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Roosevelt Obituary

2022-01-04T13:58:52.747-05:00

Theodore Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 27, 1858, and was the son of Theodore Roosevelt, lawyer and judge. He went to Harvard, where he graduated in 1880. His pertinacity was noticeable even in college, where he gained a high reputation as an all-round sportsman, and particularly as a boxer. His characteristic fondness for the noble art never weakened. A man of immense vigor and fighting spirit, he was ever fond of a lively bout with the gloves and he had his sons learn the art, mostly from himself. After leaving college, he made his first trip to Europe, where he climbed the Jungfrau and the Matterhorn. In 1881 he was elected to the Assembly of the State of New York and he served three consecutive terms. In the session of 1888 he did much to further the passage of the act to regulate primary elections. He made a record for himself as an energetic, able and honest legislator. When William McKinley became President, he appointed Mr. Roosevelt Assistant Secretary of the Navy, where his characteristic activity was again in evidence. He resigned when the war broke out with Spain in order, with Major-General (then Surgeon) Leonard Wood, to organize the first United States Cavalry, popularly known as Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, and he engaged in the campaign which was to make him a hero with the whole nation. While President, his domestic policy included the creation of National Parks and the disruption of Big Trusts in New York. On the other hand, his foreign policy was much more aggressive and helped push the United States and its influence much into the global sphere. One of his most notable foreign interventions during the age of Steam is the Panama Canal. The United States actively attempted to build a canal through Nicaragua, but when that failed he liberated Panama from Columbia and got the canal done. Next he pulled the troops out of Cuba after diplomatic negotiations that saw only American influence being in the island. Lastly, he oversaw the peace negotiations between Japan and Russia. Roosevelt’s policy was called the “Big Stick Ideology”, and it massively expanded American influence as a relevant nation with the willingness to intervene in foreign affairs shall it deem necessary. An exponent of robust and sturdy Americanism and of the strenuous life, mental and moral as well as physical, Colonel Roosevelt was endowed with rare courage

Thanksgiving Day, A Remembrance of Genocide?

2021-11-24T20:04:01.61-05:00

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

Veterans Day

2021-11-10T13:30:17.26-05:00

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

Veterans Day 2021

2021-11-09T13:34:16.213-05:00

Games Through History

2015-12-04T16:08:02.67-05:00

Games Through History. A Chicago style paper of the history of games

2015-12-04T16:02:24.39-05:00

All Dominicans are not racist

2007-12-17T03:40:36-05:00

Que paso a mi gente? First and foremost not all Dominicans are racist however many of us are blind and ignorant concerning our culture, history, and blood. I am Dominican, and at the same time I am Black, but still I know that I am hispanic.I feel proud to be able to mix

The Renaissance

2007-12-17T02:43:50-05:00

The Renaissance The Renaissance was a period of European history, considered by modern scholars as that between 1300 and 1600. Many dramatic changes happened during the Renaissance. The Renaissance was a period of new inventions and beliefs. The Renaissance was drastically different from the Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages the church held most of the power and its economy were agriculturally based. Exploration and learning was almost put to a stop. During the Renaissance society was transformed into a society increasingly dominated by central political institutions with an urban commercial attitude. Also, people's curiosity overcame their fear and many people started to venture out and explore. New schools and colleges became more and more common. The Renaissance was started by many rich Italian cities, such as Florence, Ferrara, Milan, and Venice. Because these cities were very wealthy, many merchants started to spend money on different things, such as painting, learning, new banking techniques, and new systems of government. These things gave rise to a new type of scholar, the humanist. Humanism was subjects concerned with humankind and culture. They studied various things such as Latin, Greek language, literature and philosophy. Music and mathematics were also studied as well. The Renaissance gave way to new forms of painting, art and sculpture. During the Renaissance, artist were no longer regarded as mere artisans, as they had been to the medieval past, but for the first time emerged as independent personalities, compared to poets and writers. Many artisans merged mathematics with art, in order to become more precise in their measurements and to make sure an object was supported both rationally and proportionally. As a result painters tried and often succeeded into making their painting a window into the world. Artists also studied the way light hits objects and the way our eyes perceive light. A new kind of paint called oil paint was used. This allowed the artist to create texture, mix colors, and allow more time for corrections before it dried. The printing press was probably the most important advance in technology. Europeans first used movable metal type to print a book. On small pieces of metal they engraved single letters of the alphabet. These could then be arranged and rearranged to

The Scientific Revolution

2007-12-17T02:34:18-05:00

History 101 The Scientific Revolution A paradigm is one's world view in which one understands his place in it. Copernicus, Galileo, Vesalius, Linnaeus, Leuwenhoek, and Newton were all medieval scientists, whose work changed people's lives and the world. The way man viewed the universe in which he lived, the world of nature that surrounded him and even his own physical anatomy changed right before him. Scientists, like Galileo, disproved the heliocentric model as new instruments like the telescope were invented. The way in which man saw his own physical anatomy changed when Andreas Vesalius completed detailed studies of the human body. Due to these new, groundbreaking studies man began to view himself as insignificant and as a machine. First came the Geocentric model that showed the earth as being the center of the universe, the sun and other planets were shown revolving around the earth, with heaven shown beyond the crystalline shell. It wasn't until Nicholas Copernicus published his writing, "On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres," that people began to question this idea. The writing was so complicated that the vast majority of the population of Europe could not understand its meaning and ideas that it contained. This writing stated that the earth was not the center of the universe, and the sun and other planets did not revolve around it. The writing did state, however, that the earth and other planets revolved around the sun. Since very few Europeans could understand the writing, it was not considered a threat to the Catholic Church at the time. To be safe the Catholic Church did ban Copernicus' ideas. It was not until an Italian scientist named Galileo Galilei published a book and redisplayed the idea of a heliocentric universe. This time the idea was expressed using simple language, and this time the Church felt an immediate threat. The Catholic Church believed that Galileo was mocking the Church-approved ideas of Ptolemy and their geocentric model. The Catholic Church sentenced Galileo to house arrest for the remainder of his life, but his ideas of a heliocentric universe remained strong. This idea changed man's whole view of

The Art of Fashion

2007-11-21T05:50:53-05:00

The Art in Fashion “Charles James is not only the most eminent American Couturier, but also the best, and the only one who has raised Haute Couture from applied art form to pure art form.” Balenciaga(Glamour Years) Fashion can be classified into two categories: the people who design it and the people who wear it. Wearing fashion is something that everyone does just by putting on clothes. For some people, fashion is the gold in life. It’s what can separate you from others and make you feel like you are in control. This is the same with designers. The styles they design are tangible images of their personality and emotions. No two designers are the same which causes art to be created with each sketch and idea the designer constructs in his or her brain. “Charles James was a structural genius, a maker of the most complex dresses of the century; a man who would spend years on a single sleeve, months on a seam (Watson 25).” The divergence between the designs of Charles James and several other designers of his time were the differences of cut, style, fabric, shape, color, source of creativity and the state of his personal and business life. Charles was born in Sandhurst, England in 1906 to a British father and an America mother (History of Fashion). He attended Harrow, one of England’s most prominent public schools. There he met many soon to be famous people such as Evelyn Waugh, Francis Rose, and Cecil Beaton, who became a longstanding associate. He was expelled quite soon after enrolling for committing a “sexual escapade” (Glamour Years) and was sent to Chicago by his parents to work for a utilities magnate in architectural design. Charles quit instantaneously for lack of interest (History of Fashion). His introduction into fashion came through a curiosity in the art of millinery. He opened a hat shop in Chicago called “Charles Boucheron” (Watson 25). Though as much as he enjoyed creating hats, his ideas and imagination led him to dabble in a world much grander and colorful then of a hat shop. Dresses(Glamour Years). He moved to New York in 1928 where he first started drawing his designs (Watson 25). His lack of business intelligence caused many money struggles but that did not dampen his climb to the top of the fashion industry (Kent State). Highly sensitive to beauty and guided by uncompromising idealism, Charles James

Greek Cuisine and Culture

2007-09-15T19:01:31-04:00

Greek Culture and Cuisine In the following pages, I will discuss the beginning of civilization in Greece, the major events in Greek history, the cuisine, everyday lives of Greek cuisine and their food culture. I will also discuss in detail one the major industries in Greek and American cooking, the use of the olive. The country of Greece has had a varied history. At about 2600 BC, Greek civilization was founded (Barrett, 2007, Bronze Age). This is an educated guess because most records were not documented in that time. Greek civilization started with a group of people called the Minoans. Minoan civilization reached a peak during 1400s-1300s BC. Homer wrote his famous books, “The Oddesy” and “The Iliad” during the ninth century BC. During the eighth century BC, Athens, Sparta and other cities and states developed. During 800 BC, Alexander the Great conquered the Grecian Empire of city-states and Greece became part of the Macedonian Empire. After the downfall of the Macedonian Empire, Greece entered a lull which lasted for almost a thousand years. During that time, numerous empires conquered Greece. The Greeks fought a war of independence against the Ottoman Empire and won. The first president of Greece was Ioannis Kapodistrias elected in May 1827 (Barrett, 2007, Greek Revolution). The Greeks have had many great leaders and visionaries in their history including: Plato, founder of the “Academy of Athens” in 380BC and Alexander the Great in 336BC, the great ruler who defeated the Persians. I will fast forward to the modern day events in Greek history to allow you to understand how today’s culture was created. In 1829, the Treaty of Adrianople placed Greek under British, French, and Russian protection. In 1832, the Treaty of Constantinople placed Greece under British, French and Russian protection, defined its boundaries, and names Otto of Wittgenstein ruler. In 1843, the Greeks rebelled against Otto and created the first constitution in 1844 that established a democratic parliamentary government system and reduced his overall power of the country. In 1862, after series of coups, Otto was forced to resign. After this, Greece was an independent country. Greece played a small part in World War I. It was on the side of the Allied forces. This brings the history of Greece to the

1905 New Zealand Rugby Tour of the UK and it's Myths

2007-08-15T15:01:07-04:00

In 1905 the New Zealand rugby team toured the British Isles and won an unprecedented thirty-one games out of the thirty-two played, with a total of 830 points and only a mere thirty-nine conceded. It is from this outstanding achievement that the 1905 All Black team have been hailed as New Zealand heroes, heroes that would stand to shape the nation. In the 1980’s historians began to explore documentation from the conquest of England and used their findings to influence their readers. Ideas were borne about masculinity, patriotism and nationalism. What these historians failed to do is report both sides of their findings, how the New Zealand rugby team of 1905 were also considered as loutish, ungentlemanly cheats, and not in any way superior to their English counterparts. As for tackling the myth, in some ways it could be beneficial to New Zealander’s never to have the myth tackled at all, many areas of our nationhood are likely to have benefited from ideas about the tour even if part of it is fallacy. On the other hand, as an academic it is important to always seek the truth and expose facts wherever they may lie. Especially in this age, masculinity in this millennium is not as respected as it was, and the truth of our nations premiere sport may give the modern metro-sexual a feeling of relief. Before they left for England, the New Zealand rugby team who had not yet been entitled “All Blacks”, played five matches against New Zealand provincial teams and state and provincial teams in Australia. They only just won playing Auckland, won two matches against Australia and drew one, then returned home to play Wellington where they lost 0-3. Public opinion at home of the New Zealand rugby team was not very high and there was an attitude that the best players had not been selected#. The smoke concert that was held to farewell the team was poorly attended and many jibes were printed in newspaper cartoons#. The team was not expected to do well and there was a general malaise and disinterest in their progress overseas. Daley, Nauright and Richardson all report this in their findings and it has never been contested that the public in New Zealand were of any other mind set. The public in England showed a little

1905 New Zealand Rugby Tour of the UK and it's Myths

2007-08-15T15:00:39-04:00

1905 New Zealand Rugby Tour of the UK and it's Myths

2007-08-15T15:00:15-04:00

1905 New Zealand Rugby Tour of the UK and it's Myths

2007-08-15T14:59:45-04:00

assess albert speers role in the nazi war machine

2007-08-06T03:56:58-04:00

Assess Albert Speer’s role in the Nazi War Machine Albert Speer was appointed as minister for Armaments and munitions in February 1942. Speer played an invaluable role in the Nazi War Machine during the next three years of the Second World War. His effectiveness as minister for armaments and munitions led to phenomenal increases in the production of armaments, and ultimately prolonging the war for another one to two years which greatly impacted on the functioning of the War Machine. Speer’s major accomplishments as minister for armaments and munitions were, the standardization of weapons and specialization of factories. Implementing a Total War policy in Germany. The mobilization of the workforce in relation to the armament production. It became clear to Speer that the war would not be over quickly and the German War machine needed a sustained domestic war production. When Speer was given the position of minister for armaments and munitions, he knew nothing of armaments, weapons and war but he was a genius at organization. He mobilized the German industry by introducing principles of mass production, “democratic” economic leadership, improvisation and a general anti-bureaucratic approach which resulted in a phenomenal increase in the German war production rate. In the first 6 months in office Speer was able to increase the production of guns by 27%, tanks by 25% and ammunition by 97%. This was significant for the war machine as by 1944 armament production in general increased by more than 300%, and it must be noted that this had been achieved by Speer in 1944 during the height of the allied Strategic bombing campaign. (Kaldor) “Speer’s administration in the course of the following two and a half years was the single great success within the German war economy can record…”. Due to the increase in armament and munitions production in general this meant that the Germany military would be able sustain battles as a result of more munitions and weapons available and its strong supply. “He (Speer) is usually credited…with prolonging the war for several months in Giving the German military a new lease of life by sharply raising the efficiency of the German arms industry” (Professor Winston Higins). Then is must be stated Speer’s had an important role in the Nazi War machine as he greatly contributed to the Nazi war effort as there was an increase in armaments and munitions, which greatly increased the fighting efficiency of the

Assess Albert Speer’s role in the Nazi War Machine

2007-08-06T02:48:37-04:00

Assess Albert Speer’s role in the Nazi War Machine

2007-08-06T02:48:16-04:00

Salem Witch Trials

2007-03-12T22:38:09-04:00

The witch trials of the late 1600's were full of controversy and uncertainty. The puritans town of Salem was home to most of these trials, and became the center of much attention in 1692. Between the months of June to September of 1692, the infamous witch trials in Salem Massachusetts resulted in the deaths of nineteen men and

How did the events at Gallipoli lead to the creation of the Anzac legend?

2007-03-05T06:32:47-05:00

How did the events at Gallipoli lead to the creation of the Anzac legend? Australia's involvement in World War One can be seen by many as the very essence of Australia's identity, especially the involvement at the Gallipoli peninsular. The battle of Gallipoli was the first major step made by Australians towards nationhood and the development of the Anzac legend. The Gallipoli campaign and the Anzac legend that emerged from it have had a significant impact on ideas about Australia's national identity. Although a military defeat, the bravery and sacrifices associated with the eight-month struggle have had a profound effect on how Australians view this period. In 1914, most Australians had high hopes that their soldiers would prove the nation’s worth. These hopes were realised in the colourful descriptions of their men in action following the landing at Gallipoli. At the Western front, where the term “digger” was used to describe the Australian soldier. British war correspondent Ellis Ashamed-Bartlett helped to promote this legend. In her writings on 8 May 1915 she wrote "the Australians rose to the occasion. Not waiting for orders or for the boats to reach the beach, they sprang into the sea and formed a sort of rough line, rushed at the enemy trenches". The British Government ordered an evacuation. By day, the Anzacs kept up their attacks with more Anzacs observed to be landing - by night the force was withdrawn, broken only by sporadic rifle and gunfire. On 20 December 1915, the Anzac retreat was complete, unnoticed by the Turks who continued to bombard the Anzacs' empty trenches. On 9 January 1916, the Turks carried out their last offensive on Gallipoli, revealing only that the entire force had withdrawn without casualty. The evacuation was the Allies most successful operation in Gallipoli. The Anzacs lost 8,000 men in Gallipoli and a further 18,000 were wounded. The Anzacs went on to serve with distinction in Palestine and on the western front in France. Australia had a population of five million - 330,000 served in the war, 59,000 were killed. New Zealand with a population of one million lost 18,000 men out of 110,000 and had 55000 wounded. In summary, the Australia’s involvement in the First World War and, in particular, the events of Gallipoli were major contributions to the Australian stereotype. These include loyalty, dedication, extraordinary fighting skills and courage. Because of the hardship they endured in fighting they

Copernicus

2007-03-05T06:23:41-05:00

Where and when did Copernicus live? Nicolaus Copernicus was born in Torün, (Pronounced Thorn), in Poland on February 19, 1473 as Niklas Koppernigk -- a name that he would later Latinize into Nicolaus Copernicus.. He was educated in Poland and Italy, and spent most of his working life in Frombork (Frauenburg), Warmia, where he died on 1543 May the 24th. Copernicus’ story. Copernicus’ father was a wealthy businessman, copper trader, and respected citizen of Toruñ. He died when Copernicus was 10. After his father died, Copernicus attended the University of Cracow, studying medicine at the time and becoming fascinated by astronomy, and then in 1496 he began ten years of studying law at the University of Bologna in Italy. While Copernicus developed an interest in astronomy and was one of the most influential astronomers of all time, he never majored in astronomy and was never a professional astronomer. Copernicus' mother, Barbara Watzenrode was born into a rich merchant's family. She predeceased her husband. Copernicus' maternal uncle, Lucas Watzenrode, a church canon (priest) and later Prince-Bishop (territorial prince of a church) governor of the Archbishopric of Warmia, raised him and his three siblings after the death of his father. His uncle's position helped Copernicus in the pursuit of a career within the Church, enabling him to devote much time to his astronomy studies. Copernicus had a brother and two sisters. Copernicus’ work. Copernicus is known for the first modern formulation of a heliocentric (sun-centered) theory of the solar system. Copernicus first formulated the modern theory of the solar system in 1530, concluding that the earth revolved around the sun. However, his findings were in conflict with the church’s teachings that the earth was the center of the universe. So the church made him suffer a great deal because of this. Copernicus did not publish his great work on the revolutions of heavenly bodies until 1543 -the year of his death, it is said that he received his first copy on his deathbed. The name of his book that he published was called De revolutionibus orbium coelestium. The seven parts of Copernicus' theory are: 1. There is no one center in the universe 2. The Earth's center is not the center of the universe 3. The center of the universe is near the sun 4. The distance from the Earth to the sun is microscopic compared with the distance to the stars 5. The rotation of the Earth accounts for the apparent daily

Marc Antony

2007-03-05T06:02:28-05:00

Marc Antony, Military Leader · Born: 83 B.C. · Birthplace: Rome · Died: 30 B.C. (suicide) · Best Known As Cleopatra's ill-fated lover Latin name: Marcus Antonius Marc Antony was a general in the army that Julius Caesar ruled. Mark Antony was a part of an old aristocratic family in Rome. When he was 25 he joined the army and served honourably in Palestine and Egypt. After he joined Julius Caesar in Gaul and became one of his lieutenants. Because Marc was close to Julius he was appointed to different types public offices. At the battle of Pharsalus Julius made him head of a division. After Caesar was killed in 44 B.C. Marc tried to control Rome. (At the funeral of Julius he spoke out strongly against the assassins) Marc joined up with Julius's adopted heir Octavian to get rid of Rome’s common enemies. They formed the Second Triumvirate with general Marcus Lepidus and split up the empire with Marc being given control of Egypt. There he met and became the lover of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra. When they meet each other Cleopatra dressed as the love goddess Venus and arriving on a beautifully decorated ship. Antony and Cleopatra joined forces and the triumvirate ended. At the battle of Actium in 31 B.C. the followers of Octavian dug out the naval forces of Antony and Cleopatra. So Mac and Cleopatra were defeated by Octavian at Actium (Cleopatra hid while the battle was still on) A year later with Octavian's forces nearing Alexandria Antony committed suicide by falling on his sword. Cleopatra also commit suicide by letting a poisonous Egyptian snake bite her. And Octavian was left control of Egypt and Rome. Cleopatra had been in love with Julius Caesar before becoming the lover of Antony. Antony had been married in order Fadia, Antonia (his direct cousin), Fulvia and Octavia (her brother is Octavian) and a number of children. 1. Marriage to Fadia 2. Marriage to Antonia Hybrida According to Plutarch, Antony threw his cousin out of his Roman House because she slept with his friend the tribune Dolabella. 1. Marriage to Fulvia · Marcus Antonius Antyllus · Iullus Antonius 2. Marriage to Octavia Minor · Antonia Major · Antonia Minor 3. Children with Cleopatra · Alexander Helios, the sun (twin) · Cleopatra Selene, the moon (twin) · Ptolemy Philadelphus Marc Antony was hansom, athletic and gracious but not equal to Octavian’s efficiency, energy and in particular unwilling to grasp the moment for action. But he still was a great leader of men and a

Marc Antony

2007-03-05T06:02:17-05:00

IRISH CELTS

2007-03-05T06:00:47-05:00

The Celts had no written language of their own, so most of what we know of them comes from the writings of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and later the Irish Monks, who carefully copied down old Irish legends and stories. The ancient Celts inhabited central and western Europe. The Irish Celts believed in reincarnation so strongly that they would make

IRISH CELTS

2007-03-05T06:00:40-05:00

Latin American Independence

2006-11-29T11:59:46-05:00

This is an Essay that I wrote for World History Research* Throughout history there were many countries exploited by means of invasion. During the age of colonization, Europeans imposed many things on the Latin American territory that have had an extensive, disturbing effect on the indigenous community. Europeans invaded and controlled much of South America and the Caribbean islands by means of trading, acquiring goods, and expanding their religion of Christianity through forced conversion. This resulted in a binding foreign culture geared towards the already established civilizations that existed there before they arrived. The people of South America, including the Aztec, Olmec, Maya, and the Inca, had developed complex civilizations which made use of calendars, writing, mathematics, astronomy, the arts, and advanced architecture. The people living in Latin America were used to their ways and saw no need for foreign aid, however the Latin American’s, at the turn of the 19th century, began to advance towards independence. When the American-born population began to press forward towards independence, many trials and tribulations assured them that the process was not going to happen over night. Instead, it developed slowly due to social, political, ethnic, and economic factors. Enlightenment radically altered the ideas of people in Europe and America. Ideas that challenged old truths began to develop. Also, there came about ideas that praised individual rights, such as the belief that ultimate authority in society resides with the people, not with the king, or that all people are created equal in nature and possess equal rights. The French and American revolutions were strongly influenced by these new, bold beliefs. Inspired by the ideas of the Enlightenment and the wars for independence in other parts of the globe, Latin American gained momentum to began their own revolution. America was a mixing of many different races and each class held specific rights and limitations. Natural born Spanish had access to the advantages and held the majority of power. The wealthy Creoles were able to ascend to positions of authority, but were always a step down the social ladder from the natural Spanish. Social inequality in America caused tension among the native population. When Spain, in an attempt to centralize their administration, began replacing Creoles with Spaniards in judicial and legislative offices, the tension was escalated even further. This challenged the position and comfort of wealthy Creoles,

Bureau of Engraving and Printing

2006-11-07T06:34:48-05:00

Put in short, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is where all United States paper currency and several other paper goods for the government are manufactured. Incredibly important to our capitalist society, this bureau is kept one of the most secure and, if not completely, quite secretive about its habits. We shall, over the next several hours for me, several minutes for you, go over this process, and how it came to be. The United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing was created on August 29, 1862. In a single basement room in the building of theTreasury, the bureau was created in order to issue paper money, which, during the Civil War, would be more resistant to counterfeiting than the gold and silver coins used. In 1894, they took over production of U.S. postage stamps, which they continue to manufacture now. The BEP has also, in its time, produced currency for China, Siam, Korea, and the Philippines, all work for which it has been paid. In the past, the Bureau has printed denominations up to $10,000, today still considered legal tender (Treasury, 1).? The process of making paper money begins with manufacturing the paper. Denim (the kind used in blue jeans) and other types of cotton are mashed to a pulpy consistency, then bleached and treated with chemical baths then heated to turn it into usable pulpy slurry. The cotton pulp is then rolled and squeezed to expel all moisture until it is thin and dry enough to be used as paper. Immediately after the process of rolling, the watermark is pressed into the paper in a process known only to a few people. Also in this process, the anti-counterfeit plastic strip, dyed various fluorescent shades, is added. The fluorescent dye makes the strip reactive to black, or ultraviolet, lights; an easy way to tell a counterfeit bill from a fake one. There are red and blue strands scattered randomly throughout the paper, creating red, white, and blue bills. This also helps to determine counterfeit bills; those without the small strands are counterfeit (Discovery). Printing the bills cannot even begin until their plates are engraved. Engravers at the BEP work tirelessly to engrave sheets of steel with the exact design of the bills, without serial numbers, color-shifting ink, or microprinting. They also have to engrave the plates backward so that the bills are printed correctly. For security purposes, no one engraver works

Facets of Russian Communism Within Fictional Utopian Literature

2006-10-30T16:01:19-04:00

Historically, fictional literature has been used to reflect on the life of the time in which it is written. Authors, thrown by the system and displeased by developments, take what they know and use it to make a statement. Over the course of history, authors have jabbed huge incidents such as the French Revolution in Charles Dickins’ A Tale of Two Cities, missionary invasion and Chinese poverty in Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth, and Chinese Communism in Anchee Min’s Becoming Madame Mao. On the topic of the Russian Revolution, Russian Communism, and the plight of the country’s people, however, many volumes of fictional literature have been written. Examples of these tomes are Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, and George Orwell’s Animal Farm and 1984. The ideas within these works of fiction tie in with ideas found in historical literature such as Karl Marx’s The Communist Manifesto, Richard Pipes’ Communism: A History, and lastly Ronald Grigor Suny’s The Structure of Soviet History. With the use of class readings and outside readings of fictional utopian literature, a succinct image of both the facets of perfect Communism and the failings of Communism may be developed. In the order of publication, the first utopian literature to be written was by the Russian author Yevgeny Ivanovich Zamyatin. Born in Lebedian, Russia in 1884, Zamyatin was the son of a priest and a musician. Under czarism, he joined the Bolshevik Party and was arrested for his revolutionary activities. Even though he was exiled, he lived illegally in St Petersburg and studied to become a naval architect. After a series of lectures at the Polytechnic Institute, he was once again arrested but was quickly granted amnesty and was sent to England to aid in the construction of icebreakers. On the eve of the Russian Revolution, he returned to Russia. Although in favour with the Party for a long time following his return to Russia, he began to grow weary of the Party’s repression of freedoms and the harshness of the new regime. Quickly the tables turned and Zamyatin found all of his large body of work, which included stories, plays, essays, and many Soviet newspaper articles, banned. After writing a letter to Josef Stalin, Zamyatin was able to go into exile with his wife and died in poverty in Paris in 1937. It wasn’t until Mikhail Gorbachev’s reign that his pieces such as

Media Sensationalism and the Development of the Modern Cult of Tutankhamun

2006-10-30T15:53:52-04:00

Media sensationalism and media hypes are things that are painfully obvious in all of our lives. Every person of this generation can remember the hype of Y2K, the insanity of the 2000 Presidential Election, the exaggerated numbers associated with Hurricane Katrina, the panic of SARS and the currently claimed explosion of the avian flu across the world. Our parents remember that the only real way to protect oneself from an atomic blast is to “duck and cover.” The insanity even travels to foreign countries, with Britain’s media hype regarding “flesh-eating” bugs and South Korea with its infamous “fan death” stories. With advancements in communication, all we have been able to do is spread lies faster. Everyone jumps to be the first to report something so that they can claim to have the “exclusive news” that no one else has; they want to be “first instead of right.” When Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, he knew that he had found something that was going to make him famous. The public loves stories of intrigue and royalty, whether that royalty is the Queen of England or the latest Hollywood starlet, so a mysterious foreign monarch from centuries earlier was the perfect object for the media limelight. There was a general lack of information about the pharaoh, who had obviously died very young, so the media was able to fill in the blanks. What happened to Tutankhamun? He was somehow related to the famous Heretic King, who had been in all of the London papers previously, and it was generally known that the change to the new religion was resisted and mostly despised by the king’s subjects. Of course then, Tutankhamun must have been murdered by angry people in his court who looked to remove all proof that the Atenist era had ever taken place! It is the romantic view of the young pharaoh: a teenager devoted to his wife and the greatness of the Egyptian kingdom was knocked off by angry elders who wanted to take his place. Given a hasty burial in a simple nobleman’s tomb, he was left to the ages and never expected to be found. Mix into this the influence of movies like Freund’s The Mummy and sensational “findings” by x-ray of the “real” cause of Tutankhamun’s death and we have a great story. Howard Carter discovered the famous tomb in 1922 after seasons of work

Mind Over Matter - Victor Frankl

2006-10-22T14:43:03-04:00

“Man’s main concern is not to gain pleasure or avoid pain, but rather to see meaning in his life.” V. Frankel in Man’s Search for Meaning. Man can not overcome his trials and downfalls without hope, a determining belief in himself, and a belief in his fellow humankind. A person who dwells on the ever-stressful present without looking towards a brighter future can not cope well in an unpredictable anxious world. A strong stable sense of self is another crucial factor in determining a person’s quality of living and desire to live; knowing where one stands in a world full of conflicting views and ideas where one can easily get swept into a state of total confusion. No man is an island onto himself, the saying goes; interdependence is the way of the world, and he who attempts to prove that this does not apply to him will suffer. Victor Frankel was a psychiatrist as well as a Jew living under Nazi Europe and was thus thrust into a world of horrors where he, together with hundreds of thousands of others were stripped of everything but their bodies, branded like cattle, starved, and dehumanized after seeing their entire families and many friends exterminated. It was here that he made the astounding realization that one’s captors can take everything away from you, control your every move and function, but the one thing that can not be taken away or controlled is one’s mind. His attitude to any given set of circumstances is up to him. In the camps this was manifested in hope. He who lost hope was the first to die. His eyes became hopeless and his fellow inmates already knew he was gone. As long as the inmate knew in his heart that the liberation was on its way and that he would one day be able to raise a family, continue on with his routines, and live a comfortable life, he was able to survive. Maintaining a strong belief and faith in something, no matter what it was, was another factor of who was able to live, or even more heroic, who was able to meet their forced death with dignity. This belief and faith pierces through the soul of the individual until it is a part of his very nature and he is thus at peace with himself. He is unconsumed by the whirlwind of evil

Cold War or New War: American Foreign Policy since 9-11

2006-09-04T13:12:59-04:00

The Cold War can be most aptly characterized as an ideological conflict between two superpowers which enveloped and polarized the world for fifty years. It was a conflict between communism and capitalism, the Soviet Union versus the United States. Both nations’ foreign policies were shaped in order to retain and increase the influence of their respective ideologies whilst restricting the spread of the other. Since 9-11, U.S. foreign policy has had similar purposes and employed similar means to quelling so called ‘evil doers’ and consequently certain parallels can be drawn to the Cold War. However since 9-11, the U.S. has had to change it foreign policies due to characteristics of both the modern world and the enemy. The U.S. policy of containment during the Cold War stated that “the United States would support any free people threatened by communist aggression or subversion.” By simply replacing communism with evil in the previous statement, obvious similarities can be drawn between the U.S. foreign policy in the Cold War and after 9-11. Thus the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan can be compared with that of Vietnam as the U.S. committed military forces to stop ‘evil’ or ‘communism’ in order for democracy and freedom to prevail. Whether or not the occupants of the countries the United States chose to free wanted their help is irrelevant as the policy has been consistent. It does also illustrate that the United Sates have had policies in place whereby there will act on perceived threats and interests, regardless of legitimacy. However that is where the main similarities end as U.S. foreign policy since 9-11 has had to evolve to combat a seemingly invisible enemy. U.S. foreign policy since 9-11 differs most significantly from the strategy employed in the Cold War due to globalization and the nature of the enemy. To accomplish 9-11 the terrorists turned to the tools of globalization. This means that the sovereign invincibility once maintained by missile shields was no longer a viable defense. Terrorism has also been able to transcend national boarders because only a small proportion of Muslims subscribe to terrorist acts, and with the increased presence of Muslims all over the world, the U.S. have had to concede that Islam is inescapable presence. Thus their policies have had to reflect this. As Benjamin Barber suggests, American independence is a casualty of September 11, and it is apparent that

International support for the Whites during the Russian civil war was woefully inadequate

2006-08-30T14:09:23-04:00

“International support for the Whites during the Russian civil war was woefully inadequate”. How valid is this judgement? I will attempt to show that allied support for the Whites in the Russian civil war was inadequate by looking at the reasons for support and how they might impact on the level of support that was given, I will also look at the extent of support to see if it was inadequate, and finally, the relative importance of international support compared to other reasons for the White defeat on the outcome of the war to see if the lack of international support had a critical impact on the outcome of the Russian civil war. Firstly, it must be mentioned that each nation that intervened in the Russian civil war had some similar but many different reasons for doing so and that while many nations sent troops to Russia, not to help the Russians but for their own reasons, the White armies were supported much more than the Reds who had no intentional support. Equally important is the fact that the Allied nations which intervened in Russia at the time of the civil war never intended to ‘crush’ communism and to illustrate this; Britain had originally landed at the port of Archangel at the request of Trotsky to help fight the Germans and had been given permission to land by the Archangel Soviet. It was only after the surrender of the Russian’s in World War 1 that Britain began to help the Whites. Knowing why the allied nations sent limited support for the Whites goes a long way to explaining why support was so limited. Before the end of World War 1, the Russians surrendered to the Germans, signing the treaty of Brest-Litvosk. This freed up German armies and resources on the eastern front, allowing the Germans to fight a war on one front instead of two, giving them a great advantage. So the allied nation’s first reason for supporting the Whites in the Russian civil war was the restart the eastern front, stopping Germany making use of the Russian raw materials made available to them under the treaty and to make them once again spread their forces over two fronts. However, shortly after the Russians surrendered the First World War ended with an allied victory and there was no need for the allied nations to intervene to restart the Eastern front. The allied nations

Why Did The League Fail In The 1930s

2006-07-06T15:17:35-04:00

The League of Nations had been a partially successful organization in the 1920’s. During the 1930’s the situation became worst, and the League had been bypassed and ignored by powerful nations. The long term and short term weaknesses of the League had been exposed. The League had depended on Britain and France for support in times of crisis. However neither France nor Britain was willing to abandon their self-interests, and spend more of their time supporting the League. During the 1930’s, it became a known fact that Britain and France had other priorities. Throughout the existence of the League, it always had a problem with its members. Germany had not been allowed to join until 1926 because of the treaty of Versailles, but it left in 1933. Japan also left in 1933 after the Manchurian Crisis, and Italy left in 1937 after the Abyssinian crisis. Russia did not join until 1934. When Italy, Japan, and Germany left the League, Britain and France were left as the only permanent members of the League. Also most importantly, the USA had never been a member. Without the major powers, the Leagues ability to enforce sanctions was almost none existent. If the trade sanctions failed, the League was left with no choice other than using military force. Yet as in the 1920’s the League did not have an army of its own, and its members were not willing to commit their troops. The League was never able to use this option to enforce its rules. One of the League’s problems was the way that it had been structured. The League was meant to act quickly, however in many cases the League met infrequently and took a very long time to make decisions. The first test for the League, during the 1930’s, was when Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931. Japan had been a very powerful nation, and a permanent member of the League. Japan had been seriously weakened due to the 1929 Depression; the country was going through on economic and political crisis. China appealed to the League, and they ordered Japan to leave but were ignored. Japan told the League that it was there to settle disputes, and not there as an aggressor. The League sent the Lytton committee in the area to assess the problem, and report back to the League.

How Succesful Was The League Of Nations In The 1920s

2006-07-06T15:14:49-04:00

The League of Nations was an organisation designed to maintain peace throughout the World. It was created during the Paris Peace Conference. The League of Nations was the idea of Woodrow Wilson, the president of the USA. The League’s main aims were to bring together all nations in a parliament to discuss and settle disputes, to protect the independence of countries and safeguard their borders, to improve peoples living and working conditions, and to make war obsolete by persuading nations to disarm. From the beginning of its creation the League of Nations had to overcome many obstacles. One of the major problems the League had was that the USA never joined, thus leaving Britain and France in charge of the League. Without the USA the economic sanctions that the League would impose on others, would not be as effective. Both Britain and France were not strong enough, to be able to lead the League of Nations; they were both weakened during World War One. For Example they had both lost a lot of their armies and their economy was weakened. Another weakness of the League was that it did not have an army of its own, and it would have to depend solely on the co-operation of the armies of its members. In addition the council of the League met once a year and the assembly met five times a year, thus causing the League not to be able to talk about a problem immediately. The League of Nations had to deal with many disputes during the 1920’s. A few of these disputes were settled successfully while some were failures. Some successes were the dispute between Poland and Germany regarding Upper Silesia. The League sent British and French Troops to maintain order. There the League organised a successful plebiscite, but the voting turned out equal and the area was split. The industrial area went to Germany, and the rural area stayed to Poland. The League safeguarded rail links between the two countries, and made arrangements for water and power supplies from one side of the border to be supplied to the other. One more success was the dispute between Sweden and Finland over the Aaland Islands, after the League had studied the matter the islands were given to Finland and Sweden accepted this decision.

Who Was To Blame For The Cold War?

2006-05-14T17:38:23-04:00

The Cold war can be considered as one of the longest wars in history, it involved the two super powers of the time the USA and the USSR. (West and East). Both of these countries were governed under two very different ideologies, the USA had a democratic capitalist system while the USSR was a one-party communist state. The communist ideology is based on the idea that the rights of individual people are less important then the rights of society as a whole. On the other hand the USA capitalist ideology states that being free of government control is much more important that everyone being equal and alike. Even though the industry of the USSR grew rapidly as they were under the control of the government, their average wage was much lower than that of the USA. These ideologies have had tensions between them for a very long time, even before the start of the cold war. The tension between capitalism and communism goes as far back as the Bolshevik revolution in Russia in 1917. It continued after the First World War when the USSR was not allowed to join the League of Nations or attend the Paris Peace Conference. During the Paris Peace Conferences countries such as Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were created from former soviet land and this again caused the anger of the USSR. Then as the Second World War approached, the Soviets were not invited to be at the Munich Conference and in return they signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact with Hitler. During WW2 the USSR did not receive any help from the allies until late 1942 when they had already joined the Western Alliance for two years. The red army and the American army were two of the major armies, which helped to defeat Hitler and free many countries from nazi-rule and reveal the horrors of the holocaust. Even if by this time it looked as the two representatives of the USA and the USSR, President Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin were allies at the end of the war their first disagreement and first major problem between the two countries came during the Yalta Conference. It was about Poland. Stalin wanted to keep the parts of Poland that he had won in the Nazi-Soviet pact of 1939. He wanted Poland to expand westward into Eastern Germany. Which would create

Why was opposition to Franco so ineffective for so long?

2006-05-14T10:41:37-04:00

“The regime of General Franco considered its greatest political achievement to be the establishment of an era of peace and order without precedent in the history of Spain.” Opposition to Franco was ineffective for so long due to a wide variety of factors, the Franco regime itself was very oppressive yet it cannot solely explain the lack of opposition as it did not prevent strikes, student demonstrations and the activities of ETA in the 1960s. There was tacit acceptance by the large sections of the Spanish population of the Francoist system, the Franco regime represented the restoration of traditional values in education, family, religion and social order; values which were more deeply rooted in Spanish society than the liberal-democratic reformists of the 1930s had believed. The Franco regime also benefited from the sheer exhaustion of the Spanish society after three years of bloody civil war and it can be said that there was majority social support for Francoism within Spain. Conflicts in Spain were much more severe than was apparent in the regime’s propaganda or reflected in a manipulated media. The resistance was heroic but its repercussions in Spain were limited, it revealed the repressive nature of the regime and the inadequacy of its institutions for solving the conflict of a modern society. The regime’s repression was very efficient, between 1939 and 45 the clandestine Socialist Party saw six executive committees imprisoned and until the end of the diplomatic isolation of Spain in the 1950s the government was not concerned with the effect of brutal repression on its image abroad; it in fact capitalised on international hostility. Harsh repression prevented any effective action by clandestine unions, when these unions were ineffective the workers were demobilised, concerned with the satisfaction of their individual needs rather than with collective action. Ridruejo spoke in 1961 of ‘a loss of working-class consciousness.’ Leaders of the ‘historic’ opposition were mostly forced into exile and therefore cut off from the clandestine struggle within Spain. Only the Communists successfully survived the difficulties created by exile combined with repression at home. They grasped the importance of action within Spain itself in the fight against Franco; they formed the only continuous and significant clandestine organisation. Nevertheless their guerrilla action between 1944 and 48 failed due to the strict press censorship there were no echoes of their activity outside of a

The Classic Account of the Final Hours of the Titanic

2006-05-08T01:37:53-04:00

Correct preparation can help ease out problems in times of troubles. The novel A Night to Remember, written by Walter Lord, proves this statement true, by illustrating the Titanic’s great tragedy that happened early morning on April 15, 1912. Through the sinking of the Titanic, three lessons that were to be learned, was that communication between ships had to be better; the Titanic’s design was flawed and people shouldn’t have put all of their hope and faith into a few nuts and bolts; and if the crew and passengers had been serious about this situation. These three lessons could have changed the fate of the Titanic and its passengers lives could have ended in different circumstances. If proper measures had been taken between the ways the ships communicated, there wouldn’t have been so much loss of life. Messages that another ocean liner, the Californian, had sent, were not taken seriously by the wireless operators of the Titanic. An example of this is, “Only an hour ago - just when he was at last in good contact with Cape Race - The Californian barged in with some messages about icebergs… ‘Shut up, shut up! I am busy; I am working Cape Race!’” (Lord, 23). If First Operator John George Phillips had taken this last message, then maybe the Titanic wouldn’t have hit the iceberg, and many lives would have been spared. An additional example would be that the other ships wouldn’t take the messages of the Titanic very seriously. “Close at hand, the Cunarder Carpathia steamed southward in complete ignorance” (Lord, 44). Another lesson that was to be learned for the communication between the ships, was that 24 hour wireless radio service was to be used. The wireless operator aboard the Californian was bored and did not want to send anymore messages so he left and no one was there to replace him. “Groves didn’t wind it up, and so he heard nothing. Giving up, he put the phones back on the table, and went below to livelier company.” (Lord, 25). If there was 24 hour wireless radio service, then maybe numerous amounts of people could have been saved. “For Captain Smith there was the five ice messages received during the day - the last where to expect the berg. (Lord, 75-76). Captain Smith had received five messages that day, but six were sent. The last one was the one that

Harlem Renaissance

2006-04-23T19:19:55-04:00

What was the Harlem Renaissance? The Harlem Renaissance was an era where African-Americans revealed their abilities not only in literature but also in art and music. This period lasted from the end of World War I through the middle of the 1930’s Depression. During this period, a tremendous outbreak of black intellectuals took place in Harlem a district of New York City. In the middle of this revolutionary atmosphere, a small group of black men and women began a public relations campaign to promote what they called the “New Negro” movement. The name of this public relations campaign was “The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People”. This movement encouraged every black person to become the “New Negro” and join the new more sophisticated and educated African-American culture and community. Sixty black, white men and women founded the NAACP February 12, 1909. Following the horrifyingly acts done to black Americans in Springfield, Illinois. The white Americans attempted to lynch and remove black residents from their hometown. The NAACP worked restlessly for three decades on a campaign against lynching. Lynching is the punishment of presumed crimes or offenses usually by death without due process of law. The association also fought against other injustices such as the grandfather clause law that prevented the right to vote for many black Americans. This law consisted mainly in giving the right to vote solely to the black Americans whose grandfathers were not enslaved. Logically this law denied the enfranchisement of black Americans. Despite all of the NAACP victories in the United States governmental system, its biggest victory was obtaining the verdict of the Supreme Court in 1954 to declare segregation in the schools as unconstitutional. The black sociologist and historian W. E. B. Dubois editor of “The Crisis Magazine” published “The Souls Of Black Folks.” In this piece of literature he stated in a quote the next few words, “One ever feels two-ness-and American, a Negro, Two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled stirrings: two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn as under.” In this quote, it is clearly visible that Dubois was emerging his black community to use literature as there escape into freedom, and a more unified culture, from this point on the African Americans felt free to express themselves, to allow their creativity to be honored and appreciated by others without any repression or fear.

Why did the Industrial Revolution Happen There and Then?

2006-04-20T12:39:32-04:00

In this essay I will be talking about why The Industrial revolution happened there and then. The essay will mainly consist of which factors helped cause the Industrial revolution and conclude in me stating which factor I find affected the Industrial revolution the most. I will begin by explaining what the Industrial Revolution is, when and also where it took place. The term Industrial Revolution is the name given to the sudden enlargement of Britain’s industry in the late 18thand early 19th centuries. The range of factors that helped cause the Industrial revolution are things such as plenty of raw materials. This is proven by: railways and machines were now made much faster and easier because now there were enough materials needed to make iron and steel which was the main metals of railways and machines. There were new industries and the population was growing giving extra labour to work in the industries. Cotton business booming and spinners couldn’t work fast enough to make the cotton into yarn which was supplied to them. There was enough coal to drive stem machinery in factories. Another thing is Britain’s population was expanding. This can be proven by: the growing population of people provided the extra labour needed to work in the industries. Many businesses profited because the more people there were the more people would buy, giving businesses more money. Also there were many new ideas and inventions. This can be proven by: There were many people who were individuals, industrialists and inventors. These people saw how to make business out of other people’s new inventions. Arkwright perfected his own spinning machine this one was much simpler to operate than the ‘jenny’. Also Arkwright made the spinning frame and then made it known as the ‘water frame’. The water frame became very successful. Several more machines were installed in the factory and then more mills were built, at Cromford and around Britain. A factor that can also be counted is that Britain had a food surplus. This can be proven by: They grew more food to feed the growing population, particularly the town population, which did not grow its own food. The profits made by some farmers and landowners were invested in industry or in transport improvements such as canals. Farmers and farm workers earned more and so had more money to spend on goods produced by industry. Another thing is that

How Did Hitler Come to Power in 1933?

2006-04-20T07:46:57-04:00

Adolf Hitler was a very lucky man throughout his lifeÉ It was November 1918 and Germany signed the armistice ending the First World War. Private 1st Class A. Hitler was in an army hospital being treated for a shrapnel wound to the head when he heard the news. Like many other Germans, he was shocked and angry about the surrender as the fighting never reached Germany. Soon after the Treaty of Versailles was signed which detailed the handover of German land and colonies and the reduction of armed forces. The majority of Germans felt, Hitler included, that this was highly unfair; they suffered and starved for nothing. This document provided him a voice with which to address his views to the German public. Hitler could not have come to power without two main events that happened in the run-up to 1933: The Great Depression in 1929, in which Germany was hit hardest because the USA withdrew their loans to them (Dawes Plan), saw unemployment rise rapidly and trade plummet. As in most cases, faced with an extreme problem, people search for an extreme answer; it came in two forms: The Communist Party and the NSDAP (National Socialist German WorkerÕs Party) or Nazi for short (Nationalsozialistische). The communists were a left-wing party who believed in equality of the people, abolition of the middle classes and the working proletariat to rule. This did not suit the tastes of the Middle and upper classes, as they would lose a considerable chunk of their wealth if the Communists came into power. The Nazis on the other hand, with which Hitler was a member, were a very right-wing party. They blamed others for GermanyÕs problems and appealed to a large spectrum of people by using deliberately vague policies about how they could improve Germany. In HitlerÕs speech on becoming elected as chancellor, he said that he would increase workersÕ wages and increase profits for the companies. This does not make sense, as Hitler would have to pull money out of nowhere to maintain this promise. They also built on peopleÕs fears of communism and made scapegoats of the ÔNovember criminalsÕ, the Weimar government that signed the Treaty of Versailles, the Nazi seats in the Reichstag over the Depression rose from 12 by just less than 2000% to 230. Headed by the most charismatic leader of the time, Hitler, the Nazis looked favourites over the Communists as the winner

How the Nazis are Portrayed in Films

2006-04-11T20:35:11-04:00

The Nazi Party has been filmed and chronicled since its creation and since the defeat of fascism in the Second World War; the Nazis have been portrayed in many different films and remain today a subject of criticism. The Nazis instigated a program of genocide against the Jews, Slavs and many other groups such as gypsies and homosexuals as well as removing, imprisoning and executing German opposition to their policies. Since the defeat of the Nazis, Western cinema, upholding the rights of the individual and freedom of speech, has used Nazism as its adversary. The following four scenes from films all show the Nazis in a different way: ÒTRIUMPH DES WILLENSÓ - This monochrome film was made for the Nuremburg rally in 1934, while the Nazis were in power. It is a German film directed by the very talented Leni Riefenstahl. It glorifies Hitler, the new Germany and the Nazi policies by use of symbolism and imagery, cinematography, association and propaganda so as to convince the German public that Adolf Hitler was worthy of their leadership. It does this by only showing the happy people in the crowd and the well-disciplined Wehrmacht but not the groups of people deemed to be in opposition with Hitler and the Nazi Party. When this film came out, five years before the war, Germany and Britain were on fairly peaceful terms. In fact, in the film you can see the representatives from Britain sitting watching Hitler inspire his people. Some people in Britain at this time liked Hitler and thought that some of his policies had a point to them. The filmÕs title refers to the German philosopher Nietzsche and his book called ÔThe Will to PowerÕ, which explains that living things are not just driven by the need to stay alive, but by the need to use power, to dominate others, and to make them weaker. This subtle information reveals much about HitlerÕs goals for the German ÔVolkÕ. The film starts with a few words introducing the film. It begins ÒOn September 5th 1934, 20 years after the outbreak of the World War, 16 years after the beginning of our suffering, 19 months after the beginning of the German renaissance, Adolf Hitler flew again to Nuremberg to review the columns of his faithful followersÓ. This introduction explains a great deal about HitlerÕs views. The third sentence Ò16 yearsÉÓ (talking about the Treaty of Versailles in

Women in Iraq

2006-03-12T02:32:54-05:00

Women in Iraq “It’s best if you are seen and not heard today,” my mother would say that to me just before we enter the sophisticated parties and get-togethers with my fathers co-workers because I was such a young child and needed to learn everything that I know today about respect, where my place in society is, and how to up-hold that status. In America, children are the only ones who, in public places and are expected to be seen and not heard. The same kind of theory is applied to women in Iraq. They are not to be seen by any strange man, and when seen by men, they are to be fully covered, except their eyes, with an abayah, and not to be heard. The women in Iraq are supposed to stay in the house all day, cook, clean, do the laundry, have kids, and are to be faithful to their husbands, per “Guest of the Sheik, An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village,” by Elizabeth Warnock Fernea. In this novel, Fernea talks about the requirements and expectations of a perfect bride, women, and/or wife, and how they act and behave in a village in Iraq. For most if not all of the women in Iraq, the most important thing to them is their husband. They love him to death, and have never even seen him before the wedding day. The match is most always made between cousins and/or made within the same family. Then the man pays the father of the prospecting bride and they have a marriage ceremony. Laila tells BJ, “The grooms smiles meant that indeed everything was all right; the girl was a virgin, the man and his mother were satisfied.” (Fernea, 148) When the groom goes to check out the bride, if the groom does not like the bride or she is not a virgin, he has the right to have one of her relatives kill her. The bride is not to eat before the wedding because, “…She and her husband will have a big meal together. If he is a good man, he will bring her fruit and sweets and sherbet.” (Fernea, 139) In this quote, Laila, a friend of BJ’s is explaining to BJ that is custom for the wife to be not to eat before the ceremony because it is custom

why did australia become involved in the vietnam war?

2006-03-07T23:01:17-05:00

Why did Australia become involved in the Vietnam War? How did the Australian Government

Great Plains

2006-02-12T07:57:59-05:00

What were the economic, political, technological and social changes that took place on the Great Plains between 1800 and 1900? Many things happened on the Great Plains in a century, The political changes were something new to the Indians, they were used to having their own tribe to themselves, and other tribes ruled other parts of North America. Then the Europeans came, and then they ruled the Great Plains. Americans and Canadians wiped out most of the Indians. A man named Major Edward Wynkoop received news that one of the tribes wanted to end the war. The Major said that was out of his command and went to the Governor of Colorado, and he replied “What should I do with the 3rd Colorado Regiment if I make peace? They have been raised to kill Indians so they will kill Indians.” So they continued with the war. Their homeland was going to become the USA and they would be part of it. Laws that had never heard of would be put into action. But the Indians were forced to hand over there land. The Indians had no choice; they had to give up their land a go to reservations. So they met with the US Government and agreed to surrender their land. Then go to places with a very low supply of buffalo, which was the Indians main supply of food. Therefore the ones in charge of the Plains were the white Americans. They built railroads, farms and schools all over the Indians previous land. While the Indians tried to live on the reservations they had been given. The first thing they built to help the economy were some railroad tracks over the Plains, from Cheyenne to Chicago, Ellsworth to St. Joseph and Dodge City to St. Louis, each of these railways also stopped at nearby towns. These massive railways took hundreds of works lives away, because they had to survive extreme hot and freezing cold temperatures. They also had to be careful of hostile Indians But this helped people travel the USA a lot faster. Indians were a bit worried about the train’s loud noises scaring off their buffalo. Soon after, farmers decided to raise their cattle and do their farming over the plains, making supplies of food for nearby towns, there food could have been transferred by the train. Then cattlemen thought that if they could make their cattle go to a

To what extent was the Treaty of Versailles a sensible treaty in the circumstances of the time?

2006-02-05T10:08:23-05:00

To what extent was the Treaty of Versailles a sensible treaty in the circumstances of the time? Some people think that the Treaty of Versailles was a sensible treaty and others think it wasn’t. In this essay I’m going to write about until what extent was the Treaty of Versailles a sensible treaty in the circumstances of the time. Some Germans said it was a harsh treaty, but others said that if they would have won, their punishment would be a lot more harsher, the Kaiser’s government even planned to pay war debts getting money from the defeated countries. Also, when Germans made Russia sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, it was very harsh too because it took a huge area of land, so Germans didn’t have the right to say the Treaty of Versailles was unfair because their Treaty of Brest-Litovsk wasn’t fair neither. It was sensible to make them pay what they made Russians pay. The Treaty of Versailles set up countries such as Poland and Czechoslovakia to keep an eye on Germany and it also converted the Rhineland into a demilitarised zone. These were sensible things to do to avoid another war, which was the main aim of The Treaty of Versailles. Before the terms of the Treaty of Versailles being introduced, Germany was already devastated and when the reparation debt was introduced they couldn’t believe it. Their reparation debt was worth £6600 million, this amount was too much for them, and they wouldn’t finish paying it until 1984. Their army was made much smaller, no more than 100000 men, and lots of industrial land was taken from them. These weren’t very sensible decisions because Germany could want revenge in the future and bring up another war, which was what the Treaty of Versailles was avoiding. Some terms of the Treaty of Versailles, didn’t agree with Wilson’s 14 Points, for example Britain took control over German colonies and this didn’t agreed with self-determination. The fact that countries such as France and Britain broke terms that they had agreed with and signed before, wasn’t a very sensible thing to do, because this could encourage other countries to do the same thing. It wasn’t sensible neither blaming Germany for starting the war when the blame should be shared. The Germans were made to sign the League of Nations, set up by the Treaty of Versailles, when then they weren’t allowed to join, once more the term

How far was Hitler’s foreign policy to blame for the outbreak of war in the 1939?

2006-02-05T10:06:56-05:00

In this essay, I am going to discuss about whether Hitler was to blame for the outbreak of war in the 1939 or not. Hitler’s foreign policy did had something to do with the outbreak the war, but the USA, Britain, France, the USSR, Japan and Italy also had to do with it. The main reason why there was a war was that Hitler and other countries started invading other countries and disobeying the Treaty of Versailles. The fact that the USA was not a member of the League, made the League weak. The USA was the only country that would make the economic sanctions effective and it had the biggest army. If it was a member of the League then the war could of have been avoided because Hitler would not have had the courage to invade so many countries. Britain and France did wrongly self-interesting and letting Hitler go away with what he wanted while they were just focusing on their own countries. They did nothing when Hitler took over the Rhineland, the Sudetenland, and the Polish Corridor nor when he made Anschluss with Austria. All these things made Hitler each time more confident, and even more confident when they signed a policy of Appeasement. It was not good to give Hitler confidence because it would mean he would probably invade more countries and expect no action taken by the League. He was very fond of following his aims published in his book Mein Kampf, one of them was to “expand German territory”. If Britain and France had not let Hitler go away with it then war might of not have happened. When Italy, Japan and Germany noticed their common dictatorship, they signed a pact called the Anti-Comintern Pact mainly to defeat communism, especially the one in the USSR. This alliance, called the Axis Alliance, made Hitler more confident because he was sure that if Germany entered in war the other two countries, Japan and Italy, would fight for him. This encouraged Hitler invade more countries and be nearer to the outbreak of war. Poland was a main objective of Hitler, though he claimed he only wanted the Polish Corridor. Britain and France advised Hitler that if he invaded Poland they would declare war on him, but Hitler didn’t believed this, if he had got away with what he wanted so many times, why couldn’t he get away with this one

Thoughts on Elie Wiesel's "Night"

2006-01-17T08:31:47-05:00

“To hate would be to reduce myself” is what Elie Wiesel told Opera in an interview. After all Wiesel had been through during the holocaust, he could not bring himself to hate. He demonstrates his respect for all human kind through his written work and public speeches; he understands the key interactions needed to make a society run. “Someone who hates one group will end up hating everyone – and, ultimately, hating himself or herself.” By following this statement Elie Wiesel came to terms with the atrocities that were brought down upon him and lives his life with compassion today. Elie Wiesel said, “Thou shalt not stand idly by.” He himself does not stand idly by; he is very active in the international community in places like Africa, where people are being oppressed. Where there is a call for help, Elie Wiesel is there to hear and to aid in stopping it. His personal account of the holocaust Night outlines his feelings about good and evil, God and his father during their captivity in the concentration camps. Good usually prevails over evil, or does it? Many gross atrocities were committed against the Jews for no good reason. At the first concentration camp, Buna, Elie witnessed babies being thrown into a pit and burned without being knocked out. The German officers just burned the babies, a symbol of complete innocence, in large pits like they were firewood and did not heed to their cries of fear and anguish. Another incident of conflict between good and evil is when Elie sees his kapo with the Polish girl and laughs. The next day Elie is called out and is whipped 10 times, the kapo used Elie as a scapegoat in front of all the other prisoners and humiliated and demoralized him because he had caught the kapo performing an immoral act, since the kapo and Elie already had conflicts with each other. A blatant example of good versus evil exists when the German’s make the prisoners go on an impossible run through the country. The German’s killed anyone who could not keep up, and made the prisoners run without food or water. During this time people had little to keep their moral high and were further demoralized by the Germans. In the end, the Jewish people were liberated, but they went through so much just to prove the statement that good always prevails over

India and Mesopotamia

2006-01-17T03:13:16-05:00

There were many differences between these two countries (India and Mesopotamia). They had very little amount of similarities but they had a very strong equal amount of life format. Mesopotamia believed that there was no afterlife and that it was called the place of no return. They were polytheistic and that meant that they had an intense belief that nature gods are responsible for life. They also had a very different social class order, which was in: Rulers or lord/Priests Free commoners: like craftsmen Dependent clients: no property, taxes, which was food Slaves: also called POW, criminals, people who owed money that could even buy their freedom back This place also had a strong male society. The reason for this is because men had to control the sexuality of women and because the son of men had to take over the fathers place once the father died. This was also called Patriarchal. Its geographical location for this place was that it had an irregular flood each year. This was from the Euphrates River and the Tigris River. Because of the floods they had to make irrigation system and the things included were damns, reservoirs, and Canals. This was led to the belief that people from there became more complex and made new solutions to their problems with floods. India was different because they believed in two religions. One of them was called Hinduism, which dealt with the classes and the use of good and bad karma. It also had to deal with being polytheistic because they believed in not one founder and that was one universal spirit call Braham. They also believed in reincarnation. Their social classes was ordered like this: Brahmins Kshatriyas Vaishyas Shudras Untouchables Animal Plant The Brahmin’s are priests, Kshatryas are rulers and warriors, Vaishyas are peasants and traders, and lastly, Shudras are the laborers. They believed that with good karma (doing good) you would go to a better class and go to the universal spirit also known as Mokcsha. If you got bad karma then you would go to a lower class. The caste system enforced a traditional social system and in this way people would know their place in society. The second religion was Buddhism. This religion came up during time of religious questioning in India (6th century B.C). The teachings of Buddhism were that life is full of misery, desires cause misery, end suffering by ending desires, and follow the eight fold path (to reach Nirvanna). In this religion

Macedonia for Macedonians , not for Greek

2005-12-22T12:08:14-05:00

Greece - BIGEST SHAME FOR HUMANITY. After balkans wars 1912-14 y. Greece Robbery,Theft,Larceny,Pinch,Bulgary,Depredation part of Macedonia. Between 1903 and 1950 y. Greece killed Hundrets Thousends Macedonian,man,woman,child. Over 2.5 million people are....ETNICITY CLEANING...and must have outrun,slink cities and villages. "ELLINIKI DEMOKRATIA"...? Over 3 million TURK - GREEKS "MAKEDONOMAHI" from ANADOLIA - TYRKIE come to "free teritory". (JUGOSLAVIA,TYRKIE AND GREECE "HAVE CHANGE PEOPLE" BETWEEN 1948-1952 y). "GREAT DEAL" THIS IS TRUTH ABOUT "GREECE MACEDONIA". Today greece politics is not change... ONE PEOPLE,ONE LANGUAGE,ONE COUNTRY,ONE CHURCH... LIKE GEBELS IN NAZI GERMANY.(MAYBE HITLER LEARN FROM GREECE BETWEEN 1903-1930). "HELENIZAM"..."GREECE"...WHAT MEAN? NOTHING. GERMAN ROMANTIC IDEA (from 1830 y). WHERE IN HISTORY (MACEDONIAN WORD) ARE "HELENS"..."GREEKS". NOWHERE. WHY? Because "GREEKS" exist like RUMELIANS AND YUNANISTANIANS. FROM RIM = ROMAN IMPERIA FROM MACEDONIA = MACEDONIAN IMPERIA FROM EGYPT = EGYPT KINGDOM FROM BIZANT = BIZANT IMPERIA "HELENS IMPERIA"? "GREECE IMPERIA"? WHERE ARE? Modern archaeology says: 7.000 yers writen words MACEDONIA - "PIR MACEDONIAN". HOW? "GREEKS" ARE AT EUROPE 4000y?....? WHO WRITE THIS WORDS? ANSVER IST SIMPLE: TRUE MACEDONIANS WHO LIVING AT THIS LAND OVER 300.000 YEARS (from ARCHAEOLOGY AND PALENTEOLOGY) Simbol for SUN.....12.000 YEARS OLD. WHERE IS WRITEN? IN ETIOPIA,BURKINA FASO,SUB-SAHARIAN REGION ? RNA,DNK ANALYSIS SAYS:"GREEKS ARE FROM THERE". GREECE IS MEMBER OF EUROPEAN UNION. TYRKIE "WAIT" OVER 30 YEARS,...GENOCIDE OVER ARMENIAN.... MEMBERSHIP FOR GREECE IS "COMPENSATION" FOR GENOCIDE

Martin Luther King's way

2005-11-20T16:17:18-05:00

“Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. It is a weapon unique in history, which cuts without wounding, and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals”. - Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King used non violence as a weapon to bring justice and equality to the segregated Black society of America. He was one of the few people who stood up against society and tried to change what he believed was wrong. Martin Luther King is best known for the dream that he had. A dream that one day justice and equality would prevail in the presently segregated American society. He was the leading man in the civil rights movement and changed the racially segregated society of America through non-violent means. Martin Luther King was responsible to maintain the peace in America through non –violence and any other method would have made things worse. King got involved in the civil rights movement, and in 1955 he was the leader of the Montgomery bus boycott. King was arrested during protests but his arrest led to the court in outlawing racial segregation. King was also part of organizations like the SCLC and SNCC. Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was the organization which led non – violent protests against racism. King also organized and led marches to acquire the right to vote and other basic civil rights for the blacks. After looking at Gandhi’s non – violent progress in India, King was inspired and looked forward to non – violence as the only method to end racism. Now the question arises that why King used non violence when there were many other methods which would have worked effectively. Non – violence would have been the last resort in a country where the blacks were abused, humiliated, and treated like animals. During the time, Blacks also started to protest against the system, the government and many of them used violent ways. Blacks would attack whites and the whites would retaliate. The condition of racial segregation had already reached its peak during that time. Martin Luther King relied on non –violence because he wanted a peaceful way out of the problem in the country. King already had plans for the future in his mind, he was thinking about the best way to bring justice and equality among all Americans. While violence would seem effective in that period of time, non –violence would

Alexander the Great

2005-11-07T00:55:40-05:00

The general characteristics of a great historical figure are leader ship, bravery, intelligence, self-confidence, and loyalty. These are important because if you have no leadership skill then how are u supposed to lead people in times of trouble, your not going to be able to if you are a follower. Its good to be brave so if you are in a war with someone you are not afraid to take a risk or go and fight them. You also have to have bravery if you are going to go and do a task. Say you are asked to go deliver a message to the prison and you are afraid of the people around the prison, then you are not going to be able to get the task done. If you are brave then you wouldn’t mind going and doing the task. You need to have self-confidence to do just about everything and anything. If you have no self-confidence then you are going to be always asking everyone are you sure this is the right decision, are you sure I should do this, or anything else. You need to be able to make decisions on your own and not have to ask people for their advice all the time. You need to be intelligent to make it anywhere at all in life. If you are stupid then it’s going to get you absolutely no where. If you have intelligence you are going to be able to make the right decision instead of the stupid one. You also have to be loyal to whatever you are serving. Whether it is your country, family, friends, or school. If your not loyal people aren’t going to be able to trust you. Now if your loyal people are going to realize of they are loyal we can trust them. You can get many more jobs and gain a lot more friendships and a lot of more peoples trust if you are loyal towards people and things. Alexander the great was a cocky guy in my opinion. I thought he was a little too self-confident. I thought that he thought he was the best and better then everyone else. I didn’t like him at all. Sure he was a great leader and was good out on the battlefield but I didn’t like him. He seemed a little too careless when it came to his drinking

balck beard

2005-11-04T00:11:18-04:00

Edward Teach, alias Blackbeard, "more than any other, can be called North Carolina's own pirate, although he was not a native of the colony... As is the case with all pirates, his origin is obscure. His name originally, it seems was Edward Drummond, and he began his career as an honest seaman, sailing out of his home port of Bristol, England. He is seldom known by that name, for after he became a pirate he began calling himself Edward Teach, sometimes spelled in the records as Thatch, Tache, or even Tatch. Yet it was as Blackbeard that he was, and still is , known, and it was under this name that the people of his generation knew him, 'a swaggering, merciless brute.'" -- Hugh F. Rankin. Blackbeard went by the name Edward Teach. Most historians agree that he was born about the year 1680 in Bristol, England. He was able to read and write which suggests his family had moneyAs with most pirates, little is known of his early life. Sometime in the early eighteenth century, Teach left Bristol for Jamaica to sail on the ships of privateers. When England revoked the privateer’s license, Teach joined forces with Captain Benjamin Hornigold. Hornigold took Teach under his wing and taught him everything he knew about taking ships. This alliance lasted for a little over two years. It was during this time that Teach first came to Carolina. By March of 1718, Blackbeard had decided to leave the Caribbean and sail up the east coast of America. On his way he encountered several ships who joined forces with him. By the time they reached Charleston in late May, Blackbeard had nearly seven hundred men under his command. Blackbeard and his fleet blockaded Charleston harbor for nearly a week and stopped all ships coming and going. Blackbeards’ only demand from the Governor was for a chest of medicine. Several prominent citizens had been taken hostage but were released when the demands were met. Blackbeard’s fleet left Charleston without firing a single shot. Shortly after the blockade of Charleston, Blackbeard sunk his flagship “Queen Anne’s Revenge” in Beaufort Inlet. The booty he had stolen in Charleston was put on a small sloop which he named the Adventure. By mid-June Blackbeard and his crew were in Bath, North Carolina and had accepted the Kings pardon for piracy. During the next few weeks Blackbeard bought a house in Bath and

The position of the Etruscans in late prehistory

2005-11-02T03:36:23-04:00

Many years before continental Europe was united by the enveloping grasp of the conquering Romans, in a fertile region just north of Rome, Central Italy, a fascinating population existed. Known to modern archaeologists as the Etruscans, their origin, like much of their history, is disputed. Due to a dearth of archaeological evidence and lack of surviving literature, much of what we can conclude regarding their existence is little more than supposition. Luckily, however, subsequent civilizations literature has survived, literature that speaks explicitly of the Etruscan empire, and it is from this that we are able to draw conclusions. Using these sources along with the sparse but fascinating archaeological evidence that does exist, we are able to establish life in Etruria in late prehistory, tracking their influence on the development of Celtic (Gaul) and Roman societies before they were eventually subjugated by the Roman Empire. In the Bronze Age, 900 ï¿½ 700 BCE the Italian peninsula was settled by a group of small-scale agriculturalists, known to archaeologists as the Villanovans. Within two hundred years the Etruscan civilization had begun. Whether this resulted from an adoption of new ideas by the Villanovans (Scullard, 1967) or from a migration of peoples from Lydia, Asia Minor, is unclear. They called themselves Rasenna but are known to Archaeologists as the Etruscans. In the 7th century BCE Etruria emerged suddenly (compared with the pace of much of prehistory) (Hamblin, 1975) as a great Mediterranean civilization and achieved the peak of its power in the 6th and 5th centuries BCE (Macnamara, 1991). This period was known as the Orientalizing Period which was followed by the Archaic Period 600-400 BCE, Classical periodï¿½ 490-300 BCE and finally the Hellenistic Period 300-1 BCE when Etruria was incorporated into Roman Society. Before the domination of Rome the only power to affect a partial ethnico-political and a wider cultural unification of Italy was Etruria (Pallottino, 1955). Archaeologists who suppose that the Etruscans are of Lydian decent believe that the area first settled was the coastal side of the Tyrrhenian Sea (Pallottino, 1955). The region that may be considered to be the heartland of Etruria, being the area that the twelve Etruscan cities were constructed, lies between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the rivers Tiber and Arno, this is Etruria proper (Pallottino, 1955). All of these cities were built north of where

Oskar Schindler's metamorposis

2005-10-25T09:05:28-04:00

“In the film ‘Schindler’s List’, Oskar Schindler undergoes a dramatic metamorphosis”. Discuss. The film ‘Schindler’s List’ depicts the transformation of its main protagonist, Oskar Schindler, from an opportunist war profiteer to the saviour of over one thousand Jews. He is originally depicted as a womanizer and a Nazi sympathizer, however he becomes an ‘accidental saviour’ through his plan to utilize Jewish workers for his own gain. His metamorphosis is triggered by the exposure to atrocities committed by Nazis. Schindler becomes a genuine saviour motivated purely by saving as many lives as he can. His compilation of ‘the list’ and eventual support of the “Schindler Jews” in Brinnlitz is evidence of his pure humanitarianism and transformation In the beginning of Schindlers List, Schindler is portrayed as suave, opportunistic, manipulator whose main motivation is to profit in any way he can from the war. In the first five scenes we see (through the clever use of camera angle) Schindler’s assessment of Nazi officers. He uses money to bribe waiters and changes from an unknown observer of the party to the life of the party. He is able to use social engineering to buy items from the black market, keep Stern from being sent to a camp and also to manipulate Nazi officers into approving his Jewish slavery-based company. He is a womanizer, and enjoys the fine thinks in life. In a discussion with his wife he says, “I want to do something extraordinary”. He considers this to be coming to Poland with no money and leaving as a rich man. He does indeed accomplish something extraordinary, however it is not what he initially imagines it to be. Schindlers enamel factory, while only a place for Jews to work, creates a safe haven for its Jewish workers, and this only results in Schindler becoming an ‘accidental hero’. Schindler is still motivated by money; he hires cheap Jewish labour, which means more money for him. Being an opportunist, the war is in favour of him, as he is only interested in the money. Whilst there is perhaps evidence of a slow transformation occurring, Schindler is still unwilling to take responsibility of the good he has done for the Jews in his factory, like hiring the one armed worker. When Schindler saves Stern from going to a death camp he indicates that it is purely for his own benefit – as mentioned with ‘now what would

immigration

2005-10-24T04:03:12-04:00

Immigration to the U.S July 5, 1885 Hi my name is Savio Barnum. I live in Italy in the city of Bormio in the European country. My life in the Bormio is a life of poverty, despair, pain, and hunger. The city of Bario is a big city and it is scarce of jobs, but I am fortunate to have one, but not a well paying one. I work at a cotton mill and I get paid 50 cents an hour, so life is really tough. But the toughest thing of all about my life is that I have a family, a wife Domino and a son Ermac who is 12 years old and works by helping people out with side jobs. The streets of Bormio are rat and filth invested, with narrow streets and lots of tenements and a few houses, duplexes, and mansions. Since our country is ruled by a monarchy the political machines that helps run the government with the king is horrible. The political machines are the secret police that are these under cover police working for the King to make it so that people couldn’t speak out against the King and if so they would get shot or put away in jail for years at a time, so not many people spoke out against the monarchy for the republic. And most of the people of Italy wanted a republic but the politics and some upper class opposed that idea. The main 3 reason I want to leave this country is the political freedom. And the political freedom here is very restricted because they don’t let you vote or speak your mind and they restrict what you know and learn. The 2nd reason is life opportunity. I want a country that you can move up in rank in social and economic status and to own your own land. And the last reason I want to leave is because of my son position in life. In this country you have to at age 16, join the army for 5 years or more and my son does not get education because of the cost and my social status. July 6, 1885 Today I was talking to my friend Luigi and he told me of America and its economic and social prosperity. And he told me there are large amount of land that you can call your own. Also he said if

Important Changes in Japan During the 20th Century

2005-10-05T15:53:28-04:00

Important Changes in Japan During the 20th Century The 20th century was by all accounts an era of considerable progress for Japan. As a result of the remarkable success in the postwar era, Japan has become a model of the industrialized society for the world to take note. In this paper I will attempt to illustrate the important changes that Japan went through during this time of progression, using 1945 as a dividing point. These changes include a different role of the emperor, a new political system, social reform and the rise and downfall of the economy. Emperor Hirohito (1901-1989) was the emperor of Japan from 1926 to 1989. He chose to designate his reign with the term "Showa" (Enlightened Peace) and he is sometimes referred to as the Emperor Showa. His reign was the longest of any monarch in Japanese history. Under the Japanese political system before World War II, the Emperor was in theory all-powerful. The emperor was sovereign, and everyone who worked for the government in effect worked for the Emperor. That meant, in effect, that power was divided among several different groups within the Japanese political system, most importantly, the military, the civilian bureaucracy, and to some extent the Diet, the Japanese parliament. In the pre-war period, before the Second World War, the fact that the Emperor was in theory all-powerful meant in effect that those groups who could claim to speak for the Emperor were the ones who were in fact all-powerful. So that we know in the 1930s it was the Japanese military, which claimed to speak on behalf of the Emperor, which managed to secure virtually all political power unto itself. After the Japanese surrendered at the end of World War II in 1945, American forces under Gen. Douglas MacArthur occupied Japan until 1952. During this occupation Japan was forced to undergo a kind of democratization. One of their main goals was to make the all-powerful Emperor Hirohito into a symbol of this new democracy. His political power would be stripped from him and he would now just be a symbol of unity and culture, the real power would rest with the people of Japan who could now freely elect representatives to Japan’s parliament. This was the basis for democracy and Hirohito was only needed to make this transition easier for the Japanese people. This was accomplished by the drafting of

In Sparta, citizenship brought power and privilege, but required devotion and personal sacrifice

2005-09-24T12:51:51-04:00

The Laconians had a particularly strict and defined notion of citizenship. Only adult males who could prove their descent from original Doran conquerors, who had completed their training at the agoge, (the Spartan state education system which turned boys into warriors) and who had been accepted to the public messes were considered to be part of the homoioi; Spartiates or ‘equals’. With such a rigid structure in defining the men of the citizen class, at her peak Sparta’s military – which was comprised of her citizen body, and during times of war, pereoikoi (inhabitants of outer villages of Laconia) and helots (conquered peoples who were reduced to slavery) – would have numbered no more than ten thousand. Upon election to one of the public messes, the Spartan citizen was obliged to make a monthly contribution of grain, fruit and wine to his syssition (mess), and was, for the next thirty years, liable to be called for military service. He also had to dine at the messes every night, and only sickness, hunting expeditions or public sacrifices excused him from attending. Despite the expectation of total devotion to the state, Spartiates were entitled to a number of privileges strictly denied to non-Spartans. Once elected to a mess, a man was given an allotment of public land and serfs. He could participate in the Assembly, and, if married, finally able to live with his wife. The level of commitment required of a citizen to his state in Sparta was unheard of anywhere else in Greece. However, the education and training all citizens would have had to undergo was designed to instil a sense of courage, confidence and unwavering devotion to the polis, and this is why the citizens had no hesitation in making personal sacrifices if it was for the good of the state. The first active step in becoming a Spartan citizen was at the age of seven, when boys of the citizen class (and in rare cases, pereoikoi, Laconian outsiders and local royalty) were given up by their parents and put in the state education system; the agoge. The women had no trouble in letting go of their young sons because, although they were fully aware of the extreme discipline that pervaded all aspects of their sons’ training, it was considered to be for the good of the state that fit, healthy males be given the right to develop into defenders of the

Breaking the silence

2005-09-16T12:58:03-04:00

Breaking the silence By Kheyal Azam Khalil The Asian Tsunami has resulted in the loss of more than 200, 000 lives and the death toll in increasing by every passing day. This natural catastrophe is shocking for the entire world and has thus evoked global concern. As the world ‘moves on’ and is already forgetting all about it, they leave a heavy job on the shoulders of the UNICEF and other relief organisations. The awareness about this issue has reached virtually every one and certainly the youth is no exception. As a matter of fact, the students being reactive and stimulated have much more to say than they would usually actually speak out. Hence I take this opportunity to voice their opinion about this natural disaster. For the stated purpose, a small survey was carried out in a school inquiring them about their response to this issue. The feed back was not overwhelming, though those who did participate came out to be sincerely concerned and felt sympathetic towards the Tsunami victims. On the contrary, all of them seemed rather disappointed at their own helplessness to contribute towards this cause. Some were dismayed to the extent of being put off as a seventeen year old girl wrote, ‘I listen to the news reported everyday, sitting in my lounge, hearing my parents talk about how many people have been victim to this tragedy. Then I think over it, pity frail humans and forget and move on.’ Furthermore, they showed a considerable disapproval for the way things are being tackled by the ‘adults’. One stated, ‘I feel sympathetic towards the fate of the Tsunami victims, but I realise that they do not need sympathy, they need help. As a student, there’s not much I can do. . .” Many hinted that the people in charge of handling this situation were doing their job in a dissatisfactory fashion. One suggested, ‘I am of the opinion that if the media wants it can easily pile up aid. Instead of collecting funds from concerts and shows, a deplorable condition of the victims and serious criticism on the face of the public for neglecting the sufferers might stir some conscience.’ Another question that was a part of the survey asked them about those unfeeling who have known to be preventing the aid from reaching the sufferers. A general response was of not taking heed of this and continuation of help

Just how broad should suffrage be in a Republic?

2005-08-05T23:37:40-04:00

Just how broad should suffrage be in a Republic? That question’s resonated throughout the history of the United States. America is not a Democracy and never has been. Nowhere in the original Constitution is there a reference to voting. The Constitution left it to the states to determine voting procedures and qualifications. Only making broad statements about them maintaining Republican governments. For more than 10 years before the Constitution was written, the states had been writing they’re own suffrage laws. Colonial precedents and English traditions almost universally shaped these laws, and the cornerstone of both Colonial and British suffrage regulations was the restriction of voting to male property owners. There were essentially two rationales for the propertied vote: those who possessed property had a personal stake in society, especially taxation, and that property owners were relatively independent from the support of others. Thus voting was considered to be a social privilege and not a natural right. Those without property were not considered entirely independent and were thought to be easily controllable by interested parties. Likewise, women were excluded from the vote, as were freedmen. In most states Catholics and Jews were also prohibited from voting (Keyssar 5-6). Colonial property qualifications began to erode after 1790. Though many states retained archaic economic qualification, the enforceable link between property, money, and suffrage had been worn down. Between 1830 and 1955, six states gave up requiring voters to be taxpayers, leaving only six states with tax paying clauses, all of which were nominal. In 1802, Congress declared that any foreign born white male who met a five year residency requirement could become a US citizen three years after formally announcing his intention to become one. Following this precedent, the states shortened their residency requirements, and often permitted aliens to vote in state elections. In the War of 1812, the Federal government had trouble raising a large enough army and had to call on the state militias, reinvigorating the Revolutionary argument that all soldiers must be enfranchised. In the South, large state militias were required in order to put down possible slave revolts, also encouraging the call for universal white male suffrage. By the time the Civil War began, nearly all white males had the vote (Keyssar 29-38). At the onset of the Civil War,

A Brief Comparison of Florence and Venice

2005-08-05T23:27:22-04:00

A Brief Comparison of Florence and Venice Florence and Venice were the economic powerhouses of the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. While there are vast differences between the two great cities, there are also some striking similarities, the most outstanding being their devotion to commerce. To both the Florentines and the Venetians, riches had an extraordinary significance. To be rich was to be honorable and to be poor was a disgrace (Hibbert Medici 32). The Florentines had a saying that “no one poor would ever find it easy to acquire honor and fame by means of his virtue; poverty throws virtue into the shadows and subjects it to a hidden and obscure misery.” This idea was equally true in Venice. Wealth and poverty were not only personal traits of esteem or distain; they were thought to reflect on the Republics as a whole. Rich men were an honor and a glory to the entire Republic and it was a citizen’s patriotic duty, along with serving in the military when called, and serving in the government, to gain as much wealth as possible (Hibbert Venice 53). This civic attachment to wealth is the central likeness between the two city-states. “[Florence] was a city of squares and towers, of busy, narrow, twisting streets, of fortress-like palaces … convents, nunneries, [and] crowded tenements, all enclosed by a high brick and stone crenellated wall.” (Hibbert Medici 20). By the 14th century, over 50,000 people lived within the city’s ramparts; less than in Paris or Venice, but more than in most other European cities, including London. For administrative purposes, Florence was divided into four districts called, quartieri, which were in turn divided into four wards. Every quartieri had it’s own distinct character and was generally distinguished by the trades that were carried on there (20-21). The city itself was a city of industry, and raw products flooded in from all over Europe to be finished, polished and dyed. Also, foreign governments routinely deposited large sums of money in Florence’s immense banks, and many rulers and great Lords were known to be indebted to Florentine bankers (Hibbert Florence 29). Theoretically, every member of the city’s twenty-one guilds had a say in the city government. In truth, a few very powerful families exercised a great deal of influence in determining the views

The Scramble for Africa

2005-08-05T23:26:03-04:00

By the mid 1800’s colonialism appeared to have become a thing of the past. Except for Canada, which was on its way toward self-rule, Britain had lost her American holdings. Spain and Portugal had lost control of most of South America and the Caribbean, and The Netherlands was having difficulties maintaining the East Indies (saburchill.com). The prevailing train of thought was that colonies were a burden to the mother country and should be formally acquired only if absolutely necessary. Most nations, especially Great Britain, preferred to avoid governing foreign lands, and instead strove to build influence with native leaders in order to secure their interests. Imperialism was seen as something that despots engaged in and was unfitting of civilized nations. As time progressed, these views changed and a second phase of colonization took place. This “New Imperialism” was seen as glorious and combined the European’s curiosity, innovation, and desires to spread civilization, with greed, arrogance, and nationalism. Within twenty years, every corner of the world that was not formally governed would be claimed by a European state (saburchill.com). Of any place on Earth, Africa saw the most dramatic colonization. Between 1880 and 1900, the second largest continent on the globe was divided between a handful of European leaders. This is known as the Scramble for Africa. Europeans had known of Africa for centuries, and the Portuguese first established a chain of trading settlements along the West African coast in the 1400’s. The interior of the continent remained shrouded in mystery and untouched by Europeans well into the 19th century. The first Europeans to take an active interest in Africa were the missionaries who began arriving on the continent around 1800. The sheer size of Africa as well as other factors made penetration nearly impossible until the mid 1800’s when the quality of technology began to improve at an unprecedented pace. Technological advances facilitated overseas expansion: the steamship, the telegraph, medicines for tropical diseases, and the railway, made it possible for a few foreign countries to open up even the most remote of places. It’s no coincidence that the opening of Africa coincided with the closing of the North American frontier. People in Europe spoke of Africa as the “New Americas,” and after witnessing the Union Pacific and Canada Pacific railways take form, a trans-African rail system seemed realizable (Chamberlain

the right to pre-emptively strike

2005-06-09T23:11:55-04:00

When the big bully at school walks over with clenched fists and that mean look in his eye, is it ok to hit him first? When you see your enemy in the school yard making a pea shooter with no other intention but to ‘shoot’ you during class, is it ok to walk over and step on it? When discussing pre-emptive strikes on other countries we can put it into simple terms like this. But between what’s right and wrong lies this huge plain of grey that sparks great debate. How can one justify an attack if it causes death, injury or emotional and financial hurt? Two words lie at the centre of this issue; defence and threat. It is deemed under international law that it is ok to defend yourself if there is an imminent threat. But defining an imminent threat and defence is the grey area where debate rages. Defence can be defined as “military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies; "they died in the defense of Stalingrad"; "they were developed for the defense program” (WordNet 2.0, 2003), which implies that it is ok to attack if you are protecting your country from potential enemies. So just what is a potential enemy? Potential is “existing in possibility” (WordNet 2.0, 2003), and therefore when looking at the modern situation, Iraq is a potential enemy of the US. The US is a potential enemy of North Korea. But to decide where a pre-emptive attack is right or wrong we must analyse the direct threat. A threat is a “declaration of an intention or a determination to inflict harm on another” (WordNet 2.0, 2003), and therefore although the US is a potential enemy of North Korea, they are not a direct threat. When breaking it down into simpler terms like this we have a smaller grey area when distinguishing whether pre-emptive strikes are right or wrong. The US attack on Iraq in 2002 is probably the most hotly debated pre-emptive strike. The US defined Saddam Hussein as a direct threat for his suspected Weapons of Mass Destruction and his links with terrorism (Bennett, B. 2003). But upon a closer look we find that although he was a potential enemy, he was not a direct threat to the USA and its people. It had

Letter to a loved one

2005-05-20T20:13:48-04:00

It’s cold. So cold it -- it goes deep into your bones, but there is one place I can go to find warmth and that is to think of you. I’m driven to the point of desperation, where I feel like giving myself up. But I must continue the fight, as everyday that passes, I am one day closer to being reunited with you. My mental and physical state decreases rapidly as the death tolls around me continue to rise. Sitting alone in this damp, filth trench I hear the constant blasts of artillery and the moans of each dying man, each man as innocent and honest as the next, suffering though for no given reason. I thank you, from the pit of my burning nauseous stomach, for giving me a reason to keep strong... to keep fighting. I do this for you, you’re my strength and hope. I focus on returning to you, for us to be us, one again. I think if I fight hard enough and keep focused on you then nothing can stop me. Every other man thought that too. Many of the men I had befriended her are dead. John, James, Peter and George. All dead, from one gas attack. I’m trying my best to describe this to you, but the only word I can think of is evil. Unnecessary evil to us fighting. The corpse of one man lies beside me, his rotting flesh stinking out this part of the trench. I can still see the blood coated bullet that killed him, shining slightly from his chest. His eyes are still open as if he’s staying at the sky, his mouth hanging open making it look like he was trying to say something. Our lives must mean nothing to anyone as everyday we are sent to almost certain death and those who do survive and return to the trench cannot rejoice as we are sent back out again, within a few short hours. It all seems fake, like a drastic nightmare, but it’s only until you see your friends lying dead at your feet and you look out over the brutal fighting, that it all comes flooding back. The pain, the fear and the horrific sights all remind you that this is not a dream and the utter hell we are going through is real. I’m not certain of when this will end, but I pray

Dehumanization vs. Obedience

2005-05-20T19:53:42-04:00

Dehumanization vs. Obedience Dehumanization is the process in which the Nazis considered the Jews as anything but humans. The title of the book is “Night” by Elie Wiesel. The book focuses on Elie’s experiences as a young boy in a concentration camp. In the book the issues of dehumanization and obedience are frequent. What causes these issues are the simple factors of human prejudice, fear, and selfishness. Above all, Nazis obeyed authority and were able to dehumanize because they believed what they were doing was right. Humans have naturally acquired prejudice. This is one of the reasons why Nazis obeyed authority. In one example from the text Elie’s father questions a gypsy officer; and as Elie put it “The gypsy looked him up and down slowly as if he wanted to convince himself that this man addressing him was really a creature of flesh and bone.”(36) Then the gypsy hit him. This quote proves that only because Elie’s father is a Jew, and the gypsy hates Jew’s that’s why he hit him. Maybe there are more personal reasons of the gypsy’s hate but whatever the reason the gypsy believed that hitting Elie’s father was right. Another example is when Elie is put into a work unit with Jewish musicians. Her claims that “Jew’s were not allowed to play germen music” (47) because Germens hated Jews they did not want the Jews to be associated with anything Germen. Therefore by specific prejudice the Nazis obeyed because they felt that they had no reason to disobey. Another reason why Nazis obeyed authority is because they were afraid of a higher power. Elie is worried when the Kapo threatens them if they do not work but his fellow prisoner claims “There’s nothing to be scared of he has to say that because of the meister.”(48) Which means that the only reason why the Kapo was making threats is because he doesn’t want the meister to yell at him for being to nice. Another example of that is when Elie said, “The prisoner in charge of our block was deprived of his office for being considered too humane.” (41) Nazis wanted Jews to fear them. That’s why they were so cruel. They felt if the Jews saw any sign of remorse they would feel less threatened. The last reason for explanation of the Nazis obedience is the simple fact that they were selfish. Not only did the Nazis

Scopes Monkey Trial

2005-05-15T15:05:14-04:00

The Scopes Monkey Trial is considered to be one of the biggest trials in the history of the United States. The trial took place in the 1920’s, in a small town of Tennessee called Dayton. The trial was of a twenty four year old science teacher and a football coach named John T. Scopes. He was accused of opposing the Butler Act, which forbade the teaching of evolution in public schools and universities (Encarta). The trial was famous worldwide as it divided the United States in the opinion of Darwinism. The trial was not only about a man who was accused of breaking a Tennessee law, it was a fight between modernists and traditionalists who were struggling to prove their point about evolution. Even though the trial was not so successful in changing the Butler Bill, it made many people believe that this is a issue that would be dealt with for a long time. During the Jazz Age in the 1920’s there was a lot of social change taking place in the United States. Many people, especially the northerners and people from cities were changing their attitude from a formal one to a different, more informal type of attitude. There were many things that were new and people liked it, for example jazz music and the developments in science. These people believed in Darwinism, a theory from Charles Darwin saying that man has evolved from an ape. The modernist were the people who supported Darwin’s theory, they opposed the restrictions against the teaching of ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬evolution and tried to get rid of restrictions. Most of the people who opposed the theory of Darwinism came from the rural south and had conservative thoughts and feared that their country was turning into an agnostic nation rather than a protestant nation. (Inherit/1925) These people were known as the traditionalists. These conservatives wanted the things as they were and tried very hard to stop the teaching of Darwinism. They passed laws and acts in most of the southern state that forbade the teaching of Darwinism in public schools and colleges. One of these laws was known as the Butler Bill. In Dayton, Tennessee 1925, John Scopes met a man named George Rappelyea, a 31-year-old local company manager from New York, who was also a modernist who disliked the Butler Bill met him at a drugstore in Dayton (Inherit/1925). Rappelyea asked Scopes if he would challenge the

Egyptian Gods

2005-05-12T05:17:41-04:00

Amen, The Hidden One (Amon, Amun, Ammon, Amoun) Amen's name means "The Hidden One." Amen was the patron deity of the city of Thebes from earliest times, and was viewed (along with his consort Amenet) as a primordial creation-deity by the priests of Hermopolis. His sacred animals were the goose and the ram. Up to the Middle Kingdom Amen was merely a local god in Thebes; but when the Thebans had established their sovereignty in Egypt, Amen became a prominent deity, and by Dynasty XVIII was termed the King of the Gods. His famous temple, Karnak, is the largest religious structure ever built by man. According to Budge, Amen by Dynasty XIX-XX was thought of as "an invisible creative power which was the source of all life in heaven, and on the earth, and in the great deep, and in the Underworld, and which made itself manifest under the form of Ra." Additionally, Amen appears to have been the protector of any pious devotee in need. Amen was self-created, according to later traditions; according to the older Theban traditions, Amen was created by Thoth as one of the eight primordial deities of creation (Amen, Amenet, Heq, Heqet, Nun, Naunet, Kau, Kauket). During the New Kingdom, Amen's consort was Mut, "Mother," who seems to have been the Egyptian equivalent of the "Great Mother" archetype. The two thus formed a pair reminiscent of the God and Goddess of other traditions such as Wicca. Their child was the moon god Khons. Anubis, God Of The Dead (Anpu) Egyptian god of the dead, represented as a black jackal or dog, or as a man with the head of a dog or jackal. His parents were usually given as Re in combination with either Nephthys or Isis. After the early period of the Old Kingdom, he was superseded by Osiris as god of the dead, being relegated to a supporting role as a god of the funeral cult and of the care of the dead. The black colour represented the colour of human corpses after they had undergone the embalming process. In the Book of the Dead, he was depicted as presiding over the weighing of the heart of the deceased in the Hall of the Two Truths. In his role as psychopomp he was referred to as the "conductor of souls". The Greeks later identified him with their god Hermes, resulting in the composite deity

Cuban Missile Crisis: At the Brink of Abyss

2005-05-11T12:53:57-04:00

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a major confrontation between the United States of America (U.S.A) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R). This major confrontation was in 1962 over the issue of Soviet supplied missile installations in Cuba. Regarded as the world’s closest approach to a nuclear war, the Cuban Missile Crisis was a brief encounter during the Cold War in which the United States, Cuba, and the Soviet Union were engaged in a potentially dangerous confrontation that could have led to a deadly nuclear war, however, the bravery of the leaders led to negotiations that avoided such a conflict and they took steps to avoid a possible war between the two superpowers. Even though the Cuban Missile Crisis was a brief thirteen-day period, the situation was very edgy and the leaders had to make smart and calm decisions to avoid the conflict. The crisis was a result of the growing tension between the United States and Cuba following the Cuban Revolution of 1959. This revolution brought to power Fidel Castro who then brought in Communism. The United States was stunned by the new communist nation merely ninety miles from its borders. The Americans did not want any communist government near its borders, so they applied economic pressure on Cuba to make Cuba weak and try to topple the communist government. Knowing that the United States had significant influence in Cuba’s economic and political affairs, Castro’s government refused to be influenced by the United States. Later in 1960, the United States implemented an embargo that cut off trade. After this Castro still refused to give in to the pressure and responded by establishing closer relations with the communist government of the Soviet Union. During this time the United States was also involved in a Cold War with the Soviet Union. This was an economic, military, and diplomatic struggle between communist and capitalistic nations. The United States, however, still did not give up trying to topple Castro’s government. The United States also trained an army of anti-Castro exiles living in the United States to go and attack Cuba. This was known as the Bay of Pigs invasion. Although Castro’s army won easily, the Cubans were certain that the United States would not give up and will try to invade Cuba again. Cuba knew that if it tried to protect itself from the Americans it would loose, so they needed help

explain what Columbus expected to find in the Indies, how his reports reflected these findings

2005-05-08T03:24:12-04:00

Although the journals and diaries, in which Christopher Columbus is said to have recorded his discoveries, have long been lost to us and the ones that remain are not the originals, these works may not tell the whole story, or even possibly the truth of his discoveries. This essay will endeavor to explain what Columbus expected to find in the Indies, how his reports reflected these findings and the deception in what he reported back to the empire in a bid to hide his misfortunes. Upon the ‘reading of Marco Polo’s journals concerning his travels to China in 1170-1190 and being told of Cipangu (Japan) and other populated islands, Columbus decided to search for a faster sea route to the Far East’. Even though Columbus set out to find faster trade routes for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, he had an alteria motive and that was to improve his and his family’ s position within the Spanish kingdom. Columbus not only set out to discover a faster trade route through Asia, but also expected to find many commodities that would benefit himself and his sovereigns. Columbus sought trading commodities such as gold, silk and spices, which he believed would be found in large amounts throughout Asia. He also sought land to colonize and declare ownership by Spain. Columbus’ third aim was to Christianise the natives of Asia, if any were to be found. Behind all of these objectives lay Columbus’ true aim which was to become ‘Admiral of the Sea’, to gain more support for future voyages, and also to enable his descendants a better position within Spanish society. Columbus’ ultimate goal was to locate the ‘great Asian trading centres that Marco Polo had discovered and written about’. To find Asia, ‘Christopher Columbus instructed his crew to explore directly to the west without deviating to the south as ordered by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, and then he gave the crews his own ideals, which were that they would not see land for at least another 750 leagues’ . Although Columbus had sailed before and had navigational knowledge, his image of the world was a lot smaller than it actually was. This resulted in him underestimating the true distance of Japan from Gomera, and in doing so, he discovered the Indies. This would explain while even though ‘Columbus searched for Marco Polo’s golden roofed palaces on

Differences between male and female convict treatment in Australia

2005-05-08T03:22:04-04:00

Even though male and female convicts were transported to Australian colonies from 1788 to 1840, their experiences throughout this period were remarkably different. This essay will attempt to compare and contrast the experiences of both female and male convicts transported to Australian colonies from 1788 to 1840. L.L Robson states that, ‘between 1788 and 1840 over 24 960 female convicts and 122 620 male convicts were transported to Australia’ . Even though both male and female convicts suffered at the hands of their government, their experiences differed greatly. This could be seen as early as the loading of the convicts onto the transportation vessels, and also how these convicts were treated during transportation and the comforts afforded to them. Women were transported for petty crimes, such as the theft of food and clothing which were committed for survival, rather than social gains, where as the criminal acts committed by their male counterparts were more likely to be acts of violence or for social advantage. The types of punishments endured by female convicts for their crimes were more psychological and degrading than those endured by their male counterparts. The employment of male and female convicts highlights another area in which gender plays a significant role in the experiences of these people. The majority of female convicts were seen as unfit for hard labour and were required to perform domestic services and chores, where as male convicts were employed in hard or skilled labour. By looking at the transportation of female and male convicts to Australia, from 1788 to 1840 many differences of their experiences on board can be found. The first and perhaps major difference was that women had to be separated from the males on board the ship. Separation was found necessary aboard the transportation vessels, as women were seen to be less desirable for marriage or work if they were found to be pregnant upon their arrival at Australia. It was stated by Surgeon White that, ‘during the First Fleet the desire of the women to be with the men was so uncontrollable that neither shame nor the fear of punishment could deter them from making their way… to the apartments of assigned seaman’ . By examining this statement, one can believe that it was the women who had to be separated, that they forced themselves onto any male aboard ship, and that the males aboard ship had

Critique of the historical debate on the Versailles Treaty

2005-05-01T01:05:22-04:00

The treaty of Versailles that closed the First World War was set up as a way to ensure peace. It was hoped that the treaty would ensure that the first world was had been ‘the war to end all wars’however this was not to be and the treaty became the subject of much scrutiny pretty much from the get-go. Many of the youthful insiders from the American and British delegations claimed immediately after the conference that Wilson had abandoned his earlier plans and had in effect betrayed his supporters. Others felt that Wilson had kept his main objective in mind; peace while others had tirelessly sought other benefits from the treaty, mostly revenge and money. The level of hostility towards the treaty by many historians and veterans of the conference set a standard that was to continue of heightened emotion where the treaty was concerned. The unsympathetic ruling of the treaty against Germany and the strongly different opinions that emerged after it was finished set the scene for the abundance of hostile debate that was to follow for some years to come on the various issues surrounding the treaty. The first and most famous critic of the Versailles peace treaty was John Maynard Keynes. Keynes was the senior treasury official sent as a member of the British group to the Versailles peace conference. Keynes did not agree with the terms laid out in the conference especially those related to the reparations payments that Germany was expected to begin paying. After his later resignation and possibly due in part to his annoyance at his suggestions for the reparations repayments being ignored he wrote an extremely controversial book entitled ‘The economic consequences of the War’ within which he outlined his disagreements with the treaty and claimed that not only was it not possible for Germany to pay the reparations given their economic situation but and even more controversially that the issue of reparations would eventually cause further conflict in Europe and possibly the outbreak of another war. Keylor in his article ‘A re-evaluation of the Versailles Peace’ reflected that Keynes’ strong opinions on the peace settlement may have been due to his personal sense of guilt at having served in government during the war while his pacifist friends objected to it and regularly expressed disapproval at his position. This, Keylor believed may have given him feelings of guilt thus giving him

9-11 could have been avoided if the Secret Services would have done their Work

2005-04-30T22:48:49-04:00

Preceding the terrible events on September 11th, 2001, the American Secret Services have made many mistakes in regard to the possibility of preventing 9-11. The Secret Services, mainly the CIA and the FBI, have made a great lot of mistakes. After an initial meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where eight terrorists met, the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) let go of them after their meeting, assuming it was unimportant . After the attack on the USS Cole in 2000 they changed their minds, now coming to the conclusion that major agreements regarding the Cole as well as regarding the WTC (World Trade Center) were made in Malaysia. However, it was too late. As the year 2001 approached and warnings accumulated, they still did not react. The September 11th-attacks could have been avoided if the Secret Services would not have been hindered in their work by higher authorities and if they would have cooperated/shared their findings. Mistakes long before 9-11 After the 1996 crash of TWA flight 800, 31 urgent proposals by a White House commission were proposed. The Los Angeles Times: The White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security, created in 1996 after TWA Flight 800 crashed off Long Island, N.Y., recommended 31 steps that it said were urgently needed to provide a multilayered security system at the nation's airports... The Federal Aviation Administration expressed support for the proposals, which ranged from security inspections at airports to tighter screening of mail parcels, and the Clinton administration vowed to rigorously monitor the changes. But by Sept. 11, most of the proposals had been watered down by industry lobbying or were bogged down in bureaucracy, a Times review found. This was not at all done; according to Larry Klayman, CEO of Judicial Watch (a Washington-based legal organization aimed at fighting the corruption in state and Government): During the last eight years of scandal during the Clinton administration, and the first eight months of the Bush Administration, reports this morning confirm that little to nothing was done to secure our nation’s airports and transportation systems as a whole—despite warnings. Instead, cosmetic reform of education, social security, taxes, and other less important issues were given precedence. In addition, the American people were led to believe that appropriate anti-terrorist counter measures were being taken. Instead of telling the truth so the problems could be addressed, politicians painted a rosy picture in order to be elected and re-elected.

The Assyrians Vs. The Persians

2005-04-27T11:00:56-04:00

You stand on a hill that separates time and distance from two highly advanced yet highly different civilizations. These civilizations are the Assyrians an the Persians. These people are uniquely different in their political systems, their ways of conquering and their religious beliefs. However, these differences are clear from where you stand. A closer look however; will reveal extraordinary feats and marvelous of each of the two civilizations . As you watch you wait, you wait for the clash of these civilizations which will be soon to come. You take a look at an area of land, covered in blood, the land stretches for miles. The land is covered with bodies and the people seem to have highly advanced weapons and war engineering You are looking at the land of the Assyrians. The Assyrians, a great war like race; they conquer many lands, skinning their enemies alive, torturing any prisoners that were left. The Assyrians were successful in so many battles due to their advancement in war engineering. They invented Pontoons, bridges, ladders, battering rams, and a method of tunneling under enemy walls. The Assyrians conquered many lands and at the same time, even though they were gruesome, built an extravagant capital called Nineveh. Nineveh was built with the plunder of other demolished civilizations. They made it a work of art and, it was full of riches and works of art. It even had a library built by the Assyrians filled will all kinds of literature and novels and records of their time. The Assyrians showed a half and half side, they conquered all their enemies, never leaving any remains, burning the cities and buildings down to the ground. â€œ I took , thier fighting men in numbers I slew; their spoil, their wealth, their cattle I spoiled; . . . 260 of thier warriors by the sword I smote down; their heads cut off in heaps I arranged. ( Assyrian Packet). This is a direct quote of some of the many battles that the Assyrians fought. They were gruesome people who did not believe in the preservation of their enemies. The Assyrians however were religious. They believed in many gods, yet they did have a one all might powerful god that was the god of the gods. â€œAssyrian religious practices and beliefs were almost identical with those of Babylonia, except that the Assyrian

Gallipoli war

2005-04-17T21:42:53-04:00

 Mankind have been interested in science and technique for years. People have been able to great developments in technology but, it has borne a big disaster for mankind history : wars. From The Industrial Revolution up to now, some of nations have wanted to use their technical power in order to have superiority among the nations and because of this reason World War 1 started. Dardanelles War turned on the most important turning point of the war. This war has two main causes : helping for Russia and shooting Ottoman Empire out of war. To begin, first aim of England was helping to Russia, which is in a bad situation. Russia was in an economic crisis and needs economic support. England have to pass through The Straits Bosphorus and Dardanelles. (Stanley, Principal Historian with the Australian War Memorial) Moreover Russia was fighting with political problems and it couldn’t appear easy to rescue from tis situation without help.Namely, they need the help of England urgently. An additionally important cause of war is sending out Ottoman Empire and thanks to this Germany would have left alone and the number of fronts reduced for England. Furthermore, with a defeat of Ottoman, England could reach their national aims, to have The Straits and Anatolian. In order to realize this purposes, England started an attack to Ottoman Empire. It was inevitable, birth of big effects of such a great war, Dardanelles. The important effects of war was on Russia and Ottoman Empire. The biggest effect was on Russia which is the reason of the war. As a result of the victory of the Ottoman against Allied Countries’ power, Russia left the war. Plus, current government fell down and the revolution of communist called Bolshevikh Revolution achieved to take government. In conclusion, a new term started for Russia.Ottoman Empire was the another country which felt the effects of the war deeply. Approximately 300000 young Turk people lost their life in this bloody war of history.( Worcester,1985,pp.1-4) On the other hand, Ottoman government, which was living bad days, caught good atmosphere. With this victory, morals of the government and nation is refreshed. Thanks to this Ottoman Empire continues its presence. In summary, Dardanelles war had extremely significant effects on Russia and Ottoman Empire. From one side, while Russian government was falling dawn, on the other hand Ottoman Empire gain a bit power. Together with this war world peace took a big

9-11 could have been avoided if the Secret Services would have done their Work

2005-04-12T23:59:55-04:00

9-11 could have been avoided if the Secret Services would have done their Work

2005-04-12T23:59:22-04:00

The growth of Himmler's power in the years 1933-39

2005-04-01T18:21:18-04:00

Note: This Essay also uses additional sources which are not necessarily required to understand this essay. ----------------------------------------------- Using the evidence of Sources 1, 2 and 3 and your own knowledge, what do you consider explains the growth of Himmler's power in the years 1933-39 With Himmler's appointment to Head of the SS, in order to explain the growth of Himmler's power, we have to ask; 'How did the SS become so powerful?', because essentially the more the SS grew, the more powerful Himmler became. The purging of the SA on the 'Night of Long Knives' and other decrees and acts that the SS used to their advantage and Himmler's personality and characteristics are important factors to look at when answering the question. At the end of WW1, bitter at Germany's defeat, Himmler joined a nationalist paramilitary group and participated in the Munich Putsch. For the first couple of years he wasn't very active but in 1925 became more active as he was appointed head of the SS; Hitler's personal bodyguard and a part of the SA. It was the SS that catapulted Himmler to the top of the Nazi political ladder. Over the next four years Himmler worked on increasing the membership of the SS and successfully did so, increasing the number of members from 280 to 50,000 by 1933. It is important to note that the tension between the Army and Hitler was always strong even though the former supported the rebuilding of the army and the occupation of the Rhineland. What's more, the SA hadn't always agreed with Hitler and had tried on numerous occasions to rebel against him, for example in March 1931 when, the then-leader of the SA, Walther Stennes and some of his members refused to obey the Law. With that in mind, in addition to the fact that the SS used to be Hitler's personal bodyguard, the latter's trust in the SS would logically be greater than that of the Army and the SA. Thus, by increasing the SS and making it more of a recognised and important organisation in the Nazi state, Himmler was increasing his own power as well as Hitler's trust. Over the next few years Hitler's trust in Himmler played a very important part in his rise to power. The next move Himmler made was to get into the political scene. Before Hitler's appointment into the office of Reichs Chancellor in 1933 the SS

Essay: African American Blues/Jazz

2005-03-08T22:52:49-05:00

Although the enslaved African people who were brought to America could not bring their musical instruments with them, they did not forget their musical traditions. Some slaves were not allow to speak their native language in American and added their own traditions styles to European American songs and Dances. They passed on traditional African musical styles from generation to generation. Gradually, several styles of African American music emerged in the United States. Today, two of the best styles are Blues and Jazz. The blues most likely began as solo singing. Blues have come from story songs, called ballads, and other songs that were sung at lively dances. Blues Singers Made slight changes to original melodies and rhythm ion order to add emotional expression, including sounds of moaning or crying. The emotions expressed were often sad and mournful. Later on, instruments such as the guitar, banjo, and harmonica were added to accompany solo blues singing. Eventually the piano, bass, drums, brass, and wood wind instruments were also added. Today, musicians follow a specific form or pattern of phrases when they sing or play the blues. One of American’s most famous blues Singers was Bessie Smith (1894-1937). Bessie was known as the Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith Was Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Bessie's career began when she was 'discovered' by none other than Ma Rainey when Ma's revue, the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, was passing through Chattanooga around 1912 and she had the occasion to hear young Bessie sing. Ma took Bessie on the road with the show and communicated, consciously or not, the subtleties and intricacies of an ancient and still emerging art form. Bessie started working small-time traveling tent shows, such as Charles P. Bailey troupe and Pete Werley’s Florida Cotton Blossoms, carnivals, and honky-tonks. Her first recording, Down Hearted Blues, was released in the spring of 1923. Though released without special promotion, it was an immediate success, and had sold over two million copies by the end of the first year of release, an immense number for that time. Bessie started touring on the best race artist vaudeville circuits booked by the Toby, or TOBA, short for Theatre Owners Booking Associations, but also thought to stand for Tough on Black Artist. During the mid-twenties Bessie toured the entire south and most of the major northern cities, always as the star attraction on the bill. She was the highest paid Black entertainer

How Australia reacted to the threat of communism

2005-03-07T10:07:07-05:00

The “threat” of communism that the Australian government produced is highly debatable issue. Australia was being exposed to Communism, which was spreading south from Russia, through Asia and ultimately to Australia. The domino theory was a key belief in the mind of the public, spreading fear throughout the world. The Liberal party exploited the threat of Communism and the domino theory to help with their election campaign. They attempted to ban the Communist Party from Australian soils. Trade unions and political parties being suspect to communist infiltration, and a possible spy scandal, “The Petrov affair” added to the exaggerated threat of communism. Australia decided to make alliances with other countries and sent troops to the Korean and Vietnam wars. In 1949 the election success of the communist party in China provoked an enormous reaction in the capitalist nations of the world. Ironically, in the same year, Robert Menzies pledged that he would outlaw the communist party in Australia. The success of China’s Communist party combined with propaganda and censorship put to the people by the Australian government, kept the fear of communism alive. Fear of communism was used by various Australian governments to maintain power and to manipulate public opinion. Conservative and right wing governments frequently linked the socialist Labor Party to Communism and Leninist type ideals. In theory, Communism was a sensible ideology, but in practice, too easy to corrupt. Many Australians believed at the time that Asian countries would “fall like dominoes” to the Communist administration, and that Australia was next. The domino theory started as Communists infiltrated surrounding countries. Robert Menzies used this theory in his election campaign to his advantage in order to lead Australians into believing that the threat of communism towards Australia was valid. This was the foundation for Menzies’ election win. The ALP was accused of introducing socialist policies into Australia. Examples of this are Chifley’s introduction of a Medicare system, social security and his nationalization of the banks, and airlines. Menzies accused the trade unions of being under communist rule, which the Australian Labor Party had strong ties with as they both acted for workers rights. The Liberal Party used the threat of communism in their campaign for parliament. They used these fabricated ideas in his campaign in order to persuade the public into thinking that there was a more legitimate threat of communist rule over Australia than there was. Menzies played on

Housing Standards in Scotland

2005-01-31T22:30:54-05:00

“How important were New Towns in improving the housing standards in Scotland after the Second World War?” After the Second World War, housing standards in Scotland were awful. The government tried many ways to improve this and one of their attempts was to build New Towns. Five new towns were built in Scotland these were Glenrothes, East Kilbride, Irvine, Cumbernauld and Livingston. These places were all built to provide homes for the overspill population of Glasgow. These new towns, compared to traditional towns, consisted of better housing schemes, industrial areas, town centres, railway tracks and many more roundabouts. Two other attempts in which to improve housing would be council housing schemes and high-rise flats. Councils provided homes, which could be rented instead of having to buy a house. These houses usually had two or three bedrooms, a front room, kitchen, bathroom and a garden. Most new residents were delighted to move into these houses. Another idea

Project Mkultra

2005-01-16T23:54:41-05:00

When many Americans think about Germany, they automatically think of the Nazis and the experiments they did with the Jews. But what they don’t know is that the U.S. gov. did the same thing. It all started in the 50’s during the Korean War. Concerned about the rumors of Communist brainwashing of POW’s, the CIA director Allen Dulled authorized the MKULTRA program in April 1953. It would later become notoriously known for the many unusual and sometimes inhumane experiments that the CIA financed. Though the CIA destroyed many of the documents related to MKULTRA in 1972, several records relating to the program have made it into the public domain, the work of historians, investigative reporters, and curious Congressional committees. Resulting in the release of enough information to make MKULTRA one of the most disturbing instances of intelligence community abuse on record. MKULTRA was the principle program of the CIA. It involved the research and development of chemical and biological agents. It was concerned with the research and development of chemical, biological, and radiological materials, which were capable of employment in clandestine operations to control human behavior. Over the ten-year life that the program had, many additional avenues to the control of human behavior were designated as appropriate for investigation under MKULTRA charter. These included radiation, electroshock, various fields of psychology, psychiatry, sociology, and anthropology, graphology, harassment substances, and paramilitary devices and materials. The research and development of material to be used for altering human behavior consisted of three phases: in the first phase the search for materials suitable for study. In the second stage the laboratory testing on voluntary human subjects in various types of institutions. In the third phase the application of MKULTRA materials in normal settings. The search for suitable material was conducted through standing arrangements with specialists in universities, pharmaceutical houses, hospitals, state and federal institutions, and private organizations The most notorious MKULTRA experiments were the CIA’s pioneering studies of the drug which would later feed the heads of millions: Lysergic Acid Diethyl amide, more commonly known as LSD. The CIA was intrigued by it and harbored hopes that the acid or a similar drug could be used to clandestinely disorient and manipulate target foreign leaders. The Agency would then consider several such schemes in its pursuit of the leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro, who they wanted to

What is Facsism

2005-01-15T15:45:40-05:00

Danielle McDonald Mr Auld What is Fascism? Fascism is a word with no objective definition. How do you define something based so heavily on opinions? Each person has their own opinion on the issue and they vary so distinctly from one to another we cannot pin-point an exact meaning for the term. We can only take into account many opinions and combine them to draw an appropriate conclusion. To do such a task we must start at the very beginning. Luckily for us, “fascism is very much a product of the modern age.” Therefore we only have to retrace our steps for about a hundred years. Beginning with Mussolini fascism took on a very powerful role. The Italian leader combined ultra nationalism with hostility to establish a new form of conservatism. However, fascism is not that simple; it is also associated with totalitarianism, fanaticism, social engineering and brainwashing. The more we study fascism the more we realise; no matter what its goals are it uses coercion to fulfil them. Fascism “preaches violence in the name of order.” How is this possible? A fascist leader will use state terror to produce the opposite of his actions. In short, the leader scares the people so thoroughly they will not turn against him, if indeed they would want to. If they do, however, it is violence that restores the order. The concept of fascism is linked extremely closely with nationalism; the whole ideology of a superior race is reflected. In fact, fascism takes those dangerous nationalistic feelings and amplifies them. Making the whole regime one of terror, hate, control and dangerous objectives. It would be simpler just to say that fascism is an extreme wing of nationalism, this however would be unacceptable due to the fact that fascism incorporates socialism and other ideologies also. As we can read in the Oxford Reader, fascism uses “true socialism” we can derive this by the fact that both involve “commitment to corporatist economics, national syndicalism, and a high degree of state planning.” This is still not enough however to define fascism. There are far too many ideas involved for it to be an ideology in its own right. Fascism is though, one of the most powerful and dangerous systems of the 20th century. In addition, the aims and goal of the fascist state also have slight tendencies to vary; the overall idea, however, is one of pure blood and a

st michael the archangel - ivory diptych

2005-01-07T03:54:22-05:00

Monumental sculpture did not exist in the Byzantine culture, but small architectural sculptures decorated the interiors of the churches. Most were either destroyed or lost during the Crusades as they were carried back to Central Europe. Small Ivory panels were also carved. The Archangel Michael is part of a diptych hinged together. The drapery and the style of the figure is an excellent example of the Classical Period of Greece combined with Christian ideas and needs. Dating from the 5th to 6th century most flat plaques were used as diptych, book covers. Diptych or two panel ivories seem to have a popular impact on the wealthy during this time. They usually illustrated religious examples or Byzantine ideas of hierarchy. The most know to this date is the Barberini ivory; which is located in the Louvre. Around the mid-late 6th century ivories became very rare, only few were dated or found after the 6th century. The origin of the Archangel Michael diptych is unknown. This ivory panel consists of two pieces, but unfortunally the second part of the diptych is seemed to be lost. One can look at the ivory sculpture and examine on the left side that there are three minor wholes that can pertain to the lost panel of the diptych. Throughout the years we came to understand that this diptych was a book cover a book cover that illustrated the simplistic ways of the medieval style. Further detailing this delicate piece of art one can observe the ties between the Greek and the Byzantine art. For example a major detail that ties this to the Greeks is the drapery style robe. The stylish robe can be seen detailing and focusing on the shape and form of Archangel Michael. Another tie with the Greek arts is the minor emphasis one the figures posture and stance. One can understand the sculpture is from Byzantine times because of the slight error in perspective and facial detail. Although this sculpture being so small has a great amount of detail that makes this sculpture stand out. Comparing it to other ivories the Borradaile triptych has come to become a worldly known piece. These being found in the 10th century coming from Constantinople is a very rare piece. This triptych was named after the Charles Borradaile who purchased it in 1905/6 then bequeathed to the British museum. When this piece is side by side of

Overlord: Invading the Atlantic Wall (High School)

2004-12-12T02:51:53-05:00

The date was June 6, 1944; the time, 6:30 A.M., designated as “H-Hour” (Oliver). The Allied invasion of the French province of Normandy was beginning, under the campaign Operation Overlord (Hanson). Within minutes, thousands of troops stormed the beaches, facing heavy German resistance resonating from Adolph Hitler’s “Atlantic Wall” (Ambrose). Although the attack was coordinated and planned to every minor detail, the pre-invasion measures the Allies had taken to ensure a safe landing of infantry had largely failed. More than 13,000 planes of the Allied Air Corps had swept the German defenses along the shoreline, yet because of heavy fog and pilot error, many had missed their targets completely. Naval barrages sailed clear of their intended targets; mortars landed harmlessly in the ocean. Perhaps the most complicated of matters was the fact that many troops came ashore in the wrong sector, or on the wrong beach altogether, driven off-course by the stormy waters of the English Channel. Even with these flaws, the invasion was an overwhelming success. Only about 2,500 Allied soldiers were killed, far less than the preparatory estimate of around 10,000. With so many blunders, how did the Allies pull off such a stunning victory? Many feel that the answer lies in several key points. First, every scholar or historian will agree that the Allied invasion was pulled off with a varying degree of luck. Second of all, the misguided beach landings and the disorganized drops of airborne infantry duly confused the German defenders. And third, the German chain of command may bear some responsibility for the failure of the German defenses; no German officers were one hundred percent sure who was in command of the forces. Three officers (Field Marshals Gerd von Runstedt and Erwin Rommel, along with Supreme Chancellor Adolph Hitler) all claimed command. This was surely a confusing and complicated situation for the Germans, who were unsure, even after the invasion was underway, whom they were to obey. Allied soldiers landing on the five beachheads (Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword) faced murderous fire from the German defenders, making the beaches a living hell (Ferguson). On the two American beaches, Utah and Omaha, casualties were horrendous (Chinn), while the two British landings on Gold and Sword were less bloody. Canadians landing on Juno fared best, slashing their way through the defenses and

‘The Weimar Republic was weak from the start, its collapse was likely’. How far do you agree with t

2004-12-02T15:05:02-05:00

‘The Weimar Republic was weak from the start, its collapse was likely’. How far do you agree with this judgement on the period 1919-1933? Theoretically the constitution the Weimar Republic was based upon was a perfect democratic instrument including aspects such as individual’s rights; this was democratically advanced for its time. It would therefore be unjustified to say that the collapse of the Weimar Republic was likely form the start. It was introduced during a time of great political instability for Germany; going from Monarchy to democracy in just six weeks, having just lost a war and with popular discontent engulfing the population, the new republic had a difficult task to face. The constant disruptions of party politics as well as attempted seizes of power from both sides made this task even harder. Taking all this into account it is apparent that its collapse was due to a continuous flow of difficult and unfortunate circumstances during the period of 1919-1933, which I shall now explain. “The German Reich is a republic. Political authority is derived from the people”, this is the first clause of the Weimar constitution, authority is derived form the people, therefore it is the people that held the power to whether the Weimar Republic would be successful or not. Early in 1919 the government faced an attack from the left in the form of the Spartacists, this was dealt with, yet early in 1920 the government faced another attack from the right in the form of the Kapp Putsch; these two examples indicate the situation into which the republic was born. Further problems came form the constitution itself, it was indeed theoretically ‘democratically perfect’; the problem with this is that democracy does not necessarily lead to a strong government. The Reichstag was elected using proportional representation which is the pinnacle of democracy however this led to a series of weak coalitions and as a result a weak government which the extremist groups realised, thus the attempted putsches took place. At this stage the government had already won the support of the military with the Ebert-Groener pact, so the Weimar republic was able to remain strong in the face of its enemies. Another aspect of the constitution which was criticized was Article 48. Designed to give the President Powers, essentially dictatorial, to deal with any immediate threats, it

How The Other Half Lives

2004-11-28T23:36:39-05:00

Throughout the course of history, materials such as literature have been written about certain time periods. In time, these literary works can be assessed and interpreted to help discover facts about that period of history. One novel that can accomplish this task is How the Other Half Lives, by Jacob Riis, in which Riis describes how reform is needed. Before this novel was published, the United States was going through a period of rapid industrialization and urbanization. In the northeastern region of the United States, many factories appeared to increase the production of goods. Vast immigration caused overpopulation in major cities across the United States. These immigrants came to America to search for jobs to help provide better lives for their families. These immigrants arrived with very little money, therefore they needed cheap housing. The slums were the answer to this problem. These people were exploited by having to pay a large amount of money for such a tiny, disgusting room. The price of living in tenements soon became too much for some families, simply because the jobs did not pay enough. This lack of income caused the onset of child labor. Living conditions in tenements soon became exceptionally harmful, mainly because an overpopulated tenement spread disease very easily. Many people, mostly young children, were dying because of these diseases, as well as starvation. These horrible slums were a main reason why muckrakers started investigating. Muckrakers used journalism to explain to the population the idea that the slums needed much improvement. Articles were written by muckrakers to show the disgusting living and working conditions in the slums. Jacob Riis was one of these muckrakers who enlightened the public about the wretched state of the slums through How the Other Half Lives. How the Other Half Lives, Riis exposes the horrors inside the tenements and demands reform. Riis describes how the poor immigrants arriving in the country were being taken advantage of by the corrupt landlords. Riis depicts the lack of windows and crowded living space in the tenements, which allowed for the spread of diseases such as cholera and small pox to happen very quickly and easily. A significant percentage of the tenement dwellers ended up in hospitals because of these diseases. Landlords overcharged the immigrants for a crowded, tiny,

Protestand Reformation

2004-11-28T23:31:34-05:00

The Protestant Reformation, which lasted from the early-1500s to the mid-1600s, was caused by society noticing weaknesses in the Catholic Church. Such people as Martin Luther and John Calvin exposed these weaknesses to society and started a widespread reform of the Catholic Church. Although the Reformation originally aimed to “renew” the Church, it evolved into a great revolt against it, and thus The Protestant Reformation should be viewed as a theological revolutionary movement. One of the major problems of the Church that people had was the sale of indulgences. In a letter to the Archbishop of Mainz, Martin Luther stated that works of “piety and love are infinitely better than indulgences, and yet these are not preached with such ceremony or such zeal.” Luther feels that if it is the “first and sole duty” of bishops to preach the Gospel, and yet if Christ never taught that indulgences should be preached, then why do the bishops permit the teachings of the Gospel to be unheard, and indulgences to still be sold. Martin Luther asserted in his first 2, of 95, theses that Jesus Christ willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance, and yet if an entire life be “one of repentance”, then why do the clergy administer the sacrament of penance, and confession and satisfaction. In “Against Catholicism” by Martin Luther, Luther shows his position on the pope. Luther says that the reason he abolished his reverence of the pope was because the pope obtained authority over every aspect of the Christian Church. Luther agrees with the idea of having the pope as head of the Church on earth, if he only taught the gospel “pure and clear”, and not introduced “human inventions and lies in its stead.” Luther believes that the pope took upon him “power, rule, and authority” over the Church, and over the Holy Scriptures and the Word of God, and Luther feels that no man should try to expound the Scriptures, and the pope doing this was not to be endured. Another leader of the Reformation was John Calvin. In the Doctrine of Predestination, Calvin stated that God has already determined whom he would admit to salvation, and whom he would condemn to the torments of hell. Calvin feels that nothing the human beings may do can alter their fate, and that their

Protestantism: The Council of Trent

2004-11-28T23:29:43-05:00

During the 16th century, Protestantism spread throughout Europe and weakened the power of the Catholic Church. In 1545 Pope Paul III called the Council of Trent, which brought reform to the Church. The Council of Trent, which lasted from 1545 to 1563, was one of the most important councils in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. This Council of Trent reaffirmed the sacraments and added other beliefs to regain the power the Church once had. The Council made many decisions for the church during its years in session in an effort to establish the traditions and doctrines of the church, as well as to correct the corruption within it. The first session of the Council of Trent came up with tenets such as: scripture and tradition were to be of equal authority, the Church only was to have the right to interpret the Bible, good works were also needed to obtain salvation, and Bishops and priests were to preach regularly. This session also reaffirmed the seven sacraments. The second session was not as successful, as it only came up with few reaffirmations---that pilgrimages and penances were to be upheld, the doctrine of transubstantiation, and also that communion in both kinds was condemned, as were other aspects of the Protestant view of the Eucharist. The third session put an emphasis on the quality of the clergy. The third session of the Council of Trent confirmed the belief in the purgatory, the invocation of the saints, and clerical celibacy, and they were confirmed as essential elements in the Catholic Church. Also, the veneration of images and relics was upheld, and the Pope was distinguished as the Vicar of Christ on earth, and The Council of Trent essentially put the Pope in a much stronger position than before. Astoundingly, the doctrine of indulgences, a major cause of the Lutheran revolt, was reaffirmed. Another reform not mentioned was adding the Index of Prohibited Books in 1559. This was added with the intention of preventing heretical ideas from “corrupting” those who still remain in the Catholic Church. Most of the reforms of the Council of Trent benefited the Church, yet some corrupt ideas were still reaffirmed. The Council of Trent reaffirmed the seven sacraments so that the Church could bring things back to the way they originally were. The Council of Trent

The Renaissance

2004-11-28T23:29:01-05:00

The Renaissance was a rebirth of classical textual scholarship, as well as new thought brought about by such prototypical philosophers as Machiavelli, Erasmus, and Sir Thomas More. These three philosophers can be thought of as Renaissance Italy’s greatest thinkers, and that these three men all left a legacy behind them and their ideas. Hardly any of the Italian Renaissance thinkers were truly original, but the same cannot be said for Italy’s greatest political philosopher, Niccolò Machiavelli. In 1498, Machiavelli became the secretary of the newly found republic of Florence. In 1512, the Medici overthrew the republic, and Machiavelli was removed from his position. He spent the remainder of his life devoting his time to writing. Perhaps his most celebrated work was a short, controversial piece, called The Prince. The Prince was Machiavelli’s attempt to condense his research on the factors behind political success and failure to a series of principles. Machiavelli was practical in thinking when he wrote this, and described the policies of government as they actually were (Lerner 410). Another mastermind of the Renaissance was Desiderius Erasmus. Erasmus was born near Rotterdam in the mid 15th century, and was forced into a monastery when he was a teenager. Erasmus was a Christian humanist, and he believed that the corruption and immorality was a result of the society forgetting the basic teachings of the Gospels. Erasmus had “three different categories of publication: clever satires meant to show people the error of their ways, serious moral treatises meant to offer guidance toward proper Christian behavior, and scholarly editions of basic Christian texts (Lerner 425.)” One of Erasmus’ most famous works belonged to the first category, The Praise of Folly, in which he ridiculed “Scholastic pedantry and dogmatism”, as well as the “ignorance and superstitious credulity of the masses (Lerner 425.)” Even with Erasmus’ highly impressive literary creations, his textual scholarship can be considered his greatest achievement. Erasmus brought out reliable editions of many Christian works, and he also correctly translated the New Testament, for he thought that “no one could be a good Christian without being certain of exactly what Christ’s message really was (Lerner 425.)” This translation was one of the most significant milestones of biblical scholarship of all time. One of Erasmus’ closest friends was an Englishman named Sir Thomas More. More’s most renowned publications, was

"Dark Ages" vs. "Middle Ages"

2004-11-28T23:27:58-05:00

After the fall of Rome in 476 AD, the subsequent 1000 years made up a period of time called the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages are often referred to as the Dark Ages because of the way of life in Europe during that age. William Manchester suggests that this time period was actually a dark age, in his A World Lit Only By Fire. Manchester describes the ‘Dark Ages’ as a “mélange of incessant warfare, corruption, lawlessness, obsession with strange myths, and an almost impenetrable mindlessness”. He also states how famines and plague repetitively thinned the population, and that “rickets afflicted the survivors”. Manchester strengthens his argument by establishing the fact that after a thousand years of neglect, the roads built by Romans were still the best on the continent, and that their was practically no stone buildings raised for ten centuries. Another situation that Manchester comments on is that only one of every hundred murderers was every brought to justice. In addition, he goes on to talk about how brutal the medieval tournaments were, and how Christianity was the foremost principal in medieval life, that the Church became the “wealthiest landowner on the continent, and the life of every European, from baptism through matrimony to burial, was governed by popes, cardinals, prelates, monsignors, archbishops, bishops, and village priests.” Manchester also insists that the Medieval world was a society that had not reached a relatively high level of cultural and technological development. Manchester also enlightens us on the fact that less than once percent of the souls in Christendom were wellborn, and that the rest – “nearly 60 million Europeans – were known as Hans, Jacques, Sal, Carlos, Will, or Will’s wife, Will’s son, or Will’s daughter.” Since most peasants rarely left their birthplace, there was “seldom need for any tag beyond One-Eye, or Roussie (Redhead), or Bionda (Blondie)…”. He also informs us that in the medieval mind there was no awareness of time, and that medieval men hardly ever knew what century they were living in, and he calls the Middle Ages a “meaningless, timeless blur”, where generations succeeded one another, and that popes, emperors and kings died and were succeeded by new popes, emperors, and kings. In his piece, Manchester feels that the term ‘Dark Ages’ is a more suitable title than ‘Middle Ages’ or ‘Medieval Period’. Fred

Human Rights Violations

2004-11-28T23:25:40-05:00

Throughout history, the rights of humans have frequently been abused. Human rights are the rights and liberties that are guaranteed to everyone from birth. After World War II, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Right, which stated that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, and that everyone has the right to a nationality, religion and his or her own opinion (Document 1). Despite the horrors of the Holocaust, abuses of human rights have continued in the post-World War II era. One of the major abuses of human rights in the post-World War II era was the Apartheid in South Africa. After South Africa won its independence from Great Britain, the Afrikaner Nationalist party gained a whites-only parliament. The Nationalists set up a system of apartheid, or complete segregation of the races. Under this system, blacks needed permission to travel, and had to carry a pass when doing so (Document 2). Other Apartheid laws also created many segregated facilities, and denied blacks the right to vote. The Apartheid violated many guidelines of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Through the years, world attention focused on South Africa. In 1973, the UN General Assemble declared apartheid a crime against humanity. And in 1977, the UN Security Council embargoed arms exports to South Africa. Throughout the 1980s, many nations enforced economic sanctions against South Africa. These economic sanctions, along with other statutes, led to Nelson Mandel being released from prison in 1990. During the next four years, newly elected president of South Africa Frederick de Klerk, along with Nelson Mandela, dismantled the system of apartheid. In 1994, Nelson Mandela was elected as the first black present of South Africa, in the first all-race election (Document 3). Another infringement of human rights occurred in Cambodia in the 1970s. During this time, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rough took control of Cambodia. During his rule, Pol Pot attempted to create an agrarian society. The Khmer Rouge executed any former government officials, army personnel and intellectuals. The Khmer Rouge also killed many Cambodians by using forced labor, and drove people from the cities and settled them in the country. Countless families were torn apart, and educational and religious practices were forbidden. Numerous bodies were deposited in mass graves, called the ‘killing fields’.

Evolution of Capital Punishment

2004-11-28T23:23:42-05:00

Capital punishment can be defined as the penalty of death for the commission of a crime. The death sentence has been a traditional form of justice through time. But time, trade and geography has altered its form. In many countries today, capital punishment is a fundamental part of criminal justice systems. The death sentence is a major way of ensuring respect and instilling fear in people. It was not until recent times that the punishment of death was reserved for murder and other major offences. Throughout time, capital punishment has evolved from an extremely gruesome public display, to a more painless and serene type of penalty. Capital punishment has been around since approximately 1500 BCE (Laurence 2). The criminal condemned was found “guilty of magic” and was sentenced to death. The exact mode of his death was “left to the culprit, who was his own executioner.” (Laurence 2). In England, there is no record of capital punishment earlier than 450 BCE, when it was “the custom to throw those condemned to die in a quagmire.” (Laurence 2). A quagmire is a soft, wet, yielding land. The Mosaic law is “full of mention of the punishment of death . . . the principal mode of execution being stoning”. (Laurence 2). Forms of capital punishment that were common in early times are: the pouring of molten lead on the criminal, starvation in dungeons, tearing to death by “read-hot pincers and sawing asunder”, plus many others. (Laurence 2). The death penalty was not always used for major offences. In the Twelve Tables, from the Roman Empire from approximately 450 CE, many misdemeanors were recognized to be punished by death. Some of these include: “Publishing libels and insulting songs . . . burning a house or a stack of corn near a house . . . cheating, by a Patron, of his client . . . making disturbances in the City at night”. Many of the penalties were carried out by burning at the stake, or in one instance, being “clubbed to death”. (Laurence 3). In the time of Paul, around 60 CE, crucifixion, burning and decapitation were in use. One of the “cruelties inflicted by Nero on those sentenced to death was impalement”. (Laurence 3). Such an atrocity was practiced

Turning Points: Neolithic Revolution, French Revolution, and the Industrial Revolution

2004-11-28T23:23:05-05:00

Political, social, and economic conditions have often led to revolutions that have changed the course of history for nations and peoples. These revolutions had such a significant impact that they can fittingly be labeled “turning points”. Two of these turning points, the Neolithic and French Revolutions, have drastically altered the world today. During the Paleolithic Period, which lasted from the start of human life until about 10,000 BCE, people were nomadic. They lived in small clans, usually consisting of 20-30 people, and spent much of their lives hunting and gathering. These early humans developed primitive tools, such as spears and axes, made from bone, wood, and stone. These peoples lived this way up until around 10,000 BCE, when they started cultivating crops and domesticating animals. The start of using these new methods is known as the Neolithic Revolution. Throughout the Neolithic Revolution, people began to cultivate crops and domesticate animals, which was a major change from hunting and gathering. This caused permanent settlements to be established. New discoveries, inventions, and methods of farming developed during this revolution. Farmers developed new metal tools, such as the plow. They also developed a calendar to keep track of when to plant and harvest crops. As a result of permanent settlements being formed, a specialization of labor was created. This divided the jobs between different members of the society, which gave rise to a government to regulate the work and a social class system. This new use of agriculture enabled humans to develop permanent settlements, social classes, and new technology. Some of these groups settled in the arable valleys of the Indus, Nile, and Tigris-Euphrates Rivers, which resulted in the rise of complex civilizations in Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, and China. Another major turning point in world history was the French Revolution. The French Revolution had many political, social, and economic causes. The political cause was that France was being ruled by an absolute monarch, and a weak one as well. Most citizens were denied basic human rights and a say in their government. Socially, France was apportioned among three estates. The First and Second Estates flourished, whilst the Third Estate, which comprised of over 95% of the population, had the very little rights, the least amount of land, and paid the most taxes. The economic

To what extent did the Versailles Treaty contribute to the crisis faced by the Weimar Government?

2004-11-15T09:07:59-05:00

The Versailles Peace Treaty, signed by Germany in 1919, can only be partially held responsible for the crisis faced by the Weimar Government. In 1923, the Weimar Government reached a terrible crisis point in which it sank into chaos, facing serious problems both politically and economically. Politically, the Weimar Government encountered extreme opponents from both the right and left wing; however, not all political threats faced by the Weimar Government were due to the Versailles Peace Treaty. Economically, the Weimar Government were also faced with severe difficulties. Before the end of WWI, under the Kaiserreich, Germany was already carrying the burden of trade deficits and war economy so the cause of all the economic problems can not be limited to the Treaty though the Treaty was indirectly linked to the problems of hyperinflation. The Weimar Constitution, another contributory factor of the crisis, was not at all a result of the Versailles Peace Treaty as the set up and contents of the constitution was never stated as a term in the Treaty. The Versailles Peace Treaty should not be responsible for the establishment of the Weimar Constitution. The Weimar Constitution was a very weak written composition of the Government that tried to set up a democratic system. Article 17 of the Constitution stated the voting system which was known as proportional representation. Proportional representation is where a party that gains 20 per cent of the vote will also gain 20 percent of the seats in the Reichstag. This kind of system proved to be a problem, as argued by historian Geoff Layton. He said that the introduction to proportional representation encouraged the formation of new and splinter parties; this made it even harder for any one party to gain the 50 % of votes required to become government. The only way for a party to gain that extra percent of votes needed to become the government was to befriend other parties. This was even more of a complication because there was a lot more compromising due to the different ideas and policies. Another weakness of the constitution was Article 48 where it stated that in the case of an emergency the President may suspend civil rights and take whatever was needed to restore the country. Geoff Layton said that the flaw of this article was that in the cases of emergencies the President could just overthrow the government and simply rule

Britain’s Population explosion in the 19th century

2004-11-09T19:15:39-05:00

“The most important factor in Britain’s Population explosion in the 19th century was better medical care” To what extent do you agree with the statement above? There are many reasons why the population increased in the 19th century such as better medical care/medicine and better public health. However I believe that better medical care/medicine was partly the reason why Britain’s population exploded but I believe the main reason was better public health. In 1801 the total population in Britain was 10 million, by 1901 it was 38 million. In 1800 the number of deaths per 1000 in London was 39 and in 1900 it was 18. In 1800 most people made their own herbal cures and as a very last resort went to one of the few hospitals. The hospitals were filthy and patients were often kept in the same ward whether they had a highly infectious disease or a minor problem. Doctors were hopeless and in an operation the patient was made incredibly drunk or strapped down to the table while the doctor sliced him/her open with unwashed instruments. Doctors realised there was some connection between filth and disease but though it was ‘bad air’. The first forty years of the century the health of the people deteriorated. The drinking water was filthy and sewage was everywhere. Overcrowding meant disease could spread easier. Poor food and dreadful conditions meant many illnesses that are minor today were fatal then. Cholera and typhoid, which are spread by drinking water becoming mixed with sewage, were very common. The first step forward was when cheap cotton was available, the working class began to wear cotton everything instead of woollen things. Wool can only be washed in warm water and must never be boiled therefore it does not kill the germs, cotton can be boiled and so it kills all the germs. The new factories began to make cheap soap so that housewives could buy it from the shops as they rarely had time to make their own. The improvements in iron manufacture helped towns in the second half of the century to lay down water and sewage pipes quickly and cheaply and this I believe helped raise the standards of health in towns more than anything else. In medicine a safe vaccination for smallpox was invented. In 1846 a doctor used laughing gas to put patients to sleep but too much laughing gas meant the

The Battle of the Somme

2004-10-26T02:52:21-04:00

The Battle of the Somme started in 1916 following the battle at Ypres in 1915. After it went on over a long period of time, it was to become one of the most famous battles of the First World War. It was a protracted engagement, which resulted in appalling carnage. The Battle of the Somme is proclaimed to be such a great battle because of the certain strategies and the specific objectives used, the tragic results of the battle, and the consequences of the battle concerning the many conflicting powers. The Battle of the Somme began to support Belgium after Germany attempted an invasion on them. Many strategies and objectives were conceived and used to defeat the German forces at the Somme. As the battle began on July 1st, 1916, it was planned as a joint French and British operation, this included Canada as they fought along side Britain. The British saw their opportunity to be the saviors of the moment, as Germany invaded Belgium when they were declared neutral, which was known as the Schlieffen Plan. The French Commander in Chief, Joseph Joffre, who intended it to be a battle of attrition, devised this plan of attack. The aim of the offence was to drain the German forces of reserves, however territorial gain was the second aim. This plan was soon approved by the British Commander in Chief, Sir Douglas Haig. One element of the agreed plan was to have an offence of primarily French troops, although after the attack on Verdun at the beginning of 1916, in which the Germans took many French casualties, Haig and Joffre were forced to compose the offensive troops of predominantly British soldiers instead. This resulted in Haig receiving responsibility of the operation, which would be used at the Somme, and authority to formulate his own plan. With help from General Rawlingson, Haig came up with a strategy of an eight-day preliminary bombardment of the German lines, beginning on June 24th. He believed this would conquer their original aim of destroying German forces, letting the attacking British troops virtually walk across “no mans land” and take charge of the German front lines, as the German soldiers would be to exhausted to put up a fight. The attack was commenced upon a thirty-kilometre front with the Somme

2004-10-21T05:11:11-04:00

Jefferson and Tocqueville

2004-10-19T22:15:30-04:00

During the summer of 1776, the thirteen American colonies of Britain stood at the cusp of a curve that Tocqueville formalized almost seventy years later. The Declaration of Independence served as the defining moment in a long struggle between independence and privileged aristocratic government. Jefferson, Hamilton, and et al. united in challenge to what they rightfully viewed as discriminatory treatment at the hands of King George’s Britain. Through this unity, they also sowed the seeds for the federal government that Toqcueville used as a basis for his observations on democratic systems, and the governments that they form. In fact, Toqcueville provides a point for point explanation of the desires expressed in the first two paragraphs of The Declaration. “All men are created equal…” evolves into “Men living at such times have a natural bias towards free institutions”. Jefferson, by assertion and the Constitutional Congress, by guarantee, allow Tocqueville, through logical, procedural analysis of post-Revolution America to prove and generalize. If all men are indeed created equal, argues Tocqueville, then all equal men will desire independence. Conversely, if all men are equal, then they will naturally desire independence. . Jefferson readily admits that rebellion is a heavy subject to consider, but defends the groups’ decision by placing individual freedoms over government existence. The home government encroaches on the basic tenements of freedom. The people in response have a right to defend from that encroachment, and if required, to forcibly stop it. Tocqueville observes that “democratic nations dread all violent disturbances”, but when their liberties are challenged, they “give or surrender additional rights to the central power”. The members of the Constitutional Congress allowed the Declaration to speak for them as a whole. Each particular state put aside their individual grievances in favor of the common cause. Tocqueville also explains the development of the Congress’s government into a centralized organization. The people abhor its interferences with their day-to-day lives; yet depend on it in times of need. This parallels the American colonies individual attempts to negotiate with the Crown before the Constitutional Congress. They wanted little part in collaboration, or subjection to the common will until King George III rebuked them. Only then, did they decide to unite for the common cause. The particular state legislatures finally looked upon each other for assistance through the intermediate body of the Constitutional Congress. Jefferson and the Constitutional Congress develop the general concept of

History of Swastika

2004-10-11T20:06:59-04:00

The Swastika is a symbol that at first was a positive meaning to many people around the world. The Swastika was the oldest cross/emblem in the world. The combinations of the four “L’s” stood for Luck, Light, Love, and Life. This symbol has been found in Rome and many other ancient countries. Our own Southwest Indians use it as an amulet. It is said that it is used to drive away evil and bring good luck and long life to the possessor of the Swastika. The Swastika is a very strong symbol to many. Even though the Nazis had used it to murder millions of people, it was a symbol of positive meaning for many centuries. The Swastika was a positive symbol that had been used for 3,000 years around the world. It was also a notorious uses d symbol far back to the 1000 BCE. Until Hitler gained control over the Swastika, it was a sound symbol. For the following years, the swastika was used by many other cultures. For instance, Japan, India, China, and southern Europe. Of course there were many different names to be called. For China, it was called “wan,” for England, “fylfot,” and for Greece, either “tetraskelion” or “gammadion.” However, it was not known for how long, our Native Americans have also used the swastika. Not until the Nazis used this symbol, the swastika was used by many other cultures around the world. It had symbolized strength, sun, life, power, and good luck. It had garnished coins, buildings, cigarette cases, and postcards. While World War I was taking place, it was found even on the shoulder patches of the Finnish Air Force and the American 45th Division. Later in the 1920’s it had a change of meaning. Adolf Hitler later decided that the Nazis party needed it’s own sign and flag. They then also decided on August 7, 1920 that the swastika would be their flag and sign. Since the swastika became the Nazi’s flag, it is now a symbol of hatred, death violence, and murder. As we can see the swastika was a symbol of good meaning, to become one of unfavorable meaning. Since then, the symbol now has a new meaning. As of now, there is a great debate of what the swastika now means. For thousands of

Ancient Runic Inscription

2004-10-03T08:27:14-04:00

In this essay, I will discuss the history, origins, and other aspects of Futhark, the runic alphabet. I will focus on information and theories based on Scandinavian script, and use the Stentoften stone as an example of these ancient inscriptions. “The Latin alphabet was introduced into Scandinavia about the year 1000. Before that the only method of recording was the runic script. These mysterious symbols, incised on stone, were believed to have been created by Odin…” (Cohat, 1987, p.148). Runes are associated with “wisdom and well-being, words and deeds, and the Gods and Magical powers. They are both practical and mystical…” (Barrett, 1995, p.12). They have shown up over a period extending from 200BC to the present as historical and archaeological items, in an area spreading well past the Baltic to the Mediterranean (King, 2002, p.2). Their origins are unclear, but there are many theories as to how these symbols became, which will be discussed later. Even the origin of the word ‘Rune’ is unclear, but many different interpretations have been put forward, most being magically based. Peter Taylor, in a book by John Matthews (1992, p.34) states that “the word ‘Rune’, which occurs in both Germanic and Celtic languages, means ‘a Mystery’ or ‘Holy secret’ that is ‘whispered’”. Each rune has a name and meaning, and all 24 runes make up the runic alphabet, said to be the most developed magical alphabet. Nigel Pennick (1992, p.9) argues that technically, runic is not actually an ‘alphabet’, as this implies a row of characters beginning with alpha and beta, and so on. Unlike most letter systems, the first aett (group) of runes begin with the letters F, U, Þ (now replaced by the Latin ‘Th’), A, R, K. Runic ‘alphabets’ are therefore known as the Futhark. As with any script, the original developed over a period of time, resulting in three main variants of futhark. The oldest known to scholars is the Common Germanic Futhark, which consists of twenty-four symbols (King, 2002, p.4). Its letters were divided into three main groups of eight symbols, each group called an aettir. Each aettir was attributed to a deity, Freyja, Heimdall and Tiwaz. This was in use from its beginnings to the 9th century, until “a drastic modification took place to the sounds and their symbols, and their number

Attempts to induce free labour

2004-09-30T05:16:56-04:00

How effective were the attempts to induce free labourers to continue to work on sugar plantations after 1838? After Emancipation in 1833 and the end of Apprenticeship in 1838, the slaves were completely free, but the planters were upset. The planters needed labour to work on the sugarcane estates. They had to develop a scheme to get labour and not to force the ex-slaves too much at the same time. This essay will show the attempts made to induce free labourers to continue to work on the estates after 1838 and how effective was it. The planters started by offering competitive wages for the ex-slaves. This attracted a number of them to work for only a certain amount of hours which will not show as hard labour. The ex-slaves needed the money to take care of their families. The wages was paid for only a limited amount of labourers. The planters introduced allowances to ex-slaves who might work in part-time jobs on the plantations. This allows the ex-slaves in this scheme to come completely to the plantations or work as they were working. This gives them time to grow their own crops on the provision grounds they have. The planters charged exorbitant rents on ex-slaves to where they were staying or living at first. This made the ex-slaves to live in the huts in the plantations. In order to live in these huts they have to work on the plantations. This helped some of them to come early to work. This made the ex-slaves save money in the process while staying on the plantation so later on they can buy their own land to live on. The planters also entered agreements with ex-slaves to help out in the plantations for a price. Like almost all agreements the planters may have to agree also to meet all demands of the ex-slaves. If this was so the ex-slaves would work on the plantations. The planters brought, at this time, development of incentives. This is the introduction of ideas on how to work on the plantations at this time. They used machinery in the plantations to make work easier for the ex-slaves. This helped the ex-slaves to work in the fields of transport and refining to make sugar. This made productivity easier and produce sugar more efficiently. Later on, the planters went out doing more cruel schemes to obtain the ex-slaves to work on the plantations. When the ex-slaves had

Soviet Union expansionism in the Cold War

2004-09-30T05:12:10-04:00

What specific actions of the Soviet Union had when expressing expansionism and threats to stability? Write in defense of the Soviet Union. The Cold War dominated world politics or needed to dominate world attention of what it was about and such a large event it was being a global phenomenon which was difficult for reaching agreements. In fact, interpretations as to the origins of the Cold War are dominated by three schools of thought. Traditionalist, Revisionist and Post-revisionist. While the Traditionalist thought the expansionist, Revisionist suggested that these policies were essentially defensive. In the cause of this essay, all sides would be examined to the establishment of validility of this statement. Even before and after World War 2, there were rapid, complex and simultaneous and what was seen as weakness by some was also seen as strength by the other. The Traditionalist viewed out that the Soviet Union to be expansionist. They believed that the Soviets led by Stalin wanted to have more territory by spreading communism throughout Europe and taking over land. The Soviets had a rise in economy and at that time the U.S. had the Great Depression. This made the Soviet Union a little more powerful than the United States for a little while so they can take territories. There were secret agreements with Hitler and the Soviet Union. America became worried as to how close Hitler and Stalin was. All these agreements were more or less about spreading communism throughout the European states. Stalin was also aware of America knowing everything what is going on in Europe. It was so because America had its businesses there when Europe was to call out for economic aid, so trade and the economies would be built up. Stalin sent letters to American workers telling them to revolt against the capitalist society. The Soviets started to form communism in the Caribbean which there was a continuous fear of these Soviets in the tropical part of the world. At the Yalta Conference there was also a demand for more territory from European land since it was devastated after World War 2 by the Soviets. With this, the Soviets got carried away, they wanted everything. They had a power vacuum which throughout Europe and other areas had Communist parties. It was believed that these Communist parties held allegiance to the Soviet Union. Stalin’s socialism in one country had been an admission that the Communist revolution had

The Holocaust (Answers major questions under sub-headings)

2004-08-17T11:35:29-04:00

Holocaust Holocaust: great or wholesale destruction of life, esp. by fire. (The Macquarie Dictionary). Where and when did the holocaust occur? There is quite a bit of controversy over exactly when the Holocaust began, some historians date the beginning of the Holocaust to September 1939 when the German army invaded Poland. While others date the beginning of this prolific time to invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. Yet many others have many other dates that they claim are the beginning on the Holocaust. The Holocaust occurred in many areas around German Occupied Territory, there were Ghettos in many major cities and towns, and also there were many of the infamous labour and death camps scattered throughout the territory. The holocaust ended when the war ended in 1948, when news of their defeat, the Germans guards deserted, yet many captives died before American soldiers and Aid Workers reached them to help them with food and release them from their prisons. Who was Adolf Hitler? Adolf Hitler was born on the 20th of April, 1889 and was the third child for an Austrian Customs Official. Adolf was never a very academic student, but he excelled in the arts, and thus wanted to be an artist. It was after school during his young adulthood when he was struggling to make money from his passion he began to feel a deep-set resentment towards the Jewish, he saw them as being well off and believed that they were depriving him of wealth as they came into this country only a short time ago and seemed to be well off quickly, while he struggled. He moved to Germany in 1913 and joined the army, this is where Hitler’s patriotism mushroomed, he felt betrayed by his country after their surrender to the allied forces in World War One. Because of his feelings of betrayal he joined the Nationalist Socialist (Nazi) Party, where he quickly rose to become the leader. In 1924 he was sentenced to a five year prison term for attempting a coup. He only served 9 months of this prison sentence, during which he wrote his book, Mein Kampf. In 1933 the Nazis were ahead in the election polls and when they came to power, as their leader, he almost instantly formed the country into a dictatorship, outlawing any other political party than his own and suppressing any opposition. Hitler died in his bunker in 1948 as

Asherah: the Goddess of Israel

2004-07-21T15:26:15-04:00

Asherah was a West Semitic goddess first attested to in the cuneiform Ebla texts uncovered in northern Syria (modern day Tell Mardikh) dated to around 2350 BCE, where she appears as only a minor goddess in the pantheon (Smith 385). Her status was much higher in later times however, for she was a goddess well-known at Ugarit, the ancient Canaanite city-state now modern Ras Shamra in Syria, in the 14th century BCE, The Asherah that appears in the material unearthed there is the main consort of the chief god El, divine wet nurse, the ‘progenitress of the gods’, and mother of 70 children (Patai 37). Several recently discovered material remains in Palestine combined with new biblical scholarship testify that she was a goddess worshiped in ancient Israel as well. Though her name appears 40 times in 9 different books of the Hebrew Bible there has been much controversy surrounding her status within the Israelite religion as the verbs associated with the word ‘asherah’ imply some sort of humanly made, carved wooden object which appears to have functioned as an emblem for the god Yahweh. Though most references in the Bible seem to refer to this cultic symbol, some do mention the goddess herself (Hadley 54). Due to newly unearthed material finds dating mostly from the 7th-3rd centuries BCE, it has become undeniable that the goddess Asherah was widely known and venerated in and around Judah and Israel, and that the goddess and/or her cultic object called the ‘asherah’ (or ‘asherim’, plural) was closely associated with the cult of Yahweh. However, later religious reforms drove the cult of the goddess to the periphery of the home and local sanctuary and from the official state religion into folk religion. Although her symbol appears to have outlived her cult, the presence of the Hebrew goddess does still remain in other extra-biblical Jewish traditions. The belief in the sacred nature of trees and wooden pillars is very old indeed, and the connection between the name ‘Asherah’ and these beliefs may go back to prehistoric times. The first asherims were likely living trees that were objects of worship and ancient writers originally translated the word ‘asherah’ as ‘wood’ or ‘grove’ (Day 13). The oldest Greek epics are believed to have been transcribed around 700-750 BCE, but their origin goes back untold years before that date in an oral tradition, so when we see a

Molestation

2004-06-26T11:49:48-04:00

by Üzeyir Lokman ÇAYCI Translated by Fide ERKEN and by Anne PROULX “Hard prohibitions are necessary in order to live systematically... Strength isn’t affected by being a woman... I must use my authority continuously, even though it may seem insensitive to others....” The eyes of the female administrator widened after she murmured these words to herself. She told her secretary not to be disturbed and began typing on her computer. She was almost frantic with excitement over the things she wrote. Sometimes her eyes stayed fixed at one point and she was envisioning three dimentional fiction from the words. Two hours passed. She put the last period on her article, which resembled a political party announcement or a syndicate bulletin and bore no feeling or empathy. She remembered to write her name, title and date at the end. After signing, she picked up the phone and said, “ The difficulties of the opposition against my authority will simply have to be understood." Her talk, complete with gestures, was reflected upon behind the misty glass. A few minutes later, a white-haired worker entered the room after knocking. He held the letter bestowed upon him. With a trembling hand, he went down the back steps, and read the letter quickly. He took a deep breath after wiping his sweat from his forehead and thought about the negative aspects of being a foreigner in a strange country. His anxiety continued at home that evening. Watching his children wanting to sit on his lap to get rid of their own day’s troubles doubled his pain. That night he had chest pains and was taken to the hospital by an ambulance, where he died. His loved ones visited his body in the morgue. His wife wasn’t able to stop her tears while she tried to speak of the cold winds that had changed the direction of their lives. How could their children be greeted in the future if no one knew of their heritage? The event was forgotten. A few months later, the woman in the same work place said, “Continued effectiveness requires judgement... It must be my duty to continue struggling with foreigners using the best psychological methods... My strength isn’t affected by being a woman.” She began typing on her computer after murmuring these words to herself and told her secretary not to be

The Cold War

2004-06-02T02:46:55-04:00

The Cold War was a time of East-West competition, tension, and conflict short of full-scale war. There were real wars, sometimes called "proxy wars" because they were fought by Soviet allies rather than the USSR itself - along with competition for influence in the Third World, and a major superpower arms race. With the defeat of the Axis powers in World War II, international politics and conditions affecting postwar American strategy changed radically. The cold war was a competition between the United States and the USSR. The tension between the USSR and the US grew due to the different goals by two different leaders. Stalin had two goals he wanted in Eastern Europe. He first wanted to spread communism and second, he wanted to create a zone of friendly governments as a defense against Russia. President Truman, who disliked Stalin, saw communism as an evil force creeping across Europe and threatening countries around the world. Because of both Stalin and Truman’s ideas, President Truman decided to make the policy of containment. It was a foreign policy that stated that communist governments will eventually fall apart as long as they are prevented from expanding their influence. He also made up a policy known as the Truman Doctrine. It provided economic and military aid to any country threatened by communism or totalitarianism. In another effort to keep the peace and help the needy countries, Truman thought up the Marshal plan. It was an effort by the US to reduce hunger, homelessness, sickness, unemployment, and political restlessness in the many nations of Western Europe due to the war. In 1948, the United States and Britian flew food, medicine and supplies into Berlin after it was cut off from the United States by the Soviets. Besides all the policies many other organizations were formed. On of them was NATO, established under the North Atlantic Treaty on Apr. 4, 1949 by Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United States. Its cause was to safeguard the freedom of the North Atlantic community and the treaty was also designed to encourage political, economic, and social cooperation. Another organization made was theYalta conference. Its plans were made for dividing Germany into four zones of occupation (American, British, French, and Soviet) under a unified control commision in Berlin, for war crime trials, and for a study of

Where did Modern Humans originate and how are they different from their archaic ancestors?

2004-05-26T09:12:34-04:00

Where did Modern Humans originate and how are they different from their archaic ancestors? Modern Humans or Homo sapien sapiens origination is a question of controversy and much debate within the scientific community. In this essay I will attempt to illustrate the most significant theories and supporting evidence as well as make inferences about how they differed physically, socially and culturally from their archaic ancestors. There are two main theories regarding the evolution of Modern Humans, the first is the “Replacement Theory” and the second is the “Continuity Theory”. The Replacement Theory infers that Modern Humans evolved in Africa from Archaic and “Pre-Modern” Homo sapiens, terms describing a diverse range of Humans which lived from before 150,000 years ago to possibly less than 10,000 years ago (McBean, 2002) and that this new species radiated into South East Asia and then out into the rest of the world via land bridges. The Continuity Hypothesis suggests that the evolution of Homo sapiens did not necessarily take place in Africa but in other areas of the world, evolving independently of each other. Up until the 1980’s most of the information that we had on the origination of Modern Humans came from the fossil record. In 1987 a Biochemist at the University of California, Berkeley named Allan Wilson concluded that Homo sapiens are an entirely new species that originated in Africa alone (the Eve hypothesis). The Mitochondrial DNA mapping of Rebecca Cann in 147 humans also points towards greater diversity in the African group than any from Europe, Asia and New Guinea. Anthropologists remain divided over the theory. Some consider a migration of conquering humans from Africa to be at odds with the fossil record. (Wolpoff, Thorne and Lawn, 1991). Also on statistical grounds and because the data is still inadequate to reject the multi regional (Continuity) hypothesis completely (Fagan, 2004). What we do know is that the oldest Modern Human fossil remains outside Africa (Anon, www.ecotao.com). A 200,000-year-old Homo sapien skull was found in Dali, China. Another Modern Human fossil was found in Qafzeh, Middle East and is 100,000 years old. Whereas Homo sapien sapiens fossils that have been excavated at the Klasies River Mouth and Border Cave in South Africa date between 60,000 and 80,000 years old. While it is not clear exactly where Modern Humans originated it is clear that if the Replacement

Why did the Cold War End?

2004-05-18T09:34:48-04:00

Tauseef Ahmed United States History May 13th 2004 Why did the Cold War End? One of the main events of the war-filled twentieth century was the Cold War – a state of tension between the United States of America and the Soviet Union from nineteen forty five, at the beginning of the Soviet expansion of communism in newly formed countries after Word War II, opposed by the United States to nineteen eighty nine with the fall of the Berlin Wall. The main focus of this research will be to state the reasons as to why this hugely acknowledged war comes to an end. It was the most unexpected event that happened and the credit must be given to the leaders on both sides. The Cold War eventually came to an end in 1989 as a result of Gorbachev’s Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (reconstruction) policies; the Soviet’s declining communist economy, the costly arms race, and the freedom issues among Baltic Republics, Poland, and East Germany within the Soviet bloc itself. When Mikhail Gorbachev became the General Secretary of the Soviet Union in 1985, he was determined to end corruption in the Soviet economy and get the U.S.S.R. back on its feet. To achieve this goal he announced two new policies Glasnost and Perestroika. Glasnost or openness was the policy that ended the strict censorship, allowed Soviet citizens to speak openly about their society’s problems and issues, and abandoned the ban of books and foreign radio broadcasts. The significance of this new policy was that it helped Soviet Union become a more open society and the media freedom brought many issues in front of the government. The second policy, Perestroika or reconstruction was introduced to help reform the Soviet economy by ending inefficiency and corruption in the system. The policy also promoted private enterprise, according to which the production prices and costs became more efficient. Planning was decentralized so local factories had more power of making decisions. According to this policy multi-candidate elections would be held, although each participant had to be member of a communist party. These were major steps to reform the Soviet Union and eventually this movement toward openness helped end the Cold War. The all new Sinatra Doctrine was also introduced by Gorbachev in 1989 renouncing the Brezhnev Doctrine. Introduced by Alexander Dubcek in 1968, the Brezhnev Doctrine declared that every socialist country in Soviet bloc belonged to the Soviet Empire. It was

Outline Socrates Earlier Charges. Why did he need to deal with these charges before the actual ones

2004-05-18T06:48:36-04:00

At the age of seventy Socrates was before five hundred Athenians in the court of law. Over his seventy years this was his first appearance in court. However, Socrates had allegations against him earlier in his life of being a Sophist. According to ‘The Concise Oxford Dictionary’, Sophist is defined as; a paid teacher of the Ancient-Greek philosophy and rhetoric (public speaking); meaning a human being who interrogates others tending to discover imperfection and formulate insignificant and extreme criticism . Two other earlier charges Socrates was accused of was aggravating citizens with his continuous cross examination of people who thought they held wisdom, to establish their ignorance and teaching the young men of Athens because they copied his form of method known to the Greek as elenchus. Elenchus is defined as being the technique of Socrates ‘questioning in a series of questions and answers by which the conversation can be controlled’ . Although, there was no truth in these allegations to prosecute him, those who accused him won by default because Socrates had no one to defend him. Socrates came up with a solution while in front of the jury to solve the problems of his earlier charges by addressing the allegations before the actual charges were introduced. Being accused of performing a sophist technique ‘because he devoted his time to showing people the limitations of their knowledge’ amongst his community, was one of the reasons why Socrates’ earlier charges formed. He admitted a fee was never charged for his wisdom and declared he was not an expert of knowledge. ‘The fact was that there was nothing in any of these charges; and if it was heard that anyone had said he tried to educate people and charge a fee, there was no truth in that’. Although, Socrates did believe ‘that it was a fine thing if a man had the ability to teach, as in the case of Gorgias of Leontini, Prodicus of Ceos and Hippias of Elis’ . Socrates confessed he was not capable of sharing his wisdom to the privilege level of receiving money for his educating. In addition to his confession Evenus of Paros, a true sophist was introduced. Socrates was fascinated by this man’s wisdom that it gave him the sense of understanding his own ignorance of not knowing how

Post World War I Activity

2004-05-15T13:39:32-04:00

The Allied wars debt being cancelled is considered theoretically desirable due to the U.S. being considered to be repaid already with the borrowed money being spent in America for war materials boosting the U.S. economy, and the war being a common cause giving no one power prosperity from retributions like the U.S., but is considered impossible because of the insurmountable amount needed to be paid; Americas benefits of entering the world war include: gained woman’s rights, and a creditor nation evolvement. The European countries owing debt to the United States at the time is considered to be a huge hole for the Europeans. In order to get their way out of paying a large ransom of money over to the U.S., they were in need of a plan. They begin standing for their point by stating how they believe repayment has already been made based on the reimbursement of the borrowed money into the U.S. for goods, resulting in an economic boost for America. The United States felt differently, arguing that the goods being purchased were not given away with money loaned from them. The economic jump was the firepower that could not be argued however, giving the U.S. a much more prosperous outlook disregarding the war debt. The U.S. can be viewed as a power benefiting from this common cause of war. America is seen by the other European countries as a power profiting from the retributions of the war. They also goes against this idea, saying the war was for a common cause for everyone, not just to provide for a single country. This ideal was supported with the huge economic boom the U.S. experienced during the war and continuing afterwards as well. Especially since America never hit hard due to the oceans in between them and the war, and due to the late entrance of the U.S. The United States still stood for no cancellation, saying those who incur debts should repay them. There was still a mind blowing number that made this all seem impossible to make even however. The large sum of over 11 billion dollars was to be repaid. Now this large figure is an almost insurmountable climb for a war fought country. So the U.S., being as brilliant as they are, came up with a plan that spread the pay over 62 years with

Renaissance Education

2004-05-09T06:48:49-04:00

Amidst social unrest and intellectual stagnation, 14th and 15th century scholars argued, emerged the Renaissance, the “rebirth.” It did not take long for this pervasive and intriguing way of life to escape from the confines of small 14th century city-states in Italy to receptive Europeans around them. The new avant-garde outlook adopted by Europe as a whole encompassed an array of ideas, beliefs, and means of expressive creativity. The humanism of the Italian Renaissance gave birth to the modern concept of individuality. New individualism spurred learning, artistic vision, burgeoning interests in cultures and sciences, and a love of antiquity. The values and purposes of Renaissance education were to improve society, increase economic prosperity, and restore religious beliefs. Intellectual endeavor “touched upon studies (grammar, rhetoric, geometry, music, Philosophy, and Humanities) by which we (the nobility) may attain enlightenment of the mind (Doc 1, 2).” This is the obsession that blazed inside every “Prince,” every noble, every leading citizen, and all those that considered themselves part and parcel of upper class lifestyle (Doc 1). From this thirst for knowledge developed the Renaissance Man. The Renaissance Man was a paragon of “civic humanism.” Based on the idea that man is a social animal, he was supposed to be a disciplined as well as an integrated member of society. He would exude confidence and demonstrate virtue by putting the good of the community first, cultivating his mind, fulfilling his role as an exemplary citizen, and taking care of his family. Being a citizen meant more than just living in the city; it meant being immersed in city life and politics by active service to the state. To attain this state, education was a prerequisite. The social lives of people were greatly influenced by advancements in education. Institutes for “Learning and training in Virtue” were mechanisms of self-betterment and furthermore civil righteousness (Doc 2). People were taught to understand and judge the writings of others. Francesco Petrarch, the great Renaissance humanist, noted the vast popularity that classical literature had gained in the then recent past; by first writing his works in vernacular he increased the potential audience for his humanist ideas. The Italian humanist Piccolomini, who himself was educated, believed that philosophy and literature, should be taught to individuals, because these studies revealed the truths about the

Renaissance Education

2004-05-09T06:47:22-04:00

The Renaissance was a time of change. It began in Italy during the 14th century, and spread throughout the North. People all over Europe were affected, for the better and for the worse. Some people finally had a chance to control their own fate. Others, like upper class women, lost their social status. The values and purposes of Renaissance education were to improve the society, increase the economy, and restore the religious beliefs. The social lives of people were greatly influenced by advancements in education during the Renaissance. More people then ever before were sent to schools and educated. Schools for girls were built, and they were taught sewing, reading, writing, and dancing. Some of these schools even had teachers for singing and playing instruments. Upper class women were taught language, philosophy, theology and mathematics. But their education only prepared them for social life at home. Women lost political power, access to property and their role in shaping society. People were taught to understand and judge the writings of others. Courtiers, aristocrats and nobles were able to write poetry and text. By being well educated, having good penmanship, knowing how to ride, play, dance, sing, and dress well, men of high status gained respect and reputation. These skills also helped attain preference and support among princes. Nevertheless, the school system did not teach youth how to behave in daily life situations. They spent too much time on Grammar, Rhetoric, and Logic. Those studies that were realistic, enlightened men’s minds, and prepared them for life, were reserved for the Universities. Therefore, students had a slight understanding of the meaning and the true use of knowledge. They were only able to write Latin, which no one of judgement would want to read, and when they went to universities, they wasted their friends’ money and their own time. Afterwards, they would return home again, as unsophisticated and uneducated as they were before. In addition, many individuals thought that having to many schools was a terrible thing. They believed that only a minority of men should study literature, because more farmers were needed than judges, more soldiers than priests, more merchants than philosophers, and more hard working groups than dreamy and thoughtful individuals. Italian humanist Piccolomini, who himself was educated, believed that philosophy and literature, should be taught to every individual, because these studies reveal the truths about the past, the reality of the

The Causes of Witch Hunting Hysteria

2004-05-09T06:27:10-04:00

From the late fifteenth century until the seventeenth century, Europe experienced a hysterical religious movement, centered on the persecution of individuals as witches. The movement was born during a period of considerable economic, religious, and social upheaval. The Protestant Reformation challenged the old structures of the Catholic Church; as a result, many parts of Europe had broken away from papal authority. Yet, the Catholic Church was far from defeated, it still held the attention of avid followers especially those in Spain and Italy. Certainly the Inquisition was in part responsible for instigating the witch craze and also for creating social tensions, which contributed to its propagation. Moreover, there were great socio-economic changes resulting from imperialism, mercantilism, and the deterioration of the manor. The main causes for the witch craze lie in the Reformation, the socio-economic changes, the scientific ambiguities indirectly endorsing mass hysteria and the failure of the justice system to deal effectively with preposterous claims. A witch is a person with supernatural knowledge and powers, usually acquired from the Devil in exchange for his or her soul. Witches are believed to be able to change shape, transform others, cause illness and death, concoct charms, and tell the future. In Europe from the late fifteenth through the seventeenth centuries, people accused of practicing witchcraft were generally poor, working class people. In addition to being poverty stricken, they were for the most part female and between the age of 24 and 50. As the lower class, unemployed, old, and women were collectively seen as the doormat of society, they were easy targets in this time of instability. Many parts of Europe (e.g. Germany, France, England, and Switzerland) employed this widespread discriminatory policy. Persecution was most prevalent in those areas where Protestant friction heightened religious tensions. Witchcraft predates the reform period. All religious authorities of the time believe in witchery. Pope Innocent VIII’s policy stated that, “… it shall be permitted to the inquisitors to exercise their office of inquisition and to proceed to the…punishment of the aforesaid persons for their said offences and crimes,” (Document 9) in 1484 establish the problem of witchcraft. The pope commissioned his inquisitors to punish witches, in doing so the pope gave them a wide range of powers to question, imprison and execute those, who were believed to be witches.

niccolo machiavelli vs. cardinal richelieu

2004-05-09T06:17:34-04:00

Unlike Cardinal Richelieu, the prime minister of France during the early years of the Reformation, Niccolo Machiavelli never mentioned God nor did he quote the Bible to substantiate any of his arguments. He was secular, which makes him seem modern. Today, his principals on governing a state are deemed immoral; however, he would say that his methods are practical. Whilst this book was being written during the Renaissance, Italy was weak and the city-state structure was breaking down because of French and Spanish invasions. Desperately in search of a philosophy of politics to remedy this instability, Machiavelli wrote The Prince. This book is a step-by-step guidebook on how to rule by means of a ruthless dictatorship; whereas, The Political Testament of Cardinal Richelieu by Richelieu himself advocates absolutism. As a result of the Fronde, Richelieu and many other French people alike wished for the government to be centralized under the leadership of the king which is otherwise known as an absolute monarchy. The French king, Louis XIV stated, “L’Etat – c’est moi,” which translates to “I am the State.” This statement embodies Richelieu’s as well as Machiavelli’s theory of government. Both books argue the importance of a strong state. In order for Machiavelli and Richelieu to have their ideas put into practice, they dedicated each of their books to the ruler of their respective states. Richelieu dedicated his book to the king of France, Louis XIII, so that his political beliefs would live on after his death through the king. Similarly, Machiavelli dedicated his book to Lorenzo de Medici, ruler of city-state, Florence so that he might receive a government job as an advisor to Lorenzo. Both writers were very humble and marginally sycophantic in their tone with regards to their dedications so as to accomplish the aforementioned goals. This is evident in the first paragraph of The Prince when Machiavelli referred to Lorenzo de Medici as “…Your Magnificence” (Machiavelli, p.1) and Richelieu obsequiously said “when it was first Your Majesty’s pleasure to give me a part to play in the management of your affairs I determined to devote my fullest efforts to the completion of your plans...” (Richelieu, p.3). Machiavelli had a very different reception from Richelieu. The former was avant-garde hence the world he lived in was not quite ready for his

The Communist Manifesto vs. Hard Times

2004-05-09T06:06:40-04:00

In the wake of the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries, the rift between the rich and the poor became wider and more irreparable. For those trapped in the underclass workforce, life seemed bleak and ridden with poverty give that they had no representation in the political arena and working conditions were perilous. The Industrial Revolution created a society where social classes were sharply schismatic. Charles Dickens under the visage of fiction and Karl Marx via nonfiction critiqued and offered solutions to the adversity that attended this period of industrial development. Karl Marx: Karl Marx’s pamphlet, The Communist Manifesto, details the basic objective of Communism whilst simultaneously explicating the theory which buttresses the movement. According to Marx, “all history has been a history of class struggles, of struggles between exploited and exploiting, between dominated and dominating classes as various stages of social development” (472). The relationship between these different classes is normally characterized by the exploitation of the proletariat, the wage laborers, by the bourgeoisie, the boss or the employer. Inevitably, a revolution will springboard from this volatile relationship of overt inequality and subjugation and there will be a reordering of society, a new class will take the place of the bourgeoisie. Such class relations were clearly present during the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries and continues to affect our society today under the guise of capitalism, an economic system founded upon private investment and profiteering. For Marx, capitalism is a way of life that is inherently quixotic; stepping on others to achieve personal gain can only leads to acrimony and conflict. The Industrial Revolution “has drowned the most heavenly ecstasies of religious fervor, of chivalrous enthusiasm, of philistine sentimentalism, in the icy water of egotistical calculation. It has resolved personal worth into exchange value, and in place of the numberless indefeasible chartered freedoms, has set up that single, unconscionable freedom—Free Trade” (475). Not only did industrial development stunt social mobility but it also effaced individualism; hence, it had the net-effect of translating the bond between man and man into a money relation defined by self-interest. Yet, the proletariat make up the majority of the workforce and remain perpetually bound by their lack of privileges; therefore, the aforementioned self-interest that all should be afforded is subject to an entire system driven by their

Matter of Principle: Victoria Woodhull

2004-05-06T18:30:11-04:00

Victoria Claflin Woodhull was a lobbyist, businesswoman, writer, and investor who advocated women’s equality in status, work, home, and politics. She worked against the 19th century notions that daughters, mothers, and wives should be silent and submissive. She called for a vote and a voice in all matters of life and citizenship. She was a modern woman ahead of her time. She spoke frankly in the need for women to take control of their lives including their health and family planning. Victoria spoke with bold honesty of her controversial principles and did not mince words. She savagely criticized hypocrisies in society and government. Victoria Claflin was the seventh born of Reuben “Buck” Claflin and Roxanna Hummel Claflin’s ten children, in Homer, Ohio on September 23, 1838. According to “The Terrible Siren” by Emanie Sachs Arling, Roxanne instilled in her children a deep sense of loyalty to family and a sense that they were special and different from other people. Roxanne was also deeply devoted to religion, reliant on the tent revivalism that was popular at the time. The fervor of those revivals must have been the only match in the intensity of the Claflin household (Arling 3-35). Spiritual healing and communication with spirits, Victoria claimed to be directed by the spirit of Demosthenes. She married Calvin Woodhull at the age of fifteen. He was trained as a Doctor but was a troubled alcoholic. Woodhull traveled the country as she supported her first husband and her two children. She came to St. Louis as a Spiritualist magnetic healer and there she met the man who was to become her second husband, Col. James Harvey Blood, a Civil War Veteran (Horowitz 87). The Free Love Doctrine that Victoria preached was introduced to her by her second husband Col. Blood and enforced by her association with Stephen Pearl Andrews when the family moved to New York. Andrews was a radical intellectual and had been involved with “Modern Times”, a free love community experiment (Horowitz 88). Because of her reputation as a Spiritual healer she and her sister Tennie gained the audience of Cornelius Vanderbilt, whose efforts to contact his deceased mother and son advertised his belief in Spiritualism. The brokerage firm owned by Victoria Woodhull and her sister Tennessee Claflin was supported with advice and initial funding by Vanderbilt (Horowitz 92). Victoria announced, in 1870, her intention to run for president in 1872 as

persuasive speech

2004-05-05T09:54:16-04:00

“It is a great shock at the age of five or six to find that in a world of Gary Coopers you are the Indian.” James Baldwin The year would have been one in the late 1920’s when James Baldwin was aged five or six, yet 75 years on, and many years after his death, few things have changed for people of minority; and it is as simple as cowboys and Indians. Because of immaterial issues such as a person’s name, how they look, talk and act, they are persecuted by those who fear the “different”, just as when white man first inhabited America their fear of native Indians was provoked by them looking, acting and no doubt speaking differently. James Baldwin, in his quote, indicates the distress that an innocent child faces when the realization of discrimination being adamant in their lives is founded and at the same time comprehending that for no other reason than being “different” (than those who have claimed superiority) they have drawn the short stick in life. Hate has plagued society for longer than can be remembered with a historical process having developed in which one comes to know themselves in relation to someone different to them. History is overwhelmed with discrimination, prejudice and intolerance. It was devastating when whites hated the Indians hundreds of years ago, it was ugly when the whites hated blacks through hundreds of years of slavery, it was repulsive when Hitler promoted hate against those of Jewish decent and in fact everyone different to himself and it is still considerably alarming in today’s unstable society. Amongst the human race there has always been someone to be hated, and even more people to hate them. Discrimination is so prominent in society that groups are formed with generally no other common interests than their hate for other groups. The John Birch Society, Ku Klux Klan, Invisible Empire, NAAWP, White Aryan Resistance, American Front, Nazi Skinheads, Posse Comitatus, Aryan Nation, The Order and National Alliance, just to name a few. Furthermore, the formation of these groups calls for the people they target to feel hate towards them, creating one vicious cycle of extreme dislike. As James Baldwin once said, “People who treat others as less than human must not be surprised when the bread they have cast on the waters comes floating back to them, poisoned.” Unfortunately for society this

Mississippi burnt-historys distorted remains

2004-05-05T09:50:03-04:00

In his 1988 film Mississippi Burning, Director Alan Parker sets out to corner the audience into an awareness of the segregation and bigotry in America’s south during the 1960s. Ironically he attempts to achieve this by using cinematic methods that fall in line with exactly what his film’s central message is attacking; the ugly stereotyping of race and class. While the film’s message is as important in today’s society, where segregation of race and class still occurs, the use of blatant misrepresentations to develop, or rather manipulate, the emotions of the audience is distasteful not to mention arrogantly hypocritical. Parker’s film roughly portrays the events surrounding the investigation into the 1964 disappearance of three young civil rights workers (two white, one black) in the Deep South; a time and place representing one of the ugliest periods in America’s history. But contrary to what you may believe, the film manages to depict Mississippi in the 1960s more unattractively than history itself suggests. Through its use of oversimplified, stereotypical representations of race and class, Mississippi Burning creates a dim image in the viewer’s mind; one that is ultimately more evident than the message the film was intended to expose. These representations so simple that according to the film only the southern hicks were racist, only the southern blacks were victims, only one class, the northern F.B.I agents, namely agents Ward (William Dafoe) and Anderson (Gene Hackman), could save them and they could only save them by using violence. As is the case with many films that serve the purpose of entertaining audiences, Mississippi Burning develops an easy to understand and even easier to hate villain. From the film’s outset the audience is left vulnerable to the manipulated representation of the white Mississippian’s violent tendencies. Audiences are regularly presented with the image of lower-class, inbred and uneducated hicks from the south with an undying intolerance toward outsiders. Alan Parker fails to realise that his film’s depiction of southern characters is no less racist than how they are portrayed to be, not to mention how clichéd their portrayal is. What the film fails to suggest other than through a single character, Mrs. Pell (Frances McDormand), the wife of a Klan leader (Brad Dourif), is that while many Mississippians were full of hate and intolerance to outsiders, not all, and maybe not even the majority, were brainless , ignorant Klan people. If by twenty minutes

Renaissance and Modern Gender Roles

2004-05-03T17:17:36-04:00

Gender role is defined simply as the perceived set of expectations, attitudes, and life goals of a particular gender. But who defines these expectations, and for what reason? Why is it ok for a boy to be a fireman, but not a nurse? Why are females discouraged from being discourteous and loud, where it is almost expected of men to do so? Someone or something had to have prescribed these roles for us to follow. - Without much effort, most of the above question is answered with a quick glance at history. Often referred to as the golden age of humanity, the Renaissance provided the world with a new belief that the individual was the centerpiece of the universe. Without the renaissance the whole philosophy of liberal studies, which is what this institution of higher learning deems as its most important quality, or many other beliefs and ideas would not exist. It no doubt has had a profound impact on the way we approach art, literature, and many other aspects of society. The above seems common knowledge, however a little known fact about the Renaissance is how it shaped modern thought regarding gender and the roles assigned to them. “…Just as [a man] must show a certain solid and sturdy manliness, so it is seemly for a woman to have a soft and delicate tenderness, with an air of womanly sweetness in her every movement…” (Castiglione 206). In his book, The Courtier, Baldassare Castiglione outlined the ideal man and woman. He outlined what things the genders should be educated on as well as how they should carry themselves in public and private life. In the early 1500’s this was the handbook on how to be a proper individual in society. In the great words of “Sir” Charles Barkley…. anything less would be uncivilized. For males, Castiglione wished that the proper man exercised regularly and was known to be energetic and full of vigor. He was also to be faithful to whomever he served. His reputation was key and “cowardice or other disgrace, always remains defiled before the world and covered with ignominy”(Castiglione 34). Aside from not being a wimp, the ideal man was to be learned in letters and studies, which today we call the humanities. He was to learn Greek, Latin, as well as his own

The Marriage of Henry the VIII and Catherine of Aragon

2004-04-28T18:46:25-04:00

Spain and England had a history of poor diplomatic relations, and it was common in the Fifteenth Century for members of a royal family to marry off a daughter or son to a child from another royal family, to establish an alliance between those two countries. Catherine of Aragon was the youngest child of King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castille, who almost immediately began looking for a political match for her. When she was three years old, she was engaged to Arthur, the son of Henry VII of England. Arthur was not even quite two at the time. When Catherine was almost sixteen, in 1501, she made the journey to England. When she and Arthur were married on November 14, 1501, in old St. Paul’s Cathedral, London. Catherine was escorted by Arthur’s younger brother, Henry. Following the ceremony, the young couple moved to Ludlow Castle on the Welsh border. Less than six months later Arthur died, possibly of the “sweating sickness”. Historians speculate that the history of England would have changed drastically if Arthur had lived a year longer. Catherine was now a widow and still young enough to marry again, so on June 25, 1503, she was formally engaged to the king’s second son, Henry, now Prince of Wales. The marriage, however, didn’t take place during Henry VII’s lifetime. Henry made use of the presence of the unmarried princess in England to extort new conditions, and especially to secure the marriage of his daughter Marry to the archduke Charles V. By 1505, when Henry was old enough to wed, Henry VII wasn’t as keen on a Spanish alliance, and young Henry was forced to reject the engagement. Catherine’s future was uncertain for the next four years. When Henry VII died in 1509, on one of the new young king’s actions was to marry Catherine. She was finally crowned Queen of England in a joint coronation ceremony with her husband Henry VIII on June 24, 1509. Catherine enjoyed a few years of married happiness; Henry showed that he could be an affectionate husband, and the alliance with Ferdinand was maintained against France. During Henry’s invasion of France in 1513, she was made regent; and showed great enthusiasm in preparing for the Scottish expedition, by riding north to put herself at the

The Marriage of Henry the VIII and Catherine of Aragon

2004-04-28T18:46:17-04:00

Evaluate the Impact Albert Speer had on Germany during the period 1918 – 1945

2004-04-20T13:16:43-04:00

Albert Speer, Reich Minister of Munitions and Armaments throughout Germany’s course in World War II, had a profound impact on Germany during the period 1918-1945. This is due to the fact that as an architect, he had been responsible for the redevelopment of Berlin and other major German city centres. Also, because of his status as a senior member and a minister of the Reich parliament, he was chiefly responsible for the prolonging of the war by initiating a rapid increase in the production of armaments. He had also played a contributing effect to Germany’s violation of the Geneva Convention in the sense that he had advocated the deprival of Jewish ownership of housing properties, as well as the widespread use of Jewish and POW forced labour. As Hitler’s favourite architect, Speer was able to carry out the plans for Hitler’s Reich Capital in Berlin. It was through Hitler’s desire to impress and bring prestige to the power of the Reich upon the rest of the world that Speer’s architecture would achieve a significant impact in Germany. He was responsible for the design of the Nuremberg stadium, convincing Hitler that constructions out of monumental masonry were more elaborate than that of using iron and steel reinforcements, as stone would lend to a quiet magnificence as time elapsed. Additionally, Speer was able to improve on Hitler’s ideas from time to time. An instance of this was shown in the documentary ‘Hitler’s Henchmen – Speer’, where when Hitler commissioned a building to be 100 meters long, Speer added ‘at least 200 meters Mein Fuhrer’ . More importantly, him and Hitler both share the same passion for architecture; in an essay written by Speer himself, he stated that “our cities today lack a towering symbol of the community, and one cannot therefore be surprised that one’s own city also lacks such a symbol…….We know from his speeches the importance Hitler puts on improving the social conditions of every German such that they will be able to take pride in the community’s larger accomplishment. ” For Speer’s organisational and planning skills that he had demonstrated in front of the Fuhrer, Hitler became increasingly confident of entrusting Speer with massive construction projects, such as the task of redesigning Berlin. From 1937, enormous demolition works of 52 000 apartments in Berlin were carried out under Speer’s orders. Because of both Speer and Hitler’s taste for monumental masonry,

The Devolution in the UK

2004-04-19T06:54:20-04:00

Devolution is a process of taking power from a central authority or government and giving it to smaller and more local religions. In our situation, the central authority in the UK is England; smaller religions are Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Scotland = Caledonia Scotland fought with England until the beginning of the17th century, when Scottish king James VI became James

Evaluate the Impact Albert Speer had on Germany during the period 1918 – 1945

2004-04-12T04:43:30-04:00

Roman Architecture

2004-04-05T15:38:07-04:00

The Roman society, like any other, had its humble beginnings. The history of their architecture runs virtually in step with the history of their empire to an extent. As the Empire expanded so did the architecture, and as Romans became more magnificent their architecture followed. Roman architecture had its humble beginnings as a form of worship. The first Roman architects were the ancient priests and dwellers who made areas of sacrifice and worship for their gods. At first, their homes were simple huts but as they grew smarter and more aware of their surroundings, they erected monumental sites for their gods. ‘“This space shall be for worship and for nothing else; it shall be four-square; … whatever is done or said in this holy space the gods shall be aware of; whatever comes … shall be a sign from the gods.’” (Brown 10) So, like many arts, Roman architecture’s roots are embedded in the worshiping and homage paid in religion. The Romans were, of course, not the first to unveil and practice many of their building philosophies; however, they built like no other society before them. Their methods incorporated efficiency and sophistication to construct a whole new look. So with the rise of the Romans and the everlasting hail of Caesar after Caesar and Emperor after Emperor, Roman architecture expanded and influenced building over the world. Unlike the Empire, though, Roman design did not die at the hands of the Germanics, or rather at the hands of self-destruction; it continued to expand and play a part in every major style throughout history. Today, a look at any bridge, tunnel, skyscraper and most buildings will reveal a Roman influence. Even through its empire’s own tribulations and defeat, architecture has stood as an everlasting symbol of what Rome once was, and what the rest of the world is today. To conclude, Roman architecture cannot be looked at as a mere time period or cultural event, for its ramifications lie beyond cultures and beyond time itself. Roman architecture is not a variable, it is, and forever will be, a constant. Unlike cultures before them, the Romans were not intimidated by the curve, “Greece, like the Orient, had been shy of the curve.” (Brown 20) It had proven very difficult for predecessors to successfully negotiate an angled surface; it not only took great skill, but the right kind of material and design. The

Roman Architecture

2004-04-05T15:38:03-04:00

Why was Germany defeated in 1918 rather than 1916

2004-03-21T09:49:22-04:00

There are several reasons why Germany was defeated in 1918 rather than 1916. By 1916, a stalemate had developed along the western front. Both sides were dug in and little advance was made by either side. General Hague, the British Commander decided that a massive attack would be made to break the deadlock. The plan was to make a massive bombardment to destroy the German trenches and barbed wire and to kill their soldiers, thus making it easy for the British to advance. However, the Germans knew what was happening and so moved all of their soldiers into deep dug-outs away from the front line where they were protected. After a huge bombardment lasting from the 24th June to 1st July 1916, the allies advanced towards the enemy lines expecting little resistance, but were instead mown down by German machine gun fire.60,000 allied soldiers were killed/wounded on the first day. The same pattern was repeated until the end of the battle in November 1916.By this time both sides were exhausted and 620,000 allied and 450,000 Germans were dead or wounded. Tanks were used for the first time in 1916 but were very unreliable and got stuck in the mud. Planes were also used for observation of the enemy but had little real impact. In 1917 America declared war on Germany and started sending troops to fight, but by March 1918 there were still only 84,000 American troops in Europe.The Germans knew that they had to attack the allies before more American troops arrived and on 21st March 1918, began a huge offensive against allied lines.This was initially very successful, and over several months the Germans advanced as far as the River Marne. However, their advance was too quick and they were unable to keep up their supply lines. In August 1918, the allies hit back.By now American numbers had risen to 1,500,000 which proved a decisive factor. The allies also used new improved tanks (Whippet, Mark V) which were much more reliable and effective on the battle field. Aeroplanes were also used to much greater effect, being used for machine gun and bombing raids. Over the next few months the allies pushed the Germans back as far as the Hindenburg Line. The German army collapsed. Morale among the German soldiers was destroyed. They had little food, were exhausted and in despair and knew that they were defeated. Back home in Germany, the German

Tragic Hero Antigone

2004-03-20T07:26:24-04:00

Tragic Hero What qualities generate a hero? Must heroes possess superhuman abilities? In the Greek era, heroism was much more practical. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero must be royal. He/she must be a good, moral person. Yet, every tragic hero must exhibit flaws. His/her flaws must lead to downfall. A hero must be punished or experience suffering. He/she must invoke catharsis into the audience. A tragic hero must recognize his/her wrongs and accept all consequences. Beyond all doubt, Antigone is a tragic hero. Obviously, Antigone is royal. She is Eteocles, Polyneices and Ismene’s sister. Plus, she is Creon’s niece. However, a tragic hero must be a good, moral person. Antigone has family pride. She is loyal and honorable. Antigone’s conscience would not allow her to leave her beloved brother to be scavenged by animals. “But I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down with him in death and shall be as dear to him as he to me.” (Prologue, Line 55). Antigone’s pride and loyalty for her family uphold her morals and good nature. Being human, Antigone exhibited flaws. Antigone demonstrated impressive loyalty and bravery to bury her brother. Yet, becoming a martyr for the cause was extreme. Deciding to transgress the King’s law was a significant faux pas. When Antigone decided to bury her brother, not even the Gods’ ominous whirlwind could defer her. Overpowering pride and loyalty led to Antigone’s ruin. Importantly, Antigone received punishment. Creon sentenced Antigone to death by nature’s hand. Antigone was imprisoned in a stony tomb where starvation would execute her. After suffering without provisions, Antigone performed euthanasia on herself by committing suicide. Therefore, Antigone was a good person with flaws. Antigone’s imperfections ended her. Despondently, Antigone invoked catharsis into the audience. The audience felt the combined feelings of pity and fear for Antigone. They felt sympathy and pity for her when she could not bury her brother. They felt fear for her because her death sentence was undeserved. For both of these feelings, the audience could relate to Antigone and could imagine how

“Poor and backward” or “Wealthy and developing”: Which of these descriptors most accurately portrays

2004-03-09T15:01:08-05:00

“Poor and backward” or “Wealthy and developing”: Which of these descriptors most accurately portrays Britain in 1750? Britain in 1750 could be described as either, “poor and backward” or “wealthy and developing” as there are any number of points to support each side of the argument. To set the scene of Britain in 1750, the population was approximately 6 ¼ million. The South East and London were the most densely populated with London alone having a population of 675,000 in all 15000 parishes, and in all “15% of the total population lived in urban areas” (E.J. Evans). The ports and harbours were growing rapidly especially Liverpool, Glasgow and Bristol, and even the hinterland (regions near these ports) experienced change and growth. For example, there was change in transport, the improvement of goods roads and trading links, which meant that after 1750 some regions were growing more rapidly than others (e.g. Hull due to the imports needed for shipbuilding from Europe). The South East and East Anglia remained the most populated areas because they were at the centre of the woollen cloth industry and agriculture and wear near to the continent for importing and exporting goods. The Bank of England had been founded in 1697 and banks were beginning to appear around the country, new commodities had been introduced like coffee and cocoa in the 1680’s, there was the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire of 1666, and a gradual evolution of economic activity meant that there were new crops and rotations in agriculture. As you can see, Britain was already developing before 1750 and the average income was £12 p.a. compared favourably with Britain’s European counterparts. By comparison to other countries in the early 18th century England was probably the richest country in the world in 1700 and relatively an extremely advanced country, with London possibly being the largest city in the world. Britain’s Empire and commerce had extended into the Americas, Asia and Africa and England produced enough to have an export surplus of grain. Englishmen were by far “better clothed, fed and housed than their continental counterparts” (Daniel Defoe). There was small scale manufacturing in the countryside and cottages of agricultural labourers, as agriculture and manufacturing were not separate as today. Less than half of Britain’s labour force were employed in agriculture, compared to 75% of a “backward” country thus proving that Britain’s economy before 1760 was relatively

Japanese Imperialism (and other countries) in the 1920s

2004-03-06T05:31:13-05:00

After World War I, Japan began watching China with interest. Japan’s military leaders hoped to gain some of China’s lands and resources if it should become weak. Soon, problems overseas such as the Great Depression and poor trade helped put that plan into action. Other countries at the same time were also experiencing the kinds of changes that Japan was. Nationalism and imperialism were becoming important ideas in the East. In the 1920s, Japan began to industrialize and democracy was put into place. Men earned the right to vote, unions formed, and women gained more freedom. Japan also began cooperating with the West in an attempt to prevent future war. As the Great Depression began in the 1930s in America, trade declined in Japan. It’s silk market went down by seventy percent and the rice market was astronomically low. Many people had lost their jobs and Japan felt like they needed to buy resources overseas in order to survive. Japan’s military leaders saw this series of events as an opportunity to gain foreign lands. They believed that by expanding they would bring back Japan’s wealth and could also gain new resources. To achieve this, Japan faked a train crash in Manchuria and blamed the incident on the Chinese. They then defeated the Chinese warlords with their troops and set up a place called Manchuko. Resources such as coal and iron became available and Japan also set up factories and military bases there. Greece was also hoping to take over Turkey by taking advantage of weakness around the same time period. Turkish nationalists fought against the invading Greeks under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal. The nationalists managed to get the Greeks to withdraw in 1922 and then overthrew the Turkish sultan who had encouraged the Turks to obey the Greeks. Turkey soon became a republic with Kemal as its Prime Minister. Kemal’s goals were to separate church and state, modernize, and to develop the country economically. In Persia, nationalist revolts were taking place against the British. The leader of Persia, Reza Shah, hoped to modernize Persia (now Iran) by introducing Western customs and laws. He was met with opposition by several ethnic groups who sought self-rule. Reza Shah fought back with repression and threats. Arabia also faced problems. After the Muslim Empire broke up, political disunity followed in Arabia. A man named Ibn Saud hoped to restore unity in his country and began a campaign to

Why Germany was defeated in 1918 rather than 1916 (Somme)

2004-03-03T19:29:58-05:00

The Importance of Bias in History

2004-03-03T07:59:11-05:00

Bias plays a weighty role in history and in historiography and without it the study of history would not be where it is today – “One- sidedness lies at the heart of history”1. In saying this however bias distorts the truth, creates a preset agenda, can create untrue facts and destroys the role of history in the development of political institutions and decisions. Bias does however play a small advantageous role in history, it allows for historians to study the perspectives of various individuals, to understand why societies as well as individuals did what they did and for what purpose. Bias is a ubiquitous section of history. Firstly, “An Intelligent Person’s Guide to History” states that history is based on facts, and facts are based evidence. However there is bias in evidence, all people have a bias, there is a bias in the interpretation of evidence as well as in the creation of it. Vincent also states that history itself has a bias towards the rich over the poor, the brave over the weak and the intellectuals over the stupid. Bias is built into the very foundations of history. Bias is useful for some historians as it shows perspective. The role of the historian is to “recapture the reasons which lie beneath action by recovering experience”2 and this is where the importance of bias and perspective become apparent. The study of perspective is imperative in understanding the reasons behind the actions of both individuals and society. The study of perspective is foremost as history is not just the study of the event but rather the catalyst or significance of that event. For example a historian does not only study Malcolm X and his abhor of the peaceful methods of Martin Luther King Jr. for obtaining civil liberties, but also the reasons behind his beliefs and perspective. In the words of Leopold von Ranke “wie es eigentlich gewessen”3. Although perspective and bias can play a useful role in the study of historical sources, the role it plays in the study of history and the creation of secondary sources is not so favorable. Bias is a prevalent section of history, “It is the extreme difficulty of naming any historical writers who are not well and truly biased”4. All people grow up and live with either a bias towards their society

Assess the reasons for Bolshevik success in the Russian Civil War, 1918 – 1920

2004-03-03T07:50:28-05:00

Bolshevik victory in the Russian Civil War of 1918 -1920 would not have been certain without the strong, determined and intelligent leadership provided by Trotsky and Lenin. The fact that the Bolsheviks were led by two individuals, who combined had tremendous political, social and military skills had a direct result on the outcome of the war. There were other significant contributing factors that led to the Bolshevik victory, in particular their supreme political policies, such as War Communism, conscription, The New Economic Policy as well as the government’s support for self determination. However, Lenin and Trotsky’s dedication to the Bolshevik cause inspired the soldiers and acted as a much needed change to the weak and ineffective Russian leaders of the past. It was Lenin’s political aptitude that enabled the Bolsheviks to be a successful and popular political power and therefore win the Russian Civil War. Lenin in particular provided Russia with the fair and motivated leadership that it had lacked in the past. It was Lenin’s promises’ of “Peace, Bread, Land” and “All power to the Soviets” that enabled the Bolsheviks to gain the support of the proletariat. These popular ideas united all the diverse revolutionary movements and directed them towards a common goal – the end to imperialism and the creation of a socialist based society. Peasant support for the Bolsheviks was not only a result of Lenin’s political savoir faire but also a result of the Whites political and social ineptitude. Firstly, the Whites treated the peasant class harshly, they did not see the advantage of gaining the support of the larger lower class. Further more their acceptance of allied support, allowed the Bolsheviks to portray themselves as patriotic, fighting for the rights and desires of society. “The Whites had prejudiced their cause by calling in the aid of the foreigner” . The Red Army was fighting with a new sense of patriotism, and support for the Bolsheviks’ increased. Peasant support for the Bolshevik regime was a valuable and essential factor in their success “social support was the key to power” for the Bolshevik regime in the Russian Civil War. The support of the peasants meant that the Bolsheviks had a constant supply of eager soldiers wanting to fight for the socialist cause. Lenin introduced sophisticated and clever political policies to not only gain support but also to improve

IB history chapter 10 outline, out of many

2004-03-02T06:05:23-05:00

Chapter 10 I. The New Democratic Politics in North America A. Continental Struggles Over Popular Rights 1. In 1821, Mexico achieved independence from Spain 2. Spanish rule left a legacy of social divide 3. the constitution of 1824, closely modeled to the U.S. constitution, crated a federal republic but continued a powerful political role for the Catholic Church and granted the president extraordinary powers in times of emergency 4. General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana: strongest of the early president; saved Mexico from Spanish invasion; overthrow an unpopular dictatorship 5. the independence of Haiti in 1804 set the pattern for events in many other Caribbean islands in subsequent years a. destroyed the sugar industry b. revolts c. abolition of slavery d. loss of local political autonomy e. economic collapse 6. the economic collapse following emancipation destroyed political authority of white elites 7. in 1837, both upper and lower Canada rebelled against the limited representative government that the British government had imposed in the Constitutional Act of 1791 8. Most serious revolts occurred in French Lower Canada; British government refused to recognize the French-Canadian demand for their own political voice 9. 1840: Britain abolished government of lower Canada and joined it to Upper Canada; opposed by French Canadians; purpose of the union was to “abandon their vain hopes of nationality” 10. in 1850’s the U.S. foundered on sectional differences that not even political democracy could reconcile B. The Expansion and Limits of Suffrage 1. before 1800- limited voters (less than ½ the male population) 2. wealthy held political power until 1825 when the “Virginia Dynasty” of presidents (Jefferson, Madison, Monroe) served 3. Westward expansion changed nature of American politics; mobility promoted change by undermining traditional authority structures in the older states 4. rapid western expansion bolstered national pride 5. nine new states west of the Appalachians offered their political perspective 6. westerners, as a whole, shared common concerns and attitudes 7. new western states extended the right to vote to all white males over the age of 21 8. Kentucky: universal manhood suffrage 9. Tennessee and Ohio: low taxpayer qualification by 1820, most of the older states followed suit 10. Jeffersonian Republicans achieved suffrage for all men who paid taxes or served in the militia (nearly everyone) in 1817 (Connecticut) 11. South Carolina: redistribution of power in 1808; led to demand for suffrage which became low in 1810 12. “laggards” (Rhode Island, Virginia, Louisiana) didn’t liberate their voting qualifications until later- but by 1840, more than 90% of adult white males in the nation could vote; presidential electors were now elected by direct vote 13. universal white manhood suffrage was far from true universal suffrage; voting remained barred to most of the nation’s free African American males

Personal Response to "Disabled" by Wilfred Owen

2004-02-19T13:53:18-05:00

The image of a “wheeled chair” implies that he is disabled and probably dependent on others. Legless, sewn short at elbow” further implies the disability of the persona. The words “waiting for dark”, “shivered” and “ghastly suit of grey” imply his loneliness. “Voices of boys rang saddening” reminds him of the old times when he used to be like them, playing and enjoying himself. In the second stanza, the poet expresses the gaiety and liveliness of the town as compared to the first stanza filled with empty thoughts and coldness. The phrase “before he threw away his knees” seemed to mock at him sacrificing his legs. The fact that he would never feel “how slim girls’ waists are” showed that he had lost the privilege of being a typical man. “Touch him like some queer disease” implies that the girls probably stayed as far away from him as possible, avoiding much contact. In the past, artists liked to draw his face as he did not look his age. It is different now as he looks older than his age. Irony is used here. In the first stanza, it is known that he had already lost his legs and that that affected his whole life. In the fourth stanza, we are presented with a scene from before the war when he had felt proud to sustain an injury while playing football on the field. Then, he was worshipped and celebrated like a hero. He joined the army partly because of his vanity. The phrase “he’d look a god in kilts” showed that he thought he would look good and impressive in his army uniform. He also wanted to display his manliness to impress the girls. He had lied about his age to join the army. It implied that he was probably underage. He probably knew that he was too young to be accepted and therefore the lie. The fifth stanza showed mostly portraits of his dreams. For example “daggers in plaid socks”, “smart salutes,” “care of arms”, etc. He did not even experience any fear – “no fears of Fear”. This showed that he was rather ignorant and had many illusions of good life in the army. However, his army career was soon over and he was “drafted out”. “Some cheered him home” showed that he did earn some respect for sacrificing himself and joining the army. However, this cheering was not as much as

Roman Architecture

2004-02-18T08:56:02-05:00

Roman Archaelogy

2004-02-18T08:18:08-05:00

Explain why and how, Hitler and the NSDAP began to attract some support from people in Germany betwe

2004-01-16T19:53:17-05:00

Explain why and how, Hitler and the NSDAP began to attract some support from people in Germany between 1919 and 1923. There were many reasons why Hitler got into power: the defeat in world war one, Treaty of Versailles, “stab in the back theory”, weak leadership, fear of communist/revolutions, economic impact of world war one, reparations, hyperinflations of 1923, French invasion of the Ruhr. In 1914 at the beginning of the war, the Germens were very confident that they were going to win the war. However, by 1917 it was very clear to the army’s High Command that they were not going to win the war. The army still had a little hope, when Bolshevik seizure of power in Petrograd in November 1917. Then in 1917, Germany was talking about peace with Russia, which led to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918). Under the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk Germany gained a lot of land from the east. Now they could concentrate on the west side of Germany. The extra men helped at first but the Allies did not give up, and then soon started to gain land. In September 1917, Germany’s army chiefs- Paul von Hindenburg, head of the high Commands, and Erich Ludendorff, his senior quartermaster general, realised that it was certain they would not win the war. Hindenburg and Ludendorff cared the most about the army’s reputation. They knew that if they lost the war, it would look bad on them, because they were the one who were responsible of the country while Germany was at war. Therefore, they asked the Kaiser if their power of the country could be give to civilian politicians. Prince Max of Baden, head of the German Red Cross and a political moderate, was appointed the Imperial Chancellor, in 1st October 1918. However, the army were still sending out propaganda to the people, convincing them that they will win the war even when the army knows they will not. After four long years of blood, war and propaganda, people started to believe the posted and advertisements. Therefore, when the Weimar Government signed the Armistice in 1918, the German people did not understand why they had given up. They felt that that the new Government have signed them away to the Allies. They felt as if the Weimar Government has stabbed them in the back. Some people did not believe that they have been defeated because they German’s

HOW AND WHY DID HITLER BECOME CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY IN 1933?

2004-01-16T19:49:16-05:00

HOW AND WHY DID HITLER BECOME CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY IN 1933? The reason why Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933, were because of many reasons; long term causes like World War One, treaty of Versailles, fear of communism, the November criminals, the early nature of the constitution1923 crisis. The economic depression 1929-1933; failure of the Weimar government; political crisis 1930-1933; role of the traditional elites and Hitler’s action, skills and leadership. I believe that all these point are equally important because, if one of them had not of occurred then I do not think that another point could have taken place, all of the points links to each other. The Germans’ were very proud people, they were proud of their country they were proud of their army. Their army was very important to the Germans, so when they lost the First World War they found it very hard to except. This could be because of the masses of propaganda Germany printed out; therefore, the people were very convinced that they would win the war. Even during the last week of the war, Germany still printed propaganda. Some of the generals still had hope that they will win because they were still on French land when they signed the Armistead. However, others Generals and politicians knew there were no chance of them winning, and if they did not sign the Armistead then Germany would be taken over by the Allies. Therefore, the left wing politicians had to make a huge and very important decision, whether to carry on with the war and hope they would win or they would have to sign the Armistead and come to some kind of agreement. The group of left-wing politicians who had to make this choice were, Friedrich Ebert, Hermann Müller and Matthias Erzberger, they were seen as anti-patriotic because they signed the Armistead. General Hindenburg accused them of stabbing the nation in the back, by signing the Armistead. They were also called “the November criminals” because they signed the treaty of Versailles, the German people and army would have preferred to die in battle then to give up. Yet again, the public was not happy by the decision of their leaders. This was extremely useful for the anti-republic right, like General Hindenburg who always undermines the new government and its potential abilities. The Constitution was made in Weimar because the Spartacist revolt which was

Puritans

2004-01-16T14:47:37-05:00

Tauseef Ahmed Research Paper "Puritan Lifestyle, Ethics and Contributions in the Development of the United States" Puritans were a group of people who believed in Puritanism, a movement to purify the Church of England, started in the 16th century. The purpose of this movement was to simply cleanse the Anglican Church, which they believed was going in the wrong direction. When the number of Puritans starts to increase, they were persecuted in England and many moved away from the country to settle elsewhere in Europe. Later on when the new colonies were being established in the Americas, many Puritans moved from Europe to settle in the continent. In 1629 a colony was founded in the New World called Massachusetts Bay by Puritans. However, the influence of Puritanism didn’t decline from Europe until 17th and 18th century. Besides religious influence, there were many other contributions that were made by the Puritans, such as the development of town meetings, stress on the value education, and enhancement on farming, however, they have failed to maintain their status and influence in the world today. Puritans had a variety of beliefs and many were considered as rules and laws in Puritan colonies. They believed in the total corruption of humans at the point they are born, which is the concept of original sin. Unconditional Election was also an idea believed by Puritans, which basically means God saves those who he wishes, the concept of predestination. The also believed in Irresistible Grace, which means that whoever God is pleased with, obtains the grace, and in Perseverance of the saints, which signifies that those who are elected by God have the power or permission to interpret His will. Many Puritan writers were very much influenced by their religious studies and many writers tried to make God more relevant to the world and tried to transform His mysteriousness into simplicity that the people could easily understand. John Winthrop, a Puritan leader started establishing a new colony in 1629 with a thousand Puritan settlers. This colony was situated in Massachusetts and the town was called Salem. Two hundred people died during the winter and another two hundred returned to England in the same year. However, within the next ten years there were almost twenty thousand people living in the colony. From 1640 the colony was on its own without any help from the English authorities and after nine years from when Winthrop died,

Ten most important people of the 20th century (as rated by the TIME Magazine)

2004-01-16T14:45:08-05:00

Tauseef Ahmed 09/01/03 "Ten most important people of the 20th century" The world we see today has had a lot of changes and developments, which are contributed by some very important people. In the 20th century there were some people who helped in the development of art, music, medicine, technology, government, and peaceful resolutions. Either in a good or in a bad way these people have greatly influenced the world. Although there are more than ten people who have had the world influenced greatly, these ten have a relatively high importance than the others. However it is very hard to compare these ten people because one is as important as the other. One of these people is Henry Ford, who was born on 1863 in Michigan, United States. Although the first motor cars were manufactured in 1890’s, they were not affordable by many Americans. In 1903 Ford developed his first motor company and designed cars that could be afforded by most Americans. Henry Ford also introduced the first assembly line and other new techniques for manufacturing cars. This effort of Ford influenced the whole lifestyle of traveling by making it much cheaper and faster. Vladimir Ilich Lenin, who was the leader of the Bolshevik party in Russia, influenced the 20th century by his revolutionary acts in Russia. Born in 1870, Lenin and Bolsheviks started their revolutionary plans and gained control of Russia by 1917. He became the leader of the USSR when it was founded in 1922. Lenin died in 1924 but his actions had a great impact on the various systems of government around the world. The Spanish painter who is widely known to be the most influencing artist of the 20th century is Pablo Picasso. He introduced a range of themes and styles in art during his career. Some main contributions of Picasso is his modern art movement called cubism, an artistic technique called collage, and a technique of making sculptures called assemblage. Picasso’s art had a great impact on world because he gave the world another way of expressing their feelings other than words. One of the most powerful dictators in the 20th century was Adolf Hitler. He was born in 1889 and was held responsible for starting World War II in 1939. Hitler converted Germany into a strong military nation and built the Nazi party which he headed. He also contributed in the slaughter of millions of Jews and

Macedonia forever for macedonians

2004-01-13T21:45:34-05:00

THE PROPAGANDA *Macedonians should not be recognised as Macedonians as they have been of Greek nationality since 2000BC. *Macedonians whose language belongs to the Slavic family, must not call themselves Macedonians as 4000 years ago they spoke Greek and today still speak nothing but Greek. *Macedonia has no right to call itself by this name as Macedonia has always been a region and is today a region of Greece. *The Serbs believe that Macedonians are misguided country cousins who belong in a Greater Serbia. (Yugoslavia) THE FACTS *Macedonia was never a region of Greece. On the contrary, Greece was often subject to Macedonia. In 1913, Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria divided Macedonia into three parts. (BALKAN WARS) *Ancient Macedonians were a distinct European people and proud of their nationality, their customs, their language and their name. The same applies to their descendants today. *Ancient Macedonians regarded Greeks as neighbours not as kinsmen. The Greeks treated the Macedonians as foreigners ("barbarians") whose native language was Macedonian not Greek. *Macedonians claimed kinship with the Illyrians, Thracians and Phrygians, not with Greeks. *Greeks said Macedonians were "barbarians" (a word which means non-Greek) *Demosthenes, the great Athenian statesman and orator, spoke of the Macedonian King Phillip2 of Macedon as: Quote, "...Not only not Greek, nor related to the Greeks, but not even a barbarian from anyplace that can be named with honours, but a pestilent knave from Macedonia, whence it was never yet possible to buy a decent slave."[Third Phillipic, 31] *The Macedonian "barbarian’ defeated Greece at the Battle Of Chaeronea in August 338BC. The date is known as the end of Greek history or as The Macedonian Era. *Alexander The Great spoke Macedonian and was proud of his ethnicity. However the Macedonian language then was not used as a literacy idiom. The first native written language in Macedonia is the idiom called Macedonian or Old Church Slavonic (Cyrillic Alphabet) and is the basis of all Cyrillic alphabets today. *Alexander won his empire with 35,000 Macedonians and only 7,600 Greeks and called it the Macedonian Empire not the Greek Empire. *Today’s republic was created by Josip Broz Tito the anti-fascist leader of Yugoslavia during the 2nd World War who recognised Macedonians as a distinct nationality with their own language and customs. *The claims by Bulgaria that Macedonians are of Bulgarian ethnicity are entirely false due to the facts that the Tatars a people from the east who invaded the balkans during Byzantine times mixed with the Gypsies and Turks in the Balkans and

Macedonia through the hystory

2004-01-13T21:34:12-05:00

Macedonia through the hystory

2004-01-13T21:31:42-05:00

Medieval Marriages

2003-12-14T01:37:26-05:00

As human beings, we often spend our entire lives looking for our "soul mate." This being the unfortunate plight of our human nature, we live to be loved. In response to this need for love and companionship, the insitution of marriage was brought into existence. The idea of a "perfect" wedding has drastically changed over the years. However, if we examine history, we will find that no other era was as influential towards marriage as the Middle Ages. One might say the Medieval marriages were the building blocks to what marriage is today. The appropriate age to get married in the Middle Ages was much younger than what we see today. "Grooms, on the average, were much older than their brides. Noble women sometimes didn't marry until the age of twenty-four, but this was rare. More that three-fourths were married before they reached nineteen" (Medieval Weddings). Couples married as soon as they reached maturity or were able to have children. Love, however important to many couples, was not seen as a necessity as it is today. This is a result of the Medieval belief that the sole purpose of marriage was to reproduce. Most couples weren't married by choice, rather the majority of marriages were arranged. In fact, most marriages were arranged between families (Gies 14). Perhaps the marriage arrangements were merely a way to keep the Medieval marriage traditions alive. This custom allowed families control over who their children spent the rest of their lives with. Marriage laws in the Middle Ages were very strict, yet to the point. Each marriage custom had laws to go along with it; if these laws were not upheld, legal action could be taken. "The council of Westminister decreed in 1076 that no man should give his daughter or female relative to anyone without priestly blessing. Later councils would decree that marriage should not be secret but held in the open" (Medieval Weddings). Here we see how marriage became a public confession of two people's love for one another. Today, as in the Middle Ages, witnesses are always presnt at a wedding to ensure that it's valid. Many of the wedding customs followed by medieval couples are still carried out today. Even in Medieval marriage vows, the couple's promise to each other was sealed

I, Claudius and Claudius the God - a comparisson essay

2003-12-13T22:11:14-05:00

The Claudian Era, a record of the most scandalous time in history, took place during the 13-year rein of Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus as Emperor of the Roman Empire. During this time of ambition and deception, there was a blatant lack of value for love. However, Romans did possess an obvious commitment to their spiritual beliefs. This aspect of the Roman culture is just one of the many that are portrayed in two novels set during this era, I, Claudius and Claudius the God, both by Robert Graves, The combination of both works tells a magnificent auto-biography. I, Claudius explores the life of Claudius before he became emperor and describes the development of his character as he overcame the scandals and murders of his family. Claudius the God depicts the life of Claudius as emperor and narrates his transformation from a fool to a “god”. Both of these novels touch on the themes of ambition, deception, love, and spiritual beliefs. Both I, Claudius and Claudius the God depict the Roman times as an era of intrigue, lust, perversion and bloodshed. One aspect of the Roman culture that depicted the Roman times as an era of intrigue, lust, perversion and bloodshed was the Roman peoples’ ambition. This aspect of ambition is one of the themes portrayed in both I, Claudius and Claudius the God. This theme can be observed through Livia and Claudius, the main characters of I, Claudius and Claudius the God respectively. Livia and Claudius both set particular goals for themselves. In I, Claudius, Livia aspired to become the First Lady of the Roman Empire. She was, at first, married to Drusus Nero. When Nero refused to take part in Livia’s schemes to make him emperor (which would make Livia the First Lady), Livia divorced him. She then married Augustus, a man who was far more ambitious that Drusus, to increase her chances of a position in power as the Emperor’s wife. In Claudius the God, Claudius also set certain goals, one of which was to construct Ostia. During Ostia’s construction, Claudius perversely refused to listen to advice from engineers about the immense cost and time it would take to build Ostia. Claudius even tricked the Corn Ring into lending him a large sum of money to build Ostia. However, Ostia was merely one of Claudius’ aspirations; Claudius followed several other ambitions. To pursue his ambitions, Claudius studied

Greek Legacies

2003-12-12T03:58:22-05:00

Greek Legacies The term legacy is depicted as “something that is handed down or remains from previous generation or time.” (Dictionary) The Greeks formed a new group of thoughts, which lead to the birth of democracy. Greek scientists such as Euclid, Pythagoras, and Archimedes made new discoveries that changed the course of mathematics. Architecture led to new possibilities. Using the definition of the term legacy, we find that ancient Greece had many legacies to offer such as: government structures, science and technology and architecture. Classical Greece had a lot of legacies to offer, one major legacy being government structures and the new concept of democracy. On example of how government structures fits the term legacy is the city of Athens, which was considered to be a democracy. Athens had an assembly made out of free male citizens over eighteen.(notes) All citizens were allowed to attended public discussions to speak their opinion. Decisions were made from the majority vote. However, there was one flaw in the Athens’ state of democracy; it was not open to women, slaves or foreigners. However, Athens was in fact the start of democracy. Democracy changed the world; it strengthened classical Greece, and left a lasting impact. Democracy is now emplaced in many countries, which used the Greeks state of democracy as a basis for their own. It also had a significant impact on the Greek people because for the first time people where more involved in political process and in making decisions and it forever changed the processes of their political system. It also gave them a sense of continuity, because they had emplaced a system where people felt pride in contributing to their homeland and the need of precipitation was passed down to their children who continue on helping the homeland to reach its fullest potential and it also gives us clues into what Athens was like. In 621 BCE the Athenian named Draco was first to create a legal code based on Hammurabi’s code of law. (Dickey, 1) The legal code examined issues of ownership and debt slavery. This legal code is the basis for all our laws, which exist today. The legal code is foundation for today’s laws. Draco also elaborated on Hammurabi’s law of

Causes, Morality, and Demise of American Civil Defense

2003-12-11T22:34:49-05:00

An Examination of the Causes, Morality, and Demise of American Civil Defense While there are conflicting and overlapping reasons as to why “civil defense” became an important issue in America in the 1950’s and 1960’s, the fact remains that Americans became obsessed with civil protection and the threat of thermonuclear war. This took the form of general preparation for an attack, such as the construction of bomb shelters, stockpiling of food supplies, perfecting emergency drills in schools and homes, and even forming militias like the notorious “Minute-men” which prepared for a guerrilla war against a possible post-nuclear Soviet invasion of the United States. In a very interesting argument, Elaine Tyler May links the rise of civil defense to the growing “cult of domesticity.” She shows that alarm pertaining to the breakdown of the traditional family went hand in hand with the larger fear of American nuclear annihilation. May argues that as a result, civil defense measures were assessed to combat both fears simultaneously. Margot Henriksen contends that this trend of civil defense, and particularly the building of individual bomb shelters, eventually led to a general reexamination of the ethics of civil defense and the morality of nuclear war. Henriksen shows that both a general long-term apathy toward civil defense, as well as the ethical examination of shelter techniques, led to the quick demise of American civil defense. In a very profound article, Elaine Tyler May argues that “profound connections existed among anxieties over sexual roles, the cold war, and a burgeoning family ideology” (Tyler 153). After World War II, women were urged, either discretely or explicitly, by government agencies, private interests, and the popular media, to get married and to observe the role of homemaker. But in order to give the women a sense of “national purpose,” (analogous of course to the public role that women held in wartime defense industries), women were enlisted in the program of “Home Protection and Safety” developed by Jean Wood Fuller of the newly created Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA). Women were encouraged to draw upon their “natural” domestic capabilities to provide a service in the home that corresponded to the realities of the nuclear age. “Home nursing,” May explains, “was one important area. Mothers could learn first aid in order to enhance and professionalize their nurturing role. In the event of a nuclear

The Puritan’s Lives Affected by Religion

2003-12-08T21:16:55-05:00

The Puritan’s Lives Affected by Religion The Puritan’s Lives Affected by Religion The

James Baldwin

2003-12-06T00:33:16-05:00

American Negro In James Baldwin’s essay, “The American Dream and the American Negro,” as he reflects on the experience of black Americans, he states that the so-called “American Dream” does not apply to the “American Negro.” Baldwin says that the American white man does not take notice or appreciate the hard and free labor the American Negro did which helped to build the United States. He uses many examples to show the reader difficult plight of black men and women in America. The South is used as an example. He states that it “could not conceivably be what [it is] if it had not been (and this is still so) for the cheap labor” (Baldwin p380). The statement is bold, but effective in illustrating his point. The examples he uses throughout the essay make the essay convincing. Baldwin states that his culture, his history, is rendered meaningless in the white society around him. The American Negro, being completely subjugated, has had his own opportunity for a unique sense of reality destroyed. The American Negro built America, according to Baldwin. The black man picked cotton, built railroads, worked and helped to make America the nation it is today. According to Baldwin, the South would not be a powerful influence in the government if it had not been for the American Negro. Further since the United States is the major world power and the South is a major element in that power structure, the black man's contribution is therefore even more significant. The average white man does not take notice, appreciate, or respect the hard work the black men did for the South. Their hard work was for America, and black men and women have the realization that the country they have put their sweat into has done nothing for them. The country they identify themselves with, live, and work hard for, has no true place for them. While since World War II, a new sense of the true history of Africa has emerged giving some sense of hope to black men and women that they can form some sense of history; still blacks are faced with a white society that does not understand. Baldwin cites that Robert Kennedy stated that in 40 years there could be a black president. Not only does this sound condescending, coming from the scion of an elite, wealthy, aristocratic family, it also has a bitter ring

History of the "F" word

2003-11-15T00:28:34-05:00

Jonathan Yentzen CMCN 200 Outline for Informative Speech Topic: History of the “F” Word 1. INTRODUCTION / ATTENTION GETTER a. Whether you were helping your dad while he hit his finger building a fence around the house or watching a movie that you probably weren’t suppose to, everyone has been exposed at some point to the only word in the English language known as the “F” word. A taboo word in which we as a culture shun in public and preach in private. i. As a frequent and long time user of this word, I will attempt to explain this unique and fascinating word in a different light by showing the etymology, written history, and the amazingly flexible use this word has in grammar. ii. And to help you with understanding the terms that I may use, this poster will have all forms of the word listed. Transition Statement: Now to give you a little understanding of the word lets jump to the etymology 2. BODY / MAIN POINTS a. The actual root of the word is very unclear. The first recorded use of the word is before 1500 in the English/Latin poem Flen Flyys, (“Non sunt in celi quia fuccant uuiuys of heli” meaning they are not in heaven because they f*ck the wives of Ely”) b. There is an evident connection to German, the other 40% of our language, in the word Ficken (“to copulate” in dialects, historically to strike) i. There are cognates in other Germanic languages such as Dutch fokken (to copulate or thrust), Norwegian fukka (just copulate), and the Swedish Fock (penis) c. Part of the trouble of etymology is that the word was too taboo for the original Oxford English Dictionary d. As far as the acronyms of the Puritans; such as “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge”, and the edict of King George “Fornication Under Consent of King”, all are myths as the words never appeared before 1960’s, according to the authoritative work, The F-Word. 3. The history of the F word is very deep, as it can be traced to 1250 to the proper name, John Le Fu*ker according to John Ayto’s Dictionary of Word Origins. What John did to earn this name is unknown. Shakespeare himself only made brief references to the word, considering his plays were scandalous at the time. The first actual publication was in 1965, and it didn’t reach the Oxford Dictionary until 1972. A few first for the F word are: a. Kenneth Tynan – first person to say

The Expatriates of the 1920's

2002-12-03T13:00:00-05:00

1ex•pa•tri•ate- 1: to withdraw (oneself) from residence in or allegiance to one's native country 2: intransitive senses: to leave one's native country to live elsewhere; also: to renounce allegiance to one's native country Merriam-Webster Dictionary Nothing before, or since has equaled the mass expatriation of the 1920’s. It was as if a great draft of wind picked up these very peculiar people and dropped them off in a European life style. Europe and the rest of the world were beginning to see a large population of these American expatriates. “… the younger and footloose intellectuals went streaming up the longest gangplank in the world.” (Cowley 79) Along with the intellectuals went the wealthy élite, the recent college graduates, the art students, and the recent war veterans aptly called “The Lost Generation”. Although many went all over the world, the largest density of these expatriates was in France. “Indeed, to young writers like ourselves, a long sojourn in France was almost a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.” (Cowley 102) Many expatriates flocked to Paris to follow forerunners in the movement such as Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein. Most of the expatriates wished to have an introduction to Gertrude Stein at her apartment. There they would discuss art, literature, and the ideals of America for hours on end. Gertrude Stein characterized the expatriates’ view of America when she said, “America is my country, and Paris is my home town”. (Stein) This idea, of having a place that you consider your home, but not your homeland, is the basis of the expatriate movement. The writing of this era was influenced by a few things. With the new ideas of America, there also came much criticism of it to. After World War One, many Americans became somewhat dissatisfied with the way that their own country’s people and leaders acted. This was also a catalyst in the massive expatriation that occurred. Also, it is speculated that many war veterans could have developed various and unknown disorders caused by the type of warfare in which they had taken part. The optimistic culture of The Roaring Twenties also could have been a factor in the attitudes towards America and the writing that developed from it. Through a close study of the Expatriates, I will propose this list of probable influences towards the attitudes and writing that occurred. 1.) World War One, and the physical affects that it created among American and

Problems Mao faced with GLF and GPR

2002-11-28T13:00:00-05:00

Qtn: What the problems did Mao face in trying to implement his policies in China? [12m]

The policies meant in the question are the economic policy, Great leap Forward and the social policy, Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution. Mao undertook these policies in 1958 to 1960 and 1966 to 1976 respectively. Mao faced problems in both policies he undertook. However both policies shared two similar problems - uncareful planning and political problem. In implementing both policies, Mao realised that he now had to face the problem of his uncareful planning that resulted in further unexpected problems. In the Great Leap Forward, for example, his uncareful planning cause the cash crops in the field to rot while farmers were sent to work on the construction of infrastructure facilities. In the proletariat revolution, such a problem gave rise to unintended extremism of the Red Guards and violence in the society. The emphasis for highest regard for the proletariats and a cult of personality of Mao that developed soon caused Red Guards, who were Mao loyals, to commit acts of violence and social disarray. In this revolution, the theme was "Reds are better than experts". The Red Guards soon went around destroying anything associated with tradition or foreign, criticised teachers, intellects and politicians. Another shared problem is the problem of political enemies he faced. This was the biggest problem he faced because these were people who introduced policies that continually reversed his reforms. In this way, Mao's reforms faced huge obstacles for it to succeed the way Mao wanted it to be. This is because, at the same time there were policies that aimed to reverse these reforms. These political enemies were the Rightists who included Deng Xiaoping and Liu Shaoqi. Further problems for the implementation of Great Leap Forward can be classified as unintended and intended. An unintended problem was the natural disaster, a famine, which loomed China in 9159 to 1961. This disrupted Mao's reforms because people were starving and the Great leap Forward was not succeeding was not succeeding. An intended problem was the stop of aid from the Soviet Union in its provision of finance and industrial material, namely steel, to China. It was not that Mao literally intended for such a problem to arise. Rather, it was a problem that could have prevented if Mao maintained important diplomatic ties with communism ally, Soviet Union. However this was not the case. A fell-out between

Hoovervilles

2002-11-28T13:00:00-05:00

In 1929 when the Great Depression hit, people started becoming jobless and lossed many things including their homes. So, wiht no where to go, people started making their own houses out of cardboard and trash cans that were located at city dumps, along major highways, under bridges and so on. These “little homes” people made were called Hoovervilles. This was named after are past President, President Herbert Hoover. The people named it after him because Hoover wasn’t paying attention to their economic need as well as him being the reason for the Great Depression. Another name for this was Shanty Towns, which were not supported by the city government. These towns brought about many problems including hunger, crimes as well as dieases becasue there was no running water nor electricty. There was much chaos that caused many problems with not that many answers. In fact some sheriffs as well as vaignrae groups would go around beating the people that lived in Hoovervilles. One hobo recalled saying, “...Guys with baseball bats driving

WW1

2002-11-28T13:00:00-05:00

Introduction:

Then I heard an excited exclamation from a group of sisters behind me, “Look!Look! Here are the Americans!” This was said by an overwhelmed British nurse. This is when America entered WWI. They helped the Allies out a great deal. During WWI a lot of new weapons evolved(machine guns and airplanes), countries got spilt apart, Women became more evolved in men's regular work. In the end of WWI an entire generation of Europeans were killed, dynasties fell in Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia. The League of Nations was made up to promote peace. Because of WWI, WWII occurred. This is why I believe WWI was more important then the Gulf War. The new weapons that evolved during WWI were machine guns, and airplanes. The machine guns fired its ammunition automatically. With the use of a machine gun, you could literally wipe out dozens of people at a time. Now for the airplanes. This was an amazing ordeal for a plane to be used in war, or any type of combat for that matter. The planes were a big advantage. They played numerous roles. We also became smarter about the use of airplanes today. When Russia had a second revolution the communist leader Vladimir Ilyich Lenin gained power. Lenin deiced to end his country’s involvement in the war. Well the first thing he did was make a truce with Germany. From this the Russian government had to give over Finland, Poland, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to Germany. Even after the war when the treaty became invalid, those countries gained their independence. If this had not happened those countries would not be independent today. Maybe this is a good thing because if Russia still had those countries they would be more powerful and one day might deiced to challenge the U.S. During WWI when the men were at war the woman took on the mans everyday job. This included factories, shops, offices and so on. Woman all of a sudden were constructing, farming, even running hospitals. Something back then men thought was impossible for them to do. As well as working their everyday jobs, they would help the war men with food, clothing and supplies. It was like the woman became the dominate role. They went to work and then would come home and tend to the children and housework. After the war when the men returned, peoples views changed. I think that had a

Women in Colonial times

2002-11-27T13:00:00-05:00

Women have always played a major role in history. Despite the hardships, pain and trials most of the women experienced, they still succeeded in enduring some of the differences between their opposite sex. Throughout history, women have always been fighting for their freedom, thus this fight still goes on in this present time. Women had a great role in shaping America as what it is right now. They, not only the fact that took care of the welfare of their family, but also were responsible to the increase in the population of early settlers causing expansion, diverse ethnicity and distinct cultures among the early colonies. In colonial times, men have always dominated the world not only in power but also in number. Multitudes of bachelors flooded the southern colonies and the longing for a wife dismantled a number of men out of their colony. Frequent deaths made by deadly diseases contributed to the decline on the number of women in the southern colony. The well-known Bacon’s Rebellion was one of the effects of the frustration felt by majority of the men’s population. In the late 1700’s, settlers began to adopt their environment and created immunity among certain diseases. Women’s population incline tremendously giving forth the rapid population growth. The need for land and shelter expanded the territories of the early colonies. Unlike the southern colonies, the New England had a large women population. The women also experienced more freedom than those in the southern colonies or among the African –American slaves. These women constantly worked inside the house, caring for children and performing household chores. Marriages were done at an early age and reproduction was common. The death of a spouse led to remarriage. Children in colonial family were numerous. The amount of women and birthrate in a colony contributed to the growth of the population. Women also greatly affected the religious condition of the society in New England. Most of the members of the Puritan congregation were women. Also, superstitions and made up stories by young women troubled the minds of early settlers in New England especially in Salem, Massachusetts. The Salem Witch Trial “reflected the widening social stratification of New England, as well as the anxieties of many religious traditionalists that the Puritan heritage was being eclipsed by Yankee commercialism.” A number of innocent women were accused of performing witchcraft and were sentenced to death. These trials created

The Salem Witch Trial

2002-11-27T13:00:00-05:00

The Salem Witchcraft was a series of undesirable events, which was powered by paranoia and fear. Though several witch trials occurred before the Salem Witch Trial, this was the most well known of all. Many innocent people were accused of witchcraft which resulted to 19 men and women that were hanged, 17 innocents that died in unsanitary prisons, and an 80-year old man that was crushed to death by putting stones on top of his stomach until he confesses (movie: The Crucible). In some accounts, it was reported that two dogs were stoned to death for cooperating with the Devil. Why did the Salem Witch trial occur? Were these trials appropriate? Or were they truly a Devil’s work? The Salem Witch Trials might have occurred for a variety of reasons such as people’s ignorance that led to superstitions. It might have also occurred because people’s crave for power, or it might also be because of fear. In the early years of America, people were mostly unaware of certain things. Sickness, for instance, was an important issue for people didn’t know how to manage or cure such complex illnesses. The Puritans, during the colonial times, didn’t have much information about certain things. They came to believe that certain unexplainable events were done by a powerful source of evil thus brought about superstitions. The infamous Witch Trials done at Salem, Massachusetts, which spread across the continent, was an example of people’s injustice acts in response to superstitions. One of the major cause of the Salem Witchcraft trials was superstition, an “irrational belief or practice resulting from ignorance or fear of the unknown” (www.encyclopedia.com). A lack of scientific knowledge led many people to be convinced that, witches were responsible to the death of an animal or a livestock: John Rogger “testified that upon the threatening words “ of Martha Carrier “ his cattle would be strangely bewitched.”(Mather, p55) John Roger believed on superstitions; thus he proposed that Martha was a witch who was killing his cows. It is easy to see how the people of Salem were so vulnerable to the notion of witches taking over their town. Furthermore Tituba, Reverend Parris’s slave, practiced ritual dance and “black magic” in her early years in Africa. She influenced most of the girls in town through her stories. The girls believed on superstitions which overall started the Salem Witch Trials and made it possible for the

Suffragettes

2002-11-24T13:00:00-05:00

In Great Britain, woman suffrage was first advocated by Mary Wollstonecraft in her book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) and was demanded by the Chartist movement of the 1840s. The demand for woman suffrage was increasingly taken up by prominent liberal intellectuals in England from the 1850s on, notably by John Stuart Mill and his wife, Harriet. The first woman suffrage committee was formed in Manchester in 1865, and in 1867 Mill presented to Parliament this society's petition, which demanded the vote for women and contained about 1,550 signatures. The Reform Bill of 1867 contained no provision for woman suffrage, but meanwhile woman suffrage societies were forming in most of the major cities of Britain, and in the 1870s these organizations submitted to Parliament petitions demanding the franchise for women and containing a total of almost three million signatures. The succeeding years saw the defeat of every major suffrage bill brought before Parliament. This was chiefly because neither of the leading politicians of the day, William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli, cared to affront Queen Victoria's implacable opposition to the women's movement. In 1869, however, Parliament did grant women taxpayers the right to vote in municipal elections, and in the ensuing decades women became eligible to sit on county and city councils. The right to vote in parliamentary elections was still denied to women, however, despite the considerable support that existed in Parliament for legislation to that effect. In 1897 the various suffragist societies united into one National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, thus bringing a greater degree of coherence and organization to the movement. Out of frustration at the lack of governmental action, however, a segment of the woman suffrage movement became more militant under the leadership of Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel. After the return to power of the Liberal Party in 1906, the succeeding years saw the defeat of seven suffrage bills in Parliament. As a consequence, many suffragists became involved in increasingly violent actions as time went on. These women militants, or suffragettes, as they were known, were sent to prison and continued their protests there by engaging in hunger strikes. Meanwhile, public support of the woman suffrage movement grew in volume, and public demonstrations, exhibitions, and processions were organized in support of women's right to vote (see photograph). When World War I began, the woman suffrage organizations shifted their energies to aiding

How Did The Environment Affect The Native American Indians With Particular Reference To The Woodland

2002-11-24T13:00:00-05:00

How Did The Environment Affect The Native American Indians With Particular Reference To The Woodland Indians? The environment hugely affected the Native American Indians in many different ways. This is because of the way in which the Indians used the environment and the surrounding land. The Indians were very close to nature, and so that meant that any changes in nature would be changes in the Indians.

Land

The Indians thought of land very differently to the white man. The land was sacred, there was no ownership, and it was created by the great spirit. They could not sell their land to others, whereas the white people could fence off the land which belonged to them, and sell it freely to whoever they wanted. The Europeans didn’t think that the Indians were using the land properly, so in their eyes, they were doing a good favour to the earth. To the Indians, the land was more valuable than the money that the white man had brought with him, even though it didn’t belong to them Indians lived all over America, in many different environments including the flatlands, the forests, the mountains, the deserts, the prairies, on the coast, and even in the arctic. All these Environments affected the different Indians in different ways, so that different Indians evolved over time.

Religion

Religion was a very big part in many Indians life. Almost every part of Indian life is related to religion, the land is sacred, and religion plays a part in what can be done with it, the first Indians had many different religions, and they continued to have religion for the whole of their lives. Dress was affected, many Indians wore special clothes and jewellery of religious importance. Religion often changed family life, the children respected their elders, especially their grandparents, and the Indians believed in divorce and marriage. Education was religious, the boys were taught to hunt, and the girls to treat leather and prepare food. The Indians believed all life to be sacred, but it could be hunted, as long as it was treated with respect, so this affected the way they hunted, and what food they had.

Shelter

The environment also affected the Indians shelter in many ways. Depending on where they lived, the Indian tribes had different ways of protecting themselves from the elements using the available resources, and different designs for the general climate. For example, the Indians living in the mountainous

The Jamestown Massacre

2002-11-24T13:00:00-05:00

104 men were sent to form Jamestown in 1607. 4 months after they arrived, 70 had died. Thousands were sent to take their place over the next 3 years, but they also died. Why?

Jamestown was founded on may 14 1607, by a small group led by Christopher Newport who was hired by the London company to transport colonists.
Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in America.
Many settlers died in the winter of 1609-1610.
Survivors were encouraged to stay by more settlers and supplies which came the following June
In 1612 tobacco farming was started
Native Americans often attacked the village.
Jamestown was burned down in 1676

Could the reason that so many died have been starvation?

It seems that the winter of 1609 was so bad that the many of the colonists died of starvation. They were made to eat their own excrement and flesh. They ate Indians and animals from the colony, including horses, dogs and rats, or anything they could find. But this was hard to believe, as the island was full of food. Maybe the cause of death was drought. Scientists have discovered that the worst drought in many years was between 1604 and 1609. They can tell this because of the tree samples that have been taken. No water meant that crops wouldn’t grow, and animals would die, as well as humans. The problem with this theory is that down river, there was excess food. The men could have been too weak to gather food. Why?

Maybe the colonists died because of disease?

The men could have got diseases from the water that they drank. The position of the settlement was not ideal, although it was very good military position. The water that the settlers drank was out of the river, but the water around the island was stagnant, it didn’t move. All the sewage from the island was poured straight into the river, this meant that the men were drinking raw sewage. A lot of men died of 'Bloody Flux' and typhoid, these are typical sewage related diseases. The colonists knew about the risks of drinking the water, but they had no choice, they had to drink something. Internal Politics could have played a part in the unexplained deaths at Jamestown. Before Christmas in 1606 there was a dispute over who would lead the expedition to colonise Jamestown. Some members disagreed about having the settlement on an island 50 miles from the coast.

So was it

The Schlieffen Plan

2002-11-24T13:00:00-05:00

The aim of the plan

The aim of the plan was to avoid fighting two wars at once (France and Russia)

The Plan

The plan was to attack France, not on the main border, which was fortified, but to attack through Belgium and circle the capital Paris. This is all supposed to happen before the predicted 6 weeks it would take for the Russians to get their army ready for action. This would mean Paris would be taken by Germany, therefore capturing France, then the troops could go across the country and attack Russia.

What actually happened:

Germans went into Belgium
Belgians blew up railways which stopped Germans
Belgians stopped supplies and reinforcements getting to the Germans
Britain wanted to join war because Germany was attacking France and Belgium
Sir Edward Grey made parliament fight, he said 'if we don’t fight Germany will dominate Europe and trade will suffer'
British government sent a telegram to tell Germans to leave Belgium
No reply to the telegram
Britain was at war with Germany
Everyone in all the countries were rushing to join the army, they thought their country was right and they would win
100,000 soldiers from the BEFC (British Expeditionary Force) landed in France
over 1,000,000 French soldier were ready to use plan seventeen to attack Alasce and Lorraine
after 3 weeks it all went wrong
German troops pushed into France
Russians mobilised more quickly than expected, and invaded
troops were taken from France to defend on the eastern front
French and German soldier met at the river Marne
All the French and English troops went to defend on the river Marne, the battle of the Marne began

Why did it fail?

The Schlieffen plan failed for many reasons. The trip though Belgium did not go as the Germans wanted. They got slowed down because the Belgian army put up a fight. This meant that the German troops were 10 days late. The Germans wanted to get the war over with France so that they didn’t have to fight Russia at the same time, so when they got delayed, they were in trouble. On the 29th august, Von Cluck (German general) changed the plan, so that they didn’t attack Paris as planned, instead they went east and sent more troops to attack the forts. The British plan to stop the Germans failed, and the French plan, plan seventeen, failed. The Russians got their army ready in less than the 6 weeks predicted by the Germans. They attacked Germany, and troops were pulled from the Schlieffen plan

Should Napoleon Bonaparte Be Considered A Hero?

2002-11-13T13:00:00-05:00

What is a hero? A hero can be defined as a common man who rises to greatness on the basis of sheer talent. Should Napoleon Bonaparte be considered as a hero? Many would argue that Napoleon is a hero as his heroic nature provided France with the institutions and sense of national identity they needed. Others would argue Napoleon is not a hero, as his use of propaganda made the French public believe he was their savior. I believe Napoleon Bonaparte was a hero, as his many accomplishments modified the French society and ultimately the civilized world. Not only did he better France through his domestic policy, he also expanded the territory of France with many battles won through strategic warfare. He as well gave the citizens of France the sense of national identity and pride they needed. Napoleon’s domestic policy, “was his greatest legacy to France” (Mitchner, pg 57). His domestic policies had such an immense impact on the way of life in France that they are used today in the civilized world. Through his domestic policy, Napoleon created the Bank of France. By creating the Bank of France Napoleon stabilized the French economy where the previous leaders of France had failed and made the franc the highest currency in all of Europe. Napoleon claimed “Equality must be the first element in education” (Mitchner, pg 59). This was the basis of the educating system Napoleon strived for. The Education reforms which Napoleon introduced in 1802 called lycees allowed this equality to occur and enhanced the way of learning for all of the citizens. Finally the serious rift with the Roman Catholic Church (which was created during the French revolution) was healed when The Concordat was introduced by Napoleon. Mending the rift between the Church and State allowed freedom of religion and rejuvenated the beliefs within the people of France. This contribution to France ended in French domestic tranquility. Napoleon was not only a great leader, he also was a military genius. As a military genius, Napoleon won many battles to expand France and was always welcomed back to France as a hero. His use of strategic warfare throughout many battles allowed him to be seen as a hero not only in France but all of Europe. Although his army was outnumbered by the Russians and Austrians in December 2, 1805, Napoleon’ brilliant strategies resulted in a defeat of the opposing

Why did the Weimar republic fail?

2002-11-04T13:00:00-05:00

After World War One ended and Germany was defeated, they returned to their country with heavy losses, a 6.6 billion pound reparation cost and a feeling of being let down. The country suffered huge economical losses and the country fell into poverty and starvation. Any government ruling a country like this already would have a very hard time keeping alive. At this point the Emergency Weimar Republic constitution was adopted by three parties, the Social Democratic Party, the Catholic Center and the German Democratic Party, in early 1919 they won 76 percent of the vote and began to govern Germany. The Weimar Republic was modelled around the imperial constitution and was written in Weimar. People had to blame someone and they blamed the republic for everything, for loosing the war, to the situation they were in now. One of the main reasons the Weimar republic fell from power was the treaty of Versailles, the German people thought all the bad things that had happened to them and their country were a result of it. In addition to this there were parties from the left and right challenging them. A bi product of the treaty of Versailles was the huge economic lose in their country; this gave the German people more reason to blame and loathe the Weimar republic. The third and final main reason was Hitler’s raise to power, he offered the countries people freedom from the Weimar rule and they gradually accepted it. After world war one ended and the treaty of Versailles was signed, German troops returned home feeling angry. They felt that there was no need to call an end to the war, as it didn’t seem as though they had the lower hand and Germany had not been invaded. They were bitter because they couldn’t fight on and knew it had all been for nothing and they hadn’t gained anything. In fact they lost a lot; during the peace conference they were forced to, most importantly; redefine their Western borders and give over a lot of land (13%), pay for damages amounting to $33 billion us dollars, hugely diminish their army and navy and destroy their air-force, donate some of their coal mines (26%) to France as compensation for destroying theirs and accept full responsibility for the war. The German people found the treaty hugely unfair and unjust. They felt as though they had been pushed into

9/11 photo essay

2002-11-03T13:00:00-05:00

The day of 9/11 is a day that will be in the back of everybodys minds for lifetime. On that sorrowful day four passenger airplanes were highjacked and ultimately crashed. Two of the airplanes crashed into each of the Twin Towers located in New York City. After the buildings burned for around 20 minutes they fell to the ground bringing along millions of tons of debris that killed many workers from both towers. One of the other airplanes crashed into the Pentagon also killing many innocent people. The last airplane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after many believe that the passengers over powered the highjackers. Many people still morn the deaths of the victims from 9/11. From the second the planes crashed, people have tried to make money from this ordeal, making it one of the most advertised and talked about issue the US has ever seen. The photos that are being displayed are showing the emotions that the camera wants to show us. We only feel emotion from this tragedy because we ether have known someone that has been hurt, or we have seen the event happen so many times we just start to feel sad for just trying to imagine it. It was said once that a picture is worth a thousand words. Those thousand words are being manipulated by who has taken the picture. Every event can be made to look bad by a certain camera angle. Every picture and camera is biased to someone’s certain point of view. That point of view could either be of a bad or good emotional state. The pictures from 9\11 are showing the emotions, that he American public wants to feel. In order for America to feel good about killing hundreds of Afghannies we have to see these bad images over and over again so that we can not feel the littlest sympathy for those of the families that we bomb everyday. Since thousands of Americans have died, we should show these images that are all of sad emotions so we can get over this big mess. The pictures taken on 9\11 are all in sad and shocking mood. There is no way to make 9\11 happy in any way. Any picture taken from 9\11 is going to have a very sad and depressing mood to it. But this is the way that day should be looked at, a very

Amsterdam’s Architecture over the ages

2002-11-02T13:00:00-04:00

Amsterdam has witnessed many architectural changes during its existence as a capital. From its earliest canal houses to its recent “modernisation”, it is a widespread array of fascinating design and architecture. Throughout this short guide, I wish to take you through these ages, demonstrating the designs, the reasons for them, the way of living and the way the architecture developed around the community. This guide focuses mainly on the last one hundred years, looking in depth at the gradual changes made to this great city, and its surrounding areas. I will also look at the great architectural achievements made over time in this area, looking at their design purposes and influences.

Older architecture

Central Amsterdam ages back to over 700 years, but most of the buildings seen today were built in Amsterdam’s “Golden age”, about 250-500 years ago. The “Golden age” was the period when most of what is now known as central Amsterdam was built. Some people think it is Amsterdam’s best architectural achievement. Probably the most prominent building built within this time period is the canal house. These line all the canals in the centre of Amsterdam. Every canal house was built to be unique from any other, though built with the same shape, each one was personalised with an ornamental piece, such as the gables and plaques. Another method was to put very decorative carvings on the “neck” of a house. This is called “necking”. The picture on the right is an excellent example of necking. Due to the swamp like quality of the reclaimed land under Amsterdam, it was very hard to build buildings. Because of this wooden stilts were used to support the houses. They were driven into the wet ground before construction for support. Now due to the wet ground some of these supports are rotting, causing houses to tilt and sink into the earth. The picture on the left is of a house on the Keizergracht, it has gradually sunk into the ground over the years causing it to lean sideways. During the time period in which these houses were built, your house taxes depended on the frontage. Meaning your taxes were determined by the width of your house. Therefore the sneaky Dutch built their houses deep and narrow to avoid severe taxing. For this same reason the staircases are very narrow and low, making it impossible to take furniture up and down them. To solve this

To what extent was Hitler's foreign policy consistent and planned?

2002-10-30T13:00:00-04:00

A subject of continuous interest in historical debate is whether Hitler’s foreign policy aims, as outlined in Mein Kampf, was indeed a blueprint for the years to follow or infact a premeditated aversion from genuine foreign policy direction. Some may argue that Hitler’s foreign policy through the inter-war years was merely an extension of Stresemann’s policies and therefore consistent with the German aim. However opposing this belief are those who see a calculating, underhand opportunist whom spectacularly managed to camouflage a developing foreign policy and present it as consistent and ultimately unplanned. When Hitler was appointed German chancellor on 30th January 1933 Germany was still feeling the effects of the Great War. The military was very weak and the economy was in desperate need of recovery and reform. Many Germans had felt that along with the devastating effects resulting from the war, the Treaty of Versailles had been too harsh a measure. Hitler called for peace and, more significantly, equal treatment of Germany in European affairs, ‘If other nations are not willing to carry out the disarmament stipulations of the Treaty, then Germany must at least maintain her claim to equality’. Britain respected the German grievances and felt sympathy with its cause. Along with most other European countries it was felt that Hitler’s foreign policy appeared to represent continuity rather than an unfavourable and radical approach to post war European affairs. In contrast to Stresemann’s foreign policy was Hitler’s attitude toward the Soviet Union, ‘ when we speak of new territory we must principally think of Russia and the border states subject to her.’ Since the signing of Rapallo in 1922 Germany and the Soviet Union had been on fairly relaxed terms, to the extent that German armed forces were permitted to engage in secret training on Soviet soil. However, on coming to power Hitler adopted a far cooler approach to the Soviet Union. This supports the notion that Hitler looked to the Soviet Union for his additional ‘living space’ lebensraum. Perhaps more fundamental to the argument is that from as early as 1924 Hitler had envisaged, or even planned, his future invasion of the Soviet Union. This suggests that a blueprint was being put into operation. Further is the fact that in September 1933 the German foreign minister actually questioned the wisdom of Germany adopting an anti-Russian position and suggested it best to maintain favourable relations with Stalin’s regime. Hitler dismissed

Articles of Confederation

2002-10-29T13:00:00-04:00

The Articles of Confederation, one of the first official documents establishing the government of the United States, was ineffective and failed to provide a strong government. During this significant period in the history of the United States, anarchy and revolution were growing because of the following reasons. 1) The Continental Congress controlled public affairs but there was nothing in the Articles that gave Congress the power to enforce laws or unify the States. 2) There was no solid monetary system to ensure that taxes would be paid or to protect commerce, both nationally and foreign trade. 3) The country lacked unity and strength because there was no leadership. The Articles were ineffective because Congress only had the power to recommend actions to the States. It could not enforce its recommendations or laws. Each State had its own constitution, monetary system, and means to enforce the law. Each State had a stronger commitment to the State laws and to the State's own self-interests than to the recommendations of Congress. Regionalism pitted one State against another, which decreased the sense of unity in the country. For example, when Congress recommended an impost, or duty, on imported goods, the State of Rhode Island voted to reject the idea because they felt it was unfair and was against the constitution of the State. The Articles failed to provide a solid monetary system to ensure that taxes would be paid or to protect commerce. Congress had no way to collect taxes to pay off pre-war debts. This led to chaos and anarchy when soldiers that hadn't been paid marched on Philadelphia, and Congress had to flee to Princeton, New Jersey. Each State had it's own money, but there was no national money system. Since the money had no value from state to state, the people began to use the barter system of trade. This reduced the amount of trade and importation of goods. There was very little economic progress and growth during this period even though the population was increasing. However, Article six of the Articles of Confederation states that “No state shall lay any imposts or duties.” This was a strong point of the Articles, yet it needed modifications. Self interest of the States and of individuals added to the cause of the problems. For example, John Jay tried to create a treaty with Great Britain that would have been bad for the merchants of the

Government Providing for the Poor

2002-10-29T13:00:00-04:00

“In the Middle Ages men were united by custom and prescription into associations, ranks, guilds, and communities of various kinds. These ties endured as long as life lasted. Consequently, society was dependant, throughout all its details, on status, and the tie, or bond, was sentimental. In out modern state, and in the United States more than anywhere else, the social structure is based on contract, and status is of the least importance.” This quote by William Graham Sumner in his 1883 speech “What Social Classes Owe to Each Other” illustrates my main focus of this week’s proposed question, “Does American Government have an obligation to provide for the poor?” Sumner supports that the American Government does not have an obligation to provide for the poor because in America, all people have the opportunity to work hard and bring themselves out of poverty, where in Europe and their other native lands, people were trapped in a caste system in which they could not escape. In America, there was is a defined class system in which those living in the society were confined and hard work, followed by success, is a luxury offered in America. By living in a free state like America, Sumner says, its citizens live equally among one another in a society based on a contract, which allows the most leeway for individual developments and successes. Every man must fend for himself in this society that allows for personal establishment. Sumner also says, “It follows, however, that one man, in a free state, cannot claim help from, and cannot be charged to give help to, another.” He directly says that it cannot be imposed upon the American Government that hard-working tax-paying citizens should have to financially assist the plight of the poor. The Populist Party Platform of 1892 says in its second declaration that “Wealth belongs to him that creates it…If any will not work, neither shall he eat.” The Populist Party realized that men were fully entitled to their earned keep and should they not work, they should not be provided for by the government, especially not by collected tax money. Sumner goes on to say that those who rely on the support of the government become so dependent that welfare inevitably produces lazy citizens. He says, “The man who has nothing to raise himself above poverty finds that the social doctors flock about him, bringing the capital which

Australian and American female nurses in the armed forces

2002-10-27T13:00:00-04:00

To what extent were Australian and American female nurses treated as professionals in the armed forces?

“We have made partners of the women in this war; shall we admit them only to a partnership of suffering and sacrifice and not to a partnership of privilege and right?” U.S President Wilson, September 1918 My research for this essay showed that although there were similarities between American and Australian attitudes towards female nurses serving in their armed forces, some elements of the American War Department were more reluctant in allowing female nurses to serve as part of the armed forces in World War One. The different types of sources consulted were useful for different purposes. For example, the Australian Defence Department website (See Web Reference 3) although very detailed, suffers the expected bias due to it being written and published by the nursing corps of the current Australian Army. I also discovered that it was essential to distinguish between different parts of the armed forces because in some instances, like the case of the US War Department and the US Army, they had conflicting views on female nurses serving in World War One. This essay shows that there was a temporary marked change in each country towards the attitude of female nurses participating in the armed forces as the war progressed. However, after the conclusion of World War One, whilst they had earned respect for the nursing profession, their contribution was still not enough to admit them into the armed forces on a permanent basis. The establishment of the Australian Army Nursing Service in New South Wales in 1898 (Adam-Smith, 1984, 16), and in America the creation of the Army Nursing Corps in 1901 (Bullough & Sentz, 2000, 77) opened the door for women to take part in some areas of the military, but only slightly. The outbreak of World War One was the major factor in the change of attitude towards nurses participating in the armed forces. Nurses were to become the most significant section of American and Australian women that directly took part in the war away from home. World War One was the most significant opportunity for nurses and other groups of women to have direct involvement in public, national affairs and not just indirect private family matters as it used to be. World War One was the first time on a large scale that gave women the opportunity to choose either direct or

English Revolution

2002-10-27T13:00:00-04:00

The history of the English Revolution from 1649 to 1660 can be briefly told. Cromwell’s shooting of the Levellers at Burford made a restoration of monarchy and lords ultimately inevitable, for the breach of big bourgeoisie and gentry with the popular forces meant that their government could only be maintained either by an army (which in the long ran proved crushingly expensive as well as difficult to control) or by a compromise with the surviving representatives of the old order. But first there were still tasks to be done. (1) There was the conquest of Ireland, the expropriation of its landowners and peasantry - the first big triumph of English imperialism and the first big defeat of English democracy. For the petty bourgeoisie of the Army, despite the warnings of many of the Leveller leaders, allowed themselves to be distracted from establishing their own liberties in England and, deluded by religious slogans, to destroy those of the Irish. Many of them set up as landed proprietors in Ireland. (The Leveller revolt of 1649 had been occasioned by the refusal of many of the rank and file to leave for Ireland, for that meant violating their Engagement of 1647 not to divide until the liberties of England were secure.) (2) There was the conquest of Scotland, necessary to prevent a restoration of the old order thence; Scotland was opened up to English traders by political union. (3) A forward commercial policy was undertaken with the Navigation Act of 1651, the basis of England’s commercial prosperity in the next century. This aimed at winning the carrying trade of Europe for English ships, and at excluding all rivals from trade with England’s colonies. It led to a war with the Dutch, who had monopolised the carrying trade of the world in the first half of the seventeenth century. For in that period the royal policy had frustrated all attempts of the bourgeoisie to throw the resources of England into an effective struggle for this trade. In this war, thanks to Blake’s fleet and the economic strength the Republican Government was able to mobilise, England was victorious. (4) An imperialist policy needed the strong Navy which Charles had failed to build up, and under Blake the Commonwealth began to rule the waves to some purpose; war in alliance with France against Spain brought Jamaica and Dunkirk to England. (5) The abolition of feudal tenures meant

Mayan indians

2002-10-27T13:00:00-04:00

The Maya Indians are Indians that Lived in parts of present time Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. The Maya Indians had a complex hieroglyphic alphabet and a complicated calendar system. Only the high priests and kings knew how to read it and write and read the complex alphabet. The Maya Indians did not live in teepees like you may think they lived in houses sort of like ours but no nails or installation to keep it warm. The Maya Indians where great builders they made large buildings made out of stone some stones weighed more than 2 tons that is over 4,000 pound. When a child was born in the Maya civilization it was a sign of good luck. After it was born the priest was called and the baby was given a sacred name and then the priest predicts the future. In marriages the woman was allowed to marry when she was 14-15 years old. The boy in the relationship had to be at least 18 years old like our country in marriages. The Maya men and woman where very short compared to us. The average woman was 4â€™ 8â€? quite short for our women who reached an average of 5â€™ 4â€?. The men where also short but not too short. They reached5â€™ 8â€? only 2 inches shy of our men who reach an average of 5â€™ 10â€?. The Mayan disappeared close to the year 900 A.D. By 1450 most of the major cities where abandoned. Nobody knows for sure but there are theories that the men would go to war and the family would hide in a near by countryside and take cover. The tribe made their culture so advanced and just abandoned it for war. So why would a culture ruin their life style to fight but that is just a theory we may never know. The stylish thing to do in the Mayan civilization was having tattoos and wearing tons of jewelry was considered hip. Also they thought that filling your teeth to a sharp point and having your eyes crossed was attractive. Priests had three main types of calendars. The first was a civil calendar this was based on the solar cycle of the sun. The year lasted 365 days there was no leap year though so they where a day off every 7 years. The long court had a special system that kept track of long spans of time

Significance of Pericles' Death

2002-10-23T14:00:00-04:00

The death of Pericles was a significant event in the course of the Peloponnesian War; however, even without Pericles’ leadership the Athenian Assembly had countless opportunities to prevent their loss and chose not to take them. The fickleness and inefficiency of democracy (‘the mob’) allowed the Athenians to be easily influenced and therefore electing populists such as Cleon, Lysicles and Hyperbolus into dominant leadership roles. Election, via democratic means, of such populists, meant that the Athenians would take a much more aggressive approach to the war and therefore abandon the policies that Pericles had previously established. So in turn, democracy the institution for which the Athenians fought tirelessly to protect, rather than the death of Pericles, ironically became the dominant factor influencing the final outcome of this Ancient Greek civil war. As can be expected from pioneer governmental institutions, Athenian democracy was not perfect. In fact it was far from it. It resulted in the establishment of poor policies by aggressive populists who sought “…private ambition and private profit…which were bad both for the Athenians themselves and their allies.” (Thucydides). These self interested populist leaders with personal gain in mind established extensive internal political instability “…by quarrelling among themselves [and] began to bring confusion into the policy of the state.” (Thucydides). Repeated opportunities to accept terms of peace after the battles of Pylos (425), Arginusae (406) and Aegospotami (405) were ignored by the inefficient Athenian demos eventually resulting in the devastation of the once dominant city-state. Internal political strife can also be attributed to the presence of Nicias, a conservative aristocrat, who intensely opposed the aggressive policies of the populist leaders. This divergence of opinion meant that the Athenians would struggle greatly to establish continuously successful policies and strategies, and were immediately impeded by this inefficient nature of democracy. Events such as the trial and execution of eight Athenian naval leaders after the Battle of Arginusae, prove the extreme feebleness of Athenian democracy. A needless act of aggression in 416, towards the neutral city-state of Melos inspired immediate reactions from Athenian allies, who were already appearing somewhat disloyal. The Athenians were then forced into conflict “…against their own allies, most of which had revolted.” (Thucydides). This Athenian internal conflict perhaps came to a climax in 411, when an oligarchy of 400 revolted and took over Athens for over 3 months, before a democratic restoration. However, “…in the end it was only

Clash Of Neighbours: The History Behind Northern Ireland Tensions

2002-10-22T14:00:00-04:00

Although it is clearly established that the people of Europe hold a firm understanding and connection to their cultural and historical roots, few Europeans do to such a degree as the Irish. And to the people of British Northern Ireland, this history plays a part of their every day lives; the political, class, culture and ethnic divisions run every bit as strong today as throughout Irish history. But why have these divisions hardened over time? Many European states manage religious and ethnic differences with tensions to a minimum. I propose that these tensions are the consequence of suppression of the Roman Catholic majority of a Protestant ruling elite for several centuries, which has left lasting implications on the modern class structure. Ever since the Norman English first made contact with the Irish in the early centuries of this millennium there has been a mutual sense of doubt of each other’s intentions. There still remained a relatively peaceful isolated relationship. The real catalyst of tensions occurred in the seventeenth century when English and Scottish settlers began emigrating to relatively under populated Ulster, in Northern Ireland. There was a concurrent situation of overpopulation in Scotland, and sending Scottish labour to cultivate Ulster was an ideal solution.1 The Gaelic clans of Northern Ireland were quickly suppressed which led to more emigration to central and west Ulster. The peak of this influx from the British Island didn’t occur until well into the seventeenth century.2 These settlers were known as Anglo-Irish, and Ulster Scots. They were not a cohesive unit, religious differences between them also were an issue, as the English crown at first looked upon the Scottish Presbyterians in the same disdain as the Irish Catholics. Northern Ireland remained a quiet area until 1641, when the Irish Gaelic clans organized a rebellion to expel the settlers from their land. Open warfare broke out, with the Irish led by Rory O’More. His forces succeeded in driving the settlers out of central and west Ulster. Not until when the Scottish army, in 1642 was sent, could the Anglo-Irish and the Ulster Scots return. At the same time external political issues were brewing elsewhere in Europe. King Charles’ attempt to rule England as an absolute monarch had precipitated a civil war in 1642. Although a protestant, Charles had a very lenient view on Catholics: a stance, which endeared him to many Irish Catholics and drew their support

The theatrical works of 5C Athens represent a very significant advance on Homer’s Iliad. Discuss.

2002-10-20T14:00:00-04:00

It is difficult to compare the works of Aristophanes and Homer, and make a decision as to whether or not Aristophanes’ plays are more advanced than Homer’s writing, as they serve a different purpose and are told conpletely differently. Aristophanes’s stories are meant to be performed in the form of a play. Homer’s Iliad is an epic, and through his language the reader can only picture the scene. They cannot be compared as such, but we may pass judgment on whether the works of Aristophanes has advanced in quality, in relation to Homer’s Iliad. Literature reflects the circumstances of the times by providing a social and political commentary. This commentary is represented by Aristophanes, one of the best known tragic and comic poets of the fifth and fourth century B.C. As Greek society became more sophisticated a new type of poetry arose among the Greeks. Unlike Homer, authors of this lyric poetry sang not of legendary events but of present delights and sorrows. This new note, personal and passionate, can be seen in the works of Aristophanes, in which the contrast between the new values and those of Homer's heroic age is sharply clear. By the fifth century B.C. in Athens, two distinct forms, tragedy and comedy, had evolved. Borrowing from the old familiar legends of gods and heroes for their plots, the tragedians reinterpreted them in the light of the values and problems of their own times. Comedies were vulgar and lively. There were no laws against libel or obscenity in Athens, so political satire became a favorite subject of the comedians. Aristophanes, the most famous comic-dramatist, brilliantly satirized Athenian democracy as a mob led by demagogues. A favorite target of his was the political leader Cleon – he based several of his plays around him. Yet he also put intelligent messages between his jokes. For example, in his play Lysistrata, the women of Greece stop the Peloponnesian War with a sex boycott, refusing to sleep with their husbands until they agree to end the fighting; thus, he could advocate peace and women's rights in the same story. By allowing such coarse humor even in difficult times, the Athenians may have shown us why Athens remained a cultural center after its best years ended; they were never afraid of the truth, and could always laugh at themselves. Aristophanes’ Wasps is a parody on the political situation in Athens at the time

Causes of WW1

2002-10-19T14:00:00-04:00

I think that the First World War was the product of long-standing rivalries rather than a badly mismanaged Balkan Crisis because it was these rivalries that led to the Balkan Crisis. The Balkan Crisis may appear mismanaged because previous crises such as those in Morocco in 1905 and 1911 did not result in war. In the July Crisis Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) despite not having conclusive proof. Austria-Hungary asked for German support to “eliminate Serbia as a power factor in the Balkans”. Germany agreed, offering her full support for Austria- Hungary to start a war with Serbia, and this became known as the “blank cheque”. Austria-Hungary and Germany could not have failed to realise the possibility of Russian intervention and a European war, suggesting to me that war was their objective. Austria-Hungary issued an impossible ultimatum to Serbia, which was likely to provoke a war. Serbia was given only 48 hours to reply, so was forced to think quickly, or other countries would be mobilized and ready to attack. Serbia accepted all but one point of the ultimatum. Consequently war was announced. If given more time Serbia could have discussed the issue further in a conference. The British foreign minister, Grey suggested a conference, but this was rejected by Germany and Austria-Hungary, suggesting that they had deliberate aims for war during the Balkan Crisis, rather than the Balkan Crisis being mismanaged. There was a long-standing rivalry between Austria-Hungary and Russia due to their interests in the Balkans. Russia saw her role as leading and supporting her fellow Slav peoples in the Balkans. This Pan-Slav concept provided an ideal excuse to interfere in the Balkans and to extend Russia’s influence towards the Eastern Mediterranean. Ideally Russia wished to open the Dardenelles straits to its warships. Austria-Hungary was concerned that this Russian encouragement of nationalism may threaten her borders and inspire nationalism within her own empire. In turn, Germany recognised that as Austria’s closest ally her fate was linked with that of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Austria-Hungary was anxious to prevent Russian encroachment in the Balkans. This aim would be best served by the elimination of Serbia, Russia’s Balkan ally. In 1878, Russia was humiliated at the Congress of Berlin when her proposal for a Greater Bulgarian state was rejected and Austria-Hungary occupied Bosnia to maintain order amongst the nationalist

Culture Clash: The Puritans and the Native Americans

2002-10-18T14:00:00-04:00

In 1608, a group of Christian separatists from the Church of England fled to the Netherlands and then to the “New World” in search of the freedom to practice their fundamentalist form of Christianity (dubbed Puritanism). The group of people known as the Native Americans (or American Indians) are the aboriginal inhabitants of the Northern and Southern American continents who are believed to have migrated across the Bering land bridge from Asia around 30,000 years ago. When these two societies collided, years of enforced ideology, oppression and guerrilla warfare were begun. The great barriers of religion, ethics and world-views are the three largest factors which lead to the culture clash between the Puritans and the Native Americans. Religion played a very important role in both Puritan and Native American society, though their ideologies differed greatly. According to Puritan beliefs, God had chosen a select number of people to join him in heaven as his elect. The Native Americans, on the other hand, believed that everyone was the same; no one was better than anyone else. As Sitting Bull once said, “Each man is good in [the Great Spirit’s] sight. (Quotes from our Native Past). This theory was in direct conflict with the Puritan’s view. The means through which the beliefs of these two groups were carried on also differed greatly. The Puritans had their Bible which detailed their entire religion and held the answers to all possible questions. The Native Americans on the other hand relied on oral transmission of their theology. Thus, while the Puritans had a constant place to turn to when they wanted to figure out what they believed, Native Americans were forced to fill in the blanks between stories they had heard when it came to their basic ideals. This aspect made them both unable to relate to one another. The most prominent difference between the two religions were their gods. The Puritans believed in one God and one God only. The Native Americans, though also worshipping their own almighty “Great Spirit,” took further reverence for all living (and once living) things, worshipping the trees and their ancestors as well as their omnipotent Tirawa (or Wakan Tanka). The Puritans, holding all aspects of the Bible literal and as divine mandate, saw this worship of beings other than their God as idolatry (which was in clear violation of the first commandment). Therefore, the Puritans held the Native American

A Neo-Aristotelian Analysis of Ronald Reagan’s: The Challenger Disaster

2002-10-05T14:00:00-04:00

While seated in the Oval Office of the White house, January 28, 1986 President Ronald Reagan delivers his speech The Challenger Disaster; hours after the space shuttle The Challenger explodes while in take off. Thousands witnessed this horrifying event live in person and on television. This mission was very unique allowing the first civilian to ever be allowed in space during a mission. She was aboard The Challenger as an observer in the NASA Teacher in Space Program. Ironically, nineteen years before this disaster, three astronauts were tragically lost in an accident on the ground. President Reagan remembers those astronauts that were lost not only the day of the disaster, but also those who were lost nineteen years before. He conducts this speech not only to mourn the death of The Challenger astronauts, but for the families and those who were impacted from this event. He especially calls out to the schoolchildren of America who were watching this event live as the shuttle took off. As the President of the United States, Reagan earned the nickname "The Great Communicator" due to his ability to convey his beliefs concerning economic and domestic policies to the public. This speech is just one example of how well Reagan spoke to the American public on a personal level and profoundly influenced the nations confidence in itself after this tragic event. Reagan used his speaking ability to explain the important policies of his administration. “Speaking directly to the American people as a "citizen-president," Reagan delivered addresses that conveyed his views of national security, the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), economic policies, and the nation's war on drugs. Delivered with sincerity uncharacteristic of the stereotypical politician” (http://reagan.webteamone.com). The Challenger Disaster is just another example of Reagan’s profound speaking abilities. This speech has meaning, excites emotions and reaches out to all, which makes it a great speech. Although Reagan chooses to ignore his administrations responsibility in The Challenger disaster, he concentrates instead on reassurance of the nation which makes this speech uplifting to the American people.

Invention

To do a rhetorical analysis of this speech we would follow the Neo-Aristotelian approach. The Neo-Aristotelian approach consists of five canons which are invention, organization, style, memory and delivery. First I will start off with Invention. According to Foss “the critic’s concern in applying the canon of invention is with the speaker’s major ideas, line of argument, or content” (29). Invention is divided

Invasion Of Normandy/ D-Day

2002-09-16T14:00:00-04:00

On June 6, 1944 the largest amphibious assault in history took place. On the morning of the Invasion of Normandy, beaches in the area of Cotentin, France, were bombarded with over 5,000 tons of bombs, destroying anti-invasion equipment and de-mining many areas. The official British history says: “Never has any coast suffered what a tortured strip of French coast suffered that morning.” Following the bombardment over 100,000 soldiers swam ashore (Normandy), and 11,700 paratroopers were dropped (D-Day) to secure Normandy Beach. The casualties for the invasion were extensive. Five thousand, four hundred and thirty-six paratroopers were either killed or wounded (D-Day). Fifty-seven thousand prisoners were taken and only 4,000 French and 2,700 American lives were lost (Kemp). After two months of battle, Allied troops marched into Normandy on August 24th, 1944 (5). The Invasion of Normandy not only was the turning point of the World War II, but also directly led to the liberation of Western Europe from the Nazi regime. Deception of the Germans was an important factor in the preparations for D-Day. Although the actual attack was to take place near Cotentin, German forces were misled into believing that the attack was to take place at Pas de Calais. First, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces, created a mythical 1st Army Group, which would be based in Dover, just across the channel from Pas de Calais. An array of inflatable tanks and vehicles were placed in Dover, and a harbor containing an armada of inflatable rafts was constructed in the area. In command of the phantom 1st Army group was Patton, the Allied General for whom the Germans held the highest regard. Known enemy spies were informed of the supposed state of Patton’s forces. Naval maneuvers were performed off the area’s coast by the allies, and radio trafficking was manipulated so that German intelligence would suspect a major military force was organizing. Before the invasion, more bombs were dropped on Pas de Calais than anywhere else off the coast of France. By the time the invasion took place, the German’s were so convinced that the invasion would take place at Pas de Calais that even after a few hours of the Normandy invasion they still believed the main invasion would be there. Because of these efforts, 19 enemy divisions did nothing on the day of the attack (Normandy). The efforts of the French Resistance also helped make

How Humanism Contributed to Rennaisance Ideals

2002-09-16T14:00:00-04:00

Through the groundwork laid by the

Expression of Renaissance Ideals throught the Art of the Period

2002-09-16T14:00:00-04:00

The humanist and secularist beliefs of religion, individuality, and antiquity were evident in the style and illustration of Italian paintings and sculptures in the High Renaissance era. A deep sense of piety, Greek and Roman philosophy, and secularism, can be found in nearly all Renaissance paintings and sculptures, and the school of thought in Renaissance society that regarded the artist as genius contributed to all of these items. Historically, religion is the defining factor of nearly all paintings in modern and medieval European history. The Last Supper by Leonardo, The School of Athens by Raphael, Michelangelo’s huge sculpture of the ancient Hebrew king David, Giotto’s paintings of the Virgin Mary and Saint Francis of Assisi, and Masaccio’s The Holy Trinity serve as an infinitesimally small sample of the vast selection of religiously inspired paintings, frescos, sculptures, and architectural endeavors created by Renaissance artists. The School of Athens by Raphael is an artistic representation of the beliefs and interpretations of the Renaissance humanist philosophers such as Petrarch and Drusus. Great classical mathematicians such as Pythagoras stand under the statue of the Greek goddess of reason, Athena, while intellectuals such as Socrates teach on the right, under the statue of the Greek patron of poetry, Apollo. This fresco also illustrates the existence of an intellectual community of painters, sculptors, and leaders such as Michelangelo and Leonardo, who exist in the painting as Greek philosopher Heraclitus and Plato, respectively. This select group of individuals was in fact the majority of the thinking power of the Italian Renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci represents most strongly the secularist style in Renaissance art. His painting of The Last Supper shows the very strained emotions of Jesus’ apostles when he informs them that he is to be betrayed. The lines of emotion and the expressions on the apostle’s faces clearly depict the secularist real, the non-exaggerative, worldly style of secularism exhibited through the writings of Boccaccio and Lorenzo Valla. Michelangelo’s dome for Saint Peter’s Basilica and the roof of the Sistine Chapel display the secularist attitude the Roman Catholic Church adopted in the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The fact that the Catholic Church, the wealthiest institution in the world, sponsored this art shows the elitist status that artists must have assumed in the Renaissance, and how the church supported the belief that the hand of God worked through the hands of the artists. The genius and alleged divinity of Italian Renaissance

World War II - The Axis Powers

2002-09-13T14:00:00-04:00

Almost everyone knows of The Axis Powers. They were enemies of The Allied Powers in World War II. They are synonymous with The Holocaust because Adolf Hitler was the man who started The Holocaust and he ws the dictator of Germany. The Axis Powers originally was the alliance between Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany and Benito Mussolini's Fascist Italy. Italy did not do much during the war though. The goals of The Axis Powers clearly emerged in the Italo-Germany Pact. It was a pact that was signed in May of 1939 in which Italy and Germany promised to help each other in the time of war. Germany also signed another pact because Hitler believed that Germany had lost World War I due to the fact that Germany had to fight on two sides. The pact was a ten-year, non-aggression pact between the USSR and Germany. The pact was later abolished when the USSR began to help the Allied Powers fight Germany. Hitler wasn't well known during World War I. As a matter of fact, Hitler was a private during the war and ended up gaining power because he appealed to a large number of German people. He appealed to them by a combination of an effective and well-practiced style of speaking with what looked like undoubtable sincerity and determination. This helped Hitler find a large audience for his program of national revival, racial pride in Germanic values, hatred for France and of the Jewish and other un-German races, and despise for the Weimer Republic. With the way he spoke, Hitler convinced the people of Germany to believe that a dictatorship was the only thing that could save Germany from the problems it was having. Hitler's views only changed a little in the years to follow; yet he still managed to draw an increasing number of people to his speeches. On September 30, 1938, France and Great Britain agreed to let Nazi Germany have a piece of Czechoslovakia. Hitler told the British and French that it would be his last demand for territory in Europe. Hitler ended up breaking this pact when he took over Prague. During that same year, Germany attacked Poland and defeated them in one month. Poland was then split into two parts with Hitler's Nazi Germany taking part and Stalin's Communist USSR taking the other part. The invasion was what started World War II. Japan entered the war a while later, when on

The Significance of the Gracchi

2002-08-05T14:00:00-04:00

“When Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus sought to establish the liberty of the common people and expose the crimes of the oligarchs, the guilty nobles took fright and opposed their proceedings by every means at their disposal” – Cicero. The Gracchi brothers were clearly well intentioned men who had the interests of Rome at heart, instead of their own, which was a common attitude amongst the other senators. The reforms of the Gracchi were long over-due and their programs were genuine attempts to deal with Rome’s problems. During the Gracchi’s existence, Rome was facing a number of social, political and economic problems. They were frustrated with the conservatism and selfishness of the oligarchy and so adopted methods which threatened the balance between the senate, the magistrates and the people which had existed for a very long time – in this way they can be regarded as revolutionary. It is likely that they interpreted the problems far too simply, and they failed to see that Roman society had changed. The Senate also failed to see these changes and reacted to the Gracchi’s actions in the only way they could – violence. The senate felt threatened by the Gracchi’s methods, and as a result violence was used for the first time in Roman politics. In order to understand why the Gracchi attempted to solve these problems, one must examine the circumstances of Rome at the time, as well as the background of the two brothers. After the Second Punic War, the Senate became the supreme power and as a result, many changes occurred throughout Rome. Most notably, the ruling Oligarchy (specifically the nobiles) abused their power, caring more for their own material interests and gloria than the welfare of the republic. As a result major problems occurred throughout Rome. Serious economic social problems occurred, both rural and urban, causing grave distress among many Roman citizens. There was a military crisis, with lack of eligible recruits for the legions, aggravated by the Spanish and Sicilian wars. There was tension in the oligarchy between leading factions (Claudii / Sempronii and the Scipios) as they struggled for political superiority. And amongst all these problems was the failure of the ruling nobility within the senate to deal with these problems. In order to determine the significance of both Gracchi, one must examine both Tiberius’ and Gaius’ actions and the effects they had at the time. In 133, Tiberius

Why do historians differ in their interpretations of the past?

2002-08-05T14:00:00-04:00

In the recent past, a story reached public attention because it concerned two historians who had examined evidence relating to the fate of the Jews during the 'Holocaust' Their research led each of them to reach quite different conclusions. Because the subject matter was emotive and highly sensitive, questions concerning the nature of historical authority and the ethical obligations of historians were asked. The resulting debate took place on a public platform and caused Mr justice Gray to make the following observation. "Irving has, for his own ideological reasons, persistently and deliberately misrepresented and manipulated historical evidence" (Guardian April 2000) David Irving

Ancient Egypt

2002-08-05T14:00:00-04:00

One of the most interesting aspects of ancient Egypt is its religion. The depth of Egyptian thinking and rich imagination displayed in the creation of ideas and images of the gods and goddesses is beyond compare. On elaborating their beliefs, the Egyptians were working on the cosmic plane searching for an understanding of the most basic laws of the universe (Religion). The ancient Egyptians instilled their religion into every aspect of life including their art and architecture. The Egyptians were humanistic, naturalistic and polytheistic in their ardent faith. They were humanistic in that they worshiped man, particularly the pharaoh; naturalistic in that they deified the forces of nature; and polytheistic in that they believed in thousands of gods and goddesses (Thompson). These gods were responsible for all aspects of their existence (Cunningham). The Egyptians saw no distinction between the creator and his creation. They believed the gods to be powers, which could be manipulated by man for his own benefit (Thompson). Because they believed in so many gods, the Egyptians invented rituals to praise them all. The rituals in turn affected the daily life of every Egyptian (Soul). These deities included Hathor, the goddess of beauty and love; Bes, the god of war; Anibus, the god of death; and Hapi, the god of the Nile. The Egyptians also praised animals such as, the jackal and the cat (Cunningham). The Egyptians treasured life in this world and did everything in their power to ensure immortality in the next life (Thompson). The ancient Egyptians attitude towards death was influenced by their belief in immortality. They regarded death as the beginning of life, instead of the end (Life). All Egyptians were offered the hope of survival in the next world as a reward for a good life in a form that was thought of in literal, physical terms (Cunningham). The funerary customs and beliefs of the Egyptians called for the preservation of the body and ample provisions for the afterlife (O'Brien). Of the provisions provided for the afterlife were food, drink, clothing, and boats. They buried two boats with the deceased so that they would have a smooth sail into their after life (Soul). The funeral rites with their meaning were described in a series of sacred text known collectively as the Book of The Dead (Cunningham). Osiris was the god who presided over the ceremonies (Cunningham). The Egyptians further conjectured that the deceased would

Explain the formation and the break down of the First Triumvirate

2002-08-03T14:00:00-04:00

The formation of the First Triumvirate took place because of the political motives and the personal motives of the three ruthlessly ambitious power brokers in Rome. These men required the co-operation of the other two in order to further their political careers. During the time of the First Triumvirate many extraordinary powers where obtained and in some cases these where unprecedented. There are some key factors that have to be considered towards the break down of the Triumvirate. The most powerful and influential people, the Optimates became increasingly dis empowered, and a sense of desperation to regain power is felt with the use of Pompey in an a final attempt to restore power to the Senate. “By uncompromising refusal to meet the demands of Pompey, Caesar and Crassus the senate naturally drove them into each others arms. The three men agreed to form a political amicitia …..” Pompey upon return from his successful campaign in the East, disbanded his army probably to diffuse tension in Rome and prove to the Optimates in Rome he had no intention of over throwing the Government. This suggests Pompey’s political naivety and the fact that Pompey thought he had done enough in order to get recognition and acceptance from the Optimates to gain land for his veterans and to have his innumerable arrangements in the East ratified. Cato also refused Pompey’s offer of marriage to one of his nieces. According to Bradley “Cato was a staunch conservative, and distrusted Pompey’s motives” Crassus had a problem with his supporters. He supported a request from a company of tax gatherers (Equites), that after realizing Asia had been economically raped, and virtually un-taxable due to the Mithradatic campaign, could not possibly make money from taxes, so the request he supported is that the Senate should adjust the bad bargain to on a third rebate which they had made in contracting for the taxes of Asia. This request according to Scullard was rejected under Cato’s leadership which had led to the stagnation of Crassus’ political career. Thus Crassus needed some support of Pompey and Caesar to kick start his career and eventually lead to the formation of the First Triumvirate. Caesar, who had been Propraetor in Spain during, 61BC, hoped to return to Rome in 60BC and stand for the consulship for the following year. On his return he wanted a triumph and the consulship, but since he could not as

Explain the meanings and discuss the concepts and origins of Samurai and Bushido code

2002-08-03T14:00:00-04:00

“Explain the meanings and discuss the concepts and origins of Samurai and Bushido code, then relate these concepts towards the modern Japanese Soldier and Leader during World War 2 and show evidence to support that the Japanese soldier treated enemy prisoners exploiting Samurai and Bushido traditions.”

Bushido – 武士道- the feudal-military Japanese code of behavior; the way of the warrior [samurai] Japanese chivalry [knighthood] In order to understand bushido and its traditions, a comparison must be made between the ‘traditional’ bushido (idealistic) and the bushido code which was adopted into the Japanese military during World War II. The Japanese justified that the reason they treated the prisoners in a form of such brutality is because it’s a part of their way of life, the concept of ‘no one surrenders’. However if so surrendered then your life is pretty much hell, and according to the Japanese custom your family back home is brought shame. With the evidence from source material though, it seems that the Australians and very likely other nations in there prison camps understood what was going on around them. Indeed the Japanese breached the Geneva convention but what is it exactly, did the other countries follow it accordingly? The Japanese method of dealing with Allied prisoners was seen through the ‘western eyes’ as brutality, scum and inhumane. Yet by the same according to source material some Australian soldiers recognized that the Japanese did what they did, and in some cases they exploited the true meaning of bushido or did they? To understand if the Japanese soldier and leaders in particular abuse the code of bushido, the traditional bushido must be looked at. "Do not give up under any circumstances"

The Traditional background on bushido

In Japan there exists a mindset which, in various forms, has existed for over 2000 years, and has been frequently misinterpreted by other countries. This way of life is known as Bushido. It basically sums up the moral and religious ideas of Japan. Also known as kokoro, "the heart within", it has been called "the soul of Japan". Bushido, which translates to "way of the warrior" in its more common form, was originally developed as a way to maintain controlled relations between a warlord and his samurai. It is difficult to describe the samurai in Western terms. The word "samurai" comes from the verb "to attend upon a noble". They were soldiers whose sole purpose in life was to serve

The First Triumvirate

2002-08-03T14:00:00-04:00

“3 paragraphs, why did Caesar, Pompey and Crassus need the (amicittia) First Triumvirate.”

Crassus’ motives for the need for the First Triumvirate according to Scullard are as follows, “Crassus supported a request from a company of tax-gatherers that the Senate should adjust a bad bargain which they had made in contracting for the taxes of Asia.” His supporters had found out that Asia had been ‘economically raped’ due to the Mithradatic wars, where Asia was sandwiched. Cato, basically turning Crassus’ political career towards the wall and going nowhere, rejected the one-third rebate. This was really bad in political terms his career had stagnated for such a politically ambitious man. Pompey’s motives for the need of the First Triumvirate are according to Scullard both political and personal. As Scullard seems to suggest, “ … Pompey had been rebuffed by the Optimates in both his private and public life. Cato rejected a suggestion that Pompey should marry one of his relations, but of greater importance was Pompey’s double request that his eastern settlement should be ratified by the Senate and that land should be provided for his veterans.” Pompey who had promised his veterans land. The way he disbanded his army and approached the Senate alone requesting his reasonable requests seems to suggest that he was fairly confident that he had achieved enough, and that the Senate would pass the request, but instead the Senate rejected his requests. A few attempts where made to pass the land bill for his troops with the use of Afranius and Metellus Celer both proved ineffective. His political career had too stagnated and hit the wall, this would be going nowhere. The senate rejecting the ratification of the eastern settlement, which is perfectly normal due to the fact that sources suggest that Pompey did it on his own, will and did not consult the senate, so the even though what he did was an extraordinary achievement the Senate can say no and so they did. Caesar upon arriving back from his outstanding success, in Spain he paid back his enormous debt to Crassus and still a multi millionare. On his return he wanted a triumph and the consulship, but since he could not as a commander enter the city to stand for election, he asked the Senate for permission to stand in absentia. “Though there were precedents, the Senate refused.” Caesar abandoned his triumph and entered Rome as an ordinary candidate. Caesar’s career

What is the anatomy of a modern revolution?

2002-07-31T14:00:00-04:00

A revolution is a general and fundamental change in the political order when the mass of people rejects its government and the way things are run and is the result of failure to introduce gradual form. The people come together and there is a dramatic violent and forceful movement to change the way society is structured. A revolution itself is successful when one political, social and economic system has been replaced with an alternative that will bring about the necessary changes needed to remove the major sources of discontent and to improve life. The first stage of a revolution is the development of a revolutionary situation. It is characterised by increasingly widespread opposition to the existing government, which has lost effective control of the nation. The people then try to attack their government; this attack sometimes involves strikes, assassinations, demonstrations and riots. The government usually responds to these acts with a refusal to grant reform. From this, the accumulated anger inside the people explodes and the result is the overthrow of the old order. This always involves some form of military action in the capital, including taking over government buildings and occupying key transport and communication centres. There is not always only one group wanting to take power but a number of groups with quite different programs usually emerge. When the new government has taken power, it usually introduces policies that are very different from those of the previous government. People are asked to make sacrifices in order to ensure the changes work out. The relationships between classes and groups in society are affected, and a new group seeking dominance for itself usually pushes down a previously dominant class. However, many problems inherited from the previous government limit the extent of its reform. Next may be the most violent phase of the struggle - the consolidation of power. Loyalty to the new government is usually expected and demanded but allies of the old government may attempt to overthrow the new revolutionary government, to reinstate those who used to enjoy power and privilege and to restore the old order totally. The new government and their new system is never a complete fulfilment of the new and better society it was intended to establish, because that one group gaining power means the defeat of all other possible alternatives. But the intolerable system and lifestyle of the past, instilled in the people’s minds the thought that any change

Historical Misconceptions About Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy

2002-07-30T14:00:00-04:00

All Presidents have faced the challenge of keeping people united in times of conflict and turmoil; this specifically applied to Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. They were faced with solving delicate situations involving segregation and the civil rights of American citizens in two different centuries. While there has been the enduring impression that both presidents held high ideals with regard to the African American population, a closer examination of history could lead one to believe that Lincoln was the false freer of the enslaved and Kennedy was the false figurehead for the Civil Rights movement. Abraham Lincoln entered his first term as president following the leaders Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan. Pierce was known as “an outspoken critic of federal involvement in state and locale issues” (http://www.npr.org). His veto of a bill which would have provided services and support for the mentally handicapped “established the rationale behind government uninvolvement in public health issues into the twentieth century” (http://www.npr.org). This climate of governmental uninvolvement persisted into the term of James Buchanan, a time well-known for the Dred Scott decision, which stated that “congress had no constitutional power to deprive persons of their property rights in slaves in the territories” (http://www.whitehouse.gov). Later, Buchanan “reverted to a policy of inactivity that continued until he left office” (http://www.whitehouse.gov). Therefore, upon entering office, Lincoln found the stage set for an uphill climb with a sharply divided country and a government unused to active leadership by a president whose main agenda was to unite the country, even if this meant an involvement in previously “untouchable” states rights. The issue of slavery was at the center of the controversies, and decisions in the previous two administrations only compounded the difficulties encountered in any actions that Lincoln might make. The issue of segregation continued even up to one hundred years later when Kennedy became president following Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower. However, unlike Pierce and Buchanan, the decisions and actions of both of these presidents should have made any stand that Kennedy would take for the civil rights movement easier. After World War Two had ended, Truman proposed twenty-one main policy points for the betterment of America in an attempt to calm the unrest among the American workers, as this was a time of many labor strikes and problems involving citizens who were unsatisfied with the economy. These twenty-one points included innovations such as minimum wage,

History of Beer

2002-07-28T14:00:00-04:00

Between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago, some humans discontinued their nomadic hunting and gathering and settled down to farm. Grain was the first domesticated crop that started that farming process. The oldest proven records of brewing are about 6,000 years old and refer to the Sumerians. Sumeria lay between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers including Southern Mesopotamia. It is said that the Sumerians discovered the fermentation process by chance. No one knows today exactly how

John Strachan: the first bishop of Toronto, a holy man or a holy terror?

2002-06-13T14:00:00-04:00

John Strachan: The Holy Terror

Many individuals appear to have honourable intentions but often their objectives are flawed. John Strachan lived through and influenced many key events of Canadian history. He was a highly esteemed teacher of wealthy Loyalist children, a pastoral leader during the War of 1812, a supporter of education, a member of the government, he played a prime role in the Rebellions of 1837 and he eventually rose to become the first Bishop of Toronto. John Strachan had a highly Loyalist view towards the governing of Upper Canada; he was especially faithful to the betterment of the Church of England. Strachan was in favour of a purely British Upper Canada or at least one run according to British standards. Although Strachan believed that the best way was the British way, many individuals in Upper Canada disagreed. Strachan’s attempts to monopolize all opportunities in favour of the British caused public uproar and debate. His controversial role in government was regarded by some as unnecessary and ungodly since he was a supposed man of God. His manipulation of events were protested but usually accepted; his skills of influencing were uncontested. John Strachan used his powerful status to negatively influence Upper Canadian society. John Strachan’s harmful intentions are evident in his supporting of the monopolization of the clergy reserves, controlling of non-British immigration, lobbying strictly for Anglican education in schools, his manipulation of the government and his poor reputation amongst the public. John Strachan believed that the Anglican control of the clergy reserves was necessary in order to ensure a truly British Upper Canadian society. For example, the Constitution Act 1791 stated that one-seventh of land in Upper Canada was to be reserved for the “Protestant Clergy”. In a letter to the Bishop of Quebec, Jacob Mountain, Strachan stated, “The words ‘Protestant Clergy’…refer exclusively to the Clergy of the Church of England” (Henderson b 86). Strachan refused to acknowledge other Christian denominations because he wanted to ensure the future of the Anglican Church and Anglican educational ideals. When the bishop came to visit in 1820, he established John Strachan as the chairman of the Clergy Corporation; he was made responsible to collect and manage all revenue made from the clergy reserves. For four years, Strachan was in charge of a vast amount of wealth until the Presbyterians launched protests declaring that they had a right to the land. Strachan proposed Horton’s

Great leaders - Nnamdi Azikiwe and Patrick Henry

2002-06-10T14:00:00-04:00

Both Nnamdi Azikiwe and Patrick Henry though they lived more than two hundred years apart from each other, were leaders of their own time. They both lived through unbearable, and inhumane conditions. Nnamdi Azikiwe through slavery in Nigeria, and Patrick Henry through the unbearable things that Great Britain had placed upon the colonists. The conditions in both of their times might have been similar, but certainly not equal. The Africans were under much worse conditions than the colonists. They had to deal with the segregation of all the people around them. Separate benches, and even different restrooms for the Nigerians and the white men. The ex-servicemen didn’t get the same privileged that the white men did. They were denied many things. Political freedom, economic security and social emancipation. They had to give up all that was theirs so that others could rule over them. The Nigerians were denied their basic human right that all people get. They were treated as if they of another kind like an animal or beast. Slavery was one of the worst things that the Nigerians had to live through. Working for others, and barely earning what would be just enough for their families, if they even got that, because some didn’t get any money if they were stolen, so that other Nigerians could get money. They were sold, traded and tossed around as if they were not people. They were forced to live under humiliating conditions. The conditions were unbearable to what the average person in America might be able to handle in this day and age. The Nigerians were torn from one of the most basic rights that we have here in America today. The right to freedom, and the pursuit of happiness. Through these conditions it is unnatural to live life, so that is why they needed their freedom. The Americans were treated in a similar way. They were forced to live under laws that today would seem to be the craziest ideas, and they seems like they could never actually happen to anybody, but they did a very long time ago. They were taxed major amounts. They paid taxes on almost every item. There was only tax on the items that they purchased from Great Britain, However they got all their items from Great Britain because there was no other place that they could get these items, so they paid taxes on everything.

Why History is Important to us?

2002-06-07T14:00:00-04:00

Can anything worthwhile be gained from continued research into historical events?

History seen as study of the past is an integral part of many education systems across the world. Many countries spend huge amounts of money and resources to uncover their past. Every year new and new historical sites are uncovered, excavations on those sites are conducted and the result are studied by archeologists throughout the world. But have we gained anything worthwhile from research into the past? The answer seems clear: Yes, we have. The Study of history especially into historical battles and wars is beneficial when not vital for the evolution of warfare in the modern world. Military strategists continually study wars such as the World Wars, the Napoleonic Conflicts and many modern wars. Tactics and strategies are analyzed and continuously refined, so as to improve their effectiveness and efficacy in future conflicts, without historical study into conflicts, advanced warfare tactics prevalent today would never have evolved from those primitive tactics man used to use in wars. Many countries nowadays are trying to acquire Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), as history has convincingly displayed their awesome destructive power, and their potential to deter aggressions and conflicts thrust upon on a country, like the Cold war remained ‘cold’ because both countries had WMD and were aware of the consequences if they were used. Another example were historical research is vital is the judicial system. History sets precedents of judicial cases, which are studied by judges to before they make decision in similar cases themselves. The effectiveness of certain punishments for offences is also evaluated through history. Thus we study history in order to learn from it, improve our past experiences and avoid repeating past mistakes. However this is not always the case. When World war one broke out in Europe, The Empires of Germany, Austro-Hungarian and the Ottoman, were fighting against the axis France, Britain, and Italy. The result of this conflict was total destruction for all of Europe. However just after 20 years, the same nations were getting closer to another military confrontation. Yet again the same nations were allowing Germany to rise militarily, yet again they failed to act soon enough, and yet again they found themselves in another conflict. Yet again the conflict brought total destruction for Europe. What went wrong here, why didn’t the study of history prevent a cataclysm in Europe when just one had happened 2 or 3 decades ago? The answer

How the Greek revered their gods

2002-06-07T14:00:00-04:00

In ancient times, the Greeks had absolute and undeniable respect for their gods. They demonstrated their admiration by putting in place many rituals and celebrations to reverence the gods that they loved and feared in order to ensure harmony with them. In particular, the focus will be on the religious beliefs of the Greeks, including prayer and sacrifice, as well as on festivals and the arts, such as the ancient Olympic games and theatre. These aspects of their culture made a significant contribution to their quality of life. Moreover, these topics will be examined in relation to the twelve Olympian gods and their associates. The ancient Greeks practiced a religion that was in effect, a building block to many ensuing pagan religions. This religion revolved around their reverence to the gods. Essentially, the Greeks worshipped numerous gods, making their religion polytheistic. They believed that exercising the opportunity to choose between a wide array of gods to worship offered them a great sense of freedom that they treasured. After all, the Greeks were known for their intellectual distinction of which their means of worship played a huge part. Each city-state, or polis, thus had an affiliated god who protected and guided its residents. Within a given polis, the belief in common gods unified the people. Ultimately, the Greeks yearned for this unity and order in the universe, which is a characteristic that is not unlike that of people today. It might seem contradictory that they believed in many gods and sought organization at the same time, for larger numbers are inherently unstable. But, to the god-fearing Greeks, each god represented a different facet of life that together upheld an organized universe if each of these gods was properly appeased. To satisfy these gods, the Greeks participated in activities such as prayer and sacrifice and erected divine temples and centers for oracles in honor of specific gods. There is evidence of this institutionalization early on in the reign of the Olympian gods, thus forming the Olympian religion. The Olympian religion lacked the presence of true sentimentality, and the gods were not seen as forgiving or “flawless” as the Christian God is often portrayed. The Greek gods were portrayed as humans, which meant that they were not perfect. That is, the gods made mistakes, felt pain (e.g. Aphrodite in love with the mortal Adonis), and succumbed to anger and their tempers (e.g. Hera seeking vengeance

The Afterlife and Beyond

2002-05-27T14:00:00-04:00

Egyptians were loyal to their gods and to their pharaohs who were gods on earth, as established by their enthusiasm to build the pyramids for the safe means of access of their leaders into the next world. Understanding the development and belief system they had with the physical and afterlife, you would have to know a little bit about the location of the area, which the Egyptians began to rise. The villages of ancient Egypt were found all along the Nile. The Egyptians were skillful farmers. They knew the Nile would flood each year and bring new life and rich grain. The Nile's flooding was expected and left rich new deposits of mud for new crops, making irrigation easy to plan. A basic irrigation system allowed the floodwaters to flow gently into each field, cleansing and renewing the earth each year. Egyptian people would then look to nature to explain the unexplainable. Egyptian gods were depicted as wise, caring, predictable, and forgiving, just as the Nile was predictable and life sustaining. The Egyptian people thought the world was created by super beings using earth, wind and fire. This was called “The Theogony of Heliopolis”. The Theogony of Heliopolis is the belief that a water god called Nu, who gave birth to the sun god Ra, who then created his wife Tefnut, who made the rain. Together, they created Seb, God of the Earth, and Nat, the Goddess of the Sky. Seb and Nat were the parents of Osiris who later became the ruler of the underworld, Isis, Set and Nepthys. Ra is given credit for creating the heavens and earth and all creatures. Ra is also said to have created man from his eye, and Ra became the first king on earth. The idea that the god Ra was the first king is the seed for the belief that a Pharaoh was both King and god. After Ra gave up his kingship to ride across the sky, Osiris became king with Isis as his queen. Osiris is recognized with teaching men to be civilized, and for teaching mankind to worship the gods and to build temples. Almost every god and goddess was associated with one or more animals and in some instances might appear in the form of their chosen animal-familiar. This was called anthropromorphic. Another Egyptian link from the physical world to the supernatural is the pyramid. The pyramids were

To what extent did propaganda influence Nazi consolidation of power 1933-1939?

2002-05-26T14:00:00-04:00

The Nazi regime in Germany implemented itself swiftly and effectively – the National Socialists had only three Nazis in a cabinet of twelve in January 1933, yet within two months Hitler had consolidated his political power by entirely legal means . With this, came the need for support from the German public. For a regime to ‘consolidate’ its power people could be too afraid to rebel against it, or they could be convinced of the value of the regime, or a combination of both. In the National Socialist era, the latter was used. In the period of 1933-1939, this was achieved by a number of methods, notably the use of propaganda, the various legislative and administrative changes, Hitler's personal charisma, the achievement of economic recovery and the 'reign of terror'. The extent to which each contributed to the consolidation of National Socialist regime is an issue that has remained in discussion, and is to be addressed in this essay. Although the relative importance of factors is in debate, it is certain that propaganda was one of the major causes of consolidation of power. As the historian Ian Kershaw emphasises, “It was plain from the beginning that the regime would attach a high priority to the steering of opinion .” However, the exact extent that propaganda affected the Nazi consolidation of power is extremely difficult to gauge, for a number of reasons. For instance, although the Nazi film ‘Triumph of the Will’ by Leni Riefenstahl may have been a success (and regarded as a brilliant achievement in today’s film industry), there is no evidence to suggest that the film depicting Nazi strength affected a great deal of people. For instance, many Germans felt the film was too long and was extremely repetitive. In addition, market research was non-existent, and there were very few non-Gestapo polls to analyse the success of this enormous propaganda campaign, which was conducted primarily by one man. Joseph Goebbels, master propagandist of the Nazi regime was seen as man who represented the propaganda campaign. As he said himself on 25th March 1933 “The Ministry has the task of achieving a mobilisation of mind and spirit in Germany. ” It was Goebbels that created the ‘Hitler myth’ – which portrayed an image of the Messiah-like figure and a man who was the saviour of Germany, in line with the publicising of the economy and so forth. In doing so, Goebbels,

California History

2002-05-21T14:00:00-04:00

1. EPIC

EPIC is the Educational Participation in Communities. This organization involves students as volunteers in the fight against poverty and social neglect in local communities. The goal is social awareness and student involvement. It says that poverty, neglect, and social inequity are a growing reality for millions of people in America. Families are losing their homes, people can't find good jobs, children go hungry, and education in the inner-city is a disaster. There is a is problem because the public and community programs that serve as a safety net to assist such populations are strained beyond their capacity and are usually understaffed and under-funded. Since they cannot do the job without help, EPIC helps. It recruits college students to do volunteer work in schools, hospitals, community centers, legal aid, probation, youth agencies, and other and public service programs. EPIC volunteers provide thousands of volunteer hours to the community.

2. Earl Warren

Earl Warren was a political leader. He was a governor of California, but he is remembered as the chief justice who led the Supreme Court of the United States when it made big changes in civil rights laws and in criminal procedures. Warren was a liberal Republican, and he was born in Los Angeles, California. He was elected attorney general of California in 1938. During his four years in office he gained standing as a strong enemy of racketeers. He was elected governor of California in 1942. His progressive policies won him bipartisan support and he was reelected as governor in 1946 and 1950. He was seen as an activist on the Supreme Court, as well as a liberal.

3. Pat Brown

Pat Brown was the governor of California. He was elected two times, for two terms (12 years total). He was a Democrat. He thought that nobody could beat him, but the Republican, Ronald Reagan, beat him in the 1966 election. Brown had good policies, and by 1962 California had a booming economy and the largest population of any US state. Brown generously funded social programs that were a factor to the state's prosperity. He enlarged the University of California system, and he built many water projects. During Brown's two terms a governor, the California legislature passed some of the most progressive civil rights laws in the US.

4. Ronald Reagan

In 1966 Ronald Reagan beat Pat Brown by a landslide in the election for California governor. Brown believed that it would be

Ancient Mayan Civilization

2002-05-12T14:00:00-04:00

The Ancient Mayan Civilization was built upon a rigid social structure based on their religious beliefs. They used a caste social structure in which divisions were based on wealth, inherited rank, privilege, profession, or occupation. Their beliefs were based on the fact that nature elements had the power to either help or harm. The Ancient Mayans used their social structure and beliefs to shape their daily lives. The Maya were a very religious people. They believed in many gods. All events centred around their religious beliefs. They wanted to stay in favour with the gods. In their belief system, the gods would bring the rain, heal the sick, bring plentiful harvests, and ensure the health and safety of the people if they were honoured. If the gods were angry, they would send drought, famine and disaster to the people. In order to keep the gods happy, they believed that a daily sacrifice of blood was necessary. They would open a wound and let the blood drip onto a paper. The paper would then be burned in an offering to the gods. It was believed that the priests could see the spirits in the smoke.Kings would also give blood offerings, which would please the gods. The Maya had a strong belief in the afterlife. When a king or nobleman died, the Maya people believed that he became one with the gods and would go to live in the sky with them. The Maya worshipped their ancestors as if they were gods. The dead were buried with food, tools, clothing, and whatever would be needed for their journey. Tombs were built to bury their rulers, and sacrifices and special funeral rituals were performed there. Religion was used to explain natural forces that organized the cosmos into an ordered place. Its ideological function was to comfort individuals, unify the society, justify wars, and to demonstrate the authority of ruling elites. At the top of the society were the ruler, k’ul ahau, his family, their retainers, courtiers, and priests. Others, including the most skilled and influential architects, merchants, and craftsmen were also part of the noble elite, providing their skills were useful to the ruler. In both the priesthood and the ruling class, nepotism was the prevailing system under which new members were chosen.Primogeniture was the form under which new kings were chosen as the king passed down his position to his son. Priests were considered

The Colonization of Modern Africa

2002-05-09T14:00:00-04:00

Many of today's distant countries are underdeveloped or not developed at all. People are going through famine and even dieing of starvation. These countries have demanding governments, and not enough money. Many countries with in Africa are just like this. The colonization of modern Africa has had many life changing effects on the people of Africa. Some of the effects

How and why did Federation (in Australia) occur?

2002-05-06T14:00:00-04:00

Federation was the coming together in 1901 of the six separate Australian colonies to form what is now the Commonwealth of Australia. It occurred for many reasons including: to unite the defence of Australia; to make uniform bank laws; taxes and tariffs resulting in better trade and communication between states; and to put the “White Australia” into practise. Federation came about with the aid of many political leaders, federation lobby groups, many drafts of the constitution and the people of Australia, through a series of conventions held in different colonies. One of the key reasons for Federation was to unite Australia’s defence. Each individual state’s defence force was not strong enough to protect Australia’s vast coastline from attack. It therefore made good sense to unite the defence under one command. As well as aiding in Australia’s defence, Federation would make uniform the different bank laws, taxes and tariffs, making it easier to trade, travel and communicate between states. It would also change railway-track sizes so they were identical everywhere, allowing people to stay on the same train instead of changing at each states border. In addition, Federation would also improve Australia’s economy by forming better trade laws, such as free trade between states. Furthermore, many people believed a Federated Australia would help to make a “White Australia” possible, by toughening immigration laws. Some colonies were opposed to this policy as they used foreign labour, which was often much cheaper than local labour. An example of this is Queensland, which employed Kanakas (people from the Cook Islands). Under the new constitution, not only the Kanakas, but also the much-feared Chinese, who came to Australia during the gold rush, would not be allowed into Australia. Thus Federation would eliminate unwanted foreigners, providing more employment for Australians. The first recorded suggestion that Australia should become a Federation was in 1846. Seventeen years later, in 1863, the first of 83 Intercolonial conferences was held in Melbourne. These conferences consisted of elected delegates from each colony coming together to discuss various issues concerning Federation. They were to be the biggest contributing factor to Australia becoming a Federation. Federation Lobby groups also supported the idea of Federation. In 1871, one of the most significant Federation groups “The Australian Native’s Association” was formed. It was made up of white, Australian-born men. It later changed its name to “The Australasian Federation League”. It can be seen that these groups

Chile - The Pinochet Era

2002-05-06T14:00:00-04:00

Background:

Salvador Allende Gossens was elected the first Marxist president of Chile in 1970. He governed Chile from 1970 until 1973, the year of his death. The Allende government was not very successful. It approved sharp increases in the minimum wage whilst attempting to prevent price increases in consumer goods, in an effort to end Chile’s economic slump. This resulted in disaster for the country, as inflation soared, strikes became common and opposition towards the Allende government increased. This led to a violent coup on September 11, 1973, in which military authorities, led by General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, took power over Chile. Allende was killed during this attack. This period in Chile’s history put an end to many years of democratic rule in Chile. It also had dramatic and life-changing effects on Chileans, as at least ten percent of the population, or approximately two hundred thousand people, were affected by repressive situations. These situations included arrests, threats, a relative in prison, killed or “disappeared”, and expulsion for political reasons from the place of work or university.

Main Focus of Research:

On the 11th of September 1973, the Chilean armed forces staged a coup d’etat, in which president Allende was killed. A junta was installed which was composed of three generals and an admiral. It was led by the new president, General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte. Pinochet not only took control of the government, but also of the military. Many thousands of people died in the fighting which erupted between those in support of and those in opposition to the junta. Soon Pinochet emerged as the dominant figure and the rest of the junta acted as a sort of legislature. During a short period, General Pinochet received support of many people, political parties and other nations, as they believed that the dictatorship of Pinochet would restore the status quo as it had been before 1970. It was not long before these supporters realised that the military officers in power had different objectives, including the repression of all left wing and centre political forces. The junta imprisoned, killed and tortured its opponents; dissolved congress; put limitations on the press; and banned political parties. An intelligence service known as DINA was established shortly after the coup. They kept secret detention centres where political prisoners were tortured, murdered or brutalised. A private enterprise economy was installed. The policies of Pinochet’s government encouraged the development of free enterprise and a new

Segregation and Housing in Chicago

2002-05-06T14:00:00-04:00

Chicago was the best place to live and visit for anyone. Many people traveled from far places to visit and live in Chicago. Long after the World War II many things started reshaping America. One of the most significant was the racial change all over America but specifically in Chicago. Many southern blacks started to move into Chicago. Chicago started to become mostly dominated by blacks and other minorities while whites started to move into the suburbs of Chicago. “Beginning in the 1930s, with the city’s black population increasing and whites fleeing to the suburbs, the black vote became a precious commodity to the white politicians seeking to maintain control” (Green, 117). Many of the mayors such as Edward J. Kelly, Martin H. Kennelly, and Richard J. Daley won over the blacks and got their votes for them to become mayor. The black population grew by 77 percent by the 1940. The white population dropped from 102,048 to 10,792 during the years of 1940 to 1960. With all of these people moving into Chicago there had to be more housing. There were many houses built to accommodate all the people. Martin H. Kennelly at one time wanted to tear down slums and have public housing built in the black ghetto. Many of the blacks wanted to escape these ghettos so some of them; if they could they would try to move to the white communities. When the blacks would try to move into the white communities they were met with mobs. There were many hurdles that blacks had to overcome not only in Chicago but all over America. The blacks of Chicago had to fight for a place to live and to find a mayor that would help them for who they are, not their color. Throughout Chicago there were many fights that blacks had to fight. It was not easy for blacks to live in the city because everywhere they went they were faced with whites trying to get them to move out. Led by comedian Dick Gregory, 75 people protested in the Bridgeport neighborhood. As these protestors walked many people of the Bridgeport neighborhood threw eggs and tomatoes, showed Ku Klux Klan signs and shouted, “Two-four-six-eight, we don’t want to integrate and Oh, I wish I was an Alabama trooper, that is what I’d really like to be-ee-ee. Cuz if I was and Alabama trooper, I could kill

The Humane Work of Nurses & Voluntary Aid Detachments during WW1

2002-05-04T14:00:00-04:00

The dictionary describes the word “ humane “ as … “…humane adj. Kind, compassionate, merciful.” and this was indeed so in the case of the volunteers who worked tirelessly to ease the suffering of the wounded soldiers of all combatants in the fields of northern France and Belgium, during the First World War. In the early days of the war, army nursing was strictly a male preserve, until it was necessary to recruit female nurses from the ranks of middle and upper class ladies. The warm summer days preceding the outbreak of war lent an air of adventure to the proceedings, and the feeling was that the coming conflict would be fought in a similar fashion to the previous cavalry and infantry- based battles of the nineteenth century. A few months intensive combat would be sufficient and everyone would be back in time for Christmas dinner. Similarly, these ladies were caught up in the initial fervour of patriotism, and being prohibited from fighting at the Front, were keen to “do their bit” for their country and their soldiers. Tired of knitting items of clothing destined for the trenches, they wanted to do something a little more substantial. The concept of `noblesse oblige` was suddenly revived as many stately homes and country houses opened their doors to wounded officers in need of convalescence, and everyone wanted to be seen in a nurse`s uniform. Indeed there were many well- connected aristocratic ladies who set up their own private ambulance groups, much to governmental consternation. The Dowager Duchess of Sutherland, through her contacts and single-minded determination, assisted the wounded at Namur, and used the fact that she was previously acquainted with both the German commandant and aide-de-camp to pester them for safe passage to Maubeuge. She wanted to get through the enemy lines to tend the Allied troops, but the commandant of Maubeuge put an escorted charabanc at her disposal and sent her to Ostend. The Millicent Sutherland Ambulance reached Renaix where the officer in charge sent them with a military escort to Brussels, where the American Ambassador, arranged for an American journalist to escort the party, with two German soldiers, to The Hague and thence Flushing and home. The publicity generated by her escapades set up an efficient and much- needed Red Cross hospital outside Calais. Women especially were keen to take up “the great adventure” because, for them, that` s exactly what it

Mao's Cultural Revolution

2002-05-03T14:00:00-04:00

Dressed in the drab military uniform that symbolized the revolutionary government of Communist China, Mao Zedong's body still looked powerful, like an giant rock in a gushing river. An enormous red flag draped his coffin, like a red sail unfurled on a Chinese junk, illustrating the dualism of traditional China and the present Communist China that typified Mao. 1 A river of people flowed past while he lay in state during the second week of September 1976. Workers, peasants, soldiers and students, united in grief; brought together by Mao, the helmsman of modern China. 2 He had assembled a revolutionary government using traditional Chinese ideals of filial piety, harmony, and order. Mao's cult of personality, party purges, and political policies reflect Mao's esteem of these traditional Chinese ideals and history. Mao was born on December 26, 1893 in Shao Shan, a village in Hunan Province. 3 His family lived in a rural village where for hundreds of years the pattern of everyday life had remained largely unbroken. 4 Mao's father, the son of a "poor peasant," during Mao's childhood however, prospered and become a wealthy land owner and rice dealer. 5 Yet, the structure of Mao's family continued to mirror the rigidity of traditional Chinese society. His father, a strict disciplinarian, demanded filial piety. 6 Forced to do farm labor and study the Chinese classics, Mao was expected to be obedient. On the other hand, Mao remembers his mother was "generous and sympathetic." 7 Mao urged his mother to confront his father but Mao's mother who believed in many traditional ideas replied that "was not the Chinese way." 8 Mao in his interviews with historian Edgar Snow reports how during his childhood he tried to escape this traditional Chinese upbringing by running away from home. The rebellion Mao claims to have manifested might have distanced Mao physically from his family but, traditional Chinese values were deeply ingrained, shaping his political and personal persona. His father's harshness with dealing with opposition, his cunning, his demand for reverence from subordinates, and his ambition were to be seen in how Mao demanded harmony, order, and reverence as a ruthless dictator. Yet, Mao, was also the kindly father figure for the people of China, as manifested in characteristic qualities of Mao's mother: kindness, benevolence, and patriarchal indulgence. The China that Mao was born into was fast becoming a shell of its former past. The Ch'ing dynasty

1950's

2002-04-27T14:00:00-04:00

The 1950's were quite radical in fact, this is the decade that began rock n' roll, the civil rights movement, better family living, advances in technology, Fashion, medical research, other wonderful things this country was not used to seeing or hearing. The 1950's were looked at more as a state of mind or a way of living rather than just another decade or time era in American history. Everything was peaceful now, which looking back on the two world wars and the great depression this country was not used to at all. Nobody worried about war, nobody worried about how they were going to feed their children and keep a roof over their heads because everyone had jobs and the economy was doing great. (Edey, Maitlanded.57) Teenagers were having more fun than ever too. Rock n' roll was introduced to them and they all seemed at the time to know what they wanted out of life, to go to school, graduate, get a job, get married, and have children all in that order just as their parents had. (Clayton, Andrew.24) The 1950's were the most influential decade in American history because the civil rights act began, fashion was completely new and trendy, there were much advancement in entertainment and medicine, and suburban life was much more "functional" than any other decade in American history. One reason the 1950's were the most influential decade in American history is because rock and roll was introduced to the country and it let people forget about their morals for a while and just let loose to have fun. (Pareles, John.3) Elvis Presley was quite the king of rock and roll, with songs like hound dog, don't be cruel, and love me tender and ready teddy Elvis lit up the stage. ("Elvis Presley-Biographical Timeline-The Fifties") Elvis was born on January 8th 1935. He purchased his first guitar in 1946 for $12.95 at the local hardware store. In 1954 Sam Phillips teams Elvis up with local musicians Scotty Moore (guitar) and Bill Black (bass). By November of 1955 Elvis had signed his first record contract with RCA His contract was for $40,000, and a $5,000 signing bonus for Elvis. In April of 1956Elvis signed a seven-year movie contract with Hal Wallace and Paramount Pictures. The most famous film Elvis came out with ; Jailhouse Rock came out in May of 1957. This is the film that really

Was the Atomic Bomb used to stop Soviet expansion?

2002-04-26T14:00:00-04:00

There has been a long- standing debate on why the atomic bomb was used to defeat Japan. The threat of Russian advancement in Europe and in Asia was enough to worry the top officials in the United States and British governments. Wherever Russia would go, they would conquer that area for themselves. The imminent invasion of mainland Japan and the allied casualties that came with it were also a factor in the decision to drop the bomb. If the allied forces had invaded mainland Japan, many lives on both sides would have been lost, probably more than there lost in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki put together. The tactics that the allies had used up to this point cost hundreds of thousands of lives on both sides. This was when the Japanese only had maybe two or three thousand men on an island; whereas on the mainland millions of people would fight until their death to protect their country. Can you imagine if the Americans invaded mainland Japan, where they had not only soldiers to fight against but also the citizens of Japan? Massive destruction, immense loss of life, and the prolonging of the war until late 1946, would result to invading on foot instead of using the bomb. Revenge also played a role in the decision to bomb Japan. The Japanese were not following the Geneva Convention in regards to treatment of prisoners of war. This document says that prisoners are not to be put through torture of physical or psychological nature. The Japanese refused to comply that and would decapitate American prisoners, or shove bamboo shoots under their fingernails. The American government also wanted revenge for the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The Russia territorial expansion definitely played a factor in the dropping of the bomb. The Soviet Union had already taken Poland and many other countries during the war. The Soviets were helping the Chinese with the war against Japan and would later get the railroads in China and Manchuria when Japan completely surrendered. The Americans did not want Russia to get involved in the war against Japan. The most obvious reasons would be to prevent the Russians from expanding and to keep them out of Japan where they would hamper the peace process and gain even more territory. Fortunately the Americans won the “ race of discovery,” by using the atomic bomb. The United States proved their superior weapon

Who is Arafat

2002-04-23T14:00:00-04:00

Now more than ever President Bush is pushing Israel for a withdrawal from the Palestinian-occupied territories in order get the cease-fire in effect. President Bush once said that one cannot negotiate with terrorists; the question now is whether Arafat is a terrorist or a peacemaker. The answer is simple: Arafat is a terrorist, and President Bush should not force Prime Minister Sharon to negotiate with a terrorist. If Arafat is not a terrorist then why are Fatah and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (terrorist groups) headed by Arafat (Kalman 1)? President Bush must face the truth about the Arab terror against Israel; he has to “see that the goal of the Arab world has always been, and still is, to destroy the state of Israel”(Podhoretz 2). The fact is that after the Oslo peace accords in September 1993, Palestinians killed more Israelis than in the 15 years that preceded the accord (Kelly 2). If there was no peace as a result of that accord, why should anyone expect peace after any other accord that Arafat is in charge of, as he was in Oslo? How can a man that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, now urge Palestinians to “sacrifice themselves as martyrs in jihad (holy war) for Palestine”(Kalman 2)? Is this a man that anyone can negotiate with? Reuters reports that on April 1, 2002 “one of Lebanon's most prominent Shiite Muslim cleric [gave] his blessing to female suicide bombers, like [the] one who struck in Jerusalem on Friday (March 29, 2002), calling them authors of a ‘new, glorious history for Arab and Muslim women.’”(Par. 1) President Bush must see that: “there is no moral difference between the terrorists operating out of the PA and the al-Qaida network. He will recognize that to sponsor the establishment of a state run by the thugs and murderers of the PA would be tantamount to putting the Taliban back into power in Afghanistan” (Podhoretz 4). To assail Israel now and make Sharon pull Israeli troops out of Palestinian territory without fully completing their task of rooting out the terrorists would be like telling Bush that he has to pull out American troops from Afghanistan because our troops are invading their land. After Prime Minister Sharon announced war on terrorism and began sending Israeli troops into Palestinian territories, there have been fewer suicide bombings. While Israel was occupying the major Palestinian towns, there were

The "Red Scare" Reality

2002-04-22T14:00:00-04:00

During the cold war, fear and hostility toward communism were the driving forces behind many of the social and foreign policies in the United States. How much of this fear actually was grounded in reality?

During the “Red Scare” America was totally taken over by a fear of communism, or anything/anyone that had anything to do with communism. Much of this fear was really unnecessary when you put things into prospective. American’s were afraid of a communist takeover, which would almost never happen in the US. America was scared of communism it’s self, which was a really unjustified fear. These fears of communism ended up taking some rights away from innocent Americans, which was the main thing that the Red Scare was trying not to do, and that is a loss of rights in America. The Red Scare was mostly unjustified, and was not really grounded in reality. The biggest fear on people’s minds was a communism takeover. People thought that Russia was going to cause an internal revolution within the US that would eventually end up removing the democratic government and replacing it with a dictator and communist government. This would probably never happen, so there was nothing to be afraid of. America is, and has always been a more powerful country then Russia, so the thought of Russia event attempting an attack is foolish from the beginning. America was also happy with its democratic government, and would have squashed the revolution. This is why America never had any true reason to fear a communist takeover of their country. The entire Red Scare was meant to keep communism out, and the main reason they wanted to do that is so they could remain free. What really ended up happening was the opposite. When just normal Americans were accused of being a communist their life was over, guilty or not. Even if there weren’t a communist they stood a very tiny chance of ever finding a good job without leaving the country. Some people were accused of being Russian spies. Some of these people were actually spies, but some were innocent, and yet they were put in jail, or even put to death for their “crime” against America. There were other instances like this happening all the time. People always expected their neighbor of being a communist, so they started to distrust them, which didn’t make anyone lose rights, just caused conflicts among

Racism in Nazi Germany

2002-04-21T14:00:00-04:00

Explain how Hitler made use of racism to carry out domestic and foreifn policy between 1928 and 1941

Throughout Nazi Germany in the period 1928 through to 1941, racism was utilized by Hitler, and in turn his Nazi party, most predominantly to secure Hitler?s position as dictator, and secondly to unite the German people against a common enemy, which would lead to a united powerful state, ready and able to exert its national will. Whether or not his aims were totalitarian in nature is debatable, however, his aims for racial purification and domination over Eastern Europe are made obvious before Hitler?s assumption of power, primarily in the racist crude writings of Mein Kampf, and even from Moellers? Des drittes Reich from the 1920?s. It can be said, therefore, though Hitler may not have been successful in achieving a totalitarian state, he may certainly have desired it. Constantly, it is made obvious, through his use of racism in both Domestic and foreign policy that Hitler?s ultimate aim, was total power, both for himself and his master race - the Volksgeminschaft. Hitler's use of racism is continually evident from the beginning of his comings to power, through till his attack on the Soviet Union in June of 1941. Racism, was initially used by Hitler to identify his sympathizers, and most predominant to unite the German people again public internal enemy number one - The Jews. Anti-semitism, anti-communism and attacks on several other minority groups ranging from slavs to democrats, provided Hitler with the Stab-in-the -back theory post World War One, and provides and excuse for defeat with the treaty of Versailles. Being that Nazi philosophy is essentially social dawanism targeted again the Jews and Bolsheviks, providing valid excuses and moral reasons for any attack on, or failure of the German race, the fittest of them all, against minority groups was a legitimate claim and justification for exclusion of these peoples. Hitler used racism to appeal to the pre existing bitter and aggressive side of German nature, thus securing his position as dictator and reuniting his people. Securing his position as the all powerful dictator, or Führer, is central to all of Hitler's policy decisions, be they foreign or domestic, and this was achieved through his, and the Nazi?s use of racism. Initially, Hitler used persecution and hatred of minorities such as Jews and communists to identify his sympathizers and supporters throughout the Government and

Philippine History

2002-04-08T14:00:00-04:00

Spanish Colony 1565 - 1898

Ferdinand Magellan set out from Spain in 1519 on the first voyage to circumnavigate the globe with five ships and a complement of 264 crew. Three years later in 1522, only the one ship, the Victoria, returned to Spain with 18 men. The Philippines were the death of Magellan. The expedition sighted the island of Samar on March 16, 1521. Magellan was welcomed by two Rajas, Kolambu and Siagu. He named the islands the Archipelago of San Lazaro, erected a cross and claimed the lands for Spain. The friendly Rajas took Magellan to Cebu to meet Raja Humabon. Humabon and 800 Cebuanos were baptized as Christians. Magellan agreed to help Raja Humabon put down Lapu-Lapu, a rebellious datu on the nearby island of Mactan. In a battle between Spanish soldiers and Lapu-Lapu's warriors, Magellan was killed on April 27, 1521. Disputes over women caused relations between Raja Humabon and the remaining Spaniards to deteriorate. The Cebuanos killed 27 Spaniards in a skirmish and the Spaniards, deciding to resume their explorations, departed Cebu. For all its losses, the voyage was a huge financial success. The Victoria's 26 ton cargo of cloves sold for 41,000 ducats. This returned the 20,000 ducats the venture had cost plus a 105 percent profit. Four more expeditions followed between 1525 and 1542. The commander of the fourth expedition, Ruy Lopez de Villalobos, named the islands after Philip, heir to the Spanish throne (r. Philip II 1556-1598). The Philippines was not formally organized as a Spanish colony until 1565 when Philip II appointed Miguel Lopez de Legazpi the first Governor-General. Legazpi selected Manila for the capital of the colony in 1571 because of its fine natural harbour and the rich lands surrounding the city that could supply it with produce. The Spanish did not develop the trade potential of the Philippine's agricultural or mineral resources. The colony was administered from Mexico and its commerce centered on the galleon trade between Canton and Acapulco in which Manila functioned secondarily as an entrepot. Smaller Chinese junks brought silk and porcelain from Canton to Manila where the cargoes were re-loaded on galleons bound for Acapulco and the Spanish colonies in the Americas. The Chinese goods were paid for in Mexican silver. Spanish rule had two lasting effects on Philippine society; the near universal conversion of the population to Roman Catholicism and the creation of a landed

The Causes of the Cold War -- Post-Revisionist

2002-04-06T14:00:00-04:00

This is from AP history and bear with me because some of the stuff got a little screwed up in transit. :-) Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signified, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold but not clothed.” There was never a war that this idea can be more correct applied to than the Cold War. According to noted author and Cold War historian Walter Lippman, the Cold War can be defined as a state of tension between states, which behave with great distrust and hostility towards each other, but do not resort to violence. The Cold War encompasses a period from the end of the Second World War (WWII), in 1945, to the fall of the Soviet Union, in 1989. It also encompassed the Korean and Vietnam Wars and other armed conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, that, essentially, were not wars for people but instead for territories and ideologies. “Nevertheless, like its predecessors, the Cold War has been a worldwide power contest in which one expanding power has threatened to make itself predominant, and in which other powers have banded together in a defensive coalition to frustrate it---as was the case before 1815, as was the case in 1914-1918 as was the case from 1939-1945” (Halle 9). From this power contest, the Cold War erupted. In April 1945, Russian forces that had been triumphant at Stalingrad had pushed the German forces back into Germany and American and British forces that had been victorious in their invasion of Normandy did the same; they met at the Elbe River in central Germany (Lukacs 17). Europe was separated into two independent halves, one Russian occupied and the other American; from this division, the Cold War emerged. “When a power vacuum separates great powers, as one did the United States and the Soviet Union at the end of World War II, they are unlikely to fill it without bumping up against and bruising each other” (Gaddis). This ‘bumping’ and ‘bruising’ caused the tensions and hostilities that surfaced in the years following WWII. There are three doctrines examining the origins of the Cold War: Orthodox, the belief that “the intransigence of Leninist ideology, the sinister dynamics of a totalitarian society, and the madness of Stalin” (McCauley 88) caused the Cold War;

Who Voted For the Nazis?

2002-04-06T14:00:00-04:00

1. Review the evidence concerning who voted for the Nazis in the elections in Germany of 1928 to 1933. Consider the different groups in society and the reasons why they may, or may not, have voted for the Nazis. Since 1928 the Nazi leaders had deliberately directed their propaganda at rural and middle class/lower middle class audiences. This therefore made it obvious that they were very likely to vote for the Nazis. Also, it has been estimated that the party attracting new voters and persuading many people who had not previously participated in elections to support their cause won nearly half of the Nazi seats. Hitler had a lot of support from the conservative right who had dominated Germany politically since 1929. Hitler seemed to appeal to each class and sector within the electorate by making specific pledges to suit each group. The middle classes made up the largest single proportion of Nazi support. It is thought that the reason for this is something to do with the Great Depression. They felt that they would not be able to cope with a second economic crisis so they moved to the more radical fringe. By middle class I mean artisans, small retailers, peasant farmers, civil servants and teachers. The upper classes-landowners, businessmen and industrialists-saw that Hitler would protect them from trade unions and the threat of communism and socialism on the left. The unemployed, peasants and young people supported Hitler but the party was weak in the south and in industrial cities. 2. Read the extracts below, which are taken from a variety of historians’ views. What are their answers? To what extent do they agree? The answers, which are given by these extracts, tend to be along the same line. All of them seem to agree that the Nazis were very successful in protestant rural and middle class Germany. They also agree that it was big businesses, the young and the well off that were most likely to be in favour of the NSDAP. However the point at which some of them disagree is to do with the workers. The question seems to remain-did the workers vote for the Nazis? On one hand it seems obvious that they didn’t because of what the Nazis offered (it was aimed at the middle classes and above), but on the other hand it was said by J. Falter in his work, “How likely were workers to vote for the NSDAP?” that

To what extent was Hitler's success in coming to power due to the depression?

2002-04-06T14:00:00-04:00

Hitler became chancellor in January 1933. By March he had full dictatorial power. There is no doubt that the impact of the depression on the German people gave way to the rise of Hitler. It was the single most important factor of Hitler's coming to power, however it wasn’t the only factor. Hitler had remarkable speaking abilities, which helped him woo the public. His use of force with the SA and the inability of the Left wing political groups to combine, also contributed in his rise. Hitler also used the weakness of the constitution the signing of the Versailles treaty to bring down the Weimar Republic. With all these advantages on his side, and with the depression hitting Germany hard in 1929, it was just a matter of time before Hitler would "claim his throne". The Depression was the single most important factor in Hitler's rise to power. In 1929 a shockwave began in New York the affected the entire world. Germany was affected the most. Many historians, including Mckibbin and Taylor, believed that the depression was the turning point for Hitler and the nazi party. Germany's economy after World War I had been built on foreign loans, especially loans from the United States, and on world trade, which was also based on a system of loans. Thus when the depression hit, the German economy collapsed. By 1932, 6 million Germans were unemployed. The German people and lost all hope in the Weimar republic, and started looking for a radical change, brought forth party radical parties…the communists and the nazis. As a result of 1929, Hitler became remarkably popular. He made promises to the military and to industrialists saying that he would return Germany back to greatness once again. Hitler exploited the trust of the German public to its fullest during these times of hardship so he could gain the support he needed to gain full control of the German state. The weakness of the Constitution of the Weimar Republic significantly helped Hitler establish and develop the Nazi party. Whilst the Weimar constitution was said to be one of the most democratic constitutions of all time, there were still major flaws in it. In the eyes of Howland and Barr, the section on proportional representation and article 48 considerably helped Hitler on his quest for absolute power. As a consequence of proportional representation, it made it easy for anyone to form

Discuss the issues of perspective and purpose of history

2002-04-06T14:00:00-04:00

History is a story told over time. It is a way of recreating the past so it can be studied in the present and re-interpreted for future generations. Since humans are the sole beneficiaries of history, it is important for us to know what the purpose of history is and how historians include their own perspective concerning historical events. The purpose and perspective of history is vital in order for individuals to realise how it would be almost impossible for us to live out our lives effectively if we had no knowledge of the past. Also, in order to gain a sound knowledge of the past, we have to understand the political, social and cultural aspects of the times we are studying. In What is History, Alan Bullock believes that history is an attempt to explain the sequence and connections of events. He believes that "History is to explain why…it is not to explain why they had to follow, but why they did in fact follow." It is believed by Bullock that history is taken apart and is put together by an historian, so that it may yield new evidence, that will teach us a lesson from the past in order to become more aware of the future. This connective account helps us "get inside the skin of this man or group of men." Russel B. Nye also shares similarities with McPhee in History, Meaning and Method, saying that "History is a response to the eternal desire of human beings to know about themselves." Nye believes that history is concerned with societies and the individuals who live in these societies. He emphasises the importance of people, their individual choices, the values they hold and the angles of vision by which they have looked at themselves and the world. It is important to look at history if one is to understand how and why men and women have acted together in society. Nye also shares the same view as Bullock in suggesting that "History has the special obligation to recall, reassess and re-interpret the past, bringing it to bear on the present and translating it into a form each new generation can use." Nye believes that history is a social science which requires hypotheses and observations. If we are to make proper use of history, historians have to arrange it in a way that makes it easy for us to identify the facts.

History of Nazi Germany

2002-04-02T14:00:00-04:00

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.

The Objectivity of History

2002-03-31T14:00:00-04:00

The issues that are raised in this source by Marc Trachtenberg are is whether or not objectivity is still a relevant idea, and if it is not then is history in fact dying. Keith Jenkins’ “What is History?,” Carl Becker’s “What are Historical Facts?” and Richard Evans’ “In Defence of History” will be used to discuss and examine these issues. Marc Trachtenberg is questioning if objectivity is possible and desirable in today’s society, and this is a question that many historians have pondered. Keith Jenkins and Richard Evans are the two historians that will be used in relation to this debate. Trachtenberg believes that history should be ultimately obtainable however, he is worried that the way in which society is heading that it will soon become an obsolete ideology. His believes that history’s ultimate goal is to discover the truth. Trachtenberg believes that you should “put your political beliefs aside and frame questions in such a way that the answers turned on what the evidence showed.” He realizes that this may be a slightly naïve idea however he still stands by this belief even when others such as Keith Jenkins have totally given up on objectivity. Keith Jenkins in his article “What is history” sets outs his opinion on why objectivity is in fact impossible to achieve in the study of history. His perception is that that “actual past has gone” and in its place we have created history in the present and that the “content is as much invented as found.” His theory is that a historian cannot escape his or her own preconceived ideas and personal motives to the extent that history could be written in an objective way. He goes as far to set out the steps and within the reasons why historians write the way they do. He says that through the selection of evidence the historian’s prejudices are at work, disregarding pieces that do not fit in with their own ideologies. Jenkins was a post modernist historian and his context is important in why he thought they way he did. The post modernist movement was one that believed that historical objectivity was an oxymoron and that history was more of an entertainment than an arm of academic study. The post modernism movement was established after the confusion of the World Wars. This explains why their notions on history because scientific history had been the prevailing

The Enlightenment

2002-03-26T13:00:00-04:00

The Enlightenment is a name given by historians to an intellectual movement that was predominant in the Western world during the 18th century. Strongly influenced by the rise of modern science and by the aftermath of the long religious conflict that followed the Reformation, the thinkers of the Enlightenment (called philosophes in France) were committed to secular views based on reason or human understanding only, which they hoped would provide a basis for beneficial changes affecting every area of life and thought. The more extreme and radical philosophes-Denis Diderot, Claude Adrien Helvetius, Baron d'Holbach, the Marquis de Condorcet, and Julien Offroy de La Mettrie (1709-51)--advocated a philosophical rationalism deriving its methods from science and natural philosophy that would replace religion as the means of knowing nature and destiny of humanity; these men were materialists, pantheists, or atheists. Other enlightened thinkers, such as Pierre Bayle, Voltaire, David Hume, Jean Le Rond D'alembert, and Immanuel Kant, opposed fanaticism, but were either agnostic or left room for some kind of religious faith. All of the philosophes saw themselves as continuing the work of the great 17th century pioneers-Francis Bacon, Galileo, Descartes, Leibnitz, Isaac Newton, and John Locke-who had developed fruitful methods of rational and empirical inquiry and had demonstrated the possibility of a world remade by the application of knowledge for human benefit. The philosophes believed that science could reveal nature as it truly is and show how it could be controlled and manipulated. This belief provided an incentive to extend scientific methods into every field of inquiry, thus laying the groundwork for the development of the modern social sciences. The enlightened understanding of human nature was one that emphasized the right to self-expression and human fulfillment, the right to think freely and express one's views publicly without censorship or fear of repression. Voltaire admired the freedom he found in England and fostered the spread of English ideas on the Continent. He and his followers opposed the intolerance of the established Christian churches of their day, as well as the European governments that controlled and suppressed dissenting opinions. For example, the social disease which Pangloss caught from Paquette was traced to a "very learned Franciscan" and later to a Jesuit. Also, Candide reminisces that his passion for Cunegonde first developed at a Mass. More conservative enlightened thinkers, concerned primarily with efficiency and administrative order, favored the "enlightened despotism" of such monarchs as Emperor Joseph II, Frederick

Women in World War II - Far From Dormant

2002-03-25T13:00:00-04:00

When the war across seas broke out in 1939 Canada was called to the front as a part of the British Empire. Canada’s work force was now severely depleted. Everyone remembers the prestigious men and women of Canada for their effort in the war helping the Allied side defeat the German enemy. We must remember though that the soldiers were not a self sufficient army, navy, and air force but rather part of the larger war machine that was Canada. When Canadians think of the war they must remember the country that stood behind our soldiers in Europe. As Canadians we must especially remember the women who stayed home and were major contributors to holding together the labour force. As well their volunteering in society helped push Canada through the War. By temporarily assuming non-traditional roles in the labour force and in society, Canadian women became an important part of the war effort from 1939-1945. In 1939 the war broke out in Europe. Canada was still fighting the struggle to rebuild their economy from the depression of the 1930's . A great number of Canadian Women were affected both directly and indirectly. As more then a million of our full time service men and Militia went across seas to fight the war many women were left home alone with no husband’s, son’s, brother’s or any other male relatives . The Depression sported more the 900,000 Canadians out of work, and 20 per cent of these were women . The Military Recruitment and the new war industry put an end to the Depression, and the widespread unemployment that accompanied it. By 1941 the population of women in the labour force had already jumped by 100,000. The employment of women was now highly evident in almost all of Canada . It is obvious now in retrospect that for the most part the Second World War divided Canada’s men and women. But to fully understand this we have to first know why men and women, in most aspects of the war, were given this sexual division. We must also get a good scope of what was accepted and expected of men and women before the war broke out. From the first natives in Canada to the industrializing society of today men and women have had different gender roles in society. These have reflected the norms, values, and beliefs of our culture that have been

Rupert's Land: The Division Lies Only in Interpretation

2002-03-25T13:00:00-04:00

I sit here and I consider myself a young and developing Historian. I consider Frits Pannekoek and Irene M. Spry to be similar historians, yet with more knowledge, age, and experience. What I am sure does not differ between myself, these Authors and other related Historians, is a certain degree of ability to take a piece(s) of work and critically canalize it. I have done just that recently. I have taken the essays, The Flock Divided: Fractions and Feuds at Red river by Frits Pannekoek and The Metis and Mixed-Bloods of Rupert’s Land before 1870 by Irene M. Spry, and I have done my own critical analysis. I believe that both Authors are very persuasive in their respective essay, however when analysed and broken down the reader can see that aspects of both essays can be used to determine that just like any groups of a society the two Native groups of Rupert’s land were at times separated other times they were not. I would tend to sway more to Spry’s well researched essay, but Pannekoek’s positive points must also be mentioned to get a broad picture. This is best done by addressing the respective essay one at a time, then bringing some ideas together. Before I get right down to analyse Pannekoek and Spry I must give the general background that the two essay use as their base. The Rupert’s Land of Red River has many ethnic groups. The two that are concentrated on, as Pannekoek I believe accurately puts it, are the English speaking Protestant mixed blood (Half-breeds, respectively) and the French speaking Catholic mixed blood (Metis, respectively) . It must also be know the location of Rupert’s Land to get a proper mental picture of the events. Rupert’s Land, Red River, was in what today would be (fill in later when you find location). The main point that Frits Pannekoek makes in her essay is as follows. Panekoek reasons that there are differences between the Metis and the Half-breeds that led them to form to groups apart from each other, with a bitter relationship between the two . Pannekoek believes that “In fact there was little unity between the two groups during the Riel Resistance” . I must start of my first main point by saying that essential there is much reliability to what Frits Pannekoek is saying. The two groups were divided to an extent in this time,

The Maratime Rights Movement (Nova Scotia, Canada)

2002-03-25T13:00:00-04:00

The Maritime Rights Movement is usually seen as part of the economic decline of post world war period in the Maritimes. The Maritimes were going through hard times, the depression was said to have started in the Maritimes ten years before the rest of Canada did in 1929. The Movement had the Maritimes economic and social needs as it’s priorities. The Maritimes views were often contradictory to those of West and Central parts of Canada. The Movement strove to alleviate some of the stress on the Maritimes economy, especially in the midst of hard times after the war. The Movement was seen as an opportunity for Maritimers to stand together for their own interests as Eastern Canadians. In retrospect, most see the movement as a plea for separation, but this was usually not the case.

The Period Leading into the Movement

In reference to the rest of Canada at the time, the Maritimes were a region with less of an advantage in fields such as the economy, employment and business. At the time the Central and Western areas of Canada were much more populated then the Maritimes. This often this correlated with better economy, employment, and other fields that the Maritimes were weak in. Since the time of Confederation, the Maritimes economy had been on a steady downfall. This was a huge strain on the labor force. Most of the potential employees in the Maritime region were leaving, going to Central and Western Canada for better life and employment . Going into the 1920’s the Maritimes were loosing the bulk of its laborer’s to other parts of Canada with better economy. This created problems for the Maritimes. The first main problem has to do with the population of the Maritimes. With all of the workers from the Maritimes leaving, the population is dropping. The odd thing is that the overall population of the Nation at this time is growing, while the population of the Maritimes is actually falling. What this translates into is the fact that the population in the rest of Canada was actually growing faster then the population of the Maritimes was dropping. This problem creates a problem in it’s self, as can be seen in the impact felt in both politics and the economy . Instead of the Maritime economy advancing, most of our workers left, and thus helped Canada’s Western and Central economies increase . When it came to

The Roman Family: Center of Roman Society

2002-03-25T13:00:00-04:00

The Roman family after the advent of Christianity has been widely discussed in Roman History. Different historians have looked at the topic in different ways. There are two articles at hand, which deal with this very topic. Brent Shaw, The family in Late Antiquity: The Experience of Augustine and Douglas O’Roark, Parenthood in Late Antiquity. Both historians are looking at the family in late antiquity, after the time that Christianity was introduced to the Roman society. Through an analysis of the two essays and references to the classical period it can be seen that: The Roman family has always been an important institution in their society, it’s composition, roles and the functions changed little after the advent of Christianity.

The Essays

Each of the historians has a solid central argument, and their essays are laid out well. Shaw seeks to show the structure and the functions of the Roman family in late antiquity. He also seeks to clear up misconceptions of the Roman family. O’Roark’s argument seeks to show the closeness of the parents and children in the Roman family. The important thing to realize is that both of these essays are looking at the Roman family in the same period, late antiquity, after the advent of Christianity. Also important to note is both of these essays to not specifically talk about the impact of Christianity on the family. The essays can be used to reference against each other and against the Roman family in the Classical period. Information on the Classical period is given in G. Nathan’s article: Two Traditions. With the three essays one can come to a good conclusion about the impact of Christianity on the Roman family. In interest of paper length the essays have been narrowed down to include only central topics. First looking at similarities, then differences.

Children

This is the first main aspect of the family that both historians look at. The first point Shaw brings up is that main purpose of childbearing. This was for the wife to produce a heir for the husband . The father organized the whole house around this, in preparation a son to take everything over when he died . O’Roark states that a major factor in having children was to love and to care for them . He however cannot deny that before this the realization is that the father must have children to pass everything on to . In

Rosa Parks: Life and Times

2002-03-25T13:00:00-04:00

Thesis Statement- Rosa Parks, through protest and public support, has become the mother of the civil rights changing segregation laws forever. Life - Rosa Parks was born only a month before world war one started in Europe on February 4, 1913. Parks mother worked as a school teacher in Tuskegee, Alabama. James McCauley, Rosa's dad was a carpenter. They lived in Tuskegee and owned farmland of their own. After Sylvester was born, Rosa's little brother, her father left them and went off to live in another town. He had been cheated out of his farmland by a white man and couldn't support the family any longer. Rosa her mother and her brother then moved to live with her grandparents on a farm in Pinelevel, which lay between Tuskegee and Montgomery, Alabama. It was a small plot of land, but it kept them all fed. From this point on Rosa was mainly brought up by her Grandparents with the assistance of her mother. Rosa gave up school when she came close to graduating, around the same time Rosa got married. Raymond Parks married Rosa McCauley December 18, 1932. He was a barber from Wedowee County, Alabama. He had little formal education but a thirst for knowledge. Her husband, Raymond Parks, encouraged her to finish her courses. In 1934 she received her diploma from Alabama State College. She was happy that she completed her education but had little hope of getting a better job. When Rosa had finished school she was lucky enough to get a job as a seamstress in a local sewing factory. Prior to the bus incident Rosa was still fighting. She had run-ins with bus drivers and was evicted from buses. Parks recalls the humiliation: "I didn't want to pay my fare and then go around the back door, because many times, even if you did that, you might not get on the bus at all. They'd probably shut the door, drive off, and leave you standing there." An event to remember....- While the fight by blacks for civil rights had been going on for years, it took one middle-aged black woman with tired feet and a strong will to really get the battle going. On the 1st of December 1955, seamstress Mrs. Rosa Parks, was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama for not standing and letting a white bus rider take her seat, she was found guilty of the crime of

What difficulties were experienced by the German economies in the 1920’s

2002-03-21T13:00:00-04:00

The German economies were beset with difficulties throughout the whole of the 1920s. The huge expenditure of the First World War had exhausted Germanys economic strength. The need for manpower had reduced industrial production along with grain production. Outputs in all areas were severely reduced. The subsequent loss of the war resulted in demands for reparations by the victors. These demands were harsh to say the least and the problems Germany faced in paying it contributed to what was arguably the most difficult period in the decade, the “great inflation”. The governments attempt at resolving this led to radical reforms in the economy. This led to what some have called the “golden years”. However this only lasted four years and precipitated the Great Depression. In the aftermath of the First World War, Germany lost under the Versailles Peace Treaty ten per cent of her population and thirteen and a half per cent of her pre war territories, in particularly, Upper Silesia and Lorraine as heavy industry and coal and iron ore deposits lay there. The allies also demanded ninety per cent of her merchant navy, all her military navy and armament materials whilst also paying for the cost of all occupied troops in Germany. Also due to the end of the war 10 million soldiers were flooding the labour market looking for work in a time when agricultural and industrial production had been reduced. This had a detrimental effect on the economy. One of the main problems that were affecting the economy was the reparation demanded by the allies. After a lot of indecision the Allied reparations Reparation Committee in April 1921 decided on the sum of 132 thousand million marks (roughly 33 billion dollars) to be shared out in differing amounts to the allies. This figure had a six per cent interest charge and the initial payments were set at two billion marks per annum along with twenty six per cent of the value of her exports. This amount was mammoth and experts such as John Maynard Keynes suggested it was an unfeasible sum. At the end of the 1921 the German government realised it was unable to meet the instalments and asked for a reduction, which they received in March 22 and were also given a suspension for six months. The problem for Germany, was the difficulty of paying goods, imports far exceeded exports. To raise the value of the reparation

The Changing Political fortunes of the Nazi Party

2002-03-15T13:00:00-04:00

“Account for the changing political fortunes of the Nazi Party from November, 1923 until January, 1933.”

The main political changes that the Nazi Party or the NSDAP endured during the period of November, 1923 until January 1933 was its rise from a small extreme right party to a major political force. It is vitally important that the reasons behind this rise to power also be examined, to explain why the NSDAP was able to rise to the top. However first a perspective on the Nazi party itself is necessary to account for the changing political fortunes of the Nazi Party. In late 1923 and early 1924 the German economy seemed to experience a mild period of economic stabilisation and “prosperity”. In November, the government issued a new currency and ensured that tight restrictions were imposed. The economy was further stimulated by loans principally from the USA. However despite all this there simultaneously, was increasing numbers of unemployed persons. A well cited example of this is the coal mining industry where the introduction of more efficient machinery meant that one in four miners lost their jobs. No doubt that increased unemployment meant that the German population grew increasingly discontent with the Weimar government and this is the beginnings of the swing towards more radical political voting. Hitler knew that he had to have attractive political policies in order to attract a greater pool of voters, looking for alternative parties, and he recognized a possible solution to this was to attract the attention of the farming and rural community. The Nazi Party took this opportunity quickly and campaigned hard to win over the votes of the farmers and rural workers by promising tax reductions, cheaper electricity and a promise to rebuild the farming industry. "The peasants, the Nazis said, were of true German blood and their life was the true German life. They had shamefully been neglected by the Weimar Republic." Hitler told the people of the land that under a Nazi Government, rural people would be the most important people in Germany. The rural Germans were on the brink of bankruptcy, constituting approximately 11 Billion marks by 1932. The Nazi’s promise of a return to rural prosperity was too good for them to resist. Yet this adoption of the rural Germans also proved useful in another sense because it allowed the Nazi party to use the Jewish people as a scapegoat towards

Why was Northern Italy so much in the forefront of urban self-government?

2002-03-15T13:00:00-04:00

There were various reasons for the ability of certain towns in Italy to establish a certain amount of self-government. The location of the maritime cities such as Genoa was able to benefit from the crusades making them powerful. This resulted in a knock on effect to the main inland towns and cities in the north due to increase in trade. This caused prosperity and growth, because of this and also because of certain socio-economic changes originating in the countryside, the cities and towns started to break away from the old feudal systems and look to a new order more beneficial to the newly formed city classes. Their ability to consolidate this new government was due in part to the political upheaval which existed between state and church. This can be seen within the conflict of Henry IV and Gregory VII. The concept of self-government showed a major change in power within the Northern towns of Italy. The traditional feudal system was replaced by a “commune”, where all orders would share al rights and powers in common. This was implemented by an elected consul, where as before Kings such as the Lombard’s installed governors to rule, or at other times a powerful Archbishop would be the ruling power. This can be seen in the rule of Archbishop Ansperte 868-81, (Ella Noyles p16) By the time of the 12th century, cities such as Milan had a government loosely based on the old Roman regime. This was a three tier system consisting of Captains – the higher nobility and clergy; the vassals- the lower nobility and an increasing middle class formed of merchants and land leasers; and the common people such as the artisans and peasants. A consul was elected to govern the commune and was re-elected every year. This consul was elected by all three orders not just the elite. This is what existed for self-government in the eleventh and twelfth century. The existence of self-government in the Northern Italian towns and cities was possible due to various reasons. In part it was location. The first crusades brought huge amounts of people and wealth into the maritime cities such as Genoa Pisa and also Venice. In consequence a great amount of trade was stimulated throughout Northern Italy and toward the inland towns and cities of Milan, Florence Ravenna and Pad ova to name a few. This also caused growth of people and trade. Other

D-day

2002-03-05T13:00:00-05:00

I think the reson the d-day operation was sucsessfull was because of deception. It was 1944, and by this time the united states had been "in the war" aginst germany for threee years and the british had been in for almost six years. Alot of people dont know that there were many beachs that were seiged that same day that usaully dont get meantioned. the two that were the most importante that most people focuos on were the Omaha and utah beach beacuase of so many american solgers flooded those beachs and they had alot of casulties. Most of the other beachs were tackin with minamal casulties. over the next couple of hours the men on the beachs had to go though hell. The "allied invaders" had to tack these beach they played a huge role in the over all sucsees of the operation. Before the landing the german beachs had to be preped by bombing by air by the united states bombers that with 1,000 ships droped 5,000 tons of bombs. The beachs were also softened up by the united states battel ships bombarding the beachs. Although fewer Allied ground troops went ashore on D-Day than on the first day of the earlier invasion of Sicily, the invasion of Normandy was in total history's greatest water to land operation, involving on the first day 5,000 ships, the largest "armada" ever assembled; 11,000 aircraft (following months of preliminary bombardment); and approximately 154,000 British, Canadian and American soldiers, including 23,000 arriving by parachute and glider. The invasion also involved a long-range deception plan on a scale the world had never before seen and the clandestine operations of tens of thousands of Allied resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied countries of western Europe. American General Dwight D. Eisenhower was named supreme commander for the allies in Europe. British General, Sir Frederick Morgan, established a combined American-British headquarters known as COSSAC, for Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander. COSSAC developed a number of plans for the Allies, most notable was that of Operation Overlord, a full scale invasion of France across the English Channel. Eisenhower felt that COSSAC's plan was a good operation. After reviewing the disastrous hit-and-run raid in 1942 in Dieppe, planners decided that the strength of German defenses required not a number of separate assaults by relatively small units but an intense concentration of power in a single main landing. The invasion site

How did the War change attitudes about how big a part a government should play in people's lives?

2002-03-04T13:00:00-05:00

“War” declared Trotsky, “is the locomotive of history” (Bourne, 1989,p. 191) When considering the attitude of the people towards the change governmental intervention had in their lives, one must consider a number of different aspects. The scene must firstly be set by ascertaining the mood of the people upon the outbreak of war, and this Bourne eloquently describes: “The British urban working class was the oldest industrial workforce in the world. Its class-consciousness was very strong. It was well organised. It had a sharp awareness of its industrial strength. It was quite remarkably strike-prone. It was also riven with divisions, petty snobberies and subtle distinctions. It was disciplined and deferential, conformist and hedonistic, patriotic and loyal. It showed little interest in radical ideologies. It had a vast fund of goodwill towards Britain` s national institutions, especially the monarchy and parliament. From the point of view of a hard- pressed government in time of war, the working class was far from intractable. There was, however, a sticking point. This was `fairness`, a concept deeply rooted in Anglo-Saxon culture. Government could ignore `fairness` only at its peril. (Bourne, 1989, p. 204) These were the people the government were given the task of cajoling into acquiescence, people that had become accustomed to Free Trade, private enterprise and minimal governmental interference. Despite this scenario however, political Liberalism was seen to be evolving in response to social problems and the rise of labour, and the war became “the locomotive” which accelerated the change in British politics and society. It was only when the pressures of war were brought to bear, that the government gradually abandoned its laissez faire principles in favour of direct control. The goal was to fight a war, but simultaneously preserve the living standards of the civilians, so as to uphold morale on the home front and in the factories needed to supply the military front. Bourne suggests that: “The nature of this interference was characteristic. It involved a series of ad hoc responses to specific problems. These were made of necessity and not through choice. There was no overall plan and no philosophy of action.” (Bourne, 1989,p. 192) The desperate need for munitions was an early realisation of the need for state control, which later extended to shipping in 1916, food in 1917,coal in 1917, and food rationing in 1918. Both Lloyd George and Asquith` s ministries were reluctant to affront public opinion, especially the trade unions, consequently

Westward Expansion and Imperialism

2002-03-03T13:00:00-05:00

Throughout most of the nineteenth century, the United States expanded its territory westward through purchase and annexation. At the end of the century, however, expansion became imperialism, as America acquired several territories overseas. This policy shift from expansionism to imperialism came about as a result of American’s experience in the Spanish American War and the Congressional debates that followed the American victory. After temporarily resolving the problems of Reconstruction and Industrialization, Americans began to resume the course of expansion. The horrors of the Civil War had interrupted the original Manifest Destiny that began in the 1840s. Now, as pioneers settled the last western frontiers, expansionists looked yet farther to the west -- toward Asia and the Pacific. American ships had long been active in the Pacific. The New England whaling fleets scoured the ocean in search of their prey. As ships crossed the vast ocean to trade in Asia, islands in the Pacific became important stops for coal, provisions, and repairs. In the South Pacific, the American navy negotiated with awestruck natives for the rights to build bases on the islands of Midway and Samoa. This practice had been going on for a while. The Hawaiian Islands, which lie closest to the American mainland, had long been an important stop for the Pacific fleet. Eventually, the expansion to this area became imperialistic. Pearl Harbor, on the island of Oahu, offered one of the most attractive natural bases in the Pacific. Soon other Americans followed to become sugar planters and to establish profitable businesses. Americans were busy building huge plantations, warehouses, railroads, dry-docks, banks, hotels, and stores. They soon dominated the island's economy, and they were able to influence its government as well. Americans created and controlled Hawaii's legislature and cabinet, and they limited the power of the native king. As the century began to come to a close, disputes arose between the Kanaka and those of foreign descent. "Hawaii for Hawaiians" became the slogan of people who sought to restore the traditional ways of the kingdom. Others called for the annexation of Hawaii by the United States. Annexation would eliminate the recent trade restrictions on sugar and revive the island's faltering economy. The imperialistic was taking over the islands. The imperialistic attitude sprung from the American Victory in the Spanish-American War. Although the Spanish-American War and the intervention in the Philippines were preceded by fifty years of meddling in Latin America, and to

The Treaty of Versailles

2002-03-03T13:00:00-05:00

Despite Woodrow Wilson’s plan for peace near the end of World War I, he failed to gain Congressional support for the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles was intended to be a peace agreement between the Allies and the Germans. However, once the negotiation of the Treaty, the Allies found they had conflicting ideas and motives surrounding the reparations and wording of the Treaty. The Treaty formally placed the responsibility for the war on Germany and its allies and imposed on Germany the burden of paying the debts of war. In addition to foreign opposition, Wilson couldn’t even gain support for the treaty in the United States. Because of weaknesses in the treaty, domestic opposition, and failure to compromise, the treaty gained very little congressional support. The Treaty of Versailles was very controversial. Some countries opposed the treaty due to multiple weaknesses. For example, the Treaty humiliated Germany. The war-guilt clause forces Germany to accept sole responsibility for World War I. And although German militarism had played a major role in igniting the war, other countries in Europe had been guilty of provoking diplomatic crises before the war. Another weakness in the Treaty was that Russian government felt that the Treaty ignored its needs. In the Treaty, Russia was excluded from the peace conference, even though Russians had fought with the Allies for three year, and suffered higher casualties than any other country. There was also much dispute concerning the distribution of territory in the Treaty. The Treaty of Versailles established nine new countries, and changed many boundaries, and there was debate about the fairness. There was also much opposition to the treaty in the United States, which is what Woodrow Wilson faces when he returned with the treaty. Some people, including Herbert Hoover, believed it was too harsh. Others didn’t think the treaty really did any good because it shifted the set of colonial rulers to another set, instead of eliminating the imperialism. Also, some minorities objected to the treaty because the new boundaries it established for some countries didn’t satisfy their demands for independence. For example, Wilson hadn’t tried to obtain Ireland’s independence from Great Britain. Most of all, the opposition to the treaty in the United States was the debate over the League of Nations. A few opponents believed that the League of Nations threatened the U.S. foreign policy of staying clear of European affairs, the Monroe Doctrine.

Theodore Roosevelt and Progressivism

2002-03-03T13:00:00-05:00

Despite the criticism of their reform efforts, Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson’s commitment to and success in achieving national reform made them successful progressive presidents. There hasn’t yet been a presidency that didn’t receive criticism, with or without justification. Roosevelt in particular, received a lot of praise and criticism for his successes and failures. Overall, however, both Roosevelt and Wilson acknowledged and were committed to bringing about changes during their presidencies. They were both good presidents for the Progressive Era. President Roosevelt was deeply criticized during his presidency. Robert La Follette, the Republican leader of Progressivism before Roosevelt, was one of Roosevelt’s biggest critics. In his Autobiography: A personal narrative of political experiences, he talks about Roosevelt’s reform policies, particularly his position on the Anti-Trust Law and his trust strategy in general, and how he didn’t solve the problems, but only increased the growth of monopolies and the power of business (Doc E). There were also many political cartoons published which criticized Roosevelt’s policies. One in particular pictures Roosevelt singing loudly his Progressive fallacies, with La Follette sulking in the background (Doc G). There was justification to criticize Roosevelt. Although he was infamous for his “square deal,” taking on trusts, he busted only about half as many trusts in twice as much time as President Taft later did. The cases he did take on were high profile, and he was noisy about them. Also, he may have only fought trusts because he thought it would be riskier to ignore them. Woodrow Wilson also had policies that were controversial, and the extent of his progressivism can be questioned. Wilson’s progressive attitude didn’t extent to many areas. For example, he didn’t reform the way government corruption occurred. He would even encourage this by giving his friends rewards and punishing his enemies. He operated on a minimal spoils system. He was also quite racist. His reform policies didn’t extend to African-Americans. He appointed many Southern racists to his cabinet and was strongly opposed to black suffrage. He considered enfranchisement an evil. Wilson also didn’t want to reform social injustices. Offering no support for the ratification a suffrage movement, Wilson preferred state action for women’s suffrage. Child labor was another issue he considered a state matter. Reform was something Wilson only considered on certain issues. Despite questions of motive and success, Roosevelt can be considered a successful progressive president and reformer. In his first inaugural

Native American Policy

2002-03-03T13:00:00-05:00

In the 30 years after the Civil War, although government policy towards Native Americans intended to shift from forced separation to integration into American society, attempts to “Americanize” Indians only hastened the death of their culture and presence in the America. The intent in the policy, after the end of aggression, was to integrate Native Americans into American society. Many attempts at this were made, ranging from offering citizenship to granting lands to Indians. All of these attempts were in vain, however, because the result of this policies is much the same as would be the result of continued agression. Beginning in the 1860s and lasting until the late 1780s, government policy towards Native Americans was aggressive and expressed zero tolerance for their presence in the West. In the last 1850s, tribal leaders and Americans were briefly able to compromise on living situations and land arrangements. Noncompliance by Americans, however, resumed conflict. The beginning of what would be called the “Indian Wars” started in Minnesota in 1862. Sioux, angered by the loss of much of their land, killed 5 white Americans. What resulted was over 1,000 deaths, of white and Native Americans. From that point on, American policy was to force Indians off of their land. American troops would force Indian tribe leaders to accept treaties taking their land from them. Protests or resistance by the Indians would result in fighting. On occasion, military troops would even lash out against peaceful Indians. Their aggression became out of control. Indian policy gradually shifted from this aggressive mindset to a more peaceable and soft line policy. The Indian Wars ended in 1980 with the Battle of Wounded Knee. The battle resulted in over 200 deaths, but also, almost officially, marked a change in Indian policy. Although the change had subtly began before then, policies then became more kind. The Peace Commission created the reservation policy, although this was created 27 years before the Battle at Wounded Knee. The Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 was the greatest of reform efforts. The Act provided the granting of landholding to individual Native Americans, replacing communal tribal holdings. Another policy, the Burke Act of 1906, allowed Indians to become citizens if they left their tribes. Citizenship was eventually granted to all Native Americans in the 1920s. Although the intentions of Indian policy shifted, the outcomes of these policies still helped to suppress Native Americans and their culture. The

James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams

2002-03-03T13:00:00-05:00

While President Jefferson's policies were to a great extent diverged from those of Washington and Adams', President Madison's policies were much the same as the Federalist presidents. President Jefferson worked to change many of the mindsets and policies set up by the Federalist Presidents, while Madison's attempts were to extend them. The success of each administration was unique from each other, however both presidents were Republican. The difference in policies shows the beginning of the individuality, uniqueness, and freedom so harbored in the United States. From the day of his inauguration, President Jefferson showed that his administration would be one of simplicity. He deliberately avoided the ornate way of the Federalists. Instead of insisting on horse and carriage 'parade-like' travel, he would walk to his destination whenever possible. He also avoided making flashy speeches, and wrote letters instead of making speeches when it would suffice. Even at dinners in his own home, he insisted on round tables so that everyone would be equal. He considered everyone, men and women, government officials and farmers, equal in all things, and this philosophy was reflected in his everyday conduct. Jefferson's simplicity also resided in his policy making. He appointed people of his own party to his cabinet; James Madison was appointed Secretary of State. His entire cabinet, in fact, was Republican. In lesser offices though, he didn't remove any Federalists, he simply waited for a vacancy to appear. Jefferson also tried to repeal many of the laws created by the Federalists, with a few exception, such as the national bank. He also favored a broad interpretation of the Constitution, whereas the Federalists wanted a more strict interpretation. This was shown when the debate about the Louisiana purchase began. He was in favor of implied power in the Constitution regarding the purchasing of such an enormous amount of land. In these ways, Jefferson's policies, while not always simple, were greatly distinct than those of the Federalists. President Madison's policies, however, were much the same as the Federalists. He endorsed strengthening the central government and giving it more power, which was basically a Federalist mindset. He wanted programs to achieve things such as better fortification, a stronger navy and permanent army, a new national bank, and a big national university. Madison managed to secure an army of about 10,000 and a strengthened navy. In addition, he, like Jefferson, used a broad interpretation of the Constitution to justify

Federalist Policies

2002-03-03T13:00:00-05:00

After the establishment of the constitution, the Federalist administrations faces many significant challenges when dealing with the economics of the United States; much of the country was divided over issues such as how to raise money, establishing a public credit system, how to pay the national debt, and whether or not a national bank should be established. Leaders like Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison came to represent the ideas of the people and as these ideas became more solid, debate and opposition rose. The Federalists saw multiple ways to resolve these issues, and the resolutions established that leadership in the United States would be successful. Raising revenue for the United States was the first economic issue the Federalists faced. This was the first and most important need they saw for the country. At first, James Madison proposed a small tax on imports, however, the high demand for money quickly increased the taxation. Also, the Tonnage Act of 1789 was passed, taxing American and foreign ships. American ships were not taxed as much as foreign ships, however. The issues of taxation and raising money also brought into play bigger issues, such as whether the United States should favor Britain or France in their economic policies, whether they should maintain taxation even at the expense of farmers, and whether the interests of northern manufacturers should be their biggest concern. The Tonnage Act was the beginning of increased revenue in the America, but a sound fiscal discipline was far from having been created. Another issue that was controversial was the establishment of a public credit system and paying the national debt. Alexander Hamilton was the main activist in this issue. He wrote several reports to the House of Representatives offering solutions to the problem. In his first report, he suggested that citizens who had government bonds should be able to turn them in for new, interest-bearing bond. He also thought that the government should make the states pay their debt to the government, which would be about $21 million. The problem with his ideas was that, in financial crisis, many farmers had sold their bonds at very low prices to speculators, and that with this plan, only the speculators would benefit, because they could trade in all of the bonds they bought very cheaply. The citizens argued that the they should be they should be paid back for their losses. Hamilton, however,

Wilson’s Fourteen Points: a Path to Peace or to Renewed Conflict

2002-03-03T13:00:00-05:00

Wilson’s Fourteen Points were a decent attempt at peace and restitution after the Great War; however, there were many inherent problems with the Wilsonian agenda. These problems were caused by many things, including Allied bias, American ambition, and Western European dominance. While trying to fix many problems in Europe, the Fourteen Points mainly concentrated on the things that were important to the Allied powers: France was bent on revenge, Great Britain was looking to further its power over the seas, and America was keen on becoming an even more powerful trade nation. The Allied Powers made it very hard for Germany and Austria and the newly formed countries in Eastern Europe to carry out many of the things set down in the Fourteen points, in particular, the idea of self-determination that is evident in over half of the points. Reading the Fourteen Points might lead a person to believe that the Allies were in favor of all forms of self-determination unconditionally; in fact, just the opposite was true. They used “self-determination as a formula for rearranging the balance of power in their own interests” (Keynes pp. 2). Point Five of the Wilsonian agenda was a testament to this. It called for the “free, open-minded adjustment of all colonial claims.” Essentially, what this did was allow countries to practice limited forms of self-determination, mainly by switching European rule from the more obvious direct control method, to indirect European control. Some countries were allowed independence, but those countries that were denied it became mandates; Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon are examples of the ladder. The main thing Point Five accomplished was that it allowed more colonial holdings to fall into Allied hands, especially those of Britain. The fact that the Allies used self-determination for their own interests is also the reason the people of Austria were not allowed to become a part of Germany. Allowing the union of Austria and Germany would only make Germany stronger, something France especially did not want. Self-determination was also used against Germany in other ways. By allowing Poland to become a country with access to the sea, Germany would be split in half, and former German territory would now be known as the Polish Corridor. Territory was also taken away from Germany to create the nation of Lithuania. The war had other consequences for Germany besides loss of territory. Germany was punished tremendously by the Wilsonian agenda and,

Black status: post civil war america

2002-03-03T13:00:00-05:00

After the emancipation of slaves in 1862, the status of African-Americans in post civil war America up until the beginning of the twentieth century did not go through a great deal of change. Much legislation was passed to help blacks in this period. The Civil Rights act of 1875 prohibited segregation in public facilities and various government amendments gave African-Americans even more guaranteed rights. Even with this government legislation, the newly dubbed ‘freedmen’ were still discriminated against by most people and, ironically, they were soon to be restricted and segregated once again under government rulings in important court cases of the era. Reconstruction was intended to give African-Americans the chance for a new and better life. Many of them stayed with their old masters after being freed, while others left in search of opportunity through education as well as land ownership. However this was not exactly an easy task. There were many things standing in their way, chiefly white supremacists and the laws and restrictions they placed upon African-Americans. Beginning with the ‘black codes’ established by President Johnson’s reconstruction plan, blacks were required to have a curfew as well as carry identification. Labor contracts established under Johnson’s Reconstruction even bound the ‘freedmen’ to their respective plantations. A few years later, another set of laws known as the ‘Jim Crow’ laws directly undermined the status of blacks by placing unfair restrictions on everything from voting rights all the way to the segregation of water fountains. Besides these restrictions, the blacks had to deal with the Democratic Party whose northern wing even denounced racial equality. As a result of democratic hostility and the Republican Party’s support of Black suffrage, freedmen greatly supported the Republican Party. As a result of the failure of Johnson’s Reconstruction, Congress proposed its own plan. The 14th amendment was one of the many things implemented under this plan. Among other things, this amendment forbade ex-Confederate leaders from holding political office, and gave freedmen their citizenship. The Southern rejection of this amendment, largely as a result of the actions of their former Confederate leaders then in state office, paved the way for the Reconstruction Act of 1867. This dismantled all Southern governments and established military control over the South. It guaranteed freedmen the right to vote under new state constitutions, and required the Southern states to ratify the 14th amendment. With the inclusion of African-American votes in southern elections, and with

Fall of Rome - the military's role

2002-03-03T13:00:00-05:00

The Military’s Role in the Beginning of the End of Rome

The fall of Rome occurred over many centuries and was caused by several factors including military decay, barbarian invasions, and the failure of the government to respond to these problems. While these problems existed to a greater of lesser degree, since the end of the 2nd century, their effects were accelerated by the reforms of the emperors Constantine and Diocletian. These reforms changed Roman life as well as the face of the Roman army, moving it away from its classical infantry-based structure to a more cavalry-based system. The army was reorganized into lightly armed troops called “limitanei” who defended the border, and large mobile armies composed of troops called “comitatenses”. The border troops were given land to live on around forts they protected. This structure led to farming becoming the job of the border troops so that they could feed as well as protect those on the frontier. Over time, this in turn led to out of date weaponry and neglect in training. The weakness of these troops meant that more mobile troops were needed to compensate, and an easily penetrable border as a result of the weakness led to the need for highly efficient mobile armies. Since the cavalry were the most mobile unit of the army, they began to be the favored military unit. With forces strung along the border and concentrated large mobile armies, an increased number of recruits were required; however, land owners were reluctant to let themselves or their kin be recruited because that left less workers for their farms. At the same time, the division of the empire into outer imperial provinces and inner provinces controlled by the Senate had its own effect. Since the armies largely remained in the outer imperial provinces, the people of the inner provinces were out of touch with the army and were no longer attracted to service, again reducing the available pool of recruits. One reason that many avoided Army service was because Roman citizenship was now offered freely, where in prior times military service had been a path to citizenship. The result was less manpower available for Rome. The Roman army was left with no choice but to recruit barbarians, who could in this way both find employment where they had no skills, and hope to obtain Roman citizenship. At the same time the weakness of the

Greek Pride in the Individual

2002-03-03T13:00:00-05:00

The culture of ancient Greece reflects the importance of the individual in society in many different ways. The Greeks used art, philosophy, and even their system of government to convey their beliefs in the importance of one single man in a society. Greek artists showed value for the individual. All people were portrayed in Greek art, from the sagging old woman to the ideal athlete. Although early Greek art focused on the human ideal, their later art shows that the Greeks appreciated all forms, and found the human body in general to be a beautiful thing. Even the gods in Greek art showed how highly the Greeks valued humanity. The gods were depicted as humans, and were made to human scale; no huge overpowering deity was ever portrayed in their art. The Greeks appreciated themselves in their art as much as they appreciated the gods. Even on the most famous temple of all time, the Parthenon, humans were portrayed. The frieze that adorned the upper face of the Parthenon depicted the human procession in honour of the god Athena. It was not just sculptures and architecture that showed Greek pride in the individual. Greek drama showed a huge appreciation for humans in all their glory. The Greeks valued human emotions; their plays covered a wide array of subjects, all the way from the tragedies of war to the comedic side of a society in the perils of war. These subjects made it possible to reveal the Greek appreciation for real life situations, showing the value they placed on human actions, but most of all on human nature. Like the various forms of Greek art, the government of ancient Greece appreciated the individual by creating an environment in which individuals were free to express themselves. Tyrants like Pisistratus and Cleisthenes came to power to try and make the polis a better place for the individual. These tyrants reformed the state in many ways; they helped make it possible for the rich and poor to have equal rights, and they created the conditions for the construction of the splendid monumental buildings ancient Greece is remembered for today. Although not all tyrants were good, they all had one thing in common: they were all citizens of Greece, and ruled to improve the lifestyle of the citizens of Greece. After the end of tyranny, Greece had a democracy; a government ruled by the people for the

Jackson as a President: Yesterday and Today

2002-03-03T13:00:00-05:00

The Andrew Jackson Administration, from 1829 to 1837, was very important in American history. A self-made man, Jackson exemplified republican virtues by restraining a centralized government and promoting the powers of the people. His administration left a lasting impact on American politics. With his extreme usage of the presidential veto, Jackson strengthened the executive branch and rendered it equal in power to the legislative branch. These Jacksonian ideals of decentralized government can still be seen in politics to this day. Jackson was the first American president to have come from the frontier society of the American West. He was a “one-generation aristocrat” (Hoftstedder, 58) whose ambitions were to be wealthy and receive military glory rather than have political power (although military glory is a good way to gain popular support and political power). Jackson gained ‘national hero’ status after his military victory at the Battle of New Orleans. This victory, along with wounds from his participation in the Revolutionary War, gave him the popular support he needed for a strong presidency. Although Jackson lost in his first attempt at the Presidency, he quickly learned from his mistakes and won the election of 1828 by 95 electoral votes (Norton, 359). During his administration Jackson was faced with many key issues, of which the Nullification crisis is an example. This was a crisis over the doctrine of nullification, which was being strongly pushed by South Carolina. According to this doctrine, the state had the right to nullify government legislature that was inconsistent with its own. This doctrine was not used until 1832 when a new tariff was imposed that would reduce some duties but retain high taxes on many imports. The south felt this tariff would make them pay for northern industrialism, and they did not want to succumb to the will of the North. Jackson was against this theory of Nullification because he was a strong supporter of the Union. He took action against this by publicly ‘nullifying nullification’ and by moving troops into South Carolina to help the federal marshals collect the unpaid duties. Finally a compromise tariff was passed in 1833 which increased the number of duty free items and reduced other duties. Jackson’s decisive actions in the Nullification crisis helped define the powers of the central government more clearly, they made it clear to the states that he would not suffer their tyranny, which might break up the Republic,

Why America will break from britain (point of view from time period)

2002-03-03T13:00:00-05:00

Wither America: Part of Empire, an independent state, or many small states? The history of American colonies and their present pattern of development mean that they are not simply overseas versions of England. For this reason it could be inferred that, in fifty years time they will no longer be a part of the British Empire. At the same time, their individual differences in economy and culture will make it difficult for the colonies to form a unified country on the American continent. Furthermore, the size of the American colonies themselves and their waterways and coastlines make it harder for them to be controlled by the British Empire Each region of America is different from regions of England, as well as from other regions within America. The climate and the land of America ranges from warm, semi-tropical and fertile in the south to mainly cold and rocky in the north. Economically, north and south are very different, and quite independent of each other, capable of their own production, whether it be in crops, fisheries or a trading industry. The large expanses of land in the south make it possible for everyone to have land, but soon the ‘possibility’ of land and the implementation of a ‘head right’ (more land to those with more indentured servants) has resulted in an internalized class system in the south. The small number of people who own the land, have become a sort of ruling class or elite; having the most power in American political bodies. This ‘feudal’ society in which a small number of people own the land is reflective of that of England. The fertile lands of the south promote its agricultural status, which brings in a large percentage of all southern revenue. This is drastically different from the north, which because of a lack of fertile land has a mainly commercial and fishing-based economy. The natural harbors and great expanse of forestland work well together in the north. The timber from the forests has brought on a thriving shipbuilding industry, while the natural harbors make it easier to build up ports for trade. It is odd to see a land of such great size and ability as America controlled by a smaller entity, but the rate of expansion of American industries, population and landmass will make it harder for Great Britain to maintain control. This control by Great Britain is, in the American viewpoint,

Marcus Tullius Cicero

2002-03-02T13:00:00-05:00

“We are in bondage to the law in order that we may be set free” Marcus Tullius Cicero came into philosophical fame during the Roman Republic era. At a very young age, Cicero, who came from a modest home, made it his ambition to hold a high political position in Rome. Unfortunately, his middle class ancestry restricted his ability in achieving his goals. As a result he sought a military position to gain authority. Cicero proved to be an ineffective soldier, which gradually lead him to select a career in law. In 63 B.C. he moved up in the Roman oligarchy by acquainting himself with many politicians who aided him in obtaining the title of “consul”, the highest Roman office. In three years an effective rebel occurred against the Republic from the First Triumvirate of Julius Caesar, Pompey and Crassus. They seized control of the Senate and enforced the ideals of the Roman Empire. Cicero was meant to be included because of his influence, but he clung to the old Republic ideals, which lead to his exile, and he was forbidden to take part in politics. During his exile, Cicero furthered his studies in philosophy for a year. Cicero still dreamed of the reincarnation of the old Republic, and wrote about the republic and on laws. During this time, it is most likely that the above quote was uttered. Philosophy and jurisprudence were directly related in Cicero’s studies. His studies included his despise of the Roman lifestyle, which consisted of low morals and disrespect for life. This lifestyle built the foundation for the laws that were set to keep Rome in order. Cicero’s quote that in order to be truly content and limitless to the world, citizens must abide by the laws made by the Senate. “We are in bondage to the law…” suggests that as a group, the citizens of Rome were slaves to a greater influence, the laws that made Rome an exceptional kingdom. The laws made by the Senate were made to respect and protect the foundation of Rome and the interests of its people, “…in order that we may be set free.” Cicero implies that, if the citizens of Rome follow the laws, they will be able to live their lives without being looked down upon by the rest of the citizens who follow the laws. In Cicero’s political career, he held an important position in the

Bronze and the Shang Dynasty

2002-03-02T13:00:00-05:00

A societies use of the materials surrounding them is imperative to their success as a prominent civilization. The reign of the Shang dynasty roughly began around c1600- c1050bc, during this time the middle class artisans devoted much of their time to perfecting bronze work for ritualistic purposes as well as military basis; while the Shang kings and nobles held positions of high power and prestige over the common day labourer. The kings were thought as having a special connection with the ancestors of the past and were highly respected. The common Shang dynasty labourer lived a very hard and tedious life, like the common Egyptian, everything was done to please the king. Unfortunately, the Shang kings were very harsh on the people and some even referred to the Shang dynasty as ‘the Slave dynasty’ because the nobility had so much control over the common day workers, they had no shame in sacrificing other humans for ritualistic practices. As well, the Shang people were also occupied with every day tasks such as hunting for food and an early form of farming. Evidence of the Shang peoples everyday life were found at An yang, the Shang capital city, inscribed oracle bones presented a picture of constant bickering with other groups around and even war. Modern day archaeologists have come to the conclusion that the bronze work of the Shang was very well crafted and elite at its time, thousands of Shang bronzes survives today. The influence of bronze on the Shang people’s everyday life, weaponry and art established a reputation of leadership among this group of people. The Shang people’s everyday life was very religious and trying. The rulers had a great amount of power over the people and controlled much of what they did in their day-to-day chores. The Shang elites and artisans devoted much of their time to perfecting bronze work. The elites “organization was apparent because Shang rulers had to mobilize men and material to mine, transport, and refine the ores, to manufacture and tool the clay models, cores and moulds used in the casting process and to run the foundries.” (Buckley 129) The mining of ore used to make bronze was done by the poorer classes and looked after by the noble class. The Shang people were able to organize themselves and get to the resources that they needed. Through study, it is evident that the lower class

Cold War: A Post-Revisioninst View of the Origins

2002-02-28T13:00:00-05:00

Sorry no bib on this; it was an in-class handout. This got me a 40/40 in AP History. There are three main schools of thought that trace the origins of the Cold War. The Orthodox view is that “the intransigence of Leninist ideology, the sinister dynamics of a totalitarian society, and the madness of Stalin” (Doc 1) cause the Cold War. The Revisionists claim that “American policy offered the Russians no real choice…[and] the United States used or deployed its preponderance of power” (Doc 2) and these actions caused the Cold War. The Post-Revisionist position is that the Cold War was initiated both by the United States and the USSR. Through the analysis of documents and other sources, the actual cause of the ‘war’ lies with both powers. Both powers caused the Cold War because, although the US and the USSR were allied during World War Two, the USSR and US had different ideologies and aims of the war that conflicted after the war was over and the threat that each power imposed on the other. The primary cause of the Cold War is the exceedingly bipolar systems of government that the USSR and the US were administered under. The US had a democracy and had, in April of 1945, just said farewell to one of the most liberal presidents that ever had been elected. By making many social reforms, President Roosevelt pulled the US out of the crippling depression and into on of the most prosperous decades ever. The aims of the US are evident in the ‘Atlantic Charter’, which was signed by Churchill and Roosevelt in August of 1914. According to the Charter, the US would “seek no aggrandizement…. respect the rights of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live…. bring about the fullest collaboration between all nations…. [and seek] the abandonment of the use of force” (Doc 4). While still early in the war, the ‘Atlantic Charter’ was later adopted by the United Nations and remains, to this day, one of the cornerstones of the western world. However, the other power that emerged still ‘intact’ after the war, the USSR had a very different way of government and dissimilar aims of the war. The USSR was a communist nation and had Stalin its dictator. “From the Soviet perspective, extending the borders of the USSR and dominating the formerly independent states of eastern Europe

Pearl Harbor - The United States Should Have Anticipated the Attack

2002-02-28T13:00:00-05:00

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

Victorian Social Reform in Britain

2002-02-24T13:00:00-05:00

When considering the changes brought about in the social policy of Great Britain, in the decades immediately either side of 1900, one must look at the nation `s industrial history. The position as the world` s premier industrial nation had been cemented by the mid nineteenth century, achieved in part, as it was the first nation to industrialise. However, the headlong embrace of laissez- faire capitalism ignored the social infrastructure, and the emigration from the depressed agricultural areas to the industrial areas caused immense strain on the poorly-planned towns and cities. At the dawn of industrialisation, there were those who expressed concern about the health and hygiene of the dense industrial areas, notably Freidrich Engels, whose study of Manchester and London in 1844 collated in “Conditions of The Working Class in England” painted a truly dismal picture of urban squalor and hopelessness. “ Such is the Old Town of Manchester, and on re-reading my description, I am forced to admit that instead of being exaggerated, it is far from black enough to convey a true impression of the filth, ruin, and uninhabitableness, the defiance of all considerations of cleanliness, ventilation, and health which characterise the construction of this single district, containing at least twenty to thirty thousand inhabitants. And such a district exists in the heart of the second city of England, the first manufacturing city of the world. If any one wishes to see in how little space a human being can move, how little air - and such air! - he can breathe, how little of civilisation he may share and yet live, it is only necessary to travel hither.” (Engels.F. 1844 p.84 ) The publication, in 1842, of the” Report on the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain” elicited, and perhaps foresaw, the protests of disbelief. Edwin Chadwick was responsible for the report and also invoked the image of the “unknown country” as Henry Mayhew later did to bring to public attention the abysmal conditions with which the labouring poor had to contend. His principal concern appeared to be with “the miasma” emanating from decaying matter “the poisonous exhalations” which were the source of their physical, moral and mental deterioration. At the height of the cholera epidemic, the flushing of the sewers in order to dissipate the miasma, actually aggravated the problem by further contamination of the water supply, in the face of the advice which

Who Killed JFK?

2002-02-20T13:00:00-05:00

Assessment for Australian Year 11 Modern History. I got top marks for this. They limit you to 4 pages, so extend your margins and make your font small!

Who killed John Fitzgerald Kennedy? This question can be considered as cryptic as the meaning of life. Does anyone know who killed Kennedy? The J.F.K Assassination is a conspiracy wrapped in a conspiracy, wrapped in an enigma? Can the people of the world serious accept what the U.S government has told them – Lee Harvey Oswald single handily killed the President of the U.S.A? Evidence shows that it seems possible that the American Central Intelligence Agency could have been involved in the president’s death? All the facts suggest that this assassination was not the work of one, Lee Harvey Oswald, but a higher power, one which had the clearance to change motorcade routes, fake photo’s and successfully cover-up the assassination until this very day. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on May 29, 1917. Graduating from Harvard in 1940, he entered the Navy. In 1943, when a Japanese destroyer sank his PT boat, Kennedy, despite injuries, led the survivors to safety. On his return from the war, John F. Kennedy became a democratic congressman for the Boston area, and in 1953 he advanced to the Senate. On September 12, 1953, John F. Kennedy Married Jacqueline Bouvier. John F. Kennedy worked hard inside his party and in 1961; JFK was appointed President of the United States of America. No more than 1000 days into John F. Kennedy’s presidency, he was assassinated in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas. Apparently by Lone Gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald. It was the 22nd of November 1963, when President Kennedy was travelling through Dallas on a speech presenting tour. The president had previously been warned that the people of Dallas disliked him, and that the trip would be dangerous. Despite these warning, JFK saw it as a way to gain popularity and enhance his standing in the Southern states. As President Kennedy disembarked Air Force One, he was escorted into an open limousine 2nd from the front of the Motorcade, where he was to be driven to a conference in the Trade Mart Building. The original route of the Motorcade was to travel straight down Main Street and into their intended destination. But, on the day of the assassination, the Motorcade made a very sharp 90 degree turn from Main, to Houston street,

The Spanish Inquisition

2002-02-17T13:00:00-05:00

This paper will attempt to accurately examine the development of the Spanish Inquisition, from the spread of the Inquisition into the Spanish territories through the ultimate upheaval, and the initial dissolvement, of the authority it held over the public who feared it. It will endeavor to show the implications of the Spanish Inquisition and how it was ultimately used as a device in its own undoing. Such an examination helps to explain the use of Church authority in secular governing, and later the separating of the Church from the crown. The paper will also take a closer look at this racial injustice in an attempt helping to see just how this may happen again if not understood and foreseen. The Church since its origins has suffered from the attack of heretics and their heresies, which have, caused many controversies and schisms within it. The Spanish Inquisition was independent of the medieval Inquisition, which evolved in the Middle Ages as an effective means of coping with the problem of heresy, which became a serious menace to the Catholic Church in the twelfth century. The fame of the Spanish Inquisition, as Ferdinand and Isabella established it at the close of the fifteenth century, was directed at Jewish merchant and Muslim traders, even under reluctant approval of Sixtus IV. The literal meaning of the word heretics is choosing, selecting beliefs outside or of different religions instead of accepting obediently the whole faith of the Catholic Church. Although, no authorities could completely agree on how to deal with the so-called problem of heretics, they did all agree that it had to be dealt with. A heretic is a highly unpopular person in a Middle Age town, the heretic is, then, seen as an equal to any common criminal, a rebel, and a pariah. Both civil and church authorities can run an inquisition in order to root out non-believers from a nation or religion in the wake of the decline of the Roman Empire. The Spanish Inquisition was used for both political and religious reasons and founded by the Catholic Kings in 1478 . Spain at the time was a nation-state that was born out of religious struggle between numerous different belief systems including Catholicism, Islam, Protestant and Judaism. Following the Crusades and the Reconquest of Spain by the Christian Spaniards the leaders of Spain needed a way to unify the country into a strong

Colonial South Carolina Report (1750)

2002-02-15T13:00:00-05:00

George the Second, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, King, Defender of the Faith, I write to thee from the heart of South Carolina, Charleston to impart my knowledge of the region. My travels have been long and arduous. I arrived by way of a freight ship bearing finished goods for the colony on the twenty-eighth day of March, in the twenty-third year of thy reign. All that province, territory, or tract of ground, called South Carolina, lying and being within our dominions of America is well. The environmental conditions of South Carolina differ dramatically to that of England. The days are long, hot, humid, and at times damp. The people of the colony deserve admiration for dealing with such unfavorable weather. Occasionally, storms stemming from the Atlantic Ocean wreak havoc on the villages, upturning the soil and damaging the trees, but the majority of the days are bright with sunshine. During the spring and summer there is a combination of rain and scorching heat, whereas during the fall and winter it sometimes snows in the northern section of South Carolina, but throughout the rest of the region the climate remains moderately cool. The land is undulating and layered with an abundance of forestry. Yet, the terrain does not consist entirely of woodlands and smooth hills. The land is far from perfect. A large portion of the territory is made up of marshlands. The ground is somewhat blemished by the scattered swamplands. These quagmires are abode with vicious alligators and infested with countless mosquitoes. These bloodsucking mosquitoes in turn spread malaria amongst the populace. Despite the threat of malaria and fierce alligators, the economy thrives from the environment. South Carolina’s economy is based on agriculture. There are two staple crops: rice and indigo. The grimy swamps mentioned before provide the colony and thy gracious one with rice. Many fields are flooded in order to cultivate enough rice for England and the colony. Freshwater swamps are not the only means by which rice can be produced. A number of the chief rice fields are situated along the tidal rivers and inlets. Dikes and floodgates are used to regulate the amount of water supplied to the field according to whether it is low tide or high tide. The same process is reversed when water needs to be drained from the fields (Garraty, 51). People of Africa’s Rice Coast taught this technique

Romanticism in Germany

2002-02-15T13:00:00-05:00

Romanticism was a European cultural revolt against authority, tradition, and Classical order (the Enlightenment); this movement permeated Western Civilization over a period that approximately dated from the late 18th to the mid-19th century. In general, Romanticism is that attitude or state of mind that focuses on the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the creative, and the emotional. These characteristics of Romanticism most often took form in subject matters such as history, national endeavor, and the sublime beauties of nature. According to historians, the mind-set of the Romantics was completely contradictory to the straightforwardness, impartiality, and serenity of 18th century Classicism. By the 19th century, Romanticism and Classicism had clearly been established and recognized as a major split in art. Masses of Europeans found the concepts of Romanticism appealing and the engagement of these concepts resulted in the reshaping of nineteenth century Germany. The Romantic Movement played a significant role in intellectual life, influencing the country’s nationalistic fervor. Nationalism was born with the French Revolution. Nationalism refers to the belief that the state and the nation should coincide as a single entity. It is best described in the equation ‘people = nation = state.’ In 1789 the people of France, defined themselves as the nation, took control of the state and the nation state was created. The sense of nationhood was intensified by the internal attempts to overthrow the revolution and by the experience of the war. Victories abroad instilled a feeling of national pride and of national duty. At first the fraternal wish was to free other subject peoples. Then later to civilize Europe by the export of French ideas and by the further control of foreign territory, which was an aim particularly, associated with the Napoleonic Era (1799-1815). Napoleon claimed that the sole purpose of regulating alien territory was to free Germans and Italians, but whilst he reconstructed the frontiers of the European states, he did very little to encourage nationalism directly. Nationalism developed as a reaction to French rule in the geographical areas of Germany. A general feeling of humiliation blanketed the populace of Germany after the invasion and people began to rise up against the empire of Napoleon I. The spirit of nationalism took a stronghold in Germany. Writers began to expound common culture, heritage and language that defined Germans. Works from Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), one of the earlier well respected German philosophers and writers of the time played

Analysis of an American Trial: The Salem Witch Trials

2002-02-12T13:00:00-05:00

The Salem Witch Trials all began on January 20, 1692, with nine-year-old Elizabeth “Betty” Parris and eleven-year-old Abigail Williams, daughter and niece of the village reverend Samuel Parris, beginning to exhibit strange behavior, such as blasphemous screaming, convulsive seizures, trance-like states and mysterious spells. Within a short period of time, several other Salem girls began to illustrate similar behavior; physicians resolved that the girls were under the control of Satan. Reverend Parris conducted prayer services and public fasting in hopes of relieving the evil forces that tormented them. In an effort to expose the “enchantress”, one man baked a “witch cake” made with rye bran and the urine of the ill girls. This counter-magic was meant to reveal the identities of the “witched” to the ailing girls. Pressured to identify the cause of their misfortune, the girls named three women, including Tituba, Samuel Parris’ slave, as witches. On February 29, warrants were dispatched for the arrests of Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborne. Although Osborne and Good sustained guiltlessness, Tituba confessed to seeing Lucifer, who appeared to her “sometimes like a hog and sometimes like a great dog.” What’s more, Tituba certified that there was a collaboration of witches at work in Salem. On March 1, Magistrates John Hathorne and Jonathon Corwin investigated the three women in the courthouse in Salem Village. Tituba confessed to pursuing black magic. Over the next few weeks, other villagers came forward and testified that they too had been traumatized by or had seen strange phantoms of some of the village members. As the witch-hunting prolonged, charges were made toward many different people. Frequently unmasked were women whose behavior was somehow disturbing to the social order and formalities of the time. Some of the accused had records of unlawful pastimes, including witchery, but others were faithful churchgoers and people of high status in the society. From Mid-March to early April, Martha Corey, Rebecca Nurse, Elizabeth Proctor, and Sarah Cloyce were accused of witchcraft. Soon after Corey, Nurse, and Proctor were examined before Magistrates Hathorne, Corwin, Deputy Governor Thomas Danforth, and Captain Samuel Sewall. During this analysis, John Proctor was also jailed. Then Abigail Hobbs, Bridget Bishop, Giles Corey and Mary Warren were taken into account. The only one to confess was Hobbs. On April 22, Nehemiah Abbot, William and Deliverance Hobbs, Edward and Sara Bishop, Mary Easty, Mary Black, Sarah Wildes, and Mary English were examined before

September 11

2002-02-11T13:00:00-05:00

Today’s military has seen numerous changes that have taken place since Sept. 11 2001. Why is it before the 11th of September, the people that the military protects was basically badmouthing and putting us down? Why are they so proud to wave the American flag? Why wasn’t the flag flown high with pride before the 11th of September? It amazes the military because flags are often flown when terrorist’s acts take place and not when there is constitutional freedom. Why is it before the September 11th incident, the people that the military protects was basically badmouthing and putting us down? They sit there and say that we are not fit to fight and not able to protect them. But what would they know? They don’t wake up every morning and put on this uniform. Just because they can’t see us protecting them, doesn’t necessarily mean that we are not. Why do we have people over in Korea, Saudi Arabia, Kosovo, and etc? Are we just wasting our time and not protecting anything or anyone? Why do you think their butts are still free? Freedom doesn’t come free! People actually give their lives and freedom by giving up our constitutional rights. One thing that we learned with the September 11th is what kind of people we are protecting and how they think about the people in uniform. But as you can see we didn’t let that get in our way, it just pissed us off a little. We are still protecting the same people that dared badmouth us and talk us down. What does that say for the military? Why are they so proud to wave the American flag? They never waved it with pride before the September 11th. The only people who waved the American flag with pride was the Military. We stand through the hard times and the good times. As I travel today I can’t go far with out seeing a car or porch out fitted with the red, white, and blue. I must wonder how much time and thought was spent considering what the symbol of freedom really means and the responsibilities to the Americans. They finally realizing what the military does and stands for? To bad we know that after this all dies down the military will still be waving the American flag with pride and honor. But what can we say about the American people? What

Rise and decline of the KKK

2002-02-06T13:00:00-05:00

The white were taking the law into their own hands by killing any black that should be said guilty of any crime. They called this being lynched. They went to the jail that the black had been accused of and with the security being so lax took them and dragged him/her to the place that they probably hang him/her. A famous lynching was where a black went to a white women’s house to ask

Indian Nationalism

2002-02-05T13:00:00-05:00

Factors Promoting Nationalism

Racial arrogance - on the part of the British created resentment by Indians. They were treated as second-class citizens and were given only the poorest jobs. British in positions of power, such as General Mayo (Viceroy of India) openly made statements of racial superiority. Educated Indian professionals - felt they were denied equal opportunities within the “machinery” of British rule (such as

Boer War - The Causes

2002-02-05T13:00:00-05:00

There were significant political conflicts between the two sides. The Boers treated all blacks very badly and did not give basic human rights even to the blacks working for them. They made them pay taxes but could not vote. It was said to be through religious reasons that the Boers treated blacks so badly. This awful treatment infuriated the British, who had abolished slavery in all its colonies as well as at home in 1834. The Dutch wanted to keep its slaves. Europeans working in the Boer territories were also mistreated. These “Uitlanders” as they were known were key to the Boers’ economic success, yet were still denied the vote. The war occurred also because of strategic reasons. The British had already seized Swaziland, Bechuanaland and Basutoland, which more or less surrounded the Boers who feared that if the British took any more territory, they could be under siege, particularly if their route to the sea was blocked. The British wanted to control all of Southern Africa, not just small areas which were isolated – the Boers were their main opponents. There were economic issues involved in the war. The Boers took control of the Transvaal and set up the Orange Free State. They found gold in the Transvaal and this area became very rich indeed. Later diamonds were found in this area as well, and there was argument between the British and Boers over in which nation’s territory they lay. Certain individuals had a major role in provoking the war. Cecil Rhodes was probably the most ambitious of Britain’s leaders abroad. He was a real imperialist, and strove to expand the British Empire further, especially through his dream of a “Cape Colony to Cairo” railway. He was strongly anti-Boer, and his actions seemed to shape British policy back at home. Also highly influential was Sir Alfred Milner, who was the British High Commissioner and was also strongly anti-Boer. He was supposed to be a peacemaker, but it were the demands he placed on the Boers which sparked the war, and he ended up looking more like a warmonger. Paul Kruger, President of the Transvaal and leader of the Boers, did not want to give in to the Uitlanders, since he feared he would lose his position if they were given the vote. It was he who had ordered the first attack against the British in 1881. The British were angered by the Boers first

9/11 and Jean-Jacques Rousseau

2002-01-29T13:00:00-05:00

L’Etat C’est Moi : Absolutism in the Age of Reason

By analyzing the Taliban regime and their motives, Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s ideas, and by comparing the two, it will be made evident that Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s ideas of government rule over people’s lives is true in this specific case. On September 11, 2001 the heart of the United States of America was ripped out in a matter of 10 minutes by Islamic extremists who follow the Taliban Regime. The first attack was at 8:45 am when two planes were hijacked and crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City. Thousands lost their lives that day. This was the day that started “America’s War on Terrorism.” The Taliban Regime believes that Islam is the right and only way to live. The government inflicts Islam teachings on their citizens. It is law that all women must wear the hajib when out in public, if not they will be punished. All men must enroll in the army, unless he is the only son with no one else to carry on the family name. Children are taught to die for their religion. When an Islam nation declares a Jihad (a religious war) it is solved by death of a nation. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born in Geneva in Switzerland in 1712. He was a Philosopher who believed that all people are good and it is bad government that turns them to do evil. He believed that the government brainwashes it’s citizens to believe in their way. And if any one of it’s citizens refuses to obey the general’s will may be forced by his fellows to do so. Thus saying that it may be necessary to force a man to be free. For example if the law demanded that every man must enroll with the army by the age of 18, and one of it’s citizens did not agree with this law and tried to get out of it, that man would be forced to enroll. He would be forced to fight for his country, and his freedom. Even if he didn’t believe in it himself. In this case, with the Taliban regime, Rousseau’s ideas hold truth. It is evident that the Taliban Regime is a good example of bad government controlling good people. Each individual man who does not want to join the army must escape for fear of his life.

The Scientific Revolution: A New View of the World

2002-01-29T13:00:00-05:00

Herbert Butterfield stated that, “Since the Scientific Revolution overturned the authority in science not only of the middle ages but of the ancient world…it outshines everything since the rise of Christianity.” During the scientific revolution Nicholas Copernicus, Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton all voiced their opinions that contradicted the views of the church. Before the Scientific Revolution, the Bible or Greek philosophers such as Aristotle or astronomers like Claudius Ptolemy, whose ideas were sanctioned by the church, answered any questions regarding the natural world. In the bible it writes, “Mankind is the most important of God’s creations and occupies the centre of his universe.” Astronomers therefore stated that, “The earth is at the centre of the universe. The sun, the moon and the stars all move around the earth.” Nicholas Copernicus, (1473-1543) a Polish monk and astronomer trained in medicine, law and mathematics, believed that the sun, not the earth, was at the centre of the universe. He believed this to be true because mathematics fit in nowhere with the explanation of how our world came to be. He formulated mathematical calculations that provided the basis for a new view on the world. He constructed a model of the universe to show this. His theory contrasted with the beliefs and views of the church therefore it was denounced in 1543. Galileo Galilei, (1564-1642) an Italian mathematician and astronomer, won the respect and admiration of many people of his time because of his inventions. He constructed a military compass, an instrument for measuring the expansion of liquids, and one of the early telescopes with which he discovered Jupiter’s satellites, irregularities on the surface of the moon, star clusters in the milky way and spots on the surface of the sun. He was initially skeptical of Copernicus’ theory however his observations and experiments affirmed his diagram of the universe. Critics attacked Galilei’s findings. They said that his “discoveries” were ridiculous to believe and that it was only is imagination or dreams. Galilei wrote a letter to Dowager Grand Duchess trying to reconcile his astronomical observations with the Bible. Isaac Newton, (1642-1727) was an English scientist and statesman. Although his views were thought to contradict the bible he was the only man of these three which proved his views to be true. He discovered gravity and the laws of motion. He stated that, ‘every particle in the universe is attracted to every other particle by

Social Values in Transition: 1789-1815, Alternate Visions

2002-01-29T13:00:00-05:00

Saint-Simon wanted to see scientists at the top of the political structure. He proposed the idea of a scientific priesthood of the Religion of Newton. Later he added industrialists and artists to the religion believing that emotions must be satisfied as well as reason. Francois Marie Charles Fourier wanted to liberate human nature. His theory was: What makes men happy? Their passions. What makes them miserable? The inhibition of their passions. Therefore the legislator must create a society in which men and women can indulge their passions to the full yet safely and harmoniously. Even destructive passions could be employed as butchers. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. In it he states, “ 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, Government is instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the government. That whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to abolish it, and to institute new Government . . . . . “ Robert Owen built a model industrial community with decent housing for the worker’s, schools, sanitation, and non-profit making stores. In the factories he owned the working conditions were measured against the prevailing standards. They were almost humane. He was trying to improve the worker’s lot, while making a nice profit in the meantime. Owen may be regarded as the founder of co-operative socialism. Thomas Malthus argued that any attempt to feed the starving masses only increased the masses and their misery. He believed that mathematical laws presided over human affairs. However when he applied them to the procreative process, the results were glum. In his opinion the gap between the supply of food and the number of people to be fed was bound to increase, for population increased at a geometrical ratio and food at a arithmetical ratio. There was a bright side however; there would be wars, famines, epidemics and so on. But that would not be enough. This problem would never be solved. Jeremy Bentham proved mathematically that the industrialist’s self interest best promoted the working man’s happiness. The premises of his theory, that the greatest good is the greatest happiness of the greatest number had not originated

The Tradition Challenged - Alfred Dreyfus and Emile Zola

2002-01-29T13:00:00-05:00

Captain Alfred Dreyfus was arrested in 1894 for treason. He was charged with giving military secrets to Germany. However his conviction was based on circumstantial evidence. Dreyfus was framed. While he suffered on Devils Island new evidence came about that indicated his innocence and nothing was done about it. Only one man had the courage to do something about it. His name was Emile Zola. He felt that he had to do something about it so he

Roosevelt - The West and the World

2002-01-29T13:00:00-05:00

America as a whole nation is fighting for the rights of the American people by attempting to preserve democracy. Franklin D Roosevelt began the lend-lease agreement in 1941. This allowed America to sell, lease or lend materials to a country that was considered important to the U.S. The understanding was that after the war was over the materials or it’s equivalent would be returned. Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms” speech helped move the Lend-Lease bill through congress well. Shortly after its passage seven billion dollars in aid was on its way to the Atlantic. After this passage many American ships were attacked after Roosevelt ordered “Attack any enemy vessels within the U.S. defensive zone”. Roosevelt wanted equity for all. He believed in the ability of freedom of speech and to practice all religions freely. “Americans have a right to freedom from fear”. He thought that enduring peace cannot be bought at the cost of other people’s freedom. In order to have all this one must come together with all of its energies, resources and organizational skills to regain and maintain a free world. Roosevelt wanted Americans to live in

War

2002-01-29T13:00:00-05:00

The war between Japan and the United States did not have to happen. It could have been prevented by diplomacy in 1941. The United States was Japan’s principle supplier of scrap metal and oil. In 1940 Japan signed a treaty with the government of France for the establishment of airbases in French Indochina. A proposal was made for a German/Italian/Japanese alliance against America. When America found out about that they were not happy, so they decided to take action. On September 26, America put an embargo on iron; steel scrap and oil shipments to the Far East to try to show their economic force to stop them, but it didn’t work. The three “axis” signed their treaty the

The Rise of Civilization and Writing

2002-01-24T13:00:00-05:00

The phenomenon of writing has been invented independently five separate times in the history of man. While History textbooks almost exclusively talk about the writing of Mesopotamia and Egypt, writing has also been developed in the Indus Valley, China, and Mesoamerica. This strange phenomenon has led many historians and anthropologist to conclude that writing is necessary for a complex society to exist. Nevertheless, there was a society located in the Andean Mountain in present day Peru in which writing was never invented yet it is still consider complex or, in other words, a civilization. This civilization, instead, used a method of record keeping that functioned in place of writing. This suggests that although there is a strong correlation between the development of a civilization and writing, it does not necessarily mean that writing is one of the causative factors in its rise. However, a record keeping system is crucial to a society’s evolution towards complexity. One civilization that developed writing was the Sumerians in Mesopotamia which is located in present day Iraq. The Sumerians impressed wet clay with the end of a reed leaving a wedge-shaped form. This kind of writing on clay is called cuneiform, from the Latin “cuneus”, meaning "wedge." Cuneiform owes its origins to the need arising from public economy and administration. With the rise in production of the country, accumulated surplus were sent to the cities. This necessitated a method of keeping account of all the goods coming into the cities as well as of manufactured goods leaving for the country. However before the first tablet was written, the Sumerians used an uncomplicated but inefficient system of recording transactions. It involved enclosing clay tokens signifying certain commodities and their quantities in a round clay object called a bulla. Seals of the individuals involved in the transaction were placed on the outside to validate the even. However to check the honesty of the deliverer, the bulla had to be destroyed to reconcile the goods with the tokens inside thereby destroying the record of the transaction as well. So to preserve the record, they impressed the tokens on the outside of the bulla before sealing them in. As time passed the bulla became the tablet and the impressions of tokens became symbolized by wedge-shaped marks. Eventually these marks came to denote distinct words and syllables of their spoken language. The purposes for writing also evolved. Sumerians wrote literature,

Stalinization: Justifying the Terror

2002-01-20T13:00:00-05:00

No other nation has developed at a more fast and alarming rate than Russia under the control of Comrade Joseph Stalin. The ‘Stalinization’ of Communist Russia may have seemed brutal and unjust, however, many historians agree that many of Stalin’s actions were completely necessary for Russia’s industrialization. Some of the actions taken included the Five Year Plan for Industry, Five Year Plan for Agriculture, and rapid urbanization. These are the three most important aspects of transforming The Soviet Union into a world economic power. It was soon realized that Lenin’s NEP (New Economic Policy) could not continue for much longer. It was granting Russian farmers to own they’re own land and to sell they’re produce for a profit. The NEP may have been effective for a short while to pull Russia out of her economic slump, but Marxist beliefs dictate that farms must be collectivized. This was the only way that the farms might be able to meet they’re target for grain production (which had fallen short by nearly 7 million tons under the NEP). In light of this, Stalin introduced the new Five Year Plan of Agriculture. There was about 25 million plots of privately owned land that were too small to be effective for Grain production. So under the Agriculture Plan, the walls between these small holdings were knocked down and the farms were collectivized. This meant that land could be cultivated much more efficiently with the use of fertilizers, tractors, and other such machinery that otherwise could not be used in a small, private holding. Thousands fled the countryside in fear of collectivization to join newly built cities. This led to a rapid urbanization of cities such as Novosibirsk and Moscow, that were expecting to house little more than three million, instead found themselves having to support over six-and-a-half million people that were finding jobs in the industrial work force. This was, however, very hard on the living conditions of the Russian people in these cities. Many people found it hard to get work. Others, with the highest paying jobs, still, were forced to have they’re families share one bedroom accommodations with one or two other families! With so many people in urban areas of Russia there were twice the amount of people working in the coal mines and drilling more oil wells. This in turn helped with Stalin’s Five Year Plan for Industry. A list of extremely high

Edward's War

2001-12-14T13:00:00-05:00

King Edward III's military tactics were the sole reason for the English victory at Crecy in 1346. Not only that, he was the reason for English success overall in the early stages of The Hundred Years War. The war was started because of a feudal dynastic struggle over the Duchy of Aquitaine, and also the French throne. The first major battle was dominated by Edward, it took place at Sluys in 1340. It was a naval battle, that despite his inexperience as an admiral, Edward took the reigns and led his country to a glorious victory over the French navy. After gaining complete access to France through the English Channel Edward led his men into France, and a battle that is placed among the greatest victories of all time. The battle of Crecy took place on August 26th 1346, Edward placed his men in defensive positions in between the towns of Crecy and Wadicourt. He then waited while the Massive French army of nearly 25,000 prepared for battle. The English men, 11,000 strong watched as the first line of French began their attack, they continued to watch as they were driven away by a rain of arrows. This was the theme of the battle. Edward's strategy was perfect, and the English suffered minor casualties. In the end, Crecy left the French questioning themselves. The Hundred Years War shifted to the favour of the English, at least during the first third of the war, in what most call, Edward's war. The English inheritance of the Duchy of Aquitaine began when Eleanor of Aquitaine married King Henry II in 1152. Edward III inherited it when he became king in 1327. Edward also had the right to lay claim to the French throne when King Charles IV died in 1328. Charles was the last remaining son of Phillip IV, all three of Phillip's sons died without producing a male heir to the throne. Since Edward III was the son of Isabella, Phillip IV's daughter, he lay in direct bloodline of the French King. Although " King Edward III was a more direct descendent, he at first conceded the throne to the favourite among the French nobility, Phillip of Valois." He did this under the circumstances that he would maintain ownership of the Duchy of Aquitaine. Phillip of Valois was son to Count Charles of Valois, and nephew to Phillip IV. Edward eventually decided that

Hannibal - Hannibal Crosses the Alps

2001-12-13T13:00:00-05:00

The march of Hannibal across the Alps onto Italy is thought to be legendary. Having read this book, that mere sentence is reiterated to its full extent. He had to fight his way through a Roman army, cross the Pyrenees (themselves a difficult range of mountains), then fight his way across southern France, for this area was under Roman control, then cross the formidable Alps. The scope of this accomplishment is often overlooked for Hannibal did much more than cross the formidable Alps. Hannibal Crosses the Alps by John Prevas, in my view, successfully accomplishes in crossing that visible line. He successfully captures every militaristic, psychological, and humanistic aspect of the second Punic War. His book successfully foretells the events leading to the demise of Carthage and the history of the ever brewing hate for the Romans. “The mountains were a dreadful sight before their eyes, high peaks, covered with snow and stretching to the sky, and all around them everything was stiff with cold. Shaggy, unkempt men perched on the crags above, more horrible to look upon than words can tell. All this renewed the fear of the column.”- Livy. By now Hannibal had abandoned his Spanish base with his army of 100,000 mercenaries and embarked on one of the most daring maneuvers in military history. He had successfully crossed the treacherous Rhone River, avoided a confrontation with the Roman army, and replenished his troops on “the island” by following the river northward [it is still uncertain to what Livy’s “the island” may refer to]. With guides provided from Brancus, the tribe leader of “the island”, he was successfully guided to the foothills of the Alps. Hannibal had now come to the Alpes du Dauphine. Although formidable mountains of from four to five thousand feet high, behind them, miles and days ahead loomed the most difficult part of the march at even higher altitudes and over more dangerous roadways. Eventually, after being ambushed by the shadowing allobroges and a three-day march, Hannibal’s army had reached the Durance river valley in full sight of their grave. The aforementioned quote by Livy was used by Prevas to describe the sight seen by the army of mercenaries. The last and the most difficult leg of the march laid in full view for the army to stare at awe. The Carthaginian column now stood at the valley of the Hautes Alpes, the highest and

Great War - changes in people's attitudes about government

2001-12-10T13:00:00-05:00

How far did the Great War change people's attitudes about how big a part a government should play in peoples's lives?

British Entrepreneurs and the decline of the British economy

2001-12-10T13:00:00-05:00

Was the British entrepreneur the most important single reason for the relative decline of the British economy in the late nineteenth century?

Despite a continued growth of production and wealth in absolute terms, the economy of "the first industrial nation" began to decelerate after 1870, in comparison with that of her closest competitors. This so called "decline" was caused by a number of factors not merely one as the question suggests, indeed Supple` s foreword (1) asks, "Are we to be concerned with the rate of growth of total income or of manufacturing output? Above all, by what standards do we assess `failure` or `success`?" Derek Aldcroft` s article, `The Entrepreneur and the British economy, 1870-1914 published in 1964 spearheaded the broad indictment of the British entrepreneur…(2)……. A/ They failed to adopt the best available techniques of production in many industries, ranging from ring-spinning and automatic weaving in cotton to the mechanical cutter and electrification of mines in coal. B/ They underestimated the growing importance of science, investing little in laboratories and technical personnel for research or for the effective exploitation of foreign research. C/ They over-invested in the old staple export industries such as cotton and iron, and were slow to move to the industries of the future such as chemicals, automobiles, and electrical engineering. D/ They were bad salesmen, especially abroad. E/ They were insufficiently aggressive in organising cartels to extract monopoly profits from the world a t large. I intend to investigate these areas, in addition to labour relations, education and the class system, as I feel that they have a distinct bearing on the late Victorian economic climate. The "technological retardist" theories are strongest in considering the erosion of “King Cotton` s” pre eminence, due in part to America` s competition and, the critics suggest, the British cotton manager` s lack of judgement. It is said that the slow adoption of the ring spindle in spinning, and the low uptake of the automatic loom in weaving seriously hampered those industries` competitive edge. The principle advantage of the ring spindle was it` s operation by unskilled female staff, whereas the traditional mule required skilled (mostly male) operatives, thus saving on labour costs. The disadvantage was that the ring needed more expensive cotton to make a given `fineness` or `count`. Given this information, replacement of old existing technology should only be undertaken if the total cost of the new technology is less than the variable cost

Stalin: Man or Monster?

2001-12-10T13:00:00-05:00

Do these sources give similar or different impressions of Stalin?

These sources give different impressions of Stalin, however there are some similarities. Source A is a cartoon published in Paris in the 1930´s. It shows Stalin and the results of his policies according to the artist. The cartoon features Stalin showing three pyramids of skulls as if he was a tour guide. The caption under reads, “Visitez L´URSS ses pyramides!” This translates to, “Visit the pyramids of the USSR!” This source is very famous and was drawn by an exiled Russian, therefore the artist could be bitter and biased against Stalin and his policies. Source B is an official Soviet painting of Stalin with workers at a hydroelectric power station in the 1930´s. It is trying to show the results of industrialization. It shows Stalin talking to the workers, they seem very proud to be meeting Stalin. Because it is an official Soviet painting it is very likely to be biased and a source of propaganda as it would be Stalin or the government who commissioned it. Source C is a photograph of Stalin congratulating wives of army officers. The women are reaching for Stalin in a fanatical manner; they seem desperate to touch him. The source is a photograph, which gives the impression that it is a reliable source. However this isn´t true, Stalin could have had the photograph doctored or had people pose and claimed it was showing something it wasn´t. The sources give very different impressions of Stalin. Source A shows Stalin to be a monster responsible for the death of millions of people. Stalin´s policies were responsible for the death of millions of people. Collectivization caused the death of thousands of Kulaks and left many homeless and starving. One million people were executed during the purges, two million people died in camps, one million people died in prison and eight million people died as a result of the work ethic Stalin began. Source B shows Stalin to be a great man who made Russian industry prosper. Stalin´s industrialization did make Russia a very successful industrial country. By the late 1930´s many Soviet workers had improved their conditions by gaining well-paid skilled jobs and earning bonuses for meeting targets. There was an almost non-existent unemployment rate. Stalin also encouraged woman to work by setting up childcare services; four out of five new workers recruited between 1932 and 1937 were women. Stalin also made education compulsory and

Early Colonial Settlements

2001-12-09T13:00:00-05:00

In the early seventeen hundreds, after the establishment of both New England and the Chesapeake, many similarities and differences arose between the two settlements. Some of the similarities and differences included such things as family life, economy, life expectancy, and society. In the Chesapeake area, the life expectancy and general healthiness of the settlers was dangerously low. Diseases like malaria, typhoid, and dysentery had a deadly effect on the inhabitants of the area, cutting 10 years off the life expectancy. Family life in the Chesapeake was also a problem. Women were very scarce which made a strong family life almost impossible. Unmarried pregnancies were everywhere and marriages did not usually last for very long due to a death of one of the partners. This lifestyle was greatly contrasted in the area of New England. New Englanders enjoyed clean water and moderate temperatures that slowed the spread of diseases among the people. The people of New England actually had a life expectancy of ten years more than that of a person living in England. Also, in New England the family life was very strong and important. Women usually wed by their twenties and had around ten children, with about eight of those that would survive. Another contrast in the lifestyle of the New Englanders to that of those in the Chesapeake was that women in the south would usually acquire land from their husbands after they died. In New England, however, the women would give up their property rights at marriage because widowhood was much less common and also because it did not promote the unity of marriage. One common point between the two civilizations was the very prominent class distinctions. In both areas settlers also fought to restructure these systems. Rebellions such as Bacon's 1676 rebellion in Virginia, and Leisler 1689 to 1691 rebellion in New York were due to the settler's unhappiness with the social class distinctions. Another similarity was that of relatively cheap and wages which almost tripled that of the English. Unity in New England was something that was not commonly found in the Chesapeake. New England's puritan ways easily molded this tightly knight colony. In the Chesapeake this was not the case. Farmers were more of loners who did not move or live in very close communities. New England grew in a more organized way, unlike the Chesapeake that was very spontaneous in its growth. New England also

Northern and Middle Colonies

2001-12-09T13:00:00-05:00

When the northern and middle colonies were founded, England had a strong hold over the colonies. They controlled development and the government, among other things. But as the colonies developed, they began to have an ever-growing sense of independence that was a threat to its English rulers. As a result of this England went through much trouble in constantly trying to regain full control of the colonies. Early in the Development of Massachusetts and the other New England colonies, the government of England had paid little attention to the colonies due to civil strife back at home. This neglect gave the colonies a somewhat independent feel. When Charles II came back to power in England, he decided to take a more active role in the English colonies of North America and stop the defiance of royal rule that was taking place. His first action was to give a charter to both Rhode Island and Connecticut, squatter settlements, which was a slap in the face to the colony of Massachusetts, which was, according to Charles II, ignoring royal rule. In 1684, as a show of power, Charles II revoked the charter of Massachusetts. The next action taken by England was the creation of the Dominion of New England. The primary purpose of the Domination of New England was too promote the English Navigation Laws which were not being followed. The Navigation Laws were meant to stop trade with non-English ruled countries. Another purpose of the Domination was to defend the colonies in case of attack by Native Americans in the area. The Domination of New England was very harsh in its rule. Headed by Sir Edmund Andros, he limited town meetings and put restrictions on such precious things as the courts, press, and schools. The Domination continued its rule, much to the dismay of the citizens, until the Glorious Revolution in 1688-1689. When the news of this revolution reached New England the Domination was immediately deteriorated. And Andros was sent back to England. Just when the New Englanders thought they had retained the freedom they previously had, when Massachusetts was made a royal colony and given a new charter. More English officials, judges, and clerks were sent to Massachusetts, many of who was not ft to hold the professions they were given. This greatly outraged the citizens of Massachusetts and further imposed their need for freedom. England's attempts at controlling their colonies in America

Native American Relations

2001-12-09T13:00:00-05:00

During the numerous years of colonization, the relationship between the English settlers and the Native Americans of the area was usually the same. Native Americans would initially consider the settlers to be allies, then as time passed, they would be engaged in wars with them in a struggle for control of the land. This process of friendship to enemies seemed to be the basic pattern in the majority of the colonies. When the English landed in Jamestown in 1607, the dominant tribe of the area was the Powhatan (which the English settlers named after the leader of the tribe, Powhatan). At first meeting, the Powhatan considered the settlers as allies, who may be able to aid them in their struggle for land and power over the other tribes in the area. These relations strained when starving settlers started to take food from the Native Americans. In 1610, any notion of alliance between the Powhatan and the Virginia settlers was immediately crushed when Lord De La Warr arrived with a declaration of war against all Indians in the Jamestown area. De La Warr used his "Irish Tactics" of burning houses and crops and taking prisoners to destroy the Native Americans in what was known as the First Anglo-Powhatan war. A peace treaty was signed, but lasted only eight years. The Powhatan killed 347 settlers, which lead to the Virginia Company to give orders for "a perpetual war without peace or truce." Although the Powhatan made one more attempt at destroying the Virginians, they were defeated again in the Second Anglo-Powhatan war. The peace treaty of 1646 eliminated all chance of the Powhatan coexisting with the Virginia settlers. The treaty also banished the Indians from their native lands, which lay the president for what was later known as a reservation. After this the number of Native Americans in Virginia dwindled to a low 10% of the population. In Carolina, the relationship between the settlers and the Native Americans started strongly as the Savannah Indians aided the settlers in their search of slaves for their plantations. They used the Manacled Indians as a major slave export, although it was greatly opposed by The Lords Proprietors in London. But in 1707 the Savannah Indians ended the alliance. They planed migrated to Maryland and Pennsylvania, which had better relationships between the Native Americans, but the Carolinas didn't like this idea so they attacked the Savannah Indians

Colonization

2001-12-09T13:00:00-05:00

During the early years of colonization and exploration in North America and Africa, many New World "collided" and brought to each other many new things, both good and bad. There were exchanges of ideas, products and crops that greatly advanced the cultures of all involved, but on the other hand, new diseases, and harsh treatment of one another were also present. Before the arrival of the Europeans to present day United States, the Native Americans treated their homeland with respect and with spiritual properties. Occasionally they burned sections of land in the wilderness for better hunting area, but other than that they provided no threat to its well being. This all changed when the European settlers arrived. The Europeans believed that humans had domination over the land. By building huge colonies, extensive road systems and for other technological advances, the colonizers greatly changed the face of our nation. Another impact on both the Native Americans and the Europeans was the sharing of native crops to each other. The Europeans brought back from the New World, tobacco, maize, beans, tomatoes, and potatoes, which provided food for the now greatly populated Europe. Other crops that were brought to Europe included blueberry, cranberry, papaya, wild rice, and pumpkin. In exchange for these great new crops the Europeans brought massive amounts of pigs, cattle, and horses. The horse highly effected the lives of the Native Americans by improving their hunting abilities. Another crop that did exceptionally well in the tropical climate of the Caribbean was the sugar cane brought over by Columbus. Not all things exchanged were beneficial, however. Europeans unknowingly brought with them many diseases that eventually plagues the Native Americans. Small pox, yellow fever, and malaria were some of the devastating diseases carried into the New World. Native Americans did also transfer the sexually transmitted disease of syphilis to the Europeans who had never experienced this before. Also, the ill treatment of the Native Americans by the land hungry Europeans virtually wiped out their civilization. Although at times they waged wars that would temporarily halt the European colonization, for the most part their voice in North America was forever muzzled. During the European exploration of Africa, similar events occurred. Europeans brought the crops of maize, manioc, and sweet potatoes, which they had received, from the Native Americans, to Africa. These crops fed the great increase of population that was occurring in Africa at the time.

Expansionism in the late 19th/ Early 20th century

2001-12-09T13:00:00-05:00

Expansionism in America during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century shared many similarities and differences to that of previous American expansionist ideals. In both cases of American expansionism, the Americans believed that we must expand our borders in order to keep the country running upright. Also, the Americans believed that the United States was the strongest of nations, and that they could take any land they pleased. This is shown in the "manifest destiny" of the 1840's and the "Darwinism" of the late 1800's and early 1900's. Apart from the similarities, there were also several differences that included the American attempt to stretch their empire across the seas and into other parts of the world. Throughout history, the United States had come off as a stubborn nation that would take what they wanted at any cost. This was prevalent in both cases of expansion as the Americans risked war and national safety for the sake of gaining land, or even merely for proving a point. During the early years of expansion, the Americans had pushed aside the Native Americans and whoever else inhabited the land they wanted. They believed that the land was rightfully theirs and that every one else was merely squatting on their territory. This idea was continued into the early twentieth century as the Americans looked to the oceans for new territories to their kingdom. This idea is greatly exemplified in document 'E', in which Senator Albert J. Beveridge delivers a speech to Congress, saying that, "…and thanksgiving to Almighty God that He has marked us as His chosen people, henceforth to lead in the regeneration of the world…" In contrary to America's earlier beliefs, however, the race for expansion became more of a global competition than that of controlling the surrounding lands. Other countries were quickly scooping the remaining uncontrolled territories up, and America felt that they needed to stake their clam in imperialism around the world. The cartoon presented in document "A" shows how all the European countries were picking away at the lands still open for taking. In addition to the sense of "catching up" with the other nations around the world. America also felt that they were more powerful than ever, with the addition of an improving navy, turning their attention to the seas for conquer. During the earlier attempts of expansion, America had virtually no navy, which made oversea conquest out of their

The Articles of Confederation

2001-12-09T13:00:00-05:00

The Articles of Confederation were the first basis of law and order in the newly formed United States. They built the first government and all the accompanying rules. The Articles of Confederation may have been a descent start, but it was not at all an effective one. One of the main problems with the Articles of Confederation was the poor management of money by the government. Because of the sour taste left in the American's mouths by British tariffs, they did not want to stress taxes very heavily. This proved to be a bad move on the part of the government. It was difficult to turn the people around to accept that the government did need money to keep the country stable, and the only resolution would be to tax goods. This reluctance is seen in document A, as the Rhode Island Assembly tells the government that their ways are unfair to the smaller states. The poor planing of the Articles of Confederation did not properly take into consideration all the factors necessary in taxation or collection of money, and this displeased many of the states. The government had no money to pay the militaries across the country, which was a great disappointment to the army, who felt they should be rewarded for their efforts against England. In document C, Delegate Joseph Jones writes to George Washington to tell him of the restlessness of the army over their inadequate compensation. Also, England's trade restrictions, and demands to collect debts obtained prior to the war were taking a toll on the economy of the struggling U.S. In document B it is clear that the market value of U.S. exports in England were dropping rapidly, as the population grew greater and greater every year. This meant more people with no place to sell or trade their goods. In addition to that, in document D, John Jay instructs the U.S. mister to England to relay America's great displeasure with their current actions. He tells him to demand that England's territories in North America be handed over to the U.S. He also asks that England lift the pre-war debt, for they are unfair. The United States also had a problem with obtaining the land around them; that they felt was rightfully theirs. Spain was very stubborn in letting the Americans use and settle past the Mississippi River. John Jay, in document F, tells congress how Diego de

Clay, Calhoun, Webster

2001-12-09T13:00:00-05:00

In 1816, soon after the end of the War of 1812, the British, who had failed to defeat the Americans in battle, attempted to shut down the newly formed American manufacturing business. They were sending over materials to the U.S. and extremely low prices in an effort to crate a stronghold over the U.S. These actions lead to the Tariff of 1816, which placed a 20-30% tax on all imported goods, in an attempt to protect U.S. industries. Strong debate arose over these issues in Congress, and strong leaders came about with those debates, in order to represent the feelings of the different areas in America. These three leaders were Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Daniel Webster. Webster was a representative from the North, a New Hampshire resident, who strongly opposed the Tariff of 1816. The view of the New England territory was for some protection, but not the entire amount outlined in the tariff. Their reasoning was that New England still maintained many of its reliance's on shipping and trade. Industry had not completely taken over in those areas, and because the tariff would limit trade in the New England ports, it would directly effect the New England economy. Webster took a strong stand in opposing this tariff for these very reasons, he in order to maintaining the well being of the northern states. Webster also stood against Clay's insistence for better transportation amongst the states. He went along with the New England belief that better roads would encourage migration towards the lands of the West, therefore dwindling the population of the Northern states. John Calhoun, a representative from South Carolina, also played a large roll in the congressional debates in the early 1800's. A fierce nationalist and former warhawk, he was much in favor of the Tariff of 1816. He believed that the South's future lay in the hands of manufacturing of cotton and other such products. With England trying to crush these industries, he saw the tariff as a helpful resource for his region. He later changed his position, opposing the tariff as he came to believe that the tariff only benefited the wealthy factory owners of the North, and did little to help the South. He looked out for the best interest of his state and the other states of the South. Henry Clay was another strong supporter of the Tariff of 1816. He was a western representative

Who was to Blame for the Cold War?

2001-12-08T13:00:00-05:00

I GOT AN A STAR AT GCSE LEVEL FOR THIS ESSAY, ENGLISH SPELLING... HOPE U LIKE... Everyone’s opinion is different, some say one thing, some say another but the big question is, who was to blame for the Cold War? The United States of America? The Soviet Union? Maybe it was inevitable and bound to happen, but maybe it was partly both of their faults. Could the Cold War have been prevented? There are many points that can argue and back up all of the above opinions. I will be examining different sources and viewpoints in this essay and conclude it with my own and other historian’s opinions. There are three divisions of western historians when it comes to their opinion on the Cold War, the Traditionalists, the Revisionists and the Post-Revisionists. Each party have their own opinion on who was actually to blame for the Cold War. Traditionalists are historians who believe that the Soviet Union were to blame, Revisionists, who believe that the United States were to blame and Post-Revisionists believe that both the USA and the Soviets were to blame. Each group has reasons for believing what they believe and they will all be argued within this essay. There are many points that may have triggered the Cold War. Firstly, the history of mistrust between the USA and the Soviet Union that formed after their alliance in World War II. The USSR were scared that their Communist system was under threat from the Capitalists, but the Capitalists thought the same thing about the Communists. Both systems believed that they were doing the right thing. The USSR believed that the West were hostile towards them because of a few points.

1919 – USA, Britain and France sent troops across to help the USSR’s opponents.
1938 – Stalin believed that there was an indication of Western support to Hitler after the two European countries, Britain and France turned down an Anti-Hitler alliance.
USSR believed that the British policy of appeasement was a plan to help Hitler.
1941 – Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, afterwards, the USA, Britain, France and the Soviet Union fought in an alliance. Stalin urged his allies to launch a second front. The other three countries were not ready to launch such an attack until June 1944v (D-Day.) Stalin thought that the other countries were deliberately waiting for Germany to weaken the Soviet Union before the front was launched.
The Soviets were not invited

Foreign Policy

2001-12-08T13:00:00-05:00

Foreign policy relates to international matters such as participation in NATO, international trade agreements, and maintaining peaceful relations with the Soviet Union and other nations. It is the principle and activities that constitute the role of the United States in relation to the rest of the world. National security is the primary goal of foreign policy. It also holds the security of United States citizens and properties abroad. With foreign policy the United States tries to maintain international stability. Also with foreign policy we are able to help other country's with economic assistance. The United States is able to provide many needy country's with food, supplies, and money. In fact, since World War II the United States has been able to provide over a hundred nations with three hundred billion dollars. The president is kind of like the head of foreign policy. He is the commander in cheif, he also heads the sea, land, and air forces of the united States. He is head of American foreign policy through the powers granted by the Constitution or acquired through tradition. He is chief diplomat and head of state, and being that he is able to represent the United States at hime and abroad. He can initiate treaties and agreements with foreign leaders. There are also many people and agencies that help the president with some of his decisions regarding foreign policy. The president does not do it all by himself. Foreign policy affects the people, The decisions on foreign policy are very complex. Foreign policy has an effect on international relations and on national security. We Americans are a blessed people in a blessed land. We exist in a time of unprecedented prosperity. Our farms feed ourselves and much of the world. The devastation of war has not touched our soil in 140 years. Millions every year risk their lives, in ways legal and illegal, to become part of the on-going experiment called the United States of America. Many die in the attempt; a few arrive with malice, and wreak havoc far disproportionate to their numbers before they are inevitably brought to ground; but most come with a hope and ambition that transcends color and language, and contribute to that constant national re-invention and re-invigoration that makes us so unique. At the end of one century and the beginning of another, we seem

The Civil War of Rome

2001-12-07T13:00:00-05:00

The Civil War in the eyes of most people is not glorious, but rather one of the worst crimes you could possibly commit when the state is all-important. Only under the most extreme circumstances should one be allowed to (in the eyes of the people that is) begin a Civil War with just cause. Caesar took this into consideration, but too many things were going wrong in Rome for him not to begin the war. The first of many problems was the collapse of the Triumvirate. The Triumvirate was one of the main parts of the government of Rome, with which there were three leaders, which at the time were Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus. This was never truly working all that great, but held itself together by the marriage of Caesar’s daughter Julia, to Pompey, and the friendship Caesar and Crassus shared. But, all this came to an end when Crassus was killed in a battle against a Parthian army. Then, not too long afterwards, Julia was murdered by someone who had broken into her home. This, destroyed the bond between Caesar and Pompey, and made them drift apart. Caesar seeing all this taking place, attempted to restore the bond by proposing to Pompey’s only daughter, but was not allowed to by Pompey. To only make matters worse, Rome was slowly slipping into total anarchy. The government was becoming corrupt with bribery. The elections were being stopped, and there wasn’t a consul elected in 53 or 52 B.C. Most authority was lost, the streets became rioted, and unsafe. During this time, Pompey tried to annul the Law of Ten Tribunes without notifying Caesar. If this happen, it would of removed a lot of Caesar’s power. Caesar saw what he was trying to do, and stopped it before this action took place, and now knew for sure that Pompey was no longer his ally, but instead an enemy. Pompey tried another devious act against Caesar, which this time worked. He had the senate pass a law that made Pompey and Caesar both give up troops, and send them to the East, where they were supposedly needed against the Parthians. This seemed fair, but it made Caesar lose two legions, one that was lent to him by Pompey in the Gallic Wars, and one of his own. Once they were positioned there, Pompey decided they were no longer needed, and sent them to Capua (a

9/11 - The Way we Were

2001-12-05T13:00:00-05:00

As you listen to the news, radio, or read a newspaper, you notice one thing in common after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City--unity. New Yorkers have known to be "hard-ass'" and the rudest people you'll ever meet. Self-indulged in their own world, they knocked people down who stood between them and the next step ahead of them. We, as Americans, felt the effect of the destruction all over the nation, although it didn't happen in our hometown. Most people either knew someone, or knew someone who knew of someone that worked in the WTC building or were on those flights. Not until our safety was raped from us did we stop to unite, as a country, to help those in need. America is known as "the land of opportunities." Therefore, we are taught that to obtain our cultural goals, we must try to achieve them by almost any means necessary. America was a very self-absorbed country. For instance, look at the 80's, that era named "the era of greed." We're a very wealthy country; with wealth comes greed. We like to keep money in our pockets at all times--meaning we always want to have money. Everywhere you look now, there it is, the American flag: our symbol of pride. "One nation, under God with liberty and justice for all." We have become united as a nation. The American Red Cross has raised millions of dollars with the help of normal, everyday citizens. Celebrities have joined together and held telethons to raise millions of dollars also. The American flag has been in such high demands all over the country that they're almost impossible to find in stores. From car washes to simple donation buckets in supermarkets, everywhere you go people are contributing. Before the 9/11 attacks, one would never have doubts about who's on the same flight as you, or feeling compelled to wash your hands after touching the mail. We took for granted what most people don't have--freedom. The freedom to walk down the street without the fear of seeing a terrorist act and living without the fears of being on a national heighted security alert for more terrorist attacks. Hell, we're "the land of the free," or perhaps we took for granted that we really were. Because of these attacks, many people are having second thought about doing many everyday things. Flying is a huge phobia

Prohibiton

2001-11-21T13:00:00-05:00

What was Prohibition Introduced? In the 1920’s American politics was dominated by democracy and the idea of isolationism to keep America prosperous was incredibly apparent. However in 1919, President Wilson passed the 18th Amendment to the American Constitution prohibiting the manufacture, distribution and consumption of alcoholic drinks (any drink containing over 0.5% alcohol). Prohibition was not just a novel American idea, at the turn of the Twentieth Century, other countries were also experimenting with limiting or totally banning the production, distribution and consumption of alcoholic drinks the primary origins can be found all over the world. However, to find the origins for the American Prohibition we must look back to rural America in the Nineteenth Century. Wilson was also pressured into passing the Prohibition Act by the powerful temperance movement during the Great War, claiming that alcohol was unpatriotic as it was made by American’s from German descent. Even though he tried to veto the amendment, he was overturned by Congress and reluctantly passed the legislation. The law itself was amazingly ambitious as alcohol was the seventh largest industry in a nation which was ruled by “big business” and was an established and respected as part of the businesses which provided the wealth of America. Although the technical reason as to why the Prohibition Law was passed was because 66% of the Constitution voted for it, one of the main reasons why Prohibition happened was because of its mass support. By 1920, thirty-three out of forty-eight states had passed Prohibition laws, making approximately 63% of the total population of America ‘dry’. The main support for Prohibition came from moral crusaders in the South who were very anti-urbanisation like the American Society for the Promotion of Temperance in Boston and the Washington Temperance Society, whose groups grew in number between the 1820’s and the 1840’s. These groups campaigned against the effects of drinking liquor. Often this excessive drinking was blamed on the industrialisation of the rural areas in many counties as a result of social and economic change at this time. There were some protesters like the Irish Catholics who apparently were against prohibition because of their love of gin (!) as well as the congressmen of Massachusetts who famously said that, “the better the county the higher the alcohol content”. Still this was the beginning of the battle where it appeared that it was a case of “cornbelt over conveyor belt”. Supporters claimed that alcohol deprived

World Trade Center Tragdy

2001-11-19T13:00:00-05:00

At 8:45am

Why Was There Relative Stability in the Balkans, In the Period 1890-1908?

2001-11-17T13:00:00-05:00

Between the years of 1890 and 1908 there was a period of relative stability in the Balkan area. Whilst, in this essay, it is my primary objective to look at what factors caused this, it is first important to understand that the climate was only stable in comparison to the years before it – when there was great tension, argument and conflict. It would be naïve to assume that after 1890 there was none of the aforementioned; the importance of the word ‘relative’ should not be overlooked. Take, for example, the infamous Armenian massacres of 1894 and 1896. At that time there were about a million Armenians under Turkish rule. They were a badly oppressed minority, discriminated against in just about every conceivable way. When the Armenian people began to press for improved rights and independence, the Turkish reaction was to silence them through acts of murder. This is clearly not an act usually associated with stability. Another prime example that the stability in the Balkans was only ever relative is the crisis of 1903. The Serbian King was assassinated in a military coup and replaced by King Peter, who belonged to a different dynasty. He was pro-Russian which angered Austria-Hungary, who had been allied with Serbia. Austria-Hungary placed economic sanctions on the Serbs in the hope of forcing them back into an alliance, but this only succeeded in worsening relations between the two and pushing Serbia into Russian hands. That said, there is no doubt that the climate surrounding the Balkans was far more relaxed and stable between 1890 and 1908 than it had been for many decades beforehand. There were several factors that contributed to this, the primary reason being (in my opinion) the change in Russian foreign policy. Before 1890, Russian was often the root cause of tension and conflict, because of her foreign policy objectives – she had two principle objectives: to unite the Slav people of the Balkans, in order to create a ‘Greater Motherland’, and also to gain greater access to The Straits. This was most evident in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877, where Russia had emerged victorious, and attempted to create a ‘Bigger Bulgaria’ of Slav people in the (eventually) abortive treaty of San Stefano. After 1890 Russia felt that if they continued to pursue their interests in the Balkans, it was a lot of trouble for possibly no gain, so instead she began looking to

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke

2001-11-16T13:00:00-05:00

Established in 1968, the medical school at the University of California implemented a special admissions program to increase the representation of minorities in each entering class. There was one underlying problem with their special admissions program that was not addressed until 1973 when Allan Bakke submitted his application to the University of California. Their special admissions program worked by reserving sixteen percent of the entering class for minorities. The minorities entering through this special admissions program were processed and interviewed separately from the regular applicants. The grade point averages and standardized test scores from the special-admissions entrants were significantly lower than the grade point averages and standardized test scores of the regular entrants, including our dear friend Allan Bakke. In 1973 Allan Bakke applied to the medical school at the University of California. His application was rejected because it was turned in near the end of the year and by the time his application was up for consideration they were only accepting those who had scored 470 or better on their interview scores. Bakke had only scored a 468 out of the possible 500. When he learned that four of the special-admissions spots were left unfilled at the time his application was rejected he wrote a letter to Dr. George H. Lowrey, the associate dean and chairman of the admissions committee, stating how the special admissions system was unjust and prejudiced. When Bakke applied again in 1974 he was once again rejected. This time Bakke sued the University of California. His position was that the school had excluded him on the basis of his race and violated his rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, the California Constitution, and civil rights legislation. The trial court ruled in Bakke’s favor, however they did not order the University of California to admit him. Bakke appealed to the California Supreme Court where they ruled that the school’s admissions programs were unconstitutional and ordered the school to admit Bakke as a student. The school appealed this decision and brought it to the Supreme Court to argue their case on October 12th 1977. The Supreme Court upheld the California Supreme Court’s decision with a 5-4 vote. The Court also ruled that the special-admissions program constituted reverse discrimination and was therefore illegal. The Court also said that schools could continue to look at race as a factor when accepting applicants, but they could not set up a

Ancient Egypt - Land of the River

2001-11-16T13:00:00-05:00

“All of Egypt is the gift of the Nile.” It was the Greek historian Herodotus who made that observation. The remarkable benefits of the Nile are clear to everyone, but through history he was the first to talk about it and consider its fascination. Through history, the Nile played a major role in the building of civilizations. The first civilizations to appear in history started on a river valley or in a place where resources are numerous and example of these are in India where Indus river is found and Tigris where Euphrates is found and many other places (cradles of civilization). The Nile is the longest river in the world, cuts a swath of green and life through the bareness of the giant Sahara desert in northern Africa. It is almost 4160 miles long from its remotest head stream, the Lavironza river in Burundi, in central Africa to its delta on the Mediterranean sea north east of Egypt. The river flows northward and drain 1100100 square miles, about tenth the size of Africa, passing through ten African countries. It has many tributaries but there are two main ones: the White Nile fed by lake Victoria and the Blue Nile coming from Ethiopian mountains. These two main branches join near Khartoum, the capital of Sudan and they continue together as Nile proper until meeting the Mediterranean Sea and forming the Nile delta in northern Egypt. Around 5000 BC, one of the first great civilizations developed in the northern Nile river valley dependent on agriculture in a land called Egypt. Water; Fertile soil; and river’s flow north while prevailing wind blows south made the Nile the best transportation way, were examples of the Nile gifts. Another gift is that every year the flood came bringing disaster and famine due to destroying the crops and their villages. The first forms of government appeared in Egypt when the Egyptians organized their efforts under one leadership to avoid the disasters of the yearly flood. On the other hand Nile flooding caused some problems in landmarks. Simple geometry had to be found to keep the boarder and a simple system metric (invention of the nilometer) to study the Nile flow and flood every year. As the state grew and more complex religious and political systems started to emerge, the need for a system to record events and rituals was growing too. Therefore, the need to have written

Truman Doctrine

2001-11-13T13:00:00-05:00

"I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free people who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressure." (Harry Truman mach 1947). This is part of the speech Harry S. Truman gave to congress on the behalf of small countries falling to the pressures of communism. The Truman Doctrine was a anti-communist foreign policy that would change of the world. Turkey and Greece were under a great threat by the Soviet-supported rebels seeking to topple the government and install communist power. This made the United States and especially Truman very nervous. This is why the Marshall Plan which is one of the direct influence to the Doctrine was thought up. This plan was designed to give aid to any european country damaged during WW2. It tremendously helped ravaged European nations such as Italy and France. By helping these countries the United States was economically forcing away communism. This was the way the United States had it all planned out. We weren't making the Communist very mad cause it was very indirect but later on this wouldn't be the case. The process by which the Truman Doctrine came about was a long and tedious one. After WW2 the US and Soviet Union were at the top of all world powers. Everything was pretty much equal such as military, economics, and nuclear power. The one thing that scared the US the most was the fact that the Soviets were greedy and wanted more and more land. This is where we began to see a huge threat to Greece, Turkey, and Iran. Because of all this on March 12, 1947 President Harry S. Truman gave a speech to congress that would later be call the Truman Doctrine. The Truman Doctrine would ask for a total of 400 million dollars for both Greece and Turkey (Freeland pg. 87). The money for Greece would be split between economic and military aid and for Turkey the aid was entirely for military purposes. The President had turned debate on two modest proposals into a vote of confidence on his administration's foreign policy and a test of American willingness to resist a threat defined to endanger the basic security and values of the American society (Pemberton pg. 92). By Truman doing this it almost put congress at a no win situation. Congress couldn't go against Truman cause this speech was nationally

Imperialism in India

2001-11-13T13:00:00-05:00

British imperialism on India had many positive and negative affects on both the mother country, Britain and the colony, India. Many people would argue which effects were more prominent in these countries and some would agree that they were equal. But in both cases there were actually both. In India the British colonization had more positive affects than negative. For Instance, When the British colonized India they built 40,000 miles of railroad and 70,000 miles of paved roadway. As a result the British made it much easier to travel across India. Another good affect that the British had on India was the jump in agriculture, through large scale irrigation works. About 30 million acres were put into cultivation. Industrialization had also begun. Because of all these reasons almost no famine existed in British colonial India. The English also built many institutions in India and setup a productive government. “They have framed wise laws and have established courts of justice”(The Economic History Of India Under Early British Rule). In addition to all these positive affects, Britain also linked India to the modern world through modern science and modern thought. However, where the is good there has to be bad. British colonization of India had it’s drawbacks. As the great Mohandas Gahndi once said “ You English committed one supreme crime against my people. For a hundred years you have done everything for us. You have given us no responsibility for our own government.” At first glance this may seem like a positive effect but Ghandi did not intend it to be. Because even though it was a good thing that England setup a government in India they turned it into a burden because they did not let any natives into the important positions. They “mommied” the Indians if you will. Another negative effect England had on India was the breaking up of traditional industries. Prior to Britain colonizing India there were many more divers skilled labors. Such as shipbuilding, metalwork, glassblowing, and paper making. With the break up there was a noticeable rise in the unemployment India. India was not the only country affected by the annex to the British empire though. This annexation affected Great Britain as well. Although the effects were not as devastating they still caused some change. But overall Britain definitely benefited from the colony of India. They got more raw materials and they also got more land. On

Claudius

2001-11-11T13:00:00-05:00

The emperor, Claudius, was a man with great integrity, individuality, common sense, patriotism and determination. From his struggles as a child to his death, was a remarkable journey. Many historians today and ancient Rome have placed him amongst the greats of all time. Despite his physical disabilities and background, Tiberius Claudius Nero contributed much to the greatness of the Roman Empire. Tiberius Claudius Nero is the youngest son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia (Daughter of Antony and Octavia), giving him royal blood. He was born on August 1st, 10BC, in the city of Comata, which is in the Region of Lugdunum (Modern Day Lyon, France). He was an unwanted child since birth. It is said that he had a sick and ugly appearance, with cerebral palsy. Yet, against the odds, he became an emperor, made many contributions to the benefit of the Roman society. According to many sources, Claudius was rejected from his own family due to his appearance; even his mother frequently mocked him. He would have been the normal choice to succeed Tiberius, had the monarchical family not thought him, unfit for the office. However, only Augustus thought Claudius as not stupid and granted Claudius a non-governmental priesthood position. Claudius was trained as a scholar, by the historian Livy and wrote several histories and literary works in Latin and Greek. (None of his work has survived, although there are inscriptions and fragments that provide some insight into his thinking). Claudius was considered a fool and kept out of public life until his insane nephew, Calligula, became emperor and appointed him as consul (alongside Calligula's horse) as a joke. After the assassination of Calligula, Claudius was found hiding in the palace, scared for his own life. The Praetorian Guards, interested in keeping their job as the Emperor's bodyguard, declared Claudius as emperor and forced the Senate to do the same. The soldiers, courtiers, freedman and foreigners were his main followers. Nevertheless, they did not dream that Claudius would be known as one of the greats. Claudius' reign is marked with the expansion of the Roman Empire. He had great sympathy for the traditions of the old Roman Republic than previous rulers of the house of Caesar. But a futile revolt in the Senate, within a year after he became emperor, made him favour the army. In 43AD, he conquered Britain, where his troops accepted him as a god (Smith, Mahlon. H,

Why was Hitler able to rise to power in Germany in 1933?

2001-11-09T13:00:00-05:00

On 30th January 1933, Hindenburg received Hitler in audience and appointed him chancellor. It came as a shock to some people but many believed that Hitler’s rise to power was inevitable. Some state that Hitler could not have risen to power in any country other than Germany, implying that he was nothing more than a product of German culture. Others say that Hitler rose to power by means of his political genius. And yet still others claim that it was the weak democratic government of the Weimar Republic, and Germany’s social and economic scene in the 1930’s that made the people restless and ready for a dictator to come to power. There was no single reason for Hitler’s rise to power. However the main reasons were that the political and economic chaos of the 1920’s and the 1930’s joined forces with German culture that enabled Hitler to rise to power. Both play an equal part. Together, both created a unique situation for Hitler’s rise. Hitler was in part a product of German culture. German culture at the time stood out as particularly aggressive and racist. The values and ideas found in this culture’s history inspired Hitler to do many things that he did and can explain in part why he felt the way he did on certain issues. For example there were talks of the master race in the past history of Germany by the German philosophers, which might have given Hitler his ideas on the Aryan race. Many people believe that German culture is by nature racist, militaristic, and anti-Semitic. Germany was an opportune place for Hitler to come to power. German people, feeling confused by the social and economic chaos of the 1920’s and 1930’s could do nothing but gravitate towards someone like Hitler. Hitler had answers for everyone’s problems. He promised to restore order and greatness. And many people accepted Hitler with open arms. Which was partly due to poor alternatives and due to the fact that Hitler told the people what they wanted to hear. Since at the time the German people were without jobs resulting from the crises and were open to anyone who promised to bring back social order and economic control. Hitler promised both of these things. The German people would have supported almost any candidate who could have made them feel as Hitler did. They wanted to feel good about themselves and

Hernan Cortes - Reasons for Success

2001-11-09T13:00:00-05:00

Why was Cortes with 508 soldiers able to conquer the Aztec Empire with millions of people? Cortes was able to conquer the Aztecs for several very different reasons. In combination these reasons allowed him to have the upper hand in the conquest of Mexico. Arguably these reasons can be sorted into six different categories. The various causes for Cortes’ success will be assessed in a climax pattern. To begin with the Aztecs had a harsh tribute system that was not popular among the people of Mexico. This cruel tribute system allowed Cortes to act as a liberator. Furthermore, with the Spanish brought several diseases into Mexico in witch they were immune to but the Aztecs were not. The spread of diseases such as small pox reduced the Aztec population and furthered Cortes’ success unintentionally Also Marina was a tribal girl given as a gift to Cortes, she proved invaluable in translating local dialects in combination with Geronimo de Aguilar. Also an important aspect of his success was due to Montezuma’s belief that Cortes was Quetzakoatl. A predominant reason for the Spanish success was due to their weaponry especially their armour and firepower. Perhaps the most important reason of all was that of Cortes’ Indian allies such as the Tlaxcalans who made up the majority of his combined army. All these reasons worked together to allow Cortes, originally with 508 men to conquer the Aztec Empire of millions of people. To begin with, the Aztec’s cruel tribute system allowed Cortes to act as a liberator. The process of human sacrifice was extremely common and was feared by the majority of the common people. The Aztecs as a nourishment for the Sun and all other gods needed human sacrifice. The Aztecs sacrificed between 10,000 and 50,000 victims per year. As the majority of those who were sacrificed were war captives who opposed the Aztecs, they obviously greatly feared the brutal tribute system. However not only war captives were sacrifices, common adults and children were also sacrificed at times. Cortes himself was disgusted at the thought of human sacrifice, this allowed him to gain Indian allies as well as gain respect among Mexican tribes that feared and opposed the Aztecs. The majority of the population feared the process therefore making Cortes, whom despised the process, an appealing alternative. Many followed Cortes as they shared the same views on the ‘human sacrifice’ topic. Because Cortes posed

Flying Tigers

2001-11-09T13:00:00-05:00

Flying Tigers is the name of a mercenary group of American pilots that helped defend China and the Burma Road from the bombing of the Japanese during World War II. The name of their planes was Tomahawks, but the Chinese called them Fei Hu for the sharks teeth painted on their planes. Flying Tigers were known as the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force. The Flying Tigers did not see combat until December 1941 when the Japanese started bombing China. Jim Gordon, the leader of the Flying Tigers, was running short on pilots after the war had started so he began searching for new pilots. Blackie, one of the volunteers, wanted to be part of the Flying Tigers, but Jim didn’t want Blackie. So his wife begged Jim to let Blackie into his group. One day during the Japanese bombing, Blackie’s plane caught on fire. He jumped out attached to his parachute, but one of the Japanese planes saw him and shot him. Another volunteer, Woody, joined the Flying Tigers, he wanted to prove to Jim Gordon that he was an expert at flying planes. During the first attack, Jim wouldn’t let Woody fly, but Woody flew anyway. When he was aiming for a soldier, he noticed that his plane didn’t have bullets and was nearly killed. After that happened, Jim thought Woody would one day be a good pilot because he was brave enough to take on three Japanese planes all by himself with no bullets. When the day of December 7, 1941 hit, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced on the radio that Pearl Harbor was bombed which was, “A Day of Infamy,” and when Jim heard on the radio he was very disappointed. The next day he decided to bomb Japan to help defend his country by himself, but Woody pretended to be the pilot flying the plane because he wanted to help Jim. When they got to Japan, they were aiming for a train full of Japanese soldiers. They started firing at them and when their plane caught fire, Jim and Woody decided to jump out. Then, all of a sudden, Woody pushed Jim out of the plane and flew the plane directly into the train and sacrificed his life to help Jim and his country. The movie demonstrated the need for teamwork and participation. At first, Woody cared more about his paycheck than any of

Civics

2001-11-08T13:00:00-05:00

Civics is the study of citizenship and government. The word comes from the Latin word CIVIS, meaning "citizen." In ancient Rome, where the word was first used, only wealthy landowners were allowed to be citizens. As such, they enjoyed special privileges that the common people did not share. Today the word CITIZEN-a member of a community with a government and laws-applies to most people. Wealth and property are no longer requirements for citizenship. Being a citizen means much more than just living in a country. American citizens who live abroad are still citizens of the United States. Similarly, many foreigners living in this country remain citizens of

The Enlightenment

2001-11-08T13:00:00-05:00

The Age of Enlightenment saw many great changes in Western Europe. It was an age of reason and philosophes. During this age, changes the likes of which had not been seen since ancient times took place. Such change affected evert pore of Western European society. Many might argue that the Enlightenment really did not bring any real change, however, there exists and overwhelming amount of facts which prove, without question, that the spirit of the Enlightenment was one of change—specifically change which went against the previous teachings of the Catholic Church. Such change is apparent in the ideas, questions, and philosophies of the time, in the study of science, and throughout the monarchial system. Previously, the Catholic Church had professed to the entire medieval world that faith in God was absolute. Indeed, the medieval world was truly an age of faith. As such, ideas that went against the teachings of God were ignored and their preachers subsequently murdered. After the Crusades brought back old Aristotelian learning from the middle east, all this changed. Advances in Geography were made with the introduction of Ptolemaic Geography. More importantly than the rediscovery of ancient geography was the beginning of skepticism in Western Europe. No longer would the Church’s word be taken on faith. The idea that the physical world could be understood through the use of empiricism—analytical thought—was also introduced. René Descartes even began to doubt his own existence until coming to the conclusion: “I think, therefore, I am.” In this age we see the rise of deism. No longer is a priest’s cryptic and dogmatic preachings the sole explanation for weather, personal failure, and scientific phenomena such as electricity. With deism, religion now merely server a spiritual purpose and science is free to begin exploring the world. The Catholic Church, when confronted with the reintroduction of the Ptolemaic Universe proclaimed that it was in accordance with the Bible as it put a “scientific” twist to the Church’s main beliefs: that God had created the Universe for man and man alone and that, as such, the Earth was at the centre of the Universe. During the Pre-Enlightenment and Enlightenment periods, man began to question that model of the Universe. Copernicus’ revolutionary model of the Universe placed the Sun at the centre of the Universe. Though Copernicus’ ideas were only allowed to b e published as he was on his deathbed, the Church grudgingly agreed to

Jewish Involvement in Shaping American Immigration Policy, 1881- 1965: A Historical Review

2001-11-08T13:00:00-05:00

This paper discusses Jewish involvement in shaping United States immigration policy. In addition to a periodic interest in fostering the immigration of co- religionists as a result of anti- Semitic movements, Jews have an interest in opposing the establishment of ethnically and culturally homogeneous societies in which they reside as minorities. Jews have been at the forefront in supporting movements aimed at altering the ethnic status quo in the United States in favor of immigration of non- European peoples. These activities have involved leadership in Congress, organizing and funding anti- restrictionist groups composed of Jews and gentiles, and originating intellectual movements opposed to evolutionary and biological perspectives in the social sciences. Ethnic conflict is of obvious importance for understanding critical aspects of American history, and not only for understanding Black/ White ethnic conflict or the fate of Native Americans. Immigration policy is a paradigmatic example of conflict of interest between ethnic groups because immigration policy influences the future demographic composition of the nation. Ethnic groups unable to influence immigration policy in their own interests will eventually be displaced or reduced in relative numbers by groups able to accomplish this goal. This paper discusses ethnic conflict between Jews and gentiles in the area of immigration policy. Immigration policy is, however, only one aspect of conflicts of interest between Jews and gentiles in America. The skirmishes between Jews and the gentile power structure beginning in the late nineteenth century always had strong overtones of anti- Semitism. These battles involved issues of Jewish upward mobility, quotas on Jewish representation in elite schools beginning in the nineteenth century and peaking in the 1920s and 1930s, the anti- Communist crusades in the post- World War II era, as well as the very powerful concern with the cultural influences of the major media extending from Henry Ford’s writings in the 1920s to the Hollywood inquisitions of the McCarthy era and into the contemporary era. That anti- Semitism was involved in these issues can be seen from the fact that historians of Judaism (e. g., Sachar 1992, p. 620ff) feel compelled to include accounts of these events as important to the history of Jews in America, by the anti- Semitic pronouncements of many of the gentile participants, and by the self- conscious understanding of Jewish participants and observers. The Jewish involvement in influencing immigration policy in the United States is especially noteworthy as an aspect of ethnic

2001: A Peace Odyssey?

2001-11-04T13:00:00-05:00

Introduction When I was in Ireland in 1997, I learned one important thing within few days: Do not ask, talk or enter into discussions about the contentious issues of politics and religion, and so I did not. However, it is impossible to touch Irish ground without also touching the fringes of what is popular referred to as the ‘Irish Question’. I noticed armed soldiers guarding the polling place at a by-election in county Armagh, a lorry driver vehemently expressed his disgust at the Irish tricolour and an elderly gentleman passionately told the history of Ireland. Naturally he focused on the events that have caused Irish nationalists grieving for centuries, e.g. Cromwell’s conquest of Ireland, King William of Orange’s defeat of James II, the confiscation of the land of Catholics and their degradation to tenant farmers. He did not mention the Rebellion in 1641 or the Siege of Derry. To outsiders, the logic of this conflict is difficult to understand. Although King William’s seizure of the throne was the foundation of democracy and the end to monarchical dominion over the British Isles, the Glorious Revolution is hardly remembered in England. However, “Orangemen see the victory [over James II] as an historic triumph for civil and religious liberty.” This is what they celebrate every year in July, and is of course what offends Catholics. Their perception of the parades is one of Protestants showing off their ultimate defeat of Catholicism. Misunderstandings, lack of communication and refusal to understand the others’ standpoint seem to be the root of the conflict. A wind of change blew over Northern Ireland in 1998. An overwhelming majority endorsed The Good Friday Agreement leaving hope for the future. But recently the peace process has slowed down. The compromises made in the Agreement were obviously easier to write down than to implement. One side has been accused of not keeping their promises, and the other has, as a result of this, been reluctant to continue the process. The former are Sinn Féin and the IRA, the latter are Protestants and unionists. Since the Troubles started in the late 1960s, Protestants have been split regarding the peace process. The majority wants peace. However, there is an extremely different perception of the price at which it should be bought. In the following sections, the differences between and the reasons for the Protestant attitudes to the peace process will be examined. The Peace Agreements –

The Economic Boom 1920s

2001-10-29T13:00:00-04:00
After the First World War America was a completely different country. The twenties was a very unusual time period in American History. The twenties were a time of fun and partying. There are many reasons why it was called the Roaring Twenties. Most of the American people were living a great life and were able to afford luxury items, even though this didn’t apply to every one many believed that it was excellent and exciting a time of great hopes. In the twenties, industry took a very big step. It nearly doubled. Not only did industry grow so did science, fads, laws, beliefs, arts, social lives changed, sports and the various different news from around the globe. The twenties were a jam-packed decade. The work week had dropped from 60 to 48 hours. For the first time, the Americans considered play as important as work. The weekend family outing and vacation had become things workers expected it. Huge numbers of people had radios went to the movies and owned a car. Jazz was also introduced in the 20's At this time women were needed in society and men began to accept them. The car and train industry was the largest industry there was. The assembly line made mass production possible, and the industry boomed. "The Economic Boom". America was now a very powerful envy of many countries. America had High production and low unemployment Henry Ford's assembly line in Detroit was the largest one in the country. When Ford first started making cars, the only car he made was a black Model-T. Almost everybody in the United States had a car. Three-out-of-four families owned one or more cars. With the assembly line they made a lot more cars in one day than they did before. Instead of paying for the cars with cash, people could now use credit to purchase items. Since most families didn't have the money, they would buy the car with credit and pay off the debt later. Over 23 million cars were made. Other scientific things that were invented at the time was freezing to preserve foods, car companies for example Ford and Chrysler, dry roll film and portable cameras. There were many reasons for the boom they were: Mass production: Factories around the USA could use electricity and set up assembly lines and make objects quickly. The cars were made identical to make them easier to make and so they are cheaper. America was being

Evacuation Of Children WW2

2001-10-29T13:00:00-04:00
During World War 2, many children were moved from areas that were at risk from bombing. The children had to leave their families and go to live with strangers in less dangerous parts of the country. This was called “evacuation”. Foster parents usually took their children. However, many discovered that life away from home was no picnic. Some thought it would be fun and exciting, like an adventure. All the younger boys thought it was a holiday, but not sure why the women and girls were crying. The first school children were evacuated on the 1st September, 1939 - the day Germany invaded Poland. In the first three days of September 1939, nearly 3,000,000 people were transported to the countryside, these were mostly children. They thought that they would be home before Christmas. It was usually the poorer children were not used to travelling. The wealthier family children were not upset on a average compared to the others. This was because they were used to travelling and being long distances away. Some parents even visited their children at weekends! Within a week, a quarter of the population of Britain would have a new addresses. At the start of the war schools were moved together. The children wore identity labels, gasmasks hanging from their necks and a small suitcase full of clothes and food for the day. They left in the early hours of the morning when it was dark. The majority were schoolchildren, who had been sent away were labelled like pieces of luggage, separated from their parents and accompanied by new people and teachers. They were just numbers in older peoples view! Most parents tried not to cry, some parents couldn't let go. Parents gave instructions to their children these were to not complain, Grin and smile however you feel, look after your brother or sister…… and not forgetting to write home. The teachers or supervisors kept the children happy and told them not to worry. Kids were in good moods……. That was before they left. Children were transported by trains. These trains were more often than not dirty. The children were all packed together. Most of the kids weren't used to long distances and by the time they got out they were hot, bothered, tired and dirty. After they had arrived they were promptly sent to village or church hall. The village or town, officers lined the children up against a wall or on a stage

David Abraham

2001-10-27T14:00:00-04:00
“Grave Offenses” vs. “Tendentious Misconstruals” The David Abraham Case The historical field concerning the Weimar Republic, Germany’s parliamentary government during the interwar years, is not only an extremely sophisticated area of study, but an extremely competitive one as well. In the early eighties, a much heated and unprecedented scholarly dispute arose surrounding The Collapse of the Weimar Republic, written by David Abraham – at the time, a fledgling historian and assistant professor at Princeton University. Nazi seizure of power from the Weimar Republic has long intrigued scores of historians. Various models have been constructed in an attempt to explain how an entity such as the Nazi movement came to power over such an industrially, culturally, and socially advanced society such as Germany’s (Notes from Jamie van Hook 2/14). One such model, and the one used in Abraham’s book, seeks to illustrate the role of capitalism, German industrialists, in the fall of the Weimar Republic (Notes from Jamie van Hook 2/14). More specifically, Abraham attempts to decipher: “how did Germany’s divided economic elites attempt to articulate a national agenda around which they could unite, how and from whom was popular support won (if it was); how could the institutionalization of accord first work and then fail?” Initially, the book received favorable reviews; it was called “imaginative and interesting” and “distinguished, ” among other praises. But alas, high praises gave way to harsh, uncivil criticisms. Abraham was attacked for having a “fanatical attachment to his preconceived notions ” and a “complete insensitivity to and lack of interest in what actually took place in the past. ” The controversy ultimately ended with David Abraham being effectively ostracized from the historical community. So how did Abraham’s book go from being deemed “the most important book on 20th century Germany written in the last 15 years ” to being called “fraudulent? ” What was the reasoning behind Abraham’s downward spiral? Why did the events surrounding Abraham escalade into an academic crucifixion rather than culminating in nothing more than a passionate academic debate? Abraham’s Marxist-like viewpoints might have something to do with it. Here, the word “Marxist-like” is used because although Abraham himself acknowledged the pronounced Marxist influences in his book, he had hoped his work would be distinguished from “recent Marxist scholarship and debates. ” However, the situation calls for more complicated reasoning; after all, Abraham was not the only “Marxist” historian. Jon Wiener points out that

Problems of Medieval Europe

2001-10-27T14:00:00-04:00
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 pope had

Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine

2001-10-25T14:00:00-04:00
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 was

Hitler's Foreign Policy

2001-10-24T14:00:00-04:00
Question: Discuss Hitler’s eventual gaining of Lebensraum. Was it mealy oppurtunistic or astutely planned? The argument that Hitler’s objectives were to expand the Reich is one that cannot be argued against. In 1920 the German Workers’ Party changed its name to the National Socialist German Workers’ Party ( or the Nazi party ). It also published its manifesto ; “We demand ....the revocation of peace treaties. We demand land and territory to feed our people and settle our surplus population.” Again 17 years in an address known as the ‘Hossbach memorandum’ Hitler stressed his goal that gains in land mass must be made. There can be no argument that Hitler and the Nazi’s were primarily seeking land. Hitler’s eventual gaining of land around Europe is a subject of ongoing debate. Did Hitler plan the expansion of the Reich or was this goal of his carried out by fortunate circumstances. It essential to concentrate on Hitler’s own words to gain insight into this question. This essay will focus on two reputable historians who have strong arguments for and against the question at hand. A J P Taylor presents an argument that Hitler “ ..did not make plans- for world conquest or anything else. He assumed that others would provide opportunities and that he would seize them.” H. R. Trevor- Roper has put forth an aggressive critique on Taylor’s notable work ‘The Origins of the Second World War’ that supports the oppurtunistic argument. Trevor - Roper dismissing his view as poorly researched and prematurely dismissing evidence that sways against his view. Although theses historians will be used to support the respective arguments personal research will make up the main structures, as there seems to be countless amounts of information that these historians have missed. The contemporary historic community seems fairly divided with a slight slant towards a more structuralist approach. In the later parts of the analyses the two fundamentals of the arguments will be presented with a personal conclusion drawn. In 1920 the German Workers’ Party changed its name to the National Socialist German Workers’ Party ( or the Nazi party ). It also published its manifesto. Policies two and three portray particular relevance to the topic at hand. “ We demand....the revocation of the peace treaties. We demand land and territory ( colonies) to feed our people and to settle our surplus population.” Hitler and the Nazi’s always had the premise objectives to

Stock Market Crash 1929

2001-10-22T14:00:00-04:00
The Great Depression was the worst economic slump ever in U.S. history, and one, which spread to virtually the entire 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 misdistribution 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 misdistribution 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. 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%. That same top 0.1% of Americans in 1929 controlled 34% of all savings, while 80% of Americans had no savings at all. 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 in the same year that the average personal income was $750. By present day standards, where the average yearly income in the U.S. is around $18,500, Mr. Ford would be earning over $345 million a year! This misdistribution of income between the rich and the middle class grew throughout the 1920's. While the disposable income 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 manufacturing. During that same period of time average wages

Why Mesopotamia Is Great: Persuasive Essay

2001-10-20T14:00:00-04:00
The “Land Between the Rivers” has been a source of both savage barbarism and great civilizations. Mesopotamian culture reached its peak between ca 3000-550 BCE. Yet, much of Mesopotamian culture goes unnoticed, despite its rich heritage. A vast bulk of the great early civilizations developed in the land known as Mesopotamia. It can, in fact, be proven, without question, that because of Mesopotamia’s extensive trade routes, its excellent leaders, and the astronomical growth in technology that occurred, that Mesopotamia was one of the greatest civilizations to have ever existed. For its time, Mesopotamian culture had the greatest trade routes. Its trade network reached from the sands of Egypt to the deserts in India. Most certainly no civilization in the western world at that time had not heard of the great cultures that existed between the Tigris and the Euphrates. Egypt, in itself, had an excellent trade route with its access to the Mediterranean sea. Mesopotamia, however, had trade routes not only in Egypt, but in many other locations to the east as well. All previous trade routes had been confined from village to village. Through its extensive trade route, it can be seen that Mesopotamia was a great civilization. Mesopotamia did not only have trade routes as a testament to its greatness, but a flourishing government as well. As Mesopotamia was racked with barbarian invasions, the rise of some of History’s most fearsome and great leaders can be seen. Sargon I, for example, managed to unify one of the largest areas of civilization at that time. Sargon I is also noted having never lost a single war in his entire life. As well, with Mesopotamia, the first system—and indeed the most extensive in that point in time—of codified law. King Hammurabi’s aptly titled system of codified law, the Code of Hammurabi, while seemingly harsh in today’s view, was heralded as a just and fair law back in its day. History also shows that one of the greatest Ziggurats of all time was created in the land of Mesopotamia.. Nebuchadrezzar II’s Hanging Gardens of Bablyon is noted as being one of the greatest marvels of the ancient world. With such a glorious string of leaders, it is obvious to conclude that Mesopotamia was one of the greatest civilizations ever to have existed. Aside from its string of incredible leaders, History shows that Mesopotamian culture gave birth to some of the greatest technology man has

Traffic and Urban Congestion: 1955-1970

2001-10-19T14:00:00-04:00
In 1960, Great Britain still had no urban freeways. But with the ownership of private cars becoming ever more common, the problem of congestion in British cities was unavoidable. Investigating the possibilities of freeways as alleviators of big-city traffic jams, the government-sponsored Buchanan Report was pessimistic: ... the study shows the very formidable potential build-up of traffic as vehicular ownership and usage increase to the maximum. The accommodation of the full potential is almost certainly beyond any practical possibility of being realized. There is thus no escaping the need to consider to what extent and by what means the full potential is to be curtailed.1. In the decades preceding this study, Americans faced much the same problem with transportation in their cities. But the American plan for dealing with urban congestion in the automobile age was very different. In 1954, President Eisenhower suggested that "metropolitan area congestion" be "solved" by "a grand plan for a properly articulated highway system." In 1956, the House Committee on Public Works urged "drastic steps," warning that otherwise "traffic jams will soon stagnate our growing economy."2. Confronting the same problem--urban traffic congestion--the British and the American governments responded with radically different solutions. In Britain, congestion in cities was understood to mean an excess of automobiles entering cities. The problem, to British planners, was to reduce relative reliance on the private car in order to allow better movement of traffic. But in the U.S., planners interpreted congestion as a sign that roads were inadequate and in need of improvement. In the face of traffic jams, the British tended to say, "too many cars!" while the Americans would say, "insufficient roads!" U.S. urban transportation policy was shaped by this tendency, from its origins in the 1940s until the mid 1960s. This essay makes a twin argument. First, the way in which U.S. urban transportation policy was formulated in the 1940s and 1950s precluded the British solution. Regardless of the relative merits of the British and American approaches, discouraging the use of the automobile was not an option American policy makers could consider. The American political culture could consider large scale domestic projects only with the cooperation of the private sector, and in the U.S. this meant largely automotive interest groups. The second point is that American urban transportation policy retreated from this position in the 1960s. By the 1970s U.S. policy was much more like Great Britain's. In 1975, official

The New Deal - changed the course of government and politics more by accident than by design

2001-10-19T14:00:00-04:00
The New Deal period has generally - but not unanimously - been seen as a turning point in American politics, with the states relinquishing much of their autonomy, the President acquiring new authority and importance, and the role of government in citizens’ lives 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 Inaugural he

Greek Legacies

2001-10-18T14:00:00-04:00
Greek legacies are their governmental systems, culture and arts, and science and technology. Classical Greece was a time where the growth of a community held strong through times of plague, wars, and numerous breakthroughs. A major legacy left by classical Greece was a government based on direct democracy. With a direct democracy, citizens ruled by majority vote. The citizenship was expanded to all free males, except foreigners. Those not considered citizens were women, slaves, and all foreigners. In 621 b.c.e., Draco, an Athenian lawmaker wrote the first legal code. In the legal code Draco dealt with contract and property ownership, it also included debt slavery. In classical Greece, citizens were also allowed to bring charges of wrong doing with a trial by jury. Direct democracy was a new innovation that not only changed the world, it also helped classical Greece become a great and powerful nation. Another legacy left by Greece was their culture and art. With their culture they created the Greek language. The Greeks also invented their mythology, which included gods and goddesses. Through myths, Greeks tried to understand the mysteries of nature and the power of human passion. God lived forever and Greeks attributed human qualities to them. The Olympic Games were originated in Greece around 776 b.c.e. They were dedicated to the god Zeus, the Greeks even suspended the wars between city-states so the athletes of the Olympics could compete. Philosophers, lovers of wisdom, were determined to seek the truth. There philosophy was based on two assumptions: (1) The universe (land, sky, and sea) is put together in an orderly way, and subject to absolute and unchanging laws, and (2) people can understand these laws through logic and reason. The three main philosophers of classical Greece are Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. The arts of classical Greece had a different flair than any other civilization. The Greeks invented both drama and built the first theaters in the west. Statues in Greece depicted their gods and goddesses in idealized human form, their faces neither showed laughter or anger, only serenity. Athena, goddess of wisdom, is found in the Parthenon, dressed in full battle armor, holding a six-foot high figure of victory. The Parthenon is a masterpiece of not only craftsmanship, but also design. Artisans built the 23,000 square ft. building with the traditional style that had been used several hundred years before. Classical Greece’s art and culture inspired Greeks to

World War II

2001-10-16T14:00:00-04:00
The Treaty of Versailles faltered to heal the bitter mess that formed between countries in World War I. It left Germany in a terrible position and gave them a desire for dictatorship. Germany had been ordered to disarm its military and put strict rules on when and how the Germans could rearm. In 1931, Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany. He later rejected the treaty and establish military conscription. Mussolini also became dictator of Italy, while this was occurring. He decided to invade Ethiopia in 1935. Since Ethiopia had lesser power than that of Italy’s, they became under complete Italian control. The news of Germany’s rearmament soon reached France. Hitler then became interested in joining the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in order to protect its security. He then pushed his plan for lebensraum and annexed Austria by force in 1938. Following this, Hitler threatened Czechoslovakia, ordering persecution of the German minorities there. Hitler and Mussolini agreed to the Germans occupation of Sudentenland in September 1938. Then in March 1939, peace broke down when Hitler conquered the rest of Czechoslovakia. He soon afterward started to make orders to Poland, but they resisted at every turn. Notwithstanding the conflict with Britain and France, Hitler decided to invade Poland. In return, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939. Hitler made an announcement to start a pact with the Soviet Union. As the Germans occupied Poland, the Soviets invaded the eastern part of the country with plans to take Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania in 1940. They also took Finland in 1941 and disgrace the Russian military. Japan was also changing things in the Pacific. They had plans to conquer China and expand the Japanese Empire into southeast Asia. As this was happening, the Germans took on an approach of blitzkrieg, or lightening war. Since the Germans had no old weapons to deal with, they could easily outfit their troops with the best of weapons. Hitler then attempted to gain air control over the British Royal Air Force and prepare for an invasion, but the British successfully defeated the German air forces. Overturned with his downfall to take Britain, Hitler turned to the Soviet front, but was defeated as well in 1942. In 1941, the Japanese thought it was the right time to expand into Greater East Asia. The attacks on Pearl Harbor and the Philippines brought the

Heian Japan

2001-10-15T14:00:00-04:00
Tenth-century Japan is characterized by images of elegance, beauty, and sophistication. Ritual and ceremony seem to shape nearly every aspect of life during this time. Throughout The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon there are several examples of how everyday lifestyles are shaped through these mediums. Politics, religion, self-image, and interpersonal relationships played important roles in shaping life in Heian society, and a form of either ritual or ceremony influenced each of these assets. Government and political forces were a very important part of Heian Japan. The government and its actions affected all aspects of life. Under the emperor, the government was divided into two separate entities, one religious and one secular. One’s rank within the government was closely related to the political position held. Aristocracy and the civil service were combined so that a person was usually given a rank first, then a suitable office to fit that rank. This made it nearly impossible for anyone to enter the rank hierarchy by merit, allowing the Japanese to make their system diverge in fundamental and damaging ways from the Chinese governmental model. Those who held rank were afforded special tax breaks, special rights to have certain clothes, or to send their sons to universities (Morris p284-5). It is only natural to assume that when religion and government are so closely tied that a level of ceremony and ritual would be incorporated into political practices. The detail and precision put into deciding rank and position is just one example of how ceremony plays a role in politics during this period. Religion played a very significant role in tenth-century society, especially as it was tied to the political affairs of the country. During the time that Shonagon wrote, the traditional religion was Buddhism. Ritual and ceremonial practices dominated all aspects, from the practices to the wardrobe. For instance, when the time came for confirmation into the Buddhist vocation, a ceremony referred to as the “Eight Lessons of Confirmation” was held. This ceremony, held at the Bodai Temple, lasted four to five days with services in the morning and evening (Morris p55, 286). Throughout the course of a year, several different ceremonies were held each representing some important face of the Buddhist lifestyle. One ceremony, which took place near the end of the Twelfth Month, was the Naming of the Buddhas. This ceremony “was aimed at expunging the sins one had committed during the

Hitler's rise to power and Weimar weakness

2001-10-13T14:00:00-04:00
Assess the extent to which Hitler’s rise to power was a result of Weimar weakness. "One seldom recognises the devil when he is putting his hand on your shoulder." -Albert Speer The weak Weimar government was a major factor in Hitler rise to power, however it was not the only reason. Hitler’s use of aggressive propaganda and his use of fear in terror in the people was also a tactic that strongly helped his cause. Weaknesses in the Weimar that particularly helped Hitler’s rise were the weak foundations that the republic was built on. The roles of the conservative elite’s in German society were a strong influence on the downfall of the Weimar and the rise of the Nazis. The final and most influential factor was the great depression, this further added to the republic’s problems and the Nazis blamed all of Germany’s economic and social problems on the Weimar governments. The Weimar was a rushed and often referred to as a ‘mistaken democracy’. Its been said “The dysfunctional nature of Weimar democracy ... aided in the rise of Nazism. The Weimar republic started in chaos, spent much of its short life in chaos, and dissolved without putting up much resistance.” The treat of communism that had taken over large parts of Europe of the people were scared that it would happen in their hometown, so their solution was to sign the agreement of democracy. The fact that Germany had never experienced a democracy was major reasons in its downfall, histories have often said, “ Germany is used to ruling itself, rather that being ruled by a democracy”. During the late 20’s and early 30’s the hostility of the German people were growing at an exponential rate. Living in a constant state of depression and poverty made these people search for an answer to these problems. People linked all these problems with the Weimar government “They were tired of misery, tired of suffering, tired of weakness. These were desperate times and they were willing to listen to anyone, even Adolf Hitler." One historian said. Hitler promised these people the solutions they wanted. Once he gained he exploited all the flaws of the constitution such as Article 48 and proportional representation which helped him strive towards his ultimate goal, chancellor of Germany. The role of the German Army played a crucial role in the way that Germany was being run and controlled. With the new

Torture Throughout The Ages

2001-10-13T14:00:00-04:00
Whoever’s listening, Do you know what an Iron Maiden, a Garrote, or maybe Water Torture are used for? No? Well here’s the answer; they were all forms of torture a long time ago. Iron Maiden’s were female effigies constructed of wood or iron with the inside hollowed out and filled with sharp iron spikes. The iron maiden would be opened up and the offender placed inside. The person would then be embraced by the iron maiden, being impaled by all the spikes. A Garrote was anything that was tied around someone’s neck that would tighten and eventually they would suffocate. Water Torture was when water was poured on top of the prisoner's head and a large bucket of water was also placed under their chin to simulate the feeling of drowning. Torture started because people thought the legal codes should be tougher. Reasons for this was simply that people thought that criminals, traitors, or just “wrong-doers” should be tortured instead of killed because they will die sometime anyway so they didn’t consider it much of a punishment. Because of this they began torture. As time went on and civilizations grew, the need for a code of laws came. Because of this code of laws, people could now perform torture only on enemy tribes and animals. In many cultures, religious sacrifices were the start of torture practices. The early European codes were usually based on the principle of Lex Talionis, who gave the idea of an eye for an eye in the Bible. “Punishment for crimes should be similar to the offense” is the Law of Hammurabi, written around 2000 BC. This civil code would soon be expanded to include other crimes in the Mosaic Code 1000 years later. This code formed into the basis of Hebrew, Greek and Roman legal systems. The Greeks and others were still operating under the Law of Lex Talionis and at the time, torture was mainly used as a means of extracting retaliation for real or imagined (accused) crimes or wrongs. Public displays such as stoning (throwing stones at a person) or crucifixion were used mainly to discourage other criminals from committing crimes. The savagery of torture had not yet entered into the European culture yet. All this, however, would soon change. Early Roman rulers were actually quite humane; it was only Julius Caesar that tortured his conquered enemies as an example for other likely adversaries. Eventually things would change, Roman savagery was the

The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798

2001-10-09T14:00:00-04:00
The debate of the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 revealed bitter controversies on a number of issues. Most of the controversies had, however, arose even before these acts; as far back as the penning of the Constitution. The writers of the Constitution knew that as time proceeded, the needs and demands of the nation and of the people would change, leading to controversy. By not assigning specific powers to specific groups/parties, governments, they unintentionally created a vast problem in the years to come. Subsequently following the ratification of the constitution, two leading groups formed; the Federalists and the Antifederalists, each believing in exact opposite interpretations of the Constitution. The Federalist Party was headed by the newly appointed Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, who thought the interpretation of the Constitution should be very loose. Hamilton believed the Constitution encompassed powers other than those authorized or enumerated. These hidden powers, claimed Hamilton, were implied powers. Hamilton stated it would be essential that the federal government should gain control over any later added account to the nation. Significantly, Hamilton aspired to put these implied powers to use in requisition to build a powerful and domineering central government. In opposition to Hamilton?s Federalist Party, Jefferson who believed in strict interpretation of the Constitution. Jefferson anticipated that everything should be done through strict evaluation and a laws should abide by what is written. Although Jefferson was not a Federalist, he was also not an Antifederalist; he was a Democratic-Republican, a composite of the two. Jefferson vindicated that all powers not enumerated by the Constitution are obtained by the States. Issues between the two groups lead to the imperative question: should a strong central government be established or should each individual state have control? The attacks of the succeeding debate and public scurrility led to the Sedition Act. This act prohibited intermingling and conspiracy against the America government and the correspondence of scandalous and malicious writings against the government or its officials, under penalty of a fine or imprisonment. Succeeding the Sedition Act, the Republicans turned to the states arguing that federal government had strode past their powers; the powers delegated to it by the states through the Constitution. Therefore the states acquired the right to repeal the act. Another issue was what to do about the problem of immigration that rapidly increased after the Revolution. President Washington at the time had addressed this issue, but nine

Congo: Regression after Independence

2001-10-09T14:00:00-04:00
Instead of moving into a century of growth, The Congo seemed to regress after its independence in 1960. I feel that The Congo regressed in several ways. All of these ways attributed to the stagnation of The Congo. The Economy of the Congo regressed shortly after June 30th 1960. My sources tell me that the GNP of Congo nearly halved itself weeks after independence. This is because all of the workers were doing other things. Some workers decided to join rebel

The Articles of Confederation

2001-10-08T14:00:00-04:00
During the Revolutionary period, the United States and Britain had many conflicts. Between 1763-1776, there were issues among these two countries. Between 1780-1789, there were issues about the federal government and the states under the Articles of Confederation. Two of these issues happened to be the foreign affairs between Britain and the United States, and the economy of the federal government. Subsequently following the French and Indian War, which happened to be where the British fought for the American colonies, Britain was in great need to pay its debts. Holding the war against the colonies, Britain decided to tax the colonies to pay for their large debt. Not being treated as members of the British Empire, the colonists were angered at the thought of being a source for Britain?s revenue. Acting in protest to what the colonies considered to be unjust laws, the colonists resisted attempts to be taxed, claiming as long as they weren?t allowed fair representation in the English Parliament, they would not pay. In 1650, a series of laws called the Navigation Acts were issued for the American colonies; although they did not come into full effect until after the French and Indian War. These laws prohibited the trade of certain items, which made it difficult for merchants who relied on French, Spanish, and other foreign countries for business. These restrictions angered the merchants, seeing as they were not allowed to make specific products in the colonies any longer, Heavy tariffs made trade nearly impossible and led the colonists to believe Britain was purposely doing this to hurt the economy of the colonists. England enacted laws to create trouble with trade between the colonies and other countries. In 1764, the Sugar Act was issued; this law taxed sugar, textiles, and other goods. One year following this the Stamp Act was put into effect, taxing all legal documents, newspapers, and playing cards. Shortly after, the Townshend Acts came into place, taxing lead, glass, iron, and manufactured goods within the colonies. The colonists became infuriated at these new laws stating they were too heavy and were levied without their direct consent. Britain thought it only necessary to place troops in America for the safety and protection of their colonies. They thought since they were doing such a great favor for the colonies, that it was only fair, and that the colonists would not mind providing the supplies needed to tend and care for

Expansionist Tension

2001-10-08T14:00:00-04:00
From 1800 to 1850 territorial expansion tore the United States apart. Territorial expansion itself was not a debated issue. Spurred by the concept of Manifest Destiny, almost everyone believed that America should extend from sea to shining sea and maybe even farther. But it was the issue of the expansion of slavery into the new territories that pitted the North against the South and split our nation apart. The first real crisis over territorial expansion took place in 1819-1821 over the admission of the state of Missouri. The proposed state of Missouri was the first (beside Louisiana itself) to be carved out of the Louisiana Purchase. It lay out of the jurisdiction of the Northwest Ordinance, which prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territories, and had a long tradition of slavery. Therefore, in 1817 Missouri applied to the Union as a slave state. The extension of slavery so far north and the threat of further expansion of slavery into all new territories of the U.S. created havoc in Congress. In February 1819, Congressman James Tallmadge, from New York, proposed an amendment that would prohibit any new slaves to enter the state and provided that all slave children born after the date of admission would be set free at the age of twenty-five. Tallmadge’s gradual emancipation proviso received almost unanimous opposition from Southern Congressmen. The amendment twice passed the North dominated House of Representatives, only to be turned down by the balanced Senate. In December 1819, Maine applied for statehood as a free state. In the end a compromise was reached where Maine would enter the Union as a free state, Missouri would enter the Union as a slave state without restrictions, but in the remaining Louisiana territory slavery would be prohibited north of 36o30’ (the Mason-Dixon Line). This is now known as the Missouri Compromise. The Missouri Compromise is commonly thought of the beginning of American Sectionalism, although signs were visible long before 1819. The Missouri controversy alerted the South to the need for political unity in order to maintain the “peculiar institution” of slavery and alerted the whole country to the political problems inherent to westward expansion. The next jolt to national unity was over the admission of Texas into the Union. Texas had petitioned for admission as early as 1836, and the ensuing arguments in Congress over upsetting the balance between free and slave states delayed its admission into the

The Battle of the Bulge

2001-10-08T14:00:00-04:00
The purpose of this speech for the class is to gain better knowledge of one of the most tragic and devastating battles of World War II, the Battle of the Bulge. To Better understand The Battle of the Bulge I will explain to you the cause of the battle, location of the battle, when it took place, who was the battle fought between, the number of soldiers involved, and the number of casualties. The prelude to the Battle of the Bulge began on a winter day in mid-December of 1944. Three powerful German divisions, were the last German offensives in the west at that time during World War II. They began after the Normandy invasion in June 1944. Allied had forces swept rapidly through France but became stalled along the German border earlier that year in September. On December 16, 1944 taking advantage of the weather, which kept the Allied aircraft on the ground, the Germans launched a counteroffensive through the semi-mountainous and heavily-forested Ardennes region in Germany, and advanced 31 miles into Belgium and northern Luxembourg near the Meuse River. Their goal was to trap four allied armies, divide the Americans and the British to force negotiated peace along the western front, and retake the vital seaport of Antwerp in Belgium. Thinking the Ardennes was the least likely spot for a German offensive, American staff commander chose to keep the thin line, so that manpower might concentrate on offensives north and south of the Ardennes known as the “bulge” in the Allied lines. These American lines were thinly held by three divisions in the Allied Army and part of a forth division, while fifth division was making a local attack and the sixth division was in reserve. Division sectors were more than double the width of normal defensive fronts, therefore there were more men scattered along a larger area. The German advance was halted near the Meuse River in late December. Even though the German Offensive achieved total surprise, nowhere did the American troops give ground without a fight. Within three days, the determined American stand and the arrival of powerful reinforcements insured that the ambitious German goal was far beyond reach. In snow and sub-freezing temperatures the Germans fell short of their interim objective- to reach the rambling Meuse River on the edge of the Ardennes. But they managed to avoid being cut off by an Allied Pincer movement. The

The American Dream

2001-09-25T14:00:00-04:00
Americans have always had a universal dream ranging from marriage to freedom, and of course, money. Some Americans pursue them more diligently than others, while the others just sit and dream. Holy matrimony, through the thick and thin, in sickness and in health; it seems most all Americans desire this. An eternal life partner of the opposite sex is something hard fought for. Since we were children, we Americans all seem to have dreamed of growing up and having a family, and this is something that will never change. Blessed, glorious freedom, something very few other countries have, especially this good. Freedom is exactly what birthed this amazing country, and so many Americans take it for granted. We all

Honduras

2001-09-24T14:00:00-04:00
The Republic of Honduras is a comparatively large country in Central America. Its area is at 112,088 km2, and has about 13,000,000 people in which about 60% are literate. Honduras is the 2ed largest country in Central America. Their national holiday is their Independence Day and they celebrate this on the 15th of September, although it is not the only time they gained their independence, it is the only time they celebrate. The nation also escaped from the United Provinces of Central America. The capitol of this mainly Spanish and English speaking nation is Tegucigalpa. The history of the country begins when Columbus saw the country, but he generally stayed farther north. Spain began to settle the country in 1524. The two men in charge of the colony were Davila and Orid. The country was largely unprosperous until 1536 when Gold was discovered in the city of Gracias. The discovery of gold got new settlers to come and also created more demand for miners to mine the gold. The indigenous peoples were forced into this job. One year later in 1537 an uprising occurred and it was led by Lempira, who the national currency would be later named after. His base was on a hill known as Pe»ol de Cerqu¡n and successfully defeated all efforts to subdue him until the year 1538. In 1538 other native groups began following his example and started small uprisings. Lempira was ultimately killed while negotiating with the Spaniards. The fighting was greatly weakened but continued for 3 more years. The defeat of Lempira’s revolt accelerated the decimation of the indigenous peoples. In 1539 there was approximately 15,000 people and two years later there was approximately 8,000. Most of the remaining peoples were divided into encomiendas, a system that left the native people in their villages, but placed them under the control of Spanish settlers. Under the terms of the system the Spanish were to provide the natives with religious instruction and collect tribute for the crown. In return, the Spaniards were entitled to a supposedly limited use of indigenous labor. The more the indigenous population declined the more ruthlessly they were treated until no one could protect the few remaining. In the 1540’s silver joined gold as a major resource. The new mines led to the even further decimation of the indigenous peoples and soon led to the introduction of African slavery. By 1545

Fall of Constantinople

2001-09-21T14:00:00-04:00
By 350 A.D., Constantinople was one of the world’s greatest capitals. The city was located between Asia and Europe, making it a very diverse and strategic place. The many bodies of water surrounding the peninsula gave Constantinople many trade routes as well as protection. The famous walls were also built to further strengthen security. Constantinople eventually rose to a beautiful city of strength and wealth. Its Greek heritage separated itself from the West with their religion of Eastern Orthodoxy. Despite the power of Constantinople, unending attacks and problems would eventually weaken the city. The first major catastrophe took place in 542, when a plague struck and killed massive amounts of people. The recovery was very slow, and it allowed for countless attacks. For Constantinople, however, it was just the beginning. Justinian ruled the Byzantine Empire during its height. His military faced strength from the East that greatly endangered his people. The Sassanian Empire of Persia was one threat that Byzantines needed to conquer. The Persians endangered eastern lands, so Justinian’s military prevented any conquest. The Sassanians were defeated and security was briefly gained. After his success, Justinian wanted to regain lands the Roman Empire once lost to invaders. Byzantine armies began a reconquest of Spain, Italy, and North Africa. Battles against various Germanic groups took place, and western lands were conquered by the Byzantines. The wars were expensive, and resources were low. Defense became weak and territories were lost increasingly after Justinian’s death. During the early 700s, the Byzantine Empire was in turmoil and chaos. As Leo III took power, Constantinople was being attacked by Avars, Bulgarians, and Arabs. The Arabs from the Middle East were a main concern for Leo III because of their large conquests in the Asia Minor. The Arabs advanced to spread their faith of Islam and control resources. The Arabs slowly acquired land until their siege on Constantinople itself. Leo III made brilliant defense moves to stop the invaders. His military forces attacked the Arabs from the rear successfully while naval forces were repelled with Greek Fire. Greek Fire was the empire’s secret weapon that may have saved them from the Arab siege. Arab ships would burst into flames from contact with the “liquid fire.” Fighting continued for a year until the Arabs retreated. Constantinople was defended successfully, but the empire suffered heavy losses and continued to loose land. The era from about 1025 to 1453 witnessed the

Hindenburg

2001-09-18T14:00:00-04:00
Was the "Hindenburg disaster" a result of sabotage committed by the opponents of the Nazi organization? Did a bolt of lightning strike the zeppelin? Or was one of the most devastating accidents in aviation history nothing but a cunningly planned insurance fraud? Over 60 years ago, airships were the "queens of the skies." In the early 1900s, a stubborn, yet brilliant German count, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, took keen interest in balloon flights and was devoted to the design and construction of airships. At first, he had many difficulties and setbacks but soon his airships were able to accommodate passengers as well. This lighter-than-air vehicle will later be known as a zeppelin. Blimps and zeppelins were very different. For example, blimps did not have an internal frame; whereas the zeppelin had a "skeleton" which supported the gas bags. During the first World War, German zeppelins were used to bomb London from the air. Thus, they earned the name of "monsters of the purple twilight." Although their bombs damaged English cities, the zeppelins would often fly off course, miss their targets or be shot down by British planes. By the end of the war, so many German zeppelins have been lost that these high altitude warships were declared useless as war machines. To boost spirit, the Germans even made a song for it. Of course, I can't read German so I'll just read off the translation: Zeppelin, flieg, Hilf uns im krieg, Flieg nach England, England wird abgebrannt, Zeppelin, flieg. Zeppelin, fly, Help us win the war, Fly against England, England will be burned, Zeppelin, fly. The Hindenburg, also known as LZ-129, was one of Nazi Germany's finest airships and was the first airship to provide air service across the Atlantic. In fact, it is the largest and most luxurious zeppelin ever built. It represented the greatness of the Third Reich and its leader, Hitler. Construction began in autumn of 1931 but the Zeppelin Company ran out of money for the huge project and stopped. Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany in 1933 and quickly realized that a giant airship could be used to spread the propaganda of the new government so the Nazis provided money and quickly took control of Zeppelin Company. The Hindenburg was complete in 1936 and flew with the Olympic rings painted on its sides that year in honor of the Olympic games in Berlin. The Hindenburg was a thrilling sight. It had gigantic Nazi swastikas painted on its tail fins

Panama Canal

2001-09-18T14:00:00-04:00
How did we, humans, accomplish these great tasks? Such deeds are the Great Wall of China and the pyramids of Egypt. But one of these magnificent accomplishments is more significant than others: the Panama Canal. Encouraged by the French, the US built a vital link for the entire world. Despite previous failures by preceding organizations, the US was able to survive. This structure remains today as one of the greatest engineering marvels of the modern world. The Canal goes as far back as the 16th century after Europeans realizing the riches of South America and Asia. Charles I of Spain ordered the first survey of a proposed canal route through the Isthmus of Panama. The survey was finished in 1529 but wars in Europe simply put the project on hold. Then, Emperor Napoleon III of France toyed with the idea of a canal in French land across the sea but never thought much more of it. Various maps were drawn between 1850 and 1875 and proved that only 2 routes were possible: one across Panama and the other across Nicaragua. In 1876, an international company was mustered but failed. Three years later, Ferdinand Marie de Lesseps, the builder of the Suez Canal across Egypt, organized a French company. Lesseps' succession at Suez gave him confidence that a canal at Panama would be no different. A lease on building the canal was sold to France by Colombia from 1878 to 1903. In the beginning, Lesseps had hoped to muster 400 billion francs but received 30 million francs, only 8% of what he had wished for. Work for the French company started in 1882. From that point on, the company and the canal were plagued by troubles, from money to diseases. France gave up on the canal project and began a search for a buyer. Eventually, France found a friend in the US. America sent Lieutenant Menocal to survey Nicaragua for a canal site. But, the government lost funding, the first and last of America's mistakes on the canal project. President McKinley would have probably secured funds for a Nicaraguan canal, had not a bullet taken his life. Theodore Roosevelt decided to begin anew and a friendship with the Republic of Panama. Philippe Bunau-Varilla, an American ambassador, wrote the Hay-Bunau-Varilla treaty, which was ratified by the new Panamanian Government in 1903 and by the American Senate in early 1904. This treaty granted exclusive canal rights to the US

Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs

2001-09-13T14:00:00-04:00
In Ancient Egypt there were over 29 Kings and Pharaohs and over 5 Queens. Some of the most famous kings and queens were: Ramses II, Ramses III, King Tut, Cleopatra, and Nefertiti. Ramses II (reigned 1279-1212 BC), ancient Egyptian king, third ruler of the 19th dynasty, the son of Seti I. During the early part of his reign Ramses fought to reign the territory in Africa and Western Asia that Egypt had held during the 16th and 15th centuries BC. His principle opponents were the Hittites, a powerful people of Asia Minor, against whom he waged a long war upon. The major battle of this war was fought in 1274 at Kadesh, in Northern Syria, was hailed by Ramses as such a great triumph. In 1258 BC a treaty was signed whereby the contested lands were divided and Ramses agreed to marry the daughter of the Hittite king. The remaining years of his rule were distinguished by the construction of such monuments as the rock-hewn temple of Abû Simbel, the great hypostyle hall in the Temple of Amon at Al Karnak, and the mortuary temple at Thebes, known as Ramesseum. Ramses III (reigned 1182-1151 BC), Egyptian king of the 20th dynasty, a great military leader who repeatedly saved the country from invasion. In the 5th year of his reign, Ramses defeated an attack by the Libyans from the west, and two years later he routed invaders known as the Sea Peoples. In his 11th year he again repelled an attempted attack by the Libyans. Ramses was also a builder of temples and palaces in the tradition of his 19th-dynasty predecessor, Ramses II. His victories are depicted on the walls of his mortuary temple at Medinet Habu, near Luxor. Egyptian records tell of a strike by workers at Ramses’s burial site and a plot against the king near the end of his reign. Ramses III was the last of the great rulers and after his death there were centuries of weakness and foreign domination. King Tut or Tutankhamun (reigned 1343-1325 BC), Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, the son-in-law of Akhenaton, whom he succeeded. He became Pharaoh about the age of 9 and ruled until his death; which was about the age of 18. Peace was brought to Egypt during his reign as the worship of Amon, abandoned under Akhenaton, was restored and Thebes, the city sacred to Amon, was again made

Significance of social and economic change in the USA between 1898-1921

2001-09-12T14:00:00-04:00
Sweeping social and economic reforms that occur in any country at any time are always very significant. In relation to the United States of America (USA) during the period of 1898-1921, it is even more so. This period of time saw remarkable changes occurring both inside the USA, and in relation to the USA and the outside world as it became a global force. After the Spanish-American War, led by President McKinley, American ideologies, basically ignorant, capitalist and isolationist at heart, seemed to shift and do a 180 degree turn. This can be said as being signified by the accession of the political dogma of Progressivism, advocated by the next President Theodore Roosevelt, who believed in a 'Dirigisme' style of government. With Roosevelt came swift economical and business reforms, the Roosevelt coined 'Square Deal' is an example of the reforms he implemented, and the advent of the 'muckrakers', with their campaigns against malpractice in the corporate world and big business monopolistic power. William Howard Taft, the successor of Roosevelt, tried to follow this road with his attempts at reforming tariff protection, but inner party disagreements, and a split, in the Republican camp denied him the chance to do so. As the world, and America, edged closer to the First World War, we see that the United States had significantly revolutionised both socially and economically, especially assisted with the Democrat Woodrow Wilson as President, who reformed the country more than any other. However, as the Great War progressed and after its completion, we see a drastic reversal. A new US stepped out of the war, one where its people wore blinkers for thinking caps. As the era of Communist take-over fears, suffrage for women, prohibition and the 'roaring 20's' neared, isolationism, restricted immigration, and social, civil, and racial unrest had come to the forefront of American society's priorities. This period ended with the introduction of 'laissez-faire' economics, a swift turn-around from usual government methods used in the last 20 years. American society had once again done a 180-degree turn, back to 'normalcy', under the guidance of President Warren Harding. This original form of control and regulation in the country was a way in which the people repudiated all the years of hard work done by the progressives and others in the past in their attempts to make the USA a more friendly, safe, prosperous and free place to live in. Permeating

Bay Of Pigs

2001-09-11T14:00:00-04:00
The story of the failed invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs, which is located on the south coast of Cuba about 97 miles southeast of Havanna, was one of mismanagement, poor judgment, and stupidity (“Bay of Pigs” 378). The blame for the failed invasion falls directly on the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) and a young president by the name of John F. Kennedy. The whole intention of the invasion was to assault communist Cuba and put an end to Fidel Castro. Ironically, thirty-nine years after the Bay of Pigs, Fidel Castro is still in power. First, it is necessary to look at why the invasion happened and then why it did not work. From the end of World War II until the mid-eighties, most Americans could agree that communism was the enemy. Communism wanted to destroy our way of life and corrupt the freest country in the world. Communism is an economic system in which one person or a group of people are in control. The main purpose of communism is to make the social and economic status of all individuals the same. It abolishes the inequalities in possession of property and distributes wealth equally to all. The main problem with this is that one person who is very wealthy can be stripped of most of his wealth so that another person can have more material goods and be his equal. The main reason for the Bay of Pigs attack on Cuba was the change to communism. On January 1, 1959, Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista fled the country for the safety of the Dominican Republic (Goode, Stephen 75). Fidel Castro and his guerrilla warriors overthrew the old government dictated by Batista. During the next couple of weeks, Castro established a new government and on February 16, he was officially declared premier (Finkelstein, Norman H. 127). The United States accepted this new regime as a relief from the harsh, corrupt, and unpopular government of Batista. Soon after everything settled down, Castro and his men made a rapid move to change their political course. He announced his transformation to Marxism-Leninism and avowed his friendship with the Soviet Union (Goode, Stephen 75). These events upset the United States and there were concerns about Castro becoming too powerful. One reason was the friendship with the Soviet Union because Cuba was receiving armed forces to expand and improve its army. Cuba received 30,000 tons

Cold War - The Changing Relationship of the Superpowers

2001-09-07T14:00:00-04:00
The United States and Soviet Union, the single most important rivalry of the twentieth century, started as a partnership. This irony was caused by the fact that the Germans were taking over Europe, which forced them in this relationship. Once Hitler was eliminated and Berlin destroyed, the tensions began rising. These two nations had completely opposite ideologies from the economic system to the political system. The changing relationship has evolved from a forced partnership, a possible world war and now finally a steadying friendship. The entire world was watching as the Cold War went from moments of détente, to hours at the brink of world war three. The Germans and the Russian had an alliance at the beginning of the war but Hitler turned on the Soviets. This caused the Soviets to join the British and American side and led the advance on Germany from two fronts. The German war machine kept this alliance at bay only for so long before the two nations destroyed Berlin. The Soviets were already keeping control of all that was east of Germany, and this was causing the United States great anxiety due to the fact that communism was spreading. A great sense of relief came to the United States as the Nuclear Age began with the Manhattan Project and the Bombing of Japan. Stalin was now afraid that the United States would one-day force capitalist ideas upon Mother Russia, until the most intriguing aspect of the cold war came along, spies. A great change came when in the early 1950’s the Soviets started testing their own nuclear weapon. The United States could not understand how they had their own nuclear weapon so quickly; the answer today is so simple the plans were stolen. All aspects of life for the United States and the Soviets were to beat each other. Tensions stayed high in the Olympics, the space race, ICBM’s, the Korean and Vietnam wars. The highest point of tension during the entire Cold War was the Cuban Missile Crisis. Up until this point the Soviet sphere of influence did not reach into the Western Hemisphere except for the spies. Castro had now changed this paradigm, allowing Soviet missiles to be set-up in Cuba. This is the point at which most people believed we were closest to a total Nuclear War. The real protection from this possible total war was known as MAD. M.A.D. means as mutual

Sitting Bull exile to Canada

2001-09-07T14:00:00-04:00
Many things influenced Sitting Bull’s decision to cross the border into Canada. After Custer’s defeat at Little Bighorn, Sitting Bull had to live life in fear. He fought on the defensive for years. Sitting Bull and his followers fled from the onslaught of American howitzers. He then was able to find sanctuary in the White Grandmother’s Country, north of the international boundary. “Most of the band drifted back in the next few years; Sitting Bull himself was to return in 1881 to end his exile” (Andrist 298)). They faced unknown obstacles, and challenges, all for a chance to live the way they wanted to. When times were bad they looked to the Canadians for assistance. When they could not help Sitting Bull struggle ended and asylum. Canada was no longer an option for Sitting Bulls starving people. For Sitting Bull and his people “the winter of 1876-77 was a winter of despair. “Soldiers occupied the hunting grounds and kept the war going even when the snow fell and the temperature plunged”(Utley 174). Sitting Bulls options for the survival his people were being held in the hands of the soldiers surrounding his winter encampment. Who could at any time “ burst into their village, shoot down the people, and destroy their homes and food supplies”(Utley 174). Sitting Bull disliked the alternative of an unconditional surrender, which was out of the question. This surrender would have cost Sitting Bull and his people their guns, and horses. This was unreasonable for people who relied on these valuable tools in almost every aspect in their lives. In April of 1877 the Miniconjoous, Sans Arcs, Hunkpaps, and others of equal prominence conviened a council at Beaver Creek. Spotted Eagle and Sitting Bull would make speeches advocating continuing the war against the white man. They would eventually realize them necessity to act in the best interest of the people. Sitting Bull stood firm in his way of life, as a hunter. Around this time Crazy Horse made his decision to surrender. On May 6, Crazy horse surrendered at the Red Cloud agency in Robinson Nebraska. The group which consisted of 889 people, surrendered "12,00 ponies and 117 arms"(Utley182). Sitting Bull faced new uncertainty in Canada. He had traveled to this country before "following Buffalo or seeking Slotas to trade with" (Utley184). He also knew from experience the contrast between the Grandmother (Canada) and the Great Father of

Causes of World War One

2001-09-07T14:00:00-04:00
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. Serbia agreed to all terms

America's Self-Interest

2001-09-07T14:00:00-04:00
America had remained mostly an isolated country until the late 1800’s when the United States was faced with the opportunity of building a colonial empire. By 1890 the United States, like Europe, had began to expand its influence onto islands in the Caribbean and South Pacific areas. They entered in other countries’ affairs claiming that it served the interests of all peoples and were motivated by Idealism. In reality, the United States was mostly after its own self-interest. The Spanish-American War, the United States’ Open Door policy, and the control over the Panama Canal zone make it unclear if the United States was pursuing its own self-interest or was inspired by Idealism. In the Spanish-American War the United States was supposedly fighting for Cuba’s independence from Spain. Though Idealism might have been present in the United States’ reasons for war, there is evidence of America’s self-interests in the war. The United States did fight to defend the Cubans but it also fought to profit out of the war. When the war ended and the United States won, it offered Cuba self-government only if they agreed to the terms of the Teller Amendment which states, “Cuba should allow the United States the right to buy or lease naval stations”. Though there were advantages for the United States in the Spanish-American War, America fought mostly for the welfare of Cuba. A good example of America’s pursuit for their own advantage in foreign affairs was the Open Door policy. China was expected to become a sphere of influence for European nations. The United States had a small percent of trade with China and was hungry for more. They issued the Open Door policy with the goal of preserving equal trading opportunities in China for all foreign nations. The United States was obviously only concerned for their own self-interest rather than the interest other countries trading with China. The United States claimed that they would build the Panama Canal for the advantage of Panama. Roosevelt said that he advanced “the needs of collective civilization” by speeding up the building of an interocean canal. The Canal was built by the United States for the use of the United States. The United States needed a shorter route from one ocean to the other for its warships. This was a perfect example of how America was interested only in itself. The United States Argued that American foreign policy was inspired by

Roman Women and Their Mythology

2001-08-24T14:00:00-04:00
Throughout the ages myths, legends and fairytales have been used to teach people basic moral and educational lessons. For example, mothers and fathers use the childhood story of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” to teach their children that stealing and snooping is wrong. In the end, Goldilocks was either eaten or she ran away, depending on your bloodthirsty nature. By using this comparison between myths and reality the Romans were able to “control” their women, and to discourage them from vain, romantic and adulterous actions. Women themselves had a very low place in Roman society, and could be bought and sold like cattle or slaves. Despite their low legal status, women had immense power and influence over their fathers, brothers and husbands. These myths and legends were society’s guidebook, which provided women with a manual about correct conduct. Despite being a guidebook for all women to use, the Romans couldn’t simply say, “Look what happened to that mythical person. You shouldn’t do what she did.” This would have led to a very depressing and boring set of myths, so the Romans spruced them up a bit. They portrayed both good and bad pictures of women, including the Goddesses. Some of these stories were funny and some sad, but every single one had a lesson which could be learnt and acted upon. For example, the Amazons were a legendary race of warrior women who despised all men. They killed all the male babies that were born, and kept the female ones. In fact, it was said that the Amazons used the men from a nearby village as sex slaves, so that they wouldn’t die out. One day, Hercules came along, and wanted to borrow the Queen’s belt. Hippolyte, being a woman and all, fell madly in love with Hercules and readily agreed. But the other Amazons weren’t impressed, and thinking that Hercules was trying to kill their Queen, charged towards him. Hercules seized Hippolyte and slew her, then ran away with the belt. Needless to say nothing much else was said about the Amazons. This story was used to teach the folly of women who thought they could survive without men. They were dependant on the nearby village, and weren’t very well organized. They were much better off sticking to their own place in society. But as I said not all depictions were bad. Some were quite nice. The Muses were the

Ancient Egyptian Religious Architecture

2001-08-22T14:00:00-04:00
One of the greatest cultural achievements of Ancient Egypt was undoubtedly in their architecture associated with religion. “Temples, tombs and pyramids – all have witnessed this earth for thousands of years. What better than to say that these architectural achievements show us that Egypt’s greatest virtue lay in its architecture” (Fumeaux:11, 1964) When one travels to Egypt, what does he/she see – pyramid after temple after tomb, each standing the test of time. One stands out – they are all associated with religious beliefs, they all have stood unmoving for thousands of years, and they all involve mechanical genius- the moving of colossal stones without the use of the wheel. The finest example such mechanics is shown in the construction of the revered pyramid. These three factors, all belonging to the religious architecture of ancient Egypt, do nothing else but prove its greatness. Egypt’s grand architectural design was a result of the religious values and beliefs that were in place at the time. Thousands of years ago, ‘Ancient Egypt accepted the challenge of reeds and swamps, hot sands and floods, and build the ‘first’ nation’ (Romer:75, 1982). There were few things to impress themselves upon the Egyptian mind; their psychological impact however was immense. There was the Nile itself, source of all life, there was the mysterious regularity of the Sun, Moon and stars; there was fertility and death. It was out of fear and mystery of these things that “…the Egyptians made their complex heirachy of Gods, and their strange religion. In the service of that religion they made their architecture” (Romer: 75,1982). Thus, the art and architecture of Ancient Egypt stemmed directly from their religion. Egyptian theology, with its deified pharaohs and strange animal-headed gods, was complicated, but the most important belief was that survival after death depended upon the preservation of the body. This belief would influence the architectural design of the tomb, where the corpse was ultimately sealed (Silverman:142, 1997). Immortality was only for privileged royal and priestly beings (Stierlin:54, 1983).This implies that their tombs would be somewhat prestigious and not just and ordinary burial site. At the day of resurrection the Ka or soul would re-enter the dead body; this meant that it must be there, intact, ready for that moment. It followed logically, that ‘once the corpse was embalmed or mummified, it must be preserved in an impregnable tomb.’(Fumeaux:9, 1964) Impregnability, however, had to be provided in more than

Arthur James Balfour and the Balfour Declaration

2001-08-12T14:00:00-04:00
Highly recognised for his continuous support of the establishment of a Jewish national homeland in Palestine and the Balfour Declaration, Arthur James Balfour is one of the most prominent individual figures that contributed to the seemingly inevitable declaration of the State of Israel in 1948. The Balfour declaration added a new dimension and even greater complications to the conflict between the Arabs and Jews in Palestine. The declaration was issued on November 2nd, 1917 on behalf of the British government announcing its support in the formation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. It is contained in a letter from the British foreign secretary and former Prime Minister, Arthur James Balfour to a prominent British Jew, Lord Rothschild. There are 3 distinct parts in the declaration. First, it favours 'the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people'. By this declaration it became blatantly obvious that the British government, in which Balfour had a strong influence, recognised the Zionist contention that Jews had a claim to Palestine as a national home. The impact of the first clause of the declaration is somewhat lessened by the second which recognises the 'civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine'. Balfour intended to convince the Arabs that their rights would not be affected, thus the reason for the second clause os the declaration. All involved in this intricate declaration immediately saw that these two clauses could well turn out to be contradictory, which was exactly what transpired. It is found that this was the basic cause of Jewish-Arab hostility in Palestine until 1948. Instead of settling the aggression between Arabs and Jews, Balfour's declaration had the reverse effect. Jews were somewhat grateful for Balfour's intervention and support in the for the retaining of their 'rightful homeland', while the Arabs in Palestine despised the British government for allowing Balfour to intervene in such a manner. Hebrews, now known as Jews, believe Palestine is their rightful "homeland" in accordance to their Holy Book, the Torah and their covenant with their God. This is where the conflict lies because Muslims believe that Palestine is their rightful land as is said in their Holy Book, the Qur'aan. Thus being part of the reason of the never-ending aggression between these two religious denominations and uprise of violence at the proposed declaration by Arabs. This crucial affirmation of support by Balfour on behalf of the British government is often described

Salem Witch Hunts and McCarthy Hearings - Contrast

2001-08-11T14:00:00-04:00
Does history repeat itself? Lots of people think that the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s are a repeat of history from the Salem witch-hunts of 1692. All of the accusations were false, and also fictitious. The main reason people were blamed was so that ones who were condemning would receive their own personal gain. Both parties (McCarthy and the girls in Salem) 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 of, especially the girls of Salem, Massachusetts. 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 diminutive 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 also. All of this would have never happened if the people, who were involved, would have only opened their blinded eyes and saw the truth, which lied right in front of their faces. One night in the minute New England town of Salem, Massachusetts, three young girls and a slave from Barbados were caught dancing naked in the forest around an immense kettle. This wasn’t something that girls normally did in the 1600s and was also socially unacceptable. These girls, Abigail Williams, Betty Parris, Mercy Lewis, and Tituba were immediately accused of being witches just because they were dancing. 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 lust for her husband, John Proctor. Abigail Williams and John Proctor had already had an affair. However, unlike Abigail, John wanted to leave that horrible mistake in the past and forget about her. Abigail also did not like other women in Salem because they called her names. They knew of her lust for

Olympic Controversies

2001-08-10T14:00:00-04:00
The most important thing at the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part, just as the important thing about life is not to conquer but to struggle well. The words spoken by Pierre de Coubertin, father of the Modern Summer Olympic Games. Baron Pierre de Coubertin may have intended for the new Olympic Games ‘to be a period of concord in which all differences of status, religion, politics and race would be forgotten’ but unfortunately as the Games have progressed, so too have the political overtones associated with them. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, by reviving the ancient Olympic Games hoped that competition in sports would ‘lead to a new international friendship and better cooperation amongst the nations, whilst also allowing athletes to be exposed to different values than those of their own.’ It is with misfortune that the Olympic Games have taken an unexpected turn and are used time and time again as another measurement for the ultimate victory, the ultimate dominance, the ultimate triumph on the world stage. In the commotion of the promotion of the Olympic Games, it is often forgotten that the original principles of the games included that individuals were to be contested against one another, and that countries played no part. In fact, in the first Olympiads, there were no formal teams of nations, rather an assortment of individuals who came to Athens on their own expense for their own purposes. As the Olympic Games progressed, it became more and more apparent for participating nations that it was an excellent opportunity to promote their country. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the Olympic Games is relayed to countries all over the world, exposing it onto a world audience. Even before technological advances of television, the Olympic Games were used by the countries to elevate themselves amongst one another. Even in the first Olympiad of 1896 in Athens, the realisation of the chance or promotion was evident, the Greek royal family of George I ‘used the games as a device to build its power.’ In addition, when television was initially introduced, the prospect of exposure was heightened. Although television was first used to transmit images from one country to another in the Summer Olympic Games of 1960 in Rome, it was further intensified in 1964 in Tokyo. The mayor of Tokyo announced that “without the Olympics, Japan would not

Cold War Disarmament Talks

2001-08-06T14:00:00-04:00
Impact of Disarmament Talks on Cold War Tensions from 1963 to 1991 Disarmament talks between the two powers during the period of 1963 to 1991 improved the relationship between Soviet Union and United States by providing the necessary spirit of cooperation. The two most significant examples of arms control talks positively impacting the superpower relationship are the SALT I and INF treaties. Negotiations for SALT I played a part in bringing the two countries from the nuclear ‘brinkmanship’ of the Cuban missile crisis to détente. Gorbachev realising the importance of arms control in mutual political accommodation, initiated INF. INF and NST alleviated secrecy and suspicion and began a spirit of cooperation that could not have been achieved without successful talks. The interactions also helped the two sides to understand each other better. Through the frequent summit-meetings between Gorbachev and Reagan and Gorbachev and Bush the American public got to know the face of their enemy. This encouraged greater tolerance between the two nations which was necessary if the cold war was to end. The Cuban missile crisis led to the end of a period of nuclear ‘brinkmanship’ as both sides became very aware of how close they came to nuclear war. In 1963 the US and the USSR made important agreements that contributed to arms control. In June a direct ‘hot line’ was established between Washington and Moscow. This communication link between the head of states was established to reduce the risk of a nuclear war arising from accident, misunderstanding, miscalculation, or surprise attack. And in August, after an offer made by Kennedy to come to terms with the USSR about testing nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, the United States, Soviet Union and Great Britain signed a Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. This treaty prohibited tests in the atmosphere, outer space, and beneath the surface of the seas. However these agreements came into being due to the fear brought on by the Cuban missile crisis and did little dissuade tensions that were part of a period of ‘oscillatory antagonism’. The Vietnam War, the invasion of Czechoslovakia, and the Arab-Israeli War tested the relationship between the superpowers during 1967 and 68. In the background of such cold war tension the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was signed. This treaty asked for nuclear powers and non-nuclear powers to help limit the spreading of nuclear weapons. The Outer Space Treaty, which limited the

Albert Speer - Differing Historical Interpretations

2001-08-06T14:00:00-04:00
They are many factors influencing the different historical interpretations of Albert Speer. The most influential was Speer’s own character construction of himself in his defence at the Nuremberg trials. This view was held by a majority of historians until Matthias Schmidt found holes in Speer’s story. A large blow was dealt to Speer’s own construction of his role in Nazi Germany when the Walters’ chronicles were released containing various incriminating evidence. There are still a number of historians who prefer to view Albert Speer as the Good Nazi, even though most historians now believe that the image created by Speer of himself was self-serving and false. Speer’s well structured and thought out defence shaped historical interpretation for years to come. At Nuremberg he presented himself as a pure technician and not involved in the politics or ideology of the party. He also claimed collective responsibility for crimes against Jews but also his ignorance of the Nazi intentions. As he stated at a later time: “I just stood aside and said to myself that as long as I did not personally participate it had nothing to do with me. My toleration for the anti Semitic campaign made me responsible for it.” This admission of guilt won a fair amount of sympathy from the court. The reasons he gave for being with the Nazi party was that he was taken by Hitler’s personality and also realised that if he was to achieve his dream as an architect he will have to sell his soul to the party. This image of Speer was to be accepted for a while by most historians and was given little attention. This was probably because Speer was a little less ‘spectacular’ than Hitler’s other henchmen. There were however some suspicions. John Galbraith, a member of the US team that debriefed Speer before the Nuremberg trial, said in Life magazine 1945 that Speer’s claims contained “elements of fantasy”. He also believed that Speer’s confession was a part of his “well developed strategy of self vindication and survival.” Most historians believed in Speer’s testimonies until Wolters’ Chronicles were released. W Shirer The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (1960), A Bullock Hitler a Study in Tyranny (1962), and Joachim Fest The Face on the Third Reich (1970) all portray Speer as the good Nazi, the apolitical technocrat and a repentant German. Raul Hilberg, in The Destruction of the

Revolution in France: Who Benefited Most From The Collapse Of The Ancien Regime?

2001-07-29T14:00:00-04:00
The Ancien Regime (French for Old Order) was the way society was run, in a period in French history occurring before the French Revolution (1789 – 1799). France was ruled by an absolute monarchy (a system where the king was classed as divine – an infallible role) King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The French society was separated into classes or Estates. The first Estate was the Clergy who were extremely rich. There were about 100,000 of these people. They had control over censorship of the press and of educational institutions Their wealth came from the Roman Catholic Church, which was made up of the upper and lower Estates. The upper, Bishops and Abbots who had the authority and the lower, Priests and Monks who had a modest income and had no say in church affairs. The Second Estate was the Aristocracy or Nobility, which was made up of about 400,000 people. They owned 20% of all the land in France and paid no taxes. They were very wealthy and enjoyed a carefree life. Their only grievance was the power that the First Estate held. The Second Estate were the men who held positions in the government. They were also exempt from taxes. The special concern of the Second Estate was to see that the King did not introduce tax reform. They wanted more political power to make sure events like this did not happen. While they denounced the monarchy’s absolutism they wanted to set up their own form of it. The third and largest Estate was made up of the Bourgeoisie (educated and privileged middle class) and the Serfs (peasants). The King and the Aristocracy enjoyed parties, banquets and tax exemptions, while the Bourgeoisie and serfs had to pay heavy taxes. Many of the serfs died from starvation and the living suffered under enormous financial hardships. The Third Estate had no success in voting because of the differing opinions about the tax system between them and the Second Estate. The Third Estate despised the privileges of the Second Estate and hated the tax system, which involved only themselves, the majority, paying the heavy taxes. There was a huge need amongst the Third Estate, who represented the ‘people’ of France for tax reform. The Second Estate worsened this situation because they were determined not to give up their tax concessions. This was a big problem for Louis and his advisors. King Louis and his

Industrial Change in Britain

2001-07-29T14:00:00-04:00
Industrial Change in Britain:'There was frequent and widespread discontent’ How accurate is this statement? The Industrial Revolution is a term describing the many changes that transformed Great Britain from approximately 1760 and 1830. The main feature was the change to the factory system that depended on power driven machinery instead of manpower and the rapid growth of the cotton industry. The Industrial Revolution occurred because the scientists and inventors used their imaginations to develop new products and to exploit the opportunities of booming markets. Examples of this occurred in the textile, pottery and iron industries. The development of mining, particularly of the widespread use of coal, road improvements due to the road tolls, the building of canals, the growth of coastal shipping and the later rise of the railways were all crucial in the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution in Great Britain meant that the country could import cotton, woollen goods, iron and steel, machinery, hardware and coal on a huge scale. Other countries were not so industrialised therefore Great Britain had a strong advantage over them. Factory owners were able to move their products around the country more quickly, more cheaply and with greater safety than previously. For example, Britain’s main fuel was coal. As the towns grew they needed more coal. The coal was heavy and difficult to transport by road. During this time many canals were built and soon a canal network made transporting coal, merchandise and communicating a lot easier. During the Industrial Revolution, the cotton industry rapidly increased with the invention of an improved spinning wheel powered by water. These machines were quickly mass-produced for factory use. Factories could be built in the towns and employ many workers. The cotton industry saw rapid growth and needed many workers to keep it going. The increase in factories and employment meant that there was a huge amount of work to do. Many children obtained work in the factories instead of attending school. Before the Industrial Revolution, families worked hard but could also rest when they could not work. In the factories, children and adults alike were expected to work very long hours and hardly ever had free time at home. In some cases, children worked from 3am to 10pm. Children could easily be trained to work in the textile industries because it was made up of simple tasks. Sunday was a day of rest, yet in some factories, the children

Modern Russia and The Soviet Union: Stalin

2001-07-29T14:00:00-04:00
Modern Russia and The Soviet Union: Stalin’s character was the main reason for his rise to power Stalin was born as Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili on December 21, 1879 in Gori, Georgia. He grew up in a mountain town of about 5,000 people. He was the third and only surviving child of Vissarion Dzhugashvili and Catherine Geladze. His father used to drink and beat him and his mother; this made Stalin very cold hearted. A friend commented on his behaviour, “Those undeserved and fearful beatings made the boy as hard and heartless as his father”. His father died in a brawl when Stalin was only 11. Stalin was enrolled in the village at school at the age of eight. He was an intelligent student and was top of his class. He read many books, which glorified Georgian’s past. Georgia was an independent country until the Russian Tsars conquered it. One book that had a deep affect on Stalin was a book similar to that of Robin Hood. His name was Koba and he hated the Russians and avenged their crimes against the Georgians. His acts were very ruthless and bloody. Stalin began to call himself Koba and this caught on with his friends. He was later to take on this pseudonym when he was in hiding from the tsar’s police. By 1894, Stalin had finished all of his schooling and had received a scholarship to the theological seminary in Tiflis, the capital of Georgia. The theological seminary building was dark and depressing. The students could have no privacy and were spied on by the Russian Orthodox monks. The monks also checked their rooms to see what they were reading and carefully scheduled each day, with prayer and study. Students had only one short break in the afternoon where they would go into the city under strict supervision. At first Stalin seemed to fit in with the strict schedule. He did well in his schoolwork and received the highest marks for conduct. He found time to write poetry of which were romantic and nationalistic, these poems were published in a Georgian magazine devoted to the preservation of Georgian culture. Gradually Stalin became frustrated under the harsh regime. Years later, Stalin told an interviewer “In protest against the outrageous….methods prevalent in the seminary, I was ready to become, and actually did become, a revolutionary.” In 1898 Stalin took his first step towards a revolutionary lifestyle when

Liberal Governments - life for the working

2001-07-09T14:00:00-04:00
With what success did the Liberal Governments attempt to improve the quality of life of the working? The 1906 election, and subsequent landslide victory for the Liberals, was the first step toward the introduction of a welfare state. The Conservatives who were in power up to 1906 had basically ignored the concept of social reform; this had led to them losing the worker's vote and had also led to a decline in the standards of living for the working class. The New Liberals argued for more government intervention to help impoverished society and therefore created the first movements of a social reform. However, the new legislation was only a mediocre success in improving the quality of life for working class people. "New Liberalism", differing slightly to Gladstonian Liberalism, was essentially state intervention in order to reduce poverty and therefore improve living and working conditions for the working classes. Up until the turn of the century, it was believed that poverty was self-inflicted, and extremely easy to eradicate if the people concerned just tried a little harder. However by the 1906 election, studies on poverty had been completed by Booth and Rowntree, and ideas on the origins of poverty were beginning to change. These studies provided evidence to suggest that no matter how hard certain people tried, they could not lift themselves out of poverty, and needed assistance in the form of state benefits and legislations. As New Liberalism involved more government intervention, people were wary of it as it was a new concept, and the previous Conservative governments had been unconcerned with most aspects of helping the people. At this time people were scared of change, and many did not understand the benefits of schemes like the National Insurance Act of 1911, where there wasn't a guaranteed payoff and people did not understand why, or to whom, they were paying money. However, as the idea of "deserving" poor and "undeserving" poor still existed even with New Liberalism, not all groups of people received aid. Therefore the new legislation and reforms were not quite as successful as they could have been. This was partly because the Liberals were more concerned with their political status than increasing legislation for the good of the people. The Liberals were in fear of a potential threat from the newly-formed Labour Party, who relied on votes from the working-class population. The Liberals were also reliant upon the support of

Why Did The Church Have So Much Power?

2001-06-27T14:00:00-04:00
It was very difficult for kings to control the church. The church was very powerful. It could make people scared and tell them they’re going to hell. They could even tell the king they were going to hell. One man who got power off of the church was Henry VIII. He did so by closing down all catholic churches and creating the Church of England. One good example of kings not getting power of the church is King Henry II and Thomas Beckett. Henry asked Thomas Beckett to become Archbishop of Canterbury in 1161. Beckett accepted in 1162. Henry hoped that by Beckett being Archbishop, he would get control of the church. He was wrong. Beckett had a new master – GOD. Another example of the power of the church is monks could murder someone and be sent to the church courts and get away with it. Nothing more would be said. Another example of power is the church saying who could be buried at the church and who couldn’t. People who had committed suicide were not allowed to be buried in holy ground. But why was the church so powerful? The answer to that is William, Duke of Normandy (William I). When William became the King of the whole of England, he brought over a system that was used in Normandy – the feudal system. This system told everyone how powerful he or she was, and the church was very powerful. They wanted a share of Williams land and from then on they became high and mighty. After Henry VIII, the church became weaker and weaker and parliament became top dog. Parliament made lots of decisions from the country and even took power from the king once. During Mary I reign, she burnt prosatants. She even burnt archbishops. She wanted everyone to be Catholics. Archbishops were burnt, nobles and of course peasants. Sometimes peasants were burnt for not knowing the Lord’s Prayer. Mary believed that anyone who didn’t follow the Catholic ways would burn in front of the gates of hell. These people were known as heretics. They had to repent before they died. During this time the church didn’t have much power. It is difficult for us to now realize how powerful the church was. It had control of the minds and lives of all the people. They had a lot of influence. But after lots of arguments the church has lost a lot of

Henry VII & Richard III

2001-06-27T14:00:00-04:00
Richard the Third had just recently become King of England. But he did not know that soon he would not Henry Tudor was from Wales. His surname was really spelt ‘Tewdwr.’ It was changed to the English way though when

Speech on The Underworld in Greek Mythology

2001-06-25T14:00:00-04:00
The Underworld, better known as Hades after the god who ruled it, was a dark and dreary place where the shades, or souls, of those who died lived. In the next few minutes, I will tell you about how one came to die, the topography of the Underworld, and the beings whom dwelled there. Your whole life was planned and plotted by the Fates. The Fates were the three goddesses who controlled the destiny of everyone from the time they were born to the time they died. They were: Clotho, the spinner, who spun the thread of a person’s life, Lachesis, the apporitioner, who decided how much times was to be allowed each person, and Atropos, the inevitable, who cut the thread when you were supposed to die. When Atropos cut your thread you were dead and then you made your journey to Hades. Upon death, the shade is lead by Hermes to the entrance of the Underworld and to the banks of the Acheron. There were five rivers that made up the Underworld. They were the Acheron (the river of woe), Cocytus (the river of lamentation), Phlegethon (river of fire), Lethe (river of forgetfulness), and the Styx (river of hate). This poem, written by an anonymous writer, was written about the rivers in the Underworld. "Abhorred Styx, the flood of deadly hate, Sad Acheron of sorrow black and deep; Cocytus named of lamentation loud Heard on the rueful stream; fierce Phlegethon Whose waves of torrent fire inflame with rage. Far off from these a slow and silent stream, Lethe, the river of oblivion, rolls Her watery labyrinth, whereof who drinks Forthwith his former state and being forgets, Forgets both joy and grief, pleasure and pain." When one would die, the family would place one obol, or a coin, under the deceased’s tongue. This coin would pay as fare to Charon who would ferry the dead over the Acheron River. Charon is the ferryman who is often depicted as an old sulky man, or as a winged demon carrying a double hammer. Those who cannot afford to pay Charon were doomed to wonder the banks of the Acheron River for one hundred years. Guarding the Underworld was the three-headed dog Cerberus. He permitted new spirits to enter, but never one to leave. When you arrived at the Underworld, three judges determined your sentence. They were Rhadamanthus, Minos the first, and Aeacus. Rhadamanthus, the

SA Purge - June 1934

2001-06-25T14:00:00-04:00
The Nazi consolidation of power was a gradual process that took place in many steps and was due to many factors, although a great deal happened in the first few months of Hitler's rule. However, the purge of the SA in June 1934 was a major turning point as it tremendously increased Hitler's power over the state. By the time Adolf Hitler was elected as Chancellor of Germany in January 1933, the consolidation of power was not having the desired effect. Hitler immediately called another election, and using his newly acquired power, his first step was to ban all newspapers and political meetings, particularly those of the Communists (KPD). He also dissolved the Prussian parliament, which effectively gave Hermann Goring complete control of 60% of Germany's police force. The police support of the Nazi Party was the backing for a violent terror campaign against other political parties, again particularly against the KPD. This campaign of terror resulted in the Reichstag fire, blamed on the Communists. Some historians believe the fire was started by the Nazis, and was all a ruse to lose more Communist votes and exploit fears of a mass left-wing uprising. Whatever the case, Hitler claimed that the Communists were trying to intentianally thwart the Nazis' election campaign. He asked President Hindenburg for extra powers to deal with any potential hazards, prompting Hindenburg to issue the Decree for the Protection of People and State. This law allowed the government to arrest people at will and also take over provincial governments, and was the first step towards a totalitarian government. It allowed the Nazis to completely smash the Communist election campaign and gain more seats in the Reichstag. Despite this mass terror campaign, the nazi party still failed to win the majority of seats in the election, gaining under 44% of the votes. However, a majority was eventually gained by the Nazi's winning the support of the Nationalist Party, as well as continuing campaigns of intimidation and scare-mongering. In the March election the Nazi party claimed just over half of the seats in the Reichstag, making them the largrest political party in Germany. However, the Nazis were not voted for in many Catholic and working-class areas of Germany. This did not stop their drive for power – they simply took control of the state governments and persuaded the Reichstag to pass an Enabling Law, which would give Hitler national power for the next

Submarines in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars

2001-06-23T14:00:00-04:00
The Trident Submarine houses twenty-four nuclear warheads with each having a range of 4,600 miles over land. If a nuclear war were to break out between the Soviet Union and the United States, virtually every major city could be destroyed in a matter of hours. The origin of these major players in modern day warfare lies in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. A Dutchman named Cornelus Van Drebbel, made the very first submarine in 1652, to fight the mighty Spanish ship called the Rotterdam Boat. It carried about twelve oarsmen and even had an air circulator. It never saw any action. In the American Revolutionary War, a manned underwater craft named the American Turtle (or the “water-machine”) was used against the British Navy. David Brushnell designed this ingenious machine in 1771. The submarine was a one manned, egg-shaped vessel which was propelled by hand-operated screw-like devices. It was bottom-heavy in order for it to remain upright. The operator would plant a submersible mine that could be triggered by a simple clockwork mechanism. He could paddle away after he attached the magazine of gunpowder onto the enemy ship. The operator could stay under for about thirty minutes The American Turtle was ready for her initial mission on September 6, 1776, just after midnight in the New York Harbor. The operator, Ezra Lee, failed in his attempt to sink the HMS Eagle because he failed to secure the screw of the gunpowder magazine to the ship. The Turtle made two more attempts to sink enemy ships but they both failed. The end of the American Turtle is unknown. Some think she was accidentally sunk, dismantled, or destroyed. The Turtle was the very first submarine to be used in the art of war. In October of 1805 the two-manned submarine invented by Robert Fulton, the Nautilus, sunk a ship in a demonstration for the British government. The detonation device was a mine, which was tugged by long cables that hit the boat after the submarine had passed under it. The timing was wrong for the event because England had just finished another war. The ship was ignored. The importance of the Nautilus was the use of compressed air for oxygen and the use of rudders for vertical and horizontal alignment while underwater. The significance of these first two fully working submarines in the world was that they played a major role in future developments of

Canadian Involvement in the Suez Crisis

2001-06-21T14:00:00-04:00
Eleven years after the second world war, a crisis occurred which had the potential to escalate into a third world war. Hostilities ran high and the background causes that prompted this crisis contained the same fundamentals as were seen in the first and second world wars. Those being militarism, alliances, imperialism and nationalism; wrought by those countries that had an interest in the Suez Canal and the Arab states. In the world of superpowers in conflict, Canada made a name for itself through an innovative peacekeeping scheme, instead of aggression (Encyclopedia Britannica Online, 1999-2000). If Canada had not become involved in the Suez Crisis, as a neutral party, it could have escalated into a world war. The three components which add up to the conclusion of the Suez Crisis and a bench mark for Canada and world peacekeeping are: Canada’s choice for those countries directly involved in the crisis, Canada’s choice for involvement, and Canada’s resolution of the United Nations Emergency Force, which would put a stop to a possible world war. In the Middle East, by July 1956, tensions were rising. The Egyptians were denied funds from the Us, Britain and the World Bank for the creation of their Aswan dam to affiliation with the Soviet Union. In desperate need of funds for the dam project, the Egyptian government had nationalize the Suez Canal Company, froze its assets in Egypt, and proposed to use canal tolls to pay for the dam (Hillmer, 1999, p. 226). In fear of the Egyptians cutting off the transportation of Arabian oil and Asian goods, the British, French, and Israel secretly planned an attack on Egypt. Meanwhile, the Israelis and the Arab states, including Egypt, were having an arms race. Israel was concerned with self-preservation while the Arabs, who had opposed Israel’s creation, wanted to destroy it. The Americans opposed the British, French, and Israeli invasion of Egypt because it didn’t want to offend the Arab states where US oil companies were drilling. On the other hand, the US was wiling to supply Israel with weapons if the Soviet Union sent arms to the Egyptians. Such military support could inevitably have lead to a nuclear war. Through ties with Britain, Canada was expected to aid in the invasion pf Egypt but Canada was reluctant and saw how much actions might put their relationship with the Americans in danger. Canada was now caught between two opposing

Renaisance Education: Values and Purposes

2001-06-10T14:00:00-04:00
The Renaissance was a time of change. It began in Italy during the 14th century, and spread throughout the North. People all over Europe were affected, for the better and for the worse. Some people finally had a chance to control their own fate. Others, like upper class women, lost their social status. The values and purposes of Renaissance education were to improve the society, increase the economy, and restore the religious beliefs. The social lives of people were greatly influenced by advancements in education during the Renaissance. More people then ever before were send to schools and educated. Schools for girls were built, and they were taught sewing, reading, writing, and dancing. Some of these schools even had teachers for singing and playing instruments. Upper class women were taught language, philosophy, theology and mathematics. But their education only prepared them for social life at home. Women lost political power, access to property and their role in shaping society. People were taught to understand and judge the writings of others. Courtiers, aristocrats and nobles were able to write poetry and text. By being well educated, having good penmanship, knowing how to ride, play, dance, sing, and dress well, men of high status gained respect and reputation. These skills also helped attain preference and support among princes. Nevertheless, the school system did not teach youth how to behave in daily life situations. They spent too much time on Grammar, Rhetoric, and Logic. Those studies that were realistic, enlightened men’s minds, and prepared them for life, were reserved for the Universities. Therefore, students had a slight understanding of the meaning and the true use of knowledge. They were only able to write Latin, which no one of judgement would want to read, and when they went to universities, they wasted their friends’ money and their own time. Afterwards, they would return home again, as unsophisticated and uneducated as they were before. In addition, many individuals thought that having to many schools was a terrible thing. They believed that only a minority of men should study literature, because more farmers were needed than judges, more soldiers than priests, more merchants than philosophers, and more hard working groups than dreamy and thoughtful individuals. Italian humanist Piccolomini, who himself was educated, believed that philosophy and literature, should be taught to every individual, because these studies reveal the truths about the past, the reality of the

Decision on dropping the bomb

2001-06-10T14:00:00-04:00
Many innocent lives were lost, as a result of the decision to use of the atomic Bomb. This was an extremely controversial military strategy in the United States. Were the United States justified for many reasons. The main reason was that, it would stop the war quickly, Revenge for Pearl harbour incident and no more innocent allied lives would be taken. This essay proves that it was a good idea to use the Atomic Bomb. After World War II begun in 2839, President Franklin Delano announced the neutrality of the United States . Many people in the United States thought that their country should stay out of the war. The people wanted the allied Forces to have the victory .President roosevelt also wanted an Allied victory because an axis victory might endanger democracies every where. The Axis did not believe on democracy. It all started when Japan wanted to take over China,but China refused. The United States oppsed the expansion of Japan in Asia, so they cut off important exports to Japan. On December 7,1941, Japanese Submarines and Carrier based planes, attack the U.S pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbour (Louis L Snyder, p g 521). Also they attack the U.S military airfileds and destroyed 19 American battle ships ,13 naval vessels,and 200 U.S Aircraft (Louis L Snyder pg. 521) .The attack mark the entrance of the United States into the WWII on to Allied side, and Japan in the side of Germany and Italy. General Hideki Tojo , was the Premeir of Japan.(Mike Fung). He and other japanese did not like the fact that United states were sending War supplies to china and other countries in Asia, This is why made japan attack on Pearl Harbour to get the United States Attention not to messed up with them. “Although the Attack may have been successful in the minds of the Japanese it became a huge mistake . One reason, it made the United States angry and determined to destroy the Japanese. Secondly it caused the U.S to enter the War.” “In 1939, Otto Hann and Fritz Strassmann discovered that neutrons striking the element uranium casued the atoms to split apart. Physicist found out that among the pieces of a split atom were newly produced neutrons , this might encounter other uranium nuclei,caused them to split , and start a chain reaction .If the chain reaction were limited to be the result , the chain reaction could

The French Revolution

2001-06-04T14:00:00-04:00
Gradually after the American Revolution, France had it’s own Revolution in 1789. The French were very unhappy with their current status, jobs, and living conditions. They saw what the Americans did to achieve liberty, and how successful they were. Many of them had also read the writings of the philosophers and believed that change was necessary. Nevertheless, the main problems that led to the French Revolution were deep debt, competition between social classes, and the unlawful conduct of the king. Debt was one of the problems that led France toward a Revolution. France was badly in debt after participating in the American Revolution and after Kings Louis XIV’s and Louis XVI’s enormous expenses. 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. Thus it re-named itself the National Assembly in June of 1789 and claimed itself the representative body of the people. The Assembly did not aid the King in his financial troubles, yet it demanded many changes to France’s absolute monarchy and legislative system. Many of the laws that were passed in France had also become extremely burdensome to the common people because they excluded the clergy and nobility from paying taxes. Louis XVI tried to help the economy, by raising taxes in 1786. But this only made matters worse, because peasants were unable to pay. Harvest was also poor and food very expensive. People were enraged of hearing stories of lavish parties at the fine houses and palaces, where a lot of food was served, which was either wasted or given to the dogs afterwards. The demand for manufactured goods fell, and many artisans, traders and farmers were without work. People were angry and began to revolt. In July of 1789, they stormed the Bastille killing many people, and in October of 1789 angry middleclass women marched to Versailles demanding that the royal family move to Paris and action be taken to help feed the people.

Pan-Slavism

2001-06-04T14:00:00-04:00
In the early nineteenth century, Slavic peoples from multiple empires in eastern and southern Europe began to pursue a movement to protect and organize Slavic culture. In 1848, this movement became more political. It gained a reputation and an attempt was made to unify all Slavic peoples. This movement became known as Pan-Slavism. Pan-Slavism appealed to many Slavs who felt nationalism towards their race. However among the Slavs, there were many different opinions. Some believed that there was a cultural, ethnic, and political connection among all Slavs. Others argued that there was no place for Pan-Slavic goals in the present empires. Above all, the cultural and political issues in the debate over Pan-Slavism were nationalism for ones race and a quest for power. In 1871 Slavs occupied most of eastern and southern Europe. The Slavs came from many nations. They populated the Austro-Hungarian, German, Russian, and the Balkan Areas of the Ottoman Empires. However as a result of their geographic diversity, there was no single language or literature for the Slavic population. Slavs were so disunited that although they shared a common nationality, there was ignorance, hatred, and oppression of each other. Slavic nationalists wanted to unify and form a free and content Pan-Slavic Empire. They believed that all Slavic peoples should maintain a close connection to one another. They were unhappy that among the Slavs, nationality came after humanity, while the opposite of this was true for other nations. In a lecture given by Bronislaw Trentowski in 1848, he stated that if he were ever a tsar, he would destroy the Ottoman and Austrian Empires, thus liberating the Slavic peoples and hence gaining their support. He would free Poland, along with every other Slav occupied country. Some people saw Pan-Slavism as the freeing of non-Russian Slavs from their Ottoman, German, and Austro-Hungarian rulers. Not everyone agreed with the intentions of Pan-Slavism. Some people did not think that that the Slavs were one nation. Karel Havlicek, a Czech journalist shared this belief. He believed that nationality was not only determined by language, but also by customs, religion, government, and way of education. In 1848, he published an article called “Slav and Czech”, in which he stated that the name Slav is and should always remain a geographical name. Bulgarian poet, Christo Boter, who strongly believed that only small federations of Slavs, in accordance to location should be built, shared a similar yet different

The Causes of the Great Depression

2001-06-01T14:00:00-04:00
Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution early in the nineteenth century the United States ad experienced recessions or panics at least every twenty years. But none was as severe or lasted as long as the Great Depression. Only as the economy shifted toward a war mobilization in the late 1930s did the grip of the depression finally ease. Stock prices had been rising steadily since 1921, but in 1928 and 1929 they surged forward, with the average price of stocks rising over 40 percent. The stock market was totally unregulated. Margin buying in particular proceeded at a feverish pace as customers borrowed up to 75 percent of the purchase price of stocks. That easy credit lured more speculators and less creditworthy investors into the stock market. The Federal Reserve board warned member banks not to lend money for stock speculation because if prices dropped, many investors would not be able to pay back their debts. No one listened. The stock market began sliding in early September, but people ignored the warning. Then on “black Thursday” (October 24, 1929) and again on “black Tuesday” (October 29, 1929) the ball dropped. More than 28 million shares changed hands in frantic trading. Overextended investors, suddenly finding themselves in heavily in debt, began selling their stocks. Many found that no one would buy anything at any price. Overnight, stock values fell from a peak value of 87 billion dollars to 55 billion dollars. The crash was felt far beyond the trading floors. Speculators who borrowed money from the banks to buy their stocks could not repay the loans because they could not sell stocks. This caused many banks to fail. Since bank deposits were uninsured before the 1930s depositors’ their money, which in many cases was all that many people had. The stock market crash intensified the course of the Great Depression in many ways. Besides wiping out the savings of thousands, it hurt commercial banks that had invested heavily in corporate stocks. It also caused a loss of confidence in the market prolonging the depression. The downturn began slowly and almost unnoticeably. After 1927, consumer spending declined and housing construction slowed. Inventories piled up, and in1928 and 1929 manufacturers began to cut back on production and lay off workers. Reduced income and buying power in turn reinforced the downturn. By the summer of 1929 the economy was clearly in a recession. Although the stock

Turning points - collapse of communism and the voyages of Columbus

2001-06-01T14:00:00-04:00
Turning points are points where an important change occurs. It is very important that it will never be forgotten since these turning points make such great impact on history. Some of these impacts include food, people, plants, animals, technology, and diseases passed from one continent to the other. The voyages of Columbus and the Collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union are one of the most significant turning points that made political, social, and cultural impact. The voyages of Columbus began the European race to colonize the Americans. A far-reaching exchange of people, plants, animal, and ideas occurred between Europe, the Americas, and Africa. Christopher Columbus, and ambitious Italian sailor from Genoa, convinced the Spanish monarchs to finance his plan to reach Asia by sailing across the Atlantic Ocean in 1942. He and the rest of his crew sailed towards west for India in just three small ships. Columbus also had an impact on a global exchange, which was called the Columbian Exchange because it started with him. This exchange leads to profound changes for people in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. Also, the introduction of American crops such as corn and potatoes to other continents contributed to population growth in Europe, Asia and Africa in the 1700s. Columbus made a major turning point in global history by establishing empires and trade links around the world on his voyages of exploration. Many changes such as the slave trade between Africa and the Americas turned into a huge and lucrative business. Also, European countries competed for colonies and trade in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The Collapse of communism in the Soviet Union began the years of change in Eastern Europe and brought an end to the Cold War. There are many effects of the fall of the Soviet Union, such as the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the end of the Cold War, Economic hardships, conflicts between pro communist and pro democratic groups, loss of role as world superpower, and lastly, minority revolts and civil conflicts. Under communism, ethnic tensions in multinational states had been kept from being known. But then they reappear again with the fall of the Soviet Union. The Cold War, which was going on for 25 years in the 1970s had ended. The United States and the Soviet Union promoted a period of détente, which was the lessening of tension. This Détente involved

Cause of WWI - European Alliances

2001-05-29T14:00:00-04:00
The main cause of WWI was the European alliances. To what extent do you agree with this statement Before 1914 the five Great Powers, Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia controlled Europe. In 1914 World War One broke out in Europe. Historians have debated the causes ever since. As a historian it will be difficult to conclusively establish a single cause – a number of significant causes is a far more helpful outcome. Although the European Alliances were certainly a cause of WWI, there were many other causes as well. Along with the European Alliances there was Nationalism, Imperialism, Militarism, and of course the physical conflicts leading up to the war. All these issues blew up the balloon of tension, which just needed a tiny pinprick to burst into war. The European Alliances had a major part in beginning WWI. After the build up of tension from Nationalism, Imperialism and Militarism, the Powers were worried about being attacked by each other. To counter this alliances were formed. Germany made a secret alliance with Austria-Hungary in 1879. Three years later Italy joined this Dual Alliance to form the Triple Alliance because it was annoyed with France for stopping its plans to colonise North Africa. The rest of the Great Powers became increasingly worried about the strength of the Triple Alliance. Believing they could be defeated by Germany, Austria and Italy acting together. France and Russia agreed to help each other if attacked. Britain was worried because it had no allies among the Powers, but it was not prepared to ally with Germany after the Boer War. In 1904 France and Britain were prepared to forget their previous quarrels and enter an agreement. Finally in 1907 France brought all three nations together to form the Triple Entente. The Alliance System was definitely a prominent cause of WWI. If Germany hadn’t allied with Austria the war might’ve been averted. For example if a conflict occurred just between Germany and Great Britain the rest of Europe would not be pulled into it. World War One spread because of the Alliance system, even with the tension build up it would’ve still been just another European war. Nationalism was the next major long-term cause of WWI. Nationalism involved all those who shared a common language, history and culture. It was a strong feeling of support for one’s own nation. Nationalists believed that the needs of their nation were

Japan - Breif History from WWII

2001-05-29T14:00:00-04:00
INTRODUTION: Without a good history, no nation can ever be considered developed. It is the history that makes or breaks a country. Japans history is very unique. During and after WWII their country was in ruins - literally. All their previous allies had deserted them, they were alone and destroyed by the Americans, an unlikely ally. I will focus on the impacts that America had on Japan, and then how Japan got themselves to the title of "The Second Most Developed Country". WWII: In 1941 Japan station troops in Indo-China (Vietnam) after forming an alliance with Germany and Italy. The Americans did not approve of this, and cut off exports to Japan. Japan was not happy about this and attacked Pearl Harbor. Meanwhile Japan were also attacking Southern Asia, and expanded their land to the Great East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. The US declared war on Japan and were burning for revenge. In the coming years Japan was bombed heavily and were pushed back into their origonal land. Japans cities were being torn down. Then came the final blow, two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, one in Hiroshima, the other in Nagasaki. Both of them combined killed an estimated 105,000 people. Japan finally surrendered. AFTERMATH: The Americans called "The Occupation" invaded Japan and made them give back all the land not owned by them before the war. Then, led by General Douglas MacArthur, they helped Japan do many things;
write a new constitution that was fairer to everyone,
Create a better trade union.
Reform the educational system so it was no longer bias to nationalism. Finally they helped to rebuild industry and commerce. This was the most helpful to Japan because the US government gave the Japanese government thousands of millions of dollars. America rebuilt factories and industries with the latest levels of technology, better than their own pre-war factories. They gave them advice and encouragement. Between 1945 and 1950 MacArthur and the Occupation did what they could to rebuild the Japanese economy. It was as if the Americans felt sorry for the Japanese. Then in June 1950, as if on cue, the Korean war broke out and the UN needed goods and services from Japan. The Americans helped Japan until pre-war levels of industrialisation were acheived. Then exceeded. A DEVELOPED NATION: There were massive changes from 1950-1990. Heavy industry was thriving, aluminium production increased 36-fold, paper manufacture 27-fold. Also trade was booming, in 1935 the government had a $41 million

Hitler's Victory at the 1936 Summer Olympics

2001-05-27T14:00:00-04:00
Adolf Hitler, the leader of Greater Germany, August 1, 1936, opened the 1936 World 11th Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. Adolf Hitler was a perfect host; he welcomed the world’s athletes to the Berlin Olympic Stadium, which was designed to seat an audience of 110,000. During the 1936 Summer Olympic Games, Hitler applauded both German and American athletes, as well as winning athletes from all other nations. Even though a perfect host at the 1936 Summer Olympics, Adolf Hitler was still the leader of Greater Germany. Yes, one could be a great host, and still support the home team, as other world leaders were demonstrating at that time. Each world leader, at that time, wanted their nation’s team to win at the 1936 Summer Olympics. Adolf Hitler felt the same towards the German team. Hitler wanted to demonstrate two concepts at the 1936 Summer Olympics: 1. An all White Nordic Christian Olympic Team could come in first place. 2. Working Class Participants could raise their status in the world through their own efforts. Participants in all situations, could be judged on their individual actions, not on the economic status of their parents or ancestors alone. The German 1936 Summer Olympic Team did not let Hitler down. The German team, consisting completely of White Nordic Christian members, came in first place during the 1936 Summer Olympic Games held in Berlin, Germany. Among the working class German athletes to win a Gold Medal during the 1936 Summer Olympics, Karl Hein, a carpenter, won a Gold Medal for the Olympic event called: THE HAMMER THROW. Karl Hein broke a world record, which was held for 24 years. During the 1936 Summer Olympics, held in Berlin, the German team won 33 Gold Medals, and 89 Medals in total Olympic categories. Adolf Hitler was very proud of the German 1936 Summer Olympic Team. Hitler was able to prove that an all White Nordic Christian Olympic Team could come in first place, and an individual could raise one’s status in life through individual efforts, in spite of coming from a humble working class background. The American team came in second place at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games. Hitler was very impressed by all American athletes at the 1936 Summer Olympics and applauded them. The Olympic Team from France, impressed by their host, Adolf Hitler, gave the Nazi solute as they entered the Berlin Olympic

Great Political Leaders of the Twentieth Century

2001-05-21T14:00:00-04:00
The history of the 20th century can be defined by the biographies of six men: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Vladimir Lenin, Adolf Hitler, Mao Tse Tung, and Josef Stalin. Each of these men had a lasting significant involvement in world affairs. This essay will focus on the significance each individual had on the ideologies of Democracy and Totalitarianism. Four of the six individuals were leaders of a totalitarianistic state, and three of these led a communist country. Also four of the six leaders were in power during the Second World War. The profiles of these six men formed the world that we live in today. Vladimir Illich Lenin was the first individual to put Marxist ideologies to work. In April 1917 Lenin returned to Russia from his exile in Switzerland to give his ‘April Theses.’ It was here that Lenin outlined how his revolution was to take place, the Bolshevik Revolution began on November 6 1917. Within a week the Bolsheviks were in control of most of European Russia, and immediately Lenin ordered that the Russians abandon the war against Germany. After abandoning her allies in World War One the Russians were hurled into a civil war. It is here that we first see the ideologies of Totalitarianism and Democracy clash. The democracies of Britain, France, and the United States all sent troops to Russia in the support of the ‘Whites,’ or enemies of the Bolsheviks. Lenin took the poor country of Russia and turned it into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or U.S.S.R. Through his policies of War Communism and its replacement the NEP Lenin was able to stand the newly formed U.S.S.R. on its own two feet. One of Lenin’s ideas was ‘International Socialism,’ it was under this idea that he set up the Comintern with the purpose of spreading communism throughout the world. His successor, Josef Stalin took a different approach in his ideas of ‘Socialism in one country.” Josef Stalin led the U.S.S.R. from the death of Lenin to his own in 1953. Stalin led the Soviets through the betrayal of the Germans in the Nazi-Soviet Pact, he turned back the Nazis on the Eastern front, and brought the U.S.S.R. out of the Second World War as one of the only two superpowers in the world. After the end of the World War Two Stalin spread the Soviet sphere of influence to include East Germany,

Pearl Harbor and how it came about

2001-05-15T14:00:00-04:00
By the year 1941, WWII was in full effect. Germany seemed to be the victor, gaining control of France and Poland as well as successfully bombing England. Many people believe that Germany would have indeed won the war if not for the intervention of the United States. Because of the horror Americans had witnessed in WWI, the United States did not originally want to get involved in the conflict. In the early morning of December 7th, 1941 all that changed when the Japanese air fleet scattered in the Pacific Ocean bombed Pearl Harbor. In September of 1940 Japan entered in alliance with Germany and Italy. The Japanese were in need of natural resources found in Southeast Asian countries newly conquered by Germany. Around the same time in the United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to halt German and Japanese expansion but was urged by other government officials to leave the situation as it was. Japan feared America’s reaction to their plans to seize Southeast Asia, yet did not let that fear get in their way. Japan completed their control of Indochina by seizing the southern half. The American government answered back by placing an embargo on oil shipments heading for Japan. The Japanese viewed this as an act of war, for they knew their military and industrial forces would not last long with out oil. The United States tried to resolve their differences with Japan, throughout 1941. Demands on each side were quite simple. The Japanese wanted the embargo lifted and permission to attempt an attack on China. The U.S. exclaimed they would only lift the embargo if Japan ceased its aggression towards China. The two powers refused to compromise and a war seemed inevitable. America realized Japan would not budge and strategically place military forces in the Pacific Ocean in preparation for a pending war. In fact, the most crucial element of American defense was the U.S. Pacific Fleet. With war looming the Pacific Fleet was moved to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on April 2nd , 1940. Pearl Harbor seemed to be the perfect place to rest the fleet. Situated between the Marshall Islands, where the Japanese fleet gathered and the west coast of America. The fleet wasn’t supposed to stay in the harbor very long yet because of events in Europe, President Roosevelt felt if the fleet was left in the harbor it would diminish the possibility of a Japanese attack

Russian Revolution (society 1861-1917)

2001-05-15T14:00:00-04:00
Between 1861 and 1917, Russian society had undergone many changes. It is safe to say that every aspect of that society had been some how modified. These changes led up to the Bolshevik revolution in November of 1917. Given the nature of Russian society, was the Bolshevik revolution unavoidable? Among the changes Russian society had undergone, one starts off the whole chain of events. This was the emancipation of the serfs, in 1861, by Czar Alexander. The emancipation freed 44 million peasants. The Czar knew that the only way to end the discontent of the serfs and to show that Russia too was a modern society would be to let them free. The Edict of Emancipation caused many problems these uneducated peasants. The land now assigned to them was smaller then the plots they were using as serfs. This was an average of 8 acres. There was also a forty-nine year period over which installments could be paid before the peasants were given full ownership of the land. In fact many peasants were still working for their landlords after the edict. Because of his efforts Alexander was nicknamed “the liberator”. Despite giving the serfs their freedom, Alexander’s actions cause more problems then they solved. After the unification of Germany between 1861 and 1891, which accelerated it’s military and political power, Russia too felt it should industrialize. A man named Sergei Witte, who was Minister of Finance from 1892-1903, almost single-handedly pushed Russia into its industrialization. He knew that Russia needed something to start her on the road to industrialization. Witte’s efforts made industrial advances from 1892 to 1910. Between 1880 and 1914, Russia had a growth rate of 3.5%. This would have surely brought Russian higher in the rank of industrial and economical world powers. It was said that all Russia needs is 20 years of peace, without war and she will not be in risk of revolution. Unfortunately, the statement was ignored and in 1904, Russia commenced a yearlong war with Japan. The Czar’s ministers had assured him that the war with Japan would be an easy victory. In fact Russia suffered a devastating defeat. This leads to the revolution of 1905. Along with industrialization, Russia needed to educate the population. A large majority of the population was illiterate, and factories were looking for more skilled workers. The education of the people led to the growing popularity of several anti-Czarist groups. The

Long and Short Term Causes of WWI

2001-05-13T14:00:00-04:00
There were several long-term events that led to the outbreak of World War One. The most prominent factors include: nationalism, militarism, imperialism, the Balkan and Morocco crises, and the alliance system. Ironically, these things were either started in response to, or upheld because of, one of the other factors. The alliance system was one of the last factors to emerge before the war. Consequentially, the contributions of this system to the beginning of the Great War have to be considered. Although the alliance system was a main cause of the First World War, it arose because of several other factors, and did not cause the war single handedly. Nationalism, the love and support of one's country, has always existed. In this era, however, it was to take part in the creation of one of the most famous wars in history. Since so much pride was devoted to countries, it made the possibilities of peace between past rivals less probable. It also meant that most nations, especially the great powers, would rather fight a war than back down from a rival's diplomatic provocation. In effect, nationalism was also a contributing factor to the alliance system. No country feels comfortable being in a war alone, and with the growing militaries in almost every country, allies provided much comfort. The supreme present of militarism, "a policy of aggressive military preparedness" , in this period of time gave all countries great reason to feel the heavy weight of an oncoming war. Great Britain's naval policy (to always be twice as big as the next two largest navies put together), along with the predominate feeling of war provided countries with a strong reason to try and create an incredibly strong military force. This led to an arms race, which made the impending war seem inevitable. The military planning in some countries also caused an increased fear of war. Since military machines were being developed, each country was appointing a general staff of experts. The greatest problem with this was that there was a fear that "some chief of staff, in order to maintain the schedule on his 'timetable', might force an order of mobilization and thus precipitate war." These two factors also led, in part, to the alliance system. If two or more countries are allied with each other then they have a better chance of defeating their common enemy if war is declared. They also have

Wilson's 14 Points vs. the Treaty of Versailles

2001-05-13T14:00:00-04:00
When the peace processes were to start after the finishing of World War One, there were four people who were major components in the treaty of Paris: Clemenceau, George, Orlando, and Wilson. Clemenceau wanted revenge on the German's by punishing them through the treaties because he believed that they were at fault for the war; George was in agreement with Clemenceau although he did not feel that Germany should suffer severe punishment; Orlando who wanted the irredenta to be re-established; and President Wilson of the United States of America wanted to create a mild peace with Germany in a fair way. In view of this, Wilson created fourteen points that he wanted accomplished in full as a result of the peace treaties. His fourteen points were his plan for a world peace and included plans for the end of secret treaties, freedom of the seas, free trade, arms reduction, the just settlement of colonial claims, the establishment of a League of Nations, and the evacuation of occupied territories and national self-determination. Many of his points were carried out in the Treaty of Versailles, although not all of them were successful or followed completely. Wilson's fourth point in his plan was the reduction of national armaments. He stated that there should be "adequate guarantees given and taken that national armaments [would] be reduced to the lowest point consistent with domestic safety." In the Treaty of Versailles, it was stated that the German army was to be limited to 100,000 and that Germany was not allowed to draft its citizens or to have an air force. Also, Germany was no longer allowed to operate submarines because of the unrestricted submarine warfare that they had displayed during the war, and their naval ships were limited in size and in the amount that they were permitted to own. Furthermore, the Rhineland was to be permanently disarmed and occupied by the Allies for fifteen years to ensure that there would be no attacks against France that might start another war. In addition to this, it was stated that Germany would never be allowed to unite with Austria because they would form an incredibly strong fighting force. This resulted in much complaining by the Germans on the account that they believed they were being left without a military force significant enough to protect themselves. Also, the treaty did not require any of the other countries to perform

Tzar Nicholas II - downfall of Russia

2001-05-03T14:00:00-04:00
It was Tzar Nicholas 2 political naivete and extreme obstinance that led to the downfall of the Russia Certain aspects of Tsar Nicholas 2’s behaviour definitely contributed to bringing about the fall of the Russian Empire, however most of these qualities were not weaknesses in character as such, they were qualities we would associate with poor leadership. When we say ‘weakness in character’ we mean being easily influenced/controlled by others. Nicholas himself was a firm believer in autocracy; he was virtually unmovable in this belief. And this obstinant belief clearly illustrates he stuck to his beliefs, although in his early years as tsar his uncles had huge influence. That said, the fall of the Russian Empire was not all a result of Nicholas’ character and poor leadership qualities, we must also see that the huge socio-economic changes happening as well as the outbreak WW1 hugely influenced the coming about of and the timing of the revolution. These changes would be hard for any government to manage. Nicholas 2’s firm and obstinant belief of his commitment to autocracy can be clearly seen in a letter of reply he sent to a liberal zemstvo head before his coronation. “I shall maintain the principal of autocracy just as firmly and unflinchingly as it was preserved by my unforgettable dead father (Alexandra 3)”(Nicholas & Alexandra, Robert K. Massie). His ultra-conservative political outlook was influenced greatly when a child Tsar Nicholas was educated by the reactionary tutor Konstantin Pobenonstev, enemy of all reform. If there were any doubts about Nicholas’ belief in autocracy they would have been put to rest. Pobenonstev was once called “The Highest Priest of Social Stagnation”. He once declared, “Among the falsest of political principles is the principle of sovereignty of the people”. In his early manhood Nicholas lived the life of an idle socialite uninterested in the affairs of state, he found government meetings ‘boring’ and uninteresting. As he had never taken a liking to political affairs he was underprepared to take the throne, this fact along -with his stubborn belief in autocracy- also goes a long way to explain his political naivete in many of the difficult situations he faced. Was this unwillingness to face the political realities due to him being blinded be his obstinate belief in autocracy or was it just that he was politically naïve? Throughout his rule as discontent rose Nicholas still believed that he still had the

Richelieu's Great Success

2001-04-30T14:00:00-04:00
Machiavelli, More, and Richelieu all at one point or another occupied a high post in their respective governments: Italy, England, and France; from such a vantage point, or rather in the case of Machiavelli after descending from office, each identified the ills existent in his given state and derived his own remedy for such ills. However, the efforts of Machiavelli and More proved less fruitful in the short run than did Richelieu’s; while Richelieu raised the state of France under Louis XIII to a condition of greatness through the elimination of internal strife and discord which had for so long plagued the nation and through the advocacy of increased involvement in the international realm, his two predecessors in their renowned works, The Prince, Discourses on Livy, and Utopia, made a number of espousals concerning certain desirous reforms which would prove extremely influential in the future and throughout the world, but which would fail to be adopted as remedies for the immediate concerns which fostered them. Italy, and Florence itself, the birthplace and residence of Niccolo Machiavelli had endured violent political and social upheavals throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. In the 1440’s the social balance which had permitted the germination of much of Renaissance thought a few decades prior was already beginning to fall into decay as a result of heavy wartime taxation; Florence had been forced to keep Spanish held Naples and Milan at bay for years and consequently found herself lacking in funds to continue such a defense. The Florentine military was composed primarily of mercenaries who proved both a costly and not necessarily loyal force. The increasing costs incurred by warfare inevitably led to a centralized state led by the Medicis that could more readily generate and amass the necessary revenues; however, the outward trappings of a republican form of government were preserved. The Medici maintained their dominance of the Florentine Republic until1494 when Piero d’ Medici was ousted from office. The ostracization of Piero by his Florentine counterparts was in direct correlation to the invasion and capture of Naples from Spanish control by the French King Charles VIII. In 1494 on route to Naples the French took Pisa, Florence, and Rome without conflict; however, Piero’s surrender of Pisa, which left Florence vulnerable, provoked a fierce rebellion in Florence putting an end to Medici rule there for the time being. Despite such unrest the Dominican Friar Girolamo Savonarola

Was the Alliance System Responsible for the Outbreak of WWI?

2001-04-26T14:00:00-04:00
The importance of the alliance system that developed in Europe in the decades before World War I as a cause for it is still an important topic of debate and argument between modern historians. Some argue that the alliance system was a direct cause of the outbreak of war between all major countries in Europe while other historians prefer to state that the alliance configuration we observe before the war started was simply a symptom of the conflicts and disagreements, fears and envies that had been accumulating since the Bismarck system of alliances collapsed, and even before then. This last opinion is becoming more accepted as the one that describes the true importance of the actual alliance system as a cause of the war. In order to determine the importance of the alliance system as a cause for the war we must first explore the origins of these alliances. We will take high-point of the Bismarck system in 1878 as our starting point as the Franco-Prussian war is a key factor for the development of this system. The alliance system ideated by the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck kept peace in Europe but its main aim was, however, to forestall the possibility that, in the event of war, Germany would have to fight it on two fronts (basically France and Russia). This was achieved by diplomatically isolating France so that its dream of recapturing its lost provinces of Alsace-Lorraine couldn’t be fulfilled. This was done by, firstly, the creation of the League of the Three Emperors or Dreikaiserbund. It was first projected as a meeting of the monarchs of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia in 1872 and confirmed the following year, the 22nd of October 1873. Here, the very general and formless agreement was given a more solid form by military agreements promising to help any country attacked by a fourth party. And all this even though that there was mutual rivalry between Russia and Austria-Hungary in the Balkans. This proved to be a concrete way to isolate France for as E. Eyck mentions, “the League ensured that neither Austria-Hungary nor Russia was available as an ally for France”. At this point, Bismarck didn’t consider Britain as a potential French ally as they had a long history of rivalry. Secondly, in 1887 the Reinsurance Treaty was signed with Russia in which it promised to support Russia’s claims to the strait and to

Article 231 of the treaty of versailles

2001-04-26T14:00:00-04:00
Firstly, we must proceed to explain the nature of Article 231 in order to be able to analyse its judgement about Germany’s responsibility for the war. After the war had ended, Europe’s, especially France’s economy was devastated. There was also a general desire for such a war never to repeat itself, as the first proof of modern warfare proved to be ruinous. To deal with this two issues the allied powers made Germany sign the “war guilt clause” which made it accept all the guilt for the war and because of this, pay reparations to the affected states. In this way France’s economy would theoretically recover faster while Germany was kept economically weak so it could never attempt to cause a war again. Even though at the time most non-German historians went along with this, while German historians were not happy with this interpretation for obvious reasons, after a few years opinion began to move away from only blaming Germany and accepted that other countries should also take part of the blame. However, in 1961 a German historian called Fritz Fischer proposed the idea that after all Germany should take most of the responsibility. These two points of view have been a cause for debate for historians and a final agreement has not yet been reached. While most historians accept that the key decisions for war in July 1914 were taken in Berlin, other factors such as German foreign policy (“Weltpolitik”) and the alliance system remain still as the grounds of discussion. To analyse in depth Germany’s guilt for the war we must first look at the most distant events and work our way up to the July crisis. To understand Germany’s actions that lead to war we shall look first at its foreign policy, specifically from the point were Bismarck’s policy ended in 1890. After Bismarck’s dismissal the Kaiser and his advisers were convinced that the most likely wars in Europe were Germany against France of Austria-Hungary against Russia and in neither case could Russia and Germany be on the same side because of the existing alliances. This meant the rupture of the Russo-German friendship and the starting point were the two fronts that battled in the Great War started to shape up. Another example of a failed attempt of alliance was that of with Britain. Kaiser Wilhelm inherited her mother’s admiration for English liberalism and the accepted view of

The Emancipation Proclamation

2001-04-23T14:00:00-04:00
The Emancipation Proclamation led to the end of slavery, and is one of the most controversial documents in American history. Human slavery was the focus of political conflict in the United States from the 1830s to the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate for presidency in 1860, personally abhorred slavery and was pledged to prevent it from spreading to western territories. At the same time he believed that the Constitution did not allow federal government to prohibit slavery in states where it already existed. The election of Lincoln led to the secession of eleven slave-holding states and the beginning of the civil war. The states feared Lincoln would restrict their right to do as they chose about the question of black and white, so they went about creating the Confederate South. Four slave-holding states remained in the Union however; Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware. During the first part of the war, abolitionists and some military leaders urged Lincoln to issue a proclamation freeing the slaves. They argued that such a policy would benefit the North because slaves were contributing greatly to the Confederate war effort. By doing most of the South’s farming and factory work, slaves made whites available for the Confederate army. But still Lincoln feared that him freeing the slaves would divide the North, he believed that the four slave-holding states would secede if he adopted such a policy, and he saw them as vital to the survival of the Union By 1862 large numbers of slaves were escaping and seeking refuge with Union armies. Lincoln recognized that the extraordinary pressure of the war was gradually destroying the institution of slavery, even without legal emancipation. In July 1862 Lincoln read a draft of the Emancipation Proclamation to his cabinet. One of his ministers suggested that the President wait to issue it until after the Union victory, so that it would not sound like the last desperate act of a loosing government. Lincoln agreed and waited for his generals to win the war. The battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862, was the bloodiest single day of the war. Robert E. Lee’s Confederate army retreated after the battle, allowing Union general George B. McClellan to claim victory. Five days later, on September 22, 1862, Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. It stated that if the rebelling states did not return to the Union by January 1, 1863, he would declare

The United States and the Normandy Invasion

2001-04-23T14:00:00-04:00
The year was 1944, and the United States had now been an active participant in the war against Nazi Germany for almost three and a half years. During this time, numerous battles had occurred which were fought with determination and intensity on both sides. Amongst the many invasions of World War II, there is one day which stands out more in the minds of many American soldiers than the others. That day was June 6, 1944, more commonly known as D Day, part of the invasion of Normandy, known as "Operation Overlord." This operation was the largest amphibious assault in history. It was a day in which thousands of young Americans, who poured onto the beaches of France, matured faster than they would have ever imagined. Little did they know of the chaos and torment that awaited them on their arrival. The attacks on Utah and Omaha were strategically made, and carried out in careful preciseness. The Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France began on June 6, 1944, and the American assault on the Utah and Omaha beaches on this day played a critical role in the overall success of the Normandy operation. An extensive plan was established for the American attack on Utah and Omaha Beaches. The plan was so in-depth and complex, its descriptions detailed the exact arrivals of troops, armour, and other equipment needed for the invasion, and where exactly on the beach they were to land. Before the landings were to begin, the coastal German defences had to be broken down by a combination of a massive battering by United States Naval ships, and by bombing from the United States Air Force. Between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. on the morning of June 6, over 1,000 aircraft dropped more than 5,000 tons of bombs on the German coastal defences. As soon as the preliminary bombing was over, the American and British naval guns opened fire on the Normandy coastline. A British naval officer described the incredible spectacle he witnessed that day: "Never has any coast suffered what a tortured strip of French coast suffered that morning." Along the fifty-mile front the land was shaken by successive explosions as the shells from the ships' guns tore holes in fortifications and tons of bombs poured down on them from the skies. Through smoke and falling debris German defenders crouching in their trenches would soon faintly see

Why the United States dropped the Atomic Bomb: Persuasive Essay

2001-04-23T14:00:00-04:00
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 Russian support in the war with Japan. (Claypool, 1984) “In

Black Death

2001-04-22T14:00:00-04:00
Since the reign of Emperor Justinian in 542 A.D., man has one unwelcome organism along for the ride, Yersinia pestis. This is the bacterium more commonly know as the Black Death, the plague. Plague is divided into three biotypes, each associated with one of three major pandemics occurring in history. Each of these biotypes are then divided into three distinct types, classified by method of infection. The most widely know is bubonic, an infection of plague that resides in the lymph nodes, causing them to swell. The Black Death of the 14th century was mainly of this type. Bubonic plague is commonly spread through fleas that have made a meal from an infected Rattus rattus. The most dangerous type of plague is pneumonic. It can be spread through aerosol droplets released through coughs, sneezes, or through fluid contact. It may also become a secondary result of a case of untreated bubonic or septicemic plague. Although not as common as the bubonic strain, it is more deadly. It has an untreated mortality rate on nearly 100%, as compared to 50% untreated mortality for bubonic plague. It attacks the respiratory track, furthering the cycle. The third type of plague is septemic. It is spread by direct bodily fluid contact. It may also develop as a secondary result of untreated bubonic or pneumonic plague. A LITTLE HISTORY As mentioned before, the most known incidence of bubonic plague was in 14th century Europe. In 1346 reports of a terrible pestilence in China, spreading through Mesopotamia and Asia Minor had reached Europe, but caused no concern until two years later. In January of 1348 the plague had reached Marseille in France and Tunis in Africa. By the end of the next year the plague had reached as far as Norway, Scotland, Prussia, Iceland, and Italy. In 1351 the infection had spread to include Russia. The plague was an equal opportunity killer. In Avignon nine bishops were killed, King Alfonso XI of Castile succumbed, and peasants died wherever they lay. Though the plague had, for the most part, ceased less than ten years after it started, it killed nearly one third of the European population. In many towns the dead outnumbered the living. Bodies piled in the streets faster than nuns, monks, and relatives could bury them. Many bodies were interred in mass graves, overflowing with dead, or dumped into nearby rivers. Domesticated cats and dogs, along with wolves, dug dead

The Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand : Trigger for War

2001-04-22T14:00:00-04:00
Bosnia and Herzegovina were provinces just south of Austria, which had, until 1878, been governed by the Turks. The Treaty of Berlin, in 1878, settled the disposition of lands lost by the Turks following their disastrous war with Russia. Austria was granted the power to administer the two provinces indefinitely. Many Bosnian-Serbs felt a strong nationalistic desire to have their province joined with that of their Serb brothers across the river in Serbia. Many in Serbia openly shared that desire. On October 6, 1908, Austria annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina directly into the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The reasons were complex. Annexation would remove any hopes Turkey might have for reclaiming the provinces. Full inclusion into the empire would give Bosnians full rights and privileges. It may have been an act of will by the Austrians, just to show that they were still an active, sovereign power. Two days later, many men, some of them ranking Serbian ministers, officials, and generals, held a meeting at City Hall in Belgrade. They founded a semi-secret society, Narodna Odbrana (National Defense), which gave Pan-Slavism a focus and an organization. The purpose of the group was to recruit and train partisans for a possible war between Serbia and Austria. They also undertook anti-Austrian propaganda and organized spies and saboteurs to operate within the empire's provinces. Satellite groups were formed in Slovinia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Istria. The Bosnian group went under the name Mlada Bosna (Young Bosnia). Narodna Odbrana's work had been so effective that in 1909 a furious Austria pressured the Serbian government to put a stop to their anti-Austrian insurrection. Russia was not ready to stand fully behind Serbia should things come to a showdown, so Belgrade was grudgingly forced to comply. From then on, Narodna Odbrana concentrated on education and propaganda within Serbia, trying to fashion itself as a cultural organization. Many members formed a new, and again secret, organization to continue the terrorist actions. Ten men met on May 9, 1911 to form Ujedinjenje ili Smrt (Union or Death), also known as The Black Hand. By 1914, there were several hundred members, perhaps as many as 2500. Many members were Serbian army officers. The professed goal of the group was the creation of a Greater Serbia, by use of violence, if necessary. The Black Hand trained guerillas and saboteurs and arranged political murders. The Black Hand was organized at the grassroots level in 3 to 5-member cells. Above them

Causes of the Great War

2001-04-17T14:00:00-04:00
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 time was

The Rise of Nazism in Germany

2001-04-13T14:00:00-04:00
Germany’s defeat in World War One created political, economic and social instability in the Weimar Republic and led to the rise of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) or Nazi party. The First World War placed increasingly heavy strains and sacrifices on the German people. The gap between the rich and poor widened and divisions between classes increased. It had direct effect on the workers’ living standard as earnings fell and food shortages grew. Food was sold on the growing black market but the prices were high and the poor could not afford to buy. This led to a crisis in the cities and as many as 700 000 died of hypothermia and starvation in the winter of 1916-17. In order to force the German people to bear the hardship of the war, chancellor Bethmann Hollweg promised political reform in a speech in the Reichstag in February 1917. This promise led to political unrest and an organised strike of 400 000 ammunition workers in Berlin, which threatened to cripple arms production. However, as long as the military held their dominant position and the possibility of victory remained, the prospects of reform seemed remote. After the chancellor was forced to resign in July 1917 military repression increased. There were severe restrictions on the right of assembly, stricter control of meetings to discuss grievances, a return to military service for striking workers and the banning of all anti-war material. In September 1918 the military effort suddenly collapsed. The allied powers, in particular President Wilson of the United States, demanded that Germany be transformed into a democracy. On November 1918 the SPD declared the abdication of the Kaiser and the birth of the new Weimar Republic. On 28 June 1919 the German government signed the Treaty of Versailles imposed on it by the victorious powers. Clause 231 blamed Germany for causing the war and vast majority of Germans rejected this. They blamed the Weimar government for losing the war and signing the outrageous Treaty. Linked to this was the demand for financial compensation for the cost of the war paid to France and Britain. This shocked the Germans severely as it would be hard to pay reparations since the war had weakened the country. Germany’s army personnel was to be reduced to 100 000 and was forbidden to produce “offensive” weapons. There was to be no air force or submarines and the navy was to

Socrates and the Apology

2001-04-13T14:00:00-04:00
Some of the best sources of information about Socrates’ philosophical views are the early dialogues of his student Plato, who tried to provide a faithful picture of the methods and teachings of the great master. The Apology is one of the many-recorded dialogues about Socrates. It is about how Socrates was arrested and charged with corrupting the youth, believing in no god(s) (Atheism) and for being a Sophist. He attended his trial and put up a good argument. I believe that Socrates was wrongfully accused and should not have been sentenced to death. Within the duration of this document, I will be discussing the charges laid against Socrates and how he attempted to refute the charges. One of the reasons why Socrates was arrested was because he was being accused of corrupting the minds of the students he taught. I personally feel that it is almost impossible for one person to corrupt the thoughts and feelings of a whole group of people. Improvement comes form a minority and corruption comes from the majority. Socrates is one man (minority) therefore it is less likely the youth have been corrupted by Socrates than by some larger group of people (educators, council members, jurymen etc…). Socrates was also put on trial for being an Atheist. In the argument Socrates has with Meletus, Socrates gets Meletus to admit that Socrates is Atheist and theist. Considering that both of these practices are totally incompatible, and Meletus admits to both of theses, maybe Meletus does not really understand what he is accusing Socrates of. I understand that back then; not believing in religion was considered a crime but to actually sentence someone to death for being different is totally uncalled for. Thirdly, because Socrates practiced making weak arguments strong (Sophist). Socrates was a traveling teacher and talked and challenged everyone he met. Socrates taught the art of persuasive speaking. He did not charge people money like most of the other Sophists did, but he did have similar beliefs as the Sophists. Sophists thought that our minds are cut off from reality and that we are stuck in our own opinions of what the world was like. Socrates believed that reason or nature could not tell us why the world is the way it appears. The Sophists’ point of view is best summed up as this: we can never step out of the way things appear. We are all

British Imperialism in India

2001-04-11T14:00:00-04:00
"All the leadership had spent their early years in England. They were influenced by British thought, British ideas, that is why our leaders were always telling the British "How can you do these things? They’re against your own basic values.". We had no hatred, in fact it was the other way round - it was their values that made us revolt." -Aruna Asaf Ali, a leader of the Indian National Congress. (Masani, quoted in Wood, 32, 1989) There is no doubt that British imperialism had a large impact on India. India, having previously been an group of independent and semi-independent princedoms and territories, underwent great change under British administration. Originally intended to consolidate their hold on India by establishing a population that spoke the same language as their rulers, the British decision in the 1830s to educate Indians in a Western fashion, with English as the language of instruction, was the beginning of a chain of events, including a rise in Indian nationalism, that led to Indian resentment of British imperialism and ultimately to the loss of British control over India. One of the most important factors in the British loss of control over India was the establishment of English as a unifying language. Prior to British colonisation, India was fragmented and multi-lingual, with 15 major languages and around 720 dialects. English served as a common ground for Indians, and allowed separate cultural and ethnic groups to identify with each other, something which had rarely if ever occurred before on a grand scale. Although it was mainly educated Indians of a privileged caste who spoke English, these were the most influential people in terms of acting as facilitators for nationalist ideas to be communicated throughout the populace. The publication of magazines and journals in English was also a great influence on the rise of Indian nationalism. Although most Indians received nationalist ideas orally, these journals allowed Indians who were literate in English to come into contact with the ideas of social and political reformers. Political and social reform in India was achieved as a result of the European political principles brought to India by the British. Indians were Anglicised, and the British ideal for an Indian was to be "Indians in blood and colour, but English in tastes, opinions and intellect", as put by one British legislator (Rich, 214, 1979). This Western education inevitably led to well-read Indians encountering European principles such as human rights,

Nazi consolidation of power in Germany

2001-04-11T14:00:00-04:00
Like most nations of Europe in the mid 1930’s, Germany was suffering from the consequences of the Great Depression. During this period of economic and political diffculty, the country had become more susceptible to extreme political parties promising solutions to the problems which faced the country. The Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler, was one such group, and came to power in 1933 with the promise of making Germany great once more. Propaganda was used intensively by the Nazis as a means of achieving power in 1933, and again was the main method of tightening their hold on power. Propaganda was an inescapable part of life in Germany under Nazi rule - the press, the radio, literature, theatre, film and other forms of art and culture hammered the message, sometimes crudely and sometime subtly (Walsh, p.2). The Nazi propaganda of the 1930s was an instrumental part of persuading the German people to believe in Nazi doctrine and its foundation issue of loyalty to the state. Hitler and the Nazi party consolidated their hold on Germany (1933-36) by instilling fear in the German people, as well as preying on existing fears, and achieving surrender of individual rights through an intensive propaganda campaign. Germany under Hitler was a society with little personal choice, and few individual rights. Only in this way could Hitler be sure that his power would not come under threat. Suppression of individual rights and liberties could be seen in a number of ways, and is illustrated in White & Hadley’s Germany 1918-1945 (see appendix 1). This illustration shows Hitler and his subordinates standing on a platform which is supported by bound and gagged German people, each representing religious freedom, academic freedom, labour and trade unions, and freedom of the press. This illustration, featured in American newspaper The Nation, would imply that surrender of individual rights was demanded, and that this suppression was part of the basis of the Nazi party’s success. The bias in the illustration is apparent - to an outsider it would seem that Hitler ‘restored honour and freedom to the German people’ by suppressing their basic rights. This was done by distributing propaganda that would have the populous believe that their sacrifices were for the economic and social good of the country. Being in the midst of economic instability, the German people did not oppose sacrificing their rights for a more stable economy and future. Further

Unification of Italy

2001-04-10T14:00:00-04:00
Q: Describe & Explain the Unification of Italy. The Unification of Italy divides in to 3 main stages: 1815-1830: Revolts all over Italy. Revolts are suppressed. 1848-1849: Revolts all over Italy. Revolts are suppressed. 1858-1870: The unification of Italy Introduction To understand the unification of Italy, matters before the revolution need to be examined. Up until 1716, Italy was just a big piece of land divided among small kingdoms of monarchs. (ref. H.O. #1 p.29) When napoleon Bonaparte conquered Italy, he left them 3 things, which were probably the key characteristics in the revolution: - Efficient Government. - A practical demonstrations of the benefits from a unified Italy - Hatred towards foreign influence. After the fall of Napoleon, the major European powers (Austria, Russia, Spain, United Kingdom, & Prussia) what was to be done with Italy, which was conquered at the time by Napoleon. It was thus decided that Italy would be divided among different monarchs, all associated with the Habsburgs (except for Piedmont Sardinia, which was to be ruled by Victor Emmanuel, an independent monarch, and Papal States, ruled by the pope.). (ref. H.O. #1 p. 29-30) Austria had very strong domination over Italy. It had agreements with Ferdinand, king of Kingdom of the 2 Sicilies, and helped the pope maintain his kingdom. Only Piedmont Sardinia wasn’t influenced by Austria (ref. H.O. #1 p. 30). 1815 – 1830 Revolution Almost all “’Italians” hated the foreign influence of Austria on Italy. Metternich, an Austrian prince wanted to make sure no nationalist activities were in process in Austria’s territories in Italy (which was Lombardy Venetia). He imposed repressive rule in Lombardy Venetia. German was the official language, a strong Austrian army was always present to suppress any hostile activities, an efficient system of spies reported on any nationalist activities, a strict censorship of news was present, and Italian history was banned in schools to avoid the younger generation from learning about the glorious Roman past. Metternich caused even further resentment when he obligated Lombards to serve in Austrian army, obey Austrian rules, and pay high taxes to Austrian empire. Lombardy Venetia’s situation was very bad, and nothing seemed able to be done. (ref. H.O. #1 p. 30). The situation in Lombardy (and in other parts of Italy) led to the establishment of many secret societies dedicated to the cause of Liberalism and Nationalism the biggest and most famous of those societies was named Carbonari. The Carbonari resented the Austrian domination and initiated many uprisings. (ref. H.O. #1 p. 30). In 1815, the Carbonari initiated the first

Greek Gods and Goddesses

2001-04-10T14:00:00-04:00
There were two types of Olympic Gods: Celestial Deities and Earth Deities. The Celestial Deities dwelled on Mount Olympus while the Earth Deities resided on, or under, Earth. There were twelve Olympic Gods; however, because the tales of these gods started out orally, the gods and goddesses classified as Olympians are not totally clear. Because the Twelve Olympians are not totally clear, there are a possible fourteen gods and goddesses that could be classified as Olympians. The gods and goddesses all had their place in Ancient Greece and were either worshipped or hated because of their responsibilities and talents. The Greek Gods and Goddesses all had a great influence and importance to Greek culture. When Zeus, Jupiter in Roman Mythology, was young, he overthrew his father, Cronus, to become the Supreme Ruler and Protector God. Zeus’s power, which included him as the Lord of the Sky, Rain God, God of Thunder, God of the Winds, and Cloud-Gatherer, was greater than that of all of the other gods and goddesses ascendancy combined.(Guirand 105; Hamilton 25-26) Zeus married and made mistresses of many women. Metis was his first wife. Gaea and Uranus warned Zeus that if Metis had the child she was pregnant with at the time, the child would be more powerful than he and overthrow him just as he overthrew his father. Zeus swallowed Metis when she was about to give birth to prevent this. A few of Zeus’s wives included: Themis, Uranus and Gaea’s daughter, Mnemosyne, which gave birth to the nine muses with Zeus, Oceanid Eurynome, who gave birth to the three graces with Zeus, and Hera. Many of Zeus's children were given birth by his mistresses, some of which were mortals.(Guirand 105-106)
“The god was normally depicted as a man in the fullness of maturity, of robust body, a grave countenance and a broad forehead jutting out above his deeply set eyes. His face is framed by thick waving hair and a finely curled beard…He usually wears a long mantle which leaves his chest and right arm free. His attributes are the sceptre in his left hand, in his right hand the thunderbolt and at his feet the eagle. Often he wears a crown of oak-leaves.” (Guirand 105)
Hera, or Juno in Roman mythology, was Zeus’s “main” wife and was his sister. Although her parents were Cronus and Rhea, Titans Oceans and Tethys brought her up. (Hamilton 26-27) She was

Feudalsim

2001-04-10T14:00:00-04:00
During the Middle Ages, countries fought and argued for land and pride. The main goal of the leaders of these countries was global domination. With several countries fighting for one cause, there was no chance they would resolve their differences peacefully, often leading to wars and conflicts. Feudalism was the staple of European government. Although it served medieval statesmen well, the social structure was incredibly unbalanced, which was the main reason for its downfall. The creation of this form of government is believed by scientists to have been back in the ninth century, A... the institutions of feudalism gained accelerated organization in the ninth century ...@ (Bunsen 179). This states that the most influential countries and regions began to form during this time. AIts origins, however, were traced to the break up of centralization of the Roman Empire ...@ (Bunsen 179). This means that even before the feudal provinces began to develop, evidence of feudal societies was being thought up. When the Roman empire fell, it left many wealthy landowners spread throughout the European landscape. For every wealthy landowner there were many poorer, less prominent ex-roman citizens. AThey decided therefore to commend themselves to landlords, surrendering to a lord in return for safety and the right to farm the properties@ (Bunsen 179). This was the beginning of the feudal nations. Other provinces would evolve, but for the most part these were the more prominent countries. 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, infantrymen and horsemen. “The vassal rendered to his lord certain services in addition to supplying his quota of armed knights “ (Bishop 110). The primary defense for a lord was his knight. AThe 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@ (Barbara 269). 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. AThese household knights did not need a grant of land on which to live, though they often received it all the same@ (Barbara 269). This showed the favoritism the lords and kings felt and

Enlightenment in Latin America

2001-04-05T14:00:00-04:00
How Did The Enlightenment Effect Latin America? Enlightenment ideas in Latin America took place during the 1700’s to the early 1800’s. These ideas were appealed to the people because they taught that man was free and that all were equal. These ideas were important especially in countries were slavery existed and countries under the control of foreign powers. The Spark that ignited wide spread revolt was napoleon’s invasion of Spain. He ousted the Spanish king and placed his brother Joseph on the Spanish throne. Latin American leaders saw Spain’s opportunity to reject foreign domination and demand independence from colonial rule. Two places that were influenced by the enlightenment were Haiti and South America. Toussaint L’Ouverture was also influenced by the enlightenment. Haiti had over a half million enslaved Africans working on sugar plantations owned by the French. The sugar was hugely profitable, but conditions for enslaved worker were horrendous. Many were cruelly over worked and under fed. Haiti also had a population of both free and enslaved mulattoes. Free mulattoes, however, had few right and were badly treated by the French. In 1791, a slave revolt exploded in northern Haiti. Under the able leadership of Toussaint L’Ouverture, Haitians would fight for freedom and pave the way for throwing off French rule. In South America, Native Americans had rebelled against Spanish rule as early as the 1700s. These rebellions had limited results, however it was not until 1800s that discontent among the Creoles sparked a widespread drive for independence. Educated Creoles like Simo¢n Bolivar applauded the French and American Revolutions. He dreamed of winning independence for his country. When Napoleon occupied Spain, Simo¢n returned to his South America and led an uprising that established a republic in his native Venezuela. But his newly found republic quickly toppled by conservative forces. Bolivar then got a daring idea; he would march his forces across the Andes and attack the Spanish at Bogotá. He managed to free Caracas then moved into Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru to do the same. The man responsible for setting these uprising into action was Toussaint L’Ouverture. As a child he was born into slavery. His father thought him at an early age to take pride in his African heritage. Toussaint learned to speak both French and his native African language. Thanks to a kind master he also learned to read. When slave revolts broke out in 1791 he was almost 50 years old,

Fall of Rome

2001-04-05T14:00:00-04:00
Essay: Why was it possible for Rome to become an empire and last so long. What were the reasons for it’s fall? Rome was one of the greatest empires of the ancient world. The early Roman state was founded in 509 B.C. after the Romans drove out the hated Etruscan king. By this time Rome had already grown from a cluster of small villages to a small city. Little did the settlers know that this was the beginning of one of the greatest and largest empires ever known. After Rome established itself, they were determined to never again be ruled by a monarch. The Roman setup a new government called a republic. Romans thought a republic would keep any individuals from gaining too much power. Later Romans looked back with enormous pride on the achievements of the early republic. Between 509 B.C. and 133 B.C., Rome adapted the government to fit the need of the people it served. It also developed the military power to not only conqueror not only Italy, but also the entire Mediterranean world. In the early republic power was controlled by the patricians, the land holding upper class. Senators, who served for life, interpreted laws and issued decrees. In the event of a war the senate might elect a dictator who ruled for only six months in time of emergency. Julius Caesar emerged. He was able commander who led many conquests for Rome. In 59 B.C. Caesar set out for a new conquest. After nine years of constant fighting, he finally conquered Gaul. Pompey grew jealous of his achievement and had the senate order him to disband his forces and return to Rome. Caesar secretly crossed the Rubicon and killed Pompey then entered Rome. After crushing many rebellions, Caesar forced the senate to make him a dictator. Caesar launched many reforms such as public work programs and giving land to the poor. According to legend those in the senate murdered Caesar on March 15. Caesar’s Grandnephew, Octavian, and Marc Anthony joined forces to capture his killers. However bitter feuds grew it soon became a battle for power. After the Pax Romana ended, the next 100 years were in political turmoil. In one 50-year period, at least 26 emperors reigned and only one died of natural causes. At the same time high taxes used to support the armies began to anger the people. During this Germanic tribes were attacking the outskirts

French Revolution

2001-04-05T14:00:00-04:00
Essay: What were the reasons and results of the French revolution? In 1789 financial times were hard in France. The peasants were upset that the nobles were living lavish lives collecting taxes, while they suffered. The prices on food were rising and the people were starving. The French social system was outdated and consisted of three classes. The first class consisted of the clergy. They paid no taxes and led the best lives. The second estate was the nobles. These were people who held top jobs in the government. The third and largest estate was the peasants. The people paid the most taxes and suffered the most. These people paid for Frances deficit spending. Deficit spending is when the country spends more money than is coming in. Louis XIV left France deeply in debt. Through out the 1700 taxes gradually rose to help repay this debt. By 1789 half its taxes went to paying the interest on this debt. This frustration led to revolt. On August 4th peasants attacked the Bastille. The peasants raided the Bastille but found no arms. This lead to a massive change in the government. The French government, in late August issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man. The Document was modeled in part of the American Declaration of Independence. In it stated that all men are born and remain free. Man also had the right to enjoy natural right or the right to property, security and resistance to oppression. It also said there are no different in man except his virtues and talents. It also granted freedom of religion and called for taxes to be levied according to ones pay. But this was still not enough for some. Working class citizens called sans-culottes pushed the revolution into some more radical action. By 1791 many sans-culottes demanded France become a republic. They also wanted the government to guarantee the government gives them living wages. Wars waged over France between those who supported the republic and those who opposed it. The Jacobins wanted this for the government. Others wanted the government to become a democracy. It was feuds such as these that didn’t help France. The people tried to unite but it failed. Although they managed to gain some rights, they were unsuccessful. And by the nobles living lavish lifestyles they did not help the people in any way. And they led their life at the expense of the peasants,

Feudalism

2001-04-05T14:00:00-04:00
Essay: Explain the reasons and process of Feudalism. Feudalism came to as a government containing kings, vassals, knights, lords, lesser lords, and peasants. Feudalism is a loosely organized system of rule in which powerful local lords divided their lands among lesser lords in exchange for military services and pledged loyalty. It came to as a need for control over peasants and protection from the Muslims and the Magyars. The relationship between lords and vassals was established by customs and traditions. A lord granted his vassal fief or land, which ranged from a few hundred acres to a square mile in which it included peasants to work the land. The vassal pledged loyalty and military service to his lord. Besides granting an estate, Lords also promised to protect their vassals in return vassals pledged 40 days military service each year and certain money payments in advance each year. Everyone had a place in a feudal society. Below the Monarchs were the most powerful lords-Dukes and Counts- who held the largest fiefs. Each of these lords had vassals in turn they had their own vassals. Sometimes a lord was also a vassal to a more powerful lord but had less powerful ones below him. Because vassals often held fiefs from more than one lord feudal relationships grew very complex. A vassal who pledged loyalty to several lords could have serious problems if his lords quarreled with one and other. The manor was the heart of a lord’s estate. On this land the peasants worked to farm crops. Most manors included more than one village. Most peasants who worked the manor were serfs, who were bound to the land. Serfs were not slave but were not free. They could not leave the manor without the lord’s permission and if the manor was granted to a new lord the serfs went with it. Mutual rights and responsibilities tied peasants and their lords together. Peasants had to work seven days a week farming the lord’s domain. They also repaired roadways, bridges and fences. And when peasants married they paid their lord. Since money had largely disappeared from medieval Europe, the lord was paid in eggs and in chickens. Peasants went to church weekly and attended prayer. Beside this peasants lead mostly simple lives. Feudalism was a government that tried to treat each separate relationship between lords and vassals as their own country governing themselves. Although it was popular and widely used

Industrialization - Economic Change and Effect

2001-04-05T14:00:00-04:00
Since the 19th century, industrialization has had positive and negative effects on the live of workers. Industrialization is the process of modernization and mass production of most goods. This also includes but not limited to mining and the forging of iron. An area where industrialization had a massive effect was in Eastern Europe. It emerged as a need to modernize and unify Europe. Although Britain led industrialization at first, it quickly exploded from Spain all the way through Russia. Early in the industrial revolution Britain stood alone as the world’s industrial giant. To protect its head start Britain placed strict laws monitoring the exportation of inventions. Then in 1807 a British mechanic William Cockerill, opened factories in Belgium for the manufacturing of spinning and weaving machines. Belgium thus became the first European nation to industrialize. By the mid 1800s, other nations had joined the race, and several newcomers were challenging Britain’s industrial supremacy. The effects of industrialization were especially obvious in Germany. By the late 1800’s Germany had setup a standard for chemical and electric companies worldwide. Germany was second only to Britain among the European powers. Germany spectacular growth was due to the ample amount of iron and coal resources in the area. A disciplined and educated work force also helped the economy, while a rapid growing population provided a huge home market and a highly skilled work force. It almost eliminated the poverty factor in Germany due to the vast availability of employment. But along with the attributions of industrialization also came the bad. Poor work place conditions lead to work place abuses. Workers were forced to work long hours for little pay and even children were abuses during this time. Some of the abuses were children as young as 7 could be seen in work places, sexual discrimination was present. Women were often hired in factories because they could be paid less then men. And pollution was also a serious problem. These were among the most common problems of the time and these were too often seen in most if not all the work places. Workers were outraged by these abuses and how the government, at the time, did nothing to help. Workers established unions and won the right to bargain with employers for better wages and hours. And eventually the government passed laws regulating the employment of children and set safety regulations in the work place. Although this would be

League of Nations

2001-04-05T14:00:00-04:00
What were the League of Nations and the peace Treaty of World War I? The League of Nations was an alliance created to unite all indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere into one confederation. It was Woodrow Wilson’s attempt at unity, peace and prosperity in Europe. It lasted from the 1920s to 1946. The League of Nations pushed for “peace without victory.” Woodrow wanted to redraw the map of Europe so that each nationality had its own country. He also wanted freedom of the sea and an end to secret diplomacy. The treaty of Versailles was what set the League of Nations in motion. The duty of the League of Nations was to enforce the Treaty of Versailles as well as other treaties. The League succeeds in many areas. One of them was settling Swedish-Finnish dispute over the Aland Islands, guaranteeing the security of Albania, rescuing Austria from economic disaster, settling the division of Upper Silesia, and preventing the outbreak of war in the Balkans between Greece and Bulgaria. In addition, the League extended considerable aid to refugees; it helped to suppress white slave and opium traffic; it did pioneering work in surveys of health; it extended financial aid to needy states; and it furthered international cooperation in labor relations and many other fields. However although it had its success’s it also had its failures. 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

What sparked WW1, How Did it End?

2001-04-05T14:00:00-04:00
World War I was a war that took place I Eastern Europe during the years of 1914- 1918. This war involved the countries of Austria-Hungary and Serbia. The Serbians sparked these wars. In 1912, several Balkan states attacked Turkey. This sparked wars over these lands. Economic tension was also present. As international tensions grew, the great powers expanded their armies and navies. This gave the possibility of wars emerging at any time. Fear of war also gave military leaders great influence. British and German generals and admirals received the respect of the people and funding to build their forces. Serbia also wanted a South Slav empire, at this they would not stop for. A terrorist group called the Black Hand planned to kill the Archduke of Hungary Francis Ferdinand who planned to visit Sarajevo. On June 28th Gavrilo Princip assassinated Francis. Since he was under 20 years of age he was not executed. Instead he was sentenced to life in prison. He died in 1918 of tuberculosis. This severely angered the Austrians. They issued the Serbians an ultimatum. In it Austria stated to avoid war Serbia must end all anti-Austrian agitation and punish any Serbian officials involved in the murder plot. It must even let Austria join the investigation. Serbia agreed to most of the terms in the treaty, but not all. On July 28th Austria declared war on Serbia. Austria might not have declared war on Serbia if not for its longtime ally, Germany. In Berlin, Kaiser William II was horrified at the assignation of Francis Ferdinand and advised Francis Joseph to take a stand against the Serbia and assured him of German support. Instead of urging restraint, Germany gave Austria a “blank check.” Serbia sought support from Russia. From St. Petersburg Nicholas II telegraphed William II. The czar asked William to urge Austria to soften its demands on the ultimatum. When this plea failed, Russia began to mobilize its troops. Russia then appealed to its ally, France. In Paris, nationalists saw this as a chance to avenge Frances defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. Italy remained neutral while Britain had to decide whether they should back their ally, France or remain neutral. Germany then decided to join the Russians and quickly defeat France in order to avoid a war on both sides of the country. This was their biggest fear. To quickly invade France, German armies had to march through

Three Ancient Civilizations of Latin America

2001-04-05T14:00:00-04:00
Essay: Discuss three civilizations of the ancient world. Civilizations began to show their face around the area now known as Egypt and some parts of Europe around the Mediterranean. These were said to be some of the earliest and most advanced civilizations of their time. These civilizations were known as Ancient Egypt, Ancient Sumer and the Babylonians. The oldest and certainly one of the most advanced was ancient Egypt. The people of ancient Egypt were polytheistic and believed that their Pharaoh (King) was god as well and held divine right. The people also believed in reincarnation and what you were buried with you were able to take with you to the after life. They built huge Tombs called pyramids where they buried their rulers after they died. It is still unknown how they managed to build Pyramids with the limited technology at their time. They had a form of ideograms called hieroglyphics and they mummified their dead. Ancient Sumer was a collection of Ancient city-states which each had their own ziggurat where the people believed the god of their city lived. They too were polytheistic. Sumer was located in what is now known as the Fertile Crescent. The soil is very rich and capable of growing large amounts of food. The Sumarians discovered irrigation and are believed to be having the first organized cities. Trade mostly cared for their economic life. They even had a school for scribes. Hammurabi ruled Babylon. He is responsible for crating the first set of laws. If these laws were broken they were paid with swift harsh punishment. While king of Babylon he managed to bring much of the Mesopotamia under his control. Hammurabi improved irrigation and organized a well-trained army. Hammurabi even had temples repaired as a part of the public services he established and promoted the chief Babylon god Marduk. Over time Babylon will pass from one civilization to another as most people tried to conquer them. Most of the things we have in everyday society have come from ancient times. Sumarians made the first wheels and they also though up cuneiform. The Phoenicians are responsible for the first alphabet. The Persians and the Lydians were the first to use coins. The Babylonians are known for their advanced knowledge of astronomy. And the Hittites were the ones who discovered iron working. Even as early as 150 B.C. technology and civilization showed their face. And it is proven

Explain the rise of Civilization

2001-04-05T14:00:00-04:00
Essay: Explain the rise of Civilization and include 3 basic features. A civilization is the starting point of a society. Civilizations have existed for millions of years and are the basic unit of structure for a society. Civilizations were the base of great societies such as Egypt and Rome. If not for civilizations these societies would not have flourished or even existed. A civilization is compiled of eight features. 1. Cities 2. Well-Organized Central Government 3. Complex Religions 4. Job Specialization 5. Social Classes 6. Arts and Architecture 7. Public Works 8. Writings Cities are the central feature of a civilization. The first cities emerged shortly after farmers began cultivating fertile lands along river valleys and producing surplus foods. These surpluses allowed the population to expand. As population grew, some villages expanded into cities. These cities rose independently in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The conditions of river valleys favored farming in these and other such river valleys. Floodwater spread silt across the valley renewing the soil and keeping it fertile. Animals that drank from the river were also a source of food. The river also supplied the people with a regular source of drinking water and the means of transportation. However rivers also posed challenges. Farmers had to control flooding and channel waters to the fields. Early farmers built dikes, dug canals and also made irrigation ditches. Such projects required leadership and a well-organized government. A government was required to lead the people and aid in organizing a city. City governments were far more powerful than the council of elders and local chiefs of farming villages. At first, Priest probably had the greatest. In time, warrior kings came to power as chief political leaders. They soon set themselves up as the chief hereditary ruler and passed their power from father to son. Governments soon became more complex as rulers issued laws, collected taxes, and organizes systems of defense. To enforce order, rulers relied on royal officials. Over time, government bureaucracies evolved. Almost always rulers claimed their power came from god or divine right. These rulers then gained religious power as well. Like the Stone Age ancestors, most people were polytheistic. People appealed to the sun god, river goddess and other such spirits that they believed controlled natural forces. Other gods were believed to control human activities such as birth, death, trade and war. If not for these sometime simple things a civilization could never have come to. Rome and

What Sparked the Russian Revolution?

2001-04-05T14:00:00-04:00
The Russian Revolution took place during difficult time in Russia. These troubles began before World War I and lasted up until 1930’s. Russia’s population was made up of mostly poor, starving peasants. A small working and middle class began to rise to help industrialize Russia. But a corrupt government made it difficult for Russia to advance. This added to the turmoil. World War I placed a serious hurt on Russia. Although at first it raised national pride and enthusiasm, it quickly drained resources and poorly trained peasants quickly found themselves fighting with no weapons. This war sent over 2 million Russians to their death in 1915 alone. Turning points for the Russian revolution were the March Revolution, the November Revolution and Stalin coming to power. By March 1917, disasters on the battlefield, combined with food and fuel shortages on the front, brought the monarchy to collapse. In St. Petersburg workers were going on strike. Marchers, mostly women were shouting, “Bread! Bread! Bread!” Troops refused to fire on demonstrators, leaving the government helpless. Duma politicians setup a temporary government/ Middle class liberals prepared a constitution for a new Russian republic. At the same time they continued the war with Germany. That decision proved fatal. Most Russians were fed up with the war and returned home, leaving the front. Peasants wanted land and people wanted food. Cities set up soviets, council of workers and soldiers, which worked dramatically within the government. Before long a radical social group took charge called the Bolsheviks emerged. Their leader was V.I. Lenin. During the November revolution the Bolsheviks decided to further the revolution. They stormed Moscow and took it as their capital. With this newly acquired city they gained land, which was split amongst the peasants. Workers were given control of factories and mines. For a period of time there was bliss in the country. But battles still waged on between the reds and whites, and civil wars grew. Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania all broke free but nationalists in Ukraine, the Caucasus, and Central Asia were eventually subdued. Allie forces placed a hurt on Russia as well. They joined the white that wanted to continue the war against Germany. Although they didn’t succeed the allies left a hurt on Russian nationalist who were roused and continued battles against Russia. In 1920 Joseph Stalin came to power as general secretary of the party. He used his position to build

Meiji Restoration - Japan

2001-04-05T14:00:00-04:00
The Meiji Restoration was period in Japan when massive changes in ancient Japan. The goal of the Meiji Restoration was summarized in their motto, “A rich country, a strong military.” In their quest to do so, the Meiji looked to the western civilizations. The Meiji sent young men to study abroad and learn new traits from the west. Before this drastic move the traditional Japanese society was largely isolated from all other civilizations. By doing this the Japanese managed to strengthen the economy, strengthen the government, and make social reforms. Meiji leaders made the economy a major priority. They encouraged Japan’s business class to adopt western methods. They Japanese built railroads to allow the shipment of goods and transportation of people, a banking system to aid in the expansion of businesses and investors, improved ports to aid in the expansion of trade with other countries, and also organized a telegraph and postal system which enables the spread of news quickly. Another goal of the Meiji was to strengthen the government and make it a strong central power, equal to those of the western powers. In 1889 they adapted the German for of government. It set forth principles that all citizens were equal before the law. Like the German system, however, it gave the ruler autocratic power. A legislature, or diet, was formed, made up of one elected house and one house appointed to the emperor. But its power was extremely limited. Japan then established a western style bureaucracy with separate departments to supervise finance, the army, the navy, and education. Meiji made social reforms to help appease the people and advance their society. The constitution ended legal distinctions between classes, thus freeing people to build the nation. The government set up new schools and universities and hired westerners to teach the new generation modern technology. The reform of the Japanese family system became the topic of major debate in the 1870’s Reformers wanted women to become full partners in the process of nation building and to learn skills that would allow them to live on their own. While the government agreed to some increases in education for women, it dealt harshly with other attempts at change. During Meiji Rule Japan modernized with great speed, this meant that the Meiji Restoration was a huge success. Over the years the economy would flourish under the rule of the Tokugawa. And this had given the Japanese experience

Sparta and Athens - Explain and Contrast

2001-04-05T14:00:00-04:00
Both Sparta and Athens were Greek city-states. Sparta was a strict military ruled city-state where the people established themselves as a military power early. However Athens was more of a political city-state that was more involved with their economical stature than their military forces. Still changes from the Persian wars would change the powers of the city-state and somewhat unite them. Sparta was a strict military city-state. The people were Dorians who conquered Laconia. This region lies in the Peloponnesus, which lied in southern Greece. The invaders turned the conquered people into state owned slaves, called helots. Since the helots greatly outnumbered their rulers, Spartans established a strict and brutal system of control. The Spartan government had two kings and a council of elders who advised the monarchs. An assembly made up of all citizens approved all major decisions. From child-hood, a Spartan prepared to be part of the military. All newborn were examined and the healthy lived and the sickly were left to die. Spartans wanted future soldiers or mothers of soldiers to be healthy. At the age of seven, boys trained for a lifetime in the Spartan military. They moved to the barracks and endured brutal and extensive training. Athens was located in Attica, just north of the Peloponnesus. As in many Greek city-states, Athenian government evolved from a monarchy into an aristocracy. Around 700 B.C., noble landowners chose the chief officials. Nobles judged major cases in court and dominated the assembly. Athenian wealth and power grew under the aristocracy. Yet discontent spread over the commoners. Merchants and soldiers resented the power of the nobles and argued that their services to Athens entitled them to more rights. As discontent spread the government slowly moved towards a democracy. Solon, one of Athens greatest leaders, made many reforms such as outlawing debt slavery. And freed those who had already been sod into slavery due to debt. Solon encouraged the export of olive oil and other such products, aiding to the economy. The Persian war brought massive change to the people of both Sparta and Athens. The Persians were great conquerors who crushed rebel cities with ease. King Darius sent a large force to punish Athens with its interference. The Persian army landed at Marathon where Athenian forces attacked. Though they were outnumbered 2 to 1 they emerged victorious. Athens had convinced Sparta and other city-states to join them in their battles. The

The Great Pyramid of Giza was not constructed as a burial chamber.

2001-03-29T14:00:00-04:00
The pyramids of Ancient Egypt are as fascinating and intriguing, as they are breathtaking. Egyptologists and historians have long debated the question of who built the pyramids, and for what reason. There are many different and often conflicting theories in regard to the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. When turning back the pages of history, it is discovered that a number of theories have been developed to explain the presence of such a significant historical landmark. “Theories vary from a tomb for a king, to a special chemical factory, a beacon for extraterrestrial aircraft’s, a stone form of the Bible, a possible way to contact a Higher Being and a stone announcement of the second coming of Christ...” (Schillings, M. : 1999 : Sheet 1). Such examples of varying controversial theories have sparked a number of speculations to the mystery of the Great Pyramid of Giza. According to traditional Egyptology, the Great Pyramid of Giza was built by Egyptian pharaoh Khufu during the Fourth Dynasty around “...the year 2560 BCE...” (Schillings, M. : 1999 : Sheet 1). It has been suggested that the Egyptian civilisation succeeded in establishing a complex and organised work force of people to create and build an astonishing burial tomb for the pharaoh in aid of his journey to the afterlife. However, contrary to this suggestion, one must ask why the modern Egyptians continue to rely on traditional beliefs and attitudes to explain the presence of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Could this be the prefect example of nationalistic views? It could be argued that as a result of the continual spread of Egyptian hearsay, the Egyptians obtained the understanding that the entire civilisation - past and present - is somehow superior in status to that of the average mortal man. Undoubtedly, in modern times, the world has gained an increased awareness of the uncertainties that surround investigations into such a distant past. Despite several emerging historical puzzles and conclusions, modern Egyptians continue to adhere to the theory presented by traditional Egyptology. The sheer size, the huge proportions and the amazing geographical positioning of the pyramid have greatly contributed to the rise of uncertainty as to it’s origin and purpose. The construction of the pyramid was no mean feat, regardless of the creator. Considering the fact that the pyramid is “...thirty times larger than the Empire State Building...” (Zajac, J. : 1996 : Sheet

Spanish and French Monarchial Beliefs - The Escorial and Versailles

2001-03-26T14:00:00-04:00
The palace of Versailles was built by Louis XIV of France (1643-1715), and the Escorial was built by Philip II of Spain (1556-1598). By examining the aerial and frontal facades of these two palaces, it may be seen that there were many similarities and differences between the two kings’ perception and practice of monarchy. Each king set his own goals for his life, and concluded as to how a monarch ought to behave. Both Louis XIV and Philip II had religious duties to pay attention to, organized the distribution of power in their respective kingdoms, communicated with other countries and entities through war and diplomacy, raised militaries, and made plans for the expansion of their own beliefs, thoughts and practices. Aside from these aspects of the two kings’ beliefs and practices of monarchy, the architecture of their palaces reflected their ideals, or personal beliefs, and the interpretation made by the painters of the palaces reflects the attitudes of the two kings toward life. The role of the king to the public during the reigns of Louis XIV of France and Philip II of Spain were not predetermined, so each king created for himself what he thought monarchy ought to be. Louis XIV and Philip II were both absolutists, and believed that they should be the supreme rulers of France and Spain, respectively. However, Louis XIV did not want to be a national symbol serving no legitimate purpose. He wished to control the military, economy, foreign affairs, and the administration of the kingdom and of justice. He believed that the king of France should be the best that France has to offer- being served by even the most powerful lords of France. Conversely, Philip II thought of himself as Catholic first, and king of Spain second. Opposite to Louis XIV, Philip II preferred to sit in the Escorial and pray, pour over records, and live more as a monk than as Louis XIV’s conception of a king. Philip II never wanted to take much of an active part in the administration of his kingdom, except for the times when he wanted to use some of his various powers. However, after he had used it for a while (waging war, raising taxes, etceteras) he would let it lay dormant and return to his documents. Nor did Philip II ever wish to control most of the Spanish economy. The parts that he did control

The Holocaust

2001-03-25T14:00:00-04:00
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 officials, the idea of the complete annihilation

American Imperialism

2001-03-25T14:00:00-04:00
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

Cold War Foreign Policy

2001-03-25T14:00:00-04:00
Introduction “Their [Russia’s and America‘s] starting-point is different, and their courses are not the same; yet each of them seems marked by the will of Heaven to sway the destinies of half the globe,” Alexis de Torqueville, late 19th century. De Torqueville’s prophecy came true by the 1940s when the two super powers, the United States of America and the Soviet Union, had come head to head, swaying the “destinies of half the globe” and more. (de Torqueville, chapter 18) The United States had recently participated in the second World War resulting in an Allied and American victory. Europe, however, was devastated, economically, politically, and socially. “The United States [stood] at this time at the pinnacle of world power. It [was] a solemn moment for American democracy,” former Britain Prime Minister Winston Churchill stated in a speech delivered at Westminster College in 1946. (Churchill, page 1) At that time, American and Russian tensions had evolved into a full-throttle push into the Cold War. The Cold War refers to the tensions that arose between Russia and America that became a strategic and political struggle that developed after World War II. It lasted for 35 years and it was the battle that determined the fate of democracy and communism. The never-back down attitudes pushed into a stand-off between the two super powers. (Cold War: The Cause, par 1) To intensify to the hostility, the Soviet Union had taken a policy that shutting out any other nations from the Union’s internal affairs metaphorically known as the Iron Curtain. What emerged was a war that “entailed much greater activism and a correspondingly larger commitment of resources to foreign policy than the United States had previously undertaken in peacetime.” (Ford, page 1) The United States was asked to form policies in to deal with its doppelganger's atomic power and communistic government. The Cold War significantly changed the way foreign policy is administered today. The United States was forced to make strategic plans to help other countries regain economic stability, contain communism, and not end up in a ruinous global nuclear war. The war was what pushed America from the Monroe Doctrine’s limited jurisdiction to Truman's National Security Council's reponse to the endangering communsim and warfare with NSC 68, Containment's and the Marshall Plan’s economic intervention in volatile nations, and Dulles' "brinkmanship." Three policies and two ideologies formed the backbone to what became the outline for foreign policy

Wars - The Results Lead to Further Conflicts

2001-03-22T13:00:00-04:00
During the twentieth century, conclusions of wars created the conditions for subsequent wars. Whether it was the conquered or the conqueror, few ever remain content past an initial truce. Two examples of this can be found in the events that lead up to WWII and the constant conflict in the Middle East. The conclusion and consequences of World War I created many issues, which helped intensify World War II. The Treaty of Versailles, which outlined the restitutions Germany was to pay, was a major upset for the German people. Even though Germany lost the war, the German people’s sense of nationalism was still alive and sections of the Treaty, such as Article 231 (the War Guilt Clause), fueled German anger. German economy was destroyed due to heavy reparations payments. The onslaught of the American Stock Market Crash caused a German depression. German resentment over the Treaty of Versailles stayed with the people for years until Adolf Hitler played upon the people’s anger. Hitler’s machinations eventually lead into WWII. Another outcome of WWI was the creation of The League of Nations. The victors of WWI wanted to implement a system of collective security, designed to resolve future conflicts using peaceful methods. Unfortunately, the League proved ineffective, which prompted leaders such as Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler to take aggressive action against their enemies. In 1936, civil unrest in Spain erupted into a war that further encouraged the beginning of WWII. Countries such as Germany, Italy and USSR lent their support without hesitation, whereas Britain, France and the US did not. This gave Germany and the USSR the impression that Britain and France were weak militarily and could be easily subdued. To many, this war was considered a training ground for Germany to test military tactics that would be used in WWII. During WWII, the US and USSR were forced to band together to defeat their common enemy, Hitler. This alliance foreshadowed post-war tensions, as there were disagreements over wartime strategy. Issues such as the Polish Question, spheres of influence, the Berlin Blockade/Airlift, NATO and the Marshall Plan, which were ultimately about communism vs. democracy, lead to military conflicts such as the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. In the Middle East, tensions between Jews and Arabs have been present since biblical times. When the Jewish state of Israel was created in 1948 in the Arab homeland of Palestine, severe unrest emerged

Nazism: How Was it Possible?

2001-03-21T13:00:00-04:00
Reasons for the increasing support given to NSDAP by the German people in the period 1923 - 1936. The NSDAP (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), who were in the early 1920s, “a small and not particularly distinctive element in the multifarious and fragmented German volkisch movement” had become by 1936 the ruling organisation of German society. There were many factors influencing the German mass support to swing towards the party during 1923-36. In the face of economic turmoil, the overbearing influence of foreign countries on their Fatherland and the inability of presiding governments in dealing with crisis, the German people lived in national outrage and desperation. These feelings were further heightened by events such as the French invasion of the Ruhr, hyperinflation, and the depression. The period’s lack of continuity and lack of progressive change under the Weimar Republic had caused Germany’s people to lose confidence in their country’s future and they began to believe that under the Republic, Germany will never be able emerge from the chaos to it’s rightful position in the world stage. In the background of such social turmoil, the ruthlessly opportunistic Nazi leadership began accumulating support as a result of desperate people searching for desperate solutions. Willing to use any situation to their own advantage they portrayed themselves as the only solution to Germany’s problems. No where else to turn, the people began giving their support to the NSDAP. In addition to the social conditions of post-war Germany, the party’s well-organised and closely controlled nature, enabling strong and enthusiastic following behind the leadership was also an important factor in drawing public support, and so was Hitler’s extraordinary gift for speech making, which the Nazis used to the highest possible advantage. Later after 1933 with the Nazis in power, support was maintained through aggressive propaganda, which made much of Hitler’s domestic, and foreign policy successes. Although the achievements of the Nazi administration were quite extraordinary it was this constant propaganda that persuaded the people that all was well in the Third Reich. There are three key events that broke the continuity of post-war Germany and led to great social unrest. This loss of continuity corresponds to changes in the relationship between NSDAP and the German people. The period progressed through three different phases as a consequence of these events. Firstly there was the French takeover of the Ruhr in 1923, sparking off an era of hyperinflation, renewed nationalist outrage,

The Fall Of Quebec

2001-03-20T13:00:00-04:00
The fall of Quebec was a turning point in Canadian history, changing it from a French colony to a British colony. Had this battle gone the other way, English might be the second language, not French. The battle of Quebec was one of many battles during the ‘Seven Year War’. They called it the Maritime War. It was officially declared in May 1756. Britain and Prussia were on one side and France, Spain, and Austria on the other. The war moved across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe because the French and the British were fighting over furs and land. Britain, while subsidizing and aiding Prussia, its only European ally, sought victory in America and sent what was for that century an overwhelming number of regular troops in order to stiffen the military of the American colonies. The French Colonists were very angry. The English were slowly moving over the Appalachian Mountains. Thereby invading the French fur trapper’s land. In September 1758, General Jeffery Amherst attacked Louisburg, the frontier fortress of Canada. Major General James Wolfe was second in command. There was only two years difference between the too men. The Fort on Cape Breton Island was the key to the gateway of the St Lawrence River. (Britannica vol. 8) Whoever held the fort had the key to the heart of Canada. After the British captured the fort, Quebec was the next military target. The following June, Major General James Wolfe led the British up the river. Helping Wolfe were Brigadiers General Robert Monkton, James Murray, and George Townsend. The flotilla had forty-nine men-of-war, fully one-quarter of the entire Royal Navy, two hundred transports, storage vessels and provision ships. (digitalhistory.org) The fleet was commanded by three admirals, Saunders, Holmes and Durrel. The chief navigator was Captain James Cook. He would later explore the Pacific Ocean. Forty miles below Quebec at Isle aux Coudres the river becomes narrow, making it extremely swift and treacherous. Submerged rocks, sandbars and shallows became a hazard for ships. The French navy feared this, so they placed pilots on the island to guide the ships through the cannel safely. The colours of France were raised on the British ships as they passed through the dangerous point. When the pilots rowed out to help guide the ships, they were captured. These men were given the choice of helping the British or being hung. They all agreed to help, but the English captions

The Alien and Seditions Act

2001-03-19T13:00:00-04:00
The debate over the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 revealed bitter controversies on a number of issues that had been developing since the penning of the Constitution. The writers of the document knew that over time the needs of the nation and its people would change, and therefore provided for its amendment. But by not expressly delegating powers to specific organizations, whether the federal government, state governments, or the people themselves, they inadvertently created a major problem in the years to follow. The two parties, Federalists and Republicans interpreted the Constitution in terms of how this interpretation would fit their very different interests. The result of these differences were the Alien and Sedition Acts, followed closely by the secretly formed Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions. Passed in early 1798, the Acts laid down a number of harsh restrictions on foreigners. They were enacted by a Congress dominated by the Federalist Party and signed by President John Adams during a crisis with France. Though the acts were allegedly in response to the hostile actions of the French Revolutionary government on the seas and in the councils of diplomacy, they were designed to destroy Thomas Jefferson's Republican party, which had openly expressed its sympathies for the French Revolutionaries. Depending on recent immigrants from Europe for much of their voting strength, the Republicans were adversely affected by the Naturalization Act. It postponed citizenship, and thus voting privileges until the completion of 14, rather than 5, years of residence. It also empowered the president to arrest and deport aliens considered dangerous. The Alien Enemies Act provided for the deportation of subjects of foreign powers at war with the United States. The Sedition Act made it illegal to publish certain statements against the government, oppose lawful acts of the Congress of the United States and aid a foreign power in plotting against the United States; all considered seditious acts; hence the name of the law. The contents of the Alien Act were either ignored or welcomed by most Americans. It was accepted that people from foreign countries were enemies of the nation and, as their leaders had taught them, impressed upon then undemocratic principles. There was also a sense of isolation. most Americans had difficulty believing themselves to be even a part of the United States; most never left the states in which they lived and considered themselves more Virginians or Alabamians than Americans. As

The 1960s

2001-03-17T13:00:00-04:00
It may have been a decade of a myriad of effulgent paintings and intrepid space excursions, but for most people, resplendent canvases don’t come near the cranium when someone mentions the 1960s. So just what do we associate the decade with? The most intriguing part of our prior erudition: hippies, flower power, peace, love, drugs, and Woodstock! All of the preceding are the very essence of the ‘60s in America; all of them had a distinct impact on the world. Presumably the most prominent aspect of the ‘60s was the evolution of the youthful generation into a powerful strong-minded group of people known as the hippies. Around the late ‘60s, there was a copious amount of young men and women who were just reaching their late teen years, re-evaluating their sentiment on important issues. But just what was a hippie? Hippies were mostly young people who were often characterized by long hair and flowing skirts. They had very confident convictions, particularly in regard to the Vietnam War. Because this new generation possessed a blatant loathing for the affect of Vietnam on the country, they rebelled against everything the war was about. This resulted in a shared conception of love, peace, and happiness. They held protests and anti-war love-ins promoting their ant-violence views, unity, and, also, drugs. Previously unmentioned, hippies were also druggies. Dr., Timothy Leary was a drug guru who was much loved for his preaching. He said things such as “Turn on, tune in, and drop out” and used new pronouns like “She” and “hir” to promote gender equality. He brought about a new philosophy that conceived that your state of consciousness is reflected in your environment. Leary had four exercises to a life of expanded intelligence: 1) Look at yourself in the mirror, change your manner of dress and your behavior so that you float like a god, not shuffle like a robot 2) Look around your home and throw out everything that is not “tuned in” to your highest vision 3) Make your body a temple and your home a shrine 4) You are a god, live like one! As prevalent as hippies were, it astounds many people to hear that there was a subdivision of the group. Yippies, as they were called, were much like other hippies, only more extreme. The yippies were New Left radicals with a no-holds barred approach contesting every custom of society. Most

To what extent did Solidarity contribute to undermining Communism in Poland?

2001-03-16T13:00:00-04:00
Communism in Poland was self-consciously the workers-state, largely responsible for creating the modern Polish working class through industrialization and raising expectations of equality and of higher living standards. It is widely believed that Solidarity undermined Communism in Poland, partly by disrupting the Communist program of production through strikes, but more by transferring the trust and loyalty of the Polish people from Communism to itself. The supposed "adversaries" of Polish workers - the church, the officer class, the national leadership - were in fact combined by Solidarity as allies of the workers to "break the resistance" of Communism to reform. What the state never appreciated in Poland was that it was seen as Russian, oppressive, and corrupt, having created the working class they then, in line with Marx's prediction, demonstrated their control of the means of production (strikes) and undermined Communism in Poland. However, one cannot ignore the pull of the capitalist west in displacing communism in the eyes of the people. In this essay I plan to show the extent to which Solidarity was responsible for undermining communism and also to question how far other factors, such as the Poles hatred of Russians, their strong allegiance to the Catholic church, and the raging Cold War, displaced communism in the eyes, and from the hearts of the people. Solidarity weakened Polish Communism providing a vehicle of transmission for years of grievances against a government out of touch with the ideals of the Polish people. This is shown below in the picture taken from: "http://encarta.msn.com/find/MediaMax.asp." Solidarity took workers grievances, and grafted onto them more general national grievances (Russian dictatorship, suppression of the church etc.). Photographs of Solidarity led demonstrations show how they united people to challenge what they believed to be wrong. The challenge to the government's principles undermined it as a unit, lost any credibility, and weakened it in the eyes and minds of the people. Solidarity not only weakened Communism by providing an organized channel for grievances, but also gave people new ideas, as seen in the "1980 Gdansk Agreement", article 4, issued by Solidarity: "To re-establish the rights...of all students who have been excluded from...higher education because of their opinions" This idea of free speech and thought was new as Communists devoted mass energies to suppressing this. The Church also received active support, where it had been oppressed by the government, turning the masses towards Solidarity, and against the present government,

The Bomb Heard 'Round the World : A Research Essay on the Manhattan Project

2001-03-13T13:00:00-04:00
On the morning of August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber named Enola Gay flew over the industrial city of Hiroshima, Japan and dropped the first atomic bomb ever used in war. The city went up in flames caused by the immense power equal to about 20,000 tons of TNT. The project was a success. Hundreds of thousands died and still more were wounded. This was the final triumph that finally brought Japan to surrender. The effects of the bomb are still being seen but there is no doubt that the atomic bomb project was the greatest scientific feat of the 20th century. There was an unprecedented assemblage of civilian, military, and scientific, minds at work. Their pertinacious, intense, and theological ideas helped shape a new era. Unknowingly they also help shape what could have been the end of earth its self. This dim future was best described by Albert Einstein, the man responsible for starting the atomic bomb project in the US, "I know not with what weapons World War 3 will be fought with but I do know that world war 4 will be fought with sticks and stones." As one can see begin serious controversies concerning its sheer power and destruction began as soon as the first bomb was used on Hiroshima. The Manhattan Project was the code name for the US effort during World War II to produce the atomic bomb. It was appropriately named for the Manhattan Engineer District of the US Army Corps of Engineers, because much of the early research was done in New York City (Badash). Sparked by refugee physicists in the United States, the program was slowly organized after German scientists discovered nuclear fission in 1938. Many US scientists expressed the fear that Hitler would attempt to build a fission bomb. In theory this "fission bomb" would be more destructive than all the explosives they had in their hands (Rhode 340). Frustrated with the idea that Germany might produce an atomic bomb first, Leo Szilard and Eugene Wigner asked Albert Einstein, a famous scientist during that time, to use his influence and write a letter to president FDR. The letter pleaded for support to further research the power of nuclear fission and warned the president of the unfathomable destruction Hitler could cause (Badash). His letters were a success, and President Roosevelt established "The Fission Bomb Project" (Brown & Macdonald 140). Physicists from

The Best Candidate for the Presidency

2001-03-08T13:00:00-05:00
As this election 2000 is coming, each candidate is working very hard. They are doing debates, electoral campaigns all over the country in order to get more popular votes and therefore get the electoral votes they need to be the next president of the United States. In all of the inquiries that the media did in most of the states, Al Gore seems to be the favorite one, because he knows what he is doing, he has enough experience to rule our country, and he also has very interesting positions in the issues that he proposed to the American people. Albert Gore, Jr., was born in Washington D.C on March 31, 1948. His mother was Mrs. Pauline Lafon Gore and his father was Albert Gore, Sr. As Governor Bush, Al Gore has a father who was in the political business; his father was a Democratic congressman and senator from Tennessee. Gore graduated from Harvard University in 1969 with a Bachelor’s degree in government. While he was studying in Harvard, he was linked with drugs like marijuana that made his father mad at him, and he almost lost everything he got, so he decided to quit and never do that again. Although Gore opposed U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, he accepted induction into the United States Army and served as a military reporter. Upon his return home, and until 1976, he worked as an investigative reporter and editorial writer for the “The Tennessean” a Nashville newspaper. Gore married Mary Elizabeth “Tipper” Aitcheson on May 19, 1976 and they have four children. Gore was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives several times and he also was elected to the U.S. Senate and as member of Congress, he earned a reputation as an authority on arms and environmental issues. After that, Gore ran unsuccessfully for the democratic presidential nomination 1988. In 1992 Al Gore was the running mate of Bill Clinton, also in this year he wrote “Earth in Balance” which is a book that talks about environmental issues. Clinton defeated the incumbent Republican President, George Bush, and Al Gore became Vice-President in 1993, finally they were reelected in 1996 and in 1999 Gore announced his candidacy for President in the 2000 election. Al Gore has stated his position on a number of issues; some of his position more important are in education, health care, taxes, and Social Security. In education, he said

Bush's Address To Congress - Environment, Charity, and Education

2001-03-05T13:00:00-05:00
After this year’s chaotic election, the country is divided and furious. It is up to our new president to heal the wounds. To do so, it is obvious he must alter his original plans a bit to make the entire nation, both liberals and conservatives, content. Naturally, the first chance he had to express his plans to congress and the rest of the country was immensely important, as it could have been a uniting or dividing step. Luckily, it appeared as though Bush was trying his best to compromise on many issues. I believe his address was a step in a consolidating direction. Three issues of utmost importance to the American people are the status of the environment, charity and the poor, and the education of their children. What was Bush’s stance on these three issues, and how will his attitude towards them affect America? Bush said that he aimed to clean up toxic wastes and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund. He also proposed that 4.9 billion dollars will go to cleaning and maintaining our national parks. Clearly, he wishes to do a great deal of good for the environment, although helping the environment to such a high extent is not a traditional Republican view. (The Democrats did not have anything to say about Bush’s environmental program in their response; they focused on his tax cut plan.) However, if he desires to unite America, helping the environment is a great way to do so. I cannot think of anyone who would turn down the idea of having cleaner water and fresher air. I think the condition of the environment could very well improve during the four years Bush is in office. The Land and Water Conservation Fund will know best what to do with the massive amount of money they will be granted. I am concerned about the protection of animals though- Bush has expressed a desire to clean the environment, but only those areas that pertain to Americans and their living conditions. It would be wonderful to be rid of toxic brown fields, but what about the depletion of the ozone layer? What about rapidly diminishing species of animals? Will Bush attempt to help these areas of the environment, or is he simply planning on excluding them? I hope he is, and that he neglected to mention them in his address to congress simply because he didn’t

Battle of the Bulge - A World War 2 Battle

2001-03-03T13:00:00-05:00
The World War Two was a very severe war. There were many battles that were fought during it. One of the biggest land battles was Battle of the Bulge. (http://helios.) The battle took place on December 16, 1944 under cover a very dense fog which was very difficult for the army to see. (Danzer et. al. 744) These conditions are hard to see in but to stage of the biggest land battle in the history of World War Two, it was truly an astounding event and a very tragic memory. The battle was fought in a heavily forested Ardennes region of eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg (http://www.mm.) The fact that the battle was fought in a heavy forested area, with the conditions of the fog made the battle more dangerous, because the sight was poor and there was no clue where the opposite army was hidden. The Battle of the Bulge was a very vicious battle that had taken place. The battle included 600,000 Germans, 500,000 Americans and 55,000 British. (http://helios.) More than one million of the worlds' men fought in this battle. It claimed 100,000 German casualties, killed wounded or captured, 81,000 American casualties, including 23,554 captured and 19,000 killed, 1,400 British casualties and 200 killed. (http://www.mm.) This was a massive amount of people to be killed in one horrible battle in the world's history. The Germans led by Hitler went westward, they captured 120 American GI’s near Malmedy, they herded the prisoners into a field and shot them with machine guns and pistols. (Danzer et. al. 744) This was a very vicious thing that the Germans had done to the US GI’s. The American troops led by Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe led the troops to Bastogne, a city of Belgium, were badly surrounded and our numbered by the Germans, that is were the American troops were demanded to surrender. (Danzer et. al. 744). In the end there were 800 tanks lost on each side, and 1,000 German aircraft lost as well. (http://www.mm.) This was a lot of machinery to have lost Hitler could not replace all the things he lost, so he had nothing left to do but to retreat. The way the battle had ended had the feeling of it being unfinished. The allies were credited in holding the Germans back. (http://helios.) This was a good thing because the Germans lost most of their resources, and the most

Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the World

2001-02-26T13:00:00-05:00
Einstein first told president Roosevelt about the tremendous power of fused uranium in the late 1930’s. Soon after this news from Einstein the atom bomb was built and tested. With bombs ready, Truman is faced with a decision. America is in the middle of World War II with no end in sight. He decides to deploy two atomic bombs on two Japanese cities. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the two fateful cities. The atomic bombs give relief to America because it ends the war. Even though America wins the war they defeat the whole purpose of keeping the world secure by bringing turbulence not only to Japan, but the rest of the world. Truman stops the torture and death for American soldiers fighting in the war. Truman, though, showed total disregard for the well being of the world. Uranium was the explosive used in both bombs. The explosion of an atomic bomb is equal to 15,000 tons of TNT. In the bomb, a piece of uranium is propelled into a larger piece of uranium and they fuse into a phase called critical mass. After this a chain reaction of fission occurs. In fission, atoms are split, and neutrons hit each other causing supplementary fission. Fission causes an enormous amount of energy in the form of extreme heat, a massive shock wave, and the lasting effect of radiation. As soon as the bomb explodes a wave of heat ranging from 1,000 to 15,000 degrees engulfs everything in a mile radius. The shock wave destroyed most of the buildings within the mile radius. After the blast, radiation from gamma rays and neutrons cause death and injury. The bombs caused death in Japan and feelings of insecurity for the remainder of the world. The bomb called,” Little Boy,” was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 at approximately 8:15 a.m. Three days before the bombing fliers were dropped from aircrafts warning Hiroshima that they were going to be victims of a destructive weapon. The bomb was dropped from the altitude of six miles by a B-52 bomber named Enola Gay. The bomb exploded a thousand feet from ground. It leveled five square city miles. In this bombing 70,000 innocent people died. It was said that everybody in the city lost somebody. After the blast a metal lunch pale of a schoolgirl was found about 1,000 feet from the blast, she was not. Inside her lunch pale

Holocaust

2001-02-25T13:00:00-05:00
Throughout the movie, “The Holocaust”, the phrase, “I just do my job,” was usually the only excuse most people who committed crimes against the Jews could come up with. For example, when Helena and Rudy Weiss were staying in Kiev, the city was bombed. During the bombing, one of the Nazi soldiers, who happened to be Heinz Muller, a friend of Inga’s family, was hit by falling debris. Hesitant, Rudy helped Muller escape from the collapsing building, gave him some water, and asked him why he was taking part in the mistreatment of the Jews. “I obey orders,” Muller replied, unrepentant about what he did. Also, when Bertha Weiss was sent to the gas chambers in Auschwitz, Dr. Joseph Weiss asked the Kapo what happened to her. The lady bluntly retorted, “Don’t blame me, I just take orders.” Whether to keep a job, remain loyal to their cause, or just because they had no other excuse, everyone used that phrase to justify what they did wrong against the Jews. Anti-Semitism and unfair grudges are two factors that can cause Genocide. During the movie, Eric Dorf claimed he did not feel bad about Kristallnacht or what happened to the Jews, because he said the Jews provoked it. Even though Kristallnacht was the first major pogrom, a government sponsored attack on the Jews, and was terribly destructive, Eric said that they killed Christ and they deserved what they got (The Holocaust). In addition, Heydrich believed that Germans and the Aryan race was superior to the Jewish race and they had to “isolate the germ carriers” (The Holocaust), so he decided to go through with the plan for Jewish ghettos. The ghettos were intended to hold the Jews in a temporary Jewish community until they could be efficiently exterminated. This demonstrates how Anti-Semitism and grudges can produce Genocide. In the video, “Conversations With Oprah: Elie Wiesel”, Wiesel explains that the most important lesson to be learned from what happened during the Holocaust is to not be indifferent, but to still be human in spite of everything that happened. He said he believed that the opposite of love is not hate, but rather indifference, because indifference can not be fought (Conversations). Not being indifferent is important in preventing another Holocaust in the future. “When you have a choice to make and you don’t make it, that in itself is a choice,” William James once said. Judy Meisel’s

Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America

2001-02-25T13:00:00-05:00
Alexis de Tocqueville's visit to the United States in the early part of the nineteenth century prompted his work Democracy in America, in which he expressed the ability to make democracy work. Throughout his travels Tocqueville noted that private interest and personal gain motivated the actions of most Americans, which in turn cultivated a strong sense of individualism. Tocqueville believed that this individualism would soon "sap the virtue of public life" (395) and create a despotism of selfishness. This growth of despotism would be created by citizens becoming too individualistic, and therefore not bothering to fulfill their civic duties or exercise their freedom. Tocqueville feared that the political order of America would soon become aimed at the satisfaction of individual needs, rather than the greater good of society. Alexis de Tocqueville viewed participation in public affairs, the growth of associations and newspapers, the principle of self-interest properly understood, and religion as the only means by which American democracy could combat the effects of individualism. Given that despots have every interest in keeping people isolated, the individualism resulting from equality makes despotism a great danger to equality. "Despotism… sees in the separation among men the surest guarantee of its continuance, and it usually makes every effort to keep them separate" (399). Exercising freedom through participation in public affairs is therefore extremely vital because it gives people a personal interest in thinking about others in society. Local self-governments are important because they draw people together, and it is therefore more likely that they will exercise their liberty. Tocqueville states that "as soon as a man begins to treat of public affairs in public, he begins to perceive that he is not so independent of his fellow men as he had first imagined, and that in order to obtain their support he must often lend them his cooperation" (400). When people act together they frequently form dependencies on one another, especially when they are working for the good of the entire community. Another means by which Tocqueville believes it is possible to contest individualism is to form associations and write newspapers. He believes that like local governments, associations help people to realize their dependence on their fellow citizens and take interest in public affairs. It is crucial to have institutions and civic duties which force people to look beyond their own interests and think about the problems of the community. "As soon as several of

The Industrial Revolution

2001-02-24T13:00:00-05:00
Examine in detail the History of the Industrial Revolution. Discuss why Britain led the way in the Industrial Revolution and also explain in detail the effects of industrialization on society. Had it not been for the industrial revolution, I would doubt very much that we would enjoy the technology we have in the year 2000. The reason we have this technology is that between the years 1750 and 1914 a great change in the world’s history was made. People started to discover faster methods of producing goods, which increased their economy. These people were mainly British and French, but after a few years the French were distracted by their revolution, and the British continued to industrialize. However you must not think this industrialization had no effects on society because it did. So in this essay I am going to talk about the history of the industrial revolution, discuss why Britain led the way in the industrial revolution and also I am going to explain to you in detail the effects of industrialization on society. In the midevel ages people were living in total darkness, and they did not know what was going on in the world around them. Happily the medieval ages were followed by the renaissance. Then came the year 1750, the year of the agricultural revolution in Britain which led away to a revolution in industry. Charles Townshend for example was one of the people who made the agricultural revolution possible. He suggested rotating the crops every year or two, to help the soil get enriched with vitamins and nutrition’s. The America’s then introduced potatoes to Great Britain. New farm machines were invented, for example Jethro Tull developed a seed drill which planted seeds in straight rows and farmers began using new iron plows in place of inofitiant wooden plows. In addition to that, the enclosure movement brought wealthy people to farm larger amounts of land, which was very good for the agricultural revolution. This revolution improved peoples diet and health leading to an increased population, which demanded healthy food, clothing and employment. Since many farmers were seeking jobs, they found it now in the textile industry, which created a new demand for laborers. You shall notice now that the mechanical inventions were so rapid and each one triggered another new one. A few examples of these inventions are the flying shuttle by John Kay, the spinning jenny by James

Roman Religion in A Romans Everyday Life vs. Religion's Effects on Today

2001-02-17T13:00:00-05:00
"We Romans", said Cicero, "owe our supremacy overall other peoples to our piety and religious observances and to our wisdom in believing that the spirit of the gods rules and directs everything." Roman rites and observances took two main forms. One was the domestic reverence of the spirit or genius of the family. The other was the public attitude to the gods and goddesses by whom the destiny and welfare of the Roman people as a whole were supposed to be guided and controlled. During the Classical period, religious observance accompanied all important private and public events and transactions and, no successful outcome went without a vow of thanks or public dedication. Temples, priests and sacred rites were provided by the State. Nothing in the nature of religious services as we know them, in which the body of worshipers as a whole were able to participate, seems to have been celebrated in the temples. Any set forms of prayers, hymns or chants were performed solely by the official priests whose secrets they remained. The ordinary Roman man or woman had little personal part to play in such rites (Handbook To Life In Ancient Greece). While they were being undertaken and fulfilled it was the duty of the ordinary citizen not to interfere or make any disturbance and to refrain from any business affairs. When religiously minded Roman dropped in to a temple in order to worship the god or goddess whose house it was , they had some practical object in view : some personal favor or advantage. They came and perhaps burn incenses. When praying they stood with upturned palms. Sometimes they got as close to the image of the god as they could in order to whisper their pleas; the feet of some of the images were worn by the kisses of generations of worshipers. In addition to paying a fee for admission, the grateful petitioner for divine aid also brought sacrifices and thankful offerings to the temples. Enormous numbers of livestock and cattle went to augment the wealth of the temples, and to swell the incomes of the priests and attendants, many of whom became extremely wealthy. Temple worship was no essential part of Roman life. If it had been, it is difficult to understand why there were not more than about a hundred within the city confines, which is no large number in a city of

Amendment Seven

2001-02-16T13:00:00-05:00
The 7th Amendment is very unusual. It speaks to trials at Common Law (civil trials), rather than criminal trials. It states that in trials where the value of the potential award is greater than twenty dollars, the accused has the right to demand that they be tried by a jury; and that no facts tried by a jury shall be reconsidered in any court in the United States other than by the rules of common law. What does this mean? It means that in any civil case where the potential award is more than twenty (20) dollars, the person

The Phoenician Empire

2001-02-12T13:00:00-05:00
The Mediterranean Sea has spawned many civilizations through history. The Phoenicians, which originated around 1200 BCE, is one example. Despite the rather small size of this civilization, its impact on our world has been considerable. Being a seafaring nation, the Phoenicians established colonies all over the Mediterranean area, including the present-day cities of Carthage and Tripoli. As notable traders, they shared cultures with many nations, which allowed their invention of the alphabet to spread throughout Eurasia. The Phoenician Empire continued to evolve until its eventual incorporation into the Persian and Macedonian Empires, around 400 BCE. Phoenicia is an ancient region lying on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Empire peaked at around 1000 BCE, and developed until around 700 BCE. Phoenicia, now known as Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, was naturally isolated from other civilizations by the Lebanon Mountains in the east, and the great sea on the west. The small region stretched about 320 kilometers long and about 25 kilometers wide. This geographical isolation gave the Phoenicians enough protection to evolve into a strong nation, while giving it the freedom to trade and explore across the Mediterranean. Although little is known about the ancient civilization, it is known that the government was, at least in part, a monarchy. Royalty was considered a matter of divine descent, so kings could not be chosen outside of the royal family. The merchant families also held much power in Phoenicia, due to their great influence in public affairs. Although the name Phoenicia implies that the civilization was a unified state, the nation consisted of separate city-kingdoms. Each Phoenician City was considered independent from one another, and was ruled by its own king. Phoenicians were known as the most distinguished seafaring traders and merchants of the ancient world. In fact, they called themselves Kena'ani (or Canaanites), which is Hebrew for “Merchant”. They established trading colonies all over the Mediterranean Sea, including Carthage, Simyra, Zarephath, Byblos, and Tyre (Sur). Maritime trading also reached into the Atlantic Ocean to England. Some of the goods traded included glass, color dyes, metals, horses, ebony and ivory, linen, coral, honey, spices, oil and precious stones. Maritime trading would not be possible for the Phoenicians without developed nautical technology. Phoenicians were known for having extremely advanced ships and navigation. Ships were built with a keeled hull, which allowed them to travel on the open seas. These ships used both oars

Ancient Surgery

2001-02-10T13:00:00-05:00
The most important and influential discovery was the practice of surgery. With this invention, human life became more sophisticated, humans lived longer, and we obtained a knowledge of ourselves sufficient enough to break the boundaries built by ignorance. Lacking prescription drugs, accurate tools, computer technology, and any background experience to build from, our ancestors struggled to learn how to repair the human body. They did an suprisingly competent job of treating the sick and injured. Some of the medical technology developed in ancient times surpassed anything available in the modern world until the 18th century or 19th century. In eras wherein religious views took precedence over medicine and logic, surgical advancement was difficult. The knowledge we have now was obtained from these people’s exploits. The first known medical procedure is called trephination. Trephination is the cutting of a hole through one’s skull to relive excess pressure. This dates back to as early as the Stone Age, around 3,000 BC. Unearthed remains of successful brain operations, as well as surgical instruments, were found in France at one of Europe's noted archeological digs. The success rate was remarkable, even around 7,000 BC. Skulls have been found from about 8,000 BC with these telltale holes, most of which are exact and show growth, meaning that patients often lived for weeks, even months, afterwards . Pre-historic evidence of brain surgery was not limited to Europe. Early Incan civilization used brain surgery as an extensive practice as early as 2,000 BC. In Paracas, Peru, archeological evidence indicates that brain surgery was used frequently. Here, too, an inordinate success rate was noted as patients were restored to health. The treatment was used to treat mental illnesses they blamed on evil spirits, epilepsy, headaches, and osteomylitis, as well as head injuries. Brain surgery was also used for both spiritual and magical reasons; often, the practice was limited to kings, priests and the nobility. Surgical tools in South America were made of both bronze and carved obsidian. The Akkadians used trephination thousands of years later for the same purposes, and the practice was improved until it reached the state of today. The Akkadians learned from experience with surgery. There were no books or documentations of previous procedures, so the trade was passed down through hands on, personal training. The Code of Hamurabi states that surgeons of the Akkadian era were well paid, but a failure was expensive. Surgeons who

Was the War of 1812 Pointless?

2001-02-06T13:00:00-05:00
The War of 1812 proved to be the most serious challenge to face the United States since the country’s birth. This ‘Second war of Independence’ perhaps changed American history as we know it though. This essay will discuss the causes for this war assessing whether there actually were valid reasons for the United States and Britain going to war or whether the whole 1812 war was just born out of “pointless aggression” The war of 1812 was a very unnecessary war. It broke out just as one of its chief causes (The Orders in Council) was removed and its greatest battle (New Orleans) was fought just after peace was signed. The war was unnecessary from a British point of view but for the Americans it was inescapable. The Royal Navy had kidnapped 3,800 American sailors and pressed them into service. The Orders In Council had deprived the United States of a profitable trade with France and can be seen as having ruthlessly subordinated American economic interests to the political interests of the British Empire. American farmers also blamed the orders, perhaps unfairly, for a fall in agricultural prices that produced a depression in the West in the years immediately before the war. On the frontier it was universally believed that Indian restlessness war stirred up by British agents although really American oppression has to be seen as a big cause of this too. America’s war with Britain seemed inevitable although the Americans did everything they decently could to avoid it, although there seemed to be endless provocation by Britain, for example in 1807 when a British frigate, the leopard opened fire on an American frigate the Chesapeake. The choice before America, Jefferson the former president and his successor Madison agreed was war or submission – to fight or to undo one of the main achievements of the revolution and accept total defeat in international affairs to England. As John Quincy Adams put it “It was not a matter of dollars and cents, no alternative was left but war or the abandonment of our right as an independent nation” The offences committed against the United States were the major provocation’s for the war, reasons other then vindication can be regarded as rationalisation. There was an obvious anger for what British had done to America and many Americans merely wanted revenge but the war was fought for much more then that. The radical expansionism and

Was Colonialism Good for Uganda?

2001-02-05T13:00:00-05:00
Introduction The past is another country, where it is only possible to go as a tourist, and which we will never fully understand. We can describe what we see, but it is far more difficult to know why people acted in the way they did, or what they believed, and why they believed it. Uganda too is another country, which did not even exist before the white man went there. Even the name reflects the ideas of the first explorers, whose gateway into the new territory was via the Buganda tribe, whom they were later to use as their colonial agents as British rule was extended. Those who ‘discovered’ Ugandan and the source of the Nile which the first explorers were seeking - men such as Speke and Stanley - and the soldiers and administrators who came after them undoubtedly believed in the superiority of European culture in a way which we today would consider unacceptably racist. Although they were impressed by the sophistication of Bugandan society, they implicitly assumed that Africa was more backward than Europe, that Africans would benefit from exposure to Western standards and practises, and of course from Christianity. To a degree this allowed them either to justify or even to suppress what now looks to be the crude reality that their underlying agenda was the extension of British influence, the promotion of British commerce, and the expansion of the British Empire, all without reference to the actual wishes of the Ugandan people. But then, even in Britain at thattime, democracy was a new idea and many people, including women, still did not have the vote. Having said that, many Ugandans would today accept that their country had at some stage to be brought into contact with the modern world, and even that they were comparatively lucky in being colonised by the British rather than by, for instance, the Belgians whose brutal rule in the Congo was far crueller than that of the British Protectorate in Uganda. Moreover, the fact that the arrival of the British in Uganda was not accompanied by the theft of African land for white farmers - as it was in Zimbabwe or Kenya - meant that some of the bitterness and resentment felt about European rule in some African countries was not a feature in Uganda. So race relations, even today, are more relaxed in Uganda than in many parts of the Continent. In this project

A Critical Evaluation of Charles De Gaulle's Handling of the Algerian Insurrection

2001-02-01T13:00:00-05:00
The 1950s was not a particularly good decade for France. The Fourth Republic, which had been established in the aftermath of the Second World War, remained unstable and lurched from crisis to crisis. Between 1946 and 1954, there had been a war in French Indo-China, between a nationalist force under Ho Chi Minh and the French. The war was long and bitter and towards the end, the French suffered the ignominy of losing the major fortress of Dien Bien Phu to the guerrillas on 7 May 1954. An armistice was sought with Ho Chi Minh, and the nations of North and South Vietnam emerged from the ashes of the colony. It is entirely likely that the success of the guerrillas influenced the Algerian insurrectionists, the National Liberation Front(FLN), in tactics and in the idea that the time was ripe to strike. It is clear that the FLN employed similar methods to those developed by the nationalists under Ho Chi Minh.1 For several months, France was at peace. The insurrection began on 1 November 1954. The insurrection precipitated the fall of the Fourth Republic. Charles de Gaulle, hero of the Second World War, became President of France in 1958, and was intent on securing a political solution to the insurrection, rather than one based on force. His efforts were largely successful in avoiding a civil war in France, and ending the insurgency - although it took four years to do so. It has been estimated that more than a million Algerians died in the insurrection.2 Before 1954, Algeria was not considered to be a French colony - rather it was seen as an integral part of France. The region was composed of departments, like those of the mainland. There were over a million white French nationals living in Algeria at the time and around eight million Muslims.3 This was a greater proportion of French nationals than in the other major North African colonies of France - Morocco, and Tunisia.4 Although there were benefits to remaining with France, the colonial administration was heavily weighed against the Muslims - particularly with regards to voting rights. In 1936, for instance, the Popular Front Government of Blum introduced legislation to the Assembly proposing to extend French citizenship to over twenty thousand Algerian Muslims.5 The initiative failed when all the European mayors of Algerian towns resigned in protest. After the First World War, a number of Algerian political parties

My Holocaust Response

2001-01-30T13:00:00-05:00
In a time and place where unity of all persons is taught as an essential for the future of our world, it’s almost unfeasible to grasp the horror of the Holocaust. Our country is sold upon the notion today that all men truly were created equal. Unfortunately there are some people in this world who still believe that to be a mere opinion. However, with today’s teaching and tools, I believe we are effectively working tords eliminating narrow-minded thinking. Learning about the Holocaust has helped me to understand that human beings are capable of unthinkable hate. Although it can be argued that the peoples involvment in the events of the Holocaust were based soley on influenced thinking, I find it hard to belive anyone is

Ramses

2001-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Ramses the Great ruled as the greatest pharaoh of all times. Also known as Ramses II, he was born in 1304 B.C., and was given the name the Justice of Ray is Powerful. He had the knowledge of the kingdom, and became the focus of the court at an early age. Ramses and his father spent most of their time together. As a young crown prince, Ramses II was appointed a co-ruler by his aging father, Seti I, and fully inherited the throne at age 24 when his father died. Even before he became Pharaoh, the young prince was known as a courageous warrior. At 22, he was sent to quell a minor revolt in Nubia. He brought along two little sons, and they took part in a chariot charge, according to a scene depicted in a carved relief on the walls of the Beit El-Wali Temple south of Aswan. After his ascent to the throne, the kingdom prospered and the young Pharaoh poured his energies and national treasures into building temples and monuments honoring his father, Egypt’s gods and himself. In Nubia he constructed six temples, two of which were carved out of a Cliffside at Abu Simbel, with their four colossal statues of the king, are the most magnificent and the best known. Engineers designed the temple so every year on February 22 and October 22 the earliest sunrays shine on the back wall of the innermost chamber and lights up the pharaoh’s statue, and fitting, he sits with the three gods of the sun. In all of his monuments he had his name cartouche and texts engraved so deep that no successor would be able to remove it. When Ramses became pharaoh, he had as many women as his heart desired and they were his greatest supporters. Ramses II built a king-size family with a ‘considerable harem of wives and concubines’. He had 5 or 6 main wives and is known to have had more than 100 children with all of his wives. His favorite wife was the beautiful Nefertari, his chief queen and mother of his first-born son and other children. Ancient statues and inscriptions suggest she often appeared at her husband’s side on state occasions and during religious ceremonies early in his reign. Ramses spent most of his 67-year reign reviving the empire and fighting the Hittites of Asia Minor. Ramses the Great, known for his fighting, went

The Shogun Dynasty

2001-01-21T13:00:00-05:00
The term Shogun means general. Later, it refered to the leader of the Shogunate (Samurai's government). From 1192-1867, the Shogun ruled Japan. The Emperor reigned but did not rule. The Shoguns were a type of warlords that governed providences and states as a type of Japanese check and balance of the 16th century. The name of that form of government was called Shogunate. The Shogunates ruled as a military dictatorship for over a span of almost 700 years: they fought the Mongolians in 1281, fought in a civil war during 1467-1477, fought for Osaka in 1615, and saw Commodore Perry in 1853. The samurai are one of the most reconizable and most renowned warriors of the ancient times. They were members of a unique military class called the Japanese warriors. They emereged and grew more and more important during the Heian period (794-1185) when powerfull land owners hired them for their personal saftey and protection of their property. In the later times of the Heian period the most powerful military families, the Minamoto and Taira, had taken over political power over Japan and fought wars and battles for supremacy. When shogun Minamoto Yoritomo established a new government in Kamakura in 1192, the shogun (the highest military officer) became the ruler of Japan. The samurai were pinacled at the top of the social hierarchy and had many privilages. On the other hand, they were supposed to set a good example for the lower classes by following the principles of Bushido (the way of the warrior). The samurai's most important principles or duties were to be loyal to his master, use self-discipline and respect and also to use ethical behaviour. After a defeat or other dishonourable event many of the saurai chose to commit suicide by cutting their abdomen with a sword in order to preserve their honour. Such ritual suicide is called seppuku or harakiri. During the Edo period, which was mainly a peaceful time, most samurai had no motive or need to fight or do battle. In light of their situation many of the samurai chose to dedicate themselves to intellectual studies such as literature, history or the tea ceremony. In the 17th century, masterless and unemployed samurai caused some problems to the government because of their increased intellect. After the Meiji Restoration (1868), the samurai class dissapeared. The samurai sword, the katana, is still today the distinguishing mark of the samurai. Please

Welsh History

2001-01-21T13:00:00-05:00
Wales has a tumultuous and somewhat violent history. During the early years A.D., the country was in turmoil with the Roman invasions, and the biggest defenses that the Welsh had were the deep, dark hills scattered all over the country. Without the safety of these hills, Wales would certainly have been taken over by the Romans. After the Romans left Wales, the Vikings presented a new threat to the peaceful lands of Wales. The Romans also had a huge effect on the Welsh religion and language. Wales was affected both negatively and positively by these invasions. In 55 B.C., Julius Caesar planned a series of exploratory expeditions into Wales, which were inspired by tales of large deposits of gold in the vast hills in North Wales. (Millet, 1995, p.187) These explorations prepared the ground for the arrival of the Roman armies (Cunliffe, 1990, p.203). In 43 A.D., the Roman army arrived on the shores of Wales to attempt a completion of their new Roman British empire (Tedesco, 178, p. 387). Wales had a strong military history that took a central role in society as far back as 1200 B.C. (Thompson, 1989, p.735). The old Roman boast “Veni, Vidi, Vici” (“I came, I saw, I conquered”) might have been applied to other places in their vast empire, but in Wales, their conquest was never complete (Johanson, 1979, p. 359). To help with the invasion, they constructed a city at Caerwent that introduced Roman notions of civilization to the natives. They also built a network of roads that connected their two bases at Chester and Caerwent with some small forts (Avery, 1975, p.687) During some expeditions into the hills of Pumpsaint, the Romans finally found the gold that they had been searching for (McQueen, 1985, p.982) When the Romans left Wales in the 4th century, they left it unprotected against the Saxons, Picts and Irish Goidel tribes. The end of the Roman Empire meant the beginning of a Dark Age for Wales (Thomas, 1986, p. 13). From the 9th to 11th centuries, a storm descended over the Welsh in the form of the Vikings - unquenchable in their desire for battle and war (McDonald, 1987, p. 439). The shores of Britain were terrorized by these warriors, who not only plundered and wreaked havoc along Britain’s coastline, but also invaded inland and destroyed native villages (Warner, 1992, p. 489). Rhodri Mawr (Rhodri the Great),

Women in Post-Revolutionary Russia: The Opportunities and Obstacles

2001-01-11T13:00:00-05:00
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

Thomas Becket vs Henry II

2001-01-06T13:00:00-05:00
The High Middle Ages was a time of power struggles between the Church and the State. Increases in royal power and expeditions like the Crusades symbolized the teeter-totter of the balance of power between the two foundations, and a prime example of the fight for power is the conflict of Henry II, King of England, and Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry II gained his throne thanks to the efforts of his mother, who fought to maintain her family's stature in the royal family tree. Thomas Becket was the son of a wealthy London merchant, and lived a life of no worries. Theobald, the Archbishop of Canterbury at the time, recognized Becket's intelligence, and he was put under Theobald's church tree. There, Becket gained experience and serious attention from his great successes as the Archbishop's trusty servant, and King Henry II laid an eye on him also. Seeing Becket's potential intelligence, Henry II appointed Becket to the position of Chancellor of England. In England, the Chancellor was second-in-command only to the King. Any man of this stature was given great power, and any man placed in this position must be able to match his expectations. Henry's instincts were accurate, and Becket performed amazingly at his new position. He revolutionized how England's government was run, and turned the quiet castle into a busy place of work. Becket's fame rose instantly, gaining attention from all over England, and quickly gained the reputation of being Henry's greatest loyal worker. Becket, aside from being Henry's most trustworthy servant, also became Henry's greatest friend. Henry frequently visited Becket for dinner, and the two would discuss issues and exchange ideas almost every night. Henry was able to derive one conclusion from their dinner sessions Ð Thomas Becket was the most intelligent man in all of England. At this point in time, the Church and State of England fought mainly for power over the judicial system of England. Henry II wanted to enforce common law in his country, a system of justice with a jury that accuses suspects and royal judges that determine the sentence on the criminals. The Church, headed by the archbishop of Canterbury, wanted to keep their traditional system of canon law. The huge flaw in canon law was apparent to all of England, but the church was not willing to back down to the State. In the church's court system, the two greatest concerns

Uncle Tom's Cabin

2001-01-04T13:00:00-05:00
Uncle Tom's Cabin is one of the most famous and popular pieces of Civil War literature. It was drawn from selected pieces of a real life memoir done by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Uncle Tom's Cabin was a book that drew many people into the fight over the institution of slavery. Northerners hailed the book saying it exposed the truth, while southern slaveholders and plantation owners claimed that it had many falsehoods in it. President Lincoln, when he met Stowe called her, "the little lady who started this big war." Originally planned for a series of short essays for the National Era (an abolitionist newspaper) in 1851-1852, Stowe gathered so much information, that is was too large for newspaper print, and was published originally by the Boston publishing company Jewett. Immediately it became a hot seller, with northerners and southerners alike. It sold more copies than any other piece of literature, with the exception of the Bible and soon Stowe was touring the United States and Europe to speak against slavery. Many argued that there were false reports in what she wrote because the slave owners were portrayed as heartless devilish men, and the slaves were portrayed as their victims. These were mostly Southern slave owners who believed they treated their slaves well and the slaves were happy. To respond to this, Stowe published A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin a year later, in 1853, to provide documentation of the truth upon which her novel is based. Uncle Tom's Cabin tells a story of adversity in the struggle for freedom, a look into human cruelty as well as human compassion, and one man's loyalty to those he is indentured to. It is set in a period just before the Civil War; during the time when the black people of America were not citizens, but property and had no rights. In the south during this time, the blacks were forced to work hard labor on plantations and were required to live in small dorms outside of their owner's homes. However, the novel is more than just a narrative of slaves, but of human emotion rising up in the face of adversity. It is a story of the fight for freedom, and an account of the history of America. The author brings out the humanity in the slaves, and describes the great injustices that took place during the time. The characters Uncle Tom, Ophelia, and

The Four Humors

2001-01-02T13:00:00-05:00
Medieval doctors had quite an understanding of the human anatomy, considering their lack of equipment and knowledge. Most doctors in medieval times were philosophers more than actual medical doctors as most people know them today. Much of the knowledge they did acquire may have only been speculation, but quite a bit of it was due to concentrated observation. Many scientists studied wounds and diseases intensely and one scientist in particular, Empedocles, came to the conclusion that that body consists of four main fluids, or humors. These humors were yellow bile, black bile, phlegm and blood. If one of these components was out of proportion in the body, disease occurred. The imbalance was called isonomia, an idea which was also proposed by the Greek scientist Empedocles. Empedocles followed the Pythagorean school of natural philosophers rather than the Hippocratic school as most other physicians in the time did. He felt people must use their senses, even though they are not thoroughly reliable at all times. The other schools preferred more mystic ideas as opposed to natural ones. He also hypothesized that all substances and objects were made up of air, fire, water, and earth in different proportions. His proposal of the four humors of the body was later accepted by the Hippocratic school. Each of Empedocles’ four humors was connected to one of the four seasons. Black bile was considered to be a part of autumn, blood was associated with spring, phlegm with winter and summer with yellow bile. Each humor was identified with its corresponding season due to the belief that each humor contained certain qualities. These qualities were closely related to the conditions of the seasons. Thus yellow bile was thought of as hot and dry like summer. Its opposite, phlegm was cold and moist like winter. Black Bile was cold and dry, while its opposite, blood, was hot and moist, like their counterparts, autumn and spring. As well as being connected with seasons, the four humors were also linked to four elements of nature. Black bile was associated with Earth, blood with air, fire with yellow bile and phlegm with water. This theory of nature and the body being interrelated was also proposed by Empedocles. Also each of these was also connected with the type of personality one presented. Too much earth made a person melancholic, which meant they were very depressed and saddened often. Too much air was

The Black Plague

2001-01-02T13:00:00-05:00
“No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal—the redness and horror of blood.” (Edgar Allen Poe The Masque of the Red Death.) Many thought the Black Plague was a curse from God; punishment for the sins the infected had committed. Those that survived were the chosen people, the ones who abided by the laws of the Church. Scientists know now that the devastating disease was not a result of sins or spiritual inadequacy, but the terrible illness was caused by a strain of bacteria called Yersinia pestis. The bacteria were carried by fleas on rats, which were quite abundant in Medieval towns due to unsanitary conditions and overpopulation. The fleas would bite the rats and become infected with the diseased blood. The fleas would then jump from the rats onto people, thus infecting the host. Because the plague was spread easily, through sneezing and coughing as well as the fleas, the infection spread like wildfire. By the end of the 1300s over one third of the populations of Europe, Asia and Africa were completely annihilated. The Black Death was by far the most deadly disease ever known to man. It spread and killed with such a virulence that the course of human history was forever changed. Little known to the average person, three forms of the Black Death existed. All were caused by the same bacteria, but they each were comprised of very different symptoms. The three forms, though not equally as deadly, viciously killed millions of people during the Middle Ages. The most common and well-known strain of the Black Death was the bubonic plague. Victims were subject to enlarged and inflamed lymph nodes, a characteristic known as bubo, thus the reason for receiving the name the bubonic plague. The lymph nodes would swell to enormous capacities until they burst. Other symptoms included headaches, nausea, joint aches, a high fever and vomiting. Symptoms usually took about a week to appear and the mortality rate was around 30-75%. The second form of the Black Death was the pneumonic plague. It was the next most commonly seen form of the illness, although it was not as prevalent as the bubonic plague. Many of the victims died before they could infect others. This form of the plague attacked the lungs. Slimy mucus tinted with blood was spewed from the mouth and as the

Athenian and Spartan Government

2000-12-30T13:00:00-05:00
In Ancient Greece there were four forms of government that were practiced Monarchy’s, Aristocracy, Oligarchy and Direct Democracy. In Ancient Athens they had a direct democracy which allowed the citizens to participate in political decision making. In Ancient Sparta they had an oligarchy form of government in which the state was ruled by a small group of citizens who also controlled the military. The political system of ancient Athens was a democracy, which involved all of its citizens by giving them daily access to civic affairs and political power. Both decision-making and decision-enforcing were the duty of every free adult male citizen, and not just of those elected by them or by their leaders. The free adult male

Renaissance

2000-12-23T13:00:00-05:00
The Renaissance has been described as consisting of “a rebirth of the human spirit, a realization of the human potential for development.” This quote, as well as the word, “Renaissance” imply a massive change in society and tradition. Contributing to this change was 17th century poet, John Donne. His style, combined with intellectual thoughts and ideas, set the foundation for what would become known as metaphysical poetry. Donne’s style of writing was not only a significant factor in the Renaissance, but also the transition into “The Age of Reason”. In Sonnet 10, from Holy Sonnets, he is able to contribute to the Renaissance ideal described in the preceding quote. “A rebirth of the human spirit…,” describes a change in emotion that stems from a religious belief. Before the Renaissance, life and death were thought to be predetermined. Towards the end of the Renaissance, poets began to question parts of this belief, and as a result, the value of life came into question. In Sonnet 10, John Donne questions how powerful death is. He first challenges “Death” as he says “Death, be not proud, though some have called/thee/Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;” in lines one and two. Yet, in lines seven and eight, Donne declares the power of “Death” by saying “And soonest our best men with thee do go, /Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.” These two quotes contradict each other, however, the question is clear: What is the power of death? Donne answers this question in the last line: “And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.” However, the reader at that time had his/her own answer to find. Donne had introduced a new thought. He spoke of “death” as a noun, yet spoke to “Death” as a being, without relating it to God. To dissociate God and Death, and then treat Death as an entity was indeed a new idea. “A rebirth of the human spirit” may have been the realization of the value of life, as a result of the questioning of the set belief. “…A realization of the human potential for development,” is an accurate description of the Renaissance. People were beginning to accept change in social institutions as well as in many traditional beliefs. Poets, such as John Donne, were questioning ideas that seemed to be set in stone. They were also changing the structure and style of poetry. Donne abandoned the

Greek Democracy

2000-12-14T13:00:00-05:00
After watching the videos on Greece and talking about their way of life, I have learned a lot about them. I found that what they did affects us greatly

A Fooled Nation: Hitler’s Rise to Power

2000-12-12T13:00:00-05:00
With a lock of hair falling over his forehead and a square little mustache on his often, somber face, Adolf Hitler seemed a comical figure when he first entered into politics. He was a public speaker who ranted and raved until his voice was hoarse and sweat dripped from his brow. Hitler was an evil genius. With the help of fanatic disciples and gullible masses, he profoundly changed Germany and the political face of Europe; unleashing the most terrible war in history and unprecedented genocide in which more than six million Jews died. Hitler is called mad; but were the men around him also mad? They were cultivated, educated, learned men. Germany wasn’t a backward country, preyed on by ignorance, but one of the most advanced nations in the world; renown for great scientific and cultural achievements. His program was one for evil and destruction and yet the majority of the people in Germany accepted it. How did Hitler come to power? His ideas have lived on, unfortunately. Many around the world still find inspiration in his words. Also have lived on, the memories. Time has not dimmed the terms storm troops, gas chambers, death camps, and holocaust. A new generation asks, why? On the morning of September 15 1930, early editions of newspapers across Germany brought the first reports that Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) had scored a stunning electoral triumph. Only two years earlier, the party had languished in obscurity. The appeal of the Nationalist Socialists was so small that most commentators, those who recognized them at all, saw them as a minor and declining party. Yet, when the polls closed on the evening of September 14, 1930 the NSDAP had become the second largest party in the Weimar Republic. The NSDAP was founded as “Deutschearbei Partei”, the German Workers Party (DAP) in Munich, during January 1919. It was one of a number of German political parties clustered along the outskirts of German politics in the immediate post-war period. Initially, it was hardly more than a debate society. It had less than thirty members, only three of which were active political speakers. The organization would probably have remained this way had it not been for the extraordinary leadership and propagandistic talents of Adolf Hitler who joined the party in 1919. Adolf Hitler was born in Austria in 1889. He stood out in no way as a boy and didn’t finish

The World of the Vikings

2000-12-11T13:00:00-05:00
The Viking age has long been associated with unbridled piracy, when freebooters swarmed out of the northlands in their longships to burn and pillage their way across civilized Europe. Modern scholarship provides evidence this is a gross simplification, and that during this period much progress was achieved in terms of Scandinavian art and craftsmanship, marine technology, exploration, and the development of commerce. It seems the Vikings did as much trading as they did raiding. The title "Viking" encompasses a wide designation of Nordic people; Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians, who lived during a period of brisk Scandinavian expansion in the middle ages, from approximately 800 to 1100 AD. This name may be derived from the old Norse vik(bay or creek). These people came from what is now Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, and had a self-sustaining, agricultural society, where farming and cattle breeding were supplemented by hunting, fishing, the extraction of iron and the quarrying of rock to make whetstones and cooking utensils; some goods, however, had to be traded; salt, for instance, which is a necessity for man and cattle alike, is an everyday item and thus would not have been imported from a greater distance than necessary, while luxury items could be brought in from farther south in Europe. Their chief export products were, iron, whetstones, and soapstone cooking pots, these were an essential contribution to a trade growth in the Viking age. The contemporary references we have about the Vikings stem mainly from sources in western Europe who had bitter experiences with the invaders, so we're most likely presented with the worst side of the Vikings. Archaeological excavations have shown evidence of homesteads, farms, and marketplaces, where discarded or lost articles tell of a common everyday life. As the Viking period progressed, society changed; leading Chieftain families accumulated sufficient land and power to form the basis for kingdoms, and the first towns were founded. These market places and towns were based on craftsmanship and trade. Even though the town dwelling Vikings kept cattle, farmed, and fished to meet their household needs, the towns probably depended on agricultural supplies from outlying areas. They also unfortunately did not pay as much attention to renovation and waste disposal as they did to town planning, as evidenced by the thick layers of waste around settlements. In contemporary times the stench must have been nauseating. Trade, however, was still plentiful, even in periods when Viking raids abounded, trade

Who Killed JFK?

2000-12-10T13:00:00-05:00
Before we started the section on John F. Kennedy in our class I would have said that Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated him without a question in my mind. After reviewing videos on this subject in class I am now not so sure. Was there really a conspiracy to kill Kennedy or as a nation do we over analyze something that was an open and shut case? After reviewing the information in class I do not think Oswald was the lone assassin. I do not even think that Oswald was the assassin. The most convincing evidence that I received was the video showed in class where there was a man who was a specialist in stripping away layers in photographs down to tiny particles. He had a picture of the shooting of JFK and stripped the layers away. The picture showed tiny particles coming off the back of JFK’s head. Seeing this made me come to the conclusion that JFK was not shot from behind but from the front therefore Oswald could not of shot JFK because the book depository was positioned behind the presidents vehicle. I think that the death of JFK was pinned on Oswald because the police were pressured to find the assassin of JFK. Oswald was an easy target because he openly held communist beliefs during a time when the cold war and anti-communist feelings were at its highest. I believe that Jack Ruby truly shot Oswald so that Mrs. Kennedy would not have to relive that day when Oswald went to trial. People do strange things when caught up in the moment and the whole country was turned upside down over the assassination of President Kennedy. People thought it was suspicious that Jack Ruby was able to get so close to Oswald. He was able to do this because he was known by many of the officers, frequented the station and therefore was not perceived as a threat. I think the attitude changed towards the government after the assassination because the government did not run the investigation efficiently. They should of hired a group outside the governments CIA and FBI branches to run the investigation so that they could get an objective view instead of the view that the FBI and CIA knew their superiors wanted. I believe that we are more cynical in 2000 than 1963. We as a country have been through a lot

The Industrial Revolutions: The effects on Europe and the World

2000-12-10T13:00:00-05:00
The Industrial Revolution affected life in Europe during the 19th century very greatly. Cities in Great Britain were growing rapidly, this was known as urbanization. Many cities such as Glasgow and Berlin more than doubled

Life Before the Pharaohs

2000-12-05T13:00:00-05:00
For more than half of the twentieth century, much like the pyramids, the predynastic Egypt was a mystery to archeologists. The little discoveries that had been made from the period preceding the pharaohs were not enough to either prove or disprove the various theories circulating at the time. One of the first artifacts dated at the time of the unification to be unearthed was Narmer’s palette, discovered by the English archeologist James Edward Quibell at the end of the nineteenth century. The discovery was made at Hierakonpolis, about four hundred and fifty miles outside of Cairo. The object depicted the unification of the Lower and Upper Egypt, the event being attributed to Narmer; he also found a macehead that carried the insignia of Scorpion, a king which was believed to have ruled Upper Egypt just before the unification. Not far from the spot where Quibell had found the palette, his colleague, Frederick W. Green, discovered an extremely decorated tomb that had been built for a ruler who dominated the surrounding region almost two centuries before Narmer. Their discoveries were the first ones to document this moment of extreme importance in history: a time of political and cultural change and evolution. Unfortunately they were not nearly enough to explain that evolution. The little evidence available led several archeologists to come up with more or less “believable” theories about the predynastic Egypt. Some sustained that the society before the pharaohs was a primitive and one that could not have evolved into the great Egyptian state without any outside help. Walter Brian Emory was one of the supporters of this theory. Only three years before this amazing discovery, another English archeologist, William Fliders Petrie, had unearthed at Naqada about twenty-one hundred graves containing such objects as fired-clay pots, palettes, and amulets made of stone, bone, and ivory. The latest graves were dated to about 3100 BC, while the earliest were dated to the predynastic period. Petrie assigned the objects found in the “predynastic graves” to three major periods: the Amratian (3800-3500 BC), the Gerzean (3500-3200 BC), and the Protodynastic (3200-3100 BC) periods; a fourth period, the Badarian (before 4000-3800 BC), is added in the 1920’s. Using the scarce evidence they had, Petrie and other archeologists concluded that life before the pharaohs was quite a primitive one and it wasn’t until very short before the dynastic era that the culture would evolve. But he had deduced

Women's Are Battered by Men

2000-12-03T13:00:00-05:00
Women being beaten by men is a not easy matter here in the United States which is usually disregarded and just about at all times no interest is given by society in the present day. The Webster's New World Dictionary describes aggression as 1.) Physical force used so as to injure. 2.) As an example of aggressive behavior. If this is the case then for what reason is it that so numerous women are beaten by their sweetheart ones every year and not so much or anything is done to remove this aggressive and cold situation? In this argumentative essay I will try to answer this question. "The battered women are pictured by most people as a small, fragile, haggard person who might once have been pretty. She has several small children, no job skills, and is economically dependent on her husband. It is frequently understood that she is poor and from a minority group. She is adapted to living in aggression, and her worry and obedience are emphasized above all. Although some battered woman do fit this description, research proves it to be false stereotype." (Walker p.18) In other words injured woman have high gainful jobs such as doctors, lawyers, corporation executives, nurses, etc. Most of them are a heavy set woman's whose values are controlled by their man's and are not able to defend themselves physically. Injured females are found in all racial, religions, and ethical levels. "Who are battered women? If you are a women, there is fifty percent chance it could be you?" (Walker p.19) The numerical information assembled and classified so as to present important information on injured women is hard to find because a lot of the records are hidden in medical records, household interruption calls to the police on the records of social service agencies. When I was doing research I found that behavior in numerous categories for both the batterer and battered were the same. In addition to here is a list of those categories that were the same or in a related way the same for both persons. Battered and batterer has a lot of familiar behavior that are the following: 1.) Is a custom record about the home, powerfully believes in family conformity and his or her roles in the family unit. As with the women all-racial, religious, educational levels equally represent the men, cultures socioeconomic groups. 2.) Has low self-esteem. 3.)

"American Tragedy: The Kennedy Assassination"

2000-12-02T13:00:00-05:00
Where were you November 22, 1963? Any and every American old enough to mourn, to feel sorrow remember where they were and what they were doing when they received the news that President John F. Kennedy had been murdered. My mother was only three and she remembers the day. She was in the living room of her childhood home when a weeping neighbor called my Grandmother and broke the news. The telephone call was the beginning of a chain reaction that sent the entire house into uncontrollable sobbing. The event had that effect on the entire nation. Men and women, Democrats and Republicans, adults and children mourned the loss of their fallen leader. President Johnson, the Warren Commission, and every fascinated watcher-on in the world would closely scrutinize that day and the following events. The facts of the day are still hotly contested even now. Politicians have made their careers on the case. Conspiracy theorists have had a field day writing books, accusing anyone and everyone of planing the assassination. This paper’s purpose is to inform you on the known facts of the event, including the reason for President Kennedy’s visit, the parade through down-town Dallas, and the emergency trip to the hospital. The Warren Commission’s report to the President will be summarized and many conspiracy theories will be established. President and Mrs. Kennedy arrived in Dallas at 11:40AM CST on Friday, November 22, 1963. The couple had been in San Antonio, the first leg of a two day trip through the state, where they met with Vice-president Johnson and Texas Governor Connally. The Texas trip was planned in hopes of reviving the President’s popularity in Texas after it was hurt during the election of 1960. Until midmorning, cloudy skies had threatened to cancel the motorcade-style parade that was planned for the day. The motorcade would travel from Love Field, where the President’s plane had landed, through Dallas on a previously publicized route to the Trade Mart where a luncheon in honor of the President had been planned, (The Warren Commission, pg. 2). The motorcade consisted of the president’s car, followed by a car designate the “Presidential follow-up” which carried secret service members. Behind that was another open roofed car carrying Vice-president Lyndon Johnson and Texas Governor Connally and their wives. Following the vice-president’s car was another follow-up car and several cars and buses with dignitaries and press representatives. The motorcade followed its

Ancient Celtic Mythology: A Vision of Gods and Goddesses

2000-11-28T13:00:00-05:00
Upon investigating the supernatural reality that the Celts endured, it is necessary to somewhat overlook the myths to see what lies behind them. It is essential to find when and from where the myths originated and how true the storytellers, or narrators, really are. The Celtic gods and goddesses, in such an early mythological time defined as “ ‘a period when beings lived or events happened such as one no longer sees in our days’ ” (Sjoestedt 1994: 2), require much analysis. A diverse collection of documents, literature and archaeology pave the way to our understanding of the ancient mythology of the Celts. However, these traces lack a sense of closure, leaving the investigation into the nature of these gods and goddesses raw and incomplete. The evidence of the Celtic deities exists in various forms, but the information that we have collected leaves unanswered questions. For instance, in analysing the recorded documents left behind by the Greeks and Romans, we are called to cast some doubt on how closely the Celtic religious rites paralleled those of their classical neighbours. We survey recorded religious practices with apprehension, as we are not truly sure that the Celts too worshipped family gods and a mass of deities who covered all aspects of life.1 How do we know that we are not just reading materials reflecting the Graeco-Roman myths? Is it not plausible that these Greek and Roman writers installed some bias, leaning towards their mythological ideas, within their testimony? The speculation surrounding all of the varied pieces of evidence is just. From the abundance of evidence, though, we can be sure that the Celts believed in a multiplicity of deities. It is apparent that the existence of gods and goddesses in Celtic society was quite a serious affair and an everyday business. However, when focusing on the exact nature of such gods and goddesses, it seems only fair to attempt to construct an overview of the character of each deity. Reconstructing the evidence might be too hopeful because the conclusions would come from mere ignorance and be partially based on what we still do not know. From here we can only address the different types of evidence that piece together the very nature of the Celtic gods and goddesses, but the mixed and slightly unreliable evidence is certainly not easy to sort. The literary evidence for the existence of deities in Celtic religion is

Jeffersonian & Jacksonian Democracy

2000-11-28T13:00:00-05:00
Jeffersonian and Jacksonian Democracy are the same in just about every regard. Their views and goals as presidents are the same. Both are in favor of the common man and feel that it is the common people who should have the biggest influence on government, not the wealthy aristocrats. They also support states rights and feel that the federal government should not get involved with the states affairs. Both men’s actions clearly show that the common man does not include minorities. Both Jackson’s and Jefferson’s actions and words are very similar and support the same beliefs. Thomas Jefferson was a strong supporter and spokesman for the common man and self-government. He strongly believed that the purpose of American government is to look after and support the common interests of the people. He was against anything that he felt would hurt the common man such as the Bank of the U.S. and big government. Jefferson believed the Bank was hurting the common man and became a damaging monopoly. “It would swallow up all the delegated powers [of the states], and reduce the whole to one power...”-Jefferson referring to the Bank. He was strongly against big government and felt it would oppress the common man. “I am not a friend of a very energetic government...it places the governors indeed more at their ease, at the expense of the people.” Jefferson was also a strong supporter of the Bill of Rights, which protected the rights of the people. “A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to...” He felt the Bill of Rights would clearly state and protect people‘s rights, “freedom of religion, freedom of the press, protection against standing armies, restriction of monopolies, the eternal and unremitting force of the habeas corpus laws, and trial by jury....” It was based on Jefferson's suggestions that Madison proposed a Bill of Rights. Jefferson did everything he could to help the common man. Andrew Jackson was undoubtedly a man of the people. He was the first president to be chosen by the people and his background was not that of a typical president. He was not born into a rich family. Jackson’s favored the general public rather than the wealthy. His election shifted the balance of power from the wealthy East Coast, to farmers and small businesspeople in the west. Jackson vetoed more bills than all previous presidents did in an attempt to help the

Causes of Dictatorship in Russia

2000-11-26T13:00:00-05:00
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, less working

Canals

2000-11-23T13:00:00-05:00
Explain changes that took place in Canals during 1750 – 1900 Water transport was a lot quicker than road transport, the only problem was that rivers meandered and flooded, some places were too shallow for boats to go through. A lot of trade was done by sea, coal mainly came to London by sea. Before 1750 improvement schemes were planned but the rivers still flooded travelling by land with goods ment they would get damaged and broken. IN the 18th century the main rivers were; The River Themes, Dee, Trent, Severn, and Humber. Here is a table of when the canals opened:

NAME AND LOCATION LENGTH (KM/MI) YEAR OPENED
Baltic-White Sea, Russia 226.91 / 141.00 1933
Suez, Egypt 162.13 / 100.76 1869
Albert, Belgium 130.36 / 81.00 1939
Moscow, Russia 128.75 / 80.00 1937
Nord-Ostsee, Germany 96.56 / 60.00 1895
Göta, Sweden 86.91 / 54.00 1832
Panama, Panama 81.63 / 50.72 1914
Houston Ship Channel, United States 80.47 / 50.00 1914
Amsterdam-Rhine, Netherlands 62.76 / 39.00 1952
Manchester Ship Canal, England 57.13 / 35.50 1894
Chicago Sanitary and Ship, United States 48.28 / 30.00 1900
Welland Ship, Canada* 44.42 / 27.60 1932
Juliana, Netherlands 33.80 / 21.00 1934
Chesapeake-Delaware, United States 30.58 / 19.00 1829
North Sea-Amsterdam, Netherlands 28.97 / 18.00 1876
Cape Cod, United States 28.16 / 17.50 1914
Kronshtadt-Leningrad, Russia 27.36 / 17.00 1885
Lake Washington Ship, United States 12.88 / 8.00 1916
New Orleans Industrial, United States 9.66 / 6.00 1923
Sault Sainte Marie (N.), United States 2.57 / 1.60 1919
Sault Sainte Marie, Canada 2.09 / 1.30 1895
* Reconstructed from the old Welland Canal, which was originally completed in 1833. In 1757 the first canal was built, it was called Sankey Cut, it went from St. Hellans to the river Mersy to let barges carry coal from Lancastershire mines to Liverpool. The Duke of Bridgewater built a canal to get coal from his colliery in Worsley to Manchester, a few km away. He employed an engineer (James Brindley) to do so. The Duke made a profit of £100,000 a year. James Brindleys most famouse canal was the Grand Trunk canal, it links the river Trent to the river mersy and runs through potteries, it was finished in 1777. By 1790, a canal network linked four major ports; Bristol, Liverpool, Hull and London. Enthusiasm continued in the 1790’s so canals were built in rural areas and never made very much profit from them, even if they did benefit people who live near them. Between 1760 and 1840 almost 6,500 km of canal had been built.Some people converted their barges to carry animals to market. From 1774 and comfortable passenger service ran from Altrichham to Manchester. Businessmen hired people like James Brindly, Thomas Telford and William Jessop to build canals to raise the money they

Titanic - Story

2000-11-23T13:00:00-05:00
Hello, my name is Richard Peterson, I am travelling first class, on the Titanic from Ireland, I am moving to New York because I want to make something out of my deep interest in motorcars. I am travelling with my Wife - Mary, Mum - Jean, and brother – John. On the evening of 11th April 1912 at about 11 O’clock I was having a cup of tea with my wife in our cabin when we felt a rather large shudder. We didn’t think much of it at the time as we thought that is could have been anything. Room service knocked at my door requesting to take our rubbish, this was when we asked her what the shudder was. She said, “Don’t worry, it was only the propeller hitting a small rock, we just stopped the engines to check that they are ok.” About a quarter of an hour later a crew member came to our cabin and told us to get our life jackets of and to report up to top deck as soon as possible, this is when both my wife and I started to get a bit worried. As instructed we reported to top deck, but on the way up we were asked the man who made the ship what had happed. He said, “We only have 2 hour at the most, I’m afraid to admit, my ships going to sink.” We knew we didn’t have much time but enough to easily get on to a lifeboat. So we went back to our cabin and rushed down a cup of tea to stop us from dehydrating as we didn’t know how long it would take for another boat to pick us up. Then we went to the restaurant as got some biscuits for us and the other people which would be on our life boat. With only having 1 hour to spare we rushed as quick as we could to the top deck, we looked everywhere but couldn’t find a life boat, then when we got to the other side of the deck we found a lifeboat, we cued up for it, we waited about ten minutes until it got to us, then finally we were one of the last four people to get of the lifeboat, we were cramped up, there were forty people on our lifeboat. After about half an hour we were terrified, as we were

Women In The 17th, 18th, and 19th century

2000-11-23T13:00:00-05:00
In the 17th century rich women would normally be taught at home by a tutor, they were taught subjects like Latin, French, Needlework, and how to converse, and they were also taught how to look pretty and to play instruments like the piano. When they were older there parents would decide who they were going to marry and the family of the women would pay a dowry to the parents of the husband. They only got married to get more popular and look more important, if the wives husband thought the wives got annoying the husband would put a scolds bridle on her head. If the husband wanted to get divorced the husband could just take the wife to market. A rich women wouldn’t normally get a job, they would just stay at home and look after the family and tell the servants what to do. Poor women did not go to school or have an education, they just looked after their home, and span cotton or worked in fields. Poor women had to look after there children and prepare meals, work in the fields and produce cotton, they didn’t get paid much and had to work hard. Women In The 19th Century In the 19th century rich women were educated at home by tutors and learned pretty much the same as in the 17th century, learn to play the piano, speak French, entertain quests, look attractive, and entertain guests. After 1870 it was made compulsory for all women to have an education, Girls didn’t learn the same subjects as boys, they learnt subjects like laundry, cookery, needlework and housewifery skills. Rich women did work, but ran their home bossing their servants around, after 1870 some women became teachers and after the typewriter was invented some became secretaries or clerks. At this time all women had to retire when they were married. A rich women’s servants did all a her domestic tasks at home. So all she needed to do at home was look good and attractive and boss servants about. School wasn’t made compulsory until 1870 until then poor people didn’t go to school because they couldn’t afford it. Poor women had to work as well as bringing up her children, they had to work in coal mines and factories for long hours earning little money, up until 1870 young children would be expected to work too. Women In The 20th Century In the 20th when the 1st world war

The Victorian Age

2000-11-21T13:00:00-05:00
The United States during the second half of the 1800s was in a stage called "The Victorian Age." The basic style of this time was actually borrowed from the English or to be more exact Queen Victoria hence the name Victorian Age. During this period the high class citizens would dress in their finest clothing on an everyday basis. The middle class people would dress as nice as possible but not nearly as showy as the high class. The lower class people would dress in basically rags. Also, during this time sex was not a topic often discussed in the public, usually if you were caught there was a pretty good punishment for that. The way I see it is that The Victorian Age was a strong time for the U.S., but it's probably a good thing that it's not that way anymore. If it were still that way today there would continuous struggle for the lower class people to get an advantage. When you think about it our society is sort of like that now, but

Alexander the Great Arriving in Persepolis

2000-11-20T13:00:00-05:00
I am Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia ruler of Greece. I have been king of Macedonia since my father’s assassination five years ago. Since his death I have conquered much of the world. I am ruthless, and should anyone attempt to defeat me in battle, they are sure to die. The year I became ruler of Macedonia I set out to the city of Thessaly to restore Macedonia rule. After Thessaly submitted to me I conquered many states, and many other states freely submitted without battles. Two years after my father’s death, my war with the Persians began. Near the city of Troy, I defeated the Persian army. In doing so, all the states of Asia then submitted their arms to me. A year later I would encounter the Persians again; this time the main Persian army would be my opponent. I defeated the Persian army led by King Darious III at the city of Issus, and a year later took the city of Tyre. Furthermore, Egypt surrendered to me. Perhaps they knew they could not defeat me in battle and thought it better not to try. I had now secured control of the entire eastern Mediterranean coastline. I now bring you to my present time in history. It has been five years since I became king of Macedonia, and I have once again defeated my enemy, King Darious III at Babylon. I am now setting my sights on penetrating into the walls of Persepolis. I am very excited about this, as I am planning to retrieving many treasures which lie behind the walls. This will be a very fulfilling defeat because the Persian Empire plundered Athens almost 15 decades ago. I cannot let this go and because of it I will penetrate Persepolis and defeat the Persians and consummate vengeance upon them. With my highly skilled army of about sixty-thousand men, I entered Persepolis and assumed control of its palace. I find myself in the heart of Persia. From the Persian treasury at Persepolis I seized a wondrous amount of money. It is a well deserved payback, and I must resort to the tradition of vengeance for what the Persians did when Xerxes invaded Greece some hundred and fifty years ago. Alexander turned the city over to his

Technological Advances in World War 2

2000-11-20T13:00:00-05:00
New advances in technology changed warfare in WW2. The change in technology since WW1 has produced such things as Atom Bomb, and new and improved sea and air warfare. New techniques had to be used because of technology, techniques such as ‘mouseholing’. More people were killed because of technology, as more people died in WW2 than WW1.The technological advances in WW2 changed the battlefield completely as more deadly auxiliary was introduced. The technological advances since WW1 introduced such things as the atomic bomb and new and improved sea and air warfare. The atom bomb was a big part of WW2 as people could be killed from a bomb from a long distance. This bomb also covered a long area killing more people and people of the area bombed could still be feeling the effects in the form of cancer. New air warfare such as fighter jets were introduced in WW2. These planes carried deadly bombs and could take out a large number of people. New sea warfare was introduced, such ships as the corvette were popular, and the corvette was mostly used for shipping ammunition to Europe from North America. Also, submarines proved deadly as they were out of radar and carried deadly bombs such as the torpedo. New techniques had to be used in WW2 because of the updated technology. Techniques such as ’mouseholing’ and ‘lightning warfare’ were some of the new techniques used. Mouseholing is when the soldiers would blow a hole in the wall of a building and move through the building capturing the nazi soldiers instead of going out on the open street and getting snipered. Lightning warfare was used by the Germans and it was when planes were first sent in to a designated area and bombed the area and then the tanks would be sent through then finally the soldiers. This was done to take over countries and to get the country to surrender and clear the area out. More people died because of technology in WW2. More people were killed in WW2 then WW1, as the technology was updated in WW2. Technology can be great but in the case of WW2, it proved tragic. Updated technology such as the entire auxiliary used in WW2 proved to be working because way more people died in WW2 than WW1. Rapid advances in bombs and guns proved deadly, WW2 was a very bad example of technology. Technology can

Crisis of the French Revolution - Notes

2000-11-19T13:00:00-05:00
Creating a new Society 14 July 1789 to 9 Thermidor II,(27 July 1794) (snapshot Napoleonic France 1804) According to Joseph Weber, foster brother of Queen Antoinette, there were three primary causes of the French revolution 'the disorder of the finances, the state of mind, and the war in America.' The 'disorder in the finances' acknowledged that the bankruptcy of the monarchy opened the doors to defiance of the King's authority. The greatest single cause of the revolution was the economic crisis, which forced the King to recall the redundant Estates General which had not been called since 1614, which opened the debate for people to make complaints with the current system through the cahiers of the three Estates. The 'state of mind' largely attributed to the philosophes of the Enlightenment who challenged the very foundations that the Ancien Regime was based on. Another contributing factor to the crisis was a plight of millions of peasants, and the even more critical situation of the landless vagrants and the unemployed masses in the towns. Between 1715 and 1789 the population in France had increased from 18 million to 26 million. Land was a fixed resource, and thousands could not work in rural regions. As a result peasants were forced into the towns. Their situation was exacerbated by the bad harvest of 1788, which saw inflation of basic commodities such as bread, widespread unemployment and destitution accentuated the crisis. *** Original revolutionary goals*** Original ideology: Enlightened Document: Declaration of Rights of Man The August decrees cleared the way for the erection of a constitution, but first they decided to lay down the principles on which it was based. It is a curious mixture of enlightenment theory and bourgeois aspirations. The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen , passed into law by the National Assembly on the 26 August 1789, It condemned the practices of the Ancien Regime and expressed the broad agreement which was to be found in the cahiers of all three orders. 1. Men are born free and equal in their rights 3. The fundamental source of all sovereignty resides in the nation - an application of Rousseau's principle of the 'general will' 7. No man may be accused, arrested, or detained except in cases determined by the law 13, General taxation is indispensable for the upkeep of the public force and for the expenses of

Women's Rights

2000-11-19T13:00:00-05:00
Women had it difficult in the mid-1800s to early 1900s. There was a difference in the treatment of men and women then. Married women were legally dead in the eyes of the law. Women were not even allowed to vote until August 1920. They were not allowed to enter professions such as medicine or law. There were no chances of women getting an education then because no college or university would accept a female with only a few exceptions. Women were not allowed to participate in the affairs of the church. They thought they were totally dependent on men. Then the first Women's Rights Convention was held on July nineteenth and twentieth in 1848. The convention was assembled as planned, and over the two days of discussion, the Declaration of Sentiments and twelve resolutions received agreement and endorsement, one by one, with a few amendments. The only resolution that did not pass unanimously was the call for women's authorization. The thought that women should be allowed to vote in elections was impossible to some. At the convention, debate over the woman's vote was the main concern. Women's Rights Conventions were held on a regular basis from 1850 until the start of the Civil War. Some drew such large crowds that people had to be turned away for lack of meeting space. The women's rights movement of the late nineteenth century went on to address the wide range of issues spelled out at the Seneca Falls Convention. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and women like Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, and Sojourner Truth, who were pioneer theorists, traveled the country lecturing and organizing for the next forty years. Winning the right to vote was the key issue, since the vote would provide the means to accomplish the other amendments. The campaign for woman's right to vote ran across so much continuous opposition that it took 72 years for the women and their male supporters to win. They finally received the right to vote in 1920. There were some very important women involved in the Women's Right Movement. Esther Morris, who was the first woman to hold a judicial position and who led the first successful state campaign for woman's right to vote in 1869. Abigail Scott Duniway was the leader of the successful fight in the early 1900s. Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Mary Church Terrell were arrangers of thousands of African-American women who worked for the

The Growth of Democracy

2000-11-19T13:00:00-05:00
In 1850, Britain was an undemocratic country. At this time the electoral system divided Boroughs and Counties. Voting qualifications were different in boroughs and constituencies. The vote was only given to men over the age of 21 providing their property was valued at £10 or more, or land was more than £2 per year in rent. Seats were distributed unequally and traditional ruling families usually formed the Cabinet. Furthermore, bribery and corruption were widespread and only the minority of the population were entitled to vote. At this time there was no form of a basic education for the population masses and there was still a lot of power lying within the House Of Lords and not with elected officials. A certain degree of money was necessary to stand for election because this was not a paying job, which, as a result stopped vast numbers of people standing for election because the did not have the finances to support themselves. Nor were they able to afford to stand for election as due to bribery and corruption, the poor stood no chance of winning as they did not have the money to provide voters with what they wanted in return for their support. For democracy, there needed to be regular elections and although at this time elections were every seven years, this was not often enough. However between 1850 and 1918, progress was made towards Britain becoming a democracy. Now there was better communication and education increasing political interest and this influenced people in trade, industry and finance. Economic changes made people better off and left them wanting to take part in politics, and be represented in parliament. This general desire for the widening of the franchise led to pressure groups forming in 1864. The Extension of the Franchise was helped by the Second Reform Bill passed in 1867. In this act, all householders who paid rates with 12 months residence and all £10 a year lodgers with one years residence in the Boroughs were given the Franchise. In the Counties, the Franchise was given to those £5 property owners and all those who occupied property with a rateable value of £12 or in Scotland, £14. This act changed the views of The Liberals and The Tories as they now saw that many people backed the idea of a widening of the franchise. Party opinions changed in order to woo voters in the towns,

If the White House Walls Could Talk

2000-11-18T13:00:00-05:00
They paint over me so many times as if they could cover up my memories. My memories cannot be covered up or erased, just as

World War 2

2000-11-17T13:00:00-05:00
After gaining power, Hitler aggressively built up the German military and in 1936, occupied the Rhineland, a formerly German area designated as a buffer zone to protect France. Britain and France were preoccupied with Italy's invasion of Ethiopia and made little protest. By 1938, Germany had the most powerful military force in the world. In that same year, Hitler demanded and was given the Sudetanland in Czechoslovakia. It was highly populated with Germans and Hitler claimed to be liberating them. In 1939, through military intimidation, Hitler took all of Czechoslovakia and part of Lithuania (the Memel Territory). He next demanded the return of Danzig, a highly German populated free state. Poland refused; Britain and France pledged to support Poland. Fearing a war on two fronts, which would eventually lead to his downfall, Hitler signed a nonagression pact with USSR leader, Joseph Stalin. The German army then invaded Poland and began World War II. After crushing the Poles, Hitler invaded Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and The Netherlands in quick succession. France fell in 1940. In 1941, Hitler made himself Personal Commander of the Army and, in 1942, Supreme War Lord. On July 20, 1944, a group of officers, angered by Hitler's recent military failing, set off a bomb in his office. He escaped unharmed. Hitler's plan to take Great Britain failed, largely due to poor results in air battles. When Italy lost momentum, Hitler conquered North Africa and Greece. By this time, Hitler was running low on human resources, so he forced Jews and other peoples he considered inferior into labor camps. Those that refused were herded up and shipped to concentration camps or death camps. Thus began the Holocaust, a horrific extermination of twelve million people, six million Jews. Other victims included Gypsies, homosexuals, Communists, and atheists. The Holocaust: A Tragic Legacy is a terrific resource for more information on the Holocaust. Hitler made the fatal mistake of invading the USSR. He won many early victories on the border and found an ally in Japan but soon it all came crumbling down. The supply lines were too long and the winter, horribly harsh. Also, the Germans faced a surprisingly strong resistance from brave Russians. The German soldiers lost heart; they knew that retreat would be wise. Hitler would not allow it; instead he forced them to carry on, culminating in the horrible defeat at Stalingrad. Soon, the allies retook Africa Italy and the Soviet

The Cuban Missile Crisis: Eyeball to Eyeball

2000-11-16T13:00:00-05:00
Eyeball to Eyeball: America, Cuba and The Soviet Union America and The Soviets again using other countries for their own warfare Excitement was high for Cuba, when Fidel Castro overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in January 1959. With a heady mixture of nationalism and left – wing ideologies US became very cautious for its southern comrades Central and Southern America and perhaps herself. When Castro took over Cuba, the US lost valuable investments in the sugar and tobacco crops of Cuba. Fearing the spread of communism into Americas’ backyard the US Government imposed a strict economic blockade hoping to starve Castro into US policies. In desperation Castro turned to the soviets for balance of powers to weigh up the balance of communism ideologies. In February 1960, Castro signed a trade pact with the Soviets, which eventually led to close diplomatic relations. At this time the US Government became more worried that a communist superpower had ventured so close to her borders. By authority of Eisenhower, Cuban Exiles that were in the US at the time were given aid. At the same time the CIA began to train selected groups of the exiles to re – enter their homeland and over - throw Castro’s Government. When Kennedy was sworn into parliament in 1961 he took over the proceedings with hesitation for his states security. He advised a plan to invade Cuba once again after Eisenhower’s two other invasions failed. This invasion was known well as the Bay of Pigs. In April Kennedy received reports that the invasion failed which boosted Castro’s prestige and embarrassed Kennedy of his new presidency. When the Bay of Bigs disastrously ended it built up confidence for the soviets and Castro and lowered Kennedy into a worriment of what’s to happen next. Early 1962 Khrushchev was convinced of Kennedy’s weakness after the capture of Gary Powers and that they had ceased to carry out U-2 reconnaissance missions over the Soviet Union for the capture. A while after the Vienna Summit the Soviets formed yet another policy with Cuba of ‘Brinkmanship’ seeing how far the Americans could be pushed before reacting. Although this strategy was a dangerous one the Soviets were thinking of the opportunities that could arise from this. One was the advantage of an east – West balance that the Soviets could start to infiltrate the Americas with their ideologies. The second and most important advantage was the stationing of nuclear missiles close to the

Letter to Odysseus

2000-11-14T13:00:00-05:00
Dear Great Odysseus, I am your son Telemachus. You were off at the Trojan War when I was just a baby. I am writing this letter hoping that you are still alive. Here in Ithaca things are not going good. Penelope, my lovely mother, has been plagued by the suitors. The suitors have taken over our house. They have stayed here too long and need

The Holocaust

2000-11-14T13:00:00-05:00
German dictator, Adolf Hitler wanted a new order for Germany and his so-called Aryan race. As apart of achieving his ultimate goal, he would have to eliminate any and all other inferior races. This evil plan later became known as the Holocaust. Hitler, with the aid of the Nazis and concentration camps, brought terror and devastation to the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe. Anti-Semitism had deep roots in early European history. Hitler’s passionate hatred for Jews began to flourish, as evidence showed in his propagandist attempt to publicly blame Jews for Germany’s failures and economic problems. Beginning in 1933, Nazis passed persecution laws denying Jews the right to obtain any official public office. Later they would be deprived of the rights of German citizenship, to have jobs, and to own property. One infuriated Jewish teen, Herschel Grynszpan, decided to shoot an employee of the German Embassy in Paris after receiving a postcard that his father had been exiled to his homeland in Poland. When the Nazis heard, they decided to attack the Jewish community. Hundreds of Jews were shot and murdered in their own homes. Jewish businesses were ruined, and glass display windows were shattered all over the streets. That is why November 9, 1938 became known as Kristallnacht; “Night of Broken Glass”, and marked the beginning of the worst of what would surely come. Many Jews, realizing that they were in danger, started to flee to other countries for their safety. Those who did not want to move were made to be moved by way of force into emigration. Other countries took over 245,000 Jews into refuge. Getting countries to accept all of these people became a problem for Hitler. His next attempt to exterminate Jews would be to set them aside in small isolated areas called ghettos. While there, Hitler planned to have them deprived of food and hoped that they would catch diseases and die. Families watched each other slowly dwindle, and corpses would be found in the middle of the roads. Despite all of this, the Jewish held strong, and Hitler’s plan of isolation became evidently too slow for him. As a result of Hitler’s impatience with the Jews, he decided to act more directly and come to a “Final Solution”. He developed a plan to totally wipe out the Jewish population, in which he would have them murdered. This program is called genocide. Not only Jews would be

Suez Crisis

2000-11-13T13:00:00-05:00
The Suez Crisis marks major shift in the power relations of western Europe, signalling the rising importance of cold war politics in international crises, The Crisis has a big impact on Canada and our peace keeping ability’s.Lester Pearson’s idea to stop the crisis hepls show that we are a peacefull nation. Firstly, The Suez Crisis began on 26 July 1956, when United States’ decision to withdraw its offer of a grant to aid the construction of Egypt’s Aswan High Dam, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal.(1) The governments of Britain and France secretly began planning for an invasion of Egypt. Israel soon was doing its own invasion planning, completing its final plan on 5 October. After several international mediation efforts had failed, Britain and France agreed in mid-October 1956 to undertake a joint intervention in Egypt. Aware of the upcoming Israeli plan to invade the Sinai, French officials suggested that a France-British force could enter Egypt and separate the combatants, while actually seizing control of the entire Suez waterway.(2) On 26 October, the United States learned of Israel’s military mobilization, and President Dwight Eisenhower sent the first of two personal messages to Israeli Prime Minister Ben Gurion asking that Israel do nothing to endanger the peace. In the Mediterranean on the 28th, the U.S. Sixth Fleet was placed on alert.(3) Undeterred by U.S. diplomatic maneuvering, Israeli forces began attacks in Egypt on 29 October.The canal had many useful reason like trading, and to to have Nassar take control of stopped any other country from trading with country’s like Isreal and this also stopped isreal from exporting their goods. No one predicted Nasser's nationalization of the Suez Canal on July 26,1956.(4) Four interconnected events prepared the way for Nasser's greatest moment: the Evacuation Treaty of 1954, the Baghdad Pact, the Czech arms deal, and the Aswan Dam negotiations. Nasser began a diplomatic campaign to restore Egyptian dignity and get the British out of Egypt. The British planned to create a Middle Eastern collective security organization similar to that of NATO and SEATO to protect their interests in the region. The US supported the idea but would not consider joining any such agreement. The President traveled to Egypt in 1953, because be believed Britain should consider Egypt for the base of the organization.(5) He quickly realized that neither Nasser nor his people would ever consent to such a deal.Nasser wanted

France Section 1770 - 1789 - Crisis in the old regime

2000-11-13T13:00:00-05:00
The causes of tensions and conflicts generated in the old regime that contributed to the outbreak of revolution The composition of society was a major contributing factor to the tensions and conflicts generated under the old regime. Society was divided into Three Estates, the first Estate comprised of the clergy (1%), the nobility, and rest of the population was classified as the Third Estate. Not only was the Third Estate heterogeneous, comprising of the bourgeoise (lawyers, doctors, intellectuals, businessman, the traders, merchants, factory owners), peasants, and beggars, but all three Estates. Their were many distinguishing factors that set the three Estates apart. The first two Estates were associated with the monarchy and avoided or paid little taxes, whilst at the same time earning the most money. The Third Estate paid the highest taxes and earnt the least. Lefebvre saw the bourgeoisie as becoming stronger economically but still maintaining the same legal status as that of the poorest peasant. The bourgeois resented their nobles, who were simply 'born' into their position of wealth. They nobles believed that their noble birth' set them apart from the rest of society.' However, the nobility were also dissatisfied under the ancien regime, where they had little, yet still more then the bourgeois, influence in politics. Although the upper clergy enjoyed many privileges, including being exempt from paying taxes, owned about 10 per cent of the land, and received their wealth from the land they owned and the collection of the tithes. Yet, the lower clergy did not enjoy these same privileges, while the 'Bishop plays the great nobleman and spends scandalous sums on hounds, horses, furniture, servants, food and carriages, the parish priest does not have the wherewithal to buy himself a new cassock…the bishops treat their priests , not as honest footman, but as stable-boys.' It is clear that social unrest was felt by the whole population. Prior to 1780s the people of France blindly accepted the foudations of the Ancien Regime. The period known as the Enlightenment or 'Age of Reason' saw philosophes such as Voltaire and Rousseau attack the Church, and the absolute power of the King and the inequitable social composition of society. For the first time people were questioning the society in which they lived. It became the fashionable conversation of the times, and this propoganda took place in salons, cafes and even educational institutions such as the museum of Paris.

Industrial Revolution DBQ

2000-11-07T13:00:00-05:00
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 divide into warring classes, and that everyone is equal, no moving up in

Colonial Rule

2000-11-06T13:00:00-05:00
The English colonies set up forms of representative government consisting of an appointed governor and a legislature, a law making body elected by voters. Having an appointed governor and a legislature sometimes led to tensions. The governor and the assembly frequently disagreed over taxes, the selection of other goverment officials, and defense of the colony. Economic poicies also caused tensions between England and the colonies. In the 1660s the English Parliament's Navigation Acts mad it illegal for colonial

The Assassination of President McKinley

2000-10-28T14:00:00-04:00
In Cleveland, Ohio, on May 6, Emma Goldman, “The Anarchist,” gave a speech. She outlined the principles and methods of anarchy in this beautiful speech, where she said, “We … desire complete individual liberty, and this can never be obtained as long as there is an existing government.” Toward the end of her speech, Goldman said that most Anarchists were not violent; she added that she believed in their motives, since some people are unable to act without force. All the while, police were ready to arrest her if she said anything too radical. The entire time, Leon Czolgosz was the most supportive of anyone in the audience (Berkeley 1). On September 5, 1901, Leon Czolgosz entered the Pan-American exposition. He blended in with the crowd, and surveyed the security, grounds layout, and crowds. An enormous crowd was gathered to see President McKinley, and Leon pushed his way through the masses until he was close enough to hear the speech. Leon pushed his way through the crowd, determined to get close enough to shoot the President. A security guard blocked his chance, and the President was escorted away (Assassin Arrived… 1). The next day, Leon and McKinley returned to the exposition. In the afternoon, the President began shaking hands with people lined up by the Temple door. Near the end of this line, Leon waited patiently. His hand was wrapped in a handkerchief, which he held close to his chest, but no one seemed to notice. When the President reached him, Leon extended his left hand, pressed it against the President’s chest, and shot him twice with the gun he held under his handkerchief (Secret Service Guard…1). He did not have a chance to fire again, because a black man - next in line to shake the President’s hand - had already tackled him. In seconds, more than a dozen men had tackled him and were beating him up. At the same time, Secret Service officers and exposition police seized Leon and tore the gun from his hands. US Artillery soldiers beat Leon after this. McKinley, in the middle of this panic, is reported to have said, “Go easy on him, boys” (Assassination of… 2). When news of the attack spread, the thousands in attendance began a riot; some shoved their way into the temple, trying to see if the rumor was true, while others demanded that Leon be hanged. At the police

Why did Germany lose World War II, Despite its Victories Early in the War?

2000-10-22T14:00:00-04:00
As in Worald War I, Germany’s primary downfall was its lack of adequate allies and a war on multiple fronts. Territorially, Hitler came very close in World War II to achieving his quest for lebensraum yet his failure to concentrate his resources proved disastrous. His lack of time spent organizing the conquered territories resulted in wide spread rebellions which in turn separated German forces. The North African campaign absorbed troops that were much needed on the Russian front. The failure of the V2 rocket in the final stages hindered the German offensives. The Allies combination of well-organized troops, weaponry, resources and a little luck in the closing stages of the war placed pressure on the already weakening Germany. Despite the early successes from Poland to France, the Battle of Britain and the invasion of Russia assured ‘the fatherland’ of a war against the world. A war almost impossible to win. German preparation began well before the eve of war in 1939 with the invasion of Poland. When Hitler came to power in 1933 he was able to build, at first secretly, an army, navy and airforce despite the treaty of Versailles disallowing Germany to maintain a proper army. By this time he had built a very powerful war machine. Despite threats from the west the reoccupation of the Rhineland in 1936, the annexation of Austria, Bohemis-Moravia and Memel in 1938 and 1939 happened without retaliation. The British, after declaring war on Germany on the 1st September 1939 did little to assist Poland who surrendered three weeks later. This helped to convince Hitler he was immune to international reaction. With the temporally secured threat from Russia on hold, Nazi forces in 1940 occupied Denmark and attacked Norwegian ports, securing iron ore imports from Sweden, which were vital for Germany’s war effort. Using overwhelming Blitzkrieg tactics or ‘lightning war’ Germany’s mission was to quickly defeat and occupy a nation before assistance from the west would arrive. After a period of ‘Phony war’ Holland, Belgium and France were defeated in quick succession (operation case yellow) in 1940 where British forces were forced to evacuate France. After these quick defeats with little resistance the Wermarch (German army) was poised to invade England. In the Battle of Britain, 1940, the Luftwaffe sought to achieve air supremacy in the first major confrontation of the war. Many believe this was the major turning point for Germany. Hitler’s order

French Revolution - Motives of Committee of Public Safety

2000-10-18T14:00:00-04:00
Essay Topic: Discuss the motives of the Committee of Public Safety and the role they played in the running of France (up to 27 July 1794) “Anarchy within, invasion without. A country cracking from outside pressure, disintegrating from internal strain. Revolution at its height” This was the country the Committee of Public Safety (“The committee”), inherited and it was announced their mission by the Convention, to “create a viable (republican) state amid political turmoil” , by means of intimidation and ultimately terror, indeed the proclamation of “terror as the order of the day” so as to establish a peaceful, stable government for the introduction of the constitution. “The aim of constitutional government is to preserve republic. The aim of revolutionary government is to establish it” This was to be achieved by the passing of “laws and controls necessary to strike terror in the hearts of counter revolutionaries” . However as is revealed through their actions and policies, the Committee had ulterior motives, harnessing Jacobin ideals. During the years of terror, ending July 27th 1794, the Committee established themselves within the running of France, by assuming control of areas of the economy, sections of war and munitions, as well as education and supply and provisioning as part of their bid for ultimate change. “laws passed went beyond national safety and revealed a Jacobin social vision for a secular and republican education system and a national program of social welfare” . The terror was their weapon, with which to establish and restructure areas of education, war and munitions, provisioning and supply, and ultimately change the very principles and traditions daily life relied upon. It became both their motive, and their mission, and it was part of their role which they played in the running of France. No longer was “The central purpose of the terror to institute the emergency and draconian measures necessary at a time of military crisis” , but rather to establish an official ideology from which would stem republicanism and other Jacobin ideals. The Committee were able to acquire control over the Convention and the industries of France, by relying on the support of Jacobin members of the Convention. “The national convention claimed sovereign authority, but in half of France its authority was denied.” . It is for this reason that they were able to create a virtual dictatorship over France and introduce policies such as the policy of Suspects, and

Louis xiv

2000-10-16T14:00:00-04:00
Louis XIV gained power for himself and his national government through absolutism. Absolutism is unlimited power in government and society. In government to be an absolutist the king would have unlimited power in all forms of the government such as the legislative, judicial, executive, and revenues. As an absolutist Louis would have unlimited power in the society by controlling the economy and church. To control the church he would follow the divine right of kings, which goes along with absolutism, and be a figure to the people that is spoken through by God. That way the people would follow the king, believe what he says, and consider him sacred. Thomas Hobbes worded best what would happen if absolutism did not come into effect in his book ‘The Leviation'. Louis perfected the machinery of government of which he imposed his will on France and made himself the subject of his subjects' loyalty. To accomplish this he organized civil services, reorganized the military, improved the economy, and greatly expressed his power. Louis' first step was to expand the civil services. He staffed his government with men who would obey him w/out question. Instead of filling the position with nobles, he appointed advisors drawn largely from the middle class. This way the people only had claim to what the king gave them and could take away. He kept the reins of he government firmly in his own hands and didn't let the nobles get a chance to overpower him. He made it so that all the decisions made were his decisions. Louis proposed to expand the activities of the central government. He in practice and theory became the master of his kingdom. The number of state servants grew enormously. The amount of state servants that used to be at 600, in the beginning of his reign, grew to 10,000. A new kind of royal officials appeared. They were called intendants; they gathered information for the king and supervised the enforcement of his decisions. They brought a new kind of order to France. One of the most significant features of the new order was the reorganization of the French army. Michel le Tellier and his son the Marquis de Louvois were responsible for the reorganization. The two men created not only a fighting force bigger than that of any other country in Europe, but also a military establishment with a pyramidal structure of responsibility

The Spread of Christianity

2000-10-15T14:00:00-04:00
The spread of Christianity overtime replaced the old warrior religion changing the way of life, and at the giving it new meaning. With the coming of Christianity a hope for poets also came about. As the conversion of Ireland to Christianity took place a new era known as Ireland's Golden Age began to take over. Christian munks worked hard preserving literature of the ancient world and works of popular culture. Due to the rapid growth of Christianity the Anglo-Saxon's were given a common faith, a common system of morality and right conduct, linking England with Europe. Anglo-Saxon religion was based on ethics. It was the earthly values such as bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship that Anglo-Saxon life was based upon. The Anglo-Saxon religion derived from Germany and was very similar to Scandinavian mythology. They had gods for any and everything that all played important roles in everyday life. Symbols like the dragon and the swastika are also a part of the religion that can't be forgotten. In 432 Celtic Ireland was converted to Christianity by Patricius. Patricius, a Romanized Briton became a bishop and gradually started converting people to Christianity. It was when the rest of Europe sank into constant warfare confusion, and ignorance that Ireland experienced a Golden Age. In Ireland Christianity was said to have, "burned and gleamed through the darkness", in the words of Winston Churchill. If it hadn't been for the Irish missionaries that converted the Anglo-Saxon kings and the constant reemergence of Christianity in Britain, even king Alfred might have failed to unify the Anglo-Saxons . The Anglo-Saxons fought hard under Christianity and Alfred to protect their people, their culture, and their church from the Danes. Eventually Christianity took over and the old warrior religion was forgotten. In the Anglo-Saxon world poets could only hope that heroic deeds would be enshrined in the society's memory. Christianity on the other hand brought them new hope. Monasteries were for learning, and preserved Latin, Greek, and popular literature. Day and night the church had the munks copying manuscripts by hand completely silent. If it hadn't been for the coming of Christianity the literature of the ancient world and the literature of popular culture would be nonexistent. The divergence of Christianity brought a new way of life to the Anglo-Saxons. With it's divergence it also brought many other things that are very important to the history of Europe and England. Christianity saved

What Price Freedom?

2000-10-10T14:00:00-04:00
No country allows as much personal freedoms like the United States of America. The Supreme Court has passed laws which allow more freedom of expression than ever before. By hearing this, you may think that everyone is happy in the U.S. Well, a lot are, but to gain these freedoms, there was once a price to pay. Several people have been beaten, verbally assaulted, and killed for others to gain freedom that they deserve. I ask: At what price should freedom come? In December or 1965, in Des Moines, Iowa, a 15 year old girl and her brother wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War. The Principal then decided that no student should be allowed to do such demonstrations, and after a warning, he suspended anyone wearing the bands. Later that day both wearers of the bands were suspended until January. The 2 students too it to federal court where they said that they had the right to wear the bands under the First Amendment right. They ended up loosing because the armbands would "disturb school discipline". About 4 years later, the decision was changed in favor of the students. Soon after, in the 1970's, more and more court battles about the First Amendment appeared. Without the help of the 2 students getting suspended, the First Amendment may have still been limited. Ever since dated history in the U.S. has begun, slavery had always gone on. Africans were forced to do the work and labor of the Americans. Black females were forced to do work in the kitchen such as cook and clean the house. Black men worked in the farm, picking cotton, and loading wagons with the crops. Slaves were often beaten by their owners and slave traders. Some were killed or mutilated for doing a "wrong" deed such as learning to read. If the slaves tried to escape from their home to the north, they would be beaten and brought back immediately. The blacks coming from Africa had to rights whatsoever. Slavery went on in the United States until the mid 1800's. The Emancipation Proclamation, which was issued in 1863 made slavery illegal in all the states in the U.S. It took the hard work and determination that one day the blacks of America would be free. A severe price of freedom, but one that stands out and may be worth while. In conclusion, freedom has a heavy price

American Colonies

2000-10-09T14:00:00-04:00
When settlers from England came to America, they envisioned a Utopia, where they would have a say in what the government can and cannot do. Before they could live in such a society they would have to take many small steps to break the hold England had on them. The settlers of America had to end a monarchy and start their own, unique, form of government. They also had to find a way that they would have some kind of decision making power. The most important change that the colonies in America had to make was to become a society quite different from that in England. 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. During the mid-1600's England was a Christian dominated nation; the colonies, however, were mainly Puritans. When Sir Edmond Andros took over a Puritan church in Boston for Anglican worship, the Puritans believed this was done to break their power and authority. The Puritan church in New England was almost entirely separated from the state, except that they taxed the residents for the church’s support. The churches in New England had no temporal power, unlike the church of England. Many seaport towns like Marble head and Gloucester, became more religious as time pasted. This show of religious freedom was a way in which the colonies had religious toleration and differed from the Christian church in England. Unlike the well-defined social classes of England, the colonies had a streamline class structure, which gave individuals the chance to rise on the social latter. New settlers living on the coast could become rich by fishing and selling what they caught. If fishing was not a settler’s strong point, then they could try their hand at farming. Getting the land to farm on was the easy part. The ‘head right’ system gave each male 50 acres, and 50 acres to each indentured servant he might bring over. England could not do this because England so defined the social classes and they did not have enough land that they could give to every male and his indentured servant. In a similar economic revolution, the colonies out grew their mercantile relationship with England and developed their own expanding capitalist system. The idea of a set amount of wealth in the world and that if one were to become wealthy,

Operation Barbarossa - Hitler's Russian Offensive

2000-10-09T14:00:00-04:00
The Russians Would never have joined the war if it weren’t for the German invasion of 1941 – Operation Barbarossa. This parallels the USA intervention – they only joined because the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour. Operation Barbarossa commenced on the 22nd June, 1941. Just over 3,000,000 German troops invaded the USSR. Stalin doubted the country ability to perform well on the battlefield since the Finnish War, refused to counteract the Germans preparations, for fear of provoking them into war. The Russians concluded that the German form of attack – The Blitzkrieg – would not be possible on Russia. The German infantry outnumbered the Russian, but the Russians had more artillery and aviation forces. The Russian infantry was told that it was not to retreat, do was destined to become destroyed or captured. The Germans set up 3 army groups, and assigned them to 3 different areas:-
North - Leningrad
Central - Moscow
South - Kyyiv The generals agreed that they had to lock the Russian forces into battle, in order to prevent them escaping into the rest of the vast country. However, they disagreed on how to do this. The majority of them thought that they would sacrifice everything to protect Moscow; the capital; the centre of industry; the centre of all the networks and transport. Hitler disagreed. He believed that the Ukrainian area – for its resources – and the oil of the Caucasus were much more crucial. A compromise was made. Army Group Centre would march towards Moscow. The victory was predicted for ten weeks ahead. This timing was crucial because it would be impossible to fight once the short Russian summer had ended. Things seemed to happen a lot faster. In the first month Germans had already encircled Bialystok and Minsk, and on August 5th, the Germans crossed the Dnepr River, the last natural obstruction to Moscow. The group defeated a small force in Smolensk, capturing another 300,000. When it had reached Smolensk, it was two-thirds of the way there. Hitler decided to change plan. He sent the group north to help the other two groups, ignoring the generals’ protests, thereby stopping the advance to Moscow. On September 8th Army Group North had, together with the Finnish army, brought Leningrad to siege. On September 16th Army Group South had captured Kyyiv, with 665,000 prisoners. After this, Hitler re-ordered the advance to Moscow. After nothing for six weeks, Army Group Centre carried on on 2nd October. By the 16th,

Theology in the Middle Ages

2000-10-06T14:00:00-04:00
Who were some of the outstanding theologians of the High Middle Ages and what were their ideas? Why was theology so important in the Middle Ages? For about the first 1000 years after the death of Christ, paganism, propoganda and superstition were popular beliefs. The thoughts of two theologians of the time period, Peter Abelard and Thomas Aquinas, would change this belief system forever. Peter Abelard applied logic and reasoning in a systematic fashion to church doctrines, and greatly furthered the development of scholasticism in the middle ages. Abelard studied under Anselm of Laon in northern France. He looked down upon his teachers and viewed them as insignificant, and took up the teaching of theology in Paris. He became known for the force with which he threw himself into arguments with fellow intellectuals. In Abelard's most famous work, Sic et Non (Yes and No), he listed Scripture passages and quotes from Church fathers that contradicted each other, then stressed the need to reconcile the contradictions with reasoning or logic. He accurately summed up his thinking when he said, "By doubting we come to enquiry, through enquiry to the truth" Most of Abelard's documents were not highly regarded by the Church. In fact, he was persecuted under the charge of going against church teachings. However, Abelard was not a man who wanted to overthrow established doctrines. He simply believed that reason or logic must be used to defend doctrines, since many churchmen disagreed on several fundamental points of theology. Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, greatly influenced another theologian of the time period, Thomas Aquinas. Many attempted to reconcile the Christian thinking of the time and the works of Aristotle, but none was more famous than the work of Aquinas. Aquinas studied at the University of Naples, then became a monk in 1244. He studied theology under the teachings of Magnus, one of the prominent theologians of the age. Aquinas taught at Naples and Paris, and it is believed that here he completed his famous masterpiece, Summa Theologica. In Summa Theologica, Aquinas attempts to integrate faith and reason. He attempted to prove that the two truths could never be in conflict. He believed that the natural mind could find truths concerning the physical attributes of the universe, but without faith, reason couldn't grasp spritiual thruths such as the Trinity, or even God Himself for that matter: "Therefore all beings other than God are not their own being, but are beings by

Why the Nazis and not the Communists?

2000-10-03T14:00:00-04:00
Why, by 1934, had the Nazis benefited more than the Communists from the shortcomings of the Weimar Republic? Adolf Hitler, head of the NSDAP, became Chancellor of Germany on the 30th January 1933. Following the ’legal revolution’ of the following months and President Hindenburg’s death on the 2nd August 1934, Hitler made himself Führer and Reichskanzler. The Nazi revolution was complete and Germany was subject to a dictatorship of the extreme political right. As Ian Kershaw explains, the Weimar Republic was failing: "the survival chances of Weimar democracy might be regarded as fairly poor by the end of 1929, very low by the end of 1930, remote by the middle of 1931 and as good as zero by Spring 1932." In a period of Depression and when unity and firm government was essential, Müller’s Grand Coalition broke up in March 1930. Logically, there were several political alternatives other than Hitler and the Nazis. There could have been a return to parliamentary Party politics. There were some signs to show that democracy may have been revived. During the continuous utilisation of Article 48 to govern, the Reichstag gave their vote of no confidence in challenging the executive use of it. Also, a section of the public appeared to still support the Republic; the Centre Party and SPD continued to have steady support until 1932. However, it seems that any chances of democracy were ruled out. The political Parties were still inclined to pursue their own political interests when a united, broad and moderate front was needed. Two moderate Parties even defected to Hitler after the offensive from the right and Hindenburg made little effort to restore the influence of the Reichstag. Alternatively, Germany could have become a presidential dictatorship backed by the army as von Schleicher or von Papen would have preferred. In order to do this, the authoritarian regime would have had to adapt slightly from what it was in 1932. The long-term use of Article 48, the emergency decree, would have been impractical and impossible. Perhaps the conservative elites were looking to Hitler for a new identity as they couldn’t return to the days of the Second Reich as well as thinking they could control his power. A military regime would have meant that there was no dominance from the extreme right or left of politics. Judging by the situation of Germany at that time, it was quite possible that this may have

The Creek Indians

2000-09-16T14:00:00-04:00
Location and Background The early English traders gave the Creek native Americans their name because they usually built their villages on or near creeks or rivers. If they were to still have their villages it would include areas of Northern Florida and Eastern Louisiana and Southern Tennessee. The majority of the villages were located along the banks of the Coosa, Tallaposa, Flint, Ocmulgee, and Chattachoochee rivers. The native word for the most powerful band of Creeks was the “Muskogees”. The Creek native Americans were the most powerful and widespread tribe of the Southeast culture area. It was also thought that the Creeks were long lost ancestors of the Mound Builders. Villages “The Chief of The Creek village or tribe was called an amirco, but he was not the absolute ruler.” His job in the village included making important decisions.Once he made a decision many town criers would go out to announce the it to other tribes within the Creek. The Creeks were agricultural, but war like. The number of Creeks at one time was 30,000. The villages were separated into two red and white. Red towns had warriors who launched raids far and wide for purposes of honor and revenge. Red Creeks usually held war dances often to protect them selves in battle. Within the white towns lived most of the peace makers who kept track of alliances and gave sanctuary to refugees or poor people. White Creeks held ceremonies such as the signing of treaties or alliances. Each village had a town square at its center with seats where spectators could sit.The town square was used for ceremonies and games. Each village had a circular town house with clay walls and a cone shaped bark roof about 25 feet high. This was a ceremonial lodge and was also used for shelter for the homeless. Some town houses were smaller with a slanted bark roof only about 10 feet high. The most common house had a slanted bark roof with the roof about 7 feet high these were used for individual families, it held about, four to five people in it.. Each family had a summer and winter house both were packed with mud. The summer house was often used as a guest house for when visitors came to visit. They also owned their own granary which was half open and they also had a warehouse which was open on all four sides similar to

Should we have Dropped the Atomic Bomb?

2000-09-10T14:00:00-04:00
The atomic bomb killed many innocent people, but it was necessary to end World War II. After World War II began in 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced the neutrality of the United States. Many people in the United States thought that their country should stay out of the war. The people wanted the Allied Forces to have the victory. President Roosevelt also wanted an Allied victory because an Axis victory might endanger democracies everywhere. The United States equipped nations fighting the Axis with ships, tanks, aircraft, and other war materials. The Axis did not like this. Japan wanted to take over China, but China refused. China was led by Chiang Kai-Shek at the time. Japan wanted the United States to stop sending China supplies, but the United States refused. The United States opposed the expansion of Japan in Asia, so they cut off important exports to Japan. General Hideki Tojo was the Premiere of Japan. He and other Japanese leaders did not like the fact that Americans were sending war supplies to China and other countries in Asia. A surprise attack was ordered by Japan on December 7, 1941. The target was the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 360 planes bombed the naval base killing about 3,000 people and destroying many warships, aircraft carriers, and submarines. This was a catalyst that brought the United States into World War II. Albert Einstein predicted that mass could be converted into energy early in the century and was confirmed experimentally by John D. Cockcroft and Ernest Walton in 1932. In 1939, Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann discovered that neutrons striking the element uranium caused the atoms to split apart. Physicists found out that among the pieces of a split atom were newly produced neutrons. These might encounter other uranium nuclei, caused them to split, and start a chain reaction. If the chain reaction were limited to a moderate pace, a new source of energy could be the result. The chain reaction could release energy rapidly and with explosive force. Leo Szilard, Eugene Wigner, and Edward Teller, Hungarian-born physicists were frightened by the possibility that Germany might produce an atomic bomb. They insisted that Albert Einstein inform President Roosevelt about the possibility of the Germans making an atomic bomb. In late 1939 President Roosevelt ordered an American effort to make an atomic bomb before the Germans. This project to produce the atomic bomb

The War of 1812

2000-09-05T14:00:00-04:00
The topic of this book was about how the United States was unprepared when they fought the British and how the war did’nt really have a meaning. The United States had very small forces so therefor they were not prepared when the fought the British. Not to mention the carelessness of William Hull. Since the treaty didnt solve the problems that Great Britain and the United States had, the war had no purpose.The time in which it took place was between the years of 1784 and 1814. The setting was in United States from the Great Lakes to Louisiana to the Atlantic Ocean.The War of 1812 started because when the Americans tried to trade with other countries, the British wouldn’t let the. The British also took American Sailors from there ships and put them in their navy. The War Hawks didn’t like what they were doing to them. President Madison, in 1812, decided to go to war with more powerful British.When the was first started President Madison told William Hull to go to a fort in Detroit with a platoon and find a way to take over. When they reached Mounee River, they put all their gear, including their plans, onto a cargo ship to lighten the load.After the ship left the harbor it was damaged by the British. The British took the plans and attacked the American fort in Detroit. Hull didn’t let his troops attack the British and gave up the fort in panic.Later in the war Americans built a fleet of ships to attack the British fleet in the Great Lakes. The British thought that they could surprise the Americans by waiting for them to get ships into the water. When the Americans put the ships into the water the British left to get more supplies. When the British returned, the Americans were in the water. And a battle was started with the Americans on the winning side.The battle of the War of 1812 was the battle of New Orleans. In that battle the Americans attacked the Red Coats with cannons with metal scrapes inside. Jackson set up his troops by having one live shot and the other line shot and so on with four lines. The way the British were lined up were straight lines of men shoulder to shoulder making it easier for them to be taken out. That one form of attack ended the

Has Slavery Changed since Ancient Times?

2000-09-04T14:00:00-04:00
Slavery has always been a large issue and possibly always will. The issues of today are often negative but did you know that back in ancient Roman times they were all for it? Well they were! The question that will be answered in this assessment is “In what ways, if any, has slavery changed from ancient to modern times?” I believe that slavery has changed very much from the past. Not that there may be more or less of it, but that it may be harsher and have worse conditions. In the ancient times slavery was a common and normal thing. In 70 A.D it was estimated that there were slaves in Rome. There were no troubles or controversies over it. Slavery was widespread and most families owned at least one slave. Today there is only one real way to become a slave but in Roman Times (rise of Rome) there were three. 1=Slavery due to crime committed. 2=Not being a Roman citizen. 3=Taken prisoner by Romans. An example is war. Some of these may seem unfair but it was the Romans belief in their superiority. There were many types of slaves that were good at different types of jobs. Often, rich families had so many slaves that they didn’t really have to do any work around the house at all! There were other types of slaves apart from the above. These were Statuliberi = Slaves freed by their master’s will. Servi sub unsufructu manumissi =Slaves made free by will remaining as slaves. Bona fide servientes = Freemen acting as slave to master Auctorati = Free men who were gladiators, under a contract to their gladiatorial master. Redempti = Freemen captured in war and ransomed back to non-relatives. They worked until they paid off their debt. Coloni adscripti glebae = Free persons who were tenant farmers. These slaves were not treated as a person but as an impersonal asset although they did have their rights. These were dismal rights but they were important for the slaves well-being. The rights were as follows: the slave was allowed his personal items (like money etc.), he could not be killed without a good reason. Masters had rights too of course. They could treat a slave anyway they wanted to. They could be abusive, friendly or do anything they wanted to the slave. They could defend themselves against slaves and could kill him/her if the master provided the courts with a good reason. The master could even free

Nationalism

2000-08-31T14:00:00-04:00
One person or a group of people can take on a major role of the unification process that brings upon nationalism for their country. To get a better understanding of what nationalism is, one must learn the meaning of “nationalism.” Nationalism is the devotion to the interests or culture of a particular nation. Nationalism is a striving force that can help a country thrive. There are also different ways that a country can achieve nationalism. Two different people/organizations with two different tactics were able to achieve a feel of nationalism among their country. The first group that will be discussed is the IRA, or the Irish Republican Army. Mohandas Gandhi started the second movement of nationalism, with his belief of “passive resistance.” These two thoughts were opposite in how nationalism was attempted to be achieved. The Irish Republican Army (IRA), was started on Easter in 1916, when a group of Irish militants refused to wait any longer for their independence from Britain. The small group launched a revolt against British rule. Although the Easter Rising was quickly suppressed, the execution of 15 rebel leaders stirred wider support for their cause. When Britain again failed to grant home rule in 1919, civil war erupted in Ireland. Members of the IRA carried on a guerrilla war against British forces and their supporters. Civilians were often caught in the crossfire. The constant battle for Irish independence continues today with its gory display of violence. The IRA’s goal was and still is today to achieve Irish nationalism by the abolition of the British political influence in Ireland, especially Northern Ireland. Mohandas Gandhi came from a middle-class Hindu family. At the age of 19 he was sent to England to study law. After returning to India, he tried to set up his own law practice but soon joined an Indian law firm in South Africa. For 20 years, Gandhi fought laws that discriminated against Indians in South Africa. In his struggle against injustice, he adopted the weapon of nonviolent (passive) resistance. He called it satyagraha, or “soul-force.” In 1914, Gandhi returned to India and joined the Congress Party. His ideas inspired Indians of all religious and ethnic backgrounds and he encouraged them to resist British rule. Above all, Gandhi preached the ancient tradition of ahimsa, nonviolence and reverence for all life. He applied this idea to fight the British rule. By using the power of love, he

Slavery

2000-08-31T14:00:00-04:00
Slavery is an issue we may never be free of, we may think this is bad but the Romans including people such as Hammurabi and Aristotle believed that slavery was essential to life and would have thought that this wouldn’t matter. This especially didn’t matter since slaves were only seen as objects or tools. Although there are still people who probably believe in what the Romans did, but now we now classify all people as equal. Anyone could have become a slave if they either: 1. Committed a crime 2. Were a prisoner of war 3. Not have roman citizenship 4. Sold into slavery These were the most obvious reasons for becoming a slave in roman times and yet only one of these points are still popular for today and that is number 4, because most slaves of today come from poor families. It is the poorer class of people today that are the target mainly because they would be so desperate that they would sell their children into slavery for a small profit. Nowadays slavery is restricted to jobs in more remote locations for obvious reasons so you wouldn’t find slaves working for or around the city, But rather in and around households in the country. Slaves back in roman times however were forced to work in the city and for anyone they were sold to. They had a huge range of jobs stretching from household slaves to field slaves and mining slaves to gladiators (Gladiators were created solely for the purpose of entertainment due to a lot more slaves). This was normal for Romans since they depended on slaves to do everything that they didn’t want to do. Today some of them are given the very worst jobs like prostitution, work in factories, sugar cane fields and even private forms of work. As I stated before, it is mainly poor families that are somewhat involved in either been taken or sold into slave labor but it can also be people from several different racial backgrounds. Many come from places like China, Africa, Russia, South Africa and Egypt. In ancient times war was a popular place for capturing people to be sold into slavery this gave the army a lot of its money and power, what I am saying is that Romans captured merciless people and sent them back to their country. Hammurabi had a basis of discipline on the slave and also one on

How And Why Rugby has Developed from a Traditional form to its Modern day Equivalent

2000-08-29T14:00:00-04:00
Introduction Rugby, also known as Rugger, is a football game played with an oval ball by two teams of either 15(Rugby Union) or 13(Rugby League) players each. The object of the game is to score as many points as possible by carrying, passing, kicking and grounding an oval ball in the scoring zone at the far end of the field -- called the in-goal area. Grounding the ball, which must be done with downward pressure, results in a try (worth 5 points). After a try a conversion may be attempted by place kick or drop kick. If the ball passes over the bar and between the goal posts the conversion is successful and results in a further 2 points. Points may also be scored from a drop kick in general play (worth 3 points) and a penalty kick (worth 3 points). The ball may not be passed forward (though it may be kicked forward) and players may not receive the ball in an offside position, nor may they wait in such a position. Players may not be tackled without the ball. Play only stops when a try is scored, or the ball goes out of play, or an infringement occurs. When the ball goes out it is thrown back in at a line-out where the opposing "forwards" line up and jump for the ball. Infringements result in a penalty, or free kick, or scrum. In a scrum the opposing forwards bind together in a unit and push against the other forwards, trying to win the ball with their feet. The above is stating the basic game of today but when rugby originated back in the later part of the 19 century then the idea of the game was distinctly different to its modern form History Whether in legend or in fact, rugby is said to have originated in 1823 at the Rugby School in England. To this day, a stone marker at the gates of the school commemorates the event when "William Webb Ellis ... with fine disregard for the rules of football as played in his time, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it." Ellis and the rest of the world never looked back. The new sport grew in private schools and universities throughout the United Kingdom, and in 1871 the first Rugby Union was founded in London. Rules for the game were set out based on the

Communists in China

2000-08-20T14:00:00-04:00
Why were the Communists able to come to power in China? The Communists were able to come to power principally because of the policies and actions used by the Guomindang of which the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) took advantage. However in addition to this, there were also significant factors such as the conditions during the beginning of the twentieth century complications in the republic China and the Japanese War (1937-45), which led to the vulnerability and insufficiency of the GMD during the Civil War. Their leader, Chiang Kai-shek, lost the support of the majority, mainly peasants and intellectuals, to the CCP, which contributed to their success in war, and he was no longer able to continue dictating China. In combination with GMD’s actions, Mao Zedong, the communist leader was able to take over and declare, the by then already united nation, the Peoples Republic of China. The discontent in China was rooted in problems, which arose during the early twentieth century. In addition to this the CCP was able to use the situation in order to give people hope as well as help, which won the majority to the communist side. Until the early twentieth century, China’s rule was based on dynasties, which followed the Confucian theories. The Chinese thought of their nation as ‘Zhongguo’-the center of the world, disclaiming any interest in the west. The Qing dynasty, established in 1644, ruled China over 250 years. Already during the nineteenth century, China had been weakened through foreign trade, war and influence. As the discontentment increased, the people wanted to alter the situation and showed concern about the outcome of the ‘Boxer Rebellion’. This Rebellion and its aftermath prompted some reforms in China. However, it was a case of ‘too little, too late’. The Qing dynasty was seen to be failing the people of China. It had lost its right to the Mandate from Heaven. In 1908 the Dowager Empress, CiXi, died and her three year-old grand nephew, PuYi, was proclaimed emperor. The discontent grew even further, therefore several groups, such as the Tongmenghui, organized to overthrow the Qing. Surprisingly, the actual uprising developed on 10 October 1911 among a group of plotters in the army, which soon controlled the province of Wuchang. This action inspired others and due to the consequences of the ‘Wuchang Uprising’. On 1 January 1912 Sun Yatsen (a member of Tongmenghui) was announced the provincial president of the Republic

Henry II

2000-08-15T14:00:00-04:00
Defend or disagree this statement: "Henry was little more than a child himself, therefore he was a weak and ineffectual king." I disagree with this statement. Henry II defeated Stephen of Blois's armies in 1153 and compelled the king to choose him as

Why did Germany lose World War Two, despite its victories early in the war?

2000-07-20T14:00:00-04:00
The defeat of Germany in World War Two was due to many factors. All of these factors were influenced by the leadership and judgment of Adolf Hitler. Factors such as the stand fast policy, Hitler’s unnecessary and risky decision making in military situations, for example when attacking the USSR, and the declaration of war on the US. Plus other factors, like Hitler’s alliance with Italy, despite its obvious weaknesses, and the pursuit of the final solution, can all be attributed to the poor leadership and judgement of the Fuhrer, which would eventually lead to the downfall of the Third Reich. During the early stages of the war, most of Germany’s victories were because of the success of blitzkrieg, or lightening war. Blitzkrieg tactics emphasised mobility and the concentrated use of armour and air power to overwhelm an enemy. Blitzkrieg was especially successful in flat, open countryside and was supremely suited for the Polish campaign in 1939. It was with blitzkrieg, as well as Germany’s superior tactics, effective use of armour, airpower and modern equipment, plus with the support of the USSR that the Germans used to overwhelm Poland in only 5 weeks. Two days after the German troops entered Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Hitler did not want this because it was a distraction from his main aim, to attack the USSR. After his victory over Poland, Hitler now had his sights on a quick offensive in the west. Speaking to his Generals in October 1939, Hitler said, ‘If it becomes clear that Britain and under its leadership France also, are not prepared to end the war I am determined to go on the offensive without delay.’ In April 1940 Germany launched its attack in the west with a surprise invasion of Norway and Denmark, which were neutral states. Hitler took Norway because that guaranteed that vital iron ore supplies from Sweden could be shipped to Germany through the ice-free Norwegian ports. Hitler also occupied Denmark, because it was in the way of the German attack. Hitler then ordered the attack on Belgium, Holland and France. The British and French had predicted that the German attack would come through Belgium. So the British and French forces moved north into Belgium to meet the German advance. The Germans again used overpowering blitzkrieg tactics and quickly overwhelmed Holland. The main German attack began further to the south, as the bulk

Why did the HSCA decide Kennedy died as result of conspiracy?

2000-07-19T14:00:00-04:00
In 1976, the US Senate ordered a fresh inquiry into the assassination of John F Kennedy, who was murdered in 1963 during a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. People who had been involved in the original Warren Commission investigations were asked to make fresh statements. The FBI and the CIA were persuaded to release more of their documents on Oswald. New lines of inquiry were opened and individuals who had not previously given evidence were persuaded to come forward. Most important of all, pieces of evidence such as photos and sound recordings were subjected to scientific analysis using the most up-to-date methods and equipment. The House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) completed their investigation in 1979 and they finally came to a discrete verdict that Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots at Kennedy, one of which killed the president. The fourth shot was fired from the grassy knoll. They concluded that John Kennedy was assassinated as a result of a conspiracy. There are many reasons why the HSCA came to this verdict, but firstly it was important that the American people understood why this case was re-opened over a decade later! The investigation was set up as direct result of the assassinations of two other major political figures; the civil rights leader, Dr Martin Luther King and the Presidents brother Robert Kennedy, in 1968. Naturally this aroused immense suspicion and the American public started questioning why so many key US figures had been assassinated in the space of just four years when previously this type of incident had been rare. At the time there was also an increasing amount of corruption and scandal within the government. This alarmed the public who had completely trusted the government before. The Watergate Scandal in 1974 involving President Nixon had clearly shown that this was not the case anymore. Nixon had abused his authority and power to his advantage. This indicated that even politicians were prone to sleaze and scandal. As a result of this, people also started questioning the behaviour of the government. This is most likely why they were more receptive in accepting that Kennedy was the victim of a conspiracy, later on. The public also became increasingly interested in the Kennedy assassination as books such as ‘Rush to judgement’ by Mark Lane and ‘Inquest’ by Edward Jay Epstein, started to be written. They immediately became best sellers and played a large role in raising

The Rise of the Nazi Party

2000-07-12T14:00:00-04:00
There is no single answer as to why the Nazis were able to gain so much support during the 1920's; there are several, and people still argue about them. Some people - especially during the Second World War - suggested that the Nazi movement grew out of something basically wrong in the German character. However, modern historians recognise that a combination of factors such as Hitler's personality and mesmerising oratory skills, the problems with the Weimar Republic, the Nazi's effective use of propaganda, Hitler's exploitation of the Dolchstoss myth and the German people's fear of communism and the Great Depression all aided the National Socialist Workers' Party (NSDAP, or Nazi Party) in attracting growing support throughout the 1920's. According to Robert Gibson and Jon Nichol in their book Germany, the reasons for Hitler's success were: 1. The Nazi Party was well organised; 2. People feared the Communists; 3. Hitler was a good speaker; 4. Few people like the governments of the Weimar Republic; 5. Hitler's ideas were popular; 6. There was an agricultural depression; 7. There was mass unemployment; 8. The Communists thought that the Social Democrats were a greater danger than the Nazis; 9. Industrialists supported Hitler. These and other factors all contributed to the increasing support of the Nazi Party in the 1920's. Hitler, the leader of the NSDAP, was suave, charismatic and always impressive. He would always arrive at functions and meetings in a Mercedes and had extensive visits to the most exclusive hotels in Germany. Hitler had a very memorable personality, and it has been stated that "There is no question that it was the personality of Hitler that held the NSDAP together ... and was the party's main weapon." Hitler was above all of this a passionate and emotive speaker who, some would argue, captured his audiences' attention with greater ease than any other figure in history. "He shone in print and positively dazzled on the lecture platform." Even an American journalist realised Hitler's ability to grasp people's attention with his speeches, and commented that "When, at the climax [of a speech] he sways from one side to the other his listeners sway with him; when he leans forward and when ends they are either awed or silent or on their feet in a frenzy." Hitler's remarkable ability to capture and entrance his audiences is demonstrated by the fact that Hitler, unlike any of his contemporaries, could actually charge admission for his speeches! Obviously, the fact that Hitler

In what ways was Napoleon a warrior overloard in his Treatment of his subjects?

2000-07-10T14:00:00-04:00
The question asks what was Napoleons treatment of his European subjects. However first we need to learn what these subjects were and distinguish the differences between them. The states of the Grand Empire fell into one of two categories - lands annexed directly to France, or satallite states under French control but allegedly enjoying a ‘modicum’ of independence. The extent of Napoleon’s influence varied, depending on the length of time a particular country remained under his authority. Examples of annexed territories are; Nice,Savoy, Belguim and the Germanlands west of the Rhine. These were annexed early (pre 1800) and had were quickly incorporated into the French administrative system, however these states were mainly divided into divisions for recruitment purposes. By the time of the Brumaire fuedalism as in France had been abolished in these territories. Also land belonging to the nobility or church were either confiscated or sold. All the annexed states were ruled from Paris and were regarded as extensions of the ‘old France’. All new French policies were introduced like the civil code and the judicial process of civil and ccriminal courts. A semi circle of nominally independent satellite states, were mainly run by Napoleons relatives, formed a ‘buffer zone’ around France. These states protected the boarders of the French empire from any attack. Some examples of satellite states are; Switzerland, Spain, Naples and Italy. These satellite states, allegedly independent, infact had little frredom of action. Their rulers were strictley supervised and tutored by Napoleon in the way they should go. The satellite states was very different. They were never allowed to forget that they existed only to serve the intrests of France. Napoleonwanted them to fullfill a number of other valuable functions in Napoleon’s imperial enterprise. They were first and foremost military vassal states and Napoleon’s relationship with themwas eventually wery like that of a ‘warrior-overlord’, extracting the advantage from them for the minimum return. These states raised about a third of the troops for the Grand Armee. The distribution of crowns among Napoleons relatives served two purposes for him. One of the two was that they would remain loyal to him no matter what. Also, with such a large number of Bonaparte sovereigns available he could expect in due course to arrange useful marriage alliances with older royal houses and give his successors the dynastic respectability the family presently lacked. The third group of countries that I have not previously mentioned were

Humanism during the Renaissance

2000-06-28T14:00:00-04:00
During the renaissance, there was a renewed interest in the arts, and the traditional views of society came into question. People began to explore the power of the human mind. A term often used to describe the increasing interest in the powers of the human mind is humanism. Generally, humanism stresses the individual’s creative, reasoning, and aesthetic powers. However, during the Renaissance, individual ideas about humanism differed. Writers and philosophers of the Renaissance time period expressed their opinions about human nature and human’s roles in the universe through their writings. Pico della Mirandola’s “Oration on the dignity of man”, which glorifies humanity and praises the human ability to reason, offers the opposing view to Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Montaigne’s essay “Man’s presumption and Littleness” which both suggest that humans are no higher in the universal order of things than any other of God’s creatures. Pico begins his essay by informing his readers that he knows where humans stand in the divine order of the world. Pico believes that humans were the last creatures created by God, and that God’s purpose, in creating them, was to fulfill his desire for someone to appreciate the great wonders and beauties of his world: When the work was finished, the Craftsman kept wishing that there were someone to ponder the plan of so great a work… therefore… he finally took thought concerning the creation of man. (Mirandola 224) It is also Pico’s belief that when Humans were created, they were given qualities both divine and earthly, and could become whatever they chose: We have made thee neither of heaven nor of earth, neither mortal nor immortal, so that with freedom of choice… thou mayest fashion thyself in whatever shape thou shalt prefer. (Mirandola 225) Pico’s conclusion about human ranking among the divine order of things was that while some people were almost celestial, others were no better than animals, and that this great variance of character among the human population only served to increase their importance and uniqueness from all other of God’s creatures. His essay, which praised human greatness and exalted the powers of humanity, was opposed by more negative views of humanity, as expressed in the works of Montaigne and Shakespeare. Montaigne’s essay “Man’s presumption and Littleness” belittles the greatness of man so much that he becomes no more than another beast among beasts, possibly even lower than some of God’s other creatures. Montaigne cannot imagine why man

History of Punjab: State of Sikh religion (Situated in north of India and east of Pakistan)

2000-06-27T14:00:00-04:00
Punjab, state in northwestern India,bordered on the north by Jammu and Kashmir state and Himachal Pradesh state, on the east and south by Haryana state, on the south and southwest by Rajasthan state, and on the west by Pakistan. Punjab state lies between the great systems of the Indus and Ganges river. Punjab had a population of 20,281,969. Chandîgarh is the state capital. The population of Punjab consists mainly of Punjabis, Jats, and Rajputs. The official language is Punjabi. The majority of the population is Sikh, the largest minority is Hindu, and a very small percentage is Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, or Jain. 59% of Punjab population is literate. Universities located in the state include Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar, Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana, and Punjabi University in Patiala. More than 80 percent of Punjab is cultivated, and farming is the leading occupation. The major crops are wheat, maize, rice, pulses, sugarcane, and cotton.The industries include the manufacture of textiles, sewing machines, sporting goods, starch, fertilizers, bicycles, scientific instruments, electrical goods, and machine tools, and the processing of sugar and pine oil. I am proud to be Punjabi because of pure and rich culture of that state. Punjabis' are famous all around the world and can be easily found in any corner of the world. ANCIENT CIVILIZATION: Punjab is the birth place of Indus Valley Civilization, which is more than 4000 years old. Harappa and Mohenjodaro civilization, along the banks of the Indus in Punjab is also the most ancient and famous civilization in the world history. Punjab is also the birth place of many Saints belong to Sikh and Hindu religion. Aryan Migration: During ancient Punjab takes small scale migrations by the Aryans from the North-West (1500-100 BC). The next thousand year they live in Punjab, they settled never Indus Basin where the oldest books of human history called the Rig-Vedas are supposed to have been written. The language of Aryans was Sanskrit. Persian Rule: Punjab shared lot of history with great Persian empires. Punjab came under their control from time to time. Darius the great, the Persian king attacked Punjab and occupied many parts of Punjab. At last the Punjab was full invaded by the Persian King Gustasp in 516 BC. Punjab became the wealthiest Satrapy i.e., the province in the Persian kingdom. Punjab became the heart of the Persian Empire. Alexander's Rule: In 321 BC Alexander the great defeated Persians very badly and

Maharaja Dalip Singh (daleep)

2000-06-27T14:00:00-04:00
Maharaja DALIP SINGH, the youngest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who was born in Lahore, on Feb. 1837, to mother Maharani Jind Kaur. His date of birth is disputed by some and alternately suggested as Sept. 4, 1838. Many foreign journalists have wrongly named him as Dhalip Singh and Duleep Singh. However, it should be noted that his correct name is Maharaja Dalip Singh. He assumed the Punjab throne as a child, after Maharaja Sher Singh, on Sept. 18, 1843. During his reign several wars were fought with the British. Unfortunately, he was surrounded by corrupt advisors as illustrated by the following quote. "Among the Sikh barons who stood around the throne of the young Maharaja Dalip Singh, there was not one, who honestly labored for his country, or who have made the smallest sacrifice to save her." - The Punjab Chiefs by L.H. Griffin The agreement of March 9, 1846, after the first Sikh war with the British, included the following conditions: 1) There shall be peace and friendship among Maharaja Dalip Singh and the British government. 2) Lahore darbar would have to relinquish control of the region between Satluj and Bias. 3) War compensation of one and a half crore rupees to be paid by Lahore darbar. Since this amount was beyond the capabilities of Lahore Darbar at that time, Kashmir region was offered for 75 lakhs. However, Maharaja Gulab Singh stepped forward and paid this amount to buy back this region from the British. 4) Maharaja Dalip Singh's forces were restricted to 50 platoons and 12,000 horse-back soldiers. 5) No foreigner from Britain, Europe, or America could be employed in Lahore Darbar without explicit permission of the British government. 6) British government shall refrain from interference in the internal affairs of the Lahore Darbar. However, towards the end of this year, another set of arrangements were made, under which a council was established to run the Punjab affairs. This council was headed by a British Resident. Further, British forces were brought in to maintain peace in the country. Lahore darbar was charged 22 lakh annually for the maintenance and upkeep of such forces. However, this arrangement did not last for too long. As in April of 1848, a war erupted among the Sikhs and British. At the end of this war, Sikh kingdom was annexed and Maharaja Dalip Singh was sent out of Punjab to FatehGadh (Uttar Pradesh, dist. Karrukhsbad) under the care of Sir John Spencer Login. Maharaja

The Russian Revolution of 1905 was in fact no Revolution at all

2000-06-19T14:00:00-04:00
The revolution of 1905, in Russia, was not a complete revolution at all. To be able to respond to this statement accurately, it is firstly advisable, to look at what a revolution is. It is then best to observe what the Russian society was like before 1905, during 1905 and after 1905, to establish whether or not, a complete revolution had in fact taken place in the so called ‘revolution of 1905’. To identify what to look for in the Russian revolution of 1905, and to discover if it were or were not a genuine revolution, it is firstly important to define the true meaning of the word ‘revolution’. In ‘The Macquarie Dictionary’ the word ‘revolution’ means,” a complete overthrow of an established government or political system.” In ‘The Oxford School Dictionary’ it also says a ‘revolution’ is an “overthrow of old government by force and replacing it by a new one.” And in ‘Chamber’s Twentieth Century Dictionary’ it says “… a great upheaval: a radical change, esp. in government.” From each of these different dictionaries; the modern dictionary, to the early 1900’s dictionary, the meaning of the word revolution has been essentially the same. This meaning is that if a revolution was to occur, in a country as a whole, the governmental system is to be abolished, and a new one is to be set in it’s place, (which would in turn create a completely different social structure). Knowing what the word ‘revolution’ means, confirms that the revolution of 1905 was in actual fact no revolution at all, even though Nicholas himself believed at the time it was, indeed a revolution . This becomes clearer as each stage (ie. before, during and after) of the ‘revolution of 1905’ is uncovered. Secondly, it is crucial to look at the background of Russia, before 1905, prior to looking at the actual period of the 1905 revolution, as to understand how the events of the revolution of 1905 did not create a revolution in itself. Before the 1905 revolution, the living conditions of the majority of the public were appalling, and multitudes were unhappy. There were two sides to the Russian society, on one hand there was ‘privileged Russia’ including nobles, bureaucrats, the run of educated Russians, and even the merchants, (who often had risen from the peasants), -they owned most of the land. The peasants, or ‘dark people’, on the other hand, were the bulk

The Aztecs: People of the Sun

2000-06-11T14:00:00-04:00
INTRODUCTION The Aztecs were an American Indian people who ruled a mighty empire in Mexico from the 1400's to the 1500's. The Aztecs had one of the most advanced civilizations in the Americas and built cities as large as any in Europe at that time. They also practiced a remarkable religion that affected every part of their lives and featured human sacrifice. The Aztecs built towering temples, created huge sculptures, and held impressive ceremonies all for the purpose of worshipping their gods. Their magnificent empire was destroyed by the Spaniards in the year 1521, but the Aztecs left a lasting mark on Mexican life and culture. The majority of the Aztecs lived in what is now called the Valley of Mexico. Located at an elevation of over 7,000 feet, the large valley has housed many great cities. From the massive pyramids of Tenochtitlan, to the inhabitants of the vast hub of modern Mexico City, the great valley has been the heartland of many empires. The mighty Aztecs were the last indigenous group of people to enter the Valley of Mexico. Like many other pre-Columbian cultures, the Aztecs developed their own political system, religion, social structure, agricultural techniques, lifestyle and world view. The Aztecs were truly unique. THE ORIGINS OF THE AZTECS The early Aztecs were semi-nomadic hunters and farmers. According to legend, in about 1000 AD the Aztecs left their mythic, island homeland of Aztlan in the desert frontiers of northern Mexico to begin their 100-year migration south to the Valley of Mexico. Led by their powerful patron god, Huiziloposhtli, they continued their migration southward, stopping along the way to plant crops, to build temples for their gods, and to offer human sacrifices in their honor. From groups they encountered as they traveled, the Aztecs adopted new customs and traditions. The Aztecs were becoming a very religious people. When the Aztecs reached the Valley of Mexico in about 1193, this fertile inland basin was already heavily populated and little land was left for them to colonize. The Aztecs appeared rude and uncivilized to the members of the older city-states that clustered around the basin. For about another 100 years they continued to look for a permanent home. As they continued their search they served as mercenary soldiers and servants for their powerful neighbors. They continued to absorb the traditions, manners, and customs of the more advanced and established communities that surrounded them. As

Ancient Near East

2000-06-11T14:00:00-04:00
Millions of years ago the procreant low lands in the river basins of Euphrates and Tigris was probably the home of some animal life, but no great civilizations. However, things change over time, and just a few thousand years ago the same fertile low lands in the river basins of Euphrates and Tigris became the home of a very rich and complex society. This first high society of man was located in what some still call “Mesopotamia”. The word “Mesopotamia” is in origin a Greek name meaning “land between the rivers.” The name is used for the area watered by the Euphrates and Tigris and its tributaries, roughly comprising modern Iraq and part of Syria. South of modern Bagdad, this alluvial plain was called the land of Sumer and Akkad. Sumer is the most southern part, while the land of Akkad is the area around modern Bagdad, where the Euphrates and Tigris are closest to each other. This first high, Mesopotamian society arose as a combined result of various historical, institutional, and religious factors. The reality of these factors occurring at a specific place within the fabric of space / time indeed established the basis for this first high civilization. Items like irrigation, topography, and bronze-age technical innovations played a big part along with the advent of writing and the practice of social conditioning (through the use of organized religion) in this relatively early achievement of man. The factors of irrigation, inherent topography, and useful bronze-age technical innovations paved the way for the agricultural revolution to occur in the land of Sumer and Akkad. The people of the Tigris and the Euphrates basin, the ancient Sumerians, using the fertile land and the abundant water supply of the area, developed sophisticated irrigation systems and created what was probably the first cereal agriculture. This historical factor resulted in an excess of production of cereals, dates, and other commodities. The consequence of excess is the emergence of a productive peasant agricultural system and a redistributive economy that fuels the progress of civilization. Without a doubt, the Sumerians were highly innovative people who responded creatively to the challenges of the both the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Not just any spot on the planet is a good prospect for irrigation, and it is the topography of the land and the intelligence of the people that allowed efficient irrigation systems to develop. The precipitation in the mountains

The Roots of Communist China

2000-06-03T14:00:00-04:00
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 : poor communications and the

Racial Discrimination in America during the 1920's

2000-05-31T14:00:00-04:00
The motto of the United States of America is “E Pluribus Unum” meaning ‘Out of one, many’. It neatly recognises that although America may be a single nation, it is also one originally made up of immigrants who arrived not only from Europe and Asia, but forcibly as slaves from Africa and of Native Americans. It’s population is the most racially and culturally diverse in the world and for that reason is often referred to as a “Melting Pot”. During the 1920’s, racial tensions in American society reached boiling point. New non-protestant immigrants like Jews and Catholics had been arrived in their masses from south-east Europe since early on in the century. Together with Orientals, Mexicans and the Black population these minorities suffered the most at the hands of those concerned with preserving the long established White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (W.A.S.P.) values that were an integral part of American life. Prejudice and racism reared its ugly head in many areas of society, with people showing a tolerance for racist views in the media, literature and towards organisations like the Ku Klux Klan. Also the language, living and working conditions and Government legislation that ethnic minorities were subjected to is further evidence that the twenties was an openly discriminatory decade. It was also during this period of grave hostility directed at ethnic groups that America’s ‘open door’ attitude of “Give me your tired, your poor” towards immigration, officially became a part of history. In the 1920’s Anti-Immigration Organisations that had been founded in the latter parts of the first decade of the twentieth century began to receive much larger and an increasingly influential following. The Immigration Restriction League was one such group, it claimed to have ‘scientific’ evidence that the new immigrants from Southeast Europe were racially inferior and therefor posed to threaten the supremacy of the USA. They believed strongly in WASP values and certainly did not wish to see them become polluted by other religions from minorities like Catholics and Jews. This Social-Darwinist belief was not just popular with the masses, but it’s appeal spread to people of considerable eminence. For example the principals of important American universities like Harvard, Stanford and Chicago were numbered among the Leagues supporters. Another similar organisation looking to conserve the American way if life was the American Protective Association. A leading member, William J.H. Tranyor spoke for their cause when arguing against giving the vote

Dred Scott Desicion

2000-05-30T14:00:00-04:00
The Dred Scott decision was an important ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States that had a significant influence on the issue of slavery. The case was decided in 1857 and, in effect, declared that no black--free or slave--could claim United States citizenship. Slaves were viewed as property, and such had no individual right. Furthermore, the decision indicated that Congress could not prohibit slavery in United States territories. I believe that the decision was morally wrong and failed to recognize the rights of people to be free. In addition, the ruling had many political and social implications, aroused angry resentment in the North and led the nation a step closer to civil war. The decision was finally overridden after the Civil War with the introduction and passage of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This amendment, adopted in 1868, extended citizenship to former slaves and gave them the benefit and protection of individual rights. (textbook, 295) The Dred Scott the decision involved a slave owned by U.S. Army surgeon, John Emerson. Emerson lived in Missouri, a state that permitted slavery. In 1834, Scott went to live with Emerson in Illinois, a state that prohibited slavery. They later lived in the Wisconsin Territory, where slavery was forbidden by the Missouri Compromise. In 1838, Scott returned to Missouri with Emerson. Emerson died in Missouri in 1843, and three years later, Scott sued the surgeon's widow for his freedom. Scott based his suit on the argument that his former residence in a free state and a free territory--Illinois and Wisconsin--made him a free man. A state circuit court ruled in Scott's favor, but the Missouri Supreme Court later reversed the decision. Meanwhile, Scott had become legally regarded as the property of John F. A. Sanford of New York. Because Sanford did not live in Missouri, Scott's lawyers were able to transfer the case to a federal court. This court ruled against Scott, and his lawyers then took the case to the Supreme Court. By a majority of 7 to 2, the Supreme Court ruled that Scott could not bring a suit in a federal court. Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, speaking for the majority, declared that Scott could not do so because blacks were not U.S. citizens. The court could have simply dismissed the case after ruling on Scott's citizenship. But there was a growing national desire for a ruling on the constitutionality

Titanic: Death of a Titan

2000-05-29T14:00:00-04:00
After years of construction and work, the Titanic was finally ready for her maiden voyage. The beginning of her voyage was to take place on the morning of April 10, of 1912 at approximately 10:00am. The firs of Titanic passengers began to board the ship. Most of these passengers were British residents who had journeyed to Titanic by means of transportation either that a boat train. The real precipitance came when the boat train arrived. People rich or poor were scattered all aver Southampton’s bay, attempting to find their gangway. After the second and third class passengers boarded, the firs class passengers were to be escorted to their cabins. Approximately at 12:00pm Titanic was ready to set sail. After Titanic sets out into the open sea, her water displacement causes mooring ropes of the New York, which was a small ship, to brake. Which causes her stern to swing towards Titanic's mighty bow. Titanic official’s quick actions prevent a catastrophic collision. After hours delayed the Titanic finally sets sail into the open sea headed towards Cherbourg, France. The Titanic lowered her anchor when arrived at Cherbourg, France, at about 5:30pm of the same day. More passengers boarded the Titanic. At approximately 8:10pm Titanic raised her anchor and sailed towards Queenstown, Ireland. She arrived at Queenstown at around 11:30am of the next morning to pick up more passengers and 1,385 bags of mail as well. Now Titanic once more raised anchor and by 1:30 she was on her way to New York. It was 11:30pm of the night of April 14, of 1912. As Titanic sped through the darkness towards its doom, the majority of the passengers and crew had not the slightest inkling idea that they were in danger at all. The last games of cards were breaking up. The last conversations were ending. Most passengers were already in bed, but the few who remained, were heading towards their cabins. Though the passengers settled, the officers on the bridge kept a sharp look out for anything in Titanic’s path. Ice reports had been sent to the Titanic all day form other ships but Titanic’s wireless operators chose to neglect the messages and so Titanic sailed in to history. High up in the crows nest, were lookouts Fleet and Lee. They to kept a sharp look out. Fleet peered into the darkness. He saw an object darker than night it self,

The Russian revolution: How Did the Bolsheviks Gain Power?

2000-05-28T14:00:00-04:00
How did the Bolshevisks seize power of the Russia Empire in 1917? They were able to do this as a result of taking advantage of the current political and social situations in the country at the time. Through such decisions as disbanding the army, and siding with the majority, the peasants, though such promises as land, food, equality and peace. Through such events Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, also known as Lenin, was able to take full control for the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks started off, in 1903, as the main minority of the Social Democratic Labour Party. As all anti-tsarist groups the party was illegal. The party was based upon the beliefs of Karl Marx, a german writer and revolutionary, who believed a revolution could only be started within the workforce of the major cities. Lenin believed strongly in these morlas and used them as a guide to his goal of revolution. The party continued to prostest against the current government in Russia and over time the political, social and economic disontent and the famous event know as 'Bloody Sunday', where the imperial guards shot and killed the protesting people of St.Petersburg, eventually pulled more followers over to the party. After these events, which were known as the 1905 revolutuon, the October Manifesto occured. This gave the people a lot more rights and a national parliament, the Duma. All seemed well, but there was one problem. The Menshiviks, who were the less radical majority of the Social Democratic Labour Party, argued that the revolution had gone far enough, however the Bolsheviks insisted that it go further until a new, soviet state was established. Thus, the party split up and formed two seperate groups. Also, since the revolution hadn't worked, many of the revolution's leaders, such as Lenin, were forced to go into exile abroad. During his time in Switzerland, in exile, Lenin wrote his thoughts in his revolutionary newspaper, "Pravda". Through this Lenin was able to show his supporters their mistakes in the first revolution and what they needed to do for a second one to work. These ideas helped the Soviets organise themselves better, which paved the way for 1917. Even with the new reforms the Tsarist govenment made, it wasn't good enough for the people of Russia. Further discontent spread through out the country and in 1917 the second revolution occured. Compared with the first revolution in 1905, this was massive. The Tsar, Nicolas

Defintition of History

2000-05-28T14:00:00-04:00
The statement “ History is nothing more than a collection of the static facts of the past; people who say history changes are terribly misguided” is incorrect. History is more than just static

Helen Of Troy

2000-05-25T14:00:00-04:00
Helen was the most beautiful woman in the entire Greek known world. She was the daughter of the god Zeus and of Leda, and wife of the King of Sparta. The hero Theseus, who hoped in time to marry her, abducted her in childhood but her brothers rescued her. Because Helen was courted by so many prominent heroes, Menelaus made all of them swear to abide by Helen's choice of a husband, and to defend that husband's rights should anyone attempt to take Helen away by force. Helen's beauty was the direct cause of the Trojan War. The ten-year conflict began when the three goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite asked the Trojan prince Paris to choose the most beautiful among them. After each of the goddesses had attempted to influence his decision, Paris chose Aphrodite, who had promised him the world's most beautiful woman. Soon afterward Paris sailed to Greece, where Helen and her husband hospitably received him, Menelaus, king of Sparta. Helen, as the fairest of her sex, was the prize destined for Paris. Although she was living happily with Menelaus, Helen fell under the influence of Aphrodite and allowed Paris to persuade her to run off with him, and he carried her off to Troy. Menelaus then called upon the Greek leaders, including Helen's former suitors, to help him rescue his wife, and with few exceptions they responded to his call. Agamemnon his brother led the forces to Troy. During ten years of conflict, the Greeks and Trojans fought irresolutely. Then Paris and Menelaus agreed to meet in single combat between the opposing armies, and Helen was summoned to view the duel. As she approached the tower, where the aged King Priam and his counselors sat, her beauty was still so matchless and her sorrow so great that no one could feel for her anything but compassion. Although the Greeks claimed the victory in the battle between the two warriors, Aphrodite helped Paris escape from the enraged Menelaus by enveloping him in a cloud and taking him safely to Helen's chamber, where Aphrodite compelled the unwilling Helen to lie with him. Unable to capture the city after a siege of ten years, the Greeks resorted to strategy. Agamemnon’s forces, namely Odysseus, came up with a plan. They sailed away and left the Trojan horse, filled with armed warriors, on the shore. Sinon, a Greek spy, persuaded the Trojans to take the

The Holocaust

2000-05-24T14:00:00-04:00
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 of them all

Honor and Dueling

2000-05-22T14:00:00-04:00
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 by

Christianity's Effect on the Roman Culture

2000-05-22T14:00:00-04:00
Christianity came into the world approximately two thousand years ago. It was persecuted at first, but atually became the offical religion in 381 A.D. "It is the spiritual force that conquered the Roman Empire; one of the decisive elements in the growth of Western civiliztion (Bunson 9). Throughout history Christianity has played a major role in changing our society into what it is today. "Christianity won the professed allegiance of the overwhelming majority of the population of the Roman Empire and even the support of the Roman State (Latourette 65). Not only did Christianity thrive, but it also succeeded in changing the face of Roman culture. Consider the gladiatorial fights. "The huge Coliseum at Rome seated 50 thousand people and was the scene of many bloody gladiatorial combats and even mock naval battles" (Schoder 108). "Hundreds of thousands of slaves shed their blood in the arena in Rome year after year to satisfy the perverted lust of the Roman mob" (Kennedy 148). "Although many Romans descried these blook-letting contests, there persisted a streak of cruelty in Roman public amusements which can scarcely be comprehended, far less condoned, today (81). The message of Christianity helped changed this aspect of Roman life because it gave worth and significance every life (Kennedy 149). Jesus told the multitudes to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Luke 10:27) He also told the story of the good summaritan to illistrate that any person he came in contact with was his good neighbor (Luke 10:30-37). Christianities message contains the golden rule "do to others as you you have them do to you" (Luke 6-3). "The child of today is loved and adored. But it was not so in pre-Christian times. The Roman father’s power of his child was absolute. "He could expose it to death; he could scourge it, mutilate it, marry it, divorce it, see it as a slave, or kill it to satisfy his own blood lust." Quintillion, a roman writer, said that to kill a man was often held to be a crime, but to kill one’s own children was sometimes considered a beautiful action (Kennedy 149). The message of Christianity gave value to children. Jeasus said "who ever humbles himself like this child is greatest in my kingdom. If anyone causes these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone around his neck and

The Effects of Industrialization on Society

2000-05-22T14:00:00-04:00
Had it not been for the industrial revolution, I would doubt very much that we would enjoy the technology we have in the year 2000. The reason we have this technology is that between the years 1750 and 1914 a great change in the world’s history was made. People started to discover faster methods of producing goods, which increased their economy. These people were mainly British and French, but after a few years the French were distracted by their revolution, and the British continued to industrialize. However you must not think this industrialization had no effects on society because it did. So in this essay I am going to talk about the history of the industrial revolution, discuss why Britain led the way in the industrial revolution and also I am going to explain to you in detail the effects of industrialization on society. In the midevel ages people were living in total darkness, and they did not know what was going on in the world around them. Happily the medieval ages were followed by the renaissance. Then came the year 1750, the year of the agricultural revolution in Britain which led away to a revolution in industry. Charles Townshend for example was one of the people who made the agricultural revolution possible. He suggested rotating the crops every year or two, to help the soil get enriched with vitamins and nutrition’s. The America’s then introduced potatoes to Great Britain. New farm machines were invented, for example Jethro Tull developed a seed drill which planted seeds in straight rows and farmers began using new iron plows in place of inofitiant wooden plows. In addition to that, the enclosure movement brought wealthy people to farm larger amounts of land, which was very good for the agricultural revolution. This revolution improved peoples diet and health leading to an increased population, which demanded healthy food, clothing and employment. Since many farmers were seeking jobs, they found it now in the textile industry, which created a new demand for laborers. You shall notice now that the mechanical inventions were so rapid and each one triggered another new one. A few examples of these inventions are the flying shuttle by John Kay, the spinning jenny by James Hargraves, the water frame by Richard Akriwght, the power loom by Edward Cartwight, Samuel Cromptons spinning mule, and Eli Whitney’s cotton gin. All these inventions gave the British cotton

War of 1812

2000-05-18T14:00:00-04:00
Background Over the course of the French revolutionary and the Napoleonic wars between France and Great Britain (1793-1815), both belligerents violated the maritime rights of neutral powers. The United States, endeavoring to market its own produce, was especially affected. To preserve Britain's naval strength, Royal Navy officers impressed thousands of seamen from U.S. vessels, including naturalized Americans of British origin, claiming that they were either deserters or British subjects. The United States defended its right to naturalize foreigners and challenged the British practice of impressment on the high seas. Relations between the two nations reached a breaking point in 1807 when the British frigate Leopard fired on the USS Chesapeake in American territorial waters and removed, and later executed, four crewmen. In addition, Britain issued executive orders in council to blockade the coastlines of the Napoleonic empire and then seized vessels bound for Europe that did not first call at a British port. Napoleon retaliated with a similar system of blockades under the Berlin and Milan decrees, confiscating vessels and cargoes in European ports if they had first stopped in Britain. Collectively, the belligerents seized nearly 1500 American vessels between 1803 and 1812, thus posing the problem of whether the United States should go to war to defend its neutral rights. Americans at first prepared to respond with economic coercion rather than war. At the urging of President Thomas Jefferson, Congress passed the Embargo Act of 1807, prohibiting virtually all U.S. ships from putting to sea. Subsequent enforcement measures in 1808-1809 also banned overland trade with British and Spanish possessions in Canada and Florida. Because the legislation seriously harmed the U.S. economy and failed to alter belligerent policies, it was replaced in 1809 by the Non-Intercourse Act, which forbade trade with France and Britain. In 1810 Macon's Bill No. 2 reopened American trade with all nations, but stipulated that if one belligerent repealed its antineutral measures, the United States would then impose an embargo against the other. In August Napoleon announced the repeal of the Berlin and Milan decrees on the understanding that the United States would also force Britain to respect its neutral rights. Although Napoleon continued to seize American vessels in French ports, President James Madison accepted his statements as proof that French antineutral decrees had been lifted. He reimposed the ban on trade with Britain in November 1810 and demanded that the British ministry repeal the orders in council as

Egyptian Mythology: Enviromental Influences

2000-05-16T14:00:00-04:00
Religion can be thought of as the recognition by human beings of a superhuman power that controls the universe and everything that is, was, or shall be in it. Each individual human being can consider that the superhuman control power is a deity worthy of being loved; or capable of inspiring awe, obedience, and even fear. The effect of these feelings on individuals can lead to the setting up of a system of worship of the deity; and to the drawing up of a code of beliefs and conduct inspired by their religious faith. As all religions follow this, the Egyptians seem to be unique in their beliefs. The Egyptians did not have a true religion; they had more of a collection of myths and doctrines, which evolved to suit the worshipper’s needs. Although many changes were evident in their religion, conflict between new and old concepts did not occur. However, their belief system was much more complex and elaborate than that of any other culture. A clear reason is not given, but we theorize that environmental conditions play a significant role in their authenticity. It is a truism that the activities of people everywhere are influenced by the conditions under which they live, and religious thought is no exception to this. Before the days of mass communication, an Eskimo, living in cold climate, had no experience of any great heat generated by the sun. His idea of hell, therefore, would be a place of extreme cold. On the other hand, a man living in a hot climate can only visualize hell as an even hotter place than any with which he has ever had acquaintance with. The Nile River plays an important part in Egyptian mythology. As the Nile flows northward through Egypt, it creates a narrow ribbon of fertile land in the midst of a great desert. The sharp contrast between the fertility along the Nile and the wasteland of the desert became a basic theme in Egyptian mythology. The Egyptians lived in a river valley, 1200 km long from the Egypt south border at Aswan to the northern boundary on the Mediterranean, bordered in by ancient river terraces. The only fertile land was that watered by the Nile, which flowed through the valley: the rest was desert. Thus, the land in which the Egyptians lived was considered to be “the gift of the river”. Every year, the Nile swollen by the

The Great Depression of the 1930s

2000-05-12T14:00:00-04:00
The economic depression that beset the United States and other countries in the 1930s was unique in its magnitude 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. Economic Aspects President Calvin COOLIDGE had said during the long prosperity of the 1920s that "The business of America is business." Despite the seeming business prosperity of the 1920s, however, there were serious economic weak spots, a chief one being a depression in the agricultural sector. Also depressed 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 bore 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 fundamental cause of the Great Depression, although the crash sparked, and certainly marked the beginning of, the most traumatic economic period of modern times. By 1930, the slump was apparent, but few people expected it to continue; previous financial PANICS and depressions had reversed in a year or two. 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 of World War I.) The deepening depression essentially coincided with the term in office (1929-33) of President Herbert HOOVER. The stark statistics scarcely convey

The History Of The Olympic Games

2000-05-11T14:00:00-04:00
Introduction Today, the Olympic Games are the world's largest pageant of athletic skill and competitive spirit. They are also displays of nationalism, commerce and politics. Well-known throughout the world the games have been used to promote understanding and friendship among nations, but have also been a hotbed of political disputes and boycotts. The Olympic games started thousands of years ago and lasted over a millennium.. The symbolic power of the Games lived on after their demise, and came to life again as the modern Olympic Games being revived in the last century. Both the modern and Ancient Olympics have close similarities in there purpose and in there problems. Ancient Olympics The ancient Olympics had some differences from the modern Games. There were fewer events, and only free men who spoke Greek could compete, instead of athletes from any country. Women where not allowed to even watch the games on penalty of death let alone play in them.. Also, the games were always held at Olympia in Greece instead of being moved around to different sites every time. But also they had some similarities to our modern Olympics, winning athletes were heroes who put their home towns on the map, and became financially sound for life. The conflict between the Olympic’s ideals of sportsmanship and unity and the commercialism and political acts which accompany the Games where also present in ancient times. “Sotades at the ninety-ninth Festival was victorious in the long race and proclaimed a Cretan, as in fact he was. But at the next Festival he made himself an Ephesian, being bribed to do so by the Ephesian people. For this act he was banished by the Cretans.” The first Olympic games at Olympia were held in 776 BC. According to Hippias of Elis, who compiled a list of Olympic victors c.400 BC, the only event held at the first Olympics was the stadion footrace. Scholars have speculated that the games in 776 BC were not the first games, but rather the first games held after they were organized into festivals held every four years as a result of a peace agreement between the city-states Greece. Every four years the games where started on the first full moon after the summer solstice, lasting for five days. For over 1100 years, from 776 BC to 393 AD the games where played, thousands of people ceased all warfare and flocked to a small sanctuary in northwestern

The Atomic Bomb

2000-05-05T14:00:00-04:00
The atomic bomb is a powerful, explosive nuclear weapon. It is fueled by the fission of the nuclei of specific amounts of plutonium or uranium, in a chain reaction. The strength of the explosion created by one of these bombs is equal to the strength of an explosion created by thousands of tons of TNT. To detonate one of these bombs, enough mass of plutonium or uranium must be provided to reach what is known as "critical mass." Critical mass is the mass at which the nuclear reactions going on inside the material can make up for the neutrons that are leaving the material through its outside surface. These materials are usually separated within the bomb so that critical mass cannot be reached until the bomb is ready to explode. Once the chemical reactions within the bomb begin, the neutrons released by each reaction hit other atoms and create more fission reactions until all the material is scattered, or completely exhausted. This process releases enormous amounts of energy in the form of extreme heat and a massive shock wave. These nuclear explosions, in addition to their pressure waves, high winds, and flash burns, produce deadly radiation that contaminates soil and water, and destroyed living matter. The atomic bomb was first created in the early twentieth century. Physicists in the United States and Europe had discovered that the fission of uranium could be used to create a deadly explosive weapon. A letter was sent to U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt by Albert Einstein that described this discovery and warned him of its potential dangers if developed by other nations. The Manhattan Project was established by the U.S. government in 1942 so the country could develop an atomic device. A team under the command of United States Army Brigadier General Leslie R. Groves designed and built the first atomic bombs, directed by J. Robert Oppenheimer. This type of bomb was first tested at Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945. The amount of energy that was released by this explosion alone was equivalent to twenty thousand tons of TNT. Many nations have tested nuclear devices, in the atmosphere, under the earth, and under the oceans. Only the United States of America, Russia, Great Britain, France, and China openly admit to possessing these nuclear weapons. Many other nations, however, are thought to have the capability to assemble these items quickly. After World War II ended,

Eighteenth Century Philosophers: A Comparison

2000-05-04T14:00:00-04:00
The "Enlightenment" or the "Age of Realization" was an age of great advancement and reform for all of Europe and beyond. Great advancements were being made in the fields of science, philosophy, mathematics, and logic. Most people attribute these achievements to the social critics of that time, also known as the philosophes. These philosophes were controversial thinkers and pioneered the intellectual movements of the 1700's. They stood up for what they believed in, although they were constantly criticized and censured by many other people. Such philosophers include Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, and Voltaire. Although their beliefs violently contradicted, they were all working to change what they thought was wrong with their present government. They were four men who disagreed about almost everything, and yet they were working towards a common goal. This is how the Age of Enlightenment became a reality. Rene Descartes was a French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist. He was born in La Haye, France (now called Descartes) in 1595. Unlike some other Enlightenment thinkers, he relied on logic and math in his reasoning. He was educated at the Jesuit College of La Fleche. It is thought that his most important influence was a man named Isaac Beeckman. It was with this man that Descartes discussed math, philosophy, and physics. This man was his friend and trusted colleague. In 1618 Descartes served in the army of Prince Maurice of Nassau. It was Descartes theory that stated, "the discovery of proper method is the key to furthering scientific advancement." Descartes was responsible for a number of very influential works including Rules for the Direction of Mind, Le Monde (The World), Discourse on Method, Meditationes de Prima Philosophia (Meditations on the First Philosophy), The Principles of Philosophy, and Les Passions de l'ame (Passions of the Soul.) He coined the phrase, "Cogito Ergo Sum," in English meaning, "I Think Therefore I Am." Although Descartes died in Stockholm in1650, his words have lived on for many centuries and will survive through many more. Thomas Hobbes was born in London, England in 1588. He was educated at Oxford University in England where he studied the classics. In 1651, Hobbes wrote his most famous book, Leviathan. In this book he argued that most people were born evil and could not be trusted to govern themselves. He thought that a ruler needed to have complete control over his people to govern efficiently. His idea was to have

Effects of the Atomic bomb

2000-04-30T14:00:00-04:00
The effects of the atomic bomb were terrible. There’s no doubt in my mind that the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were a costly mistake. Atomic bombs produce heat millions of degrees high, and visible ultraviolet and inferred rays.(Lapp 844) Everyone and everything exposed to their blast is affected. No one is left untouched, whether it be emotional or physical; in many cases both. However, many members of the science community argue that the atomic bomb was a great advance in technology, and see their effect on Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a scientific experiment. People from the defense department in government also see the bomb as great weapons in national defense. When reading my paper, you must decide for yourself the moral issues involved with using atomic bombs in warfare.The day after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, it rained all day. The rain was pitch black, and very cold.(Pacific War Research Society (PWRS) 245) A huge cloud of dust covered the sun and made what was left of the city very dark. Realizing the bombs effect on climate, a group of scientists came up with the “Nuclear Winter Theory” in 1983.(Glasstone NPG) The theory states that if only one half the nuclear warheads in the United States were exploded, there would be enough smoke and dust in the atmosphere to block sunlight for several months destroying all plant life and creating a subfreezing climate until the dust dispersed.(Glasstone NPG) According to the “Nuclear Winter Theory,” that would be the end of human civilization!(Glasstone NPG) Although the US Department of Defense acknowledges the validity of this theory they say that it won’t affect it’s defense policies on how many warheads are kept.(Glasstone NPG)Although atomic bombs can have a catastrophic effect on climate, we learned that their effect on buildings is almost as bad. With the bombings in World War 2, we saw their effect on historic landmarks, houses, and office buildings. When the bomb was dropped only one mile away from ground zero, the blast cracked walls over twelve inches thick.(Lapp 843) The shockwave after the bomb was felt over a mile away. Heat incinerated everything within a 500 yard radius of the hypocenter. In Hiroshima, the blast demolished all buildings except those that were earthquake resistant.(Lapp 843) Some buildings just “vanished” into air.(PWRS 243)However terrible the effect of atomic bombs on climate and buildings, what stands

Aztec Empire

2000-04-28T14:00:00-04:00
The Aztec Empire was a Native American state that ruled much of what is now Mexico from about 1427 until 1521, when the empire was conquered by the Spaniards. The empire represented the highest point in the development of the rich Aztec civilization that had begun more than a century earlier. At the height of their power, the Aztec controlled a region stretching from the Valley of Mexico in central Mexico east to the Gulf of Mexico and south to Guatemala. The Aztec built great cities and developed a complex social, political, and religious structure. Their capital, Tenochitlan, was located on the site of present-day Mexico City. An elaborate city built on islands and marsh land, Tenochtitlán was possibly the largest city in the world at the time of the Spanish conquest. It featured a huge temple complex, a royal palace, and numerous canals. After the Spanish conquest, the empire of the Aztec was destroyed, but their civilization remained an important influence on the development of Mexican culture. Many present-day Mexicans are descended from the Aztec, and more than 1 million Mexicans speak Nahuatl, the native Aztec language, as their primary language. In Mexico City, searches continue to uncover temple foundations, statues, jewelry, and other artifacts of the Aztec civilization. Aztec refers both to the people who founded the empire, who called themselves Mexica, or Tenochca, and, more generally, to all of the many other Nahuatl-speaking ethnic groups that lived in the Valley of Mexico at the time of the Spanish conquest. The name Aztec is derived from Aztlan, the mythical homeland of the Mexica; according to tradition, Aztlán was located northwest of the Valley of Mexico, possibly in west Mexico. The name Mexico is derived from Mexica. Long before the rise of the Aztec, the Valley of Mexico was the center of a highly developed civilization. A fertile basin, the valley was located 7800 ft above sea level. In its center lay five interconnected lakes dotted with marshy islands. From about AD 100 to 650 the valley was dominated by the city of Teotihuacan, center of a powerful religious, economic, and political state. After the decline of Teotihuacán, the Toltec people migrated into central Mexico from the north and established a conquest state there. The Toltec civilization reached its height in the 10th and 11th centuries. In the 13th century wandering bands of Nahuatl-speaking warriors, often called Chichimec, invaded the valley. They took over

Saddam Hussein: The U.S Portrayal of Evil Encarnate

2000-04-27T14:00:00-04:00
When Iraq invaded and occupied the country of Kuwait in August 1990, the Bush administration was faced with several dilemmas. From a foreign policy point of view, this action could greatly destabilize the balance of power in a part of the world that was vital to U.S. interests. The United States was dependant on a continuous flow of oil to drive its economic machine, which Kuwait supplied greatly. In addition, this move would put more power into the hands of a government that was not only unfriendly to the U.S., but a sworn enemy of the state of Israel, a strong U.S. ally. In addition to, the fall of communism had created what George Bush had described as, “A new world order,” and would become the first major test of how the U.S. would handle its role as the sole remaining super power in this “new world order.” There were many challenges facing the Bush administration as to the manner in which they would handle this first major international crisis. The Bush administration had to develop a consensus of the major remaining powers, and appear not acting alone in its response to President Saddam Hussein’s actions of invading Kuwait. They also yearned to keep Israel from being involved so as not to alienate the remaining Middle Eastern nations. Lastly, they faced a domestic dilemma, in that much of the American public had significant reservations about involving U.S. troops involved in a foreign conflict. There remained a bad taste of Vietnam among the American public, and there were very mixed responses to American involvement in Somalia, Nicaragua, and Grenada. For the Bush administration, Hussein was not a merchant who could be bargained with, but rather an outlaw who would have to be defeated by force. The Bush administration was faced with a task of developing (more or less) overwhelming support from the U.S. people to take any action in Kuwait, which was accomplished by a dramatic public relations move to demonize Saddam Hussein in the eyes of the American people. The task of the United States demonizing Saddam Hussein was facilitated by many factors, both real and imaginary; a mixture of true facts and public relations image making. On the fact side, Saddam Hussein was indeed a dictator, and responsible for some true atrocities. Hussein ruled with an iron fist. Most accounts of political analysts looking at Iraq agree that his

The Effects of World War One on Canada’s People

2000-04-27T14:00:00-04:00
When Britain called on Canada to help in World War One, Canadians dutifully volunteered. Many Canadians thought that this would be a glamorous adventure that they could not miss. However, Canadians were in for a rude awakening as this glamorous adventure turned out to be more than they bargained for. This was a new kind of war, one that cost Canadians dearly. Poor organization among troops, appalling war conditions Canadians endured and lack of effective leadership that did not support the best interests of Canadian troops all contributed to the pointless suffering Canadians endured in this supposed glamorous adventure. In the beginning, the poor organization among the troops resulted in some of the mishaps that occurred in battle. In particular, soldiers were all very inexperienced and needed a great deal of training. “Many recruits had only two hours of target practice a day-not nearly enough to prepare them for battle” (Newman 139). These green soldiers went into battle only knowing the basic necessities of combat. Without these vital techniques and lack of practice, the basic Private stood a slim chance of survival in the front lines. Poor organization was also evident when equipment was being outfitted for the Canadian troops. “On one occasion a load of boots arrived, all for the right foot” (Newman 139). As well, when Canadian troops were given equipment, it was often found to be inadequate. A Canadian soldier commented, “We have been given new black boots, magnificent things, huge, heavy ‘ammunition’ boots, and the wonderful thing is they don’t let water in. They are very big and they look like punts, but it’s dry feet now.” (Newman 140). In this, we are given the impression that the Canadian troops were provided with adequate boots; however they did not fit properly. The evident lack of organization caused unnecessary anguish for Canadian troops and their misconception of the war. Canadian soldiers endured much pointless suffering through the appalling conditions they encountered. The worst experience for Canadians was in the trenches. These endless zigzag trails were the soldiers’ home for as long as they were assigned duty to them. The trenches were often infested with “rats and lice… ‘There are millions! Some are huge fellows, nearly as big as cats…’ The soldiers often went weeks without washing or changing clothes, and most were infested with body lice” (Newman 141). Conditions were so wet and dirty and the men

Siberian Prison System

2000-04-26T14:00:00-04:00
PRISON SYSTEM IN SIBERIA My project is dedicated to description of the history of Siberia as a place to where send prisoners--from the days of Ivan the Terrible until today. I will tell about the reasons for choosing Siberia as place of exile, the system of prisons and conditions in Siberian prisons. Choosing Siberia as a Place of Exile As with other Western powers that gained colonies overseas, the acquisition of Siberia led to making it a place of exile. Criminal and political prisoners had been sent to Siberia for more than three centuries; millions of people, in total, were deported there. Due to its remoteness and severe weather conditions 'Russian Australia' was one huge prison, escape from where was almost impossible and very dangerous not only because of the chase, but because of the Siberian killing frosts, unimaginably long distances, bounty-hunting natives, deep forests and wild animals. Another reason for establishing punishment by exile was the desire of society to banish still cruel and barbarous criminal code of XVII century according to which criminals had been punished by amputation of their limbs, being bastionadoed, and being branded with hot iron. Exile was quick and easy method of getting them out of the way. The punishments, however, didn't become more humane. They just began to happen far away from where most of the people could see them. Before making Siberia place of exile criminals died from being tortured in Moscow; after they died from the hard, exhausting work, cold winters, and diseases in Siberia. Although originally applied as a corporal punishment, exile can be viewed as a means of population and developing the colony. Government needed people to work in Siberian mines and to build roads, and penal servitude began to replace long prison terms, while list of offences meriting exile steadily lengthened to include even vagrancy, fortune-telling, wife-beating, debts, accidentally starting a fire or drunkenness. In 1754 death penalty was abolished for some years and replaced with exile at hard labour. Convoy to Siberia Until the middle of the XIX century, most of the convicts had to walk to the place of their exile from their homes. Often the journey took years--the distances walked measured thousands of kilometres. They walked from etape (transit prison) to etape. Until the beginning of XVIII century there was almost no long-range planning and even supervision of exiles was extremely negligent. Convicts had to beg their way because there was

The Decline of Rome

2000-04-16T14:00:00-04:00
What were the most important reasons for the decline of the Roman Empire? Why? The seemingly unstoppable Roman Empire was bound to fall after the many aspects that made Rome such a dominant empire started to fade away. Rome was the center of the world and the thought that such a worldwide power could decline was unheard of. It was not built in a day; therefore it couldn’t be destroyed in one day. The marvelous city declined for many reasons yet there are only a few major reasons that led to its diminish. Political, economic, religious, and outside forces were the major factors that led to the fall of the giant empire. Most of the problems came from within the city and were not caused by a major military defeat. Every decision that Rome made had a vast affect on city itself and the rest of the world. Many foolish decisions my terrible emperors weakened the city and eventually cause the many aspects of life to crumble. At one time a common religion was a huge factor that kept Romans united. Once the right of free worship was denied Rome became an empire of raging anger. Christianity a new religion appealed to the majority of the people of the Roman Empire. The message especially appealed to the poor and the slaves; it was also something new to put their faith in. Christianity was spread like wild fire. The Roman emperors felt that Christianity was so influential that it could be a possible threat. Around 100 AD. the first persecutions of the Christians occurred. Many of the Romans had already committed to the faith of Christianity and they refused to abandon it because it was the most important part of their life. This led to many social problems as well as a decline in the patriotism that had once lived in the hearts of all Romans. The People objected to Roman politics and became independent of the government. By the time that Constantine legalized Christianity it was much too late and the Empire was too deep in disunity to recover. The decision to outlaw Christianity was a terrible decision and caused the once united empire to crumble. Throughout much of the time that Rome existed, the Empire allowed the Germanic tribes to live peacefully within its territories. For many years the two groups lived harmoniously until the Huns pushed the tribes farther into Rome.

The Cold War

2000-04-16T14:00:00-04:00
A war that has created controversy amongst two of the greatest world leaders, United States of America and The Soviet Union, is known as The Cold War. A dispute between once allied countries arose in the Post-WWII era. The United States and the Allied Powers faced many challenges at the end of WWII. America’s policy was one that contained the spread of communism in Eastern Europe. Russia, under Lenin's rule called for a world revolution and brought the United States into it. It was not until after WWII, that the cold war really began, when the political power of the world shifted from the center of Europe to Moscow and Washington. The Cold War began after the collapse of Germany in May 1945(http://www.coldwar.org/indexrus.html). The creation of the cold war came from the disagreements for postwar Europe and the Far East. Each superpower, the United States, Britain, France and Russia had their own idea of how postwar Europe should look, and many of their ideas clashed. The Cold War arose not from one isolated event, but from the different ideologies and interests between the Soviet Union and the west. Also the Russian government was seeking revenge on the United States because the United States did not enter the war effort soon enough and that caused for more Russian casualties. After WWII After WWII, Germany was divided into four zones and occupied by Britain, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Berlin itself was occupied by the western powers; however, it was surrounded by the Soviet zone. Between 1947 and 1948 cooperation between these powers broke down. The west decided to create a separate government in their zones. To prevent this, the Soviet's increasingly harassed the western traffic to and from Berlin. Russia was trying to spread communism, abolish democracies, and spread poverty. Thus creating the Berlin Blockade, which forced America to create the Berlin Airlift. This created a greater controversy between the United States. This controversy’s caused spies to enter into the opposition’s country. Russia V.S. United States The most visible part of the cold war was the arms race. Massive and expensive militarization movements, especially nuclear weaponry on the part of both nations involved caused a new psychology to develop. The theory of total destruction of the other country was based on three ideas. One: both nations have enough weapons do destroy the other, two: both nations can detect a first strike

Ancient Babylonia

2000-04-15T14:00:00-04:00
When studying Ancient Babylonia it is notably important to look at these factors: daily life, religion, people, society, government and economy so we can determine the development of the civilization and how it is similar to the way we live today. The Babylonian Empire is unique because their government was run by a law known as the Code of Hammurabi similarly are government is run by numerous laws. Their knowledge of science and astrology is intriguing due to the fact that they were the first civilization to form the basis of the sixteen month of thirty days calendar, their discovery of the calendar lend us to the calendars we have today. In addition to government, science and astrology their economy was very modern and played an immense part in their daily life. The way the Babylonians lived life is identical to the way we live our life today. In today’s society we are governed and protected by laws, well we can say the same about Ancient Babylonia their society was governed and protected by the Code of Hammurabi(1750). The Code of Hammurabi main purposes were “ to make justice visible in the land, to destroy the wicked person and the evil doer, so that the strong might not injure the weak”. Our legal system is somewhat like this in terms of we sentence and enforce punishments on the criminals to protect other innocent citizens. Just like are prime minister, the Babylonian king Hammurabi wished to secure a uniform pattern of justice throughout his land, to certify that everyone was well aware of punishments and rules before breaking or committing them. The most well known term to describe this law is “ an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”. This quote indicated that the punishment suited the crime. The Babylonian civilization was considerably keen on science, mathematics and astrology. They were apprehensive in the cause of medicine an example of this is their belief that sin was the cause of a patient’s illness. Here is an old Babylonian proverb that says “ an infection without a doctor is like hunger without food”. What this is saying is they depended on doctors to suit their needs just as we depend on food to suit hunger. This describes perfectly what the Ancient Babylonian civilization was like, they depended on doctors and herbal medicine just as we do today. One

The French Revolution

2000-04-10T14:00:00-04:00
During the late 1700’s, France followed in America’s footsteps towards their own revolution. A major shift in power would be seen within the short time period of 1789-1799, and with it a large advancement away from the absolutist government of France. During the late 1700’s France was the most powerful estate in the world. The effects of the country’s revolution would soon spread from France to the rest of Europe and finally result in a continental war. The French Revolution was based mostly on the Third Estate’s desire to obtain liberty and equality. France’s social system was set up in such a way that it was only a matter of time before a revolution took place. The economic classes of France were set in three estates. The first estate was the church, or clergy, the second estate was the nobles, and the third estate consisted of peasants and the uneducated. France’s economic system allowed for the highest taxation of the third estate while the clergy members were exempt from taxes, and the nobles paid little or no taxes at all. People who are starving and can barely afford to survive can only pay so much before they refuse to pay anymore. It is not suprising that the third estate was driven to immediate action with Louis XVI’s demand for higher taxes. Ideas of liberty and equality sprang up with the onset of the American Revolution and paved a way for the third estate to change France’s system of government. Philosophes such as Voltaire spread ideas of reform that excited the peasants to believe there was a chance for a better life. Along with the social causes of the revolution, economic and political events brought about the desire for change as well. Economic conditions such as poor harvests made the price of food rise to such high prices that half a worker’s wages were spent on trying to feed the family alone. The taxation system took money from the peasants, yet they did not reap any of the benefits that were supposed to come from their money. For Example, King Louis XVI lived such and extravagant life that three percent of the nation’s GNP was spent on royal family lifestyle. Wars also played a major role in depleting the nation’s funds. The cost of maintaining a standing army exceeded half of France’s expenditures. The taxes were not used however to improve infrastructure,

Strategic Bombing during World War 2

2000-04-03T14:00:00-04:00
"World War 2 was a war fought in two distinct phases. The first was the last war of a new generation. The second was emphatically the first of a new era" . "The British strategic bomber campaign was of doubtful cost effectiveness" . Bomber Command was by far the largest claimant on labour and factory space within the armed forces. Relative to their size they suffered more casualties than any other sector. The Anglo-American bomber force was divided in terms of strategy. Bomber Command believed it was too risky to bomb by day, while the Americans believed it was too difficult to bomb by night. Initially both forces lacked accurate navigational equipment, which deterred them from precision bombing. Germany developed a ‘night fighter’ force to counteract the bomber fleet. They were equipped with an on board radar, which enabled them to locate the bombers in the darkness. The German industry was sub-divided in an attempt to minimise the effectiveness of bombing raids. Both the Britain and Germany made substantial scientific developments throughout the course of the war. Prior to the development of the Lancaster, the British Air Force lacked a long-range bomber, capable of carrying substantial bomb loads. Wattson Watt foresaw the need for an early detection system; he developed the ‘Radiolocation’ system, which alerted Britain to invading forces. The German Air Force developed an on board radar, called the ‘Metric system’, which was equipped to German night fighters. Bomber Harris believed in the theory of ‘carpet bombing’. Nick named ‘butcher Harris’; he was known as the man who supported such campaigns as Dresden. He believed in breaking the morale of the German people. The strategic bombing campaign significantly shortened the length of the war. It disabled the production industry and weakened the German morale. Between Jan. 12-23 of 1943 President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill meet at Casablanca, to plan the ‘future global military strategy for the Western Allies’. The work of the conference was primarily military; deciding on the invasion of Silicy, apportioning forces to the Pacific theatre and outlining major lines of attack in the Far East. Most important of all was Roosevelt’s claims for the "unconditional surrender" from Germany, Italy, and Japan. Hamburg was largely responsible for the production of German U-boats. Subsequently it was the target of numerous air raids. In an attempt to protect the fragile industry, three huge anti-aircraft artilleries were built. Few

Women's Rights

2000-03-28T14:00:00-04:00
It was long ago when women were looked upon as slaves to the hard Working, man. In today's society women now are more respected and are acceptable for many jobs as men are. Yet, long before our time during World War II, women were thought many different things that they could only imagine. During the postwar, women were, then equipped with many different abilities colliding with their home chores and knowledge. Women then took their stand and many acts were passes in their favor. In this essay I shall be discussing the many different requirements women went through during World War II, their postwar abilities, and the discussion of what the men in the past had against the women of today. The war's demand, the war had made the proposition to the women to do the man's work (Leahy, pg.35). Women were encouraged to take these jobs for the first time in history. To some it was a shock but to many it was a divine privilege. By 1942 a poll showed that only 13% of Americans opposed women in the workforce (Leahy, pg.36). Many of them also became war nurses and helped many of the men recover. It would seem that women's interests in occupational equality were directly linked to the nation's state of distress. Many women were exceptionally well at making bombs and took the place of men. During the war women received many different opportunity and advancement in their lives. Even though there were many laws prohibiting women from working they still came through for our country (Walker, pg.2). For once women were looked at as producers and not reproducers. After the war the men had returned home and back steps began to take place with the women. In 1945, 3/4 of the women polled by the Women's Bureau of the Department of Labor wished to continue working which showed their interests in the skills they possessed. During this point much frustration ran through these women for the men had created "homemaker" for the description of a women's job and life. Women continued working during the postwar and grew stronger. The veterans of the war were not so opposed but more rejecting to the fact of women taking their places. Knowing that the women would help the war's progress greatly many issues were discussed before allowing them to work. The government wanted power towards them, to have possession of

Why did jews play such a disproportionate part in the cultural life of fin de siecle Vienna ?

2000-03-26T14:00:00-04:00
"Mythenbildung ist wie kristallisation in der gesattigten salzlosung: es wird dann im entscheidenden augenblick alles mythisch" Arthur Schnitzler (Buch der Freunde) (1) Viennese Jews proportionally did have more representatives in the cultural sphere. This can be because they had the means, ways and opportunity to exploit their situation to pursue the arts. Steven Beller states quite unequivocally "Whether it be Freud, Schoenberg, Schnitzler or Wittgenstein, the number of individuals at the top level of Viennese culture - or rather that type of culture for which Vienna is today so famous - who are of at least partly Jewish descent is so large that it cannot be ignored." (2) And indeed it has not been ignored, rather it has been used to create myth.(3) with many of the authors who write on the Jews of fin-de-siecle Vienna depicting a golden age and of a homogenuous Jewish culture with a shared common identity.(4) Yet Ernst Gombrich recently controversially asserted, whilst giving a lecture on the topic of, "Fin de siecle Vienna and its Jewish Cultural influences", "I am of the opinion that the notion of Jewish Culture was, and is, an invention of Hitler and his forerunners and after-runners. (5) There is then a controversy centered around Jewishness which likewise examines the individual and their level of faith, secularisation or assimilation.(6) For indeed what at this time did it mean to be a Jew? What also was the Cultural life in this Vienna? (7) Judaism is a religion. It is not a nationality. Nowadays Israel is synomonous with Judaism but there was no State of Israel in the 19th century and there was no holocaust in the 19th century. It is necessary to state this because they have both in their own ways changed our perceptions as to what it means to be a Jew. The Jews of Vienna despite being portrayed as a homogenous unit were in fact divided on many lines. There were firstly, major class divisions, also they had a myriad of political beliefs, they had as many nationalities as the empire and more, and even with regards religion there were differences, since even an assimilated, lapsed or aethistic Jew could still be regarded as a Jew. Throughout the history of the Habsburg Empire, Jews had been bankers to the Crown. Despite prejudice and restrictions on their movement and trade, privildeged Jews managed from the 18th century onwards to settle and

From Paleolithic to the Modern World

2000-03-25T13:00:00-04:00
Before the existence of an advanced civilization many steps of evolution is required. The complex human society is one of the best examples there is. For example the revolutionary steps from the Paleolithic and the Neolithic to

FDR vs Clinton

2000-03-25T13:00:00-04:00
The domestic policies and administrations of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and William Jefferson Clinton are in some ways similar, but in other ways very different. The two men were very domestic-oriented presidents, focusing largely on America, and not the outside world. Both Democrats, they supported Federal Government programs to aid the American People. These programs were not necessary, but the presidents felt that they would aid Americans. Roosevelt created many jobs for the unemployed. He did this with such acts as the Unemployment Relief Act, which created the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Civil Works Administration gave temporary jobs to the unemployed during an especially harsh winter, and the Works Progress Administration spent about $11 billion employing people to work on government projects. Roosevelt also provided for money to be given to states to help increase employment. This includes the Federal Relief Administration, that gave $3 million to states to pay wages for work projects as well as direct dole payments. The Tennessee Valley Act dammed up the Tennessee river and created jobs, inexpensive hydroelectric power, cheap nitrates, improved navigation of the river, low cost housing, reforestation, and the restoration of eroded soil. Clinton has also worked for lower unemployment rates. During the first two years of Clinton’s administration, 6 million jobs were created; 7.7 million during the first 34 months. Americorps, formed to help people pay for college and job training, helped to tutor students, immunize children, and restore urban parks. Clinton’s Northwest Forest Plan was contrived to provide jobs in the Northwest and preserve ancient forests at the same time. Since Clinton became president, the unemployment rate has decreased from 7% to 5.6% and the United States currently has its lowest combined rate of inflation and unemployment since the beginning of Nixon’s Administration in 1968. Clinton has also continued several programs that were pioneered by Roosevelt, such as Social Security and Bank Security. Clinton’s Social Security Independent Agency Act, Interstate Banking Bill, and the Community Development Banking Financial Institutions Act’s roots can be traced back to Roosevelt’s Social Security Act of 1935 and Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act. Both Clinton and Roosevelt also advocated the rights of workers. Roosevelt secured the unions’ right to form and to bargain with a representative of their choice with his National Labor Relations Act, and created a minimum wage, maximum hours, and limited the ages of young workers with his Fair Labor Standards Act. Clinton

The New Deal

2000-03-25T13:00:00-04:00
The New Deal was a political and social plan that was the presidential campaign platform of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Although Roosevelt was very vague about what it was and actual measures to be taken while running for president, the New Deal was the shinning hope for many Americans who had lost their jobs or were living in poverty. After the United States had plummeted into the greatest depression to face this country while Herbert Hoover lead the country, many voters were looking for anyone with a promising plan and a bright outlook. As banks closed and unemployment rates soared, Roosevelt promised a balanced budget, and spoke of Hoover’s rash and excessive spending. The election of 1932 was a landslide in Roosevelt’s favor, and he quickly took over as soon as he began his term. Roosevelt called a special session of Congress lasting from March 9 until June 16 in 1933. Roosevelt began to put his “New Deal” into action. With a democratic majority in Congress on his side, Roosevelt churned out legislation rapidly from the generally sluggish machine of Congress. Banks had been closing all over the country due to frightened citizens withdrawing all of their money. In order to increase trust in them, Congress passed the Emergency Banking Relief Act of 1933, which allowed the government to reopen closed banks, and regulate banking and foreign exchange. The Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act was later passed in order to form the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, insurance to civilians for their banking deposits up to $5,000, which was later raised. These to bills encouraged the public to once again trust their banks, and to deposit money in the banks instead of hiding it “under their mattresses.” Compared to the more than 4,000 bank failures of 1933, there were only 57 in 1934 because of these actions. The Agricultural Adjustment Act and the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation were both formed to help farmers and other households with paying their mortgages, as well as helping the mortgage-holding banks to stay in business. The Frazier-Lemke Farm Bankruptcy Act suspended mortgage foreclosures for three years, and moved farmers with small amounts of poor land to better areas. Trees were planted in the deserted areas in an attempt to prevent soil erosion and block the wind. Moving on from this, Roosevelt decreed that all privately owned gold be turned in to the Treasury and to be paid back

English Revolution

2000-03-25T13:00:00-04:00
During the early 1600's, there was much political struggle in England. These struggles led to a civil war between cavaliers, or royalists, who were mainly Anglicans; and Roundheads, or parliamentarians, who were Puritans. The Anglicans belonged to the Anglican Church (the Church of England). This was a Protestant church, which had split from the Roman Catholic Church under Henry VIII. The Puritans were also a Protestant church, but thought that the Anglican Church should move farther away from the Catholic Church. They wanted to "purify" the church by getting rid of ceremonies and simplifying the method of Church organization. The Civil War broke out in 1642 after Charles I tried to arrest enemies in Parliament who were preventing him from receiving money to fight a war against Scotland. Since Parliament was mostly Puritan, the Puritan people of England felt that their voice in government was gone. After numerous attempts by Charles to get rid of Parliament, civil war broke out. The Puritan parliamentarians were led by an outstanding general named

Buddha

2000-03-19T13:00:00-04:00
This report will be about the life of Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, and his influences on the people around him. It will explain how the religion of Buddhism came about and how the Buddha created it. It will also include not only what influenced Buddha to start preaching, but what influenced the people to listen. Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who would later be known as Buddha, was born in Lumbini, Nepal around the year 563 BC. He was the son of two important great people. Siddhartha’s father’s name was Shuddhodana, the King of the Sakyas. His mother, Queen Maya, was a lady “of perfect form and bee-black tresses, fearless in heart and full of grace and virtue.” Siddhartha got his name from one of his mother’s dreams. Her dream was that an elephant with 6 tusks, carrying a lotus flower in its trunk, touched the right side of Queen Maya’s body. That was when Siddhartha was miraculously conceived. When she told her husband about her dream, he called Brahmins, or learned men to interpret it. They predicted that the child one-day would be the greatest king in the world or the greatest ascetic in the world. So that’s why they called him Siddhartha, meaning “he whose aim is accomplished.” When Siddhartha was about 20 years old he married Yasodhara, who was the daughter of one of the King’s ministers. Siddhartha and his new wife had a child a year after they got married. They called their son Rahula, which means “impediment.” Nine years later Siddhartha asked his charioteer to take him for a ride throughout the city. While riding he saw three things he had never seen before. One was an elder man, another was a man suffering from illness, and finally he saw a dead body surrounded by mourners. Since he had never seen anything like that before he asked his charioteer, Channa, what was wrong. He responded and told the Prince that these things were natural and unavoidable, that happen to all kinds of people. “Everything is transient; nothing in permanent in this world….Knowing that, I can find delight in nothing…How can a man, who knows that death is quite inevitable, still feel greed in his heart, enjoy the world of senses and not weep in this great danger?” Once again Siddhartha asked Channa to take him out into the city again and this time he was to see the last

The involvement of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War

2000-03-16T13:00:00-04:00
On the 18 July 1936, leading Generals of the Spanish Army led a revolt against the democratically elected Popular Front government of Spain. Within days the country was plunged into civil war with the Republicans fighting the insurgent Nationalists for control of the country. The various democracies of the world turned their backs on Spain’s plight and even hindered the Republicans by supporting non-intervention in the conflict. However, many people came to help the Republic. Las Brigades Internacionales, the International Brigades, would eventually include almost 40,000 men and women from 53 different countries, from all around the world. The International Brigades began as an idea in July and August of 1936, but soon its formation became the main work of the Comintern (the body with the responsibility of fostering the world-wide spread of Communism). Each Communist party was instructed to raise volunteers who would be sent to Spain by train or boat. Around 60% of the volunteers were Communists, but non-Communists were also welcomed. The first group of recruits came to Spain by train from Paris, and arrived at their base in Albacete, halfway between Madrid and Valencia, on the 14th of October. It was there that the 500 French, German and Polish recruits began training. The theme of the recruitment propaganda was based on the slogan that Spain should be “The grave of European Fascism”, and with this in mind volunteers continued to flow into Spain from France. One of the organisers of recruits in Paris was the future Marshal Tito - Joseph Broz. In Albacete the volunteers were organised into language groups and the base was put under the command of Andre Marty. The Brigades were to be led by General Emilio Kleber and intensive training was to take place in the base before going to the front. The International Brigades baptism of fire came on the 8th of November 1936, when the XIth and XIIth Brigades went to the Madrid front. They numbered about 3,500 men altogether, and were extremely important to the defence of Madrid. The fighting in Madrid eventually reached stalemate and the Brigades were transferred to other fronts. The XI, XIII and XV Brigades fought at the Brunete offensive of July 1937, where losses were very high, and where Oliver Law, the Afro- American commander of the Lincoln Battalion was killed. The Brigades also played a major part in the Aragon offensive of August 1937, and

The Spanish American war

2000-03-15T13:00:00-04:00
Hi I'm doing my report on the Spanish American War. In the following pages I will be giving information on how and why the war started, major battles, and the results of the war. I will also include stories from people on the battleship Maine. Introduction The Spanish American War marked the emergence of the United States of America as a world power. The war which lasted only 10 weeks between April and August of 1898 took place over the liberation of Cuba. In the course of the war the U.S. won Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippine Islands. A large aspect to the begining of the war was the explosion and sinking of the Maine on February 15 1898 at 9:30 PM in Havana Harbor. 260 American naval personnel where killed or wounded. The USS Maine was the second "second class" battle ship constructed for the U.S. Navy. It took almost nine years to complete three year took waiting for armor. The USS Maine was at the time the largest ship to be built in a U.S. Navy yard. The USS Maine arrived in the Havana harbor in Cuba on Jan. 24 of 1898. The USS Manie was sent to Cuba in response to a small protest by Spanish officers. The ship was under the command of Captian Charles Sigsbee. When the Manie sank there where 2 separate explosions ammunition continuted to explode for hours after the blast. Some people say that the Maine was torpedoed or blown up with under water explosives by the Spanish Navy, others say that the 896 ton capacity coal bunker exploded but most people at the time said that the ship was torpedoed and blamed Spain for the sinking of the ship. After the disaster an official court of inquiry was held to determine the cause of the blast. The Navy said that the ship was sunk by a water mine, but stated that it could not fix responsibility on any single person or persons. Declaration of war At the time of the sinking of the Maine U.S. President William Mckinley was in office. Pres. Mckinley had hoped to avoid going to war with Spain but along with thousands of other Americans was swept up in the feeling to support war. In 1898 Pres. mckinley asked to declare war on Spain. The war begins At the begining of the war there were almost 200,000 Spanish troops located in Cuba. About

Colonization of Egypt

2000-03-06T13:00:00-05:00
What is a good country? Is a good country a country with a cheerful population? Is a good country a country which controls more land than the next? Is a good country a country whose government and economic system has absolutely no problems? Or is a good country a country that has a delicate balance of benefits and problems. Well, we are here today to discuss the corruption of Egypt, a good country, by Britain, a huge and powerful country. Although Britain was not the first, Britain has retained control of Egypt for nearly 40 years and I am here today to ask for the freedom and decolonization of Egypt from Britain. This problem all started in 1882 when the British forced Napoleon Bonaparte, the leader of the French Army, out of Africa. Instead of leaving the land of Egypt to its rightful owners, the Egyptians, Britain decided to colonize Egypt and control them through a protectorate. The protectorate allowed the British government to control Egypt’s economic and political decisions without intervention from the Egyptians. In other words, The Egyptians had completely lost control of their own country. Well, some of you might ask, “Why would Britain want to keep Egypt?” The response to this is more simple than you might think. Was it the fact that Egypt was such a weak country at the time? Or was it that Egypt was just waiting to be colonized? No, it was greed, pure British greed, that caused the corruption of Egypt’s balanced culture. The economic situation of Egypt before its colonization was quite good. The working and owning class maintained the industrial aspect while the upper class maintained the government and political prospect. Through the colonization of Egypt, Britain gained control of the Suez Canal, a major part of the world trade routes. With this advantage, Britain decided to heavily tax the ships which passed through. This brought mass amounts of money of which the Egyptians never saw. Instead of going to maintain Egypt or even the Suez Canal itself, the money went straight to the British government as profit. Finally, the news that Britain had colonized Egypt and was using it as a “profitable business“ reached the public. Immediately, the Egyptians began to leave the country. The British had to act quickly, for they knew that without the Egyptians to maintain the land and canal, the profit would be lost. The British

The Salem Witch Trials - A Research Paper

2000-03-01T13:00:00-05:00
Why do you hurt these children? I do not hurt them. I scorn it. Have you made no contract with the devil? No! Mr. John Hathorn, a Judge involved in the witchcraft case of Sarah Good, then asked all of the afflicted children to look upon her and see if this was the person that had hurt them so. They all gazed at Goody Good and said that this was the person that tormented them—presently they were all tormented. Puritanical beliefs had all of Salem truly believing that witches rode on broomsticks across the sky every night alongside the devil himself. They believed that these mere humans could send their “specter” out and haunt the children of their town. Proof of their belief follows, in an excerpt from Cotton Mather’s Memorable Providences: Go tell Mankind, that there are Devils and Witches; and that tho those night-birds least appear where the Day-light of the Gospel comes, yet New-Engl. has had Exemples of their Existence and Operation; and that no only the Wigwams of Indians, where the pagan Powaws often raise their masters, in the shapes of Bears and Snakes and Fires, but the House of Christians, where our God has had his constant Worship, have undergone the Annoyance of Evil spirits. Go tell the world, What Prays can do beyond all Devils and Witches, and What it is that these Monsters love to do; and through the Demons in the Audience of several standers-by threatned much disgrace to thy Author, if he let thee come abroad, yet venture That, and in this way seek a just Revenge on Them for the Disturbance they have given to such as have called on the Name of God. Rebecca Nurse Goody Nurse was a highly regarded, pious pillar of the community who unfortunately could not withstand the power of hysteria. There were many reasons that Rebecca was accused, but it was mostly the hatred exhibited towards her by the Putnam family. She was against Samuel Parris as Reverend of the Salem Town Church, while the Putnam family was his friend, and her husband was at war with the Putnam family estate over some land. Rebecca exuded a saint-like presence over the dark days of the witch-hunt. After her accusation, thirty-nine of the most prominent leaders of the community signed a petition attesting to Rebecca’s goodness of heart. Even one of her original accusers, Jonathan Putnam, put his name to the appeal.

Hattin: Trapping a Victory

2000-02-29T13:00:00-05:00
On June 26, 1187, the Muslim Sultan Saladin crossed the river Jordan with 20,000 of his followers – an army consisting of roughly 12,000 light horsemen and a number of footmen to a location south of the Sea of Galilee where he and his men encamped. They had been ravaging the nearby countryside in hopes of provoking a Christian attack, but had been unsuccessful. The Frankish Christians led by King Guy in Jerusalem had also mobilized their own army and camped at the spring at Saffuriyah . Marshall W. Baldwin says that the Franks too had an army 20,000 strong, but it was different in composition. The “Latins”, as they are called, were a cavalry of 1,200 heavily armored knights, 3,500 lightly armored, mounted sergeants, several thousand foot soldiers, as well as a large number of native auxiliaries as mounted bowmen . Between the two great forces (the largest memorable, Christian gathering in years) lay an arid terrain; the hot summer sun made travel extremely difficult, especially for large numbers. One could easily expect fatigue, dehydration, and low morale when venturing to the east of Saffuriyah until reaching the Sea of Galilee. Strategists of each side knew the consequences of traveling across the region and so, “the waiting game” was played to see who would be the one to be provoked into a trap through the valleys. Although Saladin had unified large sections of the Muslim world, his army was still not a standing one. The crusaders counted on the fact that Saladin would have trouble holding his army together for a long period of time because his soldiers were not full-time warriors. Many were also tradesmen or farmers that easily disbanded when there was no action to get back home . Saladin knew his situation and continually harassed the area of Tiberias in failed attempts to provoke the Christians into leaving Saffuriyah, until he decided on July, 2 to besiege the city itself. He moved the majority of his troops to the high ground west of Tiberias. From this location, the Muslims could block entrance to the city while still accessing water supplies from the Sea of Galilee through the eastern side of the ridge. Tiberias was poorly fortified and Saladin’s well – supplied forces had no trouble entering its walls. Residents of the city took refuge in the citadel, including the wife of Count Raymond of Tripoli who urgently sent west

Arthur Miller and his Distorted Historical Accuracies

2000-02-29T13:00:00-05:00
In 1953, Arthur Miller wrote his famous play The Crucible, in response to a fear of Communism that had developed in the United States during that decade. The “Red Scare”, as it was later called by historians was led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, whose paranoia of a communist takeover spread through the nation like a wildfire. Men and women alike fell victim to McCarthy’s pointed finger and as a result of this hysteria, were mostly deported from the country, their careers and lives ruined. Some argue today that McCarthy’s plan had been to use the fear of the American people to throw his enemies out of office and gain power himself. Whatever McCarthy’s motives may have been, Arthur Miller realized the senator’s ludicracy when he attempted to accuse the President himself to be Communist. Miller and the rest of the American people drew the line and McCarthy was seen a fraud. By the time the rest of the public had came to this realization, Miller’s play was written. The Crucible is a play in which Arthur Miller parallels events of the Salem witch trials of 1692 to the problems that were plaguing his own society. The statement that most readers today bring out of the play is that history has a way of repeating itself. Miller’s play was an extreme hit upon release and won a Tony award. The play is so popular today that many teachers in secondary schools use it to base their lesson around when teaching their students about 1692 Salem and there are multimedia activities based on Salem through The Crucible’s view. Miller is often asked to speak at events where similar “witch hunts” occur, acting as a sort of expert on the subject of Puritan Salem and acts of hysteria. The question is, why is Arthur Miller revered by so many as “the man to ask” regarding the Salem Witch trials when his play had many inaccuracies, some very obvious? Miller’s play is not a historical account of the events in 1692 Salem, but rather a work of fiction. It is important to realize that what Miller wrote is not fact by revealing where his play is historically flawed. Some of the more important discrepancies are discussed below: By examining Miller’s main plot relationship between characters Abigail Williams and John Proctor, we uncover many discrepancies, mainly that there was no relationship at all. To begin, there was

Urban and the Council of Clermont

2000-02-29T13:00:00-05:00
There are many accounts of that day in November, 1095. Some were written by monks, others by bishops, and even a few by warriors themselves. Historians are constantly asking, "What exactly did Pope Urban II say at the council of Clermont to persuade Christians to set forth on such a difficult venture as the Crusades?" One man, an early 12th century cleric named Fulcher of Chartres wrote perhaps the best historical chronicle of the events at Clermont and the speech of Urban II. Fulcher begins his account with a prologue that states how blessed the journeymen of the Crusades were to take up such a conquest. He follows this by speaking on the Council of Clermont. Fulcher describes Pope Urban II and what he heard was happening to the Christians in the east. What comes next in Flucher’s writing is a long speech, allegedly quoted from Urban II himself. In the speech, Urban first lectures his fellow clergymen regarding problems in the church, saying that they should "set [themselves] right before [they] do others"1 Fulcher, 51. Urban II next, as according to Fulcher, declares the doctrine of the church and re-instates the idea of the "Truce"2 McGinty, 52. He also discussed various crimes for which the criminal would be excommunicated from the Church. In Fulcher’s third section, Urban speaks of the "evils" in the east. He says, "there is work to do, you must help your brothers living in the Orient, who need your aid for which they have cried out many times"3 Fulcher, 52. He gives word that these "brothers" (Christians) are being threatened by the Turks who must be pushed back to Persia. Urban will grant remission of sins for their services. In closing, Fulcher tells how Urban II presses on to say, " Let no delay postpone the journey"4 Fulcher, 53. Fulcher of Chartres’ account of what happened at the Council of Clermont is a great piece, full of detail. Fulcher obviously held Pope Urban II in high regard. Throughout his chronicle, he douses him with compliments saying that he is " a man distinguished in life and character."5 Fulcher, 49. It might not seem like much now to put the Church’s interests before all others; however, in the Middle Ages people were extremely religious. The better Christian one was, the better man he was. Urban II speaks to his clergy about the problems in the Church and as Fulcher tells the

The Crimean War

2000-02-28T13:00:00-05:00
The Crimean War started because France and Russia wanted control over the Middle East and surrounding areas. The war lasted from 1856 to 1858, just under two years. The more important parts of the war are the causes and events that led up to it, the battle of the Alma, the naval wars of various seas and Sevastopol, the heavily fortified base of the Russian fleet. MLV Ffrench Blake states that the main cause of the war was "Russia's desire for territorial expansion, particularly towards a port in the Mediterranean." (Blake 1). He also believes that the inevitable drift into the war was aggravated by the back and forth nature of the rulers of the opposing countries and bad diplomacy. The immediate excuses of the war were for protection of oppressed minorities and retaliation against the death of nationalists in religious riots. Philip Warner believes that the main cause of the war was that Britain and Russia were both large countries and only one of them would be able to prevail. At the time, Britain was a country that stretched all the way to India and they couldn't afford to have line of communication through the Middle East cut. Russia spanned an entire eight million square miles. "However, the looseness and backwardness of their territories did not stop the Russians from wishing to extend their influence." (Warner 5). Albert Seaton believes that the Tsar Nicholas did not want war, but it was part of his political strategy to bring Europe to the brink of hostilities in order to intimidate those who opposed him. "He would undoubtedly have taken even greater risks if only France and Turkey had been involved, but he was worried by the close interest taken by the British in the Middle East, for the islanders were already openly assessing the armed strengths there and did not conceal their low opinion of the value of the Black Sea Fleet." (Seaton 42). Philip Warner believes that the battle of the Alma occurred because Sebastopol, Russia's heavily fortified base, had no proper defences and it was decided that the part of the Russian army would be sent to completely stop or at least slow down the Allied Army at Alma. The Russians and the Allies both set up very planned out and strategic formations, but they just ended up attacking each other head on. For some reason, Menschikov, the commander of the

Was the French Revolution Preventable?

2000-02-28T13:00:00-05:00
The French Revolution was a major transformation of the society and political system of France, lasting from 1789 to 1799. During the course of the Revolution, France was changed from an absolute monarchy, to a republic of supposedly equal and free citizens. The effects of the French Revolution were widespread, both inside and outside of France, and impacted all of Europe. At times the outcome of revolt led to social change and at times it just led to unnecessary bloodshed. Was this revolution inevitable? Was there something different that the government or people could have done to prevent the horrible atrocities of The Reign of Terror under Robespierre and his men? There are clear social, economic and political changes that could have been made too prevent this revolution from occurring when it did. However, although the government could have postponed this revolution, it was also somewhat inevitable, because of the great differences in the society of the peasants and the nobles divided the entire society. The government was also just trying to make too many things right at the wrong time and this is why they could possibly have not avoided the French Revolution. Economically, many changes could have been made in the way that would have prevented such anger arising from the people. However, there are also a few problems that could not have been avoided. Economic decline in the 1770s may have frustrated some bourgeois in their rise to power and wealth, and rising bread prices just before the Revolution certainly increased dissatisfaction among workers and peasants. France also suffered from harsh economic problems. Poor farm harvests by farmers hurt the economy, and trade rules from the Middle Ages still survived, making trade difficult. At this time, the gap between the rich and the poor was becoming greater, with the poor becoming poorer, and the rich becoming richer. A central bank was nowhere to be found, there was no paper currency and in general, taxes were becoming greater for the peasants. In this economically challenged society what could have been done to change all of these economic problems from the beginning? One of the major problems that the government should have dealt with long ago is the use of the funds that they did have. Under rulers in the past such as Louis the XIV, poor economic decisions were made. Louis the XIV did not invest wisely, he

Celtic Lifestyle

2000-02-27T13:00:00-05:00
During the period when the Celts existed, which is approximately 800 BC - 400 AD, they were just a little tribe compared to other large civilizations such as the Romans and Greeks. They still managed to conquer many regions and prove victorious in most of their battles. Who were these Celts that survived numerous struggles? Where did they originate? What kind of social structure did they have? What kinds of beliefs did they have? What sort of weapons and armor did they use in battle? What were some of their military tactics? These are some of the questions that will be evaluated in the following paragraphs. The Celts were tall, fair-skinned warriors who were well built, had blond hair and blue eyes. Some of them washed their hair in lime water to increase the hue of it. Some of them shaved their beards, but others let them grow long. Some also shaved their cheeks and let their moustaches grow so long that they would cover their mouth. While eating, they sat on wolves or dog skins. They ate at low tables, like the Chinese, and were served by young boys and girls. They cooked big quarters, usually from a pig or calf over a fire on a spit and the hero was served the biggest portion. Seeing as how the they were so aggressive and easy to anger, they often fought during meals or challenged each other to fights. The Celts lived in the Western region of Europe called the Normandy region. Normandy is a small region in the north of France, but they spread out from that region through all of France and Belgium. They also conquered areas in the western part of Germany, through the Black Forest region, along the Jura Mountains of Switzerland, along the Alps and to the upper part of Spain in the Pyrenees Mountains. They expanded their region to Spain and Portugal in 600 BC and through Italy, beyond the Alps in 386 BC. In 325 BC - 279 BC, they conquered areas throughout Greece, and in 278 BC they expanded into Asia Minor. But around 250 BC, the Romans regained their power in Italy and pushed the Celts back towards Gaul (modern day France) until 52 BC when the Romans, under command of Julius Caesar finally pushed them out of main land Europe and into England and then into Ireland, where the Celts fended themselves

History of the Ferrari

2000-02-27T13:00:00-05:00
Ferrari, when most people think of this word they think of two things: speed and sport. Ferrari is one of the most distinguished cars in history. It has won more races than almost any other cars racing. It is also just delicate a machine as it is the fast and furious sports car. Ferrari has come a great distance since its begins in the stock races onto the modern road. It has been compared with such great cars as the Bugatti and Alfa Romeo. In my report I will tell you the beginning and the future of this famous sports car. The Maker The man who made Ferrari, and made the name, was Enzo Ferrari. Born in Modena February 18, 1898. Forced to leave school when his father died he got work as a turning instructor in the Modena Fire Brigades' workshop. He served in WW I as a mechanic and later found work as a test driver in 1918 in Turin. He later moved to CMN to become a race car driver and tester. His racing debut came in the 1919 Parma-Berceto race and he entered the Targa Florio that same year. In 1920, he moved to Alfa Romeo establishing a relationship that lasted two decades and a career that took him from test driver to race driver to sales assistant and finally to the post of Director of the Alfa Racing Division until November 1939. (www.ferrari.it/storia/enzoferr.e/enzoferr.html) In 1929 he joined with Alfa Romeo. He made the name Scuderia Ferrari. His goal was to organize racing for Alfa. He fully took over in 1933 and in 1940 completely separated from Alfa. The workshop was bombed out in 1944 and rebuilt in 1946 the year in which it started designing and building the very first Ferrari. In 1963 Enzo Ferrari built his Istituto Professionale per l'Industria e l'Artigianato, a training school in Maranello. In 1972 he built the Fiorano test track. (www.ferrari.it/storia/enzoferr.e/enzoferr.html) He received numerous awards for his automotive genius, such as Italian award of Cavaliere and the Gold Medal from the Italian School of Art and Culture. After his many accomplishments and his numerous racing wins, he died on August 14 1988. The Early Years Now I will tell you of the early years of this car. The first Ferrari's were stock and racing cars, the Ferrari became a "street car" in about 1950, and were made in Maranello during WW II with the soul purpose

The Effects of The Black Death on the Economic and Social Life of Europe

2000-02-26T13:00:00-05:00
The Black Death is the name later given to the epidemic of plague that ravaged Europe between 1347 and 1351. The disaster affected all aspects of life. Depopulation and shortage of labor hastened changes already inherent in the rural economy; the substitution of wages for labor services was accelerated, and social stratification became less rigid. Psychological morbidity affected the arts; in religion, the lack of educated personnel among the clergy gravely reduced the intellectual vigor of the church. "In less than four years the disease carved a path of death through Asia, Italy, France, North Africa, Spain and Normandy, made its way over the Alps into Switzerland, and continued eastward into Hungary" (Microsoft Bookshelf, page 1). After a brief respite, the plague resumed, crossing the channel into England, Scotland, and Ireland, and eventually made its way into the northern countries of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and even as far north as Greenland. In other words, the plague touched almost the entire known world. So much death could not help but tear economic and social structures apart. Lack of peasants and laborers sent wages soaring, and the value of land plummeted. For the first time in history the scales tipped against wealthy landlords as peasants and serfs gained more bargaining power. Without architects, masons and artisans, great cathedrals and castles remained unfinished for hundreds of years. Governments, lacking officials, floundered in their attempts to create order out of chaos. The living lost all sense of morality and justice, and a new attitude toward the church emerged. Medieval people could find no Divine reason for the four-year nightmare, and dissatisfaction with the church gave impetus to reform movements that eventually broke apart the unity of the Catholic Church. The plague itself was disastrous enough, especially in the appearance of more than one form during the same epidemic. But coming when it did was as catastrophic as its form. The middle 14th century was not a good time for Europe. The European economy was already in difficulties. It was approaching the limits of expansion, both on its frontiers and in reclaiming land from forest and swamp. The arrival of the Mongols and the Ottomans had disrupted trade routes, and certain areas of Europe were edging into depression. "The Church was in poor shape as well. The popes resided at Avignon, not at Rome, to the scandal of many. Heresy could be found in England and Bohemia

The Invasion of Normandy

2000-02-26T13:00:00-05:00
The battle plan, code-named Operation Overlord, called for the largest amphibious assault ever to start the liberation of occupied Europe from Nazi Germany. It began in the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, now known as D-Day. Thousands of American, British, Canadian, and French soldiers-backed by paratroopers, bombers, and warships-stormed a 50-mile stretch of French beach called Normandy. This "invasion of Normandy" was the greatest event to occur between the years of 1919 and 1945. D-day was the beginning of the end of the war. The invasion of Normandy allowed the Allied forces to get their soldiers back on the European mainland and to start defeating German opposition and Nazi tyranny. It was the major turning point of World War II and perhaps one of the greatest strategic military operations that ever executed. As the tide of World War II began to turn in favor of the Allies, U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower had the task of forming the largest invasion fleet in history, in order for an amphibious landing on the northern coast of France to be effective. If it was executed as planned and labeled a success, the landing would be the starting point for the massive attack. The attack would move eastward through France and into Nazi Germany. In May, while millions of troops and equipment poured into the staging area of southern Britain, the Allies created a decoy. False radio transmissions and rows of inflated rubber tanks and landing craft located away from the true staging area kept the Germans confused about the operation's size and target. The invasion of northern France from England was not launched in May, as its planners had initially prescribed, but on June 6, the famous D-Day of World War II. A huge fighting force had been assembled, including 1,200 fighting ships, 10,000 planes, 4,126 landing craft, 804 transport ships, and hundreds of amphibious and other special purpose tanks. During the operation, 156,000 troops, of which 73,000 were American, were landed in Normandy, airborne and seaborne. As the day of the invasion approached, the weather in the English Channel became stormy. Heavy winds, a five-foot swell at sea, and lowering skies compelled Eisenhower to postpone the assault from the fifth to the sixth of June. Conditions remained poor, but when weathermen predicted that the winds would abate and the cloud cover rise enough on the scheduled day of the attack to permit a go-ahead,

The Spanish-American War:

2000-02-26T13:00:00-05:00
During the last years of the nineteenth century, the United States would find itself involved in what John Jay, the American secretary of state, later referred to as a "splendid little war; begun with highest motives, carried on with magnificent intelligence and spirit, favored by that fortune which loves the brave." From an American standpoint, because there were few negative results, and so many significantly positive consequences, John Jay was correct in calling the Spanish-American War a "splendid little war." The defeat of the Spanish forces marked the end of their rule in the Americas and also marked the rise of the United States as a global military power. The Spanish-American War affected the United States in a number of other ways. It helped speed the construction of the Panama Canal and also resulted in the U.S.'s acquisition of foreign territories. There were also many other minor positive outcomes to the war as opposed to the few negative consequences that resulted. The Spanish-American War was the brief conflict that the United States waged against Spain in 1898. The war had grown out of the Cuban struggle for independence, and whose other causes included American imperialism and the sinking of the U.S warship Maine. The actual hostilities in the war lasted four months, from April 25 to August 12, 1898. Most of the fighting occurred in or near the Spanish colonial possessions of Cuba and the Philippines, nearly halfway around the world form each other. In both battlegrounds, the decisive military event was the complete destruction of a Spanish naval squadron by a vastly superior U.S. fleet. These victories, after brief resistance, brought about the surrender of the Spanish to U.S. military forces as indicated by a peace treaty signed between the two countries on December 10, 1898, in Paris, France. In the end, the Americans had minimal casualties, while the Spanish suffered immense fatalities and damage to their naval resources (Encyclopedia Britannica). The Spanish-American War marked the end of Spain's colonial empire and the end of its rule in the Americas. Since the early 19th century, Americans had watched the series of revolutions that ended Spanish authority throughout South America, Central America, and Mexico. Many people in the United States, however, were irritated by the fact that the Spanish flag continued to fly in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Spain's brutal ways of putting down Cuban demands for some form of personal liberty

The Failure of The League Of Nations

2000-02-24T13:00:00-05:00
The League of Nations, a former international organization, was formed after World War I to promote international peace and security. The basis of the League, also called the Covenant, was written into the Treaty of Versailles and other peace treaties and provided for an assembly, a council, and a secretariat. Because the peace treaties had created the League of Nations, the League was bound to uphold their principles. but however, it became apparent that some of the terms of the treaties were harsh and unjust and needed amending. This undermined the league. Woodrow Wilson hoped however, by including it in the treaties that this would ensure that the League was accepted by all nations. However, from the start, the League shared many of the weaknesses of the treaties themselves. The defeated powers were not consulted about the league and were not invited to join. The victorious powers did not really agree among themselves about the League. A system of colonial commands was also set up. Based in Geneva, the League proved useful in settling minor international disputes, but they had a hard time stopping aggression involving major powers such as, Japan's occupation of Manchuria in 1931, Italy's invasion of Ethiopia in 1935-36, and Germany's seizure of Austria in 1938. It collapsed early in World War II and ended in 1946. Its ending in 1946 was because it had some basic and fundamental problems such as dealing with aggression involving major powers. Countries like Japan and Italy were able to just walk over the League of Nations because it had no armed forces of its own and it relied upon the co-operation of its members. This problem was inter-linked with the fact that the League was very slow at making decisions. With no armed forces this made it difficult to impose decisions. Therefore when a crisis occurred the league was supposed to act fast with resoluteness. Although, often the League met too infrequently and took far too long to make critical decisions. This need for all members to agree on a course of action undermined the strength of the League. The League was too indecisive they needed some influential countries. The absence of the powerful USA and, until 1934, the USSR were felt, this could have been the answer to the League's problems. However these countries did not join and again this contributed the failure of the league, as non-members, they could and

Truman's Domestic Policy

2000-02-21T13:00:00-05:00
Despite strong opposition from a Republican congress, Truman attempted to extend Roosevelt’s New Deal policies by strengthening social security, conservation, implementing rent controls, and providing housing to low-income families. At times, however, Truman was inconsistent with his own party’s beliefs and the ideal of the New Deal in order to suit the immediate situation and retain public support. Furthermore, Truman supported civil rights actions and for the first time, increased the political status of African American citizens. Truman’s various other reforms were much like the proposals of Roosevelt, but the mood of the nation due to its affluence and that of Congress opposed his efforts and the changing times proved that Truman’s Fair Deal was not as necessary as FDR’s New Deal. Truman’s organized policy to elaborate on the New Deal was termed the Fair Deal and aimed to improve social conditions like Roosevelt’s plan had done previously. His immediate goals were full employment and an improved economy, as well as to provide for the common good. The Fair Labor Standards Act increased the minimum wage from 40 cents to 75 cents and the Social Security Act increased benefits to the elderly by 77.5%. Also, to the advantage of those who lived in rented homes and apartments, Truman lengthened rent controls to March 1951, and in addition, the Housing Act vowed to eliminate slums and established 810,000 low-income houses, thus providing a good amount of citizens with affordable housing. The president also implemented the Employment Act in 1946 to help stabilize the postwar economy. The act created a three member council of economic advisors and a joint committee to study and propose stabilization measures. Moreover, Truman attempted to establish a Missouri Valley Authority while extending the power of the Tennessee Valley authority, but was unsuccessful. However, the president did obtain increases in hydroelectric, water control, and irrigation projects in the west. Like Roosevelt, Truman was concerned about the welfare of farmers and encouraged the Brennan Plan to maintain farm income standards through price supports, loans, and storage of nonperishable commodities. Although the plan failed , the Agriculture Act of October, 1949 continued price supports at 90% parity through 1950 and then at 75-90% afterwards. This act was consistent with New Deal farm policy. Truman made other New Dealish attempts, like National Health Insurance and federal aid to education, but both were defeated with the help of protests by interest groups,

2000-02-20T13:00:00-05:00

2000-02-20T13:00:00-05:00

America's Great Depression

2000-02-18T13:00:00-05:00
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. Among the many myths surrounding the Great Depression are that Herbert Hoover was a laissez faire president and that FDR brought us out of the depression. What caused the Great Depression? To get a handle on that, it's necessary to look at previous depressions and compare. The Great Depression was by no means the first depression this country ever had, but it was clearly the worst. What made it different than the rest? At the time of the Great Depression, government intervention in the economy was higher than it had ever been and a special government agency had been set up specifically to prevent depressions and their associated problems, such as bank panics. This agency was the Federal Reserve Board and it was to have been the loaner of last resorts for banks in order to prevent collapses as had happened during earlier depressions. But as America sees, there is good reason to believe that the Federal actions explain many of the problems that lead up to the stock market crash and the subsequent depression. Although there are many macroeconomics schools of thought, this paper will be concentrating on two initially, Keynesian economics and Austrian School economics. Keynesian economics got its start during the Great Depression with the publication in 1936 of The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money, by John Maynard Keynes. Austrian School economics began much Earlier, most notably with the publication in 1871 of Carl Menger's Principles of Economics. While the Austrian theory has Never been mainstream (economist Paul Krugman refers to it as the economic equivalent of the phlogiston theory), its adherents are some of the harshest critics of Keynesian interventions. The greater of the two economic systems used has got to be Keynesian. The exact cause of business cycles is one of the biggest problems in economics. There are several explanations. The current Keynesian models rely on what is referred to as "sticky wages" (or "sticky prices") to explain why the cycles occurs. Under these models, wages or prices fail to reach their market clearing level. The Austrian School explanation is that all business

Whittington Castle

2000-02-18T13:00:00-05:00
When assigned the England project, I wanted to research something having to do with my heritage. My ancestors originate from England. Correspondingly, I chose Whittington Castle. According to an old English legend, one of my family ancestors, Dick Whittington, set out from the castle for London, in search of his fortune. After residing in London for a time, Dick Whittington went on to be “thrice Lord Mayor of London”. That piece of history supposedly occurred in 1368, but the first construction of Whittington Castle was in 845 and modeled after the Norman Motte and Bailey castles of the time. Entirely, my information on Whittington Castle came from Internet sources. Because of the unfortunate ruination of ancient castle, it is almost forgotten today. Except for several small web sites, I found little or no information on Whittington castle. One such site was http://www.data-wales.co.uk/whitt.htm. Another site was http://www.btinternet.com/~whittington.castle/. Intriguing was the next site I found: http://www.castlewales.com/whittng.html. Constructing the Whittington castle in 845, the builders designed it after the Motte and Bailey style castles. But it was later remodeled in 1221 replacing the old structure with stone. Originally, the castle was assembled with seven towers, each about 18 meters high, with wall 3.7 meters thick, and a drawbridge over 12 meters long. Now, only the gatehouse remains. Around the castle, extensive marshlands acted as protection in medieval days. The remnants of Whittington castle are situated in the small village of Whittington, a few miles outside of Shrewsbury, England. Originally, the motte castle of Whittington was built by the Welsh Prince Ynyr ap Cadfarch. After being seized by Roger de Montgomery, the castle was given to Sir William Perveril of Peak. Perveril had no male heir; therefore his eldest daughter Mellet inherited the castle. Passing down through marriage to the fitz Warren family, King Henry III granted the fitz Warrens permission to build a stone fortress on the motte foundation. Although friends with King Henry, the fitz Warrens had an interesting love/hate relationship with the English monarchy. Fulk fitz Warren is reputed to have quarreled with Prince John, eventually causing Warren to flee France. He avoided certain death. Subsequent to Fulk’s exile and pardon, he was able to return and repossess Whittington castle. Judiciously, the fitz Warren family held the fortress and its grounds until 1420. Interesting is one legend concerning the heirs of Whittington Castle. In the ruins it said that people have seen

The Globe Theater

2000-02-18T13:00:00-05:00
Among the many famous writers we have studied this year is William Shakespeare. Shakespeare's life was assuredly most intriguing. Seeking answers, we had simple questions we wanted to determine. What were his morals? His passions? His legacy? When studying Shakespeare, we found that his life revolved around the Globe Theatre. Naturally we wanted to see why Shakespeare spent so much of his life involved in the Globe. The first Globe lasted from 1599-1613. Additionally, this structure was called the "wooden o" playhouse. Before the Globe, there was another “Theatre”, which many people do not realize. “The Theatre” prospered for 21 years. Refusing to renew the players’ lease, the landowner Giles Allen caused an unexpected problem for the players. James Burbage had recently died and his two sons, Richard and Cuthbert became managers. Although Allen owned the land, the sons owned the Theatre, and they wanted their valuable timber. In desperation, the brothers decided to take action. They leased land across the river and they waited until Christmastime to strike, when they could be sure Allen was away on vacation. At night they began to dismantle the Theatre piece by piece and floated it across the river Thames. With the timber, the brothers and their friends reconstructed their cherished playhouse. Because of the saying "the whole world is a stage" they would call it the Globe Theatre. By the middle of 1599 the Globe opened and was a huge success. Audiences were packed in "the house with a thatched roof", sometimes even so much as three thousand people could be held at once. For sixpence the rich sat in the Lord's Rooms to get a better view, which were on the top half of the Globe. For threepence they sat on cushions in the Gentlemen's Rooms. For twopence they perched on hard wooden benches, but most were called "groundlings" who paid a penny to stand in the yard beneath the open roof. Interestingly enough, there were two trap doors, the trap door to heaven and the trap door to hell. Since the players already had to pay for the structure most of the actors actually lived in the Theatre. During a play of Henry the V, a spark from a cannon accidentally caught the thatched roof on fire and the whole Globe was burned down in less than an hour. Yet within a year a second Globe was built and completed

The End of World War I

2000-02-17T13:00:00-05:00
As the news of the individual surrender spread, fellow Germans saw that they were losing the war and started mutinies. Many people told the Kaiser to seek an armistice with the allies. However, he did not show any intensions of giving up. With the end so close, many American newspapers started to create rumors that the armistice had signed been signed by the Germans. They assumed that our leaders were suing for peace. They were still only considering signing an armistice. The American armistice was based on Woodrow Wilson's fourteen-point plan. He did have a hard time convincing the other allies that the fourteen-point plan was going to work. Wilson who was wanted peace without actually winning the war. By the time the armistice was signed, the people of Germany were happy that the war had ended. The treaty was signed at Rethondes, France at 5:00 pm on November 11 1918. Two days earlier Kaiser Williams of Germany had abdicated and fled to the Netherlands. Prince Max of Beden had immediately accepted defeat. The word quickly passed along the front and at 11:00 the battles should stop. Many notes had passed between Prince Williams and President Wilson in the days that led to the armistice. All of the matters were discussed through notes although a representative was sent to explain the idea behind the fourteen point and other American theories that led to the formation of the armistice. After the armistice was signed and the war ended many of the Americans flooded the towns located near the front, they celebrated. Many sang their national anthem. The streets were crowded with people. The town center was so filled that you could hardly see anything. Church bells ringed through out Europe to praise the end of the war. Many people even sung huge flags of either America or France. Many of the soldiers just stared and wondered what was going on. They had seen all the death and did not realize why the men celebrated. Many people endorsed the fourteen-point plan. Some even thought that he would win the noble peace prize for his work during the tragic war. Many Americans believed that their president their war hero had ended the war with the fourteen points for peace. Many of the allies wanted to put and end to the war by claming victory and puncture the economy of Germany forever. However, Wilson said

Comparing and Contrasting Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, and Renaissance periods

2000-02-14T13:00:00-05:00
Analysis of Early Civilizations Through Literature A culture that evolves and changes through time is a healthy culture indeed. From the early pagan warriors to the artisans of the Renaissance, the European world dramatically reformed. The literature of each era indicates the profound cultural innovations. The Anglo-Saxon’s arguably most important literary piece, Beowulf, is a story of a brave warrior who fights Grendel. Grendel is described as, “A powerful monster, living down/ In the darkness…”(lines 1-2). This affray demonstrates the timeless battle of good versus evil. The universal struggle is maintained in the Medieval plight for an ideal of perfect chivalry. Knights were guarded with utmost respect and sincerity as Chaucer’s “The General Prologue” from The Canterbury Tales mentions, “There was a Knight, a most distinguished man, / Who from the day on which he first began / To ride abroad had followed chivalry,” (lines 43-45). Although the fight of good versus evil is consistent, the moral code is held above pure strength in battle. The Renaissance period was more focused on ideals of intelligence and the arts rather than bravery or actions in battle. Sonnets and rhyming verse were very popular and the most famous were often love stories as was “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love.” For example, the lines, “And I will make thee beds of roses, / And a thousand fragrant posies” (lines 9-10) express an ideal of romance and nature. The literature of these three time periods proves they are each very unique. However each culture stems from the previous development and are therefore similar. The Anglo-Saxon, Medieval and Renaissance eras each possess characteristics of warfare, leadership, and religion that intertwine and reticulate among themselves. The Anglo-Saxon period paved the way for years to come by forming a basic civilization to be shaped and molded into the world, as we know it today. This era (beginning in 449 A.D. and ending in 1066 A.D.) was an age of fierce battles coupled with equally fierce loyalty to rulers and tribes. The epic poem Beowulf portrays the quintessential literary piece of the time by demonstrating both of these cultural elements. When the anonymous author tells, “…He/ And all his glorious band of Geats/ Thanked God that their leader had come back unharmed” (lines 597-599), he or she is referring to the universal devotion expressed by the public to their gold-lord, king of tribe, earl or other ruling

How James Watt affected the economic growth of our nation

2000-02-08T13:00:00-05:00
James Watt made many contributions to this country during the Industrial Revolution. He made numerous improvements on the Newcome steam engine, invented the term horse power, and designed the Sun and Planet wheel. He contributed most of his life to make others’ lives easier and for them to prosper and grow. In 1763 John Anderson asked Watt to repair one of his steam engines which was an early version of a Newcome steam engine. This engine wasted a lot of time and fuel so it was economically inefficient. The reasons for the inefficiency was the cylinder had to be heated when steam was admitted and then slowly cooled down again to condense the steam. This process wasted a lot of time, energy, and steam. As he was wandering through Glasgow Green he struck upon an idea that would revolutionize the steam engine. This idea was “that in order to make the best use of the steam it was necessary that first, that the cylinder should always remain as hot as the steam which entered it; secondly that when the steam was condensed, the water of which it is composed, and injection itself, should be cooled down to a 100 degrees, or lower where it is possible.” This method did not work at first, but in 1765 he discovered “that if a communication were opened between a cylinder containing steam and another vessel, which was exhausted of air and other fluids, the steam, as an elastic fluid would immediately rush into the empty vessel, and continue to do so until it had established an equilibrium. If that vessel were kept dry and cool by an injection, or otherwise, more steam would continue to enter until the whole was condensed.” He fixed the problem of water and air coming out of the exhausted vessel by adding a pump to extract both air and water. This is Watt’s great contribution to the Newcome steam engine which would now run faster, cleaner, safer, and more economically efficient. This made the steam engine a useful economical source of power which for over a hundred years stayed exactly the same without alteration. Watt charged his customers a price for using his steam engines. To justify this he compared his machine to a horse. Watt calculated that a horse exerted a pull of 180 lbs., therefore, when he made a machine, he described its power in relation to a

How the Adams-Onís Treaty affected the growth of our nation

2000-02-08T13:00:00-05:00
Americans were interested in further expansion and looked to the weak Spanish provinces of East and West Florida. The Spanish were reluctant to give up what is now Florida, but in the end they worked out an agreement called the Adams Onis Treaty. In this essay I will describe how the Americans eventually got these provinces, the set backs of the signing of the treaty, and how it effected the economic growth of our nation. Americans living in West Florida between the Iberville and Perdido Rivers declared their independence, and President Madison ordered the Governor of New Orleans Territory to take control of the independent land. The Americans now had control over half the territory they wanted but this did not satisfy them, this only made them more eager to gain control of East Florida. Almost two years after this event peace concluded, but Spain still had possession of East Florida. This time Spain only had two solutions to avoid a shameful political break down over this region. One was to gain support of a European ally, and the second was to get some form of honor in this event by winning some of the United States best land else where in North America. The first plan fell through, Britain and other European nations refused to help Spain. They eventually fell to having discussions with the United States. The American government was entirely willing to have discussion of the East Florida issue become the end result of all Spanish-American boundary questions. John Quincy Adams was the Secretary of State and was the person taking care of all discussions between the U.S. and Spain. He saw that this was a perfect time to try to extend the boundary to the Pacific Ocean. Luis de Onís was the minister of Spain at the time and he was the Spanish representative to the U.S. His instructions from the Spanish government was to transfer the Florida’s to the United States in return for the American settlement west of the Mississippi. Onis was also to get a promise that the United States would not give material aid to, or recognize the independence of Spain’s colonies in South America because of their lack of cooperation. Difficulties came up over negotiating a satisfactory boundary in the West and also over the command to put American military in East Florida in 1818. The first problem made the negotiations last longer, but

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

2000-02-08T13:00:00-05:00
The Nazi party affected many people around the world through both the Holocaust and World War II. Hitler had a plan to exterminate all the Jews, and propelled this idea through the Holocaust putting Jews in concentration camps and killing them. Hitler's evil plan caused one of the world's biggest tragedies, World War II. Adolf Hitler, who was the leader of the Nazis, was born in Austria just across the border from German Bavaria. Hitler would begin to read his fathers history books about Native Americans and how they were slaughtered along with reading about battles between the Germans and Russians. This would make him familiar to racism at an early age. Hitler did not get along with his father when he was young because his father wanted him to get into politics and he like drawing instead, but he still got into art and the reason he started to hate Jews is because he could not sell his artwork but the Jews did (Shirer 3-14). Hitler still did business with Jewish shop owners in selling his paintings, however, the seeds of hate were planted and would be nurtured by events soon to come, laying the foundation for one of the greatest tragedies in all of human history. Adolf became a drifter for several years after both his parents passed away. Hitler volunteered for the German Army and in his first engagement against the British and Belgians near Pyres, 2,500of the 3,000 men in Hitler's regiment were killed, wounded or missing. This war experience gave Hitler what he needed to one day be a successful military leader. Adolf Hitler joined the committee of the German Workers' Party and entered politics. In the summer of 1920 Hitler chose the swastika for the National Socialist German Workers' Party, for short Nazi. At what is known as The Beer Hall Putsch a man by the name Kahr was giving a speech in front of some 3,000 supporters of the Bavarian government. Hitler shot his pistol in the middle of Kahr's speech and shouted, "The national revolution has begun." The "revolution" began when Hitler lied to the people saying the Bavarian Trumimvirate (Kahr, Lossow, and Seisser) had joined forces with him. When the people applauded the Bavarian Truimvirate joined him (Shirer 35). By the summer of 1923, the Nazi party had grown to 150,000 members. Hitler knew this was the right time to take over the government.

Jews in Nuremberg

2000-02-02T13:00:00-05:00

Impact of the Automobile from 1900-1945

2000-01-25T13:00:00-05:00
The impact of the automobile between 1900 through 1945 was immense. It paved the way for a future dependency on the automobile. To paint a better picture, imagine life without an automobile. Everyday life would be dull, cumbersome, and tedious. An individual’s mobility would be very limited. Basically, the life without an automobile could not be fathomed. The importance of the automobile is often taken for granite. Society may not know what appreciate the impact of the automobile and effects it has created. The impact of the automobile had both positive and negative effects on America between 1900 through 1945. Automobile provided an outlet for individuals and spread the freedom of travel among all classes of people. It also helped to introduce rural dwellers to the aspects of urban life and vice versa. One of the negative effects was that automobiles helped to put of big decline in the use of railroads. Over the course of the paper, I will try to expose the huge impact of the automobile an early twentieth century life. The image of a self-propelled vehicle dates back around the early thirteenth century. Europe is the birthplace of the automobile, but it was adopted by America. Roger Bacon had a vision of cars being made without animals so they can be at astonishing speeds and maneuverability . About three hundreds years later, Leonardo Da Vinci rejuvenate Bacon’s idea with hopes of creating a military vehicle. His idea was transformed into the modern day tank. The first step in making a self-propelled vehicle was taken by Nicholas Joseph Cugnot. He was an eighteenth century French artillery officer. “In 1769 he built and ran a three-wheeled carriage mounting a steam engine of his own design, with the idea that it might be used for pulling guns”2. It was very clumsy vehicle that was shot into the air when it reached the top speed of three miles an hour. Cugnot’s vehicle provided almost no improvement of the horse. In the early years of the nineteenth century an American and British duo had began an automotive experiment. Richard Trevithick, a British engineer, and American genius, Oliver Evans created a workable but crude vehicle propelled by steam3. This early experiment was an improvement, but the railroads and stagecoach companies joined together. With this new combining of forces the new steam vehicle, the Orkuter Amphibolos, was brought down. Etienne Lenoir and Beau de

The Chesapeake and New England Colonies: A Comparison

2000-01-21T13:00:00-05:00
During the late 16th century and into the 17th century, European nations rapidly colonized the newly discovered Americas. England in particular sent out numerous groups to the eastern coast of North America to two regions. These two regions were known as the Chesapeake and the New England areas. Later, in the late 1700’s, these two areas would bond to become one nation. Yet from the very beginnings, both had very separate and unique identities. These differences, though very numerous, spurred from one major factor: the very reason the settlers came to the New World. This affected the colonies in literally every way, including economically, socially, and politically. The Chesapeake region of the colonies included Virginia, Maryland, the New Jerseys (both East and West) and Pennsylvania. In 1607, Jamestown, the first English colony in the New World (that is, the first to thrive and prosper), was founded by a group of 104 settlers to a peninsula along the James River. These settlers hoped to find gold, silver, a northwest passage to Asia, a cure for syphilis, or any other valuables they might take back to Europe and make a profit. Lead by Captain John Smith, who “outmaneuvered other members of the colony’s ruling and took ruthlessly took charge” (Liberty Equality Power, p. 57), a few lucky members of the original voyage survived. These survivors turned to the local Powhatan Indians, who taught them the process of corn- and tobacco-growing. These staple-crops flourished throughout all five of these colonies. New England was north of the Chesapeake, and included Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Haven (which soon became part of Connecticut). The New Englanders were largely Puritan Separatists, who sought religious freedom. When the Church of England separated from Catholicism under Henry VIII, Protestantism flourished in England. Some Protestants, however, wanted complete separation from Catholicism and embraced Calvinism. These “Separatists” as they were called, along with persecuted Catholics who had not joined the Church of England, came to New England in hopes of finding this religious freedom where they would be free to practice as they wished. Their motives were, thus, religious in nature, not economic. In fact, New England settlers reproduced much of England’s economy, with only minor variations. They did not invest largely in staple crops, instead, relied on artisan-industries like carpentry, shipbuilding, and printing. The Chesapeake and New England attracted different types of settlers and, by 1700, the populations

Articles of Confederation

2000-01-17T13:00:00-05:00
Soon after the Revolutionary War in America, a new government was started when the Articles of Confederation (Articles) were adopted by the Continental Congress. The Articles set up a democratic government that gave the States the power to make their own laws and to enforce them. However, the Articles were ineffective and failed to provide a strong government. During this Critical Period in the history of the United States, regionalism and anarchy were growing because of the following reasons. 1) The Continental Congress controlled public affairs but there was nothing in the Articles that gave Congress the power to enforce laws or unify the States. 2) There was no solid monetary system to ensure that taxes would be paid or to protect commerce, both nationally and foreign trade. 3) The country lacked unity and strength because there was no leadership. The Articles were ineffective because Congress only had the power to recommend actions to the States. It could not enforce its recommendations or laws. Each State had its own constitution, monetary system, and means to enforce the law. Each State had a stronger commitment to the State laws and to the State's own self interests than to the recommendations of Congress. Regionalism pitted one State against another, which decreased the sense of unity in the country. For example, when Congress recommended an impost, or duty, on imported goods, the State of Rhode Island voted to reject the idea because they felt it was unfair and was against the constitution of the State (Document A). The Articles failed to provide a solid monetary system to ensure that taxes would be paid or to protect commerce. Congress had no way to collect taxes to pay off pre-war debts. This led to chaos and anarchy when soldiers that hadn't been paid marched on Philadelphia, and Congress had to flee to Princeton New Jersey (Document C). Each State had it's own money, but there was no national money system. Since the money had no value from state to state, the people began to use the barter system of trade. This reduced the amount of trade and importation of goods. There was very little economic progress and growth during this period even though the population was increasing. (Document B). Self interest of the States and of individuals added to the cause of the problems. For example, John Jay tried to create a treaty with Great Britain that

Herodotus

2000-01-09T13:00:00-05:00
Herodotus (484-424 BC ?) a Greek historian, known as the father of history, who was the first historian to apply critical evaluation to his material, while also recording divergent opinions. He made his prose style resemble the finest poetry by its persuasiveness, its charm, and its utterly delightful effect. Although his writings have been praised, their trustworthiness has been questioned both in ancient and modern times. After four years in Athens, he traveled widely in Egypt, Asia and the Black Sea region of E. Europe, before settling at Thurii in S. Italy in 443 BC. He wrote accounts of his various travels for the people of Greece. He read his, "History" publicly to the Athenians and was rewarded for this historical work. He contrived to set before his fellow citizens a general picture of the world, of its various races, and of the previous history of those nations which had one. He also was very careful to diversify his pages by scattering among his more serious matter tales, anecdotes, and descriptions of a lighter character, which are very graceful additions to the main narrative. Two men are famous contemporaries of Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon, who were both from Athens. Thucydides (460 BC - 400 BC?) was a better historian than Herodotus and his critical use of sources and research made his "History of the Peloponnesian War" a significant influence on later generations of historians. Xenophon (430 BC - 355 BC?) began his "Hellenica where Thucydides ended his work about 411 BC and carried his history to 362 BC. His writings were superficial in comparison to those of Thucydides, but he wrote with authority on military matters. Herodotus believed that many Greek rituals and customs were inherited from the Egyptians as the Greek civilization developed. He recorded the wide range of religious practices he encountered in his travels, comparing the religious observances of various cultures, such as sacrifice and worship, with their Greek equivalents. He quite possibly followed the cult practices of Serapis, which is the Greek Name for Osiris the embodiment of goodness, who ruled the underworld. He identified Isis with Demeter, the Greek goddess of earth, agriculture, and fertility. About two centuries later, under the Greco-Egyptian Empire, which was created by Alexander the Great, the worship of Osiris (Serapis) was developed as a means of uniting the Greeks and Egyptians. He observed that the Egyptians strongly opposed the acceptance of

An Observation of The Aeneid, Book II

2000-01-09T13:00:00-05:00
The Romans, unlike the Greeks were not gifted in abstract thought. They constructed no original system of philosophy, invented no major literary forms, and made no scientific discoveries. Yet, they excelled in the art of government and empire building, they created a workable world-state and developed skills in administration, law, and practical affairs. In the Punic Wars, the Roman republic defeated the Carthaginians in North Africa and Rome inherited the Pergamene Kingdom from the last of the Attalids in 133 B.C. Rome became heir to the legacy of the Hellenistic world of the Greeks. The Hellenistic period which lasted 300 years in is noted by the death of Alexander in 323 B.C. It is marked by its rich, sophisticated and diverse culture. Many Romans were eager to merge with this Greek culture in order to exhibit the dominance of their rule over conquered societies. This exhibition of dominance was the primary motivation of the Roman desire to possess fine works of Greek Art. Whereas, other Romans, were convinced that the pursuit of the assimilation of foreign cultures would only harm the republic. During this time, much social disintegration and unhindered individualism threatened political stability. However, the adoption of Greek art for Roman needs was very popular. An educated Roman was well versed in the history of Greek Art and was socially compelled to collect Greek art for personal embellishment. The modernization of the old Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia is an example of the new Roman attitude toward art and architecture as Greek artists migrated in vast numbers to the new capital of the world. Roman generals and their quest to establish Rome as the new unchallenged capital of the world justified the expense of replanning the old sanctuary. This accomplishment would bring them personal glory and uplift the majestic status of Roman people. Roman architecture benefited as the city's wealth grew as other leaders contributed to the expansion of new monuments. Lucias Cornelius Sculla, (82-78 B.C.) led the Romans is Social War and later became dictator and master of the city of Rome. He brought Corinthian columns form the temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens to renew the shrine of the Roman Jupiter in the capital. This act symbolized the transferal of spiritual power from the aristocracy of the Senate to autocratic leaders, and art began to be shaped by their preferences. This satisfied the Roman desire for grandiose architecture by being the model

Native American Genocide

2000-01-09T13:00:00-05:00
b. causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; c. deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; d. imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; e. forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. (Destexhe). In this paper, I will argue that the act of genocide as here defined, has been committed by the United States of America, upon the tribes and cultures of Native Americans, through mass indoctrination of its youths. Primary support will be drawn from Jorge Noriega's work, "American Indian Education in the United States." The paper will then culminate with my personal views on the subject, with ideas of if and how the United States might make reparations to its victims. In lieu of the well known and brutal "Indian Wars," there is a means of cultural destruction of Native Americans, which began no later than 1611. This method was one of indoctrination. Methods included the forced removal of children from their cultural milieu and enrollment of these children in "educational programs," which were intended to instill more European beliefs. As the United States was not formally a Nation, until 1776, it would not be fair to use evidence, before this year in building a case against it. The most damaging, to the United States, are parcels of evidence that are drawn from events after 1948, the year of the Convention on Genocide. Beginning in 1778, the United States Board of War, a product of the Continental Congress appropriated grants for the purpose of, "the maintenance of Indian students at Dartmouth College and the College of New Jersey…" The young people who had returned from the schools are described by Seneca leader, Cornplanter as, "…ignorant of every means of living in the Woods, unable to bear either Cold or Hunger, [they] knew neither how to build a Cabin, take a Deer, or kill an Enemy, [they] spoke our Language imperfectly, were therefore neither fit for Hunters, Warriors, nor Counselors; they were totally good for nothing" (Noriega, 376). Grants given to other schools was just the beginning. In 1820, the United States made plans for a large scale system of boarding and day schools Noriega, 377). These schools were given the mission to, "instruct its students in 'letters, labor and mechanical arts, and morals and Christianity;' 'training many Indian leaders'" Noriega, 378). In the case

The Italian Renaissance

2000-01-09T13:00:00-05:00
"What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals!" Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2 Modern art critics regard renaissance art as graphic narratives of political and social events that occurred in the 14th through 16th century Europe. Scholars believe that the renaissance expressed a cultural revival of classical antiquity. And then there are others who doubt the concept of 'renaissance' entirely. Gundersheimer argues that Wallace K. Ferguson's concept of de-emphasizing the idea of renaissance to favor a view of "Europe in transition" was an ideal point that should be explored. This observation by Gundersheimer based on Ferguson's idea may become influential. The 'problem with renaissance' was that some interests and activities may also be found in earlier periods and are not bound to the renaissance years exclusively. And the rate of change was more similar to that of a highly influential widespread culture based transition. During the medieval era there were many contributions to the arts. The renaissance scholar Matteo Palmieri, writing in Florence in the 1430's considers the 100 years of the medieval era to be dark because of the lack of enlightenment in those years, in comparison of the "rebirth" and "renewal" of the renaissance. I think that the labeling of the medieval era as the dark ages helps to romanticize the achievements of the renaissance. Innovations during the medieval era were useful and unglamorous and easily forgotten. The renaissance was one of the few eras in our history that emanated the true intellect of man. Genius developed from the advances in art, science, philosophy and mathematics. Never has there since been such a time in which an individual is given ample opportunity and time to perfect and master his craft above all other societal pursuits and obligations. According to a source in the Encarta Encyclopedia, "The term renaissance was coined by the French historian Jules Michelet in 1855, to mean 'rebirth.' It refers to the 'discovery of the world of man' in the 16th century." (Encarta Renaissance 1) The renaissance period in art history corresponds to the beginning of the great western age of discovery and exploration, when a general desire and curiosity developed to examine all aspects of nature and the world. The artists of

The Fall of Communism in Russia/Soviet Union

2000-01-03T13:00:00-05:00
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 slowly diminished. This eventually led to

American Labor Movement: Development of Unions

2000-01-03T13:00:00-05:00
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

African American History: "Heritage, not Hate"

2000-01-03T13:00:00-05:00
When exploring African-American history, the most important things to focus on are that because of the times, black people were enslaved and treated poorly. They endured it all and worked hard to rise above the boundaries of slavery and prejudice. However, the most portentous aspect of African-American history is that it's heritage; it's history; and it's over. Jane Minor was born as Gensey Snow around the late 1700's or early 1800's. She was born into slavery and freed around 1825 when she changed her name. During her slavery, she faced the hardships of being a black female slave in the 1800's. Despite that, she earned a living after her emancipation by caring for the sick. With what money she had, she bought the freedoms of other women and children. She was an admirable woman. Sally Hemmings was born in 1773 as a slave of Thomas Jefferson. However, historians found that she was much more than that. Later, it was discovered that she bore one of Jefferson's children. This perhaps could have been the reason she was given special treatment and was allowed to go to Paris with Mary Jefferson. Although, it has not been proven so. Sally's accomplishments included learning French and playing the harpsichord. Her freedom came in 1826 when Jefferson died. Nat Turner was born on October 2, 1800 in Southampton County, VA to enslaved parents. He ran away from his master at 21 years old for religious reasons. Then, he traveled as a minister and spoke to slaves. On August 22, 1831, he killed his owners. He and a band of other slaves went on killing whites, and he was captured in 1831. There, he was hung and skinned. As anyone can see, the preceding people faced suffering at the hands of others. Slavery was wrong. Yet, each person persevered and won his or her own battles one way or another. It took years and a lot of work. Being a part of history, it should be respected as just so. These people should be remembered and studied, but not necessarily glorified. Some slaves earned freedom by hard work; yet others took different approaches that weren't always admirable. The latter of these should not be condoned simply because the people were of a certain heritage. Nor should the slave owners be excused from blame. In addition, the people of today's generations should not be blamed for what happened in the past,

Patrick Henry: Fight against the Constitution

1999-12-30T13:00:00-05:00
Although Henry refused to serve on the Constitutional Convention, Madison needed Henry's persuasive ways. Henry had a way to make people agree with his ideas. Even though Henry didn't serve on the Constitutional Convention, he was still present to put in his word. As soon as the meetings opened, Henry began to argue against the Constitution. This argument went on for three weeks. Henry was aware that the new government had to be strong, but felt that the Constitution made the central government too powerful. He thought that the power should lay in the hands of the states. "What right had they [the group that wrote the Constitution] to say 'We the people,' instead We, the States?" he demanded. Not only was Henry in fear of the central government gaining power, but was also worried about protecting the South. He felt that the fast growing North would have more impute into how the government was to be ran. Henry feared that the South would be out voted in Congress. Patrick Henry was quoted before by saying, "I am not a Virginian. I am American." Henry meant that all the states, North or South, should get equal say in what happens in the government. After all it is the same country and will effect both sides. Also, Henry refused to support the Constitution because it was lacking a bill of rights. He called it, "the most fatal plan that could possibly be conceived to enslave a free people." In other words he thought that without a bill of rights, we (the people) would be enslaving ourselves. Henry thought that the Constitution didn't protect the basic freedom of the people. Henry believed that people wouldn't be safe from a powerful government without the bill of rights. The Constitution took away the power from the states, ignored the South, and didn't protect the people it represented. To Patrick Henry, these were big mistakes and couldn't put his support behind them. When the power is taken away from the states, it makes the federal government very strong. He knew that there had to be a strong central government, but felt that the Constitution went too far. Henry wanted to protect the South. After all, at that time the South was more than half the country. If the country at that time was compared to a human body, the South was the heart of the country.

Transcendentalism

1999-12-21T13:00:00-05:00
Transcendentalism was a movement in philosophy, literature, and religion that emerged and was popular in the nineteenth century New England because of a need to redefine man and his place in the world in response to a new and changing society. The industrial revolution, universities, westward expansion, urbanization and immigration all made the life in a city like Boston full of novelty and turbulence. Transcendentalism was a reaction to an impoverishment of religion and mechanization of consciousness of eighteenth century rational doctrines that ceased to be satisfying. After the success of the American Revolution and the Industrial Revolution, an American man emerged confident and energetic. However, with the release of nervous energy, an American was forced to look at a different angle at his place in the world and society. The world of the nineteenth century Boston was that of emergence of new currents of thought in response to the conservative atmosphere. The wealthy upper classes (the aristocracy) were conservative and suspicious of any innovations. They dominated the society and demanded conformity to their social ideals, being suspicious of any new structure of society. The irony was that by their reliance on tradition and old beliefs (such as Puritanism) they acknowledged the harmony with cosmic law. Old values and traditions would serve as a base to Transcendentalism, although a radical movement in itself. In the nineteenth century America plunged into the Industrial Revolution. In the eighteenth century, goods were produced in home system operations. The remarkable development of capitalism in Boston became evident after the French and Indian war of 1812. Two of huge factories privately owned in Boston were Francis Lowell's Boston Manufacturing Company in Waltham and Merrimack Manufacturing Company in Lowell. As the role of women in society became more indiscriminate, young females dominated factory towns such as Lowell. They came from all over New England's farms and small towns, worked for a few years and then returned. Thus the mill populations were transient. With mechanization of textiles, new styles and fashions developed. Thus newness was becoming a virtue rather than peril. Improvement of transportation made urbanization and westward expansion more rapid. Cumberland Turnpike was built in 1811. Erie Canal, finished in 1825, connected Hudson River with the Great Lakes. Baltimore and Ohio Steam Railroad of 1828 linked the country. The first successful steamboat, Clermont, was launched in 1807. Between 1789 and 1850 the total population of the

JFK Assination - Conspiracy

1999-12-16T13:00:00-05:00
What reasons did the HSCA in suggesting that John F Kennedy was the victim of a conspiracy? In 1976, the US Senate ordered a fresh inquiry into the assassination of John F Kennedy, who was murdered in 1963 during a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. People who had been involved in the original Warren Commission investigations were asked to make fresh statements. The FBI and the CIA were persuaded to release more of their documents on Oswald. New lines of inquiry were opened and individuals who had not previously given evidence were persuaded to come forward. Most important of all, pieces of evidence such as photos and sound recordings were subjected to scientific analysis using the most up-to-date methods and equipment. The House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) completed their investigation in 1979 and they finally came to a discrete verdict that Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots at Kennedy, one of which killed the president. The fourth shot was fired from the grassy knoll. They concluded that John Kennedy was assassinated as a result of a conspiracy. There are many reasons why the HSCA came to this verdict, but firstly it was important that the American people understood why this case was re-opened over a decade later! The investigation was set up as direct result of the assassinations of two other major political figures; the civil rights leader, Dr Martin Luther King and the Presidents brother Robert Kennedy, in 1968. Naturally this aroused immense suspicion and the American public started questioning why so many key US figures had been assassinated in the space of just four years when previously this type of incident had been rare. At the time there was also an increasing amount of corruption and scandal within the government. This alarmed the public who had completely trusted the government before. The Watergate Scandal in 1974 involving President Nixon had clearly shown that this was not the case anymore. Nixon had abused his authority and power to his advantage. This indicated that even politicians were prone to sleaze and scandal. As a result of this, people also started questioning the behaviour of the government. This is most likely why they were more receptive in accepting that Kennedy was the victim of a conspiracy, later on. The public also became increasingly interested in the Kennedy assassination as books such as ‘Rush to judgement’ by Mark Lane and ‘Inquest’ by Edward Jay Epstein,

JFK and the Warren Commission

1999-12-16T13:00:00-05:00
Why did the Warren Commission decide that John F Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald, acting on his own? On 22 November 1963, President John F Kennedy was shot dead as he took part in a motorcade through the streets of Dallas, Texas. Soon afterwards a man named Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested and accused of having shot Kennedy from the sixth floor of the Texas school Depository building . Even though Oswald refused to co-operate and denied all knowledge of the assassination, he was formerly charged the next day, on the 23 November. However, he never stood trial as just two days later Oswald himself was shot dead by Jack Ruby, a Dallas night club owner, as he was being taken from police headquarters to court. As Jack Ruby went to prison and the police had no longer a suspect to question, President Lyndon Baines Johnson, set up a committee led by chief justice Earl Warren, to conduct an official investigation into Kennedy's murder. They were under immense pressure by the public to come up with a conclusion. On 24 September 1964, the Warren Commission finally issued a report of their findings. They concluded that President Kennedy was murdered by a single gunmen, Lee Harvey Oswald. There were numerous reasons why the Warren Commission came to this conclusion, varying from Oswalds background and most predominantly the hard evidence there was against him. In fact, there was a substantial amount of evidence that linked Oswald to the murder weapon and the crime scene which, undoubtedly helped a great deal in his conviction. The main evidence against Oswald was a unique Mannlicher-Carcano rifle, which was recovered on the sixth floor of the school depository building and had allegedly been used for the shooting. Witnesses claimed that three shots had been fired. Three spent cartridges were found alongside the rifle. Ballistics proved that the fragments from two bullets that were recovered from the Presidents limousine and from the wounds of Kennedy and Governor Connally, came from the same unusual type of rifle, made in Italy during the Second World War. Forsenic evidence also linked Oswald to the weapon. Fibres found on the rifles stock matched those on a shirt Oswald was wearing when he was arrested. Oswalds palm prints were also found on the underside of the gun barrel. His prints were found on a part of the rifle that was exposed

The Bay of Pigs Invasion

1999-12-15T13:00:00-05:00
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 of one of the pilots cloaked in a baseball hat and hiding behind dark

The Aboriginal People of Newfoundland

1999-12-15T13:00:00-05:00
The Beothuk people of Newfoundland were not the very first inhabitants of the island. Thousands of years before their arrival there existed an ancient race, named the Maritime Archaic Indians who lived on the shores of Newfoundland. (Red Ochre Indians, Marshall, 4.) Burial plots and polished stone tools are occasionally discovered near Beothuk remains. Some people speculate that, because of the proximity of the artifacts to the former lands of the Beothuk, the Maritime Archaic Indians and the Beothuk may have been related. It is not certain when the Beothuk arrived on the island. In fact little is actually known about the people, compared to what is known about other amerindian civilisations, only artifacts and stories told by elders tell the historians who these people really were. Some speculate that they travelled from "Labrador to Newfoundland across the strait of Belle Isle, which at one time was only 12 miles wide. By about 200 AD the Beothuk Indians were probably well settled into Newfoundland."(Red Ochre, 8) The Beothuk were not alone on Newfoundland wither. The Dorset Eskimos, who came from Cape Dorset regions of the north around 500 BC also shared the island. They presumably had contact with the Beothuk, exchanging tools or engaging in battle. In any case the Dorset Indians died out leaving Newfoundland empty to the control of the Beothuk people who now had no enemies and a wide vast territory. The Beothuk, although part of the Algonkian family developed their own language and culture. The 400 words that are still known from their language prove their Algonkian heritage. The development of their culture was a great success. The success of the Beothuk people as a whole was in part because of their skills in fishing, hunting and travel. They were the "only amerindian group to navigate on the high seas."(Grabowski lecture Oct 4,`96.) This was because of the construction of their canoes. Normally paddling on the high seas is dangerous, but Beothuk canoes were so designed to with stand high waves and stay accurately on course. The canoes "were made of a frame work of spruce and then covered with birch bark."(Red Ochre, 9) They curved high at the sides and a sharp bottom acted as a keel. The high sides protected as a barrier from wave swamping the boat. Because of hunting expeditions on the Funk islands, 60 kilometres from shore, ocean travel was evident and

Changes to the Bill of Rights

1999-12-15T13:00:00-05:00
How many rights do you have? You should check, because it might not be as many today as it was a few years ago, or even a few months ago. Some people I talk to are not concerned that police will execute a search warrant without knocking or that they set up roadblocks and stop and interrogate innocent citizens. They do not regard these as great infringements on their rights. But when you put current events together, there is information that may be surprising to people who have not yet been concerned: The amount of the Bill of Rights that is under attack is alarming. Let's take a look at the Bill of Rights and see which aspects are being pushed on or threatened. The point here is not the degree of each attack or its rightness or wrongness, but the sheer number of rights that are under attack. Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. ESTABLISHING RELIGION: While campaigning for his first term, George Bush said "I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots." Bush has not retracted, commented on, or clarified this statement, in spite of requests to do so. According to Bush, this is one nation under God. And apparently if you are not within Bush's religious beliefs, you are not a citizen. Federal, state, and local governments also promote a particular religion (or, occasionally, religions) by spending public money on religious displays. FREE EXERCISE OF RELIGION: Robert Newmeyer and Glenn Braunstein were jailed in 1988 for refusing to stand in respect for a judge. Braunstein says the tradition of rising in court started decades ago when judges entered carrying Bibles. Since judges no longer carry Bibles, Braunstein says there is no reason to stand -- and his Bible tells him to honor no other God. For this religious practice, Newmeyer and Braunstein were jailed and are now suing. FREE SPEECH: We find that technology has given the government an excuse to interfere with free speech. Claiming that radio frequencies are a limited resource, the government tells broadcasters what to say (such as news and public and local service programming) and what not to say

The Holocaust: Buchenwald

1999-12-15T13:00:00-05:00
Introduction The Holocaust is the most horrifying crime against humanity of all times. "Hitler, in an attempt to establish the pure Aryan race, decided that all mentally ill, gypsies, non supporters of Nazism, and Jews were to be eliminated from the German population.He proceeded to reach his goal in a systematic scheme." One of his main methods of "doing away" with these "undesirables" was through the use of concentration camps. "In January 1941, in a meeting with his top officials, the 'final solution' was decided". The Jewish population was to be eliminated. In this paper I will discuss concentration camps with a detailed description of the worst one prior to World War II, Buchenwald. Concentration Camps The first concentration camps were set up in 1933. In the early days of Hitler's regime, concentration camps were places that held people in protective custody. Victims for protective custody included those who were either physically or mentally ill, gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah Witnesses, Jews and anyone against the Nazi regime. "Gypsies were classified as people with at least two gypsy great grandparents." By the end of 1933 there were at least fifty concentration camps throughout occupied Europe. "At first, the camps were controlled by the Gestapo (police), but by 1934 the SS, Hitler's personal security force, were ordered, by Hitler, to control the camps." Camps were set up for several different purposes. Some for forced labor, others for medical experiments and, later on, for death/extermination. Transition camps were set up as holding places for death camps. "Henrick Himmler, chief of the German police, the Gestapo, thought that the camps would provide an economic base for the soldiers." This did not happen. The work force was poorly organized and working conditions were inhumane. Therefore, productivity was minimal. Camps were set up along railroad lines, so that the prisoners would be conveniently close to their destination. As they were being transported, the soldiers kept telling the Jews to have hope. When the camps were finally opened, most of the families who were shipped out together ended up being separated. Often, the transports mirrored what went on in the camps; cruelty by the officers, near starvation of those being transported, fetid and unsanitary conditions on the trains. "On the trains, Jews were starved of food and water

Brown v. Board of Education

1999-12-15T13:00:00-05:00
In 1896 the Supreme Court had held in Plessy v. Ferguson that racial segregation was permissible as long as equal facilities were provided for both races. Although that decision involved only passenger accommodations on a rail road, the principle of "separate but equal" was applied thereafter to all aspects of public life in states with large black populations. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, decided on May 17, 1954, was one of the most important cases in the history of the U.S. Supreme Court. Linda Brown had been denied admission

Colonial Times

1999-12-14T13:00:00-05:00
The colonial period was A time of much change, as is the modern period. Many people viewed things differently in the colonial period than they do today. The people of the colonial period had much more traditional values than the people of today. The people of the colonial period thought of religion much more sternly than I do. John Winthrop believed in a very stern God. John Winthrop writes, "Now if the Lord shall please to hear us, and bring us in peace to the place we desire, then hath he ratified this Covenant and sealed our Commission, [and] will expect a strict performance of the Articles contained in it" (43). He believes that God acts completely as he wishes, without any thought for man. Samuel Sewall used religion to help him when he needed help. In his diary, Samuell Sewall writes, "...My Son, the minister, came to me p.m. by appointment and we pray one for another in the Old Chamber; more especially respecting my Courtship"(63). Sewall only acted religious when it was convenient for him. I personally believe in a God much more caring than that Winthrop believed in. I also believe that God is always around, not just when I need him. Different people have many different religious beliefs. Throughout history, views of love have changed. Anne Bradstreet valued love as a strong romantic bond. In Bradstreet's poem, "To My Dear and Loving Husband" she writes, "I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold, Or all the ritches that Earth doth hold"(51). In this excerpt, Bradstreet is speaking to her Husband. John Winthrop viewed love as a religious bond between all men. He writes, "Love is the bond of perfection" (39). Winthrop gives few references to romantic love. I personally think of love as something that people feel for each other just because they are both people. I believe there is an element of love between all people. Love is viewed differently by different people, but these beliefs have little to do with what time period these people lived in. It appears that as time goes by, people view marriage more romantically, and less economically. Samuell Sewell viewed marriage as a way to advance monetarily. In his diary he writes, "I said 'twould cost L100. per annum: she said twould cost but L40"(63). This is just one example of him carefully calculating the costs of marriage. Anne Bradstreet

The Articles of Confederation

1999-12-14T13:00:00-05:00
The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States of America. The Articles of Confederation were first drafted by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia Pennsylvania in 1777. This first draft was prepared by a man named John Dickinson in 1776. The Articles were then ratified in 1781. The cause for the changes to be made was due to state jealousies and widespread distrust of the central authority. This jealousy then led to the emasculation of the document. As adopted, the articles provided only for a "firm league of friendship" in which each of the 13 states expressly held "its sovereignty, freedom, and independence." The People of each state were given equal privileges and rights, freedom of movement was guaranteed, and procedures for the trials of accused criminals were outlined. The articles established a national legislature called the Congress, consisting of two to seven delegates from each state; each state had one vote, according to its size or population. No executive or judicial branches were provided for. Congress was charged with responsibility for conducting foreign relations, declaring war or peace, maintaining an army and navy, settling boundary disputes, establishing and maintaining a postal service, and various lesser functions. Some of these responsibilities were shared with the states, and in one way or another Congress was dependent upon the cooperation of the states for carrying out any of them. Four visible weaknesses of the articles, apart from those of organization, made it impossible for Congress to execute its constitutional duties. These were analyzed in numbers 15-22 of The FEDERALIST, the political essays in which Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay argued the case for the U.S. CONSTITUTION of 1787. The first weakness was that Congress could legislate only for states, not for individuals; because of this it could not enforce legislation. Second, Congress had no power to tax. Instead, it was to assess its expenses and divide those among the states on the basis of the value of land. States were then to tax their own citizens to raise the money for these expenses and turn the proceeds over to Congress. They could not be forced to do so, and in practice they rarely met their obligations. Third, Congress lacked the power to control commerce--without its power to conduct foreign relations was not necessary, since most treaties except those of peace were concerned mainly with trade. The fourth weakness ensured

Concerns that Caused the Settlement of British North America

1999-12-14T13:00:00-05:00
I believe that throughout the Colonial period, economic concerns had more to do with the settling of British North America than did religious reasons. First, according to my textbook, the British originally sponsored trips over to the New World only after other countries were profiting from their collections of goods and new trade ports. Maybe other countries in Europe had begun settling the New World for

Changes in society from American Revolution to modern times

1999-12-14T13:00:00-05:00
Changes in society from the American Revolution to modern times have been caused by both public opinion and law. Public opinion changed law as such as in the first reading about the Salem Witchcraft trials. After the trial new laws were made regarding how spectral evidence would not be admitted as evidence towards the conviction of a witch, since it is heresay. Also, states never again executed people for being convicted of witchcraft. Since Americans did not desire to be part of the Great Britain empire anymore, they gained their independence and established similar, yet different laws and a constitution. In the second reading, people supported the case of Quok Walker in his suing for freedom, which gave him his freedom through the ruling of the court. Public opinion does have an effect on law, but law also has an effect on the public’s opinion. Laws made people change their opinion about issues such as witchcraft. Since there were laws against being a witch, the people thought that witches were therefore bad and used the laws to their advantage to point fingers at those of whom they were jealous, or wanted vengeance upon. As another example, contributed to the case of Quok Walker resulted in polarization of the people about the issue of slavery. Although American society has evolved considerably over the past few centuries, there are still refinements needed. Our current congress, I believe, takes too long to make simple decisions. When they do, they make too general statements about it, as so to satisfy people because the people wanted a law about something, so the congress gave them one (not necessarily making any real change.) There is a problem in society today regarding the relationship of the family. It used to be that a couple would get married and have a few kids and live somewhat happily ever after. In modern times, couples get married, have kids, get divorced (shattering the children’s lives), and the kids no longer have the trustworthy and close relationship with their parents. Education is one other area which needs "refining." In past decades and centuries, school teachers were allowed to punish the children physically for misbehavior in the classroom. Since the whole child abuse bandwagon was boarded, corporal punishment has been abolished. Since then behavior and respect towards teachers has been on the decline in public schools. Also, in education, there have been standardized

Albania: The Cold War Years

1999-12-13T13:00:00-05:00
During World War II the country was occupied by the Germans. When they retreated in 1944, a leader of the Communist-led resistance movement, Enver Hoxha, became head of the Albanian government. In 1946 a people's republic was declared; private land was confiscated and industry nationalized. After the war Yugoslavia controlled Albania. When Yugoslavia left the Soviet bloc in 1948, Albania broke its ties with that country and became an ally of the Soviet Union, joining the Warsaw Pact in 1955. Albania broke with the Soviet Union and became an ally of China in 1961; these ties to China were severed in 1978 but were renewed in 1991. At his death in 1985 Hoxha was the longest-serving head of a Communist country. Under his successor, Ramiz Alia, Albania slowly emerged from the isolation that had marked the Hoxha era. Diplomatic relations were established with many countries, and Albania began to take an active role in Balkan affairs. In December 1990 the Democratic party was established, and in March 1991 the first multiparty elections in 68 years

America’s involvement in World War Two

1999-12-13T13:00:00-05:00
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 home with the horse than with the tank" (Overy 273). The air

Revolutions - A justified Means of Change?

1999-12-12T13:00:00-05:00
Since the beginning of time, revolutions have directed the progression of most societies. Not only have they improved the lives of many, but they have also been the cornerstones to building some of todays most powerful and democratic countries. Most people have heard of the French and American Revolutions, however history tells us there have been hundreds more, from small town Revolution to major countries. Revolutions are justified means of change because they help to motivate and inspire people to press for rights that in turn will benefit the country and future generations as a whole. Most revolutions occur because of widespread dissatisfaction with an existing system. Poverty and injustice under cruel, corrupt, or incapable rulers combined with social problems is a recipe for disaster. One can only push people so far. If other ways of establishing the changes that must be made does not work, then creating a revolution might be the only option left. The French Revolution abolished absolute monarchy, feudal privileges, and serfdom, removed the estates, and established equal liability to taxation. The revolution also began reforms in the fields of education and law. How can anyone say that the revolution proved detrimental to France? The other intangible results of the revolution were embodied in its ideals, "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity," which became the platform of liberal, democratic reforms in France and Europe in the 19th century. The American Revolution ended two centuries of British rule for the 13 colonies and created the modern United States of America. The Revolutionary era was an exhilarating and productive time for most people living in North America. In the wake of the Revolution came events as varied as the drafting and ratification of the Constitution of the United States of America, which ensured that the rights of all Americans were to be protected, and to guarantee that all people would be involved in running the country with their form of government, democracy. The basic makeup of this was to ensure that all citizens were treated equal. This prompted the phrase "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". Revolutions are not perfect, and there are always negative aspects to a revolution. They do not always create a better country, or even resolve the issues that proposing the revolution were for, and in some cases lead to worse conditions than what the country had to begin with. "When the people contend for their

Spartan Warfare

1999-12-12T13:00:00-05:00
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. Eventually this may have led to the invention of democracy. The most noticeable difference between ancient Greek and modern warfare is the amount of "intelligence" information. Today

The Holocaust and Aushwitz

1999-12-12T13:00:00-05:00
INTRODUCTION The Holocaust is the most horrifying crime against humanity of all times. "Hitler, in an attempt to establish the pure Aryan race, decided that all mentally ill, gypsies, non supporters of Nazism, and Jews were to be eliminated from the German population.He proceeded to reach his goal in a systematic scheme." One of his main methods of "doing away" with these "undesirable" was through the use of concentration camps. "In January 1941, in a meeting with his top officials the 'final solution' was decided". Jews were to be eliminated from the population. Auschwitz was the concentration camp that carried out Hitler's "final solution" in greater numbers than any other. In this paper I will discuss concentration camps with a detailed description of the most well-known one, Auschwitz. CONCENTRATION CAMPS The first concentration camps were set up in 1933. In the early days of Hitler, concentration camps were places that held people in protective custody. Victims for protective custody included those who were both physically and mentally ill, gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah Witnesses, Jews and anyone against the Nazi regime. "Gypsies were classified as people with atleast two gypsy great grandparents." By the end of 1933 there were atleast fifty concentration camps throughout occupied Europe. "At first, the camps were controlled by the Gestapo (police), but by 1934 the S.S. (Hitler's personal security force) were ordered, by Hitler, to control the camps." Camps were set up for different purposes. Some for forced labor, others for medical experiments and, later on, for death/ extermination. Transition camps were set up as holding places for death camps. "Henrick Himmler, chief of the German police, the Gestapo, thought that the camps would provide an economic base for the soldiers." This did not happen. The work force was poorly organized and working conditions were inhumane. Therefore, productivity was minimal. Camps were set up along railroad lines, so that the prisoners would be conveniently close to their destination. As they were being transported, the soldiers kept telling the Jews to have hope. When the camps were finally opened, most of the families who were shipped out together ended up being separated. Often, the transports were a sampling of what went on in the camps, cruelty by the officers, near starvation of those being transported, fetid and unsanitary conditions on the trains. "On the trains, Jews were starved of food and water for days. Many people did not survive the ride to

Aztecs

1999-12-12T13:00:00-05:00
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 Aztec marriage

The Constitution

1999-12-12T13:00:00-05:00
A case for the connection of America’s colonial and revolutionary religious and political experiences to the basic principles of the Constitution can be readily made. One point in favor of this conclusion is the fact that most Americans at that time had little beside their experiences on which to base their political ideas. This is due to the lack of advanced schooling among common Americans at that time. Other points also concur with the main idea and make the theory of the connection plausible. Much evidence to support this claim can be found in the wording of the Constitution itself. Even the Preamble has an important idea that arose from the Revolutionary period. The first line of the Preamble states, We the People of the United States... ." This implies that the new government that was being formed derived its sovereignty from the people, which would serve to prevent it from becoming corrupt and disinterested in the people, as the framers believed Britain’s government had become. If the Bill of Rights is considered, more supporting ideas become evident. The First Amendment’s guarantee of religious freedom could have been influenced by the colonial tradition of relative religious freedom. This tradition was clear even in the early colonies, like Plymouth, which was formed by Puritan dissenters from England seeking religious freedom. Roger Williams, the proprietor of Rhode Island, probably made an even larger contribution to this tradition by advocating and allowing complete religious freedom. William Penn also contributed to this idea in Pennsylvania, where the Quakers were tolerant of other denominations. In addition to the tradition of religious tolerance in the colonies, there was a tradition of self-government and popular involvement in government. Nearly every colony had a government with elected representatives in a legislature, which usually made laws largely without interference from Parliament or the king. Jamestown, the earliest of the colonies, had an assembly, the House of Burgesses, which was elected by the property owners of the colony. Maryland developed a system of government much like Britain’s, with a representative assembly, the House of Delegates, and the governor sharing power. The Puritan colony in Massachusetts originally had a government similar to a corporate board of directors with the first eight stockholders, called freemen" holding power. Later, the definition of freemen" grew to

Thoughts of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle

1999-12-07T13:00:00-05:00
Three Athenian philosophers flourish in Greece from 470 B. C. until 320 B. C. These philosophers were famous for their “schools of thought.” The first of these is Socrates who lived from 469 until 399 B. C. He did not leave any writings behind; therefore, we know about his ways of thinking from those of whom he taught. His

The Mandan Indians

1999-12-04T13:00:00-05:00
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

Holocaust

1999-12-03T13:00:00-05:00
I've thought, and thought about resistance in the Holocaust and I've come to this realization: No words or poem or detailed description can describe the level of terror and oppression that took place. I am simply going to try my best to understand a fraction of the pain that many people went through, and the lessons we can learn from what happened. If the people that died in the Holocaust had one thing to say, I think that they would say, "Life is a gift, and you're lucky to have it, don't waste it, because before you even know it, it won't be a free gift anymore." The oppressed Jews went to their physical and mental limit just to avoid death. Therefore, if we do not live our lives to the most passionate way we know how, then we are wasting the extremely valuable gift of life. I don't think it's fair to waste our life, because many people worked a lot harder than us to have life, while they were not able to have it. So by not living our lives to the fullest we are cheating them. Our lives are very short, and refusing to live them to the fullest makes them even shorter. Furthermore, we as a society must do our best, to keep people from stealing other people's lives. If life is not protected than we are giving in to death, which is the very thing the Jews fought to avoid. By not taking a stand against those who cheat others out of their life we are in fact causing death. I don't remember who said it, but I'll always remember the quote, "Whoever forgets the past, is doomed to repeat it." If our society does not remember the suffering of the Jews, we could be sentencing ourselves to the same pain. Finally, I know that the only way to fully live life is to have life eternally through Jesus Christ. Holocaust is defined as, "the wholesale destruction and loss of life." Ultimately we will all face our own holocaust, because I know that I will someday die. Yet just as Americans came to the rescue of the Jews, Jesus Christ came to rescue me when he died for me. He lived through his own holocaust so that I won't have to.

Modern Day Hero VS. Anglo-Saxon Hero

1999-12-03T13:00:00-05:00
During the Anglo-Saxon period, people worshiped Hero's. Here are a couple of ways how a modern day hero can be compared to one in the past. Nolan Ryan will be my choice of a classic modern day hero. One of the firsts of a hero's characteristic is that he performs "Outstanding Deeds". On page thirty-five in Beowulf "Higlac's brave follower tearing out his hand of the monster, his hatred rose higher but his power has gone." So to me that could be called an outstanding deed. Now Nolan Ryan is not a War hero but a baseball player. He was forty-five at the time and he had thrown 5,511 strikeouts, witch is a record that will not be broken anytime soon. Another way to be called a hero is to give great speeches. On page 31 of Beowulf "Hail Hrothagi…………." Beowulf is very good at this but on the other hand Nolan Ryan is a very humble man. So he never really gave speeches. The third characteristic of a hero is to boast about his feats. Beowulf does a good job of boasting in this next line in Beowulf on page 31, "And I am stronger than anyone in the world." To me that is a very big boast on Beowulf's part. Now for Nolan Ryan he is a very modest man and never had any reason to boast about anything, his numbers did the talking for him. Now the last of the of characteristics that is that he descended from Royalty. Now on page 31 in Beowulf, "Higlac is my cousin and my King." Now on the other hand Nolan Ryan's position in baseball had nothing to do with his family. He was noting more than a country boy from Alvin, Texas. Now all of those were characteristic of an Anglo-Saxon hero that are very different from those of a modern day hero. The first of them is if the Public eye likes the hero to be humble and have good sportsmanship. Nolan Ryan never went around taunting his opponents or talking about how good he is. But on the other hand Beowulf talked very highly of himself. I don't think the public would have liked that very much about him. Another characteristic of a modern day hero is his appearance. Nolan was a good-looking guy. He did wrangler jeans ads. He also did TV commercials for Advil. From

Stonehenge

1999-12-03T13:00:00-05:00
Stonehenge, one of the great Seven Wonders of the World, but what do we really know about it. What was its purpose, how was it built and by whom. Many different answers come up when asking the question "What was the purpose of Stonehenge", some say that it was a horrid place, which the Druids used for religious sacrifice, but most others have a more positive idea. A temple of the sun, a Pagan Cathedral, or a holy sanctuary in the midst of blessed ground, or maybe a clock or even a place to Predict Eclipses. No one really knows what it was used for; this is due to a great number of facts surrounding all of these ideas. Many ideas come up when talking about why this great structure was built along with an equal amount on who built it. The Druids is the most common response because the Druids inhabited most of the area in which Stonehenge is built. The Pagans are another common answer to this age old question because of the building structure of Stonehenge how it resembles a Pagan Cathedral. Whoever built Stonehenge, they were an extremely advanced society either on purpose or by complete fluke. Many say that because of Stonehenge’s exact solar and lunar alignment. That is was the most common thought is that it was built to predict eclipses for worshiping. The following essay is going to state the facts and myths about the great Stonehenge. By the end of this essay, hopefully a solid conclusion will be found to be the most plausible answer for Stonehenges construction. The moon, it has been a sight for all over time. Back long ago little was none of the reasons for an eclipses, it was thought to be a sing from the gods. In a society which worshiped gods for all the mysteries of the world, the eclipse must have been very special. The builders of Stonehenge must have been marveled at the sight of this holy event, which happened every four years. Most likely the great Stonehenge was built to be a prediction device for the eclipse. Many people have studied Stonehenge and many have found that the stones are mathematically placed to show when and eclipse might occur. "In favor of this solution - that the Aubrey holes were used as a computer are these facts: the number 56 is the

New Deal America

1999-12-02T13:00:00-05:00
The stock market crash of 1929 helped launch the United States and many other nations into the worst economic depression in history. The severity of the Great Depression called for federal government programs to protect the general welfare of citizens. The New Deal programs created by Franklin D. Roosevelt provided the framework for the welfare state that still serves as a basis for American public policy. All aspects of American society suffered during the Great Depression. By 1932, there were thirteen million people unemployed. There was no security for the millions who lost all of their savings in the bank failure or stock market crash. Volunteer organizations attempted to help the needy, but their resources were simply not adequate (Madaras and SoRelle 218). Hope seemed non-existent. Americans had never seen such a severe depression. They could not look to history for guidance. The New Deal was Roosevelt’s attempt to restore the economy. His willingness to act decisively and experiment with new policies set him apart from previous presidents. He often said, “I have no expectation of making a hit every time I come to bat. What I seek is the highest possible batting average”(Tindall and Shi 1238). In the first years of Roosevelt’s term he worked hard to empower the federal branch. The New Deal set the precedent for 20th century liberalism. The first order of business for the Roosevelt administration was financial reform. Banking is a crucial aspect of capitalism and Roosevelt was very aware of this fact. On his second day in office, Roosevelt called Congress to meet in a special session. The outcome was the Emergency Banking Relief Act, which permitted stable banks to reopen and provided managers to those who remained in trouble. The Glass-Steagall Act separated commercial and investment banking and created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. These actions all helped restore banking confidence within American people. Roosevelt ensured that it was safer to “keep your money in a reopened bank than under the mattress”(Tindall and Shi 1238). After accomplishing this task, the new administration was ready to solve other problems. Other financial programs included the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), and the Agriculture Adjustment Administration (AAA). The SEC functioned in regulating the stock and bond markets. The NIRA and AAA were aimed at recovery through regulation. The NIRA played a big role in restoring faith

The Creation of The Universe, The Earth, and Human Beings

1999-12-01T13:00:00-05:00
In the beginning there was only darkness. For many millions of years this darkness remained. There were no stars, no sun, and no earth. But one day something very special happened. The darkness created light. It was a very small amount of light but it was just enough. The light became the husband of the dark. After a long while both the light and the dark became bored. The light began to insult the dark and the light replied with equally harsh insults. "You are not as beautiful as I!" said the light. "Ha! You are much uglier than I!" said the dark. Eventually they began to fight. None could triumph over the other, however, because they both were equal in power. Dark had a little bit more strength but light had a little bit more cunning. They continued to fight for a very long time until one day the light was tired and she called to the dark. "We must create beings that will give more meaning to our lives for we must live together for eternity." The dark agreed and so it was settled. They would conceive two new beings. One would be female the other would be male and the two siblings would be fertile and give birth to the universe. The light gave birth to a god, the first god, and his name was Thrakath. He was the creator of the universe and the son of the light and the dark. The light also gave birth to Tria and she was the creator of the universe, the daughter of the light and the dark and the wife of Thrakath. Both Thrakath and Tria lived together within the light and dark for a long time creating the universe within their minds. After they had finished thinking they decided to implement their plans. First they created the stars. There were many stars throughout the universe and both Thrakath and Tria were pleased. But the stars eventually became troublesome so they decided to create the sun. The sun became the king of the universe and he was very bright so he could be seen from far and wide. The stars feared him and so again began to behave in an appropriate fashion. He also was very hot and warmed the once cold universe so that life would be possible. Then, Thrakath and Tria decided to make planets. They made eight planets, one every month for eight months.

The Accomplishments of Cardinal Richelieu

1999-11-30T13:00:00-05:00
Up until the mid 17th century, it was evident that France was by no means a major player in the field of European affairs. Spain was still the most powerful state as it held a dominant monopoly over European commerce and economics. However, by 1648, this power would shift, and France would come into it’s own in terms of political and economic influence. The transfer of power was aided by a weakening of the Spanish Empire, along with the establishment of an increasingly strong French state. This establishment of France would begin to occur prior to the religious wars, and would be spearheaded by a strengthening of the centralized government through the development of royal absolutism. The most significant contributor to this movement was Cardinal Armand du Plessis de Richelieu, political advisor to the king, Louis XIII, and head of the French Roman Catholic Church. The Cardinal’s capable leadership, ambition and strong will fortified France’s move from a second rate country to a European powerhouse. During his reign as first minister, Richelieu would accomplish numerous tasks, and establish himself as a symbol of power and leadership in France. Born in Paris in 1585, Armand du Plessis de Richelieu is considered by many to have been "the most important single figure in the building of French absolutism" . Despite his role in distinguishing France on the European map, some of the Cardinal’s greatest personal accomplishments lie before his reign as first minister. To best understand these accomplishments, in particular how a "middle ranking ecclesiast" of little influence would become the most successful of the King’s political advisors, it is best to look into his personal background. Probably the Cardinal’s greatest assets in his rise to the top were his strong ambition and will. These characteristics can be traced back to his father, Francois Richelieu, whose own ambition and military accomplishment helped gain him the reigning King’s, Henry III, favor. This rise in favor, along with the establishment of important family connections, would allow Francois to "tap into royal ecclesiastical patronage" . Armand eventually benefited from this by gaining the title of Bishop of Lucon. Unfortunately, before Richelieu’s father could create any form of financial establishment, he died, and left the family in debt. However, the message he left his sons, in particular Armand, was not one of failure, but rather one of what could be accomplished when one was willing and

Ancient History - Evoultion of the Earth

1999-11-30T13:00:00-05:00
The Greek geographers of the later Roman period developed systematic calculations for the mapping and shaping of the earth. However, what would come to replace these systematic calculations? Why were the ideologies of a flat earth accepted and why were those of a spherical earth ridiculed? The answer to this question is very simple and can be answered by one clear and concise word: Religion. "Thus saith the Lord God; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her." (Ezekiel 5:5) This verse from the of book Ezekiel simply states that the city of Jerusalem should be in the center of all maps created. This eliminated the need for any latitude or longitude. Before hand, there had been more than six hundred maps created, not one having this holy city as the center. There was nothing new about putting "the most sacred place at the center" says Boorstin. The Hindus placed Mount Meru, a mythological 70,000 foot high mountain at the center of their map. In the Muslim faith, the Ka'bah in Mecca was the highest point on earth and the polestar showed the city of Mecca to be opposite the center of the sky. As one can clearly see, many maps, had different centers. Each map had a different center, each based on a different religion. Many years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the Greeks theorized that the earth was a globe. But after that, there was a period in history called "The Great Interruption." This period was categorized by a complete silence where people in general, forgot about the issue of whether the earth was flat or whether it was a globe. Another reason that brought the theories of a globular world to rest was because the priests told the general public that the earth was flat. Priests such as St. Augustine and others invented the Antipode theory, which stated that a world shaped like a globe is impossible because objects would be hanging downwards and growing backwards. Once again, religion played a major part in this argument that would rage on for many years to come. To conclude, much like the theories of the priests in the first 400 years after the birth of Jesus Christ, who said that Jerusalem was the center of a flat earth, one might be able to relate this period in time to a

Humanism and Clericism of the 16th century

1999-11-28T13:00:00-05:00
The two paintings, The conversion of St. Paul by Caravaggio, and lady writing a letter with her maid by Vermeer, reflect the religious conflict between the Protestant and catholic cultures of 16th century Europe. Before we take a look at why they reflect the religious dispute, first we must know some background on what caused it. Humanism and Clericism. During the renaissance humanism stood for the intellectual attitudes of the ancient world paired with the wide acceptance of the existence of God. Humanists were interested in aesthetics, saw the usefulness of historic knowledge, and were convinced that man's main duty in life, was to enjoy his life soberly and to be active in his community. It was believed that those who studied the past would be able to lead better, more responsible lives. On the contrary, there is something called Clericism, where people believed G-d reigned supreme to all and that humanism remained useless because the mer man was worth so little. The statue of David best describes the ongoing influence of Protestant and catholic controversy on the visual arts. Michaelangelo uses David, a character from the Old Testament as his subject matter. The story goes that David, a mer man throws a stone with a slingshot at the mighty giant Goliath and kills him. (Your basic good vs. Evil.) Michaelangelo uses Clericism in this piece by incorporating a story from the bible, and on the other hand also incorporates his humanism influence into the work of art by placing himself as the character David; Giving us the impression that even the mer man can overcome his problems with knowledge of how to defeat them, instead of continually relying on the almighty to solve your problems for you. David shows the 2 conflicting views in a magnificent statue form. Another Magnificent piece of artwork is Leonardo's sketch of a man within a circle. Vitruvius adding a quote to the piece later on, "man in his perfect proportions, is the center of all things", suggests that this piece was influenced by humanism. We say this because the piece portrays a mere man as the center instead of what the catholics may haved placed, that which god would be in the center of the circle. Catholics, Priests, and church officials alike would not approve of this irrational idea and the sketch itself. A christian priest & scholar, Martin Luther, was a man

German Immigration to the Midwest

1999-11-20T13:00:00-05:00
German Immigration: A story told by the ghosts of the past "The day I left home, my mother came with me to the railroad station.When we said goodbye, she said it was just like seeing me go into my casket, I never saw her again." So is the story of Julia B. from Germany and many others who left their life and love for a chance of happiness in a new country. This is the story of the German immigrants in 1880-1930 who risked everything on a dream of better things. What caused the German immigration to Ameica between 1870-1930? In this paper I'll answer that question plus: what caused the movement, what happined to them when they arrived, and how did they adapt. I'll also tell some of the more gritty stuff by using intimate and detailed quotes used by many real immigrants who came to America anywhere from 1880 to 1930. As you read this, be prepared to learn what really happened to these immigrants and why the streets were paved with anything but gold. Today, many Germans live throughout the U.S.; especially in the mid-west. More likely then not, they came here in the late 1800's- 1900's. This would be because of the many revolutions in the 1860's and the poverty that almost always follows war. In one 20 year span in the late 1800's Germany went to war at least 7 times taking on neighboring countries such as: Austria, France, Belgium and Russia. Like I said, much money was spent on the war effort in Germany. People were taxed heavily just to buy bullets for the army. Through all this, word was spread like wild fire through Germany that a new country in the west across the water was offering freedom and a promise of happiness for anyone who would make the long journey to the new country: America. So with somewhat heavy hearts, many men and women left their families behind to journey to America in hopes of something greater. For many, the road to America was a hard one. Most of the emigrants were very poor and had to hitchhike or walk the long miles to the coast just to be able to get on the boat to America. Sometimes it would take months just to save up enough money to pay for rides out of Germany, expensive passports, and to pay for the boat fare and it

Origins of World War II - Book Review

1999-11-20T13:00:00-05:00
World War II was much more than battles, statistics, politics, and opinions. The things that contributed to its beginning, what happened during the war, and the effects of the war are still being debated and discussed. Patrick Finney assembles some of the best writings for a number of subjects relating to World War II. First the reader is introduced to the basic views, where they originated, and why they are still discussed today. The truth is, even fifty years after the end of the war, it is still very much part of our lives. Finney's first collection of readings are written on the subject of what contributes to the war. Two of the authors have very different opinions on Chamberlain, and they focus on his actions preluding the war. There is also an writing describing the French during this period, and finally there are two authors whom debate about the state of Germany at this time. After the conditions of Great Britian, France, and Germany have been addressed, Finney explains the goals, economics, strategies, and policies of the countries that contributed to the breakout of war. The last section addresses the topics of the Spanish Civil War and its effects on World War II, what happened at Munich and how it effected Hitler in the long run, the strategies and policies regarding a German attack on Poland, and finally the major points of the war and the post-war effects. The selection of essays and writings were excellent for supporting the theme Finney was aspiring to fulfill. His goal in writing was to represent the major powers World War II and keep the attention balanced between all of the involved countries. The credibility of the writers involved in this book appeared to be very good. Simply by listing their credentials in Finney's commentaries, one can assume that they are respectable. Most of the authors have written extensively on the topic that Finney publishes in his book, therefore you know that they researched more than what was written in Finney's book. Since most of Finney's commentary consisted of interpretations and explanations of the readings that would follow, there was not a great deal of facts to be misrepresented by Finney himself. The commentaries were a excellent was to start off the readings. Finney provided an understanding of what the writer was going to say, not only in support of what they were going to say, but

Mao Zedong

1999-11-20T13:00:00-05:00
Mao Zedong is one of the most controversial leaders of the twentieth century. He has been known both as a savior and a tyrant to the Chinese people. From his tactical success of the Long March to his embarrassing failure of the Great Leap Forward, Mao has greatly influenced the result of what China is today. Most of Mao's major successes have been in the CCP's rise to power, while Mao's failures have come at a time when the CCP was in power. Mao Zedong was born on December 26, 1893 is Shaoshan village in Hunan. He experienced a middle peasant upbringing with a very conservative father. Ironically Mao went to an old-fashioned school where he learned the traditional Chinese curriculum. At this time in his childhood, the whole country could foresee the fall of the previous dynasty. Mao studied to be a teacher at The First Provincial Normal School , in Ch'ansha, which influenced his future thinking and beliefs. Mao believed that the Chinese way of thinking needed reform, therefore focused on younger people and peasants to build his political career. Mao ruled one quarter of the worlds population for one quarter of a century, and the way in which he was brought up and studied influenced his future decisions greatly. Mao was known to be rebellious when he was younger, but his first real experience came in 1912 when he decided to go to Wuhan and serve in the revolutionary army. For five years Mao studied and received an education in academics, but also politics. When Mao graduated in 1918 he was a political writer with a notable following. Mao had studied Marxism and other socialist ideas and by 1919 considered himself to be a Marxist. For a couple of years Mao wrote on his beliefs and even began organizing groups to share their ideas. Mao had organized a group of Communists in Changsha and in 1921 he went to Shanghai to participate in the First National Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. By the 1930s Mao was at the center of the Communist party after its defeat in 1927 by Chiang and the KMT. Mao organized and developed plans of a peasant-based guerilla strategy. Based in the province of Jiangxi, otherwise known as the Jiangxi soviet, Mao ruled nine million people and the CCP was begin to be a reckoning force. The KMT seeing the CCP as

How Mercantilism Helped to Shape the American Nation

1999-11-19T13:00:00-05:00
In the Middle Ages, the definition of wealth was based on the amount of productive land. According to this definition, France was the wealthiest and therefore the most powerful of the European nations. During the sixteenth century the definition of wealth began to change. As the ability to conduct profitable foreign trade increased, so did the amount of cash. Thus, the new definition of wealth came to mean the gain of cash or specie. Specie included gold, silver, or bullion. The wealthiest nation became the one with the most cash, and therefore, the most powerful nation. As the redefining of wealth took hold, there was an increased desire and ability to conduct foreign trade on a larger scale as cash became the new medium of exchange in contrast to bartering. Mercantilism began to take hold of the countries of Europe. Mercantilism was characterized by the governmental regulation of industries, trade, and commerce. This was especially true with foreign trade, and was determined more by national aims rather than individual or local interests. This new quest for trade began the Age of Expansion in the early fourteen hundreds. This era ushered in a search for new sources of revenues, and focus turned toward the colonization of the New World. The Portuguese, Spanish, and English directed many efforts of colonization and development toward this new land in an attempt to establish themselves as the economic leaders of the world. As mercantilism began to change, so did the power flux of the European countries. Thus began the shaping of North America as we know it. The Age of Expansion brought many changes to medieval Europe. During this period, the countries of Europe began to look beyond their borders. In Europe, there was nowhere to grow. This being the case, the only place to turn was west. Portugal came into existence in the early 1400's. It is a small country bordered on one side by the sea, and by Spain on the other. Out of necessity the Portuguese became the masters of the sea. They began to acquire a great knowledge of the sea and advanced in navigation, sailing, and map-making. They also founded an academy of navigation in Lisbon. In the early 1400's, the Portuguese began exploratory voyages. The Portuguese wanted to establish themselves in large-scale international trade. The four things most desired by the people of Europe were spices, sugar, precious metals, and

Victorian Clothing

1999-11-18T13:00:00-05:00
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, like men sometimes wore

War of 1812

1999-11-17T13:00:00-05:00
War of 1812, conflict between the United States and Great Britain from 1812 to 1815. Fought over the maritime rights of neutrals, it ended inconclusively. Background Over the course of the French revolutionary and the Napoleonic wars between France and Great Britain (1793-1815), both belligerents violated the maritime rights of neutral powers. The United States, endeavoring to market its own produce, was especially affected. To preserve Britain's naval strength, Royal Navy officers impressed thousands of seamen from U.S. vessels, including naturalized Americans of British origin, claiming that they were either deserters or British subjects. The United States defended its right to naturalize foreigners and challenged the British practice of impressment on the high seas. Relations between the two nations reached a breaking point in 1807 when the British frigate Leopard fired on the USS Chesapeake in American territorial waters and removed, and later executed, four crewmen. In addition, Britain issued executive orders in council to blockade the coastlines of the Napoleonic empire and then seized vessels bound for Europe that did not first call at a British port. Napoleon retaliated with a similar system of blockades under the Berlin and Milan decrees, confiscating vessels and cargoes in European ports if they had first stopped in Britain. Collectively, the belligerents seized nearly 1500 American vessels between 1803 and 1812, thus posing the problem of whether the United States should go to war to defend its neutral rights. Americans at first prepared to respond with economic coercion rather than war. At the urging of President Thomas Jefferson, Congress passed the Embargo Act of 1807, prohibiting virtually all U.S. ships from putting to sea. Subsequent enforcement measures in 1808-1809 also banned overland trade with British and Spanish possessions in Canada and Florida. Because the legislation seriously harmed the U.S. economy and failed to alter belligerent policies, it was replaced in 1809 by the Non-Intercourse Act, which forbade trade with France and Britain. In 1810 Macon's Bill No. 2 reopened American trade with all nations, but stipulated that if one belligerent repealed its antineutral measures, the United States would then impose an embargo against the other. In August Napoleon announced the repeal of the Berlin and Milan decrees on the understanding that the United States would also force Britain to respect its neutral rights. Although Napoleon continued to seize American vessels in French ports, President James Madison accepted his statements as proof that French antineutral decrees had been

Chinese Footbinding

1999-11-16T13:00:00-05:00
The ancient Chinese custom of footbinding caused severe life-long suffering for the Chinese women involved. When researching the subject of footbinding, one of the difficult things is finding factual knowledge written before the 20th century. Most of the historical data has been gathered from writings, drawings and photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries. Additionally, the research indicates that the historical documentation was mainly from missionary accounts and literature from various anti-footbinding societies. These groups had a bias because of their opposing viewpoints. The first documented reference to footbinding was from the Southern Tang Dynasty in Nanjing (Vento 1). Although the history of footbinding is very vague it lasted for at least one thousand years. Early text referred to the Han Dynasty as people who preferred that the women have small feet (Vento, 1). Vento also acknowledged the first documented reference to actual binding of the feet was from the Tang Dynasty in Nanjing (1). Before the Sung Dynasty Binding was only slightly constricting, allowing for free movement, they were also thought to have used footbinding to suppress women. The Yuan Dynasty introduced binding into the central and southern parts of China. It may have been emphasized to draw a clear cultural distinction between the Chinese and their large footed conquerors, the Mongols. Footbinding was most popular during the Ming Dynasty, if parents cared for their sons they would not go easy on their studies and if they cared for their daughters they would not go easy on their footbinding (Levy, 47-49). One recent study estimated that there are still one million women in China with bound feet. The last Chinese women, still living with bound feet in Hawaii, was in 1994 (Kam, D-6). There are many legends of how footbinding began, one such legend is Lady Yao, a dancer and concubine for Prince Li Yu, danced with such grace that the prince required her to bind her feet to resemble new moons all the time. Another, is that it began out of the sympathy for Empress Taki who had club feet (Aero, 112-113). Although it has not been proven how footbinding started, one of the biggest reasons the practice continued for over 1000 years was it's sexual appeal (Kam, D-1). Humans have shown they will do just about anything- good, evil, or in-between for sex. Footbinding is a very bold issue that many Chinese do not like to talk about. Some men

Progressive Historians

1999-11-16T13:00:00-05:00
One must decide the meaning of "progressive historiography." It can mean either the history written by "progressive historians," or it can mean history written by historians of the Progressive era of American history and shortly after. The focus that was chosen for this paper is more in keeping with the latter interpretation, if for no other reason than it provides a useful compare-and-contrast "control" literature. The caveat is this: the focus of this report is on the predominant question of the historiographical period: was the war a revolution or a war for independence? One could choose many other questions to argue, questions that historians have for years disputed about the revolution, but there are a number of reasons why this report was chosen for this particular assignment; the two best follow. First, it is an old and time-honored question that professors and instructors have posed to their students for years; of pre-Civil War historiographical questions, it is perhaps second only in fashion during the last twenty to twenty-five years to the Jefferson-Hemmings paternity controversy. Second, the revolution-or-independence question is one of those which must be answered through interpretation. A case cannot be made that is so utterly conclusive as to exclude all others; it is that very fact that makes history at once so frustrating and so fascinating. What better way could there be to look at the writings of a specific school of historians? Therefore, in the pursuit of "personal truth," we must proceed... Perhaps the most famous of all progressive historians is Frederick Jackson Turner. His most famous argument is not devoted strictly to the American Revolution, but instead to the effects of the American frontier. In a sentence, his argument is that the frontier was the chief determinant in American history. This is not to say that Turner did not write about the war; he did, in his seminal work, "The Frontier in American History," there are discussions of the frontier's effect on the coming of the revolution. It is worth noting, before exploring Turner's arguments, that the frontier in this period was only about one hundred miles from the Atlantic coast. Of course, as the period under scrutiny approaches the war chronologically, the frontier moves away from the ocean. But it is important to remember that Turner defines the Jamestown of Captain John Smith in 1607 as the frontier in its initial stage. So, in this

Ramses

1999-11-16T13:00:00-05:00
Ramses the Pharoah was a ruler of Egypt who had giant statues and temples built. He considered himself a living god. Ramses glorified himself and had more temples built to him then any other pharoah. One of his giant statues was made of one piece of granite. They weighed 2 and a half million pounds before an earthquake destroyed them. They fed, bathed and clothed the statues like living people. The Temple of Karnak that his workers built was large enough to fit ten European cathedrals inside. His best project was the Abu Simbel. His workers carved this into the side of a mountain. It has him and his favorite of many wives, Nefetari, carved into the mountain. Engineers designed the temple so every two days a year, the sun

Timeline 1945-1964

1999-11-08T13:00:00-05:00
1945
Ho Chi Minh and his People's Congress create the National Liberation Committee of Vietnam to form a provisional government following the surrender of Japan to Allied forces and Japan transfers all power to Ho's Vietminh.
President Roosevelt dies
Making good on his threat to unleash "...a rain of ruin the like of which has never been seen on earth...," President Harry Truman authorizes the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan -- one on Hiroshima on August 6, and a second on Nagasaki on August 9.
The Japanese surrender.
Ho Declares Independence of Vietnam.
British Forces Land in Saigon, Return Authority to French. 1946
France recognizes Vietnam as a "free state" within the French Union. French troops replace Chinese in the North.
Negotiations Between French and Vietminh Breakdown.
Indochina War begins. 1947
Vietminh move north of Hanoi.
Marshall Plan announced.
French General Etienne Valluy attempts, and fails, to wipe out the Vietminh in one stroke. 1949
Bao Dai and President Vincent Auriol of France sign the Elysee Agreement. As part of the agreement the French pledge to assist in the building of a national anti-Communist army.
NATO formed.
Volkswagen introduced in US. 1950
Chinese and Soviets offer Weapons to Vietminh.
Record heist in Brink's robbery.
When Communist forces from North Korea invade the Republic of South Korea on June 25, President Truman appeals to the United Nations to take action. The UN quickly brands North Korea the aggressor, and Truman follows up by sending US air and naval support to Korea immediately thereafter.
The United States sends $15 million dollars in military aid to the French for the war in Indochina. Included in the aid package is a military mission and military advisors. 1951
Ho Chi Minh creates Workers' Party.
Truman dismisses General Douglas MacArthur .
Worst floods in US History inundate Kansas and Missouri. 1953
France grants Laos full independence.
Rosenbergs executed for Espionage.
Vietminh forces push into Laos. 1954
A force of 40,000 heavily armed Vietminh lay siege to the French garrison at Dienbienphu. Using Chinese artillery to shell the airstrip, the Vietminh make it impossible for French supplies to arrive by air. It soon becomes clear that the French have met their match.
Supreme Court rules on Brown v. Board of Education.
Responding to the defeat of the French by the Vietminh at Dienbienphu, President Eisenhower outlines the Domino

Comparison of Martin Luther King, Jr and Malcom X

1999-11-06T13:00:00-04:00
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

Mafia History

1999-11-06T13:00:00-04:00
What is the Mafia? Some believe the word Mafia was the battle cry of an Italian rebellious group- this battle of cry was the following: "Morte all Francia Italia anelia!" (Italian for "death to the French is Italy's cry!") (www. gambino.com). Others defined the Mafia as, name for loose association of criminal groups, sometimes bound by blood oath and sworn to secrecy. (Microsoft Encarta 97). Despite both of these definitions the Mafia has evolved into a very complex and organized society of crime. Present time it doesn't represent Italian gangs, (even though that's what most people picture) it also includes Russian, Japanese and Chinese gangs just to mention a few. The purpose of this work is to describe some of the aspects of the Mafia. Throughout the course of this work I will use the Italian Mafia as my subject in order to exhibit my views more clearly. The history of the Mafia is sketchy but many believe that the Mafia was born in order to protect and help the less fortunate. The methods used to help and protect were, and still remain illegal. Today, the organization still continues to practice these acts or "rituals." The difference between early Mafia and modern Mafia, is that during late 1800's to early 1900's, the Mafia used these illicit crimes to help their families and the noble good less fortunate, now they abuse their power and distribute the "dirty money" in abundance amongst themselves. (keep in mind that the Mafia was born in Sicily, in a time where authorities weren't accessible). The Mafia also has a very organized family tree. This tree includes everything from bosses to soldiers. Soldiers usually belong in the bottom. Followed by these are called "enforcers". They usually serve as bodyguards or bouncers who watch and protect their establishment. These enforcers are able to have their own gambling or other financial establishment. They are also able to hire others to carry out tasks. Above enforcers are commissioners. They control the area of the city and are more widespread. Next is "The Boss". He controls one of the several organizations. Ultimately these are controlled by the godfather. Many times these Mafiosi have what is notoriously known as "Murders Inc" (Italian Mafia). This group of individuals specialize in murders. They consist of a small group of heartless individuals who kill whenever ordered to. In order for an individual to join the Mafia he

Decay of the Roman Empire

1999-10-25T14:00:00-04:00
Edward Gibbon says the decay of Rome was inevitable. He writes that instead of inquiring why the Roman Empire was destroyed, it is surprising that it subsisted so long. Gibbons' argument comes down to four major arguments, divided into rulership, the abuse of Christianity, the expansion of the Barbarians, and finally the loss of the Roman military power. Edward Gibbon was one of the greatest English historians of the late 1700's. His father entered him in Magdalen College, University of Oxford but shortly after his enrollment in 1753 he decided to convert to Roman Catholicism. Magdalen college only accepted Anglicans so he was barred from the school. His father then sent him to Switzerland, in care of a Calvinist pastor, who by Christmas, 1754, had reconciled him to Protestantism. After many years in Switzerland Gibbon returned home and decided to devote his life to scholarship and writing. In 1764, while visiting Rome, Gibbon decided to write about the city's history. His work The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire was one of his greatest works and despite the availability of new factual data and a recognition of Gibbon's western Bias, Decline and Fall is still read and enjoyed. In Gibbons first argument of divided rulership, he states that there simply was no central power in the Roman Empire. He writes, "The throne of Constantinople was erected in the East; while the West was still possessed by a series of emperors who held their residence in Italy and claimed their equal inheritance of the legions and provinces. This dangerous novelty impaired the strength, and fomented the vices, of a double reign." (2) As in any historical reference, when one divides their forces it weakens their strength. Gibbons makes this out to be a very important reason for the collapse of Rome. Even thought Constantinople was strong at this time, Gibbon points out that, "The Byzantine court beheld, perhaps with pleasure the disgrace of Rome, and the misfortunes of Italy." Edward Gibbon's second argument, the abuse of Christianity, has much to do with the new virtues of society brought with the new religion. Gibbons states, "The clergy successfully preached the doctrines of patience and pusillanimity; the active virtues of society were discouraged." These active virtues of ambition and power were what made Rome great. "The church and even the state, were distracted by religious factions, whose conflicts were sometimes bloody, and

The Versailles Treaty

1999-10-25T14:00:00-04:00
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

Whitewater vs. Watergate.

1999-10-25T14:00:00-04:00
Whitewater vs. Watergate. Both are political sandals that have rocked the nation. As Watergate unraveled, many of Nixon's dirty tactics were learned, including assorted lists of enemies (a number of which became targets of IRS tax audits), wiretapping, political sabotage, burglary, blackballing, and smear campaigns. Similarly, as Whitewater unfolded, the scandal appeared to involve more than just an illegal loan. It touched on possible hush money paid to witnesses and includes the acquisition of more than 900 confidential FBI files on Bush and Reagan appointees. In many aspects, the two are very similar. They are alike in the cover-ups they both produced. But they still are about two totally different events. Each of these scandals is associated with a central criminal event and both involved a web of political intrigue.1 First, what were Whitewater and Watergate? Whitewater started as a land development of riverfront property in Arkansas in the 1980s. The Clintons received a large share of the development without putting up any money. The development went bad, so additional capital was needed. There is evidence and testimony suggesting that this cash was obtained illegally from the federal government and never paid back. As for Watergate - though it was revealed by the Senate Watergate committee as an unprecedented abuse of presidential power that was extremely dangerous to the country, it is remembered 25 years later as a strange and unsuccessful burglary in the Watergate office building by people linked to the reelection committee of Nixon. But Watergate was so much more than a political burglary. The Senate hearings showed Watergate was composed of constant criminality by the Nixon White House, and was driven by an extreme commitment to maintain control of power by any means, including criminal conduct. It included the break-in of a psychiatrist's office for the purpose of smearing Daniel Elsberg - the leaker of the Pentagon Papers; the misuse of the IRS and other federal agencies to punish those on the president's "enemies list"; the illegal wiretapping of journalists and members of Nixon's own administration; and the purposeful editing of government documents to enhance a political agenda.2 Many similarities come up when discussing Whitewater and Watergate. The scandals may be separated by two decades, but much irony is evident when they are compared. For example, in 1974, Hillary Rodham was employed as a lawyer by the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment inquiry, along with Bernard Nussbaum, former chief counsel

The Rise of Germany to a Fascist State

1999-10-23T14:00:00-04:00
During the 1920's and early 1930's Germany was unstable socially economically and politically. The governments were more often in a state of disarray than not, the populace was disillusioned and scared, and the Great Wall Street stock market crash of 1923 saw the economy crumble before the population's eyes. These unfavourable factors combined to create a nation of precarious stature, a country which was looking for a savior. This came in the form of fascism, an ideology in which the individual is dominated by an all-powerful state under the control of one supreme leader. The hand to lead the people of Germany out of all the problems and deceptions of these terrible times was Adolf Hitler, fascist dominator. These difficulties gave Hitler and the Nazi party the opportunity to employ their propaganda skills to capture this disenchanted nation and win their hearts, but more importantly, to manipulate their minds. By the mid 1920's Adolf Hitler was the undisputed leader of the Nazi Party. Much of Hitler's success as a politician during his pilgrimage to higher power in Germany was due to his powerful and dominating personality. A master orator, not only was Hitler a charismatic speaker, but his public speaking was so passionate and dynamic that the crowds would be driven wild with enthusiasm of the ideas he preached. Hitler's devoted oratory often made vague promises while avoiding the details, by using simple catch phrases, repeated over and over. Hitler's dominance and authoritarian nature was a much-needed change for the people of Germany, following the indecisive and so often unsuccessful muddlings of the Weimar government and its predecessors. The Spartacist rising of 1919 was an early political factor that encouraged the initial success of Hitler during the rise of fascism in Germany during the 1920's. January 5th 1919 saw an unprepared and badly staged Spartacist putsch, where the communist's led by 'Red Rosa' Luxemburg, captured the headquarters of the governments newspapers and the telegraph bureau. The Spartacist rising was easily crushed by the Freikorps. By January 15th the Spartacists were defeated completely, with one hundred (100) Spartacists having been killed, compared to only thirteen (13 ) Freikorps. Most importantly, Rosa Luxemburg and fellow Spartacist Communist leader Karl Liebknecht were murdered, stripping the communists of their leaders. Not only did the failed and fruitless rising influence people further from the communists, due to such unreliable politics, but the loss of both leaders

Columbus the Villain

1999-10-21T14:00:00-04:00
In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. And, when he reached his destination he killed, raped and enslaved innocent natives. Was Columbus a villain? The answer to that question, in my opinion, would be yes. Christopher Columbus was a cruel, self-centered, delusional man who does not deserve to be praised for the discovery of

The Incas

1999-10-21T14:00:00-04:00
The Inca were South American Indian people who ruled one of the largest and richest empires in the America's. The Inca Empire began to expand about 1438 and occupied a vast region that centered on the capital, Cusco, in southern Peru. The Empire extended more than 2,500 miles (4,020 kilometers) along the western coast of South America. It included parts of Present - Day Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. The Inca Empire was conquered by Spanish Forces soon after their arrival in 1532. Inca emperors ruled their far - reaching territory through a complex political system. The Inca took over many areas by military force. Their political system kept a balance between the central authority of the emperor and local rulers. The name Inca was originally the title of the emperor. The peoples he governed had many names. But after the Spanish conquest, all people under the emperor's rule were called the Inca. Inca is a group name which covers a large numbers of tribes. The original Incas were Quechua speakers who lived in South - Eastern Peruvian highlands. Tribes later conquered by the Incas tended to assimulate Inca culture, to the exclusion of their own. In the 15century, led by Pachacuti Inca Yupaqui and his son Topa Inca, the Inca Empire exploded over the Andes. Both leaders claimed to be descendents of the sun, the most important symbol in Inca religious life. When Topa Inca died in 1493 Pachacuti's Andean domain ran nearly 2,500 miles from North Ecuador into Chile and covered some 350,000 square miles. The Incas are famous for their intricate gold work and elaborate weaving. For subsistence they relied on terraced and irrigated cultivation, and very little on hunting and fishing. In the mountain areas the main crop was quinoa, and in lower areas maize, beans, peanuts, and squash. They kept llamas, alpacas, dogs, guinea pigs, and dogs. Men worked copper and gold and women made fabrics and pots. Inca towns had massive public buildings. Most of their technological achievements were grand - scale copies of ideas from earlier civilizations. The skilful farmers who preceded the Inca, harnessing the melting snows of the Andes, dug irrigation ditches across the desert; they also deflected rivers for the same purpose. Nothing which the Minoans, Egyptians, and Sumerians did, agriculturally, equalled this achievement. They also demesticated animals. From the Native American camal the guanaco, they bred the llama

Downfall of the Roman Empire

1999-10-21T14:00:00-04:00
The Roman Empire was strong for a time. It was founded on geography, family values, military strength, and wise leadership. It flourished because of social, economic, political, military and religious strengths. However, when the very things that make a civilization flourish start to decline, the civilization will also lead to a downfall. The first reason for the fall was economic decay. The rulers of Rome had expensive lifestyles. To aid their image, they needed money. They gained money through taxation on the poor. In response to the torment of tax collectors, the poor fled to barbaric lands. The poor made up a large percentage of the Roman population. Barbarians disrupted trade on the Mediterranean sea. Rome's gold and silver were being drained into buying luxuries from China, India, and Arabia. The government decreased the silver content in money. The value of the money also decreased. Diocletion attempted to curb the inflation. He issued an edict that fixed maximum prices and wages throughout the Empire. It was an unrealistic and unenforceable idea which failed. The emperors still felt the tax issue needed to be addressed. They decided to make the hereditary class of tax collectors pay the difference. In other words, if a poor person could not pay their full share, the tax collector paid the rest. This concept wiped out a whole class of moderately wealthy people. Later, slavery split communities. Rome believed the workers of society should not benefit from slavery. Slaves then had to reason to try hard or improve. Eastern slaves started doing technical work. Thus, all technical work was looked down upon. Labor was cheap and worthless. Upper-class Romans were content with what they had become. They felt no need to improve their inventions, they were content with slaves. Another reason for the fall of Rome was political issues. Citizens no longer displayed patriotism, they were indifferent. Only the rich ran for office. Only the rich could run for office. It had become too expensive to hold office. The officers were forced to pay for public engagements themselves. The wealthy men destroyed Greco-Roman civilization. The loss of Greco-Roman civilization led to the decline of classical civilization. The general pattern of the classical civilization was based upon slavery being at the root of society. The army had proven itself to produce many leaders. The army needed to be maintained. Again, taxes were forced mainly on the poor or made more

The General Strike of 1926

1999-10-19T14:00:00-04:00
Why did the General Strike of 1926 fail and what were the effects the strike had upon industrial relations in Britain? The General Strike of 1926 lasted only nine days and directly involved around 1.8 million workers. It was the short but ultimate outbreak of a much longer conflict in the mining industry, which lasted from the privatisation of the mines after the First World War until their renewed nationalisation after the Second. The roots of the General Strike in Britain, unlike in France or other continental countries, did not lie in ideological conceptions such as syndicalism but in the slowly changing character of trade union organisation and tactics. On the one hand, unskilled and other unapprenticed workers had been organised into national unions since the 1880s to combat sectionalism and to strengthen their bargaining power and the effectiveness of the strike weapon. On the other hand, at the same time and for the same reason trade unions had developed the tactic of industry-wide and 'sympathetic' strikes. Later during the pre-war labour unrest these two forms of strike action, 'national' and 'sympathetic', were more often used together which in an extreme case could have meant a general strike. The symbol of this new strategy was the triple alliance, formed in 1914, which was a loose, informal agreement between railwaymen, transport workers and miners to support each other in case of industrial disputes and strikes. As G.A. Phillips summarised:
The General Strike was in origin, therefore, the tactical product of a pattern of in-dustrial conflict and union organisation which had developed over the past twenty-five years or so in industries where unionism had been introduced only with difficulty, among rapidly expanding labour forces traditionally resistant to organisation, or against strong opposition from employers.
Therefore, a large majority of the British Labour movement saw a general strike along the traditional 'labourist' view, which emphasised the separation of the political and the industrial sphere, as a purely industrial act. This notion was supported the developments in the 1920s when the depression and the employers offensive weakened the militant and revolutionary forces , whereas the success of the Labour Party and the reorganisation of the TUC General Council further strengthened these 'labourist' forces. The government's and the employer's view, of course, was a different one. Since the French syndicalists in 1906 had drawn up the Charter of Amiens, reaffirming their belief in direct political action and

Early north American Colonies

1999-10-19T14:00:00-04:00
With the General success of the Jamestown colony, the idea of having more people sent to the new

Afghanistan

1999-10-18T14:00:00-04:00
The King was overthrown in 1973. Muhammad Daoud took the power as President of the Afghanistan. He established an autocratic, one-party state, later had purged his government of leftists, and in the last years of his rule had sought financial support form Iran, ruled by the Shah, and Saudi Arabia in order to make Afghanistan less dependent on Soviet economic aid. On April 28, 1978, the regime of President Mohammad Daoud ended violently. Military units raided the Presidential Palace, in Kabul. Killed the president and most members of his family. All happened after the assassination of Mir Akbar Khyber, April 17, a Marxist ideologue a member of the Parcham faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. (PDPA) was a Marxist-oriented party. On April 19 the party organized a mass rally and march in the honor of Khyber's funeral. Marched through the streets of Kabul and shouted anti-American slogans in front of the United States embassy. President Daoud ordered the arrest of seven top PDPA leaders. The PDPA Central committee member Hafizullah Amin was placed under house arrest shortly. He planed a coup d'etat. PDPA leaders were liberated from a government prison. The plan for the April coup, according to Amin in a press conference that it had occurred two years ahead of the PDPA's schedule for revolution. Taraki, Amin, and Karmal were the central player in the leftists' revolution of the Afghanistan. Taraki was born in 1917, was the oldest. His father was a livestock dealer and small-time smuggler. His family's described by Dupree in Nyrop (pg. 218) as semi nomadic, traveling frequently between Ghazini Province and British India. He attended a provincial elementary school and a middle school in Qandahar and was. He began to write short stories. In 1940s his stories refluxing the living condition of Afghan peasants, which approved by Soviet critics as Scientific Socialist themes. Amin was born in 1921, in Paghman, a town near Kabul. His father was a minor civil servant. After study mathematic and physics at Kabul University, he became a high school teacher and later promoted to the principal position. In 1957, through a scholarship he went to study at Teacher's College at Columbia University, in New York. He returned for further studies and that time he joined with students who were interested in Marxism. *Karmal, was born in 1929, a member of the social and political elite. He was a son of

The Hopi Indians

1999-10-14T14:00:00-04:00
In the southwestern United States, above northern Arizona, are three mesas. The mesas create the home for the Hopi Indians. The Hopi have a deeply religious, isolated, tribal culture with a unique history. The Hopi stress group cooperation. The tribe is organized around a clan system. In a clan system, all the members consider themselves relatives. The clans form a social glue that has held the Hopi villages together. Clan membership provides a singular Hopi identity. The Hopi have a highly developed belief system which contains many gods and spirits. Ceremonies, rituals, dances, songs, and prayers are celebrated in year-round. The Hopi believed they were led to the arid southwestern region of America by their creator, because he knew they had the power to evoke rain with power and prayer. Consequently, the Hopi are connected to their land, its agricultural cycles and the constant quest for rainfall, in a religious way. The religious center of the community is the kiva, which is an underground room with a ladder protruding above the roof. The kiva is very important for several reasons. From the kiva, a connection is made with the center of the earth. Also, the kiva is symbolic for the emergence to this world. The room would represent the underworld and the ladder would represent the way to the upper world. In fact, a room is kept in the house to store ceremonial objects. A sacred ear of corn protects the room and symbolizes the ancestry of the family members. Kachinas are also a focal point of the religion. For a Hopi, they signify spirits of ancestors, dieties of the natural world, or intermediaries between man and gods. The Hopi believe that they are the earth's caretakers, and with the successful performance of their ceremonial cycle, the world will remain in balance, the gods will be happy and rain will come. Because they think of their crops as gifts, the Hopi Indians live in harmony with the environment. Art is also used for ritualistic purposes. Men's loincloths were painted and decorated with tassels to symbolize falling rain. Men also wore elaborate costumes that include special headdresses, masks, and body paints during ritual ceremonies and dances. The Hopi follow a seasonal sense of time. Depending on the season, different preparations were used for collecting the rain. Droughts required the Hopis to adopt new farming methods that are still in use today. An example

Freedom in the United States

1999-10-12T14:00:00-04:00
No other democratic society in the world permits personal freedoms to the degree of the United States of America. Within the last sixty years, American courts, especially the Supreme Court, have developed a set of legal doctrines that thoroughly protect all forms of the freedom of expression. When it comes to evaluating the degree to which we take advantage of the opportunity to express our opinions, some members of society may be guilty of violating the bounds of the First Amendment by publicly offending others through obscenity or racism. Americans have developed a distinct disposition toward the freedom of expression throughout history. The First Amendment clearly voices a great American respect toward the freedom of religion. It also prevents the government from "abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Since the early history of our country, the protection of basic freedoms has been of the utmost importance to Americans. In Langston Hughes' poem, "Freedom," he emphasizes the struggle to enjoy the freedoms that he knows are rightfully his. He reflects the American desire for freedom now when he says, "I do not need my freedom when I'm dead. I cannot live on tomorrow's bread." He recognizes the need for freedom in its entirety without compromise or fear. I think Langston Hughes captures the essence of the American immigrants' quest for freedom in his poem, "Freedom's Plow." He accurately describes American's as arriving with nothing but dreams and building America with the hopes of finding greater freedom or freedom for the first time. He depicts how people of all backgrounds worked together for one cause: freedom. I selected Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 as a fictitious example of the evils of censorship in a world that is becoming illiterate. In this book, the government convinces the public that book reading is evil because it spreads harmful opinions and agitates people against the government. The vast majority of people accept this censorship of expression without question and are content to see and hear only the government's propaganda. I found this disturbing yet realistic. Bradbury's hidden opposition to this form of censorship was apparent throughout the book and finally prevailed in the end when his main character rebelled against the practice of burning books. Among the many forms of protests are pickets, strikes, public speeches and rallies.

The History of the Ku Klux Klan

1999-10-11T14:00:00-04:00
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 ill and could not handle the task. Their

Causes of the Franco-Russian alliance

1999-10-09T14:00:00-04:00
During the late 19th century many countries sought an alliance with other countries to guarantee their own safety, preserve peace and sometimes to help their economic position. this is highlighted by alliances and treaties such as the "Dual Alliance" of 1879, the "Dreikaiserbund" of 1881 and the "Reinsurance Treaty" This was also the case for both France and Russia, with them agreeing the "Franco-Russian Military Convention" on August 18th 1892 and later agreeing the "Franco-Russian Alliance" in 1893. France and Russia were animated by a common desire to preserve peace. The only reason it was possible for France and Russia to form this alliance is because Germany allowed the Reinsurance treaty to become invalid. Both countries wanted different things from the alliance but there was one common reason between them, and that was to oppose Germany - although both countries had different incentives for this. France, Russia and Germany all contributed to the alliance being formed, either through their aims or what they did. France aimed to get revenge on Germany for the Franco - Prussian war of 1970 - 1971 where France were disastrously defeated, Germany aimed to stay free from an invasion from France and keep Austria-Hungary happy as France and Austria- Hungary were on either side of German, and Russia wanted an ally so it could feel safe form Germany. France made an alliance with Russia because it was against Germany. France wanted Revenge on Germany because of the humiliation of losing the Franco-Prussian war and the valuable land lost, like "Alsace - Lorraine". They wanted revenge and this widely known. France knew that "without Russia's help, the wrong done to France by Prussia in 1871, in the matter of Alsace-Lorraine could never be repaired", so it was important France allied with a relatively strong power. Karl Marx said "If Alsace - Lorraine is taken, then France will later make war with Germany in conjunction with France". France needed an ally because she felt extremely vulnerable, this was mainly due to Bismarck and Germany. Bismarck had been successful in isolating France diplomatically over the previous decade, so she needed to catch up with the other major powers. France couldn't ally with Britain because Britain kept itself in "splendid isolation", so Russia was really the only real choice as they were the only other great power who was suspicious and disliked Germany. France feared Germany, Germany had a preponderant military, so

Postwar Effects on Women

1999-10-07T14:00:00-04:00
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. As men came back from the war they merged with

A Testament of Hope - Martin Luther King

1999-10-07T14:00:00-04:00
"Letter from Birmingham Jail" is a clearly written essay that explains the reasons behind, and the methods of nonviolent civil disobedience, and gently expresses King's disappointment with those who are generally supportive of equal rights for African-Americans. Martin Luther King, more than any other figure, shaped American life from the mid-'50s to the late '60s. This was a time when large numbers of Americans, barely recognized as such by sanctioned power, dared to dream of what the country could be at its best, in the face of what often was its worst. For example, in December, 1955, days after Montgomery civil rights activist Rosa Parks refused to obey the city's rules mandating segregation on buses, a bus boycott was launched and King was elected as president of the newly formed Montgomery Improvement Association. As the boycott continued through 1956, King gained national prominence as a result of his exceptional oratorical skills and personal courage. Despite attempts to suppress the movement, Montgomery buses were desegregated in December 1956, after the United States Supreme Court declared Alabama's segregation laws unconstitutional. King's leadership took place during the most tumultuous period in America's recent past. Under his guidance, the unfathomable goal of abolishing federal and state-sanctioned segregation and discrimination was accomplished in only a few short years. King's factual and reasoned approach is intended to win his adversaries over by appealing to their consciences. King works with a rhetorical tradition not only because it is effectual but also because it resonates with the deepest aspect of his calling which was to spread the gospel of brotherhood and justice (152). From his peaceful persuasion, to imaginative solutions in changing times to the power of hope, optimism, nonviolence strategy, and finally to the need for a great dream, these valuable applications are comprehensive instruments for taking courageous action under even the most difficult of circumstances. Above all, King follows his method of careful reasoning and is convinced that his arguments will persuade his audience (153). King was asked by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to aid in the struggle for civil rights in Birmingham, Alabama. Thus, he was there because injustice was present (154). He was not content with a system that saw his people or people of any color, as second class citizens. He set out to bring equality for people everywhere. So often they had become victims of broken promise (155). As a result, he was

Media in the Seventies

1999-10-04T14:00:00-04:00
Media has forever changed the way people live today and it changed lives in the seventies. In the seventies the media was important because they were able to show what happened in Vietnam and the people that wanted to forget the war could listen to music to get away. In the seventies there also was a lot of new shows that became popular along with big bands. One of the first major bands to appear in the seventies was named Chicago. There first album was in sixty-nine, but they never really got noticed until there second album called Chicago. This album went all the way to the top and was voted album of the year by Cashbox magazine. In 1970 religious themes started to appear in songs like "spirit in the sky," and "let it be." The Beattles also had there last film called "Let it Be," which premiered in London. The Beattles were so big that in one year they had 2 hit albums. The number one single of 1970 was "Bridge Over Troubled Water," by Simon and Garfunkel and they also had one of the top albums of the year. The Jackson 5 had three hit singles in the top 40, this was a great accomplishment for these young superstars. In 1970 there was a lot of good movies and television shows. One of the major shows was called M*A*S*H, and this show is still running today, however it originally stated as a movie. Another oldie that is still on the air is Hawaii five - 0. In the early seventies Alice cooper emerged into his own type of rock now known as "shock rock," and this is when rock started spreading into different sub-catogories such as jazz rock, latin rock, and religious rock. The year of 71 is when Michael Jackson split from the Jackson 5 to try his career as a solo singer and his first hit was titled "got to be there." Don Mclean released a album called "American Pie," this single shot him to number one on the charts and is to this day the longest single in history to get there running at an amazing 8 minutes long. Nineteen seventy two was a great year for Led Zepplin he hit the charts with power scoring three hit singles Black Dog, Rock and Roll, and the classic Stairway to Heaven. The Godfather was at the top

Analysis of History

1999-09-28T14:00:00-04:00
"History is the memory of things said and done. Every man is a historian." I agree that history includes everything said and done, to a certain extent. There are levels of history. The relevance to each individual's life determines the significance and importance of the certain event. Also, it should only be studied, perhaps, if the event has a certain impact on the person who is studying it. If an action proved to be important to an individual in the present or the future, that incident would be a sort of personal history. If it were meaningful to a large group of people, it would be a less individual kind of history. The type of history that is commonly taught is the less personal kind. History teachers think that this kind of national history has more relevance to each person's life than the more individual events. However, sometimes the personal events are more important and leave a bigger impact on an individual than the national history. In one dictionary, history is defined as "a written account of events, particularly of those affecting a nation, institution, science, or art..." I think that this definition of History completely counteracts the original quote. In my opinion, if one were to do something that only effected himself, it would still be history. It would not have that big of an impact on the world, but to that person, it could have been very influential. Another definition of history says that it " is a methodical record of important events which concern a community of men." Once again, in my opinion history does not have to effect a community of men in order for it to be important or significant. Also, history does not have to be written in order for it to be relevant or to have an impact. Even a simple story passed from generation to generation with clues from the past is a form of history. If one were to write that cavemen had three legs, it would not make it history. Whether it is written or not does not affect the truth and facts of the situation. I agree that history is simply just the memory of past events. The remembrance of an occurrence shows that it is relevant enough to be remembered. It is important that a historical event is remembered the same by all. Every person has a different

The Three Most Significant Events in U.S. History

1999-09-28T14:00:00-04:00
The Revolution resulting in America was the most significant event in American History. This country would not be here without it. The Revolution led to an establishment of a constitution and a new foundation to start a country. We would still be part of England had we not had the Revolution. The constitution set up a basis upon which the most powerful nation in the world would grow. The Civil War is also one

Comparison of Colonies

1999-09-28T14:00:00-04:00
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 lesser degree, the colonists sought to establish a stable and progressive government. Many colonies were founded for religious purposes. While religion was involved with all of the colonies, Massachusetts, New Haven, Maryland, and Pennsylvania were established exclusively for religious purposes. Massachusetts's inhabitants were Puritans who believed in predestination and the ideal that God is perfect. Many Puritans in England were persecuted for their nihilist beliefs in England because they felt that the Church of England, led by the Kind, did not enforce a literal enough interpretation of the Bible. Persecution punishment included jail and even execution. To seek refuge, they separated to go to Holland because of its proximity, lower cost, and safer passage. However, their lives in Holland were much different than that of England. The Separatists did not rebel against but rather preferred the English culture. They did not want their children to be raised Dutch. Also, they felt that Holland was too liberal. Although they enjoyed the freedom of religion, they decided to leave for America. Pilgrims, or sojourners, left for America on The Mayflower and landed in Cape Cod in 1626. They had missed their destination, Jamestown. Although the climate was extremely rocky, they did not want to move south because of their Puritan beliefs. They thought that everything was predestined, and that they must have landed on this rocky place for a reason. They moved slightly north to Plymouth Rock in order to survive more comfortably. Also because of their Puritan beliefs, they had good relations with the Native Americans. Their pacifist nature led the Indians to help with their crops. In thanks, the Pilgrims celebrated the first thanksgiving in 1621. A second group of Puritans in England, the Massachusetts Bay Company, came to Massachusetts for more economically motivated purposes due to their non-minimalist beliefs. New Haven and Connecticut were two other colonies founded exclusively for Religious purposes. Many of the Separatists in Massachusetts felt that the religion was too liberal inside of the colony. They felt that the beliefs were not being enforced enough and that the people were not living through literal interpretations of the Bible. These Separatists further separated themselves from

Government of Colonies

1999-09-28T14:00:00-04:00
The government in Massachusetts began with the Mayflower Compact, an agreement signed by the Pilgrims pledging that they would set up a theocracy, a political system headed by the clergy. In the compact, they also pledged loyalty to support and follow England. Seven years later, the Massachusetts Bay Company, under John Winthrope, coming for economic and religious reasons, set up a general court. This type of government started with 18 elected freemen, or white, male, wealthy, land-owning puritans. This government had many problems. The fact that only 18 people were representing the mass of colonists in Massachusetts caused misrepresentation of the majority of the colony. The elected freemen made decisions that looked to their own interests rather than to the good of the colony. Also, this general court only met four times a year, which is far too little to get any important, every day decisions made. Other colonies with a unicameral, or one house assembly, government include New Jersey and New York. New Jersey, before 1702, was proprietary; the business owners made decisions. This type of government is an autocracy. After 1702, the King of England appointed a governor and council, and there was one house of elected freemen. New York, much like New Jersey, was a one-house government that consisted of a powerful governor and a council of elected freemen. Two other colonies, Maryland and New Haven, had bicameral, or two housed, governments. In Maryland, the governor was appointed by the King and was therefore loyal to England. Only freemen could be in these two houses, but there was more representation due to higher numbers of representatives. This was much like New Haven, which had a bicameral government as well. New Haven had a Constitution called the "Fundamental Orders." It stated that the 7 officials, solely from the church, were only to meet twice a year. Although the meeting times became even more drastically spaced apart, all free men could vote under this government. The fact that one did not have to be a member of the church to vote showed that the government was beginning to break away from theocracy and move closer to democracy. The furthest developed government, in theory, was that of the Carolinas. A man named Berkeley obtained the land as a proprietor from King Charles. The Fundamental Constitution was set up as a balance between aristocracy and democracy. When the King gave the land

How western civiliztion would be differnt if Columbus had not discovered America

1999-09-23T14:00:00-04:00
"How would western civilization be different if Christopher Columbus had not discovered America?" Many circumstances led to Christopher Columbus' discovery of America in 1492. He was born in the port city of Genoa, Italy. He learned the skills of seamanship from working on the sardine fishing fleets. It is also probable that his father owned his own coastal schooner used for trading wool. He had no formal education, which forced him to work in the field of sea navigation. In 1476, Columbus became a chart maker in Lisbon. Any other career he may have chosen, could have prevented him from attempting to find a western sea route from Europe to Asia. America would be very different today, if not discovered by Christopher Columbus. I believe someone

The World of Phoenicia

1999-09-15T14:00:00-04:00
Around the 12th century BC, the Greeks gave the coastal region of the eastern Mediterranean the name Phoenicia. This name was so widely accepted that even the Romans adopted it at a later date. Phoenicia was the land between the Orontes River and Mount Carmel. The land was characterized early as the homeland or origination of the surviving Syro-Canaanite civilization. This unique civilization survived the many threats from other cultures of the 12th century BC. The Syro-Canaan civilization produced many interesting objects. Such objects included institutions, handicrafts, and maritime trading. All of these flourished immensely in Phoenician in this period (CANE, 1321). Phoenicia was neither a nation nor a country. Instead, Phoenicia was simply a "conglomerate of city-states that was distinguished from adjacent areas by its habitual outreach into the Mediterranean world" (Freedman, 349). Phoenicia was also known for its preferred dealing and trading with the Greeks and Indo-Europeans. Although it dealt and traded mainly with the Greeks, Phoenicia maintained a unique culture with its own religious beliefs, language, preferred trading techniques, and political setup. With help from their unique ways, the Phoenicians eventually began to expand through the Mediterranean, Near East, and the Middle East (Freedman, 349). Religion for Phoenicia, like many other Semitic cultures, played a very important role in the Phoenician culture. In the 12th century BC, the Phoenicians strongly believed in paganism and worshipped many gods. The gods' names, however, were not always consistent. Phoenicians had their own religious text, their own forms of prayer, and even had sacrifice within their culture. Gifts were also used as offerings and the Phoenicians also had a personal structure within their beliefs. All of these things helped form and keep the Phoenician religion quite unique and peculiar as well. Literary and epigraphic texts are part of the written sources of information about Phoenician religion. Literary texts include many sources such as the Hebrew Bible, Greek texts by Christian, classical, and Hellenistic writers. Epigraphic texts included cuneiform texts in Akkadian language and inscriptions in Phoenician language. One can easily notice all the different sources in which the Phoenician religious texts came about. Hence, the Phoenicians were exposed to many groups and many beliefs in which they built their own religious beliefs. It must be noted, however, that any source other than texts written by Phoenicians can not be solely relied upon and are secondary (Freedman, 358). Another vital part of Phoenician

City-states in Lower Mesopotamia

1999-09-15T14:00:00-04:00
Factors that contributed to the emergence of city-states in Lower Mesopotamia and the influence the landscape played in the formation of the civilization which emerged. For this essay I considered the question of what factors contributed to the emergence of city-states in Lower Mesopotamia and the influence the landscape played in the formation of the civilization which emerged. Through my research on this topic I found that there is much evidence to support the claim that landscape was a very large influence on the emergence of civilization and that most of the contributing factors were, in some way, linked to geography. In order to fully understand the topic, I first explored what the definition of civilization is. The first criterion for civilization, that I could think of, is domestication and an agricultural economy capable of producing a stored surplus. From this, I felt the need to examine the origins of Mesopotamian agriculture. With the glacial retreat after the last ice-age (roughly 10000 BC) the Mesopotamian climate improved and many modern plants and animals began to become concentrated in specific areas. Around 9000 BC the vast majority of Mesopotamian peoples were hunter-gatherers. With the concentrations of plants and animals being in specific areas these hunter-gatherers soon began to domesticate those plants and animals and a sedentary village farming pattern arose. This became the predominant way of life around 6000 BC. This change from food collecting to food producing was one of the major transformations in human history. Early peoples no longer had to live the nomadic life of hunter-gatherers but could settle down in permanent housing and produce their own food. It also began an economic change that altered social and political institutions, religion, etc. Domestication is the process of altering plants and animals so that they are no longer bound to the natural habitats of their wild ancestors. In essence they become more productive and useful to people. This process sometimes even includes changes in the genetics of the domesticated plant or animal. In Mesopotamia the major domesticated species of plants were wheat, barley, chickpeas, peas, grapes, olives, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, apricots, dates, and figs. The major domesticated species of animals were cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. Some of the genetic changes brought about through domestication and the careful breeding of plants and animals include plants that were bred to have more and bigger useful parts and animals that were initially bred to

American Declaration of Independence and the French Declaration of Rights

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
Few political documents have affected the world quite like the American Declaration of Independence or the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. The repercussions of each have had a profound effect on world history up to this point. But why did these documents have such an effect? The answer lies in the common philosophical backgrounds of the two. The writings of Rousseau, Locke and Montesquieu all contained ideas that were later used by Thomas Jefferson and the National Assembly to compose the two documents. Rousseau's ideas of a social contract, which states that the general will and the people were sovereign, and if a king abuses the liberty of the people they have a right and a duty to dissolve the current government and create a new one (McKay, 581), were central to both documents. Jefferson had Rousseau's ideas in mind when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. The history of the present King of Great Britain [George III] is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states...a prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people...we therefore...solemnly publish and declare, that these United Colonies are...independent states... (Jefferson, 1-2). The reasons, such as suspension of colonial legislatures, impressment of American sailors and the importation of mercenaries (Jefferson, 2), given for the dissolution of the political connections that the American and British people have held for over 100 years all relate to the King's tyrannical tendencies and the peoples right to choose a different government. The edict also states that although petitions of grievances were issued, the King turned a deaf ear. The Declaration of the Rights of Man is not only built on the social contract, but also on Rousseau's idea of general will of the people. He defines the general will as being, "Sacred and absolute, reflecting the common interests of the people, who have displaced the monarch as the holder of the sovereign powers. (McKay, 581)" Passing and enforcing arbitrary laws are considered to be an act of tyranny and a substantial reason, according to Rousseau, to declare the current government void and establish a new one. Article VII clearly states that arbitrary laws and orders cannot exist.(Sherman, 100) The fact that this is distinctly stated implies that arbitrary

Greek Sports

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
Ancient boxing had fewer rules than the modern sport. Boxers fought without rounds until one man was knocked out, or admitted he had been beaten. Unlike the modern sport, there was no rule against hitting an opponent when he was down. There were no weight classes within the mens' and boys' divisions opponents for a match were chosen randomly. There were both 2-horse chariot and 4-horse chariot races, with separate races for chariots drawn by foals. Another race was between carts drawn by a team of 2 mules. The course was 12 laps around the stadium track (9 miles). The course was 6 laps around the track (4.5 miles), and there were separate races for full-grown horses and foals. Jockeys rode without stirrups. The ancient Greeks considered the rhythm and precision of an athlete throwing the discus as important as his strength.Only wealthy people could afford to pay for the training, equipment, and feed of both the driver (or jockey) and the horses. As a result, the owner received the olive wreath of victory instead of the driver or jockey. This event was a grueling combination of boxing and wrestling. Punches were allowed, although the fighters did not wrap their hands with the boxing himantes. Rules outlawed only biting and gouging an opponent's eyes, nose, or mouth with fingernails. Attacks such as kicking an opponent in the belly, which are against the rules in modern sports, were perfectly legal. The ancient Greeks considered the rhythm and precision of an athlete throwing the discus as important as his strength. The discus was made of stone, iron, bronze, or lead, and was shaped like a flying saucer. Sizes varied, since the boys' division was not expected to throw the same weight as the mens'. The javelin was a man-high length of wood, with either a sharpened end or an attached metal point. It had a thong for a hurler's fingers attached to its center of gravity, which increased the precision and distance of a javelin's flight. Athletes used lead or stone jump weights (halteres) shaped like telephone receivers to increase the length of their jump. The halteres were held in front of the athlete during his ascent, and forcibly thrust behind his back and dropped during his descent to help propel his body further. There were 4 types of races at Olympia. The stadion was the oldest event of the Games. Runners sprinted

The Story Behind the Nazi Gold

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
Nazi Gold: Hard currency looted from treasuries of countries occupied by the Axis powers during World War II. Ingots consisting of gold melted down from the teeth of murder victims and weddings bands and jewelry. About two thirds of an estimated $660 million ($7.8 billion in today's dollars) in stolen Nazi gold passed through Switzerland during the war. And like any sharp businessmen with hot goods, the Swiss disposed of much of their gold quickly - through Portugal mainly, but also to Sweden, Spain, and other central banks (Hirsh 48). Probably no more that $140 million remains unaccounted for, and a good portion of that was probably sold onward as well. But what remains of the known Nazi hoard (none of which has been returned to the Jewish community) is worth no more than about $65 million according to the Brussels-based Tripartite Gold Commission, set up after World War II to return stolen gold to national treasuries. Recently the Clinton administration created a commission to search for any Nazi funds that might have ended up in U.S. Federal Reserve vaults. "We have to be willing not only to focus the spotlight on Switzerland," says Under Secretary of Commerce Stuart Eizenstat. "We have to be willing to follow the trail of assets into our own treasury" (qtd. in Hirsh 47). This trail though, suggests that there is no huge stash of Nazi gold in Switzerland. The loot has scattered worldwide through numerous transactions and is probably irretrievable. Also, because so many banks were involved, the amount of gold left in Switzerland is probably negligible, contrary to what investigators have until now presumed. At this point the cost or returning the Nazi Gold to its rightful owners is not worth the trouble and inconvenience it would create. Documents released in recent months have made it clear that Swiss banks traded in looted Nazi-gold, and that Swiss businesses made a fortune selling arms to the Nazis. In a historical report published around May 9,1997, it was said that there was no evidence that the Swiss or other neutral countries knew that gold from the central banks had been smelted together with gold fillings, wedding bands, and other jewelry stolen from Holocaust victims (Sanger). But, Eizenstat found "incontrovertible evidence" that Swiss bankers knew they were trading in gold that Germany had looted from the treasuries of states it occupied, and also a handwritten ledger sheet

The Renaissance

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
In the 1400's, the feudal system became weak and national governments became stronger. People put more emphasis on humanism than on the church. This period was called the Renaissance. I believe that this period led directly to the Age of Exploration. During this time, technology became more advanced. Martin Luther started the Reformation against the Catholic church. As the effect of the Reformation, a middle class emerged making it possible for people to travel more. During the Renaissance, technology became more advanced and more available to the common public. The printing press was invented during this time. This invention made it possible for books to be published, not hand written. Ideas of the Renaissance were spread in some of these books and common people could own a copy of the bible. Some other inventions were the astrolabe, the quadrant, and the compass. These devices were used in sailing. The astrolabe and the quadrant told a person where they were at a direct point and the compass told which direction was north. Two faster, larger ships were also invented during this time. They were called the carrack and the caravel. The weakening of the Roman Catholic Church, brought about by the Protestant Reformation, changed the way people felt about the church and it's importance in their life. Then, because the church was not so dominating, people felt free to learn about new lands. People started learning about Rome and Greece. They learned about these two countries' culture and art. This also helped the Age of Exploration to begin because the Catholic church wanted more souls. They thought they could go to America and convert Native Americans. As trade grew, a wealthy middle class of doctors, bankers and lawyers emerged. These people had more money so they became more educated and more self-sufficient. They didn't have to rely on the feudal system anymore and national government became more powerful. With more money, the middle class could fund trips across the ocean. They could also buy books, paintings and other classical things. The Age of Exploration was caused by the Renaissance period. Technology became more advanced, the Catholic church was reformed and a middle class emerged. These new ideas encouraged people to explore and discover new things. In present life, we have a very strong middle class, religious freedom and a lot of advances in technology. If the Renaissance period wouldn't have happened, it's

Ancient Roman Architecture

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
The ancient Romans are famous for many things. One thing is their adaptation and development of architecture. From the Etruscans and early tribes the Romans found most of their basic architectural skills. From the Greeks some components of Roman architecture were adapted. Which gives some early Roman architecture some characteristics of oriental architecture because of Greek contact with the Orient. The heart of Roman architecture was the Roman forum, which was really being constructed under the rule of Octavian (Augustus) Caesar. As time progressed the Roman architecture went into a stage of Greek like buildings. After this Roman architecture as we know it today was starting to take form. Etruscan architecture was really the beginning of Roman architecture. For example in Etruscan tombs people would find many types of architectural traits found in many Roman buildings. Like the fact they had vaulted entrances. Some cities had an influence, such as the fortified city of Norba. After this Greece started to gain control in Italy that greatly affected the Roman architecture of this time but not as much as Etruscan does in the future. When the Greeks came in Rome was building their new buildings in the classic Greek vaulted construction with Doric style columns. The start of this was in 179 B.C., it started with the planing of the Temple to Fortuna Virilis. This was completed in approximately 100 B.C. Then shortly after the completion of the Tabularium built in the time of Sulla. In this period under the dictator Sulla, Hellenistic architecture flourished in Rome, with the buildings Lindos, Cos, the acropolis at Pergamon, Fortuna at Praeneste, the sanctuary of Hercules Victor at Tibur, and the temple of Jupiter Anxur at Terracina. Though all these buildings were noticeably Hellenistic, they retained the Roman's own unique architectural style. Such as the cylindrical shape of Forum Boarium, this was an original shape for the Romans along with the roof. Eventually the Hellenistic architecture was being pushed out by Romanization. When Rome gained leadership over Neighboring countries and was starting to unite the cities, in about 300 B.C. Rome started to gain it's own unique architectural culture. When Rome was expanding they build grids of roads, and with this advance Rome had a much greater ability to build massive projects. Such as Octavian (Augustus) Caesar's Forum, aqueducts, temples, jetties, safe ports, bridges, marsh drainage and the first truly planned cities. These cities were

French Literature in the Age of Reason

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
The Age of Reason, or the Enlightenment, was a period in France during the 1700's following the classical age. Within this time, philosophers placed the emphasis on reason as the best method for learning. It explored issues in education, law philosophy, and politics. It attacked tyranny, social injustice, superstition, and ignorance. This time produced advances in such areas as anatomy, astronomy, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. These were the ideals taken up for both the American and French revolutions. A significant amount of the literature produced was philosophical, and written by important thinkers such as Voltaire, Denis Diderot, and Jean Jacques Rousseau. Of the above, Voltaire was the most well-known literary figure of the time. He fought against intolerance and bigotry, and worked to promote rationalism through his literary skills. His most famous work is the novel Candide (1759). As well, Voltaire wrote tragedies influenced by the works of William Shakespeare. Through his many works on European and world history, he helped develop the principles of historical writing for modern times. Denis Diderot is most famously known for editing one of the great intellectual achievements of the Enlightenment, the French Encylopédie (1751-1772). The Encylopédie is a collection of articles written by many writers in several fields. The purpose of the book was to try and rationally explain recent scientific discoveries while attacking religous authority, economic inequality, and abuses of justice. In his novel The New Heloise (1761), Jean Jacques Rousseau suggested changes in French society, and in Emile (1762) put forward the idea of change in education. The autobiography Confessions (published in 1782 and 1789 after his death) helped to create the modern works that provoke self-analysis. Rousseau, with his sensitivity to nature, brought a more lyrical and meditative sensation back to French literature. An example of this can be found in Reveries of the Solitary Stroller (1782). There are several other major writers and works that helped contribute to the literary expression during the Age of Reason. There was Montesquieu, who wrote wittingly about social critisism in Persian Letters (1721). The well-known satirical novel Gil Blas (1715-1735) written by Alain René Lesage. Manon Lescaut (1731), a sentimental novel written by Abbé Prévost. Novels of middle-class society, and problems of falling in love from a woman's perspective created by Pierre Marivaux. Pierre Beaumarchais' plays of satirical comedy, such as The Barber of Seville (1775) and The Marriage of Figaro (1784). All of the

Making Sense of the Sixties

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
Many social changes that were addressed in the 1960s are still the issues being confronted today. The '60s was a decade of social and political upheaval. In spite of all the turmoil, there were some positive results: the civil rights revolution, John F. Kennedy's bold vision of a new frontier, and the breathtaking advances in space, helped bring about progress and prosperity. However, much was negative: student and anti-war protest movements, political assassinations, and ghetto riots excited American people and resulted in lack of respect for authority and the law. The decade began under the shadow of the cold war with the Soviet Union, which was aggravated by the U-2 incident, the Berlin Wall, and the Cuban missile crisis, along with the space race with the USSR. The decade ended under the shadow of the Vietnam war, which deeply divided Americans and their allies and damaged the country's self-confidence and sense of purpose. Even if you weren't alive during the '60s, you know what they meant when they said, "tune in, turn on, drop out." you know why the nation celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. All of the social issues are reflected in today's society: the civil rights movement, the student movement, the sexual revolution, the environment, and most controversial of all, Hippies. The sixties is also known for it's rapid birth rate. Nearly 76 million children were born to this generation, and for that they are called the " Baby Boomers." Surprisingly, even though so many children were being born, not many parents knew how to raise them. The parents of the 50's and 60's were so concerned with the world around them that going to work was the only image children had of their fathers. Kids didn't understand why they worked so much just to gain more material possessions. Children of this generation grew up learning just about how to be free and happy. Most of the time, when thinking back to the sixties, people remember hearing about things such as sex, drugs, and racism. However, what they often tend to overlook is the large emphasis "freedoms" had on the era. This does not just refer to the freedoms already possessed by every American of the time. This focuses on the youth's fight to gain freedom or break away from the values and ideas left behind by the older generation. These fights were used to help push for

Victorian England

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
The Victorian era, from the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1837 until her death in 1901, was an era of several unsettling social developments that forced writers more than ever before to take positions on the immediate issues animating the rest of society. Thus, although romantic forms of expression in poetry and prose continued to dominate English literature throughout much of the century, the attention of many writers was directed, sometimes passionately, to such issues as the growth of English democracy, the education of the masses, the progress of industrial enterprise and the consequent rise of a materialistic philosophy, and the plight of the newly industrialized worker. In addition, the unsettling of religious belief by new advances in science, particularly the theory of evolution and the historical study of the Bible, drew other writers away from the immemorial subjects of literature into considerations of problems of faith and truth. Nonfiction The historian Thomas Babington Macaulay, in his History of England (5 volumes, 1848-1861) and even more in his Critical and Historical Essays (1843), expressed the complacency of the English middle classes over their new prosperity and growing political power. The clarity and balance of Macaulay's style, which reflects his practical familiarity with parliamentary debate, stands in contrast to the sensitivity and beauty of the prose of John Henry Newman. Newman's main effort, unlike Macaulay's, was to draw people away from the materialism and skepticism of the age back to a purified Christian faith. His most famous work, Apologia pro vita sua (Apology for His Life, 1864), describes with psychological subtlety and charm the basis of his religious opinions and the reasons for his change from the Anglican to the Roman Catholic church. Similarly alienated by the materialism and commercialism of the period, Thomas Carlyle, another of the great Victorians, advanced a heroic philosophy of work, courage, and the cultivation of the godlike in human beings, by means of which life might recover its true worth and nobility. This view, borrowed in part from German idealist philosophy, Carlyle expressed in a vehement, idiosyncratic style in such works as Sartor resartus (The Tailor Retailored, 1833-1834) and On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History (1841). Other answers to social problems were presented by two fine Victorian prose writers of a different stamp. The social criticism of the art critic John Ruskin looked to the curing of the ills of industrial society and capitalism as

From Oppressed Slaves to Champion Soldiers

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
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 and

1968

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
"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

Ramses the Great

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
In the Egyptian pyramids of Giza, Ramses the Great ruled as the greatest pharaoh of all times. Ramses the Great, also known as Ramses II, or just Ramses, was born in 1304 B.C., and was given the name the Justice of Ray is Powerful. He had the knowledge of the kingdom, and became the focus of the court at an early age. Ramses and his father spent most of their time together, and at age ten, Ramses became heir to the thrown. He took the thrown in the year of 1292 B.C. The pharaoh lived over all other people in the kingdom. According to historians, the Nile river was the source of life to the Egyptians. The Nile river provided the Egyptian people with water, fish, and fertile soil to grow crops on. The peasant folk in Egypt lived on a diet of wheat bread, fish, and corn. Also, the death rates there were said to be very high. When Ramses became pharaoh, he got many riches. For example, Ramses had as many women as his heart desired. The women did everything for Ramses, which includes dancing for him. Ramses II was the most powerful king in all of ancient Egypt, and his Queens were his greatest supporters. Ramses had many wives, but he loved one particular wife the most of all of them. Ramses the Great was also known for his fighting. In 1275 B.C., he went into battle with about 2,000 men. It was about noon on a spring day, and Ramses II was encamped with his army near the city of Kadesh in Syria. He and his army were planning a surprise attack on the Hittites. While Ramses was waiting for his army to assemble, Hittite chariots showed up out of nowhere and attacked. Frightened, the Egyptian forces fled and left Ramses the Great to face the enemy alone. Luckily, he escaped with his life. Later, Ramses II had scenes from the battle carved on temple was all over Egypt. According to the carvings, Ramses prayed to Amon, the chief Egyptian god, to save him. He said, "My soldiers and charioteers have forsaken me, but I call and find that Amon is worth more to me than millions of foot soldiers and hundreds of thousands of chariots." After that, the carvings show that he rallied his forces and had victory over the Hittites. Furthermore, Ramses II raised many

Alexander the Great

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
"It is a lovely thing to live with great courage and die leaving an everlasting fame." Alexander The Great Long before the birth of Christ, the land directly above what we know as Greece today, was called Macedonia. Macedonia still exists, but it is now Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and modern Greece. Macedonia was considered to be part of ancient Greece, but the people of these two countries couldn't be more different. No people in history ever gave so much to the human race as the ancient Greeks. They produced architectural monuments, four of the greatest dramatic actors who ever lived, one of the most brilliant statesmen and two of the greatest historians. Scientists, philosophers and artists all thrived in this country. The political system we call democracy had its roots in this culture. The Macedonians in comparison with their Greek neighbors were crude and fierce in their outlook. They were a rough people. They never produced any artists, philosophers, or great actors. But they produced Alexander The Great - a man with a legacy so remarkable that it has challenged the minds of men ever since. Alexander was born to conquer the world. His life was bold and from beginning to end, it was etched with dramatic clarity. Every important event in his life brought him one step closer to fulfilling his ambition. He was the first leaders, like Caesar and Napoleon, who partly be accident and partly by design, set out to gather the whole world into their fists, unify it, rule it and enlighten it. But unlike the other great giants of history, Alexander was a shooting star whose blaze of glory ended with his death, at not quite thirty-three years old... Alexander was born in 356 BC to King Philip of Macedonia and his wife, Olympias. On the day of Alexander's birth, Philip was away in battle. A courier brought Philip the message of his son's birth, along with two other messages - Philip's horse had won first prize in the Olympic Games and his army had just won a very important battle. With three pieces of good news at once, Philip always thought his son's arrival into the world came with an omen of good luck. As Crown Prince of Macedonia and at that time, his father's only heir, Alexander was raised to inherit his father's kingdom. Alexander was good at sports and even as a young child showed a very ambitious streak.

Stone Henge

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
Man has always been interested in mystery. Stonehenge is one of the most mysterious places that man has been interested in. Construction began on Stonehenge at about 2200 B.C. (Abels 9). The origin and uses of Stonehenge are still a great mystery. Stonehenge is a ruin of a stone building. Stonehenge is the oldest pre-historic structure in western Europe. The name "Stonehenge" is Saxon in origin and means hanging stones. Stonehenge is visible from around one to two miles (Chippindale 12). It has a plain structure and at first glance Stonehenge appears to be a large pile of rocks. But when looked at more closely, it is a structure of great mystery. (Abels 5). Stonehenge contains close to one hundred and sixty-five stones. All of the stones are arranged in a plain and simple manner. Stonehenge is not very large. It is only about thirty five paces or eighty feet wide. Stonehenge is three hundred and thirty feet above sea level and is eighty miles west of London. Stonehenge is located in Wiltshire in south central England. The closest town to Stonehenge is Amesbury. It is in the center of Salisbury Plains (Chippindale 10). The pillars at Stonehenge are extraordinary. All of the stones appear gray in color, but their natural colors vary from mostly orange to brown or blue. Many lichens grow all over the stones. About one half of the original stone pillars are missing today. All of the joints that join the stone pillars together are dry stone joints. There was no wet sand or clay used to join the pillars together (Chippindale 12). At Stonehenge there are five different types of stone circles. The five types are: outer sarsen circle, outer bluestone circles, inner sarsen trilithons, inner blue horseshoe, and the altar stone. The outer sarsen circle is one hundred feet in diameter. Each stone is about thirteen and a half feet tall and seven feet wide. The space between each of the stones is approximately four feet apart (Chippindale 12). The outer bluestone circle is close to seventy-five feet in diameter. Most of the stones height are six and a half feet or taller. The stones width are between three and four feet. The stones color is blue. Only six of the original sixty stones still remain standing straight. The others either lean or lie on their side. The inner sarsen trilithons lie just inside

US Supplies in WWII

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
Some people say that the most devastating war in the history of the world has been World War II. First of all, what is a war? Webster's Dictionary says that the definition of war is an armed contest between states or nations any contest or strife, such as a war of words. As one can see, World War II was a contest between states or nations. It began with a simple little conflict in Europe in 1939. This conflict involved Germany and an Anglo-French coalition but eventually widened to include most of the nations of the world. It ended in 1945, leaving a new world order dominated by the United States and the USSR. As mentioned before, World War II has been the most devastating war humans have ever been involved with. The question of why can be answered in the three reasons listed below. First is that it involved the commitment of nations' entire human and economic resources. Second is the blurring of distinction between combatant and noncombatant, and third is the expansion of the battlefield to include all of the enemy's territory. The involvement of nations' entire human and economic resources is the first and most important reason. This ties into the end of the war with the United States and the USSR being world powers. This could have never happened if the United States entire human and economic resources weren't involved in the war and if most of the United States resources had not went to help the USSR. The United States at the time of the war was almost a world power. It was a strong country that attempted to stay out of the war as long as possible but still help nations in need. The United States did not fight the war in Europe for a few years but it began fighting it at home. More than 60 million Americans helped the war effort by working in factories and farms. The War Production Board was created to oversee all of this production. Chairman of the War Production Board, Donald Nelson remarked, "The American war-production job was probably the greatest achievement of all time. It makes the seven wonders of the ancient world look like the doodlings of a small boy on a rainy Saturday afternoon." No doubt about it, war production was a great achievement. Six million women were added to the labor force. Old

Medieval Siege Weapons

1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00
This is a brief paragraph or two on each of the major siege weapons. For the not just the besiegers but also the defenders. Please note most of these weapons were not used alone and often had many different versions of the same weapon. KNIGHT At age seven a son of a noble family was sent to a nobleman or lord, often who was a relative. Here he was a page and taught how to ride a horse, and his manners. At the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to a knight. As the squire to the knight he would take care of his horse, help him put the knights armor on and keep it clean. In turn he was taught how to use a bow, carve meat, and other knightly skills. The squire would have to go into battle with the knight to help him when he was wounded or unhorsed. If the squire was successful he would be knighted at the age of 21. When there wasn't a war going on knight would have to practice, practice, and practice some more. They would wrestle, fight with blunt swords, do acrobatics, and also do sports like javelin and putting which is throwing a heavy stone as far as you can. Experienced knights would participate in tournaments held by the king. The winner would usually just get bragging rights and sometimes a sum of money. The most common event was jousting. Jousting is a sport where to fully armored knights ride at each other on horses while aiming a long wooden lance at the each other. With speeds reaching 60 miles per hour sometimes there could be fatal accidents. If the person was knocked off the other was victorious. CATAPULTS The catapult, was invented by the Romans, and plays a large role in the siege of any castle. Besiegers could fire 100-200 pound stones up to 1,000 feet. The catapult was used to destroy buildings and walls inside and outside of the castle walls, it could also destroy an enemies moral by throwing severed heads of comrades, they could spread disease by throwing shit and dead animals in, and they could destroy wooden building by throwing bundles of fire in. Earlier models just used a large weight on one end of a pivoting arm. The arm was pulled back the missile was placed and then let go. The weight went down the arm went

The Renaissance in Italy

1999-09-13T14:00:00-04:00
The Italian Renaissance was called the beginning of the modern age. The word Renaissance itself is derived from the Latin word rinascere, which means to be reborn. Many dramatic changes occurred during this time in the fields of philosophy, art, politics, and literature. New emphasis was placed on enjoying life and the world around you. Talented individuals sought self-gratification through art, literature, and architecture, and their achievments would influence future generations for centuries to come. This great new movement was originated and centered in Italy, and without Italian contribution, would never have launched European society into the dawning of a new era. At the beginning of the Renaissance, Italy was divided into some 250 self- governing city-states, ranging from small towns of 2,000 individuals, to some of the largest cities in Europe of that time, such as Florence, Milan, and Venice, each with 100,000 citizens each. These city-states were loosely organized under the Pope, ruling out of Rome, although he had no real political control over the divided Italy. During the mid- 1300s and early 1400s, many large Italian cities came under the control of one family, such as the Visconti and later the Sforza families in Milan. The form of government established by the ruling families of the various Italian cities came to be known as signoria, with the chief official being called the signore. Soon , elaborate court systems, controlled by the ruling families, began to spring up in each city-state. At these courts, leading artists, intellectuals, and politicians gathered under the sponsorship of the signore and families. Other city states had a form of republicanism, such as Florence and Venice did. In these cities, a group of upper class families controlled the government, and often looked down upon the common residents of the town, considering them to be inferior. A Venetian observer wrote about Florence during this time: "They are never content with their constitution, they are never quiet, and it seems that this city always desires change of constitution as so the government changes every fifteen years"(Cole p.218) In Florence, which is perhaps considered the most important center of Renaissance learning in history, the Medici family dominated the ruling class. Under Medici domination, Florence became a signorial power and a cultural gem stone. It was during the reign of Lorenzo de' Medici , that many great painters, sculptors, and architects flocked to the Medici family looking for sponsorship, knowing that

Life in New England as opposed to the Chesapeake Bay in the 1600s

1999-09-13T14:00:00-04:00
During the 1600's, many people in the American colonies led very many different lives, some better than others. While life was hard for some groups, other colonists were healthy and happy. Two groups that display such a difference are the colonists of New England and Chesapeake Bay. New Englanders enjoyed a much higher standard of living. This high standard of New England's was due to many factors, including a healthier environment, better family situation, and a high rate of reproduction. First, the inhabitants of the New England area were far healthier. Their clean water supply was a sharp contrast to the contaminated waters of Chesapeake Bay. Air was also fresh and clean in New England. Chesapeake Bay colonists were plagued by disease due to their unsanitary way of life, and New Englanders could expect ten extra years of life because of migrating there in fact, on average, they lived to be nearly 70, close to the same life expectancy as today. Second, those who migrated to New England tended to come over as families, quite dissimilar to the single men who flooded Chesapeake Bay. Obviously, a much more stable family life took root in New England. Single women in Chesapeake Bay were few and far between, and the few that were around were not single for long. It was much easier to establish families in New England, where the balance between men and women was much closer to equal. These strong families provided security and made the New England colonists live a more stable life than those who lived to the south in Chesapeake Bay. Finally, partially due to the stable family life of New England, reproduction was much steadier in the north than in the Chesapeake Bay region. New England's women married young, around 20 years of age, and had many children before their child bearing days were over. They could expect to have at least 10 children, with 8 of them surviving. Chesapeake's lack of families-and more importantly-lack of women kept reproduction rates from being up to par. Thus, New England's growth was steady a nd stable, whereas Chesapeake Bay suffered the effects of an extremely low growth rate. Life in colonial America was difficult for all, but more so for some than others. While some colonists struggled to scrape by, some managed to live well and be happy. It is very apparent that health, family, and growth helped New England to

The Roman Empire

1999-09-13T14:00:00-04:00
Greek culture laid the foundation for the Roman Empire. The Roman people wanted to be like the Greek people. For example the Romans made a sculpture of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. The Romans recognized the Greek art and architecture to be very

Wounded Knee

1999-09-13T14:00:00-04:00
Wounded Knee was a terrible event in US history. It showed how the US government didn't understand the Native Americans and treated them badly and unfairly. Big Foot was the chief of a subtribe of the Lakota called Miniconjou. He was very old and had pneumonia. He was taking his tribe to the Pine Ridge Reservation in south-western South Dakota. Most of the women and children in Big Foot's tribe were family members of the warriors who had died in the Plains wars. The Indians had agreed to live on small reservations after the US government took away their land. At the Wounded Knee camp, there were 120 men and 230 women and children. At the camp, they were guarded by the US Seventh Cavalry lead by Major Samuel Whitside. During the year 1890 a new dance called the Ghost Dance started among the Sioux and other tribes. The Sioux's Christ figure, Wovoka, was said to have flown over Sitting Bull and Short Bull and taught them the dance and the songs. The Ghost Dance legend was that the next spring, when the grass was high, the Earth would be covered with a new layer of soil, covering all white men. Wild buffalo and horses would return and there would be swift running water, sweet grass, and new trees. All Indians who danced the Ghost dance would be floating in the air when the new soil was being laid down and would be saved. The Ghost Dance was made illegal after the Wounded Knee massacre though. On December 28, 1890 the Seventh Cavalry saw Big Foot moving his tribe and Big Foot immediately put up a white flag. Major Samuel Whitside captured the Indians and took them to an army camp near the Pine Ridge reservation at Wounded Knee. Whitside took Bigfoot on his wagon because it was more comfortable and warmer, and Big Foot was sick. Whitside had orders to take the Indians to a military prison in Omaha the next day, but it never happened. That night Colonel James W. Forsyth took over. The Cavalry provided the Indians with tents that night because it was cold and there was a blizzard coming. The next day, December 29, 1890, the Cavalry gave the Indians hardtack for breakfast. There was a seize of arms and the soldiers took all the Indian's guns away. A medicine man named Yellow Bird told the

The Tennessee Valley Authority

1999-09-13T14:00:00-04:00

Thoreau and King, Jr.

1999-09-13T14:00:00-04:00
There are times throughout the history of the United States when its citizens have felt the need to revolt against the government. There were such cases during the time of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau, when there was unfair discrimination against the Afro-American community and Americans refusing to pay poll taxes to support the Mexican War. They used civil disobedience to eventually get legislation to stop the injustice brought against them and their nation. Civil disobedience is defined as refusal to obey civil laws or decrees, which usually takes the form of passive resistance. People practicing civil disobedience break a law because they consider the law unjust, and want to call attention to its injustice, hoping to bring about its withdrawal. Thoreau wrote "Civil Disobedience" in 1849 after spending a night in the Walden town jail for refusing to pay a poll tax that supported the Mexican War. He recommended passive resistance as a form of tension that could lead to reform of unjust laws practiced by the government. He voiced civil disobedience as "An expression of the individual's liberty to create change" (Thoreau 530). Thoreau felt that the government had established order that resisted reform and change. "Action from principle, the perception and the performance of right, changes things and relations; it is essentially revolutionary" (Thoreau 531). Thoreau refused to pay the poll tax because the money was being used to finance the Mexican War. Not only was Thoreau against the war itself but the war was over Texas which was to be used as a slave state. His friend Staples offered to pay the tax for him, but to Thoreau it wasn't the tax he was objected to, it was how the money would be used. He believed strongly against paying money to a war he did not support, and would rather end up in jail than go against his will. A certain passage shows how strong he felt when he said "Your money is your life, why should I haste to give it my money?" (Thoreau 538). It was important to Thoreau to get the public informed about the War, and make people think why it was wrong to support it. Thoreau didn't rally hundreds and thousands of people together to get reactions. Instead he went to jail to protest and wrote his essay "Civil Disobedience". His statements were to get people to think and

The Olympic Games

1999-09-13T14:00:00-04:00
The Olympic Games are named for athletic contests held in ancient Greece for almost 12 centuries. . The purpose of the Olympic Games is to foster the ideal to promote friendship among nations. The Greek calendar was based on the Olympiad, the four-year period between games. The games were staged in the wooded valley of Olympia in Elis. This five-event competition consisted of running, wrestling, leaping, throwing the discus, and hurling the javelin. In time boxing, a chariot race, and other events were included. Summer sports include archery, basketball, boxing, canoeing, cycling, equestrian events, fencing, field hockey, gymnastics, handball, judo, rowing, shooting, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, weight lifting, wrestling, and yachting. Only the men could be in the games. You also had to be on of the best at your sport too. Today at the Olympics the winners still get something when they win there game. Also they still light a torch at the beginning and it burns until the end of the games when it is put out. The last thing is when a athlete wins the fans of the athlete still sing songs and cheer for their athlete just

Women's Rights 1848-1920

1999-09-13T14:00:00-04:00
Women had it difficult in the mid-1800s to early 1900s. There was a difference in the treatment of men and women. For example:
Married women were legally dead in the eyes of the law
Women were not allowed to vote
Women had to submit to laws when they had no voice in their formation
Married women had no property rights
Women were not allowed to enter professions such as medicine or law
Women had no means to gain an education since no college or university would accept women students
With only a few exceptions
Women were not allowed to participate in the affairs of the church
Women were robbed of their self-confidence and self-respect
Were made totally dependent on men. Then the first Women's Rights Convention was held on July 19 and 20 in 1848. The convention was convened as planned, and over the two-days of discussion, the Declaration of Sentiments and 12 resolutions received agreement endorsement, one by one, with a few amendments. The only resolution that did not pass unanimously was the call for women's authorization. That women should be allowed to vote in elections was impossible to some. At the convention, debate over the woman's vote was the main concern. Women's Rights Conventions were held on a regular basis from 1850 until the start of the Civil War. Some drew such large crowds that people had to be turned away for lack of meeting space. The women's rights movement of the late 19th century went on to address the wide range of issues spelled out at the Seneca Falls Convention. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and women like Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, and Sojourner Truth, who were pioneer theorists, traveled the country lecturing and organizing for the next forty years. Winning the right to vote was the key issue, since the vote would provide the means to accomplish the other reforms. The campaign for woman's right to vote ran across continous opposition that it took 72 years for the women and their male supporters to win. During the Women's Rights Movement, women faced incredible obstacles to win the American civil right to vote, which was later won in 1920. There were some very important women involved in the Women's Right Movement. Esther Morris, who was the first woman to hold a judicial position, who led the first successful state campaign for woman's right to vote, in 1869. Abigail Scott Duniway, the leader of the successful fight in the early 1900s. Ida

The Greek hero vs. The Anglo-Saxon hero

1999-09-12T14:00:00-04:00
The hero stands as an archetype of who we should be and who we wish to be. However, the hero has inherent flaws which we do not wish to strive towards. In literature, these flaws are not used as examples of what we should be but rather as examples of what not to be. This is especially dominant in the Greek hero. While the Greek hero follows his fate, making serious mistakes and having a fairly simple life, the Anglo-Saxon "super" hero tries, and may succeed, to change his fate, while dealing with a fairly complex life. The Greek hero is strong and mighty while his wit and intelligence are highly valued. In the Greek tragedy, the hero struggles to avoid many flaws. Among these flaws are ambition, foolishness, stubbornness, and hubris-the excessive component of pride. He must overcome his predestined fate-a task which is impossible. From the beginning of the tale, it is already clear that the hero will ultimately fail with the only way out being death. In Oedipus, the hero is already confronted with a load of information about his family and gouges his eyes out. At this point, when he tries to outwit his fate he has already lost and is sentenced to death. The Anglo-Saxon hero must also deal with his "fate" but tries, and usually succeeds, to change it. While the Greek hero battles his fate with his excessive pride and intelligence, the Anglo-Saxon hero tries to eliminate his doom by force. The Anglo-Saxon hero is considered a barbarian of sorts due to his sometimes unethical and immoral views and courses of action. At the end, the Anglo-Saxon succeeds in altering his fate though. The Greek hero is so normal, that the reader can relate to him. He is usually a "common" human being with no extraordinary life. His story seems believable, even possible. We would have no hard time imagining the hero's conflict as being ours. As in the case with Oedipus, we can understand how he feels it would be possible for his circumstances to be applied to our lives. Although the details may seem a little farfetched it is not impossible that there is some truth to the story. On the other hand, the Anglo-Saxon hero, being super-human, is especially difficult to relate to. The Anglo-Saxon may reach the same pedestal as a God. It is extremely hard to relate to this

Ancient Greek Drama

1999-08-25T14:00:00-04:00
ORIGINS OF ANCIENT GREEK DRAMA Theater was born in Attica, an Ionic region of Greece. It originated from the ceremonial orgies of Dionysos but soon enough its fields of interest spread to various myths along with historic facts. As ancient drama was an institution of Democracy, the great tragic poets Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides as well as the comedian Aristophanes elevated public debate and political criticism to a level of aesthetic achievement. Euripides and the ethologist Menandros, in the thriving years of Alexandria and later on during the Roman domination, reached a beau ideal level and through the Romans managed to form Western Theater, from Renascence and thereafter. DRAMA FESTIVALS The plays were presented at festivals in honor of Dionysus, including the Great Dionysia at Athens, held in the spring the Rural Dionysia, held in the winter and the Lenaea, also held in the winter following the Rural Dionysia. The works of only three poets, selected in competition, were performed. In addition to three tragic plays (a trilogy) each poet had to present a satyr play - a farcical, often bawdy parody of the gods and their myths. Later, comedy, which developed in the mid-5th century BC, was also presented. The oldest extant comedies are by Aristophanes. They have a highly formal structure thought to be derived from ancient fertility rites. The humor consists of a mixture of satirical attacks on contemporary public figures, bawdy, scatological jokes, and seemingly sacrilegious parodies of the gods. By the 4th century BC comedy had supplanted tragedy as the dominant form. ANCIENT THEATERS The form of the Greek physical theater evolved over two centuries interestingly, the permanent stone theaters that survive today as ruins were not built until the 4th century BC - that is, after the classical period of playwriting. The open-air theaters may have consisted of an orchestra - a flat circular area used for choral dances-a raised stage behind it for actors, and a roughly semicircular seating area built into a hillside around the orchestra, although modern scholars debate the layout of particular theaters. These theaters held 15,000 to 20,000 spectators. As the importance of actors grew and that of the chorus diminished, the stage became higher and encroached on the orchestra space. The actors - all men - wore theatricalized versions of everyday dress, but, most important, they wore larger-than-life masks, which aided visibility and indicated the nature of the character to the audience. In the vast

The World and Ideas of Karl Marx

1999-08-24T14:00:00-04:00
The latter part of the nineteenth century was teeming with evolved social and economical ideas. These views of the social structure of urban society came about through the development of ideals taken from past revolutions and the present clash of individuals and organized assemblies. As the Industrial Revolution steamed ahead paving the way for growing commerce, so did the widening gap between the class structure which so predominantly grasped the populace and their rights within the community. The development of a capitalist society was a very favorable goal in the eyes of the bourgeoisie. Using advancing methods of production within a system of free trade, the ruling middle class were strategically able to earn a substantial surplus of funds and maintain their present class of life. Thus, with the advancement of industry and the bourgeoisie's gain of wealth, a counter-action was undoubtably taking place. The resultant was the degradation of the working-class, of the proletarians whom provided labour to a middle-class only to be exploited in doing so. Exploitation is a quarrel between social groups that has been around since the dawn of mankind itself. The persecution of one class by another has historically allowed the advancement of mankind to continue. These clashes, whether ending with positive or negative results, allow Man to evolve as a species, defining Himself within the social structure of nature. Man's rivalry amongst one another allows for this evolution! through the production of something which is different, not necessarily productive, but differing from the present norm and untried through previous epochs. At this time in history, mankind was moving forward very rapidly, but at the price of the working-class. Wages were given sparsely, and when capital gain improved, the money payed for labour did not reflect this prosperity. This, therefore, accelerated the downfall of the proletarians and progressed towards a justifiable revolt against the oppressive middle class. The conclusion of this revolt was envisioned to be a classless society, one in which its people benefit from and that benefits from its people. The overthrow of capitalism would create a socialist society eventually flourishing into communism. Karl Heinrich Marx (1818 - 1883) was the philosophical analysis who created communism and saw it as an achievable goal. Marx denounced religion and created what were thought to be radical ideas, which resulted in the banishment from his native land of Germany and then France, eventually ending up in England.

Confucianism and Taoism

1999-08-22T14:00:00-04:00
The Chinese people have three main traditions in their history- Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. I am going to be talking about Confucianism and Taoism. Both of these date back to the Sixth Century B.C. The traditional founder of Taoism is Confucius and Laozi. On top of many other things Confucius was a very influential speaker. Throughout time, his teachings, and preaching developed into a religion. He spoke to a wide variety of people. Daoist tend to look back to Laozi as their founder. Over centuries, Taoism was transformed from a small religion, very conservative, into a loosely organized religion. During the Second Century B.C., a ruler named Han had the most part in it. A large number of religious groups rose from this because of the social and political disorder. One of these groups named the Yellow Turbans in eastern China., fought Han in 184 B.C. This led to a civil war. Han lost authority and power, and his generals became warlords. Then, in Western China, a group known as the Way of the Celestial Masters came into power. From the Second Century B.C., Taoists and others believed it was possible to find an elixir which would make them immortal. An elixir is a sweetened alcoholic medicinal preparation, but back in ancient philosophy it was thought to be for changing base metals into gold, or for prolonging life. Research flourished because of this belief. But the chief ingredient, cinnabar, was found to be poisonous. Many imperial deaths ensued from this. But this was not the only way to achieve immortality back in ancient times. Another belief said that a man would have to acquire 108 women to get granted 10,000 years of life. For more than 2,000 years ,Chinese, Japananese, and Korean people have lived in cultures that were greatly influenced by the thoughts of Confucius. Confucius saw himself as an ordinary man doing a good deed for a diverse group of cultures. He taught his fellow human beings moral behavior and good family relationships. He thought that they are the key to a well ordered society. People valued his opinions and teachings very much and followed them in every day life. Confucius himself avoided talking about religion, but at the same time recognized the importance of worshipping his ancestors. He believed that he was not guided by religion, but by a higher power called heaven. Confucius lived at a time when China was changing. A lot

The Hydrogen Bomb

1999-08-22T14:00:00-04:00
Thesis Statement The hydrogen bomb is a nuclear weapon in which light atomic nuclei of hydrogen are joined together in an uncontrolled nuclear fusion reaction to release tremendous amounts of energy. The hydrogen bomb is about a thousand times as powerful as the atomic bomb, which produces a nuclear fission explosion about a million times more powerful than comparably sized bombs using conventional high explosives such as TNT. The Hydrogen Bomb The Atomic Bomb Was A Essential First Step toward the Development of the Hydrogen Bomb, Before the atomic bomb was developed by the united states during World War II, there was no way to produce the extreme amounts of heat needed to initiate the fusion reaction of the hydrogen bomb. Even after World War II, the hydrogen bomb faced many political and technical obstacles. The U.S. government gave priority to perfecting and stockpiling atomic bombs, and scientist discovered that initiating a fusion reaction was more than simply placing a container of hydrogen near a fission trigger. Tension to develop the hydrogen bomb increased in the United States after the Soviet Union set off its first atomic bomb in August 1949. The Military, the joint congressional committee on Atomic Energy, and several noted physicists, including Edward Teller And Ernest Lawrence, called for creation of a so-called super bomb, but the General Advisory of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), chaired by J. Robert Oppenheimer, in agreement recommended that the bomb should not be developed, because of the technical difficulties involved, the need to enlarge the Atomic Bomb reserve, and because of moral considerations. A Majority of the AEC supported this decision and passed their recommendation on to President Harry S. Truman. A National Security Council report recommend otherwise, however and at the end of January 1950, Truman ordered that the United States should investigate the possibility of producing hydrogen bombs. Edward Teller was placed in charge of the investigation. The decision to move ahead with the Hydrogen bomb development was made in response to U.S. perceptions that the USSR was close to producing its own Hydrogen Bomb. Thermonuclear devices were tested was to begin in 1952, and by 1954, both the United States And The USSR have achieved Hydrogen Bomb capability. Since That Year each side has developed nuclear arsenals that are almost entirely composed of fusion weapons, rather than fission weapons. They have reached a strategic condition that promises total destruction. Early H-bomb Designs called

1890's Cuban Revolution

1999-08-21T14:00:00-04:00
The makeup of Cuba in the late nineteenth century is much the same as it is today. Nearly 66% of the population are white and of Spanish descent. About 22% are of mixed racial heritage, and 12% of the populace is black. Cuba lies to the south of the United States, and is most easily accessible by boat from the Florida region. It is this naval quality that encompasses the island. During the Ten Years War, between 1868-1878, the Cubans fought against Spanish rule in their country. Rebellion broke out around the island, and the rebels joined under a united leader, Carlos de Cespedes, a wealthy planter, who proclaimed independence from Spain. Nearly 200,000 lives were lost, until the Treaty of El Zanjun was signed. This agreement promised the government would reform and abolish slavery and the tyrannical rule it held over the Cubans. The treaty was not honored however, and resistance was again put up in 1885. The Spanish king at the time Alfonso XIII, encouraged the use of concentration camps for revolutionaries caught in battle. The Cuban Revolution became extremely bloody due to the use of Guerrilla warfare. This military operation, conducted on its home terrain, consisted of inhabitants fed up with oppressive rule. The men involved operated from bases located deep in the jungle, dense forests, and high rocky elevations. Guerrillas depended on natives for food, shelter, and useful information. While striking swiftly was a must, the bands of men were specialized in the undetected raiding of enemy camps. They could ambush a patrol, kill the soldiers, and supply their entire company in a matter of hours. Cutting communication between enemy lines became a prime target, once severed from the army, a battalion could be attacked, disarmed, and their reserves used for the revolutionaries. It was the unfortunate, destitute populace that rebelled. Having little to lose they could fight on home turf and soon, much to there delight had help from the United States. While in port in Havana on February 15, 1898 the U.S. Battleship Maine was sunk by a large explosion. The Americans declared war on Spain immediately, attacking all Spanish naval vessels in the area, marking the beginning of the Spanish-American War. Finally on July 18, 1898, George Dewey, a U.S. naval officer commanded the fleet that destroyed Spanish vessels in Manila. Upon being defeated once again, Spain surrendered, giving up Cuba and the Philippines

Nicholas Romanov's Role in the Russian Revolution

1999-08-13T14:00:00-04:00
"Nicholas Romanov was an ignorant, incompetent and insensitive leader. His character was the decisive factor in bringing on the revolution" "The last Tsar of Russia was a tragic figure a classic case of being a leader in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nothing within his power could have prevented the forces of change from overtaking Tsarist Russia." To what extent do you agree with these explanations of the collapse of autocracy in Russia? Nicholas Romanov was an indecisive man who was easily influenced by others. Although it was not his character that was the decisive factor in bringing on the revolution. He may have been a leader at the wrong time but if he had related better for the time he was in power. Russia before 1917 was the largest country under one empire. In economic terms it was backward as it was late industrialising and late to emerge from feudalism. In political terms it was also backward as there was no legal political parties nor was there any centrally elected government Russia at this time was under tsarist rule by Nicholas II of the Romanov empire. Nicholas II was brought up by his father Alexander III who didn't believe that his son could take an intelligent interest in anything and therefore did not educate him in the business of state . The fact that his father who died at age 49 thought that he had many more years ahead of him may also be another factor behind Nicholas' poor leadership of Russia . Alexander who died in 1894 had left Russia with a society no longer controlled by tsarist rule and when Nicholas took the throne after his father's death Russian society was not prepared to turn on it's heels and return to how it use to be . Nicholas II was 26 when his father died and was soon to marry the German princess, Alix of Hess, Granddaughter of Queen Victoria . The relationship between Alexandra and Nicholas was a 'critical relationship at a turning point in history' . He was weak and indecisive but he wasn't an imbecile, Alexandra, if not an imbecile was politically and socially illiterate, dominating him and towards the end of their lives forced him to make chaotic decisions. Nicholas nor Alexander III were well trained for the job of ruling this vast country. Alexander was not so much superior to the son in character of abilities to

Greek Mythology and Religion

1999-07-31T14:00:00-04:00
Mythology is the study and interpretation of myth and the body of myths of a particular culture. Myth is a complex cultural phenomenon that can be approached from a number of viewpoints. In general, myth is a narrative that describes and portrays in symbolic language the origin of the basic elements and assumptions of a culture. Mythic narrative relates, for example, how the world began, how humans and animals were created, and how certain customs, gestures, or forms of human activities originated. Almost all cultures possess or at one time possessed and lived in terms of myths. Myths differ from fairy tales in that they refer to a time that is different from ordinary. The time sequence of myth is extraordinary- an "other" time - the time before the conventional world came into being. Because myths refer to an extraordinary time and place and to gods and other supernatural beings and processes, they have usually been seen as aspects of religion. Because of the inclusive nature of myth, however, it can illustrate many aspects of individual and cultural life. Meaning and interpretation From the beginnings of Western culture, myth has presented a problem of meaning and interpretation, and a history of controversy has gathered about both the value and the status of mythology. Myth, History, and Reason In the Greek heritage of the West, myth or mythos has always been in tension with reason or logos, which signified the sensible and analytic mode of arriving at a true account of reality. The Greek philosophers Xenophanes, Plato, and Aristotle, for example, exalted reason and made sarcastic criticisms of myth as a proper way of knowing reality. The distinctions between reason and myth and between myth and history, although essential, were never quite absolute. Aristotle concluded that in some of the early Greek creation myths, logos and mythos overlapped. Plato used myths as metaphors and also as literary devices in developing an argument. Western Mythical Traditions The debate over whether myth, reason, or history best expresses the meaning of the reality of the gods, humans, and nature has continued in Western culture as a legacy from its earliest traditions. Among these traditions were the myths of the Greeks. Adopted and assimilated by the Romans, they furnished literary, philosophical, and artistic inspiration to such later periods as the Renaissance and the romantic era. The pagan tribes of Europe furnished another body of tradition. After these tribes became

Julius Caesar

1999-07-29T14:00:00-04:00
When the name Julius Caesar is heard, it can only trigger the image of a great leader that led Rome into prosperity. Caesar's military excellence brought more power and more land; that lead to the increase of size and strength in Rome. His dictatorship helped the stability and prosperity in Rome. Caesar's assassination lead to a monarchy that was ruled by Octavin. His death lead to a domino effect ending in the ultimate collapse of the Roman Empire. Many people of the 21st century follow the path of Julius Caesar and try to be as great as he was. The assassination of Julius Caesar was a tragedy due to the contributions he made to Rome's prosperity during his life, and the chaos that occurred in Rome after his death. The contributions that Caesar made towards the strength of Rome's success, and the chaos and collapse of Rome after his death made the assassination of Julius Caesar a tragedy. Julius Caesar was assassinated by his own senate on March 15 44 BC; also known as the Ides of March. As he was walking in to the senate house, a man told him to beware the Ides of March. He ignored this statement and walked into the senate house. At this time some of the Senate members surrounded Caesar in a stealthy manner and tugged on his toga. As he looked around he was stabbed by many of the senate members multiple times. He collapsed to the ground and lay on the marble floor dead, next to the feet of Pompey's statue. (Nardo 94) Caesar's military eminence helped Rome prosper into one of the greatest and most memorable civilizations in history. His campaigns helped Rome grow larger in size and in power. His victories in Egypt, Pontus, Gaul, Africa, and parts in the Asia Minor were some of Caesar's greatest honors, (Bruns 99) and is considered "the most powerful national leader in history"(Nardo 73) because of his conquests. The major reason for his strong army was due to the fact that the senate favored him. The senate gave him three provinces for the span of five years, instead of one province for one year. With this ruling, he had "a chance to build a stronger personal army"(34). The strategies and tactics used by Caesar made his death even more tragic because of his excellent leadership and planning. Caesar planned wars by legionary

The Atomic Bomb in World War II

1999-07-02T14:00:00-04:00
The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki marked the end to the world's largest armed conflict. Many debates have surfaced over the ethics of such an attack. The bomb itself caused massive amounts of casualties while the unknown effects of radiation caused many more deaths amongst the survivors of the blast. Despite the ghastly effects of such a weapon, it offered the best choice for a quick and easy defeat of Japan. President Truman, who authorized the use of the atomic bomb, made a wise decision under the circumstances of the war. The Japanese refusal to surrender, the massive amount of allied casualties involved in invading the Japanese mainland and the ineffectuality of a military blockade in forcing Japan to surrender made the bomb a necessary last resort. There were several conventional methods that were suggested to bring Japan to its knees. These included a naval blockade, an extensive aerial bombardment or an invasion of the island of Japan. Japan posed little or no offensive threat to American forces. Despite this fact the Japanese were the most tenacious and driven of Americas foes throughout the war. The battles for Okinawa, Wake and Guam all were ample testament to the Japanese willingness to die in the face of overwhelming odds. The kamikaze was a perfect example of the Japanese battle attitude. Japanese pilots would strap themselves into planes laden with explosives and fly them into American ships. By the war's conclusion the Japanese kamikaze attacks had sunk 3 aircraft carriers damaged 285 craft and sunk a total of 34. The Japanese also did well in increasing support for the war effort. "Both scientist and publicists were in fact powerful instruments inflaming popular hatred against the democratic countries and in regimenting the people into blindly supporting the war of aggrandizement." (p.100) This resolve would only have been strengthened had American and Russian forces tried to invade Japan. This almost suicidal type of fighting would have resulted in a tremendous amount of casualties for both sides. American casualties alone were projected at 500,000. The amount of deaths caused by an invasion would have easily dwarfed those of the atomic bombings. Air power offered American forces a method of remaining relatively unscathed against the fanatical Japanese military while laying waste to entire cities. This was possible because while Japanese ground forces remained strong, air defenses had been severely weakened. This gave American bombers free

The Holocaust

1999-07-02T14:00:00-04:00
The Holocaust was the extermination of the Jews and other people whom Hitler considered inferior. It took place from 1933 to 1945. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany led this effort. About 12 million people were murdered, half of them being Jews. When Hitler took over control of Germany, everything changed. Hitler had a very strong prejudice against the Jews. He wanted to create the perfect race of blonde haired blue eyed Germans. His followers, who were the soldiers in the camps, were called Nazis. They enforced all killing that Hitler wanted done. Also, there were many other people involved in this massive genocide. Different people were leading the killing and different groups of people were being killed, not only Jews. For instance, there were many doctors who ran tests on people, but didn't care if the patients were hurt or even killed, which they usually were. All surgeries were performed without any anesthetic. These are just a couple general things that happened during the Holocaust. There are so many things that happened in this time period that are impossible to imagine or just are too horrible to think about. The things about the Holocaust that I find the most unnerving are the torture and pain they put the Jews and other groups through. The two main topics I feel are most serious or crucial are the medical experiments and their results and reactions on the patients. Also, the different camps, their strong points and general methods for killing used there. There are three camps that are familiar to me and I hear mentioned the most. They are Dachau, Treblinka, and of course, Auschwitz. The doctor who was most infamous for carrying out horrible experiments was Mengele. Dachau, Treblinka, and Auschwitz were three of the six concentration camps that were used for execution of Jews and other groups considered inferior. At Treblinka, 700,000 to over 1,000,000 people were killed. The gassings at Dachau never went past the experimental stage. They were in no way used as the gas chambers in Auschwitz were. Also, at Dachau, they performed Intense Cooling experiments. A summary of what they did was they'd dress the subject in certain clothes and either put their whole body, to include the brain stem, or only up to the brain stem in water which was from 2.5 to 12 degrees Centigrade. Fatalities only occurred when the brain stem

Trail Of Tears

1999-07-02T14:00:00-04:00
On September 15, 1830, at Little Dancing Rabbit Creek, the Chiefs of the Choctaw Nation and representatives of the U.S. met to discuss the impact of a bill recently passed by the Congress of the U.S. This bill, with all the same good intentions of those today who believe they know better than we how to conduct our lives, allowed for the removal of all Indian peoples to the West of the Mississippi River. It had been made clear to the Choctaw, that the Whites in Washington cared little for our situation, that either we willingly moved, or by military force we would be moved. We were not ignorant savages, but industrious farmers, merchants, and businessmen of all types. We were educated people, many were Christians. We had an organized system of government and a codified body of law. Some of these people were not even Indians, many strangers and orphans had been taken in over the years. The Chiefs and Warriors signed the treaty, realizing they had no option. For doing this the government officials guaranteed, in the body of the treaty, safe conveyance to our new homes. (Do not forget for a moment that in this treaty, the Choctaw traded 10.3 million acres of land east of the Mississippi for 10.3 acres in Oklahoma and Arkansas that we already owned under previous treaties) Further, it included provisions and monetary annuities, to assist the people to make a new start. One half of the people were to depart almost immediately, the rest the next year. After the signing of the treaty, many saw their land and property sold before their own eyes. The "conveyances" promised turn out to be a forced march. At the point of a gun, the pace killed many of the old, exposure and bad food killed most. Rotten beef and vegetables are poor provisions, even for the idle. Many walked the entire distance without shoes, barely clothed. What supplies were given had been rejected by the whites. This cannot directly blamed on the government, nearly all of this was done by unscrupulous men, interested only in maximizing their profits. They government's fault lies in not being watchful of those taken into their charge. Many of the old and the children died on the road. At each allowed stop, the dead were buried. Hearing of this many escaped. They knew that as they signed the rolls,

The Witch Trials of 1692

1999-07-02T14:00:00-04:00
During the winter of 1692, in the small village of Salem, Massachusetts, something terrible happened. Salem Massachusetts became the center of a horrible tragedy, which changed the life of many people. It was a time of fear, because of bad crops, Indian raids, and diseases. The people of Salem Village had to blame something, or someone. The people of Salem Village accused people, and called them witches. They were accused of all those terrible things and more. Salem Village was a small, farming community with a population of 550. It was smaller than Salem Town, and about eight miles away. Salem Town was a large port, and was a prosperous fishing community The two towns had the same minister, and used the same church as the people in Salem Village. At that time there was two groups in the village. Those who wanted to be separate from Salem Town, and those who did not. Samuel Parris was the minister of the group that did want to be separate. He helped divide the groups even more by his sermons. He called the group that did not want to separate, evil and bad, and the group that did, good and righteous. The Reverend Parris and his wife had two children living with them. They were Betty, their daughter, and Abigail, their niece. Abigail and Betty were the reason that the trials started. Before becoming a minister, Samuel Parris had failed at being a merchant. All he had to show for all the long hard years of being a merchant, were the family slaves, Tituba, and her husband, John Indian. Abigail and Betty Parris were having their fortunes told by Tituba, behind their parents backs. Betty started having fits, possibly because she could not bear to keep secrets from her parents. Abigail also started having fits, and instead of getting into trouble, they became popular and respected. Soon, other girls joined in. Most of the afflicted girls lived in the houses of the Parris's and the Putnams, which were the Reverend's family and friends. During the fits, the girls screamed, rolled their eyes back into their heads, shook, and twisted their bodies into impossible positions, and accused people of biting and pinching them. They accused people that were against Samuel Parris, or had an argument with the Parris's, or the families of the other afflicted girls. By the end, they had accused most of

World War II

1999-07-02T14:00:00-04:00
After gaining power, Hitler aggresively built up the German military and in 1936, occupied the Rhineland, a formerly German area designated as a buffer zone to protect France.Britain and France were preoccupied with Italy's invasion of Ethiopia and made little protest. By 1938, Germany had the most powerful military force in the world. In that same year, Hitler demanded and was given the Sudetanland in Czechoslovakia. It was highly populated with Germans and Hitler claimed to be liberating them. In 1939, through military intimidation, Hitler took all of Czechoslovakia and part of Lithuania (the Memel Territory). He next demanded the return of Danzig, a highly German populated free state. Poland refused; Britain and France pledged to support Poland. Fearing a war on two fronts which would eventually lead to his downfall, Hitler signed a nonagression pact with USSR leader, Joseph Stalin. The German army then invaded Poland and began World War II. After crushing the Poles, Hitler invaded Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and The Netherlands in quick succession. France fell in 1940. In 1941, Hitler made himself Personal Commander of the Army and, in 1942, Supreme War Lord. On July 20, 1944, a group of officers, angered by Hitler's recent military failing, set off a bomb in his office. He escaped unharmed. Hitler's plan to take Great Britain failed, largely due to poor results in air battles. When Italy lost momentum, Hitler conquered North Africa and Greece.By this time, Hitler was running low on human resources, so he forced Jews and other peoples he considered inferior into labor camps. Those that refused, were herded up and shipped to concentration camps or death camps. Thus began the Holocaust, a horrific extermination of twelve million people, six million Jews. Other victims included Gypsies, homosexuals, Communists, and athiests. The Holocaust: A Tragic Legacy is a terrific resource for more information on the Holocaust. Hitler made the fatal mistake of invading the USSR. He won many early victories on the border and found an ally in Japan but soon it all came crumbling down. The supply lines were too long and the winter, horribly harsh. Also, the Germans faced a surprisingly strong resistance from brave Russians. The German soldiers lost heart; they knew that retreat would be wise. Hitler would not allow it; instead he forced them to carry on, culminating in the horrible defeat at Stalingrad. Soon, the allies retook Africa Italy and the Soviet Union. After

Ancient Greece

1999-07-02T14:00:00-04:00
This paper tells you about the Golden Age of Greece, which is from 500 to 350 BC. It tells about what Greeks did, who they worshipped, and other important things. The thing the Greeks are best known for, is their gods, and stories about them. The stories explained how things became. For instance, one story said that before the earth was made, there was a fight between a god, and a giant. The god killed the giant, and the parts of the giant became the earth. His teeth became the rocks, and his hair became the grass. His hands and feet became mountains, and his toes and fingers became trees. Some of the gods were Zeus, who was the ruler of all the gods, Hera was his wife, and Hermes was his messenger. Artemis was the goddess of the moon, and Apollo was the god of the sun. Poseidon was the god of the sea, Loki, the god of mischief, and, Dionysus, the god of wine. The Greeks, made sacrifices to the gods, so that the gods would honor them, and help them in times of trouble. They sacrificed animals, and other things that were special to them. The Greeks built temples, where they worshipped the gods. Each city had several temples, because each temple was used to worship one god. In each temple, there was a statue of a god that they worshipped. They had an extra big temple, and statue for the god that guarded their city. The Greeks had lots of heroes, who were like role models for their children. Hercules was the strongest man ever, and destroyed many monsters with his strength. Perseus had killed a monster called the Medusa. If someone looked at it, they would immediately turn to stone. Oddysseus beat the Trojans in the Trojan war, and on his way home, with his cunning, tricked, and killed many monsters. The Greeks are also known for their creativity, and knowledge in arts, such as making sculptures, music, and paintings. They made statues out of clay, gold, silver, and bronze. For instruments, they used harps and flutes. The Greeks had houses like us. All the houses had a kitchen, an eating nook, and a bedroom. The richer families had rugs, and decorations, such as vases, paintings, and tapestries. They also had a courtyard in the middle of the house, and in the courtyard was a well. All the other

Battle of the Buldge

1999-07-02T14:00:00-04:00
The Battle of the Buldge was the last of the German attacks. It lasted from December 16,1944 to January 28, 1945. The Battle of the Buldge was the largest land battle of World War 2. More then a

The Atomic Bomb

1999-07-02T14:00:00-04:00
Background of the Atomic Bomb It was during the Second World War that the United States became a world power, thanks in a large part to its monopoly on atomic weapons. The atomic bomb is a weapon with great explosive power that results form the sudden release of energy upon the splitting, or fission of the nuclei of such heavy elements as plutonium or uranium. This new destructive force wrecked havoc on two Japanese cities and caused the end of World War II. It also saved thousands of American lives because a ground invasion of Japan was no longer necessary. The decision to create the bombs was that of United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt under a secret military project that was called The Manhattan Project. The Beginnings of the Manhattan Project In 1939, after German dictator Adolf Hitler invaded Poland, German scientists shocked the scientific world when they announced that they had split uranium atoms by man-made means for the first time. Upon hearing this news, a nuclear physicist, Leo Szilard, was convinced that a chain reaction of this process could be used as a weapon to release an awesome burst of power. Szilard knew that this knowledge was now in the wrong hands of the enemy Germans. On a July day in 1939 Szilard and his associate, Edward Teller, drove to the Long Island home of Albert Einstein to alert him of their findings. Einstein used his political influence by immediately writing a letter to President Roosevelt explaining the consequences of the Germans creating an atomic bomb. His letter read, "I believe, therefore, that is my duty to bring to your attention that it may become possible to set up a nuclear chain reaction in a large mass of uranium by which vast amounts of power and large quantities of new-like elements would be generated. A single bomb of this type, carried by a boat and exploded in a port, might very well destroy the whole port, together with some of the surrounding territory." Two months passed before Roosevelt finally read the letter. He ordered a committee of scientists and military officers to meet Szilard and Teller to determine whether America was capable of building a nuclear bomb. In 1940, Szilard and Teller were granted a mere $6,000 to begin experiments in nuclear fission. The duo enlisted the help of the winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1938, Enrico

Prohibition - 'The Noble Experiment'

1999-06-07T14:00:00-04:00
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 it had to meet

The Development of Marriage

1999-06-05T14:00:00-04:00
Marriage has gone through many changes throughout its history. It's earliest forms date back to the story of creation. It has developed a great deal since then. It is a simple fact that men and women can not survive without each other. Marriage is part of the created natural order, we were meant to be together. God intended for us to be united with the opposite sex since the beginning of time. The book of Genesis tells us: "God created man in his image, He created him in the image of God, man and woman, He created them. God saw what he had done and said, "This is good, it is not good that man should be alone."(McLachlan 5). Marriage is inherently good and pleasing to God. It was part of God's original plan for mankind. It is also shown that Jesus held marriage in great esteem, for it was at a wedding where he performed his first public miracle. Furthermore, it is Jesus who raises Marriage to a Sacrament of the New Law. Our Lord is also the one who told us that divorce was wrong. He says, "What God has joined together, no human being must separate."(Matrimony 1). Although what we were told by God, in many primitive civilizations marriage was primarily industrial. During early times husband and wife were not much together; they did not even eat together very often.(The Marriage Institution 1). Their marriages were always planned by their parents and in some cases brides were bought. Polygamy was also frequent in the early history of marriage. Although, as civilization progressed monogamy became the idealistic goal of human sex evolution.(The Marriage Institution 6). In addition, as civilization advanced, marriage became more seriously regarded and the wedding ceremony became recurrent. The marriage ceremony grew out of the fact that marriage was originally a community affair and also primitive man had no records, so the marriage had to be witnessed by many people. The Catholic marriage is set apart from all other relationships because Catholic marriages are a sacramental path to sanctity. Paul wrote that marriage is a true sacrament and the sign of the conjugal union of Christ and his Bride, the Church.(Matrimony 2). At Lateran Council II in 1139, it was first defined as infallibly true that matrimony is as true a sacrament as Eucharist and baptism and at The Council of Lyons II in 1274, it

Destalinization

1999-06-05T14:00:00-04:00
Politics has always been about image. A good image leads to power, it's that simple. Sometimes it is hard to draw the line between a leader who is genuinely interested in improving the lives of his people and one that is interested in filling a few more pages of the already crowded History book. A good example of this is the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in its transition time between 1953 and 1964. The tyrannical rule of Joseph Stalin in the USSR was finally over, and the nation sought a new leader; after nearly a decade, one man, Nikita Khrushchev, rose up from the ranks with new ideas for the nation, and an extreme anti-Stalin campaign. But was he truly enraged at the way Stalin ruled or was he using this image in an attempt to capture the same power as his predecessor? The link between the two leaders goes back many years, to nearly the beginning of the communist annexation of Russia. Even today, we find ourselves asking if the politicians we vote for say they will make a reform to actually help the people, or if they say it as an empty promise in a ploy to get elected or to gain power. Was Nikita Khrushchev a man for the people, or was he simply a puppet with motives unseen to the people that pulled his strings? Joseph Stalin ruled the USSR from 1929 until his death in 1953. His rule was one of tyranny, and great change from the society that his predecessor, Lenin, had envisioned (Seton, 34). Stalin put into effect two self proclaimed "five-year plans" over the course of his rule. Both were very similar in that they were intended to improve production in the nation. The first of these plans began collectivization, in which harvests and industrial products were seized by the government and distributed as needed. The government eliminated most private businesses and the state became the leader in commerce. Stalin also initiated a process called "Russification". (Great Events, 119)" Through this program, he ruled the minority nations of the USSR such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan more strictly. This policy of expansion also helped Stalin seize a large portion of Poland, and it was done under the guise that it was to "enrich the nation." Stalin established a secret police force which was unyielding and went about it's business with an iron fist, bringing

American Attack on Omaha and Utah Beaches during D Day

1999-06-05T14:00:00-04:00
It was 1944, and the United States had now been an active participant in the war against Nazi Germany for almost three and a half years, nearly six years for the British. During that period occurred a string of engagements fought with ferocious determination and intensity on both sides. There is however, one day which stands out in the minds of many American servicemen more often than others. June 6, 1944, D-Day, was a day in which thousands of young American boys, who poured onto the beaches of Utah and Omaha, became men faster than they would have ever imagined possible. Little did they know of the chaos and the hell which awaited them on their arrival. Over the course of a few hours, the visions of Omaha and Utah Beaches, and the death and destruction accompanied with them formed a permanent fixation in the minds of the American Invaders. The Allied invasion of Europe began on the 6th of June 1944, and the American assault on Utah and Omaha beaches on this day played a critical role in the overall success of the operation. (Astor 352) An extensive plan was established for the American attack on Utah and Omaha Beaches. The plan was so in-depth, and complex, its descriptions detailed the exact arrivals of troops, armor, and other equipment needed for the invasion, and where exactly on the beach they were to land. Before the landings were to begin, the coastal German defenses had to be adequately prepped, and softened by a combination of a massive battering by United States ships, and bombing by the United States Air Force. Between the hours of 0300 and 0500 hours on the morning of June 6, over 1,000 aircraft dropped more than 5,000 tons of bombs on the German coastal defenses. As soon as the preliminary bombing was over, the American and British naval guns opened fire on the Normandy coastline (D' Este 112). A British naval officer described the incredible spectacle he witnessed that day: "Never has any coast suffered what a tortured strip of French coast suffered that morning; both the naval and air bombardments were unparalleled. Along the fifty-mile front the land was rocked by successive explosions as the shells of ships' guns tore holes in fortifications and tons of bombs rained on them from the skies. Through billowing smoke and falling debris defenders crouching in this scene of devastations

The Roaring Twenties

1999-05-18T14:00:00-04:00
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 if rebelling from the previous position of practically non-existence, women changed their clothing, their fashion, and even cut their hair shorter into

What Drives History?

1999-05-11T14:00:00-04:00
"History is the Essence of Innumerable Biographies" -Thomas Carlyle 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 Newton, who used Galileo's research

The Effects of the Industrial Revolution

1999-05-11T14:00:00-04:00
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 out-weigh the negative aspects. The revolution began when inventors introduced their creations to improve the way people were producing goods. Machines such as the cotton gin, water frame, power loom, and spinning jenny allowed textile products to be produced in mass quantities. These techniques of mass-production made other methods such as cottage industry, where families produce items by hand, obsolete. As a result of this, people began to work in factories with these machines. Factories became so dominant that eventually the cottage industry no longer played a part in people's lives. This dramatically changed people's lifestyles, and for a long period of time, there were terrible work conditions. These factories had its positive and negative aspects. The work conditions were very dangerous, there were no safety devices, and many had to work long hours. However, due to the mass production, many jobs were available, and the prices of goods considerably decreased because of the extreme availability. The job opportunities and price decrease definitely improved the lives of the people, giving them a chance

McCarthyism and its Effects on America

1999-05-06T14:00:00-04:00
McCarthyism not only destroyed the lives and careers of many Americans but also the innocent image of the country. Senator Joe McCarthy from Wisconsin was the same as any man. But when he cried Communism the world seemed to listen. Following the Cold War between Russia and the United States there came many hardships, such as unemployment and high inflation. These hardships produced a restless society. The society then looked for something or someone to blame (Fried, 39). They found someone to blame. Communists. Throughout the country there was a witch hunt known as the Red Scare. A basic idea was formed: Communism was evil. Anyone who participated in such evil was considered illegitimate and were to be excluded from such things as sharing ideas, and jobs (Reeves, 136). This fear of Communism or anti-Communism as it was called could be described as a type of "virus." When all was calm in America the virus would fade, but the moment a crisis struck, the virus came back stronger than ever (Feuerlicht, 35). Communism was a threat not only for countries overseas but a threat for America and its people. It was a threat on the American way of life, a bruise on the phrase "the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." (Feuerlicht, 45) And McCarthy helped spread this fear. McCarthy and his ways challenged the Bill of Rights. "When free speech or due process are denied to any individual everyone's rights are jeopardized. Today's oppressors may become tomorrow's accursed group." (Feuerlicht, 154) And nothing is guaranteed more than the destruction of America when the freedoms promised by the Bill of Rights are denied (Feuerlicht, 154). McCarthy installed a fear in the people. But people feared tremendously the loss of their jobs. They feared that their political afflictions would reflect on their job status (Reeves, 99). By trying to keep America from becoming a Communist nation, McCarthy and his followers turned the country into an anti - Communist nation. A country that thrived on freedom and was kept in tact by laws would become a country that was moved by fear alone. Laws would hold no meaning and innocent people would be accused (Feuerlicht, 154). Communists were everywhere. But they were hard to identify because Communism was a philosophy. There was no way a person could provide supporting evidence that someone believed in something (Feuerlicht, 154). According to McCarthy there

The French and English Revolutions

1999-04-08T14:00:00-04:00
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION The French Revolution was effected and caused by many things and people. Some people that had to do with the French Revolution were, Louis XVI, and, Marie Antoinette. Marie played an active role in the Revolution but suffered for her royalist sympathies. King Louis XVI also played an important role in the Revolution, seeing as how he was the king and all. When Louis XVI came to be King, he inherited a France in debt, and he was left with no choice but to raise taxes even though they were already high enough. This had made the people of France very angry. Paris had become furious and chose to make a big scene. This was also one of the causes of the French Revolution. Some believe that the MAIN reason for the Revolution was all based on, Louis, being too young and inexperienced to run an ENTIRE country by himself. He was only when he got married to Marie and he was only 20 when he officially became king of France. As the people of France grew more and more angry with Louis, it had started removing French Officials, such as, Tax collectors, and changing all of the kings appointed men to intendants. Pretty soon there were oaths and things for Louis to sign everywhere. Oaths such as the "Tennis Court Oath", and the "Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen", and the "Constitution of 1791." Two effects of the Revolution were, change the voting by head, giving the third estate an advantage because they had as many people as the first and second estates, and the beheading of King Louis XVI. This section has shown how the French Revolution was effected and caused by many things and people. THE ENGLISH REVOLUTION The English revolution was also effected by many people and things, just like the French Revolution. Some people having to do with the Revolution were King Charles II, and King James II. Charles and James both were kings of England for their own share of time, influencing the country and its motives. After a short bit, Charles died unexpectedly from natural causes at the age of 55. Then James, brother of Charles, became King. This was a reason for the Revolution in some people's eyes. The change of Charles to James was a stutter in the economy. It caused a major uproar, not against James, but just a

The Dustbowl of America in the 1930s

1999-04-08T14:00:00-04:00
The Dust Bowl of North America refers to a catastrophe in the early 1930's when vast areas of the Midwestern and Western farm lands of America became wastelands. This occurred due to a series of dry years which coincided with the extension of agriculture in unsuitable lands. Droughts and dust storms caused by poor tillage practices devastated farms and ranches of the Great Plains; therefore, causing a great exodus of its inhabitants to other, more fertile, lands. The problem had become so great that a nation wide effort was made to resolve the problem. Beginning in 1935, extensive efforts were made by both federal and state governments to develop adequate programs for soil conservation and for the rehabilitation of the dust bowl. Eventually, thanks to government aid, farming became possible again in the Dust Bowl; consequently, farmers have learnt many valuable lessons from this dilemma. The European settlers who first arrived at the Great Plains found hardy grasslands that held the fine-grained soil in place in spite of the long recurrent droughts and occasional torrential rains. A large number of the travelers settled down in this area and built farms and ranches. These land uses led to soil exposure and great erosion. The cattle ranches were very profitable for the settlers; unfortunately, this led to overgrazing and degradation of the soil. In addition, farmers began to plow the natural grass cover and plant their own crops. Without the original root systems of the grass to anchor the soil, much of it blew away. The wide row crops were very disastrous because between the crops, the land was kept bare; as a result, this area was exposed to the elements. Also, the nutrients in the soil were used up by the plants faster than they could be replaced. The soil had become exhausted. The Great Plains are a vast expanse of land located in a region east of the Rocky Mountains in North America. Precipitation in the region is sparse because it is found in the rainshadow of the Rockies; as a result, rain is very unpredictable as to when it will fall so farmers had to make due with what they had back in the 1930's. This lack of water created a hard dry soil that was very difficult to cultivate for agricultural purposes. The farmers, however, continued to cultivate the land and eventually disaster struck. The natural elements wreaked

Why the Tsar's Power Crumbled in March 1917

1999-04-08T14:00:00-04:00
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

The French Revolution

1999-04-02T14:00:00-04:00
Thesis: The French Revolution was a crucial event in Western History, and possibly the single most crucial influence on British intellectual, philosophical, and political life in the nineteenth century. The French Revolution was a crucial event in Western History, and possibly the single most crucial influence on British intellectual, philosophical, and political life in the nineteenth century. It presented itself as a triumph in its early stages but later proved to be a revolution of senseless revenge. With a mob composed of mainly animals, like Madame Defarge, the French Revolution is one of the most barbaric periods recorded in history. The French Revolution began in 1789 when the States General met May 5. June the seventeenth the National Assembly was declared. Then a gang of angry, mistreated peasants stormed the Bastille and murdered numerous aristocrats. As a precaution, Louis XVI and the Royal Family were removed from Versailles to Paris. The King attempted, but failed, to flee Paris for Varennes in June 1791; he was captured. The Legislative Assembly sat from October 1791 until September 1792, when, in the face of the advance of allied armies, it was replaced by the National Convention, and the National Convention proclaimed the Republic. The King was brought to trial, found guilty, and executed on January 21, 1793. In February, war was declared against Britain, Holland and Spain. The Revolution heightened. After the execution of the King, the Committee of Public Safety and the Revolutionary Tribunal were created. The most horrific time was still to come. The reign of terror, during which the ruling faction ruthlessly exterminated all potential enemies, began in September and lasted until the fall of Robesoierre on July 27. During the last six weeks of the terror, nearly fourteen hundred people were murdered in the guillotine. On October 16, Marie Antoinette was executed, and many others followed her. The revolution began to invade people's lives deeper and deeper. In November of 1793, the worship of God was abolished and the cult of Reason took its place. Battle followed battle; the Revolution raged on devouring everyone in its path. Things finally came to a halt when Napoleon Buoneparte became Emperor on May of 1804. The French Revolution was possibly the most crucial event in recorded history. It was a time that was filled with hate, murder, despair, tyranny, and lies. We can look back to these events and learn how selfishness and prejudice can

Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X

1999-03-31T14:00:00-04:00
Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X grew up in different environments. King was raised in a comfortable middle-class family where education was stressed. On the other hand, Malcolm X came from and underprivileged home. He was a self-taught man who received little schooling and rose to greatness on his own intelligence and determination. Martin Luther King was born into a family whose name in Atlanta was well established. Despite segregation, Martin Luther King's parents ensured that their child was secure and happy. Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925 and was raised in a completely different atmosphere than King, an atmosphere of fear and anger where the seeds of bitterness were planted. The burning of his house by the Ku Klux Klan resulted in the murder of his father. His mother later suffered a nervous breakdown and his family was split up. He was haunted by this early nightmare for most of his life. From then on, he was driven by hatred and a desire for revenge. The early backgrounds of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were largely responsible for the distinct different responses to American racism. Both men ultimately became towering icons of contemporary African-American culture and had a great influence on black Americans. However, King had a more positive attitude than Malcolm X, believing that through peaceful demonstrations and arguments, blacks will be able to someday achieve full equality with whites. Malcolm X's despair about life was reflected in his angry, pessimistic belief that equality is impossible because whites have no moral conscience. King basically adopted on an integrationalist philosophy, whereby he felt that blacks and whites should be united and live together in peace. Malcolm X, however, promoted nationalist and separatist doctrines. For most of his life, he believed that only through revolution and force could blacks attain their rightful place in society. Both X and King spread their message through powerful, hard-hitting speeches. Nevertheless, their intentions were delivered in different styles and purposes. "King was basically a peaceful leader who urged non-violence to his followers. He travelled about the country giving speeches that inspired black and white listeners to work together for racial harmony." (pg. 135, Martin Luther King Jr. and the Freedom Movement) Malcolm X, for the most part, believed that non-violence and integration was a trick by the whites to keep blacks in their places. He was furious at white racism

The Scientific Revolution

1999-03-31T14:00:00-04:00
A paradigm is one's world view in which one understands his place in it. Copernicus, Galileo, Vesalius, Linneaus, Luewenhoek, and Newton were all medieval scientists, whose work changed people's lives and the world. The way man viewed the universe in which he lived, the world of nature that surrounded him, and even his own physical anatomy changed right before him. Scientists, like Galileo, disproved the heliocentric model as new instruments like the telescope were invented. The way in which man saw his own physical anatomy changed when Andreas Vesalius completed detailed studies of the human body. Due to these new, groundbreaking studies man began to view himself as insignificant and as a machine. First came the Geocentric model that showed the earth as being the center of the universe, the sun and other planets were shown revolving around the earth, with heaven shown beyond the crystalline shell. It wasn't until Nicholas Copernicus published his writing, "On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres," that people began to question this idea. The writing was so complicated that the vast majority of the population of Europe could not understand its meaning and ideas that it contained. This writing stated that the earth was not the center of the universe, and the sun and other planets did not revolve around it. The writing did state, however, that the earth and other planets revolved around the sun. Since very few Europeans could understand the writing, it was not considered a threat to the Catholic Church at the time. To be safe the Catholic Church did ban Copernicus' ideas. It was not until an Italian scientist named Galileo Galilei published a book and redisplayed the idea of a heliocentric universe. This time the idea was expressed using simple language, and this time the Church felt an immediate threat. The Catholic Church believed that Galileo was mocking the Church-approved ideas of Ptolemy and their geocentric model. The Catholic Church sentenced Galileo to house arrest for the remainder of his life, but his ideas of a heliocentric universe remained strong. This idea changed man's whole view of his significance and place in the universe. Now, man was no longer the center of everything. Man was not as important as he originally thought. This also meant that the Church was not preaching the truth, and that the Bible and Aristotle were wrong. This raised questions about the validity of the

Feudalism - How it Worked

1999-03-31T14:00:00-04:00
Feudalism began between the 8th and 9th centuries. It was first recognized in France, and later spread to most countries of western Europe. When Charlemagne died there was no strong ruler to take his place. That was when feudalism was established as the main system of government and way of life in

How Nationalism in the Balkans Contributed to the Outbeak of WW1

1999-03-31T14:00:00-04:00
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 Balkan League was formed in 1912 by Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Montenegro. Their

Who Really Ruled Italy in 1926-40?

1999-03-19T13:00:00-04:00
Mussolini is considered as one of the most important European dictators of the twenties century. If he is a dictator he would be the absolute ruler of Italy, but a man can not do everything himself. So how important were the other protagonists: the fascist party and the establishment? Their strength would be measured in power. Mussolini through his political situation was the most powerful man in Italy. He was Prime Minister and held up to 8 ministries at once. The parliament had very restrained powers, Mussolini decided and the parliament could only agree as the members all belonged to Mussolini's party. It was used as a security valve. He would give tasks to the independent members such as Farinacci to keep them occupied and on is side. Even if the members of the parliament and of the government were members of the fascist party their influence and power was limited. Not only was Mussolini the leader of the country he was also from 1926 the chairman of the Fascist party. This meant that he had much more power over the party than he had before when he was representing the party in the Government. Mussolini was also able to appoint people whilst before for candidates to take posts the party had to vote for them. Mussolini by being the chairman absorbed a main part of the fascist party power. The symbiosis of the Mussolini's power as Prime minister and as leader of the Fascist party diminished the influence of all other powers. Unlike Russia, the party did not take the state over. It was Mussolini who took over the country and the fascist party almost followed him. Mussolini was chosen Prime Minister and by his reforms he increased the importance of the Fascist political party. The party was still Mussolini accessory. Mussolini over-centralised Italy in Rome to limit the power and independence of the raj. Mussolini acted like a 17th century king; he kept everyone under his eyes. Mussolini wanted to be able to rule the whole of Italy from Rome. This increased his importance in the towns of Italy. It was almost as if he was the mayor of each town. The corporate State increased his control of the workers and employers. Mussolini was aware that even if he had banned all trade unions strikes were possible. His solution was to install twenty-two corporations, which acted as mediator between the workers,

Native American Women

1999-03-12T13:00:00-05:00
On few subjects has there been such continual misconception as on the position of women among Indians. Because she was active, always busy in the camp, often carried heavy burdens, attended to the household duties, made the clothing and the home, and prepared the family food, the woman has been depicted as the slave of her husband, a patient beast of encumbrance whose labors were never done. The man, on the other hand, was said to be an loaf, who all day long sat in the shade of the lodge and smoked his pipe, while his overworked wives attended to his comfort. In actuality, the woman was the man's partner, who preformed her share of the obligations of life and who employed an influence quite as important as his, and often more powerful. Native Americans established primary relationships either through a clan system, descent from a common ancestor, or through a friendship system, much like tribal societies in other parts of the world. In the Choctaw nation, " Moieties were subdivided into several nontotemic, exogamous, matrilineal 'kindred' clans, called iksa." (Faiman-Silva, 1997, p.8) The Cheyenne tirbe also traced their ancestry through the woman's lineage. Moore (1996, p. 154) shows this when he says "Such marriages, where the groomcomes to live in the bride's band, are called 'matrilocal'." Leacock (1971, p. 21) reveals that "...prevailing opinion is that hunting societies would be patrilocal.... Matrilineality, it is assumed, followed the emergence of agriculture...." Leacock (p. 21) then stated that she had found the Montagnais-Naskapi, a hunting society, had been matrilocal until Europeans stepped in. "The Tanoan Pueblos kinship system is bilateral. The household either is of the nuclear type or is extended to include relatives of one or both parents...." (Dozier, 1971, p. 237) The statuses and roles for men and women varied considerably among Native Americans, depending on each tribe's cultural orientations. In matrilineal and matrilocal societies, women had considerable power because property, housing, land, and tools, belonged to them. Because property usually passed from mother to daughter, and the husband joined his wife's family, he was more of a stranger and yielded authority to his wife's eldest brother. As a result, the husband was unlikely to become an authoritative, domineering figure. Moreover, among such peoples as the Cherokee, Iroquois, and Pueblo, a disgruntled wife, secure in her possessions, could simply divorce her husband by tossing his belongings out of their residence.

The History of the Panama Canal

1999-03-12T13:00:00-05:00
The Panama Canal has been called the big ditch, the bridge between two continents, and the greatest shortcut in the world. When it was finally finished in 1914, the 51-mile waterway cut off over 7,900 miles of the distance between New York and San Francisco, and changed the face of the industrialized world ("Panama Canal"). This Canal is not the longest, the widest, the deepest, or the oldest canal in the world, but it is the only canal to connect two oceans, and still today is the greatest man-made waterway in the world ("Panama Canal Connects). Ferdinand de Lesseps, who played a large role in building the Suez Canal in 1869 (Jones), was the director of the Compagnie Universelle Du Canal Interoceanique de Panama ("Historical Overview"). At first De Lesseps seemed to be "the perfect choice for the Panama task." Though as time went on De Lesseps was found to be "anything but the ideal" (Dolan). As soon as de Lesseps' company took over the canal it was doomed (Jones). De Lesseps was a 74-year-old man who was stubborn, vain, and very opinionated (Considine). Because of his experience with the Suez waterway, De Lesseps thought he was smarter than all the engineers beneath his command (Dolan). De Lesseps overrode all opposition of his sea-level canal due to his very popular reputation. He was sold on the idea of a sea-level canal and would not listen to the ideas of others such as French engineer, Adolphe Godin de Lepinary. De Lepinary's idea was to create two large lakes on either side of the mountains. In order to do this they would have to dam the Chagres River on the Atlantic side and the Rio Grande River on the pacific side (Considine). Although as time went on more than just a poor director held back the finalization of the canal. Disease, death, and rough terrain slowed down the completion of the canal. "The Terrain at the Isthmus was something they had never experienced and had not put a serious study of it, a very grave error" ("Panama Canal Connects"). Mosquitoes were responsible for many deaths. Illnesses such as yellow fever and malaria made "many of the work forces go to the hospitals or in some cases die" ("Panama Canal"). Mosquitoes carried the diseases and when a person got bit he would give a disease to the mosquito and the mosquito would pass it on

The 1960s

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Mr. Basiuk is the person I chose for my interview. Rather than immigrating to Canada, Mr. Basiuk was born in Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1936. He was educated in high school to the north end of Winnipeg at St. John's Technical High School. He spent two years altogether in grade 10 and 11 then attended five years in the University Of Manitoba and graduated as an electrical engineer. Unfortunately, he was not able to find a job in this profession in this area, and therefore began his career as a teacher; and has been teaching for the last thirty years. Interview Who was in political power and how affective was he in accomplishing his goals? I wasn't really interested nor paid much attention to politics, therefore I cannot answer this question. What things did you want to see changed by the government? What sort of problems did the government face and how were they solved? I wanted to see the government have more concern for the poor people. Things such as Medicare, OHIP, and pension plans. The government faced many problems, one of the most toughest, I think, was the deep recession occurring in the 60's. What special events or figures were most significant to you? Name some of the social trends you took part in. Well, I didn't have any hero's or someone to look up to until later on in my 20's when someone invited me to Montreal to watch a folk singer called Pete Seager. From this time on, I became really dedicated and interested in music and this really influenced my life. I was a teacher than, so I didn't really take part in social events, yet there was a building north of Jarvis called Yorkville and teenagers would usually gather there to dance and have fun. I would occasionally go to that place. State the differences in fashion from the 60's and today. Which music group or band did you enjoy listening to? What types of dances did you enjoy? First of all, teenagers and especially woman would wear clothes with more colour and beads. Bellbottoms were in back at that time. There are certain people who wear lots of flowers and turned out to be called the flower power. This name was given because they believed that being "nice" to others would help change the country-so they gave many people flowers and asked them to be their friend. I

Alchemy

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The science by aid of which the chemical philosophers of medieval times attempted to transmute the baser metals into gold or silver. There is considerable divergence of opinion as to the etymology of the word, but it would seem to be derived from the Arabic al=the, and kimya=chemistry, which in turn derives from the late Greek chemica=chemistry, from chumeia=a mingling, or cheein, 'to pour out' or 'mix', Aryan root ghu, to pour, whence the word 'gush'. Mr. A. Wallis Budge in his "Egyptian Magic", however, states that it is possible that it may be derived from the Egyptian word khemeia, that is to say 'the preparation of the black ore', or 'powder', which was regarded as the active principle in the transmutation of metals. To this name the Arabs affixed the article 'al', thus giving al-khemeia, or alchemy. HISTORY OF ALCHEMY: From an early period the Egyptians possessed the reputation of being skillful workers in metals and, according to Greek writers, they were conversant with their transmutation, employing quicksilver in the process of separating gold and silver from the native matrix. The resulting oxide was supposed to possess marvelous powers, and it was thought that there resided within in the individualities of the various metals, that in it their various substances were incorporated. This black powder was mystically identified with the underworld form of the god Osiris, and consequently was credited with magical properties. Thus there grew up in Egypt the belief that magical powers existed in fluxes and alloys. Probably such a belief existed throughout Europe in connection with the bronze-working castes of its several races. Its was probably in the Byzantium of the fourth century, however, that alchemical science received embryonic form. There is little doubt that Egyptian tradition, filtering through Alexandrian Hellenic sources was the foundation upon which the infant science was built, and this is borne out by the circumstance that the art was attributed to Hermes Trismegistus and supposed to be contained in its entirety in his works. The Arabs, after their conquest of Egypt in the seventh century, carried on the researches of the Alexandrian school, and through their instrumentality the art was brought to Morocco and thus in the eighth century to Spain, where it flourished exceedingly. Indeed, Spain from the ninth to the eleventh century became the repository of alchemic science, and the colleges of Seville, Cordova and Granada were the centers from which

The Aztec Nation

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
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 center Teotihuacán. The history of the Central Valley after

Arab-Israeli Wars

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Since the United Nations partition of PALESTINE in 1947 and the establishment of the modern state of ISRAEL in 1948, there have been four major Arab-Israeli wars (1947-49, 1956, 1967, and 1973) and numerous intermittent battles. Although Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979, hostility between Israel and the rest of its Arab neighbors, complicated by the demands of Palestinian Arabs, continued into the 1980s. THE FIRST PALESTINE WAR (1947-49) The first war began as a civil conflict between Palestinian Jews and Arabs following the United Nations recommendation of Nov. 29, 1947, to partition Palestine, then still under British mandate, into an Arab state and a Jewish state. Fighting quickly spread as Arab guerrillas attacked Jewish settlements and communication links to prevent implementation of the UN plan. Jewish forces prevented seizure of most settlements, but Arab guerrillas, supported by the Transjordanian Arab Legion under the command of British officers, besieged Jerusalem. By April, Haganah, the principal Jewish military group, seized the offensive, scoring victories against the Arab Liberation Army in northern Palestine, Jaffa, and Jerusalem. British military forces withdrew to Haifa; although officially neutral, some commanders assisted one side or the other. After the British had departed and the state of Israel had been established on May 15, 1948, under the premiership of David BEN-GURION, the Palestine Arab forces and foreign volunteers were joined by regular armies of Transjordan (now the kingdom of JORDAN), IRAQ, LEBANON, and SYRIA, with token support from SAUDI ARABIA. Efforts by the UN to halt the fighting were unsuccessful until June 11, when a 4-week truce was declared. When the Arab states refused to renew the truce, ten more days of fighting erupted. In that time Israel greatly extended the area under its control and broke the siege of Jerusalem. Fighting on a smaller scale continued during the second UN truce beginning in mid-July, and Israel acquired more territory, especially in Galilee and the Negev. By January 1949, when the last battles ended, Israel had extended its frontiers by about 5,000 sq km (1,930 sq mi) beyond the 15,500 sq km (4,983 sq mi) allocated to the Jewish state in the UN partition resolution. It had also secured its independence. During 1949, armistice agreements were signed under UN auspices between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. The armistice frontiers were unofficial boundaries until 1967. SUEZ-SINAI WAR (1956) Border conflicts between Israel and the Arabs continued despite provisions in

Immigration to Canada

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Early immigration to Canada was generated by a network of emigration agents who were salesman who advertised to Canada's attraction's to prospected immigrants. They targeted wealthy farmers, agricultural laborers and

Great Wall of China

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
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 the Huns. The great wall is

Christianity in the New World

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The Catholic Church during the Middle Ages played an all encompassing role over the lives of the people and the government. As the Dark Ages came to a close the ideas of the Renaissance started to take hold, and the church's power gradually began to wain. The monarchies of Europe also began to grow replacing the church's power. Monarchies, at the close of the Middle Ages and the dawn of the Renaissance, did not so much seek the guidance of the church as much as it sought their approval. However, the Church during the Age of Discovery was still a major influence. The discovery of the New World and its previously unknown inhabitants presented new problems in the Catholic Church in the late 14th and early 15th century. When Spain's rulers and emissaries decided to physically conquer and populate the New World, and not just trade with it, the transplantation of Christian institutions followed. The church established contact with the New World, and made it a goal to establish the Catholic doctrines among the native population there. The Catholic Church and the Spanish monarch, however, looked upon the native population in the New World as souls to be saved. They did not consider or treat the Indians as equals. The implanting of Christianity in the New World, and the treatment of the native population by the missionaries and christian conquerors was detrimental to New World. Through men such as Cortez and Las Casas accounts of the conversions have been recorded. One of the reasons for this was the alliance of the Catholic Church with the Spanish monarchy. The status of the Indians was disregarded as the Christian conquers and missionaries who wanted to convert them subjected them to violence and reduced them to a laboring population. The Indians, however did not always respond in a negative way to the work of the church. The Catholic Church arrived in the New World immediately after Christopher Columbus laid claim to it for Spain. After Columbus's discovery of the new lands he wrote a series of treatise as to what the European purpose there was. Columbus, in his writings, said that the purpose of the New World was two fold. He said that the gospel message of the church should be spread globally beginning with his discoveries in the New World. Second, he stated that the riches discovered in the New World should

A Brief History of Clocks: From Thales to Ptolemy

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
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 celestial sphere in question probably

History of the Computer Industry in America

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Only once in a lifetime will a new invention come about to touch every aspect of our lives. Such a device that changes the way we work, live, and play is a special one, indeed. A machine that has done all this and more now exists in nearly every business in the U.S. and one out of every two households (Hall, 156). This incredible invention is the computer. The electronic computer has been around for over a half-century, but its ancestors have been around for 2000 years. However, only in the last 40 years has it changed the American society. From the first wooden abacus to the latest high-speed microprocessor, the computer has changed nearly every aspect of people's lives for the better.The very earliest existence of the modern day computer's ancestor is the abacus. These date back to almost 2000 years ago. It is simply a wooden rack holding parallel wires on which beads are strung. When these beads are moved along the wire according to "programming" rules that the user must memorize, all ordinary arithmetic operations can be performed (Soma, 14). The next innovation in computers took place in 1694 when Blaise Pascal invented the first "digital calculating machine". It could only add numbers and they had to be entered by turning dials. It was designed to help Pascal's father who was a tax collector (Soma, 32).In the early 1800s, a mathematics professor named Charles Babbage designed an automatic calculation machine. It was steam powered and could store up to 1000 50-digit numbers. Built in to his machine were operations that included everything a modern general-purpose computer would need. It was programmed by-and stored data on-cards with holes punched in them, appropriately called "punch cards". His inventions were failures for the most part because of the lack of precision machining techniques used at the time and the lack of demand for such a device (Soma, 46).After Babbage, people began to lose interest in computers. However, between 1850 and 1900 there were great advances in mathematics and physics that began to rekindle the interest (Osborne, 45). Many of these new advances involved complex calculations and formulas that were very time consuming for human calculation. The first major use for a computer in the U.S. was during the 1890 census. Two men, Herman Hollerith and James Powers, developed a new punched-card system that could automatically read information on cards without

Cuban Revolution

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Almost every nation in the world has experienced a revolution. A revolution can be simply defined as "a change." When a country undergoes a revolution, its ideals that it once believed in are being modified. Sometimes revolutionaries act intellectually, yet others may respond physically through destruction. Some may be peaceful, some short lasting, and some pointless. Historians do argue on identifying whether a revolution has occurred. Revolutions usually follow a rupture in the nation's events, are directed by a hero, have an ideology and belief system, and use symbols or tools to get its points across to the people. Cuba and its leader today, Fidel Castro, have their own roots in a revolution that took place only some forty years ago. The causes of the Revolution itself laid behind the military dictatorship of General Batista. The overthrow of the June 1952 elections by Batista indirectly led to the Cuban Revolution. With this event the weakness behind Cuba's politics was revealed to the people. Their economy also fluctuated between high and low profits. Because Cuba, after the destruction of land in Europe in WWII, had the most sugar production in the world, small farm owners prospered. Yet because sugar was the only major crop they produced, Cubans suffered when economies in other nations prospered. This in turn resulted in unemployment in the cities. With these circumstances, Cubans showed more oppression to their government and soon began to be rebellious. However, Batista jailed, exiled, executed, and used terror and threats of violence against all the challenges he faced. The people became even more unhappy, until finally a rupture occurred. While earning a doctorate of law in Havana, Fidel Castro began to participate in student protests against Batistan polices. Castro housed weapons and prepared his supporters in the university campus in Havana. He organized a surprise attack on the Moncada barracks in the Oriente Province on July 26, 1953, where Batista's military stayed, hoping to destroy the army that persecuted other rebels. Castro did not realize one major problem: the odds of taking over a nation's military base are small. All revolutionaries except Castro and his family were massacred. Although this rupture failed, Castro's movement gained popularity and prestige all over the world. In fact, Castro called the Revolution the 26 of July Movement. Castro himself was caught and sentenced to jail for two years. Between 1955 and 1956, Castro went to United States and

Puritans and Witches - Natural Enemies

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
When the Puritans moved to the New World they created a new society based upon perfect adherence to the strict and intolerant Puritan philosophy. However, the moral center of their universe could not hold because the people themselves although normally English, were blends of their European ancestries and the folk culture of generations before them. Puritan philosophy was rooted in the search for spiritual perfection. Witchcraft was viewed by Puritans as evidence of the man's spiritual weakness. Therefore, Puritan philosophy, as later reflected in The Crucible, was the natural enemy of witchcraft. A Puritan's first responsibility was to serve God. The Bible was a Puritan's road map toward that duty. While Puritans respected authority, they did not revere tradition or ritual. Their churches were plain and unadorned. Prayer and listening to sermons were constant companions to the righteous Puritan. The family was a homage to God. A man's gift to God was a happy, prayerful family centered within the church. A Puritan considered it a kindness to his neighbor to keep an eye on the neighbor's behavior and to guide him when guidance was deemed necessary. Corruption in the community could easily spread into the church, and the good Puritan was ever-vigilant against scandal in either place. A personal scandal was a community matter, and a church concern as well. Sin was a heavy burden to the Puritans. No method existed in their faith for ridding oneself of sin. And because they believed that God could pluck them away from life and cast them into hell at any given time, sin and atonement were foremost in a Puritan's mind. Because of the fall of Adam and Eve, atonement was a real puzzle for the Puritans. There was no hope for man other than perfect obedience to God's laws. Yet any clear-thinking Puritan knew in his heart that he was not a perfect person. So, then, how to atone? Good deeds were looked upon with suspicion by the clergy and other citizens. Quiet, desperate prayer seemed the only hope for one's soul. A wrathful God and man's shaky grip on salvation were most often the themes of sermons in Puritan worship services. Indeed, the Devil was on the mind of the Puritans as much as was God. Life in the New World was a harsh challenge with overwhelming obstacles rising up against them every day. Long, bitterly cold winters, rock-filled farmland, disease,

History of Railroads

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Railroads were born in England, a country of dense population, short distances, and large financial resources. In England problems were very different from those in America, which in the early 1800s was a nation of great distances, sparse population, and limited capital. Americans had to learn to build railroads for their own country by actual experience; they could not copy English methods. The first American railroads started from the Atlantic ports of Boston, Mass.; New York City; Philadelphia, Pa.; Wilmington, Del.; Baltimore, Md.; Charleston, S.C.; and Savannah, Ga. Within 20 years four rail lines had crossed the Alleghenies to reach their goal on the "Western Waters" of the Great Lakes or on the tributaries of the Mississippi. Meanwhile other lines had started from west of the mountains,

The Death of Socrates

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
"Crito, you and other people who claimed to be friends to Socrates are all

The Metis

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The Metis were partly french and partly indian. Their leader wascalled Louis riel. Following the Union of the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company in 1821, trading had been reorganized in order to reduce expenses. Since there was no longer competition in the fur trade, it was unnecessary to have two or more posts serving a single trading district. For this reason, some posts had been closed and the number of brigades reduced. This reorganization had led to some unemployment amoung Metis who for years had been working in the fur trade. The Hudson Bay Company had attempted to assist these these men by encouraging them to engage in farming in what is now South Manitoba. A few families take to agriculture, but most of the metis found it difficult. To them, the excitement and the adventure of the buffalo hunt held more appeal than farming. Hundreds of Metis were content to earn a living by hunting buffalo, making pemmican or finding employment as freight drivers. After a while Canada bought Rupertsland from Hudson Bay Company. When the Metis herd this they were alarmed. They feared their religion,their language, their lands and their old, free way of* life. They had known for some time that Canada was busy constructing a colonists highway from Lake Superior to the Red River. The situation became tense surveyors were sent into the flow of settlers, and it was considered a wise move to have the surveying well under way before settlement began in earnest. It was decided to use a system or land survey similar to that used in the western part of the United States. Townships were to be divided into thirty-six sections, each containing one square mile or 640 acres. The sections were then to be divided into, the quarter-section was thought to be enough land for each family settling in the North West. (An interesting aspect of the survey system was the plan of the setting asside two sections in each township for the future support of education. The idea to sell these sections at a later date and use the money for the construction of schools.) When the survey began, friction occured in those areas where the french specking Metis had settled along the river, occupying long narrow strips in the manner common in New France. Attempts were made by the surveyors to avoid disturbing the pattern, but in some

The Seven-Years War

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The word "privateer" conjures a romantic image in the minds of most Americans. Tales of battle and bounty pervade the folklore of privateering, which has become a cherished, if often overlooked part of our shared heritage. Legends were forged during the battle for American independence, and these men were understandably glorified as part of the formation of our national identity. The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of these men were common opportunists, if noteworthy naval warriors. The profit motive was the driving force behind almost all of their expeditions, and a successful privateer could easily become quite wealthy. In times of peace, these men would be common pirates, pariahs of the maritime community. Commissioned in times of war, they were respected entrepreneurs, serving their purses and their country, if only incidentally the latter. However vulgar their motivation, the system of privateering arose because it provided a valuable service to thecountry, and indeed the American Revolution might not have been won without their involvement. Many scholars agree that all war begins for economic reasons, and the privateers of the war for independence contributed by attacking the commercial livelihood of Great Britain's merchants. It is ironic that the entire notion of privateering began in Great Britain. In 1649 a frigate named Constant-Warwick was constructed in England for a privateer in the employ of the Earl of Warwick. Seeing how profitable this investment was, a great many of the English peerage commissioned their own privateers. The Seven-Years War saw the proliferation of privateering on both the English and French coasts as each attempted to disrupt their opponent's colonial trade. American investors quickly entered this battle, commissioning ships to prey upon cargo vessels coming to and from French colonial holdings in the Americas. Here began the American privateer heritage, and when the American Revolution began many of these same men viewed the opportunity to profit, and resumed their ventures. The American privateer vessel was a ship "armed and fitted out at private expense for the purpose of preying on the enemy's commerce to the profit of her owners". Not just anyone could be a privateer, however. What distinguished a privateer from a common pirate was a commission, or a letter of marque. These were granted by the government, and were quite easily obtained. The government's benefit was twofold. First, the revolutionary government took a share of the profits from the sale

The American Dream

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
It is the intent of this paper to prove that the "American Dream" can best be explained as a "ciity upon a hill." "Ciity upon a hill" meaning being above and superior over those below. The Civil War, the imperialistic race of the 19th century, the Korean War, the KKK, and the Gulf War are all examples of the "American Dream" of superiority playing a part in American History. Each American has a different idea of this superiority, but nonetheless strive to achieve it, whatever it may be in. The Civil War which split the United States, was a clash of two aspects of approaching the "American Dream" in a young America. Both sides felt their idea's and philosophies were superior to those of the opposing side and therefore would benefit the country more and make it superior. Both North and South wanted to better the country to have it achieve the "American Dream". Unfortunately, each side had a different perspective on how to approach it. Slavery was a major issue, the North against, the South pro. The disagreement on slavery lead to difficulty in the issue of Westward expansion. Both agreed to it, but whether to admit them as free or slave states was where the split occurred. The compromise of 1850 stated that California enters free, and New Mexico and Utah decided on their own which is giving them more state rights in which the South heavily supported. This compromise did not satisfy each side fully. The issue of State rights intensified by the issue of slavery because the Southern states felt they had the right to decide on their own about Slavery without Federal intervention. It seems the Southern states felt that the "American dream" was out of their reach because they felt powerless and inferior with the Central government. When the American revolution was fought to break from Britain, the Southern States thought they would be treated as sovereign and free. With the State's limited power, they felt as if the Federal government would become a monarchy. The Northern States wanted the "American dream" achieved for the whole country to be industrial, anti-slavery, and very federalist. Upon these institutions they planned to make the U.S a superior nation in the world. The South wanted to achieve the same ultimate goal for the U.S but with agricultural, pro- slavery, and states sovereignty institutions. These are the differences between

List of Amendments

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Amendment I (1791) Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Amendment II (1791) A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. Amendment III (1791) No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. Amendment IV (1791) The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. Amendment V (1791) No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. Amendment VI (1791) In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense. Amendment VII (1791) In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the

The Borderlands: 1880 - 1940

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The time of change in the region called the "borderlands" occurred during the period between 1880 and 1940. The region became urbanized and ended its years of isolation from the rest of the world. In the past the region's economy was based on ranching and farming. As the region became more urbanized the economy changed. The economy did not change equally between the United States and Mexico, the United States' side of the border boomed while Mexico's side did not. The cities that did prosper in region were based on the actions of the United States. Actions that affected the cities in Mexico were Prohibition and the Great depression. Events in the United States were not the only economic factor to effect the region. The Mexican Revolution had great social and economic influence to the region. On November 10 1910, the Mexican Revolution began and did not end until President Diaz was overthrown. The United States and its border towns were heavily involved in the conflict. The fighting was mainly in the north and they need supplies. The majority of the weapons and supplies for the Revolution was brought in the United States. The border cities in the United States became the chief suppliers of guns to the Revolution. This form trade was illegal and mainly done on the Black Market. The legal trade that existed before the Revolution disappeared with the outbreak of war. Mexico had closed the border during the conflict to prevent the supply of arms. The United States had also tried to stop the flow of arms but not successful. Eventually the United States had sent troops to the region when the fighting spilled over the border. The troops stayed in the region after the Mexican Revolution and were an economic boom to the region. The United States at the turn of the century was under going a major social movement. The United States was trying to change its society to a more moral country. The groups involved in the movement consisted of many groups from around the United States. Some of the most notable groups involved in the social reform movement were the churches in the country. They targeted many aspects of life of the normal Americans. The social reforms targeted social ills such as adultery, crime, and lastly, drinking. These groups had large number of followers, and had considerable height in government. The social reformers

Ford Car Company

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The first piece of material I gathered was a picture via the internet. This picture is of the River Rouge assembly plant in Dearborn, Michigan. This picture shows the manufacturing of the fender for a Ford Motor Company product. It also shows the facilities of the Rouge plant and how the plant it self was state of the art. This plant was the largest of its kind at the time of its construction. The Ford Motor Company at the time was one of the leaders in labor relations. This picture shows the size of the plant as well as the working conditions in the facility. When viewing the photograph you can see the array of pipes and collection devices to aid in the circulation of air and the collection of dust and other by products made in the plant. The next component I found is another picture of the interior of the Rouge plant. This picture is one of many conveyer belts in the plant. This belt is moving engine parts from the engine assembly to the final assembly. Henry Ford was a pioneer in the use of the assembly line in the automobile industry, and the Rouge plant was the ultimate in that use of the assembly line. This photo shows the depth of the plant, being able to manufacture all components of the cars without having to ship parts to or from other locations in the country. The next collection of photographs is of the exterior of the Rouge plant. These photos were obtained from the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. These pictures are of the Rouge during the switch of all production, from the Highland Park plant, to the Rouge. It was also the time that the Model A was beginning production. This collection shows examples of four exterior views of the plant, allude to the many different factories within the Rouge plant. The Rouge was a steel mill, a foundry, a power producer and, an assembly line. This all encompassing idea helped ford relegate all aspects of the production of their product. Along with the exterior, the interior showed the extent of the all encompassing Rouge plant. The interior photographs, which were also care of the Henry Ford Museum, show more factories within the factory. For example, the four photos in this collection display metal forming, and metallurgical operations. These pictures included forging, the blast furnaces, removal of

The Civil Rights in the 1950's and 60's

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
(1) Trumans civil rights committee: In 1947 Trumans Civil Rights Committee recommended laws protecting the right of African Americans to vote and banning segregation on railroads and buses. It also called for a federal law punishing lynching. He issued executive orders ending segregation in the armed forces and prohibiting job discrimination in all government agencies. (2) Brown V. the Board of Education (1954): In 1954 the Supreme Court made one of the most important decisions in its long history. It decided in the case of Brown v. Board Of Education of Topeka that it was unconstitutional for states to maintain separate schools for African American and white children. This case over turned the "Separate but equal" doctrine established in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson back in 1896. (3) Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955): After the supreme court decided to end segregation, African Americans started to speak out more about their racial opinions. In Montgomery, Alabama, a bus boycott ended with a victory for the African Americans. The Supreme Court ruled that the Alabama segregation laws were unconstitutional. During the boycott a young African American Baptist minister, Martin Luther King, Jr. became well known. Throughout the long contest he advised African Americans to avoid violence no matter had badly provoked by whites. Rosa Parks tired of sitting in the back of the bus, and giving up her seat to white men. One weary day she refused to move from the front of the bus, and she became one of history's heroes in the Civil Rights Act movement. (4) The Civil Rights Act: In 1964 congress passed a Civil Rights Act prohibiting racial discrimination in restaurants, theaters, hotels, hospitals, and public facilities of all sorts. This civil rights act also made it easier and safer for Southern Blacks to register and vote. Laws were passed to help poor people improve their ability to earn money, a program to give extra help to children at risk even before they were old enough to go to school, and a program to train school dropouts. (5) The Great Society: These actions were very popular. Johnson easily won the 1964 presidential election and then proposed what he called the Great Society program. This was Johnson's plan. He would work to improve the lives of all people, but especially the poor and the powerless. Programs were aimed at helping every segment in society. (6) Passive Resistance: After Martin Luther King, Jr. successfully

Essay on Colonies

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The New England and Southern Colonies were both settled largely by the English. By 1700, the regions had evolved into two distinct societies. The southern colonies have characteristics that are the antithesis of the New England colonies attributes. New England was colonized for Freedom of Worship and freedom of political thought. The Southern colonies were developed for freedom of economic opportunity. The New England colonies had aspirations for a distinct society, where they could show their homeland, how a country should be run. The southern colonies had goals for mercantilism, and increasing the prosperity of England. The New England colonies were based on theocracy, where the state forced the people to live and worship in an orthodox way. The southern colonies(Virginia) had a government based on a royal government, where the state was governed by a governor and council named by the king, and an elected assembly chosen by the people. Finally, the New England colonies wanted to establish the colony for religious motives, while the southern colonies were established for economic motives. England and the rebels of England (Pilgrims), made up the New England and southern colonies. "God Almighty in his most holy and wise providence hath so disposed of the condition of mankind, in all times some must be rich, some poor, some high and eminent in power and dignity, other mean and in subjection. Yet we must be knit together in this work as one man."(John Winthrop, A Model of Christian Charity) This statement by John Winthrop, demonstrates importance of religion in the lives of the New England settlers. "We must delight in each other, make others' conditions our own, rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work, our community as members of the same body." (John Winthrop, A Model of Christian Charity). The use of the word "together" and "community" indicates that the New England settlers were of a communal nature, they were less individualistic than the southern colonies. The New England colonies were based on religious freedom, thus their society was reflected the religion. "These underwritten names are to be transported to Virginia, embarked in the Merchant's Hope, Hugh Weston, Master, per examination by the minister of Gravesend touching upon their conformity to the Church discipline of England, and have taken oaths of allegiance and supremacy:" (Ship's List of Emigrants Bound for Virginia). The use of

Was Colonial Culture Uniquely American?

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
"Was Colonial Culture Uniquely American?" "There were never, since the creation of the world, two cases exactly parallel." Lord Chesterfield, in a letter to his son, February 22nd, 1748. Colonial culture was uniquely American simply because of the unique factors associated with the development of the colonies. Never before had the conditions that tempered the colonists been seen. The unique blend of diverse environmental factors and peoples caused the development of a variety of cultures that were mostly English, part European, and altogether original. The unique conditions, both cultural and environmental, of each colony produced a unique culture for that colony. And while each colony had it's share of groups, the mix of people and their cultures in each colony was not evenly distributed. In some colonies there was a high mix of people, while in others one group dominated. These regional differences caused the colonies not to develop one unique culture, but instead a group of distinctive cultures, each unique, and each regional. The regional differences and cultures among the colonies can be divided into four basic groups. These groups each dominated a different region, but they weren't the only group in their respective region. There were the Puritans of New England, the Quakers of the middle colonies, the Anglicans of the southern colonies, and the Scots-Irish of the Appalachian backcountry (Madaras & Sorelle, 1995). The culture of New England was one unique to New England. The northern colonies of New England were dominated by the Puritans, and settled primarily for religious reasons. The environment of New England consisted of rocky soil, dense forests, and large numbers of fish (Sarcelle, 1965). The culture that developed in New England was appropriate to such conditions. The soil, being rocky, had to be worked constantly and patiently (Sarcelle, 1965). Patience and persistence were trademarks of Puritan ethics. The lush forests provided for a shipbuilding industry , while the fish provided a source of food (Brinkley, 1995). The New Englanders became fishermen, farmers, lumbermen, shipbuilders, and traders (Sarcelle, 1965). To the south of New England were the middle colonies. There the soil was fertile, and the weather more acclimated to farming (Sarcelle, 1965). Rivers flowed west toward the frontier, enabling transportation. The middle colonies, as opposed to the relatively Puritan dominated New England, were very diverse in people. A mixture of Dutch, German, Swedes, English and other smaller groups were present in middle colonial cities such as New York (Higginbotham, 1996). The

The History of Coca-Cola

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The Coca-Cola company started out as an insignificant one man business and over the last one hundred and ten years it has grown into one of the largest companies in the world. The first operator of the company was Dr. John Pemberton and the current operator is Roberto Goizueta. Without societies help, Coca-Cola could not have become over a 50 billion dollar business. Coca-Cola was invented by Dr. John Pemberton, an Atlanta pharmacist. He concocted the formula in a three legged brass kettle in his backyard on May 8, 1886. He mixed a combination of lime, cinnamon, coca leaves, and the seeds of a Brazilian shrub to make the fabulous beverage(Things go better with Coke 14). Coca-Cola debuted in Atlanta's largest pharmacy, Jacob's Pharmacy, as a five cent non-carbonated beverage. Later on, the carbonated water was added to the syrup to make the beverage that we know today as Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola was originally used as a nerve and brain tonic and a medical elixir. Coca-Cola was named by Frank Robinson, one of Pemberton's close friends, he also penned the famous Coca-Cola logo in unique script. Dr. John Pemberton sold a portion of the Coca-Cola company to Asa Candler, after Pemberton's death the remainder was sold to Candler. Pemberton was forced to sell because he was in a state of poor health and was in debt. He had paid $76.96 for advertising, but he only made $50.00 in profits. Candler acquired the whole company for $2,300(Coca-Cola multiple pages). Candler achieved a lot during his time as owner of the company. On January 31, 1893, the famous Coca-Cola formula was patented. He also opened the first syrup manufacturing plant in 1884. His great achievement was large scale bottling of Coca-Cola in 1899. In 1915, The Root Glass Company made the contour bottle for the Coca-Cola company. Candler aggressively advertised Coca-Cola in newspapers and on billboards. In the newspapers, he would give away coupons for a free Coke at any fountain. Coca-Cola was sold after the Prohibition Era to Ernest Woodruff for 25 million dollars. He gave Coca-Cola to his son, Robert Woodruff, who would be president for six decades(Facts, Figures, and Features Multiple pages). Robert Woodruff was an influential man in Atlanta because of his contributions to area colleges, universities, businesses and organizations. When he made a contribution, he would never leave his name, this is how he became to be known as "Mr. Anonymous." Woodruff

The Writing of the Constitution

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A constitution is the legal structure of our political system, establishing governmental bodies , determining how their members are selected , and prescribing the rules by which they make their decisions . The nation's founders , fifty-five men , met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to write a new constitution and to form a new government. George Washington was elected chairman of the convention.The founders were all very well-educated. Over half the delegates had collage degrees, which was rare in the North American continent at that time. They also had experience in governing . More than forty of the delegates held high offices in state governments , including three who were governors. The founders believed in the idea that the purpose of government was the protection of individual life, liberty and property. Following the election of George Washington as president of the convention, Governor Edmund Randolph of Virginia presented a draft of a new constitution .The Virginia Plan proposed a two house legislature. A lower house directly elected by the people of the states based on the population , and an upper house elected by the lower house.The congress was to have broad legislative power ,with veto over laws passed by state legislatures .The President and cabinet would be elected by legislature. The national judiciary would be elected by legislature , and their would be a "Council of Revision" with power to veto laws of Congress. Delegates from New Jersey , New York and Delaware did not agree to the Virginia Plan due to the great power delegated to the national government . William Paterson of New Jersey submitted a counterproposal .The New Jersey Plan proposed a one-house legislature, with equal state representation regardless of population. Congress had some legislative power, including levying some taxes and the regulation of commerce.The plan also proposed separate executive and judicial branches , elected by Congress and removable by petition from majority of state governors.The judiciary was appointed by the chief executive .The plan also included the supremacy clause , stating that the Constitution and federal laws would supersede over state constitutions and laws . After several months of debate , Roger Sherman of Connecticut came forward with a compromise.The Connecticut Compromise proposed a two-house legislature , with numerical representation in the directly elected House and equal state representation in the indirectly elected Senate. It also gave Congress broad legislative power, including the power to levy

The Constitution

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A case for the connection of America's colonial and revolutionary religious and political experiences to the basic principles of the Constitution can be readily made. One point in favor of this conclusion is the fact that most Americans at that time had little beside their experiences on which to base their political ideas. This is due to the lack of advanced schooling among common Americans at that time. Other points also concur with the main idea and make the theory of the connection plausible. Much evidence to support this claim can be found in the wording of the Constitution itself. Even the Preamble has an important idea that arose from the Revolutionary period. The first line of the Preamble states, We the People of the United States... ." This implies that the new government that was being formed derived its sovereignty from the people, which would serve to prevent it from becoming corrupt and disinterested in the people, as the framers believed Britain's government had become. If the Bill of Rights is considered, more supporting ideas become evident. The First Amendment's guarantee of religious freedom could have been influenced by the colonial tradition of relative religious freedom. This tradition was clear even in the early colonies, like Plymouth, which was formed by Puritan dissenters from England seeking religious freedom. Roger Williams, the proprietor of Rhode Island, probably made an even larger contribution to this tradition by advocating and allowing complete religious freedom. William Penn also contributed to this idea in Pennsylvania, where the Quakers were tolerant of other denominations. In addition to the tradition of religious tolerance in the colonies, there was a tradition of self-government and popular involvement in government. Nearly every colony had a government with elected representatives in a legislature, which usually made laws largely without interference from Parliament or the king. Jamestown, the earliest of the colonies, had an assembly, the House of Burgesses, which was elected by the property owners of the colony. Maryland developed a system of government much like Britain's, with a representative assembly, the House of Delegates, and the governor sharing power. The Puritan colony in Massachusetts originally had a government similar to a corporate board of directors with the first eight stockholders, called freemen" holding power. Later, the definition of freemen" grew to include all male citizens, and the people were given a strong voice in their own government. This tradition of religious

FDR and the Great Depression

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Critque the efficiency of of FDR's administration at alleviating the suffering of the great

The Inuit People

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Inuit: A People Preserved By Ice Thousands of years ago, during the last ice age, mile-thick glaciers covered a vast portion of North America, and the Asian continent was joined to North America by a land bridge. The Arctic areas of Alaska, Beringia, and Siberia were free of ice. Vast herds of caribou, muskoxen, and bison migrated to these plains. Following them were the nomadic Asian ancestors of today's Inuit and Indians. The doorway to Asia closed about three or four thousand years later as the glaciers receded and melted. These people: the Inuit (meaning the people), adapted to their harsh tundra environment and developed a culture that remained untainted for a long time. The Inuit people relied solely on hunting for their existence. With summers barely lasting two months, agriculture was non-existent. Animals such as caribou and seal were vital. Groups of hunters would stalk and kill many caribou with fragile bows made of driftwood, and their bounty was split evenly amongst the tribe. Bone spears were fashioned to hunt seals which provided food, oil, clothes, and tents. The seal skins were also used to construct kayaks and other boats that the Inuit would use to travel and to hunt whales. One advantage of the sterile cold of the arctic was that it kept these people free of disease (until they met the white man.) Inuit tribes consisted of two to ten loosely joined families. There was no one central leader in the group: all decisions were made by the community as a whole. Nor was there any definite set of laws; the Inuit, though usually cheery and optimistic, were prone to uncontrolled bursts of rage. Murder was common amongst them and it went unpunished unless an individual's murders occured too often. At that point, that person was deemed unstable, and the community appointed a man to terminate him/her. In their society, the duties of men and women were strictly separated. The males would hunt, fish and construct the tools used by the family. Women, however, were responsible for cleaning the animal skins, cooking, sewing the clothes ( a woman's sewing ability was equally as attractive to a man as her beauty was), and raising the children. Male children were preferred because they could care for their parents in their old age; female children when often strangled soon after birth. Although today Christianity has breached some of the southernmost tribes, the vast

Persian Gulf War-the Feat of the Western Countries

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
On August 2nd, 1990 Iraqi military forces invaded and occupied the small Arab state of Kuwait. The order was given by Iraqi dictatorial president Saddam Hussein. His aim was apparently to take control Kuwait's oil reserves (despite its small size Kuwait is a huge oil producer; it has about 10 per cent of the world's oil reserves ). Iraq accused Kuwait, and also the United Arab Emirates, of breaking agreements that limit oil production in the Middle East. According to Saddam Hussein, this brought down world oil prices severely and caused financial loss of billions of dollars in Iraq's annual revenue. Saddam Hussein had the nearly hopeless task of justifying the invasion. He plead the fact that Kuwait had been part of the Ottoman province of Basra, a city in the south of Iraq. However, the Ottoman province collapsed after World War I and today's Iraqi borders were not created until then. There was also a further and more obvious blunder in a bid to justify this illegal invasion. Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, had namely recognized Kuwaiti independence in 1963. Furthermore, Hussein claimed that Kuwait had illegally pumped oil from the Iraqi oil field of Rumaila and otherwise conspired to reduce Iraq's essential oil income. By invading Kuwait, Iraq succeeded in surprising the entire world. The USA ended her policy of accommodating Saddam Hussein, which had existed since the Iran-Iraq war. Negative attitude toward Iraq was soon a worldwide phenomenon. The United Nations Security Council passed 12 resolutions condemning the invasion. The ultimate decision was to use military force if Iraq did not withdraw unconditionally by January 15, 1991. Then, when the deadline was set, it was time to start preparing for the worst-the war. President George Bush confronted little difficulty in winning Americans' support for the potential war against Iraq. However, the government found it difficult to decide upon and state one overriding reason for going to war. Was it to oppose aggression or was it just to protect global oil supplies? Other powers were more directly concerned as consumers of Persian Gulf oil, but they were not as eager to commit military force, to risk their youth in battle and to pay for the costs of the war. Critics of President Bush continued to maintain that he was taking advantage of the issue of energy supplies in order to manipulate the U. S. public opinion in favor

The Hindenburg

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The Inferno 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 name Hindenburg became

Federalist Party

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
"Seldom in the nation's history has there been a period so extraordinary in accomplishment as the first decade under the Constitution...." This paper is going to be a step by step evaluation of arguably the most important decade in American History. The time period covered in this paper is 1789-1801. These are the years in which the Federalists had the most influence in the new government. They accomplished an amazing amount in these 12 years. The Federalist Party was one of the first political organizations in the United States. The members of this party supported a strong central government, a large peacetime army and navy, and a stable financial system. Although the first president, George Washington, was not a Federalist, his Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, was the developer and leader of the Federalist party. Hamilton believed in a loose interpretation of the Constitution so that the central government could become more powerful. Also Hamilton, along with the other party members, believed that commerce and manufacturing were more important than agriculture. Financial Dilemma During the first two years of the new federal government the biggest problem was that of raising money. At first the Congress adopted a small tariff on imports. This was a start but not nearly enough. The government needed this money to maintain its own existence and to be able to pay of the debt. The existence of the government was a necessity, but there was a lot of discussion as to whether the debt should be payed off. The mare magnitude of the debt seemed to compel some measure of avoidance. In 1789, the national debt totaled more than $50 million, $11,700,000 of which was owed to France and Spain and the private bankers of Netherlands, while $40 million was in the form of securities held by citizens of the United States. The interests owed to the bankers were being payed off by loans from the bankers themselves. The government didn't even have enough money to pay the Barbary corsairs for release of captive sailors! When Congress couldn't come up with a solution that was satisfactory, they turned to Alexander Hamilton with the dilemma. He soon proceeded to draw up a full report entitled "Report on Public Credit." In this paper Hamilton proceeded to show that the only way for a new government to establish credit was to deal honestly with its creditors -for in many cases they would

Ku Klux Klan

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
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 ill and could not handle the task. Their next

Kansas & Nebraska Act Resolved

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The Kansas-Nebraska act was a proposal by Sen. Stephen A. Douglas which said that Kansas and Nebraska territory could be allowed to govern for itself whether or not to be a slave state

Imigration and Discrimination in the 1920s

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Beginning in the early nineteenth century there were massive waves of immigration. These "new" immigants were largely from Italy, Russia, and Ireland. There was a mixed reaction to these incomming foreigners. While they provided industries with a cheap source of labor, Americans were both afraid of, and hostile towards these new groups. They differed from the "typical American" in language, customs, and religion. Many individuals and industries alike played upon America's fears of immigration to further their own goals. Leuchtenburg follows this common theme from the beginning of World War I up untill the election of 1928. If there was one man who singlely used America's fear of immigrants to advance his own political goals it was Attorney General Palmer. The rise of Communism in Russia created a fear of its spread across Europe, and to America. Palmer tied this fear to that of immigration. He denounced labor unions, the Socialist party, and the Communist party in America, as being infultrated with radicals who sought to overturn America's political, economic, and social institutions. Palmer exasperated this fear in Americans and then presented himself as the country's savior, combatting the evils of Communism. He mainly centered his attack on Russian immigrants. During the infamous Palmer raids thousands of aliens were deported and even more were arrested on little or no evidence. Their civil liberties were violated, they were not told the reasons for their arrests, denied counsel, and not given fair trials. What followed was an investigation of Palmer led by Louis Post which overturned many of Palmer's actions. Palmer's cretability was shattered after in a last minute attempt to gain the 1920 presidencial nomination, he made predictions about a May Day radical uprising, the nation perpared itself, but on May 1st 1920 all was peaceful. While the raids had stopped, the hostilities towards immagrants still remained prevelent. Immigrants were used by organized industries as a source of cheap labor. But as labor unions began to form and push for better pay, shorter hours, and improved working conditions industries saw that it was not as easy to exploit these immigrants as it had been before. Like Palmer, they tied the American's hostilities towards immigrants to the newly emerging fear of radicalism. When workers struck, industry leaders turned public opinion agains them by labling the strikes as attemps at radical uprising. As a result, workers were often left with no other choice than

Labor and Unions in America

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The Industrial Revolution was dawning in the United States. At Lowell, Massachusetts, the construction of a big cotton mill began in 1821. It was the first of several that would be built there in the next 10 years. The machinery to spin and weave cotton into cloth would be driven by water power. All that the factory owners needed was a dependable supply of labor to tend the machines. As most jobs in cotton factories required neither great strength nor special skills, the owners thought women could do the work as well as or better than men. In addition, they were more compliant. The New England region was home to many young, single farm girls who might be recruited. But would stern New England farmers allow their daughters to work in factories? The great majority of them would not. They believed that sooner or later factory workers would be exploited and would sink into hopeless poverty. Economic "laws" would force them to work harder and harder for less and less pay. THE LOWELL EXPERIMENT How, then, were the factory owners able to recruit farm girls as laborers? They did it by building decent houses in which the girls could live. These houses were supervised by older women who made sure that the girls lived by strict moral standards. The girls were encouraged to go to church, to read, to write and to attend lectures. They saved part of their earnings to help their families at home or to use when they got married. The young factory workers did not earn high wages; the average pay was about $3.50 a week. But in those times, a half-dozen eggs cost five cents and a whole chicken cost 15 cents. The hours worked in the factories were long. Generally, the girls worked 11 to 13 hours a day, six days a week. But most people in the 1830s worked from dawn until dusk, and farm girls were used to getting up early and working until bedtime at nine o'clock. The factory owners at Lowell believed that machines would bring progress as well as profit. Workers and capitalists would both benefit from the wealth created by mass production. For a while, the factory system at Lowell worked very well. The population of the town grew from 200 in 1820 to 30,000 in 1845. But conditions in Lowell's factories had already started to change. Faced with

Labor Unions

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Since the foundation of the American Federation of Labor(AFL) in 1886, most unions in the United States have displayed a pragmatic out look, largely compatible with that of business. The general purpose of unions has been to protect and advance the well being of workers, while that of business has been to promote the interests of stockholders. Higher wages and higher profits are compatible over the long run in a growing economy. Conflict does arise, however, from the fact that in the short run higher wages for workers imply lower profits for shareholders. Power, too, is a matter of dispute. In the absence of unions, managers have a monopoly of power over their employees. With unions on the scene, that power must be shared. The standard economic analysis of what gave a particular union the power to raise the pay and benefits of its members was propounded by the eminent English economist Alfred Marshall toward the end of the 19th century. Marshall theorized that the strength of a union depended upon four factors. First, demand for the product should be inelastic, so that there is little, if any, decline in sales in response to price increases. Second, labor costs should be a small portion of the total costs of production, so that a rather large increase in wages would generate only a small increase in the price of the product. Third, the supply of factors that can be used as substitutes for union labor, such as nonunion labor or labor-saving machinery, should be inelastic, so that their price rises substantially as more units are employed. Fourth, the ability of these factors to substitute for union labor should be highly limited; it would be hard to substitute for workers with very high skil! ls or skills that are highly specific to a single employer. Numerous studies have been made to estimate the extent to which unions in the United States have raised the wages of their members above what they would otherwise have been. These studies show substantial differences in the effectiveness of different unions, and that is in the spirit of Marshall's analysis. Substantial variation has also been found in the effectiveness of unions over the course of business cycles. On the average, unions have raised the wages of their members as compared to nonmembers by about 15 percent, somewhat more during periods of depression and somewhat less during periods

The Missouri Compromise

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
A compromise is when two or more parties in disagreement reach an agreement that does not give all sides exactly what they want, but enough of what they want so that they can be happy. Compromise is the best possible solution to a conflict however it does not always work. One needs only to look at situations such as the Bosnia-Herzegovina to see that. During the events prior to the American Civil War, many different compromises were made in an attempt to impede the growing disagreements. However this merely prolonged the inevitable. The differences between North and South were far to great and compromise did not stand a chance at preventing the impending conflict. This was most clearly shown in the ways in which the three main compromises, the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act, failed. In 1820 Missouri wanted to join the Union as a slave state. As this would ruin the balance between Slave states and Free states in the Senate, Henry Clay proposed the Missouri compromise. This arranged it that while Missouri was admitted as a Slave state, Maine was also admitted as a free state. It also created an imaginary line along the 36o latitude, where slavery was allowed below it but prevented above it. However they limited themselves by only applying the Compromise to lands gained in the Louisiana purchase. This led to conflict after the Mexican war in which America gained new territories in the West. This doomed the Missouri Compromise, which was probably the most promising of the three. Had the Compromise been applied to all American lands then perhaps it could have succeeded. Instead the Missouri Compromise failed and only led to further conflict between north and south in the future. In 1849 once again the Union was facing the same crises it had faced in 1820. California now wanted to be admitted as a free state. Once again Henry Clay came up with a compromise to resolve this conflict. California would indeed be admitted as free while the rest of the Southwest territories would decide the slavery issue by popular sovereignty. It would also abolish slavery altogether in Washington DC and initiate a stronger fugitive slave law to appease the South. This last concession angered people in the North however. Free blacks were concerned as now a Southerner could accuse any black person as being a runaway slave. The

Pre-Civil War New Orleans

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
New Orleans is a city in southern Louisiana, located on the Mississippi River. Most of the city is situated on the east bank, between the river and Lake Pontchartrain to the north. Because it was built on a great turn of the river, it is known as the Crescent City. New Orleans, with a population of 496,938 (1990 census), is the largest city in Louisiana and one of the principal cities of the South. It was established on the high ground nearest the mouth of the Mississippi, which is 177 km (110 mi) downstream. Elevations range from 3.65 m (12 ft) above sea level to 2 m (6.5 ft) below; as a result, an ingenious system of water pumps, drainage canals, and levees has been built to protect the city from flooding. New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, sieur de Bienville, and named for the regent of France, Philippe II, duc d'Orleans. It remained a French colony until 1763, when it was transferred to the Spanish. In 1800, Spain ceded it back to France; in 1803, New Orleans, along with the entire Louisiana Purchase, was sold by Napoleon I to the United States. It was the site of the Battle of New Orleans (1815) in the War of 1812. During the Civil War the city was besieged by Union ships under Adm. David Farragut; it fell on Apr. 25, 1862. And that's what it say's in the books, a bit more, but nothing else of interest. This is too bad, New Orleans , as a city, has a wide and diverse history that reads as if it were a utopian society built to survive the troubles of the future. New Orleans is a place where Africans, Indians and European settlers shared their cultures and intermingled. Encouraged by the French government, this strategy for producing a durable culture in a difficult place marked New Orleans as different and special from its inception and continues to distinguish the city today. Like the early American settlements along Massachusetts Bay and Chesapeake Bay, New Orleans served as a distinctive cultural gateway to North America, where peoples from Europe and Africa initially intertwined their lives and customs with those of the native inhabitants of the New World. The resulting way of life differed dramatically from the culture than was spawned in the English colonies of North America. New Orleans Creole population (those with

New England and the Chesapeake region before 1700

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Although New England and the Chesapeake region were both settled largely by the people of English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved into two distinct societies. The reasons for this distinct development were mostly based on the type on people from England who chose to settle in the two areas, and on the manner in which the areas were settled. New England was a refuge for religious separatists leaving England, while people who immigrated to the Chesapeake region had no religious motives. As a result, New England formed a much more religious society then the Chesapeake region. John Winthrop states that their goal was to form "a city upon a hill", which represented a "pure" community, where Christianity would be pursued in the most correct manner. Both the Pilgrims and the Puritans were very religious people. In both cases, the local government was controlled by the same people who controlled the church, and the bible was the basis for all laws and regulations. From the Article of Agreement, Springfield, Massachusetts it is clear that religion was the basis for general laws. It uses the phrase "being by God's providence engaged together to make a plantation", showing that everything was done in God's name. The Wage and Price Regulations in Connecticut is an example of common laws being justified by the bible. Also in this document the word "community " is emphasized, just as Winthrop emphasizes it saying: "we must be knit together in this work as one man". The immigrants to New England formed very family and religiously oriented communities. Looking at the emigrant lists of people bound for New England it is easy to observe that most people came in large families, and large families support the community atmosphere. There were many children among the emigrants, and those children were taught religion from their early childhood, and therefore grew up loyal to the church, and easily controllable by the same. Any deviants from the regime were silenced or persecuted before they could start any movements that would be a threat to the authority of the church. Even people like Ann Hutchinson and Roger Williams, who only slightly deviated from the teaching of the Puritan church were expelled and forced to move to Rode Island. As a result of this tight religious control the society became very conservative in New England, and life evolved to be simple and not

The New Deal

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
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 the NRA unconstitutional on

The Regulators of North Carolina: Outraged Opressors

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The history of colonial North Carolina is bombarded with frequent strife and turmoil. The people of North Carolina, because of a lack in supervision from the British monarchy, learned to possess an independent spirit. The colony remained isolated from the rest of the country because of several geographical conditions such as poor harbors, the abscence of navigable rivers, numerous swamps, and bad road conditions. Due to these conditions, communities throughout North Carolina became widely seperated. The colony was initially set up by the Lords Proprietors, an English founding company that helped finance early American exploration. When North Carolina was freed from British proprietorship, the Granville family, descendants from the original Lords Proprietors, con-tinued to hold their land rights. This area, which became known as the "Granville District," was the scene of many disputes over land grants, taxes, British support, and a great deal of lesser issues. Settlers in the back country (Piedmont) felt particularly oppressed by the laws drawn up by an assembly largely composed of eastern landowners. "Local" officials in many counties, particularly in the western segment of the back country were not local men at all, but friends of the royal governor, William Tryon. These so-called "friends" often collected higher fees than authorized by the law while obtaining tax money or divided a single service into many services and charged fees for each. Lawyers who followed the judges around the colony also fell into the same habit. The citizens of Anson, Orange, and Granville counties were the first to make themselves heard. In 1764, this band of citizens, referred to as the "mob," created a number of local disturbances until Governor Arthur Dobbs passed a proclomation forbidding the collection of illegal fees, the practice that the people complained of the most. Their protests were calmed only temporarily. However, the efects of the new law wore off soon enough and sheriffs and other county officers returned to their old dishonest practices. Citizens complained largely in part because money was so scarce; local trading was almost limited to barter. Often, property was seized and resold, and citizens felt that their property was being sold to a friend of an official for much less than its true value (1). People among the Granville District were anxious to revolt and needed only a leader to provide the spark that led to the fire of the War of Regulation. A man named Hermon Husband

Political Morality in Colonial Times

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
In Webster's dictionary, morality is defined as "principles of right and wrong in conduct; ethics." The principles of morality have countless times evolved over the ages. In earlier times, death was an easy penalty for many crimes. These crimes today are considered minor and are penalized with a slap on the hand. Is this considered wrong? Who is the correct authority to consult on what is right or wrong? In today's society, two major factors concern how the way members of society act and behave. The first is our national government. Members of our government in positions of authority decide everything in our lives in the form of laws which determine our behavior. One of the most important documents written by our government is the Declaration of Independence. The monarchy was taking away power from the colonists and putting more demands on. In return, the colonists declared their freedom from their tyrant. In this document, it states, "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." The great men who wrote this down had a strong sense of morals. They believed that men were given rights by God that no one could take away. This is essential to the issue of morality because it determines the rights-that are agreed upon all- are wrong. This brings us to religion. Religion is a major contributor to how we think and act because it mirrors our beliefs in what we hold as right or wrong. An example of this is the native tribes of africa and South America where a number of tribes practice cannibalism. While this is considered a sin in most christian religions, the tribes have evolved into cannibalism as a way to survive in life and have no objections to their eating habits. The problem arises when the line between government and religion is crossed. While religion does not have to power to punish one physically, but rather soulfully of one has sinned. The government has the power to sentence punishment, yet should have no power concerning God. Many different religions have evolved all over the world and in the process, have people have been prosecuted in their faith. The first settlers in the new world came here to avoid prosecution from the powerful church/government of that time. Specifically, the Church of England

The US-Mexico Border

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
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, through the sea, which

Freedom in the United States

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
No other democratic society in the world permits personal freedoms to the degree of the United States of America. Within the last sixty years, American courts, especially the Supreme Court, have developed a set of legal doctrines that thoroughly protect all forms of the freedom of expression. When it comes to evaluating the degree to which we take advantage of the opportunity to express our opinions, some members of society may be guilty of violating the bounds of the First Amendment by publicly offending others through obscenity or racism. Americans have developed a distinct disposition toward the freedom of expression throughout history. The First Amendment clearly voices a great American respect toward the freedom of religion. It also prevents the government from "abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Since the early history of our country, the protection of basic freedoms has been of the utmost importance to Americans. In Langston Hughes' poem, "Freedom," he emphasizes the struggle to enjoy the freedoms that he knows are rightfully his. He reflects the American desire for freedom now when he says, "I do not need my freedom when I'm dead. I cannot live on tomorrow's bread." He recognizes the need for freedom in its entirety without compromise or fear. I think Langston Hughes captures the essence of the American immigrants' quest for freedom in his poem, "Freedom's Plow." He accurately describes American's as arriving with nothing but dreams and building America with the hopes of finding greater freedom or freedom for the first time. He depicts how people of all backgrounds worked together for one cause: freedom. I selected Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 as a fictitious example of the evils of censorship in a world that is becoming illiterate. In this book, the government convinces the public that book reading is evil because it spreads harmful opinions and agitates people against the government. The vast majority of people accept this censorship of expression without question and are content to see and hear only the government's propaganda. I found this disturbing yet realistic. Bradbury's hidden opposition to this form of censorship was apparent throughout the book and finally prevailed in the end when his main character rebelled against the practice of burning books. Among the many forms of protests are pickets, strikes, public speeches and rallies.

The Twenties and Thirties

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The twenties and the thirties were very unusual time periods in American History. In some ways they are alike, but in most ways they are very different. The twenties were a time of fun and partying. This is probably the reason it is called the Roaring Twenties. All of the thirties were known as The Great Depression. It was probably called that because of the stock market collapse and the millions of people without jobs. In the twenties, industry took a very big step. The automotive industry was the largest industry there was. The assembly line made mass production possible, and the industry boomed. Henry Ford's assembly line, located in Detroit, Michigan, was the largest one in the country and possibly in the world. When Ford first started making cars, the only car he made was a black Model-T. Almost everybody in the United States had a car. Three-out-of-four families owned one or more cars. With the assembly line they made a lot more cars in one day than they did before. Instead of paying for the cars with cash, people could now use credit to purchase items. Since most families didn't have the money, they would buy the car with credit and pay off the debt later. The thirties was a bad time for the automotive industry. By now Ford had made a Model-A and had three new colors: tan, purple and black. All of the companies were making more cars than they could sell. Nobody had enough money to buy a car because of all of the banks going under. Millions of people lost whole fortunes. Since no one had the money for a car, the cars were not being sold. This caused a big problem. The dealers were very optimistic. They continued to make cars hoping that sales would go up. The new credit law was a wonderful idea. It allowed people to purchase items like a television or radio. The invention of the radio united the nation. The news that was heard on the radio was heard by everyone that had a radio. It was the best form of entertainment of its time. Soon thereafter, the television was invented. Once again people took advantage of the credit and purchased televisions. The television still did not take place of the radio. The radio was still used for listening to music. Many people were spending more money than they had. Even in

Spanish settlement of the west

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
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, through the sea, which

The Battle of Little Big Horn

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
When I think back of the stories that I have heard about how the Native American Indians were driven from their land and forced to live on the reservations one particular event comes to my mind. That event is the Battle of the Little Big Horn. It is one of the few times that the Oglala Sioux made history with them being the ones who left the battlefield as winners. When stories are told, or when the media dares to tamper with history, it is usually the American Indians who are looked upon as the bad guys. They are portrayed as savages who spent their time raiding wagon trains and scalping the white settlers just for fun. The media has lead us to believe that the American government was forced to take the land from these savage Indians. We should put the blame where it belongs, on the U.S. Government who lied, cheated, and stole from the Oglala forcing Crazy Horse, the great war chief, and many other leaders to surrender their nation in order to save the lives of their people. In the nineteenth century the most dominant nation in the western plains was the Sioux Nation. This nation was divided into seven tribes: Oglala's, Brule', Minneconjou, Hunkpapa, No Bow, Two Kettle, and the Blackfoot. Of these tribes they had different band. The Hunkpatila was one band of the Oglala's (Guttmacher 12). One of the greatest war chiefs of all times came from this band. His name was Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse was not given this name, on his birth date in the fall of 1841. He was born of his father, Crazy Horse an Oglala holy man, and his mother a sister of a Brule' warrior, Spotted Tail. As the boy grew older his hair was wavy so his people gave him the nickname of Curly (Guttmacher 23). He was to go by Curly until the summer of 1858, after a battle with the Arapaho's. Curly's brave charged against the Arapaho's led his father to give Curly the name Crazy Horse. This was the name of his father and of many fathers before him (Guttmacher 47). In the 1850's, the country where the Sioux Nation lived, was being invaded by the white settlers. This was upsetting for many of the tribes. They did not understand the ways of the whites. When the whites tore into the land with plows and hunted

The Battle of Saratoga

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The Battle of Saratoga is considered to be the major turning point of the American Revolution. This battle proved to the world that the fledgling American army was an effective fighting force capable of defeating the highly trained British forces in a major confrontation. As a result of this successful battle, the European powers took interest in the cause of the Americans and began to support them. In the British Campaign of 1777, Major General Burgoyne planned a concentric advance of three columns to meet in Albany, New York. He led the main column, which moved southward along the Hudson River. A second column under General Barry St. Leger would serve as a diversionary attack, moving eastward from Canada along the Mohawk River. General Howe would be expected to direct the third element of the attack. According to the plan, Howe would direct General Henry Clinton to move northward along the Hudson River and link up with Burgoyne in Albany. The goal of this plan was to isolate and destroy the Continental forces of New England. Initially, the British plan appeared to be working. Burgoyne's army continually pushed back the Americans southward along the Hudson River with only minor casualties. In an attempt to slow the British advances, the American General Philip Schuyler detached 1000 men under the command of Major General Benedict Arnold. This force moved west to thwart St. Leger's eastward advance along the Mohawk River. Arnold returned with his detachment after repelling St. Leger in time to serve in the Battle of Saratoga. First Battle of Saratoga: The Battle of Freeman's Farm The Battle of Freeman's Farm, the First Battle of Saratoga, was an indecisive battle fought 19 September 1777 in which Gates lost ground to the British Disagreements in tactics and personalities led to a heated argument between generals Gates and Arnold, and Gates relieved Arnold of command as a result. The Battle of Bemis Heights was the second battle of Saratoga, taking place October 7th when Burgoyne desperately attacked rebel defenses with his tired, demoralized army. At Bemis Heights, Gate's defensive tactics had insured a tactical victory for the Patriots. However, Arnold saw an opportunity to seize the offensive while Burgoyne was vulnerable and led a counterattack. This bold move so badly wounded the British forces that Burgoyne surrendered days later at Saratoga. Second Battle of Saratoga: The Battle of Bemis Heights After waiting several weeks for developments from

The New York Yankees' 98 Season

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
As anyone on the face of the civilized world knows by now , the New York Yankees have just completed one of the most dominating seasons in the history of professional sports. In the process, as many phemomenoms before them , sports or otherwise, they have captivated not only a city and a nation but much of the planet as well. I have seen Pakistani and Korean tourists visiting New York for the first time buying and proudly wearing Yankee caps and T-shirts. These people , obviously, know little or nothing about the game and are not truly baseball fans but are testimony to the Yanks compelling accomplishments. But the full appreciation of what this team has done in 1998 belongs mainly to the dyed in the wool baseball fan. The guy who's been following baseball as a religion , collecting cards , reading box scores and fantasying about being a big league hero long before his puberty began. It is among this elite group where now, in the afterglow of the success and celebration , that the endless debate over whether this is the greatest team of all time will rage in every locker room, bar room and office for most of this offseason. Many of the self proclaimed baseball gurus from all of the radio and TV talk shows and web sites have decided to take the politically correct approach and say that you cant really compare this team with the great ones of eras past. They say it's an "apples and oranges" comparison. I say this is a load ! You can , and if you're a true fan , should compare them. And you can draw definitive conclusions. I agree that the debate over the "greatest" in most arenas is hopelessly subjective. Who was a greater president , Lincoln or Roosevelt? If you ask who was the sexiest female screen star ever , depending on who you talk to and what their tastes were , you'd be as likely to hear Jean Harlow or Lana Turner as Sharon Stone. The key difference here is that these qualities cannot really be quantitatively measured. The fundamentals of being a great leader or being sexy have not really evolved over the centuries. Our interpretation of these things may have but not the fundamental qualities themselves. So comparing these qualities from different eras would be very very subjective. Baseball is different however. The game has

Development Of The West Beyond The Mississippi

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The years 1840 to 1890 were a period of great growth for the United States. It was during this time period that the United states came to the conclusion that it had a manifest destiny, that is, it was commanded by god to someday occupy the entire North American continent. One of the most ardent followers of this belief was President James K. Polk. He felt that the United States had the right to whatever amount of territory it chose to, and in doing this the United States was actually doing a favor for the land it seized, by introducing it to the highly advanced culture and way of life of Americans. Shortly after his election he annexed Texas. This added a great amount of land to the United States, but more was to follow. The Oregon Territory became a part of the United States is 1846, followed by the Mexican Cession in 1848 and the Gadsden Purchase in 1853. At this point the United States had accomplished its manifest destiny, it reached from east to west, from sea to shining sea. Now that the lands it so desired were finally there, the United States faced a new problem- how to get its people to settle these lands so they would actually be worth having. Realistically, it is great to have a lot of land, but if the land is unpopulated and undeveloped, it really isn't worth much. And the government of the United States knew this. One of the reasons that many did not choose to settle there immediately was that the lands were quite simply in the middle of nowhere. They were surrounded by mountains, inhabited by hostile Indians, and poor for farming. Because of these geographical conditions, the government was forced to intervene to coax its citizens into settling the new lands. Basically the lands were not settled because they were available, they were settled because of various schemes the government concocted to make them seem desirable. The government participated in a great "push" to get its citizens to move to west. At first few people moved to the west, but this changed when gold was discovered in California in 1848. This caused a "gold rush" to the west coast which consisted of many prospectors seeking to find their fortunes in the gold mines of California. Many traveled to the west coast, however few actually found their fortunes.

Watergate

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
"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 generated many defendants to plead

The Watergate Scandal

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The Watergate Scandal was a series of crimes committed by the President and his staff, who were found to spied on and harassed political opponents, accepted illegal campaign contributions, and covered up their own misdeeds. On June 17, 1972, The Washington Post published a small story. In this story the reporters stated that five men had been arrested breaking into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee. The headquarters was located in a Washington, D.C., building complex called Watergate. These burglars were carrying enough equipment to wiretap telephones and take pictures of papers. The Washington Post had two reporters who researched deep into the story. There names were Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, they discovered that one of the suspects had an address book with the name and phone number of a White House official who could have been involved in the crime. The reporters suspected that the break-in had been ordered by other White House officials. In a press conference on August in 1972, President Nixon said that nobody on the White House Staff was involved in the crime. Most of the public accepted Nixon's word and dropped the questioning. But when the burglars went to trial four months later, the story changed rapidly from a small story to a national scandal. It ended only when Richard Nixon was forced from office. Watergate was connected to Vietnam, it eventually exposed a long series of illegal activities in the Nixon administration. Nixon and his staff were found to have spied on and harassed political opponents, planned contributions to the campaign, and tried to cover-up their illegal acts. These crimes that they did were called the Watergate scandal, named after the building that it happened. For years Nixon was carrying on the crimes and they were not noticed until now. 1969 was the really date in which Watergate was really beginning. It all started when the White House staff made up a list called "enemies list". Nixon had enemies which include 200 liberal politicians, journalists and actors. Most of these people made a public speech against the Vietnam war. Nixon's aides formed a conducts tax audits on these people that he thought were enemies. He also had agents find out secret information that would harm them. Nixon was always worried about govt. Employees revealing secret info. To the news paper or any sort of press. The presidents agents helped him by wiretapping phone lines

Cyprus - History Of The Conflict

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Cyprus, an island in the Eastern Mediterranean, at the cross-roads of three continents - Europe, Asia and Africa - has one of the oldest histories of the world, dating back 9000 years. Its strategic position, its wealth in forests and mineral deposits, as well as its skilled craftsmen, made it the prized possession of the powers of the day. Cultural influences came from all directions - all major regional civilisations left their mark on the island, contributing to the development of a very rich and diverse cultural heritage. ANCIENT TIMES The Stone Age The first signs of human life on the island date back to c. 8500 BC during the Palaeolithic period. Evidence of human activity was found in cave dwellings near Liopetri, though it is not known whether they were just hunting parties passing through or permanent settlers. The first undisputed settlements are believed to have been established towards the end of the 8th millennium BC. Vestiges of such early communities are found all over the island, such as at Khirokitia, Kalavasos-Tenta, Apostolos Andreas-Kastros, Phrenaros, Petra tou Limniti. Neolithic Cypriots built circular houses with small undressed stones for the lower structures and sun-dried mudbricks and clay for the middle and superstructure. The Khirokitia neolithic settlement in Larnaca district stands out as a striking example of prehistoric architecture. The Bronze/ Copper Age Large copper deposits brought fame and wealth to the island and may have even given it its name. It has been documented that during the bronze age Cyprus had intense commercial relations with the main commercial and cultural centres of that time. During this period metallurgy and pottery flourished while close relations developed, particularly with Crete, which are also expressed in the Cypro-Minoan script which appeared in Cyprus around 1500 BC. Of special significance for the future of Cyprus was its colonisation around 1200 BC by Mycenaean and Achaean Greeks, a migration process that lasted for more than a century. They brought with them to the island the Hellenic language, culture and religion. Legend has it that the first Hellenes who settled in Cyprus were heroes of the Trojan war. The arrival of the Achaeans greatly influenced town planning, architecture, and pottery. Since then Cyprus has remained predominantly Greek in culture, language and population despite influences resulting from successive occupations. Iron Age More and more people from the Greek world came to live in Cyprus. They built city along the lines of the Greek ones.

Church Reform

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The Reformation of European religion in the 16th century cannot be generally attributed to the secular spirit of the Italian Renaissance. Although the peasants saw bishops and abbots as part of a wealthy and oppressive ruling class and rebelled against the Roman Catholic Church for reasons primarily pertaining to the lavish adornments used by those aforementioned, their power was not great enough, nor did their reasons carry enough clout to start a reformation movement throughout Europe: that job was accomplished by those already having some, however small, social or religious power, such as the monk Martin Luther, the accomplished priest and lawyer Jean Cauvin, and King Henry VIII of England. The Lutheran and Calvinist Reformations were very similar in principle, although the Lutheran Reformation was less widespread. Luther and Calvin held that not mere abuses of the Roman Catholic Church needed correcting, but that the Catholic Church itself was wrong in principle. Luther's cause for reformation of 16th century European religion came from his unnatural paranoia that he was damned. He had problems convincing himself that his spirit was pure and that he would go to heaven; internal distress raged within him about the awful omnipotence of God, his own insignificant existence in comparison, and his apprehensiveness of the devil. His personal problems would not yield to the existing manners of assuring oneself that he/she was headed for heaven such as sacraments, alms, prayer attendance at Mass, and assorted "good works." Luther solved the problem, however, by believing that good works were the consequence and external evidence of an inner grace, but in no way the cause of this grace. He felt that if one had faith in themselves, the religion, and God, then good works would manifest themselves because of it. This was Luther's doctrine of justification by faith. Luther was then involved in various events that provided for the spreading of Lutheranism, albeit sometimes indirectly. The agitation that Lutheranism was creating throughout Europe had revolutionary side effects where the reforming religious spirit was mistaken for that of a social and economic one, especially in Germany in the 1520s. A league of imperial knights, adopting Lutheranism, attacked their neighbors, the church-states of the Rhineland, hoping by annexations to enlarge their own meager territories. In 1524, the peasants of a large part of Germany revolted due to thoughts stirred up by preachers that took Luther's ideas a little too far:

Burial Practices of the Ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman Cultures

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman practices of preparing the dead for the next cradle of humanity are very intriguing. These two cultures differ in a multitude of ways yet similarities can be noted in the domain of funerary services. In the realm of Egyptian afterlife, The Book of the Dead can provide one with vital information concerning ritual entombment practices and myths of the afterlife. The additional handouts I received from Timothy Stoker also proved to be useful in trying uncover vital information regarding the transition into another life. Regarding the burial practices of Greece and Rome, parts of Homer's Odyssey are useful in the analysis of proper interment methods. One particular method used by the Egyptians was an intricate process known as mummification. It was undoubtedly a very involved process spanning seventy days in some cases. First, all the internal organs were removed with one exception, the heart. If the body was not already West of the Nile it was transported across it, but not before the drying process was initiated. Natron (a special salt) was extracted from the banks of the Nile and was placed under the corpse, on the sides, on top, and bags of the substance were placed inside the body cavity to facilitate the process of dehydration. After thirty-five days the ancient embalmers would anoint the body with oil and wrap it in fine linen. If the deceased was wealthy enough a priest donning a mask of Anubis would preside over the ceremonies to ensure proper passage into the next realm. One of the practices overseen by the priest was the placing of a special funerary amulet over the heart. This was done in behest to secure a successful union with Osiris and their kas. The amulet made sure the heart did not speak out against the individual at the scale of the goddess of justice and divine order, Maat. The priest also made use of a "peculiar ritual instrument, a sort of chisel, with which he literally opened the mouth of the deceased." This was done to ensure that the deceased was able to speak during their journeys in Duat. Another practice used by the Egyptians to aid the departed soul involved mass human sacrifice. Many times if a prominent person passed away the family and servants would willfully ingest poison to continue their servitude in the next world. The family members and religious figureheads of the community

Causes and Effects of the French Revolution

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Revolution? The major cause of the French Revolution was the disputes between the different types of social classes in French society. The French Revolution of 1789-1799 was one of the most important events in the history of the world. The Revolution led to many changes in France, which at the time of the Revolution, was the most powerful state in Europe. The Revolution led to the development of new political forces such as democracy and nationalism. It questioned the authority of kings, priests, and nobles. The Revolution also gave new meanings and new ideas to the political ideas of the people. The French Revolution was spread over the ten year period between 1789 and 1799. The primary cause of the revolution was the disputes over the peoples' differing ideas of reform. Before the beginning of the Revolution, only moderate reforms were wanted by the people. An example of why they wanted this was because of king Louis XIV's actions. At the end of the seventeenth century, King Louis XIV's wars began decreasing the royal finances dramatically. This worsened during the eighteenth century. The use of the money by Louis XIV angered the people and they wanted a new system of government. The writings of the philosophes such as Voltaire and Diderot, were critical of the government. They said that not one official in power was corrupt, but that the whole system of government needed some change. Eventually, when the royal finances were expended in the 1780's, there began a time of greater criticism. This sparked the peasants notion of wanting change. Under the Old Regime in France, the king was the absolute monarch. Louis XIV had centralized power in the royal bureaucracy, the government departments which administered his policies. Together, Louis XIV and the bureaucracy worked to preserve royal authority and to maintain the social structure of the Old Regime. At this time in French history, the social classes played an important role in the lives of the people. The social structure of France was divided among three groups: the First Estate, the Second Estate, and the Third Estate. Each social group had a varied type of people within their structure, which presented the different views of the people. The First Estate was the Church. During the ancien regime, the church was equal in terms of its social, economic, and spiritual power. The First Estate owned nearly 10 per cent of all land in

Functions of festivals in Early Modern Europe

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
'What were the functions of popular festivals, etc. in Early Modern Europe? And why did the authorities, civil and ecclesiastical seek to control or suppress them?' In Early Modern Europe festivals were the setting for heroes and their stories, to be celebrated by the populace. They posed a change from their everyday life. In those days people lived in remembrance of one festival and in expectance of the next. Different kinds of festivals were celebrated in different ways. There were festivals that marked an individual occasion and weren't part of the festival calendar, like family festivals such as weddings and christenings. Some took place at the same time every year and were for everyone, like community festivals like the different saints' days. Pilgrimages took place all year round. Annuals festivals like Christmas and Midsummer always took place on the same day every year. In those days the average village in Western Europe celebrated at least 17 festivals annually, not counting family occasions and saints' days. Some festivals, such as Carnival, lasted several days or sometimes even several weeks. In the Netherlands Carnival started every year at the 11th of November (St. Martin) and culminated in a big festival of 'Dranck, pleijsier ende vrouwen' (Drink, fun and women) at the end of the Carnival period, preceding the period of Lent. Festivals were meant to take the minds of the people off their everyday life , off the hard times and their work. Everyday life in Early Modern Europe was filled with rituals, both religious and secular. Songs and stories played an important role in their lives, although they sometimes adjusted the details of the legends and stories to fit the way they thought a certain festival should take place. Popular culture was mixed with ecclesiastical culture in many ways. The story of St. John the Baptist is a good example of this. The ancient ritual of bathing and lighting fires during Midsummer's Eve was a remnant of a ritual from the pre-Christian period. Fire and water, symbols of purification, could be seen as the tools of St. John the Baptist, and therefore a combination of the two elements of popular and ecclesiastical culture was obvious. It looks as if the Medieval Church took over the festival and made it theirs. The same thing happened to the Midwinter Festival, which became linked with the birth of Christ, on 25 December. There are many more

The Enlightenment

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The Enlightenment is a name given by historians to an intellectual movement that was predominant in the Western world during the 18th century. Strongly influenced by the rise of modern science and by the aftermath of the long religious conflict that followed the Reformation, the thinkers of the Enlightenment (called philosophes in France) were committed to secular views based on reason or human understanding only, which they hoped would provide a basis for beneficial changes affecting every area of life and thought. The more extreme and radical philosophes-Denis Diderot, Claude Adrien Helvetius, Baron d'Holbach, the Marquis de Condorcet, and Julien Offroy de La Mettrie (1709-51)--advocated a philosophical rationalism deriving its methods from science and natural philosophy that would replace religion as the means of knowing nature and destiny of humanity; these men were materialists, pantheists, or atheists. Other enlightened thinkers, such as Pierre Bayle, Voltaire, David Hume, Jean Le Rond D'alembert, and Immanuel Kant, opposed fanaticism, but were either agnostic or left room for some kind of religious faith. All of the philosophes saw themselves as continuing the work of the great 17th century pioneers-Francis Bacon, Galileo, Descartes, Leibnitz, Isaac Newton, and John Locke-who had developed fruitful methods of rational and empirical inquiry and had demonstrated the possibility of a world remade by the application of knowledge for human benefit. The philosophes believed that science could reveal nature as it truly is and show how it could be controlled and manipulated. This belief provided an incentive to extend scientific methods into every field of inquiry, thus laying the groundwork for the development of the modern social sciences. The enlightened understanding of human nature was one that emphasized the right to self-expression and human fulfillment, the right to think freely and express one's views publicly without censorship or fear of repression. Voltaire admired the freedom he found in England and fostered the spread of English ideas on the Continent. He and his followers opposed the intolerance of the established Christian churches of their day, as well as the European governments that controlled and suppressed dissenting opinions. For example, the social disease which Pangloss caught from Paquette was traced to a "very learned Franciscan" and later to a Jesuit. Also, Candide reminisces that his passion for Cunegonde first developed at a Mass. More conservative enlightened thinkers, concerned primarily with efficiency and administrative order, favored the "enlightened despotism" of such monarchs as Emperor Joseph II, Frederick

England: The City of Today

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Glorious, glorious England. As the Empire spreads some say "so does its glory"; others mumble of the price which we pay for our greatness. Many of us Londoners have read, if not discussed, the intriguing debate transpiring between Sir Andrew Ure and Sir James Phillips Kay. Are the cities of great England truly representative of the jewels in Her Majesty's Crown? Or are they the stain of exploitation and abuse that some have proclaimed? Sir James Phillips Kay, an M.D. at Edinburgh and the Secretary to the Manchester Board of Health, has recently published a work titled, "The Moral And Physical Conditions of the Working-Class Employed in Cotton Manufacturing in Manchester." (Kay/Ure Debate, Handout) He argues quite persuasively about those poor wretches living in the most hideous of conditions. Half the blame he attributes to the Irish and the other half to the environment of an industrialised city. The Irish immigrants have brought to Manchester a system called "cottier farming". Sir James argues that this system is responsible for the "demoralisation and barbarism" of the working-class. If that is not bad enough, the potato has been introduced as a main article of food. Influenced by the Irish subsistence living, the working-class are abandoning those values which promote increasing comfort. They seemingly have given up the hope of betterment and adopted hopelessness. Sir James does well in his description of the living conditions of the working class is living in. The mere thought of such suffering and misery is shocking to the soul. The problem Kay argues, is caused by combinations of poor living and working conditions, lack of education, influence by a lesser culture and the presence of great immorality. This recently published work is a plea to the Capitalist, to convince him to concern himself with his workers. Andrew Mearns, another prominent fellow on these matters goes into even greater detail in his work, "The Bitter Cry of Outcast London". Making a study of our city, he has reported, with astonishing detail, that the filth present in Manchester can be found in this city! Mr. Mearns makes his argument to the church in his call to unite and fight this growing misery together. He cites examples of immorality, poverty and heart-breaking misery. His call also addresses the need for the state to intervene on the behalf of the organisations trying to elevate the working-classes' misery. What can be done for the motherless children, diseased

Social Classes Of Mid-Victorian England

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
In the Mid-Victorian period in English history there were distinct class differences in its society. There were three classes in England. These were the Aristocracy, the Middle-Class (or Factory owners) and the working class. Each class had specific characteristics that defined its behavior. These characteristics were best seen in four areas of British society. During the time-period known by most historians as the Industrial Revolution, a great change overtook British culture. Aside from the political and economic change which occurred, a profound social alteration transpired. The populace seeking to better their lives, sought employment in newly-formed industries. Many of the workers which included women and children, labored through 12 hour work shifts, with poor nutrition, poor living conditions and completing tedious tasks1. These factors, accompanied by various ideological precepts by Britain's intellectual community, and those concepts imported from France, provoke a crucial social evolution. Though no government was overthrown, a distinct transformation took place causing rebellious behavior to erupt among the working class. This essay will address the questions of how and why this behavior was expressed by the lower order of British society. It will also discuss methods the ruling class used in suppressing and controlling the rebellious behavior exhibited by the working class. The middle class held to two basic ideologies that served in the exploitation of the lower order of the British society. Richard Atlick identified them as Utilitarianism (or Benthamism) and Evangelicalism. Both served the self-interested inclinations of the middle class. Utilitarianism created the need to fulfill a principle of pleasure while minimalization pain. In the context of the "industrial revolution" this meant that the pleasure extracted from life would be at the working classes' expense. This provided a perfect justification for the middle class to capitalize on. The working class of Britain, throughout the industrial revolution and through the Victorian age, acted in a defiant manner toward both the aristocracy and middle class. This behavior extended from the everyday activities of the workers to radical anarchist movements that categorized the underground. The middle class seemed to be just as familiar with the inverse of Benthamism as they were with its normal application. The pleasure principle was measured in terms of minimalization of pain. If the sum of pain, in a given situation, is less than the sum of pleasure, than it should be deemed pleasurable. The inverse principle applied to the working class was how pain (work)

Greco-Roman Culture: Lysistrata

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Aristophanes was a "craft" comedy poet in the fourth century B.C. during the time of the Peloponnesian War. Aristophanes' usual style was to be too satirical, and suggesting the outlandish. He shows little mercy when mocking Socrates and his "new-fangled ideas" which were most likely designed to destroy the cohesiveness of society and lead to anarchy, in his play The Clouds. The most absurd and humorous of Aristophanes' comedies are those in which the main characters, the heroes of the story, are women. Smart women. One of the most famous of Aristophanes' comedies depicting powerfully effectual women is the Lysistrata, named after the female lead character of the play. It portrays Athenian Lysistrata and the women of Athens teaming up with the women of Sparta to force their husbands to end the Peloponnesian War. To make the men agree to a peace treaty, the women seized the Acropolis, where Athens' financial reserves are kept, and prevented the men from squandering them further on the war. They then beat back an attack on their position by the old men who have remained in Athens while the younger men are out on campaign. When their husbands return from battle, the women refuse to have sex with them. This sex strike, which is portrayed in a series of (badly) exaggerated and blatant sexual innuendoes, finally convinces the men of Athens and Sparta to agree to a peace treaty. The Lysistrata shows women acting bravely and even aggressively against men who seem resolved on ruining the city-state by prolonging a pointless war and excessively expending reserves stored in the Acropolis. This in turn added to the destruction of their family life by staying away from home for long stretches while on military campaign. The men would come home when they could, sexually relieve themselves, and then leave again to continue a senseless war. The women challenge the masculine role model to preserve the traditional way of life of the community. When the women become challenged themselves, they take on the masculine characteristics and attitudes and defeat the men physically, mentally but most of all strategically. Proving that neither side benefits from it, just that one side loses more than the other side. It's easy to see why fourth century B.C. Athenian women would get tired of their men leaving. Most Athenian women married in their teens and never had to be on their own, and probably wouldn't

King Arthur

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
There has been a lot

The Situation In Ireland

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
"But who are we that we should hesitate to die for Ireland. Are not the claims of Ireland greater on us than any personal ones? Is it fear that deters us from such an enterprise? Away with such fears. Cowards die many times, the brave only die once." Padraic Pearse (rebellion leader), 1916 (The New Republic, 34) Pearse's words, spoken just before the Easter rebellion, summarizes many Irish feelings toward rebellion for independence. In order to gain freedom from the British, revolutionaries were willing to sacrifice anything, even their lives. For centuries, the Irish had been part of the vast British empire and for most of that time, they struggled to obtain their sovereignty. Numerous events sparked this discontent in Ireland in the early 20th century. At the top of their list of grievances was the political treatment of the Irish. The Irish parliament was highly inadequate and inefficient with no real power to represent the people (The Outlook, pg 116). Additionally, Britain governed Ireland in the same manner that it governed all of its territories; it ruled according to what would best serve Great Britain, not the territory. For example, Ireland's commerce was discouraged and their manufacturing was paralyzed by British legislation (The Outlook, pg 116). Religious treatment of Roman Catholics also angered the Irish. A large number of Irish were (and still are) Catholic and were repressed in many ways by English legislature. They were expected to pay taxes to support the Established Church of England, which gave Catholics no services. Furthermore, Britain forbade Catholics from providing education for their own children. Catholics could not be teachers and parents could not send their children abroad for education without forfeiture of their property and citizenship (The Outlook, pg 117). Although these actions by the British government infuriated the Irish, the new wave of rebellion actually began again in 1914 with the British government's repeal of the recently enacted Home Rule Bill, which gave the Irish some measure of political autonomy. These feelings came to a peak on Easter Monday, April 24, 1916 in the Irish capital of Dublin when approximately 1500 men, led by Pearse, seized the post office and other strategic points. These men were members of the Citizen Army, an illegal force of Dublin citizens organized by labor leader Jim Larkin and socialist James Connolly. From here, they established themselves in military fashion by erecting barricades of sandbags

Germany: The answer to an old Question

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Thesis: This paper will argue that Germany needs to secure itself as both the economic and political hegemon of Europe inside of the European Union; until its present condition and effectiveness in the global politics changes, instability in the European Union, as well as, basic fear of will always be present. I. Introduction II. Historical Perspective-The two negative factors A. Fear - twice in one century 1) Bismarck/Frederick II 2) Hitler B. Foolishness 1) WWI 2) WWII III. Reunification - The Key A. Economic realities 1) E. Germany's status 2) Infrastructure B. The significance of one Germany 1) Future 2) Politics IV. European Union-The means to and end A. European "check and balance system" 1) Hope for the future 2) Provisions for success B. The answer to a disturbing question 1) Can Germany be strong and peaceful? 2) France and England V. Conclusion The formation of a state can be both a beautiful and terrifying event . As a national you now have a home and place to live with people of a common culture and heritage, an identity. If you are a founder of the new state, there would be a sense of accomplishment of having achieved the fulfillment of a lifetime goal. Other states which deemed this new state as legitimate and recognized it as a self-determined equal, have created a potential ally or enemy. The downside, the premature recognition and the actual struggle for that status, usually entails conflict, loss of life, revolution and even war. A state was formed and recognized in 1871 in the center of Europe. This event has had an enormous impact since its inception. It has been both the salvation of Europe through economic depressions and hard times, as well as, the cause for two world wars and the near decimation of Europe. Its people have been back and forth between rags and riches, democracy and dictatorships, united, broken and then reunited. This state is known as Germany. Modern Germany has been reunified after almost 50 years of separation during the cold war. Once again German power and influence is on the rise. The world watches because Germany has not been able to successfully retain both total sovereignty over its territory and be an economic world power, for a substantial period of time; without plunging the world into an unavoidable conflict. The question of Germany and its position in world politics is one which has plagued statesmen since Germany's formation. This paper will argue that the answer lies within the state. Germany needs to secure itself

French and Russian revolutions

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Both the French and Russian revolutions occurred because of two main reasons. Both of these revolutions were the direct results of bad leadership and a bad economy. These two reasons along with other factors caused both of these revolutions. Although they were both similar, they also had differences. A difference between the two is that the Russians had an unsuccessful "pre-revolution" in 1905. Another difference between these two revolutions is the fact that the French turned towards a democracy while the Russian government became communist. In 1905 , Russia had a prerevolution that was put down of the Czar. Instead of learning from this prerevolution, Czar Nicholas II, made a very big mistake by in not introducing some reforms to correct the problems. So because of his actions, the situation grew worse. In 1917, the Russians were fighting in World War I. A good majority of the Russian people were weary and uncontent with the way the war was going and with the Czar's rule. This uncontent along with economic hardships caused riots and demonstrations to break out. The Czar called for the army to put down the revolution as they did in 1905. But the army joined the revolt and the Czar was kicked out of power soon afterwards. A temporary government was set up to decide on what kind of government Russia was gonna set up. Two political parties were set up. The Bolsheviks were one of the two. The leader of the Bolshevik party was a man named Lenin. Lenin was a firm believer of the theories and ideas of Karl Marx. So with his slogan of "Bread, Peace and Land", Lenin gained the support of the peasants and gained control of Russia and setup a communist state. The French revolution was also caused by a bad ruler and a bad economy. During the early 1780's a big percent of annual budget went towards king Louis XVI's lavish estate at Versailles. France also had no central bank, no paper currency, no ways of getting more money, and an out-dated tax system which only taxed the poor who had no money to begin with. Signs of revolution first appeared when the peasants stormed the fortress known as the Bastille looking for gun powder. The Bastille incident set off revolts all over France and Louis was soon deposed afterwards.A democratic goverment was setup in place of the old monarcy. A doctrine called

The Renaissance

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The Renaissance was a period of European history, considered by modern scholars as that between 1300 and 1600. Many dramatic changes happend during the Renaissance. The Renaissance was a period of new inventions and beliefs. The Renaissance was drastically different from the Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages the church held most of the power and it's economy was agriculturaly based. Exploration and learning was almost put to a stop. During the Renaissance society was transformed into a society increasingly dominated by central political institutions with an urban commercial attitude. Also, people's curiosity overcame thier fear and many people started to venture out and explore. New schools and colleges became more and more common. The Renaissance was started by many rich Italian cities, such as Florence, Ferrara, Milan ,and Venice. Because these cities were very wealthy, many merchants started to spend money on different things, such as painting, learning, new banking techniques, and new systems of government. These things gave rise to a new type of scholar, the humanist. Humanism was subjects concerned with humankind and culture. They stutied various things such as Latin, Greek language, literature and philosophy. Music and mathmatics were also studied as well. The Renaissance gave way to new forms of painting , art and sculpture. During the Renaissance, artist were no longer regarded as mere artisans, as they had been to the medieval past, but for the first time emerged as independent personalities, compared to poets and writers. Many artisans merged mathmatics with art , in order to become more precise in their measurements and to make sure an object was supported both rationally and porportionally. As a result painters tried and often suceeded into making their painting a window into the world. Artists also studied the way light hits objects and the way our eyes percieve light. A new kind of paint called oil paint was used. This allowed the artist to create texture , mix colors, and allow more time for corrections before it dried. The printing press was probaly the most important advance in technology. Europeans first used movable metal type to print a book. On small pieces of metal they engraved single letters of the alphabet. These could then be arranged and rearranged to form words and sentences. Johan Gutenberg is usually given credit for the first book printed, a copy of the Bible. By the 1500's printing presses where fairly

Egyptian Pyramids

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
When most people mention Ancient Egypt the first thing that comes to mind is the Pyramids. To construct such monuments required a mastery of art, architecture and social organization that few cultures would ever rival. The pyramids are said to have built Egypt by being the force that knit together the kingdom's economy. Their creations were so substantial, that the sight of these vast pyramids would take your breath away. Today, the valley of the Nile has an open air museum so people can witness these grand monuments. Obsessed with the afterlife, Egypt's rulers of 4,500 years ago glorified themselves in stone, thereby laying the foundation of the first great nation-state. A Pyramid is an enormous machine that helps the king go through the wall of the dead, achieve resurrection and live forever in the happiness of the gods. The start of the Old Kingdom is said to be the building of the Djoser's monument. The construction of Step Pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser began around 2630 B.C. and was designed to awe the ancient Egyptians, to impress them with their rule's godlike strength. It was the world's first great construction project; indeed, it was the world's largest building. Djoser, the second king of the 3rd dynasty, hired an architect called Imhoptep who for the first time constructed a tomb completely of stone. Imhoptep is considered the preeminent genius of the Old Kingdom. He assembled one workforce to quarry limestone at the cliff of Tura, across the Nile, another to haul the stone to the site where master carvers shaped each block and put it in place. The Step Pyramid is a terraced structure rising in six unequal stages to a height of 60 meters, its base measuring 120 meters by 108 meters. The substructure has a system of underground corridors and rooms. Its main feature being a central shaft 25 meters deep and 8 meters wide. The step pyramid rises within a vast walled court 544 meters long and 277 meters wide, in which are the remnants of several stone edifices built to supply the wants of the king in the here after. Towering limestone columns were shaped to mimic the sway and droop of leafy plants. Immovable doors hung on great carved hinges. Facades called false doors through which the pharaoh's ka, or vital force, was presumed to pass, lay recessed within walls. The interiors of dummy temples were packed with

The Role of Propaganda in the Nazi Takeover

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
When one thinks of the term "propaganda", what comes to mind? Would it bring a positive response? Would it bring a negative response? When one thinks of "propaganda" in association with the Holocaust, what comes to mind? A positive response or a negative response? Most likely a negative response. Why is "propaganda" any different from what any political party or regime does, namely to disseminate its views? Is "propaganda" simply the name we give to views which we do not like or which we think to be untrue? And finally, was the role of "propaganda" in the Nazis' assumption of power overstated? (Daniel Goldhagen, 1996) As many people who are learned in the field of the Holocaust will agree, propaganda played an extremely vital part in the Nazis' rise to power, as well as their brain-washing of the German population into detesting all, of what they considered, "heretics" to the degree of accepting their murders. Validity of the accusations upon which they attempted to justify their action against the Jews was not an issue. The issue in this case was its power of persuasion. Although to achieve this goal the Nazi party deemed it necessary to monopolize the communications, media, and entertainment industries, Germany already had a strong anti-Semitic background. European anti-Semitism is an outgrowth of Christianity. Since the time of the Roman Empire, Christian leaders preached boundlessly against Jews. It escalated from generation to generation, for as long a the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah, the Jews "challenged" the whole belief system of Christianity. The idea that it was the Jews that killed their savior also evolved from that time period. Along those lines, the notion that all Jews of forever were responsible for Jesus' death, for they approved of the crime, would have certainly done it again (according to the anti-Semitics), and had always rejected his teachings. As the Medieval period came, the Christians' hatred for Jews further articulated and was brought to a new level. The Christians in the Medieval world saw Jews in twofold opposition to Christianity: they rejected his revelation and were his killers. In addition, church members had much detested the Jews on the basis that they should have accepted Jesus as their Messiah. Consequently, persecution and killing of the Jews became a part of everyday life, leaving many regions of Western Europe without any Jews by the end of the sixteenth century. Entering the nineteenth

Film Review: Spartacus

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
What is clearly justified by the historical sources In Stanley Kubrick's film of Spartacus, many events that are documented in the historical sources are accurately portrayed. In the film, we see Spartacus and other slaves seize kitchen implements from the cookhouse in which they are eating and attack the guards. This is clearly justified by Plutarch in Fall of the Roman Empire; "seventy-eight, who realised this, managed to act in time and get away, armed with choppers and spits which they seized from some cookhouse". The film shows that in the summer of 73 BC, "about seventy slaves escaped from Batiatus's training school at Capua and established a defensible position on Mount Vesuvius some thirty kilometres away. " This is clearly justified by the historical sources and is accurately portrayed in the film. The film also correclty portrays the Cilicians pulling out of an agreement with Spartacus, in which they were going to transport slaves to Sicily. The Cilicians are bribed by the Romans to pull out of the agreement, so that they can quell the slave revolt. This left the slaves trapped near Rhegium in the Peninsula of Brittium, and with armies marching towards them from north and east, Spartacus was left with no choice but to turn and face Crassus... What is contradicted by the historical sources In the film, Spartacus says that he was a slave from birth and that his father before him was also a slave. However, this is contradicted by accounts of Spartacus' life. It is said that he had once served with the military service with the Romans and was then later sold as a slave. The next contradiction is when, in the film, Spartacus leads the slaves to cross the Alps where they would disperse and go to their homes. However, Plutarch claims that the slaves had not agreed with Spartacus' plan: "His men however, would not listen to him. They were strong in numbers and full of confidence, and they went about Italy ravaging everything in their way.1" One of the most incorrectly portrayed events in the film is when spartacus dies. In the film, Spartacus is crucified after being forced to have a gladiatorial fight with his close friend. However, it is documented that Spartacus actually died in battle, when he ran at Crassus: "Though he did not reach Crassus, he cut down two centurions who fell on him together." What has been added in In the film,

What Caused The Downfall of Sparta?

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Hypothesis: Sparta collapsed because they did not allow the helots to fight in battle The Beginning of Sparta In about 100 BCE, the Dorians invaded Greece from the North. During the Dark Ages, the Dorians made their way south, capturing the inhabitants of the lands they passed through as helots. At the beginning of the Dark Ages, it is thought that there were many Dorian settlements in Laconia, each with their own helot population. At some time during the Dark Ages, Sparta overtook these fellow Dorian settlements and their helot populations, as well as control of the whole of Laconia. The Spartans kept the helots as a huge, strong slave race and, although they did not enslave their fellow Dorians, the other Dorians were made perioci, meaning "those who live round about". The perioci were needed to be the craftsmen, tradesmen and manufacturers for the Spartans, who were trained as full time soldiers. At the end of the Dark Ages, there was nothing exceptional about Sparta (except her control of the helot population) but from about the middle of the 6th Century BCE, Sparta gradually turned away from the rest of Greece. They no longer welcomed visitors, cut their trade ties, stopped building ships and when the rest of Greece began using coins instead of iron spits, Sparta continued to use the spits. Sparta still had poetry and music, but instead of listening to new poems and songs, they learned only the compositions of the past, and new poets and musicians were not welcomed. Sparta still produced pottery and metal work for every-day use, but it was of poorer quality than the work of other cities. Spartans no longer participated in athletic festivals in other parts of Greece and the whole city became secretive and withdrawn, refusing to communicate with the rest of Greece. Education The Spartans were raised and educated to be perfectly obedient and obey the state without question. Spartan education had no interest with literature, intellectual or academic activities and did Spartans were not taught subjects like mathematics, science or geography. Even as babies, Spartiates were treated harshly - they were made to eat whatever food they were given, left alone, left alone in the dark, and it is probable that no attention was paid to babies when they cried. A Spartan Boy's education as a soldier began when the boy was about 7 or 8 years old. At this time, the boys

Spanish Settlement of the West

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
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, through the sea, which

The Solidarity movement in Poland

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The Solidarity movement in Poland was one of the most dramatic developments in Eastern Europe during the Cold War. It was not a movement that began in 1980, but rather a continuation of a working class and Polish intelligentsia movement that began in 1956, and continued in two other risings, in 1970 and 1976. The most significant of these risings began in the shipyards of the 'Triple City', Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia in 1970. The first and by far the most violent and bloody of the workers revolts came in June of 1956, when at least 75 people died in the industrial city of Poznan. The third uprising took place in 1976 with workers striking in Warsaw, and rioting in the city of Radom. What made the Solidarity movement peaceful and far more successful in comparison to that of the previous three? The Solidarity movement originated in the working class, but unlike the previous three risings it also worked with and was involved with the Polish intellectual community. Was this the reason behind its success? Or was it instead the result of the U.S.S.R. losing it's hold in the Eastern bloc, and the fledgling economy of Poland that made such a movement inevitable? While everyone of these points was a factor, the strongest and most compelling argument can be made for the unification and working together of Poland's most influential social classes, the Polish intelligentsia, the workers, and the Church. This strategy eventually led to the infamous 'roundtable' talks, and the collapse of communism itself in Poland. The Beginnings of a Movement The 'Polish October' of 1956 did not begin with Stalin's death in 1953, in fact Poland was quite calm, in stark contrast with other Eastern bloc countries. While demonstrations took place in Plzen, Czechoslovakia, and a revolt was taking place in East Germany in mid-June, Poland was slow to follow the 'New Course' that was being offered by neighboring countries. This was a result of a much slower relaxation than the other countries experienced. Regardless, social and intellectual unrest began building up, with collectivization being slackened and censorship showing cracks, the nation had a sense that a new start must be made. The Polish intelligentsia was one of the most important groups to emerge during this period. The Polish intelligentsia is, and remains, a distinct social class that is composed of those with a higher education, or those who at

Steps Towards the Russian Revolution

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
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

Peace of Westphalia

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The two treaties of Münster and Osnabrück, commonly known as the Peace of Westphalia, was the culminating element for the Holy Roman Empire in the Thirty Years' War. It established a final religious settlement and provided for new political boundaries for the German states of central Europe. The impact of the Peace of Westphalia was broad and long-standing, as it dictated the future of Germany and ex-territories of the Holy Roman Empire for some time to come. The Peace of Westphalia put down the Counter Reformation in Germany and instituted the final religious arrangement the German states had been crying for. It renewed the terms of the Peace of Augsburg, namely that each state of the Empire received the liberty to be either Lutheran or Catholic as it chose; no individual freedom of religion was permitted. If a ruler or a free city decided for Lutheranism, then all persons had to be Lutheran. Similarly in Catholic states all had to be Catholic. In addition to re-instituting the Peace of Augsburg in its traditional form, the Peace of Westphalia included Calvinism to Lutheranism and Catholicism as an acceptable faith. On the controversial issue of church territories secularized after 1552 the Protestants won a complete victory. With the advent of the Peace of Westphalia, the squabbling between Protestants and Catholics was finally put an end to. The Holy Roman Empire was officially dissolved with the Peace of Westphalia. This had been advanced with the drawing of internal religious frontiers in the days of Luther, although now it was confirmed. Borderlands of the Empire fell away. The Dutch and Swiss established themselves as independent, as did the United Provinces. The western frontier of the Empire was carved up among France, Sweden and the Dutch. France took control over three Lorraine bishoprics which they had occupied for a century. The Swedes received the bishoprics of Bremen and Verden and the western half of Pomerania, including the city of Stettin. Sweden enlarged its trans-Baltic possessions, and in addition claimed the mouths of the Oder, Elbe, and Weser rivers in Germany. The Dutch obtained only the mouths of the Rhine and the Scheldt. On the interior front of the Empire, both Brandenburg and Bavaria increased their statures. Brandenburg lay claim to eastern Pomerania, the large archbishopric of Magdeburg, and two smaller bishoprics. Bavaria received control of the Palatinate and a seat in the electoral college, increasing the Empire's

The Rebellion Against Victorianism

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The 1890's was in time for transformation for the English society. After Queen Victoria died the heart of the Victorian culture seemed to fade. England was beginning to experience economic competition from other states and a gradual decline from its former pinnacle of power. Politically, the Parliament experienced some fundamental power shifts after the turn of the century. This essay will address the climate of change in the English culture and its expressions. The changes occurred in two separate and distinct time periods. These time periods are the turn of the century from 1890's to World War II. The second period is WWII to 1970's. The new century brought about an end to the old and stuffy Victorian life-styles. The social stigmas of women and their behavior was challenged and change by the rise of feminism in 1910. Women began to protest against the system for women 's suffrage. One instance these "violent women" ran around in the city smashing store windows to get notoriety for their cause. Books such as the Odd Women, featured a fictional representation of "professional women". They were classified in two categories, both an attack on the social institution of marriage. The first of these new women were out only for fun. The second was the concept of an asexual being who did not need a man. These women owned their own flats and had various jobs usually secretarial in nature.. The book expressed an uncomfortable period of transformation. Working women were not completely accepted by English society at this time. The book portrayed different lives and how they coped with their situations.1 The male character was also in a state of change. This change brought about the term "new men". These new men were classified by a "sexual anarchy". This movement was predominantly a middle class, liberal expression. Many were young male artisans who were homosexual . The word homosexuality was created by an amendment to criminal law which had declared all acts of sodomy as illegal. Previous to this amendment the act of homosexuality was punishable by hanging. Doctors and scientist had seen homosexuality as a disease, thus the need developed for a "cure". Sexuality became all inclusive. There was a large aesthetic movement which was also inherent in this "new" culture. This movement classified art as being done for art's sake. Art was now being viewed as separate from society. This meant that art could

The Causes and Effects of World War I

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
World War I was a military conflict from 1914 to 1918. It began as a local European war between Austria - Hungary and Serbia on July 28, 1914. It was transformed into a general European struggle by declaration of war against Russia on August 1, 1914 and eventually became a global war involving 32 nations. Twenty - eight of these nations, known as the Allies and the Associated Powers, and including Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and the United States, opposed the coalition known as the Central Powers, consisting of Germany, Austria - Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria. The immediate cause of the war between Austria - Hungary and Serbia was the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, at Sarajevo in Bosnia by Gavrilo Princip, a Serb nationalist. (Microsoft Encarta, 1996) On July 28 Austria declared war against Serbia, either because it felt Russia would not actually fight for Serbia, or because it was prepared to risk a general European conflict in order to put an end to the Greater Serbia movement. Russia responded by partially mobilizing against Austria. Germany warned Russia that continued mobilization would cause war with Germany, and it made Austria agree to discuss with Russia a possible change of the ultimatum to Serbia. Germany demanded, however, that Russia demobilize. Russia refused to do so, and on August 1, Germany declared war on Russia. (Microsoft Encarta, 1996) The French began to mobilize on the same day. On August 2, German troops invades Luxembourg and on August 3, Germany declared war on France. On August 2, the German government informed the government of Belgium of its intention to march on France through Belgium in order, as it claimed, to prevent an attack on Germany by French troops marching through Belgium. The Belgian government refused to allow the passage of German troops and called on the witnesses of the Treaty of 1839, which guaranteed the justice of Belgium in case of a conflict in which Great Britain, France, and Germany were involved, to observe their guarantee. Great Britain, one of the witnesses, on August 4, sent an ultimatum to Germany demanding that Belgian justice be respected. When Germany refused, Britain declared war on it the same day. Italy remained uninvolved until May 23, 1915, when, to satisfy its claims against Austria, it broke with the Triple Alliance and declared war on Austria - Hungary. In September 1914, Allied

The Versailles Treaty

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
In the peace settlement Germany was forced to accept sole responsibility for causing World War I. This was a totally justifiable demand on the part of the victorious powers. The Treaty of Versailles was enacted into history in June 1919 with Germany forced to accept sole responsibility for causing World War I. Since then there has been considerable debate concerning the war but even today historians still cannot fully agree upon the causes. Some support has been given to the theory that Germany was totally responsible for the war however substantial evidence does not support that view. Therefore the insistence by the victorious powers to include in the Treaty that Germany accept total blame cannot be justified. This essay examines certain events and actions prior to the July crisis. These caused tension and hostility among nations but did not have a direct bearing upon the war. Also it has been determined that there were decisions and courses of action taken by several nations following the assassination of Franz Ferdinand heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne which did have a direct bearing upon World War I. Development of political and military alliances caused tension and hostility among nations leading up to World War I. Two major alliance systems developed due to conflicting national interests which had been evident during the past two decades throughout Europe. These were the "Triple Alliance" of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy and the "Triple Entente" of Britain, France and Russia. Also several smaller countries became indirectly involved in the alliances which effectively divided Europe into two "Armed Camps". Russia pledged to support Serbia in order to prevent further Austrian-Hungarian expansion into the Balkans. Germany stated its support for Austria-Hungary and Britain had given its support for Belgium's neutrality in 1839. However while these political and military alliances existed there is no direct evidence to indicate that any nation declared war on that basis. There had been several 'crisis' during the period 1905-1913. First the Moroccan crisis involving France and Germany during 1905 and 1911. No wars eventuated only tensions and fears regarding Germanys aggressive expansionist policies. Britain supported France being involved in Morocco and France conceded some territory in the Congo to Germany. Second the 1908 Balkans crisis eventuated because of the collapse of the Ottoman [Turkish] Empire. Austria-Hungary annexed the provinces of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Serbia was insensed and sought Russian assistance. Germany became involved and Russia backed down. Finally

Veering Point

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
What were the causes and effects of World War I? The answer to this seemingly simple question is not elementary. There was more to the onset of the war then the event of an Austrian prince being murdered in Serbia, as is what most people consider to be the cause of World War I. Furthermore, the effects of the war were not just concentrated to a post-war era lasting for a generation of Westerners. No, the effects of the war were widespread throughout the world and can be traced to generations after the war.. It is not a rare occasion that when a person is asked what the causes of World War I were, that they answer with the simple comment of an Austrian Prince being shot in Serbia. However the assignation of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie , in Sarajevo was not the main cause of the Great War. Rather, it was the breaking point for Austria in its dealings with Serbia. The truth of the matter is that several factors played a role in the outbreak of the catastrophic war the engulfed the nations of Europe for over four years. World War I truly was the result of building aggressions among the countries of Europe which was backed by the rise of nationalism. To add to the disastrous pot, there was also imperial competition along with the fear of war prompting military alliances and an arms race. All of these increased the escalating tensions that lead to the outbreak of a world war. (Mckay, pg. 904) Two opposing alliances developed by the Bismarckian diplomacy after the Franco- Prussian War was one of the major causes of the war. In order to diplomatically isolate France, Bismarck formed the Three Emperor's League in 1872, which was an alliance between Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary. Then in 1882 , Bismarck took advantage of Italian resentment toward France and formed the Triple Alliance between Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungry. In 1890 Bismarck was dismissed from his office and France took the opportunity to gain an ally, therefore , in 1891 the Franco- Russian Entente was formed. Then in 1904 Britain and France put aside their conflicts and formed the Entente Cordiale. As a result , the Triple Entente , a coalition between Great Britain, France , and Russia, countered the Triple Alliance. Now Europe was divided up into two armed camps.(World Book Encyclopedia,

Wartime Propaganda: World War I

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The Drift Towards War "Lead this people into war, and they'll forget there was ever such a thing as tolerance. To fight, you must be brutal and ruthless, and the spirit of ruthless brutality will enter into the very fiber of national life, infecting the Congress, the courts, the policeman on the beat, the man in the street." It is one of history's great ironies that Woodrow Wilson, who was re- elected as a peace candidate in 1916, led America into the first world war. With the help of a propaganda apparatus that was unparalleled in world history, Wilson forged a nation of immigrants into a fighting whole. An examination of public opinion before the war, propaganda efforts during the war, and the endurance of propaganda in peacetime raises significant questions about the viability of democracy as a governing principle. Like an undertow, America's drift toward war was subtle and forceful. According to the outspoken pacifist Randolph Bourne, war sentiment spread gradually among various intellectual groups. "With the aid of Roosevelt," wrote Bourne, "the murmurs became a monotonous chant, and finally a chorus so mighty that to be out of it was at first to be disreputable, and finally almost obscene." Once the war was underway, dissent was practically impossible. "If you believed our going into this war was a mistake," wrote The Nation in a post-war editorial, "if you held, as President Wilson did early in 1917, that the ideal outcome would be 'peace without victory,' you were a traitor." Forced to stand quietly on the sidelines while their neighbors stampeded towards war, many pacifists would have agreed with Bertrand Russell that "the greatest difficulty was the purely psychological one of resisting mass suggestion, of which the force becomes terrific when the whole nation is in a state of violent collective excitement." This frenzied support for the war was particularly remarkable in light of the fact that Wilson's re-election had been widely interpreted as a vote for peace. After all, in January of 1916, Wilson stated that "so far as I can remember, this is a government of the people, and this people is not going to choose war." In retrospect, it is apparent that the vote for Wilson cloaked profound cleavages in public opinion. At the time of his inauguration, immigrants constituted one third of the population. Allied and German propaganda revived old-world loyalties among "hyphenated" European- Americans, and

Comparison of German and French Soldiers' experiences

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The First World War was a horrible experience for all sides involved. No one was immune to the effects of this global conflict and each country was affected in various ways. However, one area of relative comparison can be noted in the experiences of the French and German soldiers. In gaining a better understanding of the French experience, Wilfred Owen's Dulce et Decorum Est was particularly useful. Regarding the German soldier's experience, various selections from Erice Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front proved to be a valuable source of insight. A analysis of the above mentioned sources, one can note various similarities between the German and French armies during World War I in the areas of trench warfare, ill-fated troops, and military technology. Trench warfare was totally unbiased. The trench did not discriminate between cultures. This "new warfare" was unlike anything the world had seen before, millions of people died during a war that was supposed to be over in time for the holidays. Each side entrenched themselves in makeshift bunkers that attempted to provide protection from the incoming shells and brave soldiers. After receiving an order to overtake the enemies bunker, soldiers trounced their way through the land between the opposing armies that was referred to as "no man's land." The direness of the war was exemplified in a quotation taken from Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, "Attacks alternate with counter-attacks and slowly the dead pile up in the field of craters between the trenches. We are able to bring in most of the wounded that do not lie too far off. But many have long to wait and we listen to them dying." (382) After years of this trench warfare, corpses of both German and French soldiers began to pile up and soldiers and civilians began to realize the futility of trench warfare. However, it was many years before any major thrusts were made along the Western front. As soldiers past away, recruits were ushered to the front to replenish the dead and crippled. These recruits were typically not well prepared for the rigors of war and were very often mowed down due to their stupidity. Both the French and Germans were guilty of sending ill-prepared youths to the front under the guise that "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country." (380) Owen's Dulce et Decorum Est is a prime example of this

How the Treaty of Versailles Effected Germany

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
When World War I ended on November 11, 1918, peace talks went on for months due to the Allied leaders wanting to punish the enemy and "dividing the spoils of war." A formal agreement to end the war was made and called the Treaty of Versailles. The issue that took the most time were the territorial issues because the empires of Russia, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman, and Germany had collapsed. These fallen empires had to be divided up and America's President Woodrow Wilson, Georges Clemenceau of France, Vittorio Orlando of Italy, and David Lloyd George of Great Britain, were the main deciders of this deal. During 1918, Russia was knocked out of the war due to military defeats and the Bolshevik Revolution. Even though Russia had not been part of the Central Powers, Germany seized much of western Russia. After many months of arguing, the four men had made western Russia into the nations of Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland. The Treaty of Versailles was either a treaty of peace or a vengeance for the Germans. In April of 1919, Germany was previously captured and made to wait in a small house that was surrounded with barbed wire. The Allied, who captured Germany, wanted to make a peace treaty to end the fighting. The Germans agreed, but they wanted a treaty that was based on the Fourteen Points but obviously they were not going to get it because of the way they were treated; the barbed wire was unnecessary and "should have tipped them off to what lay ahead." When the treaty was first introduced to the Germans, they declined to sign it. It forced the Germans to accept full responsibility for the war and strip themselves of its colonies, coal fields, and the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. It also made them pay outrageous reparations to the Allies. Nevertheless, on June 28, 1919, the Germans reluctantly signed the treaty because the Allies refused to change one word. Out of the $33 billion dollars the Germans had to pay for damages, the country was only able to pay $4.5 billion of it. The terms of the Treaty of Versailles helped set the stage for another world war less than 20 years later because the Allied wanted to stop Germany from ever becoming imperialistic again and still have them pay the war reparations. Germany opposed these actions and was the most effected by the terms of the

Social, Political and Economic Effects of WWI

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
"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 acceptance of unions. It was more

Why Australia Joined World War I In 1914

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
In 1914, Australia joined the First World War. Although it was seen as a European war, the Australia government decided that Australia should support its 'Mother Country', Britain. The prime-minister at the time, Joseph Cook, stated Australia's position : "Whatever happens, Australia is a part of the Empire, right to the full. When the Empire is at war, Australia is at war." Many Australians objected to the country's involvement in the war, but the majority of the population agreed with the government's decision. Australia joined the war for many reasons, but two main reasons were : Australia (as a counry) felt a loyalty towards the 'mother country', Britaain and that the war would be a good opportunity to improve Ausrtalia's international reputation. Many individual Australians also joined the war for a variety of reasons. Some felt a strong loyalty to Britain who had supported Australia, and now, they felt, was the time for them to 'do their bit'. Others enlsted simply to prove they were brave enough to fight, but some enlisted because their friends had. Some simply enlisted because they needed a job, pay, and regular meals, but many enlisted in the army for an adventure, not knowing the true horrors of war. Private A.J. McSparrow (former railway worker from Parramatta, NSW), was one of the many men whwo enlisted because he felt that it was his duty to support the 'mother country' ..."I have (enlisted) ... and I don't regret it in the very least. I believe that it is every young fellow's duty" and "... we are the sort of men who should go."Private Antill enlisted because he needed the money, clothes and food and also because it was easier work than cabinet making ..."I tell you what I have just joined the Australan army ... it's not bad money here 5/- a day and clothes and food that's nearly as good as cabinet making and not half as hard."Lieutenant D.G. Armstrong (former bank clerk from Kyneton, Victoria), thought that the war would be great opportunity to prove his strength and to show that he was not a coward..."I am going to have a try for the war ... I think I ought to go, they want all they can get and ... I think it's the greatest opportunity for a chap to make a man of himself, those that come back from this war will be

Causes of WWI

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The First World War had many causes; the historians probably have not yet discovered and discussed all of them so there might be more causes than what we know now. 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 motorcade through Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Archduke was chosen as a target because Serbians feared that after his ascension to the throne, he would continue the persecution of Serbs living within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Serbian terrorist organization, the Black Hand, had trained a small group of teenage operatives to infiltrate Bosnia and carry out the assassination of the Archduke. It is unclear how officially active the Serbian government was in the plot. However, it was uncovered years later that the leader of the Black Hand was also the head of Serbian military intelligence. In order to understand the complexity of the causes of the war, it is very helpful to know what was the opinion of the contemporaries about the causes of the Great War. In the reprint of the article "What Started the War", from August 17, 1915 issue of The Clock magazine published on the Internet the author writes: "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, imperialism, and the system of alliances were four main factors that pressed the great powers towards this explosive war." According to the article above, the author stresses that the nationalism was one of the primary causes of the war. In the ninetieth and twentieth centuries, especially after the French Revolution nationalism was becoming a powerful force in Europe so people that had the same culture, language wanted their own country. And that was the problem for the government of Austria-Hungary that did not want to lose their power and control. The Slavs in the southern part of the empire were their main concern since they wanted to join up to Serbia. Militarism is the second cause according to the article above, which comes after the nationalism. To understand what the author means by militarism one

Japanese Internment Camps

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D.Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which called for the eviction and internment of all Japanese Americans. After Pearl Harbor, all Japanese were looked upon as being capable of sabotage. The interments began in April 1942. The Japanese-Americans were transported on buses and trains to camps in California, Utah, Arizona and other states. They were always under military guard. The Japanese-Americans were housed in livestock stalls in the beginning, or in windowless shacks that were crowded and lacked sufficient ventilation, electricity and sanitation facilities. There was also a shortage of food and medicines. The internment camps were located in remote, uninhabitable areas. In the desert camps daytime temperatures often reached 100 degrees or more. And sub-zero winters were common in the northern camps. Some of the camp names were; Angel Park, Sharp Park, Tuna Canyon and Manzanar. The camps were guarded by barbed wire and guard

How the Nazi Party become the Largest Party in the Reichstag

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Hitler's Nazi party came to power almost entirely because of accidents. In 1929 the American Stock Market crashed, a powerful symbol of the growing depression. Germany was particularly badly affected, since Germany's economy was partly dependent on Americas prosperity and a large number of loans made by America to Germany were called back and the German economy crashed. Since the German government suffered badly in the depression the existing Weimar government, put in place by the victorious allies, was blamed. Without the depression the government was not particularly liked since it was indecisive and it had not central power. Hitler used his twenty-five points from the beginning of the Nazi party. These were a set of promises appealing to everybody,

The Holocaust

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
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 officials, the idea of the complete annihilation

The Holocaust

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
For twelve years following 1933 the Jews were persecuted by the Nazi's. Jewish businesses were boycotted and vandalized. By 1939, Jews were no longer citizens,could not attend public schools,engage in practically any business or profession, own any land, associate with any non-Jew or visit public places such as parks and museums. The victories of the German armies in the early years of World War II brought the majority of European Jewry under the Nazis. The Jews were deprived of human rights. The Jewish people were forced to live in Ghetto's which were separated from the main city. Hitler's plan of genocide was carried out with efficiency. The total number of Jews exterminated has been calculated at around 5,750,000. In Warsaw ,where approximately 400,000 Jews had once been concentrated,was reduced to a population of 60,000. They,virtually unarmed, resisted the German deportation order and had held back the regular German troops equipped with flame throwers,armoured cards, and tanks for nearly a month. This heroism was similar to the revolt which took place around 165BC. This uprising was led by the Maccabees, a provincial priestly family (also called Hasmoneans). They recaptured the Temple and rededicated it to the God of Israel. The Maccabees made there last stand on a mountain and was able to hold back the syrians for more then a month. There is a distinct similarity between the two stories and that is possibly why they are both recognised as holidays in the Jewish faith. These horrific events of the holocaust have let to some consequences which are beneficial and some are unfortunate to the Jewish people. The population of the followers has greatly declined. Also the Jewish people after the war still had problems finding jobs. They had to essentially start there life over. Most of them lost a close relative or at least knew someone who died in the gas chambers of the Nazi concentration camps. This has put a psychological strain on Jewish survivors or no longer having family and friends with them for support. This event has awaken the world up to the needs of the Jewish people. It has given them political power and a justification for some of their actions. On May recognised,1945 ,the end of World War II was seen. Organized Jewry in the European continent was damaged beyond repair. The Jews concentrated on the preservation of Israel and on the bringing of Nazi war

Anne Frank

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Anne Frank lived with her family in a pleasant house. For Anne and her sister, Margot, their early childhood was a sucure place inhabited by loving parents, relatives and nurses. However, the Nazis had gained power in some parts of Germany. The Nazis wanted all Jews to be killed. Otto Frank, Anne's father, did not hestitate to wait for the Nazis to come into full power. In 1933, the Franks left Frankfort. Mrs. Frank and the two girls joined her mother in Aachen, near the Belgian border. Otto Frank went to Holland and started a business in food products. In the spring of 1934, the Franks reunited and settled in Amsterdam. Anne Frank lived in Amsterdam happily, like she did in Frankfort. She attended Montessori School and had a host of friends. Her father, however, was still worried for in Germany the Nazis gained almost complete power. In 1940, the Germans envaded and conquered Holland. Anne's life had changed by the Germans taking control. She could not go to her school, and was to attend the Jewish Lyceum. No Jews were allowed out on the streets at night. In 1941, the Germans had their first round-up of Jews in Amsterdam. 5 months later, the Germans summonded 16-year-old Margot Frank to report for deportation. Otto Frank, however, had contact with Dutch friends, and were able to hide out in the attic of a house. The morning after Margot was summonded they left Amsterdam and went to the attic of the house called the Secret Annexe. In the Secret Annexe they were joined by the Van Daan family. There was Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan and their son Peter. Later, a eldery dentist, Alburt Dussel, was invited to share their refuge. The 8 Jews hid in the Secert Annexe for many years. Otto Frank's Dutch friends, brought them food and even gifts. The news in the fall of 1942 was terrifying for the Franks. The roundup of Jews from Holland was proceeding according to plan. While the Franks were in hiding, Germany was at the height of conquest. But of August 4, 1944, the Gestapo penetrated into the Frnak's hiding place. The 8 Jews, together were taken to Gestapo headquaters in Amsterdam. The Franks, Van Daans, and Mr. Dussel were sent to Westbork. Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl was actually the diary of Anne Frank. Anne Frank was a girl who lived with her family during the

America's involvement in WWII

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
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 home with the horse than with the tank" (Overy 273). The air force

Menschenschreck

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
"If the international financiers in and outside Europe should succeed in plunging the nations once more into a world war, then the result will not be the Bolshevizing of the earth, and thus the victory of Jewry, but the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe." Adolf Hitler- Jan 30, 1939 When the Nazi party came to power in January of 1933, it almost immediately began to take hostile measures toward the Jewish people. The government passed special legislation that excluded Jews from the protection of German law. The property of Jews was then legally seized, and concentration camps were set up in which Jews were executed, tortured, or condemned to slave labor. The Nazis organized sporadic and local massacres which occurred in a nationwide program in 1938. After the outbreak of World War II anti-Semitic activity increased dramatically. By the end of the war, millions of Jews and others targeted by the Nazis, had been killed in the Holocaust. The Jewish dead numbered more than 5 million: about 3 million in killing centers and other camps, 1.4 million in shooting operations, and more than 600,000 in Polish ghettos. Who were the men that carried out these terrible murders? One would think them to be savage killers specially selected for their history of brutality and violence. But, in fact, these men were typically normal middle-aged business men. How could these ordinary men be influenced in such a way to allow them to commit such atrocities? The governmental policies, pressures of comrades and individual behaviors helped to transform these men into the mass murderers of European Jews that they soon became. The government and the military were very important to the transformation of these men. The men of the battalions were often told how the German race was the greatest on earth. Their commanding officers continually reminded them that as Germans they had to be strong and ruthless. They were told to project an image of superiority and not to show any mercy on the inferior Jewish race. Anti-Semitism was practiced throughout the government and military. One policy the government continually reinforced was that that the Jews were not even humans. The Jews were often referred to as "wild animals" and given no respect. Some commanders of the Order Police encouraged shooting blindly into the ghettos to try to shoot down Jews for sport. Company recreation rooms were commonly decorated with racist slogans

The effects of the P-51 Mustang in World War II

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Abstract This paper deals with the contributions of the P-51 Mustang to the eventual victory of the Allies in Europe during World War II. It describes the war scene in Europe before the P-51 was introduced, traces the development of the fighter, its advantages, and the abilities it was able to contribute to the Allies' arsenal. It concludes with the effect that the P-51 had on German air superiority, and how it led the destruction of the Luftwaffe. The thesis is that: it was not until the advent of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter, and all of the improvements, benefits, and side effects that it brought with it, that the Allies were able to achieve air superiority over the Germans. This paper was inspired largely by my grandfather, who flew the P-51 out of Leiston, England, during WW II and contributed to the eventual Allied success that is traced in this paper. He flew over seventy missions between February and August 1944, and scored three kills against German fighters. Table of Contents
Introduction
Reasons for the Pre-P-51 Air Situation
The Pre-P-51 Situation
The Allied Purpose in the Air War
The Battle at Schweinfurt
The Development of the P-51
The Installation of the Merlin Engines
Features, Advantages, and Benefits of the P-51
The P-51's Battle Performance
The Change in Policy on Escort
Fighter Function
P-51's Disrupt Luftwaffe Fighter Tactics
P-51's Give Bombers Better Support
Conclusion
Works Cited Introduction On September 1, 1939, the German military forces invaded Poland to begin World War II. This invasion was very successful because of its use of a new military strategic theory-blitzkrieg. Blitzkrieg, literally "lightning war," involved the fast and deadly coordination of two distinct forces, the Wermacht and the Luftwaffe. The Wermacht advanced on the ground, while the Luftwaffe destroyed the enemy air force, attacked enemy ground forces, and disrupted enemy communication and transportation systems. This setup was responsible for the successful invasions of Poland, Norway, Western Europe, the Balkans and the initial success of the Russian invasion. For many years after the first of September, the air war in Europe was dominated by the Luftwaffe. No other nation involved in the war had the experience, technology, or numbers to challenge the Luftwaffe's superiority. It was not until the United States joined the war effort that any great harm was done to Germany and even then, German air superiority remained unscathed. It was not until the advent of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter, and all of the improvements, benefits, and

The Occupation of Japan

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The occupation of Japan was, from start to finish, an American operation. General Douglans 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 bomded 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 winter. 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 no longer available in adequate quantities because

Nazism

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The National Socialist German Workers' Party almost died one morning in 1919. It numbered only a few dozen grumblers' it had no organization and no political ideas. But many among the middle class admired the Nazis' muscular opposition to the Social Democrats. And the Nazis themes of patriotism and militarism drew highly emotional responses from people who could not forget Germany's prewar imperial grandeur. In the national elections of September 1930, the Nazis garnered nearly 6.5 million votes and became second only to the Social Democrats as the most popular party in Germany. In Northeim, where in 1928 Nazi candidates had received 123 votes, they now polled 1,742, a respectable 28 percent of the total. The nationwide success drew even faster... in just three years, party membership would rise from about 100,000 to almost a million, and the number of local branches would increase tenfold. The new members included working-class people, farmers, and middle-class professionals. They were both better educated and younger then the Old Fighters, who had been the backbone of the party during its first decade. The Nazis now presented themselves as the party of the young, the strong, and the pure, in opposition to an establishment populated by the elderly, the weak, and the dissolute. Hitler was born in a small town in Austria in 1889. As a young boy, he showed little ambition. After dropping out of high school, he moved to Vienna to study art, but he was denied the chance to join Vienna academy of fine arts. When WWI broke out, Hitler joined Kaiser Wilhelmer's army as a Corporal. He was not a person of great importance. He was a creature of a Germany created by WWI, and his behavior was shaped by that war and its consequences. He had emerged from Austria with many prejudices, including a powerful prejudice against Jews. Again, he was a product of his times... for many Austrians and Germans were prejudiced against the Jews. In Hitler's case the prejudice had become maniacal it was a dominant force in his private and political personalities. Anti-Semitism was not a policy for Adolf Hitler-it was religion. And in the Germany of the 1920s, stunned by defeat, and the ravages of the Versailles treaty, it was not hard for a leader to convince millions that one element of the nation's society was responsible for most of the evils heaped upon it. The fact is

Benito Mussolini's Rise and Fall to Power

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
Benito Mussolini had a large impact on World War II. He wasn't always a powerful dictator though. At first he was a school teacher and a socialist journalist. He later married Rachele Guide and had 5 children. He was the editor of the Avanti, which was a socialist party newspaper in Milan. Benito Mussolini founded the Fasci di Combattimento on March of 1919. "This was a nationalistic, anti liberal, and anti socialist movement. This movement attracted mainly the lower middle class."1 Fascism was spreading across Europe. Mussolini was winning sympathy from King Victor Emmanuel III. Mussolini then threatened to march on Rome. This persuaded King Victor Emmanuel III to invite Mussolini to join a coalition, which strongly helped him gain more power. Benito Mussolini brought Austria on Germany's side by a formal alliance. "In 1937, he accepted a German alliance. The name of this alliance was the Anti Comntern Pact. On April 13, 1937 Benito Mussolini annexed Albania. He then told the British ambassador that not even the bribe of France and North Africa would keep him neutral."2 The British ambassador was appalled and dismayed. On May 28, 1937, Mussolini strongly gave thought to declaring war. He then attacked the Riviera across the Maritime. "On September 13, 1937 he opened an offensive into British-garrisoned Egypt from Libya."3 On October 4, 1937, while the offensive still seemed to promise success, Benito Mussolini met Adolf Hitler at the Brenner Pass, on their joint frontier. "The two of them discussed how the war in the Mediterranean, Britain's principal foothold outside its island base, might be turned to her decisive disadvantage. Hitler suggested to Mussolini that Spain might be coaxed on the axis side, thus giving Germany free use of the British Rock of Gibraltar, by offering Franco part of French North Africa, and that France might be persuaded to accept that concession by compensation with parts of British West Africa".4 Mussolini seemed enthusiastic and very understandable why this was the case, since this scheme included the gaining of Tunis, Corsica, and Nice (annexed by Napoleon III in 1860) from France. Hitler then hurried home to his house in Berlin to arrange visits to Franco and Petan. "Back in the capital Hitler created a letter to Stalin inviting Molotov, the Soviet Foreign Minister, to visit early, when Germany and the U.S.S.R. might then agree among themselves how to profit from Britain not having a defense. A week later, on

Historical Analysis of 'The Painted Bird'

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
An obscure village in Poland, sheltered from ideas and industrialization, seemed a safe place to store one's most precious valuable: a 6-year-old boy. Or so it seemed to the parents who abandoned their only son to protect him from the Nazis in the beginning of Jerzy Kosinski's provocative 1965 novel The Painted Bird. After his guardian Marta dies and her decaying corpse and hut are accidentally engulfed in flames, the innocent young dark-haired, dark-eyed outcast is obliged to trek from village to village in search of food, shelter, and companionship. Beaten and caressed, chastised and ignored, the unnamed protagonist survives the abuse inflicted by men, women, children and beasts to be reclaimed by his parents 7 years later-a cold, indifferent, and callous individual. The protagonist's experiences and observations demonstrate that the Holocaust was far too encompassing to be contained within the capsule of Germany with its sordid concentration camps and sociopolitical upheaval. Even remote and "backward" villages of Poland were exposed and sucked into the maelstrom of conflict. The significance of this point is that it leads to another logical progression: Reaching further than the Polish villages of 1939, the novel's implications extend to all of us. Not only did Hitler's stain seep into even the smallest crannies of the world at that time, it also spread beyond limits of time and culture. Modern readers, likewise, are implicated because of our humanity. The conscientious reader feels a sense of shame at what we, as humans, are capable of through our cultural mentalities. That is one of the more profound aspects of Kosinski's work. It is this sense of connectedness between cultures, people, and ideas that runs through the book continuously. While the "backward" nonindustrialized villages of Poland seem at first glance to contrast sharply with "civilized" Nazi Germany, Kosinski shows that the two were actually linked by arteries of brutality and bigotry. Both cultures used some form of religious ideology to enforce a doctrine of hate upon selected groups whom they perceived to be inferior. Totalitarian rhetoric and Nietzschian existentialism replace a hybrid of Catholicism, which in turn replaces medieval superstition as the protagonist is carried from the innards of village life to the heart of totalitarian power. In the first several chapters of the novel the little protagonist is firmly convinced that demons and devils are part of the tangible, physical world. He actually sees them. They are not mythological imaginings confined

World War 2

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
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 warsites. 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 were lost in the air, on land and in

WW2: The process of superpowerdom

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The Second World War gave rise to a multitude of new ideas which changed the course of modern society, the idea which has had the greatest impact on the world as a whole is the concept of the superpower nation. 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 (WWII), and its results that spawned the formation of superpowers and lead them to experience such a preponderance of power. To understand how the Second World War impacted birth of superpowers it is important to first understand and examine the causes of the war. The United States gained its strength in world affairs from its status as an economic power and as a heavily industrialized nation. In the years preceding the war and the Great Depression, America was the world's largest producer and arguably had the strongest and most stable economy. In the USSR at the same time, Stalin was implementing his 'five year plans' to modernize 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 was widely believed that America entered the First World War simply in order to save its 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 Harbor. He signed the Neutrality Act of 1935, making it illegal for the United States to ship arms to the belligerent governments of any conflict. The act also stated that belligerent nations 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 modernize 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

The Sudetenland

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
On January 30, 1933, the Nazis acquired mastery of Germany when Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor. That evening Hitler stood triumphantly in the window of the Reich Chancellery waving to thousands of storm troopers who staged parades throughout the streets of Berlin. The Nazis proclaimed that their Third Reich would be the greatest civilization in history and would last for thousands of years. But the meteoric rise of Hitler and national socialism was followed by an almost equally rapid defeat; the Third Reich survived for a mere twelve years. But one of the main causes of World War II was Hitler's public justification for the dismemberment of the Czech state through either war or diplomacy was the plight of the 3.5 million ethnic Germans the Treaty of Versailles had left inside Czechoslovakia. The main land that Hitler wanted to annex to Germany was that of the Sudetenland, where most of the people living there were of German origin. The land also bordered Germany to the South East, and Germany was prepared to conquer this land at all cost. "And now before us stands the last problem that must be solved and will be solved It (the Sudetenland) is the last territorial claim which I have to make in Europe, but it is the claim from which I will not recede..." - Adolf Hitler, in a speech in Berlin, September 26 1938, just prior to the Munich conference. Most of the German minorities live in Sudetenland, an economically valuable and strategically important area along the Czech border with Germany and Austria. The grievances of the Sudeten Germans against the Czech state had led to the rise of a strong German nationalist movement in the Sudetenland. By the mid -1930's, this movement had the support of almost 70 percent of the Sudeten German population. Their leader, the pro-Nazi Konrad Heinlen, began demanding autonomy for this region Both the real and contrived problems of the Sudeten Germans added credibility to Hitler's charge that they were denied the right of self-determination and lived as an oppressed minority, which he was obligated to defend In the spring of 1938, Heinlein was directed by Hitler to make demands that the Czechs could not accept, thereby giving Germany a reason to intervene. The Czech situation soon turned into an international crisis that dominated the European scene for the rest of that current year. The weekend which began on Friday,

The Psychological Affects of the Holocaust

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
The Holocaust was a tragic point in history which many people believe never happened. Others who survived it thought it should never have been. Not only did this affect the people who lived through it, it also affected everyone who was connected to those fortunate individuals who survived. The survivors were lucky to have made it but there are times when their memories and flashbacks have made them wish they were the ones who died instead of living with the horrible aftermath. The psychological effects of the Holocaust on people from different parts such as survivors of Israel and survivors of the ghettos and camps vary in some ways yet in others are profoundly similar. The vast number of prisoners of various nationalities and religions in the camps made such differences inevitable. Many contrasting opinions have been published about the victims and survivors of the holocaust based on the writers' different cultural backrounds, personal experiences and intelectual traditions. Therefore, the opinions of the authors of such books and entries of human behavior and survival in the concentration camps in Nazi-occupied Europe are very diverse. The Survivors of the Holocaust: General Survey Because the traumatization of the Holocaust was both individual and collective, most individuals made efforts to create a "new family" to replace the nuclear family that had been lost. In order for the victims to resist dehumanization and regression and to find support, the members of such groups shared stories about the past, fantasies of the future and joint prayers as well as poetry and expressions of personal and general human aspirations for hope and love. Imagination was an important means of liberation from the frustrating reality by opening an outlet for the formulation of plans for the distant future, and by spurring to immediate actions. Looking at the history of the Jewish survivors, from the beginning of the Nazi occupation until the liquidation of the ghettos shows that there are common features and simmilar psychophysiological patterns in their responses to the persecutions. The survivors often experienced several phases of psychosocial response, including attempts to actively master the traumatic situation, cohesive affiliative actions with intense emotional links, and finally, passive compliance with the persecutors. These phases must be understood as the development of special mechanisms to cope with the tensions and dangers of the surrounding horrifying reality of the Holocaust. There were many speculations that survivors of the Holocaust suffered from a static

Leaders of World War II

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
In the ancient world, the only way a person could become famous through out the world was to be some sort of king, master warlord, or a descendent of a holy entity. Monarchies, that last lasted long enough, kept the memories of their former leaders alive, conquered peoples never forgot the names of their conquerors, and religions have a knack for constantly worshiping the same divine prophets. Some remain of the ancient celebrities are still famous to this day, many of them now shrouded in the mists of time and have become slightly warped by literature and business. For example, the charitable St. Nicholas, warped by language translations and commercialism, is now a large gift giving elf by the name of Santa Claus. But in this day and age, where anyone can record anything he or she wants to, will any of the present day lords and prophets shine as brightly through the shroud of mythology and time as the ones of old? In 500 years - providing anyone is still alive to care - a few men and women will stand out against the haze of time and represent the twentieth century. If there is a group, among them will be at least man involved in World War II. Roosevelt, Churchill, Tojo and Hitler -especially Hitler - are all candidates for the group because of their involvements in the bloodiest wars of the twentieth century. In this world,blood is a hard thing to forget about. Which ones, and in what light they¹ll be remembered in depends entirely on the biases of historians and the abilities of governments to cover up the embarrassing moments blemishing the memories of their leaders. So if the United States is still around and as powerful as now in five centuries - and hopefully it will - F.D Roosevelt will most likely be one of the mist breakers from the second world war because of the American people¹s great interest in the presidents involved in wars and the governments talent for hiding less than flattering information from the world. Roosevelt¹s involvement in the great World War II allows him to fit ,comfortably, the U.S standard of fighting presidents. Entering the war on the side of the Allies after a sneak attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt became a kind of vengeful hero, fighting the good fight in the name of justice. In so doing he ended

Attack on Poland

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
At daybreak on the first day of September, 1939, the residents of Poland awakened to grave news. A juggernaut force of tanks, guns, and countless grey-clad soldiers from nearby Germany had torn across the countryside and were making a total invasion of the Pole's homelands. Germany's actions on that fateful morning ignited a conflict that would spread like a wildfire, engulfing the entire globe in a great world war. This scenario is many people's conception of how World War II came about. In reality, the whole story is far more detailed and complex. The origins of war can be traced as far back as the end of the first World War in 1919, when the Treaty of Versailles placed responsibility for that terrible war squarely on Germany. Years later, in the Far East, Japanese ambition for territory led the nation to invade Manchuria and other parts of nearby China, causing hostilities to flare in the Pacific Rim. Great Britain, the United States, and many other nations of the world would all be drawn into battle in the years to come, and each nation had it's own reason for lending a hand in the struggle. Although Germany was the major player in World War II, the seeds of war had already been planted in the Far East years before conflict in Europe. On September 18, 1931, the powerful Japanese military forces began an invasion of the region known as Manchuria, an area belonging to mainland China. This action broke non-aggression treaties that had been signed earlier. It also was carried out by Japanese generals without the consent of the Japanese government. In spite of this, no one was ever punished for the actions. Soon after the assault on China, the Japanese government decided it had no choice but to support the occupation of Manchuria. By the next year the region had been completely cut off from China (Ienaga 60-64). Because of the Japanese offensive in China, the League of Nations held a vote in October to force Japan out of the captured territory. The vote was passed, 13 to 1, but Japan remained in control of Manchuria. A second vote, taken in February, 1933, a formal disapproval of the Japanese occupation, was passed 42 to 1. Instead of expelling Japan from the area of Manchuria, it caused the nation to formally withdraw it's membership in the League of Nations the next month

Did the Western World do enough for the Jews in the Holocaust?

1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00
"When they came for the gypsies, I did not speak, for I am not a gypsy. When they came for the Jews, I did not speak, because I wasn't a Jew. When they came for the Catholics, I did not speak, for I am not a Catholic. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak." On the Wall at the Holocaust Museum in Washington It is impossible to learn about the Holocaust and the Second World War without the question of how it possibly could have happened arising, and along with that question comes another. The question of whether or not the Western World did enough to help the Jews in Europe. What was their reaction to the campaign of systematic persecution, robbery and murder the Third Reich inflicted upon the Jewish people? During the time leading up to the outbreak of World War II, the Western Press consistently carried numerous reports of the German's anti-Jewish policies and their purposeful victimization of the Jews living in Nazi Germany as well as the annexed territories. The general public cannot claim that they did not know what was going on, that they were uninformed. Whether or not they chose to believe it however, is a completely different story. The public were indeed outraged in many of the cases but the governments of the major European democracies felt that it was not for them to intervene for they felt that the Jewish problem classified as an internal affair within a sovereign state. The truth behind this is simply that the governments were anxious to establish cordial relations with Germany and didn't want to cause any hostility. Thus they stood idly by and remained silent as Hitler went from denying the Jews of their civil rights to denying them of their means of earning their daily bread. As much as they wanted to remain neutral, the countries of the Western World were finally forced to take a stand on the issue of emigration of Jews from the Reich who were seeking refuge. The United States maintained strict immigration quotas which severely limited the number of Central and Eastern Europeans admitted to the country each year. Even under such extreme circumstances, the US insisted on adhering to these policies and refused to modify them even slightly. Great Britain proved to be merciless as they blocked entry into Palestine and limited the amount

Were Romans Obsessed with Violence?

1999-01-01T13:00:00-05:00
In many modern books written about Ancient Rome and her people, the Romans are often portrayed as brutal and unforgiving people who enjoyed violence and thought it amusing to see people being injured and killed to the point of obsession. It is my aim to establish whether this classification is justified or if it is simply an exaggeration of what a small group of people enjoyed. While it is known that in Rome there were gladiatorial fights, public beatings and the keeping of slaves was legal (and common), it is also important to understand just exactly how advanced the Romans were. The Longman Dictionary of the English Language defines civilised as "of or being peoples of nations in a state of civilisation." And then defines civilisation as "a relatively high level of cultural development; specifically the stage of cultural development at which writing and the keeping of records is attained." I think that by this definition, the Romans were civilised, the educated being able to write and detailed records being kept by many historians. The Romans also had written laws and government, including (later) an assembly for the poorer classes. In fact, their system of law was actually quite advanced (even if it was designed to help the rich) - "The idea was accepted that a man's intentions ought to be taken into account, and there was less importance attached to what he did and what he meant to do. The next thing to become established was the notion that all men must be treated equally." This way of thinking was very advanced and not barbaric or uncivilised at all, in fact the same notion that all men should be treated equally was not established in America, Australia and other countries for many years. It is now common knowledge that, in Ancient Rome, people often attended (and enjoyed) gladiatorial fights to the death, wild beast hunts, naval battles and chariot racing, all which often had religious origins. During the reign of Caesar, thousands of men and animals were butchered just to make a Roman holiday! The Romans also enjoyed pantomimes and plays which too were often very violent in nature - "It was not uncommon for a condemned criminal to be executed [on stage] as part of the play." In modern sources, it is often portrayed that slaves were treated more harshly than was actually the case. Slaves in Rome actually did have

NAME AND LOCATION	LENGTH (KM/MI)	YEAR OPENED
Baltic-White Sea, Russia	226.91 / 141.00	1933
Suez, Egypt	162.13 / 100.76	1869
Albert, Belgium	130.36 / 81.00	1939
Moscow, Russia	128.75 / 80.00	1937
Nord-Ostsee, Germany	96.56 / 60.00	1895
Göta, Sweden	86.91 / 54.00	1832
Panama, Panama	81.63 / 50.72	1914
Houston Ship Channel, United States	80.47 / 50.00	1914
Amsterdam-Rhine, Netherlands	62.76 / 39.00	1952
Manchester Ship Canal, England	57.13 / 35.50	1894
Chicago Sanitary and Ship, United States	48.28 / 30.00	1900
Welland Ship, Canada*	44.42 / 27.60	1932
Juliana, Netherlands	33.80 / 21.00	1934
Chesapeake-Delaware, United States	30.58 / 19.00	1829
North Sea-Amsterdam, Netherlands	28.97 / 18.00	1876
Cape Cod, United States	28.16 / 17.50	1914
Kronshtadt-Leningrad, Russia	27.36 / 17.00	1885
Lake Washington Ship, United States	12.88 / 8.00	1916
New Orleans Industrial, United States	9.66 / 6.00	1923
Sault Sainte Marie (N.), United States	2.57 / 1.60	1919
Sault Sainte Marie, Canada	2.09 / 1.30	1895