as a result the merchant marine, agriculture and the arts would decline. Their worries were somewhat merited; by 1792 French ships were delivering up to 38,000 slaves and this trade brought in 200 million livres a year. These people had economic incentives to support slavery, however others were simply ignorant. One man, Raynal, said that white people were incapable of working in the hot sun and blacks were much better suited to toil and labor in the intense heat. Having a similar view to Raynal, one property owner stated that tearing the blacks from the only homes they knew was actually humane. Though they had to work without 2004-10-31T08:33:26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/French-Views-of-Slavery-during-the-Enlightenment-25690.aspx Rise of Superpowers (USA and USSR) during and after WWII Rise of Superpowers After WWII It is often wondered how the superpowers achieved their position of dominance. It seems that the maturing of the two superpowers, Russia and the United States, can be traced to World War II. To be a superpower, a nation needs to have a strong economy, an overpowering military, immense international political power and, related to this, a strong national ideology. It was this war, and its results, that caused each of these superpowers to experience such a preponderance of power. Before the war, both nations were fit to be described as great powers, but it would be erroneous to say that they were superpowers at that point. To understand how the second World War impacted these nations so greatly, we must examine the causes of the war. The United States gained its strength in world affairs from its status as an economic power. In the years before the war, America was the world's largest producer. In the USSR at the same time, Stalin was implementing his 'five year plans' to modernise the Soviet economy. From these situations, similar foreign policies resulted from widely divergent origins. Roosevelt's isolationism emerged from the wide and prevalent domestic desire to remain neutral in any international conflicts. It commonly widely believed that Americans entered the first World War simply in order to save industry's capitalist investments in Europe. Whether this is the case or not, Roosevelt was forced to work with an inherently isolationist Congress, only expanding its horizons after the bombing of Pearl Harbour. He signed the Neutrality Act of 1935, making it illegal for the United States to ship arms to the belligerents of any conflict. The act also stated that belligerents could buy only non-armaments from the US, and even these were only to be bought with cash. In contrast, Stalin was by necessity interested in European affairs, but only to the point of concern to the USSR. Russian foreign policy was fundamentally Leninist in its concern to keep the USSR out of war. Stalin wanted to consolidate Communist power and modernise the country's industry. The Soviet Union was committed to collective action for peace, as long as that commitment did not mean that the Soviet Union would take a brunt of a Nazi attack as a result. Examples of this can be seen in the Soviet Unions' attempts to achieve a mutual assistance treaty with Britain and 2004-10-31T08:30:36-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Rise-of-Superpowers-USA-and-USSR-during-and-after-WWII-25689.aspx Comparison of U.S. - Japan and German - British Trade Comparison of Trade Rivalries The German-Great Britain trade rivalry like the U.S.-Japan trade rivalry involved a rising power cutting into the trade of an already dominant trading power. There were several causes of the German-Great Britain trade rivalry according to Hoffman. The first was German's industry's zeal in procuring new contracts and expanding markets. They did this by fulfilling contracts even if they were very small and constantly trying to stay up with market demand. Second, Germans had a knowledge of languages that the English firms lacked. Third, German industry was aided by their government. In contrast Great Britain did not even supply consular assistance in helping develop markets in British colonies. Fourth, British trade was hurt by the conservatism of British manufacturers who were unwilling to develop new markets or hold onto those it already possessed. These four factors are just some of the factors that helped German industry grow and rival that of Great Britain. These four factors are all very similar to the Japan-U.S. trade rivalry. Japan like Germany was able to catch up to the U.S. because the U.S. was large and arrogant and refused to believe it could face competition from Japan. Like Britain, U.S. industry believed that they could hold onto markets and would not face competition. British and U.S. industry were startled by the fast rate of growth and industrialization that allowed Germany and Japan to transform themselves quickly into trading rivals. This fast rate of growth also caused friction between both sets of countries. Relations between Germany and Great Britain were damaged as they bickered over markets in particular colonies in Africa . This is similar to the friction between the U.S. and Japan unfair trading practices and closed markets. Both the U.S. and Great Britain in response to losing markets toyed with the idea of economic nationalism and tariffs. As Britain lost markets to Germany many in Britain felt that Britain should adopt tariffs on goods while others known as the free traders believed that a free trade would benefit Britain by creating markets. This split between Tariff Reformers and Free Traders is similar to the split in the U.S. between those in favor of free trade and those opposed to it. Germany's grab for new markets in the 1890's through commercial treaties such as the 1891 treaty with Austria-Hungry is similar to both the United States and Japan's free trade zones 2004-10-31T08:27:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparison-of-U_S_-Japan-and-German-British-Trade-25688.aspx Abstractions in the Declaration of Independence Abstractions in Power-Writing There are many abstractions in the Declaration of Independence. These abstractions such as: rights, freedom, liberty and happiness have become the foundations of American society and have helped to shape the "American Identity." Power, another abstraction that reoccurs in all the major parts of the Declaration of Independence plays an equally important role in shaping "America identity." One forgets the abstraction of power, because it appears in relation to other institutions: the legislature, the King, the earth, and the military. The abstraction of power sets the tone of the Declaration, and shapes the colonists conception of government and society. Power in the Declaration of Independence flows from distinct bodies within society such as the King, the legislature, the military, and the colonists. The Oxford English Dictionary defines power as, "the ability to do or effect something or anything, or to act upon a person or thing" (OED 2536). Throughout the ages according to the dictionary the word power has connoted similar meanings. In 1470 the word power meant to have strength and the ability to do something, "With all thair strang *poweir" (OED 2536) Nearly three hundred years later in 1785 the word power carried the same meaning of control, strength, and force, "power to produce an effect, supposes power not to produce it; otherwise it is not power but necessity" (OED 2536). This definition explains how the power government or social institutions rests in their ability to command people, rocks, colonies to do something they otherwise would not do. To make the people pay taxes. To make the rocks form into a fence. To make the colonists honor the King. The colonialists adopt this interpretation of power. They see power as a cruel force that has wedded them to a King who has "a history of repeated injuries and usurptions." The framers of the Declaration of Independence also believe powers given by God to the people must not be usurped. The conflict between these spheres of power the colonists believe, justifies their rebellion. The uses of the word power set the tone of the Declaration of Independence. In the first sentence of the Declaration colonists condemn the King's violation of powers given by god to all men. When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers 2004-10-31T07:59:17-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Abstractions-in-the-Declaration-of-Independence-25683.aspx Black Plague Death Among Millions It may start out as a terrible headache, then turn into chills and a high fever. Nausea, vomiting, back pains, and soreness of the limbs are soon to follow. Bright light will become hard to withstand. All of this came and went within three to four days. These are symptoms millions of people suffered during the fourteenth century. The bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death or Black Plague, was one of the most horrible outbreaks of that time period. (Death Defined) Before death, swellings of the lymph nodes called buboes appeared, giving the disease its name. These inflammations were hard, painful, and burned or irritated the skin. These growths could expand to the size of an orange. (Death Defined) “The disease at this point began to take on the qualities of a deadly sickness, and the body would be covered with dark and livid spots, which would appear in great numbers on the arms, the thighs, and other parts of the body; some were large and widely spaced while some were small and bunched together. And just like the gavaciolli (a commoners term for the swellings) earlier, these were certain indications of coming death (Boccaccio: The Decameron).” The swellings would expand until they burst, causing death soon after. The disease was spread by the bacteria Yersinia pestis and transmitted by fleas and infected rats commonly found on the streets of many European cities in the fourteenth century. The fleas would infest the infected rat and spread the disease to humans and other rats by regurgitating the contaminated blood into the bloodstream of the new host. Many at the time did not know this was the means of dispersal for the disease and insisted on other ways of prevention, instead of trying to stay away from the rats. Many would test superstitious acts as in bathing in human urine, drinking molten gold and powdered emeralds, or refusing sleep or exercise during the day to rid themselves of infection (Bubonic Plague). These, of course, did no good, and no actual cures were known. “Enormous amounts of refuse and manure were removed from the city by appointed officials, the sick were barred from entering the city, and many instructions were given to preserve health (Boccaccio: The Decameron).” Victims were dying rapidly and in large numbers. 2004-10-31T04:22:56-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Black-Plague-Death-Among-Millions-25669.aspx Transcendentalism Although Transcendentalism as a historical movement was limited in time from the mid 1830s to the late 1840s and in space to eastern Massachusetts, its ripples continue to spread through American culture. Beginning as a quarrel within the Unitarian church, Transcendentalism’s questioning of established cultural forms, its urge to reintegrate spirit and matter, its desire to turn ideas into concrete action developed a momentum of its own, spreading from the spheres of religion and education to literature, philosophy, and social reform. While Transcendentalism’s ambivalence about any communal effort that would compromise individual integrity prevented it from creating lasting institutions, it helped set the terms for being an intellectual in America. It is easier to note its pervasive influence, though, than it is to clarify its doctrines. The fluidity and elusiveness of Transcendentalism was registered even by some of its most intelligent contemporaries. Nathaniel Hawthorne, for example, writes: “He is German by birth, and is called Giant Transcendentalist, but as to his form, his features, his substance, and his nature generally, it is the chief peculiarity of this huge miscreant that neither he for himself nor anybody for him has ever been able to describe them. As we rushed by the cavern’s mouth we caught a hasty glimpse of him, looking somewhat like an ill-proportioned figure but considerably more like a heap of fog and duskiness. He shouted after us, but in so strange a phraseology that we knew not what he meant, nor whether to be encouraged or affrighted.” On an American visit, Charles Dickens was told “that whatever was unintelligible would certainly be transcendental” and Edgar Allan Poe instructs a young author to write the Tone Transcendental by using small words but turning them upside down. A Baltimore clergyman noted that “a new philosophy has risen, maintaining that nothing is everything in general, and everything is nothing in particular.” While these quotations imply that Transcendentalism had a language problem compounded of foreign borrowings and oracular jargon, the underlying difficulty in comprehension is that it was both a cause and a result of a major paradigm shift in epistemology, in conceptualizing how the mind knows the world, the divine, and itself. Ralph Waldo Emerson, its leading exponent, described both this shift 2004-10-31T01:58:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Transcendentalism--25653.aspx Imperial Era of the Qin and Han Dynasty Much of what came to constitute China Proper was unified for the first time in 221 B.C. In that year the western frontier state of Qin, the most aggressive of the Warring States, subjugated the last of its rival states. (Qin in Wade-Giles romanization is Ch’in, from which the English China probably derived.) Once the king of Qin consolidated his power, he took the title Shi Huangdi (First Emperor), a formulation previously reserved for deities and the mythological sage-emperors, and imposed Qin’s centralized, nonhereditary bureaucratic system on his new empire. In subjugating the six other major states of Eastern Zhou, the Qin kings had relied heavily on Legalist scholar-advisers. Centralization, achieved by ruthless methods, was focused on standardizing legal codes and bureaucratic procedures, the forms of writing and coinage, and the pattern of thought and scholarship. To silence criticism of imperial rule, the kings banished or put to death many dissenting Confucian scholars and confiscated and burned their books . Qin aggrandizement was aided by frequent military expeditions pushing forward the frontiers in the north and south. To fend off barbarian intrusion, the fortification walls built by the various warring states were connected to make a 5,000-kilometer-long great wall . What is commonly referred to, as the Great Wall is actually four great walls rebuilt or extended during the Western Han, Sui, Jin, and Ming periods, rather than a single, continuous wall. At its extremities, the Great Wall reaches from northeastern Heilongjiang Province to northwestern Gansu . A number of public works projects were also undertaken to consolidate and strengthen imperial rule. These activities required enormous levies of manpower and resources, not to mention repressive measures. Revolts broke out as soon as the first Qin emperor died in 210 B.C. His dynasty was extinguished less than twenty years after its triumph. The imperial system initiated during the Qin dynasty, however, set a pattern that was developed over the next two millennia. After a short civil war, a new dynasty, called Han (206 B.C.-A.D. 220), emerged with its capital at Chang’an . The new empire retained much of the Qin administrative structure but retreated a bit from centralized rule by establishing vassal principalities in some areas for the sake of political convenience. The Han rulers modified some of the harsher aspects of the previous dynasty; Confucian ideals of government, out of favor during the Qin period, were adopted as 2004-10-30T04:38:51-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Imperial-Era-of-the-Qin-and-Han-Dynasty-25635.aspx Homosexuality During the Renaissance Sexuality, and the role that sexuality plays in the spectrum of life, from literary to more contemporary reflections in the media, are difficult subject areas to approach. What makes this cultural and literary study impressively difficult to tackle is the ever-changing perception of what it means to be gay against the changing background of our societies. The idea of sexuality along with the social and ethical complications surrounding it during the Renaissance created a society of sexually repressed people, a society that few dared to rebel against. In many ways, scholars such as Michael Rocke, author of Forbidden Friendships, examine the accomplishments of the Renaissance, asking whether the products of this period of elitism actually have benefited society and people today, because much of what occurred during this period acts as the foundation for many systems of belief today. Beginning with the publication of Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick’s Between Men, in 1985, the emergence of male homosexuality has become a prominent topic of medieval and Victorian literary culture. During the introduction, Sedgwick comments on the importance of understanding and recognizing a homosexual continuum, paying particular attention to the term, “Renaissance.” She states: We can’t possibly know in advance about the Harlem Renaissance, any more than we can about the New England Renaissance or the English or Italian Renaissance, where the limits of a revelatory inquiry are to be set, once we begin to ask – as it is now beginning to be asked about each of these Renaissances – where and how the power in them of gay desires, people, discourses, prohibitions, and energies were manifest. We know enough already, however, to know with certainty that in each of these Renaissances they were central. Sedgwick, 58-59. The actual definition of the word “homosexual” within the context of the period is essential for a complete understanding of what it meant to be gay during the same time. Often, the word homosexual is mistakenly associated with the words sodomite or sodomy. However, when those words are used interchangeably, the homosexual identity is blurred, and many times, is misunderstood. In an article by Giovanni Dall’Orto, entitled “’Socratic Love’ as a disguise for same-sex love in the Italian Renaissance,” Dall’Orto differentiates between what was meant by the term “sodomite,” and it’s relationship to homosexuality: The recent stimulating discussion about the ‘historical construction of the homosexual’ deals 2004-10-30T03:34:33-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Homosexuality-During-the-Renaissance-25624.aspx The American Flag The United States Flag is the third oldest of the National Standards of the world; older than the Union Jack of Britain or the Tricolor of France. The flag was first authorized by Congress June 14, 1777. This date is now observed as Flag Day throughout America. The flag was first flown from Fort Stanwix, on the site of the present city of Rome, New York, on August 3, 1777. It was first under fire for three days later in the Battle of Oriskany, August 6, 1777. It was first decreed that there should be a star and a stripe for each state, making thirteen of both; for the states at the time had just been erected from the original thirteen colonies. The colors of the Flag may be thus explained: The red is for valor, zeal and fervency; the white for hope purity, cleanliness of life, and rectitude of conduct; the blue, the color of heaven, for reverence to God, loyalty, sincerity, justice and truth. The star (an ancient symbol of India, Persia and Egypt) symbolized dominion and sovereignty, as well as lofty aspirations. The constellation of the stars within the union, one star for each state, is emblematic of our Federal Constitution, which reserves to the States their individual sovereignty except as to rights delegated by them to the Federal Government. The symbolism of the Flag was thus interpreted by Washington: “We take the stars from Heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing Liberty.” In 1791, Vermont, and in 1792, Kentucky were admitted to the Union and the number of stars and stripes was raised to fifteen in correspondence. As other states came into the Union it became evident there would be too many stripes. So in 1818 Congress enacted that the number of stripes be reduced and restricted henceforth to thirteen representing the thirteen original states; while a star should be added for each succeeding state. That law is the law of today. The name “Old Glory” was given to our National Flag August 10, 1831, by Captain William Driver of the brig Charles Doggett. The Flag was first carried in battle at the Brandywine, September 11, 1777. It first flew over foreign territory January 28, 1778, at Nassau, Bahama Islands; Fort Nassau having 2004-10-29T21:46:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-American-Flag-25603.aspx Could Rasputin Have Prevented the First World War? Grigory Rasputin was spending the summer of 1914 in Siberia with his wife and children when on the afternoon of June 29 [1] he was stabbed in the abdomen by a former prostitute named Khioniya Kozmishna Guseva. “I’ve killed the Antichrist!” she screamed as she was mobbed by angry villagers. Rasputin staggered back into his house clutching his entrails in his hand. He was critically ill for ten days but a skilled doctor and his own enormous physical strength finally pulled him through. One cynic remarked on his survival that, “the soul of this cursed muzhik was sewn on his body.” [2] One day earlier and thousands of miles away the Archduke Franz Ferdinand had been assassinated in Sarajevo. As the events of the next month drifted towards war Tsar Nicholas maintained an almost casual indifference to the gathering threat. After all, “the German emperor had frequently assured him of his sincere desire to safeguard the peace of Europe.” Rasputin was recovering in his bed in Siberia and fully alert to the danger, one of the few people who accurately foresaw the coming disaster. He sent a letter to Nicholas coached in his mystical, prophetic style, “A terrible storm menaces Russia … Woe, disaster, suffering without end … Do not let fools triumph. Do not let them do this thing.” Nicholas did not respond and continued with his summer activities. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28 and began the bombardment of Belgrade the next day. Nicholas signed the orders for partial mobilization along the Austro-Hungarian frontier on July 29 and general mobilization on July 30 with great reluctance at the urging of foreign minister Sazonov. “Think of the responsibility you advise me to take,” he declaimed, “It would mean sending hundreds of thousands of Russians to their deaths.” Also on July 30, Austria-Hungary declared general mobilization. Germany delivered an ultimatum to Russia, demanding a halt to her mobilization, on July 31 and then declared war on its expiration. When Empress Alexandra learned the news she fled to her bedroom weeping, “War! And I knew nothing of it! This is the end of everything!” These are the events that actually occurred. But let us suppose that Rasputin had not been gravely wounded in the attack. He would surely have returned to St. Petersburg as the war crisis grew and used his considerable influence to try to avert it. The 2004-08-27T06:44:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Could-Rasputin-Have-Prevented-the-First-World-War-25562.aspx Virginians And The Puritans The Virginians were better off than the Puritans were, because they had tobacco for a cash crop,they had a longer growing season, and they could trade and sell to England easier than the Puritans could. The Virginians were also more loosely structured than the Puritans, and were allowed to be individual people instead of one large mass. Smith and Bradford's ways of leading their colonies were similar, yet so very different. Smith's main concern was to make money and be famous. Bradford's concept was to start a new life, and preach his own, new religion. Both had keeping their people's health and well being a high priority. The idealistic colony for Bradford was a colony where people were religiously bonded, and kept together by the church. Smith was more interested in profit for himself, and let the people conduct themselves more freely. One of the main industries that the Virginians had was the harvesting and selling of tobacco. The good thing about this is that the majority of people in the 1700's used tobacco. Of course the Puritans also had tobacco, but it was harder to grow up north because of the rocky terrain, and the difference in temperature. The Virginians found that selling tobacco was very profitable, and growing it was relatively simple. It was a fairly easy way to make money, and expended little effort. The Virginians had a longer growing season than the Puritans did, due to their latitude. The longer growing season not only allowed the Virginians to grow their cash crop tobacco longer, but also enabled them to grow fruits and vegetables longer into the year. This made winter less harsh for the Virginians. Smith liked the idea of being able to grow longer, because he profited from it. Bradford was more concerned with keeping his people faithful to God, and well from sickness. The Puritans had a growing season also, but not as long as the Virginians. The longer the growing season was, the longer money could be made, and produce be harvested. The Virginians could more readily trade and sell their cash crops to England, because they were partially funded by England. This made trips across the Atlantic less expensive for the Virginians. Not only did England fund the Virginians, but also the Virginians were welcomed with open arms, and the Puritans weren't as much because they sought religious refuge, and were looked upon as outcasts. Virginia 2004-07-05T00:58:50-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Virginians-And-The-Puritans-25264.aspx Rise Of Big Business And Organized Labor Henry Ford and Walter Reuther are two of the biggest names in the world of automobile industries and organized labor. They were both activists in their own way. Also, they were completely different from each other, one could even argue that they were opposites. Their ideas were contradicting, but still both of them had positive effects on society. Henry Ford was a captain of industry. He owned Ford Motors, which was an automobile company. Ford was a man who always wanted his own way and he got it most of the time. The creation he is most famous for is the FORD MODEL T, the car for the commoners. His car became an instant hit amongst the people- the local people and the working class of people because it was very affordable and was not just for the rich. Ford was a very successful businessman but not particularly a nice guy. He expected a lot from his workers but thing is that he also cared for his workers, because he knew that not only were they dependent on him but also that he depended upon them, they were the ones due to which he was gaining popularity and success throughout America. Ford's great strength was the manufacturing process for his cars. Instead of having people put together the entire car he created organized teams that added parts to the Model T as it moved down the assembly line, this lowered the production prices and also the time and energy required to put together the cars. Ford offered an incredible perk for people working in his company. He offered the workers $5 a day minimum wage even though in other auto industries the wages were $2.34. So Ford was paying more than double the average wage to his workers, this shows his dedication to his work. Henry Ford despised Labor Unions for the sole reason that they were pointless and that because he thought he knew how to take care of his workers better than anybody else did. However, in 1941 he faced a general strike from his workers that made him change his mind, reluctantly. Ford had worked a lot to create a car that would be affordable to any common person. He stated, " I will build a car for the great multitude?so low in price that no one will be unable to own one." Walter Reuther was a 2004-07-05T00:56:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Rise-Of-Big-Business-And-Organized-Labor-25262.aspx The Cold War In the post World War II era, a war arose between the Soviet Union and the United States, but in reality there was never really any documented fighting between the two nations, thus spawning the catch phrase "Cold War." Even though both countries were ready to go to war at the blink of an eye and almost did, the powers-that-be never got the nerve to authorize a nuclear war that would have made World War II look like child's play. This was a war fought in the political ring, and was also a war that did not start at the end of World War II, this war started during the war against Hitler and lasted for forty more years before peace became predominant over the crumbling Soviet Union. Many events occurred in this political heavyweight bout, and both sides can be blamed for the extremity the tensions escalated to, and this Cold War would have been tough to avoid taking into account the political beliefs of the countries at hand. During the war, once the Allied powers from the west joined forces with Stalin's Red Army, trouble was inevitable. Luckily for the world, America had a great leader and foreign diplomat in Franklin D. Roosevelt while England countered with Winston Churchill. This duo created a steady working relationship with Stalin, thus creating the Big Three and the Grand Alliance. Even though it was far from a perfect relationship, all three diplomats realized the task at hand, the mandate of stopping Adolph Hitler and the Nazi regime of Germany. Sadly, this priority overwhelmed the Big Three, and no solution was ever conjured up on how to handle the Post-War situation in Europe and Asia following an Allied victory. Understandably, stopping Hitler was far from guaranteed, but any plan that was taken by the Allies in Europe never even considered the implications of how to handle the war-torn countries of Eastern Europe afterwards, an area that the Soviets had suffered many casualties and other losses to free from facist control. The few problems with Churchill and Roosevelt is that they both tended to do things their own way, sometimes leaving Stalin out to dry, and also relied heavily on their own diplomatic skills, leaving other politicians out of the foreign policy matters for each country. While many United States Government officials were not fans of Stalin, 2004-07-05T00:55:27-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Cold-War--25261.aspx Wake Island / Pearl Harbor Essay Wake Island When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, America was at last forced to officially enter World War II. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt officially declared war on the Japanese and in his famous radio address to the American people, he professed that December 7 was a day that would live in infamy. Americans and Japanese alike, still remember Pearl Harbor Day, but how many remember the gallant, fighting Marines who served on a tiny atoll in the Pacific by the name of Wake Island? Prior to the war, Wake Island, located 2300 miles west of Honolulu, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, which was placed under the jurisdiction of the Navy in 1934. It was also a Clipper stop on Pan American Airlines' famed Trans-Pacific run, and in 1939, the U.S. Navy began construction of an air and submarine base, which was half completed at the time of the attack. Because of the construction of the base, approximately 1200 civilians were on the island, working for the American construction firm, Morrison-Knudsen, in addition to the Navy personnel and Marines who had been sent to defend the island. The first attack came at noon on December 7, 1941, when 36 Japanese bombers initiated the first bombing of the island. The bombings by the Japanese continued until December 23, when under continuous shelling, the Americans, under U.S. Navy Commander Winfield Scott Cunningham, were finally forced to surrender. Although the Japanese finally took the island, they incurred heavy losses. Three cruisers and one transport sustained heavy damage, two destroyers and one patrol boat were sunk, while 820 Japanese soldiers were killed, with another 333 wounded. In contrast, American military casualties included 120 killed, 49 wounded, with two missing in action. Initially, Japanese strategists assumed that the tiny island would be overwhelmed in a matter of hours. However, they underestimated the fighting spirit of the military personnel and civilians stationed on the island. For sixteen days these brave men fought against overwhelming odds, but demonstrated both to the Japanese and to their fellow Americans back at home that the Americans could and would put up a courageous fight. During the first air raid, Pan American's facilities were destroyed, and ten civilian employees of the airline were killed. When the assault on the island was first launched, 2004-07-04T08:29:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Wake-Island-Pearl-Harbor-Essay-25236.aspx WWI Notes European population at outbreak of WWI (in millions): Russia = 150 Germany = 55 Austria-Hungary = 50 United Kingdom = 45 France = 30 Italy = 25 Ottoman Empire = 20 - Germany was most powerful nation according to manpower trained for military service. - France, Austria-Hungary, and Russia had about 4 million men who had been in uniform compared to 5 million in Germany (William II’s Kaiser Army). 1914 • June 28 – assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. • July 23 to Aug. 4 – “War Crisis” in Europe • July 24 – AH; partial mobilization (moving of troops) begins in Austria-Hungary • July 30 – FR; general mobilization begins in France • Aug. 1 – GER; general mobilization begins in Germany • Aug. 3 – German invasion of Belgium begins • Aug. 7-16 – British Expeditionary Force landed in France • Aug. 11 – Goeben and Breslau (German U-boats) enter the Black Sea to attack Russia. • Aug. 21 – UK; government issues orders for raising the 1st “New Army” of six divisions of volunteers • Aug. 24 – main German armies enter France • Aug. 26-30 – Battle of Tannenberg: German victory in East Prussia • Sept. 5-10 – First Battle of Marne: German advance halted • Sept. 6-15 – Battle of the Masurian Lakes: German victory in East Prussia • Sept. 8-12 – Battle of Luxembourg: Russians capture Austria-Hungary’s fourth largest city • Sept. 11 – UK; government issues orders for raising the 1st New Army of 6 divisions. Australian Expeditionary Force lands on the German Bismark Archipelago • Sept. 15 – first trenches of war are dug • Sept. 17 to Oct. 8 – “Race to the Sea” front in the west is extended to the Channel coast • Oct. 3 – first units of Canadian and New Finland Expeditionary Forces leave North America for UK • Oct. 12 to Nov. 11 – First Battle of Ypres: inconsequential conflict between German and Allies • Oct. 17 – 1st units of Australian Expeditionary Force embark for France • Nov. 1 – Russia declares war on Turkey • Nov. 11 to early Dec. – Germans force Eastern Front further to the east • Dec. 2 – Austro-Hungarians capture Belgrade (capital of Serbia) • Dec. 8 – Battle of the Falkland Islands: British fleet defeats the German Pacific Squadron • Dec. 11 – Serbians recapture Belgrade - Eastern Front casualties due mostly to disease. - Western Front casualties due to machine-gun fire, artillery bombardment, gas warfare Casualties in the main campaigns and battles of 1915: Gallipoli = 500,000 Champagne = 205,000 Winter Battle of Masuria = 140,000 Second Battle of Ypres = 95,000 Gorlice-Tarnow = 85,000 Nueve Chapelle = 23,500 1915 • Jan. 3 – gas-filled shells used by Germans for the first time on Eastern Front • Feb. 8-22 – 2004-07-04T07:36:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/WWI-Notes--25232.aspx Chivalry Chivalry is the belief and practice of knights in the middle ages and even today. Chivalry was a code of ethics upheld by noble landholders and/or knights who were influenced by Christianity. The chivalric knight was loyal, courteous, protective, and gentle and honorable to all, including enemies. Knights sought love and glory, but not selfish love and glory; love and glory for his lady and king first. Knights were courageous, humble, obedient, and chaste. The three things that knights lived by: courage, honor, and fidelity. The code of knighthood stressed loyalty to their military leader, participation in wars, and 2004-07-04T03:39:04-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Chivalry--25210.aspx History of the Olympics History of the Olympics In 776 BC a foot race was run. The winner was the first Olympic hero ever. From that very first race to today, the Olympics have always been a way for nations to come together in friendly competition and international goodwill. The conditions of the first Olympics were not anything like they are today. The events were held in an open space in which a track had been paced off, areas for the javelin and discus had been laid out, etc. The spectators did not have stands to sit in; instead, they occupied the sloping areas around the track; sitting on blankets and sleeping in tents if they were wealthy enough to have one. Since the games were held during the hottest time of the year, flies were a terrible problem. The problem was so pervasive that an offering, in the form of a sacrifice, was made to Zeus, asking him to keep the flies away from Olympia. As time went on different features and structures were added to the site. A hippodrome was built for the chariot races, a gymnasium and bathhouse for the athletes, and even a hotel for the wealthiest of spectators. Vendors were there, selling wine that the spectators drank along with the cheese, bread and olives they ate. Sanitation was basically nonexistent. Water was always in short supply until Herodes Atticus of Athens built an aqueduct and a water system. This did not occur until the games had been taking place for 900 years. The contests consisted of foot races, horse and chariot races, boxing, wrestling, discus, javelin, broad jump, and horse races. The horse races were unique in that the prizes were given to the owner of the horse, not the rider. The discus, javelin and broadjump were part of the pentathlon event, which also included a 200-meter dash and a wrestling match. The winner had to have taken three of the five events. On the fifth and final day of the festival, the athletes marched to the temple of Zeus to collect their winnings, the coveted victor’s olive wreath. The winner of an Olympic event won much more than just the olive wreath however. He was often awarded a cash bonus by his townspeople; sometimes a pension for life. 2004-06-27T23:53:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-Olympics--25196.aspx History of the A-Bomb In early August 1945 atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These two bombs quickly yielded the surrender of Japan and the end of American involvement in World War II. By 1946 the two bombs caused the death of perhaps as many as 240,000 Japanese citizens1. The popular, or traditional, view that dominated the 1950s and 60s – put forth by President Harry Truman and Secretary of War Henry Stimson – was that the dropping of the bomb was a diplomatic maneuver aimed at intimating and gaining the upper hand in relations with Russia. Today, fifty-four years after the two bombings, with the advantage of historical hindsight and the advantage of new evidence, a third view, free of obscuring bias and passion, can be presented. First, the dropping of the bomb was born out of complex infinite military, domestic and diplomatic pressures and concerns. Second, many potentially viable alternatives to dropping the bombs were not explored by Truman and other men in power, as they probably should have been. Lastly, because these alternatives were never explored, we can only conjecture over whether or not Truman’s decision was a morally just one, and if indeed it was necessary to use atomic energy to win the war. The war in Asia had its roots in the early 1930s. Japan had expansionist aims in Eastern Asia and the Western Pacific, especially in Indochina2. In July of 1940 the United States placed an embargo on materials exported to Japan, including oil in the hope of restraining Japanese expansionism. Nevertheless, tensions remained high in Asia, and only increased in 1939 when Germany ignited World War II with an invasion of Poland. America’s determination to remain isolated changed abruptly following Japan’s “surprise attack” on Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941. Military strategists and politicians poured the majority of American war effort into the European theater, and before the United States could fully mobilize most of South-East Asia had fallen to Japan, including the Philippines. Slowly, the United States recaptured the many small islands invaded by Japan, including Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. These “Japanese forces waged a stubborn, often suicidal battles were ferocious; although the Americans won each, resistance.” They demolished the Japanese fleet and established air bases3, for at the naval 2004-06-27T23:51:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-the-A-Bomb-25195.aspx Causes of the Civil War Essay Causes of the Civil War Essay Americans fought very had to receive their independence from England. Their determination of self-rule was evident from the very beginning. From early settlement, the colonists gave evidence to this determination. The increase in control of England increased their desire to be treated fairly as English citizens, but England did not give them the feeling of fair treatment. Ever since the beginnings of settlement, England and America had been growing apart. England was still an aristocracy, ruled by men born and bred to a high station in life. The society was one of culture and refinement. Deprived of abundant opportunity at home, the common people accepted a position of dependence rather than independence. But in America, things had gone differently. The society was rather democratic. There were no lords or hereditary officers. “The wilderness had attracted men of independent spirit, and the stern conditions of the frontier had bred self-reliance and self-respect.” (*) The New World made men enterprising, energetic, and aggressive. The distance between the colonists and England was as equally wide as their political thinking. British statesmen believed that Parliament had complete authority over the colonies. It could make laws for them, tax them and even abolish their elected assemblies. But, patriot leaders in America denied all this. They believed Parliament was bound to respect certain natural rights of man. The colonists did not think Parliament represented them, therefore they did not respect the taxes it imposed. The English leaders, on the other hand, thought members of Parliament looked after the best interests of the whole empire. People all over the world believe that government protects life, liberty, and property. “Were it not for government, the world would soon run into all manner of disorders and confusions,” (136,Text). The idea that stable and enlightened government could be achieved by balancing the concepts of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy became a common belief among many individuals. In Europe, individual monarch power was growing. This outraged many of each country’s citizens. Also, poverty was increasing fast, due to people’s belief that nobility, money, and control of land signifies power. Many 2004-06-27T23:09:05-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-of-the-Civil-War-Essay-25188.aspx Women's Rights Women’s Rights Throughout the 1300’s to early 1700’s, women fought for an education through literature and campaigns. However, the majority of men during the Renaissance era discredited the theory that claimed women could and should receive an education. As centuries advanced, the mainstream of men’s perspectives progressively shifted. During the early 1500’s to the mid 1500’s the opinions of men regarding this topic were very firm. For example, Castiglione, an intellectual man of royal blood strongly believed that women were capable of accomplishing the same things as men. He expressed his believes in court, in front of nobility. Castiglione’s purpose was to inform the decision makers of the society that everyone needs an education regardless of sex. However, Erasmus, another man of nobility discredited the thought that women should receive an education through speeches and books. Erasmus had rigid ideas as did Louise Labe, a French Poet who demonstrated her opinions in a letter to a Pen Pal. She claims that women are surely competent enough to be educated. Clearly, the opinions regarding women’s rights during this time period were all firm believes. Throughout the 1500’s to early 1600’s, the views of the men and women of the European society drastically changed. The views were not as firm as they once had been and the ideas became much more Diverse. Martin Luther, writer of Table Talk, Distinctly declared that a woman’s body was built to stay at home while men’s stature was made for learning. Edmund Auger also discredited women by claiming that they could never facilitate a man’s job. Unlike those who simply stated that women shouldn’t receive an education, Theodore Agrippa D Aubigne thought women could learn, but it would not be wise for them to do so. Still, women like Marie Dentiere believed that women should learn to read and write so that they can express themselves when God speaks to them. Another royal man known as Roger Ascham, teacher and advisor of Queen Elizabeth I, seemed to think that only noble Women could learn. The perspectives during this time were certainly different from those of early years. During the later years of the 1600’s to early 1700’s, the ideas regarding women’s place in society change once again. The ideas during this time period were similar to those during the early 1500’s to mid 1500’s. John Milton, a Priest was once heard at church preaching that only men need 2004-06-19T02:03:02-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Women-s-Rights--25179.aspx The Great Depression Overview Essay The Great Depression lasted from October 24, 1929 until the economic recovery of the 1940s. On October 29, Black Thursday, the stock market crashed heavily, and continued to fall sharply throughout the coming weeks. As a result, the United States and the world were thrown into a decade of poverty and unemployment. The depression affected all sectors of the economy. Farm owners and agricultural workers suffered from falling crop prices. Businesses failed from a lack of investment support and a decline in the ability of the masses to afford their products. Banks closed their doors as the nation's citizens hoarded their money and defaulted on loan payments. Unemployment and abject poverty enveloped the nation. Herbert Hoover was President of the United Sates at the onset of the depression. His message to the people was one of continued belief in recovery, even in the face of worsening conditions. Though he eventually sparked some government action in an effort to curb the effects of the depression, he believed in the power of the economy to right itself without government intervention. The situation did not improve, and dissent grew throughout the nation. Hoover lost the presidency to Franklin Roosevelt in the 1932 election. FDR quickly shifted from a stance of non-intervention to a government policy of regulation and relief. During the first hundred days of his presidency, he and his highly trusted advisors, known as the Brain Trust, created the New Deal. Marshalling a previously unseen executive power, Roosevelt created a number of agencies to aid agriculture, business, and the unemployed. The nation mobilized, and it appeared the economy might improve. However, the economy remained troubled, and criticism of the New Deal rose up in the government and in some political circles. A number of Supreme Court Rulings effectively dismantled the primary mechanisms of FDR's plan. Undaunted, and gaining a public mandate with the Democratic successes in the 1934 midterm election, FDR set forth the Second New Deal in 1935. This program reaffirmed the administration's commitment to public support of the nation's troubled people. Great steps were taken in attempts to solve the unemployment problem and stimulate economic recovery. The legislation passed during this period would be the framework of the New Deal throughout the remainder of the decade. The economy showed some signs of recovery but was set back by the 1937 recession. After that, FDR enacted few additional measures to cope with the depression. 2004-06-10T06:10:22-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Great-Depression-Overview-Essay-25137.aspx The Colonies by 1763 Between the settlement at Jamestown in 1607 and the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the most important change that occurred in the colonies was the emergence of a society quite different from that in England. Changes in religion, economics, politics and social structure illustrate this Americanization of the transplanted Europeans. By 1763, although some colonies still maintained established churches, other colonies had accomplished a virtual revolution for religious toleration and separation of church and state. The Anglican Church was the only established denomination in England. In contrast, the colonies supported a great variety of churches. The largest were the Congregationalist, Anglican, and German churches, but many smaller denominations could be found through the colonies. In addition to this, a high percentage of Americans didn’t belong to any church. These differences could be attributed to the fact that many of the Europeans who immigrated to America didn’t fit in to or agree with the churches in their homelands. In a similar economic revolution, the colonies outgrew their mercantile relationship with the mother country and developed an expanding capitalist system of their own. In England, the common view was that the colonies only purpose was to compliment and support the homeland. This resulted in a series of laws and protocols called the mercantile system. While this system had its benefits, it placed harsh restrictions on who the Americans could trade with. For example, as directed by the Navigation laws, Virginia tobacco planters who played by the rules could only sell their products to England, even if other countries were offering a higher price. The Americans answer to this was to largely ignore the mercantile system and smuggle their products to other ports. Building on English foundations of political liberty, the colonists extended the concepts of liberty and self-government far beyond those envisioned in the mother country. While Englishmen had some representation in their parliament, Americans took the system further. All colonies had some form of a two-house parliament system. Some, like New York, had governors appointed by the crown. Others, like Rhode Island, elected their own. Local government also varied between the colonies. The southern states had a strong County government, while the New England colonies relied on town-meeting government. In either case, voting was reserved to land-owning white men. In contrast to the well-defined 2004-06-10T06:05:35-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Colonies-by-1763-25133.aspx Honor and Dueling A duel was a prearranged combat with lethal weapons between two people, usually taking place under formal arrangements. Each side had a witness, called seconds. The usual cause of a duel is an insult given by one person to the other or over a question of honor. The challenged person has the right to set the place, time, and weapons. Duels have generally been fought early in the morning in secluded places. (Encarta “Duel”) Dueling to avenge one’s honor has never been legal, dueling has been marked by laws opposing it. The practice became popular in Europe after the famous challenge between King Charles V of Spain and Francis I of France. When war was declared on Spain in 1528 by Francis, he annulled the treaty between the two countries, Francis was challenged to a duel after being accused of ungentlemanly conduct by the Spanish ruler. The duel never did take place because making arrangements was to difficult, but this incident influenced the manners of Europeans so that gentlemen everywhere thought they were entitled to avenge slights on their honor by having similar challenges. (Encarta “Duel”) Duels involving honor were so prevalent in France that Charles IX issued an ordinance in 1566 that was death to anyone participating in a duel. This became a model for later edicts against dueling. Dueling however did survive longer than monarchy in France. Dueling became a technique for resolving political disputes. (Britannica “Duel) The duel was intensely popular in England, during Restoration. Legislation during the 17th century had little effect on suppressing the practice. The English Common Law declares that killing in a duel to be held as murder, but juries rarely convicted in cases of dueling until the custom had ceased to be popular during the reign of Queen Victoria. (Encarta “Duel”) The earliest form of dueling was the judicial duel or trial by battle. The judicial duel was established because solemn affirmation, or swearing of oaths, in legal arguments had led to extensive perjury and the ordeal has too much of a chance of being manipulated by the priests. If one man declares before a judge that his opponent was guilty of a crime and the accused said that his accuser is lying, the judge would order the two to meet in a duel. The judge then stipulated the conditions as to the place, time, and weapons. The combatants had to guarantee their participation 2004-06-10T06:01:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Honor-and-Dueling--25130.aspx Causes Of The Great Depression Essay Causes Of The Great Depression Many factors played a role in bringing about the depression; however, the main cause for the Great Depression was the combination of the greatly unequal distribution of wealth throughout the 1920's and 30's, and the extensive stock market speculation that took place during the 1930's. These were not only the factors of the great depression, structural weaknesses and the fact that most of the other countries were affected just kept the depression going were also played a part. The resulting period ranked as the longest and worst period of high unemployment and low business activity in modern times. The Great Depression was the worst economic slump ever in U.S. history, and one that spread to virtually the entire industrialized world. Banks, stores, and factories were closed and left millions of Americans jobless, homeless, and penniless. Many people came to depend on the government or charity to provide them with food. It led to a sharp decrease in world trade as each country tried to protect their own industries and products by raising tariffs on imported goods. The economy continued to fall almost every month. At first the stock market was an important but not the dominant influence. But however, by 1929 the market became the symbol of the nation's prosperity and an icon of American business culture. Everything was going great; the stock prices reached what looked to be a permanently high plateau. In September of that year the market began to slide, but people ignored the sign. But on October 29, 1929, "Black Tuesday", the stock market took a huge fall. More than 16 million shares changed hands in frantic trading. Investors soon realized they were heavily in debt so they started to sell their stocks, which led to others doing the same. That was the start of all the panic, everyone started selling but most of them couldn't find buyers. The impact of "Black Tuesday" led to bank failures because speculators who had borrowed from banks to buy their stocks could not repay the loans because they could not sell their stocks. This was the main start of the depression, because it not only wiped out the savings of thousands of Americans, it hurt commercial banks that had invested in the corporate stocks. Many of the middle class 2004-06-10T04:56:09-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-Of-The-Great-Depression-Essay-25105.aspx Future of the Merchant Marine From the very beginnings of the United States, its waterways have provided a way for Americans to increase their standard of living. Ports like Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore all were important during colonial times and are still important today. US ports and waterways systems are truly a national resource. US ports and waterways have historically performed a role as the critical lifeline for our nation’s international and domestic trade since the birth of our country. Like any other national resource, it must be cared for and cultivated to meet the growing needs of its users, which include not only the direct users, but also each and every citizen. This cultivation must include consideration of future needs such as projected growth in waterborne commerce and characteristics and technology developments associated with its direct users (carriers, shippers, importers and exporters). The national transportation system was composed of relatively discrete units of rail, road and water transportation sub-systems, which interfaced by necessity rather than by design. Today, due to increasing cargo volumes and competition from other national port systems, the cornerstone of our national port and waterways system must be the recognition that intermodalism maximizes the efficiency of our system and provides the well marked pathways to future planning and development efforts. Intermodalism requires a seamless transportation system, which provides smooth transition of cargo from one transportation mode to the other. It also requires the recognition that the waterborne and land based infrastructure must develop with the needs of the users in mind. These developments must include developing technology in the areas of ship design and onboard equipment, vessels traffic systems, aids, and port access programs that efficiently link marine transportation systems to their rail and road links. We as a nation benefited initially from the water access to our trade and we benefit now. There was no need for any national debate on the subject; ports needed to be deeper and channels needing to be kept clear. Using public funds through the use of the US Army Corp of Engineers solved much of the problem. Port access is important to understanding the change. A limitation in depth became a problem at many of the country's ports. The corp. also used private contractors, which were funded through the Corps of Engineers' budget. Maintaining the waterways was important for the nation commercially, 2004-06-10T04:11:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Future-of-the-Merchant-Marine-25089.aspx Cold War Essay on Stalinization Was a Process, Not a Plan Was Stalin to blame for the origins of the Cold War? Stalinization Was a Process, Not a Plan Stalinization was a process developed in two stages, with first stage being shaped by the opportunities arisen due to the international situation after the end of the WWII, and the second stage as a blunt and violent process imposed on the countries within the Soviet Unions' sphere of influence. After the end of the WWII and the take over of the Soviet Union over the German troops in 1943, Stalin took advantage of numerous international opportunities that placed him in a favorable position in his negotiations with the Allies. In February 1945 at Yalta, Stalin received the Allies' green light to take over the East European countries, a confirmation that he was expecting in order to interfere in the internal affaires of the Eastern European countries that have lost the war. The expansion of Stalin's ideals represented by the communists, strictly depended upon the international situation at the end of the war, among which the economic and social factors. First of all, the majority of the countries were broke, mainly because of the failure of capitalism during the 1929's and 1930's. Capitalism was then associated with fascism and the horrors of the war, and as a consequence socialism was considered 'the future'. Secondly, the East European cities were almost entirely destroyed and so were the economies of these countries. Rebuilding cities from zero and restructuring the economy seemed to need a collective and mass effort, which only a centralized power could coordinate. Ordered needed to be established and people needed direction. Communism seemed the answer, because at that time, it was the best-organized political force. But there was another prerequisite, which helped the communists to take over the Eastern European countries. Throughout Eastern Europe there were groups that might have stood against the take over: the bourgeoisie, the intelligentsia, trade unions and the church. But the communist benefited from the fact that the bourgeoisie in some of these countries was practically nonexistent before the war, or were destroyed during the German occupation. In the same way, the intelligentsia or trade unions were either weakened or subverted by placing communist sympathizers in their place. However, against the church communists used force and violence, and increasingly limited their importance in social activities and authority. However, in a second stage of the process, Stalin, once he acknowledged his increasing influence in the Eastern 2004-06-10T03:03:08-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cold-War-Essay-on-Stalinization-Was-a-Process,-Not-a-Plan-25085.aspx The Opium War The Opium War, also called the Anglo-Chinese War, was the most humiliating defeat China ever suffered. In European history, it is perhaps the most sordid, base, and vicious event in European history, possibly, just possibly, overshadowed by the excesses of the Third Reich in the twentieth century. By the 1830's, the English had become the major drug-trafficking criminal organization in the world; very few drug cartels of the twentieth century can even touch the England of the early nineteenth century in sheer size of criminality. Growing opium in India, the East India Company shipped tons of opium into Canton which it traded for Chinese manufactured goods and for tea. This trade had produced, quite literally, a country filled with drug addicts, as opium parlors proliferated all throughout China in the early part of the nineteenth century. This trafficing, it should be stressed, was a criminal activity after 1836, but the British traders generously bribed Canton officials in order to keep the opium traffic flowing. The effects on Chinese society were devestating. In fact, there are few periods in Chinese history that approach the early nineteenth century in terms of pure human misery and tragedy. In an effort to stem the tragedy, the imperial government made opium illegal in 1836 and began to aggressively close down the opium dens. Lin Tse-hsü The key player in the prelude to war was a brilliant and highly moral official named Lin Tse-hsü. Deeply concerned about the opium menace, he maneuverd himself into being appointed Imperial Commissioner at Canton. His express purpose was to cut off the opium trade at its source by rooting out corrupt officials and cracking down on British trade in the drug. He took over in March of 1839 and within two months, absolutely invulnerable to bribery and corruption, he had taken action against Chinese merchants and Western traders and shut down all the traffic in opium. He destroyed all the existing stores of opium and, victorious in his war against opium, he composed a letter to Queen Victoria of England requesting that the British cease all opium trade. His letter included the argument that, since Britain had made opium trade and consumption illegal in England because of its harmful effects, it should not export that harm to other countries. Trade, according to Lin, should only be in beneficial objects. 2004-06-08T13:05:45-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Opium-War-25038.aspx Chivalry Chivalry was the qualities idealized by knighthood, such as courage, courtesy, honor, and gallantry toward women. Over time, this word evolved and changed, eventually merging with the concept of gentleman. Knights desired love and glory for their king and lady. Modern society would surely benefit from practicing the chivalric code, which Arthur’s knights followed. If every man of contemporary times embodied the chivalric code, conflict, disorder, and injustice would be less incessant. Knights under this code were obligated to swear allegiance to their country, defend the weak, exhibit generosity and politeness, and remain true to their word as well as never tell a lie. America would be a much safer place to reside on if all the men were courageous enough to defend their country in times of war and strife. There would also be great unity and patriotism within the country, and this harmony would deter other provinces from waging war upon the more United States of America. There would be a lot less rapes occurring, for the chivalric code denounced this behavior and encouraged respectfulness and reverence toward women. Women were considered weak, and knights abiding by the chivalric code vowed to defend them. Knights upheld their lady’s every whim and need, no matter what the price, even if it would mean death. Another way, in which chivalry would benefit present-day society, as it did several centuries ago, is by the courteous and generous acts that the knights were required to uphold. Men would be less eager to suit their own needs, and more willing to help others with this code in act. They would be more willing to give than to receive, for example. Our nation would certainly be less barbaric, and more gentleman like. A man of contemporary time, following the chivalric code must keep their word at all times and always tell the truth. These two aspects are very simple, yet can be very vital to a countries success. If a man would keep his word, there would be less debt problems; and someone lending a fellow comrade a dollar would be sure to get his money back, without any worries. Telling the truth and never lying would keep larceny, fraud, and identity theft at a minimal, thus making our society a much safer and more enjoyable place to live in. Chivalry, the honorable code which the best of nobles followed, brought order to the chaos 2004-05-01T21:29:42-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Chivalry--103.aspx The Holocaust The Holocaust remains, and will continue to remain as one of the most horrific things that has happened to a group of people. The absolute inhumanity of the Holocaust puzzles people even today. Contemporary people wonder just how it happened, how could a people be systematically killed, tortured, murdered. The answer will probably never be found, but future generations can avoid something like the Holocaust by studying it, and never forgetting The Nazi’s did not start out with “The Final Solution”, which did not come till later. The first step on the path to that solution was the Nazi decree defining a non-Aryan as "anyone descended from non-Aryan, especially Jewish, parents or grandparents. One parent or grandparent classifies the descendant as non-Aryan...especially if one parent or grandparent was of the Jewish faith.". The distinction of who was “Aryan” and who were not was very important to Hitler. This distinction allowed the Jews and others to be discriminated against. At this time the German people probably have no idea what these laws will lead to. Next came the exclusion of the Jew from the arts by the Reich Chamber of Culture, every time a right was stripped away from a Jew it was easier to view them as not human. In September of 1933 the Nazis prohibit Jews from owning land, the rights of the Jewish people were being taken away at a frightening pace. In 1934 more was done to the Jewish race. Jews are banned from the German Labor Front, not allowed national health insurance, and prohibited from getting legal qualifications. The following year Nazis ban Jews from serving in the military, force Jewish performers/artists to join Jewish Cultural Unions, and the Jew Codes (Nuremberg Race Laws) were established. These Jew Codes prohibited many things, not only was it against the law for an Aryan to marry a Jew, it was against the law to have sexual relations between Aryans and Jews also. Jews were also no longer considered to be citizens of Germany, they were now subjects. In 1938 things continued to get worse with the order for Jews to register wealth and property, Jewish owned businesses were to register, Jews were prohibited from trading and providing a variety of specified commercial services, the Nazis ordered Jews over age 15 to apply for identity cards from the police, Jewish doctors were prohibited by law from practicing medicine, and Jewish 2004-03-26T02:28:20-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Holocaust-82.aspx The War Of 1812 The times of Jefferson and Madison were a turbulent time for the United States. Many events took places that eventually lead to the War of 1812 with Britain. Many of the causes of the war happened in North America, but some reasons why we fought happened on the open seas or in Europe itself. The US was looking for a fight, and it got one. The causes of the War of 1812 are many and varied. A big problem was the practice of “impressment”, it was supposed to find sailors that had deserted their respective navies. Most of the time though, it was just an excuse to steal goods and men. An incident that came about of this was the Chesapeake – Leopard fight. The Leopard had stopped the Chesapeake because of suspicions of deserters. The Chesapeake refused to stop; the Leopard fired its guns. The Chesapeake had no choice but to surrender, four men were dragged off The Chesapeake. If Congress would have been in session, war would have been declared right then. Another reason why we went to war was the Indian problem. Most of the time when Indians attacked, they were either supplied or incited by the British. The battle of Tippecanoe was an example of British agents working to incite and supply the Indians. A leader that emerged from this battle was William Henry Harrison. Harrison was the governor of Indiana, and was the leader of the force that crushed the Indians at Tippecanoe. Although Harrison lost as many men as the Indians did, he drove the Indians out and burned the Indian town of Prophetstown to the ground. William Henry Harrison became famous because of this battle. Many people in the United States wanted to go to drive the English from North America because of the constant Indian raids. The “War Hawks” wanted to go to war with England because of the Indian threat, the troubles on the open seas, and other reasons. The “War Hawks” were led by Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun, both would play a large role in politics for years to come. The “War hawks” wanted to go to war as soon as possible, because Napoleon was currently fighting the English. It seemed like a good idea, because the best English troops and ships would be off fighting Napoleon. James Madison asked both England and France to stop stopping our ships. 2004-03-26T02:24:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-War-Of-1812--80.aspx Racism and Social Darwinism in Regards to Imperialism Imperialism: Social Darwinism and Racism "Take up the White Man's burden — Send forth the best ye breed — Go, bind your sons to exile To serve your captives' need; To wait, in heavy harness, On fluttered folk and wild — Your new-caught sullen peoples, Half devil and half child." (Rudyard Kipling “The Whiteman’s Burden”) The desire to increase ones country’s land holdings, and ultimately its power, is not new. The reasons for justifying a war of conquest though, do change. As humanity progresses, the reasons get more and more convoluted. The domination of a foreign culture by an imperial power became a more and more common throughout the early 19th century. This imperialism was done predominantly done by white people, over non-white indigenous peoples. The justification was that white people are simply culturally, genetically, and technologically superior to the non-white peoples. It was the Whiteman’s burden to civilize the savages, and he was going to do just that. “Social Darwinism” It is the idea that there are such things as inferior races. Social Darwinism is the application of evolution to society. The person who coined the term “Social Darwinism” was Herbert Spencer. Supporters of Social Darwinism thought the idea that there are different sub-species of Man, and that some are better then others. Imperialists were not conquering defenseless people, they were civilizing them! Social Darwinism asserted that White was right. “The time is coming when the pressure of population on the means of subsistence will be felt here as it is now felt in Europe and Asia. Then will the world enter upon a new stage of its history—the final competition of races, for which the Anglo-Saxon is being schooled. This race of unequaled energy, with all the majesty of numbers and the might of wealth behind it—the representative, let us hope, of the largest liberty, the purest Christianity, the highest civilization—having developed peculiarly aggressive traits calculated to impress it institutions across the Earth.” (Our Country, Josiah Strong). Imperialism’s ultimate aim was to have a homogenous population, that was covered the whole entire earth. Imperialists of this time were justified on so many levels in their thinking. Social Darwinism was a construct that welded biological science (evolution) with social science. A philosopher of the 19th century, Herbert Spencer said, "this law of organic progress is the law of all progress. Whether it be in the development of the Earth, in the development of Life upon its surface, 2004-03-26T02:19:38-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Racism-and-Social-Darwinism-in-Regards-to-Imperialism-77.aspx German And Italian Unification Germany and Italy: The Struggle For Unification The rise of nationalism in Germany and Italy was long combated by the established regimes, but a unified Germany and Italy was an inevitability. The people of these two countries suffered from a long history of disorganization and disunity, but strong leadership in the end united them both. The similarities between Germany and Italy range from the subtle to the very obvious, but there also are some major differences. The situation in Germany was this; Germany was composed of a confederation of German states and was not unified. Austria was the dominant force in this confederation, and was an anti-nationalistic and anti-liberalistic force in Europe. The chief rival in the confederation was Prussia, who’s growing industrialization led to a larger middle class. As the middle class grows, the pressure to become more liberalistic grew. Prussia was becoming a very progressive and nationalistic nation, which was led by Otto Von Bismarck. Bismarck looked at the decline of Austria after the resignation of one of its best leaders, Metternich, as a golden opportunity. Austria was also weakened by its lack of involvement in the Crimean war in which it lost its best ally, Russia. Bismarck was a master diplomat who knew exactly what he was doing, by securing friendship with key countries namely Russia and Italy. The Prussian economy was also a key factor in the unification. Economically Austria was far behind Prussia, because Austria had made key reforms to encourage the economy. The superior economy and the diplomatic isolation of Austria lead to its downfall. The German unification was mainly a product of Prussian military and economic superiority, but Bismarck was still a huge factor in the events leading up to unification. An example of this is that before any major conflict took place between Prussia and Austria, Bismarck made vague mention to Napoleon III that if they stayed out of the conflict, they would be awarded territory. This was a complete lie, but it kept the French out of that conflict. It could be argued that Bismarck really was that interested in German unification, but actually thought of it more as Prussian expansion. Whatever his personal reasons for were, the results were the same. Germany was now one country, and much stronger for it. The story of Italy’s unification is a bit more complicated. The main figure in Italian unification was Camillo Cavour. Cavour was the 2004-03-26T02:01:59-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/German-And-Italian-Unification-76.aspx Weapons History Weapons that had an Influence on the Course of History Over the centuries, there have been many weapons that have come and gone. Many have been rendered useless after millennia of use by new and more destructive tools of obliteration. While these weapons have all been significant, there have been a few that have shaped history irrevocably. Among these are the longbow, gunpowder, and the nuclear bomb. These weapons of annihilation have wrought history into what it is today and have eternally changed our world. First was the use of the longbow by the English. Longbows had been around before the English began using them, but never as efficiently as the English from the thirteenth century to the sixteenth century. Most bows in use at the time had short ranges and were almost useless against the French crossbow. With their crossbows, the French defeated the English at the Battle of Hastings. Learning from their mistakes, the English then employed the relatively new longbow. This new weapon had a considerably longer range and displayed the ability to shoot a large number of arrows at a time. The amount of force required to pull the bow was increased to about 100-120 lbs, which required extensive training in shooting the bow and massive strength to actually operate the bow at long range. Experienced archers could manage about 8 to 10 arrows a minute, while masters could handle up to 15, or 20 with a reduction in accuracy. With this firing rate, 5,000 archers could launch 40,000-50,000 arrows a minute, or 700 arrows a second. Infantry and cavalry alike were decimated under the barrage of missiles. With this new weapon, the English routed the French at the Battle of Crecy, where less than 200 British fell and French deaths numbered 5,000-10,000. This new strategy was nearly invincible against the crossbows and short bows of the French; their bows had nowhere near the range of the English longbow. No one could get near the English archers without being filled with projectiles from the longbows. However, it was possible for the French to overcome the English. They could have exploited the weariness of the English army by putting to use their superior numbers and mobility to attack from the rear of the flank. While the English eventually lost the war, the longbow aided in the prolongation of the war. Without this potent weapon, the English would have been 2004-03-20T12:49:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Weapons-History--70.aspx Peace Prosperity and Progress Peace, Prosperity, and Progress? When Dwight D. Eisenhower ran for the presidency, his campaign slogan was Peace, Prosperity, and Progress. The American people liked the idea of all three, and in 1952, they showed it, when Eisenhower beat Stevens by a landslide. In actuality, Eisenhower failed to make the 1950s a decade of Peace, Prosperity, and Progress. Peace did not come till the end of fighting in the Korean War in 1953, and even then, the conflict was not resolved. Peace between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. hung in a precarious balance for a long time after Eisenhower left office. While the middle and upper class white families felt the economic boom, minorities and lower class families reaped no benefits from the country’s economic successes. The United States did experience much progress in technology, production of consumer goods, and military technology, but as a society, there was very little progress towards racial equality. The Korean War was a war in which the U.S. participated in to protect their democratic interests in Japan. However, they were able to play it off as helping the people of South Korea. Although Eisenhower claimed he would bring peace to Korea, the war continued on for more than a year after he was elected president. The peace that followed was a tentative one, as the potential for war with the Soviet Union loomed in the future. While there was no actual fighting, Eisenhower made enormous increases in military spending to protect against the war that everyone thought was coming. The military budget increased more than $30 billion dollars from 1950 to 1960. While Eisenhower promised peace, he was expecting war. The 1950s were a time when there was an economic boom in an already strong economy. World War II veterans had come back and settled down with wives in suburban areas. The already strong economy led to the ability of families to support many children, which led to even more consumers, which strengthened the economy further. This economic success was limited to the upper and middle class white families. Lower class families still struggled to stay afloat, while all black citizens had to constantly defend their right to an equal chance. Most of the time, black families were not allowed to purchase houses in new housing developments, regardless of how capable they were to pay for it. There was prosperity galore, but only for a 2004-03-20T02:38:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Peace-Prosperity-and-Progress-65.aspx Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation As the Revolutionary War was coming to an end, there was an atmosphere of anti centralized government that bordered on a phobia. While realizing that some government was necessary, the American 2004-03-20T02:37:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Articles-of-Confederation-64.aspx Woman Suffrage Woman Suffrage A major political issue in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries was the “woman question”. It was directed towards the rights of women, focusing on whether they should be allowed to vote or not. Those in favor of female suffrage wanted to break the chain of male supremacy, so women could advance in society. Those against female suffrage wanted women to keep their judgments within the confines of the home; because if they were given the right to vote, there would be total chaos. A common ideology amongst the people who supported universal suffrage was the belief that men and women were equal. Julie Dabié, a French political activist, believed that women were “equal to men as French persons,” and “equal before the taxes.” Women’s separation from the polls was a “gratuitous insult for women,” according to Julie Dabié (D.2). Ideologies like the one of Julie Dabié, gave feminists a burning desire to break away from male supremacy within the household and in politics. They believed this could be done through a universal suffrage. According to Arabella Shore, a representative of the London National Society for Women’s Suffrage, women had very few legal rights as a way for men to keep “the supremacy in every sphere to himself” (D.5). Stuart Mill also explained the necessity for equality between both sexes in The Subjection of Women. He states that “the moral regeneration of mankind will only really commence when the family is placed under the rule of equal justice” (D.1). A petition from the peasant women of Nogatikino to their deputy in the Russian Duma wants to end a reign of male dominance. The petition calls for legal rights and better treatment (D.9). Unlike zealous protesters, it was deemed by feminists, that if women were given the right to vote, it would be for the betterment of society, not for its destruction. These advocates thought that by ending complete male authority, women could truly progress in society. An Italian feminist by the name of Anna Mozzoni affirmed the benefits of equality in The Question of the Emancipation of Women in Italy. She stated that the ideals of the woman question “discredits the rule of force,” and “advances women in the economic sphere,” by weakening “the power of traditional prejudices” (D.4). Clara Zetkin, a German socialist leader, asserted the importance of universal suffrage in Women’s Right to Vote. Zetkin stated that “the 2004-02-22T12:32:11-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Woman-Suffrage--43.aspx The Mexican Independence Movement The Making of Mexico An Essay about the Mexican Independence Movement In the late 18th century, the Spanish monarchy decided to improve the defenses of its empire because of its many military losses in Europe. Because of this, the Spanish Crown was forced to increase revenues. Between 1765 and 1771, Spain sent José de Gálvez on an official tour of inspection of New Spain. He restructured the current taxes and their collection methods.. In 1778, Spain, attempting to increase its own revenues, lifted restrictions on colonial trade. This allowed more commerce for the colonists and allowed for more trade between the privileged of New Spain and the other Spanish colonies in America. Since the Spanish monarchy was so determined to improve defenses, it was forced to enlarge the existing colonial militias into armies. The Mexican people were disappointed with the many tax and administrative changes. The Criollos also did not like the fact that they had not been given any of the new administrative positions. Most of the Mexicans felt that they had been prospering under the old system. When the people protested and when riots broke out against the attempts at instituting reforms, they were dissipated through force. This caused Mexicans to become even more upset. They also had a new economic freedom and began to think that they could benefit more if they ran their own economic system apart from Spain. The Spanish Crown also began to limit the powers of the Catholic Church. It was viewed as a political rival because it had begun to amass large amounts of land and wealth in the colony. The Spanish government ignored the fact that the church did not actually have as much money as it seemed to. Much of its “wealth” was being loaned to colonists. In 1767, the Spanish Crown expelled the Jesuits from both new and old Spain and confiscated the wealth of the religious order. Even worse in the eyes of the Mexicans was in 1804 when the Spanish monarchy took land and wealth from the Catholic Church. These actions caused the church to reclaim all loans. This greatly affected the middle class, which was made up mostly by the colonial born whites known as the Criollos, and the mixed blooded Spanish or Indian Mestizos. The priests were also greatly affected by the Consolidation decree causing an upset of both the colonists and the priests, and convincing many to start 2004-02-22T07:20:03-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Mexican-Independence-Movement-34.aspx