Essay Sample on Reconstruction Policy and the South after the Civil War

Essay Sample on Reconstruction Policy and the South after the Civil War After the civil war, the fundamental task of the Central Government was to adopt a proper policy of reconstruction and re-union with a view to strengthening the American Federation. But due to various reasons, the task was a complex one. The sad assassination of President Lincoln made it amply clear that the fanatics were strongly opposed to a progressive policy. He, indeed, had hated slavery and desired its abolition. But he actually fought for Union and not for the emancipation of the slaves as such. His primary purpose was to protect and preserve the unity of the Federation by thwarting the disintegrating attitude of the South. So, after the end of the civil war, the Primary Task of the new President, Andrew Johnson, was to carry out a generous conciliation as advocated by his predecessor. But the victorious North, mindful of its own loss due to the war, was by no means conciliatory in its attitude towards the South. At least initially, the states of the North were in favor of adopting a policy of retaliation (L. Mukherjee). So, bitter quarrels broke out between the President and Congress which was dominated by the Republicans. As a matter of fact, the party-system of America was, during this time, almost localized and the Republican Party had no strong base in the south. This is also a reason for which it did not, initially, take much care for the interests of the South. The Reconstruction Act of 1867-68 provided that the Southern states should be treated as the conquered provinces to be administered by the military Governors and were to be readmitted to the Federation after they ratified the fourteenth amendment of the constitution. As some of the states withheld such ratification, the Congress proceeded to subject the South to Negro-rule under military protection. Naturally, the Negroes took the advantage of this provision and the reign of ‘Black Terror’ came into being. But gradually, a basic change ushered in primarily due to political and constitutional measures. Politically, the Southern states came to realize that the Federation was indestructible and any such attempt to break it would surely end in vain. The Federation was protected and it was taught to all that the units of and nobody, however mighty and powerful, had the right to break it up. The civil war also established the fact that the Center, though dominated by the Northern states, was, for ensuring Federal unity entitled to adopt strict military measures. Such realization slowly infused in the South the idea of national unity and solidarity. Similarly, the Northern states rectified their earlier stand and accepted the Southern states as the integral part of the Federation. In this way the South were brought back into the Union and the rebels were taught to be loyal citizens. Of course, the party-system also helped much in the growth of such unity. Gradually the Republican Party expanded its organizations in the South and the, eventually, it too acted as a unifying force. Constitutionally, too, the process was towards unification. As O.P Goyal observes, â€Å"The 13th (1865), 14th (1868) and 15th (1870) amendments grew out of the civil war† (Goyal). The 13th amendment abolished slavery which so long appeared as a bone of content between the South and the North. The 14th amendment defined citizenship and forbade states to deprive persons of life, liberty and property â€Å"without due process of law†. The abolishment of the institution of slavery has brought about the emancipation of billions of people who had so long forced to remain as the casualties of modern civilization. The Negroes, who had suffered much due to racial hatred, were now placed in power and position. In this way the people of the North and South were brought in a state of equality. The 15th amendment forbade the Governments, both central and provincial, from abridging the right to vote because of race, color, residence or other previous conditions of servitude. Thus th e concept of equality and liberty was upheld through the constitution and, naturally, the vast majority of the Southern people who so long nurtured a grudge against the center, became loyal and submissive. The republic was, however, strengthened by the civil war. America emerged out of it with a new spirit, hope and vigor. It now adopted a bold policy – France was forced to withdraw its army from Mexico and Britain was persuaded to compensate for the American loss in the Alabama issue. This political factor had its influence on the economic side too. The Center, still dominated by the North, showed a practical sense in this matter. The Government adopted a policy which encouraged rapid industrialization and this scheme largely helped the South to proceed towards prosperity. As stated earlier, the slave-dependent society of the South now became much more rational in their approach and concentrated on the system of rational industrialization. Due to the abolition of the slave-system, and the new spirit of industrialization, they broke up the big estates and invested in the industrialization process. Thus an economy of cotton-cultivation gave way to the industrial revolution. They now manufactured their own goods and the spread of railways expanded their markets and also united them with the North. In the place of localism, a new feeling of solidarity and community of interests grew up. In this way the North and the South united together and formed a strong Federation . Rapid industrialization not only improved the living standard of the South, but also ensured a regional balance in the economy. This is a sample History essay written from scratch by one of our academic writers. If you want to order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis/dissertation or other written assignment on any topic contact our company to get professional academic writing help.

Abelisaurus - Facts and Figures

Abelisaurus - Facts and Figures Name: Abelisaurus (Greek for Abels lizard); pronounced AY-bell-ih-SORE-us Habitat: Woodlands of South America Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (85-80 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 30 feet long and 2 tons Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Large head with small teeth; openings in skull above jaws About Abelisaurus Abels lizard (so named because it was discovered by the Argentinian paleontologist Roberto Abel) is known by only a single skull. Although entire dinosaurs have been reconstructed from less, this lack of fossil evidence has forced paleontologists to hazard some guesses about this South American dinosaur. As befitting its theropod lineage, its believed that Abelisaurus resembled a scaled-down Tyrannosaurus Rex, with fairly short arms and a bipedal gait, and only weighing about two tons, max. The one odd feature of Abelisaurus (at least, the one that we know of for sure) is the assortment of large holes in its skull, called fenestrae, above the jaw. Its likely that these evolved to lighten the weight of this dinosaurs massive head, which otherwise might have unbalanced its entire body. By the way, Abelisaurus has lent its name to an entire family of theropod dinosaurs, the abelisaurswhich includes such notable meat-eaters as the stubby-armed Carnotaurus and Majungatholus. As far as we know, abelisaurs were restricted to the southern island continent of Gondwana during the Cretaceous period, which today corresponds to Africa, South America and Madagascar.

Microeconocs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Microeconocs - Essay Example This "supply schedule" is usually represented by relationship between market price and amount of goods produced. On the other side, "demand is defined as the willingness and ability of a consumer to purchase a given product in a given frame of time" (Clasquin 24). This schedule represents the amount of goods that consumers are willing to purchase at different prices as long as everything else remains the same. While there are numberless different markets that vary from country to country, there are a few producers that find a demand throughout the world. One of these is the demand for oil, with almost all machines depending on the energy it provides. The production and consumption of oil makes for a perfect example of how supply and demand works. One of the largest and most well known oil producers is The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). This organization ties together the biggest oil producing countries in the world including: Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. "OPEC's influence on the market has been widely criticized. Several members of OPEC alarmed the world and triggered high inflation across both the developing and developed world when they used oil embargoes in the 1973s" (Clasquin 24). OPEC has weathered the ups and downs of supply and demand like no other producer has because the demand for oil in today's fluctuating market is constantly changing. With the worldwide economic crisis currently taking over many parts of the world, the demand for oil has been significantly reduced. "For years, the world's oil surplus was negligible. This year, OPEC's spare capacity is expected to surge to around four million barrels a day, according to the U.S. Energy Department. In 2009, global oil demand will fall by 800,000 barrels a day -- the sharpest retreat since the recession of the early 1980s, the Energy Department predicts" (King A.6). This sharp decline in demand can be directly linked to the pocketbooks of everyday citizens. A massive amount of the demand OPEC sees comes from everyday citizens needing oil to power their cars. Many of these citizens are losing jobs and feeling the crunch due to economic stress. They have less spending money and are sticking only to necessities. In this case, less spending money means less demand. For example, citizens have less money to spend on leisure activities which almost always require some kind of transportation to and from. It seems that people are driving only to and from work, sticking to their homes and surrounding neighborhoods in their time off. People can't afford to take vacations, depleting the demand of oil needed to operate airplanes, and an allover tightening of pocketbooks is restricting the amount of work needed to be done by the machinery using oil as a power fuel. Therefore, with all of these factors facing OPEC, they have "announced that the group's largest supply cut, --2.2 million barrels a day - after pledging to cut two million barrels a day in the autumn, when the slowdown began to take hold" (King A.6). Global economic stress has stalled OPEC actions along with signs ofa weakening energy demand. At the end of 2008 reports of crude oil stocks rising in cost and falling retail sales in the U.S. were driving oil prices down.

Economics of the environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Economics of the environment - Essay Example Pollutants causing the creation of ozone include volatile compounds and nitrogen oxides that come from industries. Once the pollutants are in the atmosphere, ozone, which is a potent greenhouse gas, is formed. The impact of ozone cannot be underestimated. Plants are animal life are destroyed since ozone reduces the rate of photosynthesis. As a result, the atmosphere will contain too much carbon dioxide. Statistics indicate that number of people living in extreme poverty has risen at an enhanced rate than the increase in income levels. Despite the impressive economic growth rates, some countries like Asia Pacific have not been able to reduce poverty. However, some countries like East Asia have grown and transformed economically. Ironically, the largest people living in poverty are found in these regions. South Asia, particularly, is the poorest in the world. Most people in these areas lack access to sanitation, education and the basic needs. The increased poverty goes hand in hand with the global inequality. In mid 20th century, international community responded to the issue of poverty by enhancing the structural adjustment, post-war reconstruction and campaigns for equality in economic growth (Fenwick et al.1029-030). The cost benefit analysis involves compiling the costs and benefits of a project, and translating them to monetary terms then discounting them over time. This enhances the determination of the present value for future costs and benefits. Projects with more benefits than costs are the ones that are accepted. The environmental benefits are unavailable, yet the costs remain known. This is controversial when determining what to measure and the values being measured. The economic analysis requires a good understanding of the effects of the project (Pimentel 229-52). Taking the cost analysis of the Millennium Development Goals in poverty eradication, there are different strategies that have been put

Discuss and Explain the plot and sub-plot Essay Example for Free

Discuss and Explain the plot and sub-plot Essay Metamorphosis is based around a central character called Gregor Samsa. He is a hard working young man who for a number of reasons, including pressure, he transforms into a beetle. There are other main characters in the play which include Greta Samsa, Mr. Samsa and Mrs Samsa, who are his sister, father and mother. The characters all enter one by one and each give a mime which depicts what their character is like at the current time. The characters then narrate as to what Gregor looks like during his transformation into a beetle, they say this in the third person. This is followed by a structured conversation between Gregor and his sister Greta. This conversation shows us that there are many close feeling between them, and that they have a close relationship. This relationship later on proves extremely necessary and important, as Greta is the only person who truly understands how Gregor feels when he turns into a beetle. Shortly after this conversation there comes a scene of repetition. This is where we see the demands that Gregor faces and the pressure he receives from his family; for he is the only person in family who sustains a job and therefore produces an income. An example of the repetition is, Gregor, Cash! Gregor, Shoes! Gregor, Cigars! Gregor, food! This repetitiveness emphasises the stress and anxiety that Gregor feels. The next scene is a complete antithesis to the previous scene. It is very naturalistic, and portrays a normal, every day conversation between the family. Here we learn about how hard Gregor has to work in order to keep his family in good health with the money he brings in. His mother tells him to go to sleep when he complains about being tired, but he tries to refuse as he is worried that he will get sacked and then the family will have no income. This shows his dedication to his job and how hard he works for his familys sake. Gregor in the morning begins to feel ill and this is where his transformation into a beetle begins. The family at this point cannot see Gregor, but they can hear him and realise that something is not right. Gregor refuses their entry into his room, and locks himself in, unsure what is happening to him, himself. By this time the family start to realise that he is late for work. The situation becomes worse though, as the introduction of a new character happens. The Chief Clerk, who is Gregors boss, arrives at the house. The chief clerk only cares about his money and he has come to the house to find out why Gregor is not at work. This makes the current situation more awkward. All of the family and the chief clerk himself try to enter the room, but Gregor who is ashamed and scared about his current physical state does not want them to enter. After much confusion and worry from the familys behalf, Gregor eventually opens the door. When the family see the sight of him and notice how grotesque he looks they greet him with fear and loathing. Shoo! Get back. The beginning of the next scene sees the family, including Gregor talking about Gregor in the third person, about how much anguish and pain he feels. The family, with the omission of Gregor then begin to talk in a worried and confused tone, about what to feed him, how to feed him and when to feed him. We then get a flash back to what it used to be like in the mornings, how Gregor would drink his milk and be off to work in a cheery mood. The play continues; and Gregors room is cleaned out. Leave it! he shouts, as he tries to protect his belongings his only companions. The next scene is an evening scene, where again, Gregor reminisces about the distant past. He complains about she milk, saying he doesnt like it anymore, its revolting. This again accentuates his transformation: the only human aspect of Gregor is that he appears to be able to speak. Mr. Samsa, previously unemployed because of Gregors income, gets a job. The family surround him and bombard him with compliments: entitles you to look like a general. This shows how the family are doing their best to move on. We, as actors, are told the next scene is almost entitled Optimism. This immediately portrays a feeling of hope and desire for their lives to be normal. This, however, is also the scene where Mr Samsa completely loses control and hurls an apple at this son, which sinks into him, shouting, Back! Back! Back! Back! The audience is then invited into Gregors dream, followed by Phase Three. This phase begins with another flashback of previous life. Time to get up for work, Gregor. The scene quickens until the usual repetitive rush is sounded: Lodgers, Cash! Lodgers, Shoes Lodgers, Beer! This is where we met three lodgers, who are pompous and exact. They are demanding until they meet Gregor, who is b now a grotesque and unpleasant sight. They argue and leave. This seems to be the final straw, and the family are now conscious that this cannot go on any more. Greta, who so far has been Gregors guardian angel, distances herself and leaves him. Mrs Samsa, always there for her son, a maternal figure, sees her son, and after he whispers, Free free, she says, Dead, and thanks God in advance for taking care of him. Metamorphosis ends optimistically. Greta re-appears, and the family tell the audience how beautiful their daughter is, and how their life seems to be happy. Theyre doing everything they can to forget Gregor, and push on with their lives. Metamorphosis is a complicated, unusual play with many hidden meanings. It focuses on family life, pressure and expectation; how throughout our lives, we are always being ridden with demands. Berkoff uses these themes extremely well to create a visual masterpiece of the uppermost class.

Essay --

The sonnet is a form of poetry that is vastly used among poets. There are usually two types of sonnets in poetry, the Shakespearean sonnet and the Italian sonnet. Sonnets are typically defined as poems made up of 14 lines that rhyme in a specific way. William Butler Yeats’ â€Å"Leda and the Swan† is an example of an Italian sonnet. It consists of 14 lines and the rhyme scheme is ABABCDCDEFGEFG. In his poem, Yeats’ uses the sonnet form in many traditional ways. However Yeats’ also revises the sonnet form in order to help readers understand the main theme of the poem, which is rape. The poem starts off very surprising. In the first stanza, the speaker says, â€Å"A sudden blow: the great wings still/ Above the staggering girl, her thighs caressed/ By the dark webs, her nape caught in his bill/ He holds her helpless breast upon his breast† (1-4). Right away the speaker seems surprised. The girl wasn’t expecting a blow anytime soon and was knocked down. She seems disoriented and unsure of what’s going on. The bird is described as having â€Å"great wings.† This diction makes him seem powerful. Furthermore, he is above Leda and starts caressing her thighs. She seems helpless at this point. In line three of the poem, the swan grabs her neck with his bill. Then, he holds her closer so that their breasts can touch. The language here creates a very intimate setting. In addition to that, Leda’s breast is described as helpless. It seems that she can’t do anything and must let the rape continue. The way the poem is being told in the first stanza seems to allude to the myth of Leda and the Swan in Greek mythology. It seems that Yeats’ wants to portray the swan as the Greek god Zeus in the poem. In the second stanza, the speaker asks two questions. The spe... ...tead of foreshadowing the future. The speaker wonders if she knew what was going on while she was being raped and the consequences of Zeus’ actions. Furthermore, since this is an Italian sonnet, it is divided into two sections. The first section consists of the first eight lines and is called the octave. The second section is called the subset and consists of the final six lines of the poem. In the poem, the first part talks about Leda being raped by the powerful swan. She is helpless and even though she struggles, she cannot escape. This part of the poem focuses on Leda’s view of the situation. In the subset, the swan finally finishes raping Leda and the poem moves on to address what exactly has happened. In the subset, the speaker narrates the consequences of the rape. These consequences include the burning of the city of Troy and the Trojan War. In conclusion,

Youth Violence on the Possession of Firearms in School

Despite nationwide gun-free school laws that prohibit possession of a firearm on or near the property of a public or private school, students are bringing guns to school and using them against their fellow students and teachers with increasing frequency. What possesses these students to gun down their classmates? How are these students getting access to firearms? Who is ultimately responsible for these tragedies? What stresses contribute to these shootings? And how are parents and educators missing the warning signs that these children have reached the breaking point? Over the past few years, there have been an astronomical number of school shootings across the country, sending policy makers, parents, teachers, and other concerned citizens into a tailspin. These events are becoming more frequent and have shattered the sense of safety that children should have when they are in school. Shootings by students, some as young as 10, have occurred at sickeningly regular intervals in urban towns like Pearl, Mississippi, Jonesboro, Arkansas, Fayetteville, Tennessee and most recently Littleton, Colorado, where 12 students and 1 teacher lost their lives at the hand of two teen shooters who took their own lives. Firearm violence falls second only to automobile-related deaths, as the leading cause of injury-related death, in the United States. By the year 2003, firearm fatalities are projected to become the United States leading cause of injury-related death, unless the violence is curbed. In 1991, Texas and Louisiana saw firearm fatalities surpass automobile fatalities, and Virginia and Nevada also have continued this trend. In fact, the firearm death rate is increasing faster than any other cause of death except AIDS related fatalities. Recent public attention has focused on the problem of gun violence in the nation†s schools. A 1994 Gallup poll of Americans, for the first time, fighting, violence, and gangs have moved to the top of the list to tie with lack of discipline as the biggest problem facing schools. It is difficult to determine what effect the threat of violence has upon the learning of each student, but clearly education takes a back seat to one†s own sense of security and well being. According to a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, one in 20 high school students carry a gun and one in five students would tell a teacher if he or she knew of another student carrying weapons to school. Theories differ about where young people get their guns. School security experts and law enforcement officials estimate that 80% of the firearms students bring to school come from home, while students estimate that 40% of their peers who bring guns to school buy them on the street. The United States has weaker firearm regulations and higher numbers of deaths involving firearms than all other industrialized nations. The greatest tragedy of gun violence is the tremendous numbers of children and youth killed or injured each year by firearms. These numbers continue to increase at alarming rates. According to Gunfree.Org, in 1985, the number of firearm homicides for youth 19 years and younger was 1,339, in 1995, it was 2, 574. In 1995, guns accounted for 84% of homicides of persons 13 to 19 years of age. Averages of 14 youth each day are killed by gunshots. A group studying juvenile violence in Multhomah County, Oregon identified the inadequate response of the juvenile justice system to students expelled for possessing weapons in schools, the need for additional efforts to detect weapons, and anti-violence education in schools as primary concerns. We must, as a society, recognize that there is a cycle of violence and that violence breeds more violence. There is no single answer to the problem of violence. A multi-faceted approach is needed. Prevention must be a priority. According to a ‘Public Health† Approach, recognition of three levels of prevention activities is essential: Primary prevention: These are interventions directed at people who have no obvious risk factors for development of violence. An example would be teaching grade school children to deal constructively with anger and conflict. Secondary prevention: These activities are directed to those who show clear-cut risk factors for violence. An example would be training in anger management for people who have a history of arguments or fighting. Tertiary prevention: These activities are directed toward minimizing the danger caused by those who have displayed violent behavior. Examples include interventions to allow gang-established patterns of serious or repeated violence. Any approach to violence must include education carried out in various ways and settings including collaboration among community groups, businesses, the schools, and government. Most of all, the parents must get involved. Schools offer the opportunity to reach a substantial percentage of the youth population and teach them skills aimed at the reduction of violence. Teachers are able to identify early on problem youth and families. Schools represent an important site to convey the message of society against weapons and violence. An important part of the anti-violence prevention strategy aimed at all youth is increasing the efforts to detect weapons in schools. While schools are already vigilant about responding to individuals when specific knowledge is available about weapons possession, this approach has not addressed concerns and perceptions that a number of weapons are present in schools undetected. Expanding the commitment to zero tolerance for weapons in schools would also better communicate to youth community standards, assuming that adequate consequences are in place. Most weapons are found through reporting by a concerned student. Such reporting should be praised.